Question: "What is it like being married?"

Answer : It feels the same!
I've been asked this very question NUMEROUS times over and over again. Mainly because in all the different groups of people with whom I socialize, I am the youngest or one of the youngest and the first to be married. I was also told that I "wasn't supposed to get married 1st". Hmmm I wonder why? maybe because girls with mouths like mine that "has no governor" aren't usually the "girlfriend type". Or maybe it's because of the mentality I had. I was never one to be overwhelmed and overly excited because I have a 'boyfriend'. I might run the phone bill up the 1st month but after that I'm over it. If you annoy me for a millisecond...you're DONE. Moving on...NEXT! Contrary to popular belief, with that mentality I was able to remain the non-promiscuous one. That idea or behaviour, whatever you want to call it, has kept me out of all sorts of drama and trouble throughout the majority of my high school life and the years thereafter.

So what is "marriage" like?
It's normal....depending on what your meaning of "normal" is, or the relationship you had with your now spouse before the question was popped. Me: I met my husband in front of a library.We were very good friends for a little while; and then a couple. After a year or so had passed, he obviously could not get over how fabulously fierce I was and popped the question. At that time there was no ring involved, so we told noone. In a way I had forgotten about it because I never believed in promises and had not seen any reason to start at that point. Hence, no "promise ring" either. He knew I didn't want any as I had shared with him what my Mother and Grandmother had shared with me : "A promise is a comfort to a fool". :) So although I thought the gesture was cute, I was never going to make it into a diary entry...chile please!...

Eventually about 6-8 mths later on Christmas Day, the question was popped again and for real this time! It was the best surprise and I got punked! Because we were always so close, always had good communicative habits and all the other necessary ingredients, it was like the only other obvious step to take. I had already gotten a feel of what it was like to live together and spend every single minute of every single day together and drive each other crazy and still have to stay in the same room, so after the wedding it was nothing new!!!! That's why marriage is "normal" to me.

There are some who as soon as they get married, get (what I like to call) "frighten" and just switch their lives over completely and turn into a robot. No maam! Not this one. Please! Of course you have to tone certain things down, share more things that you didn't usually share etc etc etc. But it's no big difference.
What? Were YOU planning to go to the club every weekend for the rest of your life? Grow up already!!!! You know it's no big deal to tone it down. Which is why I find it so weird that people cannot fathom how happy and normal we are and the fact that we're still young and still very "married" and still very fabulous & fierce (that one is me of course) :) Don't get me wrong, there are some who are hating on the fact that I'm married but I couldn't care less.

Why her and not you? Why the feisty one and not the fairy princess whose goal in life is to be the most perfect girlfriend/wife ever? Why the one who never really cared about boys that much or what they were thinking at 16 years old? Why the one who can cut people off in the blink of an eye and never look back?
Want to know why? Because you spend all that time wondering why, thinking that girl should always be the one sitting by the phone waiting to hear YOUR problems with YOUR boyfriend, when she had none. Or because you spend all your time being selfish and wish good only for yourself and not others. While that same girl is spending her time, getting in touch with herself spiritually, knowing how to enjoy her own company and learning how to become her own person outside of friends,boyfriends etc,maturing and all the necessary preparations needed to be strong enough to get married. That's why.....

In good relationships, with good communication, honesty and trust, marriage is nothing but the NEXT normal step. Just a little reassurance and confirmation of something you already knew was right. In other relationships, people use marriage as a way to keep somebody around, to try and tame that person, or to try and save a relationship that was already on its way to the sewers. As simple as that.  There are some aspects of marriage that are a million times more serious than a regular non-marital relationship. However, with the right amount of maturity and responsibilty, it may very well still be not that big of a burden to those who are ready.
So don't hate,.......congratulate!
Peace & Luv
xoxo

*sigh* 1 year olds!

They run, climb, hide, tear down everything within their reach,

they cry, they teeth, they shout and SCREAM, they want this, don't want that, they take sippy cups and throw them and then...SPLASH!

There goes the wonderful area rug.....

The games, the falls, the words, the toys - all over the house and not one in use.

