Happy New Year| 2020

Happy New Year to everyone! Sending positive energy, love and light your way always.

- Creatively Coiled

Farewell 2017| Memorable Moments

So, we're at the end of 2017. We can take this book, close it, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it under the bed behind that box of notes that we're holding onto from years ago but don't want to toss because we don't want anyone to have access to this information in them.





Aside from some of the more trivial and disappointing moments in 2017, I'd like to again share my most memorable moments of 2017: 

The Evolution of Baby Girl Button
Button is 2 and this was the year of her coming [somewhat] into her own. It has been interesting watching her learn, explore and observe. Along with that, watching her personality develop. 
Parenthood is not an easy hood to live in (I knew this well before the thought even crossed my mind to be one) but watching and helping a little human grow and being able to assist them in the process gives some assurance that it is working.

Reclaiming Confidence
In my 30s, I have become more and more socially awkward; not wanting to be around people or wanting to be around people but not knowing how to contribute to the atmosphere socially which makes me [again]  not want to be around people. I have been struggling with this and I'm not sure what happened but I believe it is due to lack of self confidence. 
Not sure the cause however, I have done a few things in attempts to help with this including taking baby steps to put myself back out there and it has helped to rebuild myself in a way.

Job Transition
After 10yrs in the same profession, I was given an opportunity move to another company. Even though I was getting to the point of "oh, I'm comfortable where I am", I put in my 2 weeks notice. I have been with the new company for 9 months and it is refreshing learn new skills, being given the ability to assist in development and 

What are some of your memorable moments from 2017 and what are you looking forward to in 2018?

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

Hello folks! Back to share some of my recent Dollar Tree finds...

Microfiber Towel| I like to keep these on hand in my car and in the little ones travel bag to help with messes. In my opinion, these feel nice as well as clean and dry easily. 

2.5 Gallon Freezer Bags| I use these large bags to sort and store away the little ones clothes season to season, pack away clothes and items that we give away. I also used these large bags for a DIY sensory mat a year ago (click >>>here<<< to view that project).

Storage Containers| I randomly have started buying these 2 at for store under our bathroom sinks, bedrooms and anywhere else that little hands may roam. There aren't as durable as I'd like (ie: clearly not from The Container Store) but they serve their purpose. 










Labels| These sticky office labels are cute and I use them on my desk for reminders. I prefer handwritten reminders over digital ones that can be setup through email or on mobile devices so I was super excited when I spotted these. 

Decorative Stickers| I have shared some of these before from a previous blog post and I have gotten in the habit of looking for different stickers when shop. I'm still working on our family photo album these will be a nice addition.







Bubbles| I have stocked up on bubbles for Button because like most kids, she gets a kick out of them and DT has some cute character themes bubble bottles. 

Candles| Now...It is a rare occurrence that I purchase candles from DT because quite frankly, majority of the scented candles stink to me unless they are cinnamon, peppermint or something along the lines of a basic scent. I saw these rose water candles and purchased two to burn when I'm having my "day at the spa" in our bathroom. Haven't burned them yet but the scent is soft and refreshing.




Bolero Beverly Hills Products| These are some older items however, I am just getting around to finishing some of them up. I saw people on YouTube buying the brand up at their local Dollar Tree and most of them raved about how well the products work. One thing I like about the products is the packaging. It's cute!

Argan & Shea Butter Body Cream
& Face Wipes

Coconut Milk & Honey Fizzer

Lemon Verbena & Mint Body Oil & Body Cream 

The products weren't anything to rave about in my opinion. The body oil has mineral oil in it soooooo... you could make it yourself and make it with more natural and nourishing oils.Same goes for the body creams; they served their purpose somewhat however, aren't that moisturizing for troublesome skin. I used the face wipes to remove my mascara and as a quick face refresher after a workout.

What are some items you have purchased from Dollar Tree?

Humble Beginnings...

I can look back and smile at the progress that Button has made.

I shared last year the story of our little lady coming into this world at 24 weeks and 6 days and how it was a trying time for my husband and I.

Those days seem so long ago as Button is almost 2! I sometimes look back at trinkets and pictures from her younger months and sit in disbelief because she is doing so well physically and mentally (Praise him!).

With help from the man upstairs as well as the hospital staff at Duke ICN, TCN and March of Dimes we can look back on her humble beginning and smile.



Want to know more about premature birth and how you can help support babies and families?

♡♡♡♡CLICK HERE♡♡♡♡

May Photo A Day Challenge| Ready...Set...Go!

Hey hey!

Blogger friend Ms Naturally Random and I decided to celebrate the month of May with Photo A Day challenge. Throughout the month we'll post on social media our pic of the day.

Want to join in?

Post your photo of the day using #CreativelyRandom and don't forget to follow us on social media.

See you there!

