Trustworthy Magazine November 2022, Vol 15

Trustworthy Magazine

Amina Buddafly

“They remind me that love is all that really matters”

Trustworthy Magazine

Our Goal is to inspire & to be inspired. We know that everyone has a story; we want to know yours

Founder & Editor Amina Touray

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For comments, submissions & Inquiries please contact: info@trustworthymagazine.com

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On the cover: Amina Buddafly, with her children Cori & Bronx Pankey

Photographer: Amina Touray Page design: Moses Dalton

Photo: Ricardo Esquivel

Letter From The Editor

What feelings do you typically get when the Fall and Winter season arrives?

It may be because we live in a tumultuous time, but perhaps it's just the natural process of life changes that I admire quietness. It could also just be the introvert in me. I love listening to crickets in the countryside and watching the leaves fall on the road more than experiencing the intense city pulse I once loved so much and still do occasionally. I find such peace in quietness and the art of listening to "nothing." In a world where hard work is celebrated (for good reasons), I must quiet my mind, pause, and listen to my heart. Our second-time cover star, artist Amina Buddafly mentions how crucial self-care is for her to function. We all need it to perform well.

In this Fall/Winter issue, married couple Michael Tubbs and Anna Malaika Tubbs invite us to their home to discuss how they keep their romance while having kids and their intentions for next year. Traveling writer and photographer Katie McCabe shares her best places in The USA to see Fall foliage, and we travel internationally with Canadian artist John Coburn whose work you've probably seen at some point in your life. As usual, you will also get tips on adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet this Fall!

Photo:

Fall in the USA

Katie McCabe

The Best Places to See The Colorful Foliage

Photos of Katie McCabe & John Woods By Amina Touray

Growing up in New England, Rhode Island to be exact, my favorite time of year was fall. After the hot sum mertime, the air would turn cool and crisp, the trees would become a pictur esque blend of red, yellow, and burnt-orange, and activities, such as apple picking and pumpkin carving would be in full-swing.

Even though I love living in SoCal, every fall, I yearn to see the foliage again, breathe in the brisk air, and indulge in everything pumpkin spice.

If you’re also currently having a hankering for some fall weather and sights, I’ve got you covered! Listed below are seven places in the US that offer some of the prettiest autumn scenery.

Stowe, Vermont Stowe very well may be my favorite place to visit during the fall. It’s like a foliage won derland. Thousands of visitors flock here ev ery year to see the tree colors, taste the local maple syrup, and enjoy the abundance of outdoor activities. A few must-do things while you’re in Stowe are stroll down Main Street, explore Smugglers’ Notch State Park, follow the Stowe Recreation Path, and indulge in ice cream at the original Ben & Jerry’s factory.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Maine’s state parks, mountains, and coasts provide wonderful settings for leaf peeping. From Bar Harbor, you can cruise the tree-lined shore for spectacular views and whale watch ing, or go inland to see the awe-inspiring Acadia National Park. While you’re in Bar Harbor, don’t forget to eat a fa mous lobster roll or some local oysters - they’re fantastic!

New York City, New York New York City is one of those places that is great to visit during any time of the year, but the fall seems to have a little something extra. Right before the always-popular holiday season begins, Manhattan turns into a cool and colorful autumn dream. Central Park is where you will find the most foliage, so be sure to head there with a warm drink in hand and explore all the beau tiful scenery the Big Apple has to offer.

Denver, Colorado

Denver has one of the longest periods of fall colors of any city in the coun try. Depending which elevation you are at, you can experience foliage

from mid-September all the way until mid-November. Rocky Mountain Nation al Park and Guanella Pass are two of the most popular spots for leaf viewing, but Maroon Bells and Eldorado Canyon State Park are also known for their dramatic displays.

Portland, Oregon

As fall gets closer, Oregonains eager ly await the broad color palette pro duced by the state’s diverse vegetation. Whether you visit the exquisite Japanese Garden near downtown Portland to see the vibrant maple trees, or head into na ture somewhere along the captivating Columbia River Gorge, you will most cer tainly be impressed with the amount of beauty this charming place provides.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Shenandoah National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the country. During the fall season, it comes alive with brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow, and pink. Most visitors coast along the stun ning Skyline Drive, stopping at many of the 75 overlooks, while others hike the Stony Man Trail for a more in-depth look. No matter what you choose to do, just be sure to book your accommodations well in advance, as this area is extremely popular.

