#WCW: All the reasons we are crushing on AJ Sarpong

Tv & Radio Personality AJ Sarpong slays daily and she is our Woman Crush Wednesday today

Today we are crushing on AJ Sarpong whose full name is Nana Adjoa Akuoko-Sarpong, and you want to know why?

This awesome television and radio personality has achieved so much, while so young that when she told people her age recently, many were surprised. Can you believe she will be only 25 later this month on the 28th of October ?

Also our WCW, who describes herself as a “Killer combination of Beauty, Brains and Hard work," works so hard. She is on radio each day with her daily entertainment segment on Starr FM’s Mid-Morning show, The Zone with Naa Ashorkor and also on TV each morning with the accolade the “Princess of Morning TV.”

We are not done, she also works With the “TV Royals of Morning TV” Kafui Dey and Baisiwaa on GH One TV’s morning show, as well as the Host of GHOne’s telenovela show Revenge Live Chat Show and is also set to Premiere her new show in a few short weeks and its set to be a must watch.

And guess what? AJ is also a writer, with a quarterly Column "Gisting with AJ” in Glitz Africa Magazine where she speaks her thoughts on events and about the entertainment industry.

Did you know she is also a professional MC for events, who has hosted many exciting events such as the DSTV I Factory showcase, The Cake Fair, The Makeup Revolution events, the Launch of the Bartenders Association of Ghana and so much more.

She takes education seriously too and she just completed her Master’s Degree course at the Ghana Institute of Journalism and will soon be graduating with a Master’s Degree in Journalism and is also a University of Ghana Political Science and Theatre Arts graduate.

We absolutely love this lady who represents the “ New Face of Women in their 20’s”, as she is an ambitious, driven and focused Lady herself, who is able to do it all and do it very well.

Plus she is royalty! She is the last child of Traditional Ruler and Political stalwart, Nana Kwame Akuoko-Sarpong, the Omanhene of Agogo Traditional Area.

#MondayMotivation Three things I am Taking away from Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar win

Last time the Grammys were on, i was determined to catch it live. When my alarm went off, i killed it and stayed in bed. But this time around with the Oscars, i did not even need my alarm to wake me up. I knew i did not want to read all about it on twitter or the news feed, and fine it would repeat but no, i wanted to see the moment Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his oscar, live.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a pretty known name if you like
- movies
- fine guys who age gracefully
- interesting stories.

This was the guy who transitioned from child star in sit-coms to movie star, with movies like, "What's eating Gilbert Grape", and then the iconic role in "Titanic" (for which he actually did not get nominated.). Since then, he has gone to play it all- billionaire, criminal and undercover police officer.

And through it all, no Oscar.
Did he lose to less deserving people? Of course not. He lost out to Forest Whitaker for Last King of Scotland, in the year gave us the powerful performance in Blood Diamonds, and to Jamie Foxx for 'Ray' when he was nominated for 'The Aviator'.

But this year, you could feel the almost-cosmic shift. The world waited as  ... read out the nominees list and you could tell even she was excited because she did not pause but said his name out quickly and then the world clapped.

First thing i took away from Leonardo's win was his composure. There were no hysterics, no long speech about himself and how it had been a long time coming, just an unusually cool and calm winner.

But what else did i take from it?

Keep Working
This one seems easy. Leonardo DiCaprio kept making movies even when the world was sure he should have won for this or been nominated for that!
Whether it is 'Staff of the Month' or a Grammy that you lose out on, work like awards don't matter. In the end, the only true reward is in you.

Stay Gracious
I saw a facebook post where someone pointed out that Leo could have been justified in giving out interviews once or twice about the unfairness of awards but nope. Leonardo has stayed gracious. Gracious in defeat (showing up everytime he has been nominated) and gracious in victory (celebrating his co-stars and speaking up for a cause in his acceptance speech).

It is like Beyonce says on 'Formation". "Stay gracious..."

It can be any stone
This was is funny. But you know when Leonardo got nominated this year (and won last nigth), as expected, the nay sayers showed up. We heard this was not his best performance, the other nominees were better and so on.

But now move on from those ones first and switch to you. Imagine tweeting the dopest tweet of your social media existence or drawing a masterpiece then stepping back and expecting the applause. You are shocked. Wait what? I sweated blood to design this dress! How dare you not bow down?!

Then one day you put all your effort in something as you usually do, but it is not neccessarily your best work and you are not neccessarily the most qualified. But still, that is THE ONE that gets you attention.

Isn't that just the funniest thing ever?

So brethren, and brethrenesses.., tell me this-
Have you ever had to wait for something for sooooooo long? How did it feel when you got it?

#TBDaily x What I Am Loving at the Moment: Love you Pass, BMPro and more!

Hey friendlies,
Welcome to this edition of "What I Am Loving At The Moment".
Today i am loving some music, skincare and  beauty products and a tv show about little people!

