Kikoys

Photo Credit


Photo Credit

I love Kikoys. Always have. I love color. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era. The thing I love about Kikoys is how versatile they are. When I learned how to wrap my baby in a Kikoy and carry them on me I threw away the popular baby packs of the day. Carrying my babies on me felt natural. How it should be and so my babies lived on me for well over a year of their lives.

Now I see a lot of mommies walking around with their babies in Kikoys and I can't help but give a huge shout out! Yes!! I am so glad that more mommies are realizing the benefit of having their babies up close next to them.

A few weeks ago while walking in the local Farmer's Market I came across a booth run by some college students from Africa. Can young men be called adorable? Because they were! I hopped in their booth like a scone is drawn to oil. I was bathing in their excitement to show me their Kikoys and loving every minute of it.

They produced a full length mirror and proceeded to play dress up with me for about five minutes. Man was I disappointed when I had to tell them I didn't have any money with me at that time (who in the world goes to the Farmer's Market without cash??? I did have cash......I'd spent it already at the tye die lady's booth.......). I told these young men who I wanted to pack up and bring home with me that I'd be back the next week and I wanted THAT ONE! The brightest Kikoy they had!

The following week arrived and back I headed to the Farmer's Market with one booth in mind to hit. Well, the Kikoy booth and the artisan bread booth.... I'm a sucker for fresh bread and when it has oranges and cranberries in it......well....

As I walked up to the booth with the Kikoys the young men's eyes lit up. I told them, "I told you I'd be back"! High fives around and I grabbed the Kikoy I'd seen the week before. It was still there. Phew! The young man who'd been playing dress up with me the week before took a look at the sarong I had worn to the Farmer's Market (see? Told ya I love Kikoys/sarongs) and asked me if I'd take it off and wear his as advertising.

I busted up laughing and told him, "I can't! I don't have anything on underneath!" By the look on his face and his reply I realized my mistake. "I mean, I have on UNDERWEAR! But you don't have a dressing room!"

You have to meet these young men. I'm sorry but adorable just fits! I couldn't disappoint! I turned on my heel grabbed Kristen and her daughter Chazi and told them we were going to make a make shift dressing room right there. I snatched up two more Kikoys (told ya they are versatile) and had them hold them like a shower curtain around me. I proceeded to disrobe and put on my new Kikoy.

I turned to the ADORABLE young men and thanked them for my new Kikoy and flounced out of their booth.

Umm, mom. I know you read this......I promise! I did it with all the dignity I could muster. You'd have been proud. I did it in as lady like fashion as the circumstances allowed. I'd show you pictures to prove it but then I would have been standing there in public indecent because Kristen's hands were full keeping me covered instead of taking pictures like she so desperately wanted to. And believe me, she made certain no one was going to see a sliver of my skin because at one point I had to ask her to ease up a bit because I needed a little room to move in!

Do me a favor! If you live in the area, go and buy a Kikoy from these young men. Tell them the lady (that's stretching it a bit isn't it) who undressed in their booth sent ya. They are twenty bucks. It's worth it.