tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75242531120542812152024-03-13T14:03:18.245-05:00Tweeny HairTweens and teens often find themselves somewhere between wanting to fit in and wanting to confidently embrace their own identities. So what happens when that naturally curly head of hair is suddenly too old for bows and barrettes, but not yet in need of professional adult styles? Step away from the relaxers and join us as we explore natural hairstyles that find the balance between individuality and the desire to fit in.Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-65471410565497657842012-11-27T16:19:00.003-06:002012-11-27T16:19:34.177-06:00Bigger, Better Things<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ixTZY0cl_Yg/ULU7Mzjop-I/AAAAAAAACMw/xGWH8ZQD2r8/s1600/IMAG3745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ixTZY0cl_Yg/ULU7Mzjop-I/AAAAAAAACMw/xGWH8ZQD2r8/s400/IMAG3745.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a fun shot that has nothing to do with this post. :D</td></tr>
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Sometimes in life, things change slowly and at first you don't even notice. Then, all of a sudden, you look around and realize just how different things are.<br />
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That's what has happened with Tweeny Hair. Things have changed. Syd was only 10 when I started this blog. She was still in elementary school, didn't have much of a social life, and loved trying out new hairstyles. But Syd will be 13 in just a couple of months. She is on sports teams, belongs to a couple of clubs, is in leadership at church, and just doesn't have the desire to spend what precious little spare time she has sitting in a chair and having her hair done. <br />
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Because of her busier life, Syd's hair is in twists (and the resulting twist outs) about 90% of the time. It seems silly to keep writing blog posts about the same old style, and I certainly won't force her to sacrifice her spare time on hair for the sake of this blog. So although I love writing, I just don't have anything relevant to write about here on Tweeny Hair anymore.<br />
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So we found ourselves at a crossroads, and I've made a decision...<br />
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Tweeny Hair is coming to an end. Kind of. I will still be around, but the new posts will likely be few and far between. I'll still be on facebook from time to time and hope to stay connected with all of you. And if/when we do get the chance to try something new with Syd's hair, I will absolutely share on here!<br />
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There is some exciting news to share, though. Since I haven't been spending a lot of time on Syd's hair, I have had a lot of extra time to spend doing all the other things that make me happy. And I'm creating a brand new blog about the things in my life that AREN'T related to hair. There will be posts about frugal living, cooking, baking, crafting, sewing, home daycare, teenager issues, and so much more. I would LOVE for you to check it out!<br />
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The new blog is called Rae vs. Life. You can find it at <b><a href="http://raevslife.blogspot.com/">http://raevslife.blogspot.com</a></b> - be sure to go follow! Sure, there's only one post on there now, but that will be changing very soon. Also, go like the new Rae vs. Life <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rae-vs-Life/355146114582356" target="_blank">facebook page</a></b>. No really. Go do that right now! And share with your friends! At the time of this writing, the new blog has 0 followers and I'm the only one who likes the page...and that's just sad. Help! =)<br />
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So I guess, this isn't really like "goodbye." It's not even "see you later." It's more like a "Hey, let's go over here and talk!" <br />
<br />Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-21262625113538166282012-11-21T13:38:00.001-06:002012-11-21T14:07:14.297-06:00Black Friday at HuffleblossomsMany of you know I create and sell duct tape hair flowers in a little online shop called Huffleblossoms. But did you know that Huffleblossoms also carries fabric flowers and ladder ribbon jewelry? These items are perfect to give as gifts!<br />
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Find our entire selection at<u> <a href="http://huffleblossoms.storenvy.com/">huffleblossoms.storenvy.com</a></u>!<br />
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Oh yeah...did I mention we're having a Black Friday sale? You'll need to use the discount code blk20 ... Don't miss out!<br />
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<br />Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-6749242987607941392012-11-15T13:02:00.000-06:002012-11-15T13:02:24.609-06:00Choices, Damage, and Pre-wrap<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dqBwrnYRjfU/UKU3QIhAfCI/AAAAAAAACE4/9JMtXfAT-j8/s1600/IMAG3794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dqBwrnYRjfU/UKU3QIhAfCI/AAAAAAAACE4/9JMtXfAT-j8/s400/IMAG3794.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
See that up there? That's pre-wrap. You know, the stuff you put between your skin and tape when you're taping up an injury. Syd is very athletic, and as a result she is rather familiar with injuries. This means she is also familiar with pre-wrap.<br />
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I know most of you are probably wondering what this stuff has to do with hair, aren't you? Well....take a look...<br />
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I snapped this picture before Syd walked out the door for school this morning. And yes, that little headband of Syd's came right off the roll of pre-wrap that is pictured above. Sometimes she rolls it up into a skinny little headband like this one. Other times, she keeps it wide, which gives it a whole different appearance.<br />
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Now, there's no way this stuff is good for her hair. It's a thin foam. I'm sure it sucks the moisture right out of her hair. And I'm sure it causes friction, which leads to breakage. She knows these things, but she chooses to wear these headbands anyway. Although, I do have to admit, she wears them FAR less frequently than her friends.<br />
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Am I the only mom who cringes at the thought of my child purposely doing something that is damaging to her hair? I have done everything I can for the last dozen years to keep her hair healthy and natural. But sometimes, when you're 12, you just don't care. And like she was quick to point out, it is HER hair. She is the one who will have to live with the damage.<br />
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Point taken, kiddo. You're an amazing little lady and you're growing more independent by the minute. Go be yourself. I'll be here if you need any help.<br />
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This growing up stuff is hard....even when we're only talking hair <br />
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I should add that Syd did say she will only wear pre-wrap headbands every once in a while. She doesn't want her hair to be damaged any more than I do. I still don't like it. =)<br />
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Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-41117091575808059742012-11-07T13:53:00.000-06:002012-11-07T13:53:20.425-06:00Big HairIt's getting colder outside, which means Syd's hair routine will soon be changing for the winter. Last week, I decided to let her have one more big hair day before we start moving toward more protective styles. We used Kinky Curly products this time because that's what we had on hand and we've had great results with them before (see <a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/search/label/down%20and%20out" style="color: #134f5c;" target="_blank">HERE</a>).<br />
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I didn't take pictures of the actual process, so I'll do my best to explain what I did. (I know, I know....one of these days I'll start remembering that I have a blog and actually take pictures WHILE I'm doing something!) <br />
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Syd washed her hair and I started working on it while it was still soaking wet. I started by grabbing a section in the back and just clipped the rest of her hair up out of the way. I added a fairly generous amount of Kinky Curly Knot Today to that back section and detangled with a very wide tooth comb. Then I applied Kinky Curly Curling Custard and raked through that section of hair several times with my fingers.<br />
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I didn't go through and define each curl, which I sometimes do. I just made sure to run my fingers through enough times to thoroughly distribute the product. Since I didn't define each curl, the look is a little frizzier and less defined than other down and out styles I've shown you before, but we're okay with the frizz.<br />
