If you’re a blogger who’s serious about advancing your craft, who’s interested in networking and being part of the greater community of bloggers, then you should definitely be going to conferences. There are blogger conferences for every niche of the internet. I’ve been to more than a few in my time, and there’s one that I really make an effort to make it to every year. That would be Blogging While Brown.

What I love about Blogging While Brown is the camaraderie and the community. So many of us came up alongside each other and we hardly ever get to be in the same room together. So many of us are at varying stages of being a blogger, and have much to learn from each other. And despite the disparity of the topics we blog about, we bond over our shared experiences. To me, Blogging While Brown has the feel of a family reunion. And I can’t wait to be reunited on June 1!  I’m speaking on an awesome panel presented by BlogHer! Some of my best friends in the blogosphere will be there! AND I’m hosting the Saturday night afterparty!

Wanna come with me? No…seriously. Do you?

Shamon!! It’s the EDEN BodyWorks & Afrobella Blogging While Brown Scholarship Giveaway (in case you somehow missed my title above)!

The beautiful people at EDEN BodyWorks are partnering with me and Blogging While Brown to offer one lucky New York based blogger the opportunity to attend the conference this year!!!

What do you win?

– (1) NYC blogger’s attendance to the conference covering transportation to/from NYC to Philly, hotel for two nights, and ground transportation. 

What do you have to do?

Click right here to read the official rules and enter, and tell us about your blog, including a link to your best post. Then tell us why YOU deserve to attend Blogging While Brown. Oh and PLEASE NOTE – I am NOT judging this contest! I know far too many fabulous New York based bloggers to be able to choose. The folks at EDEN will help to make the call! I’m just your hostess with the mostest

How do you enter one more time? Click right here to enter your info!! This contest ends May 23. And whoever the lucky winner is, I’ll be seeing you in Philly!!

Good luck!!

As the founders of one of the most popular curly hair brands on the market, Miko and Titi Branch aren’t just co-CEOs, they’re ambassadors for their family’s heritage and hair icons to naturalistas around the world!

When these stunning sisters make appearances, thousands of eager fans show up to hear their story as they grew from sister entrepreneurs to co-CEO’s of Miss Jessie’s, purveyor of some of the most popular natural products on the market, and to learn more about their role in the natural hair movement. On May 6th from 1 to 6 pm, Miko and Titi will be back in Chicago to do just that at the Chicago Natural Beauty Expo.  “We got such a warm welcome from Chicago last year that we really wanted to come back and this event was a perfect fit,” says Titi.

The Chicago Natural Beauty Expo will be co-hosted by Chicago’s own natural beauty blogger and makeup artist Rachel O and  Jacqueline Tarrant (Author and Editor of “Ask Jacqueline” in Sophisticate’s Black Hair) will be on hand to share her wit and wisdom. And besides all of that, there’ll be a spring fashion show, local vendors and complimentary Miss Jessie’s goodie bags! The whole shebang will be hosted by King MC and the tunes will be provided by DJ Cruize Control.

It’s all going down on May 6 at the Zhou B Arts Center on, May 6^th from 1-6pm. You can pre-register for the event at www.chicagonaturals.net. Discounted tickets are $10 from now through May 1, so you might wanna go ahead and buy those today!

Sponsored by Miss Jessie’s

A few weeks back I attended a lovely brunch at the W Hotel on Lakeshore Drive. Hosted by Eden BodyWorks to launch the new Jojoba Monoi line (which I LOVE), a truly incredible and inspiring group of Chicago women came together for the occasion!

Many of my favorite people were there, my amigas Luvvie, Aramide of The Sassy Peach, Renisha of Renewed Fitness, Mitzi Miller of Jet Magazine, Raijean of SwaRai Blog, Bree of The Mane Source and Nikki of Nikki and the City, PR superstars Renae of Crush Media and In Her Shoes blog, and Ylorie, the VP of Marketing for Eden BodyWorks.

Love Ylorie! The homie Chuck Olu-Alabi was there to take amazing photos, which he does so well (check out his Etsy shop)! I made new friends, like Autumn of chic Chicago boutique Sir and Madame, the lovely Trizonna McClendon, the ladies of Mhe Magazine and @LoveYourNaps on Twitter, who’s a sweetheart. AND fellow natural hair blogger CharyJay who I’ve been DYING to meet! And so many other beautiful, professional ladies at the table.

With mimosas flowing, we gathered to hear the wise words of Los Angeles based trichologist, cosmetologist, and owner of the Mahogany Hair Salon, Dr. Kari Williams. I’d been wanting to meet Dr. Kari FOREVER, as she is an amazing, knowledgeable woman and we have many mutual friends in common!  Here I am sitting next to her right before the took center stage!

Dr. Kari has been touring the country to promote Eden Body Works’ new Jojoba Monoi product line, and to impart very necessary information about scalp health. I learned QUITE a bit, just sitting there and drinking in her wisdom (along with fabu mimosas). Here are some of the things I learned from Dr. Kari at the Eden Body Works brunch!

