Nov./Dec. kids' quotes

  

Brooklyn:
"ah-dah"
"da-da-da"
"aaaaahhh!"
(cough-cough)

Keandre:
K - "Mama, I’m getting exhausted from these pretzels." (tired of)

K – “Mommy, I’m *starving hungry*!” (A while later:) “I’m done, Mommy. I’m starving full.”

Mom – “Keandre, please worry about yourself.” (and not your sister’s business)
K – “Mom, I don’t know what to worry about. Can you tell me what to worry about?”

K - "Mommmmmy!  Why aren't you looking at me?!?!"
Mom - "Because you're throwing a tantrum, Keandre."
K - "I am NOT!  You need to look at me!"

While cuddling together after Keandre calmed down:
Mom - "I missed this side of you, Sweetie." :)
K - "Where was I, Mom???"

Destany:
D – “Can chickens complicate with birds?  Can chickens talk with birds? ”
Mom – “Hmm, I’m not sure.”
D – “Can you ask the computer?”

D – “Mama, I’m not a vegetarian, I’m MEATatarian!”

D – “Mom, I put some water on my hair. I don’t want it straight anymore. I’m a CurlyGirl!”

D - "Lucas, please butt out of my business!"
Mom - "Destany!  Don't speak to your brother that way."
D - "But Mom, I said PLEASE!"


Lucas:
After snacks: "Look how clean my plate is, Mom. And I didn't even lick it!"

"In Flagstaff, Granny and I were looking at the whisky clouds and talking about how you can tell if it might snow or not, depending on how the whisky clouds look." 

cherry on top

 

I've talked a little in the past about the many blessings of a healthy open adoption.  But it's important to realize that open adoptions do not remove the normal grieving process that most children experience as they begin to understand the losses they have experienced along with the blessings. 

Destany and I are writing this post together, to share some analogies that describe our contact with her birth family, whom she adores and often wishes she could see every week.

1)  Our family life is like a hot fudge sundae.  It is good all on its own, and we are very blessed to have each other.  When we spend time with Destany's birth family, they are the cherry on top!  They make it just that much better.  But when time together is not possible, whatever the reason, we let ourself feel sad, then try to also appreciate the many blessings we still have.

2)  Destany also suggested that her birth mother is like a headband.  When Destany has a beautiful hair style, she celebrates it!  But no matter how pretty her braids or twists are, she always thinks she looks prettier with a headband.  It is the little extra that makes her smile.

3)  Birth family is like flowers in a colorful vase.  The vase is beautiful and precious all on its own.  But those flowers sure do accent it well!

We had fun coming up with lots of other silly analogies, but you'll have to ask us in person about those!  For now, I'm just thankful that God has blessed us with ideas for creative ways to work through some sad feelings.  As I tucked her into bed tonight, my sweet daughter was cuddly, delighting in these quiet moments together, and feeling very loved.  And I am praising the Lord for His grace, healing, and presence in our lives. 

Funny Friday

 

 
Once a week we have a campfire in our front yard with our neighbors and anyone else who stops by.  We make s'mores and serve up hot apple cider and maybe a few beers.  It's the perfect way to relax after a long day.  (If you live in the area and want to join us, just ask me for details -- we'd love to have you stop by!)

Not surprisingly, this is our children's favorite night of the week.  They look forward to it for days, and often write up personalized invitations that they pass around the neighborhood to make sure their friends have not forgotten.  They also like to help set out the food and drinks, put out camp chairs, and get the firewood ready. 

This week, I walked into the boys' room to find this little scene.  Lucas had been reading in his room and had this bright idea that he could reach more branches on the dead bush outside his window from inside the house.  And of course he wasn't concerned with how many sticks, leaves, and little pieces of bark would be in his bed next time he needed it.  He was just excited that he'd hit the jackpot on kindling! 

What is that saying?...oh yes, 'boys will be boys!'  Well, I thank God our kiddos are all so different from each other.  It sure keeps life interesting.

