The Savvy Dial

Excerpts From The Weekend

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 00:46:00 GMT

Last weekend was packed with wedding celebrations that brought some good people together here in Arizona. Here are a few photos from my corner.

So I tried my hands at YouTube...

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 02:02:00 GMT

One of my goals for the year was to upload videos consistently to my YouTube channel. Turns out, if you don't have much experience filming (or the patience to learn the ropes), things could go south pretty quickly.

I made a number of attempts trying to film new content but as you can see from my compilation video below, those videos (except for that one blurry haul video which I was bent on uploading because I suffered so much) never quite made it up on my channel.

The widely accepted logic to doing YouTube is you turn on your camera, sit down and talk. Right? Wrong. There were a number of reasons why those videos never made it to the channel. Mostly, apart from the obvious blurs, I would sometimes sit and film whole videos (..or at least I was under that impression) only to realize that my camera had cut off somewhere during filming and I would end up with just incomplete videos. The thought of refilming was not very appealing either especially after a long day's work. So the added editing effort was enough to push that goal all the way to the bottom of my to-do list.

But since I am getting back to blogging, I reckon that uploading videos to YouTube may become inevitable in the foreseeable future. So I am learning to do it right so that eventually, I can make better videos.

Let's simply hope for the best!

Xoxo

I'm Baacckkk!...

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 00:26:00 GMT

Hi All!

It's almost the end of 2018 and I want to officially call off this extreme blogging hiatus. It's been over two years since my last post.. (I know! I should have a degree in 'How To Go MIA' by now..) but life happened and it has taken me a while to get back to blogging. So I'm picking up right where I left off and hopefully, I get to share this marvelous journey of life with you all. I'm ecstatic to be back.

Get in touch with me also on social media. All my handles are @francescaandoh.

Let's do this!
Xoxo

2016 Birthday Campaign (Heifer International)

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Mon, 1 Feb 2016 03:04:00 GMT

With a new year comes a new birthday and a new campaign. This year, we (my sister and I) are dedicating the month of February to raising funds and awareness about a cause that is committed to lifting people out of poverty. Here's a preview of the work of Heifer International around the world.

Heifer International is a charity which focuses on eliminating hunger and poverty by empowering families with agricultural resources that ensure more than just food security. They provide animals and other agricultural items to families in need with training on how to turn these items into sources of food and income for themselves and their communities. Heifer encourages self-sustainability through the pay-it-forward approach by helping families share the resources and training they receive with other families in need. They also invest in education, women, small businesses, and more.

The aim of our campaign is to raise money to help Heifer's work. All donations are directed to areas where they're needed most. Support our campaign by visiting here to donate.

Use the hashtags #HeiferTwinTeam and #WhenCowsFly to promote this campaign on social media. Visit www.heifer.org for more information.

Donate now and give the gift of life.

Thank you for your support!

United Nations Youth Assembly (UNYA) 2015

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 20:10:00 GMT

The UNYA is bi-annual event that brings young people from all over the world to the United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss global issues. This year's summer event was held last August and gathered approximately five hundred young people from several nations under the UN to the venue. I had the opportunity to represent Ghana this year and had one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.

My UNYA journey began with a three-day program called the "Social Ventures For Social Development" (SV4SD) at the Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. There, we had the opportunity to learn everything about building social ventures that are able to solve some of our national and global problems. We were also able to get to know each other and forge great friendships among ourselves. I met some of the most amazing, most enterprising young people here. The program ended with a corporate visit to NOVARTIS pharmaceutical company and other social venture companies in the Newark community in New Jersey.

Then we moved on to New York for the main Summer event. Among the places we visited and had other sub-events in New York were the UN Headquarters, Pace University, Times Square, New York University (NYU), Columbia University, Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, among others. In short, this whole event was the highlight of my entire summer. Scroll down to see my experience in pictures.

Corporate visit to NOVARTIS and other places in Newark

Day of presentations at FDU

Group Selfie!

Group presentation at FDU (Group 5)

Group 5 ties for 1st place

Certified Delegates

Times Square, New York

View from inside the UNHQ

First day of Youth Assembly

UN Security Council

Day two at UNYA 2015

A guided tour of the UN

Countdown to the end of the MDGs

"Do unto others as you'll have them do to you."

