New Year...New Me

Wow ya'll, it has been a long time....so here is my story.
My postings have been so erratic these past few months mainly because I did not feel like myself mentally and physically, and emotionally.  I was feeling like who was I to be doing a blog even though I loved posting pictures and the like just about all the things I loved: hair, family, and crafting.  My hair was even starting to get ridonculous, yes I typed it, I was getting bored and just tired of looking at all these kinks and even thinking about having to wash and twist was working my last nerve . Have you ever had one of those "I am tired seasons and I don't feel like doing anything and I don't want anybody bothering me, just let me live" moments.  Well that is how I was feeling. Mid November I flat ironed my hair and wore it like that for 6 weeks washing and flat ironing in between, I wore a bun most of the time. Ya'll I even got a cute quick  weave I was that through. 
So to top everything off the middle of November I found out I was pregnant (not planned) but we were so excited to be bringing a new one into the family definitely praying for a boy, but the Monday after Thanksgiving I had a miscarriage at 6 weeks, we were really heart broken because were so excited. The miscarriage physically was terrible,  but even worse emotionally.  I was off work for the rest of that week, then the following Monday everything started again and I ended up having a DandC and was off work for a few more days. I was a wreck the first week crying nonstop and on top of that still having pregnancy symptoms, uhhh, and trying no to blame myself.
No matter how far along you are, that is a difficult thing to go through. I thank God though that I had my husband here, he was so great (of course like a husband should be) but it made me look at him in a whole different way and I promise I think I fell in love with him even more.  He is really wonderful.  We are doing much better now and needless to say we are going to go ahead and try again so prayerfully I will have some good news for you after a while.
Now back to hair, I really did contemplate getting a texturizer and was supposed to get it done on this past Sunday but I chickened out, after debating with hubby he felt I was making a mistake if I did it.  And of course he would have been right.  He likes my hair as is.  So instead I did a henna treatment which turned out great my hair felt like heaven, I DC'd and blowdried only and twisted it up, no flat iron.  I decided that I needed to start this all over again and that journaling  again would help with me finding a new found love affair with my hair.  This time though there will be alot more blowdrying so if you are week at heart don't look  :O.
My plan for right now is to keep it blowdried for as long as it will last and style when I feel like it, rewash and do all over again.  I twisted last night with my whipped shea butter and gel in hopes of a twist out but this morning  I did not want to take twists out so I just pinned it up, it actually turned out cute so I think I will keep this style until Thursday and do a twist out Friday. 
I think getting back to my blog on a regular basis will help me get through, I really don't want to give up. I do love my hair.
Here are a few pictures...

Quick weave I did myself

 Shortened hair

Flat ironed hair in a  banana clip

 Last nights twists pinned up.

 side view

Sporadically pinned up in no specific

style but it turned out cute.

Easter Hair- bantu knot out

Here is yesterday and today hair, Easter hair.  I did a bantu knot out using My Honey Child products. I will definitely be back with my thoughts on them later on.

I luv the chinkyness

me and babies

me and hubby, my hair

is bigger than his head, lol.

and I made some homemade bread pudding for the 

first time, the other side does not have raisins

cause one child does not like them.

Might I add it was delicious.

Have a happy Monday!!!!

Heeey Again

Whew, I have had a long two weeks, first with Spring Break and not to mention remodeling my bathroom which is still in progress, and just getting back to work this week it has been hectic.  First off let me say my Spring break rocked, went out of town to small Tyler, Texas where my mom and dad have time share, the resort was great, my two girls and nieces tagged along . They had an indoor waterpark and all sorts of things to do around the resort, we had a blast.  I traveled home safely alone with four little girls for six hours and let me tell you it was something else.  The first hour my Baby Girl threw up all over herself so we had to stop  and change her clothes, that's when the headache started, then one hour from home she threw up again so we had to stop and change her clothes again, after that she went to sleep.  My girls are like me, not good back seat drivers---motion sickness sucks.

Top: girls being silly 

Bottom: walking the lake with Paw Paw

While I was gone my bathroom started getting its remodel, oooh I wish I had a picture of what it looked like before, hubby forgot to take a picture. It has been a long time coming for this project and it finally got done and I love it.  I am not ashamed of my bathroom anymore, lol.  The next step is to paint and redo the vanity and I will be totally finished.

Sneak Peak

I love the big tiles, 13x13 make the shower feel bigger

Gotta have my big hand held showerhead, makes

hair washing easy.  I made sure to put that back up.

The floor

He even put a decorative tile design in front of

the tub, no rug there.

