Last word!

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

I bet you all enjoyed this festive season. I did. My girl celebrated her first Christmas and this was quite emotional for all of us in the family- the simple joys!

The year is coming to an end. Have you written down your resolutions yet or are you the spontaneous type that goes with the flow? whatever suits your fancy, enjoy ,enjoy and enjoy.

We have also come to the end of the road with this blog art and about. It has been a good 6 years writing my art and about moments and simply sharing. Sometimes a word or two...other times beautiful pictures and many ,many times, positive vibes.

Zawadi started as a small art shop in Entebbe (Uganda) in 2006, we sold the usual African crafts. However in 2007 my business partner and I expanded the shop and incorporated other businesses which included well besides selling only craft, we offered high- end African paintings, had a coffee shop, a video lending department and books for rent. We had our ups, we had our downs but I must say we tried damn hard! During the course of our Zawadi experience our business had to stop.

Why am I telling you this? This is a story of our Zawadi journey. It has been many years of struggles but she is still standing. Through friends and family we made things work. It never always went well but Zawadi was stronger than I thought. I recall at a certain point we never had premises but that has not shaken my dream. when I got a revelation to write a women's book in 2009, I thought by 2010 we would be making sales and going for book signings...yes ambition and yet such was not what happened.

 This is to encourage somebody out there who has a dream -never give up!. It may delay to manifest but God's timing is always the best...and his blessing adds no sorrow. We want to thank each and every individual who wrote to us about style tips, people who bought our art and other products, the ones who posted comments, the ones who visit this page...thank you for allowing Zawadi to share a little of what she desired at the time. Never give up.

This story goes to show how our losses can sometimes work as bait....so that in turn we can catch the big fish. You can never know how precious something is if you do not know its value...and one can never know what true happiness is if they have never experienced pain.

As I write this, I am moving on to another project. It is quite related to Zawadi art. We have rebranded to ZawadiEye! and believe that 2015 is our year of packaging art with a pinch of the business sense.

We wish you a happy new year and once again thank you.

With Peace & Love,
Esi

Christmas Choice 2014 ....Stine Goya

Hey loyal lovers!

Zawadi sends glad tidings your way this season.

We are so in love with.....yes Stine Goya. So effortlessly chic. This is what this season is all about...spreading the love...effortlessly.

xoxo
Esi

Rihanna nailed it!

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

Don't you just love Rihanna's African Ankara outfit on her recent visit to the White House ? The Italian designer Stella Jean was so on point with this one.

Peace,
Esi

Afro hot

I came across this picture and could not resist to share it with you my lovers of all things beautiful. I love the natural look. Effortlessly chic!

Beauty defined!

 Peace & Love,
Esi

Photo Credit : Pinterest

  Hi lovers of all things beautiful, Something borrowed!

Text and Images : Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in South Africa

13 Fashion Forward Bags from the Streets of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AFRICA

In the marvelous aftermath of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week AFRICA, we go trawling among our fashion forward fashionistas in the streets of Melrose Arch.
Why you may ask?
Well this time we’re looking for your next guilt free designer handbag to complement that perfect outfit. So if you’re ready to earn yourself some serious street cred, hop in!
Check these 13 super cute bags out:











Which one of these do YOU think is the coolest?

Esi's top 10 bags

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

Don't we all love it when our girlfriends compliment us on the nice bag one is holding?  Always sweeeeeet.

Here are 10 of the bags that have stood the taste of time for us at Zawadi.

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

Vlisco do you copy?

With Dutch wax brand – Vlisco, we have come to expect a level of fabulosity and creativity and they are yet to disappoint.

Their new collection, “Splendeur“, they add a dash of dazzle and glam to their unique fabrics and all these aspects have created what we dub a great collection.

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

Photo credit : Bella Naija

Something 's cooking

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

I have been away from all things tech except for my sewing machine. Everything spells creativity this season and we at Zawadi are proud to introduce to you the othentik bags. We have a variety of ethno bags up for sale. The Aztec print is one to die for. If you are in the Europe area do not hesitate to write an email to empress4jc@gmail.com to get all your inquiries answered.

Kitenge flap bag

The Aztec print flap is killer

Wishing you Peace and Love,
Esi

Home made

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

I tried out this tasty drink and believe me it is worth having. It is easy to prepare too. You will need 3 major ingredients to prepare this. Mint, lemon and sugar. Mint drink is quite refreshing.