The Poconos, Pennsylvania

The Poconos territory covers 2,400 square miles of mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers, so there’s plenty of scenic vis tas to discover here. The peak of Camel back Mountain seems to have the most jaw-dropping show of fall foliage in the entire region, but some claim taking the steam locomotive train along the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway is the best way to experience fall in the Poconos.

Katie McCabe with her husband John Woods , from www.awelltraveledpair.com

Photo: Haley Black

By Darija Varnas From the Wellness Wardrobe

The Wellness Wardrobe

9

Ways to sneak more fruits & intoveggies your diet this Fall

We all know by now that we should be eating at least 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on junk foods, espe cially when the seasons start to change and the days become shorter. When all you want to do is get cozy with your favorite comfort foodswhy not choose the healthier option? So let’s get creative- Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits into your diet this Fall!

Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of vanilla or chocolate flavored protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. Add some cinnamon and nutmeg to give it that extra seasonal spice!

Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. Dates are a great snack that are also super healthy for you too!

Add some fruits and vegetables to your sandwiches. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and even microgreens and sprouts. You can even make a delicious style veggie sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some hummus and cheese on bread.

Have a salad bar dinner party. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let every body create their own perfect salad.

Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or fro zen fruit, nuts and seeds. So satisfying!

Make a fruit and veggie “Charcuterie board” Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and nuts for great snack replacements.

Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to peak your curiosity. Go to a farmer’s market or your produce department at your local store, and pick something you have never heard of before to explore different recipes. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, the options are endless!

Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that’s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold. Make a big batch to eat all week!

Tired of the same boring side dishes? Roasted veggies are the best way to fill up your plate with all of the whole foods you need! Try cubing sweet potatoes, and then chopping onions and broccoli with a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Bake for 30 min and you'll have the most deli cious, and nutritious side dish for the season.

Visit the wellness blog at: www.wellnesswardrobe.com

Date Ball Recipe

Method:

Add all ingredients to food processor. Process until the mixture is sticky and crumbly, but make sure to not over process, or it will be too oily! Scoop out the dough and form balls with your hands. (Add coconut oil for easier rolling) Dip balls into dusted toppings. (Coconut shreds, cacao powder, dusted dehydrated fruit work too!) Place in a fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Visit the wellness blog at: www.wellnesswardrobe.com

Photo: Taryn Elliott

Amina Buddafly

“I'm not concerned about what people think. They always have their idea of who you are. “

Talented artist, author, yogi, and mother Amina Buddafly is mainly known for being a member of the former girl R&B group Black Buddafly which she founded together with her sisters, and from the reality TV show Love & Hip Hop New York.

During our walk in the park, she opens up about her new man, fam ily matters, her intentions for next year, and the new BET show Af ter Happily Ever After, that she stars in, where ex-couples help each other find new love.

Amina Touray: Do you have any plans for the holiday?

Amina Buddafly: I will take my girls to Germany, as I like to do almost every year. We’re going to see my family there - I have a brand new niece, and we just can’t wait to be home!

AT: This is your first time seeing your niece, right?

AB: Yes, my twin sister had a baby, and I’ll be seeing her for the first time.

AT: Are you going with just the girls or…

AB: Yes, me and my two girls. I’m in a rela tionship, and he may come to join us, but we haven’t decided yet.

AT: So, how long have you been dating him?

AB: It’s been a year; I can’t believe it! I’ve kept it on the low and didn’t really let any body know until recently when I started posting him on my Instagram. I wanted to be quiet about it for at least the first six months.

AT: He’s not a public figure like yourself. Is he used to your lifestyle yet, or is he camera-shy?

AB: He’s absolutely camera-shy, and I’m trying to get him out of it because he’s also an influencer. He’s amazing at what he does; He coaches people on how to buy and sell real estate. He’s kind of fa mous on an app called Clubhouse. We met on the app Clubhouse. He’s big time over there, so I’ve been telling him - “you better come out of your shell!”. I’m an open book with my life, and if you’re go ing to be with me, you have to be com fortable with a camera in your face.