SONG
While i have been bumping a lot of cool songs on the radio and  in the car, one song that has stood out for me is- "Love You Pass' from the 'Stories that Touch" album by Falz featuring Bez.

Falz has a nicely themed album and works with different artistes to achieve that. This is one of his tributes to love and the world of alternative Nigerian music so who else but Bez?

Dope hook so please check it out from the album available on itunes now!

SKINCARE
I found an Orisade flier when i went for Locitude's Loc Appreciation Day earlier this year and i had been meaning to get some of the products like their body butter and more. I finally got complimentary soap and body butter and i have to say the soap is amazing.
You know how you wash your face with mosturizing soaps and keep rinsing because your mind feels it is still soapy but it is just the mosturising effect?
That is how i feel about 'Orisade Avocado and Aloe Vera Soap'.

It also strips your face of the day's make up and dirt so more props for it. The body butter has that powerful shea butter smell so it is taking me some getting used to but it gives your skin a natural glow.
Orisade uses natural products for their skincare brand so more props for them.

MAKE UP
When i went for a make up trial recently with Banke Meshida Lawal of BMPro and while i waited, i browsed through some of their make up products.

After the trial, i asked for one of the lipsticks they used and powder and their lipstick is giving me life. It is the 'Matte  Velvet Lipstick' and is perfect for days you have to do your make up yourself but still want that pop!

You know me i am all about the pop!
I love the shade and how long it lasts.

TELEVISION SHOW
What do you get when you put a group of women together? Usually a lot of talk, some conflict, work and relationship ups and downs and more, and that is what Little Women LA brings in spades. Add to it that the cast of this show are largely, little people.

p.s, if you have been saying 'dwarfs' or 'midgets', you have been politically incorrect so please start saying 'little people'.

Back to my current favourite ladies on reality television!
These ladies are fun, feisty, and like the average woman, have their pow-wow days and their bleh moments, Add to that some health concerns and peculiarities and it makes for one hour of pure tv goodness!

If you don't watch it yet, please catch new episodes on Lifetime now!

#TBDaily x Monday Motivation: Power

Today during a chat with a tv host, he asked me about this power on air personalities seem to have over music careers.

Let me be the first to say it here that I don't believe a radio or television presenter can make or break your career. First, there are too many ways for an artiste to shine than some random on air personality that won't play their song. Secondly, radio is more than just music and artistes. We talk, break news, do non music personality interviews and the like.

But I digress.

Back to power.

Everyone is powerful. Disagree? Then try buying fuel when there's fuel scarcity and watch your neighbourhood attendant become a king. Or meet with the security guard at an estate or a company you need to absolutely go into.

We all have some kind of power and in wielding same we need to be careful. While a degree of firmness, a dose of toughness and some lines are needed, you have to be careful not to cross over to 'wickedness' or 'spitefulness'.

What do you think about power and how can one handle power with care?

#TBDaily x #TV My fav 'o come on' Wardrobe scenes

I was watching "Quantico" the other day when for the umpteenth time since Priyanka Chopra had been on the run, i asked the tv, "Why hasn't she cut her hair???"

I mean, watch any prison break or fugitive movie and first thing they do is discard their old clothes, dye or cut their hair, and sometimes maybe buy chewing gum. I have never understood that last one sha.

But this is Episode 3 deep into Quantico and home girl still has her hair full, un dyed and looking like a million bucks.

That got me thinking about how

- In "Jurassic World", Bryce Dallas Howard went through the entire movie IN HEELS. She shot, fought off dinosaurs and even walked IN mud in her heels.

I can't even get through a short stroll in Lagos without needing my flats.
Na wa o

- In Quantico and indeed every cop series, the detectives chase criminals, arrest and handcuff, sometimes get punched and yet, their hair is neatly done.
My hair is natural and even the headphones at work roughen it and i have to believe wind, punches and dirt didn't get into your hair?
Hian

- In Aladdin (yes i had to go there), Jasmine and Aladdin go on this magic carpet ride (which i have now been told was a metaphor for something else but let me not ruin YOUR childhood) but Jasmine comes back and you guessed it; from hair to headwrap to make up, clothes and shoes, it was not a whole new world.

I've spent quieter days at home with rumpled clothes and stains but Jasmine can go on a magic carpet ride and not come back dishevelled????

Lol.

What do you guys think?

#TBDaily x #TV 3 Things I love about Quantico... 2 things they need to watch out for!

Get your wine and your favourite snack because it is tv season again!
And as #TVGirl, i am here to let you know what's good, what's hot and more.

So some shows like "Empire" are back for a second season and that's exciting already, but then there are some new shows like "Quantico" (drama from executive producers Josh Safran and Mark Gordon which explores the lives of young FBI recruits; each with a secret).begging for love. Guess what Quantico? with that first episode, there is no reason to beg. I am ready for you, and here is why!

