Gifts Worth Giving - The Incredible B. Smith

Hey Bellas!

In years past, I’ve done big holiday gift guides, and let me tell you, they are kind of exhausting to research and write. So I figured this year I’d do something a little different and have a series of gift suggestions from the kind of companies and entrepreneurs a bella like me is down with.

I figured there was no better way to kick off the series than with the multitalented force of nature known as B. Smith.

In case you didn’t know, she’s a former fashion model turned television host, author, entrepreneur, entertainer, and restaurateur who has collaborated with Pillsbury to make delicious white and whole wheat frozen dinner rolls that I am totally obsessed with and buy practically on a weekly basis (check your grocery’s freezer section for her smiling face). And now she’s also designer of all kinds of awesome home items you can buy at Bed Bath and Beyond!

My question is, is there anything she can’t do?

B. Smith’s Bed Bath and Beyond line features serveware, home furnishings, and bedding, which I swear is my undoing. I am obsessed with bedding. I can spend happy and mindless hours online, fantasy shopping for duvet covers. (OMG, I love the DwellStudio for Target collection. This peaceful blue is just my style).

Back to B. Smith — her bedding looks luxe and comfortable and like the kind of thing a husband and wife can compromise on. Not too masculine, but funky and fun enough to please a bella like me.

Love her lush chocolate brown Gambela duvet cover. I think I need the Gambela quilt in my life. I love the bold, bright squares juxtaposed against that warm chocolate brown. $99.99, but wouldn’t ya know it, the queen size I need is out of stock.

Her candles would make lovely home accents and great gifts for say, your secret Santa at work. That musk-scented embossed Lodge candle looks like a far pricier candle, and it’s $12.99. The pear guava scent sounds divine, and the hammered copper rings on the pillar candles is a very pretty accent.

As an aspiring home entertainer whose idea of “home entertaining” involves a bag of Stacy’s Pita Chips and a tub o’ hummus, B. Smith’s book, Entertaining and Cooking for Friends might be a good place for me to start. Her ideas seem pretty easy to try — I’m totally going to make her garlic, cheese, and tomato bread bites the next time we have company. For healthy dinner suggestions, she’s got the Journey for Control section of her website with offerings like steak tostadas and diabetes friendly barbecue chicken.

At Bed Bath and Beyond, B. Smith sells serveware, and I absolutely LOVE her three piece oven-to-table covered casserole dish. White porcelain, so it’s very clean looking and modern, and it comes with a wooden serving spoon! $39.99, but unfortunately out of stock right now.

For a more affordable and available gifting option, check out the serving trio with wooden tray - three elegant porcelain bowls on a wooden tray that are just begging to be filled with colorful dipping sauces. $19.99! Not too shabby.

Are you a B. Smith fan? Have you ever purchased her products or been to her restaurant? Tell me!

Rest in Peace, Odetta

Sad news this morning — the queen of American folk music, former Afrobella of the Week, Odetta, has passed away at the age of 77.

The New York Times obituary was truly touching, and Time Magazine has written a beautiful obit, which reads in part:

“Her death on Dec. 2 in New York City at 77 from heart failure, coupled with that of South African singer Miriam Makeba three weeks ago, writes finis and fulfillment to 50 years of pursuing self-determination through song, of spreading the word through music. For a handful of black singers, their discography is an aural history, centuries deep, of abduction, enslavement, social and sexual abuse by the whites in power — and of the determination first to outlive the ignominy branded on the race, then to overcome it. In her commanding presence, charismatic delivery and determination to sing black truth to white power, Odetta was the female Paul Robeson.”

She really was - Odetta used her talent to tell painful stories, and she used that powerful voice to reveal the legacy of slavery in many of her earliest performances.

Listen to that. She was a force of nature.

At the Newport Music Festival, she shared her guitar playing skills with impressed audiences of folk music fans.

Her song, Hit Or Miss, is one of my favorites. As she said in the lyrics, “can’t you see? I gotta be me - hit or miss.”

Odetta was always proudly herself, and her voice will last forever. Even in her later years, Odetta continued to perform to tremendous acclaim. This video of her singing “You Don’t Know My Mind” is one of her best.

Time Magazine goes on to reveal that Odetta did not get her final wish in life, to sing at Obama’s inauguration in January.

