I Am SAM

I Must say… Drinking wine while wearing a onesie is one of the most rewarding parts of adulting (in Our house at least). I thoroughly enjoy casting my cares to the wind and rolling around on the floor with my toddler…dancing, singing and goofing off in all the ways. She keeps me focused on the Bigger picture.. exposing that “Mama Bear” inner savage, yet still revealing a sweet, calmer side of me.…

It’s been a while…..I know. We’ve been living… growing and flowing in the best ways possible. Bob Ross has Nothing on the masterpiece we’re creating. It’s so exciting to carve out our own way of life using meaty lessons from our past and combining them with some new and Tasty revelations. I’m overwhelmed with Joy, Love, peace, and the reassurance that as long as we continue to stay true to…

Travel Light….

I know.

It’s been a while since I’ve planted my pen here… but,

I’ve been moving and grooving- shaking and baking. #RickyBobby

Seeds have been sewn in this season of introspection foooor sure 😆and I’m proud of my growth here.

In the past, I’ve been challenged by and ashamed of my traumas…

The mess that was my life almost consumed me.

I understand Now 🙄 it was All necessary for the journey but Not…

Idk why folks are so obsessed with labels and boxes…

or what’s on my plate 😫

First of all…

Y’all! I’m Not Vegan, there’s still some ‘ish I haven’t shaken yet but I’m doing my best 🤷🏽‍♀️

Cold turkey won’t work for me (pun intended) but I have decided to eat more intuitively- honoring what feels right and not beating myself up for enjoying something that makes my tastebuds sing.

And Honestly…

Thi…

So.

I Just got back from The Essence Festival… and let’s just say The Big Easy was good to me. 🤗

Packing was OD of course.

I managed to stuff all of my Looks into one suitcase and dodged the extra $75 baggage fee by transferring a few things around to my backpack.

I’d rather be over-prepared than under- just call me “Extra Sauce” I guess…

And to be honest, the NOLA climate requires a MINIMUM 2…

I started this space to heal out loud.. To get away from the noise and figure this part out without judgement.

Because pieces of literature with too many words and Not enough meaning bore me…

Because opinions are sometimes deafening, and projected fears and insecurities can be crippling….

I started this space to heal out loud.. To get away from the noise and figure this part out without judgement.

Silence was my friend…

it didn’t label me, but

I still. Needed. To Scream

And be transparent.

I’m working…

You know…

I’m happy to make some sense out of this creative ADD…

I’ve styled, sketched, beaded, danced, directed and designed….

Played photographer, and stood in as the subject…

and that’s Just today

So who knows what’s next? 🤷🏽‍♀️

Carving a sensible and expressive life without it looking like Art vomit makes me feel full.

I’m in my Zone….making the rules, and using my past trials as the…

Forever Mom…

I met a mom while in line at the post office the other day.

Well..actually there were more Moms, but I became most familiar with the Jazzy Mom in front of me…

While we stood in line, Jazzy Mom complimented me on my day old natural make up look 😬 after offering a very warm hello.

I thanked her and complimented her Awesome hair, to which she thanked me, reluctantly…

Apparently she was test…

Evenings at the mall with the Smiths are like 🤔… family recess.

We run, joke and laugh like it’s Just us. I’m good at making sure the team is set- The Sir has snacks and The Bear is engaged while I check off our shopping list.

What’s Most appreciated are the children’s play areas- until….it gets Real.

So Basically, some little Big person put her feet on the back of our little Sugar, yelling…

Someone told me i should write about marriage… 🤨 I chuckled…not having a Clue where to begin.🤷🏽‍♀️ Marriage and Motherhood has felt like an experiment…. 🔬 📐👩🏽‍🏫🙇🏽‍♀️ No. Seriously. There have been tests, A few Explosions. Some failed theories and plenty of successful outcomes. I’ve learned that Marriage is a delicate process that requires patience and commitment- for sure a High End piece… So you…

Sooo I’m getting a wax the other day 😬 Yeah… #Thatpart And my aesthetician inquired about my C-section scar. Her curiosity didn’t alarm me; clearly we were closer than close at that point 🙄 But after lightly giving her my synopsis of Motherhood, she closed our session with a little music to my ears.. “They say you lose yourself as a new mom- but You Always look so well put together!” I thanked…

A letter to my daughter…

I promise to be your hype woman and make a Big deal out of your Magic…. I’ll be That mom, loudly cheering for you from the crowd. But Please, Don’t try me… I may Not be one of your little friends, but I’ll go to war with anyone aiming to smother your Fire. You. Are. Loved. You, Are a Perfect universe. At times you may Feel alone or misunderstood, but you’re neither of those things…..so Call me so…

I miss my hip baby 😫 She’s so Tall now….Legs So long; spirit so big- she’s got sass for sure. As much as i want to smother her with kisses, she Just. Won’t. Keep. Still 🤦🏽‍♀️ She’s got her own agenda now. New friends, bigger words, and a wider imagination…And I’m just here to provide the snacks for her grand adventures.

You can Never have too much Love

A good innaweb post once said.. “You can never be too overdressed or overeducated” Well I’d like to apply that theory to Love. You can Never have too much… And I’m Just getting comfortable with saying I Love You aloud to friends and family without feeling a weird “thing” behind it. For my parents, I Love You’s mostly came in times of turmoil (my punishments usually), loss of a loved one or during…

How to Tame a Toddler…

If Anybody knows the answer, Please, do me a solid and share. The Bear has been in Rick Ross mode, pushing it to the limit.🙄 And I swear there’s something about those intelligent little girls- they learn the skill of manipulation early. My little scorpion is full of a lot of things..and talents apparently…. A writer, Chef, actress, and a con 😏 Yet So damned cute😫 I find myself tucking my chuckles…

I know… what a Harsh opener for 2018 right? Lol January is off to a fiery start despite this Major cold front on the east coast. My boundaries are in places, my hair is growing, my post baby body is flourishing and I’m Here for all things rooted in self love this year… XOXO 💋 -Sam

You know…… Everyone keeps mentioning how much weight I’ve lost. Not complaining….. at All. ☺️ ::insert milly rock here:: What began as a conscious effort to get that post Baby fat off my knee-caps transformed into a slow destruction of my philosophy about food. What the Health? Talk about a sunken place. I can’t even enjoy meat without feeling guilty anymore- but damn, that pizza sure does look…