This week has even been busy at work, I havle not had the energy to do anything but eat and sleep, literally.  For some reason it has been so difficult to wake up in the mornings I know I hit the snooze button about 5 times.  So glad I don't work on the weekends cause I would not make it to work on tomorrow.  Seriously, I have not worked on the weekends in 13 years, if I had to now I would probably have a panic attack.  Tomorrow it is supposed to rain and storm, I hope so so that I can lay and lounge all day :)

Oh, and on top of that my precious Princess (the dog) had a seizure on yesterday after work so I had to rush her to the vet, good news today though all bloodwork came back positive which is great, so now we are just to watch and keep an eye on her.

 

Hair

What about it, nothing new, it was washed and DC'd on last Saturday and twisted back up.  I'm starting to get that feeling, you know the one where when the weather changes to warm and you feel the need to let your hair down so the sunshine can hit it. I did take my twists down  and wore a twist out on today but no telling what will happen on tomorrow with it.  I'm thinking that next week I will wear my hair out just to get rid of the urge.  One thing I did do was by a new conditioner cause I was out, Elast QP SoyOyl Ultrahydration conditioner, I liked it for the after affect but it was not great on slip.  I will still use it though cause I think it worked nicely but still keep the Carols Daughter Hair Milk cause my fingers run straight through for detangling.

Well that's enough for me tonight, have a great weekend.

Mother May???

I love being a momma to my two Twinkle toes, but seriously if I had a third girl I think I would go craZy.  All the hair combing and froo frooo? shopping...the thought makes my head hurt.

  My 8 year old comes to me this morning, 8a.m mind you, and says "Before we go spend the night grandma's house can we stop by the Gap store just to see what kind of clothes they have?"  of course I gave her one of my LOOKS cause I don't shop there at all.  I politely asked why and she said again " my friend Carrigan shops there and she wears cute clothes."  Huh, and I don't get cute clothes from my all time favorite The Children's Place where I get a rush of energy whenever I see they are having a sale...so I politely told her they have the same clothes just like everybody else just a little pricier but she still wants to go.  What have we gotten ourselves into,  I told my husband this one will take all his money not mine, lol.

As for my 5 year old she loves clothes but could care less about shopping, apparenlty there is two much walking involved.  So then she starts whining and gets in trouble and we end up leaving the store and she is back to happy.  What am I going to do with her?

Pros of having girls:  I always have a reason to shop and then have to buy matching hair bows, you know the  big colorfully decorated ones, cause I tried making my own and got frustrated.

* I'll always have shopping buddies when none of my friends are available
*All the bonding that will take place as they turn into teenagers...when they are not mad at me about something

                           

My biggest con, the one I am not looking forward to:
*Having to have "The Talk" with them, sure we have talked about our private body parts  and how they belong to you and no one should touch and if someone does what you should do.  But I mean really having to talk to them about growing up , that seriously scares me.  Now I know I got SeVeRaL years to go but still,  it's something to think  about.  OMG, one day my girls are going to become little women, then dad and I wil really loose our minds.  Wanna hear something funny, my dad raised me and he was the first one to talk to me about getting your period, it was right after watching The Cosby show episode where Ruby got hers, he wasn't nervous and did pretty good, go figure.

Back to cons: 
*Having to girls means two head to comb, not fun especially when you throw mine in the mix, I  remember at one point I was washing hair every weekend.  Now I braid up my oldests hair  and wash every 3 weeks and flat iron and wash the youngest every 3 weeks all that gets done the same weekend and yes it take all two days.  It almost makes me want to cut my hair off again.
*Having two girls that are close in age means there is alot of arguing between them ALL the time.  I am constantly telling such and such to leave such and such alone or either someone is tattling on the other then I start getting frustrated and start yelling to then it all goes down hill from there.  My husband thinks we are all crazy but I am sure he wouldn't trade us, I hope  not.

No I am not pregnant or getting there any time soon but when and if we do I will be praying really, really hard for a boy.

So I said all that just to say that being a mom is great, lol, but has plenty of stressors and my stress level has hit the roof.

Sooooo my wonderful husband has booked me room at The Embassy Suites Hotel for the weekend for some peace and quiet away from the house so no cleaning frenzies for me.  As much as I love my family it is nice to get away for a while and enjoy some me time.  So have a great weekend Blog world.

 St. Louis vacation to the Arch

Itching to get in my hair

I hope everyones week is off to a great start, mine is so far two days of shopping means not being able to get twists out yet.  I want to take these twists out to bad it hurts.  Since I am off work for these next two weeks it is still so convenient to leave them in and just go about my day but lawd my roots are looking a mess and I know I am in need of  a DC it ain't even funny.  I could wash my hair  with the twists in but that is not a good idea for my hair type and would be a hassle to take down.  It is Tuesday night so I am hoping to have them out by at least Thursday night but with all this running around trying to get last minute shopping done and dentist appointments in it may be a lost cause, if all fails I hope to have hair nicely styled by Sunday.  Still trying to figure out what I am going to do, my husband has finally given me "permission" to get a wig (even though I would have gotten one without his consent)  cause he thinks he is running thangs, LOL.  Gotta love him.  Any whoooo, I plan on getting a lot of crafting done this next week also some as gifts and maybe some as give aways so stay tuned. 

