Feeling Cruddy

We've had the air on for the last two weeks and I think it's been a little too cold in the house. I've adjusted the thermostat, but I think I'm a day too late. The cold air and my exposed chest were not a good combination, dang it!

I drank a hot toddy during work hours...not the wisest idea, but a necessity. That helped for a bit and then I realized a nap was inevitable, so I took a Sudafed a little while ago. That seems to be making more of an impact on my upper respiratory issues and throat drama.

My girls already know that I'm not feeling my best. If I did take a nap after work, I don't think they'd care much. I am happy that things seem to be going well for them, with the occasional argument only lasting a few minutes or so.

The babe had her hair permed yesterday for the first time in 5 years. That child has so much hair! It really is gorgeous. She wants the opportunity to learn how to style and manage her hair and I told her she could do that this summer. Anyway, she seems to be very happy so far and is running around with it down, around her shoulders. My only worry is that the chemicals will do what they did to mine; break down the integrity and cause massive amounts of breakage. Five years of natural hair has made her hair long, healthy and strong. I hope she handles it well.

Further on the hair front, I'll probably take down Indy's, sometime this week and redo her braids. They are looking cat-raggedy! My hair will be done on Friday evening and I am too thrilled. I'm sort of in need of a break.

Oscar Fun and Other Miscellany

The funniest skit between Alec Bal.dwin and Ste.ve Martin? The paranormal activity head slap. I was cracking up! I wish I could have done that to the real characters of the real movie. Alec and Steve did me proud.

I'm glad the academy is recognizing original work. With all the recycled, rehashed scripts I was beginning to wonder if they had anything original to pull from at all. The dresses are still amazing and mind-boggling. Do you really only wear your gown once? Is it donated after wards? Do you keep it in storage like a wedding dress?

I really dislike driving in everyday, but I'm listening to lots of old discs to past the time. I need to get out my Pimsleur Spanish discs and learn how to speak the language, properly. Since we're destined to be a two-language country sooner rather than later, I'd like to be able to understand it (if not speak it fluently).

I made some amazing steak the other day. Truly! It was beef stew steak I picked up from Target. Then, I added some "Jamaican Me Crazy" seasoning to it and browned it in my non-stick skillet. Oh my gosh! It was to die for! I'll be trying to rack up on the stuff, when I can find it. Hubby picked it up from some obscure store. Haven't checked yet to see if it's at the local spots.

I took my hair down over the weekend. In fact, my world was full of hair. I took down and redid the Babe's hair. Then, I put braids into Indy's hair (she's been au natural for about two weeks, now). I straightened mine and was blown away by the length. It's so soft, too. I don't remember it being this soft when it was chemically treated. Another bonus! I'm wearing one of my reliable ponies today to hide my two-tone color. I'm not quite ready to go blond, yet. Huh, but you know I will eventually. :)

Birthdays and Hair

Indy had a small, family birthday party on Friday. She received more dolls, toys and clothes. The kid has really racked up this winter! For dinner, we did something a little different. Instead of the typical pizza pick-up or hamburgers and hot dogs, I made spaghetti and meat sauce (one of her favorites). I backed up the meat sauce with an alternative; garlic and herb sauce. We also had garlic bread and a variety of drinks to choose from. So, five adults and four children were very pleased and all went back from seconds. Who knew one of my standard meals would do so well! My sister-in-law was eating and didn't even question the green items that tasted so good (uh, green peppers? Vegetables? She should probably eat more of those).

After cake and presents, we all sat around chatting while the kids played. It really was a nice evening. Everyone was dog tired from working, but still managed to have a good time. It reminded me of why I like to entertain. I can't wait to redo my kitchen (coming up this year, I hope). We plan to install hard wood floors throughout the top floor of my home, save the bedrooms and bathrooms along with granite counter-tops and refinished cabinets. Huge, huge jobs, but it will be so worth it.

The next morning (Saturday, bright and early) my sister-in-law returned so that I could do her hair. I offered, but also put out the disclaimer that I am no professional. She didn't seem to care and was happy to spend the $50+ dollars on the type of hair that I wear (in black). I think she just didn't want to have to deal with it anymore (she's a hospice nurse).

