I ate so much yesterday it’s not even funny… between the paella and the couscous my Christian friends made ..man I was full! I had a wonderful Easter, it was nice seeing Christians celebrating , having fun, drinking and being merry:) I’ll be back toms with some interesting posts:)

Much love

Yaye

My cupcakes:)

Happy Easter you guyz, Hope everybody is having a fabulous time with their loved ones:)

So one of my fav’ thing from America and that I missed dearly was cupcake so when I found out that photographer Gogo Sy had a side business as a cupcake entrepreneur I couldn’t wait to try. I called 2 days in advance and decided to try with the hubby just 4 cupcakes, chose vanilla & chocolate flavors. She was really nice on the phone and yesterday she delivered my guilty pleasure.First of all I was happy to see a young sista doing her thing and doing a fun thing and I was even more excited when she told me that she would be opening up a cupcake store very soon , just can’t wait. So my fav’ was this vanilla cupcake filled with jelly inside, it was moist and the cream was on point. I would def’ recomand her services, leaving you her info:

Gogo’s Cupcakes, Dakar Senegal / 77-403-2708/gogoscupcakes@gmail.com

Cupcakons a Dakar:)

Yaye

Chocolat, chocolat, it’s good to know that fine chocolate is being produced in Mama Africa.While serving as peace corpes volunteers,Tim McCollum and Brett Beach fell in love with the beautiful island of Madagascar & its production of cocoa. They wondered why since over 60 percent of  the world production of cocoa is being produced in Africa, how come  there were not many fine chocolate being made in Africa so they jumped on that idea & Madecasse chocolate was born.  The cool thing is that this business brings jobs to Malgachi people indeed they harvest, they cultivate the cocoa and even the packaging is made in Madagascar. Madecasse offers 8 types of eating chocolate like pink pepper & citrus chocolate,cinamon & sakay chocolate, sea salt & nibs chocolate and of course your good old milk chocolate. Apart from the eating chocolate they also sell baking chocolate and vanilla products. Check them out :http://www.madecasse.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hopefully this would give ideas for African entrepreneurs to dip into the chocolate business:)

Yaye

So I was reading a post on what it means to be beautiful on Garance’s Dore blog. I’ve been following her for years now.Indeed she’s one of my all time fav’ bloggers for her authenticity et puis la go est fresh.So she wrote on what it meant for her to beautiful and it was really interesting and as usual there were tones and tones of replies. What it means for me to beautiful at this specific time..don’t know but I’m thinking about it.The one thing that comes to my mind is natural beauty, I have nothing against make up but I’m not a doll .I don’t know but for a 34 years old woman I’m pretty bad lol, I can go days without make up and then I’ll walk the street and see a bunch of women my age looking fabulous and all made up.For whatever reason it’s just not me at this time, maybe a year from now I’ll have another perception of things but as of today mmm. Anywhoo here’s the post on Garance’s site if interested:)http://www.garancedore.fr/2013/03/26/beauty/

And for those of you who are bloggers here’s a cool interview with miss Garance:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Plein de bioux

yaye

I’ve been meaning to share with you guyz my thoughts about this beautiful Nigerian movie starting Nse Ikpe Etim and Joseph Benjamin and directed by Ikechukwu Oyeka . It’s about this couple that’s going through a very rough patch, the husband wants out ,the wife wants to work it out but doesn’t know what to do.But with the help of God, her lawyer she finds a way to gain his love and respect back.I enjoyed this movie because it could happen to all of us, sometimes love is not enough or as a couple you go through ups and downs but the point is not to give up.We’re the fast food generation if we don’t like it, we’re out,  we tend to take decisions quickly when it comes down to love.Pride is our main motor most of the times…so I loved it ,I’ll watch it again:)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yaye

Hey you guys so I’ve been looking online for videos describing the journey of young people who went to Mecca for pilgrimage.I don’t know if that I’m not lucky but I couldn’t find videos that really touched me until I found this video of this loving African American couple travelling from Kansas City to Mecca & Medina. I spent an entire hour following th their journey, I felt their tears, their joy at being in the Holly city . I’m striving to get to that spiritual level where I can really appreciate such a trip & I hope to one day accomplish this duty with my husband InchAllah! Here’s the video enjoy:

Click here to view the embedded video.

A big thank you to that couple as well , thanks for inspiring me and probably so many others:)

Yaye

Non vraiment I’m really excited about this issue, not only is Courier International one of my fav’ publications but this hors serie written exclusively by African movers & shakers I’m thrilled.I just got it  and I’m gonna dive into it, get to see familiar faces such as (Mo Ibrahim,David Adjaye, Francis Kere, Chimamanda Ngozi ect) and new ones like (Abdoul Aziz Kebe,Kennedy Odede,Melinda Ozongwu, Axelle Kabou ect).Special  Congratulations to Senegalese Photographer Omar Victor Diop (yeahh) for the cover and the illustration for the article “Les tissus Africains a l’assaut des podiums” and to fellow Senegalese blogger Wakh’art for the mention. Def’ get this issue, it’s going to be a classic♥♥

http://www.courrierinternational.com/article/2013/03/08/afrique-3-0

Yaye

Noviolet is a Zimbabwean writer, an alumni & a teacher @ Cornwell University. She was the recipient in 2011 of the aclaimed Caine Prize Winner for her short story “Hitting Budapest”. Her new book “We Need New Names ” is set to be available sometimes in May. The book description on Amazon goes like this:

“Darling is only 10 years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends steal guavas, try to get the baby out of young Chipo’s belly, and grasp at memories of Before. Before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the school closed, before the fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad.

But Darling has a chance to escape: she has an aunt in America. She travels to this new land in search of America’s famous abundance only to find that her options as an immigrant are perilously few.”

Looking forward to reading it, in the meantime here’s her webbie:http://novioletbulawayo.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yaye

Last time I spoke about Minyeshu on my blog was when she took part at the FESMAN Festival here in Dakar a couple years ago.Her new album is called “Black Ink”. Her music is a blend of blues, folk, jazz, Caribean,West African spices. Go on her webbie for more info: http://www.minyeshu.nl/

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Djaa les gos d’Ethiopie ne blaguent pas:)

Yaye

Just wanted to wish you a wonderful Saturday you guyz:) I’m chilling home watching the Voice france, can’t wait to catch up with the Voice USA next week:)

Gros bioux:)

Yaye