My Natural Hair Journey | Loving & Hating My Natural Hair | Natural Hairstyles Short/Medium

Hey Crafters,

So today's post is to talk about my natural hair journey, so far. I have been a natural hair girl since 2015. I was transitioning to natural for a while before that, then I dyed my hair, was natural for about a year, then I decided to chop off all of the color.

Here's my big chop pic:

This was taken the day of my big chop, September of 2015. I was feeling good about the chop and hopeful for my natural hair journey. I rocked the mess out of the TWA, I was super serious about caring for my hair, and giving it the love it needed.

Now, over the course of the past few years, I have gone through some CHANGES with my hair! LOL. It has definitely been a love/hate relationship.

I have gone through so many phases. Get ready for the montage.

So, you can see that I've gone through TONS of different styles and phases, and truthfully I am completely frustrated by my lack of hair growth. Which leads me to my main point today: I need to change my hair regimen and take better care of my hair.

I'm calling this phase the WTF phase. Seeing how I don't know WTF I want to do with my hair. I'm so confused with life (well, hair anyway). There are so many things I see that  I like. So many things that I think I should try. For instance, I saw that rice water can help with hair growth. Also, hair banding, but I'm worried about the tension that could cause, and I'm already dealing with breakage.

Then, I'm thinking, maybe I should loc my hair. I know I'd love it because I love yarn braids which look like locs.

I just am at a point where I have no idea which way I want to go, I'm just completely underwhelmed with my hair. Do you ever get like that? Where you just have hit a wall with your hair, and don't know how to get past it? Well, that's where I'm at. I need a hair-tervention. (Yes I just made that up)

Come on Crafters, give me some ideas! Share your hair tips, send me links, I need some hair love. I think that the first thing I'm going to do is a deep condition, or perhaps a clay mask. Something to try and restore some life into my hair.

Get Paid for Poetry? Yes, Please.

Hey there, Crafters!

Quick post for today!

So, I've mentioned before that I am currently writing a few different books. One of those is a book of poetry that I have previously written, but not done anything with. Now, of course, some of it is horse fodder, but there are some that are (in my and previous creative writers professors opinion) pretty good. 

One of which, I have submitted to Poets.Media, which is a tier of vocal.media that calls itself a "long-form social publishing platform that helps creators get their voice heard and make money from their content." They also require a few things in order to post, one of which is an image or video to relate to the post. I chose to use Canva as an image creator. I think its perfect for the poem. I could have definitely done this in PS but it's so quick and painless in Canva, so, yeah, winner winner chicken dinner.

Click pic to see my first submission!

Anyway, so, I'm thinking its totally worth the risk of one poem. I don't really want to submit my extremely best work, just in case it doesn't pan out, you know. But, we shall see. They pay based on numbers of views and encourage creators to share on social media, etc. So, I created a Pinterest link, or two, and put it on my FB page, to increase viewers.

I am also in the long and drawn out process of editing and purging poems and short stories, to put into my collection, which will be published through Kindle Direct Publishing. 

As you can see, I am more of a "don't put all your eggs in one basket" kinda gal, so I'm trying to spread the love a little. 😉 I'm hoping both of them end up being great, but you never know! Wish me luck and publicity, Crafters!

That's it for now!

Getting Play Dates: SAHM Life

So, as you all know, I'm a stay at home momma, and I've just come to a realization: I have to talk to other moms in order to get my daughter play dates. Ok, duh right? But its more than that. Imani is such a social butterfly. She hasn't met a child that she doesn't immediately want to "play" with (or hug a lot LOL). The issue is that awkward moment when a class has ended, and your kid has hit it off with another kid, and you're wondering if the other mom would be into a play date. Here's what I have come to learn and do.

No one wants to be a creeper, but both usually want a play date. So, what I have forced myself to do is, ask those probing questions that kinda make you look like a creeper, but shows the other mom that you're trying to open a dialogue.

Like today, before the Musical Mondays in June: at the Euclid Public Library started, another mom and I were chatting and she said the reason she brought her, also 16-month-old daughter, was to socialize with other kiddos. (Like me!)

So, after the program was over, we both kinda hung back and had a chat. I asked if she was coming to the next Monday, she said yes, so I came back with a "Hey, should we let them play together afterward?" She was totally on board, so it was a go.

