Lady Bloggers JHB at Walnut Grove, Sandton

Lady Bloggers is a really inspired initiative by Zaahirah Bhamjee to develop a blogging community in South Africa. I've been wanting to be a part of something like this for the longest time as when I began I didn't really know anyone else doing this, especially people my age, except the odd few that seem to be in a totally different and far away plane. You know, the bloggers who've been at it forever like Zaahirah, Aqeelah, Aisha, Thithi and Carlinn (most of whom are all in Cape Town - darn that city and its creatives).
So perhaps you can understand why I was so keen on Lady Bloggers. It meant a chance to see who else is in the community, make friends and learn lots of things along the way.

Last night was the second Lady Bloggers even this year, held at the really charming, well-lit and stylish Walnut Grove (which in all my years, getting lost in Sandton I've never seen but now I'm going to move in). I was really nervous the whole day yesterday thinking about it. What would I wear? Should I match my socks just this once? Would it be bad form to make a Cookie Monster-esque run for the cake? How much time should I spend Instagramming my food versus actually eating it? Do people even do that anymore?Are bloggers nice? And why, why didn't I have business cards?

Decisions, decisions.

Everyone I met was really polite and welcoming and I got meet lots of great people. Melissa Attree was our guest speaker and she's been in social media before social media was social media. Her talk was really insightful. She told us that blogging is actually going to be bigger than ever, that we have to command social media in such a way that we keep people coming back to our platforms and we have to treat ourselves, our blogs as a brand. She also went on to talk about how the most successful bloggers are the ones who give their readers what they need, who've found their online identity, keep their online self the same as their outside self and that you definitely have to set boundaries for yourself and know where you want to go and what you're not prepared to do.
If she had stayed longer, I might have gained the confidence to ask a question. Might have.

All in all, I'm really glad I went. I got to taste my first macaroon (and I understand the obsession now, you win this round Pinterest), meet some of my favourite bloggers like Leanne from Arum Lilea and meet some people who will be starting blogs soon, people who taught me a thing or two about BB Creams, developing a following ("hashtag the shit out of your [Pinterest] posts"), going to events and I learnt to be a little less socially obtuse.
Now I'm gonna spend the rest of the day checking out new blogs like Vision and Vibes, Being Plum and Glam Fashion Princess.

Yours,
Khenzo xx

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[Outfit Post] High School Musical

I've been consumed with school dance fever since, like, the dawn of man. The swirly lights, Earth shaking beats, gourmet food, tailored pants and floaty skirts, bright lipstick and big hair. The hours of flossing, scrubbing, perfuming, dressing and all the nitty gritty that goes into being a slightly more than OK-looking teenage girl always excited me more than the actual event. I went to BlackUp (Paris) at Edgars to get my face piled on (and on, and on, and on) and I was so giddy the whole time. I think I almost broke someones nose squealing about how pretty my face looked. My skin was doing that thing I wanted, my lips were classy not trashy, I wasn't retaining more water than Amsterdam and, oh my god, my eyes!

I can't say I've been to many dances but I'm gonna remember this one forever. My friends all looked so pretty and everyone had a really good time. There were all this beautiful picture perfect moments that, of course, never get photographed but they're imprinted into my memory forever. God, the journal entries that will follow.

 Lace crop top and maxi skirt both TGCG at Young Designers' Emporium | Shoes: Diva | Bag: ZARA | Makeup: BlackUp | Accessories: Sass Diva, Edgars and Zoom

[Outfit Post] We Only Said Goodbye with Words

I'd always thought red was the colour of the county of Trash and Declasse, you know? Red nails, bright red lipstick (the sort frequented by flight attendants) and slinky, red dress, right? So why, why, was I lathering it onto my press on nails right before my friends and I went on to paint the town in very same colour?
Turns out red nail polish was just like patterned leggings: I'd seen it done wrong so many times by people in the street that I'd given up on it but my boo thang, Kelicia, had it on and it looked so good (the nail polish, not the leggings) that I just had to try it.
I had to.
And it was the best.

Last night we hit Rosebank like it had never been slapped by four foxy mamas (that you don't wanna mess with), which, considering, it probably never has. We went to Wakaberry, took too many selfies, exchanged shoes, ran to Primi's (because they have CHEESECAKE, like, cheeeeeeeeesecake) and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside because I'd missed these girls so much and I just knew that it was with them that I'll always belong.
I know it's just high school and I'm probably still high off of last night's adventures (seriously, I'm pretty sure we scarred all the innocent patrons who dared enter The Zone) but sometimes you just click with people and you're going to stay clicking. They're the people you look back every so fondly upon when you're filled with silicon and Botox and anti-aging creams ten years from now.

Yours,
Khenzo xx

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Added 10 October: Check out Independent Fashion Bloggers for more ways to style plaid.