Where have I been?

Spring '14 Lookbook Shoot for Soul.eil Clothing
Model: Patra Okelo
Stylest: Leanne Woodley
Photographer: veronica sequeira
www.soul-eil.com
IG: souleilvintage
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shopsouleil — in Washington, District of Columbia.

So much has happened ever since the last time I blogged which was in 2012. So I cut my hair and decided to return to my roots, moved away and lived by myself while working and going to school, got the opportunity of travelling as my job expanded. Now that I am back home, I have decided to get back into blogging. Part of the reason I stopped was luck of motivation. My blog's appearance wasn't what I had in mind and I didn't think it fit my personality. With a little tweaking here and there I'm somewhat satisfied but I will be working with a web designer to perfect it. As most bloggers I was inspired to start a blog by just reading other blogs and I feel like I'm ready to get started. I'm not a full time blogger but I will most definitely I'll be posting up to twice a week. I'm happy to be back, hope to stay motivated and inspire some of you but most of all I hope I wont be boring.
I'll catch you guys on my next post. Stay chic and be blessed.

Xx Patra
 

How I wash my hair.

Time to say goodbye to my "Solange" hair

photo by PK Designs

Good morning everyone
The week is almost done. I started taking my hair out yesterday and I must admit it feels so great. I've always experimented with my hair in the past, from twist, relaxers, dye, weaves and wigs I love them all. Now that my hair is almost out I'm planning on letting it breath for a while before doing anything to it. I will let it breath for at least 4wks just because my braids where chunky. I wish i could do my braids back to back but nah. Time for a new do. I promised myself if I will play with my hair and when I turn 40  will chop it all off. This is my regimen for my hair.

what you'll need
Comb
shampoo
conditioner
towel
blow dryer/ flat iron/air dry
style

what to do (common sense)
Comb through your hair to entangle it then use the correct water temperature soak your hair by rinsing it around for at least a minute. A little goes a long way. I learned this when i was little i didn't understand why it was too much foam lol But anyways put a small amount of shampoo on your hands and massage it on your scalp area. While massaging make sure you are using your fingertips. I used to mount my hair on top of my head and ended up with a tangled mess. to avoid this claw you fingers just like a comb. Conditioning is a must never skip this part. Apply conditioner on hair and leave it on for at least 10 minutes (this is the time I make phone calls, fix a treat lols) After a few minutes rinse your hair with a warm water and end t with cold water. yes cold water for your face it closes your pores but for your hair it adds shine...Dry you hair with a towel by scrunching, and patting lightly. I try not to use heat on my hair regularly but since my hair has new growth i will blow dry then flat iron it for styling. And that's it make sure you add some oil. I love the Moroccan oil. I love it, it's pricey but great for your hair. Always think quality first and educate yourself on what you put in and outside your body.

I hope this tips help what is your hair washing regimen? 
XO Patra

Would you propose to a guy?

hey everyone,
I wish you could see the excitement in my voice woot woot woot ...Yes I've been gone!!!! And I know it has been a while since I blogged, How have you been???? Me??? Thanks for asking Hahahahah  I have been busy with African lime light. this site is the shhhhhh...yes shhhh the best hahaha. I listen to none stop music read everything from music, fashion and latest news...That's where I have been.

theurbandaily.com

With all seriousness we joke about the "marriage" topic a lot. There are women out there that know exactly what they want and aren't scared of  showing it. Lets say you have been dating this special person for quite some times. When is he going to propose?, I'm I overreacting? These questions circle your head. Why the rush? when i asked myself this question the two things came to my mind were
1. Time is ticking and if she is thinking of having a child the time starts now.
2.She doesn't want to be with anyone but you.

Maybe there is another reason but to me if I were to propose it would be because I'm in love with you and would like for you to be part of that. Being old school I prefer for the man to take the lead.Ahhhhh!!!! the ring!!! ahhhh I can't wait for him to say "Patra can you please kindly make me the happiest man by doing me the honor of being my WIFE?"
ME: Ummmmm like totally :)....wait wait is that a diamond???....dude I told you I wanted a pearl...why? why? why?!!!!!!!
DUDE: Is that a yes?
ME: F---  NO!!!!  I said pearl!!!! did you watch blood diamond ugh!!!!!!!!.....

lol anyways i'm serious I don't like diamond because of that movie. I love pearls, look at the bright side we will spend more on our honeymoon wink wink!!!

