But last weekend was truly awesome. Last Monday was my birthday weekend. And my friends at Dove Visibly Smooth helped me celebrate! To help promote their amazing hair-growth-reducing deodorant, some of your favorite beauty bloggers have been invited to host Dove Visibly Smooth Girls’ Night Out events — click here to read about The Beauty Bunny, Clumps of Mascara, and This That Beauty’s Girls’ Night Out events in their cities.

I wanted to do something a bit different, since it was my birthday weekend. So instead of doing dinner or a lounge, I decided to invite some of my best blogger friends for a Girls’ Afternoon Out instead – at Allyu Spa, one of my aforementioned favorite spas in Chicago!

And here we are! From left to right:

Nikia of ChiTown Fashionista.
Aramide of The Sassy Peach.
Rae Lewis Thornton of RaeLewisThornton.com, a Diva Living with AIDS.
Brittany of Black is Breezie.
Karyn of The Fab Giver and The Red Pump Project.
Luvvie of Awesomely Luvvie, Luvv Divine, The Red Pump Project and prolly like 6 other random blogs LOL
me!
Jessica of Beauty Woo Me
and Courtney of Coco Cooks.

Allyu Spa arranged a beautiful room for us to hang out in, and we went in groups of three to get our manicures done.

Courtney is a food blogger extraordinare, and she advised me on what kind of spread to get with the ladies — fresh, delicious red grapes, strawberries, quince jam, pita chips to go with baba ganoush, and two different kinds of hummus. And to wash it all down, some large bottles of sparkling wine were in order!

So, the manicures. Many of us went with the “Blackberry bling” trend and had an accent nail on the fourth finger and thumb. I decided to go with two similar colors, but I really thought there’d be more of a contrast.

I used MAC’s latest matte – Studded – on my thumb and fourth finger. Click here to check out Karlasugar’s detailed post. It’s a matte pearl, very finely flecked gunmetal silver. I am gonna have to try this polish again on its own. My manicurist and I didn’t quite get that this was meant to be merely matte, and the addition of top coat made Studded shiny silver, but also brought out the black flecks in the polish.

On my other nails I used Orly’s latest Foil FX polish in Shine. These polishes are high shine foil finishes, and I have gotten SO many compliments on my nails since I got this mani! “Is that Minx?” someone asked me. No, it’s Orly FX, $7.50 a bottle! Haaaaayyyyy! Here’s an awful cellphone pic of the nails side by side for comparison.

Sorry about the awful photo – my camera’s been having battery issues!

Although I kept within the metallic family, I kept a close eye on the polishes my homegirls were getting! Allyu Spa uses Zoya polishes, and most everyone wound up using a purple polish! (Zoya has some GORGEOUS ones!)

Much love to Allyu Spa, my Chicago blogger friends, and Dove Visibly Smooth for the most fabulous pre-birthday manicure party ever!

Related posts:

1. My Monday Manicure — Hard Candy Sweet P
2. What’s a Piticure?
3. Nails of the Season

Today is National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. One year ago, Karyn and Luvvie founded The Red Pump Project — an enthusiastic non profit organization which has tirelessly worked to raise awareness both online, and with a series of awesome events around the country. Today marks the celebration of the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign — where fellow bloggers are encouraged to be part of the movement and show solidarity by featuring a Red Pump badge on their blog. And to write about what National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day means to them.

When I look at the statistics of women and girls with HIV/AIDS, it terrifies me. And when I look at the women and girls who seem to live their lives completely ignorant to the ongoing threat of HIV/AIDS, it astounds me.

Every 35 minutes, a woman tests positive for HIV in the United States.

Black women make up 66% of all new diagnoses of HIV in women.

These are statistics that should resonate with anyone who’s reading this. So how can you support the cause, and do your part to raise awareness?

If you’re a blogger, you too can participate in the 500 in 50: Rock the Red Pump campaign – it’s not too late!

You can become a Red Pump Ambassador and help to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in your own community.

You can seek out local HIV/AIDS charities in your neighborhood and offer to volunteer time, money, or supplies.

