the musings of ondo lady

My Space - Adenike Adenitre from Adenike's World

2009-11-25T06:00:00.004Z

Adenike Adenitire is a journalist, cultural critic and PR. The former entertainment editor of the now defunct weekly black British newspaper New Nation has also written for Pride, The Sun, The Mirror, The Guardian and MTV.com among others. She has appeared as a pundit on BBC news, MTV and Radio 5 Live. She is CEO of Coast 2 Coast Media Ltd, where clients include award-winning actor Aml Ameen and award-winning singer Donae'o. She also works alongside Powerful Media, a Media and Publishing company best known for the Powerlist, an annual list of the 100 most powerful black men and women in the UK. This year she edited the company's Future Leaders, a student magazine launched at Downing Street by the prime Minster Gordon Brown. She has been running her blog Adenike's World since 2008 and she took time to discuss where she sits down to write it.

Describe the concept of Adenike's World
My personality has always been quite indecisive, so there is no real theme to Adenike's World, as my mind flits from one thing to the next at the drop of a hat, so I wanted to leave room for this. Because of this my blog is a place where I can rant about whatever I fancy really. But because I am in the media, a lot of it does tend to lean towards this and also because I am a black women the topics lean towards things that reflect that too. No topic is off limits, it's whatever is on my mind at the time I choose to write a post. I don't blog nearly enough though, but I hate blogging for bloggings sake and sometimes it is hard to find something that inspires you.

Where do you scribe?

I write everywhere, from my bed, my bedroom floor, my living room, even my stairs. But I guess I tend to do a lot of my blogging from my office desk.

Why that space?

As a journalist and PR that's where I spend a lot of my working time anyway, so it puts me in the mind frame for being creative. I have everything to hand and I am in a good space.

What's on your desk at the moment?

Lol! What isn't on my desk? No, it actually looks quite tidy in comparison to how it usually looks. I remember one day my Mum came to visit me at my old office and immediately she could tell which desk was mine, just by the sheer mess all over it - not good! lol! In terms of what's on my desk... well, there's my Mac computer, my Blackberry, some Evian water, a phone, loads of post-its and some magazines and newspapers.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall?

Cuttings or extracts? I don't really put anything on the wall, as in my teens there was a period of about five years when I didn't see my bedroom wall at all, as it was completely covered in posters. I had my Kylie period, my Bobby Brown period, my New Kids On The Block period (which is still ongoing minus the posters. lol!) and my Jodeci, TLC and Will Smith period. Of course now I'm a little bit too old for posters, so I like to keep things minimal. All my inspiration comes from things I store in my head. I carry so much random thoughts in my head that sometimes I have to force my self to switch off as it can be quite tiring! But a lot of my thoughts for blog posts still come from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, the internet, life in general...

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?

Well I have already given you an idea about that in the fourth question . lol! Virgos are supposed to be neat and tidy, but I can testify that is not always the case. I am ashamed to say I tend to be more of a messy worker. And no matter where I am working, I always tend to leave my mark. I am trying to get better though as having a messy environment does tend to clutter you mind also.

You can follow Adenike's blog here
You can follow her on Twitter here..

Why I Love......Chick Lit

2009-11-23T21:52:00.002Z

"I write Chick Lit not Chick Shit."

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City: The Movie, 2007

This is one of many lines that were left out of Sex and the City: The Movie which is a real shame as I really like it. The line between Chick Lit and Chick Shit is a very fine one but to many Literatti snobs, they are one and the same. Rather ironic that the much talked about book on Carrie Bradshaw and her teen years (The Carrie Years) now has a release date of March 2010 as well as a gorgeous cover. The prose in the book is set in diary form and will cover the character's college years and her arrival in New York City. My mate and fellow blogger Bim from Yoruba Girl Dancing has created a new blog series called Why I Love which is a series where people express their irrational love for an object or activity. So of course I had to take part in this fabulous series and discuss my love for Chick Lit. You can read my guest blog post here.

Make Me

2009-11-20T17:48:00.002Z

After god knows how many years away from the music biz Janet Jackson is finally back with a new album. Number Ones is Janet's greatest hits album and contains classics such as What Have You Done For Me Lately, Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, Nasty, Gone Till It's Gone and All For You. Number Ones consists of two discs and has a whooping 33 tracks which makes me shout "Bargain!." Check out the behind the scenes of the video for Make Me which is the first single to be released from the album In true Miss Jackson style, this song is catchy, melodic and rather funk. With the release of Why Did I Get Married Too next year it looks like 2010 will be a great year for Miss Jackson.

A LaChapelle

2009-11-20T06:00:00.001Z

Bright, vivid and loud are just a few words that are used to describe David LaChappelle's work. He has been dubbed the feline of photography because he crosses the line between art and celebrity in his work. Like Mario Testino, LaChappelle embraces the celeb rock star element by blowing up that thing that makes that person tick and as a result he makes them larger than life. Raised in South Carolina, David LaChappellle came to NYC at the age of 15. He did not fit in in South Carolina so for him it was NYC or death. At 18 he met Andy Warhol who took a liking to his work and ironically his first job was to take the last photo of Warhol for Interview magazine. Over the next seven years LaChappelle fell into a slump of taking random and mediocre images of weddings and other local events but felt frustrated as he was not creating the work he wanted. He vowed that for his next project he would take pictures that he wanted and to hell with the rest.

