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. Hair Care for Little Afrobellas
2. Stylin’ Little Afrobellas
3. Afrobellas of the Week: Sweet Honey In The Rock, A capella Afrobellas

A while back I was contacted by the folks at WowOWow.com with a specific beauty question. What is the biggest beauty mistake the over-40-year-old woman makes?

I just turned 30, so my own style identity is evolving from twenty-something, I-still-see-clothes-I-like-in-the-juniors-section sneakers-and-jeans-to-every-occasion into something more toned down and true to my life experience. So how could I answer this question? I spoke to all the women in my life who are over 40, before formulating a response. Click here to read my answer. I think I did them all proud.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love clothes. I love shopping, I love pretty things and just because I am full figured doesn’t mean that I’m not a fashionista. So when the Silhouettes blog wanted to interview me about plus size fashion I was SO! EXCITED!

Click here to read my interview which is all about being plus sized my whole life, and the kinds of fashion that we women of size DESERVE.

The Silhouettes Style blog is written by the fabulous Sarah of StyleIt — she is giving me pure LIFE and so much fashion inspiration with her On the Plus Size feature. Two snaps in a circle for Sarah, and for Silhouettes!

As a strong believe in blog sister love, it was an honor and joy to interview Curly Nikki recently. And it was wonderful to be interviewed back! Curly Nikki recently featured yours truly on her blog, in an interview all about natural hair, my current favorite products, and what the future holds for me. Click here to read it, and click here to support Curly Nikki’s next big move — she’s blogging for Tyra, y’all!

Writing is my main avenue of expression, but of late I’ve been seriously missing being a contributor to radio programs. RIP News and Notes! There still isn’t another program that fills the void. Lately I’ve been lucky enough to participate in some awesome radio interviews.

It began with a special AOL Black Voices podcast on Good Hair. It was fascinating to hear our varied perspectives, and I look forward to participating in future AOL Black Voices podcasts!

The Good Hair discussion continued when I was asked to be on one of my favorite radio programs — Cocoa Mode with Shawna Renee. And even better, the other guest on the show was my girl Deanna Sutton from Clutch! It was a great show and I’m happy to be part of the extended Cocoa Mode family. Call me anytime, Shawna!

And just last night I was honored to be a guest on Womanist Musings on Blog Talk Radio. Wanna hear the show? Click here to listen to the broadcast, which featured myself, the bloggers of Womanist Musings, and professional stylist Shaha, who blogs at Natty Locs by Shaha. Show these bellas some love!

2009 has been a brilliant and blessed year. I can’t wait to see what 2010 brings!

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1. Afrobella on BAP Living Radio!
2. Afrobella On Your Radio!
3. Throwback Jam of the Day: Jonell featuring Method Man – Round and Round

If you visited Newsweek.com’s Human Condition blog today, you may have been greeted by this beautiful photo of two bright eyed, big haired girls. Those adorable little afrobellas are my nieces. Dominique and Isabella! And the article was my response to the latest rebuttal by Allison Samuels.

Hey response to the bloggers, if you will, was titled We Are All Team Zahara, and reignited ire throughout the blogosphere.

One of my favorite bloggers, Latoya Peterson tackled the Baby Z hair police head on in Jezebel. (LOVING all Latoya’s work over there, BTW).

Post Bourgie cosigned Latoya’s take, and Ta-Nehisi Coates took on the topic for The Atlantic.

Then Newsweek invited some bloggers to respond on their site.

Tami of What Tami Said wrote Natural Hair Is Not Unhealthy.

Author Roslyn Holcolmb who blogs at Stormcrow wrote Hair Don’ts Hold Us Back.

Nichelle of 55 Secret Street wrote Its Time To Fully Embrace Natural Hair.

And now you can click here to read my final thoughts about Zahara’s hair. If you could leave a comment on Newsweek’s site, it’d mean so much to me!