– You know how sometimes you ask someone what products they use in their hair and they’re like “oh whatever a little of this and a little of that?” Yeah, that’s not the best method. Dr. Kari believes it is best to have a product regimen, including shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, a lubricant and a styling product. She says staying within a specific product line is best because the product line has been made specifically to work together.

– Dr. Kari believes in washing hair at least once a week, for those with active lifestyles, more than once. She recommends deep conditioning with heat or a steamer on a regular basis, especially for natural hair.

– Lubrication and oil are important to our hair care. After conditioning, many oil the scalp or use grease, but grease just plasters the flakes from your scalp back down. Dr. Kari recommends using a light oil on the scalp but a heavier oil on the ends.

– When you think of moisturizing hair, think WATER. Ingredients in your hair products should include water in the top five ingredients, and then oil.

– Jojoba oil is also antibacterial, and contains Vitamin E.

– For caring for locs, Dr. Kari recommends hot oil treatments, no heavy creams, and you should rinse lightly. Locs hold on to energy. Love them gently, treat them with care.

– Too much protein treatment or in the products used can lead to dryness and breakage.

– You know how some people like to leave conditioner in super long, like overnight sometimes? And not follow the instructions on the bottle? Dr. Kari has seen some disasters because of that folly. “There is no need to sleep with conditioner, it can lead to dermatitis. Same with hot oil. It can lead to inflammation and burning of the scalp.”

– Shampoo is your friend. “A lot of women with curlier hair avoid shampoo because they think it will dry the hair, however it removes dirt and buildup on the hair and scalp. Dr. Kari is a fan of co-washing but says you should use shampoo once a week.

During the Eden Body Works event Dr. Kari presented an alternate way to use the Jojoba Monoi product line that has been a complete revelation to me. She suggested using the whole product line but switching the order of things around to use the Jojoba Monoi Revitalizing Conditioner as a pre-poo, and then use shampoo, deep conditioner, hair milk, and oil in that order. My hair absolutely LOVES this order of things. It makes a difference for me in terms of moisture and reducing frizz. LOVE. I need to take a pic to show y’all!

Meeting Dr. Kari and hearing her words of wisdom was a great experience – she regularly contributes to Natural Chica’s blog so you can check her out there. Thanks to Eden for an amazing time and such great products!

What are your biggest scalp issues? Would you visit a trichologist? I think I need to make an appointment!

It’s officially spring in Chicago, even though some days feel like it more than others! Schizophrenic weather aside, tis the season for vibrant colors, maxi skirts, and sandal season is almost here! I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair, and last Saturday I headed out to the new and improved Bakers Shoes on State Street in Chicago, to check out the new store and the new styles!

The grand re-opening of Bakers Shoes newly revamped State Street location was hosted by my dear friend and frequent stylist Aramide Esubi of The Sassy Peach! Love her and I was so proud and happy she got tapped for this event. She was the PERFECT hostess for the bloggers who attended and the customers who needed her stylish help!

Bakers has some super cute new sandals on deck — afforable, on -trend, colorful, fun and vegan! I chose the Autumn sandals in ORANGE and look!

They matched my cardigan so perfectly, I wanted to wear them out the store! (You’ll learn more about this cardigan in an upcoming post!)

Bakers is all about super vibrant colors, and colorblocking. Saw some amazing choices in store!

Bakers is also home to the H by Halston collection — these shoes and tote are from there.

Bakers also has super cute clutches now! Love the range of shades!

And a killer accessories section. Some of the earrings were a little too Basketball Wives for me, but they did have some cool stuff too!

All of the coolest shopgirls were rocking this fringed necklace. But I couldn’t decide between that and this one that has a rough-hewn druzy look to it.

(Spoiler alert, I bought them both)!

I had a blast at the event — and so did Luvvie! Check out her post on Must Luvv Shoes. Thanks for inviting us, Aramide!

We love you

And tomorrow — Saturday the 14th — all day long! Bakers will officially be celebrating their reopening on State Street — stop by to meet The Sassy Peach and some of your favorite Chicago bloggers! It’s gonna be a party! Stop by the store for fun, music, make-up & beauty tips from Paul Mitchell, giveaways and more. And the first 100 customers get a free tote with purchase!

You can visit The Sassy Peach at her official site, and click here to follow her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter!

Click here to visit BakersShoes.com, click here to follow them on Facebook and click here for their Twitter.

See any shoes you LOVE?

Recently I was lucky enough to go to Chicago’s glorious Oriental Theater to see Fela! the acclaimed Broadway musical about the life of late, great legendary Nigerian musician, activist, celebrity and larger than life personality, Fela Kuti.

The musical is currently in Chicago until April 15, and I HIGHLY suggest you go see it while you can, before the cast moves on to Boston, Baltimore, Houston and St Paul. Click here to get your tickets, and use the code AFROBEAT to get 30% off!