Mint is rich in Vitamins A, C and small amounts of B2. It also contains the minerals manganese, copper, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, folate in good amounts and fiber.

• Mint relieves cough, cold, fever, rheumatic pains, earaches, sinus and throat ailments, food poisoning and travel sickness.
• Mint boosts immunity, reduces the growth of fungus and bacteria.
• Mint cleanses the blood, relieves sprains and muscle cramps.

This is how to prepare,

Grind a handful of mint leaves and place in jar. Pour a liter of boiling water and leave to sit for about an hour. When the water is getting warm,refrigerate for an hour. Take out and squeeze 2 lemons in the mint mix, add sugar according to your liking and refrigerate again. Serve chilled or with ice cubes. Enjoy

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

  

Segment 2

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

So today I will show you how to beautify your space with a particular creeping plant -Tribulus. If you live in a town house and do not have enough space to grow your plants out- doors, You can place them in pots and they will equally have as much life as in the ground when you care for them.

In sweden I noticed many people fold this beautiful plant around some metal when they grow it in the house. I however chose to let it climb to bring character to my dinning area. It is such a beauty.

Beautiful climber

 Simply put a firm holder to attach string on and place in the pot.

You can even decorate an arch way with this beauty.

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

DIY segments

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

I have been on the path to recovery after a minor operation. During that time, there were many things I WANTED to do but could not. Not just physically incapable but also mentally. However after writing them down the list was endless. Today we managed to tick one item off...which is the candle holders.

I basically used container and filled it up with stones then poured colored water (red) to create an effect when the candle is lit.

Secondly I placed a metal base candle on top of the stones and the effect is so beautiful.

Home made candle holders

Place them on plate or tray
Ps. You can have as many candle holders on a tray as you so desire. Enjoy

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

Lovely

Check out these beautiful pants. Perfect for the perfect summer

Photo credit : Pinterest

Stars in the Front Row at Paris Couture Week

The fall/winter 2014-2015 couture shows are well underway in Paris, and celebrities are lining the catwalks to admire the gorgeous designs from fashion's biggest names. Can you identify the stars who got the best seats in the City of Lights 

Credits. Elle online

The 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation cordially invites you to #CroakAndRhyme, a Music, Art and Poetry event organized to raise funds for vulnerable children at Agape Children’s Home in Kibuli. The event will take place on July 4, 2014 at Uganda Museum starting from 6:00pm. Entrance fee is only shs10,000.

The lined up activities for the day include; performances by Qwela Band, Maddox Sematimba, Siima, Irene Ntale, Ruyonga, Naava, Pragmo, The Mith, Lyrical Proof, Daisy Ejang and Benezeri among others; spoken word poetry from the likes of Jason Ntaro and Sam Kimera; plus an opportunity for young talented poets to showcase. There will also be dance acts as well as audience participation in a number of fun events.

Drinks, food and 40-40 merchandise will equally be on sale.

We believe with proceeds from #CroakAndRhyme, Agape Children's Home will be empowered to meet its needs and provide quality education for the children. The Home is currently faced with enormous challenges among them; limited space, insufficient beddings, lack of school fees, insufficient or no medical care and they have only one meal a day.

Our commitment to raise a generation, in which every child has a chance at achieving their dream, has always depended on your ceaseless support and participation in events like #CroakAndRhyme.

We hope to see you on July 4th, at the Uganda Museum, as we sing, dance and party to support a generation that needs us.

Follow us on Twitter @40day_40smiles or LIKE our Facebook page '40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation' to engage with 40-40.

"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

The Venus Bushfires

Hey lovers of all things beautiful,

Look what we found. Musician Helen Isibor has ventured into fashion design. Her label The Venus Bushfires will debut the Future Nostalgia collection for spring/summer ´14

Don't you just love the African print dresses, capes, jackets, trousers with print...the head ties

Photo credit: Bella naija

Bag it!

Hey lovers of all things beautiful.

I came across this lovely bag by Nena and Co.  It is quite fashionable and all seasons bag.  I instantly fell in love with it first because of its size and secondly because portions of the proceeds will go back to the communities in Guatemala where they were made.

You just gotta love this!

Wishing you Peace & Love,
Esi

Photo credit: Pinterest

Cute shoes for the season

I particularly fell in love with these for the season