It's probably a good thing she did this, too because as I was braiding, I noticed quite a bit of damage...especially her ends. It's evident that over processing, stress, and breakage from sleeping on cotton pillows are all culprits. Interestingly, we watched a video of me in a step show and my hair was very bouncy and healthy. She commented on it several times. I remember, during that time, I was only using "sodium" based perms, rather than calcium hydroxide. I also slept on a satin pillow case and, when that wasn't available, a satin cap. I made sure to only use light hair moisturizers rather than flat-out grease. I received trims regularly and visited my salon on a regular basis (rather than doing my own retouches). All of this extra maintenance kept my hair in good shape. It was also incredibly expensive. Makes me appreciate even more that I'm natural and don't have to go through all that drama anymore.

Her hair will certainly grow out with braiding, but it will endure a different kind of stress. I'm not sure what her plans are for the future. I don't even know if a "hair lesson" is really what she wants, anyway. People generally do what they've done forever, because that's what they understand and feel works for them. Opening their minds to knew ideas can be tricky for some. I think that would be the case for her.

Although I'm selfish of my time but I wonder about doing this for a bit of extra money. I'm okay, but not professional (I would make that clear in my ads). I wonder how busy it would make me? I've also thought about maybe giving a little "workshop" if nothing else (there are so many black children adopted by parents of different races that struggle with their hair...there are websites galore devoted to supporting them). That would certainly be an "in". I'll think about it more.

I've lost four pounds, but I'm not drinking enough water and I'm still eating out too much. I'll keep trucking, though.

Henna, Birthdays and Balloons

The weekend was filled with party, party, party. My eldest had her very first slumber party and she was too thrilled. We spent Thursday after work cleaning the house from top to bottom. Friday afternoon was filled with the same. Hubby went to buy the junk food for the kids to feast on all night, along with the next morning's breakfast items. I went out and picked up the pizzas and movies. Here is what I rented (in case you're wondering what to use for a little girl's sleepover):

1. Mama Mia
2. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
3. The Cheetah Girls
4. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

For goody bags home, I put in lots of dollar store items: Girlie stickers (the stickers were of high-heels, make-up, tiaras, clothes, etc...), lip gloss, bubble gum, a notepad with a girlie slogan (Drama Queen, Rock Star, Chicks Rule, etc...), a matching magnetic pen with the same slogan, and Lee press-on nails. I think they were happy.

The girls arrived fairly close to start time, with only our relative only able to stay for the party, only. They ate pizza, listened to scary stories while they ate, and drank strawberry lemonade from plastic wine goblets. Afterward, we sang happy birthday, blew out the candles and opened presents. From mom and dad, she got the first season of the Brady Bunch, crystal earrings, a karaoke disc and a new mp3 player to replace her broken one. From the guests, a host of make-up and girlie items.

After opening presents, they went downstairs and did the karaoke thing for a bit, even getting my sister in the mix. Once that was done, they popped in a movie, ate more junk and played twister. By 11:00pm, we told them that winding down time had to start, since we wanted to sleep. They obliged and we didn't hear much from them...until the eldest came to the door telling us one of the parents was on the way.

Well, one of the children happened to be allergic to animals. Why the parent didn't say anything when he dropped her off (and, very clearly saw our dogs) or why the child didn't say anything, I'll never know. We also had plenty of antihistamines that I could have given her, had someone let me talk to the child's mother. In any case, the child went home at 12:30pm. I was so tired.

The departing child left us with only one guest, which made dealing with clean up and everything else that much easier. The child was happy and so was the Babe. After everyone left, I took care of me by coloring my hair...with Henna.

I purchased all natural Henna (we're talking the pulverized plant) and mixed it with lemon juice. Added this to my hair then let it "cook" for about 2.5 hours. My hair was a flame. I'm supposed to see darkening and changes over the next three days and have seen a bit already. Hubby loves it. I think it will look great with my braids, come September.

Sunday was the last day of the balloon festival. It was amazing! We got there in time for the launch (7ish) and ate the buffet breakfast. We were high up in the mountains, so we dressed for the occasion. I would never have thought 39 would be the temp on an August day. Woo wee, it was cold! The air was crisp and smelled of fall. It made me so happy to smell fall, but no where near thrilled to lose feeling in my fingers.

A fun-filled weekend and a happy 9th birthday to my eldest child.

Protective Style

Last night, I was sitting in the salon chair getting new crochet braids. Here is the hair I used (F1b/350, not the color shown here). Anyway, my hair-dresser is a trooper. I was in and out in two hours flat! I love her! Gone are the days when you're stuck at the salon from sun-up to sun-down, listening to all of the dredge and gossip of the neighborhood. My lady doesn't put up with that crap. We talk about the news, our families and other topics. No gossiping there. Can you imagine? It's terrific!