LaChappelle was offered a job with a new magazine called Details where he began taking images of celebrities. It was from here that he began to develop his own sense of style and invented his own kind of kitch. Pictures that possess a tension between the dark aspect but also humour and pop art and obsession with beauty were pretty much his bag. He is also a fan of theatrical shoots and more recently he has been creating shoots that revolve around flamboyant sets. LaChappelle has also lent his hands to videos such as Christina Auguilera's Dirty, Kellis's Good Stuff, Elton John's Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me and many others. However his most famous work has been the Britney's Rolling Stone cover and spread, Tupac in the bath, David Beckham's christ like GQ cover, Anna Kournikova holidng her tennis racket like it is a guitar and Alicia Keyes for Italian Vogue.

You can check out his wonderful work at his website.

Blogger Meet Up Part II

2009-11-19T16:43:00.004Z

Last Sunday was the day of another London Blogger Meet Up. The venue was the View Bar in Waterstones Piccadilly and I was joined by Blogger lovelies Vex in the City, Yoruba Girl Dancing, Disney Roller Girl, Mad News, Phreshmentality, CMYPassion, Waltzing Matilda, Bangs and a Bun and Jade Genesiss. While tucking into drinks and lunch we discussed everything from Rhianna, X Factor, The Daily Mail and of course blogging. We also compared business cards with Yoruba Girl Dancing showing off her cute cards from Moo.com and Disney Roller Girl touting her cool arty ones. The lovely Ashanti OMkar popped in to say hello while she was on route to her cinema combo day. A good time had by all and we all swapped twitter and blog details.

For those of you who missed it there will be a Blogger Meet Up/Tweet Up before Xmas. I will be sending out the details on Twitter and I expect to see all the London Bloggeratti and Twitteratti there.

Winter Wonderland

2009-11-16T19:30:00.003Z

Quite a few people have been going on about the double issue of Wonderland Magazine with Alexandra Burke and Dizzee Rascal on the front. Well I was so intruiged that I went out to buy a copy to see what all the fuss was about. The theme is all about celebrating British talent and it's uniqueness. I will always remember Wonderland from when the founder and editor, Huw Gwyther appeared on Dragon's Den in 2005 seeking funding. He delivered a fantastic pitch and was awarded £175,000 from Peter Jones. Now anyone who watches Dragon's Den knows that Peter Jones does not suffer fools gladly and is very quick to cuss off aspiring entrepreneurs who do not come correct. So for Huw to win over the successful business man was quite a coup. Over the years, the look of Wonderland has changed from a contemporary stylish feel to one that is more edgy and I think it works very well.

Check out the Wonderland blog here.

The Musings of Ondo Lady on Hiatus

2009-11-10T11:53:00.002Z

Hi Peeps.

Due to a family bereavement this blog is going to be on hiatus for a short while. Thank you all for your comments and support and I will be back with some more wonderful blog posts.

Kind regards

Ondo Lady

TGI Friday

2009-11-06T12:17:00.001Z

I must admit this week has gone really fast what with a drop in the temperature and Bonfire Night yesterday. So to no further ado, please find the links to the blog posts that have really done it for me this week.

Sianyland
Remember back in the day when the mobile library would come over to your area with a mouth watering selection of books for you to borrow? Sian takes us back there.

Fashionbytes
It has certainly been a memorable year for Kanye West for good and bad reasons but like him or loathe him you can't knock his creativity. Hence his new coffee table book that is due out soon.

Coco's Tea Party
Glamour is not exactly my favourite magazine but this month the UK version has smashed it with the lush cover of Leighton Meester.

Style Sample Magazine
Check out a no nonsense guide on writing for magazines.

Fly Girls
Check out the amazing work of artist, Borja Bonaque.

Picture taken from Sianyland.

Her Best Food Forward - The Ondo Lady

2009-11-05T09:20:00.000Z

The ever so lovely Adrienne from Mustard Seed Collective has featured me on her blog in part of her shoe week series. This is where she profiles various bloggers around the world and they talk about their favorite footwear. Other bloggers that have been featured are Get It Girl Style, Haute Girl and God's Favorite Shoes. I was pretty chuffed to be asked to take place in this series.

You can check out the article here.

My Space - Winona Dimeo-Ediger from Daddy Likey

2009-11-04T06:00:00.003Z

Winona Dimeo-Ediger has been running her popular blog, Daddy Likey for three years and since that time she has generated a lot of admirers. Fashion is the name of the game with Daddy Likey here along with the odd story on interiors and jewellery. The Portland native has cemented her status as a fashionista by writing a book which covers the fashion dilemmas that women experience such as never having anything to wear. Closet Confidential: Style Secrets Learned the Hard Way covers the whole fashion experience such as shopping for jeans, the lowdown on underwear, picking out the perfect coat and how to dress for the job you want. I caught up with Winona to find out where she sat down to write her book and blog.