I’ve been familiar with Fela Kuti for many years now – I’ve enjoyed his music and I’m aware that he created the musical genre, afrobeat. But I didn’t have the privilege of seeing Fela perform live. I didn’t know the true, glorious, booty-shaking, thought provoking, soul stirring level of musical performance that Fela Kuti was able to deliver to his fans around the world. Until I saw the Broadway reproduction.

After seeing the play I felt moved and at a loss for words. I felt like I’d just had an experience that I needed to share with the world, like some kind of town crier. I couldn’t express what I loved the most – the incredible music, the costumes and makeup, the dancing, the plot….all of it simmered together in the most delicious cultural stew. 

I came home and posted on my Afrobella Facebook wall, Fela was EVERYTHING. And then someone on my Facebook page then asked – Bella, who is Fela?

That bummed me out a bit, for two reasons.

#1 – this is what Google is for! Google is your friend. Don’t be afraid to inform yourself first. The same amount of time it takes to ask that question, could be spent simply looking it up. Educate thyself and be FREE. Knowledge is power!

#2 – More people need to know who Fela Kuti is. He was a creator of music, a voice of courageous political dissent, and a champion for culture, knowledge and freedom.  For a great perspective on his life and how this Broadway production came to be, read Luvvie’s piece on Ebony.com.

And if you’ve not only never heard of Fela but never heard Fela’s music – check out two of my favorites. Water No Get Enemy is on one of Fela’s most celebrated albums – click to read the title and the explanation of that! This is Fela’s version.

And here’s what you’ll see if you go to see Fela! on Broadway.

“Water No Get Enemy” from FELA! Original Broadway Cast Recording from Fela Kuti on Vimeo.

That video gives you just a taste of the theatrical experience. It was PHENOMENAL.

I was lucky enough to get to see the play after meeting Fela Kuti’s muse, Sandra Izsadore – here we are in her hotel room!

Sandra is an incredible woman and it’s easy to see why Fela cared for her, and why she influenced him so greatly. She’s an incredibly thoughtful, self aware, politically and socially conscious woman with so much knowledge to impart! It was truly an honor to get to know her. And then to see her being depicted on stage – incredible! Thank you, Sandra!

Fela! is a theatrical experience unlike anything I’ve seen. The music moves you to dance – and at points in the show, audience participation is a must! The dancing is sensual, incredible, inspiring. The voices in this production were so vibrant and had such range – Melanie Marshall’s voice is a force of nature. I fell head over heels for the costumes, hair, and makeup worn by Fela’s Queens. See the look in this photo via the New York Times. 

Click here to see what the real queens looked like.

The makeup was designed by legendary Broadway and stage hair and makeup designer Cookie Jordan, who went into detail about the intricacies of wig making and makeup in a phone interview I had with her this week.

“The wigs are quite valuable, $30,000 worth of wigs are on the stage. Each wig is custom made for the actresses. All Broadway wigs are custom made,” she explained. “The Queens wore white dots of acrylic paint, they used lipstick as blush. And these dancers sweat, so you need a product that lasts.” Most of the makeup used for Fela! is by MAC. “The visuals of the show are so incredible, and you’re struck by the difference of the beauty. It’s a different aesthetic. These women, the Queens, are the heart of the play. They encourage women who come to see the play to embrace themselves and their own beauty. Many of the actresses began to go natural, after working on Fela!”

I could totally understand why. The play holds that much power. After seeing Fela, I wanted to dance, to sing, to frolic in the streets and tell everyone I saw to GO SEE IT. But I didn’t do that. Instead I wrote a blog post, and I’m telling you! GO SEE IT!

Fela is currently in Chicago until April 15, 2012.After that it moves on to:

Boston MA – Cutler Majestic Theatre – April 24-May 6, 2012

Baltimore, MD – Gilliam Concert Hall – May 15-May 20, 2012

Houston, TX – Jones Hall – June 5-June 10, 2012

St. Paul, MN – Ordway Center for Performing Arts – June 12-June 17, 2012

Click here to get your tickets!

Thanks to Jada Russell of  HighStyle Marketing and to Sandra Izsadore for taking such great care to make sure I could experience the magic and majesty of Fela – withoutyou both, it wouldn’t have happened.

I’m pretty sure I know which shoes I’m rocking. I’m still trying to figure out the dress. And I only have a few more days to prepare. This Saturday is the third annual Red Pump Project fashion show, and yours truly will be rockin’ the red along with some of the best bloggers and most beautiful, socially conscious women in the city!!

The show takes place Saturday March 24 from 6 to 9 pm and the designers include some of Chicago’s finest! Khojo Dresses, CLEONS Clothing Company, Borris Powell Designs, StudioAlade, Shavonne Dorsey, and GOCA will all be displaying their designs, and the accessories will include hot leather bags by MOTO and jewels from D’Haute Jewelry.

Kim Coles is flying in from Los Angeles just to host! If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, keep calm and click here! See you Saturday night!