Last day of meetings at the UNHQ & Group 5 presentation at the UNYA

Culture night at Columbia University

Headed to the farewell cruise dinner

Our cruise ship on the Hudson River

Before the actual party began on the cruise

My best shot of NYC from the Hudson river. Lol

Cause To Celebrate (FMSC)

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 08:20:00 GMT

Yesterday, my sister and I decided to volunteer with an organization called "Feed My Starving Children" for our birthday. It is a great Christian organization that packs meals for hungry children all over the world. I came across this organization while searching the internet for places to volunteer in Arizona and I'm glad we went with this one. We had the best time packing our batch of meals for kids in the Philippines.

The best thing about this charity is that kids can volunteer here too. I'll totally recommend FMSC if you're looking for a great cause to support with your friends and family. So if you have as little as two hours to spare in a day, you can register for packing sessions at your nearest FMSC location and help pack food for hungry kids across the globe. Visit fmsc.org to register for a session, donate or find the nearest place to volunteer.

Also, you can click the banner at the bottom of the page to donate your next birthday to charity: water and help in the global effort to provide families with clean water.

To The Motherland!

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Tue, 3 Feb 2015 07:15:00 GMT

Dear Ghana, this is in anticipation of our 58th independence anniversary. May these words ring true in our hearts and steer us in the right direction.

The Ghana Flag

The National Anthem

God bless our homeland Ghana

And make our nation great and strong

Bold to defend forever

The cause of freedom and of right

Fill our hearts with true humility

Make us cherish fearless honesty

And help us to resist oppressor's rule

With all our will and might forever more

Statue of a veteran returning from war and silhouette of the Great Black Star

The Independence/ Black Star Square

Emblem of the National Pledge

The Pledge
I promise on my honor
To be faithful and loyal to Ghana my motherland
I pledge myself to the service of Ghana
With all my strength and with all my heart
I promise to hold in high esteem
Our heritage won for us
Through the blood and toil of our fathers
And I pledge myself in all things
To uphold and defend the good name of Ghana
So help me God!

(Images credit: Google)

"Right Track Pants" On Dahlia Wolf!

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 22:45:00 GMT

I inspired my first product this past week on Dahlia Wolf! Yaayyy!! It's a comfy-looking black track pants with two bold vertical white stripes on the sides. It comes with drawstrings and a zipper along each side and can easily be dressed up or down. I'm loving how it looks on the models!

Click here to see a video of the right track pants on a model!

Dahlia Wolf is a fashion community where members can upload images from anywhere around the internet and inspire new designs. Visit my blog on Dahlia Wolf to see other images I have shared from all over or sign up to start inspiring fashion today!

See the video of my second product, a matching jacket, here.

Winter Sunset

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 19:36:00 GMT

This gorgeous view of winter sunset was simply too hard to resist.

Goofing around in this beautiful Philadelphia sunset.


Scene-so-dreamy!

Happy New Year & Special Birthday Campaign (Charity: Water)

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 1 Jan 2014 10:01:00 GMT

A new year brings new hopes and fresh starts for most of us. Whatever you have resolved to do this year, may it flourish and may all your dreams come true.

Happy New Year!!!

Birthday Campaign:

Water is Life! It's a basic necessity that no one can live without. But for most families and communities around the world, the problem of water shortage remains an obstacle. Did you know that millions of people all around the world still live without safe drinking water?

Every day, 5,000 kids die from water-related illnesses before they reach their fifth birthday. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to all these communities. The Charity: Water organization is committed to providing the families in need with clean water by building them lasting solutions in their communities.

This is where you and I come in. Charity: Water provides the opportunity for people like us to help get clean water to these communties by raising funds through special campaigns. So for my birthday this year (February 10), I'm asking everyone I know, including you, to donate $10 to mycharity: water to help get clean water to the people who need it most.

100% of every dollar you donate to my birthday campaign will be used to build clean water projects in developing countries. charity: water funds their operating costs separately through a group of private donors, so 100% of all public donations will go directly to people in need.
Together, let's help create lasting solutions to the water crisis everywhere.

Donate now!

*You can also support my campaign by following @cleanwater2014 on twitter and tweeting the hash tag #GiveCleanWater2014. Share on facebook, instagram, pinterest and across all other social media sites.

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:27:00 GMT

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas to all bloggers, blog readers and everyone in-between. I hope your gifts under the tree are everything you wished for. I hope your stockings overflow with many more delights. I hope your gift cards go a long way too. I hope every meal is a celebration, today and always. I hope your memories during this season with family, friends and loved ones remain always beautiful. And I hope you have every opportunity to share your joy and cheer at this time with someone without.

