EXTRA POST! LOVE SEX MAGIC VIDEO. Ciara feat: Justin Timberlake

Ok, so this week's FIERCE LIST has already been posted, but I totally forgot part of the 'extra love' I mentioned I'd be giving you guys, was by including the new video for Ciara's single 'Love Sex Magic' which features JT.

This video is superb, I'm debating whether I like it more than Single Ladies. Ciara looks fabulous, I want her figure, dear Lord won't you help me? Plus, the way Justin is doing his thing' makes me contemplate my love for my boyfriend. (Just kidding luv), however he does make my brow sweat, just a little.

Everything is bang on in this video, video synopsis, wardrobe, dance moves, hair and make up - everything!

Enjoy...

ISSUE 13 WELCOME TO THIS WEEK’S FIERCE LIST…

This week’s issue has been laced with ‘extra love’ as I’ve been AWOL for two weeks. Due to no fault of my own, the first week me and the little lady were ill with a nasty flu, chest illness and the second week was due to the sad news of the death of my Auntie, so I’m sure I’m forgiven?
Anyhow, this issue will give you a few extra minutes to pretend you’re working hard at your desk, when in fact your taking that well deserved break, preparing to wind down for the weekend… don’t worry, you don’t have to thank me, its my pleasure.
Enjoy…

THIS WEEK EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT… MADONNA TO ADOPT SECOND CHILD

It has been reported Madonna is set to travel to Malawi to adopt a second child. The 50 year old singer is expected to arrive at the weekend and attend a procedural hearing at the High Court on Monday.

As per when she was going through the process of adopting David Banda, her first official adoption which was confirmed last year, Madonna has been on the receiving end of negative press, with critics accusing the Malawian government of sidestepping laws banning foreign adoptions in order to allow the celebrity to take 13-month-old David home with her.

Personally, I think people should get off her back. Taking a child out of a negative situation to introduce him to a positive one, surely is a good thing? No one knows how true the allegations re the government making special allowances for her are, so why continue to stress over it as they ultimately have no control over the decision, plus it’s just a waste of their energy. If you’re someone who wants to adopt a child from abroad, but are in a situation where it’s a lengthy process and are irritated at Madonna’s adoption success, wouldn’t it be a better use of your time and energy focusing your efforts on achieving your goal of adopting a child, rather than berating Madonna for achieving hers?

I praise Madonna for showing David Banda and a soon to be new addition a better life… well done you.

FASHION NEWS: 1 MONTH COUNT DOWN TILL UNVEILING OF WILLIAMSON COLLABORATION WITH HENNES

Yep you read right, its just one month until designer Matthew Williamson lets loose his print designs to high street chain Hennes.
Williamson has been reported to say he “wanted to create a strong ‘urban’ collection fused with the brand’s signature symbols and shapes. (‘Yada, yada, yada – don’t you hate ‘fashion speak’, or is it just me?)

Should the next month pass in the rapid pace the rest of the year is going (‘Christmas seems like yonks ago right?’) and the launch date of 23 April flies right past you, fear not, the second instalment featuring more high summer pieces including bikini’s arrives in store May 14.

Also unlike pass designer collaborations where you’ve only been able to get pieces from their flagship store, the collections this time around will be available in all 200, so no need for you to be subjected to the smell of ‘dead dog’ being turned repeatedly over on those Oxford Circus mobile hot dog stands, whilst queuing up outside the flagship store. ‘Yay!’ If any of you make it down there, ‘could you grab me the featured dress in a size 12 please? Many thanks…’

I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU… AMBER ROSE

Apparently Kanye’s new girl, Amber Rose is relatively new to the scene and has started making impressions, but not necessarily good ones if this outfit is anything to go by.

The girl ‘has got back’ for days… (as you can see in the featured picture above)… jeez, my boyfriend is yet to see this. I can assure you when he does, he’ll be packing his bags and moving to LA or wherever it is she resides.

Anyhow, it’s reported she was a former model and stripper. Whichever the case, I’m sure she has a plan on how she will conquered ‘celebsville’, since becoming the ‘Louis Vuitton dons girlfriend, so keep your eyes peeled. To be honest, you would have to be blind and live under a rock to miss her… See below for more pics...

