Determination Needed ASAP

Hi guys...

Today, like my friend just said I have grown 5 years older.

Life isn't easy at all.

Okay rewind.. pause... Why am I lamenting?

Today I really , really, started my handbag journey and I must say that it is not easy at all. Did I actually think that the construction of a handbag was so easy...I was so wrong... I must have been dreaming... Or maybe in wonderland...

It's so difficult and very detailed. You have to be able to envision, draw, construct, and be so detailed about your work of art.

Yepa!!!!!! You must have determination if not you will just run away.

Is there anything in this life that is easy... haba...

Anyways in my lamentation I remembered this song I used to sing as a little child. " with Jesus and determination I will do my best".

This is my motto from now on and I am sure I will do my best.

Right now I have hushed my month about being a bag maker, till I am perfect.. loll..

Anyways thank you Amina you are a darling and God sent.

Do have a good night's rest and remember " with Jesus and determination you can do your best".

Ciao

Business Tips For The Weekend

This is the Amala and Ewedu in grandmama's plate. I have tried to get the pictures uploaded after my post but it never happens. always comes before my post. Anyways these r some of the pictures i took with my phone in the Amala joint.Sales girls. They are in charge of the Ewedu and the beef stew. They were excited I was taking pictures. Although this picture doesn't show that they are.
This one had the money. This was where you had to pay after telling them how much Amala, and meat you wanted.
This is the Amala pot. They will ask you how much and you will say maybe #80 or #100 or more. I took #80. The generator by the side is the Amala joint's own. I just couldn't believe that they had a sound proof generator. Guys this is an Amala joint I am talking about oh.

THE POST FINALLY

Hello everyone.. Love all your comments on my last post " My first kiss". It was so nice. Thank you. Do keep them coming and never stop.

Anyways to the topic of today: I just stumbled on a few business tips and I thought I should share it will y'all.

Yesterday as I was driving through Ikoyi I flagged down a newspaper vendor and asked for the "Complete Fashion" Mag. (Lol although he was a newspaper vendor I didn't bother to at least glance through the newspapers he had...very bad). Anyways after reading through the editor's piece I found out that the magazine will be sold for #1,000 (i.e. about $6) from the month of October.

The Genesis Delux Cinema is always full on Wednesdays because movies are #500 (i.e. about $3) all day. Some of my friends watch all the movies they want to watch on that day. They can watch a total of 3 to 4 movies a day, especially when they don't have anything to do.

A few weeks ago I went to watch CRAZY STUPID LOVE and I found out that they had increase their price to #600. Movies on wednesdays are now #600. (i.e. recommended movie... Crazy Stupid Love).

Are you getting my drift here?

In the business world especially when a new product is being launched, you have to be careful with your pricing. More often than not, the goal to make profit, isn't their main concern. Their main concern is to get the product out there, loved by the people and get a product that will be in high demand. So companies just try to break even. Breaking even means: making sure you et back at least the money you invested in the business. Then subtly, as the goods or services are being accepted by the consumers, the prices can now be adjusted. This is usually done in a way that the clients will not feel they are being ripped off, still satisfied and in love with the product or services and the companies are also satisfied with making profits.

Moral of the day: don't start any business with the main aim of making profits immediately. Do it subtly and eventually after breaking even the profits will come.

N.B. Even if "Complete Fashion Magazine" costs me an extra #300 I will still buy it cos guess what I am hooked.

Anyways let me amuse you with pictures I took of an Amala joint in Surulere. My pregnant friend took me there. (You know how pregnant women can be). I was surprised. They are really making a killing in the Amala joint. And u need to see the caliber of people that come in there. Well dressed..looking funky and enjoying their meals

Do take care of yourselves and have a lovely weekend.

Ciao

My First Kiss

Hello everyone I hope you had a great day.

I did.

I had a meeting with some very nice people and it was very educative.

Anyways to the topic of today: My first kiss..

hmm when was it?

A little boy I love so dearly, he is going to be 4 next month, told his mum about a girl he likes in his class. His words and I quote

Little boy: " mummy I saw Bidemi today she made her hair and she was very fine.

Mother (shocked): Really how did she make her hair?

Little boy: "she tied it up. (An hour later): The little boy said: I will marry Bidemi..

My observation children nowadays are so advanced. They know a lot of things we feel they don't know. Secondly as parents we should be our children's best friend. Since the little boy is very close to his mother, he was comfortable telling her how he felt. A child who talks to his parent will tell them anything, giving them the opportunity to direct them in the right path.

Thirdly this got me thinking about my first kiss. How was it? When did I have my first kiss? Was it like I had read in all the Mills & Boons?

