Getting into the year 2010 seems to me like another day in the same year we left behind. I wonder if many feel that way. Got to spend Christmas with family in Kenya in Seme Kowe - luo land. Then got to spend New Year's Eve with my better half and we actually fell asleep and missed the fireworks. Not such a bad thing really! Just felt like I missed out on the midnight bell into the New Year. Maybe that is why I feel like I am still living in last year.

Then I got the chance to go to Cape Town, which is always a relief, then Durban a few days later, which was quite an experience; Zululand, and the whole experience at the shaka village. And then back to Joburg and then back to Nairobi to fix a problem and finally I am back in Joburg. Mmh...this all happened in about 2 weeks.

So now here I am working on so many things; I thank God for the opportunity and the doors he keeps opening for me and I look forward to enjoying myself on this and hope that you will all enjoy what I am preparing to present your way this year.

Musically speaking
Got the opportunity to perform at SABC morning live, 2 weeks ago with Vincent on the keys. Thanks to Timothy, Gee, Romy and team.
Next thing I was at studio recording a hook for Coptic and featuring on that was also Mr. Veezy from Zambia.

On Monday, I just pulled off a hot ‘reggae-vibe' song with MXO at his studio here in Joburg. I will post it up as soon as we are done in about a week and I believe you will enjoy that one. Why do I smell a hit song?
If you are in Joburg on the 14th Feb.....yes Valentine's Day, Check us out for a great evening a lovely performance. Details will be up shortly.

If you are in Joburg on the 27th Feb and you know what's good for your life musically, Please come and check me out at ‘Cantare' - Monte Casino. I will be performing with MXO and Bheki Khoza. MMh! I even have goose bumps just thinking how much fun we will have on stage.

Already recorded a hot French song with Octave Couplet "La coeur qui crie l'amour!", then a Swahili song "Jambo! Mambo!" And lastly spoken word "Supermodel!" You know it's funny that I am struggling to take fashion out of my musical energy, but it just will never separate. It' like 2 -in-one. Anyway the "Supermodel "spoken word is a celebration of these heroes and even more of a motivational word to models.

You don't really have to be a fashion model to relate to the issues I address. Also will post that as soon as possible. You can listen to "La Coeur qui crie l'amour!" I already posted on http://www.africaunsigned.com/lizogumbo
I look forward to working with Brother Buntu as well. Thanks Gee. His musical ear is unbelievably too close to mine so I am certain we will create beautiful tunes.

Also I am grateful for my potential label and their interest. I hope something phenomenal comes out of this.

Lastly, I will stop on this music thing for now by expressing my innermost gratitude to my better half for all his faith in me and my untapped potential...and all his support!

On the fashion tip:
I am working on another new fresh collection for Africa Fashion Week in Dublin in April 2010. Thanks to Stha and the team out there.
House Of Imani has the pleasure of dressing one of the finalists for The face Of Africa finals in Lagos, Naija next month. That is one of my inspirations for my Little Black Dress concept too.

My little black dress concept is also in production as we speak. Just because I have avoided the black dress for too long and now it's time to pimp it up and celebrate it. Ladies, I know sometimes we focus too much on our complexion; what we think works and what does not, and we finally miss out on those very dresses that could get us the hotter dates! Lol!
Anyway, the House of Imani LBD's will be out in about 2 weeks and I will keep you all posted on that and which stores they will be available in.

I think I need to stop here and save the rest of my 2010 plans for another day.

Let's try to send whatever we can or give whatever we can to Haiti. please try.... It makes all the difference.

For all your 2010 objectives/goals, get on your knees and pray that God help you achieve all that you ever-imagined. Put your mind, body and soul to it and make it happen because we were given this life to live in ABUNDANCE! Not in little unsatisfaction and all that comes with it...

What's up with the heels that need to stand straight but they actually wobble, hence bend to different directions, creating a V-Shape from the back of beautifully dressed ladies in their high heels?