Our Little Rockstar

  

Around here, Brooklyn is a rockstar.  Everyone loves Brooklyn.  At any given time, there is a line of siblings waiting for a turn to hold her.  Each of them takes great pride in their special relationship with her, and their ability to make her laugh and squeal.  It is so sweet to watch their relationships grow. 

Right now, Brooklyn is especially high on my list of favorite little people.  You see, Destany had this tooth that was driving me crazy.  You know the kind.  The one hanging crooked, right smack in the middle of her smile, just begging to be pulled.  But Destany was not interested in having it pulled.  I begged for the privilege, but she was not to be swayed.  And stories of tying a string around it and slamming a door to yank it did not help any.  (Nice try, honey.) 

To my great delight, Brooklyn took care of that tooth tonight.  Destany was playing with her when she suddenly shouted out that Brooklyn had knocked her tooth out.  And sure enough....as she explained what had happened, that stubborn little tooth fell out of her mouth and onto the carpet in front of her.  Wooohooo!  That's my baby. 

Now let's just hope the 'Tooth Fairy' remembers to follow up on this tooth!  A few nights ago Destany received $1.25 and an apology note from said fairy.  That tooth had been under her pillow for a couple nights, so she accrued a little interest!

Body & Hair Butter

  

Whipped Body & Hair Butters ~ Luxurious moisture for dry skin and curly locks. These butters are homemade with organic, unrefined ingredients for maximum benefit for skin and hair.

I have been making these whipped body and hair butters to help raise money for our next adoption.  It's been quite the project!  But I am really excited about how they're turning out, and I've been getting great feedback from family and friends about the finished product. 

If you'd like to support our next adoption by ordering some, click here. :)

1st foods

  

Brooklyn enjoying coconut cream. 

With our other kiddos, I read the book Super Baby Food and made homemade organic purees and introduced a wide range of healthy foods from about 6 months on.  I followed all the directions and learned how to pick the right foods, steam them, blend them, and freeze enough to last a few weeks.  And I enjoyed it!  It felt meaningful and important to feed my children this way. 

This time, however, I'm happy to mostly nurse Brooklyn and take a more laid-back approach to introducing foods.  I'd like to do just a few baby foods, and then jump straight to finger foods.  We'll see how she does as time goes on. :) 

Next stop, mashed avocado from Grandpa and Grandma's avocado ranch in California!

Credit for this baby food idea goes to my friend Julie.  Her sweetie did a taste test with some coconut cream and it was a success, so we thought we'd give it a try as well! :)

Check out this post to learn more about my new favorite approach to baby food.

Oh, baby!

I am so excited.  This is the creamiest, most luxurious hair and body butter I have ever made.  It is amazing on my kiddos' skin and in their curly locks.  Made from 100% organic, unrefined oils and butters, for maximum benefit for your skin and hair, it is safe to eat as well as wear!  Good thing, because it is so yummy my kids lick it off their skin. :) 

I have three tubs made from 100% organic, unrefined coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter (natural cocoa scented from cocoa butter), and one tub of 100% organic shea butter, coconut oil, and mango butter (mild shea/coconut scent).  The mango is refined, so it is unscented. 

It costs me approximately $6 to make each tub of body butter.  We will distribute these on a donation basis.  The cost of supplies will come out of our family budget, so 100% of what you donate will go to our adoption fund!

Comment here to claim a tub.  First come, first served.  Only 4 tubs in this first batch.  Thanks! :)  Update - the first four tubs have been claimed!  Watch for another post this week with more body butters, and I'll also be making raw sugar body scrubs.  Yum!

shea/cocoa/coconut -- Kim, Monica, Stephanie 
shea/mango/coconut -- Lucinda

Future batches will come with other combinations of oils and butters, and in a few scents, such as orange and peppermint.  I will also fill smaller tubs that will mail well for those who do not live in the Valley of the Sun. 