+ Aunjaune Ellis

I first stumbled on this lady on 'The Mentalist' where she played Patrick Jane's boss.
She is beautiful, she is sassy and she is talented. I saw her again on 'Book of Negroes' and see that she was also in 'The Maid' so it's been a long time coming but yes! Seeing her rocking that hair and speaking like a boss made me sit up!

Go

+ Grey's Anatomy and Rookie Blue are back!
What i mean is, this will be just like the first seasons of Grey's and Rookie Blue which also began their seasons with recruits. Now we have some newbies in the FBI but one of them is a terrorist? o ho... this can't be good. BUT, expect the drama, the raunchy make out scenes and a lot of beautiful people.
Lol.

+ The action
O please give us action!
We want car chases, mysteries and more and since the first episode had an explosion and a getaway, i think we are on to something.

So that is what i love but what do i want them to watch out for?

+ Grey's and Rookie issues
You know how the interns then became the bosses? If not handled well, it may blow up in their faces because there is something about cute recruits and us not wanting them to grow up.

+ Getting Lost like Lost
Remember Lost season 1?
It was sooooo good!

We watched as they unravelled things, wondered about 'the others' and loved the flashbacks.
But then it seemed Lost got lost and then we switched off. So here is the thing, there are so many secrets in this series and some flashbacks that if they are not careful, they will lose us.

#TosynTravels An Evening with Disney!

I am feeling a bit like a mum who has kids and never wants to say which one is her favourite. But if you threatened to take away all Disney music i would have to say the Disney experience was one of the best at the #OnlyTheBest content showcase in Mauritius.

Basically, Disney Africa welcomed 90 journalists from across Africa to their first ever showcase to media from the continent, at this year’s Multichoice Africa Content Showcase Extravaganza. It started on Thursday 3 September when we received a Disney Movie ticket which gained us entry to the special outdoor screening, set under the stars on the lawns of the idyllic Outrigger Beach Resort in Mauritius.

First we got our own Disney picnic basket and blankets, full of delicious treats and filling food, then we made our way to the seating area, replete with comfortable chairs and loungers. Once the Disney fans were settled, the vast outdoor screen lit up and the evening’s festivities were well under way.

A welcome speech by Deirdre King, Head of Marketing for The Walt Disney Company Africa, preceded the screening of two animated shorts. The first, the Academy Award-nominated Get a Horse, featured Disney favourites like Mickey, Minnie, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow, in a laugh-a-minute romp across the countryside. The second animated short, Disney•Pixar’s Partly Cloudy, beautifully tells the tale of where delivery storks get their infant cargo. The main feature was Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time.

Disney showcased Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, as it perfectly showcased their theme for the Showcase – Globally Connected, Locally Relevant – as key sequences in the film were shot on the African continent in 2014. What is even more exciting is that sequences of the next Marvel super hero filmCaptain America 3: Civil War, will also be shot in Africa!

Other local initiatives across the continent include:
o    The dubbing of the hit Disney Junior series Doc McStuffins, in Swahili for East Africa.
o    Desperate Housewives Africa
o    Collaborations on two Fashion Halo Projects in conjunction with SA Fashion Week:
o    Local cameo roles like Jeremy Mansfield in Toy Story 3 and Unathi Msengana in Doc McStuffins 

Also newsworthy;  I ♥ Violetta; the first ever South African Disney Channel local production, with 3 local presenters and two Disney-produced projects (The film Queen of Katwe, starring Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong’o and ABC television series Of Kings and Prophets).

And if you have nieces like me or younger ones, then Disney has something for you wiht Disney Junior which airs on DStv channel 309 and GOtv Plus channel 60.

Highlights across the Disney Junior channel include animated television series, Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins. Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto and Daisy all join Mickey in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,and animated series such as Gummi Bears, Chip ‘n Dale, Ducktales with classic Disney movies Aladdin, Cinderella and more.

Holidays are becoming Happee thanks to Turner and DSTV!

Pop Up channels are becoming quite a thing on DSTV and now, MultiChoice Africa and Turner Broadcasting will make African television history with a first African pop-up children’s channel! The channel called ‘Hoolee’ will  be up from December 1st 2015 to January 31st 2016 on DStv Premium.

“Imagine laughing, sharing surprising adventures and celebrating the summer holidays with your children every day. This is what the pop-up channel has in store for the whole family” says MultiChoice Africa CEO, Tim Jacobs.

(I can imagine, after Turner Time at the #OnlyTheBest content showcase which basically turned us into kids again).

Of course, Turner already has two children's channels on DSTV- Boomerang and Cartoon Network, but now subscribers will enjoy Hoolee with it's ground breaking eight week long programming, built around a selection of the very best shows from Turner and Warner Brothers productions, as well as premieres of the latest and the best.

With a large volume of 100 hours programs, the new channel will offer carefully chosen movies and animated shows. So that, DSTV viewers will enjoy all the festivities of the holidays with bright, refreshing, surprising and joyful content.

For more information, please visit www.dstv.com.