{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} 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!

{MONDAY MOJO} On set with Candice Onyeama & #TeamRise

Happy Monday! We are basking in the sun here in the UK and it feels rather lovely. You all know I'm a woman who wears many hats so when my good friend, up-and-coming actress Candice Onyeama, asked me to take behind-the-scene shots on the set of her short film production, I jumped on the occasion. We were fortunate that the sun decided to come out so it was a perfect day for filming and taking pictures. While I can't reveal too much about the film as it is in post-production as we speak, I can share a few shots to give you feel of what was going down.

Candice keeping a close eye on the production, Femi behind the lens

Star of the show is 17 year old Chris, a very talented skater

We put ourselves in tricky situations, all in the name of art! I'm waiting to capture the best in-the-air shot.

Under Candice's direction, #TeamRise completed an amazing job. We were a team of 5 simply motivated by creativity and the desire to help a dear friend. So we set up in East London and worked non-stop for 5 hours, and the best part is that we had a lot of fun doing it. Candice is a remarkable leader and motivator, and her passion and drive led us to produce such a beautiful work! I look forward to doing this again.

{Tuesday TIP} A tour of Paris + Tumblr adventures

I had so much fun on my little vacay in my hometown that I'm already planning my next trip! The perfect Spring weather made my trip very enjoyable as I spent some outdoorsy time taking photographs, and also capturing the essence of my family as I don't get to see them very often. I wanted raw shots, preferably when they weren't looking or weren't aware the camera was pointed at them. Hard work! What I found captivating is the little habits, the cute smiles, the frowns, the laughters, the freshness of emotions delivered in a brief moment, and the beauty of it all. A celebration of life in all its splendour. For the first time, I saw them through a different eye. We celebrated birthdays, enjoyed walks in parks, sipped delicious liquor and devoured butter-rich creamy dishes, laughed until our bellies hurt, and poured our hearts out. It was real.

Mother and daughter breaking bread

{BREAKING NEWS} I FINALLY managed to catch Les Nubians in concert! Being a hardcore fan of these two incredible women for the past 15 years or so, I couldn't believe I would finally see them live until they took the stage by storm and entertained the crowd - Nubian-style! You may want to plug your speakers in when listening to this for full Nubian effect.

Les Nubians live @New Morning, PARIS.

Tumblr advendtures

A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark upon a project over at Tumblr: the idea would be to create an online platform where I could showcase original photographs, mostly taken with my iPhone. From there was born 'Saturday zeal'. It is quite fresh and new but it is definitely worth checking and following. Updating only once a week (on Saturdays, obviously) to give me the time to build up a portfolio and share only quality content I'm able to express myself using a medium I'm getting used to again. Here's a sneak peek to get you started.

Hop on the blog and keep up with my new adventures!