Thank you for the amazing response, and for choosing to support our family this way!

Funny Friday

Having rebelled against rabbit food, and now running out of grass, our rabbit (who remains unnamed and usually goes by 'Rabbit' or 'Bunny'), has joined in with the chickens. 

Dear Grammy Tami

    

All of our children are aware, to some degree, of the big, wide world of blogging.  Our out-of-town family reads our blog and talks with them about it.  The kids enjoy seeing pictures on friends' blogs.  They have their own blogs that we incorporate into home schooling.  And sometimes they ask me to do specific posts on our family blog.  Here is a post that Keandre asked me to write!

We have very open adoptions (meaning fully identified, visits, etc.), although contact is sometimes sporadic.  Keandre's biological Grandma and Great-Grandma, as well as an uncle (age 6) live in Nevada.  We have not pursued much contact this year since we were rather busy with pregnancy bed rest and adding a precious newborn to our busy lives.  But recently we have been looking at pictures of his birth family and talking about them more. 

Today Keandre wanted to call Grammy Tami and leave her a message.  Then he drew her a special picture.  Then he dictated a very long letter for her!  He asked me to post it here.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Dear Grammy Tami,

Please come over here and please see our chickies. We have Noodle, Blossom, and other chickies, and a bunny rabbit. Please come see them. And please come see my mom. Thank you.

And please come see my bed. I sleep in my room with my brother.

We saw Mya and Dennae yesterday. And Marcel and their baby Judah. I didn’t play in the sand or on the playground. They played and then we went to catch some fishies in a pond. Lucas catched five fishies. He put them in our little pond. Please come see it. Please.

I love you. Please come to the park and see all our friends. And Granny and Papa.

Please come see our baby. We have Brooklyn Isabella. Thank you. And please. And my chickies. They are nice. And they peck. Seven chickies.

Please come see our fire pit. It’s here. At our home. Our friends come. We eat hot dogs and we eat chicken food (ha ha…not really!). We eat marshmallows. We fire them.

I write a picture for you.

love, Keandre

Are you sensing a theme in this letter? I think my little guy would like a visit! We are praying it might be possible.  Grammy Tami has already replied to his letter, and Keandre was glowing with joy as I read it to him! :) 

It's the Dad Life

LOVE this.  No matter how many times we see it.  On a blah day, we all need our life as parents glorified a bit, right? :)  (Double click on the movie to see it full size.)

El Tour de Tucson

   

I have been biking regularly for the last few years with a couple friends.  On November 20, we'll be riding 80 (or maybe 109!) miles in El Tour de Tucson, the largest ride in Arizona with about 9,000 riders. 

I've chosen the option to 'Ride for a Child' and raise funds for Tu Nidito.  Each year this agency helps more than 800 children who are grieving a death in the family, who have been diagnosed with a life threatening illness, or who have a parent diagnosed with cancer.  I am paired with, Ben, who lost his older sister, and I'm really looking forward to doing this ride in his honor.

My goal is to raise $500 before the ride, and I am looking for sponsors to join me by making a contribution in my name.  You can see a picture of Ben, read more of his story, and donate online at my personalized rider web page.  (You can also donate by check if you prefer that method.)  All donations to Tu Nidito are tax-deductible, and 91% of every dollar goes directly to support programs for children. 

Thanks for your support!
-Andy

What's in a Name?

 

I overheard the kids discussing names for the chickies.  Names like Clementine, Sweet, and Blossom.  Very cute.  And familiar!  Turns out the kiddos named their chicks after our favorite cloth diapers.  BumGenius diapers have great names.  Destany has been wanting to learn the names of all of the colors after hearing me discuss colors with other cloth diapering Mamas.  It was so cute to see her interest, and I guess it later came in handy when she and her brothers were deciding on names!