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Once the product had been distributed through that section, I grabbed another section and repeated the process. After we had gone through her whole hair, we just let it air dry. The drying process took ALL DAY!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was her hair right after the product was applied. This photo really shows off all her different curl patterns. All that hair is actually the same length!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP_6Ie-W_ZM/UJq2DhzQkuI/AAAAAAAACEA/xhebW8LrFIg/s1600/IMAG3653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP_6Ie-W_ZM/UJq2DhzQkuI/AAAAAAAACEA/xhebW8LrFIg/s400/IMAG3653.jpg" width="331" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After it dried. Sorry so blurry...I didn't realize it was out of focus until later. :/</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Results after it dried</td></tr>
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Before bed, we banded Syd's hair so that the curls wouldn't get tangled while she slept. If you do this, be sure to keep the bands loose so you don't end up with indentations all over the hair! Afterward, we managed to stuff all that hair into a satin nightcap. Normally, I would have just left the banded hair out and let her sleep on her satin pillowcase, but that pillowcase died on it's last trip through the laundry. I should really buy more than one at a time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These bands are looser than they appear in photos!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This poor nightcap is ready to burst at the seams! :D</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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In the morning, remove the bands and you should be good to do. If there are any indentations from the bands or overly frizzy little sections of hair, you can wet your hands, add a bit of custard, and define each little area that may need some love. For us, this took less than 5 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still lookin good!</td></tr>
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Here's a picture I took the morning of day 3. I had banded it a little too tightly in some places, but I knew this was the day we would be restyling her hair. This hair very easily could have lasted longer, though, simply by doing what I explained above and redefining places where you can see the indents. Super easy!<br />
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One more bonus after the style: plenty of product was still in her hair. It was easy to twist her hair that she had been wearing down for days. All I did was grab a little section, spray it with water, detangle it with my fingers, and twist. The custard that had remained in her hair was sufficient to keep the new twists looking good for a full week. One product application, two hairstyles. Nice!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-89106401356813841032012-10-24T08:13:00.000-05:002012-10-24T08:13:57.877-05:00Wordless Wednesday: A Big Wet Kiss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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HAHAHAHAHA!!!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-19020038440555710922012-10-04T10:33:00.000-05:002012-10-04T10:33:43.509-05:00Hair Comments From Others: A Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you or your child have a head full of curly natural hair, I'm sure you've probably been on the receiving end of an unsolicited comment or two. Right? A simple scan of facebook or any of the natural hair care forums that are out there makes it clear that there is no shortage of remarks from others about someone's chosen hair style. Let me share our most recent experience with a comment about a style.</div>
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Remember the above style that I showed you last week? Syd had her hair in that style at one of her cross country meets and her teammates actually told her (while I was sitting right there with them) that she looked like A HORSE!<br />
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At first, I was angry. Then I was sad for Syd. I wanted to tell those girls exactly what I thought about their rude comments.<br />
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But then, Syd taught me a lesson.<br />
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She was laughing. So were the other girls. And the conversation had shifted almost immediately to talk of actual horses. I sat quietly and thought about it for a minute. And you know what? The style really DOES resemble a horse. Hair to one side in the front, just like a mane, and longer hair in the center of the back, just like a tail. <br />
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Syd saw the heart of the horse comparison and realized there was no malice intended. It was a random observation by a 12 year old girl who would never say anything to hurt her friends.<br />
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My knee-jerk reaction to be offended was probably the result of my previous experiences with judgmental, spiteful people and the hurtful comments I've heard before. In the past, people have made cruel, hurtful remarks about Syd's hair...especially when she chooses to wear it as big as she can get it. I guess I must have become a little jaded by those remarks, which caused me to automatically become defensive on the inside. <br />
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That kind of reaction isn't fair. We need to see everyone through grace-filled eyes. We need to see the heart of what someone says, not simply assume the worst and react accordingly. When we feel that someone is being rude, we should stop and think for just a moment. I know our first instinct is to defend ourselves and our loved ones at all times, but is it possible that sometimes we make something out of nothing? I know I'll definitely think twice the next time I think someone's comments are out of line. And this definitely goes for life in general, not just when a comment about physical appearance is made.<br />
<br />Thank you Syd, for being confident and rational in that moment. Thank you for being wise beyond your years. And thank you for teaching us adults a little something about demonstrating grace for others.<br />
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Friendly Disclaimer: This will probably be the ONLY time I'll be okay with someone telling my baby she looks like a horse. Please refrain from comparing her to animals in the future...unless said animal is cute and cuddly and adorable. hehe :)Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-21106240346095846222012-09-28T10:13:00.000-05:002012-09-28T10:13:28.404-05:00Braided Mohawk With Side Bangs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EfOvfcAsb8k/UGW9QwituwI/AAAAAAAACBI/TEM9FjqjoqY/s1600/IMAG3485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EfOvfcAsb8k/UGW9QwituwI/AAAAAAAACBI/TEM9FjqjoqY/s400/IMAG3485.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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About 2 weeks ago, Syd and I were in the car when she said, "Remember when I used to get lots of cool styles?"<br />
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It was then that I realized it has been FOREVER since she has had a style other than box braids, twists, or twist outs. We're talking months here.<br />
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(Stands at the front of the room) Hi, my name is Rae and I'm a hair slacker.<br />
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So last weekend I decided to try to be creative. There was only one problem...I've been slacking so long that I think my creativity is stuck in hibernation. After no new ideas came to me, I settled on a mohawk style with some cornrowed side bangs. (I'm not sure it counts as bangs when the hair hangs down past her armpits, but what else can I call that section???)<br />
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Here is the style:<br />
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So there it was. Not incredibly creative, but still cute and it wasn't box braids or twists/outs. She wore this style for a week before we took it down and gave her a fresh set of plain old two strand twists (I know, I know) for cross country pictures at school.<br />
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If anyone spots my creativity hiding somewhere, please let me know asap. Syd's hair misses its old friend. Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-41678770264549949992012-09-10T15:04:00.001-05:002012-09-10T15:04:02.656-05:00School Picture Day - 3 Strand Twist OutIt's hard to believe that school picture day has already arrived, but today was the day for Syd to say cheese! I removed her <b style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2012/08/turning-small-box-braids-into-even.html" target="_blank">mini twist style</a></b> last weekend (after 23 days), removing shed hair as I went. She washed her hair with a clarifying shampoo and we moisturized with Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer. I then used Darcy's Botanicals Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme as I put her hair into about 40 three strand twists.<br />
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(I completely forgot to take a picture of her hair in the twists, but you can take a peek at this <b style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2011/08/three-strand-twists.html" target="_blank">post about three strand twists</a></b> to see what they look like.) Three strand twists seem to shrink up more and not look quite as full as two strand twists, but they make the most amazing twists outs on Syd's hair.<br />
