Brunch Date Style Tips

Hey ya! After battling with style options for the Cube Café shoot before finally settling for one, I’ve decided to give a few style tips on what to wear to brunch. If you’re planning a weekend brunch with your girl, friend, significant other or family then here are some quick style options for you.

N/B: You do not necessarily need to have every fashion piece on this post. However, you can work with anything similar in your wardrobe. So do not beat yourself up if you do not have all pieces. Fashion is about innovation so recreate the looks using similar pieces in your wardrobe to create your style. See this as an inspiration and don’t be scared to spice it up a little bit.

Okay now that that’s out of the way, let’s head on to the reason why you’re reading this. I’m sharing with you what Sarah Audu and I wore to brunch at Cube café a while back.

We both decided on a theme which was “Smart Casual”. I decided to go for something dressy and chic because I can be a little sometimes while Sarah went for a simple, classy yet casual look. I wore a wrap dress and a pair of strap mules which I recently got and has become one of my favourites. I went with the wrap dress because it gives this easy breezy vibe and if you know my style you’d know I love free, oversized clothes which suits my ever playful lifestyle. Of course it shows some skin here and there also. This look could also be styled as a date night or a daytime event outfit as well.

Sarah wore a denim wrap top on denim mom jeans with a red beret which served as a pop of colour and a black and white lace up espadrille flats. I’m really getting a hang of the beret trend and I love how she styled it effortlessly. If you’re going for a very chill yet classy outfit then this is definitely n option for you.

There are a wide variety of style options to go for when thinking brunch date outfit but I’d be sharing with you just a few more below.

• Blazer Dress: This is one trend I’m a total sucker for because it’s really simple yet so stylish and chic and of course we get to showcase a bit of skin. Pair up a blazer dress with a simple belt, a detailed neckpiece and accessories with strap up sandals and you’re good to go. This can also serve as a date night outfit.

• Layered Outfits: One thing people fail to realize is that with over-sized clothing there’s always room for layering. Put on a pair of culottes or palazzo pants, a peplum top or an over-sized top with frills and a pair of flat sandals or strap up heels as seen here. Viola, that’s an outfit option.
• A Little Black Dress: If you’re running out of options on what to wear then just slip into that LBD and you’re good to go. Note this, no one can ever go wrong with a little black dress. Match up that LBD with a pair of nice heels and a clutch or be like me and pair them up with sneakers.

• Neon coloured or Floral Print Dress: This is another great option for a weekend brunch. I mean I really love bright coloured pieces and I’m slow and steady beginning to include them in wardrobe. A nice floral dress or bright coloured dress is a great option for a brunch date.

These are a few style options to choose from when thinking brunch date outfits and I hope they were of help. Which of these outfits best suits your style and which would you go for? I’d also love to know what you think and your own outfit suggestions for a brunch date. Who knows we may just share the same taste. Your feedback is important to me so let me know what you think in the comment section below. Gracias amigos!

Photocredit: Victor Audu and Sarah Adu

Outfit details: 

Wrap Dress: Thrifted 

Shoes: Omodariola Purple Petals 

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Newbie on the 9-5 Scene.

So I’ve been trying as much as possible to be consistent with my posts. I won’t say I’m where I expect myself to be yet but I’m definitely not where I used to be when it comes to consistency. Still on the series, “My First”, I’d be sharing with you guys my first 9-5 job experience.

I started working my first 9-5 when I was 17 years old. This was when I came to a conclusion that a 9-5 job wasn’t really for me, it just couldn’t be my day job. I hate the thought of having to follow a routine day in day out. At the time I got the job I just concluded my 2^nd semester 100 level in Covenant University and students were required to take up summer jobs in order to gain experience and avoid idleness. I arrived Calabar, which is my hometown, and started the job hunting. Luckily for me I didn’t have to search too long as my sister hooked me up with a job in a company situated in the building where she worked called Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC). 

