Baking.
an escape.
a place to get messy.
therapeutic.
nothing like a home filled with the aroma of pumpkin and bananas.
a space in my day to stop and reflect.
Baking.
Necessary.
I hosted a small group of ladies this morning and wanted to have something for them to eat! So last night, after reading some recipes on some websites, I chose to "dump" and this time it worked! I love a good muffin for breakfast, especially if you can sneak in some heathy ingredients to make the guilt go away! Here is the recipe y'all:
Makes 36 muffins.
Preheat oven to 350 (or 370 if you oven is a little weaker than most….ahem)
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon first:
3 1/4 c. of Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 c. of steel cut oats
2/3 c. of Coconut flour
1/2 c. of flax seeds (you can use ground/fine ones or whole… i used whole seeds)
3 t. baking soda
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
In another bowl ( I used my Kitchen Aide) mix:
4 ripe bananas
1 c. apple sauce
5 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
15 oz. can of pumpkin
4 eggs (room temp)
1/2 c. of sugar
1/4 c. of coconut sugar ( I get mine at Trader Joes)
3/4 c. brown sugar
After you mix the wet ingredients, slowly add in the dry ingredients.
grease your pan and use muffin liners.
Bake for 20-25 min. (mine took 25 min.)
Enjoy! spread butter or honey on it if you prefer as well ;)
Make a cup of coffee too and sit and take in this goodnesst!
Houston, we have a barnwood wall!!!!!!!!!! My word, I AM OBSESSED and overjoyed…. all for this wall of glory. It is a GEM! It is beautiful. It changed our space. It is made with love. It is US. I love it!!!!!!!!!!
Ever since we moved into this space we have been going over different ideas for our living room. This room is the room we are in the most. reading/ playing/ resting/ entertaining/ writing/ conversating/ laughing/ eating…… We decided we wanted to do the barnwood wall and paint the walls for now….
The living room when we moved in.
The space last fall….
and now!!!!! (I spy a 4 year old on the couch) I still have to finish up the painting and hang the curtains. I will post more next week the details of how we did this project. Isn't it dreamy? I wanted it to feel like a retreat or a lodge. We intentionally do not have a tv on our main floor. The only TV we have is in our basement, wanting to shut off the noise on a daily basis. We did upgrade and get speakers in our living room this summer, which has been a big upgrade for our love for music on 24/7. Andy did a great job on the wall. I love the character of the wood.
We used the same wood from my in law's land. The wood was a old shed. We used it for our barn door in the studio and our farm table too! (more on the table here)
Andy snapped some details shots of the wall for me, here they are.
We pressure washed the wood, pickled the wood, and sealed it with a poly sealant. I love the Z pattern on the bottom half and the vertical panels by the windows!
We like the texture it brings to the space. Andy kept it in it's original character, which I adore.
I will share pix soon of the curtains and the other angles in the space. I re-did the gallery wall, of course! I painted the living room a light grey! The color is Sherwin Williams- Requisite Gray It used to be beige, this color is much more us! My buddy, Kristin helped me a ton with her Type A-ness and edged for me! PTL. I still have to paint up the stairs and upstairs hallway. soon…soon….hopefully….;)
What do you think? Have you used barn wood at all in your home?
Also, a shout out and thank you to my in laws for the wood! and big thanks to Andy's buddies for helping him with wall and lending him the saw (Mike) :) You rock!
Today marks Zakiyah saying goodbye to her nuk.
Mama decided at about 5pm that I was over it.
Zakiyah is 2 years old and 1 month……. it is time.
Impulsive. Stubborn. Strong. and Ready. (me and the 2 year old)
I have been holding on……. she is my baby. My last. My little lady. She loves her nuk. But, this girl is more stubborn than me. We have been trying to only have it in her mouth for nap/bedtime/car rides…but, there are a lot of extra nuk time she gets…. because it is easy. a cop out on my part.
Zakiyah, don't be so loud in the store. Zakiyah don't whine and cry. Zakiyah is tired and I am pushing her and dragging her to another store……….
Leaving church tonight after youth group and Zion's preschool group, is when I put on baby lullabies and give Zakiyah her nuk and lovie and let her rest for the 15-20 minute drive home…… not tonight…..crying and her tapping at her lips showing me she wanted her nuk. Zion trying to hold her hand and telling her she loved her…….me, explaining that Mama and Daddy love her and she is such a big girl being 2 years old now. No more nuki babe. Close your eyes and listen to the music….nope. She was not having it……
Getting home, and brushing teeth, getting the water in the sippy, and water with ice for Zion, brushing teeth, getting jammies on and changing diaper…….. We go into their room and Zakiyah is on all fours looking for her nuk under her crib. I pick her up and grab the 3 nuks and bring the girls to my bathroom and try letting Kiyah throw them in the garbage. One by one, she puts them in her mouth, while I, in return, take them and say "Goodbye nuki. Zakiyah is such a big girl now, she doesn't need you." She looking at them and me, with alligator tears and the silent cry…..wait for it… there it is….. whaling scream. I stroke her hair and bounce, singing worship songs and telling her I love her…….
I put her down and get my ipad and put on soothing sounds (waves and piano) and pick her up and bring her to the art room across the hall…..saying goodnight to Zi and telling her mama is going to rock Zakiyah to sleep, which never happens anymore. Zakiyah instantly collapses on my chest, as I rock and whisper to her songs and pray for her. She fondles her index finger over her lips and occasionally sucking her finger for comfort, plays with the beads on my necklace and eventually drops her arms accepting her new life. Nuki Less Life ;) Eventually, closing her eyes and her weight dropping in my arms and on my lap. sigh…the best…...