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She wore the twists from Saturday evening until Monday morning. I helped her remove the twists this morning before school, and she had a great looking twist out for school pictures. I pinned one side back and she was ready to go. I managed to snap these few pictures just before she ran out the door.<br />
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If you take a close look at that last picture, you can see that I couldn't find Syd's black bobby pins, so she was stuck using some of mine that match my lighter hair. Oh well....c'est la vie!<br />
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I'd love to see what you all do for school picture day this year. Please feel free to share your pictures on our <b style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TweenyHairCommunity" target="_blank">facebook page</a></b>!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-72205767461188421952012-09-07T11:32:00.002-05:002012-09-07T11:32:35.628-05:00Guatemala 2012As many of you are already aware, Syd and I went on our second missions trip to Guatemala last month. I would like to thank everyone who helped us get there, both through Huffleblossoms purchases and through direct donations. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!<br />
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There are so many things I can tell you about, I don't really know where to begin! Our team had sent money down there before we went, so some local workers had already laid the block for the house we were building. When we got down there, the team put the roof on and poured the cement floor. The women on the team walked down every street in the village and stopped at every single house. We were looking to see who needed medical attention and we invited all the ladies in the village to a get-to-know-you type of meeting with all of the women from our team. We also took part in a church service, held a medical clinic, did activities with dozens of children, and so much more. After all of that, we even had a day to just be tourists in the city of Antigua (where I not-so-secretly want to live!).<br />
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Since we did such a variety of things, I had a hard time narrowing down the 500+ pictures I have of the trip. So I apologize in advance for this very photo heavy post, but hey...at least I got it down this much! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what the new house looked like when we got there</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the majority of the houses in the village looked like</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The village's Presbyterian Church</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqoAcCrgR_g/UEoVvOfAqeI/AAAAAAAAB78/Keq91chwihU/s1600/DSCF4498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqoAcCrgR_g/UEoVvOfAqeI/AAAAAAAAB78/Keq91chwihU/s400/DSCF4498.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy became one of our meals, prepared by the ladies of the village</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Soup! It tasted AMAZING!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxKFpO5unpQ/UEoVvmNFNjI/AAAAAAAAB8E/KVeGXW0jqso/s1600/DSCF4536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxKFpO5unpQ/UEoVvmNFNjI/AAAAAAAAB8E/KVeGXW0jqso/s400/DSCF4536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fell in love with this little guy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsU7S_RhFNs/UEoVxD14f8I/AAAAAAAAB8c/Kk5eAOPUfrQ/s1600/DSCF4589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lsU7S_RhFNs/UEoVxD14f8I/AAAAAAAAB8c/Kk5eAOPUfrQ/s400/DSCF4589.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids had a blast playing with Syd! Tag is just one of those games that transcends language barriers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6lW9QKeDaI/UEoVyKgg-KI/AAAAAAAAB8k/k7t1NOjTo18/s1600/DSCF4605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O6lW9QKeDaI/UEoVyKgg-KI/AAAAAAAAB8k/k7t1NOjTo18/s400/DSCF4605.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean water - tear open a corner and insert a straw :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N3YcVUEcDk/UEoVygJJoSI/AAAAAAAAB8s/rYjonszwaqs/s1600/DSCF4683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--N3YcVUEcDk/UEoVygJJoSI/AAAAAAAAB8s/rYjonszwaqs/s400/DSCF4683.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies preparing yet another delicious lunch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-6IzJT0MiI/UEoVzGaCPQI/AAAAAAAAB80/pPqKMT4R9fk/s1600/DSCF4691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-6IzJT0MiI/UEoVzGaCPQI/AAAAAAAAB80/pPqKMT4R9fk/s400/DSCF4691.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organizing clothes to be given away</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1CIZ9f_Kb8/UEoVzluFP7I/AAAAAAAAB88/3Q95_OWHFhE/s1600/DSCF4703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1CIZ9f_Kb8/UEoVzluFP7I/AAAAAAAAB88/3Q95_OWHFhE/s400/DSCF4703.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping the kids string beads to make salvation bracelets...over 70 kids made these with us!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oHXmtFV-A7M/UEoVz6Bsy0I/AAAAAAAAB9E/9AIxRQlGYOA/s1600/DSCF4720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oHXmtFV-A7M/UEoVz6Bsy0I/AAAAAAAAB9E/9AIxRQlGYOA/s400/DSCF4720.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medical clinic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2du5DKVnXo/UEoV1o3CZII/AAAAAAAAB9M/vCZS6jrY3zM/s1600/DSCF4727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s2du5DKVnXo/UEoV1o3CZII/AAAAAAAAB9M/vCZS6jrY3zM/s400/DSCF4727.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because sometimes you just have to make faces at the camera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-silguI2eHt4/UEoV2yw_MPI/AAAAAAAAB9U/oM-QYkXQNpU/s1600/DSCF4742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-silguI2eHt4/UEoV2yw_MPI/AAAAAAAAB9U/oM-QYkXQNpU/s400/DSCF4742.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syd made HUNDREDS of balloon animals for those kids!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hySPkbRVWeU/UEoV3RkCD9I/AAAAAAAAB9c/hLyEMuJ-dfk/s1600/DSCF4746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hySPkbRVWeU/UEoV3RkCD9I/AAAAAAAAB9c/hLyEMuJ-dfk/s400/DSCF4746.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved coloring with the kids</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AsonzuQb-iU/UEoV4EJFe4I/AAAAAAAAB9s/pyI8hE5d7JY/s1600/DSCF4794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AsonzuQb-iU/UEoV4EJFe4I/AAAAAAAAB9s/pyI8hE5d7JY/s400/DSCF4794.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syd and the other 12 year old on the team had a herd of little ones following them everywhere they went</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9NrX8r-5NXc/UEoV6BzAizI/AAAAAAAAB-M/FsItX6S_xGo/s1600/DSCF4843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9NrX8r-5NXc/UEoV6BzAizI/AAAAAAAAB-M/FsItX6S_xGo/s400/DSCF4843.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another medical clinic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UvhGJ1Ti4uk/UEoV5iZ7kXI/AAAAAAAAB-E/U1cfxg6Y5GE/s1600/DSCF4842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UvhGJ1Ti4uk/UEoV5iZ7kXI/AAAAAAAAB-E/U1cfxg6Y5GE/s400/DSCF4842.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another team member and I prayed with every person who was seen in the clinic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zoCOzu2Ngic/UEoV7ACJRbI/AAAAAAAAB-U/9lIjJfNBvkk/s1600/DSCF4871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zoCOzu2Ngic/UEoV7ACJRbI/AAAAAAAAB-U/9lIjJfNBvkk/s400/DSCF4871.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These boys played together in that puddle for almost an hour. They were adorable!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvz-RrDoBQE/UEoV7jqeINI/AAAAAAAAB-c/0M7d0_2qqE0/s1600/DSCF4882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvz-RrDoBQE/UEoV7jqeINI/AAAAAAAAB-c/0M7d0_2qqE0/s400/DSCF4882.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little girl, Mari, practically became Syd's shadow while we were there</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and one of my new buddies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w8IKb05O-EM/UEoV_Nnk_7I/AAAAAAAAB_U/gKX02tEENGM/s1600/IMAG3028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w8IKb05O-EM/UEoV_Nnk_7I/AAAAAAAAB_U/gKX02tEENGM/s400/IMAG3028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A herd of cows blocking the road is just a way of life here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bRbwyc3LUM/UEoV-yZ87cI/AAAAAAAAB_M/iW5h55BVcpg/s1600/IMAG3014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6bRbwyc3LUM/UEoV-yZ87cI/AAAAAAAAB_M/iW5h55BVcpg/s400/IMAG3014.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids were literally hanging on Syd. :D</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BT8jQkAo4Xc/UEoWAGhSmqI/AAAAAAAAB_k/58aReb0MQ2k/s1600/IMAG3072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BT8jQkAo4Xc/UEoWAGhSmqI/AAAAAAAAB_k/58aReb0MQ2k/s400/IMAG3072.