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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

backpacks and apple treats

We are loving this time of year……. a favorite of mine. 

a fresh start.
new lists. 
new beginnings.
new backpacks and shoes for the kids.
windows open at night.
mums planted. 
pumpkin bars being made weekly.

but, i am still fighting off the whole boot/scarf look. 
shorts for me. check.
iced coffee. check.
and a faint tan lingering on my skin :)

here are some fav. pix from our past week…….


i love watching daddy and his girls bond. love how they snuggle up to him in the mornings…… perfect. this pix was taken last week, when we had our first day in quite a bit where we did NOTHING! made waffles and soaked in the morning with darrell evans/ kari jobe/ rend collective playing throughout our home. jammies kept on all morning (all day for kiyah) zi and i went and got mani/pedis together and we made pizza and watched the muppet movie as a family after baths. it was perfect. simple. needed. and cozy.


This 4 1/2 year old started preschool this wk! She was so excited to start this new adventure. She is going to a local christian preschool 2 miles away and loving it! She goes 2 mornings a week! We went shopping a while ago and I let her pick out a new shirt for school! I scored her GAP backpack for $9 on Labor Day and got her shoes at Old Navy in the Spring on major clearance, saving them for school! She is a beauty! I can not wait to continue to watch her grow and shine in her school! 



She told me while driving home from school, "mom, I meeted two people. i don't remember dare names. they leave before you pick me up." baby steps, y'all. 


eating faces. crazy times. the amount of time at this table is redonk. watching my putzy ladies take in their meals-----30+ min per meal. NBD.




After a couple of colder days (for September) we hit up our favorite apple orchard for some family time. We met up with our buddies there and I delivered iced coffees for the parental units! HOLLER! This place makes homemade donuts too! PERFECT COMBO! 


Apple picking.
animal looking (bunnies/goats/chickens)
hay ride
donuts.
donuts. 
donuts. 
BLISS.


 meet Zakiyah, Zion, Zayda, Xavier, and Zander……. ;) 

Love doing life with such great friends! We are blessed. Love our community in Rochester………. THANKFUL! 


Zakiyah not feeling the wildlife.




jumpin bail! 




Always safe in her daddy's arms.




apple picking! 


I brought home 3 mums for our front yard! MY FAV

All summer long, Zion has been begging to have a lemonade stand. Well hun, we live in a culdasak. That is a prob. So we finally organized to have on this past Sunday before our youth kids came over for small group! Hit up the youth of the nation to buy a lemonade and cookie! Zion planned this for 4 days….. putting notes in the neighbors mailboxes, making signs, chalking up our driveway, and dreaming of the shop that could be in our driveway! So, fisher price cash registers came out, homemade warm chocolate chip cookies, trader joes lemonade (that is homemade as that was going to get) crayola marker filled construction paper signs, and we were ready for success. Zion/Collin/Caroline all sold their goodies raising $68 for missions (child sponsorship) It was a blast watching them scream, "we have a customer!" ADORABLE. 




I mean look at these little buddies.


Do you spy a cookie thief? 



second born slammin my coke. stinker.


talkin shop.

This was a week of the little things. 
Snuggles // Imagination // organizing closets // baking yummies in the kitchen // going on bike rides // playing outside // ending summer 2014 with a bang.

blessed. this little family of mine. blessed.



Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Before + Afters // Lock Love Wednesday

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 


 Jesse is one of my dear friends that needed a mama-makeover. She has a newborn baby and 19 month old! She is busy, to say the least. I colored her hair scalp to ends with browns/caramels/blondes to brighter her look and inverted the cut to make it sophisticated! 


Kathy has amazing hair! I have been giving her bangs for a few months now and we are loving it! I colored in lowlights with the blonde highlights to add depth! 
 Jaymi wanted a ashy brown all over tint! I love it on her.

Lindsay has been rocking the double processed blonde for a month or so now! I freshened up her cut and roots, toning it with a violet hue at the color bowl! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Leah has fabulous hair! We wanted to go bold this time around. I probably foiled in 100+ foils of blonde and even ombred' tips in between the foils with blonde. I used a violet toner to break her base (roots) and freshen up her neutral (natural tone) She looks wonderful! 

 
Elizabeth was platinum this past spring and has been slowly adding in darker tones to give it shine and be a little less maintenance. 
 Amanda wanted a CHANGE! I colored her hair with a all over high-def red/violet. I colored her ends on the left side with bleach to brighten it up too. We ended it with doing a side shave and styling it with a bun hawk. Check out my insta for more pix ;) 
 I dreaded Louis' hair 3.5 years ago and he has been rockin the look. He came in for me to tighten them and clean them up. I love dreadlocks so much! They suite him so well! :) 
 Linda gave me the honor of chopping off her hair! I used the Deva Curl line in her hair showing this mama of 3 a quick and easy style! I love her bouncy curls! 

