LIB Bloggers: James Elious

Miss Liberia USA 2009 Mattie James (of blog Mattieologie) and husband Chris James recently had a "blog baby" (as the couple like to refer to it) and decided to name it James Elious. I love this blog. Its purpose is simply to motivate. The twenty something twosome decided to bring us a lifestyle blog that promotes positive energy and advice in being the best possible you. Join them every Friday at 7pm for their "Twitter Topic of the Week" where they showcase the cutest little videos that really leave a lasting impression. Get out there and support your Liberian bloggers. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

Walk About: Liberian Fashion After Hours Event

Ok all so this event is super close to my heart. It will not only be the first event that I have planned and produced in LIB, but it is also a fund raising effort for my family's non-profit organization the Florence Webster Allen Educational Foundation. This org was founded by my mother and I in 2009 (we have and awesome Board of Directors as well) in memory of my grandmother who was an educator in Liberia for over 40 years.

This shopping event will be something that LIB has never seen before. The night will be filled with partying, drinking of complimentary champagne, complimentary hand massages and polish change, showcasing of made in Liberia fashion and accessories, and a live musical performance by Blue Links Records First Lady, Sweetz, all while supporting a fantastic cause. I would like to thank the Liberian Coca-Cola Bottling Company for their sponsorship and generous donation. They will be there promoting their new energy drink "Burn" (can't wait to try it). I hope to see as many of you as possible there. Pics will be up soon!

Thursday December 22, 2011

7pm- 11pm

Tides Bar

Waterside, Liberia

Walk About: All White Ciroc Launching

IT IS OFFICIALLY GOING DOWN Friday December 23, 2011 at Deja Vu Night Club (LIB Airfield Shortcut) as Ciroc finally hits the country through the All White Launching Affair. Brought to you by the homie Etienne "Mbags" T and his brilliant creative crew. $20USD before midnight and $25USD after. As the saying goes "Be there don't be told". See you there!

Marazetti Trunk Show

Hey Lovelies! Haven't posted in a while. Between extra slow Internet and stress at work I've been super BLAH. Anyway on to the fun stuff. I had the pleasure of attending the Marazetti Trunk Show on November 29th which was held by the fashion line's creator Fanta Kamara. The display included Marazetti originals as well as some uber cute pieces that were brought from abroad. I haven't shopped in about 7 months, so I went a little retail therapy crazy. Thanks Fanta!

Shoe Dazzle

So while browsing Korto Momolu's blog today I came across this AMAZING site called "Shoe Dazzle". The way it works is you take a quiz so the experts at "Shoe Dazzle" can recognize your personal style. You are then able to search all of the shoes, bags, and jewelry that were picked to fit your style and taste. Lastly, they create an entire showroom exclusively for you.

Umm...that's pretty cutting edge if you ask me. I guess that's why Team Korto had them as one of their sponsors at Fashion Week. To start dazzling click here.

Beauty: Bluffa Jo Cosmetics

Bluffa Jo Cosmetics is the brainchild of Maisie Dunbar, a Liberian native who currently resides in the State of Maryland, USA. The cosmetic line prides its self on mineral pigments which is a natural alternative to chemical make up, and does not contain any dyes, oils, talc, alcohol or fragrance. Bluffa Jo Cosmetics has been featured in Harpers Bazarr, Vogue, and Essence Magazines as well as New York Fashion Week. They also carry a skin care line. Purchases can be made at Bluffa Jo Cosmetics.com or at Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge located in Silver Spring, MD. They also have an "Online Happy Hour" every Monday from

6pm-8pm which is pretty cool.

Can you believe I lived in Silver Spring for 20 years and didn't hear about this until moving to Liberia last year? Who am I? P.S. Don't you just love the name? Its a LIB thing...Check them out!

Event: Colours of Sickle Cell

Celebrity Fashion Designer Korto Momolu and Radio and Television Personalities Guy Lambert(WPGC), Renee Nash(WHUR),April Watts(Magic95.9) and Anji Corley (HSN) will be hosting a Benefit Fashion Show with the aim of building awareness and educating the local community about Sickle Cell Disease while showcasing designs from local fashion designers. The creator of Colours of Sickle Cell is Jamairais Malone, who was born and raised in Washington, DC. She has modeled for designers, such as Project Runway Alumnus Korto Momolu and Christian Siriano, and was also featured on BET’s Rip the Runway.