So.....let's have this conversation do you think it's appropriate for a woman to propose or it's a deal breaker?

Xo Patra

look what i got from ebay

Hello hello,
As most of my friends know I'm addicted to EBay.com. Yes addicted. i started to shop on eBay a little over 2 yrs ago. To me eBay is a market you can simply get anything and sell as well. so today i will be sharing with you guys my purchases.
I  got a 12 ring clothes shawl, scarf,tie, belt hanger Since I have lots of scarfs (obsessed)
And I also do a lot of travelling ironing clothes can be a hustle so I purchased this mini steamer. It comes with two heads a small on as on the picture and a big one for a faster seaming process. I love it and it's one of my best purchases. I also use it to steam my face lol.

This is Heaven I'm in love with this just makes storage easier.
$6.99 plus free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

This mini steamer is portable and easy to use
it only cost me $19 plus free shipping.
Location: China

when it comes to makeup a good makeup brush is key. I purchased these in black and loved. the seller emailed me with a special one "Pink brushes" so i dedicate these to the cancer society. sometimes all i wanna do is look at it yea they are just beautiful. My next will be to get the Red ones. Yes I love shopping. Here are the brushes the "pink" edition. And i couldn't skip to get the lashes, eyeliner and eye shadow.

I love them. Didn't tell you they are good to look at :)
$11.99 plus free shipping
location: Tokyo

yes 60 pairs minus the glue:( (no biggy) i purchased them before and I had to have more
$5.99 and $3.99 shipping and handling not bad considering i get 60 pairs..
locaion:Hong Kong

These eyeliners are magic. Most eyeliners don't pop but these they show very well and a little goes a long way.
$3.39 plush free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

36 color which comes in mineral, gel and glitter I'm in love
$26 plus free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

My other order was a earrings i love accessories and own the whole of Target. I'm very serious. a girl can never have too much shoes, bags and accessories :). i got these retro earrings and i love love them. I also got these beatify ul cuffs

these are my new pears...i had to change it up a bit
$0.99 EACH plus free shipping
location: Hong Kong

ahh pettles...so elegant
$0.99 plus free shipping
location: Hong Kong

I love these i want the blaco on but i got 3 of the tan ones. will be wearing tonight :)
$1:89 EACH plu free shipping
Location Hong Kong

gold tone multi chain and some pearl drop necklace. it's cute
$1.29 free shipping
location:Hong Kong

And did i mention you can also buy clothings. yap yap these are my fashion finds

Thes jeggings are soft and comfortable
$5.29 plus free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

uh..love'em or hate'em these LEOPARD BLACK SPIKE HEELS PLATFORM STILETTO PEEP TOE OPEN SATIN SEXY (hahahaha) they are beautiful. i'll be waring them tonight.
$14.95 and $6.95 shipping i spent hundreds on shoes this was jaw dropping.
Location:Los Angeles, CA, United States

The back

front
2 piece bikini
$7.99 plus free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

this V neck dress fits like a glove. i had orrigionally goten it for my sis but hse ended up not linking it. I'm wearing it tonight :)
$11.39 plus free shipping
Location: Hong Kong

 This is pretty much what i got and i must admit i love eBay and will continue to be a loyal customer. I hope you guys give it a shot and make sure you click on free shipping because 90% of the time they charge more for shipping.
till then..

XO Patra

How to go natural.

When it comes to hair we need to take good care of them.a few weeks ago i did a blog entry on how to keep you hair healthy. Today I will give you guys a few tips on a different way o keeping your hair healthy and it's  going natural. The first thing is to refrain from using lots of heat, harsh chemicals such as relaxers and perms.
When people think "natural hair" they think curly wavy or an Afro. this is very true you can also style your natural hair just as much as you can style a relaxed hair.

How do I get started?