Describe the concept of Daddy Likey.
Daddy Likey is a smart, funny fashion blog for smart, funny, fashionable women. I created the blog because I love to write and I love fashion, and I felt like a lot of fashion writing was elitist and patronizing. I treat my readers like they're my friends, and to my delight I've made some wonderful friends in the process.

Where do you scribe?
Ooh, I love the word "scribe"! I scribe at a corner desk I've had since I was in 8th grade, which is now set up near a window of my apartment with a beautiful view of the Oregon rain and my neighbour's wall.

Why that place?
I've tried to write in bed before because it sounds so glamorous, but I always either fall asleep or watch 30 Rock on Hulu and then fall asleep. I like my desk because it's much less comfortable and therefore harder to nap. I also really like looking outside and daydreaming.

What is on your desk at the moment?
This is so embarrassing, but I'm going to be really honest: Four dirty plates, a piece of smoked salmon, a bedazzled watch, three headbands, twenty bobby pins, two pairs of children's swimming goggles, a few gift cards, various crumbs, five books, two magazines, and a back massager shaped like an octopus. Wow.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall ie photos, magazine cuttings or extracts?
I have a huge inspiration wall above my desk and I probably spend more time staring at it than I do actually writing. It includes pictures of people and places that inspire me--Rachel Maddow, my great grandfather, Washington DC, the girls I mentor, my friends, etc., along with quotes, a New Yorker cover, and a poem my little brother wrote about cheese. I update it frequently with new photo booth strips and cheese poems.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?
I think my answer to question #4 might give you a hint. :)

You can buy Winona's book from amazon here.
You can follow her on twitter here.

Review: Stylist

2009-11-02T06:00:00.004Z

You know a magazine is going well when they upped the price or it's gets an upgrade of paper. Hence that Stylist magazine has gone from a matt surface to an all new glossy one. Not bad considering it is only four issues in. Most freebie mags for women have been cheap and nasty or boring as mud; remember Ms London, Girl About Town and Nine to Five? The quality of Stylist is awesome, it has a really well planned out editorial, great images and fantastic stories. More importantly it has been greeted with open arms by a metropolitan women in the UK who love the fact that is is rammed full of information but is also classy, stylish and experimental.

As they say content is king and it is these elements that makes this glossy weekly a joy to read.

Scoop has all the latest news
Work Life is a day in the life of a successful professional.
Listings is a funky listings page
Dawn Porter Shares is the musings of a girl about town. Every good magazine needs a journo who muses about their life but not all of them catch the imagination of the readers. Dawn Porter does though and her stories from anything from choosing the right bra, almost ruining her mates wedding her dilemma on what to buy her boyfriend for his birthday are very endearing.
Beauty Notes shows the latest products on the beauty scene
Quiet Night In devotes itself to books, dvds and music
Sixty Second Therapist is where a celeb answers intimate questions about their career and life.

Issue four with Claudia Winkleman has a fabulous piece on the pros and cons of the iPhone and the Blackberry but from a girlie perspective. Definately my favourite article so far.
With ads from L'Oreal, Yves Saint Laurent, Omega, French Connection and American Express, Stylist certainly means business. Along with top notch cover stars such as Angelica Joile, Kate Moss and Michelle Obama I wonder what else the magazine is going to pull out of its bag. Overall the verdict is a great whooping pass. The art direction may not be as exciting as Style magazine, Stella and YOU but Stylist is one hell of a classy act and amazing quality for a freebie. Long may it continue.

Stylist is available every Wednesdays in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. If you miss a copy then it will also be available from various branches of French Connection.

The Bold and the Beautiful

2009-11-01T06:00:00.002Z

Beauty bloggers are taking over the world and that is a fact. After being ignored by PR companies for years, these same blogger now find themselves on the receiving end of VIP treatment; invites to press launches, free products as well as the occasional free trip. Didi is one of those bloggers who the make up obsessed turn to for advice on products. She has been running The Virtues of Beauty for just over a year and has built up quite a following. I touched base with her to find out the lady is behind The Virtues of Beauty.

What made you start blogging?
I decided to start my blog after becoming obsessed with watching product reviews, makeup and hair tutorials and things of that nature on YouTube. That led to reading reviews on blogs and although I found them to be useful and I enjoyed reading what people felt about certain products, I wanted to try them out for myself; to see if what the reviewer had said was true for me. Especially being a woman of colour. I don’t really want to go into race, or to say that my blog is catered to a specific demographic because that’s not my intention, but I do feel that there is a lack of representation for women of colour, especially coming from the UK. You have people who are fantastic such as Erin from Scandalous Beauty or Brittany from Clumps of Mascara who do great reviews, but they are based in America. Some of the products they review aren’t available to you here and I remember in the beginning I’d buy/import those products just because they had received good reviews, but I soon found that not to be beneficial, so I decided to see what was on the market here, including products that aren’t targeted to women of colour and give my thoughts.

Describe the concept behind The Virtues of Beauty?

To be honest initially there was no concept behind The Virtues of Beauty, I just wanted to create a blog that gave honest reviews, and pass on tips and tricks that I’ve learnt.

