Nneka

I do not even know where to begin. 

Nneka Waithera Kilonzo, I was so happy when I found out about you little princess. I was the happiest when I finally got to see a scan of your face in my belly and you looked like you were just posing.  This is you in my belly when i checked in to hospital for your delivery. It was a LONG DAY. we went to PRUH in South London , you were really cosy in my belly because even after the water broke, you still did not want to come out! I guess you were not ready for all the drama that earth sometimes had to offer lol.

The first time I saw your face, I knew I'd be in love with you too forever. I got the same feeling when I saw your brother Tristan :)

Life is precious and so are you. We are trying our best to accommodate you as you throw tantrums ( you are now 2.5 years and driving us a little bit kuku - esp. me ) You love cuddles from mummy so much, esp. when it is convenient for you ( i.e. when you don't want to tidy up...'' cuddle'' when you don't wanna eat your food '' cuddle'' when you don't want me to dress you after a bath ''cuddle'' and then, the cherry on top is when you have been so naughty driving me insane and then you ask me '' what's the matter mommy? '' in the cutest little voice! I just melt!!! Oh Nneka Waithera, can these terrible twos end already! 

Cant lie, you are still very cute with them. Today on a video call with your brother Tristan, we really made him laugh - he was almost in tears. He saw you look for your grapes while we hid them just to trick you, and how your lied with a straight face about Khem hitting you - he was not even there so this was a big lie. You even went ahead to demonstrate where he had hit you and showed us by pointing with your had to your back! Tris died of laugher - I didn't because you have become an Oscar award winner in the household and I'm used to your acting by now :) though you do surprise me with new things now and then. 

Sprahh... Simplified Elegance

Dear Friends,

It’s been way too long since we last linked up here—and oh, do I have stories to share! But before I dive into the first one… hold on, let me grab a glass of something. Brb.

…Okay, back. Where were we?

Ah yes—my new love affair: Sprahh.

My obsession with jewellery never fades, so I turned it into a side hustle. A small business for now, but hey, dreams grow, right? I curate unique, simple-yet-elegant pieces from all over and sell them online. The prices? Market-friendly (because let’s be real, everything under the sun has been done—no big revelations here).

But the real joy? Watching my customers light up when they try something on. The "Ooooh!", the "Ahhh!", the "I want this… no, THIS… wait, maybe BOTH?" That moment of happy indecision? Pure magic. And it’s not just for the ladies—gentlemen, I’ve got you covered too.

So… What’s With the Name?

Sprahh—ever heard someone gasp in delight? That’s the vibe. I wanted a brand that feels like a good surprise—that "Wow, this looks even better on me!" moment. Because let’s be honest: you can never have enough jewellery.

From Car Boot to (Almost) Boutique

I started small—literally. Selling from the trunk of my car wasn’t glamorous, but it worked! Some customers became ride-or-die loyal (bless you all), while others were one-time dazzlers. But the dream? To move beyond hustling in parking lots.

And guess what? It’s happening.

I’ve upgraded to a spot in my sister’s shop (she sells hair and clothes—teamwork makes the dream work!). My own Sprahh display stand is almost ready—fingers crossed for next weekend. Progress, people!

Why Jewellery? Why Now?

Confession: I’ve got a 9-to-5. And while it pays the bills, it doesn’t always spark joy. Some days, it’s just… meh. Plus, the rat race? Exhausting. That end-of-month paycheck hits, and poof—it’s already spoken for. Bills, nanny, car, house… sigh.

But I want more. More for my son. More for us.

I dream of holidays, go-karts, fishing trips in Naivasha, desert safaris, Disney World—the whole "happy life" package. And relying only on a salary? That wasn’t gonna cut it. So, Sprahh was born—a step toward freedom, joy, and actually living.

Where’s Sprahh Headed?

Short-term goal: A physical store—a space where customers don’t just buy jewellery, they experience it. Women already love what I offer (shoutout to my #Sprahhtian Squad), so imagine a whole boutique dedicated to that "OMG, I need this" feeling.

Long-term vision? Globetrotting for unique pieces. Maybe even designing my own—because I’ve got an eye for what shines.

For now? I’m sharpening my skills, refining my brand’s voice, and prepping for the big Sprahh glow-up. It’s coming. Watch this space.

(post was to go out eons ago...)

Year 1

Friends,

So My darling Tristan just started school and I cannot put into words what I feel about this. I saw this school, loved it and said to myself, my son will go to this school. Well, he is now there, NIS... loving the teachers, loving the facilities... (Yesterday his father and I went for an Induction meeting - he got a star for answering a question..lol..I did not, get a star i.e lol neither did I answer any question... they were too easy!) God has been more than good to me.