• Cutting all your hair and getting a fresh new growth helps. this can be a slow or fast process because sometimes your hair doesn't grow back or fast enough. If you are not emotionally attached to your hair this might be the route to go. However i don't recommend.

trim your hair at least every 6 weeks
dawnali.com

• If you are not down with cutting your locks trimming works. trimming off your relaxed ends at least every 6 weeks helps. This will not only keep it healthy but it will give it a body and volume. This is the stage that you need to stay away from  chemicals so deep conditions and less heat will be the best tools to maintain your locks.

get your hair braided in cornrows or box braids.
vissastudios.com

wig it up. this gives you the option of changing hair whenever.
blackamericanmoney.com

you can weave it up. if done with an expert and the proper care it can last up tp 3-4 months.
madamenoire.com

• If you think this is a little too much to keep up with there are other solutions. wear wigs, extensions and weaves/saw ins or braids . This is by far the easiest no heat on you hair and manageable. The good thing about them is that they come in every style and length and getting an expert to do is the best idea.

These are my few tips because I've been practising them for a while and I love it. I hope you guys find it helpful and share your tips on going natural. I also have a quick favour to ask of you. if you can join me in helping a friend win the natural hair competition. you can do so by clicking on the link below. The process is two seconds: 1) Go to the page, 2) Like the page, 3) Click the "Vote" link on the left, 4) Scroll down to the 7th Contestant, That's her You can vote from as many email addresses as you have.

 https://www.facebook.com/WorldNaturalHairShow?sk=app_143103275748075&app_data=dlt-1

Good luck honey i hope you win, you deserve it
model: Folasade Pyne
Photographer : Quazi King
Location: Brooklyn, New York.

thank you everyone till then.


XO Patra

top pictures.
www.hairstylesdesign.com
bellysoulgourmet.tumblr.com

XO Patra

fashion finds "thrift edition"

My love for shopping is maybe a little sick but im pretty good at talking myself out of buying them. online shopping, over the phone shopping, street vendors, vintage, and most of all thrift shopping. the difference between thrift shopping oppose to going to a store is that 99% of the time no one will have what you have.

Back in High School I'd go to school dressed like everyone and yes it was a little frustrating. With my shopping habits came creativity. I found ways of transforming a basic outfit by accessorizing it with scarfs, necklace, replaced buttons and so much more. It was more unique, so me, and different. This was my way of standing out and that was my first affair with vintage. I established relationships with the street vendors and they'd notify me of new arrivals and clearance. Do I miss going to the stores nah not really because I still shopped on line.
Last week I was in Maryland and asked my boyfriend if he could take me to a thrift store. Luckily he new where one was. It was huge lots and lots of cute stuff  oh my........ x mas all over again :). Iwas thinking leather so I grabbed a leather skirt and the top wasn't hard to find. Here is a look of what I got. all under $8 because they had a clearance. Talk about a bargain. This is what I call look for less but it sure looks expensive.

top $3.99

skirt $5.99

Platform wedges borrowed from a friend

I paired the leather skirt with a button up shirt. You can't really see the detailing on the collar but it has a stitch pattern around it. since leather can be a little tacky the soft pearl top(blouse) to softened it. i'm the queen of accessories but like I said the top spoke for itself there was no need of over accessorizing. The look would be described as rocker meet chic. I hope you all love it and I will be doing more "fashion finds and outfits of the day" 

Where do you guys shop at?

XO Patra

Applebees someone?

Hello everyone so....my boyfriend and I went out for lunch at Applebees the other day. This is not my first time there but this time around it was different. Upon arriving we wating for at least 15 minutes before we could be attendant to. Not so good considering it was a date (thumbs down on their part).
as the waiter directed us to our sit everything was thumbs up from there. as the regular routine " what can i get you to drink" I always get my drink with the meal because I found out I drink too much and there's never room for food.I ordered a refreshing iced sweet tea and he had a sierra mist with a slice of lemon.

sweet tea and sierra mist

As many of you guys know Apple bees has the 2 for $20 plus an appetizer deal. we went with the mild Boneless Wings (should've stuck with the BBQ wings) they were good though.

As we enjoyed the apetizer 10 mins into it our lunch arrived i coud smell it from a distance. i had the Bruschetta Chicken my favorite meal and Ayo had Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara which looked so beautiful. we enjoyed our lunch the waiter was awesome checked on us regularly. Are we going back ummm yeah :) Over all we had a blast .this time im taking my girlfriends with me.

Boneless Wings

 Bruschetta Chicken

 Chicken Fettuccine

 what is your favourite meal at Applebees?
source:http://www.applebees.com/
XO Patra