How do you think bloggers have made an impact on the media?
We live in a fast paced world and blogs are an easy way for the readers to find information and resources they want or need quickly. For someone who lives on their computer, I don’t have the time for traditional media. Blogs make it easier for me to keep up with the world around me – what’s hot and what’s not. Plus I like the feel of blogs, they tend to have a community feel to them; you’re able to interact with the author, ask questions specific to the post and get answers. However, there’s no pre-requisite to starting a blog and in some cases it shows through the standard of writing. As a blogger who has no formal training as a writer or journalist, I write my blog from a consumers’ point of view - I'm not here to change the face of writing, as we know it.

Beauty blogging seems to be the new thing in blogsphere so how do you keep your blog fresh?
The blog is still in its early stages, and I’m still trying out different things, such as mini-series. But I would like to think that ultimately I keep my blog “fresh” with my style of writing, which is pretty much conversational. I like to think the reader is sitting next to me and I'm just chatting away to a friend.

What do you do when you are not working on your blog?
When I'm not blogging, I'm managing my own private training organisation which I run with my mum and when I’m not doing that I’m a freelance makeup artist and wardrobe stylist.

Describe a typical day in the life of Didi.
A typical day in the life of me is fairly boring. It would see me waking up at around 6.30am scrambling for my Blackberry (I’m a proud addict), checking my latest emails and/or messages; then it's a date with Billy Blanks and a great Tae-Bo workout, after which I get ready for work. Depending on my day and meetings, I'll either work from home or go into the office. My friends call me a workaholic and I've been known to work late hours, sometimes I don't leave the office until 11.30pm.

Where do you source your stories from?
Most of my posts are product reviews and so the source of my posts as such comes from whatever product I’m testing at the time. It can be products I’ve got an interest in or someone has asked me to review or I’ve been sent by a PR company.

What are your favourite glossy magazines?
I’ll pick up Look magazine without fail. I do like to flick through InStyle, Elle and Glamour and on the odd occasion Ebony and Essence. - Not sure if Colures is still in publication, but I have a couple issues and quite like the magazine.

Name five blogs that you read religiously?
I follow quite a few blogs but don’t really read them all religiously; rather I’ll read the latest posts that come up in my feed with interesting titles. Some blogs of note are Mad News, Harlem Loves, Toya Berry, Scandalous Beauty and of course The Musings of Ondo Lady.

How do you see The Virtues of Beauty evolving over the next two years?
Quite simply I don’t know. I started the blog with no real notion of where to take it or what I wanted it to be. Fleeting thoughts of it evolving into a reputable online lifestyle or beauty magazine have crossed my mind but that’s about it.

You can follow Didi on twitter here.

TGI Friday

2009-10-30T14:20:00.001Z

At last it is Friday and the weekend is upon us. Once again here are a list of links that have caught my eye this week.

The Feminista Files
It is almost a year since Barack Obama was elected President of the USA and to commenrate this New York Times Magazine published a 10 page story. Read our favourite feminista's blog post on this article.

Pretty Stylish London
Last week the lovely Eva threw a Pink Pamper Party to raise funds for cancer. Sadly I couldn't make it but here are the pictures from the glam event.

Afrobella
There are zillions of blogs out there; some good and some even better. Afrobella spills the beans on how to start up a fabulous blog.

Disney Roller Girl
DSR introduces us to the quartet behind Underlining Colours, a new arty magazine that has hit the streets.

If Wishes Were Clothes Horses
With Borders gone we now need someone to flick through magazines while we wait for late mates. Bring on RD Franks, a delicious mag shop that carries titles from far and away.

Picture taken from The Feminista Files.

What's On Your Bookshelf?

2009-10-29T06:00:00.026Z

I saw this cute feature on Robert Rave’s Facebook fanpage and loved it and decided I needed to have one two. I have quite a book selection which is full of titles I have read and also a to be read pile aka TBR. Since my fabulous summer vacation my TBR pile has expanded some what and with the arrival of some great titles over the next month or two I really need to get to it. So I thought I would share my TBR pile with you.

The Satorialist by Scott Schuman
The Making of Mia by Ilana Fox
Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista by Amy Silver
The Good Bride Guide by Matt Dunn

So 5 Minutes Ago by Hilary De Vires

The Gift Bag Chronicles by Hilary De Vires

The Twins of Tribeca by Rachel Pine

How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls by Zoey Dean

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

The Hollywood Ending by Robyn Sisman

The Style Strategy by Nina Garcia

Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

So what does your book shelf look like and what is on your TBR pile?

I tag the following bloggers to reveal what is on their bookshelf.

Yoruba Girl Dancing, Kwana Writes, Mustard Seed Collective, The Cocoa Diaries, What's Interesting Me Today, Disney Roller Girl, Mad News, Adenike's World, Broadband Writes and Fantasy Ride.

My Space - Harlem Rae from Harlem Loves

2009-10-28T06:00:00.007Z

Harlem Loves is one of those blogs which brings out the real beauty in things. It covers music, art, interiors, books, films etc but also embraces Harlem's own inner geekery. Very rarely do I leave Harlem Loves without feeling inspired, awed and a tad bit jealous that my blog does not look that pretty. It was my great pleasure to interview Harlem and find out the meaning behind her musings and find out where the magic happens.

