Author: Khadijat Oseni

Time Travel: 1920s & The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Published by Khadijat Oseni

A week ago, I had the opportunity to travel back in time to the 1920s via the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island in New York City. It’s always a fun affair that perfectly captures the decadence, elegance and vivacious energy surrounding this era. New York fashionistas show up in droves and dress to the nines to escape to an alternate steamy world filled with big band sounds, high-stepping foxtrotting dancers, and fancy St. Germain cocktails outside of the sweltering heat of the summer. When nostalgically reflecting on this delightfully chic summer activity that has now become a bit of a tradition for me, I also particularly love looking back at old photographs of New York City for vintage style inspiration. So, I’ve decided to integrate some of my favorite atmospheric shots of New York during this decade with images from my past weekend playing dress-up on the lawn. Enjoy! xo Khadijat

Khadijat Oseni-Ride A Camel-Jetsetterproblems.com

Ride A Camel Like A Badass

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As affirmed in a previous post, camels are pretty badass animals and riding them makes you equally as badass. But riding definitely is not as easy as it looks. Here are some tips to stay cool while getting one of the most epic thigh workouts of your life and in no time, you’ll master how to ride a camel like a badass! 1) Cover up – protecting your skin from harsh sun rays as well as guarding your eyes from sand are lasting keys to your journey so bust out those sunglasses and sunscreen. My desert attire always follows the 3 Ls: long, light and loose, but if you’re not into completely covering up, dress in layers so you can pull on and off articles of clothing if you get too hot. To avoid itchy skin due to camel hair, I suggest going with long pants. For my naturalistas out there, turbans are especially your best friends.   2) Don’t just creep up on a camel unknowingly without a firm introduction Same rules as with a …

O’ Captain, My Captain: Life & Travel Lessons from Dead Poets Society

Published by Khadijat Oseni

As a millennial obsessed with pop culture and digging up old movies from a young age, I stumbled upon my first entry into the wanderlust worlds of Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost via sneaking a view of Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society past my bedtime. Far too young to fully understand the depth of the various themes outlined throughout the film until I later encountered the original texts, I nonetheless was emotionally inspired by the overarching message of living life to the fullest without seeking the permission of others to explore self-expression through the arts. It was then that I fell in love with one of my favorite movie characters of all-time, Professor John Keating portrayed by the genius Robin Williams. With Williams’ untimely passing on Monday, it is here that I share five pre-mature life lessons I learned and still carry along my journeys from dear O’ Captain, my Captain John Keating, through quotes and travel images, in honor of one of my favorite actors, comedians, and creative inspirations of all-time. Rest in peace Robin Williams, you will …

Mood Board: BALMAIN RESORT 2015 COLLECTION

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Still in awe of the mind-blowing Iman, Naomi Campbell, bad gal RihRih & Olivier Rousteing shoot in W Magazine’s September issue, I was reminded of last month’s unveiling of Balmain’s beautiful resort 2015 collection where Rousteing drew his design inspiration from the airiness, graphic colors, bold lines and geometry of California, Native American beadwork & 70s glam alike. Makes me want to practice my best Bianca Jagger impression and jetset back to Cali ASAP! Here are a few of my favorites from the collection below:   See the entire look book here and seriously, can we still discuss the epic portions of that W Magazine shoot though?!?! xo Khadijat #jetsetterproblems

Afternoons at Café Angelina

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I always have a delectable ritual whenever I’m in Paris regardless of what district I’m staying in. And, this ritual simply includes always having to make a quickie at Café Angelina after visiting the Louvre for their divinely rich cup of hot chocolate – the perfect blend of a bitter/sweet symphony for true chocolate lovers. It seems this tradition doesn’t only run deep with me but also with my fellow Jetsetter Problems crew members. Here’s a glimpse at us all up to the same old habits during separate visits to Paris…vive le chocolat!!! Cesarin eagerly anticipating his cup of bliss to descend from the heavens… The second coming is upon us, the one & only Angelina hot chocolate! Let’s all take a moment to relish in its deliciousness before going h.a.m! Too rich and thick to gobble all at once, it must be savored with a spoon which lends equal points to keeping it classy and playing fake French…Oui, Mademoiselle V!! Umm take a cue from Mel, attempting to interrupt this euphoria is a negative! But having …