Moonbeam, Ribbit, Clementine, Zinnia, Grasshopper, Butternut, Twilight, Bubble, Blossom, Sweet, and Noodle.  Cute, huh?  (Good marketing, BumGenius!) 

Here they are with their chicks.  They are growing and changing so much.  (The chicks and the kids!) 

Lucas with Clementine, Cricket (instead of 'Grasshopper'), and Butternut

Destany with Sweet and Zinnia

Keandre with Noodle and Blossom

My Rows and Piles of Coins

  

Tonight I had story time with just the boys.  As we settled on the sofa, Lucas picked out a book for us to read.   My Rows and Piles of Coins is the story of a young boy who lives in Tanzania.  He helps his mom at the market every Saturday, and when it's a good day, he receives a few coins as a thank you for his hard work.  He saves and saves his coins, counting them and dreaming of what he will buy. 

Unlike past attempts at reading this book, Keandre was riveted.  He is old enough now to start to apprecaite the illustrations, and studied every page and even asked a few questions.  E. B. Lewis is a talented artist, and every page was rich with detail.  It is easy to see why this book received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award!

Afterward, I asked Lucas and Keandre what they liked most about the story.  Keandre pointed to the little boy's legs and said, "He's the same color!"  Lucas said that he likes the way the little boy saves all his coins and counts them up and thinks so much about what he would like to buy.  That is just like Lucas, and I love that this was just one more reminder that children all over the world have things in common. 

Orphan Sunday

 

For God So Loved - OS from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

little chickies

Maybe we're a little bit country.  Or maybe a little crazy.  Either way, we picked up half a dozen baby chicks last weekend.  Plus a baby rooster that Lucas talked us into.  (We insist he is only visiting until he finds his voice!) 

It'll be another 5 months until they start laying, but that is probably a good thing considering they're currently living in a rabbit hutch. Maybe by the time they're outgrowing it, we'll have built them a coop.  We'll see.  If you spot half a dozen hens ruling the roost in our backyard come spring, you'll know that idea didn't work out quite as planned.....

(Coming Soon: the delightful names our chickies have acquired.)

on the move

This girl is on the move!

And so delightful we can hardly stand it.

Brooklyn is 5 months old now, and started rocking on her knees at 4 1/2 months.  No official crawling yet, but it could be any day!  Take your time, BabyGirl. :)

first extensions

I've been in a bit of a rut lately.  Normally I love doing Destany's hair.  It's a creative outlet, a way to love her and spend extra time with her.  We enjoy picking movies to watch together while I care for her beautiful curls, and then we talk about the relationships and situations in the movies, which leads to awesome discussions that we might not otherwise have.  We also sing together. :)  A recent favorite has been Meet Me in St. Louis, and the songs can be heard 'round our home day and night!  And not always in tune....

But recently, I've found myself stalling when it came time to re-do a style.  I'd ignore the frizzies, more noticeable by the day, because I didn't have any inspiration for a new style.  Until one night, way too late to start a new project like this.  Suddenly I wanted to try out yarn extensions.  (Check out Cate's blog here to see a couple Youtube videos and detailed instructions on how to do these.)  We popped in a movie, and I twisted away.  And twisted, and twisted, and twisted.  Three hours later -- partly because of the small sections, and partly because of my poor technique -- her new yarn extensions were in.  Success! 

I made the extensions only about an inch longer than her own hair.  The result is a head of beautiful two-stranded twists that look fuller and longer than usual, but still very natural for a six-year-old.

Destany prefers them down, so she can endlessly flip them over her shoulder and feel all grown up.  I prefer them pulled into a ponytail, with a couple hanging out.  I think it looks young and sporty, yet still cared for and beautiful.  We have been compromising, with a little of each. :)

skinny jeans



If you're in need of a pair of skinny jeans, head on over to my brother's house.  His neighbor sells them.  Every single weekend.  And people go buy them.  Who'd have guessed?  The conveniences of living in certain neighborhoods.  Are you jealous yet? 

