Talent- Lucille...

We got Lucille to share her talent with you guys! Watch this video to hear Lucille sing. :)

Meet Modé the Artist...

Meet Modé, an extremely talented artist. We think her paintings are amazing; see for yourself!

We asked Modé about painting, what inspires her, and some other stuff. Here’s what she had to say…

Modé- “I graduated last year from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I've always enjoyed painting since I was a kid, but started taking it seriously in 2009.

I enjoy reading, watching movies and visiting countries I've never been to. I am inspired by original concepts that keep me thinking. It can be in anything from politics to art.

GIVE-AWAY!!! GIVE-AWAY!!! GIVE-AWAY!!!

Hi guys! The Girlfriends Team blog is one, yaaaaay!!! It’s been an awesome year and we hope our posts have inspired you so far. On that note, it’s give-away time!!! Whoop Whoop!!! :)
To show appreciation to our readers, we will be giving away two gorgeous beaded Ankara necklaces to one lucky girl (courtesy of our friends at Kaika).

Is someone excited?

To win, send in your name and location and tell us why you should win our give-away prize. The most convincing entry wins both necklaces. All entries should be sent to girlfriendsteam@gmail.com on or before the 26^th of October.

Good luck guys!!! xxx

Style Watch: All eyes on Liz...

We absolutely love Liz’s style, so we decided to feature her on our style watch post. Her style is very chic and elegant but still a bit edgy.

Gorge right? For more amazing looks, check out Liz’s blog http://www.vogued-out.com

Stay fab lovelies xxx 

When it's NOT okay to stay!

We were really moved to do a post on abusive relationships based on a friend's story. Although difficult to believe, abusive relationships among girls/young women is very much existent! A WHO multi-country study found that between 15–71% of women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Abusive relationships are not merely physical. Sexual, emotional, and even financial (Yes! forcefully taking your money qualifies) abuse in relationships also exists. The danger in early abusive relationships is that most girls get so used to them that they start to develop enduring patterns to handle the situation up until and even in their marriages.

The worst part is that most girls find it exceedingly difficult to communicate about the abuse with their friends or others who would be in a good position to advise and direct them on what to do. A lot of times, they become trapped and enslaved in the relationship for so long.

"Shouldn't we work it out?" "I'm sure he can change", "He loves me but he just gets angry at times", "That's his weakness, no one is perfect"- are some of the lies we females like to tell ourselves. We learn to live in self-denial and suffer in 'near-death relationships'.

The fact is that any guy that really loves you would never even think of hitting you or inflicting you with any form of abuse. One of the important aspects in relationships that most females ignore is respect. Respect is so important because it guarantees an acknowledgment of the fact that you are of value, not just to him, but to your family and the world.

So when is it okay to leave? It's okay to leave the minute you're abused or you start to see the signs! Love is mutual and it should also be based on mutual respect. If your boyfriend disrespects you in any way, it's in your best interest to find your way out of that relationship. He can find his punching bag at the nearest gym; your body was created for so much more!