In a nutshell, EDC basically trains individuals who own start-up businesses or are interested in owning businesses on the core values and operations of a business. There were targets to be met which included bringing in more members to join the training. It was really an intense one because there were projects and presentations to be done by the students.

Got to the office at 8am sharp and waited for the manager to make proper introductions and show me the department I was to work in. It was my first day of work so you can imagine the efficiency. In fact I was early all through my first week which was quite surprising because I’m never early to anything. 

Everything was going well, I loved everyone in my department because they were really nice to me and treated me like family. I also tried as much as possible to connect with people in other departments. It’s always good to network with people and create good working relationships with them because you’d never know when the need for their services or expertise may arise. working a 9-5 was quite hectic and boring because there was always a routine to follow each day but my colleagues became friends and made work bliss.

Although I became close to most people in the office, from full staff to youth corpers to interns, there was this one person that constantly gave me trouble. At first I thought she was just generally rude and uptight with everyone but I later realized that it was more personal than general. I still couldn’t figure out what exactly was wrong or what I had done to her to deserve such bitchy attitude towards me. I really just wanted a drama free atmosphere. Was that too much to ask for? Plus, I was only there for 3 months. I started hearing stories from people that I was getting too close to her friends and all that. Can someone scream CHILDISH?!!!! 

I really couldn’t believe that someone way older than me could actually behave that way for such reason so I ignored. On a Friday afternoon, my boss called me in for a heart-to-heart session. In the process, I casually mentioned the issue I had with the lady at the office and immediately without my consent he called her in to resolve the issue. We all worked together and saw ourselves as family but when that was altered by a particular person, he/she was put in check. She finally spilled the beans on why she was rude and uptight with me and apologized for her actions. And we lived happily ever after, haha.

Working in itself can be a bit stressful especially when there are targets and deadlines to be met. It would really be foolhardy to create negative vibes to an already intense environment. Nevertheless, it was a really fun experience but I still stand my grounds that a 9-5 really isn’t for me. If it doesn’t excite me just by the thought of it then it’s definitely not worth doing because I can only be driven by something I’m passionate about.  If you want to know what her reason was for being rude and uptight with me comment YES below and I’d share.

What was your first job experience like? Was it a 9-5 job? Was it also filled with drama like mine? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below. Your feedback is very important to me. Anyway, see you on the next episode of “My First”. Still haven’t read the first episode of the series? Catch up here.

Photocredit: CBP Photography @wizchibzy

Outfit Details;

Cape: ASOS 

Skirt: Plaid skirt from my cousin’s closet

Shoes: Jasper Conran 

Bag: Chanel

Belt: Random ‘everyday with Jesus’ belt from my closet

Wristwatch: Michael Kors

Accessories: The Jewelry box

Thanks for reading x

 

The Cube Café

What is a great weekend without meeting up with friends over brunch or drinks? As you may know, I just recently moved to Abuja and lately I’ve been trying to explore more spots in Abuja. I’d be taking you along on my journey to various spots in the FCT. Let’s experience these places and make memories together.

Last weekend I met up with fashion and lifestyle blogger, Sarah Audu, at the Cube Café for brunch. Prior to the meet, I reached out to her and we decided to do a restaurant review. Although there were a couple hiccups here and there we finally found a spot. This was my first time being at The Cube Café and here are my thoughts.

Setting & Location

The Cube Café is located at 16 Usuma Close Maitama, Abuja. It is situated within Maitama Neighbourhood Park. The parking lot is quite a distance away from the café. Cars are parked outside the premises of the café and people have to take a walk in because there’s little or no parking space available inside the premises. Sarah and I were a bit worried about this considering the security risks.

Alongside the indoor café, there’s a garden and a sitting area where people can relax and enjoy nature’s greenery. This is a nice setting for parents who are trying to watch over their kids while they play in the park. The outdoor atmosphere gives a very calm and cosy vibe which is great if you’re looking to just relax and probably dwell a bit in your thoughts.

