My momma came for a visit recently & I was so very happy to see her, smell her, touch her… Having her in my new home for the first time made the visit extra special. I needed her official stamp of approval that only a mother could give. After she got settled in & before the rest of my family showed up, I said, momma, get ready for your official photograph. She disappeared for a few moments then reemerged like a phoenix from the ashes. All I could saw was damn. Then the photo above happened. You can see a color version of the photo on my Flickr page here. I loved everything about what she was giving the camera. She owned it without any effort. What I really loved about it was that the photo of my momma reminded me of “Afro Goddess With Hand Between Legs, 2006” by Mickalene Thomas but much less provocative. It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon filled with love, food & laughter. A supreme family day in black & white, just because.

Believe it or not, all of these photos were taken & edited on my iPhone 6.

Several months ago, I posted about Cousin Dee & her husband, Mato readying themselves for their 1st baby.  Well… Mato Jr. is here & he’s awesome! The day he was born was such an emotional rush. Beautiful! We took these photos recently and I swear this is THE last baby that I will photograph. It took no less than 3 hours to get him calmed down & sleep.  I think I said this the last time I photographed a baby, so there’s that. I’m so very happy for Cousin Dee & Mato and I’m looking forward to baby Mato calling me Uncle Baba TT.

My cousin, best best best friend, Cousin Dee is having a baby!!! She broke the news several months ago and it was the best news ever. Of course, I had to photograph this wonderful moment in my family's history. The image above is my absolute favorite from our little session. We were joking and sing some T-Pain song and we both just burst out laughing. Not to put myself out there too much but I just recently discover T-Pain's music & that's because of a story on NPR. You have to see this video. I love it! Like for real…. Can't wait to meet my little cousin/nephew. I already have a nick name… Uncle Baba TT. I hate it. I hate it so much but it's pretty damn funny.

Last week, I was contacted to photograph one of my favorite artists… ALICE WALKER. Needless to say, I was very excited & totally looking forward to the opportunity. Fast forward to the day of the event… I woke up feeling very bad, horrible, like death was upon me. It was strange because it just hit me out of nowhere. How could this be happening on such a big day…. It took a while to pull myself together and I rushed to get out of the door with all kinds of bags in tow only feeling slightly better…. Now..., I’m on the job setting up my camera and guess what… I left all of my memory cards at home. BUMMER… What was I going to do at the last minute other than panic. Then I noticed that I had another camera in my bag, which hadn’t been used in at least 2 years and it had a memory card ready to go for… A much needed surprise!!!! After all of this Ms. Walker entered the room and I was awestruck but composed… I introduced myself & sucked in as much as I could from her. I’ll cherish this exchange forever: Me: Ms. Walker, give me a little more leg. Ms. Walker: Just one moment. (Positions leg and lifts skirt a little) In response to her creative process... "I don't allow anything into my mental and spiritual space that I don't want." In response to what she thinks the Black community needs... “The Black community needs more imagination.” “Turn off your TV and the images that tell you who you are and what you should be.” “Hang on to your books. All of your books.” Interesting Alice Walker Fact: The first thing Alice Walker saw on television was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested. Yesterday was everything I needed as a person & as an artist! And I got my book signed. Ha! The little things in life.

I was recently introduced to a new cheese the other day & I kinda fell in love with it. The cheese? Cheddar with caramelized onion from Trader Joe's!!! As I enjoyed it the other day with olives, peppers, & wine, I thought about how good the cheese would be in a mac & cheese. Yesterday, all I could do was think about that cheese and using it in a dish. So, after a long day, I picked up a few things from the store & then this happened. Mac & cheese with a black truffle bread crumble.  My thought about the cheese being great for this dish was right on the money! Very savory, creamy & cheesy! Ingredients:

• 2 cups pasta (I used cavatappi)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar with caramelized onion
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 cup of butter milk
• 2 1/2 tbsp flour
• Salt, pepper, & smoked paprika to taste

The Jump Off:

• Cook your pasta for 8-9 minutes then drain.
• In the same pot you boiled your pasta, melt the butter & stir in the flour, which will make a roux. Add milks to roux slowly, while stirring constantly. Add in your premium cheeses to the mix and cook until the cheese has melted.
• As the mixture cooks, the sauce will start to thicken. Once it looks nice, thick, and creamy, turn off the heat then toss in your pasta & seasonings then give it a good stir.
• Add the pasta & sauce mixture into baking dish & place in the oven for 20 minutes at 350º.