The thing is, I have learnt to put things out there in the universe and let the Almighty Father hear, and decide whether or not those things are good for me or not.

Tris is really loving the new transition to year 1. he is taking it so so well. I think that what has made it easier is the fact that 1. this is the school he also really wanted to go to. he has friends there already... I love their uniform, they do not have an issue at all with his locked hair which is a big deal for me. Shows me that they are open-minded, not old school, I used to feel so confused by the fact that I could not be allowed to wear earrings to my high school! Earrings???? smh- 

Today he has PE. I got him some really cool trainers that he is very much loving. he is really excited about them. woke up and asked about them in the morning, first thing.lol. so what I want to do is share a few pics of his day 1 with you and hopefully, all your children's dreams are coming true too...

Day 1 at the parking lot - feeling fresh and ready for the new journey!

 Ready to go to his new class... : ) 

I have to thank God for how far he has brought me and my munchkin! 

Teachers are already loving him and they have mentioned that he seems to be having a lot of potential... we are so so proud of you Tristan. Never stop being who you are already becoming - Confident, social, happy kid, curious and always so helpful when needed by others.

The sky is no longer the limit. May God bless you, my son.

Raise Now....

Being a single mother is not what women who are single mothers due to whatever reason or circumstance look forward to. But how can you deal or cope when such a thing happens to you? I am a single mother of one to this amazing little prince that I try to raise. I try to give it my best shot all the time. I do get confused about what to we do sometimes and I must admit, it is overwhelming sometimes. Especially raising a young man. There are some things that only a man can relate to. So when such times come by, I just try my best to not overthink the situation and hope that I can be the best mom/dad to the little king that I am raising.

What I have resulted to is ensuring that I keep him busy whenever I get the chance. He is such a free spirit and all I would want is to raise him to know that in life, things may happen in a way that one did not expect or anticipate but the one thing to do is to keep moving ...  onward and upwards.
He has become my best friend, one who gives me the strength to never give up no matter what lies ahead, both the known and the unknown. It is such  great feeling to finally have a man that I can take out to weddings with as my date... ( I even dress him up in a tuxedo as I dress up for whichever wedding... speaking of which, we have a wedding to attend this 1st June 2016 ...\0/ ). I started working early so I recall days when I had to take myself out for diner dates, sit and eat by myself as I was .. well.. by myself. Now, I get excited to ask him where he'd want to grab dinner / lunch .. as we sit and chat about the day. Sigh... it is good to be his mommy I tell you!

He and I are best of  friends. I have found such beauty and pride in being his mother. He has taught me to humble myself because sometimes life does surprise you and you have to simply be like water. I have come to take this quote from Brice Lee to heart... it is simply the best.

" Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless. Like water. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow , or crash. Be water, my friend!" - Brice Lee

My current situation has simply made it easy for me accept things as they are and look at them in a positive light.  I, my friend , have become - Water -.  Besides, it is the greatest gift that I  have ever gotten on earth, being his mom. I recall nights when i'd sit and watch him as he slept, wondering how other mothers do it... I was only 26 when I had him.  I actually did wonder if I was fit  or ready for this new job. Turns out, I was the lucky chosen one. It is the best thing I have ever become. Someone who he looks up to. Always has to check with , before doing something or believing it or not.. " yes, mama?.. isn't it?  " are some of the things he says to me as he tries  to check with me if some the things he is saying are facts, lol. you know, confirmation from his BFF.  I love this boy.

 I cannot stress this enough. Having to raise him, has just changed my life in such a positive way. He has already started teaching me things that I never knew before and frankly speaking, had I never met him, I doubt I'd have had the chance to learn them. So I would advise all parents to take heart and love this job that we are given the minute we get the tittle mom/dad. There are lots of sacrifices that come with this job but I think that it is all worth it in the end. In fact, it is worth it every minute of the day. The smile my son gives me, or the random hugs or kisses I get then followed by " I love you " or " you are the best mom " just melt my heart. It is why I exist. To make him proud to call me mom, for him to count on me and know that I am always there for him no matter what.

So, Cheers to all you Single moms / dads out there. Raise the little kings /queens to become the best men and women in the society that they are from, amazing boyfriends or girlfriends to those they will date. Loving and caring husbands or wives to these who will marry them and eventually, due to what they learnt from you, they will turn out to be great mothers and fathers ... to their children. 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am trying with mine, and hoping that all goes well in the end. 

Life is happier and easier when you start being happy with what it has given you. Don't wait for the perfect time so that you can be the perfect parent. And I beg you not to let another parent tell you how to be a "good parent" If  you feel  that you are doing it right, then by all means, continue doing it your way. There will never be a perfect time to be the perfect parent - Life is passing you by, besides, these young ones grow by the minute. Live Now... Raise Now!

