As The Wind Blows

Madison, Alabama has new place for the cities' creative crowd... The Crafty Behr! The Crafty Behr had it grand opening Saturday October 26, 2013 from 12pm - 4pm and showcased a place where you can purchase items from hand made hats and scarves to vintage furniture and gifts. The owner Donna Behr and her staff rolled out the red carpet and provided visitors with complementary beverages and food provided by local Papa Murphy's.  Giveaways of amazing items provided by some of the vendors were raffled off every 15 minutes for guests in attendance.  I had the pleasure of winning a beautiful basket of handmade soaps that I can't wait to try. The Crafty Behr is nestled on Hwy 72 and offers  an unique shopping experience.  Not only can you shop one of a kind hand-made gifts but they offer new finds at the adjacent thrift store.  If you are a crafty person looking from a new home check them out.  The vendors can manage their booths hand on or allow the staff to...

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the  1st Huntsville Bar Stars hosted by The Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau , the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance along with the Westin Huntsville ! This event brought people from across the  Tennessee  Valley to Bridgestreet Town Centre to enjoy local craft beer, American Harvest Vodka spirits, amazing food and live music.  The  music  was provided by local artist, Tim Cannon, and he  serenaded  the group with his version of classic hits with his  great  voice and guitar.  The locals seemed to enjoy mingling with each other as they watched the contestants compete for the title of Huntsville Bar Star and move to the next round in Mobile.  I had the opportunity to speak with representatives from breweries located in Madison, Huntsville and even Avondale about the beer they are proud to offer and realized that Blue Pants  Brewery  wa...

Restaurant week is in full swing! The Huntsville-Madison County Visitors Bureau is doing their part spreading the word  on their  facebook page  where you can find participating area restaurant to try and featuring some of the many amazing lunch & dinner specials being offered.  Today I had the pleasure of attending a free to the public event...It was a cooking demonstration by two spectacular chefs... Chef Robert Charles of The Scene Restaurant at Monaco Pictures in Bridgestreet  was up first...Chef Charles delighted the crowd with his Maple Glazed Pork Loin sandwich...It was delicious and savory....with Chef Charles sharing with us that he could have chosen many different cheeses' for this sandwich but "There is nothing finer than some good ole American Cheese"...Chef Charles is originally from Denver but now calls Huntsville home with his wife (a native of Huntsville) and their young child... To end our afternoon on a sweet note Chef Merle Phillips ...

Summer is here with a vengeance so it is time to find a fun, hip protective style for my teenage daughter. I suggested Senegalese Twists, Havana Twist or box braids but Miss Tia wanted something funky & colorful.....Yarn braids! Yarn braids are fun and they give you the feel of having locs (hinse them also being known as genie-locs) ... This would be my second time doing yarn braids but the first time making them this length..she wanted waist length in the back.. We headed to Walmart to get the yarn and the 11 hour journey would begin. The Process: 1. I purchased Red Heart brand yarn from Walmart 2 bundles ( dark brown & fuschia ) ..also I had some blue yarn at home. 2. I stretched the yarn to waist length, doubled it and then cut it.  I used that first one to measure each remaining piece. I didn't count them but I would be using 3 pieces per braid. 3. Washed, conditioned & detangled her hair. 4. Applied Cantu Shea butter leave in conditioner, Ampro Vitamin E oil ...

Hello All.....Here for another product review and this time its from a familiar brand.. TGIN (Thank God I'm Natural). I had the opportunity of trying their  new product line, the Moist Collection ,  which  contained a Sulfate free shampoo, a triple moisture conditioner, a butter cream daily moisturizer, a honey hair mask and an added bonus the twist & define cream. Up first was the shampoo and conditioner combination..I'm not big on shampoos because I usually just see them as functional, but this shampoo was really nice.  I had the type of lather I expect from a sulfate free shampoo but I was missing one thing...The striped feeling... YES! My scalp felt clean, the way I traditionally only get with ACV,  but it didn't feel stringy or waxy.  The conditioner was great, my hair seemed to drink in the moisture and instantly seemed soft with my kinky curls popping.... I still classify the conditioner as the Batman & the shampoo as the Robin because im bi...

Hello All.....Here for another product review and this time its from a familiar brand.. TGIN (Thank God I'm Natural). I had the opportunity of trying their  new product line, the Moist Collection ,  which  contained a Sulfate free shampoo, a triple moisture conditioner, a butter cream daily moisturizer, a honey hair mask and an added bonus the twist & define cream. Up first was the shampoo and conditioner combination..I'm not big on shampoos because I usually just see them as functional, but this shampoo was really nice.  I had the type of lather I expect from a sulfate free shampoo but I was missing one thing...The striped feeling... YES! My scalp felt clean, the way I traditionally only get with ACV,  but it didn't feel stringy or waxy.  The conditioner was great, my hair seemed to drink in the moisture and instantly seemed soft with my kinky curls popping.... I still classify the conditioner as the Batman & the shampoo as the Robin because im bi...

