New Years Resolution #7

Shed back some layers. Evolve.

Happy New Year!

MopTop Maven Healthy Hair Challenge

MTM is having healthy hair challenge for 2011 and I have already joined! If anyone is interested I have pasted her blog post below. If you enter let me know so we can do this together and make sure that we're keeping with our goals!

Whether your goal is "bra strap" length hair, or growing out your TWA, join me for the healthy hair in 2011 challenge! No matter the state of your hair, you can turn it around by practicing healthy hair care techniques and keeping an air tight regimen [which sounds harder than it actually is]. Healthy hair isn't limited to just wearing your hair in a natural state. You can have healthy heat straightened hair and healthy relaxed as well. The key is to do everything in moderation.

In order to get the best results, it's best to start your personal hair care challenge with a trim. If your ends are in good condition you can skip this step. Trimming your hair is essential to retaining length. Here's why; ends that are split will eventually break off, and you will gradually lose length this way. Couple healthy ends and care when handling your hair and you will be able to retain that 1/2 inch of growth monthly.

There are many ways you can care for your hair during this challenge. You can go with a traditional regimen using some of your favorite products, you can opt for all natural products, and you can even take the Ayurvedic route. No matter which regimen you choose, the things you must remember are:

Proper Detangling Techniques

Keep the stress low on the hair follicles [avoid tight buns, pony's and tight braids]:

Keep your hair moisturized

Lay off the excessive heat: Excessive heat breaks down the Keratin bonds in your hair which could cause breakage and overly porous hair [overly porous hair does not retain moisture well]



Monitor temperatures if you use heat: Always make sure you are using the appropriate heat setting for your hair type.

Go easy on the products that contain alcohol [gels, setting lotions, hair spray]: These products can dry out your hair leaving it brittle, the ends split, and your strands lacking moisture.

Keep your hair protected at night: Sleep with the use of a satin bonnet, or on a satin pillowcase, not only will this help protect your strands from breakage, but it will also help stretch the life of your hair style.

Deep conditioning regularly: Hair that is highly textured needs regular conditioning intervals to help replenish lost moisture and nutrients to keep it healthy and promote hair growth.

Keeping these basic principles in mind will foster healthy hair and also keep you motivated as you start to see the health of your hair improve and also start to notice growth. Some essential tools you need on your journey are:

Wide tooth comb: For detangling



Soft/hard bonnet dryer: For deep conditioning



Conditioner

Ouchless rubberbands

Moisturizing Shampoo

Clarifying/Chelating Shampoo

Natural Oil: For sealing moisture in your hair, I recommend Grapeseed, Jojoba or Coconut.



Styling aid: For doing styles like twist outs or braid outs. You can use hair butters like Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter, or puddings like Miss Jessie's

How the challenge works: The first session of this challenge will last for six months. Every month I will hold two virtual check-ins where I create a post geared towards answering questions, concerns, and talking about products. One check in will be via LiveStream, so that I can answer your questions real time, and the other check in will be via blog post for those that are unable to log on to get their questions answered.

The goal is to create a community that encourages women to start taking better care of their hair, and get questions answered about products, setbacks, general self esteem issues, and regimens so that they feel good about themselves and their journey.

The healthy hair care challenge is open to anyone who wants to ring in the New Year with a healthier approach to hair care. It doesn't matter if you are relaxed, natural, transitioning, or heat straightened.


To participate in the challenge, please list your starting length and your goal length [in the comment section]. Please also list the type of regimen your going to follow. Choose from Traditional [using regular products/methods], Natural [consisting mostly of DIY and natural products] or Ayurvedic [consisting mostly of Ayurvedic Herbs/Oils]. Starting Monday, December 27th, I will list product recommendations and sample regimens for each category.

To kick it off, my starting length is mid back length, my goal is waist-length, and I will maintain a regimen that is a combination of traditional, natural, and Ayurvedic!

The challenge will start Jan 1st, and will run for six months! If you're looking to turn your hair around and you don't know where to start, or you're lost in your hair journey, or simply want a little motivation, let's go!