I'm sure that some of you extroverts are rolling your eyes and saying, yeah yeah so what, but for an introvert, that's a pretty big ask.


I guess the point of this post is to say, if you are kind of an introvert or a person who is slow to warm up to people, it's kind of necessary to move past that in order for your kiddo to get the socialization he or she needs. Especially us stay at home moms (and dads). But know that you are not alone in your awkwardness! LOL.

Well, that's all for now, Crafters!

Side note, Imani had a blast at the Musical Monday. She loves to dance, so I knew it would be a hit, but she really interacted with the other children a lot. Mimicking the bigger kids, and watching the tots her age.

Graduation T-Shirts and Graduation Cap (Nursing Degree)

Hey there Crafters!

So the past couple of weeks have been full of graduations, three of which I attended. With those graduations came crafts. I mean, I love a good craft like the next crafter but MAN it was a lot going on. Not to mention that I am in the process of preparing for a move, so my house is full of boxes and looking bare. Okay, done griping, I promise!

Anywho, this post should have been two separate posts, but I'm combining them in hopes that I'll get the post done quicker. Also, as a "whoops sorry I haven't posted in two weeks" apology I plan on posting something every day this week, so it should be interesting! On to the crafty bits.

First up is the Graduation Cap I made for my cousin graduating from Nursing School. It came out so cute! 
To make it:
I bought a sheet of adhesive rhinestones and the nurse embellishments from Joann's. I also create a bow using my Bowdabra. I used 2.5" white satin, green satin, and a gold mesh ribbon. I sewed a couple of safety pins to the back of the bow, and then stuck it onto the cap that way. 
The letters are Cricut Gold Glitter Iron, which I used in my Cricut Expression 2 to cut the words. I believe they were cut at 2" using the Plantin School Book font cartridge.

Alright, next up are the graduation t-shirts I made for my nephew's high school graduation. I made a shirt for his mom, dad, and little sister.

I created these shirts, also using the Plantin School Book font card and Cricut Iron On Vinyl. What do you think? I think they turned out pretty awesome! I also did a little Recon to my Sister's Shirt by cutting and tying both sides.

There you have it! Graduation creations! Did you do any graduation crafts this season? If so, share in the comments below, I'd love you see what you did.

That's it for now, Crafters! 

12-18 month old craft idea:Infant/Toddler Alphabet Craft

Hey Crafters!

So, this is going to be the first Learning post. Yay, for not procrastinating the post!

As a first time mom, I find that I am constantly looking to see what other momma's have done at home with their little ones. This, I'm sure, is not going to change any time soon. But, there are some things that I know from being a preschool/daycare teacher and I just have to find a way to make them work for Imani.

I am always looking for ways to let Imani explore art materials. (I mean, duh, I'm a crafter, so of course, right) We've done a lot of crafts/art activities, and now I'm thinking that I need to share them with the world because, if there's any other momma's out there like me, you're always on the lookout for something new.

As a preschool teacher, I always found myself in the process versus product debate. As a new momma, I want something that I can keep as a memento of the fun we have! When I was in the classroom, I tried to blend the process art with the product driven crafts, and that is what this craft is: a blend of process and product. Enjoy!

Alphabet Craft

Materials:

Computer (optional)

Printer (optional)

26 Pieces of Colored and 26 Pieces of White or Black Cardstock

Art Materials (crayons, markers, washable paint dotters, torn tissue paper, finger paint, shaving cream)

Scissors

Sharpie 

Directions:

1. If using a computer, create an outline of all of the letters of the alphabet and Print onto colored cardstock. I used Microsoft Word, and the Word Art, and selected a font I liked. You want to go more basic, and less fancy with your font.
1. If not using a computer, draw the outline of all the letters of the alphabet onto your colored card stock. (cumbersome, but doable, just thinking of the non-computer folks)
2. For each letter of the alphabet select an art material, and allow the child to decorate.
1. We do one letter each week. I also recommend getting books from the library to go along with each letter. Ex. "A" read a book about Alligators.  
2. We repeated the various art materials on other letters, really it was just whatever she was willing to work with on any given day.
3. Once your letter is dry, cut it out, and paste onto your (white or black) cardstock. 
4. Hang as is, or laminate and then hang.
1. We haven't finished our alphabet yet, but here's a bit of what we have done so far.

