Source: Evelyn Lozada Instagram

That didn’t take long. Actually, it doesn’t even feel like Evelyn really took a break at all since she’s been hitting the media circuit pretty heavily lately. I suppose the week or two that she disappeared from the paparazzi after her domestic altercation with Chad Johnson counts as a break but with that incident behind her, as well as her short marriage, the “basketball wife” is back at it again.

With new pics from an upcoming photo spread posted on her blog, Evelyn wrote a post for her fans yesterday letting them know she’s happily back to work:

“I was so happy to FINALLY get back to work after taking a hiatus that seemed like FOREVER!  I had an AMAZING shoot today in Atlanta with celebrity photographer Drexina Nelson!  I can’t wait for you guys to see the finished product, Drexina is awesome and I would recommend her for your next shoot.”

After a few more plugs of the designers and stylists she was working with, the reality TV star added:

“I have a huge announcement coming next month and I can’t wait to continue to share my journey with my loves!”

Could it be her own spin-off?

Whatever it is, Evelyn seems to be going non-stop with the Twitter and Instagram updates from her shoot and other behind-the-scenes shots of her interviews with Nightline, People, and Iyanla Vanzant on her blog, some of which sadly appear to show the scar Ochocinco may have given her when he headbutted her. Evelyn might have considered herself on a break after the August 11 incident, but from my view it looks like she hasn’t skipped a beat.

What do you think about her being back to work so soon?

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Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Idris, aka, Idrissa, has clearly made it. If the Golden Globe Award, his own show on BBC (“Luther”), guest appearances on some huge shows (“The Office,” “The Big C”) and the lead acting roles weren’t proof enough for you, he’s now been pegged as part of the next generation of Hollywood stars for Esquire, flashing his bright whites on one of three covers, alongside actor Taylor Kitsch (who was very crunk). At 39, it’s a little random that they call him the “Next Generation,” but he’s blowing up big time either way, and I’m sure he appreciates the cover love. He also had his share of hot and swaggerific photos solo in the spread, and we knew you would love them, so check ‘em out below…

Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Source: Yu Tsai for Esquire

Source: Yu Tsai by Esquire

Elba also had the opportunity to introduce himself to those who don’t know him like that (travesty!) through a short video. Per the usual, with the accent, jazzy dress and personality, he was delicious:

Nice to finally see this hunk-of-burning-man getting his just dues, and with Esquire of all people! I smell Oscars in the near future…

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The “So Fly” and “Refill” singer sat down with the magazine as its cover girl to talk about her new album, what it was like growing up in a musical family, her proudest moment so far, and more. She pressed her curls and went for ’50s retro chic while batting her uber-long lashes for the shoot. Loving the looks and the color in this spread, and of course, we just love Elle in general.

When asked about her musical upbringing:

“Yes my mother and father were both songwriters. Growing up in a musical family was like going to school before school. Everything I saw was a lesson in itself. I was able to be a fly on the wall. My mom had a lot of friends that were working actresses and musicians and I was just always around, like, taking lessons.”

She also talked about the naysayers who weren’t so sure her voice would take her far, and encouraged her to start off the Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson route by being a songwriter first:

“I’ve always wanted to be a singer since I was a little kid but I went through a phase right after high school where I wasn’t very confident in my ability to be an artist. I had a lot of people especially in college tell me, “Oh, you should be a songwriter first like Neyo. Get your feet in the game as a songwriter.” like, they kind of didn’t want to say, “I don’t know if you have it.” I just took that and I said, “You know what? I’m gonna do it my way.” Ironically I got an artist deal before a publishing deal so…”

And as for her proudest moment, it came when she had the chance to meet…a 10-year-old?:

“Let’s see… My proudest moment in music so far has to be [when] I was interviewed by a 10 year old. She did her school project on me and that was one of the proudest moments actually of my life because I said, “If I’m making a difference for 10 year olds I’m doing something right. I’m very proud of that.”

Great answers, awesome chick. Be on the lookout for her upcoming release, Perfectly, Imperfect, and check out her mixtape, Conversational Lush in the meantime. And check out the rest of her interview with AMMO on their website.

Are you a fan of Elle Varner? Are you feeling the shoot?

Images courtesy of AMMO Magazine.

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Say what you want about Evelyn Lozada and Chad Ochocinco, but the “basketball wife” is out to prove that her relationship is the real deal. If the Maserati Chad bought her for her 35th birthday last week didn’t convince you, maybe these bridal pics will.

The Jasmine Brand posted photos of Evelyn looking very picturesque and wedding-bound in a serene photo shoot. It’s a bit early to set the stage for the supposed Summer 2012 nuptials between the couple, but we all know Evelyn marches to a different drum. We’ll have to see if these photos end up in a magazine or if they’re just a publicity stunt. What do you think?

Will Chad and Evelyn really jump the broom next summer or is their relationship just good reality TV?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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