Wearing a shoe with a higher heel is a fashion statement; some wear them to increase height, others, to make their legs look better and the rest do it simply as a matter of personal preference.  The problem is that the design is not correct for the human body.  There is too much pressure on the ball of the foot, when it should be more balanced; hence weight is shifted in the wrong direction which increases your risks of injury and conditions that include hammertoes, bunions and arthritis.

Somehow every day is a new day and every new day promises the female species a few more inches of higher heels. The heels have become so high even my 4" heels make me feel like I am in flats.

During the last few evenings last month, I attended the PICA awards amongst others where the ladies were not een pying with their style! They were ooking ht and fabulous as usual, but when I looked at foot-wear, one of my biggest worry was that some of those heels were going to be left behind at the rate at which they were wobbling. Did the shoe bearers feel wobbly? Off balance? Or just risk their ankles for a pair of hot high heels? Is it not every woman's worst nightmare to break a heel in front of a group of people, or worse yet, to sprain or break an ankle in the same damn ‘Jimmy Choo' or just an ugly pair?

From "11" to "V" in a few hours; some of the  ladies

struggled to keep their poise upright and others did not even realize they were on the verge of losing their heels along with their ankles in a matter of minutes.

I actually feel bad for the shoe, since its heel's nature is to stand straight to be able to handle the pressure coming from the wearer. On the flip side, I also feel bad for the wearer when the heel suddenly loses balance, hence changes form....and now the wearer has to also find a way to balance in this 6" pair of shoes, whose heel has given up and decided to just chill. Most people walk on the outer edges of their feet. To keep the heels in the vertical position, the heels are tilted outside and that causes the damage both for your ankle/legs as well as the shoe!

My Top 8 tips on how to wear high heels.

1. Supplement your heels with 50% flats. High heels will kill your legs eventually

2. Maintains your balance and walk with a straight posture as this is very important if you are wearing high heels.

3. If you are heavyweight, avoid the tiny 4"-6" stilettos. Platforms are much better for heavy weights as your weight spreads and can balance better and you have bigger chances of not ending up on the "V" heels at the end of the evening. The flatness of the heel provides more balance.

4. For lightweights, you can get away better with stilettos or platforms with a slender heel as balancing can be easier and pencil heels can be very stylish.

5. For knock-kneed legs, please wear more of the lighter strappy's or stilettos/pumps with slender heels. Chunky platforms will accentuate your ‘knocks' on the knees, whereas the lighter choice of heels with distract attention from the knock knees.

6. For bore-legged women, any length of boots complements the legs. Avoid light, slender-heel stilettos/pumps as there is a lot of pressure naturally exerted to the side of the legs hence making it harder to balance.

7. Never put pressure on the heels.

8. Choose the correct type of high heel that suits your feet and make sure you get the perfect fit as a loose fit shoe can give you a bad grip on the high heel.

OR

Oh boy!

Here I come again after so many encounters with ‘phat’ people lately, hence my peace of mind and stability.

So I have been doing some research in a different country within the continent for about 3 weeks pretty soon and I am genuinely amazed at the average size of women’s behinds and men’s pot bellies.

But then again when you look around you, skinny or not-skinny, 'fat' or 'phat,'what is the bottom line?

Men! When you are looking forward to meeting that special woman, are you looking for ‘fat’ loving or ‘phat’ loving?

Women/men, when you are looking for a new PA to add value to your business, what really matters? Her ‘phat’ presence and personality or her ‘fat’ self? Or both?

Men, when you are hiring, do you need the woman who can deliver 101% ‘phat’? Or 101% ‘fat’?

And you who is reading this blog! What are you working towards and what do you strive to be eventually? 'Phatly Phat' or 'Fatly fat'? or

Or both? And what are you doing about it?

What are you busy looking for when the ‘phat’ opportunity is right there on your face, but you don’t want it because you think it’s ‘fat’……..so you are waiting on the ‘phat’ option that’s not ‘fat’ when ‘phat’ is right there on your face?

