Scarlet Xianne

I planted a tiny taro or cocoyam(as we call it in Nigeria) tuber sometime in March this year. It was staring to grow roots and leaves, so even though I'd never planted it before and have only eaten it a few times, I decided to bury in some soil that I put in a sack bag. Over the next few months, I watched it's leaves grow bigger and bigger. I knew nothing about growing Taro and only watered it occasionally. I did ask a neighbor how long it takes to mature and she said about 6 months. She also said you would know it was ready when the leaves start to die.  Cocoyam before harvest Dead leaf So, when I noticed last week that the leaves were starting to die, I decide to harvest the tubers. I wasn't sure what I would find but I was hopeful it would do better than my Sweet potatoes did. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a bad harvest at all. After all, it was one tiny tuber or corm that I planted. My harvest I made a pot of Ofe Onu...

So you've had your big chop and have now stepped into the world of fros. You've tried to google how to care for your new fro but you're finding all the information overwhelming. Well, let's start with the basics. MOISTURE Natural hair loves moisture. Dryness is the enemy. Grab a moisturizer. If you can't go to the stores just yet, mix 8-parts water with 2-parts light oil, like sunflower oil in a spray bottle. Remember to shake up whenever you want to use it. However, to moisurise your hair properly, you'd need to follow a two or three-step process. It could be LOC - Liquid, Oil, Cream , LCO - Liquid, Cream, Oil or LC and LO, whichever you find out works best for your hair. DETANGLING AND MANIPULATION Detangling should be done after applying products with adequate slip, so the hair doesn't break. Combing should be done from the ends to the root, always gently, as any form of manipulation should be done gently. Do not detangle or comb dry. STYLING It is advisa...

It's been at least 12 years since the natural hair movement kicked off in Nigeria. One would think it's caught on and people have accepted the fact that's okay and in fact, beautiful to wear your hair as it grows from your head, without excessive manipulation but that's not the case.  When I made this post looking for fellow Naturals in Port Harcourt and got the response that I did, I did not think that over 10 years later, I'd still get the side eye for wearing my natural hair. I did not think that I would still get asked why I didn't relax my hair. I did not think that there would still be so few Hairstylists who actually knew how to care for natural hair. I did not know that natural hair would still be referred to as rough and dirty in 2024! What do Nigerians have against natural African hair? Why do we still think that unless it is manipulated, it's not beautiful? Why do we think that unless it is long and voluminous, it's not commendable? ...

Sweet potatoes are a root crop and one of the easiest crops to grow. A few years ago, my family planted it in our backyard with great success. The harvest was massive. When we moved houses, I thought I could replicate the success even though I only had bags to do so. So, I got a few sack bags, got soil from around my apartment and got to planting my potato slips. A few weeks later I had these; And after three months, I thought it was time to harvest but was I in for a shocker? Ready for harvest? Apparently, not. Because I was only able to get two tiny tubers😭😭. So, no more growing potatoes in bags for me. I'll stick to planting them in the ground or large garden beds.  Have you ever had a gardening fail?

The past few years, I've found myself developing a love for gardening or just planting things😀. So, when I found myself living in an apartment without any space or land to plant, I made do with soil in sack bags, just so I could still garden. When we first moved into this apartment, I was more committed to gardening and caring for my plants but lately they could do with some more TLC. So, here are a few pictures of what my backyard garden looks like. Turmeric and Miracle leaf plant growing from the same small container. Ginger Plant. Cocoyam or Taro Malabar Spinach My Waterleaf Plant(another variety of spinach isn't doing so well😌 Do you love gardening too?

Hey People! Been a while huh? I hope everyone is doing well? I am fine, thanks for asking 😊. I haven't been here much, lately. This is partly because I'm finding it hard to figure out a balance between sharing and oversharing. Overtime, I've become an even more private person than I was before. Hence, what may not seem like oversharing to others is oversharing to me. I can't talk about how or why I've become this way...cos that would be oversharing 🤭. I kid, I kid😊. Anyways, I'm just here to say, I'm okay. See you soon?✌️