A Thrifting We Will Go

I like clothes. I like clothes a whole, whole lot. Last summer, I pledged to stop buying clothes and sew myself one outfit a week in order to revamp my wardrobe. Well, nursing school came along and put a stop to that. I ended up shopping for basics and a few things I felt like I needed in order to feel human in lectures and at work. Purchasing scrubs does not constitute shopping, let me assure you of that.

With summer in my rear view mirror and lectures and clinical rotations up ahead, I spent a day thrifting with the boyfriend, and it was a blast! We hit up spots in the beach communities looking for nothing in particular. I tend to be a difficult person to thrift with because I will spend HOURS in the book section. That's right, baby. I love books! I picked up a few that day (not nearly as many as I get when we're at the dollar bookstore, though -- that's another post for another day), but I got way more clothes and accessories than books.

I picked up this dress at a Goodwill. It's so summertime that I couldn't resist putting on my flower headband along with it.

Here's a shot of that hair up close, just in case you were wondering how much I was feeling myself that day. My hair is actually in my new favorite hairstyle in this pic. I did my twists as usual (part flat twist, part two-strand twist) then I curled the ends up in bantu knots. The coils that resulted were oh so springy. I love love love this look. It gives me short and fun without an actual cut. Yay!

The blazer and sandals are mine, but those jeans and that pretty, soft pink tank came from my thrifting expedition. I think the boyfriend tried to veto this shirt, but my power of persuasion kicked in.

Another jeans/jacket/tank combo (and yes, I am in the bathroom at work). Jeans, jacket and shoes are mine. That tank came from a Goodwill. It has an applique detail along one side of the neck and I wanted it as soon as I walked in the door. It was hanging on a nearby mannequin, and the boyfriend promptly snatched it off. Needless to say he likes it too.

This tank says "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty." The boyfriend picked this out for himself. It was a t-shirt, and when we got back to my place he cut the sleeves off and intended to make it a gym shirt. It ended up fitting him "more snugly" than he liked, so it is now mine. Power to the people.

This little gem sparked quite the debate in the racks. I was convinced this was a dress, and the boyfriend insisted it was a "long shirt." Apparently men don't use words like "tunic." Anyhow, we got home and I did the whole "if you can bend over in it without showing everybody your goods" test then threw on these leggings and now I've got an outfit. Everybody wins!

My thrifting adventure was so much fun. I got a bunch of other stuff I haven't yet been photographed in (like a gorgeous peach tulip dress, a cute brown and white striped jacket with puff sleeves, a cool knit purse and various dangly earrings), and I cannot WAIT to go again. Not sure if the boyfriend feels the same way. Hahaha.

I Took My Braids Out

You like?! The title of this blog post is pretty misleading. Don't be fooled. The photo I posted was taken a day or so after I took my braids out -- about two and a half weeks ago. I know. I should be ashamed of myself.

I had all these plans to take out my diva braids and install some new, shorter braids to start my semester with. That was an admirable plan! I even bought the new hair (which I love, by the way) and started putting the new braids in! Somewhere along the line, though, I missed my kinky curls, and here we are today.

That photo isn't from today. Actually, it's from a day that will be discussed in further detail in my very next blog post: the day I went thrifting with my boyfriend! Hooray! That's his oversized "I go to the gym all the time, bro" tank top I'm wearing in the picture. Anyway, this photo is featured here to illustrate the fact that it was a good great idea for me to take my braids out and set my hair FREE! I retained a crazy amount of length thanks to those braids, but this photo also bears the evidence of a cautionary tale.

In another post I talked about how I had been using products containing mineral oil and my hair was happy and had no problems. Well, I wouldn't say I spoke too soon. Let's just say everything in life is wonderful in moderation. In the photo above, I used a Softee hair grease to set the twists for my twist out. Not a totally disappointing look. As a matter of fact, I rocked that 'fro all in and through countless thrift shops that day. Couldn't tell me nothin'.

This is another twist out. Bigger. Slightly more vibrant. I didn't use the Softee grease on this one.

After noticing a dull heaviness to my hair, I started to consider maybe I'd overdone it. We all know I can be a little heavy-handed when applying my products, and I think the mineral oil in my deep conditioner (which I love and will have to do an entirely separate post about because I keep finding new and exciting things to try at the Dollar Tree) plus that in my hair grease and in a couple of my other products have become too much for my strands. Sidenote: I've recently learned my hair is actually quite fine. There just happens to be LOTS of strands on my head. Go figure! And all this time I thought my hair was thick (but couldn't figure out why my two strand twists always seemed small and thin no matter how big I made my sections). The more ya know!