Or at the very least you can wear your favorite pair of red shoes today, to show your solidarity with the movement.

I am so proud to be a part of this cause, and the Red Pump Project is becoming bigger than ever, y’all. Just this morning Luvvie and Karyn appeared on NBC here in Chicago!

And I sincerely hope to see many of you come out wearing your flyest pair of red shoes on Thursday March 25, for the Rock the Red Bold Fashion Awareness event. Click here to buy tickets. There will be cocktails, fierce fashion, and some of your favorite bloggers in attendance. Please come out for this amazing cause!

So. Are you rocking red pumps today? Tell me if you are!

Related posts:

1. 500 in 50 – Red Pump Project, Let’s GO!
2. Rock The Red!
3. Rockin’ the Red Pump

Friends in Chicago, the weather may be chilly and the streets may still be slushy — but I hope you’re still going out and about despite it all. Because on February 21, I’d love to meet you at a truly delicious event! My friend Courtney of the awesome food blog CocoCooks is part of a worldwide event called Stir It 28: Food Bloggers Align for Haiti Relief – a blogger based fundraising effort to bring money to Haiti. From February 1st through the 28th, food bloggers are coming together to raise funds for Share Our Strength and Yele. The event is a result of the efforts of Courtney and her fellow food bloggers Bren Herrera, chef and author of Flanboyant Eats, and Chrystal Baker of The Duo Dishes.

Click here for event details.

Food fundraising events will be taking place on Sunday, February 21st in participating cities – that includes Atlanta, Washington DC, Los Angeles, New York City, and sweet home Chicago. Come by on Sunday February 21, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Three Peas Art Lounge. Tickets cost $30 in advance, $35 at the door, and Share Our Strength and Yele. Visit Coco Cooks to buy a ticket to your local event!

Related posts:

1. Help Haiti Through Hair Products
2. Send Help To Haiti
3. June 20, Save The Date!

Luvvie is hilarious, but she is also very dedicated to the cause of AIDS awareness. Together with her equally fantawesome cofounder Karyn The Fabulous Giver, they’re trying to take The Red Pump Project to a whole ‘nother level.

And you can help!

500 in 50 is an initiative where bloggers can show recognition for March 10, National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day.

“Leading up to March 10th, we’re asking bloggers to “Rock the Red Pump” widget on their sidebars to represent the strength and courage of women fighting HIV/AIDS or affected by the disease both directly and indirectly. Then on NWGHAAD, we would like you to embed the Red Pump Widget within a post with a short snippet of its significance, including some statistics about HIV/AIDS and its effect on women and girls.

Also, your blog will be linked on a post that will run on the following pages: The Red Pump homepage, Awesomely Luvvie and The Fabulous Giver on that day.”

So right now I’m telling you all about 500 in 50. This weekend I’m going to post a widget myself and be part of the movement! Want to join us and help to raise awareness? Click here to read more, and then send an email to rocktheredpump@theredpumpproject.com to get a widget of your own!

Related posts:

1. Red Pump Recap
2. Are You Rocking Red Pumps Today?
3. Rock The Red!

I can be astoundingly picky when it comes to photographs of myself. I. Love. This. Photo. It was taken by amazing photographer Dan Chen, for an upcoming project that I am SUPER excited about (but can’t share with y’all just yet, but I can’t wait to tell you about!)

BTW, I mentioned this fabulous top when I mentioned my Silhouettes blogger boutique — do you like it? If you do, click here to buy it, and click here to check out my blogger boutique!

Today I am honored and excited to share an interview I did with Renae of In Her Shoes. We touched on everything from the best advice my mother ever gave me, to an average day in my life, to my thoughts on life in Chicago. Click here to read it. And if you’re not savvy to In Her Shoes yet, click here to read this amazing, inspiring blog. And click here to follow Renae on Twitter! She is a GREAT person I am delighted to know.

Thank you SO much for the opportunity, Renae! I hope you like my interview, bellas!

