Baby it's hot outside!...time to cool down the kitchen.

"♪♫♪♫♪♫...I'm so glad we had this time together,just to have a few spectacular meals...♪♫♪♫,seems we just get started,and before you know it,comes the time we have to say♪♫♪♫♪... so long. (insert tugging on earlobe here.)"

Meet Esther

This is my version of the Carol Burnett goodbye song dedicated to my oven Esther.  When hints of summer are in the air it is time for her to go on vacation.  Vacation usually lasts until  just about 2 or 3 weeks after Labor Day.  I clean Esther from top to bottom getting her all shiny and sparkly like a brand new car.  Then I happily hand over the apron strings to the Hubster, and begin grilling season!  Now, the Hubster is usually not around during the weekdays due to traveling for work.  So, he grills enough goodies to last at least until Tues. or Wed.  For the rest of the week I usually cook quick stove top meals that will hold us over until the Hubster can grill again.  ♥ it!...can I get an Amen?

The hardest part of oven cleaning is trying to remove the baked-in gook from the stainless steel oven racks!  Please someone tell me why they are called "stainless?"  After about a month of cooking all I see are stains that don't come off effortlessly without shedding some blood, sweat and tears!  Humph!...the small print should read:  **Stainless steel after scrubbing feverishly.  Warning: may cause carpel tunnel.** 


Alas!...I have discovered a way to get the oven racks sparkly clean kicking blood, sweat and tears to the curb!  Yes, you read correctly.  No, you don't need glasses.  If you wear glasses...no new prescription needed.  This tip works, 110% guaranteed!  However, I can't give you your money back if it doesn't, but I'll have a really hard time taking that Giant Foot out of my mouth.  LOL!  Seriously though, it really does work.  Check out my video down below.  If you do decide to try it, visit my blog and leave a comment. 

P.S. ~ I forgot to add that this tip works for grill racks too!


Oven rack cleaning tips ~ part 1

 Part II

Second Chances...

Memorial Day weekend...this was the date our family chose to meet my father for the very 1st time.  The weekend went nicer than I anticipated...even if my 2 year-old persona showed up uninvited.  

Our family arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday around 6:30pm.  After checking in our hotel room we decided to go to dinner first, before meeting up with the man behind the voice I've been conversing with for 2 months now.  After dinner, we returned to the hotel to wait for him in the lobby.  I waited for a bit, but became slightly anxious just sitting around with nothing to do.  So, I decided to go up to the room and check my email.  Five minutes later my daughter Sierra knocked on the room door to alert me that he had finally arrived.  When I came downstairs and saw this tall figure standing amongst my husband, son and daughter...all time froze.  It was as if the air was moving my feet closer to where they were standing, instead of me actually walking.  Once I was face to face with him I said "Hello."  Then just like that!...I reverted back to into a 2 year-old little girl who just wanted to hide behind her mother's leg.  I literally went into my shell and shied away.  He said something, but anything said to me at that particular moment would have sounded like Chinese.  We hugged briefly, although I don't remember reaching out to receive his embrace.  

Later, he took us on a tour of downtown Cincinnati.  I was really impressed!  The downtown area was quite large and the night life was very festive.  We drove right over a bridge into the state of Kentucky (which I had no idea was that close by) and viewed the Cincinnati skyline.  We also had a chance to catch some fireworks.  I guess the fireworks were to celebrate kicking off the baseball season for the Cincinnati Reds.  We all chatted for a bit, but my 2year-old persona was still alive & present.  Thus, I made sure it was a group conversation the entire night.

The next day was the BBQ and the crowd was small.  I was happy about this.  Everything was laid out very nicely & it was obvious that he went all out to welcome us into the family.  The food was great!  All of the BBQ was cooked by him and ALL OF the HOMEMADE sides were cooked by the family members who attended.  Mmm...  However, just like the night before, I proceeded to sit, and chat with everyone else except him.  We kinda chatted a little bit towards the end of the night.  In a brief private moment between us he said "I thought that since we've spoken on the phone quite a bit that you would have been a little more receptive and talkative."  I was like hmm...yeah me too.  lol 

This weekend was an outer body experience, only thing is I didn't die and come back to life.  It felt like it though.  As soon as I met him I started shying away and this continued until we said our goodbyes.  Maybe, I'm still too overwhelmed to know what to feel.  Although I didn't spend much time with him this visit at least the awkward moment of the 1st meeting is out the way.  Here's the thing, I only know how to be a daughter to a mother and am trying to figure out how to be a daughter to a father.  Maybe the second time around will be more of a bonding experience for the both of us.  What do you think?  I believe in second chances...what about you? 

Him & I

Us again

My son Isaiah & the Hubster (This is a truly a Kodak moment because they dislike taking pics)

 

My new found family & me!

In the beginning...how Tee-iabo Designs came to bee!

Teaching autistic and down-syndrome children was the profession I ventured into after graduating from college.  Unfortunately, my husband's line of work made it difficult for me to pursue this field.  Relocating quite often to support his advancing career meant for me, finding a new job each time we moved.  My hubster is the primary bread winner in our family, so we pretty much went where his job took us.  I've always been supportive of his career, and have tried my best not to complain no matter how frustrating it was to start over again.   