Why I Thought All Camels Were From Brooklyn

Published by Khadijat Oseni

I’ve been lucky enough to have had camels be a major mode of transport for some of my adventures thus far and I’ve gotta say, they are some pretty badass animals! In general, camels are super laidback to the point of comatose, unless of course provoked which takes a bit of effort to do! Even then, their attitudes are still calm but with a gangster lean as in they’ll simply just lean over, spit on you and keep it moving…leave the gun, take the cannoli, Godfather style! Not to worry, a spitfire reaction as described above is rare. Camels are generally lovers, not fighters and are particularly known for their loyalty, patience and endurance. Their loyalty runs so deep, they never forget where home is and can easily find their ways back to the exact spots they were raised and if domesticated, to the exact people who reared them similarly to Mohammed bin Shouishan al-Sabaii’s heartwarming story from earlier this year. Camels are all about spreading love to their crew (just like the Brooklyn way) and openly express affection by …

Jetsetter Problem #1: Where To Go Next! (Finale)

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Unlike Rihanna who hung out with the entire German locker room after the World Cup finals, I can’t exactly say I was hot & bothered by the results. In fact, when Mario Goetze made that crucial last minute goal, I flew into a tizzy! It would have been AMAZING to see Argentina win, not only because I’ve never been before, but also to breakup Europe’s dominance over the championship. To cope, my foodie brain immediately lunged into overdrive. My tongue watered and whined about wanting more vacío over schnitzel all the while settling for swallowed pride and muttered congrats to German fans on ending a 24 year drought. Eventually, my thoughts shifted from soccer stats to travel memories. My first adventure in Deutschland took me to the capital city of Berlin. If you’ve never visited, Berlin is a great intro to modern German history due to its balanced diet of old East and West remnants seamlessly blending in with the new. It’s also a cool city to check out: Great art in all forms (beer included!)…Outside of classics like …

10 Personality Types To Avoid When Selecting A Travel Buddy

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Traveling with a friend, lover or family member can either be the most invigorating experience or biggest nightmare on the planet. The key to avoiding the latter category is by remaining mindful of different personality types while plotting your next escape. Enlisting the cast of one of my all-time favorite first world problems movies, “Mean Girls” along with E- Online, here’s a handy list of travel buddies to avoid so you don’t end up kicking your own bucket list! 10) The Age-Inappropriate Partier whose motto will forever be, “Turn down for what?!?!” 9) The Thirst Bucket who falls in love with everyone and everything no matter where you happen to be… 8) The Debbie Downer who should never have left home in the first place and reminds you why every second you attempt to make plans…ummm #BYEFELICIA!! 7) The Paranoid Worry Wart who is convinced everything you do will either kill you or land you in the next installment of “Hostel”, “Taken” or a remote Thai prison… 6) The Itinerary Nazi who needs to calm down …

Jetsetter Rule Of Thumb: Presentation Is Everything!

Published by Khadijat Oseni

In life, you should always be prepared for the best and worst scenarios that may occur and one surefire, proof way of doing this is by wearing the right armor, both literally and figuratively. Whether traveling to a new destination that you’ve never been to before or even departing on a flight back to your hometown, it is important to present yourself in a manner that commands respect. Trust me, this will go miles with flirting your way through an upgrade if needed (umm half-joke?! 🙂 ) or simply just being treated like a human being through the cattle herd mentality that feels like the TSA line at times. Despite whatever happens on your journey from delayed flights to screaming babies, if you’re dressed as your personal version of royalty, you will always find a way to elevate through any crisis. I always consider myself a badass ambassador of Brooklyn when traveling and stroll through lines accordingly. My philosophy…your life is the greatest stage role you will ever get to play, why not make a memorable character that is reverent with style and …

#Art Life: The Bowery Mural

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Like a true Brooklyn girl who still wells up at the sound of Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” when thinking of home, no matter how highbrow an art experience I encounter at classic museums around the world, there is always a special appreciation I have for the street art adorning the walls of New York City’s concrete jungle whether as “high” as commissioned, public art pieces or as “low” as illegal graffiti tags. The landmark Downtown NYC spot for street art aficionados alike is the infamous Bowery Mural located at the corner of  Houston (pronounced HOUSE-Ton for non-New Yawkers 😉 ) & Bowery streets, one of my favorite places to periodically visit when home. The wall was first christened by the iconic Keith Haring and Juan Dubose in 1982 and has since showcased an impressive list of established and up & coming artists splattering their vivid imaginations across coveted NYC territory. The Bowery Mural is Downtown New York’s interactive allegory with bright colors, patterns, tags and graphics telling tales of life and culture once experienced and presently observed by its residents. It is a constant …