If you’re curvy and fabulous, you already know – fashion made to fit and flatter can be hard to find under the best of circumstances. It’s hard to find the right outfit for a job interview. It’s hard to find a super cute dress for a party or fashion show. It’s even harder to find a wedding dress. So imagine if you’re plus sized and trying to find THE PERFECT dress for the Academy Awards red carpet.

There’s a reason your favorite plus sized actresses can typically be relied upon to go between a few well known designers – that’s because Tadashi Shoji, Marina Rinaldi and Carmen Marc Valvo are in an extremely rarified group of high end designers who are known for catering to a curvy clientele. This is why you’ll notice most plus sized celebs vacillate between those designers – lo and behold, Melissa McCarthy wore a Marina Rinaldi dress she co-designed, and Octavia Spencer wore Tadashi. Both of them played it pretty safe with their color choices.

And that’s because the pressure to look slender in photos and on camera is ratcheted up to crazymaking level in their line of work.  While there I literally heard a friend say, “I’m sorry – size 6 is plus sized in Hollywood. It just IS.” When you’re already over a size 12, those are unfortunate words to hear.

When it came time for yours truly to choose a dress for my first ever Oscar red carpet, I felt lost and uncertain and adrift. I knew I didn’t want to retreat to the safety of basic black, too many plus sized women wind up trying to hide their figures in ebony tents, if you ask me. I knew I wanted to go for BOLD color. I knew I needed a dress with a certain cut – the last thing I need is to feel self-conscious while trying to be my most beautiful for a camera. And I knew I wanted to feel gorgeous. Self confident. Like a princess. Like this.

That is me, feeling good about my dress! What did it take to get me there? Let me TELL you!

My Oscar dress search really began in December. I went about it in a few ways. 

1. I started looking at photos of plus sized women on the red carpet to get an idea of the color and silhouette I could envision myself wearing.

2. I started writing about the quest, reaching out to stylists I knew and respected, and gathering those professional opinions.

3. I started window shopping online and simultaneously reaching out to designers in the hopes of finding a really perfect dress for my first ever red carpet experience.

There were many could’ve been contenders in the running. Apparently the Trinidadian designers weren’t enthusiastic, so I turned my attention stateside.  Through the efforts of the incredible LaRue PR (GREAT people to have in your corner!), we reached out to a few American designers in the hopes of finding the ideal Oscar dress. We got quite a few outright no-we-only-dress-celebrities, some we-don’t-offer-our-evening-gowns-in-THAT-size responses, and some promises that never panned out.

The lovely people at Carmen Marc Valvo sent me an absolutely gorgeous lookbook, but timing conspired against us and things weren’t going to work out by February 26, alas. The designers of plus size brand Queen Grace Collection very generously offered to outfit me. I loved many of the dresses from IGIGI, also. The quest continued on as I worked to find THE Oscar dress.

The generous Kay Unger sent me this absolutely gorgeous sequined dress – which looked so stunning on the non-plus sized model. And this is me, with absolutely no shapewear on.

…and that’s reality. No shapewear, and a camera phone photo my husband took while briefly turning away from the Bulls game. Anyway. I love this dress, but I feel the need to wear shapewear to the max before I rock it. And I DO plan to rock it!

Adrienne Papell sent over a glorious box o’ gowns and I really loved how I felt in them. Here I am in three Adrienne Papell gowns.

The lilac dress had interesting tiers but the top of it felt a bit too mother of the bride, to me. The black dress feels so great on, but didn’t scream OSCAR to me – I’d love to wear it to something more free spirited and funky, jazzed up with accessories and maybe a belt. And the white sequined gown gave me the same must-wear-shapewear dilemma as the Kay Unger dress. Which is to say I like it but I’m not ready to work it just yet.

I was trying on dresses like a mad woman, and the whole time I kept looking on my own. I thought well, if I find the ideal dress at Macy’s or Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue, at least I’ll have a backup. I never found anything I LOVED enough to commit to. And then I got an e mail from an independent designer label from Montclair, NJ, called Sofistafunk, The Skirt Boutique. They sent me photos of their absolutely stunning skirts and dresses. We exchanged several e mails. We Skyped. And then they asked if they could come and meet me in New York during New York Fashion Week and my Curls Unleashed events, to fit me into a gown we discussed and planned out together.

This is me, trying on my Oscar gown for the first time, in my hotel room in New York.

No makeup, no shapewear, in my hotel room with Arlinda the designer, and Blair of Sofistafunk. Love at first try. The first time I tried it on, I was a bit overwhelmed by the petticoat. But when the belt was tied and the shoulder ribbons were in place, I just KNEW. This was THE DRESS.

Sofistafunk also very generously gave me one of their signature skirts, A Gathering, which I wore to the Texture On The Runway event in New York. (I REALLY need to write a recap on that for you all, and I will! Promise). Here I am in that skirt, in my hotel room and then later on at City Winery, under the blacklights.

And with it I’m rockin’ my Afro Wig Clutch (got it on Etsy!) and to the party I wore a sequined tank I got at Nordstrom Rack and earrings by We Dream in Color. I think my husband got me that necklace as a Christmas present some years ago!