Describe the concept of Harlem Loves.
Driven by my passion for writing, I've always been drawn to blogging but it was quite difficult for me to find something specific to blog about as I love so many things. Suddenly I was struck by the idea to blog about just that... the many things I love and voila Harlem Loves was born.

Where do you scribe?
If I'm good, at my desk but if I'm feeling really comfy it'll be in in my bed.

Why that place?
Mostly it's just convenient but it's also peaceful and relaxing. I get to tune out everything else and just enjoy my blogging time.

What is on your desk at the moment?
A plant, a lamp, some pictures, some DVDs (Motorcycle Diaries and For Love Of Ivy - great films!) a stationery box filled with lots of letter paper and a big mug of water.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall?
Not much on my wall. I do have a few post-its reminding me to do things but I tend to find inspirational clips online and store them on my computer to refer to later. That said I do have a lot of gorgeous writing paper which always inspire me. There's something about having a beautiful sheet of blank paper that makes me want to write something meaningful on it.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?
Things can get messy whilst I'm working but once I'm done I like to tidy everything up so I can start with a clean setting the next day.

You can check out Harlem's blog here.
You can follow her on twitter here.

She has also got into the entrepreneurial spirit by creating tshirts that celebrate the one year blogaversary of Harlem Loves. You can buy these delightful tshirts here.

Fearne And.......

2009-10-25T14:38:00.003Z

Hmmm ITV are not looking too shabby these days with their entertainment shows. As well as the almighty X Factor, the UK's commercial station also has Piers Morgan's Life Stories which consists of the former Mirror editor interviewing various stars. To add to their expanding portfolio ITV have launched Fearne And... which features TV presenter, Fearne Cotton as she follows the lives of celebs such as Paris Hilton, Peaches Geldof, Scarlett Johansson and Alesha Dixon. The objective of the show will be see what makes these stars tick and in order to find this out Fearne will be living their lives with them reportage style. Fearne came up with the idea of the show and pitched it to ITV. The show was born out of her love of autobiographies.

I watched the first show with Paris Hilton and it was pretty entertaining as we got a big insight into the star"s personal and work life. I am looking forward to next week"s show with Peaches Geldof. I do think that the group is.a bit of a random mix; who on earth would put a Hollywood A list star with a London It girl, an American socialite and a Brit pop star cum TV presenter? Very wierd. I am not a huge fan of Fearne Cotton as she normally makes me want to puke but she is not bad in this show.

Look out for Fearne and.... on Thursdays at 10.00pm on ITV2.

TGI Friday

2009-10-23T17:21:00.003+01:00

Once again here are a list of blog posts that hit a nerve for me this week.

Mustard Seed Collective
Adrienne kicks off her 'In Her Shoes' series with a look at films with some serious foot fashion in it.

The Wider Perspective
We are often asked whether hip hop is dead but what about R&B? Mr Mayne discusses this intruiging topic here.

Fashion Journalist in the City
LG Fashion Week in Toronto took place, here is an inside account of the Joe Fresh Style show.

Disney Roller Girl
I didn't get an invite to the Anthropologie preview show but Disney Roller Girl did. Here is her take on the event.

Stylist and the City
Read all about the new MTV reality series, STYL'D that follows five junior stylists who set out to make a name for themselves.

Picture takem from Mustard Seed Collective.

Dizzee Rascal Goes Electric!

2009-10-23T16:10:00.001+01:00

I remember back in 2003 when an 18 year old Dylan Kwabena Mills aka Dizzee Rascal took the Mercury Prize with his debut album Boy in da corner. I remember thinking props to him, doing so well at such a young age. What stuck me about Dizzee’s music was the eclectic mix of grime, hip hop, ragga and electronic which created an amazing mesh and unique sound. After his success Dizzee released two more albums, Showtime and Maths + English which did very well in the charts and received critical acclaim. I particularly remember one track from Showtime called Happy Talk which was a funky version of the 80s hit by Captain Sensible. Apart from that I never really took a lot of notice of Dizzee – until November 2008 when he appeared on Newsnight to discuss Barack Obama’s presidential election victory. My reaction was KMT, what a chief! How can he behave like such an inarticulate twat after we have just witnessed the historical election of one of the most powerful orators in the world. Dizzee earned himself a big black mark in my book. However over the last year he was truly redeemed himself; he has cleaned up his act and is now repping himself properly. His interview on the Jonathon Ross Show earlier this year complete with a cream swish suit showed how far he has come. Then there is his music; his current album Tongue N’ Cheek has totally smashed it - with No 1 hits like Dance Wiv Me, Bonkers and Holiday. On Wednesday he took his career to new heights when he performed at the BBC Electric Proms with a live band. He dazzled the crowd at the Roundhouse for a full hour while he performed hit after hit. I watched a few clips and it was really mesmorising and I cannot wait to check out the full set on BBC iPlayer tonight. A patron for Tower Hamlets Summers University and also with his own record company, Dirtee Stank, Dizzee Rascal is really a true role model. I guess you can say he is pretty much untouchable.