If you would like to be notified of the check-in dates ahead of time, and receive a newsletter [one newsletter will go out once monthly and will cover a range of topics from protective styling options, to product recommendations, DIY hair care recipes etc], please send an email with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: mtmhealthyhairchallenge@gmail.com

SOURCE

New Years Resolution #6

Get more comfortable dressing my body type. I probably make it harder than it is but if it looks good…wear it…

New Years Resolution #5

Show and tell; forget what people will see.

The Aftermath…

 

Hi everyone! Remember this post I put up about my sew in and this one about the effects of the flat iron and my hair? Well here’s the aftermath…

I’m kinda blown because the coil was my go to style and it’s looking like I can’t go to it but hey. What can you do….

Lookbook.Nu

 

Looks for the week.

I like this look but I could never pull this off without a belt. NOTHING will stay tucked in my jeans without reinforcement.

Oh…You Have a Kid…

 

As many single mothers and fathers I know that have “working” relationships, I cannot make myself date a man with children. Now, I am a bastard child, born out of wedlock, so some think that I should feel differently about the subject but there are two people I do not want to meet:

1. The Baby Mama: Now I know that all baby mama’s aren’t lunatics who will hate every woman that their baby daddy dates because he didn’t marry her and try to make their lives miserable crazy but who wants to take that chance on a man they just met? Not me. (And no. Telling me a month into dating will not change that.) She will always be involved in your relationship and she will always be the mother of his first (or second or third) child. I do not have any desire to be a man’s wife and the mother of his Nth child. No. IF I do not have any children and can devote all of myself to this relationship, then why do I have to share? On top of that, she will actually take part in scheduling your relationship because of…

New Years Resolution #4

………………………………………….explore………………………………………………..

I Love These!!

 

I’m not sure if these are real Nike ads or if I’m like the last person on Earth to see these but I love these advertisements.

Its about time someone paid ANY attention to someone who isn’t skinny or plus size. Some people are just kind of in the middle and can’t find clothing because they have meat in places the designers don’t think they should.

I Gotta Itch I Can’t Scratch!! UGH!!

 

In a continuation from my post for altering my regimen for the winter, I’m going to talk about skin care today. Xanthia has DRY skin but I’ve NEVER experienced dry skin like this. I am CONSTANTLY itching and I’m getting white blotches on my face due to dryness.

Something has got to change quickly. I’m always uncomfortable because I’m always itching everywhere; my scalp included. After asking around and talking to my best friend Google, I’ve found some things that I am going to try.

When It’s Cold Outside….

 

As yall know, I’s from the south (lol) and this change in the weather is kicking my arse. Besides the fact that I personally hate cold weather, I can tell that it’s taking a toll on me by touching my hair and skin. I can no longer hold moisture to save my life!

I have no idea how to take care of my hair or skin in an arid climate and I’m planning on doing my own research and experimenting to come up with my own regimine. Until then, I would like to leave you with some tips from one of my go to recourses: Mop Top Maven.

I’ve BOLDED some info if you want to be a light reader…

Na Na Na COME ON!!

 

People really don’t understand how much I love Rihanna and you know what; I don’t understand either. It just came about his CD. I’ve always loved the songs that came on the radio but DUH!! That’s why they put out singles; they know what they’re doing! LOL!

I really think she’s came into her own this album. The Good Girl Gone Bad CD was…I don’t really know. The singles were run but she re-released that thang 30 times! Rated R was good. You could really hear her message through her stories and that was probably something that she needed to do. Now that LOUD is here, you can hear that she’s just enjoying life and having a good time with her career and her relationships. I appreciate that Rihanna is the same person on her record and in real life. She doesn’t seem like she’s putting on a front for camera; she’s just who she is at all times.

I her.

New Years Resolution #3

Work on wisdom and share what I’ve learned as much as…needed.

New Years Resolution #2

 

Be a little more pretty in all that I do.

To CHI or not to CHI…

 

I’ve never been good at using a flat iron but all I’ve ever heard of using is a CHI iron. Best thing since sliced bread. NOT!! 

