Wednesday 30 April 2014

Art: Jon Judace

One of my peeps recently made a visit to Prempasie and upon leaving, spotted some unique bookmarks (one of which they kindly picked up for me) with a sketch entitled 'The Human Continent' by a very talented artist by the name of Jon Judace;
I was so impressed by the image on the bookmark that I decided to check out his official website, which I can only describe as a hub for edgy and unconventional artistic expression, as he showcases works created by artists of all ages and capabilities, as well as his own works consisting of both drawn and photographed images. Some of which are currently displayed in the Veranda Bar in Brixton.

Some of my favourite pieces featured on the site are 'The Lovers', 'Hair That Grows Toward The Sun' and 'Natty Girl'.

His site and gift shop are definitely worth checking out if you're an appreciator/collector of art and one of a kind pieces.


Tuesday 29 April 2014

Happy Birthday Duke Ellington & Tammi Terrell!

Pianist, Composer, Bandleader & Swing Jazz Legend


Singer & Motown Diva

Continue Leading Your Sections In The Heavenly Choir!

Beauty: Orange Neon Nails

I recently got my first pedicure and polish and when it came to time to choose a colour, there were so many options but I had to chose a shade of orange (of course) I thought would look great in the summer (if we get one) and compliment my skin tone.

At first I was sceptical of the neon section of the colour pallet but when the nail technician painted my first nail China Glaze 'Neon Knockout' I was sold.

It's funky, fun and bold....a little like me :-)
I have received so many compliments on my new nails and I think this will be my new fave nail colour....for now.

Other brands doing Neon Orange or Coral if you're not quite ready for neon are...

*Barry M (Coral NP296)
*Models Own (Fluro Orange)
*Miss Sporty (Coral Gum 452)

Enjoy  :-)

Shay 

x



Fashion: Playsuits

Playsuits: I love em all! Well aside from the prison/workmen jumpsuits....they're just not cute.

Play-suits are a great casual summer look and are flattering on most shapes and sizes.

You can even get evening playsuits these days which are also very nice and comfortable to wear no matter if you're having an 'fat' or 'thin' day/night lool

Anyway, the high street are offering quite a few styles of play-suit's this season, I wonder if they know something about the weather that we don't.....

Shay 

x

Monday 28 April 2014

Happy Birthday Jessie Redmon Fauset!

Poet, Novelist, Author And Editor Of The Official NAACP Magazine 'The Crises' & African American Children's Magazine 'Brownies' Book'

We Send Many Heavenly Wishes To You!

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Fashion: Summer Hats On The High Street




Fashion: Happy Earthday Look Book


A day to demonstrate support for environmental protection!

If you're celebrating, here's a casual 'Earthday' Look Book featuring a light, floaty top, floral leggings with a fringe waistcoat and bag. To finish the look a floral garland and nude wedges.

Shoes are by NewLook

Bag, Waistcoat and Garland are by Asos


To find out more about Earthday, do visit Earthday.org

Shay 

x

Saturday 19 April 2014

Happy Birthday Kelly Holmes!

British Born Middle-Distance Athlete Who Won 2 Gold Medals In The 2004 Olympics In Athens & Still Holds The British Records Over The 600, 800,1000, and 1500m Distances

May You Be Blessed With A Wonderful Day!

Food Review: Kaspa's, Walworth Road

After a brilliant day at the ‘Black Market and Film Festival’ then ‘Satay Bar’ (yum) in Brixton, we headed down to Kaspa’s in Walworth road for some dessert.

I’d never heard of Kaspa’s but I am sure glad my home girls know all the great hot spots for the sweetest desserts…especially Ms. Sweet Tooth herself K.

The venue is decorated really nice, with glitter on the walls and black and pink interiors. It has a feel of a pink boudoir, which I kind of like as it feels naughty. I think it goes really well with all the naughty treats on offer!

It was the first week of opening and it was busy to say the least but, the staff did well not to keep customers waiting too long and got orders out in a timely manner. Management were on point too, as they made sure customers were instructed to wait for tables, queue separately for eat in/take away orders, and were really polite and friendly.

While waiting for a table, we took a look at the menu and there is a very large selection of ice creams, waffles, milkshakes, gelato, crepes and cakes in a range of colours and flavours.

In all honesty we were spoilt for choice…well I was anyway. Not sure if it was because I was so full from ‘Satay Bar’ or the fact I was conscious of my ‘No Cakes Challenge’ but, the menu made me feel very indecisive, I just couldn't make up my mind but, we had to order as we were next in the queue so I opted for two scoops of Hazelnut & Forrero Rocher ice creams;
It was very nice and I was very happy!

My girls on the other hand went in! No time for petting they ordered these huge, American style waffles with M&M's, butterscotch/milk chocolate/white chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, nuts, Vanilla, Hazelnut and Bubblegum ice cream. I was in awe! Kind of wished I could eat like that but we did just have an amazing meal at Satay so I didn’t feel a way for long lool! 