I know that like ‘Sprite- Obey your thirst – Image is everything!’ but what if it's it just not everything?

Well, I have met a few ‘phat’ people lately and they have added a lot of value into my space. So despite their size, they are ‘phat’ and I appreciate them!

Size is something else I will not get into, but all I am saying is, do you look beyond ‘fat’?

So, in this day and time, are you looking for ‘phat’ or ‘fat’?

What have you effortlessely worked hard to be?

Gosh! It seems like the minute the umbilical cord is cut off to welcome the new-born into the world, she already knows she wants Naomi's lips and Cheek bones and Pam's rack and maybe Halle's ‘behind' for the more ambitious ones!

So somehow they get into the world with their mind made up and in a matter of about 18 years, they call Dr 90210 to help them fulfill their lifetime goals.....if you know what I mean!

Why are you so upset at your chicken legs? Or that hair is not growing as fast as you think it should grow even after all the investment in your ‘doo-grow' hair products?

I mean, the amount of horse hair available today globally is insane. In fact, based on statistics, the hair extension business is booming! Profit margins are skyrocketing by 100%. Moreover, with more people falling for hair fashion and genuine falling of hair becoming a common problem, there's reason to be hopeful both as the business as well as the consumer.

So yesterday, I went out for lunch with an old friend and all I had throughout lunch was,
"I can't' believe my ‘a**' has grown this big. "
"I used to be nice and petit!"

And oh my, how I wanted to just scream if I had this one more time. If your behind has grown big, it is okay. Please! Ladies! It is yours! So why are you so surprised about the way it looks? Why are we acting like someone came in and attacked us overnight and then gave us new body parts, when in real sense it is normal to change? Trust me on this one; if you are looking like you used to when you were 13 years of age, and now you are 40 and still looking 13, then we need to call Dr Phil coz that is a problem.

Each and everyone I know is beautiful, whole and complete lacking nothing, so I really have a hard time understanding the problem here.
I see people who have idolized a certain body shape, size and features and suddenly, it becomes the trend that they must have no matter what it takes, hence the ‘crack heads,' bulimics, anorexics and surgery.

Yes Dr 90210 can answer any of your plastic surgery questions and hook you up, but how much hook up can you really get from that surgery? Does it solve all your problems when you walk in with a brand new pair of 'goodies'?
When all that is done, do you feel like the void in you has been filled?

After boob job, rhinoplasty, the correct name for a nose job, cheek bone, lip job, skin lightening ......I wonder what people like Lil' Kim will be having next, or what she will be looking like 10 years from now. I doubt 10 years younger; more like 10 years older?

If your boobs are too small, they say, "Get a boob job!"
If they are too big, they say, "Get a reduction....no good for your back!"
When your ‘African heritage' is small, they say "get padded underwear"
When your ‘African Heritage is big, they say "Damn!" (More like what to do with that?)

Not all of you will be able to afford plastic surgery so please get a grip of yourselves and deal with what's yours.

1. Identify what is yours and be grateful!
2. Claim it!
3. Nurture it!
4. Celebrate it!

So why is it that my dad calls me in the afternoon talking about dinner at the carnivore with his business partners?
‘Please clear your hectic schedule Liz!' he mentions over and over again.

Of course when I am sitting in 1 Hamp Ct in Upperhill in my little cocoon, I can't be bothered, I thought to myself! But I just had to allow myself to be bothered by family because it is a sweet thing! I love to spend time with my dad and ma but somehow it just does not feel like enough time is spent there. So yes, it was my pleasure to be a part of this dinner.

About 6:00pm, I got into my wardrobe pulling out and trying on one dress after the other, I had to stop for a H20 break! It felt more like a work out just trying to find that perfect dress. Since dad and ma were involved, it had to be very decent,
‘Not too short!
‘Sleeves on please!'
‘No open back!'
‘We don't want to see your skinny bones sticking out around your neck and chest and arms and on and on type of vibe!'