Cheers my friends.

xx

Shella.

Dear Mr. VIP

Oh Life. It must be so good to be driven around like a boss, you can sit there, fall asleep, read a book, gaze into spac.

There are so many things in this world that can make us loose our cool ( btw I have zero tolerance to stuff that waste one's time). Sometimes its stuff that the humans we live with do that contribute to this, and at times its just the time of the month like - am one to know about this a little too well , me and many other women across this planet we call home.

Today I wake up, in a foul mood... my tummy had been running for the past three days from some food I had eaten at this nice restaurant, trust me, all I wanted was a simple dish - some calamari and salad... I got hell instead! So today I decided that I was much better and i could manage going to work. the cramps were not that bad and the toilet runs had reduced... a lot. so I get up, dress up and off is off.

As I drive, I see this car out of nowhere since I was approaching a corner, come onto me like they wanted to crush me if I do not make way! NOT TODAY SAITAN, NOT T O D A Y!! so i got this pic below to explain the scenario visually ..

So what do I do to this driver and his boss ( oh , the car was having some weird number plates, the boss was sitting in the back left), being driven around must be really nice ... he seemed to just be seating there, gazing outside, maybe wondering why he did not have a chopper to fly him to work instead of rushing through traffic.. and why all of a sudden he was not moving as fast as his dear, loyal driver had promised. Instead, there was this girl , shouting as she moved her hands in the air with anger, that  there was no way , she was going to move and that they should get back to their own lane and simply be patient instead of making matters worse.

you know what, If they were in such a hurry, why did they not get on the road like yesterday night when there was literally no one on the road to block them??? Arrrgghhh so I just stopped... and watched as they maneuvered through the correct lane. That move was criminal btw. 

What makes you loose your cool? share yours in the comment section below.

Bye for now.

Cheers 2015... you were great!

.

Hamjambo marafiki,

So here I am, turned 30 this year, my son lost his first milk tooth and he turned five. He is really getting tall by the way...he will be a tall guy :) sorry,  I digress!

I can tell you one thing for sure, 2015 has been a trip. I said that in a previous blog that life is about doing you, right? So I think that I have managed to do a bit of that in 2015, especially after turning the big three zero. I know there are things I should ensure no longer get to me, but I cannot help but react in the worst of ways sometimes. I wish there was a recipe for life, I would have already bought that manual / recipe because wow! it gets there sometimes.

I have a lot of aspirations and hope for the future, don't get me wrong. I however wish I knew when what would happen. The one thing that am sure I cannot do is throw in the towel.  Here is a few reasons why:

1. Life is never easy... Work hard now, enjoy later.

You have to work hard now to make the best laziest days of your life a walk in the park. I say laziest days because when you get older, you are no longer as active to do what ever you used to do when you were younger so work hard now when you still have the energy and your days will only get better with time.

2. If you really want it so bad, go get it yourself

Lets all face it, no one will give you what you want in life. If you really want it, you have to work hard and just go get what ever it is that you want. I have seen this happen to me. I used to want something so bad, then set a target that would help me get it. Once I got it, I'd set a new target for the next thing I thought I "needed " but in reality, I just wanted ..the minute I got that item, the hunger only grew bigger and in all honesty, it felt damn good to achieve the set goals.

3. Don't be selfish, a lot depends on you. C'mon now...

When you sit back and all you want to do is give up on being greater or achieving more, think, what will become of XXX if I give up? That is what drives me sometimes. For me, my son is my everything. This means that I have a lot of responsibilities that are not just all Shella, but also my son's. To me that is very important, to just make sure that " I got him". The one thing that can frustrate me here is if I dare depend on anyone to make that line " I got him " come true. Humans will always disappoint so to avoid that, always do whatever you can to ensure the one thing or person that depends on you is secure.
.

4. Live ...Laugh... Love 

So I think that Love is a force! One ought to respect it big time. Love is one thing that just happens to you when you least expect it. Sometimes it happens so fast that you second guess it, while at times, it takes  A     V  E   R   Y       L         O          N            G   time to happen. Either way, if you are patient enough, the most amazing feeling happens at you, within you, outside of you... I cannot even find the words to describe the feeling. It is funny how it even feels like something not real... you have to pinch yourself to see if it is actually real! You have monologues in your head ... "Is this person mine? does s/he know much s/he means to me?? "

That is why , I think, it is such a rare thing. And that hat wins most of the time. Nothing good comes easy. It is easier to hate people, be mean / cruel... than to show love and kindness... many people want the easy route. However, once you fall in love, it is like you have just found out the meaning of what it is to be happy, and alive. To care for someone unconditionally, Nothing matters more than that one person. And when you do find that person ( your Boyfriend, Husband, best friend, son, siblings, parents... Husband ...lol.., yeah I said that twice...) life becomes much more bearable. They are there to calm your nerves just by their mere presence, glance, smile or touch! That is why, my dear friends... Love is , in my humble opinion, a force.