“As she sank toward death in New York City, Odetta had an Obama poster taped on the wall across from her bed. Hospitalized with kidney failure on Monday, she kept willing herself to live because, her manager Doug Yeager wrote on a fansite just before her death, “Odetta believes she is going to sing at Obama’s inauguration and I believe that is the reason she is still alive.””

I am glad at the very least that Odetta got to see history made in November, when Barack Obama was elected president. For a woman who was so involved in the civil rights era, it must have felt like the fulfillment of a dream.

If you want to celebrate the spirit of Odetta, and enjoy the fullness of her voice, check out her remarkable Christmas album, Gonna Let it Shine. If you’re new to her music, you can’t go wrong with The Essential Odetta.

My heart goes out to Odetta’s family, and her fans around the world. Her talent and influence were immeasurable. To say that she will be missed is an understatement. Rest in Peace.

Cast Your Vote in the Indie Beauty Awards!

Bellas, I am honored beyond words to be chosen as one of the judges in the Indie Business of the Year Awards. The contest, hosted by the Indie Beauty Network, celebrates the finest independent business owners.

My love and admiration for indie beauty companies is well known to anyone who reads this blog, and the Indie Beauty Network is home to some of the best companies in the field of soaps, cosmetics, fragrances, candles and aromatherapy products. The network includes over 500 companies in 7 countries. So I need your help!

Click here to browse the categories, meet prior winners, and cast your vote in the Indie Business of the Year awards .

Nominations close December 18, and then my hard work begins to judge the best of the best! And you know I’ll keep you all posted on the freshest, most wonderful indie beauty products out there. Winners will be announced early in 2009.

And congratulations to all of the independent business owners out there. Times are hard, but you’re doing noble work, and making a way for yourself in the world. Afrobella salutes all of you!

If you’re an independent business owner, leave a comment and introduce yourself! Tell Afrobella about your special holiday offers!

For My UK Bellas!

I know I’ve got more than a few Afrobella readers across the pond, and I host these giveaways and special offers and they hardly ever apply to you. Well, I just want to say thank you for still reading and commenting. And here’s a special discount offer for you, thanks to my friends at Glam!

Glam UK and the Gap are offering a special 30% off voucher for all UK customers, just in time for your holiday shopping.

Click here to download the voucher, and treat yourself to one of their adorable sweater dresses. Happy Hols to you all, and if you know of any other sweet UK bargains, let me know so I can spread the word!

They Call It Cyber Monday

I was not one of the thousands to venture out to the malls and big box stores for Black Friday. More power to those of you that did — I need my personal space when I shop. The sight of crowds stampeding through a store in some kind of deranged Supermarket Sweep mission terrifies me under the best of circumstances.

And this year, tragically we saw the effects of consumerism at its absolute worst when Jdimytai Damour was killed by a stampede of shoppers at Walmart. That’s a shop-by-any-means-necessary mentality I can’t comprehend. Even though it’s 5 a.m. and you’ve been waiting in line in the cold - don’t you realize someone’s body is lying at your feet as you race over them for the last flatscreen television? What a sad, sad story. My heart goes out to his family.

Many of the folks who head out shopping on Black Friday see the thrill of the chase as fun, a chance to get together with friends or family to hit the mall, to treat themselves to that big ticket item they’ve wanted all year. In an economic crunch like this, consumers have been chomping at the bit for heavy discounts. From my friends who braved the Black Friday crowds here in Miami, I hear there were deals aplenty for the purchasing. But the crush of people can make the experience frightening and unbearable. For convenient shopping, I far prefer the opportunities presented today.

They call today “Cyber Monday,” but wouldn’t you know it — Cyber Monday is nothing but a marketing ploy. In fact, it’s not even the biggest online shopping day of the year!

What Cyber Monday is, is a day for retailers to extend their Thanksgiving holiday sales, and a chance for you to luck out with deep discounts and offers of free shipping. Now, if you’re a shopaholic you should be on your best behavior — as my friend the Frugalista indicates — it’s all too easy to click and purchase and not realize how deep of a hole you’re digging for yourself. But if you’re looking for deals, CyberMonday.com should be your first port of call.

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A Harajuku Girls Thanksgiving Giveaway!