The 5K that wasn't.

Pretty cool sunglasses, huh?  Okay -- truth be told, they were the only

ones I could find that morning.  I'm not normally that cool. ;)

It all started with a 5:45am wake-up call.  Andy left long before us since he was working for my brother and sister-in-law at their plant sale.  (And not just any plant sale.  We're talking 3,000 plants, and free consultations by landscape architects/designers!)  I had planned ahead, but getting myself and four little ones out the door by 7am was still daunting.  We were only a few minutes late, which I considered an accomplishment. 

After a brief detour when we couldn't find the right entrance to the park, we rushed to get in line to register.  But things were moving slowly.  VERY VERY SLOWLY.  The poor mama who volunteers to plan the event did not have enough help.  The official starting time came and went, and there were still 10 or 15 people to check in.   The participants began to get restless. 

At 8:15am, we were still checking in and someone decided to signal the start of the 5K.  Those of you who have participated in an event like this know that starting just 3 minutes late puts you at a serious disadvantage.  Not one participant was in sight when we began.  Our motivation to catch up plummeted.  Just 5 minutes in, we came across a shady spot and the kiddos were already asking for a break. 

I realized the game plan needed to change.  The main point was to experience the community effort of supporting these brave and resilient women in Congo.  And finishing the race properly was not necessary to do that.  We took matters into our own hands, and set out to find the group. 

The kids were cracking up as we sprinted across an open field, turned a couple corners, cut through a parking lot, and soon spotted some runners.  Going against the flow, we confused a few people, but met our goal -- we found our friends.  The kids were suddenly full of motivation.  And speed!  They took off ahead and crossed the finish line a couple minutes ahead of us.  Morale was restored, and memories were made. 

Here, the obligatory picture to record the moment for all eternity.  Solange and Joseph were adopted from Congo last year, so this 5K has extra meaning for all who know them.  And Grace, their little sister, is one of Destany's best buds.  A huge thank you to those who made this experience possible for us! :)

For Sale.....LOTS of cloth diapers!

We just listed TONS of cloth diapers on Craigslist.  After a lot of trial and error, we finally decided on our fav cloth diapers for Brooklyn.  And we're sure about it.  Really.  (I mean it this time.)

We were happy with the Mother-Ease cloth diapering system (small Sandy's, then One-Size diapers, w/ snap Air Flow covers) for our other children.  Unlike disposable diapers (admit it -- we all know it!) they were virtually leak proof.  Sooo helpful for breastfed babies, sick babies, and for those times when you forget that your child might need changed more than once in a blue moon.   

But this time around, I wanted to try out some other, cuter, varieties.  I went a little crazy while on bed rest.  I bought a little of everything, mostly on Diaperswappers.  And now that we've tried them out and picked our favorites, it's time to tell them goodbye.  Let me know if you want any!  If the post is from Oct. 14 or 15, is in Central Phoenix, and the pictures are taken on top of a blue sheet, they are ours. :)

Brooklyn wearing a Bum Genius 4.0 Pocket diaper and Bum Genius Organic AIO diaper.  We love that the outsides are the same -- same exact fit -- but the insides are different.  We use pockets overnight, so we can stuff them with as much absorbency as needed.  In the daytime, an All-In-One is perfect, or a Goodmama fitted diaper w/o a cover works well, too.  (Not pictured.) 

homeschooling

 

phonics workbooks

self-directed projects

impromptu color-mixing

reading aloud

creative problem solving

(The caterpillar kept falling out of Brooklyn's hands, so he suspended it

 from the fire truck, just within her reach. :)

independent work

Keandre isn't in these pictures because he is usually too busy running circles around us and wreaking havoc on our mornings.  Oh, what a

busy boy he is! :)

grieving

Even a child with a healthy open adoption (meaning we enjoy regular contact with her birth family) will grieve as she understands her story better.  Destany has had periods of intense grieving off and on since she was three years old.  As she began to realize that the wonderful family she has now came only through the loss of her first family, she has had to grieve her idea of what that first family would have looked like and what her part would have been in it.

