Every year we say the same thing, but seriously — does it not seem as though the holiday season just crept up on all of us? I am SO not ready for Christmas. But here it comes, with the lights and the festitivity and the expectation of presents. And so it’s time once again for the Afrobella gift guide!

This year I plan on featuring quality, not quantity — 12 gift posts, one for each day of Christmas. Expect to hear only about the products I truly think are unique, under the radar, and totally gift-worthy. Over the past twelve months I’ve been receiving and reviewing some amazing items, and I can truly recommend something fresh and fun for every kind of bella.

My first suggestions will combat your skin’s urgent needs as the weather grows colder. Because ashy isn’t a good look for the holiday season!

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Santa, Baby remains one of my all time favorite holiday songs.

Eartha Kitt is so elegant. So fabulous. So unabashedly materialistic! Eartha is cooing about the kind of Christmas most of us dream about. So maybe this year Santa won’t be bringing you a yacht or the deed to a platinum mine. But thanks to the Coach Holiday Blog-a-Day, you might just win something special from an esteemed accessories brand.

Coach specially selected thirty bloggers (including moi!) to share their favorites from the Holiday Collection. And one lucky reader will get to win a special prize! I’m super stoked — this is my biggest giveaway yet!!

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Giveaways always make me happy and excited, but my recent TJ Maxx giveaway
had this bella feeling over the moon. It wasn’t easy, but I chose one Chicago fashion expert to go shopping with me, and school me in all things related to being chic in cold weather.

The winner — Nikia of ChiTown Fashionista declared herself an expert in cold weather chic. And as soon as we met at the TJ Maxx on Fullerton here in the Chi, I realized — I was in good hands. Nikia knows what’s what! Our first stop — scarves and accessories.

Animal prints and multicolored scarves FTW – I totally bought that striped scarf, and I also managed to find a snakeskin print in brown with gold metallic that adds such richness to my earth toned ensembles. Loving it!

What did I learn from this shopping excursion?
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The weather outside is frightful. No, I’m not referencing a holiday song — just stating the facts! It’ll take quite a bit to get me out on the streets of Chicago as winter edges closer. But the prospect of fly new seasonal gear will do it every time!

I’ve been researching some of the season’s hottest trends for you and reviewing some hidden garment-producing gems — so allow me to share my cold-weather-must-haves!

#1 – Leggings, Jeggings, Treggings

It took me a LONG time to come around to the leggings trend. But now that I’m here and I feel comfortable working it, I don’t know what took me so long!

I love the look of a cute sweater dress, leggings, and knee high boots. But I’m very particular about the kind of leggings I want to wear.
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Y’all already know — I’ve been rocking the red pump for a while now! The Red Pump Project, a charitable organization led by my friends Luvvie of Awesomely Luvvie and Karyn of The Fabulous Giver, does everything it can to ensure that women are empowered with knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the issues surrounding it. When I first moved to Chicago, the Red Pump Project threw me one helluva welcome party. And now, in honor of World AIDS Day, we’re having yet another fabulous event on December 2nd, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Chicago bellas and fellas, please join me for Say RED…Cocktails and Conversation. Ladies, wear your red shoes, fellas, rock your red ties. We’re going to enjoy the sushi and ambiance at Ai Sushi Restaurant & Lounge, and raise funds for local AIDS charities with fabulous gift bags and a silent auction. There’ll be $5 martinis ALL night, $4 sushi until 7 p.m. Items up for grabs include an incredible skin care package from MAC cosmetics, amazing handmade bracelets by esteemed AIDS activist Rae Lewis Thornton, beautiful jewelry by Pretty Afrika, and a registration to Blogging While Brown.

(We’re still looking for fabulous items to be raffled, so if you’d like to donate an item please e mail me at bella@afrobella.com ASAP!)

Click here to RSVP, and I sure hope to see you on December 2!

It’s something we should do every day of the year, but somewhere in the hustle and bustle of life you can lose sight of the important things.

To me, Thanksgiving isn’t about religion. It isn’t about food (although I’m seriously looking forward to the turkey and cranberry sauce to come later today). It isn’t about shopping (although I’m probably gonna do some of that tomorrow myself!) It isn’t about history — I’ve only been living in America and celebrating this tradition for the past eleven years. But still I love this holiday tradition as though I’d grown up with it my whole life.

Thanksgiving is about family, love, and counting your blessings. It doesn’t even matter what you believe in (I’m still known as “the heathen” by some members of my family, for the record) — it’s just about appreciating where you are in life.

The sisters at Mahogany Butterfly asked me, and a group of esteemed bloggers, what we were most thankful for this Thanksgiving. Click here to read our answers. Here’s mine:

“I am thankful for all of the love in my life. I am surrounded by love – from my husband, my family in Trinidad, his family here in America, my Afrobella readers around the world. Without all of this love and support and positivity, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. So much has happened in 2009 – I quit my job, traveled all over the place, moved to Chicago, experienced my first New York Fashion Week…and love guided me through it all. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the love I have received, and thankful that I have so much love to give.”

So that’s my answer. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving, bellas?

Here’s a song that never fails to inspire that feeling of gratitude in my heart. A Bob Marley classic from the early days of the Wailers.

Thank you Lord for what you’ve done for me. Thank you Lord, for what you’re doing now. Thank you Lord, for every little thing.

Enjoy!