This morning if you watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you saw a new float somewhere between Dora the Explorer and that super fun Sesame Street number. Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls made their inflatable figure debut, boogying to an instrumental version of Hollaback Girl.

Crazy.

I was a Gwen Stefani fan from early on — I still remember seeing the video for Trapped in a Box on 120 Minutes on MTV back in the day and thinking, “wow, her voice is kinda crazy.” Then the band blew up with Just a Girl and the rest is history.

I love Tragic Kingdom to this day, and I also loved Return of Saturn and Rock Steady. I am really excited about the upcoming No Doubt reunion and album.

And I’m even more excited about this giveaway!

I recently reviewed Gwen Stefani’s new Harajuku Lovers perfume, and now Harajuku Lovers is offering Afrobella readers a special giveaway!

One very lucky Afrobella reader will win the Harajuku Lovers Solid Fragrance Coffret Set — 5 solid fragrances all adorably packaged. So cute for your dresser, no?

The scents are:

LOVE
Super cute and frilly. Sweet, caring, and free-spirited, Love is always off in her own little world.

LIL’ ANGEL
Sassy and sexy! Lil’ Angel is constantly looking out for others because she knows there are two sides to every story.

MUSIC
Tough, with an attitude! Always looking to make someone laugh, charismatic Music has no qualms telling it like it is!

BABY
Girlie and sweet! One bat of her lashes and Baby has all the boys in the palm of her hand!

G
Leader of the pack! Quirky, unique, and undeniably cool, G has a style all her own.

All you need to tell me, bellas — is which fragrance suits your personality most, and why?

I will close these comments on Monday morning and choose a winner next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

** Edited Monday morning at 7:35: so said, so done bellas! I’ll announce a winner later this week. Thanks to those of you who entered and those of you who expressed concern about the brand. I’ll address that later this week too!

Thanksgiving Done Right

It’s Thanksgiving, a day to be thankful for what you’ve got, to spend with family and friends. A day to stuff your mouth with food, to wear stretchy pants, to eat until you’re so sleepy you need an afternoon nap. “Mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Wooo!”

Right?

Not necessarily.

Thanksgiving fare is delicious, but the day doesn’t have to be an exercise in overindulgence or an excuse for gluttony. I love that the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin said as much in an NPR interview.

“Chitlins are off the menu. They were keeping my weight up. Chitlins have been canceled off of my list, and I know my fans and friends are screaming ‘Hallelujah!’ I want to be around for a long time, so let’s drop the chitlins,” she said to News and Notes host and former Afrobella of the Month Farai Chideya.

Good for you, Aretha! As a bella who is on her own weight loss journey, I know it’s rough on holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Even though you’ll probably be faced with temptation of the worst kind all day, you can do Thanksgiving light. And right. And still come out feeling satisfied. Here are my top five tips that I’m working on this year.

– Wake up, work out. Thanksgiving Day is generally a day of preparation, and there’s no better way to rev up your motor in the morning than with a brisk workout. I always used to think that working out in the morning would slow me down, but it actually does the opposite. A half hour on the elliptical trainer at a moderate pace, or a workout courtesy of my Comcast On Demand and Exercise TV generally revs me up and helps release endorphins to push me through my day. If you don’t have Comcast On Demand, or a Wii Fit, or your own exercise equipment, or a gym membership — no excuses. If you’re online reading this, you can do something fun, like a belly dance workout, courtesy of YouTube.

– Don’t starve yourself all day. Lots of people treat turkey day like a contest in competitive eating, and they don’t eat breakfast or much of anything until the main event. This isn’t Coney Island and you’re not Kobayashi. Sustain yourself earlier in the day with healthy food - have a good breakfast of oatmeal or something fiber-rich, then have a healthy light protein lunch. If you’re starving and your relatives won’t be arriving for a bit, maybe have apple slices with peanut butter to stave off the starvation. That way you won’t rely upon Aunt Janet’s sweet potato casserole to fill the void you’ve had inside you all day.