Grieving doesn't scare us.  And the fact that pain is inherently a part of adoption doesn't mean that adoptions should never occur.  Pain and sadness is a part of life.  We all experience losses, and learning to grieve well, and let others be a part of your pain, is  very important.  I wish our children who came to us through adoption didn't have to experience loss so early in life.  But that is adoption.  It is bittersweet.  I wish that their birth families didn't experience this loss either.  But sometimes that is just the way life is. 

Adoption has brought us together.  We will grieve the hard parts, and celebrate the amazing parts.  And we'll do it together.  All of us.....Destany, her Dad & I, and her birth mother, who has stayed true to her commitment to stay a part of her life.  God has taken us on this journey, and directed our steps along the way, and we are all stronger because of it. 

Today I was at a loss for how to help Destany process her sadness in a way that would empower her, and help her feel like there is a way through it.  As I prayed about it, a new thought came to mind.  She is old enough to write her own story!  We sat at the computer, and she told me what to write.  We only did the first two pages, and then she asked if she could write more tomorrow.  I printed those pages for her, and she pulled out the paints to illustrate them.  She was peaceful.  She sang while she painted.  And she was proud of the result.  I am, too!

Shared with Destany's permission. :)

quiet

I know, I've been a little quiet lately.  There just hasn't been a lot to share.  Unless you want to hear how hard our days have been lately, or about the discipline issues we're having.  About the anger rut two of my children seem to be stuck in.  Hard stuff.  Painful stuff.  And I haven't always handled it with the love and patience I like to think I have. 

It has been especially hard over the last 5 days because Andy has been gone from early morning until after dinner.  He was helping my brother and sister-in-law put on a huge plant sale (more on that later).  It's a busy weekend as he works 12 hour days alongside them.  Which means I've been on my own with the kids a lot....even though I've been at my wit's end with them. 

I've spent a lot of time praying, asking begging God to renew me, give me compassion and patience even when I'm exhausted.  It felt like He wasn't answering.  I felt powerless to pull us out of this ickiness.  Until late this morning, that is. 

I was talking with the kids about our last few days.  We were gathered in a circle on the living room floor, just hanging out, and I John 1:9 came to mind.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Oh, how I needed that reminder.  My kids, too.  We talked, we prayed together, we confessed our sins to God and each other.  And then we started over. 

Has it been happy-go-lucky, tulips and daffodils since then?  No way.  One child has been throwing up every half hour.  Another spent 20 minutes sobbing in my arms, grieving part of her adoption journey, and another is as mischevious as ever (although with a little more softness in his eyes).  But we're hanging in here.  God is giving me a little more of that elusive patience I've been longing for.  He's allowed me to see my children with fresh eyes, with a persevering love that will take what's given, and work with it.  I am so, so grateful. 

I've gotta go now.  I need to unpack that suitcase that I'd imagined in my mind.  And cancel the week-long stay at a plush resort that I dreamed up.  I'm going to stay right here, trusting that I can do this the rest of today.  And maybe tomorrow.  One crazy, painful, chaotic hour at  a time.

3 more days....

Keandre and his pal, Rosco, in Flagstaff last weekend. 
(Thanks for the amazing pic, Dad! :)

...until the kids and I do our first 5K -- The Run for Congo Women.  We can't wait!  We have done some great training walks in the last couple weeks, but haven't been out walk/jogging quite as much as we'd like.  In lieu of official training, I like to convince myself that our everyday lives are active enough to count for something.  After all, we run laps around the 'track' in our kitchen, and last night I paced the floor while Brooklyn's wee tummy settled.  (Darn reflux was hurtin' my babe!)  At least this will be a great starting point.  Ready or not, here we go!