Life's a BEACH

Dear Friends,

Greetings from this petite African girl (princess is much better if you like). If you know me well enough, then you will instantly not be offended / misunderstand the tittle of this blog today... grab a glass of your favorite vino /whiskey - on the rocks, because I will definitely entertain you!

My love for the beach life begun when my eldest sister Hanifah moved to Mombasa. She always invited my younger sister and I to go visit her and seeing as this was all so very new to her (living in Mombasa), we were obliged to go. Trust me, when you are young, out of high school and got nothing to do until uni, life can be boring or rather unbearable!

Mombasa had always been good to me. The beach ... oh the beach! The first time I saw all that sand and water on my feet, with a never ending horizon where the water seemed to meet the sky, was just so mesmerizing! How did He create all this? So beautiful and natural ... so full of color that just brings this sense of freshness, tranquility and serenity to even the most disturbed human being! I bet that if most asylums were built next to the ocean, many disturbed minds would have a better time recovering... just my two cents!

I used to take enough bus rides down to the coast (considering I was fresh out of high school, flights were what one would consider a luxury). I recall this one time when I had so many bus tickets that I had collected from my numerous trips that this coastal bus conductor actually told me that if I showed up with ten tickets from my previous rides during my next booking, I would actually qualify for one way either to or from Mombasa free! Of course I got counting, and to no surprise, I earned my free ticket \0/ - born a winner.

The craziest time was when I had been invited by my sister in law to a cruise ship trip that she had booked for my sisters and I - Destination , Z A N Z I B A R !!!!! This was back in 2007... (if my memory serves me right). I was so excited about this trip. Went to work early in the morning, left work by 5:00pm (GMT +03:00) to catch an evening bus (see how easy it was for me to grab a bus to the coast?), got to Mombasa in the morning, said my greetings to the family and caught up with them for a few minutes before my sister Hanifah asked me if I had managed to get my EA pass. She quickly dashed me to CDB to get one and off we were with my two sisters Hanifah and Maureen, niece Ummukulthum and sister in-law Wahida to the port where we were to board into this huge, beautiful, white cruise ship that was to take us to this four days five nights tour to Zanzibar and neighboring islands!

Most of the crew who welcomed us and attended to us during our stay in that cruise ship had the most amazing service. They ensured that my niece was very comfortable considering she was barely one at that time. From Dolphins and at times sharks, star fish and turtles... we saw amazing creatures. Got sea sick, recovered, went sun bathing and even managed to crash a birthday party in the ship. Part of the itinerary was to visit the famous spice market and the slave market as well. We did not make it to watch the dolphins but friends we had made while on this trip mentioned that it was spectacular.

When the trip was over, I literally traveled  back to Mombasa, jumped into a taxi to Moi International airport and boarded a plane to Nairobi (My brother in law was feeling generous so he bought me a plane ticket), got into a taxi and was in the office in time as if i was just coming from my house. All in all, from the first time I set foot in Zanzibar, I fell in love with the destination and the love keeps growing each and every time I return.

So here's the thing right... Do not grow up, its a trap! Of late I do not visit Mombasa as much, however, when I do get the chance and time, I always have such a great time. I had gotten used to going to North coast, the parties there are crazy and really for the young at heart, body and soul ( My bestie Martha can tell you all about this, crazy days I tell you).

You see us here, this looks like an afternoon right,? wrong! It was like 8:00 am - Mombasa mornings, when Nairobians visiting the coast party like rock stars only to do it again that same evening till the morning comes!

Now I really enjoy South coast, especially Watamu. The beaches are more private. Here, you get to spend time just relaxing and appreciating life, taking in the beauty of the beach life and reflecting on either where you want to see your life or simply appreciating how far you have come.

The hotels are also very nice and the beach boys are not so much in your face. I recall having some calamari that this beach boy who has a local restaurant by the beach had caught - mouth watering my dear friends! I'd say the meal was actually even better than what the main hotels were serving. I think the main ingredients were salt and some splash of lemon! Simplicity to the core. The beach boys are also very quick to secure beach beds for you and serve you some fruit salad, coconut juice or what ever drink you would like to have. I think that Watamu is a destination that I'd always go back to over and over again.Cannot wait to take my son there (he has been to the coast but i'll write about that soon).

Come to think of it, my mom also did love beach. She loved going to Mombasa and just enjoying herself there with her friends. Life is a party and the beach only makes it better... It all makes sense now, i was born to love this beach life... don't you agree?

Until next time my darlings, Kwaherini!

x