Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, Titi, this week's subjects: Eid festival fashion trends (conclusion), Expensive watches, Alhambra, Wanna lose weight? and Grilled chicken at +233 Jazz Club and Grill

Eid festival fashion trends (conclusion) Statement Accessories: Every Eid outfit deserves standout accessories. This year, statement jewelry is key. Opt for oversized earrings, chunky bangles, or a beautifully crafted statement necklace. Don't shy away from adding a contrasting bag to elevate your look. Embrace bold colours and unique designs to make your fashion statement unforgettable. Henna and Beauty Trends: No Eid celebration is complete without the intricate designs of henna. In 2025, henna art has evolved, with artists offering stunning patterns that tell a story. Complement your henna with glowing makeup that enhances your natural beauty. Soft golds and earthy tones paired with a bold lip can create a captivating look that draws attention to your festive elegance. Comfort Meets Elegance: As food and festivities abound, comfort is crucial. Look for outfits that allow you to move freely while looking fabulous. Fabrics like georgette, chiffon, and silk drape beautifully and provide an effortless elegance. Consider long flowy dresses or tailored kurtas that ensure comfort while you celebrate with family and friends. For the Gents: Chic and Classic. Men's fashion for Eid 2025 is all about sophistication and style. Classic kurta sets in soft colours or modern silhouettes can keep you looking sharp. Pair these with embellished sandals or loafers for a complete look. Accessories such as lightweight shawls or traditional caps can add a touch of elegance to any outfit. Conclusion. Eid 2025 was the perfect occasion to showcase your personal style while honoring traditions. From soft pastels to sustainable fashion choices, the trends this year will help create a standout outfit that feels uniquely yours. Embrace the fusion of tradition and modernity, and let your fashion reflect the joy and spirit of this beautiful festival. Enjoy the celebrations, and I pray your Eid was filled with love, laughter, and, of course, stunning fashion.

Expensive watches. Expensive fashion is called haute couture (high sewing), expensive watches are called haute horlogerie, from horloge, French for watch. The 5 most expensive ones? Starting from the cheapest one amongst the 5, it's a Jaeger-LeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette for only 26 million dollars. It has 576 diamonds and houses the Calibre 101, one of the smallest mechanical movements ever created. It doesn’t say if it is automatic or you have to wind it, but mechanical means there's no battery to change. Which you could do at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. This one was presented to Queen Elizabeth at her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. It does not say if she ever wore it. Next in line is a Breguet Grande Complication Marie-Antoinette for $30 million. It was commissioned in 1783 by an unknown admirer of the French Queen, Marie Antoinette. Whose head was cut off in 1793, after the French Revolution in 1789, and the maker, Breguet, went into exile, the watch was only completed much later. The watch eventually found its way into the collection of Breguet expert Sir David Lionel Salomons in the 1920s. It was stolen from the L.A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art on April 17, 1983 along with more than 100 other rare timepieces from Salomons' collection. The theft was unsolved for 23 years until the police were tipped off by people who reported having been shown pieces from the collection. It turned out that master thief Na'aman Diller had committed the theft, hiding the watches in safes in the United States, Europe, and Israel. After Diller's death, his widow tried to sell the stolen watches and clocks in 2004. She was caught and given 5 years' probation for accepting stolen goods. Of the 106 timepieces that were stolen, only 39 were recovered in 2007, including the Marie Antoinette. The watches were returned to the Jerusalem museum. The watch is composed of 823 components, and was to contain every watch function known at that time, including the following: Clock, Celestial time, State of winding, Perpetual calendar, Minute repeater, Thermometer, Chronograph, Power reserve, Pare-Chute (shock protection system, Breguet's invention), Chime Automatic winding and an Independent seconds hand. Even by the standards of the day, it was an astronomically expensive piece. The most valuable materials (including gold, platinum, rubies and sapphires) were used with no limit placed on time or cost. The watch is encased in gold, with a clear face that shows the complicated movement of the gears inside. Breguet used sapphires in the mechanism to decrease friction. Next coming up is The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 at only 1 million more, 31 million. It is a double-faced watch featuring 20 special features, including a minute repeater, perpetual calendar and a unique acoustic alarm. Its stainless steel case and intricate mechanics exemplify Patek Philippe's horological mastery. Number 4 from the bottom is The Fascination from Graff. This convertible timepiece boasts 152.96 carats of colourless diamonds and features a 38.13-carat D-flawless pear-shaped diamond that can detach to become a ring. Its dual functionality and exquisite craftsmanship underscore Graff's dominance in luxury watchmaking. $40 million. And the winner for today is the Graff Diamonds Hallucination, at $55 million. Graff Diamonds Hallucination. It features 110 carats of rare, multi-colored diamonds – including pink, blue, green, and yellow – meticulously set into a platinum bracelet. The intricate design and the sheer volume of precious stones make it more of a wearable piece of art than a conventional watch. The extra beauty of all these gadgets is that they tell you the time.

Alhambra. In my previous blog, I mentioned a copyright fight between Van Cleef and Arpels and Louis Vuitton, about an originally Alhambra design (a jewelry collection inspired by the four-leaf clover and the Moorish architecture of the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain). From the 8th to the 15th century, North Africans, say Arabs, controlled a large part of southern Europe. As it can get quite cold in winter in North Africa, Sultan Yusuf I built a winter palace in Granada, Spain, where he and his many wives could relax and so he could plan his next military expedition, and with a view on the snow capped Sierra Nevada mountain range, but with the warmth of the Granada climate. And what a palace. The most sophisticated and expensively decorated house I have ever seen pictures of or a film is absolutely nothing compared with the outlay and decorations of the Alhambra. The place has turned into a huge tourist attraction where you book your visit several days ahead and are then given a slot, say between 1430 and 1500 hours and are rushed through the palace and its gardens, with hardly a moment to take a nice picture or to sit down and inhale the atmosphere. The same goes for many other international tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Venice and Amsterdam; some places are now so overburdened with tourists that the original population throws stones onto the tourist buses and tries to discourage tourists.

Wanna lose weight? Eat less. And save money. And all these pills and teas and herbs? They don't work, and sometimes are even dangerous. Don't believe me? Then show me someone who lost weight seriously and 2 years later was still at that lower weight. Keep your money, eat less and eat healthy.

Grilled chicken at +233 Jazz Club and Grill (Dr. Isert Street, North Ridge, opposite GBC, Accra). I was a bit surprised at the quality of the grilled chicken my friend shared with me at +233. Well-cooked, juicy and tasty. It reminded me of the number 1 law of good cooking, good ingredients. I'll try again and hope I was right.

Lydia...

Do not forget to hit the subscribe button and confirm in your email inbox to get notified about our posts.

I have received requests about leaving comments/replies. For security and privacy reasons my blog is not associated with major media giants like Facebook or Twitter. I am talking with the host about a solution. for the time being, you can mail me at wunimi@proton.me

I accept invitations and payments to write about certain products or events, things, and people, but I may refuse to accept and if my comments are negative then that's what I will publish, despite your payment. This is not a political newsletter. I do not discriminate on any basis whatsoever.