I hope that puts an end to these shenanigans, at least until the next trip to a toy store, where this little girl will emerge held by her mother, and surrounded by bodyguards, gawking onlookers, and photographers by the dozen.

If you’ve got a little girl in your life dealing with similar hair issues as Zahara Jolie Pitt and even Chris Rock’s little girls — struggling with loving their hair in its unfettered state and appreciating their natural beauty — you might want to get them an inspiring book for Christmas. Of course there’s I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, the sometimes controversial Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron, and Happy to Be Nappy by bell hooks. Now you can add I Love My Cotton Candy Hair by Nicole L. Updegraff to the list. The book takes into account the diverse background of a modern interracial family, the hair issues of biracial kids, and ultimately it’s “a story about loving yourself just the way you are.” A message any kid (and most adults) should be able to get behind.

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2. A Little Afro Love
3. Natural Reactions

Bellas, if you’re in Chitown – please come out to the Drugstore Diva Blogger Mixer on Saturday October 10. From 7 to 9:30 p.m., I’ll be sipping cocktails and boogying down alongside my bellas in the blogosphere Lianne the Makeup Girl and Erin Scandalous!

It’s an after party for the prestigious Makeup Show Artists’ Summit. Come on out to the J Bar at the James Hotel Saturday night to hang out with some of your fave beauty bloggers and some of the hottest makeup artists in the biz. — and PLEASE come on up to me and say hello! I’d love to meet you!!

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2. Afrobella of the Month – Amanda Diva
3. Measha Brueggergosman, Rare Opera Diva and Afrobella of the Week

I ended Day 2 with a delicious Indian dinner in the Village with my best friend Jenny. Day 3, we got out early and had breakfast at the Waverly Restaurant, as classic a New York diner as you could want. Bagel all the way? Yes please.

After that I strolled along Sixth Avenue and stumbled across a sneaker store on 6th and Washington — the sign looks like this and I got a sick pair of silver high top Adidas for $35! And I NEEDED them because my feet were absolutely killing me pounding the pavement all over NYC. And I was in flats! Even flats can hurt, especially if they’re trying to be cute flats. Those sneaks were just what the podiatrist would have ordered.

After that I took the subway to Brooklyn — for the first time, by myself. Dun dun dunnnn! But it was generally an uneventful journey, and a friendly Brooklyn native set me straight on my path once I got off the train. On my way to Redress NYC!

I think every full figured fashionista owes herself at least one visit out to this crazy, wonderful, only in NYC boutique. Redress makes for a welcoming, kitschy, edgy, unconventional, great shopping experience. Customers are encouraged to share dressing rooms (which are named after full figured celebs like Mama Cass and Nell Carter). Clothes are arranged by type and size, and I found some excellent items on the dress rack in my size, and much, much larger. There are pants and jackets and shoes and skirts and on this special trunk show day, original garments and inspired remixes by designers from around the country. The crowd was extremely diverse in terms of sizes, ethnicity, sexual orientation, hair color… it was funky and fun and I was loving it! I must’ve tried on twelve dresses and four jackets before I settled on three must-have items — a chic long sleeved black minidress from Silhouettes that will last and look cute into the winter months, a cute peasant style embroidered blouse by Abby Z that is SO up my bohemian alley and I know I’ll wear season after season, and this adorable hooded pinstriped denim dress by Size Queen Clothing. So funky, so cute, so comfortable! LOVE it!

Then there was a fashion show by the designers, which can only be described as very bold.

Yes, those are my oohs and aahs you hear. I loved the first dress and would totally wear it, but some of the more sheer and scandalous outfits made me cheer because of the models. It’s not every day you see a big girl strutting herself in lingerie, in public, to riotous applause. There was so much love in the room!

I loved all the designers — Diesel Femmewear, Cupcakes & Cuddlebunny, and Size Queen. But I was most attracted to Size Queen, and I am mad that leopard hoodie on their site wasn’t among the offerings for sale! Mad, I tell you!

