BOOM!

Pic of Jennifer Lawrence as drawn by Ebunola Adenipekun  Happy New Year folks! And in the spirit of the season of giving, the cinema gods decided to impart a Jennifer Lawrence-led film on New Year's Day (or Christmas Day in the US) to the world and they named it Joy *Joy to the world, geddit?*. It's a rags-to-riches film inspired by the real-life events of the eponymous Joy Mangano who created, amongst other products, the miracle mop which sold record numbers on the shopping channel QVC and led her to becoming one very rich woman. That is the crux of the story. I love an ensemble film and/or drama with a strong lead and support. It's reminiscent of 90s dramas such as My So Called Life or The Gilmore Girls with manic performances. Joy is a bastion of sanity holding the family together in a family of eccentrics - the mother who stays in her room watching soaps (played hilariously by Virginia Madsen); the hard-working but slightly unhinged father deftly acted by Robert...

Harmless Dream, Nike Davies-Okundaye, 2006 Exciting news! The Gallery of African Art (GAFRA) will be presenting The Power of One Woman , an exhibition of works by Nigerian artist Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye, featuring pen and ink works, watercolours, jewellery and "Adire" textiles. The exhibition will provide a body of work from over 40 years of consistent and dedicated practice. The exhibition is taking place from 10th December 2015 to 6th February 2016. It will also showcase photographs by Joanna Lipper, whose aim is to reveal dimensions of Nike's multi-faceted identity as a Yoruba Chief, daughter, mother, wife, artist, teacher, and social entrepreneur. These events always inspire and encourage so I'm looking forward to going. A must for art lovers! Opening times: Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturday, 11am-5pm Admission: free Gallery of African Art (GAFRA), 45 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JL Nearest Underground Station: Green...

Wünderlust is a project from street food group Fleisch Mob.  It's in Deptford, south London (if you didn't know, South is where it is at) below the DLR flyover and next to what you could call an eclectic pub on Deptford’s Church Street.  It's a place to chill, have a drink or two, and have some early or late dinner. For my meal, I was treated to Grilled Salt Marsh lamb breast, garlic & anchovies, as well as white beans. For my part, I thought, "I'm a grown woman, I'll have the lamb and beans" - I was a bit meh about the beans - I think it may be worthwhile stipulating that you want the beans to be soft otherwise they will likely be al dente, which isn't to my personal taste. I loved the capers though and it was full of flavour. My friend made the right choice for her though. She loved the 35 day aged Hereford flat iron steak, chimichurri, greens & triple cooked chips. All cooked to her liking. You can...

  When you discover an amazing blog that you find yourself returning to regularly, do you ever wonder what it is about it that is making you so hungry for more? I work in blogger outreach for a media intelligence company and read THOUSANDS of blogs throughout the year. I attend blog awards too, where I get to meet the winners and have a chat with them about what they think makes them so successful. Through this line of work I have acquired a knack for spotting what makes a good blog, so I have decided to share them on Journograds - go over to read more

With #WorldMentalHealthDay trending as the number one topic on Twitter today I for one am grateful that people feel less embarrassed to talk about their state of mind. I hope in our lifetimes we will get to a place where we can talk about being mentally ill like we can about having a cold, the flu or a broken arm or leg. There are a myriad of ways in which mental illness can manifest itself - from suicidal thoughts and depression to dangerous or self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours. I just want to offer some words in the mere hope it may help someone if you're feeling a sense of despair or hopelessness: Write about how you feel It may help to have a pen and paper, tablet, dictaphone etc handy to put into words how you're feeling right now. Sometimes just the act of doing that brings a sense of release. Be as long as short as you want and if you wish return to the words in a few days. Do you still feel that way? If yes, you have the problem written down and li...

Source I can understand why a lot of people love Autumn (Fall). Colours of the leaves are glorious, the weather is neither deliriously hot nor painfully cold. Me, I've kind of been indifferent to the season (apart from the fashion, which is always amazing, I mean, the coats and dresses are just gorgeous) because the temperature drops, the nights come sooner *boo* and the outdoor activities reduce, but this time I'm determined to embrace this transitional time. I'll embrace: The delightful colours nature brings in the trees Source The opportunities to perhaps start a new course The season's wardrobe! It's all about warm jumpers, scarves, coats, boots, rich-tone make-up and jewellery. Source  Autumn's events such as Fireworks (well glaze over it's about Guy) Autumn has a lot to offer and I intend to relish it! Happy Autumn! (My intention is to highlight images that have inspired me, if you would prefer me to not use you...

The Emmys felt so special this year. Viola's speech after winning Best Actress in a Drama Series was epic. #BlackGirlMagic was sprinkled all over the show - even in the adverts. And two of these stars wore my favourite outfits: Photo Credit: Just Jared   Kerry Washington (as drawn by me above) stunned in a Marc Jacobs dress, with sequins aplenty, in a 1930s style, with haircut to match. I've been a massive fan of Kerry for years. She always seems to carry her self with grace and poise, reminscent of a bygone era, and I think her profile will only rise and rise. Photo Credit: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/photos-fnks7u94-1227536772263?page=4  And second to make me proud was Taraji P Henson in an elegant Alexander Wang creation. Taraji to me seems to be someone who keeps it real and her hard stellar work has paid off for her. Wonderful. Roll on #Emmys2016