Ambiance & Design

I spoke to one of the staff to have an overview of the kind of design and atmosphere they were going for. According to her, they were going for an artistic, calming atmosphere where you can work, network, hangout with friends, play and so on. I could understand that after I was told that the owners are all artists in their various spheres. Honestly, I think that they pulled this off quite well. When I walked into the café the first thing I took note of was the artistic design they had going on. It is really aesthetically pleasing. I also perceived a soothing and calming atmosphere. 

There was cool music playing in the background as groups of people talked, and others worked while enjoying their meals. I loved the selection of songs for the playlist. There were books on the shelves for those interested in feeding their eyes. There were equally colouring books for the kids. They made good use of the space with relevant artsy pieces used as furniture, paintings and framed photographed pictures on the walls. The decorations created an appealing ambiance. As someone with a flair for the arts I could literally live here.

Food

The menu was framed and placed right in front of the counter because paper menu’s always got old, torn and looked a bit tacky. Although there was a bit of creativity in that, I won’t want to have to leave my sit if I’m thinking of picking something else from the menu along with my main course.

I had the full English breakfast, blend of the day smoothie and a bottle of water, Sarah had the Pan Au Chocolate (which she took to go) with an iced latte, while Victor (Sarah’s brother & photographer of the day) had burger and chips with blend of the day pressed fruits. I don’t consider them very pricey because the cost of food depends on the portions/quantity. Everything on my plate tasted good with just the right spices and texture. The average cost of a meal is about 35oo NGN. My food cost about 5,100 NGN, Sarah’s food cost about 2,000 NGN while Victor’s food cost 5,000 NGN. Price range varies based on whatever you decide to have.

The presentation of the dishes were clean and beautiful. I was quite excited to try out the blend of the day smoothie because it looked very nice and I couldn’t wait to know what it tasted like. Sarah loved her latte, victor on the other hand thought his blend of pressed fruits was quite thick but that was only because mango was included. I had a mix of Bananas, strawberry, milk and something else I couldn’t place my finger on but they all came together real nice.

Staff Service

On arrival, we met a young pleasant lady named Karen who took our order with all smiles. We asked if we could take pictures around the café and she agreed without any resistance. Although there was a mix-up in our order she was polite enough to apologize and correct it immediately. She made us feel at home and comfortable saying we were part of the Cube family. They see every customer and potential customer as family and treat them as such. Karen could also hold a conversation as she spoke to us severally while we were shooting. She also gave me an overview of the place.

Overall, if you’re looking for a workspace, somewhere to meet new people and network or just looking to relax, I think this is a great spot. It is very blogger friendly, aesthetically pleasing and great for family hangouts.

Ever been to the Cube Café? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you haven’t, please check it out and let me know what you think. What do you think about my review? Should I review more spots? Your feedback is important to me so let me know what you think. xoxo.

Alexis Ebri.

Easter Sunday Ideas

Hey dolls, 

Happy Easter!

So as promised this is a quick post to announce the winners of the Alexis Ebri x Totes Patchie giveaway. 

But first, I’m gonna share with you Easter Sunday ideas you can adopt to have a fun day. 

1. Spend time with family: Hey family is everything and holidays like this bring family memebers together. Make the most of it and spend time with family chit chatting, playing a game, sharing ideas, etc. 

2. Lunch with your girls (or guys): If you’re not looking to have family time, you can also call your girls up to meet with you at a nice restaurant with an amazing ambiance. Here you get to share laughs, small talks, catch up, share ideas and so on. 

3. A fun family game: If you’re spending time with family, you can as well make it fun by having a family game. It could be for the adults strictly, kids only or both. Play around ideas like egg hunts, truth or dare and so on and come up with a game that can be enjoyed by you and your family. 

4. Barcrawl: Another way to have fun this Sunday is to go out for drinks with your friends. Get your boogie on guys! Don’t hold back, go wild (okay maybe not too wild). Have a barcrawl with your friends. I remember I had this once with Emmanuel James the last time I was in Lagos. He hosts barcrawls every weekend. That’s another interesting activity you could take up on if that’s your kind of thing anyway. 