The vibe at Redress was infectously fun, but having spent more than I intended to and stayed longer than I’d planned, it was time to head back to the Village. I felt a wave of tiredness crashing over me and I had THREE parties to attend that night!

There wasn’t even time for a disco nap – I went home, changed into a beautiful concord grape purple with moss green accented dress from Igigi that I’d bought at Chicago’s very own Vive La Femme — MUCH more to come on this fabulous Windy City plus size boutique soon, bellas! Slipped on my matching moss green kitten heels and it was off to the Glam Network party.

Making the decision to sign up with an advertising firm was one of the biggest decisions I made with Afrobella, and I am so glad I made the choice to be with Glam. The people there are truly warm, friendly, good, and I know they’re looking out for me and my site’s best interest — I can say this from years of working with them. So it was wonderful to see old friends and meet new ones, to hang out with the many myriad ad reps, execs, beauty and fashion bloggers who make up the Glam fam. I saw my friends Julieta and Miss Tia Williams (who is always so sweet and SO inspiring to be around), and made some new friends too! If you ever ever get a chance to go to Butter in NYC, GO!!! The risotto balls were little bites of heaven.

After the Glam Party, I went to a truly fabulous dinner, hosted by my friends at Weber Shandwick — some of your favorite beauty bloggers were there too! I got to hang with Julia from All About the Pretty, Daneen from Spoiled Pretty, Nadine Jolie, Erika from Makeup Bag, Paula of Older Girl Beauty, and Jeannine of Beauty Sweet Spot, and I know I’m forgetting a few gorgeous faces from around the table!

After dinner we had to go go go, because we were late late late for the very first beauty blogger bash hosted by the one and only Lianne Farbes, the Makeup Girl and Paul Baranda of Beyond Beauty Basics!

This party was OFF THE CHAIN! Even though I got there too late to meet Ted Gibson (sadness!) SO many beauty bloggers were there — I hung out with my twamigas Heather Park of Seouldiva and Andrea Arterbery of Essence Magazine and her own blog The Glamazons. It was a total blast. The drinks were flowing, the gift bags were heavy, and the party went late — especially for those of us who had early morning obligations to be at the tent. But who cares when you’re having that much fun!

Much thanks and big respect to Lianne and Paul for kicking off what I hope becomes an annual Fashion Week tradition. You better believe I’m gonna be there every year!

On to days 4 and 5, which I’ll combine into one big fab post for you next. What will the end of my Fashion Week adventure bring? A giveaway for you, that’s for starters!

Happy weekend, bellas!!

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2. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Day #2
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I can’t help it – I’m a worrier, not a warrior.

Every year there comes a time (maybe more than one time), when I wonder:

Am I doing the best that I can?
Is my blog still as interesting to other people as it is to me?
Have I fallen off? How can I get back up?
When am I gonna get my life together and write this frickin book already?

Black Weblog Awards Winner - Best Culture Blog

And then the Black Weblog Awards comes around and reassures me – you’re doing alright, Patrice. Maybe better than you thought (but you really need to work on that frickin book)!

This year I was so honored to be nominated, but I honestly didn’t expect to win. So I want to extend my sincere love and gratitude to all of you who took the time out to vote for me. Best Culture Blog THREE years in a row? I must be doing something right.

And I promise you this – Afrobella will only get better!

Some of my friends in the blogosphere won as well, so congratulations and respect to My Brown Baby, Naked With Socks On, Kid Fury, Gangstarr Girl, Mane and Chic, The Fashion Bomb, Black Snob, and Luvvie of Awesomely Luvvie! E hugs all around!

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“Your little girl is an angel most of the time… until you sit her down between your knees to comb her hair. Then it’s tears and squeals and tantrum time.

I first learned about this story via The Root, in Teresa Wiltz’s essay Beauty, The Brush, and Black Girl Pain. I can barely stand to watch this now-infamous YouTube video, that raises more questions than it answers.”