The cries for the cell phones and not the singing dog, the use of "No" a thousand and twenty six times after the name is called.

There comes a point of the day when all you hear is 5 different songs all playing at once.

Not because you're in a jolly good mood....but because ALL THE SINGING TOYS ARE ON!!!!!

And why do they choose the most annoying songs at the highest pitches? Thanks Toy Manufacturers! I cant wait for Christmas!!!!

All of a sudden...the sun sets, the eyes flutter heavily with stress.

9pm...she's out! YES! Oh my back ...and my neck!

.... She looks like an angel (don't they always?)

Oh how you love them, and oh how you couldnt imagine life without them.....

one year olds...

No thank you Bally Total Fitness, Curves and all the rest!

I have a date with my 1 year old promtply at 7am

Who magically appears in my bed every morning and beats at my chest

My eyelashes have all been plucked,

and my eyeballs have been assaulted

The most perfect way to wake up,
 when you peep to see the most perfect face that has ever been crafted.

one year olds....

Here comes the sun again........

A.Regina-Rae

Fingertip Antics

So, as you all know I knit & crochet. I also make beaded jewellry, I can sew a little, basically anything  that can be done with the hands....I can do it. If I can't, I can learn it and do it once I put my mind to it. Which is exactly what led me to labelling my brand "Fingertip Antics". http://www.areginarae.etsy.com/ I have been doing it for a while, but have been a little held back in terms of being really active in it. NOW, I have no excuse! My daughter is now 14months old and MUCH more independent and I can sit and crochet/knit (even with her tugging on the yarn & creating knots).
I can finally now announce that I've made one major step in putting myself out there. No more "soso word of mouth" I'm on the internet boo! Google me! and check out my online shop at Etsy. This is only the beginning. In no time I will have my own website and not long after that my projects will be in magazines and you'll see me at the mall (rich and all) walking around...still being ME.
Don't blink! You might miss out on something major.
xoxo
A.Regina-Rae

Thank you hater!

I've come so far and still have more ground to trod. But I couldn't have done it without my haters. SO to all those who have told me I couldn't do this, those who gossip and talked about me behind my back, those who have made empty threats and outlandish remarks, those who acted out of jealousy (trust me I completely understand..if I were you I'd be jealous of me too) and everybody else who did ANY kind of "hateration" towards me whatsoever. As much as I could've slapped you in the face and punched you in the throat, I didn't. I used all those words and negative energy to push myself, and make myself stronger & better & make you cringe even more. And for that, I thank you all. I never knew I would come to a stage where I can be strong enough to mention that, but I am. I've lost so many loved ones and seen so much in my 25 short years, I have matured beyond my years. But because of my age, I've been judged, ridiculed, undermined and underestimated. Little do people know about my strength. And I dare them to test me. Which is why I have so many haters. And I love each and every one of them. Mainly because they help me to become who I am.

Family vs Relatives
I come from a family with several relatives. But due to the lack of geographical proximity, we tend not to bond as closely as we used to. Besides my husband & daughter, my family includes some of those I've met along my journey. Who I believe have each been placed in my path for a reason. I would make a list but I have so many different relationships with each person that are so special in its own way, that it would be unfair to call names. You know who you are. You are my family yeardat!!! I also wouldnt be anywhere I am now if it weren't for my mother and maternal siblings. They are dear to my heart. Mess with them, and you answer to this Scotch Bonnet Pepper!
There are those who like to come in disguise as friends or want to play "close" and I do admit that I have been fooled. But only once! As it is only a matter of time before true colours are revealed and  I go to my trusty "delete" button. As much as I am not one to malice and always end up renewing those "broken relationships" I do so with much more care and I have learned to keep people at at arms length. Keeping my haters even closer.
*sigh* I love them so. 
And as much as they dont realize itor want to admit it, they love me too.To that I say cheers!