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being 12 doesn't get you out of physical labor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9jGEFVB4pc/UEoV-ZlZQBI/AAAAAAAAB_E/K0_r-WXxRNs/s1600/IMAG2999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9jGEFVB4pc/UEoV-ZlZQBI/AAAAAAAAB_E/K0_r-WXxRNs/s400/IMAG2999.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A playful moment between Syd and a new friend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9jufmsCtR0/UEoWAn1kM1I/AAAAAAAAB_s/Gd1cPr6bmf4/s1600/IMAG3106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9jufmsCtR0/UEoWAn1kM1I/AAAAAAAAB_s/Gd1cPr6bmf4/s400/IMAG3106.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tearful goodbyes. It's so hard to leave!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9-7rhpRR7g/UEoV5O6_nRI/AAAAAAAAB98/6LFZTLbm_kI/s1600/DSCF4837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y9-7rhpRR7g/UEoV5O6_nRI/AAAAAAAAB98/6LFZTLbm_kI/s400/DSCF4837.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gas prices...lol! (it equals just over 4 US dollars per gallon)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynUCl2CRg7E/UEoV8o_k-mI/AAAAAAAAB-s/6jL1pE2Lo1Q/s1600/DSCF4915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynUCl2CRg7E/UEoV8o_k-mI/AAAAAAAAB-s/6jL1pE2Lo1Q/s400/DSCF4915.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Limonada...as fresh as it gets! :D</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46jF2snfFUU/UEoV9Gd3ISI/AAAAAAAAB-0/2qxq2t-xSEM/s1600/DSCF4929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46jF2snfFUU/UEoV9Gd3ISI/AAAAAAAAB-0/2qxq2t-xSEM/s400/DSCF4929.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out for a day of shopping in Antigua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4j3GEfL1kg/UEoWBAIW_uI/AAAAAAAAB_0/XxVs5eycPgY/s1600/IMAG3213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4j3GEfL1kg/UEoWBAIW_uI/AAAAAAAAB_0/XxVs5eycPgY/s400/IMAG3213.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the rooftop deck of a coffee shop we wandered into. Beautiful!</td></tr>
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<br />
So there it is....a brief overview of our incredible 8 day adventure. If you have any questions or want to know more details about anything, feel free to ask here or on our <b style="color: #134f5c;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TweenyHairCommunity" target="_blank">facebook page</a></b>!<br />
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Oh, I almost forgot one more detail. The day after we got home, I put the change from my pocket onto the counter. Syd asked if she could have it. I asked why she wanted it. Her answer? "To start our fund for the next trip." Another missions trip is definitely in our future!<br />
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Be blessed!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-89899867270503528962012-08-31T16:13:00.002-05:002012-08-31T16:14:42.899-05:00But We Just Did Your Hair!You know that amazing sense of satisfaction when you finish a marathon styling session? Isn't it great?<br />
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I'm sure many of you also know that not-so-amazing feeling when you find out that your child is about to do something that could completely destroy the style that took hours to do, right? I just got to experience that feeling last week.<br />
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I spent 9 hours putting Syd's hair into the <b><a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2012/08/turning-small-box-braids-into-even.html" style="color: #45818e;" target="_blank">mini twist style</a></b> she's currently wearing. Then, less than a week later, I heard the words "We're having a paint war at youth group!"<br />
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Yep, you read that right. A paint war. Followed by a water fight. My first thought was "That sounds like fun!" That was immediately followed by my second thought, which was "But we just did your hair!" Sigh. <br />
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Now, I would never make her miss out on a fun experience like that because of her hair, but for a minute there I was really wishing I could just tell her not to go. I mean, how on earth would we scrub paint out of her head full of twists without causing the frizz of the century? Those 200+ twists could very easily become casualties of the impending paint war.<br />
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But, as you may have expected, we did find a way for her to participate without destroying her twists. It worked like a charm and it was super easy. I'm sure most people would come up with something similar, but I wanted to show you what I did in case you find yourself in a similar situation (although I'm not sure paint wars are actually all that common...lol).<br />
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First, I used my fingers to part her twists down the center of her head and put her hair into 2 cornrows.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eMD3fk53wMo/UEEivT6mfzI/AAAAAAAAB2o/QrNubv4Womg/s1600/IMAG3347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eMD3fk53wMo/UEEivT6mfzI/AAAAAAAAB2o/QrNubv4Womg/s400/IMAG3347.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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Then I wrapped the braids around her head and pinned them up on the sides.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfW6_kG532Y/UEEiwo2DODI/AAAAAAAAB2w/j-vH5Ac_BEI/s1600/IMAG3349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfW6_kG532Y/UEEiwo2DODI/AAAAAAAAB2w/j-vH5Ac_BEI/s400/IMAG3349.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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Now her hair fit nicely up into a shower cap.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wUIclX4sIg/UEEix3_ORXI/AAAAAAAAB24/drhUePSA04s/s1600/IMAG3350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wUIclX4sIg/UEEix3_ORXI/AAAAAAAAB24/drhUePSA04s/s320/IMAG3350.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<br />
But the shower cap didn't fit very snugly. We were afraid it may not stay on all the way and some of her hair could still get covered in paint. A quick trip to the dollar store found our solution.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yColIQqlXmQ/UEEiyk9gy_I/AAAAAAAAB3A/ws2nQmXt5JA/s1600/IMAG3352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yColIQqlXmQ/UEEiyk9gy_I/AAAAAAAAB3A/ws2nQmXt5JA/s320/IMAG3352.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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That shower cap wasn't going anywhere now! At first, Syd was a little self-conscious to look like this during the paint war. I mean, there were dozens of kids there, and she didn't want to be the only one wearing something on her head. To make her feel better, I picked up a few extra shower caps while we were at the dollar store. Her plan was to ask some friends to wear them with her so she wasn't the only one, but that's not exactly how things went. People ended up asking HER if they could have one to keep their hair protected! Syd was more than happy to pass them out.<br />
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And of course, she only wore the shower cap for the paint part of the evening. She removed the two layers of protection and unpinned her hair before the water fight.</div>
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I think it's safe to say we made a wise choice keeping her hair protected. Here's the "after" shot of her cap.</div>
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And at the end of the night, I had one very colorful, very wet tween (who still had paint-free hair).</div>
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The moral of this story is this: </div>
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There have been many times I've heard about people limiting their children's activities because they don't want to destroy a hairstyle. But at the end of the day, it's only hair. There's usually a simple way to keep hair protected. There's just nothing that compares to watching children enjoy a crazy, messy childhood!</div>
Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-19589365613497714942012-08-28T10:49:00.003-05:002012-08-28T10:49:57.775-05:00Turning Small Box Braids into Even Smaller Mini Twists(Climbs out from under the rock I've been hiding under)<br />
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Hi there! I know it's been months since I've posted anything new. I would say I'm sorry, but....well...we've been having an absolutely amazing time just experiencing life and if I could do the last few months over again, I wouldn't change a thing! Opportunities presented themselves and we seem to always jump at the chance to step outside the box. If you've been following us for a while, you're probably aware of our recent missions trip to Guatemala. As expected, that was another life-changing trip for us. I'll make a separate post about that trip in the near future to tell you all about it!<br />
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Now....back to hair.<br />
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For the trip to Guatemala, Syd wore her hair in small box braids. I figured that was probably the easiest style for the rough conditions since there is no daily styling requirements. Just a bit of moisturizer every evening and she was done.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amk3sJLR-mo/UDzd_iPpLjI/AAAAAAAAB1U/DPaYHAL9yfw/s1600/IMAG3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amk3sJLR-mo/UDzd_iPpLjI/AAAAAAAAB1U/DPaYHAL9yfw/s400/IMAG3278.JPG" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Syd's braids at the end of the trip</td></tr>