I purchased the Glacier Ice CHI iron from Overstock and I thought it was all good but little did I know…

One of the “advantages” of this flat iron is that it heats up to a fixed temperature of 302-356°F. WHO NEEDS THAT?! The worst part is that I don’t even know what to do now. I mean, what temperature is best for my hair? Now that the hair around my edges is straight, will it ever curl again?? DO I HAVE TO CUT MY HAIR ALL OVER AGAIN?!?!?! I went searching to one of my fav blogs Mop Top Maven and went searching for heat information and here’s her take on it:

New Years Resolution #1

 

More sexy; less cute. I need to drive “him” wild…

Lookbook.Nu

 

Some of my favs for the week. I was surprised that I could only find three…

She’s my absolute favorite. I need my hair to grow. The thing I want most in the world (#dramatic) is a bun. I swear; just a bun.

Can Black Girls Blush?

 

I’m totally into make-up these days. It has been BREAKING MY HEART that this move hasn’t allowed me to make my weekly MAC purchase and I cannot wait till I’m back in a place where I can have my life back (another post entirely). I like wearing a natural look; I haven’t crossed over into anything SnAzZy quite yet (I’m scheduled for a MAC gift card for my bday though YES!). I’ve been getting pretty good with my technique but one thing I CANNOT seem to get the basics for is blush.

I currently own:

(Left) – Get-Away Bronze Frost Powder Blush and (right) – Petticoat Mineralize Skin Finish blush. Applying the golden blush isn’t too hard because even if I don’t “apply it correctly'” it’s gold. It cannot look bad! LOL! But the petticoat…

Up and Running

Well not really. My computer is still acting an ASS but I’ve secretly downloaded Window’s Live Writer on someone else’s computer so I could get back to business so I’ll be back at it soon. Until then, here are some pics from this weekend. I went to this baby ass club called Recess and to a fight party in the boonies of VA. LOL. #goodtimes

What's My Style

Can you put your style into words? I can't. I don't even know if I have style (HAHA)!! Some days I walk out of the house looking like one thing and the next day I can look like a totally different person. I regularly browse LOOKBOOK and just look at other people's outfits. Here are a few that I liked

I didn't mean for this post to be so huge but my computer is broken and I don't know how to post on blogger forreal; I usually use Window's Blog Writer. Anyways, if you could put your style into words what would you say?

Zara Wishlist

While I was sitting at home BORED TO DEATH, I was on their site and saw a few things I liked:

Tis all…

I Am NOT My Hair

Being that I’m homeless for the moment and I didn’t want to turn my friend’s bathroom into Beanie’s Hair Salon, I decided to get a sew in!

I love this thang! It’s just so shiny and bouncy and fun lol! In the same breath, I’m really sad about it because I realize that the hair that is left out will be totally different from the hair that’s braided.

Now I’m not one of those people who went natural and think their hair is the passage to heaven nor am I one of the people who hates my hair (even though it took some time to get used to). Truth is that I like to wear it big and curly and I like to wear it sleek and straight. I just wish my hair wasn’t so easily manipulated by heat. For instance…

UGH!!!

I’m SO over my ufckin closet!! It’s like I want to throw most of it away, get a sugar daddy and start all over again! On top of that I feel like when God was handing out the ability to accessorize I was off in the corner sneaking sandwiches or something. I hate it when I feel like I have NOTHING to wear and with me moving to a new place I don’t want to go up there looking like bussit baby #3.

If I could blink and see the items I want today, they would be…

 

IDK where mine went but I need another and AE has a nice one

It’s like I cannot find one of these to save my life…well not one under $170

Bittersweet

When I first moved to Atlanta I HATED it!! I remember calling my Dad in tears and we had conjured a plan for me to get and job and move back to Charlotte within 12 months. Now the same tears I cry are from the pain of leaving a place I felt was home. My how things have changed… There is so much that I will miss…

My first job as an engineer. The company way perfect by NO MEANS but it was my first chance and I met some great people there.

(the first pencils I’ve ever designed with )

(good bye card from my department)