Back to the OSCARS. Packing for it proved to be a two suitcase affair, but it was totally worth it. You could see my Sofistafunk dress on the overhead cameras!

Can you see me? I can!

The sheer size of the dress proved to be both a blessing and a curse – the size and color of it made my look very distinctive on the red carpet. Luvvie and I felt like princesses.

I got compliments from men and women ALL night on the dress. The bad part was because of the size restrictions of where we were, it was tough to move around as quickly as I needed to. I would now like to thank the cameramen for not being visibly annoyed by my voluminous dress during the most hectic parts of the red carpet.

SO. What did I wear to the Oscars? Let me break it ALL down once and for all.

Dress was an original by Sofistafunk, similar to their An Affair to Remember dress.

I took a note from Octavia Spencer and also stylist Charles Wade, and wore TWO kinds of shapewear. I wore Bali Powershape Fusion Hi Waist Thigh and the Squeem Perfect Waist. My bra was the 5 way convertible bra by Lane Bryant’s Cacique, specially customized with purple ribbon straps added by Sofistafunk.

I wore sparkly leopard flats by Just Fab. Cute, fun, and perfect for standing and working for 8 or so hours.

My sunglasses were by Robert Verdi for HSN.

My jewelry was all via Max and Chloe – my earrings were by Sophia and Chloe, and the jewels were all green turquoise by Mali Sabatasso.

The makeup was sponsored by Avon,  and I did wear my signature lipglass, All Of My Purple Life.

And I know I wrote about all of this before but…. gotta show the video one last time. The hair – by Felicia Leatherwood. Makeup by Nicole Evans, and video filmed by Krystle Rowry, all blessed with an original song titled Bella, by Kirby Lauryen. Who says it don’t get better?

This is what is called a “fashion turn".”

And what did I think of the fashion I saw on the carpet?

Incredible video courtesy of FGW Productions!

It took months of effort and LOTS of help from my friends to pull all of this together, but YAY for my first ever Oscar dress. Will we be there next year? I HOPE so! Whatever will we wear? Only time will tell, my bellas. Only time will tell.

Stay tuned – the very next post will include something special for YOU from Sofistafunk!

It’s one thing to look at a charitable group from the outside and want to support them because their ambitions seem noble. It’s another to know the founders of that charitable group, to know their hearts and minds and ambitions are truly in the right place, and to support them because you’re a true believer in them and in what they stand for. It’s that knowledge and that belief that led me to The Red Pump Project.

Tomorrow, March 10 2012, is National Women & Girls’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and around the country there will be rallies, panel discussions and testing facilities open to one and all. Online, bloggers are showing their support by rocking the red pump virtually as part of the annual Rock the Red Pump Campaign. If you’ve been reading Afrobella in the past few years then you know, I rock the Red Pump every year. It’s been nothing short of inspiring, watching the campaign grow from strength to strength. Now there are ambassadors and events in major cities throughout the US. Luvvie and Karyn as co-founders have appeared to speak on television and at major AIDS awareness events. And now celebrities are also supporting the cause. Look at what Alicia Keys tweeted today!

So what keeps me rocking the red pump every year?  It’s about more than just supporting my friends and wearing cute red shoes. It’s about the troubling statistics.

There are approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. & almost 280,000 are women.

HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects minority women in the United States. According to the 2005 census, Black and Latina women represent 24% of all US women combined, but account for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for Black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.

And where I am from is a particularly hard hit region. According to Wikipedia, in the global AIDS pandemic, the Caribbean is the second-most affected region in the world.

The work that The Red Pump Project does to erase stigma, address the issues, and raise awareness particularly in that key demographic, is why I stand with them.

And I encourage you to join me! Today and tomorrow I will be wearing red shoes in solidarity with the cause. You can post your own photos on the Red Pump Project Facebook page. If you are also down for the cause, you can follow @RedPumpProj on Twitter, or visit their official site here.

How will you commemorate National Women & Girls’ HIV/AIDS Awareness Day?

In Chicago I am quite the homebody. You’re unlikely to catch me clubbing – at most I’ll go with my husband to a concert, or out to dinner. I don’t get out often when I’m in my city, but when I’m out of town? It’s non stop activity. This last trip to Los Angeles was a whirlwind of social activity and I loved it all! On the Saturday night before the Oscars, Luvvie and I went to Uptown Magazine’s 20th Anniversary of Boomerang Celebration, held out in Culver City.

Boomerang is one of my favorite movies of all time, for multiple reasons. It’s one of Eddie Murphy’s best. The soundtrack is killer. Halle Berry and Robin Givens are drop dead gorgeous in it. and the film brought together Caribbean icons Grace Jones and Geoffrey Holder in unforgettable roles. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it! At the Uptown party, Boomerang played on repeat on screens throughout the venue. DJ D-Nice was on the ones and twos. And the party was quite the celebrity-studded affair! So both Luvvie and I had to turn it OUT.