I know this is a topic close to Afrobella readers’ hearts, so I wanted to crosspost a part of what I wrote over at AOL Black Voices. It’s a long post, be forewarned… but I hope it helps more people there than it would here. I imagine many Afrobella readers know the importance of reinforcing their child’s positive self image, regardless of the texture of their hair. On BV, I’ve gotten so many e mails from readers who have put a relaxer in their child’s hair at age 3, 4, 5… it’s heartbreaking.

Please feel free to comment and share your knowledge. Spread the natural hair love, bellas!

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Summertime is in full swing and it’s all about wearing your cutest sandals and letting your fingers and toes do the talking! I love the season, and it’s the perfect time to take risks with your safe, typical mani/pedi. Of course being a bella on a budget, you might be giving yourself a lot of at-home touch-ups. Here’s the hottest trends I’ve seen, and the polishes you need to pull them off!

#1 — Multicolored Nails.

So fun, so cute, so perfect for summer! The multicolored nail trend is very youthful and perfect for those who love to be trendsetters.

Super fly ATL blogger Necole Bitchie’s making it a phenomenon in hot, bright pink and black. How does my Twitter homegirl do it? — with a different color on the ring left hand, and on the pointer finger of the right hand. I had to ask what colors she’s rocking and Necole admitted that she gets her nails done at the salon, but she believes the color is called “Electrick Pink.” The closest match I could find for that name was by my beloved and super-cheap Milani. Check out the reviews on Makeup Alley! Bright neon pink is guaranteed to turn heads. Get yours at CVS.

Necole’s been rocking the pink and black, but recently she switched it up and went zebra on one nail.

I’ve been seeing some great variations of the multicolored nail trend — Erika at Makeup Bag did some lovely red and blue “patriotic nails” over the holiday weekend. So cute! You can alternate two different colors, or you could go all the way with “Skittles nails” as my homegirl Brittany from Clumps of Mascara calls it. You can stay in the same color family or go for the jewel toned brights like Brittany did. Fun, fun, fun!

#2 — Pale and classy

As a little one, I always wondered why my Aunty Gemma always wore the same shimmery white nailpolish all the time. Now that I’m older, I totally get it! Pale nails can be tame enough to wear to work, but they look oh so beautiful on brown skin. Pale toenails with a pair of gold or silver sandals = so sexy.

OPI Bubble Bath is just such a shade — pale, pale pink that brushes on so perfectly the first application around, you’ll swear you had a professional manicure done. Subtle, classy, clean, sexy. Love it! And if you purchase OPI’s Bubble Bath in July or August, you’ll be supporting Look Good…Feel Better, a national public service program that helps women cope with appearance-related changes from cancer treatment. During July and August, OPI will contribute a portion of the proceeds of every bottle of Bubble Bath Nail Lacquer sold, with a minimum contribution of $25,000, to Look Good…Feel Better. Sweet deal, right?

#3 — Glitz and Glamour

I know most of my bellas on a budget hit the drugstore for their nailpolish fix…but every now and then it can be worth it, splurging on a fancy polish that makes you feel like a superstar from the minute you slick it on. I’m talking about putting some essie Limted Edition Love, Beverly Hills xx Nail Colour with 24K Pure Gold in the mix. $16.99 is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to nailpolish. Achoo!

Lancome Le Vernis in Exotique Kiss is a limited edition coral pink with an iridescent gold shimmer that looks so stunningly gorgeous in the sun. $18 a bottle, but you’ll want to wear it again and again to get your money’s worth.

