{MONDAY MOJO} Weddings, weddings, weddings!

Hello, friends!

It's been a minute since I've given my little blog some TLC! It's good to be back...

I've been busy planning and setting up weddings around London, managed to get myself involved in a couple of different projects in the meantime, hopped to Paris for a few days for the greatness that is the AFROPUNK Festival, took a well-deserved holiday in Tunisia, and started a new professional venture. All and all, summer has been busy and an absolute blast for most parts.
 

I've planned and organised a few weddings at Tower Bridge this year (being the Venue Manager for weddings), a discovery for me as a wedding venue and a brand new opportunity to sprinkle my magic as a Wedding Planner. I couldn't really figure out what it is with this iconic venue that I liked but I took on the challenge and it's been a wonderful journey.

 

Tower Bridge is not only one of the most famous bridges in the world, it has this thing of completely transforming itself at night into the perfect location for sumptuous weddings.

Chinese-inspired reception setting with hand written place cards & menus
 

Ceremony set-up on the Walkways

 

From small ceremonies to large receptions, Tower Bridge has hidden gems! Primarily, it is licensed in the North Tower Lounge and half of the Walkways but event-goers can use the whole bridge if they want to -I call it the real the Tower Bridge experience. If you are lucky enough to have your wedding take place there, you'll be able to enjoy London by night atop the Walkways which boast stunning views of the city, with an added buzz with the glass floors (if you are brave enough!): it is quite simply sensational!

I have since moved on to new ventures and no longer manage weddings at Tower Bridge but it was a beautiful experience to show some of the best parts of this venue. I have learned it from every corner and showed it to clients who were wowed from start to finish, and who I had the pleasure to work with to transform their magical unions. I have toasted to special celebrations of love, ran through the many staircases to set-up beautiful receptions, and coordinated florists & staff to provide the most professional service... And I enjoyed every step of the way!

Intimate ceremony in the North Tower Lounge

I must say that I have neglected blogging altogether as Instagram & Tumblr have been the 2 platforms I've been active on to share my work. Post #WedBizHour conversations (happening every Tuesday on Twitter) with fellow industry peeps had me think about it twice. I love sharing my stories and realise that connecting takes many shapes and form, so blogging it is!

'Til the next time...

{MONDAY MOJO} Catching up on my blogging + chocolate macarons!

It's been a while since I last put words on Blogger! Life gets her way sometimes and the best you can do is live it. I have been taking care of a few things in the meantime, got a new job, a new home, turned 30 (!) and also been through a lot personally. I have missed writing despite not being your typical regular blogger, and sharing my thoughts and work is very cathartic to me... let's get the ball rolling!

We have entered a brand new year and I have concocted a few things to keep me afloat and let my creative juices do the work. To start off, I was really excited to jump on a train and get to my favourite city in the world to spend some quality family time for a few days -Paris has my heart the way no other cities does!

 

After a day of catching up with my beautiful nieces and keeping up with my sister's stories, we decided to get in the kitchen and do what we love doing most: get creative. She's herself an amazing artist and baker and it was our first time trying to make macarons, in fact baking altogether! We had seen a few recipes online and we decided to go for the one we already had all the ingredients for, a simple way to avoid going out in the freezing cold! The issue with our delicious treats is that there are so many recipes out there that it's very difficult pointing at the one that will give you smooth biscuits with a rich ganache in the middle. We clearly failed at our attempt but it was really fun working together, and it actually tasted really yummy! Neither of us were really bothered about the way they looked in the end, it was all about making the most out of the little time we had together. And to be fair, they still tasted delish.

Disclaimer: this, by no means, reflects our talents as bakers! There's always a time when things just don't work out and you have to be OK with that. And also, if you have a recipe that works, holla!

 

... and on to the next recipe! (or the nearest boulangerie?)

 

 

 

Family time is SO important. I haven't been lucky to start off with but I have managed to build my own and so fortunate for the people who make it. I have basking in my baby niece's smile for 3 days straight and it was a pure delight -the overload of selfies can prove it! I really look forward to my family getting bigger, hopefully soon!

Until the next time, friends...