Regardless, I couldn't stop staring at the size of their waffles and all the sweet sticky toppings;
We all enjoyed our desserts though and let’s just say both Micky & K were left in happy food comas lool

For all you sweet lovers out there, Kaspa’s is definitely the place for you. There is a large counter filled to the brim with a large number of flavoured ice creams and cakes as soon as you walk in so bring your napkins becasue you will be salivating!

Just don’t tell your dentist you heard about it from us! :-)

Food Review: Satay Bar, Brixton

So after a long day of walking around at ‘The Black Market and Film Festival’, its only natural that one; or three rather, would work up quite an appetite. Looking for somewhere that was close by to our current location, we decided on Satay Bar in Brixton.I for one have always seen this place in passing, and heard about it through a few people I know, that have been. 

A self proclaimed ‘Authentic Indonesian and Malaysian Restaurant', which sits rather unassumingly in a prime location at the side of the Ritzy Cinema on Coldharbour Lane.We were greeted by dark wooden furniture and walls which gave an Oriental feel. To the right of the entrance, there was a seated area where visitors can enjoy a drink if they like, either after dinner or as their sole purpose for visiting the bar. Outside there is a sheltered outdoor seating area, which we used, to enjoy our after dinner cocktails later.

We arrived after 4 O’clock so their lunch special was still on. This meant that any main course priced from £5.50 (including stir-fry’s, currys and satay classics) would come with steamed white rice. Looking through the menu, I already had an idea of what I was getting for starters. As I am a meat eater/lover, I decided to go with the signature and name sake dish Chicken ‘n’ Peanut Satay; 


While Miss K and Shay chose Veggie Spring Rolls which I also got to taste but, K “ain’t want none” of mine and Shay as I’ve mentioned before, is a pescetarian;

Ah welp, more chicken for me :-)

For our main courses, I went for Chinese style Low ‘n’ Slow Beef Ribs which was served in a home-made sweet soya sauce. Miss K chose Chinese Crispy Seabass, which was served whole with wok-fried Asian vegetables, mushrooms and sweet basil, while Shay decided on the Malaysian Style Crispy Snapper, again served as a whole topped with sweet peppers, ginger, garlic and chillies;


Shay also got some roti flatbread, which came with a dipping sauce she thinks is Thai, sometimes called ‘Chu Chee Pla’;


We all did switcheroos of our meals, and as usual, Shay tasted what she could of my Low ‘n’ Slow ribs (the sauce). Every meal from starter to main was delicious, but I will say that the plain rice was a bit too plain, even though it came in a nice dome shape with little black sesame seeds on top. We did however use all of the different sauces, and once I squeezed Shay’s lime to jazz that baby up, we were good to go!

After finishing our food and suffering from ‘ethnic fatigue’ we decided to have a few cocktails to take outside, as it was Happy Hour (a good selection of their cocktails £5 each). I went for 2 Prosecco based cocktails; ‘Strawberry Bellini’ and ‘ManGoes Into A Bar’ while K and Shay each had a ‘Pink Paradise’;


Personally I wish I left out the bubbles for something fruitier, but they were good all the same.

All in all I'd say my first experience at Satay Bar was a nice one. The food was delicious, the waiter was funny and the prices weren't too steep. I will definitely be back in the summer months to enjoy more of the lovely food, and to make the most of the happy hour and outdoor terrace.

Thanks for having us Satay Bar, I know it must have been an event for you too...We’ll be back!

Ratings:
Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Décor: 6/10

Visit Satay Bare Here:
Address: 447 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8LP
Tel: 0844 474 6080

From Micky With Love

x

Event Review: The Black Market And Film Festival

Boy did this week go fast!

Last Saturday (12th April) Shay, Micky and yself attended 'The Black Market and Film Festival’ held at Platanos College on Clapham Road, where exhibitors included The Maroon Boutique, Deus Avani, Nefertiti's Natural's, Inifiniti Therapi, Oya's Adornments, From Smiley Coast Gambia, J2Steps Designs, Ninety3Ninety4, Nafasi By Nature, Jaan's Jewellery, Cessa Limited, Cezanne Poetess, The Calabas Hub, Pebbles Wearable, Pure Goodness, Pure Aroma, Kali Artz, Chosan, Jacqueline Ramnarine & AllKnightz.com;




The large variety of African inspired products on display included everything from reversible clothing, unusually shaped bags, handmade Ghanaian purses, shoes made of scrap denim, hand sculpted soap stone, 3D book marks, jewellery, organic body products, organic drinks, handmade cards (beautifully crafted by the super talented 11 year old Brother pictured below), books, comics, Black Art themed smartphone cases, crystals to wall art. In short there was something for everyone;




The stand out exhibitors for us however were;

'T Shirt Lady' (A pseudonym seeing as she ran out of business cards!)  - Who displayed bold T-shirts boasting images of Malcolm X with the slogan 'Ain't I A Brother' and an Afro wearing Sista with Maya Angelou's Phenomenal Woman & Still I Rise poems printed in full on the backs.