I went to Target and got some of this and used it along with my Shea Moisture style milk to make a twist out.  Went to school looking like a superstar that day!

The verdict: I am not giving up on my mineral oil or Dollar Tree products, but I am starting to explore different natural products I didn't give a shot before. I  know now to use my mineral oil products in moderation. I will continue to use (with reckless abandon) the Lusti Organics Hair Sheen (awesome as a spritz) and their detangler. I'm also still committed to the numerous Lusti Organics deep conditioners I've stockpiled. I've added a little something(s) to the war chest, though.

On a recent trip to Dollar Tree (I think I was there looking for little rewards for my son), I found that little gem. It is spectaculariffic! I got the softest, most deliciously plush locs after I deep conditioned with that! I used this stuff before I embarked on my protective style of last week.

Yes. My hair has been out of braids long enough for me to go one week with it out, a week with it protected, and another week with it out. I'm not ashamed!

Next up: My new favorite style, an experiment in the making, and some changes to the regimen

I Think I May Have a Problem

Let me preface this post with this statement: I am not a product junkie.
When I went natural this time around my funds were limited enough to put a strangle hold on any product junkie hopes I might have had. Believe me, watching countless YouTube videos and reading different sites about the magic to be found in various creams, curl puddings and other such potions gave me a great tingle. Costly experimentation was not to be, though, because the month before I did my Big Chop I'd packed up myself, my son and our stuff and moved us into our own place to start our new life. *cue music*

So, fast forward to today when I found myself sorting through and organizing my sizeable product stash, and the photos I'm about to show you may appear to make me out a liar. Please. Allow me to explain.

Exhibit A. Now, I know this looks like an awful lot of conditioner -- even if you don't include the Tresemme, Herbal Essences and Suave conditioners not pictured above -- but there is a reason for that. You see, I lived in Atlanta the first time I went natural, and this Daily Defense conditioner was the best thing to ever happen to my hair. I lived and died by it! I could only find it at the 24-hour Walmart, and they had it in the most fragrant White Lily scent. When I found this at my local -- wait for it -- Dollar Tree, I snapped up as many as my little basket could hold. Ok. That's not true. I grabbed about 6, but they were only $1, and my hair drinks up about a bottle a week, so I think I did the right thing.

The photo you're going to see next may shock you, so let me take a little bit of the sting out now by saying "they're not all the same thing."  Ready? You've been warned.

Don't panic! Hear me out!!! I know there are seven spray bottles in this photo, but allow me to break them down. There are three detangling sprays (a STAPLE product for any natural who wants to save her sanity along with her strands), three hair sheens (which I am using as my spritz because it's chock full of yummy oils and herbs my hair loves) and a holding spray that I haven't used yet, but my hair is braided up right now and I intend to use it on my twisted updo protective styles. Now, if you look closely, you'll notice there are two bottles pictured without caps on them. That is because I have already been using them to death. As a matter of fact, they've each got about 5 spritzes (or sprays or pumps or whatever verb you use) left in them before it's off to the recycle/reuse phase. I should probably stop here and explain a bit further.

Right now I have seen the great capacity my hair has to grow, and my main focus has really been just keeping it healthy. With that in mind, I noticed a "trend" in the natural hair community toward using hair grease and *gasp* products containing mineral oil to seal moisture in their hair, especially at those ends. Well, I have a confession to make. It is important to note that I have never really been a bandwagon kind of natural. My conditioners contain 'cones because I like/prefer/need the results those products produce. As such, my shampoos contain sulfates. Gotta get the gunk off somehow, right? It wasn't an incredibly huge leap, then, to reach back to the Blue Magic and Softee greases my momma used on my hair when I was a kid (whose hair was often in cornrowed updo protective styles for weeks at a time).

I headed back to the Dollar Tree, likely to pick up more of those spritzes and probably another bottle or two of conditioner, and in the same small section I found a variety of Softee hair greases that I simply had to try. They too only cost $1, so needless to say I scooped up a few different kinds. Once my braids come out (more on that plan a little later) I'll do a few "results" posts using each product. I can tell you off the top of my head, though, that I use and abuse the castor oil and coconut oil greases the most. The mango butter grease is my go-to for twist outs though. Ok. Enough on that. Back to my alleged problem.