And the bangin’ bronzy gold I’m sporting in this pic is MAC’s Style Warrior in Mercenary. They describe the $11 polish as “frosted blackened bronze,” but I describe it as PURE FIRE. Stunning in the light. Photo doesn’t do it justice.

and trend #4 — DIY Nail Art

I am so not skilled with nailpolish — when I do my nails I do them sloppy and wait till the next shower to peel away the spillage around my fingernails. But more and more of my amigas are trying sweet DIY nail art, and I’m almost inspired to try it myself! The PBG at 52 Flavors frequently wears fabulously bright nail colors with cool diagonals and funky patterns. Homegirl’s got skills! And thanks to nail art pens like those by Sally Hansen, it’s easier than ever to jazz up your hands with some unexpected patterns. Love it!

However you rock your mani/pedi, work it to the fullest! How are you wearing your nails this season, bellas?

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Check out my introduction — ancient info for those of you who’ve been with me on the Afrobella journey for a while, but hopefully new to quite a few. I plan to keep the fire burning here while expanding my range over there. So leave comments, wontcha? Thank you ALL for your love and support!

No related posts.

On my March road trip, I had several missions in mind. On the NYC and DC stops, one of my main missions was to meet my peers in the blogosphere. It’s amazing how well you can get to “know” someone online without even ever laying eyes on them. There’s a tremendous concentration of amazing bloggers in NYC and DC, many of whom have supported Afrobella since inception. I had to holla at my girls! So I had tweet-ups and meet-ups with some of the folks I’ve gotten to know the best online.

In NYC from left to right, that’s my Twitter homegirl Bennsu, SeoulMusic singer Heather Park, Nichelle of 55 Secret Street, Anovelista and Revenge of the Curves (how does she do it all?) and young writer Amber J Adams, who once wrote in an Ask Afrobella question that I honestly struggled to answer. At the time I knew in my heart I was about to leave my job for uncertain territory, but I couldn’t declare that to the world just yet!

After the first batch of NYC peeps came through, I was lucky enough to briefly meet Tayari Jones – author extraordinare and habitual dropper of Twitter wisdom. Regrettably we didn’t get a photo together, and the venue I chose was waaaayyy too crowded and loud for conversation. My next tweet up will be much better, promise!

Photo #2 is of the fly, fly Renae Bluitt of In Her Shoes, and the beautiful blogger formerly known as SoulSpin (PLEASE remind me of your name again?) who has been showing me love since 2006. I gotta admit, by this point I was well tipsy from endless lychee martinis.

In Harlem I was lucky enough to sip delicious cocktails at Perks bar with the awesomeness that is Huny Young and Ann Marie of SoulAfrodisiac, who is the sweetest chica ever! We’re gonna do dinner again next time I visit NYC for sure!

In DC I was hoping to meet the whole Soulbounce crew, but Butta and I couldn’t get our schedules together. Lucky me, I did get to hang with Novamatic, one of the whip-smartest music bloggers I know. SUCH a cool dude. Sitting right next to me is the lovely Vivrant_Thang, creator of the brilliant Songs in the Key of Life. SUCH a sweetheart! Over in the corner is the gorgeous Style Child, and the creator of On.UsTees, mad cool peeps. I know I’m forgetting someone’s name here… please set me straight if I forgot to mention you or link your blog!

Also in that photo are my DC homies who so kindly let us crash at their pad, Natalia — who is about to be the best lawyer in DC, watch! And my homeboy for life, Brian AKA DJ Busca. If you’re into roots reggae and you live in DC, look him up and find out when next he’s spinning. He’s regularly at the Reef and The Science Club. You will NOT be disappointed.

I capped off my East coast award tour with tapas with the glorious Julia of All About the Pretty. And I can honestly say we clicked, bonded and then some. I learned so much over cocktails and delicious eats with my fellow Glamour magazine VIP beauty blog buddy, it’s not even funny. SO happy I did this trip, and SO happy all of the folks I mentioned made time for little ol’ me!

And that’s it for my first ever Afrobella meet and greets along the East Coast. Next time around I plan to announce my events ahead of time, so I can meet even more friends I’ve made online — like you! Did someone say Chicago tweet up? Coming soon! Promise!

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