AT: Is he getting along with your kids?

AB: He loves my kids! He thinks my girls are the best, which they are. (laughs)

AT: Talking about relationships - you currently appear in BET’s TV show After Happily ever After. Tell us more, what is the show about?

AB: It’s a dating show I took part in that we filmed in July in Kentucky for three weeks. I filmed with my ex-husband and his other ex. The concept is trying to find love for my ex, and he was trying to find love for his other ex. Since I’m already in a relationship, I didn’t date. We (Amina, Peter, and Tara) were known for being on Love & Hip Hop together in that tri angle relationship. But we’ve all moved

Interview & Photography by Amina Touray

“

I wanted to be quiet about it for at least the first six months.”

on and have been living our separate lives. It airs on BET every Wednesday at 10 pm.

AT: It’s been eight years since you were in Love & Hip Hop. How do you feel about people still commenting and asking if you’re over your ex?

AB: I have gotten used to it, and it doesn’t bother me. I look at it and shake my head because they’re the ones

stuck in the past, not me. I’ve lived on; I’m a totally different person than I was eight years ago. So I’m not concerned about what people think. They always have their idea of who you are.

AT: New year is coming up. How has this year been for you?

AB: It’s been good. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my mu

sic a little bit, so I am work ing on getting back to be ing creative. I’m writing a lot, and I have also parted ways with my main produc er, who produced my last album. So now all the pres sure is on me because I’m literally producing, writing, recording my project all by myself, and it’s a lot of work, and it’s hard! I’m taking my time with it, but I’m proud of myself because I can cre ate something amazing with no help, just by myself. And in the end, I feel like I will be even more proud of my self once it’s completed. My goal Is to drop my fourth full album on my 40th birthday next April.

AT: How do you think that album is going to be different?

AB: It will just be more me. Even though I think it’s a great thing to collaborate, when you do something that you do all by yourself, you just feel so strongly about it. For me, it’s more about expressing myself. I want to put something out there in the world that I’m proud of because it will stay for a long time, even after I’m gone.

AT: From one topic to another, how do you feel about the idea of “cancel culture”?

AB: I’m not really with it, even though I do think some things are wrong that peo ple say. Right now, it’s Kanye West in the limelight. He definitely said some things he shouldn’t have said, but I’m not with canceling. I

think people are too opin ionated sometimes. I’m not making excuses for state ments that may be harmful to somebody, but personal ly, I don’t judge anyone for something that comes out of their mouth.

AT: How have you grown with everything happening worldwide over the past two years?

AB: All the crazy stuff that happened over the past two years didn’t affect me as much as I think many oth ers did. I never got scared; I’m fearless in general. It was just weird, especially with the pressures...I felt like everything was going in one di rection, but luckily it’s going back in another. I kept doing my thing, and I wasn’t some body that had to rely on an employer. I wasn’t in any sit uation where I had to make tough decisions. As the art ist that I am, I never stopped working.

AT: And if you read your book (Mi Dishes & More), you talk about how you eat, exercise, and play with your kids. That has kept you grounded and helped you spiritually, too, right?

AB: Yes! SELFCARE! That’s the number one thing in my life. I literally put that in front of ev erything except my kids. I put that before my work because without self-care, I can’t function or work right. First, I got to do my yoga, medita tion, be silent, and then I got to what I wanted to accom plish.

AT: What’s the biggest les-

son you’ve learned from your children, and what do you hope to teach them?

AB: Biggest lesson I have learned is that life is fun when you focus on the little things. Also, they are teaching me pa tience every day. My older daughter Cori checks me when I’m irritated and tells me to take a deep breath and relax. Those are the moments I pat myself on the back because I’m the reason she is that way.

They remind me that love is all that really matters, the same thing my mom taught me when I was a kid. It’s funny because I install things in them that they teach me later on when I forget, and it all comes full circle when those beautiful moments happen.