{MONDAY MOJO} My Easter story! (Special feature: Bailey Ana Cakes)

 

Last week's 4 day Easter weekend break was as sweet as the biscuits I made to celebrate the date! My weekends are getting more scarce as weddings are in high demands at the moment, so any occasions to have fun and relax at the same time is welcome with open arms. I also had the opportunity to get a proper Easter dinner this year. I'm talking steamed fish, rice & peas, veggies, mac and cheese, and, of course, a chocolate cinnamon layer cake with white chocolate cream and summer berries topped with lashings of chocolate fudge cake, courtesy of Bailey Ana Cakes - can a girl ask for more?!

 

  

So to mark the occasion, what better idea than to bake some iced Easter biscuits? I have literally been drooling over Pinterest photos of everything biscuit-y, Easter-y related (in between table designs, wedding inspiration, baking projects, style shoots, food styling, and tattoo ideas) since I had a charity event to bake for and I had wanted to make something a little different. The cake was taken care of anyway and my mission was more of an accompaniment to the vibe! And to be fair, I had been shown the fine art of biscuiteering and was ready to put my skills into practice once again.

 

 

 My charity bake sale iced biscuits for Richard House, London's first children's hospice

 

We quickly squeezed in a photo shoot session of the notorious cake that was so delish that I ate 2 slices! The way chocolate has its way to my heart...

 

I'm really enjoying to spending more time doing work I enjoy the most: creating. Immersing myself in any kind of creative activity is what liberates my mind from my daily bustle and I'm really grateful for those impromptu moments I get to explore the depths of my dexterity. 

{MONDAY MOJO} Kung Hei Fat Choy!

 

I felt that this year hadn't started properly for me as I had been ill for quite some time and felt robbed off celebrating the arrival of 2014. So to set the tone right and give myself a second chance (illness is gone!), a Chinese New Year dinner was organised. It was not only an opportunity for new connections and new beginnings, but also one to embrace what I love doing (amongst many other things): dinner partying. I love using my creative skills whenever I can and I love showing people a good time with delish food in lush surroundings. 

The dinner party took place in the gorgeous front room of sweet treat maker Dewbien of Bailey Ana Cakes. We co-hosted an intimate affair and invited our sister friends for an evening of festive shenanigans. I'm talking about a 3 course Chinese-style banquet with home made desserts (by her, and while we're at it can we also talk about her fortune cookies made from scratch?) and home made cocktails (by moi) - the whole shebang! What a blissfully relaxed meal we all had, I had an excellent time at last. 

The conversation was flowing and the food swiftly making its way through our palates, washed down by exotic flavoured drinks (jasmine, honey, cayenne pepper, dark rum). I stopped counting how many I had after the 3rd one!

Prosecco & pomegranate jelly shots topped with gold glitter, courtesy of the sweet treat maker...

She also blessed us with a banana and passion fruit treat with coconut & lime ice cream... Sweetness on a plate!

The affair ended naturally as guests were satisfied and all made their way home with big smiles on their faces and sweet memories. We made sure our personalised invitations communicated the whole vibe of the evening accordingly and hope they knew what they were in for...

At last the year is starting for me and I feel refreshed and ready for new beginnings. Cheers to that!

{MONDAY MOJO} Making cakies!

What a delicious and fun way to end an exhausting week! After drooling over Jonathan's The Candid Appetite blog, I thought it would be nice to make something yummy for my end of year party, so I made my not-so-own version of his Strawberry Shortcake under the supervision and with the help of baker extraordinaire Dewbien of Bailey Ana Cakes.

A creamy and delightful cake for the sweet palates...

2 layers of strawberries goodness, dark rum, whipped cream and a side chopped almonds... Delish!

The cake is a 2-tier vanilla sponge with strawberry and whipped cream, imbibed with a dark rum syrup and a side of almonds... It's hard to describe how tasty it was! And if I get into more deets (not to show off, of course), there more fresh strawberries and more whipped cream inbetween the tiers giving the whole cake a rich and creamy texture without overpowering flavours. My advice is that if you want that amazing recipe, you better ask somebody nicely!

In the meantime, I'm going to find the next best recipe and try it out. I definitely need more yumminess in my life!

{MONDAY MOJO} Caribbean conversations, connections, & cupcakes with Chantal Miller

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being invited by Chantal Miller, founder of ChantiMedia, to be a panellist, cater for and style her event, a filmed interview about 'Carribbean style'.
I was slightly nervous about being on camera, all the while excited with the prospect of doing something I hardly ever do! Now, I can't reveal much about the event itself but I was delighted to be part of this experience and I'm very much looking forward to the interview being published - hurry up, Chantal!