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Those braids lasted a few weeks and survived some pretty harsh
conditions. (If you want more details about how I do Syd's box braids, check out <b><a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2011/02/small-box-braids.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #134f5c;">this post about small box braids</span></a></b>.) The braids probably could have even lasted another week, but school was starting and every girl HAS to have a fresh style for that
all-important first day of school. So we changed her box braids into
mini twists. Here's how.<br />
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I wanted to do the new style on clean hair but didn't want to have a long detangling session, so Syd washed her hair while it was still in the braids. I tied most of it up out of the way, only working with a few braids at a time. I would unravel one braid, finger detangle that section to remove shed hair, added some Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer, and then turned the hair from that one braid into two new twists. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wlHwfgOlyR8/UDzd_5AIOLI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/IzrHMgZodn4/s1600/IMAG3281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wlHwfgOlyR8/UDzd_5AIOLI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/IzrHMgZodn4/s400/IMAG3281.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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You could still see the part lines from the previous box braids style, but Syd's hair is so thick that those lines disappeared when we got further along in the style.<br />
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I did the back half of Syd's hair one afternoon, but we had somewhere to be that evening, so I stopped for the night. I pulled the top half of her hair back and she wore her hair half up for the night. The top half was in braids and the bottom half was in twists, but it really wasn't too noticeable.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-IHWcvOE34/UDzeBJN3WcI/AAAAAAAAB1o/DuqrQWQDoKQ/s1600/IMAG3293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-IHWcvOE34/UDzeBJN3WcI/AAAAAAAAB1o/DuqrQWQDoKQ/s400/IMAG3293.JPG" width="250" /></a></div>
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We finished the twists the next day. It took just under 9 hours to complete the style. At first, I was shocked (and a little irritated) that it took so long, but then I remembered that I had removed over 100 braids, moisturized her hair, removed shed hair, AND created well over 200 new twists. So I suppose 9 hours isn't too bad, all things considered. (Patience, Rae....patience.) Regardless of how long it took to complete, her twists look great and she loves them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the low photo quality here. </td></tr>
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Syd is also back to running cross country this year, so the twists have spent a lot of time just being pulled back into a ponytail. But she did decide to style them for the first day of school. She french braided the front of one side along her hairline, and then pulled all of her hair into a low side ponytail. It's simple but cute...a perfect style for a 12 year old to do on herself!<br />
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I've missed you all.....it feels good to be back! Be blessed! =)Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-12284752299559745342012-04-23T13:49:00.000-05:002012-04-23T13:49:14.315-05:00No Ponytails For MomI always take the time to make sure Syd's hair is properly cared for and styled nicely. She rarely walks out of the house with her hair just thrown up into a quick ponytail. Me, on the other hand? A messy, just-get-it-out-of-my-face ponytail has actually become my normal style. Sad, huh?<br />
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Well, things are going to change. I decided that I need to put as much love into my own hair as I put into Syd's. Working at home is no excuse for me to put no effort into my appearance.
So for the next 3 weeks, I have decided to put an end to my ponytail habit.<br />
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From now until Mother's day, I will not allow myself to wear my hair in a ponytail.
The only exception to this rule will be when I am working out. Running with my hair down just doesn't sound like a good idea.<br />
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To give you an idea of what I'm working with, here is a picture of my hair in its completely natural state. I washed it, combed it, and left it alone until it had completely air dried on its own (about 4 hours). It's very thick, very coarse, and can get pretty frizzy at times, despite being almost completely straight. (There goes the theory that frizz only attacks curly heads!)<br />
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Since I don't want to use a flat iron every day, I'm going to have to get creative. I have a feeling bobby pins are going to become some of my very good friends. I'll post pics every day or two on my facebook page in case other ponytail addicted moms want to see what I come up with. Check out that page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TweenyHairCommunity">https://www.facebook.com/TweenyHairCommunity</a> and feel free to post pictures of any styles you've done that might help me out!<br />
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Anyone else want to abandon ponytails with me???Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-59194084477170993772012-04-18T09:24:00.000-05:002012-04-18T09:24:31.076-05:00Wordless Wednesday: A Throwback<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-40384023802383339162012-04-16T07:45:00.000-05:002012-04-16T07:45:25.520-05:00Old Reliable - Box BraidsWe decided that since we just had to trim Syd's hair due to damage, maybe it was time for a little protective styling. We've been doing twists almost non-stop for months, so we settled on one of our favorite protective styles - box braids. <br />
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I did these braids on Syd's straightened hair, which made parting her hair a breeze. I used my regular crescent shaped parts, starting in the back and making half-moon shaped parts that build on each other as I move up her head. I also added a bit of Bee Mine Curly Butter to each little section before I braided it. <br />
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Since her hair was straight when I braided it, the ends didn't have any curl to keep the braid from unraveling. To fix that, we just wet the very ends of her braids with water and some Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer after the style was complete. The ends coiled right up, ensuring that the braids won't be able to unravel on their own.<br />
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These braids have already been in for almost a week and they still look fabulous. I wonder how long they will last!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-11059726937141463392012-04-11T22:23:00.000-05:002012-04-11T22:23:56.708-05:00Straightened Out And Cut OffThe ends of Syd's hair have been looking kind of rough for a while now. Several factors joined together to cause that damage, including the cold, dry winter, more "out" styles as she gets older, and the fact that Syd is learning to do her own hair. Let's face it - natural hair in the hands of a beginner is probably going to get a little damaged. No biggie, though. We just decided to cut the damaged ends off and keep moving. It's only hair...it will grow back in no time.<br />
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I usually trim her hair while it is in small twists (you can see a post about that <a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-for-trim.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), but this time I decided to straighten it with a flat iron and then cut it. After all, it had been over 2 years since Syd's hair had been straightened. We were both interested in seeing how it looked all straightened out. Here's what we did:<br />
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Syd washed her hair and I detangled it, added some Bee Mine Luscious Moisturizer, and banded her hair overnight.<br />
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Starting in the back, I removed one section of bands. I added some heat protectant and used a flat iron (set to med-high) on somewhat small sections of hair at a time. I tried not to go over each section more than once, but I did need to make a second pass on a few sections. Bottom line, I used as little heat as possible to get the desired results. This took the first back section from this:<br />
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to this:<br />
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(Yes, I did this while we were both sitting on the floor....lol)<br />
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I then repeated the process for the other 3 sections of banded hair. When I finished, I was actually shocked that her hair reached her waist. I didn't realize it had gotten quite that long!<br />
