Happy Halloween, everyone!

My days of dressing up just might be over, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be enjoying the candy! I’m gonna wait till tomorrow, and catch the sales at the drugstore!

Halloween has become so much more commercial since I was a little one. Back in the day, your mama might make you a witch costume. That was it. But now there are so many awesome adults and children’s costumes on sale, you can be absolutely anything you want without having to make anything at all!

I absolutely adore the Princess Tiana costume available at the Disney Store, HOW CUTE is that? But for $89.50 in this economy… Disney gets the c’mon, son.

I am sure some enterprising bellas can sew their daughters up a replica. And at least there’s the Princess Tiana veil and shoes that dare I say, are cute enough to wear to other occasions? If your little bella just can’t get enough of The Princess and the Frog, the Carol’s Daughter Magical Beauty Collection will be pre-sold online Monday, 11/2. You’ve still got time to place a pre-order, but they’re going fast!

Are you dressing up this year? Or taking your kids out in costume? However you celebrate, I hope your Halloween is sweet!

Before I dive headfirst into this post, I know I owe SEVERAL readers a heartfelt apology.

If you’ve sent me an e mail within the past oh… six months, asking me advice on how to start a blog or build your blog audience, I’ve been meaning to write back. Really I have. But every day I’m inundated with e mail. Every day I’ve got a monstrous things-to-do list and on top of all of that, I’m a forgetter. Just ask my mom, and she’ll probably go into a long rant about those photos/products/e mails I promised to send her and all kinds of other yadda-yadda-yadda.

Please don’t be mad at me, my brain is like a sieve. It’s a problem.

But anyway, I’ve recieved several e mails recently from aspiring or new bloggers asking the same kinds of questions. So I will attempt to answer some of them here. If you want to be a blogger, these are my top five insights.

1. Blogging may start as a hobby…but it’s a hobby that requires a tremendous amount of work. Are you ready to put in work?

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Bellas!

Your girl Afrobella is having a beauty crisis of her very own. It’s getting colder and colder here in Chicago, and I can’t hide from it forever… my first winter is just around the corner. My skin’s becoming noticeably dryer, and my hair… well let’s just say my hair seems to be trying to acclimate to the changes. My coil pattern has stretched out somewhat, my hair feels and looks dryer to the touch, and the less said about my scalp, the better.

I had some ideas about what I needed to do to resolve these issues and winterize my natural ‘do, but just in the nick of time, a hero came along.

I recently interviewed Nikki Walton, better known as Curly Nikki. Her blog is so focused, informative, and welcoming – truly a breath of fresh air in the natural community. Love me some Curly Nikki! You can read my whole interview over at AOL Black Voices — Nikki shared details on everything from her own interest and expertise in natural hair care, to her predictions and hopes for the future of black hair. And she answered a special question for me.
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Sometimes I use them dry. Sometimes I use them wet. Depends on what look I’m going for. Doesn’t matter the method — either way Q-Tips are must-have beauty essentials.

I do have a battalion of makeup brushes, but still I reach for the familiar brand name cotton swab, when it’s time for a quick eye-makeup application (or clean-up, if I’ve managed to make a mess… which happens often).

And I’m not alone! The amazing Mally Roncal recommends using Q-tips to vamp up your office-appropriate look for an after-work cocktail party (she advises dipping a Q-tip into smimmer powder, then highlight cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, the center of your eyelids, and your brow bones. Blend, blow a kiss at your reflection and you’re out the door!) Makeup artist to the stars Troy Jensen (yeppers, Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist!) offers a helpful tip — roll with Q-Tips for those long days out when you’re just bound to wind up with raccoon eyes. Smart!

How does a brand as ubiquitous as Q-Tips update their image? By releasing the adorable and tres-chic Vanity Packs. Initially available in four trendy designs, the Vanity Packs are about to make a holidazzle debut with chic boxes to go with your Yuletide decor. AND to up the ante, the good peeps at Q-Tips are offering Afrobella readers a special giveaway!