I must admit that my first kiss was rushed, tongue in my month, swallowing spit.. And to add to it I got into trouble that day with my parents for I got home late from my first party.... Not a good experience at all. Didn't find that funny at all, although that was my own opinion, for the boy, he was so happy. He felt like he had conquered the world.

How old was I? I was 13 years old and in S.S.1.

Wow!!! Was that late? I had friends who had had their first kiss way younger than that....

What did I do?

Cos of my experience I decided that when I wanted to kiss again, it had to be in a very romantic way not rushed or spit swallowing

Anyways that's my experience what about yours. Your first kiss.. What was your experience?

P.S. " thank you guys for your comments. It always makes my day when I see your comments. Good encouragement.

Do have a lovely day.

www.minkudesign.com & www.houseofnodza.blogspot.com... They both put up some new collections. Do check it out.

Ciao

Two & A Half Men Debuts Today Without Charlie Sheen

Hello everyone...Just here again to share my thoughts.

Browsing through twitter I saw this tweet about "Two and a half men airing today finally but without its lead actor Charlie Sheen.

Why I asked myself ?

So I went on a research rampage.

Apparently Charlie Sheen had been into drugs, women, insubordination, wild parties hat affected his acting, forgetting his lines, etc. Someone even said he was full of himself.

Another person said he felt that he was king and he couldn't go wrong.

My question how can one think he is indispensable?

From experience I have found out that nobody is indispensable. If you are not there they can always find another person and a good one at that.

Another question: Why will someone throw away one of the best paying jobs in the world? In fact he had the highest paid acting job on TV. I heard that every time the show was aired he was being paid a million dollars... OMG...

Help me before I collapse. How can someone be earning that amount of money? What happened to me?

Does he have two heads or two nose or something? (Anyways this is another story for another day).

But why will he throw this away...

It's so sad.

As much as I feel he deserved what he got I still feel sorry for him cos this is a case of losing one's opportunity and you know the thing about opportunities they hardly ever come back.

I still can't get over the million dollars he used to earn. This one is what my grandmother will say: "they have sent it from his village. They do not want anything good to come his way".

Just a note to everyone.. No matter where we get to in life we should always remember that it can change in a second. Look at Charlie Sheen everyone loved his part, at least I did. Who didn't love uncle Charlie, but from today there is no more Uncle Charlie.....

God will help us not to waste Mr Opportunity when it comes our way.

Do have a good night's rest and take care of your self.

Ciao.

Information I thought to share

Hello guys

What's up?

For me I am fine. Happy and excited.

This is a new week of many possibilities and I can't wait to see them all.

Anyways I got this info from the Social Media Club Africa by Guy Amadi Goodnex on facebook and thought I should share it with you.

"The vast majority of the world's poor are women, 2 thirds of the worlds illiterates are females, millions of school age children not in school majority are girls and HIV/AIDS is rapidly becoming a woman's disease. In several southern African Countries more HIV patients are women. Around the world, millions of people eat two or three times a day, but a significant percent of women eat once and even deny themselves the meal just to feed the children.

Nigeria's oil industry is the mainstream of its economic activities and accounts for over 20 million U.S. dollars, (#30 billion naiara) per day yet the participation of women who are over 50% of the population is less than 3%.

"New Nations" has launched a massive program for empowerment of women called "Women in Oil". With the current bills passed by the legislations for the betterment of the Nigerian woman called the local content law which spells that Nigeria indigenously formed oil companies must have nothing less than 40% stake in oil industry so citizens can begin to have access to this money.

This "Women In Oil" agenda by "New Nation" is open for 50,000 women to partake of over 400million naira per day from oil industry by becoming a member of Women in Oil corporation"

For more information call Chimene on +2348065603224. Or check this out www.dukweventurecapital.com

What struck me were the statistics.....

Men!!! Women really are suffering in this part of the world. It just made me think about the girl in Abia state university that was raped by a gang of boys. So sad my heart cries out to her. Even more so when I read some of the comments: blaming her for being raped.

I wish women will have more rights.

I wish more women will fight against injustice.

I wish women will be united.

Do take care and have a lovely week.

P.S.: I am so sorry the last link I put up was wrong this is the real one: www.minkudesign.com

Please do check it out. I am sure you will love her designs.

Ciao

My Mushin Journey

A new friend. She makes bags with something like wire. This bag is "hers" and she offers some classes if you are interested.
A lot of synthetic leather. I was spoilt for choice.
Traders busy. U can't believe how busy this place can be, and they don't sell food.
Nobody to pay to carry your load, so u carry yourself. So heavy. No sissy in this market ....Hello everyone...

