Sprahh... Simplified Elegance

Dear Friends,

It has been a long time since we last linked up here and I must say A LOT HAS HAPPENED! I want to share these things 1 by 1 and this is the first... but, before I tell you all about it, let me grab a  glass...brb

Sprahh...Simplified elegance.

So where were we? Yes, my new venture. Sprahh... Oh my love for jewellery never stops!  So I have a small business which I hope to one day make big. It is a jewelry selling business and I focus on unique yet simple but elegant pieces. I collect them from various places and sell them online. The prices are according to the market setting (everything under the sun has been done so no biggie...) but I  must say, I really love this side hustle! It gives me such pleasure to see my customer rock my pieces. The goo oohhh, ahhh... I'm so confused ..idk what to leave or what to pick.... it is just amazing! Satisfying them is my no. 1 drive.. and this goes for both men and women. 

Sprahh... what does it mean? Ask no more. I thought about the one thing that everyone loves...and I thought "surprises.. good surprises! Who does not like them? Sprahhhhiissee... I want them to feel so surprised that the pieces look so good, fit so well.... look so good on them... so the brand brings a lot of happiness, satisfaction but still wanting more because you can never have enough jewellery, right?

I had been selling from the boot of my car and you know what, it was actually not so bad. I have had customers throughout... some loyal ( and I am so grateful for their undying support towards my business) while others are one-off buyers. I hoped to one day be able to not hustle so hard... and just be a well-established company and I am blessed to say that I am almost there! I have grown, now selling in my sister's  shop where she sells hair and clothes. I have been working on making a stand for Sprahh which is almost done and hopefully, by next weekend it will be done. See more about us here

Why did I venture into this business?

Well, I do have a daytime job... a 9-5 kind of career which from time to time does not excite me as much. It can get boring sometimes... plus I was tired of the rat race. 😞😞😳  End month gets here and you are cringing your face, not even happy that you have the money because in the real sense - you don't. It is there but it is already allocated for! Pay these bills, the nanny, the car ...fix the house..etc. no money gets left to let you live the happy life that I envisage my son and I having. 

I imagine a life full of happiness...I wanna take my prince on holidays, get him his own go-kart, take him fishing in Naivasha... go on a desert safari... take him to Disney world... and I am afraid I will never be able to do those things if I'm still relying on my salary to pay my bills and lifestyle desires. Hence me starting the business. A better life for me and him.


Where do I want it to go?

I want to one day have my own store... where I design the look and feel... I need my customers to experience Sprahh... not just buy the pieces offered. You see, already with what I have, it is great. Women being my biggest followers, I do not have to work so hard to draw them to a physical store.All I need is to keep bringing the pieces that they are loving and all will be well.
 I see myself travelling and getting the jewellery myself! I even see myself designing some of the jewellery because I have an eye for great pieces.

I see Sprahh... becoming a store where all women, young and old - walk into to get amazing jewellery.

I am trying to see how to best work on my design skills so that the communication I push online can be better. There is so much for me to do.

In the mean, I will keep at it with my preparation for the bigger Sprahh goal. I know it will one day be a reality. Watch this space.  

" Success comes when preparation meets opportunity."

                                                                                          ...Zain Asha. 

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

She'll be 30 in a few...

Heya,

So this is extremely so new to me but trust me i will give it my best shot!

First things first, are you feeling as great as I am? Lately, I have been very good actually. All my 29 years in this planet we call home have been FABULOUS! So am turning the big three zero (Confused about how am feeling about it btw... )  in a bit and today morning something happened while I was just about to get out of bed and it made me think, I really need to start writing these things down. No one can make this stuff up! My son ( Tristan, 4 years of age) gets up and tells me to get out of bed, and I being the most laziest person on earth in the morning, responded by saying that i needed to just chill and think a while before jumping out of bed.. he goes like" think about ?" I was so surprised because I was not ready to respond.. so I smiled and told him that I just needed to think about life. Even before I knew it, he was also back in his sleeping position, face now facing the ceiling and you wouldn't imaging how cute he sounded when he told me what he was doing.." I am thinking" About? I asked in a surprised voice..." Nothing" LOL. I was so so excited to just sit there and look at this little angel that I call my very own.

And that's how ladies and gents, I introduced my baby to this blog life that I am about to embark on.  He is the sweetest thing on earth, amazing inside out! I am not just saying that because he is my son, you need to meet this kid to believe it. He is called Tristan Nanzai Washika... has my eyes, nose and cheeks. I think he is very kind and confident for his age. At  first I was worried when i first found out that i was expecting. Was I too young (26 Years old, then)? Would I be a great mom? Those are some of the thoughts that lingered on my mind. But oh, life and mother nature have a way of just making things that not even Google can ever prep you for, make you look like you were born to do it. Parenthood is just the thing I love the most, and to be honest, I am so honored to be this kid's mom! So I will be turning 30 in a few days and boy am I in a good place. I look back and I feel so so blessed to have this little young one in my life.I have made many decisions in my life , and good ones not to forget, due to his presence in my life. I owe him BIG time. I can never put to words how he has impacted my life in a positive  manner. I hope that one day I can be able to just sit and have coffee with him and just tell him all these things.

Thirty has made me come to a whole lot of thinking. I have come to realize that if I need to make progress in my life, I have to change a few things in my life. At times, I feel like we often let a lot of thing go by just because we do not want to deal with the drama that comes with the honesty of how we really feel and want things or do not want things done. Be it by a loved one, colleague , friend, or even relative. So, my dear friends, I am willing to just keep it real! By keeping it real, I want to ensure that I say NO more often to things or situations that no longer feel right or comfortable. No for sugar coating, no for waiting a few days to say what I really ought to have said, just keep it real! If I feel like that dress does not really look good, instead of telling my friend she looks OK. ish, I'll tell them straight to their face that I have seen them in better clothes (clearly I cannot be a mean girl .. lol) but folks, here is the thing, even bad news can be made better, depending on how they are delivered! If the number of friends that I have so far reduces, I'll just know the root cause is my very new found honest trait... (trust me they are not that many anyway ). If I feel like I just want to sit home on a Friday night, chill as I watch my fave show, or just have a glass of vino, then that's exactly what I will do. Besides, life begins at thirty (some say 40, but Shell's...says 30)

Until next time, lets all be kind to one another folks! Cheers to turning 30.  

Psst ... I will definitely tell you how the party goes... let the countdown begin!

xoxo
S

This right here is the place I'd love to see myself on my 30th - Zanzibar!