Ms Naturally Random
Twitter● @shanrandom
Instagram ● @msnaturallyrandom
Snapchat ● @shanrandom
Facebook● @msnaturallyrandom

Creatively Coiled  

Twitter ● @creativecoils
Instagram ● @creatively_coiled
Snapchat ● coilykita

Easy DIY| Headband/Bracelet Holder

Attempting to organize Baby Girl Button's room (yes, she had been home for almost 3 months and we're still getting her space together) I am already building up a collection of headbands but no place to store them so, I got the idea to make a holder for them. I have created this before to store my bracelets and figured "why not use the same concept for headbands?"

Items you will need:

• Toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls
• Duct Tape
• *optional* rocks, sand or something weighted for the base

Easy list right? 

Lets get Started!

1  I chose to use one paper towel and 2 toilet tissue rolls. I inserted the 2 toilet tissue rolls into each other to get the desired height for the holder. Once that was accomplished, I wrapped duct tape around it to secure them together. 

2 Now that the base is together, I set the paper towel roll horizontally and attempt to make it line up evenly on the base. Once I have it set evenly, I duct tape it to the base.

3 LAST STEP! Now you duct tape the entire piece. I decided to use white tape for the base and then pink on top as the pick tape was pretty thin.

*Optional Step* I put rocks in a bag and inserted it in the bottom of the holder then taped the bottom closed so helps keep it steady.

There you have it. The easiest DIY project I have ever done. I know this has been circulating on social media for years now but wanted to share in case there is someone out there looking for inspiration to create. It may just take one simple project to get your gears turning. 

Pick 6 | Fall 2015

Happy [S]Winter to all the folks that live in NC and anywhere else that is experiencing warmer than usual weather. Side Note: I saw someone riding their dirt bike in nothing but shorts on CHRISTMAS DAY...no shoes, tank top...just shorts. Just wanted to share that.
Any-who, the warm weather has thrown me completely off and I realized that I hadn't posted my Pick 6 for Fall.

Hair | Shea Moisture Hair Color system
FINALLY was able to get my hands on a box of it and someone may be wondering "Why is she just getting is considering it has been out for a while?": I prefer to get my products on the ground and was not able to find this item in store for a while. I actually found it in Vance Co. at one of the beauty supply stores. 
I colored my hair a while back and as it grew out it began to get brighter and brighter and I was over it. Wanted to color it again however, wanted to try Shea Moisture's system to see how it worked: 

• Comes with Raw Shea Butter shampoo, conditioner and oil (samples)
• Fast acting system (color took quickly to my tresses)
• Smelled good (unlike other colors I have used)   

   I decided to go Jet Black to cancel out the previous color

*I am team Shea Moisture so as always, no complaints with their product*

Fashion | Sweaters
Again, weather really hasn't permitted me to wear a lot of layers BUT, I have taken advantage of the cooler days to rock my sweaters. My favorite would have to be my soft pink and grey leopard print sweater from Torrid (purchased last year). Love it!






Beauty | L.A. Girl PRO Conceal
This item can be found in some beauty supply stores and at a decent price. I use their concealer when doing my brows (which I am just getting back on). It blends well with my complexion. I have been using this for more than a year now and enjoy it.

Skin | Cocoa Butter Stick
Still rocking with it to help fade hyper pigmentation on my face from scaring. Butter stick of choice is Cococare (found at my go to beauty supply store).








Accessories | Faux Frames (glasses)
This has been a trend for a while and I finally found some really nice slight cat-eyed frames and have been rocking for a while now. I was actually wearing them a bit in the summer but the past few months I have rocked them as if they are real...Like seriously: walk out the door for work and come back in the house to grab them like is was a MUST (mainly because I was not doing my brows and thought I was disguising it). 

Random | 719 Walnut Avenue Candle (Mahogany Driftwood)
I enjoy watching shopping hauls on YT and The Bronze Goddess picked up this large almost Bath & Body Works-ish candle that she said came from Walmart. Figured I would give it a go since it would of course be cheaper than B&BW. 
I will say the first day I burned this candle I was disappointed because it wasn't as fragrant as she proclaimed however, after the first burn it lit up the house...Very impressed and will be buying more.


What items have you enjoyed this Fall? 

No Fast Food February UPDATE

February has come and gone so, I wanted to come and give you my...

UPDATE

I honestly enjoyed this challenge as it forced me to really plan out our meals: prepping food a day in advance and going into my recipe box to pull out some recipes that I hadn't used in a while. Along with this challenge, we tried our best to prepare meals that consisted of fresh produce so there was a lot of fresh veggies filling the fridge and with there being more fresh food, we were more moved to go ahead and actually cook and eat so none of it would go to waste.

With the cold weather taking over the month, comfort food was the name of the game: 

Pictures Clockwise: Grilled peppers and onions (rice not pictured).
Turkey Kielbasa, peppers, potatos and onions.
Buffalo chicken, broccoli, cheese and potatoes.
Turkey chili.

We enjoyed a lot of hearty meals throughout the month and had the opportunity to take a crack at making a soup (mind you, this is was a very random soup where I literally just purchased broth and veggies...Chopped 'em up and threw them in a pot... It turned out yummy):

Shared via Instagram

Shared via Instagram

With all of this being said. I am sad to report that I only made it 14 days straight without any fast food (insert sad face here). See, what had happened was...Sir and I hit the town and on Valentine's night and had all the intentions of coming home and preparing a meal HOWEVER, mother nature saw fit to hit Wake County with winds so harsh that when we arrived home, our power was out. 