I know I had said I would have a second blog, where the details of my handbag's journey will be told little by little, but I was advised by a friend, just stick with "secretlilies" and in future I can recreate my blog and accommodate all my endeavors. I think I will just stick to secretlilies since I will be so busy and not sure I will have the time to manage two blogs.

Alors "secretlilies" will be a blog for all. My musings, business secrets, motivational stories, a little about myself, and my handbag making journey. Alors just seat back, relax and enjoy the ride.

My handbag making journey began on wednesday when I went to the market, Mushin market to be precise. For those who do not know the market : Mushin Market is a market for leather wears. Everyone that works with with leather visits this market regularly or so I am told. I was to meet my mentor (who refused to take any picture), at the AP filing station in muslin, by 10.30 a.m. I took a cab for the whole day ( The cab guy was just lamenting about the lack of business because of summer and the Salah holidays. Meaning that a lot of Lagosians travel out of the country during summer.. na wa oh and we say we do not have money in this country). Sorry to digress, back to my waka.

I got to the filing station by 10.15 a.m excited and all, but I had to wait for my mentor who came an hour late..hmmmm what could I say. Anyways we got into the market by 12.

Although not organized, the market was clean. I was impressed. I had prepared for my market waka I put on a blue jeans and black polo, with my market slippers, ready to conquer the world. As we walked from stall to stall I was being given some lectures. Men!!!! this bag making e no easy at all oh. You have to have passion for it or you will just die..loll.. and I have not even started.

Anyways I loved the experience. The people hurriedly walking pass as though they had a hundred and one things to do. The traders selling. In fact Mushin is a market where they sell rubbish, but the customers create fantastic pieces from the rubbish they buy. The one thing I loved about the market: there was: "no harassment".. You know when you go to the market and they call you names, telling you how they have jeans and fine fine tops when all you want to buy are used novels. Nobody fighting to touch you or christening you with names like Nkechi, or baby, or Egovine etc.

After shopping, I had to drop my mentor off at her house. MEN!!! she lives by Ogun state border.

Well I got home safely and I loved the experience. Special thanks to Vera Akpan of OREMICRAFTS. She will be at the LE PETIT MARCHE SALE on the 25th of this month. SO if you are in Lagos please come around GET ARENA, Oniru Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, and shop.

Check out this link www.minkudesigns.com

A young Nigerian handbag designer. Lovely bags too and I like her. She is very nice and down to earth.

Do take care of yourself and have a lovely weekend.

Ciao..

Notez Bien couldn't get the pictures to come after the post.

And the pictures were taken with my phone camera not a professional camera...

Ciao once again

What U Ask You Receive

Hi guys.. How r u you today. I hope good.

New Secretlilies followers, thank you guys. I really appreciate it.

I am just happy this week. Everywhere I turn new babies arrive. The one that has brought tears to my eyes, is the good news about my friend, who just had a baby boy after 6 years of waiting.

Kia!!!!!! God indeed is so Good.

Now back to the topic of today. If you remember I talked about my new week's strategy, in that post I shared a little about the bag stuff. My blog will come up soon, so my journey will be read there.

After searching and searching for some help with no luck, I finally decided to learn to make bags myself. After looking around I am pleased to tell you that I have found a mentor. Someone who will take me to where the material is sourced locally. Some one who is in the business and is willing to give me advise any time I need it. Someone who I am spending the whole day with, bombarding her with questions all day, seeing her work space, how she works, the little trick she uses and I get all these for free.

The bible passage that say " ask and you shall receive. Seek you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened unto you. If you ask you will receive, if you seek you will find, and if you knock the door will be opened unto you". Is so true when u apply it.

You will be surprised the kind of favors you get from people when you just ask.

So tomorrow I literary start my journey and will not fail to let u know how my journey's been.

Alors I urge you to ask and you will receive it...(its usually nice when u have faith in yourself).

Ciao

NEXT WEEK'S STRATEGY

Hello everyone and happy weekend.

To my new followers welcome and thank you so much.

I haven't posted in a while cos for once I have been out of ideas.

Anyways, I just said I had to post today, couldn't leave you guys without some juicy gists for this weekend. loll..

I will like to share a little of what I will be doing next week.

For a long while I have been interested in making shoes, bags, belts etc. I had tried learning but was disappointed.

Deciding to start with one Item first, I choose bags. The thing is that I have tried to no avail to get someone to tutor me, but it hasn't been possible. For some reason the timing hasn't been right, either when I have cleared my schedule no one is available, or when they are available the cash isn't available. You know how money somehow manages to slip through one's hands.

With all these challenges I have decided to do a few things:

first of all I will start a new blog. This blog will be about my journey through bag making. I will blog about my challenges, my bad times, good times, joys, creations and my learnings. Sometimes I may even chip in a little of what I have learnt about bag making..who knows.