5. Sleep! Sleep!! Sleep!!! If you’re a worker like myself then join me on this one lol. This is the only thing I’m going to be doing this Easter Sunday because all through the holiday I haven’t had proper rest which angers me because that’s what the holiday is for. So prep your schedule for the week, get your corporate outfits ready for the week then rest, eat, sleep. 

These are a few things you can do this Easter Sunday. If you’re doing anything different kindly share down below in the comments section so I can add them to my list of ideas for holidays. 

Now the winners of the Alexis Ebri x Totes Patchie giveaway are; village_geh and iam_karees. Kindly send me a dm for your prices. Thank you for participating and thanks for reading! 

Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe to the blog for more. Happy Easter guys! Have a good one, xoxo. 

Ciao! 

Easter Giveaway!!!

Heya darls, 

I’m super excited about the Easter break because I have time to rest from work and focus on family & friends. I promised you guys earlier this month that they’d be a mini giveaway on the blog and I keep my word! I really wasn’t sure the exact period I was going to host the giveaway but then Easter came around and I thought “what other time would be best?”  So here’s me keeping my word and organizing an Easter giveaway!! Instructions would be posted on my Instagram page. Please and please follow the instructions carefully in order for you to qualify. Winners would be announced on the blog on the 1st of April by 10am prompt. 

Ps: Giveaway ends by midnight on the 31st of March so hurry guys!!!! Let the best people win. 

Ciao! 

Heartbreak (The Toxic Relationship)

First of all, let’s take a minute to appreciate these pants. I love them so much not just because of the design pattern and fabric but also because of how free and comfy they are. As you may already know (or not) I’m a sucker for over-sized clothing, especially when paired together as seen in the pictures below. I equally paired this pants with a crossed-back crop top here, which gave me a “sexy chic” vibe. I was amazed at the number of people who loved these pants and it has become one of my favorites. These are some of my Sunday best. 

I put up a poll last week on my Instastory on which post you guys wanted to go first between love and heartbreak. 68% of people voted heartbreak and as a lover of my followers, I have obeyed so here goes.

Okay, I’ve had a couple of flings with a couple of guys and when it ended I felt absolutely nothing. It got me to this point where I felt nothing could really move me, ah odeshi lol. I’m a very commitment shy person so I tried as much as possible to keep relationship tags out of the picture as they seem to put undue pressure on me.

I met this particular guy at a certain point in my life (you’d probably read about him in another episode of this series), who I felt overly comfortable with to the extent of dropping whatever misconception I had about relationship tags. I was all for it and ready for commitments and whatnot. Such amaze. Now the thing is, I was swayed by his sweet talk and how amazing this feeling was. It was new, it was intriguing. I could never get enough and I never wanted it to end. I fell way too deep in, it kind of felt like I was drowning. I knew that at this point I was if things went sideways it would hit me real bad but I never cared to pay attention. I saw the various signs he displayed but I constantly ignored them and shoved them under the rug. Why? I was in love.

I’d consider the point we met as the lowest point in his life. I mean we went through life and its challenges together, which meant the world to me. We had a history, a sort of bond I thought was unbreakable. I spent each passing day speaking to him, thinking about him, he was my happy place. My world revolved around him and I didn’t even realize. Ha, I was in trouble. At the time we met, he was a very sweet, humble and down to earth kind of guy. I mean, he took my feelings into consideration and all. This point he was at I could boldly beat my chest to say he had nothing, (owo was blowing him anyhow, left right and center. He was flat broke). That never stopped me from loving anyway.