Birthday time

Today is my Big Girls birthday, she is 8 years old today and loving it even though she has a fever and slept all through church service.  Maybe I will make her a cake, she has a sweet tooth like her mommy, that should make her feel better.  Her journey into this world lasted 20 hours and as bad as that sounds, it was truly great, by the book labor and delivery.  She's so cute.

Addicted to potatoes

My name is Abeni and I'm a potato-holic, LOL!  I love potatoes and all the they can make especially french fries, I love me some fries.  I don't care where they come from as long as they are fresh, hot, and crispy.  When ever we go out to eat and if my order comes with fries I eat all the fries first and then the meal, and don't let us stop at a fast food place I am eating the fries out the bag before we get home, hubby tells me to make sure I'm eating out of my own and not his (I steal his without him knowing). 

The best thing ever invented are the microwave french fries by Ore Ida, I think the person who came up with this loves french fries as much as I do and wanted to be able to get to them quick.  I love it!! 

These baby's cook in 4 minutes and come out crispy and good to go, I wish I had thought of that.  Seriously, if you love fries you will surely love these and the price, I only paid 88cents, can't beat that with a ten foot pole.
Anywho, just wanted to get that out, now back to lunch and my fries.

I finally started the take down of my Hannah's hair, this is going to take a few days and we are both definitely dreading this.  I only took three rows out tonight before she started complaining, mind you this is the tender-headed one who cries when you tell her to go get the hair container.  Gotta love her though, I will post picture of our process tomorrow. 

Long time coming and Zumba

 It's been a long time coming and my girls are finally back home two weeks early.  Don't even ask!!  They were supposed to be home on July 6, but they got back yesterday.  My mom drove all night for 9 hours with four little girls all under 8 in the car, she is a brave one.  They made it safely.
Next subject.
Their hair has been in a protective style for three weeks and all I could think about before going to sleep Sunday night was how I can't wait to get into their heads.  Surprisingly when I saw their hair it was still kind of decent, and I use that word lightly because I can't stand for my girls hair to look frizzy and messy, sorry that's just me.  So sometime this week I will be taking their styles down, which are just micro braids,ugghh, taking all volunteers cause this is going to be a job.
Oh yeah, and I have started taking Zumba classes, yes I have and I love it.  OMG, it is ridiculously fun!  I even dragged my best girlfriend, who loves to work out, to a class and she has fallen in love too.  Everyone is like why are you taking Zumba (I wear a size 6/8), I tell them for cardiovascular reasons and after two kids my stomach is not flat anymore,  I would definitely love that gone. 
I will definitely post pictures of the hair transformations or maybe even do a vidoe, we'll see.  Until then, holla!

Back to my first love...not hair

So instead of fooling around in my hair on yesterday like I planned since we were stuck in the house all day on account of the storms, I decided to go back to my first love...SEWING!  I whipped out my sewing machine and got out some material I had been needing to work on.  In March the girls picked out some material they wanted for me to make them a pillowcase dress and I bought some coordinating ribbon and viola, check out the picture below.  Baby Girl is frowning for no reason, she is not very photogenic, LOL.  My Big Girl on the other hand is just like her mother.  I thought these were so cute and just had to make them, I plan on making more for them to wear this summer with some matching leggings and sandals.  We are so girly, I can't stand it.  Don't they look cute though?  I will post more when I find the time to make them.

All good things must come to an end...

What a great weekend!  It ended with a trip to the Crawfish Festival with the family.  Them crawfish were so good!!! This is a yearly fund raiser her in Memphis and there are a thousand and one people there eating, drinking, dancing and having a good time.  For $15 you get a bucket of crawfish- find you a seat and enjoy. And I can't leave out the great funnel cakes that we finally got after waiting in a long line.
Other than that I feel like I got a lot accomplished, Saturday I took the girls skating and shopping for some spring/summer clothes cause my oldest has legs up to her ears, I did pretty good too hit Old Navy up for shirts that I only paid $1.97 for.  Then it was on to Ross.
I didn't get a chance to wash my hair though, I am two days in to a twist out that is going awry and into a puff until tomorrow when I can hopefully get it done then.   But I might as well knock between dropping off at ballet practice and picking up it will be 7:30 before I settle down.
Oh well, I leave you with some festival pictures, sorry no actual pictures of the crawfish.
1. Hubby looking ready to go.
2. Hannah and Ilana being silly
3. Mommy and girls (cut off Hannah's head)
4. Hubby enjoying crawfish sitting on the train tracks
5. Dad and rest of the family enjoying their bucket
6. Little sister enjoying some popcorn