Check out a clip from the Electric Proms. I love the bit at the end when he makes fun of himself by saying "Dizzee Rascal for Prime Minister yeah."

Expose Lit

2009-10-22T06:00:00.040+01:00

Expose Lit are novels which gives us an insight into an industry which is based on the author's experience.

Ondo Lady, 2009

We have Chick Lit, Lad Lit and Chick Noir but over the years we have witnessed the growth of Expose Lit. It is rather akin to roman a clef which is a depiction of real life experiences without revealing the sources, however Expose Lit has a variety of characteristics. It features a small town rookie who moves to the big city in order to persue their dreams, lands an entry level position in sexy glam industry and has a tyranic larger then live boss who is extremely demanding as well as back stabbing colleague. The dilenma of the story features whether or not the protagonist will go over to the dark side in order to get what they want. It was the release of The Nanny Diaries in 2002 that set the trend in the genre with the book being a huge success on both sides of the pond. Then a year later another book would send Expose Lit exploding into the mainstream media. The Devil Wears Prada caught the imagination of readers in the literary world in the story about a young upstart who lands a role as as assistant for a demanding editor. Since then everyone has become intruiged about the goings on in glam industries such as book publishing, PR, magazines, music, film and TV. Every so keen to meet demand, the book publishers have been releasing titles after titles to satisfy readers. A lot of these books have gone on to become successful films ie The Nanny Diaries, The Devil Wears Prada and The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing (which was renamed Surburban Girl.) The others remain great pieces of fiction.

Here are my top Expose Lit books.

Spin by Robert Rave
Robert Rave worked in PR as an assistant for Lizzie Grubman. This book is a fantastic and riveting read with great writers and characters. There are rumours that Spin is to be made into a movie with Zac Efron playing the lead.

Pop Tart by Kira Coplin and Julianne Kaye
This is the tale of Jackie O'Reilly, a make up artist who befriends teen pop star, Brooke Parker. Kira Coplin has written for US Weekly and now works as filmmaker in LA and Julianne Kaye is a very successful make up artists who has worked for many artists such as Britney Spears; so they really know what they are talking about. Great book and a fantastic insight into the music machine.

Schooled by Anisha Lakhani
This book is basically the real Gossip Girl and exposes the deception and corruption that goes on in posh private schools in New York. Anna Taggart starts a new job as a teacher at Langdon Hall with all the best intentions of nurturing her students but finds herself sliding down the slippery pole of backhanders and designer gifts. A fantastic read.

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Not read this book but 10 out of 10 for pioneering the whole expose lit thing. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krause both worked as nannies in New York so this book was really their memoirs. The Nanny Diaries was released in 2002 and gained No 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. A film was released in 2007 staring Scarlett Johanason but sadly it was a flop.

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

The ultimate Expose Lit which tells the story of Andrea Sachs, a midwestern girl who moves to the Big Apple in order to become a journalist for the New Yorker. Strangely enough she finds herself at the biggest magazine on earth and working for a boss with the biggest ego. Lauren Weisberger was an assistant at Vogue for Anna Wintour. The book was published in 2003 and was adapted into hugely successful film in 2006. My verdict is great film but shame about the book. The characters here are lacklustre and the narrative really drags.

Twin of Tribeca by Rachel Pine

Just started reading this and so far so good. Karen Jacobs is a junior publicist at Glorious Pictures where she is treated like crap. The company is owned by the Waxman Brothers who run the company with an iron fist. Rachel Pine worked as a publicist at Miramax which is owned by the Weinstein brothers so knows all about the Hollywood machine.

Because She Can by Bridie Clark
Clare Truman is offered a job as an editor with Vivian Grant, one of the most formidable women in publishing. Sadly her dream job turns into a nightmare when her boss shows her true colours and begins showering her staff with relentless workload and mental and verbal abuse. Bridie Clark has worked in the book publishing industry for years and under hot shot publishing maverick, Judith Regan who this book is rumoured to be based on. Because She Can is a blatant attempt to cash in on the success of The Devil Wears Prada but it fails miserably. The story is weak and the characters are super bland.

So with a sequel to The Nanny Diaries aka The Nanny Returns, out in December it looks like the genre of Expose Lit is set to run and run.

My Space - Leon Mayne

2009-10-21T06:00:00.009+01:00

Leon Mayne pretty much has his head screwed on for a 23 year old. A budding director, one of the founders of Pbleepd (an entertainment blog and website) as well as the owner of the blog, The Wider Perspective; there is no doubt that he is a talent to watch for the future. As well as a love of the written word, Leon has a penchant for Stacy Dash and a passion for Manchester United. He took time out to share his work space with me.

Describe the concept of The Wider Perspective.

An entree of thoughts, analysis, creative writing and questions shared to the masses (26 followers) by a multi-tasking, multi-charactered and apparently multi-talented 23 year old. I’ve inherited my clichéd star sign (Gemini) where some see me as outgoing but the majority think I’m quiet so I use this blog as a way for people to see me from a wider perspective (badoom-chi!).