You know how life happens, situations begin to change from bad to good and you gradually forget those that supported you and loved you? That’s exactly what happened. He became a “Big Boy” so I mean, who were we to sit with him? His attitude and everything began to change. He became more outspoken and began to flirt with a billion girls. I knew this but yet I stayed. I always felt that the sweet and humble “can’t hurt a fly” person I met would come back to me but he never did. Instead we grew farther apart. A couple of times he did some hurtful things that I couldn’t comprehend. I couldn’t wrap my head around them. He was a cheat, he was a liar, and he was everything bad.  I was always questioning his actions, questioning his words. It got to a point I had had enough so I blocked him on all media platforms. Just when I thought he was gone, he came back apologizing over and over again. The cycle kept repeating itself. I had to call myself to order after speaking to the best friend a couple of times, who by the way had to literally knock some sense into my thick skull. I realized I derived no happiness whatsoever from that relationship. I kept hurting all through, reopening healing wounds. It was really toxic for me.

At that moment I screamed NO! I could not keep hurting. I could not keep dying in silence. I could no longer stay unhappy. I had to heal. Right there, at that moment, I began my healing process. I gave myself a pat on the back knowing fully well I wasn’t the problem, forgave him and was ready to move on. I was proud of myself because it took me everything to get to that point.

Girls, don’t get to the point I did. Learn from my mistakes. Never settle, always demand the best. Why? Because you deserve it, sis. You see a man full of horrendous baggage, run. Even if you’ve been in a really toxic relationship it’s okay to pick yourself up, dust your skirt and get ready to try again.

PS: In the spirit of International Women’s Day, I’d like to celebrate all the women reading this. You are strong, you are wise and you are beautiful – this should serve as a daily reminder. Don’t let the world get to you. When life throws you lemons, make lemonades!!

Ever been in a toxic relationship? Share your thoughts with me. I really could learn from your mistakes. Your feedback means the world to me so please share your experience in the comment section below.

Ciao!

Food Expo (The Event)

Hey lovelies,

As you may or may not know, I was at the Food expo yesterday. Considering the fact that I missed Abuja 500, I decided I won’t miss this, coupled with ginger from my friends of course. My social life has been 0% lately so I’m trying as much as possible to work on that. It’s so bad that a couple of people who saw me at the Food Expo were shocked that I’m actually in Abuja, meanwhile I’ve been here for at least 3 months. Life of a loner.

Anyway, Food Expo which occurred yesterday (4^th March 2018) held at BMT Gardens Wuse 2 Abuja. It is a lifestyle event which showcases everything FOOD!!! Can anything be better than this really? As an incurable foodie I think this event was most definitely meant for me. Now I’m saying a big thank you to everyone who made sure I attended this.

Food Expo comprised of different brands (like Keje Grill, Debukka, Chef Taylor, Yum Shuwas, Yum, Gardenia, Robin, Purple pastries, Marigold, and so much more) showcasing a variety of food at large. Although I’m trying so hard to cut down on my sugar intake I really couldn’t resist some of the pastries, because sweet tooth. We had live performances from Lady Donli, Faze, Styl-Plus and Jesse Jagz. Of course I can’t forget the incredible DJ Bali serving us hit songs all day long and games made available by Tobi Fabz.

One thing I love about these kind of events is that they give a platform for networking and socializing. There was never a dull moment at the Food Expo. I mean, I was on my own for the most part taking pictures but I never got bored because I had the chance to meet some really amazing people. Abuja people do know how to party though. I had a couple of people pose for my camera and a couple of shy ones of course. I even had to force a guy to pose for my camera and do a Boomerang for my instastory. I can be a bully sometimes, I know.

Funny thing is, I didn’t go with the intention of spending a lot of time or spend money at all. I didn’t even know there was a gate fee lol. Still I got a LOT of stuff to eat and drink, it kind of looked like I came with a bag of money ready to spend till I drop. Oh well what can I say, when people love you it shows. So if you missed the event and couldn’t join in on the fun via my instastory, here are some pictures I took yesterday.

PS: Forgive me I went a bit late so some of the pictures may be dark and unclear. You can also view the highlights of the performances of various artistes at the Food Expo on my Instagram page.

Thanks for reading.
Ciao!