OMG! I have hair! Even before the extensions were put in, my TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro) was rocking a really close look. My hair-dresser confessed later that she wasn't sure I'd have enough to even braid up when she saw me (she laughed and said, "I thought I'd have to send you home and say, try again later."). When I sat in the chair, she began to pull it out a bit to see the length (if any) and let me tell you, there was plenty. Two years of rocking it natural and I've got about five or six inches of growth since going almost bald in May of 2007. It's so healthy, too. I'm very pleased. With this protective style, it should really gain a lot of length in the next couple of months.

Tonight, I take down the Babe's hair. Ugh! If I have half a foot of hair, she's got at least a foot. That girl has so much hair, we could make a rug. The hardest part is "clearing" it after I wash it. Inevitably, there are tears and I don't ever mean to hurt her but damn! The hair is thick, thick, thick! Tomorrow, I'll be braiding it all up and making it "fly" for competition on Saturday.

Speaking of which, I got all of my questions answered. Why did I only find out Tuesday night? They really need additional help. Using the family members and hording the money is not working anymore. You gotta spend sometimes to save. Friday, I'll also be throwing down $30 for more dance shoes. Yeesh! She's gonna be cute, though. The girls each represent a country. The Babe, of course, is representing the Mother Land. Oranges, reds and browns (earth tones look so good on her). When I talked to the other little girls about their costumes, only one seemed happy about hers. The others looked like they were unimpressed. I'm anxious to see how they all look together. I am not anxious to be at this competition from 3 in the afternoon to ten at night. I'm not sure if we'll make it to church on Sunday or not. At least Indy will be hanging with her grandmother. I don't know how I would be able to do this with both girls vying for my attention.

Girl's Night Out

Easter was lovely and I was glad we had a nice, fairly warm day. The girls were stunning in their little dresses. I got the hair in time and both of them were swinging hair around all over the place (the babe's extensions end at her waist). Indy keeps pulling on her hair and saying, "Curlies! Curlies!" I guess she likes the curlies.

Hubby is completely off carbs and keeps zoning out when we talk. I think I officially know what old age with him will be like. We won't know what the other one is talking about at any given moment. It will definitely be the blind leading the blind, or the clueless leading the clueless. Oh, well. (At least I'll feel loved and clueless.) I'll be glad when he can have a candy bar or something on Saturday. I think the chocolate/sugar/fructose will do his brain good.

Last night, I went out with my girlfriend and some of her girlfriends. We had dinner, drinks and conversation. It was much needed and very, very nice. Ever had a hibiscus? I think it's my new "spring drink."

Old-Man Feet

This is what I call my hubby's feet because that is exactly what they look like. To be more specific, the toes are crusty, the nails discolored and the skin appears to be fleeing from the bottoms in some kind of a white-cheddar, popcorn frenzy. It's all in fun that I tease him, but I know he'd like to have beautiful feet to match his beautiful body.

At Christmas time, I bought him a gift certificate to our local spa for a "sports pedicure". It's the kind of fru fru pedicure we ladies get, but with a guy twist. He's there now getting his feet indulged and I have a feeling that this won't be the last time he does this. To my surprise, as we sat chatting last night about the day's events, he said that I was to go to our spa this afternoon myself for my "surprise appointment". Well, isn't that a nice turn of events? Wonder if I'm getting my toesies ready for spring...or perhaps a back rub, or maybe a facial? Woohoo! I am too excited!

My neighbors want to die eggs together on Friday. This should be interesting with our toddlers in the mix (her son is 18 months old). Dyed walls anyone?

Speaking of dye, it's time for my hair to undergo some serious color drenching again. Last time, I switched up and used a Loreal product. I think the pigments are better and the color lasts longer (just a personal opinion, of course). I will still continue to use Clairol's "lifting" products because of how gentle they are, but I won't go blond again until later this spring. Anyway, the color to the right is what I used last time and it was beautiful! I need more, but the money situation is weird and I'll probably have to wait until next week to color again. My girlfriend at work asked me just yesterday, "Did you color your hair again, or is it just fading?" Being a color girl herself, she knew how reds fade super fast. She said she liked it's coppery hue; however, when hubby mentioned how the color is looking last night, I could tell he was not feeling the "fade". If he's willing to fork over the dough, I'm happy to help the situation with a good, solid drench.

TOM is approaching and water-weight is the enemy. Why must you vex me, water-weight? It's not due to show up until the first of April. I'm sort of hoping it comes early so that the water will leave. I guess I'll see it soon enough.

Are you ready for Easter?