Before the video is revealed, I wanted to share a few snaps of the work I produced for Chantal, a flashy decor with vibrant hues of gold and a hint of tradition with my madras table runner - an ode to my beloved Guadeloupe. The scrumptious banana cupcakes were also a treat that complemented the event perfectly... Needless to say they went down quickly!

The beautiful panel (including myself) involved two other Caribbean sisters and we had a really interesting conversation about what 'Caribbean style' means to us that we could have elaborated for ages! Unfortunately, we had to wrap up the conversation at some point but the connections are still buzzing...

Behind the scenes, the golden transformation...

I had a lot of fun delving into my props and getting my hands on my can of gold spray paint to transform the centrepieces! I do have a little obsession with all things gold and thought it would add a nice touch to the tablescape arrangement. Top it up with colourful pink and white roses, and you get a nice medley of colours that complement each other and clash in a nice and colourful way. Vibrancy was a necessary element to my interpretation of 'Caribbean style'.

Delish concoctions: banana-flavoured cupcakes with a rich vanilla buttercream, decorated with sugar flowers and sprinkled with gold edible glitter... A real treat for everyone! Made with love with the help of my Dewbien from Bailey Ana Cakes (honestly, she did most of the job!)

What a great day we all had! There are other projects on the talks so keep your eyes peeled. Chantal's energy gets everyone going and I can't wait to brainstorm and work with her again... Island girls truly rocks!

If you want to holla at Ms Miller, do reach out via Facebook where you can find more information about her and new projects with ChantiMedia, mind-blowance guaranteed!

{MONDAY MOJO} Tea Party time!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I had a lot of fun tea-partying with my lovely sister friends last week-end! I had been planning a gathering for a little while and was pleasantly surprised by how the day unfolded. We started the afternoon in style and we ended the shindig on the rim of debauchery!

A vibrant tropical setting embellished with colourful lilies and a heavenly vanilla sponge with summer berries & lemon cream, courtesy of Bailey Ana Cakes

Love in abundance was at the party...

I couldn't have asked for better surroundings to celebrate love & friendship: in the comfort of my home, we proclaimed sisterhood in the most organic way. I had an idea of how I wanted the day to turn out when I sent out my invites, but I had no idea it would be such an enriching experience: an overwhelming medley of powerful energies.

Fatima & Astrid, my fellow Frenchies!

Delish chocolate & ginger mini loafs by Bailey Ana Cakes

For this tablescape, I went for a bright decor that completely overturned London's grey skies and temperamental winds. It was warm and welcoming, with an abundance of tea lights, gorgeous gems, potent tea cocktails with sweet & minty flavours, a lot of laughs, and a lot of love. We partied until the sun came down, wrapping up the day with a couple of dance moves and a lot of fond memories.

A big cheer to my sister friends for a beautiful day.

{MONDAY MOJO} On set with Latoya Stash + Tendai Pottinger

It's Monday already! This week end flew by but was crafted with some fabulous events.
On last Saturday's photo shoot, I had the pleasure of collaborating with an old friend, Latoya Stash; and also work with a great filmmaker, Tendai Pottinger, who did an amazing job with the videography for a studio dance session.

Latoya is a talented dancer and working with her was truly a pleasure. We worked together to get the most out of her dance moves and I also managed to get some beautiful shots when she wasn't paying attention to the camera. As the day unfolded, I was able to capture a more relaxed and confident Latoya. She was at ease and her beauty shone through her poise as her movements became sharper, lighter, and more gracious. What a beautiful subject she was! The dance session was completely freestyled to let Latoya express herself with no boundaries. I really enjoyed watching her unleash her creative flow and the complete freedom it brought her.

 Capturing Tendai while filming with Latoya in the background - possibly one of my favourite moments.

 Sensuality & allure.

 Freedom!

I had an amazing day ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the work we were creating! For this shoot I mainly used a Canon 85mm 1:8 lens (courtesy of Tendai!), and a Sigma 18-200mm lens which gave me the flexibility I wanted with the technical features I needed - a superb combo for impeccable work.

Keep your eyes peeled for more creative collabos very soon!