Colours of Sickle Cell will be held on November 21, 2011 at Riot Comedy Act, 801 E. Street, NW Washington, DC. The show will start at 7pm and commence at 10pm. For more information and ticket purchase click here.

 



Zutin: Marazetti

I came across this collection WAY before I started blogging at my favorite fashion blog Fashion Bomb Daily, but I had to make sure to share now because it's truly awesome. Marazetti was started by Liberian International Model, Fanta Kamara and her pal Patience McWilliams. The creators pride themselves on simple, sophisticated, exotic and uniquely distinct concepts while creating Western shapes out of African fabrics and materials. The collection also includes handbags and oversized clutches that can also be seen in the pics below. Click Marazetti to learn more.

Nyna Touch: Portrait 25

While browsing Facebook the other day I happened come along a post advertising Liberian Music Artist Nyna Touch's digital album "Portrait 25". After listening to three of the free tracks I instantly knew that I had to cop. The Atlanta, GA based songtress' voice can only be described at velvety smooth, and as her website describes "[she] specializes in putting words & emotions together." If eclectic music is your thing then you def need to get yourself a copy for only $5 BUCKS!

If you are in the Atlanta area she is scheduled to perform at M Bar on 11.11.11. If anyone gets a chance to go PLEASE leave comments I would love to know how it went. For more info on Nyna Touch and album purchase click here.

Zutin: Thelma's Vanity Vintage

My long time pal Michela Wariebi is not only talented in the makeup department, but has also recently revealed her knack for showcasing unique vintage finds as a Vintage Dealer . This Maryland State based, LIB Bombshell is the owner of the amazing e-commerce vintage store Thelma's Vanity Vintage. The project began in January of 2011, and is set up in a way where you can shop online as well as be given the chance to shop privately with her. When asked about her inspiration she replied, "I was inspired to open because I love vintage, love the thrill of trying to find it, and I just can't keep it all for myself!"

The pics below are of some items that I FELL IN LOVE WITH while visiting the site. For more hand-selected unique pieces check it out for yourself!



Sweet Liberia: Beautiful Buchanan

Some friends and I took a trip to Buchanan a little while back, and I just had to do a post about this little slice of paradise. Buchanan is the third largest city in Liberia, and is the capitol of Grand Bassa County. It took us about two hours driving from Monrovia, Liberia's capitol city, to get to this lovely destination. The beaches are out of this world, and they have the best spread of coconut trees I have seen in the country by far. We stayed a the best little guest house and had a fabulous time.The last pic is of some friends having a ball at Buchanan's Black and White Night Club.

Zutin: Free Peoples Rebellion

Liberian accessories designer Sarah Williams has taken African fashion to a whole new high. I stumbled upon this jaw dropping line a couple of months ago (way before I started the blog) and I just had to share. According to http://www.fprebellion.com/ "Free Peoples Rebellion pays homage to the history of Liberia, which was founded and colonized by freed slaves in America who wanted to move back to Africa. It also describes the company's customer as well, someone who has a rebellious fashion sense and the free will to choose to make a difference. Partial proceeds from the accessory line are donated to youth organizations in Liberia".

I was only able to get these few pics to show, but if you are ready for more greatness visit the site here. Brace yourself...yeah its really that good!

LIB Music on the Rise

The first ever compilation of Liberian Music has been released to the world. HipCo (Liberian Hip Hop) artist Chief Boima presents "Lone Stars Vol. 1: HipCO& Gbema". Chief Boima worked with the African music association Akwaaba which is dedicated to African music and pop culture.

According to www.akwaabamusic.com "Hipco is hip hop sung in colloquial English, the form of English you hear on the streets of Liberia. Although colloquial English retains a lot of English syntax, it can be a bit daunting at first because it is spoken very fast, many consonants are not pronounced, and a lot of words are borrowed from other local languages. But it has become the language of choice for young rappers. And much like hip hop, hipco has grown into its own culture, with its own lifestyle, dance moves and music. Today hipco often refers to more than just a type of rap, it’s a way of life".

Want to see what the album has to offer? Listen to some of is here