 Melissa was growing out her hair for a wedding and we scheduled a cut for right after the wedding She looks fabulous in a bob and cleaned up fringe. She is a babe! 
 Back to School cuts have been my life! Loving all the fresh cuts on these cute kids……….
 Ava/Grace/Isabel all came in for cuts. They are the cutest sisters! 



Autumn and Keely wanted matching bobs for school Autumn looks so darling in bangs too! I love this cut on any young lady! 

Andrea hadn't colored her hair in 4-5 months and it was time! I love her hair blonde! 



 Connie has let her hair be all natural for a few years now, which I adore. But, we decided to add depth to it again with some dark brown low-lights to give her some color! I cut her hair up a bit too, to bring out the curl. I love how it turned out!!!! 


 Danielle let me chop off her hair to a sexy asymmetrical bob. I razored it a lot to add lots of movement and texture. I used Deva Spray Gel and scrunched her hair with my hands as I dried it. I used a curling iron and Texturizing Sea Salt Spray to make it beachy and summery! I love this look sooooo much! 


  Mallorie was heading off to work after I colored her hair this beautiful strawberry blonde and let me throw her hair up for her! 3 buns with bobby pins…. easy and fun.

Have you been doing anything fun with your hair lately!? 



Monday, September 1, 2014

I have a two year old…...

Oh hi, my daughter turned two a couple weeks ago…and I haven't shared yet:) 


My Zakiyah Nova is 2 years old (as of 8.20) What in the world?! Where has the time gone? Oh, I know, chasing after this crazy second born!!!! 
Mamahood is a ride that I love being apart of! 
Especially, with my two little ladies, in tow. They truly make my life beautiful.
Zakiyah means Purity and Nova means Bright and New. That she is….
My Beauty.
Ever since, this stubborn little girl entered the world, (birth story) I knew my life was about to change!
Zakiyah is a burst of energy. 
She loves life to the fullest! She still likes to take 2 naps a day, if I let her…..
She loves her babies and lovies. The girls wants to tote around 2 small lovies, 2 big blankets and a croqueted blankie, baby, mermaid, stuffed animal.. you name it… she is handing it to me to carry.
Zakiyah only says a few words at this point, but is the loudest 2 year old I know.
Her favorite songs are Boom (River Valley Church- Go Kids), Full of Stars (Coldplay), Jump (River Valley Church- Go Kids), and of course, Let It Go (Frozen). We have dance parties daily in the car and living room.
She is fearless, adventurous, and risk taking. She barrels down hills. tricycles, and runs so fast! She loves the water and swimming with her family. 
She loves FOOD! She wants chocolate every day, if I let her! She loves dried fruit, watermelon, mashed potatoes and can slam 4 slices of pizza if I give it to her! 
Kiyah LOVES her sister! She adores Zion. I love having them share a room for many reasons! I love walking by their room and seeing them play and share…occasionally. ;)
Every night, when Andy puts them to bed he goes through 3 songs and sings to them, while holding their hands as they are in their crib/bed. He is way better at bedtime than me. I am over it after 8pm…. Literally, over the day. done. don't want to procrastinate the routines………
Zakiyah is her sister's shadow with a lot of things. I feel like we are skipping a lot of things that Zion liked at 2 and jumping ahead, because Kiyah wants to do what her sister wants to do.
Zakiyah is the most affectionate girl I know! She hugs, holds hands, cuddles, kisses, giggles all the time. Ever since she was a baby, she would place her hand on my forearm…. when I hold her. MY FAVORITE.
Zakiyah teaches me patience, grace, humility, and how to respond creatively to certain scenarios. 
She makes our life better. 
More full.
More joy-filled. 
More over flowing.
More happy.
Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet girl!  


We had a simple BBQ with family for her birthday! Our neighbors came by too to help celebrate our Zakiyah! I went with fun and happy decor! 

Menu:

Hickory and Rodeo Lime Chicken and Pork on the grill
Mexican Sweet Corn 
Pioneer Woman's Baked Beans
Cantaloupe and Pineapple
Roasted potatoes
Garden fresh salad with veggies
Fresh Salsa and Blue Corn Chips
Nutella Chocolate frosting // Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes! HEAVEN!!!!
Ice Cream
Lots of fun bevys 






In the morning, we had our Nanny- Noelle "Coelle" over for breakfast (cass cakes) to send her off to college. She helped make the watermelon and pineapple garland! 





Zakiyah loves sweet corn. 
Fact: First born- prefers me to cut the corn off the cob. Second born- wants to eat it by herself.


CUTIES!

Cousins!!!!!!



Spoiled.

Zion loves taking pictures. Fact:  my parents never me touch their camera….now, they willingly give it to their 4 year old grandchild. ;) 




Mike helping put together Zakiyah's rockin' grocery cart!


 Zakiyah loving on her art from Bird + Goose! 


Crazy


Going through 2 bottles of bubbles in … oh you know 5 minutes…..


Love celebrating my girls.
Blessed, are we.
Thankful.

Love reminiscing her first birthday ;) HERE.
Love this little video, that I put together HERE