TREND WATCH: TROPHY JACKETS

Trophy jackets are S/S 2009 must have wardrobe piece and the more exciting the better. Take your pick from military, brocade and embellished, you’ll have fun deciding which style and which brand to go for, should you have ‘big bucks’ for a shopping spree on Chanel’s take on trophy jackets (I like this grandma version) or whether you’re taking a leaf out of my book by being frugal and opting for a high street version from any of the usual suspects.
Whichever you decide make sure you close the deal by accompanying your tailored look with ripped jeans and a tee. Chic, chic, chic.

I’M IN NEED OF A …SELECTION OF URBAN OUTFITTERS ACCESSORIES

One of my favourite shops as well as inspiration to my imminent fashion boutique, Urban Outfitters continue to kill me (in a good way), with their fabulous quirky jewellery. Bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings – doesn’t matter what it is, they’re just slap bang on the right path… and right about now, they’ve got soooooooooooo many pieces that I’m seriously going to be in trouble.

Let’s start with arm wear... Big accessories are in right now, so you can’t go wrong with their Metal square stud cuff, pictured above. Dress with skinny jeans, heels and a simple tee… instant fashionista.

I’m a bit of a granny (as you already know from my choice of trophy jacket above) when it comes to brooches, as I absolutely love wearing them. They can be as grannified’ (yes, it’s not a word in the Oxford Dictionary, but I don’t care), as they come - with pearls galore dangling off it. However, right now I’m loving Urban Outfitter’s Flamingo pin as it’s a simple design which won’t look dated for years to come. I might just have to buy two and turn one into a chain pendant… ‘ooooh.’

Ok, this one is like marmite; you’ll either love it or hate it. The gold spoon necklace… which I think teamed with a low cut vest top will look the business. Plus its perfect for a daddy’s girl like moi.

BEAUTY BUYS: SMELL FRESH WITH KIEHLS FRAGRANCE OILS

Yes I know I’ve blogged about Kiehl’s before, however not about this product. Plus, they are worthy to be mentioned several, even a hundred times – so just read on silently.

Due to the pressure of the masses, New York’s apothecary Kiehl’s, have re-released the classic essence oils it originally unveiled in the Twenties. The high fragranced oils packaged in a small portable roller ball includes old favourites such as Coriander 1946, tangy Grapefruit (my favourite), Vanilla 1968 and Musk 1921. Priced at £19.57 from Harrods, this little baby is an essential buy if you like to smell fresh on the go, as unfortunately Soft and Gentle, just won’t do.

THE LAST WORD… MTV BASE SCREENING OF ANGIE LE MAR'S PLAY, THE BROTHERS

Angie Le Mar with the cast of the Brothers

This post will be extremely short as I have nothing much to say on the matter other than, I didn’t like what I watched. I decided to tune in and watch the first two installments of the programme on Tuesday, after listening to one of the DJ's from Angie's old employer Choice FM, saying it was a 'must see'. After watching the first part, I was lead to believe that Hackney Empire and Catford Theatre would allow any playwright show their play (no matter how bad it actually is) and then be lucky enough to then have it aired on television on MTV Base.

Don’t get me wrong I respect Angie Le Mar for what she has achieved; heaven knows she’s grafted, as she’s been in the industry since I was in school. Does anyone remember the comedy show ‘Blouse ‘n’ Skirt? If so, then you’ll remember Angie used to be a regular on this and she was funny and back then I respected her; she was one of few female comedians (along with Gina Yashere) on the show. Anyhow I digress, I just thought the play wasn’t gripping, funny (there were probably two decent gags). Also with the Choice FM DJ’s praising it confirming it was to be shown on TV, lead those listening to believe it had been remade for the screen. Well how wrong were we? The MTV version was just a recording of what they showed at the theatre! Considering I actually went to watch the theatre to watch it and didn’t rate it then, it was a let down to know I would just be watching what I had already seen.

I heard Richard Blackwood saying on his radio show last Saturday, ‘Angie Le Mar is doing big things. She’s out in LA writing with Tyler Perry’. I only hope this time she comes back with something decent, as believe it or not, I am actually a fan. To watch the remaining part of the show, tune into MTV Base on tonight (Friday) at 10.30pm.

