20 March 2010 ~ 40 Comments

Scenes from BGLH’s meetup today! (Afrobella came out!!)

BGLH meetup Uncategorized

Natural hair all over the place…

So I just got back from BGLH’s meetup at the Little Black Pearl cafe in Hyde Park and it was awesome!!! I saw familiar faces from our first two meetups (shout outs to Briana, Sharon and Chandrea!) plus lots of new faces. A good number of BGLH Facebook fans came out too!

I was really, really excited to have Afrobella!

Afrobella (aka Patrice Yursik) looking FABULOUS! Check out her neon aqua-green nails!!

She brought a ton of products to swap and dished about her regimen. She is so sweet in real life!!! And looks so glamorous too!! (Don’t sleep on her makeup and nail reviews… this girl knows what she’s talking about!!!)

I also met blogger Tori, of A Kinky Hair Monologue.

In all about 40 people attended, including one boyfriend and a couple adorable tots!

An adorable BGLHer in the making :)

A transitioning natural saw our group from outside the cafe and came in from off the street. She asked for some information on BGLH and to let her know when our next meetup was. Her boyfriend was so overwhelmed at the sight of dozens of natural women in one room that he blurted out, “I love black women.” (lol!)

A Little Black Pearl patron saw us, and according to our photographer, told her girlfriend, “I want to go over there, but I have a weave.” (lol!) Eventually she did come over and I referred her to the haircare page on the blog, for tips on transitioning.

All of the pictures were taken by my fiance Norman Baldwin, Jr.

Yes, folks. I said fiance. Your girl is engaged. I will be doing some wedding giveaways and soliciting wedding hair advice pretty soon. I need styles for a small, beach-side Portland, Oregon wedding followed by a more glamorous reception/bash in Chicago. So be ready to dispense that wisdom.

All right, enjoy the pics!!!

~Leila

Checking out products at the product swap table

This chick had an AMAZING afro. She was introducing her product line and her boyfriend came out to support her!! Yay for natural hair love :)

Talking hair

If you would like to be added to BGLH’s Chicago mailing list, please email blackgirllonghair@gmail.com and put ‘Chicago mailing list’ in the header.

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40 Responses to “Scenes from BGLH’s meetup today! (Afrobella came out!!)”

  1. thelady 20 March 2010 at 5:38 pm Permalink

    congrats on the engagement, looking forward to all the wedding hair posts

  2. TheLadyDayDreamer 20 March 2010 at 5:59 pm Permalink

    Congratulations on your engagement, that’s so exciting!

  3. Pastergirl 20 March 2010 at 6:04 pm Permalink

    Congrats! Question for you? Is you fiance related to any Baldwin’s in Alabama? I ask because I am originally a Baldwin from Flatwood Alabama

  4. vonnie 20 March 2010 at 6:08 pm Permalink

    congrats GIRL!!!! wow, that’s awesome :D

    It was lovely meeting everyone, really fun time! I look forward to any other meetups :D

    http://socialitedreams.wordpress.com

  5. Jessica Walden 20 March 2010 at 6:19 pm Permalink

    This meetup was so much fun! I can’t wait until the next one.

  6. HaitianRoots 20 March 2010 at 6:33 pm Permalink

    congrats! so wanted to be there today, had so much fun last time. would have been cool to finally meet afrobella in the flesh. you ladies all looked beautiful. can’t wait for the wedding prep posts.

  7. Jc 20 March 2010 at 7:44 pm Permalink

    Congratulations L. I did read ‘planning her upcoming wedding’ on the introduction page AND I almost cheekily asked in a previous post when you asked about bridal hairstyles, but I decided to have manners and wait to be told lol.

    Glad the meet up went well. Bridal hairstyles – check out coily crowns on wordpress (links in the previous post).

  8. Moni 20 March 2010 at 8:09 pm Permalink

    Congrats!!! The meetup looks like so much fun. Maybe I can make it out to Chicago to meet y’all one of these days…

  9. target queen 20 March 2010 at 8:19 pm Permalink

    we need a north carolina chapter..I wish i could have been there..
    where are all my NC ladies?..lets get together.

  10. Flygurl74 20 March 2010 at 8:43 pm Permalink

    Nice pictures. Wish there was something like this, going on in California. I would support it, and attend!

  11. Ericka Taylor 20 March 2010 at 8:47 pm Permalink

    Hi! This looks great! I cannot help but wonder, do you know the name of the artist that did the painting in the background in the 7th pic above?

  12. Chai 20 March 2010 at 8:48 pm Permalink

    what an awesome turnout, & CONGRATS on the engagement!!!

  13. Sofull Sista 20 March 2010 at 8:53 pm Permalink

    Great turnout! Congrats on the wedding…are there any Philly BGLHers who may want to try to do something similar???

  14. Kinky Rhonnie 20 March 2010 at 9:26 pm Permalink

    Congratulations on your engagement!!!

  15. lina40 20 March 2010 at 10:18 pm Permalink

    oooh i SO wanted to be there but hubby and baby were sick (BOOOOOO!) I had double duty on the runny noses :(

    Please let us know when the next one is — I have 3 clients and lots o products i want to bring along next time.

    Blessings ooh and Congratulations girl!! I know you are super excited!