Another staple in the natural girl's styling arsenal is the stretchy headband. I am a wash-and-go puff wearing fiend during the semester, so I have to keep these lovelies on board. As much as I'd like to blame the Dollar Tree for the photo you are about to see, I must admit those good folks are not at fault. The blame lies squarely upon the shoulders of whoever thought up the concept of a dollar section at Target, because that's where most of this stuff came from!

Don't judge me. Instead, let me walk you through my possibly warped logic. In my mind, and I know -- hope -- I'm not alone here, my wildly untameable kinks, coils and curls will always need and appreciate a headband that is stretched out enough to be comfortable but still has enough elasticity to provide the hold necessary to keep the style in place. In that way, then, one can never have enough stretchy headbands, so when one spots them for sale at 3 for $1, one should clearly snatch them right up. That, folks, is how I have accumulated the collection you see there. Every time I saw them I bought at least one -- but usually not just one -- set. Believe it or not, this was the only thing that when I came to it I said "I need to not buy any more of these ever again in life." I'm probably going to try to stick to that, but I'm not making any promises. I'm a girl who doesn't like to run out of things she needs!!! And for goodness sakes they only cost a dollar!!!

In the end, I did manage to get everything situated. We'll see how long I'm able to keep my product stash organized like that, because I do like having everything in one place where I can, in theory, reach it. This little activity made me miss handling my curls. If you know me, you know I put braids in my hair and it seems like I take them right back out in a flash. Part of that is because I do them myself, so I don't have the "Girl, you paid so much money for them braids though!" thing to deal with. The other part is because I either see other naturals or I look back at my own photos (or apparently I organize and handle my own products and tools) and get to missing my own hair. With that said, I am actually challenging myself to keep these braids in at least until August. The plan was to keep these in until the beginning of August, then put another (shorter) set in for at least part of the first semester of school. At this point I can barely hold myself to keeping these in until August, so we'll see how everything goes. In the mean time, at least I know where my detangling spray and hair sheen can be found. Being unable to put my hands on those would really be a problem.

And Away We Go...

So, just as I was getting back into the swing of writing things, I interrupted myself by deciding to braid my hair. Yes, I braid my own hair. No, it is not a speedy process. I tend to have a bit of tunnel vision, and once I have a task at hand I lock it in and not much else matters until the deed is done! Good thing I finished them today, because I have been boiling over with ideas.

Cute, right? The plan is to keep those in for a while, but you all know how I get with braids. I get to missing my kinks and coils and before you know it I'm taking the braids out, thinking nothing of the hours that went into putting them in. Oh well.

So, I'm working on some ideas about some fictional writing I want to do. I want to set up another blog adjacent to this one strictly for fictional writing. There are so many stories I want to tell that I have to free them from bouncing around in my head and get them out on (virtual) paper!!! I'm still working out some kinks (like what on earth am I going to call this thing, anyway?!), but hopefully I'll be getting it out into the atmosphere soon. Ride with me. I think you'll like where we're going...

Long time, no see

It has definitely been a long time since I last sat down to blog about anything. I could easily blame the hectic natures of motherhood, nursing school, work and life in general, but that would be a load of bull. I'm pretty good at multitasking, so I don't have a good reason for my disappearance. Luckily, I'm back, so we don't have to talk about the past -- much.

First, because I know so many of you are wondering, I am still definitely rocking my natural.

That's me on wash day a couple weeks ago. The kinks and curls are still fully intact, but my regimen has changed a little. We'll talk about that much later, because I'm braiding my hair up for the summer right now. Look for bits about my new take on products when I post about how I will maintain what I am currently calling my "diva braids."

Next, my natural hair inspiration -- the one who got this whole ball rollin' -- has had his curls cut off. That's right. My baby is a big boy now. He'll be sitting in a barber's chair every other week for the rest of his little life -- or at least as long as I am paying for the cuts he will.

Ain't he a cutie? Since I twist, curl, braid and do everything else with my own hair, I had no idea where to find a good barber, so I just took him to my brother's old barber. His name is Philly, and he did a phenomenal job. My little boy is definitely a wiggler, but he sat still for the most part. And no, that is not a nick in his cut. It is a cowlick. He's had it all his little life, and I love it to pieces. He will not let me kiss it.

With the little man growing up right before my very eyes, and my brother leaving his brilliant barber behind to run off and serve his country (more on THAT later), I finished up my first year of nursing school with a bang. After rotations in labor & delivery and peds, I've come to the strong conclusion that the mother/baby department is the area for me. I'm excited about what's to come -- so much so that I am academically bored out of my mind on summer break! I'm doing NCLEX review stuff with my classmates though. Can't let the mind turn to mush.

