There was a wedding in my family this summer, and one of the things that I had forgotten about weddings and being a bride was the number of RULES. My husband and I tied the knot twelve years ago and we were babes in the woods when we did it. The rules that we broke…
Life
Stevie Wonder’s Songs In the Key of Life Concert Was Epic & Amazing
I grew up in a Stevie Wonder household, where we had Songs in the Key of Life on vinyl as part of our family musical soundtrack. So many of these songs bring back to vivid memories of joyful occasions and tough times. These songs have lifted me up and nurtured me through my upbringing. When…
How To REALLY Help A Homeless Woman – What I Learned From My J.Jill Styling Event
When the folks behind fashion brand J. Jill approached me to host their downtown Chicago compassion fund styling event, I knew it was going to be a special day and I’d meet some special ladies, but I had no idea what to expect. I had an idea of what clothing items they needed and what…
5 Beauty and Health Tips From My Mom on Her 75th Birthday!!
Her full name is Peggy Aura Arlene Grell, but longtime Afrobella readers know and love her as my Mama Bella. I’ve blogged about her and featured her advice so many times — click here to read my first interview with her from 2006, her tips on making your neck look younger, her tips on false…
For Janay Rice And So Many Women Just Like Her
Like everyone else, I watched the Ray and Janay Rice story unfold with no small measure of horror. The video in the elevator that went viral made me feel sick. The video where he spits and hits the woman who would go on to be his wife, where he knocks her unconscious and drags her…
5 Helpful Moving Tips From Someone Who Just Moved And Knows Moving Is The WORST
If you’ve noticed the silence over here on Afrobella, please know it’s unintentional. Here’s what’s happening in the back end of my life. We moved into a new place at the end of July – my husband and I are new homeowners (YAY!! Check out my new column on Glam.com about home ownership, it’s called…
#GetWellMeechy! An Update on Meechy Monroe and How We Can Help
The news hit the natural hair community pretty hard. Beloved natural hair vlogger Meechy Monroe, one half of the dynamic Monroe Sisters, revealed that she’s battling a rare form of brain cancer. In the course of her illness, she has suffered multiple mild strokes and aphasia – a disturbance in the delivery of language….
Ferguson. History Repeating Itself.
I’ve been following the news obsessively since Mike Brown was shot in the streets in Ferguson, Missouri, but I haven’t managed to get any coherent words of my own out. I’ve started at least 3 different blog posts about this. Every time, there’s a new development, a new reason for disgust and outrage, another disappointing…
Check Out My American Icons Style! The Sweet Summer Styles I Found At Macy’s
What IS American style? To me, it’s the quintessence of cool. It’s comfortable and chic. It isn’t necessarily super edgy but every now and then you’ll be surprised. It’s about expressing your personality in a way that looks effortless. It doesn’t literally have to be denim, red, white and blue, but on a day like…
Your Helpful Essence Music Festival Guide! Here’s How To ENJOY Your Time In NOLA!
I’ll admit it, just to you. I’m pretty bummed that I won’t be at this year’s Essence Music Festival. I mean, PRINCE. NAS. Janelle Monae. The Roots. Ledisi. This will be SO DOPE. I was even asked to participate, but I had to turn it down — my husband’s family is coming to Chicago for…