Black Truffle Bread Crumble:

• 3 tbsp of black truffle oil
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Progresso Italian bread crumbs)
• In a pan, heat your oil on medium then toss in your breadcrumbs, which will sock up the oil. Cook until the crumbs start to brown.
• Add the crumbs to the top of your baked dish liberally and toss back into the over for a quick 10 minutes.  You could add the crumble before baking the dish but this worked for me. I didn't want to experience burnt/dried out crumbs.

This past weekend, I was in DC visiting friends and then this happened... a street fashion show put on by Malindi Designs at Zawadi Gallery. I was excited by the African style prints and decided to pull out my iPhone to capture some of this goodness. Not only did I do photo but I got into more slow motion video. The video actually happened by accident but I happen to really like the results. Edited with iMovie. Edited with iMovie & Replay. Can't decide which one I like best. Art Credit: Model: Tiersa Sullivan Video 1 - Have You Seen Here by Just A Band Video 2 - Apartment 44 by Bahwee

I walk past this wooded area severeral times a week and I always wonder where the paths lead. I wish I was adventurous enough to see but watching every release of Friday the 13th as a kid keeps me from finding out. So for now, I'll continue to wonder from afar. The title here is inspired by one of my favorite ambient songs, "Enchant Me" by The Amalgamation of Soundz The video is hot!

Can we please just get a few warm days here in Michigan. PLEASE???

Love my new burlap hat! A woman made me laugh the other day when she complimented me on the Stef-N-Ty creation. "What a cool hat, looks like it has wings." I guess it kinda does.

I planned on making sangria to enjoy over this long holiday weekend but then something in my head went off and I decided to make rum punch instead. I love both drinks but the rum punch is a little more fun & certainly more boozy. Ingredients: 2 cups of Dark Rum 2 cups of Light Rum 1/4 cup Velvet Falernum 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters 3 cups of Pineapple Juice 1 cup Fresh Lime Juice 1 cup Fresh Orange Juice 1 Pomegranate The Jump Off: Cut your pomegranate in half and squeeze that mofo into a bowl getting as much juice from the arils as you can. It may me messy but it is worth it. When you have you juice, strain out any of the fruit skins and arils that make have dropped in. Combine the pomegranate juice with the rest of your liquid ingredients into a large pitcher & give a nice vigorous stir. I used Appleton Jamaican Rum and Bacardi Pineapple Fusion rum. Let the boozy concoction get a chill in the fridge before indulging then serve over a ton of crushed ice. Side note, many rum punch recipes call for grenadine but I hate grenadine. The taste makes me gag, so fresh pomegranate juice is the best and least sweet option. Not only that, it adds a richer color.

So… I saw these macaroni & cheese waffles on Pinterest a while ago and fell in love with the very idea. After savoring the thought for months, I decided to pull the trigger and make the waffles happen.  It was a success. The process is detailed here but I tried slightly different ingredients.

• 1/2 lb of macaroni (cooked al dente)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 10 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard power
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 6 ounces bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled, plus 1 tablespoon
• reserved bacon fat
• 12 ounces freshly grated cheddar (mild and sharp) cheese
• 3 scallions
• Cracked pepper (to taste)

Lessons learned: The waffles were excellent but after this time around, I would add a little more salt, not include the macaroni. It was a fun additive but unnecessary and just plain over the top. And of course, I'd add more bacon. I also made a Sriracha & sour cream sauce to compliment the waffles and that was a win as well! On a related note, I think I wanted to try a salmon, blue cheese and chive waffle next and serve it with a caper & orange whipped cream. The possibilities seems endless... Holla

Pretty basic but super refreshing salad...

• Watermelon
• Cucumber
• Kalamata Olives
• Jalapeño
• Basil
• Feta Cheese
• Pink Peppercorns
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar

I was inspired by a similar dish found on the New York Times page. I decided to do balsamic for that wonderful sweet tangy taste vs the lime. Very delicious! Served tonight with garlic fried chicken and potatoes with onions! Southern fixins done for the modern Negro.