Summertime has really been lovely so far. I'm spending more time with the little one, who surely must have missed me all those mornings I was hustling us both out of bed and into the bathroom then out the front door in what felt like 10 minutes.

We're doing more painting and reading and counting and whatever else you're supposed to do with a three-year-old to keep yourself sane. Or he's running around like a wild animal demanding to listen to "All of the Lights" and "Hey Baby" while insisting he is a big boy who likes hugs but not kisses, and "Mommy, are these boobs?!" Wonderful.

The munchkin's antics help keep my mind somewhat soothed despite the few very serious things lingering on my brain. Earlier I mentioned one of my brothers has gone off into the world with the desire to serve his country. I commend him. He is brave. He is Army strong. He is loved and missed by us all. Of course I worry, but at my core I know he can take good care of himself. I have another brother who has gone off into the world, and I really need to have him back. He is also brave. He is also strong. He is also loved and missed by us all. There will be more on his story in another post, but it bears mentioning here that looking past things and circumstances to truly see people is a difficult thing to do, and one day I will thank the proper parties for affording me that ability.

Another thing I am going to mention here briefly then brush off for a later post (I'm sure you love it when I do that) is the fact that I am totally single right now and mingling my behind off. I will tell you what happened, link a couple related news stories (yes, there are news stories that validate my love life -- ask about me) then offer some silly commentary to round it all out. Be there or be square.

To wrap up this probably already too long post, I'll drop a couple of the hobbies I've been keeping up with mostly when my son is having nap time:

As you may or may not know, I picked up the hobby of sewing while painstakingly waiting for acceptance or rejection letters from prospective nursing programs. I bought a sewing machine and some zippers and buttons, and an awesome lady on Craigslist gave me TONS of free fabric to get myself going and the rest is history! Well, I've gotten pretty good and now I plan to sew myself an outfit every week. I stole that challenging idea from a post I read over at xoJane. I was getting pretty good at it until I got the "We have a seat for you in the Fall semester" phone call, then I jumped ship and my life became wildly complicated in the chase to make all my dreams come true!

I had to abandon this project in order to get my BLS card and take a physical and do a bunch of other things weeks before the semester started. As the year progressed, I didn't get back to it, but I have since finished it (yay!) and moved on to other things...

That's a maxi dress that I cannot WAIT to wear to the beach. I'm too excited. Happy times!!!!

Well, this is what I've been up to these days. Now that we're all caught up and old friends again, I'll be back with more soon soon soon. See you then!

It's a hair thing

I truly do love my hair. On November 1, 2011 I officially celebrated being fully natural for one whole year. That was a clinical day, so I couldn't show out too much, but once Thursday rolled around I whipped my hair back and forth and 'round and 'round.

Couldn't tell me I wasn't cute!!! That there is a flat twist-out, which I have become quite fond of. It is safe to say that on non-clinical days, and days when laziness does not take over me, the flat twist-out and various styles achieved on top of said twist-out is easily a staple for me. A "go-to" if you will. I'd be lying if I said I don't abuse the wash-and-go puff something serious though. Don't let me get to lyin'.

I am quite proud of how far my hair and my spirit have come in this journey so far. I remember starting this simply because my son's curls were so full of life. I also remember reaching inside and finding so many things to value in myself through this process. It's been a beautiful ride and I look forward to continuing along the road. I looked back at some length-check photos, and I am pretty impressed with what a little TLC can do. Lets take a look.

This is about a week after my big chop, which was November 1, 2010 and about a week after my nappiversary. Not bad as far as I'm concerned. Not bad at all.

So, clearly my hair grows much faster in the back. That is also where the curl pattern is drastically looser and  the hair is a little finer. I've learned so much about my curls in the last year I feel like a brand new person almost!

My regimen has become considerably simpler, thanks to nursing school monopolizing most of my time. I still deep condition once a week, but I've recently switched up the products a little bit. I still use my beloved Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter conditioner, but I've taken to mixing this stuff in for my weekly treatment:

That combo leaves my hair soft and shiny, smelling and feeling good. I've also stumbled upon a couple "new" products to use for my staple style, which we discussed up top. I am a FAN of the twist-out, and when I say it like that I am putting it rather lightly. Anyhow, I tested out what has been called Soft Sheen Carson's answer for Miss Jessie's products. Since I've never used Miss Jessie's products, I can't offer anything in the way of a comparison. I can say, however, that these products worked well for me...somewhat. Let me explain.