    Lina

  16. Kasandra 20 March 2010 at 11:06 pm Permalink

    Congrats Leila! & everyone looks so pretty & like they had a blast!
    we need a DC meetup!

  17. AKinkyHairMonologue 20 March 2010 at 11:11 pm Permalink

    So nice to meet you today! Thanks again for bringing everyone together in Chicago. Congrats on the engagement! I’m in the wedding planning process too – so let me know if you want any ideas/vendors for your Chicago reception.

  18. jadedpoet 20 March 2010 at 11:35 pm Permalink

    Congrats Leila!! Great turnout!! Afrobella too whattt! :-)

  19. Tonya 20 March 2010 at 11:51 pm Permalink

    This looked so great, makes me wish I lived in Chicago! Any Seattle naturals want to meet up? LOL :)

  20. Laurel 21 March 2010 at 12:23 am Permalink

    OOO congrats!!!

  21. Amma Mama 21 March 2010 at 1:46 am Permalink

    “I love Black women”..lol that’s so funny and sweet :-)
    CONGRATS on your engagement, I love these pics!
    The pics of you with twists,on your fiance’s page, are beautiful. Your eyes are soo pretty!

  22. Steph 21 March 2010 at 2:14 am Permalink

    Congrats, Leila on your impending nuptials!

    I’m glad you all had a great time today, makes a sista wish she was in Chi-town for a day. :)

    We need a Florida/Gulf Coast meetup, to swap secrets about dealing with humidity! LOL

  23. Tiffany 21 March 2010 at 9:40 am Permalink

    Congrats and I really like that painting in the 7th picture that is on the wall.

  24. LBell 21 March 2010 at 12:58 pm Permalink

    This looks like it was SO much fun! And that guy’s comment (“I love black women!”) would have put a big old grin on my face for sure. :D

    I remember going to natural hair meetups in Chicago back in the early 2000s. One of them was at Wishbone and you definitely would have thought it was a convention! lol

    Finally, CONGRATULATIONS on the engagement! You will make a beautiful natural bride (no pressure).

  25. christina 21 March 2010 at 1:37 pm Permalink

    Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!
    I want to go to this meetups SO BADLY, but I live in Salt Lake City. Curses!

  26. Sequoia 21 March 2010 at 1:50 pm Permalink

    Nice pics and congrats on your engagement!

  27. Danyelle 21 March 2010 at 2:34 pm Permalink

    Congrats on your engagement!!!

    I wish I could have made it out to the get together, looked liek you all had a lovely time.

    (feel free to visit my old wedding plannig blog, link attached to my name :) )

  28. Salimah 21 March 2010 at 10:53 pm Permalink

    Congrats on the engagement!!! So happy for you!!!
    I love the pics. So beautiful to see some many naptural women in one room!! BEAUTIFUL!!! :)

  29. cassadie 22 March 2010 at 2:55 pm Permalink

    Beautiful pix! I canNOT wait for our Bay Area Meet Up in a few weeks!

    also— HUGE congrats on the engagement!!!!!!

  30. msjaim 22 March 2010 at 3:16 pm Permalink

    Congrats on the engagement & nice to finally meet you Leila! Ill just be sure to get there a lil earlier nect time. seemed like I missed some interesting convo

  31. kadiane*francophone 22 March 2010 at 9:49 pm Permalink

    Youpie! Youpie! Youpie! Congratulations ma belle

  32. Yonnie3k 23 March 2010 at 2:18 am Permalink

    TOO CUTE on the guy who blurted out I Love Black Women!! God bless his lil heart, lol.

  33. Daphne / Une Autre Naturelle 23 March 2010 at 10:34 am Permalink

    This looks like it was SO much FUN! Wish I could have been there, but I’m a New Yorker (Long Islander at that)

    Congrats on the engagement!

  34. Natural Chica 23 March 2010 at 11:40 am Permalink

    Aww congrats on the engagement ma’am! How exciting! : ) By the way, looks like you all had a great meetup! *Mae*

  35. Luna 23 March 2010 at 1:35 pm Permalink

    Portland is an awesome place to go for weddings. I know, I live there :)
    So you’re actually getting married on a beach just outside of Ptown, no? Like Lincoln City?
    And you know its coooooold 89% of the year? Lol. Congratulations nonetheless.I shall try to get you some pictures of natural hair wedding styles….

  36. mellowyel 23 March 2010 at 8:01 pm Permalink

    Congratulations!!! I wish I could have been there – I miss Chicago sometimes. but, let us know if there’s an East Coast/NYC meetup :)

  37. Stephanie 8 June 2010 at 6:36 pm Permalink

    Congrats on the engagement!!!!!! : ) The meet up looks like so much fun! I am having on here in Birmingham, Al this Saturday June 12th and I hope we have a turn out like that one! This will be the first one so you just never know!
    The product swap was a great idea! We may integrate that one into our next meetup.

    Congrats again!!!!

    Please let anyone in driving distance of Birmingham, Al know about our meetup

    June 12
    4-6pm
    The Birmingham Wine Loft

  38. Ritchel 8 June 2010 at 8:31 pm Permalink

    “She is so sweet in real life!!! And looks so glamorous too!! ” Congratulations to you wedding, God bless you and have more blessing.


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