– Load up on raw and cooked veggie sides. A while back I saw a report on CNN Fit Nation, about a woman named Angela Stokes who has lost half of her body weight by eating raw foods. Now Angela eats only uncooked and unprocessed vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds and she claims to be healthier than ever. I don’t ever plan to completely be a vegetarian or a raw foodist, but I admire their dedication and philosophy and I’ve been arduously trying to eat more salads and fresh vegetables. It makes sense to me that eating more veggies and fruits will lead to a healthier life. So my goal today is to skip the bread basket and the carb-heavy, rich side dishes and to enjoy healthier options. Starting my meal with a bowl of soup and a salad usually helps to prevent me from over indulging later on. Which brings me to the next point:

– Enjoy your favorites, but Watch your portions. By no means am I saying avoid your favorite things — hello, are you kidding? It’s Thanksgiving! When else do you get to feast on marshmallow-covered casserole, buttery mashed potatoes, and once a year mac and cheese? Today’s the day, and surely you’ve got your heart set on your favorite things. But my goal here is to avoid what we in Trinidad call “eye bigger than belly” syndrome. Don’t take the biggest helping you can stand, start small. Make sure you eat your favorite foods slowly and enjoy the flavors of the season.

– After the meal, get up, get out, do something! Don’t sit around in a tryptophan haze watching TV, try to have fun with your family. If you’re at a big celebration, there’s bound to be kids. A game that gets everyone animated is a good idea. If you don’t feel like playing Scattergories or Pictionary, maybe your family has a Wii, and you can all play Wii Sports. Or you can find other games to play that bring you together and allow you to bond while the relatives are still a-visiting. The point is, enjoy it while they’re around.

The point is, be thankful for the time with family and friends. And enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, bellas and fellas. I am thankful for each and every one of you who takes the time to read Afrobella, to leave me comments or write me e mails.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving? I’m driving down to Key West with my husband, continuing our new tradition of a romantic Thanksgiving getaway. So I’ll be back next week with yet another guide to the Florida Keys.

Love and light to all of you. And happy turkey day!!

The Sunday Afternoon Beauty Ritual

My world is a whirlwind - I’m always thinking, writing, doing. So whenever I get a chance to leave it all behind, I do. Every weekend I try to indulge in a little me time, to nurture my body and spirit before chugging right back into the work week. Taking my Sunday afternoon to be a period of rejuvenation and indulgence is perfect — after grocery shopping, and before settling into an evening of cooking, laundry, and writing, I give my hair and body the love they deserve. Here’s what I did this last weekend.

I started with the usual pre-poo of pure coconut oil mixed with Ojon restorative hair treatment. I’ve reviewed Ojon before, but I gotta rave some more. I use it very sparingly (because it costs $55 for a tub!) and apply it to the most tangled parts of my roots. I supplement the rest with organic coconut oil, parting my hair and making sure my roots get lots of love. I let that sit for about an hour, maybe two while I enjoy some other beautifying routine — use a steam cap and do my nails, put on a face mask, or just read a book or magazine. It’s my time away from the demands of the computer and the television screen.

When enough time has passed, I enjoy a wonderful long hot shower with one of my favorite body washes. An affordably decadent new fave of mine is Olay Body Wash with Spa Exfoliating ribbons. It doesn’t smell especially girly, so the husband and I can both enjoy the scrubby moisturizing power of Olay — it’s just $6.95 at Drugstore.com right now, and is well worth it.

Then, shampoo. Recently I went back to a not-so-oldie but goody — Hair Rules aloe grapefruit clarifying shampoo. It’s only recommended for kinky hair once a month, so my bottle has lasted and lasted. For $16,50, it’s a worthwhile investment.

This stuff makes my hair feel super clean and smell wonderful. And it manages to remove product buildup and residue without stripping away all of my oils. It’s probably my favorite of the Hair Rules line, that and the Quench Conditioner.

I like to end my Sunday beauty ritual with a scalp sugar scrub or a deep conditioning treatment — this past weekend I used the last little end of my Kiehls Olive Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak and combed my tresses through from the ends up to the roots.

That’s the only way I can do it! For those of you who have asked, do I still use the Denman brush? My answer is no - after personally witnessing Lorraine Massey’s horror at the mere suggestion, and also noticing that my hair after was way more frizzy and less perfectly spiralled after I used it, I went right back to the classic wide tooth comb. Works for me, always has.

