ONARIETA THE KID PAINTER

Nigeria's Youngest Painter "This is my Happy Face." Onarieta's most recent painting, of herself.

"My sad Face?"

"My Funny Face..."

Carrying her lunch box and dressed in her signature look - tiny head scarf covering her beaded, braided hair, a contemporary top and a long african print skirt to match her scarf - it's hard not to notice how artsy this cute little girl is. I'd first heard about Onarieta Aminisisi sometime last year as she was preparing for her first exhibition in December (I could have sworn I'd heard about her at the end of last summer). I'd been meaning to blog about her but I didn't have much on her other than this article on ONARIETA from the DAILY SUN. Fortunately for me I got to meet her on saturday while recording the 100th episode of Today on STV (the breakfast show). I was so enamored by her and since I was interviewing her I had to bond with her. We did bond but she was a little shy and soft spoken so I couldn't get much out of her. She's a 3 year old introvert, so there's not much I could get her to talk about in public. But she did understand the word ice-cream so we shared that and a few soda drinks. Whne time came for the interview I had to play it off with a few laughs and cheesey comments but how about in the middle of the interview with her dad doing most of the talking, little Onarieta decides to interupt. Guess what she said...Daddy I want to wee-wee. Kids do say the darndest things. That was a good time for Aunty Addy to call for a break and make a run to the little girls room. Let me not even start on little madam Jemi 'jem-jem' Doyle (in red, she's my co-anchor, Ireti's daughter) who is an old woman in a 3 year old's body.

This girl can rival Oprah when it comes to talking. The fruit they say doesn't fall far from the tree and with talent running in the family, it's expected. So ya'll better watch out for 'jem-jem' in a few years when she'll be ruling the screen. Their cuteness melts ma heart...can we skip the 9 months, the terrible twos and go straight to 3 with mini-addy when she comes around. Seriously!





ON THE VALENTINES DAY TIP

For those of you who celebrate Valentine. HAPPY VALENTINE O. But since we are all on teh topic of love, let me extend some love to all you readers out there. If you don't get anything for vals day, at least you are getting a hug from me. You can't feel it? Hmh...ok put you right hand across your body and towards your back... to the left... yeah... that's it...do the same with the left hand...good... good..ah ah... you are flexible o..have you been doing yoga...ok squeeze your self...don't choke o...ehen...now try to use your hands to rub your back...there you go..a world class hug from Addy...you too much jo!!!! Lol. Anyways since I am not getting a PRADO JEEP anytime soon, I decided to treat myself to a late xmas/new year/compensatory vals/ early birthday gift by replacing my phone and finally getting the Nokia E90 Communicator. Yes I had to take half a year to psyche and convince myself that I needed that phone. I suffered abuses because of the 55 something dail-n-recieve phoning machine that I was using. A phone with no keyboard or browsing capacity and no ability to download tunes or ringtones. Anyways my new tool is all the gifts of the year rolled into one so it's justified. Lol. Come Thursday night I shall be in my room snoring away while the rest of Lagos is dooking it out in traffic, trying to get to the restaurants. It's a do or die affair on Vals day in Lagos but please 'takirizy' out there. Dare to be different this year in spreading your love.