I wish you a merry Christmas!

DIY Water Marbling

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 10:28:00 GMT

Persistent rains have kept me indoors for the better part of the last few days, so I thought I'd try my hands at something fun; water marbling! It seemed like the perfect easy indoor activity to keep me occupied. This brilliant nail art is a first for me, plus I liked the idea of ending up with extra fancy-looking nails.

Surprisingly, what looked like a 'piece-of-cake' turned out quite trickier than I expected, as you'll see later in this post. I tried it in two different ways, nonetheless, and the results were, well... you be the judge!

Project 1: Nail Art
There are a few things you'll need: a bowl of water (at room temperature), nail polishes (in white, clear coat and other colors of choice), cotton buds and towel/ paper towel.

Directions:
* Prep your nails and apply base coat as you would when applying regular polish.

* Apply 1 to 2 coats of white polish, let dry for a few minutes.

* Apply single drops of nail polish (in the colors of your choice) to the surface of the water, beginning from the center of each previous drop of polish.

* Let sit for a few seconds.

* Put your finger in the water gently so that the design formed sticks onto your nail directly. Remove excess polish around your finger with a cotton bud.

* Repeat for all your fingers.

* When dry, clean around your fingers with nail polish remover, then apply your top coat.

* Let dry for a few more minutes and you're done!

Project 2: Little Decorative Pieces
You'll need (in addition to items in project 1): disposable cups, cotton balls.

I applied the same procedure using disposable cups instead.

Procedure:
* Coat disposable cup with clear polish, let dry for about 3 minutes.

* Apply your droplets of nail polish to the water, beginning from the center of each previous drop.

* Let sit for seconds.

* Lower the bottom of the cup gently into the water, making sure that the patterns formed stick onto the cup as you prefer.

* Set cup facing up-side down on paper towel to dry.

* Fill with beads, cotton balls, marbles, etc and stick a flower on top to finish. You can use this as decor to spruce up little empty spaces.

I hope you found these enjoyable! Get creative and give it a try!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Fragrance Of The Moment

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Sat, 2 Nov 2013 18:59:00 GMT

I love beautiful fragrances, mostly anything that has a mix of musk and fresh flowers. It was a rather


360 degrees by Perry Ellis (For Women)

sweet coincidence that I got
introduced to 360 degrees by
Perry Ellis (for women) a few years ago by a friend. I was immediately hooked. It was everything I had been looking for in a fragrance; the right scent with the absolutely perfect notes. Though I couldn't identify a note from another in a fragrance back then, I could easily smell the mix of musk and flowers. It smelled
refreshing and quickly became my signature scent.

I looked up the brand's website for a description of this fragrance (since I'm not too great at describing scents) and found it to be "a bright combination of fruit and florals, with lesser notes of white flowers, amber, vanilla and musk". It's quite surprising to me that this fragrance has a fruity component considering I'm not a big fan of fruity scents. That isn't obvious at all but the blend of florals and musk is highly detectable, which works for me!

My classic favorite

360 degrees is primarily recommended for casual use but I wear it all the time and for any occasion. I went on a brief hiatus wearing this fragrance because I wanted to try out other new fragrances. But I used it again and found I preferred it a lot better. I love it and still wear it all the time!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way. I'm not affiliated with the brand and everything above is entirely my opinion.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pop Of Print

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 05:56:00 GMT

Did I mention, I'm so loving all kinds of prints this season? Here's an outfit I wore over the weekend. I paired a printed pencil skirt with a basic white top and accessorized with pops of color on my lips and nails. Really simple. I love the balance of details!

Share your weekend-smart outfits with me on Twitter.

Hope everyone has a fun week!

Xoxo

Fall Style Preview

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 23:45:00 GMT

There are a few items I find are essential to achieving a perfectly updated wardrobe each season. My favorite picks this fall include all kinds of prints, leather and some really good shoes to complement my ever-evolving personal style. Shopping here and there, I've found a couple of items I'm absolutely loving. Here's a preview into my fall wardrobe.

Clothing haul

For how I style these items, keep an eye out for photos on my Twitter , Facebook and Pinterest.

Big Move!

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 02:56:00 GMT

Recently, I went through my biggest move yet. It was a huge decision for me but I'm here in the States already and enjoying my journey so far. Also, considering the lull that had taken over my blog in the past few months, I figured this would make a great comeback post. So as I resume a regular posting schedule, I hope to share all the excitement and adventures that my new life brings.