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A Doll For Baby Z

Thanks and respect to my BFF Lauren — my college partner in crime, friend for life, and self-described “Jewbella” always sends me great Afrobella articles and suggestions. And she totally knows about my affectionate obsession with Miss Zahara Marley Jolie Pitt. The beautiful little Ethiopian girl that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie adopted has more personality than both her parents put together, if you ask me. And she’s only three years old!

My amiga Laurencita sent me a link to this interview with Angelina Jolie with the Australian Herald Sun, wherein she discusses her new film The Changeling and the usual topics — life, love, and her ever expanding family. This reply caught my eye:

What about teaching your kids about religion and culture?

I want to teach them about all religions, and I’m trying to find a way to do that. And when it comes to the subject of adoption, like when my daughter, who’s African, wants her hair to look straight like mummy’s . . . and I look for a Barbie that’s African, and the African Barbie has straight hair! And you know, why has Disney never made a film with an African-American princess?

I’m gonna need Angelina to get caught up with Afrobella, mkay? I’ve been looking out for Baby Z and little bellas like her for a while now.

Also, someone might want to let Angelina know that Disney’s first African-American princess movie, The Princess and The Frog, will be released in November 2009. And her name has been changed from Maddy to Princess Tiana. So that’s something to look forward to for next year. And in the meantime in-between time, there’s absolutely no reason to get Baby Z a Barbie or Bratz doll that just reinforces the unbeweaveable standard of beauty for little bellas. There are some afrobella-positive dolls, toys, and accessories to be found. You just gotta look!

A first good port of call is the black dolls list, which mostly features fancy collectors type dolls of the sort that terrified me as a child. But there are some cute ones to be found there, like the
Cecile doll. $31.95, and she’s got awesome hair and style for days.

Wouldn’t you know it, someone’s got a doll named Zahara — but it’s of the lifelike and collectible type that just reminds me of that terrifying Twilight Zone episode with Telly Savalas. My name is Talking Tina! Nooo thanks.

Some African American dolls are beautiful, but not so fun to play with. Take the American Girl’s Addy Walker, a beautiful history lesson who comes complete with a book and accessories for $105. Addy is incredible, but if I was a little bella, I wouldn’t know what to do with her.

I was big into stuffed animal collecting and dolls I could hug and love and brush the hair of. And I’ve always loved Cabbage Patch Kids — their African American dolls are adorable. Like this 25th anniversary baby boy. I grew up in the era when Cabbage Patch Kids were new on the scene and a very big deal, so there’s a nostalgia value for me.

I think BlossomBabies just as cute as Cabbage Patch Kids — these cuddly German-made soft toys are made in Germany and are said to be ideal for kids with allergies. I think Lana is the cutest! She’s $64, and because she’s wearing a satin kimono, she’s described as “more of a cuddling, sleepy-time kind of girl.” That sounds like me! Awww. I might have to get Lana for a special little bella in my life.

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Afrobella Needs Help!

It’s hard out here for a blogger, bellas and fellas.

I do the best I can to post something for you all to read, enjoy, and discuss five days a week, but of late I’ve been falling short. I had big bold plans of creating a series of awesome YouTube video interviews, but I lack the skill and the time to meet my own goals. Balancing my day job duties with my Afrobella aspirations can be overwhelming, to say the least. Often I feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air, or a plate balancer about to drop all the plates.

So with high hopes, I am turning to you Afrobella readers in an effort to find a very special intern to help me take Afrobella to the next level.

I need someone to help me edit some special celebrity interviews I’ve been working on. I need assistance with transcription, and I’m specifically looking for someone with great organizational and video editing skills, to make some cool clips for the Afrobella YouTube channel, specifically in the vein of the Esperanza Spalding interview I did. It took me WAY too long to work on that, and I need someone who can help me make these projects happen quicker and help me make them better.

Ideally, I’d like someone who can help me for the next two to three months, just a few hours a week. No big deal. We’ll be in touch via e mail and phone, and in return for you helping me edit these celebrity interviews, I’ll give you all the advice I can give about being a blogger, I will help you promote yourself and your video editing skills, and I’ll send you some awesome beauty products!

If you are interested in being an intern for Afrobella, please e mail me at bella@afrobella.com. Tell me about yourself, and send me some YouTube video clips you’ve worked on. This could be the beginning of a beautiful working relationship!