Photo: Craig Adderley

Anna Michael &

At Home with the Tubbs

Interview & Photogra phy

By Amina Touray

Married power couple Michael Tubbs, previous Mayor of Stockton, California, and founder of Tubbs Ventures, and Anna Malaika Tubbs - NYT Bestselling author and scholar, invite us home and talk about their unique routines, romance, and plans for next year.

What three words best describe your family?

Adventurous, cuddly, and fun!

What do you look forward to the most this holiday season?

Our son is three now, and every year he is more engaged and excited about the holidays. This year he’ll be able to tell us what he feels about everything we’re doing, and he can really get into the holiday spirit.

How do you keep it romantic, having two young children? We try to go on dates when we can and send each other sweet messages throughout the day. We’re also going to go away for our anniversary, which we are really looking forward to!

Do you have any unique family or couples routines? We always celebrate our birthdays the weekend before they happen with extended family and friends, where we eat birthday cake, and on the actual day of our birthdays, we just spend time as the four of us, and we have ice cream!

What have you learned this year about yourself and each other that you wish to bring into 2023?

This past year my biggest career dreams came true, so in this following year, I want to continue to be confident in my vision of what I want to do in this world and know that I am fully capable of it. I hope to keep making myself and my family proud.

Photo: George Desipris

John Coburn

Drawing Paris

Interview by Amina Touray

Canadian artist John Coburn has been a professional artist for 35 years. As you can imagine, his long line of work is imposing! You have probably even seen it if you've visited Paris, New York, Toronto, or Tokyo.

Coburn has 27 original pen & ink drawings in the permanent collection of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. His work has been exhibited at Gracie Mansion by the Mayor of New York City, and seen in places like The Canadian Consulate and Wall Street, to name a few.

Coburn is passionate and hap piest working Plein air - when he sets up his portable studio and watches the events on the streets happening before his eyes. It's all depicted in his fantastic work.

Tell us about your background and how that is influencing your work?

My Father, Dr. Donald G. Coburn, was a dentist who also designed dental equipment. I watched him as a young boy designing den tal equipment around the dining room table. My Grandfather Hubert Beckett was a great portrait pho tographer. I was curious about the creative process of making art in grade four.

How would you describe your style?

Loose & Interpretive - what I leave out in my drawings are equally as imported as what I leave in.

Your stunning work showcases cities like Paris and New York. What about those places are you the most drawn to and inspired by?

Working on location, the immedia cy and visceral energy of all your senses fired up - the constant mo tion of people, traffic, dogs, and noises affect change and ideas constantly while at work. You can't get that same feeling inside the four walls of your studio.

What is the best way to get started when pursuing a career as an artist?

Like Michelangelo said: - "Draw 5 minutes a day."

Picasso said: - "Inspiration comes, but it has to find you working."

Art school is fantastic, but passion is more important; Do the art, be productive. Be 30 % a business per son and 70% creative. Find the bal ance, and you can be successful.

Anything else you would like to add?

I'm building a body of work inspired

by Paris, as well as oil paintings; the collection is focused on black & white pen & ink line drawings - a celebration of architecture & style.

Titled: A Paris Romance By John Coburn. Works will also include products, i.e., prints, pillows and bed sheets, and wallpaper greet ing cards.

In Coburn’s own words; In no particular order, I’m street obsessive. I’m happiest working “ Plein air. “ The intensity x immedia cy of setting up my portable studio smack down on any given street or avenue, whether New York, Paris, Toronto, or Tokyo, infuses me with the spontaneity I crave creating emotionally charged art.”

With hundreds of people flowing by, that thriving visceral connec tion to strangers and excited view ers ignites my work.

People stop and express their rela tionship and history of the subject I’m drawing. Their thrill and antic ipation directly influence my work. Elements of music, fashion, and architecture skewer my palette, showing up in color, typography, and radical surprises encountered in the city - my ensuite of dreams.

4 BOOKS ON NYC

1 .50 best places to enjoy and dis cover in Central Park

2. New York’s 50 Most wonderful boutique hotels

3. New York Neighborhoods

4 . Healing Hearts (Sept 11 tribute in drawings not published for the public

To learn more about John Coburn, visit: Gallery: beckettfineart.com johncoburn.art Instagram: itsjohncoburn

Photo: Aron Visuals

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