Till next week.
xxx

ISSUE 12 WELCOME TO THIS WEEK’S FIERCE LIST…

So, I’ve started looking into doing something ‘meaningful’ this year and am contemplated doing a charity trek or run of some sort. I first looked into doing a trek to the Great Wall of China, then after speaking with my brother realised this was a bit too ambitious of me! I’m now looking into doing the Three Peaks Challenge – let’s watch this space… I have to research it first!

Anyhow, should you be feeling in the charity mood, you’ll be pleased to read the ‘FASHION NEWS’ post about the Comic Relief collaboration with Stella McCartney. I think I’m going to try and make it my mission to get family and friends to make sure they do at least one thing for charity each year. If doing a trek or marathon is not your bag, how about buying one of the limited edition Red Nose Day tees? Read the post for all the details…

Signing off for another week… if I’m at all serious about this trek, I better get my backside to the gym for my morning session!

Enjoy.

XXXX

THIS WEEK EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT… MICHAEL JACKSON 10 DAY UK TOUR!!

Yes, yes, they’ve been talking it up for ages and now it was finally confirmed, Michael Jackson, the KING of POP announced yesterday that he will be doing 10 dates at the O2 Arena!
Just about everyone I know is happy about this news, especially my good friend WB, for she is a big, big fan. Not the type of MJ fan that would fly out to the states and cry outside the court room due to him being on trial for child molestation charges, but the type of fan who knows the full dance routines to Thriller, Beat It, basically all the big hits. If she was a man, she could probably make a living impersonating him (dance moves wise) and she would make a decent living out of it, no joke!

Anyhow I’ve had email and verbal conversations with over 10 of my friends and everyone is up for going, so I’m getting them all to make sure they’ve registered with O2 priority seats (should O2 be their service provider), with Ticketmaster as they inform their registered users when various gig tickets go on sale and also on http://www.michaeljackson.com/ where you can register for presale tickets.

The official date for when tickets go on sale is Friday 13 March, so should one of you lucky readers get through to the box office, please get an extra one and I’ll reimburse you, I promise!

NEWS FROM BACK HOME …. PRESIDENT OF THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY IS SHOT DEAD

Joao Bernardo Vieira was shot dead this week in what was thought to have been a revenge attack, after the army chief of staff died in an explosion a few hours earlier. The army has apparently denied there is a coup, although the country has a history of them.

Guinea-Bissau is known to be one of the world's poorest countries and has become a major transit route for smuggling cocaine to Europe.

The government has since announced seven days of national mourning for both leaders and launched a judicial inquiry into the deaths. "President Vieira was killed by the army as he tried to flee his house, which was being attacked by a group of soldiers close to the chief of staff Tagme Na Waie, early this morning," military spokesman Zamora Induta told AFP news agency. He accused Mr Vieira of being responsible for the death of the army chief of staff, with whom he had fallen out.

Another story for you… when I initially read about this a few weeks ago, it sadden me…

THREE PEOPLE APPEAR IN NIGERIAN COURT OVER ALLEGED ROLE IN THE DEATH OF MORE THAN 80 CHILDREN
Not sure if you heard about this story, but infants died after they were administered with the teething pain mixture "My Pikin". The teeting syrup had been contaminated with an engine coolant and was discovered last November when babies began dying of organ failure across the West African country.

Three people have been charged on six counts at Lagos High Court for their part in the sale and distribution of the drug.
As a mother I can only but sympathise with the parents who have lost their young children; when all they wanted to do was try to relieve the pain which their babies were going through. Boss lady is currently going through the ‘dreaded teething’ stage and if the medication I gave her ended up killing her, I just don’t know how I would begin to deal with this. If you ask me, the culprits should be locked up with the key thrown away, as this is inexcusable.

FASHION NEWS: STELLA McCARTNEY COLLOBORATES WITH COMIC RELIEF

It’s being dubbed the ‘must have’ collector’s item, limited edition, one off t-shirt for any fashionista with a heart and I suppose it’s true. Stella McCartney has done her good deed for the year by joining forces with Red Nose charity Comic Relief, by designing adult unisex t-shirts which have old British icons from the world of music and television. No surprise she’s included her Dad’s band (‘what they called again? Oh yeah, the Beatles’…) as well as comedy duo Morecambe and Wise and Madonna. I personally prefer the Morecambe and Wise one (they always did make me and my Dad laugh)…

The t-shirts cost £9.99 and are available from TK Maxx stores and the Comic Relief website. They’re selling out like hot suya, so you better hurry. To give you an idea of what a difference you buying the t-shirt can do in the UK and Africa, take a look at the below stats…

IN THE UK:

1. £3 could pay for an information pack to teach school children about domestic violence and who they can turn to for help.
2. Just £5 could buy a toy for a child who has nothing after fleeing their home with their mum because of domestic violence.
3. As little as £8 could enable three women experiencing domestic abuse to get the advice they need when they call the National 24 Hour Domestic Violence Helpline.