The Letter C was created by gluing torn pieces of tissue paper to the printed letter C, then once dry cutting it out. Imani did NOT like the sticky feeling of the glue, so be prepared for that!
The Letter G, Imani added stickers, then I cut it out. Tip: if your little one is like Imani, peel the sticker back a little to give some help.
The Letter A, was finger painting.

 The Letter D was done by dipping a toilet paper tube into various colors of paint and using it as a stamp/paintbrush.
Lastly, the Letter E was done using some Washable Glitter Paint Dotters. (Not sure where I got them from, sorry!)

I think they are all coming out so cute! The finished alphabet can be laminated, and bound into a book, or put into picture frames and hung on the wall in their room.

What do you think Crafters? Does this craft straddle the Product vs. Process gap? I think so!

Side NOTE! I'm also in the process of writing an ebook with TONS of fun craft and learning activities that I have tried with Imani. Let me know in the comments below if this is something you'd be interested in! 

Well, that's it for now Crafters!

DIY Truck/Car Batman Seat Covers

Hey there, Crafters!
I'm always making something for the Hubby, and this post is to show one of the things I've made recently.

My wonderful husband loves Batman. (DC, and Marvel but mainly Batman) He recently found the deal of a lifetime one two car seat covers at a local auto supplies store: $4.99 each.

The covers were plain black, and he wanted me to Jazzy them up a bit. Here, they are!

This is what they look like on his truck seats. The one on the left is the passenger seat and the one on the right is the driver's seat.

Materials
Gold Machine Embroidery Thread
Red Machine Embroidery Thread
Brother PE-500 Machine & Hoop
Scissors
Tear-away backing

Step 1: Fight your machine for 45 minutes to get tension and threading done to your liking. LOL

But seriously, it was pretty simple, just choose your design, and add embroidery to your heart's content.

For my design, I purchase the Batman logo from a shop on ETSY.com. I knew that I wanted the text on the top and middle. Then, I tried and failed to align the letters to make his name larger. To try and disguise my flaws I made the Batman symbols surround the words at varying angles.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to embroidery, so it isn't by any means a professional job, but it's cool! I think I need a bigger embroidery machine.  One that I can complete large-scale projects without having to re-hoop a million times since I suck at realigning the fabric. Hey, if you have some pointers, please share in the comments below! Well, that's it for now Crafter's!

Just Put the Pictures on The Paper

So, in my previous post, I mentioned how I have been in kind of a crafter's rut. To get myself out of the rut I have gone with a "just do it already" attitude. I'm not sure about the rest of the crafting world, but I know that I spend way too much time looking for inspiration and ideas or researching different techniques. These past few days I've been challenging myself to get something done (that is for myself).

Which leads me to the scrapbook pages you are about to see. The idea here is that I taped the pictures that I wanted, in the layout that I want them to be in. So, you have to kind of organize your pictures, by the layout/page you have in mind. So I separated all the pictures of Imani during her first year and placed them in order by months. (Cumbersome, yes, but also fun to reminisce.)

Then, I selected the papers that I wanted. And after that, it was time to tape down the images.
I also put the month stickers on because those were my main inspiration. Also, to keep track of the dates, I wrote the dates on the back of the pictures with a sharpie.

I love the faces in the photos from when Imani was 3 months old. So funny! She's had a fun personality from, literally the second she was born. My husband told me that when she was born, (via C-Section) she literally came out looking around the room at everyone. He said all the doctors were laughing because she was so alert to be second old.

So again, I'll embellish the page later, but I wanted to be sure to "get something done" so I placed the pictures where I wanted them to go. I didn't use photo mats for this one, but I might go back and add them. Eh. We'll see.

So this was Easter, and I didn't feel the need to use an "Easter" scrapbook paper because the pictures were so obviously Easter. 

This one, I'm not sure where I'm going, as far as embellishments go, but I know I like the weird angles.

Well, I think I succeeded in getting something done! Now on to the rest of the pictures, and who knows I may actually finish Imani's 1st-year scrapbook. LOL Hey, she's only 15 months, I'm not too far behind!

Alright, Crafters! 'Tis the end of this post. 

Bye For Now!