All in all, we had takeout food 5 times last month...Which to me, was still good although I would have loved to complete the full 28 days with just home cooked meals. This was easy on the pockets and helped us clean out the fridge and actually start eating more of what we purchased. 

I will be trying this again. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary? If so, did you make it through the month?

-creatively coiled

Curls Around The World - Mini Haul

I'm always excited about going to expos to enjoy the presentations, networking, and fellowship. But the main thing I like is checking out the vendors to see what they have to offer. Vendors are awesome as you're normally looking at one of a kind items, or items that you know are not mass produced (which I'm always attracted to).

With that being said... LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I GOT!!

We received mini swag bags with samples from JessiCurls, Eden BodyWorks, and Coco Curls.

Made a lovely scented purchase from the Pure Shea Store: Cocoa Mango Shea Butter, and a mango scented shampoo bar (more deets on how that worked out in a late post). 

Now, with it just laying on my vanity, you are not getting the full effect of this. Made a wonderful fashion purchase from S. Benson. This my friends is a Peplum belt that can be paired with any plain outfit.

Last thing I walked away with was a bottle of Almond Oil from Monique's Natural Boutique.

If you want more information on the products, please visit the merchant sites below: 

http://www.sbenson.com/

http://puresheastore.com/

http://moniquesnaturalhaircare.com/

https://www.jessicurl.com/

http://cococurls.com/

Have any of you used any of these products? If so, what are your thoughts?

- Creatively Coiled

Curls Around The World Natural Hair Tour

On August 23rd some of my lady friends and I went to Greensboro,NC to enjoy the festivities at the 2nd annual, Curls Around The World natural hair expo and hair show. Showcasing vendors selling hair and body products, jewelry and accessories.

Guest speakers: 

Dr. Prenik James from Design Essentials

Chisa from Lady Bizness 

Diane Bailey, ambassador of Shea Moisture

Jeannell Darden of Coco Curls

Jessica McGuinty of Jessicurl

Pamela Jenkins of Koils By Nature

...And many more came to share their vision for their businesses and care of body and hair. There was plenty of energy in the building along with GREAT presentations.

Jeannell Darden of Coco Curls

We did not get a chance to peek in at the workshops,  but I'm sure they were full of information.

- Creatively Coiled

Random OOTD

Hey Hey!

I have been out a about just a tiny bit lately and it forced me to put on clothes to blend in with society. I was feeling myself so decided to snap some pictures to show my random Outfit Of The Day (OOTD).

For Mother's Day my sister and I took a trip home to surprise mommy with gifts and dinner:

Top: Hi-Lo chiffon button down - Torrid

Pants: Liz Claiborne denim ankle pants - JCPenny

Shoes: Tribal print flats - Torrid

Very comfortable outfit considering we spent a nice amount if time outside on Mommy's Day and it was rather warm. The top is sheer so my body was able to breath and stay cool *thumbs up*

Hope you enjoyed

-Creatively Coiled

[My] Eyebrows

I am always surprised at the compliments that people give me on my eyebrows... Honestly, because I FILL THEM IN . My eyebrows are very sparse: the hairs are thin, and are very spaced out so it is as if I do not have any. Over the past 2 or 3 years I have started filling them in and giving them shape. [In my personal opinion] I have perfected the process. Since I have received so many compliments, why not show how I achieve my "Just shaped" looked:


What you will need:

• Spooly brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Eyebrow pencil (NYX in Black)
• Brow brush (Beauty Supply Brush)
• Concealer (L.A. Girl Pro.Conceal)
• Small angled makeup brush (e.l.f.)
• Setting powder (e.l.f.)

I- I make sure my face is clean (of course) and I gently brush my brows with the spooly to ensure the hairs are laying in the same direction.

II - Some people stray from using a black pencil because it is so prominent but it works just fine for me (maybe because of my complexion). I make sure my eyebrow pencil is as sharp as possible to outline my brow. at the most narrow part of the outline I color it in just a bit but leave the rest open.

Taken with flash to show my actual brow and the traced brow

 III  - With my brow brush, I brush from the most outer corner (where I colored it in) inward towards the center of my face. Brushing in this direction helps to fade out the pencil and give the brow a more natural look. 

IV-At this point I have eyebrows (yay!) BUT, I need to give them a clean shape. This is where the concealer and angle brush come in to play. With the concealer on the brush, I play clean up: concealing any unwanted pencil and hairs that are not in line with what I have drawn. 

Last step is taking setting powder and applying to the brows (so I forget they are fake and wipe them off). 

BAM! There you have it. I feel like I look very different (in a good way) with eyebrows however, the biggest thing now is committing to them because if they aren't drawn on...People notice (lol), but I'm OK with that. 

Do you draw on or fill in your brows? If so, what technique do you use?

-CreativelyCoiled