A Belated Two Year Anniversary.

It was at the back of my mind to do an anniversary post on the day I started this blog but kept pushing it back. I wasn’t sure of the actual date. All I remembered with clarity was that I started it in November and not the actual date hence had to go back to my very first post which was on 11/4/2010 to be sure.
Shanahfied is TWO freaking years!! What’s happened in these two years?

 It has come to my attention that my uncles read my blog! I was mortified to know this at first because they are family. No one knows you best and critiques worse than family! The good thing to come out of this knowledge is; they like my blog and think I am good at self expression. The mortification is still there but a little less I should say? The thought still gives me the shivers when I dwell on it.
The readership views are certainly up and I am glad for the followers who keep trickling in unexpectedly. I love that my friends read and comment here and on Facebook. It means a lot. I may not say it much, but, it does.
OK, I would love to write about me being at parties, dating etc but fact is; I am not doing either of those things at the moment. When I do, I’ll certainly write about said experiences. Otherwise….TWO FREAKING YEARS, BABY! 

Chunky Chain Necklaces.

If you keep up with accessories trends like I do (they are my poison), you’ll know that the chunky gold chain necklaces are very much on trend at the moment. This is exciting for some reason. Fortunately, I came across one of my mum’s old chain belts and she was kind enough to give it to me so I can do as I please. As chains go, it was a two in one. It had a smaller chain going through the larger links which was kind of unique.

From L-R: Chunky Chain and Smaller Chain.

Let me say; I was so looking forward to making a chain necklace out of it. I thought of leaving it as is but one of my gurls liked the idea of having a chunky chain necklace too so I ended up dividing them. The thought of creating something new was as exciting as actually doing it.

Pendants

I had to divide both the small and chunky chains into two equal parts. I then passed the smaller chains into the bigger chain links and voila...

Smaller chain passed through the large links.

For a little oomph, I added on a few pendants. My friend's has three little hearts which I think were a nice touch whilst mine only has one heart pendant. The three little hearts on my friends are kinda unique and make it look better actually.

For my gurl

Since I don’t have the proper tools for all this DIY stuff, I usually uses my dad’s stuff and man...my little fingers hurt for two good days but the pain is was worth it if I say so myself!. Tell me what you think.

Side by side.

Mine is the one with the clear heart.

Make It Work For You!

My mum got me these teardrop stud danglers and I’d never worn them (by choice) until awhile back. When I first got them, it was with a lot of misgivings. I liked the design but not the length. They were too long for my taste and I couldn’t turn them down. You know it is rude to turn down a gift, right? I decided to keep them with the knowledge that I’ll never wear them. I never wear stuff I don’t like. I either give re-gift (give) or leave it at the bottom of my stuff.

Considering how long it  had been since I got the danglers, I was pestered into wearing them which I didn't like on principle. The first time I wore them; I received a few stares cause of the design and the look probably. I didn’t dwell on it. I had my own thoughts to entertain where they were concerned; they were long, weighed my ears down and the constant swinging got on my nerves! Ps: this is why some girls have extremely large ear piercings! Isn’t it weird how self conscious you feel when you do or wear something you have a lot of misgivings about? That’s how I felt.
There was a moment when we were caught up in traffic and I got the chance to take a hard long look at the danglers. As I looked at them; I developed the itch to edit/tweak/tone them down. That day was  the first and last time I wore them long.

So bored I took a picture!

I took quite awhile in getting round to shortening them. One of my friends came to visit over the weekend and I sought her opinion which as expected was contrary to mine. She thought they looked better longer whilst I preferred short. Since I had two similar pairs; same design different colours, I decided to edit the ones I would wear most.
Editing jewellery never takes long. A few weak spots is all it needs. Anyway I took them from a length that got on my nerves to something short and sweet! Which I definitely like!
I had the opportunity to wear them and showed mum the newest version. I held my breathe for a bit waiting and let out a huge sigh when she approved of the new look (She’s the one who got them for me after all)!

New Version.

I Got It From My Mama.

I recently ran into a cousin on my father’s side and I was shocked! The resemblance between him and my brother was so uncanny I failed to wrap my mind around it. We talk about strong gene pools and all like they are common occurrences but this was too much.
The last time I saw him, he was a teenager of 15 with a slight resemblance to my brother. At the time, I remember telling my brother how Bryan (cousin) looked a little like him with the exception of age and weight. Bryan was young and skinny. This time round; he not only looks like Sadat (brother) but has both his and dad’s traits – the laugh, unhurried/laidback talk, height, weight and build! I couldn’t stop myself from staring at him nor getting over it!

C'est moi et Bryan.

Sadat is a younger version of my dad. Sometimes, the people we know mistake him for my father and Bryan would pass as his twin. I think those who know both my dad and Bryan probably think he is his biological son. These are genes you can’t deny even with a DNA test! Like the ones between Eddie Murphy and his daughter Angel from MelB.

Sadat and Me!

Aside from the uncanny looks; I was really impressed with how enterprising Bryan is. He dropped out of school at 15 (actually told his dad school wasn’t for him) and went on to learn practical skills on how to become a mechanic at my dad’s garage. Now at  24, he is a mechanic and not only deals in cars old cars but trades the too. This shows you don’t have to be over 30 to curve out your own path to success.
The other reason as to why I am really impressed with him is cause he reminds me so much of my dad. My dad started out as a mechanic when young and now has lots of trucks and two garages-one for his trucks and the other for the small normal cars though he isn’t a full time mechanic anymore.

Bryan by his car.

Are you wondering where I got my good looks from? As they say, “I got it from my mama”. Yes. The big eyes, small nose and ears, fingers and chubby feet are courtesy of her. The few things I got from my dad are the character traits- he is way too quiet, a loner and I have his forehead too. LOL! I got my forehead and face from him. Other than that, I am the no relation/resemblance child.

My mom.

My sister is a cross between my mum and dad erring on dad’s side and so is Sadat. All three look a like with my sister as the female version of them and they have good height and build. The height is my only bone of contention, I am jealous of them cause they are tall whilst I am a short and petite hussy! I am as height challenged as my mum. The plus in all this genetic thing is the graceful aging on both sides of my parents. We age GRACEFULLY!!!
Sidebar; This is why height is a deal breaker for me when it comes to dating and relationships.