IN AFRICA:

1. Niger is one of the world's poorest countries. Just £3 could pay for lunch for 9 children living in extreme poverty.
2. £5 could buy a primary school uniform for a child living in poverty in Uganda.
3. Malaria still kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds. £10 could pay for two bed nets to help protect a mother and her children from the killer disease

I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU… COCK N BULL KID

Real name Anita Blay, she has been called a cross between Kelis and M.I.A. She calls her sound pop and has named her musical influences to include Missy Elliot, Madonna and the one and only old school crazy chick Bjork.

Ghanaian born, she is another London based star set to do great things for 2009, so keep your eyes peeled and ears open for her…
Check out her out on www.myspace.com/cocknbullkid for more info

TREND WATCH: PEEP TOE BOOTS & SHOES

I’m yet to buy myself a pair, but I just can’t get enough of this trend. On first sight they may just look like an ‘ugly’ footwear choice, but I actually think they really work, especially peep toe shoes with jeans or short floral dresses, which is just perfect for Spring (when it finally arrives!).

You can just about find a version in every high street store; Zara, Aldo, New Look, Topshop, Carvela, Office and River Island and the pairs I’ve seen are hot, hot, hot!

Last season River Island did the Gladiator heel (as seen above) in black and they were sublime. They’ve now altered the colours for Spring and have brown and beige… ‘Are they as hot as the black pair? No, but I’m sure they could still be rocked and rocked well’. Visit http://www.riverisland.com/

I’M IN NEED OF A … POLAROID POGO

I was a big, big, big fan of the old school Polaroid camera and was soooooooooooooooo annoyed when they said they were going to be discontinuing it. I still have mine here (a little damage since lending it to someone… that will never happen again!), however it’s still functioning…
Anyhow, the good guys at Polaroid HQ know that people like me are still in mourning about Polaroid being no more, so they’ve tried to appease us by developing the Polaroid Po Go, an instant photo printer.

The Po Go photo printer is small enough to fit in your handbag, allowing you to print pictures on the go… (which is brilliant for me and my girls as we’re forever taking random pictures whilst out and about)… The only downfall I think is that the printed pictures are about the size of a credit card, I would personally prefer them to be a bit bigger… at least 6 “4?
Anyhow, some retailers are doing deals on them; currently priced at £49.99 when they were initially £99.99, so if you want to get your hands on one, then you better act quickly! Visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/

BEAUTY BUYS: MIZANI HAIR CARE PRODUCTS

For those who turn their nose down to back street salons, (you know the ones where they do a weave for £15 with the tracks clearly showing), may have heard about Mizani hair care products. My hairdresser introduced their products to me about a year ago and I haven't looked back since, as my hair has done a complete u-turn in terms of thickness and its healthy appearance. More expensive than Dark n Lovely and Organics, as a user of their relaxer and styling products, I can vouch they are most definitely worth it.

I’m yet to find a retailer who stocks it, so if your hair salon doesn’t sell it, then you can turn to e-tailer http://www.luxuryhaircare.co.uk/ who do. They even do bundles of shampoo, conditioner and conditioning treatment for £31.41, not bad value at all.

THE LAST WORD… CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER TO TOUR IN THE UK!

Since Chris Rock sold out with his UK tour last year, its no surprise the rest of the American comedians are interested to cash in with the UK audiences they’ve previously ignored. I’m not having a dig out Cedric himself, I suppose I’m having a little dig at them all… I mean, it would have been nice to have the late Bernie Mac and co from ‘Kings of Comedy’ tour here wouldn’t it?

Anyhow, he is due to show live at the Hammersmith Apollo on June 20th – so get calling the box office, I’m sure these babies will sell out fast.