This stuff is wonderful. I raked it through each section of damp hair before I twisted it. Actually, I probably raked it through, concentrated a bit on my ends (which need desperately to be clipped, but we will get to that in a bit) then ran my Denman brush through the section for good measure before twisting the section up. The resulting twist-out was luscious and all kinds of yummy. My hair smelled absolutely divine, and I fought myself to keep my hands out of it.
My test for how good my hair smells actually has to do with my boyfriend. On one of our first dates, he spent a great deal of the night with his face in my hair, just smelling it and "breathing in the natural thing" as he put it. He kept commenting on how wonderful it smelled. Months later, he still keeps his face all in my hair like that, so when I used this stuff I paid particular attention to how he received the scent. I was already in love with it, of course, so him loving it the way he did was a bonus. And boy did he love it. Ha! Ok. Back to hair.

This spray is unproductive on its own. It dries my hair out. It makes it somewhat crunchy, and it makes it feel a little stripped. Weird, since it claims to revive my curls. It provides a nice 1-2 punch effect when I use it as a detangler before I apply the partner product and put in my twists though. Not exactly perfect, but close for $7.
I'd planned to keep using these two in this fashion before I ventured over to Target and bought more castor oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil and glycerin. Now, what Target is doing with these supplies, I do not know. What I do know is I was looking for some castor oil to start my "protect and repair my edges" project and got a whole lot more than I set out for! Once I picked those up I went home and mixed up a quick spritz. I plan to use that as my leave in and now I'm not sure how I'll use this revival spray. I'll figure something out. Hate for it to go to waste, but it might have to.

On to my upcoming challenges!!! So, I have been doing quite a few wash-and-go puffs lately, because the need to get out of the house (with the kiddo) and into the hospital for clinical by dark thirty is real these days. All that washing, going and pulling that hair back is beginning to make my hairline sad...at least that is what my mind thinks. As such, I will be starting up a castor oil on the edges challenge with myself. Castor oil on the edges every day, whether I am wearing a wash-and-go puff or not. I started 11/20 and I plan to go through this way until spring, so maybe until April!

In addition to my castor oil challenge, I am also embarking upon a protective styling challenge! It's a chilly fall season here in SoCal, and after I rock today's twist-out, I'm planning to put in protective styles all through winter, which means this will go on (hopefully) until April as well. I plan to braid my hair up once winter break starts, so that will be part of the challenge as well. We'll see how it goes!!!!

Did ya miss me?!?!

I have not forgotten about my promise to take time out to chronicle some things. In fact, I've been meaning to pop back around for the past two weeks, but I've also been getting my behind kicked royally (and loving every minute). I lucked out and got a clinical instructor that will push and push and push us all and insist we maximize our potential. I am thankful for her every Tuesday and Wednesday, but this coming Thursday I will be thankful for a break! And some good food.

Anyhow, nursing school is going well. I am officially official, as my clinical instructor says, for giving injections. That makes me excited. I'm official with doing Accuchecks as well, which means me and a couple of my classmates are a walking dream to the nurses on our floors. On any given day we're doing the Accuchecks for 8 to 10 patients and covering the insulin if necessary. The fact that we get it done without any difficulty gives me a bit of a rush.

In addition to Accuchecks and injections, last week was my week to pass meds. I usually choose pretty complicated patients, so for my med pass days I went for easier work. My instructor was having none of it. The patient I chose for Tuesday only had three oral meds. The rest were IV. We don't learn IV drugs until next semester I think. Anyway, she let me pass those three whopping meds, which ended up only being two meds because his nurse had to give his blood pressure medication early because his BP was extraordinarily high, then after that my instructor went and found my second patient for me to pass meds to the next day. Really? This patient had 10 meds, and they were not all oral!!! Talk about issuing a challenge. Go figure, I made it through that mostly unscathed and ended up loving that patient to pieces. Clinical instructor knows best!

Next up: exam on pain management, perioperative care and cardiovascular care (with emphasis on congestive heart failure)

Me trying on scrubs (which NEVER fit)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention I have a new stethoscope coming soon! It's actually at the post office waiting for me to pick it up. I'll probably snag it after my exam Monday. My son destroyed my old one, but I am mostly to blame. I always have it around my neck and I tell him "let me listen to your belly!" so when he was playing with it, and essentially distorting the drums, he was probably just trying to listen to his belly. Good. That stethoscope will now belong to him. Hopefully he's now on the fast track to medical school. Hahahaha.