Secondly I will buy myself a sewing machine... This one isn't easy as I have never used a sewing machine before in my life. I sew very well but with needle and thread.

I will also look for a market in Nigeria where I can source for accessories and materials. I do not know where, although a little research has told me Mushin or Balogun. I also need to find someone who will take me there. Someone who knows the market very well and who knows what's original and what's not, bearing in mind that I am on a budget.(Very tight one at that).

Now this is a big challenge as I haven't been able to find any one willing to take me there.

Thirdly after sorting all these out, I will start learning how to make bags in my house, by myself. Thank God for the internet at least I can get a head start with that.

Hopefully as I continue I will be able to show my collection either my the end of this year or next year. I am not in a hurry. I will take my time and do this very well, the end is what matters.

In between all these I will try to post on my blogs, take pictures, write and work with my editor at the same time. I hope I have the strength to do all these.

Anyways I know one thing I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.

Mean while check out this bag maker's blog. Her bags are fantastic: www.houseofnodza.blogspot.com. She is gifted and the good thing is that she is self thought.

Wishing everybody a lovely weekend.

Make good use of your weekend.

Make sure you have fun..

I hope Temi and I will go out this evening..He is sleeping now..Let me give him time..

Take care.

BEN CARSON/ IBIFIRI MOBOLAJI-KAMSON

Hello everyone I am so excited about my last post, a lot of encouraging comments. Do keep them coming, very encouraging I must say.

To my new followers: thank you very much for making my weekend. I love to see the followership pile up and what's more active followers at that. Thank you very much. You actually keep me posting.

Now back to the topic of today...

P.S. I am hoping this will bring a lot more comments, text messages and phone calls, like the sat one did...loll..

Anyways I was reading this book by BEN CARSON " GIFTED HANDS".

P.S. "For where to get it in Lagos you can check with Laterna bookshop on Oko Awo street, Victoria Island. Their books are good and affordable.

"This book is a story about BEN CARSON's life. He said he was the class dummy. Whenever they will call the test scores everybody knew he will score zero. So they teased him endlessly. What struck me was the determination his mother had. She always told him that he could do it, and he could be the best at whatever he decided to do. She never compared him to other kids, but she made him buckle up. He ended up being the best in his class. Despite all the hardship, he realized that nobody was to blame for whatever decisions he made, only him. Going through summer jobs, no money and tough times, etc today he is one of the best neurosurgeon in the world.

His story reminds me a lot about me...Mind you I am not yet the best at what I do, but I am getting there by the grace of God...

Back in the days I wanted to be a doctor. When I got into SS1 I just couldn't handle the sciences, so I switched over to the Arts. It was determined that I will make a good lawyer since I loved to read novels. After I had written JAMB i.e. (Jamb is equivalent to SAT/ TOFEL/ exams that enables you gain admission into higher institutions, in Nigeria), 3 times and it was looking like I could use the scores to gain admission into the LAW program, I had to look for other alternatives. The other alternative was FRENCH. (In fact my dad told me that i may have to go to the Polytechnic since I wanted to study french). I didn't like it, but I had no choice cos if I didn't get into school I was going to watch my younger ones get into the University before me and I knew I was going to hear for a long time the story of Esau and Jacob.... (I hope you know that story.. of how Esau sold his birthright).

I just stayed in the class hoping to change to another Uni and start another course. It didn't work out so I was stuck with french in the University of Port Harcourt.

I am ashamed to say it but I was the class dummy too. Anytime they asked me questions the whole class will laugh cos they knew there was no way I was every going to get the answer right. This went on for 2 years, and my CGPA had dropped to a 3rd class. I never failed a course but I just had D's and some C's.

When I realized this... I decided that I had to do this right.

I wasn't stupid, that I knew and I could be better. So I started studying. Every time, day,minute I struggled to speak, read, and understand french. It wasn't easy. At first it was like I was just wasting my time. But I can tell you today, that I am very good in french. Can speak, read and write it properly. I read best sellers in french: "starting one tomorrow". I can speak with a Parisian accent not a francophone accent, which always surprise everyone. I didn't graduate with a 3rd class. I had an A in my project. I am D.E.F.L & D.A.F.L. certified. (That's like one of the highest professional certified courses in the french language and not easy at all).

Today like BEN CARSON instead of my classmates teasing me, they are proud of me. They want to know what I know. (Please I hope they don't read this post.. They may get angry..loll)..

Anyways the moral of the story.. You can do anything you want to do". This and many more. Only just believe in yourself.

Do have a nice day and a lovely week.