I needed to find a job that I could put in my back pocket, and take with me so to speak.  Then suddenly I had an "Aha moment!  Why not start my own business?  One problem though...doing what? 
   

It was during the Spring of 2008 when my "Aha moment" would come to bee (pun intended.)  My son was playing basketball for the YMCA & I decided it would be fun to make him a basketball t-shirt.  Ha-ha...well the t-shirt did start out with a pic of a basketball.  Several mistakes and trying to cover them up led to this outcome: 

Totally not what I had in mind!

***My very 1st "Bee" t-shirt design was for the "Arc of Chester County" field day.  It was artistically on the same level.  lol***

Needless, to say my son never wore this t-shirt!  I was getting ready to throw the shirt away when an idea came to me..."bee" t-shirts!  My artwork needed some intense help to say the least.  So, I began spending my extra time surfing the web looking at pictures and gathering information about "Bees".  One day I came across a picture of a "Bald-faced Hornet."

Baldfaced hornets may be best described as large, black and white, heavy-bodied wasps about ¾" long.

I liked the way he looked so I sketched it, added some animation and thus, my designer bee was born.  In March 2009 I trademarked my "Bee" and "Tee-iabo Designs", became a reality.

Meet  "TB" ~ short for Tee-iabo Bee.

Tee-iabo Designs (Tee-ah-bow) is dedicated to the memory of my late mother Bobbie Davis-Tiabo.  The concept was to create interesting/humorous designs that have never been thought of before using the "bee" as my theme.  Most people are deathly afraid of bees thus, making them an unpopular subject.  I figured by adding an artistic twist & sharing their history it might enlighten some people's perception about this fascinating insect. 

Without a mentor or anyone to show me how to make tee-shirts my earlier designs looked like this:

I had to figure it all out on my own through trial and error.  Persistent in my task to learn, six months later I was painting like this:

A year later both my drawing & painting skills went from "WTH" (what the hell) to "WOW!" 

In the beginning of my adulthood I never dreamed of becoming a clothing artist.  Human resources director, social worker, teacher were the positions I saw myself in.  These were my dreams.  However, before I knew it a husband, and two kids later often found me wondering "what happened to my dreams?"  Don't get me wrong, I love my husband & my children dearly.  Wouldn't trade them in for anything in the world. I just wanted to be defined as something other than an ordinary mother and housewife.  I wanted to follow my heart’s calling but, it didn’t come with directions.  No, GPS to guide me.  Now, today I'm redefining myself, discovering new dreams, and guess what?  Life is good and I love it. 

I CHOOSE... to take ownership of my actions & to accept culpability for their consequences.  If yesterday, I did it wrong, today I have a chance to do it right.  Past failures do not define me, but I will allow the lessons gleaned from them to refine me. This is not a random affirmation; it is my reality. 

~ Antoinette Dickson ~ http://serensojo71.blogspot.com/2012/05/metaphoric-musicality.html?spref=fb

Just Smile :o}

I absolutely ♥ it when pleased customers send me their pics to post!  It makes me smile inside and out to know that my work is appreciated and well liked.  

Remember my 1st encounter with the color purple for the "Birthday Cruise" t-shirts?  Well, these are a few  pics of some of The "Crusin' @ 60" Birthday Cruisers! For those of you who don't know what I'm speaking of refer to the post "http://ladyteeiabodesigns.blogspot.com/2011/12/mistakes-are-portals-of-discovery.html."  

From the looks of their smiling faces I can tell they had a great time!  I must add that although the color purple gave me fits it does look good on her. **(The birthday girl's t-shirt was hand painted & the others were printed.)**

Betty Jones from Chesapeake, VA ~ Crusin' @ 60

Her daughter ~ pretty in yellow.

Betty & her Husband

Just a few of "The Crusin' @ 60 Birthday Bash Cruisers!"

Tis the season to bee busy...fa-a-la, a- la, a, la-la-la

That's me!

I know, I know...where have I been?  Well, I've  been quite busy with taking on new business opportunities, building an inventory for a desperately wanted craft booth (maybe for the Fall...I hope) spring cleaning, trucking the children back & forth for sports, and learning a new craft to add to my shop which I will share with you all in the near future.  Whew...up at the crack of dawn and going to bed past midnight is wearing me out!  Hopefully, in the end it will all be worth it.  

All of this activity leaves me with very little time for blogging right now.  I'll still try to get it in from time to time, just not on a weekly basis.  Unless, I have some real juicy (Sunkist Orange juicy) news to tell you!  One of these occasions will be coming real soon, so stay tuned!  Well, off to paint...ta-ta!

Color blind or color challanged?

 Last week I finally had the chance to go back and redesign my 9th design "Lady and the Bee."  Why redesign?...let's just say when it comes to art I have a few short comings.  Number one uno on the list is color coordination.  