I wore my Marilyn convertible dress, which was a gift from acclaimed and awesome plus size designer Monif C. I came REALLY close to choosing the dress in teal, which felt like a safe choice….but Brandon – Monif’s right hand man – convinced me to go citron. Yellow makes me SO happy!

I LOVE it! I’m still struggling to figure out what shoes I need to buy to go with it. But I LOVE it.

I set off my Monif C. dress with jewelry from Max and Chloe – that Privileged purple agate slice is quite the conversation starter!

I went for a festive arm party kind of thing to set off my uber bright dress – the bracelets are also Max and Chloe but I can’t remember which designer…and this is is the Andara Druzy Paisley Cocktail Ring. I wore sequined flats by Just Fab.

Luvvie wore an ADORABLE red retro frock by Tracy Reese, via Layla Grace. (not quite this, but close!)  It was SO perfect on her, and she paired it with Rachel Roy wedges and a clutch by up and coming Chicago-based handbag designer Moto. Click here to check out Moto on Facebook!

And our dream team came together to make us look gorgeous for the occasion! Nicole Evans gave us the perfect makeup for the occasion, Felicia Leatherwood set Luvvie’s hair off RIGHT, and Krystle Rowry was on hand to film it all! And the beautiful song you hear is yet another original track by Kirby Lauryen, check her out on Twitter!

Check out our party glam look, in this video sponsored by Avon!

For my look, Nicole used the Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Blushing Raisins, Avon Glimmersticks liqui-Glide liner in Brown and AVON Superextend Extreme Mascara in black, and she used the Jillian Dempsey for AVON Professional Perfect Eyes kit in Cinnamon Toast on Luvvie to accent the tones in her dress!

The whole Uptown party was lit in sultry shades of purple, so it gave our dresses an extra cool glow. All throughout the crowd, there were all kinds of famous folks. Here are the friendliest and coolest of those celebs!

If I had to write a list of the top five best television shows of all time, The Wire would be in my top five (alongside Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and The Shield). There was something about The Wire that did more than shock or leave you on the edge of your seat, breathless with anticipation. The Wire lingered with you. The characters were so true to life that long after the show’s end, you still think about them and wonder what their lives would have gone on to become. At the Uptown party when Chad Coleman, who played Dennis “Cutty”  Wise walked by, Luvvie was like “PATRICE, it’s CUTTY!!!” Even though Chad Coleman has moved on to play other roles – now he’ s one of the stars on I Hate My Teenage Daughter – he’ll always be Cutty in the hearts of many. And he was SO nice to talk with in person. Thanks for being cool, Chad!

From the moment I spotted Terry Crews in the crowd, I started grinning. I wanted to meet him, just so I could tell him how much I love his work. ESPECIALLY because Terry Crews played one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite movies – President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, in Idiocracy! I think he got a kick out of the fact that I brought up that obscure 2006 cult classic, and Terry admitted that he’d love Mike Judge to start working on a sequel – The Rise of President Camacho. I WOULD LOVE THAT! Mr. Judge, if you’re reading – Idiocracy was SO primed for a sequel. I know I’m not the only one who would love it!

Terry Crews and his wife are absolutely lovely, by the way!

At the end of the evening we had TWO amazing encounters.

First I got to meet PR superstar Marvet Britto, and I was absolutely blown away that she recognized me and knew my blog. Marvet is major, and following her on Twitter gives me inspiration every day. It was so great to meet her!

When Stephanie took us over to meet Tisha Campbell, I was already excited. I mean…it’s TISHA CAMPBELL. I grew up watching her from the days of Rags to Riches. I wished I could dance like her in House Party. And then she went on to be Gina on Martin and Janet on My Wife and Kids. I have ALWAYS loved Tisha Campbell. So imagine what it’s like to meet  her, and to have her say “oh hey, you’re Afrobella! I remember doing a Skype interview a while back. I could never forget that beautiful face.”

I was ready to FALL OUT, y’all. I kept it cool, but I was positively aglow on the inside. And then Tisha looks at Luvvie and said she looked familiar and she’s read her blog before! She made our NIGHT. And by the way, Tisha is on Twitter (but doesn’t tweet often) – follow her @TishaCampblMrtn.

Another fabulous Los Angeles experience. And I still have a recap or two to go! Thanks to Uptown Magazine for a great evening!

Click here to check out Luvvie’s recap of what we wore!

From the very first day that I landed in Hollywood, it was like being in an alternate universe. One where I was surrounded by celebrities, and not only were they friendly…but every so often they knew who I was and expressed love for my blog. I can’t tell you how honored and humbled I was by the whole experience!!

Luvvie and Afrobella, champagne, and stars in our eyes

On Thursday February 24, Stephanie, Luvvie and I attended the Essence Fifth Annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon. at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Being in that room with SO many actresses and musicians, writers and directors I admire was a complete and total trip. In just a few hours, I rubbed elbows and took photos with so many of the stars I grew up looking up to. Luvvie already did her celeb encounter recap. So now let me tell you about my favorite encounters during the Essence Women in Film luncheon!