Jerpurity - Whose jewelry collection was probably the most diverse in terms of shapes, sizes and overall pieces, given that there were headbands and neck wear as opposed to just earrings and bangles.

Pieces By KeKe - Which featured stunning earrings, that were either outlines of Africa, accented with the Lion of Judah or an Afro rocking Sista. All made from wood, psychedelic coloured plastic and even glass.

Serenity Wholistic Living - Who had two exhibit tables filled with the most naturally beautiful crystals and gemstones I've ever seen and a few of which, Micky and Shay purchased to aid with their holistic therapy.

Amédée  - Specializing in Mother & Baby accessories (although ironically none of us have kids lol), displayed wooden teething rings, bow ties, baby & toddler ring slings, baby shoes and nappy clutch travels bags. All handmade with beautiful Ankara prints;

This table was hands down the best and our collective favourite.

Overall it was a really good exhibit and although we didn't get to see any of the screened movies/presentations there was definitely enough to keep us there for a few hours!

Thursday 17 April 2014

Happy Birthday Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, Lela Rochon & Kimberly Elise!

Mifflin Wistar Gibbs

Abolitionist & The First Elected Black Municipal Judge In The USA



Beautiful Blacktress Best Known For Her Roles In The Classic Movies 'Harlem Knights' & 'Waiting To Exhale'


Super Talented Award Winning Blacktress

Fashion: Summer Flats From The High Street





Wednesday 16 April 2014

Health: Challenge Update 2....10 Days In!

THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED....

It's 10days in and I am having sugar withdrawal symptoms.
I woke up at 3am last night....I was craving orange chocolate (my favourite)
Yesterday, I had a dream where instead of clouds in the sky, there were cup cakes lool! Then it rained chocolate chips LOOOOOOL


I think it's fair to say I have an addiction to sugar but I have done really well.
In 10 days I have had ice cream but a very small amount in comparison to my past portions. I have also had 1 orange chocolate digestive because I couldn't resist them, given they've just been re-issued and I am very proud of myself as I didn't hoover the whole pack!The remaining biscuits are in the back of my cupboard and will not be touched till after this challenge....

Before this challenge, everyday was crisps, cakes and shortcake biscuits (well almost every day), but 10 days into this challenge and I can honestly say I feel better for it as the sweets I used to consume were empty calories I really had no business eating.

Anyway, I am going to continue on.

Although I love my sweet treats I think this challenge will change how and when I eat them....

How you doing?

Shay 

x

Jokes: People Of Walmart

I wouldn't normally post stuff like this but, this really 'CRACKS' me up...

Reading through one of my blogs Madamenoire.com and this post: People Of Walmart greets me.

These people really have NO friends...

K and Shay, please tell me if ever I don't look good!

Micky x

Happy Birthday Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Martin Lawrence, Alek Wek, Luol Deng & Aaron Lennon!

Legendary Basketball Player Who Is The NBA's All-time Leading Scorer


Hilarious Comedic Blacktor


Alek Wek
Sudanese Born Supermodel, Author, Missionary & Advisor To The U.S. Committee or Refugees Advisory Council


Luol Deng 
Sudanese Born Basketball Player Who Grew Up In Brixton South London & Was Successfully Drafted To Play For The Legendary Chicago Bulls In 2004


Aaron Lennon
English Born Footballer Who Currently Plays For The Tottenham Hotspurs & Is The Youngest Player Ever To Have His Boots Sponsored

May You All Be Blessed With Many More To Come!

Cultural Landmark: Bob Marley's London Flat

While on her lunch break yesterday, our girl Micky took a sashay not too far from her work building and managed to take a couple of quick snapshots of Bob Marley's first UK home address located at 34 Ridgmount Gardens, London WC1E 7AS.

I may just have to take a trip myself, so I can have a moment basking in the Reggae Ambiance!

Monday 14 April 2014

Happy Birthday Shawntae 'DaBrat' Harris!

Award Winning Artist, Who Was The First Solo Female Rapper To Achieve A Platinum Certification Back In 1994, For Her Debut Album 'Funkdafied' 

May Your Day Be Happy Indeed!

Thursday 10 April 2014

What's On: Africa Live Comedy Show

 
The UK's Kings of comedy are coming together for another night of side splitting comedy.....you ready?

After a VERY heated & fun Part 1- AFRICA LIVE returns with another instalment. Africa LIVE Part 2 Feat:

*RICHARD BLACKWOOD* (Channel 4)
*CURTIS WALKER* (Real McCoy Actor)
*A DOT COMEDIAN* (A Dots Apprentice)
*JAZZIE* (Anuvahood Star)
*BABATUNDE*
*COMPOZERS*
..& MANY MORE.

This show will be supported by a LIVE 5 PEICE BAND, Live Dancers & Acoustic artists.

After Team Nigeria got defeated in the heated sound clash, it is time for a Re-Match! Who will win this time round?

Find out on Sat 26th April 2014 @ Catford Broadway Theatre, SE6 4RU. Book NOW via;


Shay

X