As a kid growing up I had two different styles regarding color, matchy, matchy or just plain neutral.  Learning primary colors 101 and what went with what was ingrained in my brain.  I was never one to be bold with my color choices, you know go beyond the 8 or 12 colors in the Crayola Crayon Box.  Also, wearing 3 or more colors together was out of the question.   Like totally skipped the "Solid Gold" and "Madonna Valley Girl" era.  Gold, silver, and neon colors...NOT!  Challenge #2 is getting the vision in my mind to coincide with what I draw on paper.  However, that's altogether another post.  Ha-ha...so, when I finally get my drawing looking close to what I envisioned, my next challenge is choosing the colors.  Depending on the complexly of the design this can become a real pain in the ass...for me anyway.
   

    

 I am a real hat lover...always have been sense I can remember.  Women in hats were apart of my Sunday church experience growing up.  Watching my mother's and grandmother's generation flaunt their hats in church was a site to behold.  Week to week I looked forward to see what hat sister so-and-so was going to wear to church on Sunday.  Their styles were dignified, elegant, sometimes irreverent and even humorous, but they were always without a doubt eye-catching.  You develop a certain air about yourself when you put on a designer hat.  You walk different, act different, and people treat you different.  Take a woman of average beauty and put the right hat on her...she becomes drop dead gorgeous!   Inspired by this childhood memory, I wanted to draw a jazzy/bluesy silhouette emitting beauty and sophistication with a sense of mystery.     

Whew...I must say then when it came to this design, it was a challenging one!  The drawing was accomplished day 1, no problem.  My obstacle was trying to find 3 colors to blend with the blackness in the silhouette without being too loud or too weak.  ...And of course, the colors needed to blend with my infamous "bee."  After 4 drawn sketches and 3 t-shirts bloopers later, I finally created a design and found the right color combo...or so I thought... 

 

The GREEN had to GO!

My painting skills at the time were not perfected and the green was absolutely hideous to say the least.  So I tried simplifying it...

  

Well, at least the colors flowed.

Skipping past my 3rd blooper, let's fast forward to my AHA! moment.  Two months later my childhood friend comes to visit me and suggests to keep the vines bold and the flowers purple like in the original.  Only instead of the lady being blue and gray make her green and pink (AKA ~ Sorority Sister on board!)  I experienced an uproar on Facebook from the Delta sisters after posting this design.  LOL!

"Lady and the Bee" came to life!

The success of my accomplishment gave me the inspiration to redesign the original blue and gray "Lady and the Bee."  It took a little longer than I wanted to find the time to do so, but the results was well worth the wait.

Redesigned!...The original "Lady & the Bee!" (t-shirt)

Tank Top!  (I will be offering tank tops soon...can't wait!)

Now, this design comes in two versions instead of one.  YEAH!!!  Learning to coordinate colors is like learning to be good at a sport: the more you practice, the better you become.  Getting outside help doesn't hurt either...Michelle did you want to charge a one-time consultant fee?  Ha-ha... 

Scary Mary, quite contary why do you ♥ headbands so?

Having a bad hair day?

Boxed Perm

I've been rocking my natural locks for about three years now, and the journey has been filled with challenges.  I can't say that I will never go back to the creamy crack (what Afro American women refer to as the boxed perm), but I don't see any signs of doing so in my future.  I'm quite satisfied with the way I can style my hair in it's natural state and to my surprise it's more manageable.  That is until...the "Little Bad Hair Day Imp" decides to show up.

My hair had been in a twist-out style for 3 days.  I was hoping Sunday would make day four, thus saving me time to not really have to style my hair after getting dressed.  Nice thought, but it was an EPIC TWIST-OUT FAIL!  I fell asleep after watching the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (great movie by the way) and did not secure my hair in a scarf.  So...I woke up the next morning to this Scary Mary moment.  EEKKKK!

Really?...What am I suppose to do with this mess!

Using headbands in your hair when rocking natural hairstyles is so fashionably cute.  It can take any style from twists, locs, the Afro puff or Bantu Knots and make it look fantabulous!  Some of my BEST hair days have been accomplished from the trusty head band.  The question was though...would I, could I...be able to create a miracle with this bird's nest?  Well, I am a  believer in miracles, and after all it was Sunday.  

First things first, I knew a half-way up-do style was definitely in order, so I needed to clean up the kitchen.  (kitchen – noun. the hair at the nape of the neck that tends to be difficult to straighten.)  Sista girl lingo for shape-up the neckline.  

Ewww...its been a minute huh?

Okay, now I needed a brush, a knee-hi stocking, gel and must not forget the H20.

I wet the brush lightly, because I wanted an textured up-do not a frizzy puff ball.  Applied some gel around the edges of my hairline and brushed upward.  Then tied the knee-hi stocking around my head and tighten while pulling the ends of my hair until I got to the desired position.  

Still looking like Scary Mary you say?  LOL

Time for my miracle working moisturizing lotion.

Only needed about a quarter size amount to work through the scalp and ends of my hair.  Any more than that and I would have ended up with a cotton top up-do.  After getting the moisturizer all worked through, I put on a black headband (the ouch-less kind of course) and finger styled my do.  ...And wah-la!

Not bad after my inital Scary Mary moment.

The side.

When you have a limited amount of time on your hands, headbands can be a lifesaver (they are for me).

Profile ~ This is why I ♥ headbands!