Where do you scribe?

Usually in the confines of my bedroom; either on my bed with the laptop or at my desk with the PC.

Why that place?
I guess because it’s where I first created the blog and so it acts as the benchmark for my musings. It’s my source of comfort and where I tend to do most of my work from a creative point of view. I get distracted if I’m anywhere else, the ADD levels soar.

What is on your bed at the moment?
My trusty laptop, my active Blackberry, couple of neo-soul CDs, notes for some Pbleepd articles, script ideas and my annoying younger brother. Oh and this box of Viennese whirls...they’re a real man’s biscuit...

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall ie photos, magazine cuttings or extracts?
My wall is absolutely bare, I guess it’s a subconscious inspiration to fill the emptiness - that or I just didn’t want to put anything on my wall. My usual inspiration comes from music, it’s what got me through Uni assignments so I’ve stuck with it since. That and my head, ideas run wild in there.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?

A bit of both to be honest; I try to keep my room tidy as much as possible but because I’m working on different projects I’ve always got sheets of paper about. In fact I need to tidy up right now.

You can check out Leon's blog here.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

Win a FREE copy of Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista by Amy Silver

2009-10-20T06:00:00.008+01:00

Well we all know that the last year has been hard on our finances but no one has felt it more than all the fashionistas out there. In order to help them through the difficult times every magazine has been coming up with tips on how to look stylish on a tight budget. Hence the fact that the term recessionista has been banded about like hot potatoes. Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista is the tale of Cassie Cavanagh, a happy go lucky girl about town who loves to shop. She works as a PA in the city, has a cool flat, great mates and an ever so generous boyfriend. However, Cassie's life takes a turn for the worst when she loses her job and her boyfriend dumps her. Not one to take things lying down, Cassie devises a way of surviving on a budget without compromising her style.

Those kind people at Arrow have given us five copies of this fabulous book to giveaway to our readers. If you would like a copy then just send an email to ondolady@googlemail.com with Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista in the subject line. The deadline for this competition is Tuesday 27th October.

In the Editor's Chair - Denise Kodia

2009-10-16T09:30:00.000+01:00

Most journalists aspire to be editor at some point in their lives. Some break in right away such as Mia Freedman who became editor of Aussie Cosmopolitan at the tender age of 24 and Kate Thornton who became the youngest editor of Smash Hits at 22. So what is it like when you get there? Is it really all three hour lunches, entry to lavish VIP events and rubbing shoulders with celebs. Well no and yes, for while being an editor of a magazine or newspaper gives you access to the nicer things in life and raises your profile, it is also damm hard work with very late evenings, meetings upon meetings, developing a positioning strategy for your publication, analysing sales reports as well as a small matter of getting a magazine/newspaper together.

Meet 22 year old Denise Kodia who is the editor of Nang! magazine which is a publication for young people by young people. The latest issue was released this week and contains an exclusive interview with the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, comedian and actor Jason Lewis best known for his 'Too many weave' sketch, Rupert Everrett, the rising stars of Youtube (including Maleka best known for her funk house track 'Go').

Denise took some time out to tell me about Nang!, blogging and all other things.

How did you get into journalism?
I've always been interested in journalism. From a very young age I have been interested in the news and media alike. It was my Dad who first showed me about it. He proposed that I become a News Anchor but as the years went on I decided against that. My first experience of journalism was when I was 16. I joined a youth magazine called Live. They taught me the basics of journalism and allowed me to get stuck in and get my ideas out there.

Describe the concept of Nang! magazine.
Nang! is a magazine for young people by young people. It doesn't have a specific audience, it tries to cater to all those under the age of 25. Whether this is in the area of music, books, health or politics. I'm sure there will be something in there for you.

Who is behind Nang!?
Nang! is a project run by Tower Hamlets Summer University. A youth charity that runs free courses for young people throughout the year. The young journalists that write for the mag are the ones who come up with the articles, interviews and reviews.

How many members of staff work on the magazine?
There are so many it's a bit hard to give a number, as it it determined who is able (because of school, college, uni or otherwise) to submit something . . . however I would say there are at 15 - 25 members.

Describe a day in the life of Denise Kodia.
Hahaha a day in my life? WOW! To be honest everyday isn't the same I usually wake up and have to answer a few e-mails. Once that's over, if I'm not on a shoot, interviewing someone somewhere, I'm at home working on articles for my blog or other magazines that I write for. Most of the time though, I have a meeting or two and have to attend those. As I'm a Youth Ambassador for THSU I get to go to some really cool meetings, for example I attended a Youth meeting about G8 and the Prime Minister was there (I didn't get to meet him though).

Which blogs do you check out regularly?
There's loads! Half of the them I don't know the url lol they're all bookmarked on my laptop. I'm not a big fan of really popular blogs done by celebrities raving about their lives. I get enough of that on Twitter. However, I quite like Daniel (Diggy) Simmons blog. Another is a friend mine: In2mee her fashion style is really cool and it's interesting to read about all the different fashion trends (plus other stuff too). Another is Pbleepd.co.uk there mix of music and life is really good. Finally Wurrd.com is another she used to be able to find out the scoop on any track before all the major blogs did.