I found myself looking out the window as I was holding my precious daughter with tears welling up in my eyes, thanking God for my life. God spoke to me tonight…about a nuki. and about finding beauty in the things I don't thank him for very often.
Thank You God for the finger printed windows that I was looking out of. Thank You for my awesome neighbors and for our home.
Thank You for the two girls that are pure CRAZY and test me in every possible way.
Thank You for the chaos of the simple things…….bed time and wake up time. Oh my word, wake up time……Getting up. Telling the girls they can't play on my phone. Deciding on breakfast. eating breakfast. getting dressed. combing hair. brushing teeth, putting on the right socks that don't have the strings that attack my daughters feet on the inside (my word, i despise Target's $1 socks that suck me in everytime with their Hello Kitty…. they are lamesauce) making beds. putting away the lovies and dolls and running out the door………
Thank You for the tiny hands that still want to hold my hands in parking lots, car rides, or cuddling on the couch or climbing stairs.
Thank You for the crazy / random conversations I get to have everyday with Zion. Like, having to explain to her why mama wears under garments different from hers. Or why are all of these people moving to our neighborhoods? Where are dare other houses mama?
Thank You for Zakiyah's random and hilarious sounds and facial expressions that she makes! The whistle face, and the head bop. How she loves MUSIC and dances everyday. How when she hears Coldplay or River Valley Kids she instantly grabs my hands and wants to jump and be free.
Thank You for the 3,963 times I hear Mama, and MOM in a day.
Thank You for choosing me to be their mom.
Thank You for the obnoxious car rides we have daily, where Zion decides it is time to learn her words/letters and takes out her notebook and wants me to help her write: Caroline, Collin, Zakiyah, February 19 (her birthday) and Fall, while getting mad at me because I am driving and she wants to know how to write a letter and doesn't approve of my imaginary chalkboard that I sketch out the letter….not good enough…."Zion, wait for a stoplight and I will help you."
Thank You for the excitement the girls have for being the line leader in PreK / seeing anything Disney / falling asleep with their flashlight on from reading (looking at pix) of their bible.
Thank You for the meltdowns at the end of my work days or busy days/weeks because all they want is their mommy and daddy. Blessed. They choose to love us back. They love me.
Thank You for the little reminders tonight, Lord.
It is funny how taking a nuki away symbolizes more to me. Being a mom, and making those executive decisions, believing and knowing that my daughter will be ok. It might be a rough couple of days, but I know she can do it. She can rest without that security. She will find a new normal. It is my job to push my daughters into the next step. Cheering them on. Praying for their safety/life/future.
Do I live out my life in the same way, I push my daughters into new things. seasons. chapters.
Here is your new school, Zion…. Have fun! See you in a few hours.
Here is a new school lesson- you got this.
Here is a new teacher for a new sport… with new faces. You will be ok.
Here is the stage- perform. You will be ok.
I want to be a mom that shows my girls what bravery is.
I want to be a mom that pushes through my own insecurities, taking risks and getting my butt up after I fail or don't do it right the first time.
Just apart of this new season for me of God stripping my own comfort and rocking my core.
My favorite song right now has these lyrics that go like this:
You make me brave You make me brave You called me beyond the shores into the waves
Ending tonight, with a smile.
A fresh reminder of God's love for us.
Thankful that my daughter is upstairs, sleeping nuk-free and she is ok.
Happy Lock Love Wednesday! I started LLW to keep this hairstylist accountable. It is so easy to get in a hair rut and not style my own hair! I have fun sharing with you anything Hair related! Today, is Before + After day! Join with me below and link up and show off your styling techniques or beautiful hair! Follow me on Instagram @ talahairlife #locklovewed and #locklovewednesday
My ladies and their cute hair at a photo shoot last week. I am not over the floral crowns yet! love them….
Zakiyah and I rocking a mohawk bun! Check out my tutorial here ;)
I love it when couples come in and get their hair done together! Tom + Kristin are a blast and let me freshen up their hair for fall!
I wanted Tom to give me the worst before pix ever ;) Zakiyah photo bomb too…..
This was my first time cutting Kathy's hair and she was trusted me with a new look. I love how it turned out.
I have been styling lots of wedding hair lately, which I love! This is the mother of the bride!
Bridesmaids….
The beautiful bride and her gorgeous hair! I gave her a fishtail/french braid after the ceremony! The couple got married on a beautiful farm in the country! My husband had the honor of officiating their ceremony! Congrats Chris + Lindsey!
I got to participate in a pony tail styling class last week and here i one of the models land my hair below! Pony tails are very popular and versatile for this fall/winter.
Yeah for shorter hair! Sarah is a beaut!
I love this adorable short hair style on Adrienne! She has awesome hair to rock more of a pixie/cropped cut.
Tammy let me go Ombre on her!
Stephanie was up for more a of rich base and brighter ends. She is so pretty with any shade!
Man, I love red hair! Mandy rocks red like nobody's biz.
Felicia has a TON of hair and we wanted to lighten her look and give her hair a new life! I think this bob is adorbs on her!
Tanya let me cut 4 inches off and I gave her cut a A line to give it texture and volume. Her hair is sassy and suites her to the max! :)
I love this B + A!!!!!!! I gave my sister a fresh cut taking 2-4" off overall! I used a hair mask to condition and moisturize her hair too!
Shari and her new BABE LOOK! I darkened her hair and brought it up to a nice layered bob! She is stunning!!!!!
I love kid cuts so much! Here are some favs!
I mean, for CUTE!!!!!
Kierra's B + A is one my fav looks on little girls! Thin hair or thick hair, it looks amazing!!!!!!
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