(Check out this post if you want to know more, would like to join us, or want to lighten your wallet a little for a good cause. :)

Body Butter

 unrefined cocoa butter

Update, 11/02:  The company we order ingredients from has been out of shea butter for the last few weeks.  But they have finally restocked, and my order is on its way!  I can't wait to receive it and get started.

Wow!  I am blown away by the response to my post about selling the hair snaps.  They were all sold within 3 hours.  What a blessing!

I am considering selling homemade body butter next, as another way to bring in a little income while Andy continues to search for full time work.  I make body butter for our family a couple times a year, and it is does wonders for my kiddos' dry winter skin.  Our homemade body butter is equal parts organic unrefined cocoa butter, shea butter, and coconut oil.  It smells like chocolate, and sometimes we add a few drops of orange essential oil and it smells like chocolate orange.  Yum!  The kids are practically edible after bathtime. 

If you might be interested in purchasing a tub of body butter, please leave me a comment here on my blog (no emails, please...they will get lost in my overflowing inbox!).  If it looks like there will be enough interest, I will figure out the size and cost and take pre-orders.

If you are interested in body butter that would NOT smell like chocolate, please let me know that, also.  I could use mango butter in place of the cocoa butter. 

Thanks so much for your support.  God is providing! :)

hair snaps for sale!

                                        'Just Basic' Heart Snaps

Update: Everything has sold!  Thanks for all your support.   I feel so encouraged today. :)

These hair snaps were a special part of my early days of doing hair.  I found them through an adoption hair care group, and over time I invested in quite a collection!  We use them at the ends of braids and twists.  They look great on their own, and we also use them to add beads.  They are much easier and quicker to use than the other methods of adding beads!

With almost two years of unemployment under our belts, we have decided to sell anything we have around the house that is no longer needed.  I am hoping to sell about half of my hair snap collection.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! :)

Flower Snaps

Set A:  38 snaps (10 purple, green, & pink; 8 teal)  $3.50

Set B:  38 snaps (10 purple, green, & pink; 8 teal)  $3.50

Set C:  38 snaps (10 purple, green, & pink; 8 teal)  $3.50

Set D:  38 snaps (10 purple, green, & pink; 8 teal)  $3.50

Set E:  30 snaps (10 purple, 11 green, 9 pink)        $2.75

Bold Ladybugs

Set A:  30 ladybugs (5 of each color)  $3.00

Set B:  25 ladybugs (5 of each color; no red)  $2.50

Dragonflies 
Set A:  30 dragonflies (5 of each color)  $3.00
Set B:  30 dragonflies (5 of each color)  $3.00

'Just Basic' Heart Snaps (for small twists or braids)

Set A:  35 heart snaps (5 of each color)  $3.50

Set B:  30 heart snaps (5 of each color; no blue)  $3.00

Tiny Flower Snaps (for small braids/twists) 

Set A:  60 snaps (15 of each: purple, green, blue, black) $4.00

Set B:  60 snaps (15 of each: purple, green, blue, black) $4.00

Set C: 35 snaps (black only)  $2.50

Set D: 35 snaps (black only)  $2.50

The Fine Print:

As with all products produced in bulk, these are not perfect. A few may be missing the little jewel or have crooked paint or faded dots, although I tried to sort those out.  Occasionally I have run across a snap that doesn't close correctly (I toss those). Many of these are brand new, so I am assuming they will work right.

Price is approx. 8 - 12 cents per snap, depending on size.

Please add $1.50 for shipping for the first two sets, and $.50 per set after that.

You can pay me by Paypal (andykiara@cox.net) or cash/check if you are local. If paying by Paypal, please note exactly which snaps you are purchasing, and I will update the blog often. (First come, first served, according to when emails arrive. :)



gorgeous free hair

(lest you think I always did those fancy styles! :)

These snaps are so versatile!  They are even great to have around for big brothers who feel left out during hair time. :)

Thanks for looking!