What magazines do you read?
Look, Sophisticate's Black Hair, Rwd and sometimes Faboulous.

What tips do you have for anyone who wants to become a magazine editor?
You have to have a passion, drive and experience. Passion because unless you love what you do the unsociable hours can be a bad thing. But if you like it this won't affect you. Drive because you need to have enough focus to know where you want to get to. Finally experience because this is what will set you apart from other people. If you gain experience while young it will benefit you as you get older.

You can check out Denise’s blog here.
You can follow her on twitter here.

TGI Friday

2009-10-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Have a look at all the blogs that rocked my world this week.

Girl With a Satchel
Our favourite magazine blog discusses the situation of cover mounts on glossy magazines.

Vex in the City

There was a time when picking out a PC meant settling for a boring black option but now PC laptop companies have stepped up their game and now offer a moutwatering selection of colours. Yinka gives us the lowdown on the new range from Dell.

K-Hart
Once again travel fares in London go up but the service does not improve. Read K-Hart's woes about this distressing situation.

Mad News Blog
X Factor heated up our screens with the live finals last week where pop star, Robbie Williams made an appearance. Janice Mad News shares her thoughts with us.

Waltzing Matilda
Facebook is not for everyone and Matilda tells us why.

Picture is taken from Girl With a Satchel.

My Space - Ibrahim C Gaye

2009-10-14T11:52:00.001+01:00

Stockholm is one of the most stylish cities in the world and with wonderful architecture, art galleries, museums and theatres it gives chic places like Paris, Milan, Madrid and London a run for it's money. Sweden’s capital also has a huge number of people of African descent who make their presence known through art, sport, music and fashion. Ibrahim C Gaye is one of those people who merges the African diaspora with Swedish culture in his blog, A Brother in Sweden. I caught up with him to find out how life in Stockholm is treating him.

Describe the concept of A Brother in Sweden.
The concept of A Brother in Sweden is to share my thoughts about being of African descent in Sweden-Scandinavia-Europe. I have always been interested in the African diaspora so this is a good opportunity for me to connect with people that has same interests. I choose to write in english, instead of my native language swedish, so that I can reach out to more people.

Where do you scribe?

I sit in the corner in my living room at home.

Why that place?
I have a PC so I have to sit at the same place.

What is on your desk at the moment?

My PC, my cell phone, two lamps and a CD by Saul Williams.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall or desk ie photos, magazine cuttings or extracts?

I have two African masks near my desk. They inspire me. I also have a bookshelves near my desk. The books always inspires me.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?
Ohhh I'm a messy worker.

Spin by Robert Rave

2009-10-13T06:00:00.002+01:00

I first heard of Lizzie Grubman in 2001 in a feature in the mediaguardian which reported on her being charged with second degree assault after she drove her car into a crowd of people outside a nightclub. Grubman was THE PR lady in New York and had referrals from the creme a la creme including Madonna who Grubman's hot shot entertainment lawyer father represented. Madonna famously quoted that if LIzzie has as many balls as her father then she was a real tough cookie. Love her or hate her (and most people do seem to hate her) Grubman is indeed a very colourful lady who is loose, brash and forceful. This takes me to Spin which is the story of Taylor Green, a midwestern boy who moves to NYC and gets a job with Jennie Weinstein, the city's most prolific and notorious PR guru who is loose, brash and also forceful. There is huge speculation that Jennie is based on none other than Lizzie Grubman who Robert Rave worked for but he strongly denies this. Anyway back to the book, well needless to say Taylor does a cock a doop and begins to congratulate himself in landing such a plum job but sadly he is unaware that his nightmare us about to begin. For as well as writing press releases, organising press conferences and handling lucrative PR accounts, Taylor has to run the odd errand such as buying drugs for his boss and bribing high profile journalists into dropping salacious stories about his clients in replace of exclusive stories. However, the majority of his time is spent shielding from Jennie's tyrannical rages. Part of him wants to leave and put Jennie's abuse behind him but his severe upgrade in lifestyle ie the lure of restaurant openings, fashion shows, close access to celebrities as well designer clothes prove too much.

Spin's comparison with The Devil Wears Prada is inevitable hence slogans such as 'The Devil Dubs Prada' and 'The male version of The Devil Wears Prada'. Except that while The Devil Wears Prada was a complete and utter snore of a book, Spin is utterly captivating. The characters are extremely well developed and I am talking about supporting ones as well as leading. Jennie's complete and utter wickedness is irresitable in a kind of peverse way and the character of Taylor does the thing that the main protagonist is supposed to do in a book - he talks to you. Taylor is ambitious, hard working, clever, compassionate but also at times weak, lacking in judgement, power hungry and greedy but he lives and breathes in this book which makes you root for him. Overall Spin is a great read and gives you a superb insight into the dirty dealings that go on in the world of PR.

There are plans for Spin to be made into a film with Robert Rave endorsing Zac Effron to play Taylor, nothing has been confirmed as yet but well you know Hollywood.

Spin is available to buy in bookshops and while you are here check out the trailer for the book above.