Chris was the winner of my giveaway June 27th was the Rocket City Bloggers 1st Meet & Greet, it was a beautiful event with many bloggers from the Tennessee Valley coming together at the Huntsville Madison County Visitors Bureau to network.  I had the pleasure of being introduced to Joe Martin, blogger & owner of the Huntsville Adventure Boot Camp , by fellow blogger Carol Marks ( www.girlabout.com ) and gifted two $75 gift cards to go workout with them. The next camp was beginning on Monday and I decided to jump on in and get this weight off.  I shared my concerns with Joe about my asthma, size and knee troubles and he assured me that I would be cared for. The camp has two locations and two times; Huntsville & Madison, 5:30 AM & 5:30 PM .. I chose the Madison location at Horizon Elementary just about across the street from where I live at 5:30 AM... I was excited, sleepy, nervous and scared all at the same time.  My plan was to get up at 5am get dressed...

Get Ready! The Rocket City Bloggers are having our first event.... The event is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Visitors Bureau and we couldn't be happier! Check out the video below and join us Thursday June 27 from 5 - 7 p.m. Chances to win great prizes for those who RSVP so do it TODAY! To RSVP click here -----> RCBSOCIAL  .... Also follow our conversations on Twitter #RCBSocial For information on the bloggers that make up Rocket City Bloggers ... www.rocketcitybloggers.com See You There!

***This review is sponsored by Coily Encounters . Check out her great Facebook community ---->  Click Here  .... Blog ----> Click Here ... YouTube ----> Click Here   *** The Review: When I was first told that I would be reviewing a couple of products from Dax I was confused... The only products that came to mind were for waves in men.... Did she want my son to do the review? I decided to wait until the products arrived and keep an open mind. Dax was a sponsor of the Coily Encounters Greenville, South Carolina INHMD event so I tried a few of the samples provided to the VIP Swag Bag guests. To my surprise Dax had began a new line of Petroleum/Paraben Free products under the title Dax Roots and I would be giving their Olive Cream & Bergamot Butter a try. I decided to use my daughter Miss Tia for this review because my hair had just recently been styled with another product. Final Assessment:  I thought both the Olive Cream & Bergamot Butter...

Weight loss journey number one thousand and one begins... Its hard getting started during the Spring/Summer but I'm ready to take it one day at a time... Vlog 104

I decided to put my big girl panties on and give Cantu Shea Butter Coconut Curling Cream a try... Check out my latest Vlog reviewing the product... Vlog 103

It;s time to get things started! Time to share my story.   Share your comments & thoughts!

Thank you to everyone for supporting my blog! It has been great over the years but I know have to change the way I share with you guys... Im nervous and don't know how this will go but I hope you will take this journey with me..

Saturday May 4, 2013 is the Kentucky Derby and although my family was unable to attend the yearly tradition of big hats, fast horses and fun in Louisville.. my town of Madison, Alabama did a great job of offering a great alternative... They call it Madison Derby Day... this event was a family friendly event that allowed us to socialize with other residents, introduce us to local small businesses, eat some great food, be entertain by local musicians and dancers and of course watch the Kentucky Derby on large screen televisions with neighbors and friends.  This was the first time I attended and my family had a great time.  Here are some pictures from the event and some of the great business owners I got a chance to meet...   Local businesses like The Jill Heffernan Group of Keller Williams supported the event . The ladies showed their derby spirit with beautiful hats and provided guests with freebies and information. They ar...

My adopted city of Huntsville has the amazing opportunity to be the host of the Social Media Tourism Symposim .. Yay! I am so excited to do my part in spreading the word and getting the vote out. This would be a great event for the city, allowing people to come and see why I fell in love with the Tennessee Valley. Huntsville has a large social media presence especially in the area of bloggers ! Members of Rocket City Bloggers , Rocket City Moms are just a few that passionately share events, news, travel and more throughout cyber space. Huntsville is a hub of technically and science, we offer great shopping, dining, culture, history and finally some of the most amazing people!   So stop what your doing ... Go over to Facebook &                                                                       ...

The process to re-introduce yourself to your natural hair can be a scary, amazing and comical journey . I began mine back in 2007 and I felt like a fish out of water trying to breathe. There was mostly negativity around me (except my husband & kids) and everyone was treating me like I had an undiagnosed mental condition. Luckily for me I realized that it didn't matter what others thought.. I would have confidence in my decision and faith that it would be what I needed and wanted for myself.  I found refugee in YouTube, blogs forums and trial and error. Last week I received my copy of CurlyNikki's Better than Good Hair and it made me remember the fear of the unknown I had at the beginning... So I decided I must give away a copy of this book! So Yes its time for a Giveaway! U.S. Residents only sorry... a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well let me begin by saying I am not a food expert but I am particular when it comes to what I put in my mouth...I don't like just anything so when a restaurant catches my taste buds its a big deal.  My family and I were roaming the streets of Madison (Alabama that is) with our stomachs in an uproar when we saw a line of people outside of a place I had never heard of.  It was called Smashburger and everyone seem to be happily waiting for a chance to get their meal.  I sent my husband in to get a menu so we could decide if this would be the place to fill our bellies. My crew has a few restrictions when it comes to dining..1st I am extremely allergic to seafood so I don't like to dine in places that offer it ( I will make some exceptions but not many) 2nd my daughter is Vegetarian and wants more than just  a salad...I quickly scanned the menu and Smashburger was doing good so far..No seafood & vegetarian options..YES! We decided to give it a try with...