Type Casted
It's easy to not like somebody like me. Why? Because I'm free-spirited, I can get loud, I laugh when I feel like it, I cry infront of you if I feel like it, I sing as a tune comes in my head and basically do what the hell I feel like doing when I feel like doing it, even if it means to tell you "I don't like you...back up out my face...and I wish you would!", I mean my primary philosophy is "cheers to those who wish us well, and those who don't can go to hell".  And you know what? I like that about me dammit! I go anywhere, anytime, around anybody and be sure all you get is the SAME AVA 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. People can't handle that. They love to hate. That's what haters do. How dare me try to take their job!  However, as many haters I've counted and tucked in my hater handbag, I have twice as many loved ones who love me back. MEEE!!!!!
So to all my haters....THANK YOU! MUCHAS GRACIAS! MERCI! MASHA DANKI!!!!  Without you....I'd pretty much still be where I am...you just took me here faster.
Hugz n kisses!!!!!
Ava

Going Yellow?

Ok so remember I was on my "Mission Possible" to go "green" and all that good stuff? Yeah so ummmm.......what had happened was..................... I didn't do that much *guilty face* DONT JUDGE ME! Well it's not that bad. So far I have Not used hot water for about 2 months (well...I only use it in the shower)  and I did try to recycle a skirt I had.......thats it.

But you know what? I'm trying to do my part. I can't save the entire universe by myself. Are you kidding me? I would have to be SuperWoman. ANd if that were the case, I would have 50 million dollars in my bank account, getting daily massages, have perfect eyebrows, my hair would've grown back by now, AND I would have the BMW.....I'm just sayin....
So because the "og green" mission has yet to be fulfilled to my preferences, let's just say I'm going yellow ok?
Luv, peace & green trees!

Bee Mine!!!!

Hello my natty beauties :) I've been using the Bee Mine Products for about a week now and I absolutely love the results. Let's start off with the Bee Mine Peppermint & Tea Tree Shampoo : the scent is very subtle and refreshing. The peppermint is very mild & not harsh on the scalp at all.  A little goes a LONG way as the instructions advise. ANd for the 1st time in years I washed my hair with a shampoo & it didnt feel like a plastic bag (which i thouhgt it was supposed to feel like). Next, I continued with the Avocado cream conditioner : Same reaction. Lovely, mild & naturally sweet smelling. My hair was so clean..I could lick it! I'm THAT serious.

   

Moving on to the mirror: I then applied the Bee Hold Curly Butter and honeeeey let me tell you. The scent is to-die-for. It's so sweet! but not overwhelmingly like some products that try too hard (waddup wit dat?). I applied what I thought was enough for my hair. Few hours later when my hair dried, I liked the results. The only thing is because of how thick my hair is, it wasn't super dry, but it wasn't as "moisturized" as I prefered. SO the next day what i did was co-washed my hair (washing with conditioner only) and then applied the Bee Mine Luscious Balanced Cream Moisturizer BEFORE I applied the curly butter......whoooooooooooo!!!!!!! can you say bomb? Yes baby, it was PERFECT. That's how hair should feel (without having to be greased lol).

Some folks with soft hair might not need the moisturizer to combine with the curly butter, but I am a natty so guess what, I did. It's worth a try honey pies :) check out their website and get on it! http://www.beemineproducts.com/

Love, peace & hair thats NOT greased!

Ava

Happy Natty-Versary!!!!

First off let's define "Natty-versary" which I made up today in the middle of a convo I was having with a friend. Natty-versary means : Natural Anniversary. Although "anniversary" usually refers to a year who the deuce is going to wait that long? Not I! It's been exactly one month since my BC (big chop) and I am LOVING it! I feel free (for now because I don't have much to work with). But it's fantastic. Only a month and i've seen more growth in these 4 weeks than the first time when I was transitioning for 8 whole months! What's that about? Anyhoo, I've received my first shipment of natural hair products that I'm about to experiment with . They're from a company called Bee Mine http://www.beemineproducts.com/. And so far, although I haven't officially used anything yet , the products smell DEEEE-LICIOUS! I literally have to be restraining myself from tasting them. I can't wait to start using them & blogging about the results. wooohoooo!
Check out my channel : www.youtube.com/user/TweetaAvita

Big up yuhself!
Ava :)