On May 28th I got up early, made tea and toast, puttered around my apartment unloading the dishwasher and throwing clothes in the washing machine. Regular, routine life stuff. I’d planned to blog about an amazing new chicken recipe I discovered before heading to a dentist’s appointment. It was going to be the most mundane…
Life
I’ve Kind Of Become My Mom – 5 Things I Inherited From My Mother
There were times in my teens and even early twenties when the title of this post would’ve seemed like the worst thing ever. As I grow older I realize how hard my mom worked to raise us kids and how much of herself she poured into us. Things that flew over my head, decisions I…
My Life in a Road Trip Soundtrack
Our first road trip was in June 2001, in a red hatchback Honda Civic that had no air conditioning. Steve and I were dating, deeply in love, about to start our lives together. I knew I wanted to do my MFA in Creative Writing somewhere. Steve wanted me to see more of America than Miami….
My Mammogram Diary. What I Learned From My Breast Cancer Scare
Normally I like to keep things positive and uplifting, light and fluffy over here on Afrobella. I see my blog as a respite, an oasis, a safe space. And it is in this safe space that I’m going to share my story even if some of this is TMI. My TMI could help someone else….
Last Week’s Lesson – Find Your Own Happiness (& Stop Looking to Others For It)
From time to time, I share my personal revelations and life lessons on Instagram or Facebook. Recently when I shared one, a friend encouraged me to blog about it and share my truth here on Afrobella.com. That inspired this new series, Last Week’s Lesson. I hope others can learn from my experiences! I used to…
I’m Your Official Target Red Carpet Correspondent For 2014’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood!
In 2012, when I attended my first Essence Black Women in Hollywood event, I felt so nervous, and so out of place. I felt underdressed and unprepared and awkward, while surrounded by Hollywood’s elite. Luvvie and I were in awe of everything. I expressed that feeling of awkwardness and not belonging to awesome actress Yvette…
Defining Moments in Black Beauty History – The TV Edition
In 2013 I got ambitious for Black History Month, and decided to kick off a month-long series on black beauty history. I titled it 28 Moments in Black Beauty History, intending there to be a new post every day. Things were going great at the beginning. I wrote informative, research-heavy posts about Josephine Baker and…
The Dumbest Excuses We Make To Avoid Exercising
For years, I had such awful, stupid ideas about taking care of myself. For a long time my goals were in weight loss, and I was caught up in limiting ideas about dress sizes instead of considering health and wellness. As a teenager, I was bulimic and that began as a deliberate choice. Dumb. I…
10 Things I Learned Last Year to Make 2014 Awesome
2013 was a year of new experiences and opportunities I couldn’t have anticipated before. I found myself going to places I’ve never been, dealing with issues from my past that I hadn’t dealt with in years, and having to rise to the occasion to represent on levels that I never dreamed of. I did a…
How Do You Pay It Forward During The Holidays?
Every year ends with the usual mayhem. It’s the holiday season – time to shop till you drop and make sure you get something fancy for everyone on your list and then some! And don’t forget to get a few gifts for yourself, too! It’s a time of abundance for many. And for others,…