Apology for neglect

Oh my lonely lonely blog. I apologize for the neglect. I am working on my part 2 of the natural hair series. It's been so delayed because I'm a somewhat of an overachiever mixed in with a bit of lazy bum; basically I wanted to add in some pictures of me when I was younger (with the style my mom always had my hair in) and I haven't gotten down to the basement to find any to scan on! 


Also stay tuned for the latest and great of the Etsy shop highlights! You definitely need more really cool stuff to make your handmade Christmas just perfect! 


In other news, my Thanksgiving weekend was absolutely fabulous (thanks for asking--or wondering), and I hope yours was too. I'm having withdrawal symptoms now that I'm back home and have to get back to life as I know it. I'm allowing myself only a tiny pout. While I have you here, please check out my latest listing which is an illustration that I did awhile back, but thoroughly enjoyed. Someone suggested that I list it, and I can honestly say it didn't cross my mind before that. A little dense sometimes? Maybe. Your feedback is-as always-appreciated and even possibly expected. IF YOU WOULD, please click on the picture so it can take you to the actual listing and you can see the original scarf that is in the sketch. 

Elisabeth Arona 

But darling, what about the children?

While I've been doing holiday etsy shop features on my blog, I've completely forgotten about the children! Here I'm highlighting shops with adorable kids items that may have just what you're looking for. I love that handmade always means you have something unique. 

1. Felicia is the owner/top boss/ceo of this lovely shop dubbed "eversewsweet". Her items are just adorable...In case you haven't noticed, the Holidays are a lot about food for me--right after family and friends lol. If little miss sous chef is going to make some cookies, she'll need an apron; this is the shop you can find them at! 

2. Shannon is the owner of Baruch's lullaby. She has four kids and is adopting two more from Bulgaria. It's an exciting journey for her and her family, and one that I'm happy to have a part in by participating in fundraisers. When you buy from Shannon, you are also helping raise money for her to bring her children home. BTW, check out those adorable models--all her children :-)

3. Nowcreations. I don't personally know this seller, but I badly want a pull-toy on wheels for my wonderful niece who is a year old; I found this when I was searching around.

4. The Hickory Tree is a shop that I have never been to before either...but I ADORE buttons and wooden toys obviously. This shop is perfect for finding something for a little adventurer, and if you have an outdoorsy boy around you're sure to find something he'll love too-from compasses to whistles (my personal fav.)

Hope you enjoyed this etsy shop highlight for kids!

Until Next Time,

Elisabeth Arona

Going natural: the dark story behind it

My hair has been natural for two years. While I may play it down (it really doesn't seem like a huge deal sometimes,) let me give you the low-down, nitty gritty, bare bones story.

Imagine that everywhere you look the definition of beautiful hair is hair that you can never "naturally" have; you're taught that it is supposed to be your "crowning glory" but you feel like it's more of a "dunce cap." The girls on movies (i.e. princess diaries) always have straight shiny hair if they're popular, while curly hair seems to secure them a spot in the unpopular weird crowd. Every day with your hair is a battle again all natural elements: rain, humidity, and even too much touching. Although people say your hair is pretty, you have noticed that these comments are directly related to when your hair is straight. Your hair is not even normally called curly, it's kinky. It's tangly. It's impossible to comb. It's short. It's not shiny. It breaks off easily. Welcome to my world: you are black.

Relaxed and flat-ironed

Don't get me wrong...I could do the straight long hair. The hair that (mostly black) people touched and asked how I grew it (to which I shrugged and said "Ummmm I just don't do anything to it.) I did it by relaxing it. After I washed it though, it would curl up. I couldn't figure it out! Why was my hair not like my sisters where all you do is just blow dry it and then it's fine? After not feeling like going through the trouble I started letting it air-dry. Mostly in the summer. It was a big, half-curly, half straight, hot mess. I loved it. I felt free. It bounced, it had attitude, it angered and frustrated me, and at the same time was TOTALLY ME! 

I hated getting relaxers and only had them done about every 3 months because they burned my head sometimes, they made my hair stiff and weird, and they never straightened certain parts of my hair...

In August of 2009 I decided that I'd had enough and that I was sick to death of relaxers. The beginning of the end. If I had time I would go on to tell you the rest of the story, the one behind the "Oh I'm a black girl going natural"! {The comments from family and friends (good and bad), the hair disasters, the styles that worked, and the frame of mind that it produced.} I just don't have time. You'll have to wait for part two, if it ever comes.

Sign me a song

Last week I started actively learning sign language. Because I thought it was cool, I'm also teaching my Sunday School class how to sign the song Give Thanks. So far they're catching on really quickly. I just hope that I'm teaching them the correct signs. I'll try to post pictures of them signing by Friday.

I checked out the book 1,000 Words To Sign from the library, and it's SUPER awesome. 

In sideline news, I will be posting about something new I made in the kitchen this week so stay tuned! I'm working hard to coupon and budget and all that...it's quite difficult for me.

I also figured that I don't say this nearly often enough, but I appreciate all of my blog followers...and to those who leave the occasional comment here is my silly lil gratitude:

I...

love...

you!

Don't you love my brain-piercing bright background?