I’ve been in deep denial. I’ve been lying to myself. Some days, Chicago plays along — giving me balmy afternoons in the 50’s. But on a day like this Monday, I can’t deny it any more. Winter is coming. It’s cold November raining sideways right now as I write this. Soon that rain will be… read all

This post is sponsored by JD Williams. As you may well already know, yours truly grew up on the hot and sunny island of Trinidad. And then I moved to America, eventually landing in the not-always-hot-and-sunny city of Chicago. It took me forever to figure out the seasons — what to wear, how to layer,… read all

Empire is one of those shows that frequently gets labeled as a “guilty pleasure.” For me, there is no guilt. There is only pleasure. I enjoy Empire for the glamour, the drama, the sizzling intrigue and especially the STYLE. I grew up on a diet of Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing; and Empire gives… read all

If you know me, you know I’m all about the #indiebrandlove, and that goes for everything from beauty brands to clothing to jewelry. I love independent jewelry designers because they truly capture the essence of self expression. I’m not a cookie cutter jewelry person by nature, so I’m drawn to handcrafted pieces. Here is a… read all

This winter, Chicago temperatures have been all over the place. One recent weekend got down into the negatives — a bone chilling, skin burning, utterly disrespectful kind of dangerous cold. Then there was substantial snow. But as I write this today, temperatures are edging towards 40 degrees, the sun is shining and the last of the… read all

Bellas, I’m happy to kick off 2016 (and my 10th year of Afrobella) with some big, awesome news. I’m going to New York for Fashion Week, to emcee TextureMedia’s Texture On the Runway event! I’m so super excited for so many reasons. I attended Texture on the Runway in 2012 (click here to see the… read all

I think the first time I noticed them and thought “I want those” was when I saw Coming to America. If my memory serves me correctly — the beautiful, glamorous ladies of Zamunda wore these elegant, ornate hoop earrings. What were those and where could I get some? Ever since then, I’ve had a yearning… read all

When I close my eyes and visualize a holiday jewelry collection, I see images of candy canes and Santa Claus – super cute items for the season, but not necessarily things I’d wear. My personal style is edgy and bold, but classic. I wouldn’t describe myself as trendy. I appreciate things that are timeless, and… read all

Bellas, for the past several months I’ve been sharing information about Allstate Foundation Purple Purse – a campaign aimed at creating long-term safety and security for domestic violence survivors through financial empowerment. Financial abuse is happening to more women than we realize.   When most of us think of domestic violence, we think of physical… read all

When it comes to jewelry, I have particular tastes. I love anything that makes a statement. Anything that reveals and represents personality. I used to be really into big earrings but I’ve had a few incidents with jewelry that snagged on clothes or weighed too heavy on my ear lobes. And then I had a… read all