Related posts:

1. Afrobella’s Silhouettes Blogger Boutique!
2. Even More Tips to Stay Fly on The Cheap
3. Summer Shoes!

So when I learned that Purple Lab is seeking models to show off their awesome new products on HSN, I knew I had to share this news with my bellas! Karen may be teeny tiny but she makes BIG things happen, so this could be an awesome opportunity for one of you!

Click here to learn how YOU can be a Purple Lab star on HSN. If you win, you’ll be on the air modeling their lovely, sheer gloss infused with Hoodia — Huge Lips, Skinny Hips (which you see me wearing here in Lychee Martini), and five new products. I’m most excited about Lashionista Modelista — mascara made with DIAMOND DUST? I NEED that in my LIFE!

Click here to enter! I hope to see one of my bellas on HSN on February 18, 2010! Best of luck!!

Related posts:

1. Purple Lab’s Glorious Gloss
2. Purple Lab Giveaway Winners!
3. Pretty in Purple

We had a fabulous turnout — at the peak of the evening during the silent auction, it’s estimated we had 50 bellas and fellas in the house! And everyone looked fly in their red shoes and red ties!

I’d like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the sponsors who so generously donated to such a worthy cause. My friends at MAC Cosmetics, Blogging While Brown, Rae Lewis Thornton’s RLT Collection, Valana Minerals, Fusion of Color cosmetics, Purus Cosmetics, and Pretty Afrika jewelry — thanks to you we were able to have a successful silent auction and support the folks at Project VIDA. You ROCK! And thanks to the Red Pump Project for welcoming me into your family – I love what you do and I am honored to give you my continual support.

Thanks to everyone who came out and showed love, it was a real pleasure. And I can’t wait to see you at the next Red Pump Project event! 2010, doing it big!

Related posts:

1. Chicago! Come for Cocktails and Conversation!
2. 500 in 50 – Red Pump Project, Let’s GO!
3. Rock The Red!

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?

– how to easily tie a scarf
– the kind of thickness I need to look for, when scarf or sweater shopping. Have you noticed how thin ladies’ winter sweaters are, compared with men’s? It’s possible to combine both warmth and style, designers!
– the joys of sweater coats
– and finally, if you see an item that looks like the sort of thing your mom would be mad at you for if you didn’t buy it…buy it. Nikia talked me into getting this gorgeous black and white houndstooth coat which seemed kind of not me at first, but has managed to become a wardrobe essential in no time flat.

Here are Nikia’s final purchases!

I lobbied heavily for the “It Is What It Is” sign. If I was still working in an office, I’d be putting that up on my desk too!

So yeah – there was a segment of the video with me in it as well, but it was long, I didn’t love my look, and I’m going to share my finds with you in upcoming outfit posts. For now I’ll just say — don’t close your eyes to classic patterns. That houndstooth coat is a winner and I never would have guessed it, if I didn’t try it on!

Thanks to Nikia and to TJ Maxx for their generosity and inspiration. Stay tuned for my next giveaway, bellas. It’s gonna blow you away!

Related posts:

1. Wanted: Chicago’s Most Chic and Curvy Maxxinista!
2. Who Won the TJ Maxx Giveaway?
3. Getting What You Want (For Less)

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!

Related posts:

1. Red Pump Recap
2. 500 in 50 – Red Pump Project, Let’s GO!
3. Saying Thanks, Giving Back

Isn’t she lovely?

The beaming bella you see above is my homegirl Andrea — brilliant blogger of Fly, creator of awesome natural hair You Tube videos, and now creator of unique art that you can proudly adorn your walls with.

These prints are available to you at Andrea’s online store for the I Love My Hair project! This all began as a project for her thesis class, as Andrea herself explains in this post.

I love learning about the artistic process, and Andrea remains a continual inspiration. Her prints range from $25 to $30, and would make a fabulous gift for any Afrobella in your life during this holiday season (don’tcha think?)

Click here to get yours!

Related posts:

1. Gifts For Afrobellas
2. Hair Care for Little Afrobellas
3. Stylin’ Little Afrobellas