When Luvvie and I arrived, we really had no idea who to expect. So it was a completely pleasant surprise to see so many of our blogger friends in the house! I absolutely adore this photo!

From left to right: Christen of Divas and Dorks, Marie Denee The Curvy Fashionista, Latoicha of Luxetips, Claire of The Fashion Bomb, Angel of Concrete Loop, me, and Luvvie!

I LOVE me some Angel Laws!!! Angel was THE FIRST to really put Afrobella.com out there to the world and I will never ever forget her awesomeness for that. Throughout all these years in the game she’s remained real and genuine and 100% herself, and I really love and look up to her as a mentor in this online world. Thank you for always being you, Angel! if you don’t own her book, Angel’s Laws of Blogging, you are seriously missing out.

It was such a pleasure to see fellow bloggers in the mix, in this room full of stars. It was nice to know Luvvie and I weren’t the only ones who were in a bit of disbelief about being there!

I can’t even count how many celebrities we had the opportunity to meet in that afternoon alone. I can tell you about the famous people I was lucky enough to meet, have a moment of conversation, and enjoy the experience with. These are women who were sweet, kind, friendly, approachable, and took the time to make a stranger feel welcome. I really appreciated these encounters. So in no particular order, here are the COOLEST celebrities I met at the Essence luncheon.

Pam Grier – @PamGrier

Pam Grier is an icon and a living legend and a treasure who was honored for her work at the Essence luncheon…but we shared a moment of in person bonding over Twitter. I love following Pam Grier on Twitter because she uses her fame so wisely and so well. Pam is intimately involved with a variety of truly inspiring charitable causes. She’s created the Pam Grier Community Garden and Education Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and works closely with animal rescue charities.

In this photo I’m gushing over how amazing it was to meet her, and telling her how much I appreciate her tweets about charitable animal causes. She’s the kind of woman who holds your hand while you’re talking to her. She was SO lovely and gracious and approachable! Thank you for being YOU, Pam Grier! You paved the way for ALL of us!

Nichelle Nichols

Meeting Nichelle Nichols was honestly the happiest of accidents. I wasn’t even aware of who she was when I was speaking with her – it wasn’t later that afternoon when the video retrospective of the celebrities was airing, that it dawned on me that I had befriended Lieutenant Uhura!

Here’s how it happened — I had wandered off to check out the artists doing makeup in the L’Oreal tent, when this gloriously beautiful older woman with a cloud of white hair appeared before me. “I love your hair!” I told her. “I love YOUR hair!” she said to me, and we got closer to check out each other’s hair when we took this photo. Later that afternoon she came over to sit next to me at the luncheon and greeted me with the warmest grin “oh, THERE you are!”  – but of course Nichelle Nichols had a seat of honor near the center of the room! So alas, she was re-seated and we didn’t get a chance to sit together long. But believe me when I tell you, she’s gentle and just a lovely woman in general.

Adepero Oduye @AdeperoOduye

Did you see the movie Pariah? I did, and I absolutely loved it. Filmmaker Dee Rees tells a story that needs to be shared and appreciated by all audiences. Kim Wayans turns in a performance that is at turns relatable and harrowing. And Adepero Oduye is absolutely luminous as Alike, the teenage protagonist who struggles to walk the line between who she is, and who her parents and friends want her to be. On screen, Adepero Oduye plays a teenager and with her glowing skin, she’s completely believable. In person, she is 35 years old and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. And SO friendly!!!

When Luvvie and I approached her and introduced ourselves, she totally blew me away. Adepero not only knows Afrobella, but she loves my blog! “Afrobella is the s***!” she said, not once, not twice, but three times throughout the evening! Adepero, you made my DAY. Thank you for being so funny and sweet and approachable and awesome!

Jill Scott – @MissJillScott

Words can’t express. Meeting Jill Scott was everything I dreamed it would be – she was charming, nice, and down to earth. She remembered our interview, and was indescribably cool about being pulled away from her delicious salad for a photo opportunity.

I wanted to gush about a million things – how much she inspires me in terms of her beauty and elegance and womanliness, how her songs like A Long Walk have become part of the soundtrack to my life, how almost every day someone in the street tells me “hey, do you know who you kinda look like…..?” and it’s always, always her (or Marsha Ambrosius) – but I managed to suppress my inner fangirl for the moment. Long enough to take the photo!

Yvette Nicole Brown – @YvetteNBrown

Thursday nights at Casa Afrobella, you’ll find my husband and I watching our favorite comedies. I’m especially partial to Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, and Community – I love the quirkiness of their ensemble cast! Yvette Nicole Brown plays the sweet, loyal and devout Shirley on the NBC sitcom and I’ve been a fan of hers for a while now. Yvette is one of few women of color rocking highly textured, curly hair on an ongoing basis on a mainstream television show, and that’s just one of the reasons I love her!