Have you ever found yourself watching natural hair tutorials like its the Food Network ? The food looks so good, you jot down the recipes, you say you "must" try it but then file it in the Ooh Awe Maybe One Day folder?... Well I am Guilty! I watch my favorite vloggers faithful a few times a week and get excited about the styles they create but fall short of making time to give the look a try. Well its time for me to change that! I will start my journey of re-creating  the styles on my natural hair To Try List ...Hopefully I'll find my Spring/Summer look.... I debated between my girl ( in my head ) MakeupanBeautyJunkie's spiral curl set and my homegirl ( don't know her but she is a Detroiter ) CharyJay's flat twist out. Both styles were gorgeous and had a lot of body and volume, so I decided to let my hair supplies decide for me.  Perm rods were needed for both but CharyJay's only required a few for the ends so with the mysterious roller bandit h...

Today I would like to share my opinion of the Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter.  I had the opportunity to try this product when I won a giveaway on www.itsarkeedah.com I heard about the product from other naturals and couldn't wait to give it a try.  This product was used on my hair ax well as  Miss Tia's.   I decided to use the product on wet hair to do a two strand twist out after a washing & conditioning it.  I liked the consistency and the way if seem to incorporate moisture into each strand. The twists were beautifully defined and frizz was no where to be found.  The only problem I had with this product was the scent.  It was just unpleasant to me and seem to linger everywhere I went. My husband found the scent overwhelming but Miss Tia did not.   The price point is about $7 and I would say its worth the cost. There was no need for additional oils or anything with this butter. I...

Valentine's Day (Thursday February 14th)  is almost here and I wanted to surprise my husband with something different.  I wanted to make this Valentine's Day one that we could really enjoy each another and bond intimately. Now don't worry this post isn't X-rated...but with the stress of everyday life, kids, and schedules sometimes we forget how important intimacy and simple gestures are.  We will be married 17 years this June and together 20 years so it is very easy for us to take one another for granted. I began searching the internet for gift ideas and then it came to me...I needed to reach out to my new found friend LeAnn for the ultimate sensual and seductive gift ! LeAnn has an amazing company called Jordan's Treasurers as well as a  gift for helping people create the perfect ambiance. I reached out to her and she suggested one of her Romantic Encounter Gift Sets ...this was perfect! The set is made for any romantic moments you wan...

Viggle has taken over my family! What is Viggle you ask?  It's an mobile app available for IOS (apple devices) & android that gives you points for watching television. Not useless points but points that you instantly cash in for amazing gift cards and prizes that you will want and can benefit from.  I have used my points for free pizza at Papa Johns, bought medicine with my gift card at CVS, loaded my iPod with music with iTunes gift cards and I even took my hubby to the movies with Hollywood Movie money passes. This is the most used app on my device. How it works: Everyday they feature a few programs they would like you to watch that offer bonus check in points and these are the best! You tune in to the show, press check in on your device (within the app) and when the app is finished listening to your television it will confirm the name of the program. You click confirm and your in.  You receive one point for every minute you watch the program a...

As many of you know, I am a member of Influenster , a website that allows you to try products for free in return for honest reviews of the products while sharing that information with friends, family & social media. Well I  recently had the pleasure of trying Palmolive's new Fresh Infusion dish detergent. They sent me three 16 ounce bottles to try and I was pleasantly surprised. The scents were all inviting and extremely pleasing to the nose. The first scent that I tried was the Ginger White Tea. I loved this scent! It took very little detergent to fill my dish pan with white bubbles and have the kitchen engulfed in the wonderful scent. The dish detergent easily performed its job of getting my dishes sparkling clean and it even managed to get my daughter a little less upset about doing the dishes! My hands felt soft after finishing a sink of dishes and my mood seem to mellow & relax too... Palmolive has hit the mark with this line and I t...

Lose weight & win money?..Yes you can win money by simply losing  4% of your body weight. Wait, did I say simply? It's not simple but its an achievable goal if you discipline yourself and set your mind to making it happen.  This diet bet is hosted by myself through the website www.dietbet.com . Here's how it works.. The game host (me) sets an amount that each player must pay ($10 for my game) and sets a start date (1/21/13). The goal is to lose 4% of your body weight in 28 days. If you make your personal 4% goal you split the pot with all the winners! You must submit photos of yourself in tight fitting clothes and a picture of yourself on a scale that are kept private and used to verify that you lose the weight. I am excited about this game, I think its a great tool to motivate myself and I hope you guys will join so we can cheer each other on! Join today, and invite your friends! Let's create a big pot to motivate us to get rid of some unwanted weight. Smaller jeans...