On our last day at the beach in Aruba…
…I asked Skylar if she wanted to get her hair braided and she, of course, said, “YES!”
Enjoy the pictures. There are tons!
I had fun taking them and watching her enthusiasm!
But most of all, the sheer joy on Skylar’s face during the whole hair-braiding experience was wonderful to watch.
I may have shed a few tears watching my “baby”, now 4.33 years old, have her waist-length hair braided.
When did she go from bald newborn to having waist-length hair?
Did the last 4 years just fly by? Yes, they did!
Scott took these before the hair braiding session.
The highlight of her braiding experience was selecting which beads from the Braid Lady’s Bag of Tricks she was going to put on the end of each braid.
Each braid has two little beads on the end.
Digging for just the right beads was a big job.
And she felt so proud when she picked out those beads.
This was the end of our trip.
A very wonderful, amazing, and memory-filled trip.
Thank you for everyone who’s been reading with me the past 18 days that we’ve been here in Aruba.
I am sorry to have bored anyone with my beach pictures ad nauseum.
Or my local island pictures.
And I even have a highlight reel post coming soon. Lucky you. And me. We get to re-live the whole trip, one more time, probably over the weekend when that post goes up.
From my last post, Efficiency and New Technology, thanks for filling me in on what kind of computer you have and what kind you’d like to have.
For those of you who already use and love Windows Live Writer, I know. I knew it already. When I get back to San Diego, I plan to do my final research and then pony up for a screaming fast new machine.
Thanks to suggestions that I move photos and other data to external drives and try to clean up my existing machine, but after 4+ years, I just need a fresh start.
This definitely isn’t a fresh recipe, but it’s a good one. And it may be new to some of my new readers. Thanks for finding me and saying hi!
No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (with a High Protein Option)
And they take about 5 minutes to whip up, no food proc or Vita required.
Questions:
1. Have you ever had your hair braided?
My mother never let me when I was a kid on vacation. She always said the braid ladies have dirty combs.
But Skylar’s Braid Lady’s comb looked just fine to me.
Skylar said it looked like Barbie’s comb.
Edited to add, I submitted this photo for judging
The Braid Lady could braid hair faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.
The entire “event” was over and done with in about 10 minutes.
She could braid from root to tip after the hair was parted and sectioned, in not kidding, about 8 seconds. Unreal speed.
The only time I ever had my hair braided was in Cancun when I was 19 on Spring Break. Oh, I wish I had those pictures!
2. Any vacation stories or memories from your childhood, or adulthood, that you want to share?
I’m all ears!
3. If you made it this far, thank you!
You may be wondering why I have so many of these pictures?
Two reasons: first, I never know what pictures are truly going to look like until I hit publish. So that’s one reason.
The second, is I am very serious about pursuing my career dreams and aspirations and I am going to use some of these in my portfolio. Yes, my photography portfolio. More on that another time.
Do you have any favorite pictures from this post?
Why or what spoke to you in the image. What story was told? What did you feel?
Those are questions I ask myself when I am making pictures to use a Penny term.
P.S. Thanks for everyone who continues to comment on the Healthifying Desserts & Beans in Dessert post. I had a feeling it would be somewhat popular when I posted it, but had no idea it would be that popular. Thanks for your comments, stories, and thoughts.
Stay tuned for Blogging 103 and maybe some airport and airplane blogging…
I love these pictures :) Specially the one were Skylar is looking at the comb and the one where she’s looking at her beads (the one where she’s standing, I love the edited one).
There’s just so much expression in her face, you see that she’s thinking ‘wow, I have braids’ :) it’s really cute.
I’m really amazed that you were in Aruba for 18 days! Following your blog, it didn’t seem so long !
We used to go to Punta Cana every year and I LOVED getting my hair braided. I’d get my whole head in cornrows, and then burn on my scalp where it was exposed! And I’d leave them in for far too long…like a few weeks. I’d still wash my hair, but thinking about how long it was in those braids is till kinda gross. Skylar must have absolutely loved it though!!
I really like the 8th picture — black and white with Skylar’s big smile. Honestly I just love black and white photographs — I’m just drawn to them I think?
I will never get sick of seeing beautiful pictures of a beautiful place — so I like picture heavy posts!
I’ve never had my hair braided, although I remember friends in high school who went to the Dom Rep for a missions trip came back with full heads of braids — it looked cool but it also looked like it hurt!
Skylar has the most expressive and beautiful smile! I love the picture where she is standing and there is an aura of light, the color is faded. It looks like a memory…something from a dream like childhood can be.
I got my hair braided by my best friend in Isle of Palms when I was in high school. I did hers too. It’s such a good memory. We were watching “Top Gun” all sunburned and tired from a day at the beach. Thank you for reminding me and giving me the opportunity to share. :)
Fun! haha it looks like Skylar had SUCH a blast through the entire experience. What a perfect ending for her. I’ve had my hair braided with extensions. It was SO heavy, oh my goodness. I left them in for a couple of months and when I took them out (because I had them in the summer) my hair was stripped light blonde and brown because of the pieces that were exposed to the sun. It was a nightmare! haha
I loved the picture of Skylar on the beach staring at her braids with the sand behind her – she is so adorable. I can’t believe you’ve been in Aruba for 18 days!!!
I also love the one where Skylar is holding up the pink comb. You captured a great expression of her in that one. Also I really like the one above the sentence “A very wonderful, amazing, and memory-filled trip.”, a picture in which she looks like an angel with all that light around her- to me it shows the innocence and just the holiness of children.
wishing you a safe and smooth trip home, averie (sob, sob as you leave the beach behind).
don’t apologize for all the beach photos…i, for one, loved every one of ’em. “photography portfolio” – – good for you. glad you had a chance for a-ha moments while in aruba.
i got six braids done in aruba the first year we were down there – loved them! and yes – the ladies are SO FAST at the braiding. an amazing skill. it was NOT so fun taking them out…my mom had to pick pick at them…but it was worth it. so glad you let skylar have this vacation treat!
i love all the pictures, no need to apologize for them. They capture every moment. Especially the black and white. GORGEOUS! what a wonderful trip.
Ahhhhh, love it!! I had my hair braided in the Bahamas once in middle school…NOT a good look for me!!!! :-)
Can’t believe your Aruba trip is almost over!!! I know it’s been a great vacation!
Aww the braids look super cute! What a big girl : )
I loooove the b+w one – the one after the ones with you and right after the ones when she’s standing. She’s looking down in the pic and it’s just so gorgeous! Hope you come back feeling refreshed!
My mum used to braid my hair all of the time when I was younger. I found it quite tight and painful at times, but it was well worth it as I used to love the end results.
I’ve had my hair braided before – I was 8 years old. Loved all the beads :)
Such cute photos. I love the ones especially when Skylar is smiling, looking up, and has the pink comb in her hair. I also love the ones of YOU with Skylar.
All your pics are so sweet w/such an adorable subject! The pic w/the braid lady’s hand partially in front of your DD’s face strikes me. They are looking at each other & it looks like a sweet exchange, makes me curious as to what they are talking about. Love your blog :)!
I love that one for that reason too!
Love the b&w photos where Skylar is looking down, one above where she’s playing with her hair and then again at the bottom, I love pictures where people aren’t looking at the camera, makes me wonder about what they’re thinking of, sometimes straight on shots get a kind of glazed over expression but when their gaze is just “off” a bit, it seems deeper, not just “i’m smiling for the camera.”
agreed with the gazing off/down in photos!