BOOM!

There are certain people who when you are in contact with them, they exude graciousness and get-up-and-go, Chris Beastall is one. He's on a mission to get other men educated in all things grooming and lifestyle. I got to chat with him... What is the name and nature of your business? Ape to Gentleman - an online men's grooming, fashion and lifestyle magazine helping the modern man continue his evolution through a focus on style, quality and value. How did you come up it? It came from the desire to talk about men’s grooming in more detail - which was an emerging market. It’s since grown to encompass all things men’s lifestyle. What’s the structure of your business? We have a small team at HQ, and a team of expert freelancers around the UK - who have strong knowledge in each of their sectors. What’s the USP of your business? Men’s lifestyle features and brands through our own unique eye. What made you choose this type of business? ...

I hope your first month of 2017 went well and you are working to reach your goals for the year ahead... Blessings x

Autumn always feels like a time for evaluation. Evaluating how you feel about yourself and how the year has progressed. Are you happy with how the months have evolved, your character; your interaction with friends; family; acquaintances; colleagues; lovers; enemies :) Autumn is a beauty x

I've been a fan of Grammy-winning  Corinne Bailey Rae since her debut Like a Star - not so much Put Your Records On which was her biggest hit - so was really excited to hear she was releasing a new album.  The Heart Speaks in Whispers is her third album, following her eponymous first album and the heartbreaking The Sea which was written in the midst of grief.  I couldn't helped but be moved by the upbeat tone of the new album - t here's a hint of Prince's Little Red Corvette or Raspberry Beret in Horse Print Dress . The kaleidoscope of emotions and tempo is  Taken by Dreams moves me.  There's an undertone of soul throughout the album with a host of different genres - funk rock, pop, jazz, lo-fi. There's a theme of the outer space and cosmos in and out of the album too. In terms of collaborations it's exciting to see that the sister ladies from King (Amber Strother and Paris Strother) feature in the vocals. No song immediately g...

My workmate @ezim_amaka asked me to do a portrait for her in her lovely native outfit. All done - and she's happy with!

Today I got a blasting on Twitter - and rightly so. I corrected someone's tweet with a workable link with the best of intentions but I realise it came across as patronising and inappropriate - especially as the tweeter was in the midst of a debate with someone who was trolling them. I apologised, deleted the tweet and was on my way, learning a valuable lesson that social media is not to be dealt with flippantly, people's thoughts and feelings are on the line. Social media brings out the best of us and worst of us at times. It reveals what we want it to reveal - and what we we don't - whether we like it or not. It brings a feeling of false familiarity which to a non-social media user can seem almost perverse and surprising - and so it should, a person who has decided to share some facets of their life doesn't make the reader of it their friend. And that is where the said reader needs to understand that. Indeed over time, allyships and friendships may be form...

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...