BOOM!

No matter how old you are, it is not too late to make your Love-given dreams come true. I cannot begin to imagine what yours are so I won't deign to conjure up the usual clichés but you know what they are. I am persistently and consistently inspired (sometimes to the point of inertia, ironically) by people's actions. But as I acquire more days in my life-repertoire (hehe) the more I realise that dreams are about getting started, getting on with it, adapting as necessary along the path, getting results and always learning. Sometimes it's not easy, sometimes it is, but it should be pursued. Always.  Work towards the fulfilment of your Love-given dreams.

Last weekend I was invited to what was purported to be the UK's first Nail Art Festival at London's Ilford Exchange Shopping Centre.  It sounded fun so I attended. There were talks by nail artists about this season’s hottest nail art trends, Lynda Louise Burrell from Nail Girls showed her crowd how to do the basics and the bold art. Ellen Lewis , the Marketing Director at Exchange Ilford said: The Nail Art Festival was a great success for its first year with over 5,000 visitors from across the Capital heading to Exchange, Ilford for a celebration of one of the biggest fashion and beauty trends of 2013. We’re already in talks to as to how we can make the festival bigger and better next year..."      The Nail Girls were my manicurists* for the day... I chose a subtle pink base colour and (hue of the season) mint colour block. What do you think...? Visit exchangeilford.com for updates on...

It's only a snippet but I am SERIOUSLY FEELIN' the new Sugab... oops... MutyaKeishaSiobhan (long.com) (MKS) tune... snippet... called 'Flatline' soundcloud.com/mutyakeishasiobhan/mutya-keisha-siobhan-flatline So glad the original line-up is back! Flatline starts off (and concludes) a bit Coldplay-like with commanding drumbeats, military-timed "oh oh oh oh oh ohs" following through to synths and squeezed in the middle are those stunning harmonies... it's like current "pop" acts (in the UK, at least) have starved the buying public of decent harmonies on purpose (and overdosed on autotune) so MKS can show how it's done!   If you've been watching the channel 4 series Dates , this tune will be familiar . I think I fall in love with songs too easily. It happened with Alicia Keys' Unthinkable , Elbow's Mirrorball and almost all of Drake's rapballads and now this. It's Chloe from Hannah Peel. It's atmospheri...

While I am happy for Mr Thicke for getting a number one, I am not happy it took this song... or more relevantly this video to get him there... I am loved him since these days below... The thing is... so many people were pretty pissed off (on Twitter and in everyday convo anyways) when Beyoncé commanded "Bow Down Bitches" so I am surprised at the lack of anger / vitriol landing at Robin's door because of his crude video (why in the 21st century is it okay for men to talk about women being animals and then parade them around accordingly - the unrated one leaves nothing to the imagination). Is it 'cos he's a man? I don't get it. What do you think?

I was invited to the Chelsea Flower Afternoon at the Intercontinental Hotel* last weekend - and I was very excited, I must say! My sis and I were given free-flowing orange juice (Champagne was the alternative, but neither of us like it), finger sandwiches (cucumber, salmon, beef and ham), a selection of cakes and pastries - including a violet-infused eclair and a strawberry tart, scones (plain and fruity), lemon mousse lollipops, white chocolate butterflies and of course, lots of tea. We went for Darjeeling because of its fresh and fruity undertones. The service was friendly - we were served by a sweet guy called Felix - and had a harpist playing in the background where we could request songs - classical and modern. My favourite part of the tea was the strawberry tart, sandwiches and the drinks to wash it down with. I'm not a big fan of dried fruit so the Eccles cake didn't take my fancy. Overall, it was lovely to take time out of one's weekend to enjoy the...

A good friend of mine sent me the following link a few days ago... Take a look. It's from Dove's Beauty Campaign After I watched it, I thought to myself: "I don't have this problem with my looks. I think I'm okay. I could do with losing a couple of pounds, but generally, I'm okay". Is that arrogant? :) While I know I'd never make a Victoria's Secret model line-up, I would like to believe I would be "objective" about my bodily features in a situation like this and wouldn't negatively over-exaggerate them - and I thought most women would feel the same. But then something that surprised me happened. I saw friends and online acquaintances appraise and applaud the video and campaign, stating that it made them think about their own negative self-image issues - and today it makes me ask the question: Why do so many women feel ugly?   Is it that oftentimes women are conditioned to act as if they feel ...

I had the pleasure of reviewing two books over the spring break period: The Yes No Book: How to Do Less and Achieve More by Mike Clayton* and What Managers Don't Know & Workers Can't Tell Them by Darren Smithson*. Both seem to emphasise the idea of prioritisation... The Yes No Book is for those who seem to have little time because they happen to yes to a lot. How many of us are guilty of that? The book aims to make you think about what is truly important to you, and what you need to add - and subtract from your decision-making processes to make that happen. The book is written in a very simple fashion with "gophers, beavers and dormice" popping up throughout the book to illustrate points, it gives you exercises to do, throughout the chapters of the book. The book will require an investment of time, but it's your life... and you want to make good changes, don't you? Is that a "Yes"...?  The Yes No Book 7/10 What Ma...