Ben Franklin bridge

Again, by way of quick update, here are a few lovely sights from some of the cities I have been visiting for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy!

Center City


Drexel/ UPenn University area

View from outside the 7abc newsroom in New York

NYC at night

P.S. Lost my old twitter account. Follow me on my new twitter here.

A White Engagement

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:24:00 GMT

This past weekend, we celebrated my brother's engagement ceremony. It had a white theme with lots of good food, traditional music, family and close friends. I really enjoyed it and had so much fun learning new things about Ghanaian culture.

My white dress is by 'AjePomaa Design Gallery' (ADG) and my necklace is by Hubbity. I am also wearing Fioni shoes and carrying a Furla bag.

Photography by: Kweku Obeng

Labor Day Style With Hubbity

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 1 May 2013 04:03:00 GMT

Happy Labor Day!
Enjoy this casual style I put together to celebrate the day with. If you're a worker, I hope you have an amazing day off!

Headband and bracelet by Hubbity.

Introducing... "Hubbity Fashion Accessories"

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:03:00 GMT

Hubbity is my brand of fashion accessories that I started about a year and a half ago. Very recently, I have come out with a new collection of accessories and I'm super excited to share with you. This is a rather varied assortment of fun, simple, colorful and statement accessories. I consider it my favorite collection so far because not only is it elegant, but it also has lots of energy.

Since I do not want to give it all away here, you may want to check out the latest video and more updates about this collection via Hubbity's social media sites:
Blog: http://hubbity.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shophubbity
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shophubbity
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hubbity/
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Shophubbity

Also check out this video from some of my previous collections:

Love it? Grab it! (online store coming soon)

Fruits In My Hair!

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:46:00 GMT

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to put together a simple and straight-forward means to managing my hair. I can hardly make time for those regular braids or twists these days and I end up wearing out my afro more often than usual. I grabbed these products off of the shelf of a supermarket to try a new routine. The shampoo and conditioners haven't been phenomenal for my hair but they do a good job in maintaining it, besides the added benefit of a super-fruity smelling hair.

Here's my easy 3-step process:

Fruits-flavored L'Oreal shampoo and conditioner for kids (less harsh than a regular shampoo)
Hair fruits conditioner (for co-washing)
Castor Oil (the only product I use in my hair after shampooing or co-washing)

Fashion Week ReCap

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Sun, 7 Oct 2012 23:09:00 GMT

The Ghana Fashion & Design Week (GFDW) happened this weekend in Accra and I was so psyched to be a part of this beautiful experience. I had so much fun attending shows and making new friends from all over the world. Here is a recap of events and some highlights from the runway.

Warning: This post is photo-heavy! :)

Some exhibitors display their products

The exhibition by "Konfidence" fashion brand

Pre-show mingling

Gorgeous! I love her necklace.

Fantastic style by designer Ajepomaa Mensah

Streetstyle by fashion student Andrea

Streetstyle by fashion photographer Afua

My streetstyle

Posed with a couple amazing people in fashion:

With footwear designer Afua Dabanka. Her killer wedges are from her SS2013 collection, go grab!

With beautiful fashion model Doris.

With super talented fashion designer Ajepomaa Mensah.

With lovely model Deola.

With multi-talented designer Naana Tennachie Yankey.

And now, highlights from the SS2013 runway shows, excuse the blurs!

DIY: Metallic Gold Phone Cover

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Thu, 4 Oct 2012 16:27:00 GMT

Here is an easy DIY project I made last weekend. You can try this too using any old phone cover or if you're just going for a more customised look on your current phone cover.

What you'll need:
*Spray paint (in grey primer, clear coat and metallic gold or any colour you prefer).
*Craft paper
*Any tool to scrape the old cover (I used my scissors)

Process:
1. Scrape off old paint or coloring from your phone cover.
2. Wipe cover clean.
3. Coat with grey primer and leave in open air to dry.
4. When primer is dry, coat cover with your metallic gold paint and let it dry for a few minutes.
5. Apply a second coat of paint.
6. After that dries, apply your clear coat to finish.

(Optional):
*The finished cover looks good by itself but if you want to bedazzle it like I did, just add some rhinestones and glue to create any design you want.

I hope you'll be able to try this sometime. Tweet me pictures if you do! :)

Hey There!

francescaandoh@gmail.com (Francesca Andoh) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:21:00 GMT

My name is Francesca Andoh. Welcome to my personal blog. You can join me here by following this blog.

Stay tuned and enjoy!