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I let her wear her waist-length hair down for a day, but the following day I followed through with her hair cut. Instead of taking her to a salon, I opted to cut her hair myself. If you choose to do this, I cannot stress enough the importance of using hair shears. Do not use your regular household scissors, as they are not sharp enough to cut your hair cleanly. They can tug and pull at your hair as you're cutting, and you will have damaged ends on the hair that has just been cut. Talk about counter-productive! I digress...<br />
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I ended up cutting between 3 and 4 inches of Syd's hair, just to be sure we removed all the damage.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shadows in this picture make the ends look really uneven, but by the time I realized it, her hair was no longer straight, so I couldn't take a better pic. :/</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Day 3 of straight hair was Easter. Since her hair was still looking good, I decided not to do much styling. I just made 2 french braids around her hairline and brought them around to meet in the back. 4 minutes and we were done! <br />
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After 4 days of straight hair, Syd spent an afternoon being very physically active, so she got sweaty and her straight roots began to get puffy. We knew it was time to move into another style. She liked having her hair straight...she was amazed at how easy it was to comb. But that being said, she still truly loves big hair, so straightening will remain something that only happens on rare occasions. You just can't argue with her "bigger is better" hair theory!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-42623227805871942342012-03-28T14:35:00.000-05:002012-03-28T14:35:40.258-05:00BIG NEWS - We're Going Back!Remember when Syd and I went on a missions trip to Guatemala last year? If not, you can see a bit about that trip <a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2011/08/were-back.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Well, as you probably guessed from the title of this post, we're going back!<br />
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Take a look at the difference that can be made when a group of willing individuals team up for the good of others:<br />
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A pastor, his wife, and their FIVE children were living in the bamboo hut below when we arrived in Guatemala last year:<br />
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The kitchen was an open flame inside that filled the house with smoke whenever food was cooked.<br />
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And all seven people lived and slept in a single room:<br />
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But after we were finished, they had the concrete block house shown below...complete with 3 rooms and a separate kitchen so they never have to live in a smoke filled house again.<br />
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We also reached out to people like this poor little guy. He looks as though he's been crying, but that's not the case. In fact, he had a severe case of pink eye and his family didn't have the money to take him to a doctor. Things are different there. There is no such thing as a free clinic in town. If not for the medicine we gave him, there's no telling how long this little guy would have suffered.<br />
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We hope to make an even bigger difference this year!<br />
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Our trip will last 8 days, from August 4 - 11. During that time, we will be giving up the first-world luxuries we all take for granted - toilets, running water, hot showers, air conditioning, etc. We'll be trading those luxuries for the third world conditions the people of rural Guatemala face every day of their lives.<br />
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While we are there, we will be helping with construction projects, distributing food, conducting medical clinics, loving on the children of the village, and much more. We are so excited to go be a blessing to people, and we will definitely be sure to share our experiences with all of you again this year.<br />
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I mean COME ON! How can anyone resist the chance to go make a difference when it means you get to see adorable little faces like this one??? :D<br />
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The lifestyle there is rough, but another challenge for us when it comes to trips like this is the cost of the trip itself. The total cost of this trip is $1300 per person, which means $2600 for us. We are doing what we can to change our lifestyle while we raise the money....no more cable, a streamlined food budget, etc. But we could still use some help from those who are willing and able.<br />
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One way you can help is through the purchase of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/huffleblossoms" target="_blank">Huffleblossoms</a> products. You may or may not know that I am the owner of Huffleblossoms, which has thus far been specializing in fabric and duct tape hair flowers. (Yes...you read that right....duct tape hair accessories!) But stay tuned because starting next week, Huffleblossoms will also be selling necklaces and earrings at very affordable prices. Super excited about that!<br />
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From now until we reach our financial goal, every bit of money Huffleblossoms brings in will go toward funding this missions trip. Visit our etsy store at <a href="http://huffleblossoms.etsy.com/">huffleblossoms.etsy.com</a>.<br />
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If you feel led to help us in a more substantial way, you can follow the link below, which will soon be added to the sidebar on the blog. It is simply a way to donate through paypal to help us reach our goal. Also, feel free to share the link!<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1387434889"><br />
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<a href="http://www.payitsquare.com/collect-page/5219">http://www.payitsquare.com/collect-page/5219</a><br />
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If you're not able to sponsor us financially at this time, we completely understand. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-80332489609740548342012-03-28T10:18:00.000-05:002012-03-28T10:18:58.260-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Curly Cousins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WhZ1dnsWb4/T3MrJ_ttmtI/AAAAAAAABxQ/71HAOop7duo/s1600/cousins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WhZ1dnsWb4/T3MrJ_ttmtI/AAAAAAAABxQ/71HAOop7duo/s640/cousins.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-35717457265438758032012-03-16T07:32:00.000-05:002012-03-16T07:32:38.013-05:00Quick Pretty Style with TwistsThere was a dance at Syd's school last week. It was really just an informal thing where most kids wore jeans, but Syd and her friends wanted to dress up....so they did!<br />
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(Gotta love it when they display their personalities with confidence!)<br />
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Syd's hair was in about 120 twists, so that meant parting for an intricate style was out of the question. Then I remembered that there was still a center part under those twists from the cornrow style she had before I did the twists.<br />
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I decided to use that center part and make two french braids that met at the nape of her neck. I gathered the ends of both french braids into one ponytail and added a flower that coordinated with her dress. The style took less than 5 minutes, but definitely looked nice enough to wear while all dressed up.<br />
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And because I'm a proud mom who loves showing off my pretty girl, here's a shot of her right before she walked out the door. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aF29jPWkaOc/T2FSt1fC53I/AAAAAAAABxE/rAtwcFj0-lo/s1600/IMAG1556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aF29jPWkaOc/T2FSt1fC53I/AAAAAAAABxE/rAtwcFj0-lo/s400/IMAG1556.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-6816226063724450552012-03-14T20:53:00.000-05:002012-03-14T20:53:03.646-05:00Twists to Twists, Still No CombHi all. I apologize for my recent absence. My computer decided it was finished working for me, so that was that. But now we're back, and I wanted to give you a hair update from these past few weeks.<br />
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The last time I posted about Syd's hair, I showed you how I created <a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2012/02/twists-and-keeping-damage-to-minimum.html" target="_blank">this twist style</a> without using a comb to detangle between styles.<br />
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Well here it is, a month after first doing that simple twist style, and I still haven't used a comb on Syd's hair. Sounds crazy, huh? Here's what we've done.<br />