One lucky Afrobella reader will win all four Q-tips® Vanity Packs and a chic jewelry box from West Elm (retailed at $100).

SO pretty, right??

All you have to do is tell me: how do you use Q-Tips in your beauty regimen?

I’m gonna close these comments by Thursday and choose a random winner on Friday, so let me know ASAP!

Good luck, bellas!!

Bellas on a budget! I hear your cry. Your wallet is thin and your product stashes are running low. What can you get that’s new, amazingly effective, awesome, and AFFORDABLE?

Afrobella’s got your back! Here are some of the latest, greatest products I have been lucky enough to review, all available on the cheap at your neighborhood drugstore.

First stop — Palmer’s. The company known best for making delicious cocoa butter-based body creams has expanded their product line. So if you don’t know, now you know — Palmer’s is making coconut oil hair products! And olive oil hair products too!
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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while (or following me on Twitter), you know that I’m a cat owner and an animal lover. I grew up with dogs, and honestly never thought I’d own a cat. But Max literally ran into my home, and into my heart. And although he’s a feisty little guy, our love is real and he’s made my life richer.

There’s something so awesome about coming home after a long day to a furry friend, who greets you with a delighted yelp or inquisitive meow, and is happiest when snuggled up with you on the couch.

These days, animal shelters are struggling. More and more of them are facing reduced donations. And because of the economy being in a period of slow recovery, many people are giving up their beloved pets in an effort to reduce their at-home costs. Because of that, many shelters are having to euthanize even more dogs and cats than ever before. Every year, of the 8 million dogs and cats that enter animal shelters, 3 million of these healthy and treatable pets are euthanized. In an effort to combat the difficulties faced by shelters across the country, The Humane Society, Maddie’s Fund, and the Ad Council has devised The Shelter Pet Project. Click here to visit!

The goal here is to increase shelter pet adoption, and to let everyone know that adorable pets are waiting for you to give them a loving home.

I fully support the Shelter Pet Project, and in order to help even more, I’m starting something new here on Afrobella. Bellas, fellas — I bring to you Afrobella ♥ Animals, where I’ll feature two shelter pets every month!

For my first month, I want to highlight an unfortunate trend in abandoned animals, one I’d LOVE to see reversed. It’s sometimes known as Black Dog Syndrome, Black Cat Syndrome, or Black Pet Syndrome. And what it means is, animals that are black in color have a harder time getting adopted than any other animal.

This article on NJ.com explains it well:

“The myth of the unlucky black cat is just a laughable superstition for most, but for animal adoption centers, it’s a real problem. Blacks cats are among the last cats adopted from shelters and rescues. They’re are more likely to be euthanized because of lack of adoption than non-black cats. They receive even more stereotyping around Halloween when images of the feline in frightening poses pop up in commercial and home decorations.”

Sad but true, ancient superstitions still hold true for people looking to adopt a pet. And consequently, black cats have the short end of the stick. But this extends to black dogs as well, and all of these critters are just as furry, loving, warm and sweet as any other cat or dog waiting for a forever home.

So for my first Afrobella ♥ Animals, allow me to introduce you to two cute and cuddly pets who could be your forever friends, if you live in their neck of the woods.

The Newfoundland puppy you see up above will be available at an adoption event TOMORROW, Saturday October 24, at Petco in Colorado from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Click here to learn more about him, and where you can scoop him up in your arms.

And Miss Kitty here is named Prudence, and she’s a 1 year old black kitty available at the Anti-Cruelty Society here in Chicago. Click here to see photos of Prudence!

Every month I’m gonna feature a doggie or kitty available for adoption, and I sincerely hope that someone steps up to give them the kind of loving home they deserve. For more pets near you, check out Petfinder, or The Shelter Pet Project!

Are you a pet owner? Tell me about the little fuzzball who makes your life complete!