Yvette is also one of the most friendly, sweet celebrities you could possibly hope to meet. She’s a hugger, as am I. When we met, Yvette had already seen a photo of me rocking my Oscar dress – my friends at Sofistafunk are providing her with gorgeous skirts for her latest appearances! At one point later in the afternoon I felt a bit overwhelmed and out of place, and I said as much to Yvette. She said to me, “you belong here.” That was so absolutely wonderful of her, and it meant a lot to me. Follow Yvette on Twitter or check out her Facebook fan page – she’s just as cool and friendly there!

Anika Noni Rose – @AnikaNoniRose

When a famous person is petite and stunningly gorgeous and dressed to kill…you don’t necessarily expect them to also be super friendly and wonderful to encounter. Anika Noni Rose was all of that and a little bit more. She’s also very regular and normal and just COOL. I got to meet her at the Essence luncheon, and then the next night at Mikki Taylor’s Commander in Chic dinner in Beverly Hills. Anika is talented and gorgeous as they come, but she remains regular and so, so nice.

We got to witness Anika and singer/songwriter Siedah Garrett have a MOMENT and it was so beautiful! They’re both fans of each other’s work, and I believe this was their first occasion to meet in person.

Tanika Ray @TanikaRay,  Pinterest.com/TanikaRay

Funny backstory about myself and Tanika Ray. I’d wanted to interview her FOREVER, mostly about her gorgeous hair and the glorious tints and tones of blonde she was known for…I first interviewed her back towards the end of 2008. I was at my job at the time, and we had a really cool discussion about Obama and how awesome it would be if he actually won the presidency. I was super geeked to post it, and she was such a delightful interview!

…and then I lost the digital recorder I used to do the interview and I felt like SUCH a jerk about it. Ugh.

I didn’t find it until I quit my job and had to clean out my desk. LONG after Obama was already president! My Tanika Ray 2008 interview never saw the light of day, and I lived with those regrets. I never even had the chutzpah to be like “hey Tanika, hey. This is what went wrong in 2008. But now, in 2012? Obama’s up for re-election, and Tanika Ray is now my homegirl! Look at that!

What I didn’t know back in 2008, is that Tanika is as cool as they come! I can say that she’s a new friend and I have had the pleasure of enjoying her company and she’s smart and funny and fierce and AWESOME. Right before leaving LA, Luvvie, Felicia Leatherwood, Tanika and Nikki, one of her best friends had dinner together and it was THE perfect way to end the trip. Good food, great cocktails, girlfriends gabbing even as the restaurant shuts down around us.Thank you for a wonderful sendoff from LA, Tanika!!

Octavia Spencer – @OctaviaSpencer

From the moment we met her, I already knew that we were meeting a future Oscar winner! But even when those prospects were mentioned to Octavia Spencer in person, she basically pshawed at it all. Octavia had already become the awards show darling but still she remained really down to earth and cool about everything, and was happy to tell us that her bangin’ shoes were by Nine West (which Luvvie was THRILLED to hear!)

That’s me, Octavia, and the incredible Stephanie of FGW Productions who made all of these dreams possible!

The women honored at the Essence luncheon ranged from veterans like Pam Grier, to actresses like Paula Patton, whose star has risen so much in the last few years. She gave a very heartfelt speech and we briefly met as she left the stage.

Sorry for the shadow! Paula was very sweet, even though she was clearly having a very heartfelt and grateful moment!

There were so many other amazing women at the Essence luncheon, I know I’m forgetting to share all of the exciting encounters I had.

Top left: Shonda Rhimes is a legend in her prime and to just touch the hem of her garment for a moment was an HONOR. As a writer it was just such a pleasure and privilege to meet her. She has shown us ALL how far we can take our dreams if we just apply ourselves. Fun fact – Shonda attended Marian Catholic High School, where my husband went as well! I asked her about what that was like and she admitted she was one of four black kids at the school. Having briefly lived in the area, I could definitely see that, and imagine what the experience was like.

Top right: Sheryl Lee Ralph is EXACTLY what you imagine she’d be like in person – raw, real, raspy voiced, super nice and just that super cool sistergirl you’d love to kick it with! And because of her extensive work in AIDS awareness and charities, she is old buddies with Luvvie. Sheryl Lee Ralph is down with the Red Pump Project and I loved meeting her!

Bottom left: Kerry Washington is svelte, stunning, and sharp as a tack. She is the star of Shonda Rimes’ new show Scandal (which will debut on ABC April 5 at 10/9 Central). Besides being one of my favorite actresses, Kerry is also an AMAZING interview who kills it on Bill Maher’s HBO show whenever she’s on.

Bottom right: Viola Davis looked so beautiful with her natural hair at the Essence luncheon! She sat with Emma Stone, who is like a gorgeous porcelain doll in person. I felt really shy to go up and introduce myself but they were kind enough to pose for me for just a second!

Keep in mind that this was just one afternoon! I had a few more very wonderful celebrity encounters to share with y’all. Stay tuned – this week is about to be STAR STUDDED on Afrobella.com!