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After a week, the twists I mentioned above were looking pretty rough...we never get much more than that out of such thick twists. So I removed the twists one at a time, used my fingers to gently detangle and remove shed hair, sprayed the hair with plain water, added a bit of styling product, and then made a new twist out of each of the tendrils that resulted from the previous twist coming out. Does that make sense? Basically, each twist became 2 twists. Her hair went from this:<br />
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To this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KlP0517l1K4/T2FH3c8sk7I/AAAAAAAABv0/Xw13VLXt2V4/s1600/DSCF4091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KlP0517l1K4/T2FH3c8sk7I/AAAAAAAABv0/Xw13VLXt2V4/s400/DSCF4091.JPG" width="245" /></a></div><br />
The new set of twists lasted about a week and a half. They didn't look horrible yet, but I knew it would be another week before I could devote some time to Syd's hair, so I figured I'd be proactive and style while I had the chance.<br />
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It had been a few weeks since her hair had been washed with shampoo, so she shampooed her twists before I styled them. Then I did the exact same thing I had done before: remove one twist at a time, detangle with my fingers, spray with water, add product, turn each old twist into 2 new ones. Here's what that process looked like.<br />
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10 day old twists, after being shampooed earlier in the day:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rr0d2pjXae0/T2FJih6JGcI/AAAAAAAABv8/uhKGWpmyLB0/s1600/DSCF4122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rr0d2pjXae0/T2FJih6JGcI/AAAAAAAABv8/uhKGWpmyLB0/s400/DSCF4122.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
2 old twists becoming 4 smaller new ones:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rg5xaIQrXag/T2FJ8X6L5sI/AAAAAAAABwk/SVjMuFAEsz0/s1600/DSCF4126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rg5xaIQrXag/T2FJ8X6L5sI/AAAAAAAABwk/SVjMuFAEsz0/s400/DSCF4126.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAV4KLMVF0s/T2FJ-IwpAJI/AAAAAAAABws/3JOMIOlyQfM/s1600/DSCF4128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XAV4KLMVF0s/T2FJ-IwpAJI/AAAAAAAABws/3JOMIOlyQfM/s400/DSCF4128.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
The end result:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0s56p2RixlY/T2FJnL4N16I/AAAAAAAABwU/qSUUfW1zFok/s1600/DSCF4130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0s56p2RixlY/T2FJnL4N16I/AAAAAAAABwU/qSUUfW1zFok/s400/DSCF4130.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCzEt8KluEY/T2FJn8dBblI/AAAAAAAABwc/VRU3CsW1kWQ/s1600/DSCF4133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bCzEt8KluEY/T2FJn8dBblI/AAAAAAAABwc/VRU3CsW1kWQ/s400/DSCF4133.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
We're just about 2 weeks into these latest twists, and they're not looking too bad at all. I'm pretty sure we'll keep them for another week....I'll let you know! <br />
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So in the last several weeks, Syd has gone from cornrows to big twists to medium twists to small twists....all without a comb touching her hair. And this means little to no damage caused by detangling and styling. Can't beat it!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-59752881018631476712012-03-14T10:43:00.000-05:002012-03-14T10:43:37.355-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Syd With A Mic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnliywEAyUE/T2C8fvrXe_I/AAAAAAAABvU/dKsWLIMDnsA/s1600/worship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnliywEAyUE/T2C8fvrXe_I/AAAAAAAABvU/dKsWLIMDnsA/s400/worship.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkYNy1hrkCQ/T2C8gHbELKI/AAAAAAAABvc/Nn19JY_hza0/s1600/worship1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkYNy1hrkCQ/T2C8gHbELKI/AAAAAAAABvc/Nn19JY_hza0/s400/worship1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SFJYXu2O84/T2C8gw1Sr_I/AAAAAAAABvk/-kirDJOJsmQ/s1600/worship2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SFJYXu2O84/T2C8gw1Sr_I/AAAAAAAABvk/-kirDJOJsmQ/s400/worship2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-26552538963790618272012-02-29T08:18:00.000-06:002012-02-29T08:18:30.082-06:00Wordless Wednesday: Angry Syd???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NURy2xoHzgc/T04zaHkW-WI/AAAAAAAABvM/gJndb0RgrZU/s1600/angrysyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NURy2xoHzgc/T04zaHkW-WI/AAAAAAAABvM/gJndb0RgrZU/s400/angrysyd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</script>Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-8281776284840477992012-02-28T09:17:00.000-06:002012-02-28T09:17:14.850-06:00Twists and Keeping Damage to a MinimumAfter 12 years of styling Syd's hair, I've gotten pretty good at minimizing damage as much as possible. However, now that Syd is taking over a lot of the detangling, we're starting to see some damage at the ends. We're definitely going to have to trim the ends very soon to get rid of all that damage.<br />
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But that's ok!<br />
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We all know that learning to properly care for curly hair takes time. Be careful not to expect too much from your child as she learns to take care of her own hair...I know I did my fair share of damage over the years. But with patience and practice, I have learned several little tips and tricks that help keep damage to a minimum. <br />
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This post is going to focus on one of those tips...and here it is: Since we weren't shampooing between styles, we moved from one style to another without a comb touching Syd's hair!<br />
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When I took down Syd's latest <a href="http://tweenyhair.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-cornrow-style-half-up.html" target="_blank">cornrow style</a>, I removed the cornrows on 1/4 of her hair at a time. After I removed those cornrows, I put that quarter of her hair into one big loose braid to keep it detangled. When I had removed the entire style, we were left with this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vKxO7zcthgM/T0zp_40DuSI/AAAAAAAABvE/ZHcVnTIcg7Y/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vKxO7zcthgM/T0zp_40DuSI/AAAAAAAABvE/ZHcVnTIcg7Y/s400/8.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
We then focused on one of those sections at a time. I tied three of the braids up out of the way and started with the back left section. I removed that braid and used my fingers to gently detangle the entire section. Remember, I braided this hair immediately after removing the cornrows, so there really weren't any tangles. The best way to keep detangling easy is to prevent the tangles in the first place. This finger detangling was done mostly to remove the loose strands that were shed while her hair had been in the last style.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bp9-MdfpvHU/T0zp9LpU_9I/AAAAAAAABuM/QlqUcAjKzZI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bp9-MdfpvHU/T0zp9LpU_9I/AAAAAAAABuM/QlqUcAjKzZI/s400/1.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
I decided to start in the very back of Syd's hair, so I used my fingers to separate out a section of hair at Syd's nape. I just clipped the rest up and out of the way for a minute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W_nWPFLorxo/T0zp9dumV7I/AAAAAAAABuU/NO9UbPJDmwU/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W_nWPFLorxo/T0zp9dumV7I/AAAAAAAABuU/NO9UbPJDmwU/s400/2.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
Since I like to do twists on hair that is slightly damp, I misted this piece of hair with plain water in a spray bottle. I then added just a bit of styling product, ran my fingers through her hair to distribute the product evenly, and started twisting.<br />
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In order to make sure the twists last as long as possible, it's important to twist as tightly as possible. It's tempting to rush it and not twist as tight, but the twists loosen up on their own. If you don't start off with a very tight twist, you will end up with very loose twists that will quickly become frizzy. In the two pictures below, you can see how tightly I twisted this section of hair, and then how it loosened up the minute I let go.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OYa33PQJ8bw/T0zp96m77GI/AAAAAAAABuc/PVXnZVQw08Y/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OYa33PQJ8bw/T0zp96m77GI/AAAAAAAABuc/PVXnZVQw08Y/s400/3.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The twist while I was holding it</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tTNVAfIycus/T0zp-MwTcuI/AAAAAAAABuk/Y0iQexuAn_M/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tTNVAfIycus/T0zp-MwTcuI/AAAAAAAABuk/Y0iQexuAn_M/s400/4.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how it got looser after I let go? It will loosen/plump up even more as it dries completely.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And then I repeated that process 33 more times as I moved through the rest of her hair.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nklqf5LYGIk/T0zp-qHKUlI/AAAAAAAABus/IqMWq1Ie1R0/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nklqf5LYGIk/T0zp-qHKUlI/AAAAAAAABus/IqMWq1Ie1R0/s400/5.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILenB-5iVCE/T0zp-yIgamI/AAAAAAAABu0/NRwA9QDq5xE/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILenB-5iVCE/T0zp-yIgamI/AAAAAAAABu0/NRwA9QDq5xE/s400/6.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NiYq59us4B8/T0zp_h-6QvI/AAAAAAAABu8/y9nxdI8q54E/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NiYq59us4B8/T0zp_h-6QvI/AAAAAAAABu8/y9nxdI8q54E/s400/7.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br />
In the end, we have a head full of great looking twists and my fingers were the only tools used. No brush, no comb, no damage. =)Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-29770269153307872342012-02-22T09:11:00.000-06:002012-02-22T09:11:12.719-06:00Simple Cornrow Style: Half UpIt's been a while since I've done an actual style post. This is mostly because we've fallen back into our simple twists/twist out/repeat routine lately. I did finally find the time and motivation to do some cornrows, but somehow ended up doing one of the simplest cornrow styles in our aresenal.<br />
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One of these days, I'll get my creative juices flowing again! But until then, here's a simple one for ya:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nreUyI-kwko/T0UD5sCc9pI/AAAAAAAABtw/M0pTcr1AtEw/s1600/IMAG1464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nreUyI-kwko/T0UD5sCc9pI/AAAAAAAABtw/M0pTcr1AtEw/s400/IMAG1464.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeWM3i5IAI4/T0UD9PolyfI/AAAAAAAABuA/fA2bcqYIUIo/s1600/IMAG1468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeWM3i5IAI4/T0UD9PolyfI/AAAAAAAABuA/fA2bcqYIUIo/s400/IMAG1468.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5q8o3CCYC8/T0UD3uEZkLI/AAAAAAAABto/P5zXXPme1O0/s1600/IMAG1463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5q8o3CCYC8/T0UD3uEZkLI/AAAAAAAABto/P5zXXPme1O0/s400/IMAG1463.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yWLSCKyf_ro/T0UD64EG26I/AAAAAAAABt4/GjnSlrl9d34/s1600/IMAG1465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yWLSCKyf_ro/T0UD64EG26I/AAAAAAAABt4/GjnSlrl9d34/s400/IMAG1465.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br />
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The instructions for this style are probably explained simply by looking at the pictures. I first cornrowed the back half straight down. I then cornrowed the top half toward the center of her head and joined them with an ouchless band.<br />
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We were able to jazz this style up a bit by adding different colored flowers and other accessories to the pony on top each day.<br />
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*Sidenote: See how the ends of her cornrows are looking straight instead of curling up? That means a trim is long overdue. That will be happening very soon!Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-90848025696008668592012-02-13T19:38:00.001-06:002012-02-13T21:45:47.939-06:00CARA B Naturally Review and Giveaway!<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mycarab.com/" target="_blank">CARA B Naturally</a> is a <b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> line of all natural, affordable, </span></b>skin and hair care products <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">for ethnic babies and kids that is now available in Target and CVS! </span></b></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CcdZDTjFQc/Tzm0-jY2oMI/AAAAAAAABtg/pnF4_gpVnoE/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6CcdZDTjFQc/Tzm0-jY2oMI/AAAAAAAABtg/pnF4_gpVnoE/s320/image001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Syd and I have tried CARA B Naturally products and had wonderful results. Here's a quick breakdown of the products we have tried and what we thought of them.</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shampoo/Body Wash: This product is somewhat thinner than our usual shampoos, but it leaves hair feeling clean. Since it is so thin and Syd and I both have such thick hair, we have used it more as a body wash than as a shampoo. It leaves skin feeling clean, but not dried out. Wonderful Product!</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Body Lotion: This is a light lotion that left our skin moisturized without feeling greasy.</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Leave-In Conditioner/Daily Moisturizer: This leave-in does what it says it will do. I applied it to Syd's hair after using the CARA B Naturally shampoo and they worked very well together. Her hair was soft and moisturized. I've also used this product along with a few different styling products and it has worked well with all of them. </span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Moisturizing Hair Mist: This mist kept Syd's mini twists feeling great for over 3 weeks. A quick spray in the morning and she was set. Quick and easy to apply and most definitely effective!</span></b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">And the great news is that CARA B Naturally has just launched in CVS stores across the country! Tweeny Hair </span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">and CARA B Naturally have put together a fun I-spy style contest for readers. The winner of this contest will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to CVS! Check out all of the fun ways to enter on the Rafflecopter form below! </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Good Luck!</span></b></span></div><br />
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<noscript>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&amp;amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;.</noscript>Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524253112054281215.post-17666434820135858422012-02-11T07:56:00.001-06:002012-02-11T08:23:41.225-06:00Happy Birthday Syd!!!12 years ago today, I met the single most amazing person I've ever encountered. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXucf33itnc/TzZyxl8uKJI/AAAAAAAABtY/8956qDwe4Zc/s1600/DSCF3855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BXucf33itnc/TzZyxl8uKJI/AAAAAAAABtY/8956qDwe4Zc/s320/DSCF3855.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />
To celebrate this special day, I'm going to share a little bit about her birth and why I have no doubt that she's going to go on to do big things. (Basically, I'm gonna brag about my baby and tell the world why she's amazing.) <br />
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The deck was stacked against Syd from the very beginning. While I was pregnant, the tests showed that my baby would have Down's Syndrome. I was surrounded by people telling me that abortion was the best option for a situation like this. I didn't know how I was going to handle raising a special needs child, but I did know that I wasn't going to kill my baby just because she wasn't "perfect" by the world's standards. I loved her, no matter what.<br />
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Fast forward to when I was 37 weeks pregnant and I went to the doctor for a routine test. The results didn't come out right, so they sent me to the hospital to have the same non-stress test done again with better equipment. In the middle of that test, my baby's heart inexplicably stopped beating.<br />
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An emergency c-section was done immediately and I officially became a mommy. I truly believe that nothing but the hand of God had me hooked up to heart monitors at the exact moment her heart quit beating. She is alive today because of the unexpected chain of events stemming from that bad test result at the doctor's office. <br />
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I was mentally prepared to be handed a baby who had Down's Syndrome that day. Instead, I was handed a baby who had no such condition. Were the test results wrong? Did God heal my baby? I don't know, and I'm not sure that it matters. What does matter is that four days after she was born, I took my perfect little baby girl home. <br />
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It is my belief that the Lord brought Syd through that wild pregnancy and delivery completely unscathed for a reason. He has a plan for her life that is bigger than I could ever imagine.<br />
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Syd has spent the last 12 years growing into a remarkable young lady. She is an honor roll student who has been in accelerated classes since first grade. She strives to do the right thing, is dependable, and has very strong morals. She spent over a week helping others in the harsh conditions of a 3rd world country, and she started saving money the moment we got home so she can go back again. She has a compassionate heart and even at this young age, her faith is evident in her daily life. Not only does she WANT to make a difference in people's lives, she KNOWS that she will do so.<br />
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Some people say that the teenage years are something for parents to dread. I don't feel that way. I am looking forward to those years because with a kid like this, how could the teen years be anything other than incredible?<br />
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Happy Birthday, Sydney.Rae @ Tweeny Hairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10103460705618200328noreply@blogger.com17