This year, we are celebrating Easter the earliest it has been celebrated since 1818 and won't be this early again until 2160. I've had a hard time with it being so early, so it's good to see that I won't have to worry about it being so early again (at least in my lifetime). It has to do with the moon and vernal equinox or something. It's also supposedly harder to calculate the time for the Western church than it is for the Eastern. All I know is that for the "pagan" portions of the holiday, I am certainly not ready.

Next Friday will be "dying day" at our house. When I was growing up, we usually did this on Saturdays, but I will be spending that Saturday doing every one's hair (Why couldn't I have had at least one boy...a pair of clippers and a cute little suit would be so much easier), if it ever gets here. I ordered the extensions last Friday with no word on tracking or anything yet. I emailed them today to ask, "What gives?" because I don't want to be caught driving around town next week looking for hair. Of course, it won't be an expense duplicated in vain; there's always some one's hair to do at my house.

But again, back to when I was little. We would buy our couple of dozen eggs and color all day (my mom and I; my dad was usually on the road, or busy with church stuff, or just gone). Then, she would have boiled eggs with her breakfast for days. The same is somewhat true here, but this year, Indy will want to be involved. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to manage it without my house becoming a tie-dyed mess, but we'll see.

I like the fancy ones; the glitter or tattooed eggs. They're also the kind that are the most trouble, but why have just colored eggs when you can double-dip them in glitter? Oh, I'll never change.

Finally, I was prepared for one portion of all these festivities; the dresses. We already have them, thank goodness. Indy's is a hand-me-down from her sister's pageant days. It's a very fancy white dress with lots of beading and sequins. The babe didn't look completely put together in the dress until she was four (even though she started wearing it at two), but Indy is so much taller that she'll probably be just fine now. The babe's dress was actually a purchase for the winter pictures we were initially going to take; however, with the cold and all the snow we've had this year, we decided against it. No way was she going out anywhere in December with spaghetti straps! Her dress is white with organza. There are purple accents in the form of flowers and adornments all over. It came from one of those high-end fancy shops where you can buy prom/bridesmaid/flower girls dresses, but it was on super sale. So, all we had to do was buy the shoes last weekend. Indy was in heaven! I still can't believe a two-year old could love shoes so much.

With all the Easter hullabaloo running through my head, I haven't forgotten that I'm still working on real life issues. Hubby and I have been good, so far. We're making sure that we're getting in our quality time together and we're continuously talking. He's still preparing for his show in the next couple of weeks and he's doing so well. I'm really proud of all his efforts and I hope they are rewarded. Our girls will be with us that night and it's always an adventure for them to be up that far after bedtime. They usually get a little slap-happy and start talking crazy. Oh, the joys of childhood. I know that the babe, though, we'll be her daddy's biggest cheerleader.

It's November Already?

I just checked the date of my last post. Where have I been?! Oh, yeah. Working like a dog, that's it. I'm starting to feel the pinch of my coworker being on leave. People tend to gear up for school just before the holidays, then they disappear almost entirely until the new year. Let the gear up begin! Phew! They're making me nuts over here. My coworker can't get back fast enough. Although, it's been pleasantly "happy" around here, since she left. Don't get me wrong, I totally empathize with the stress that she's dealing with (medicaid is backwards, nursing home snafus and a mother who barely knows she's there) but her negativity could sometimes bring down the entire floor. I hope that this time away has given her a better perspective and has allowed her to make peace with her mother and herself.

Halloween was a blast! We had such fun at work and I got so many compliments. One lady was like, "I can't believe how much weight you've lost!" For real? I'm still not in the bracket I'm aiming for, yet. I guess the weight training is doing more glamorizing than I thought. I'm kind of getting addicted to it, again. Hurts so good!

The babe went trick-or-treating with her dad and the neighbors and brought back way too much candy. With only a piece or two every couple of days, I'm predicting the bag will be empty by June of next year. Her sister is demolishing it, too, but I promise that bag ways eight pounds! Who needs that much candy? (How about me just before my TOM/rag. Haha!)

We've been diligently finishing up the small touches on the basement. Can I say that I'm sick of talking/looking/thinking about the basement? Ugh! Can't we just move down there already? I've begun my "decorating" for it, while we finish up by purchasing prints. From the beginning, we've said it would be our movie/work-out area. These are just a few of the prints I've purchased that you see pasted here and there are still many more to buy. It's going to be so cool when it's all done (um, if it ever gets done). I'm tired of basement talk even now. Moving on.

Christmas shopping has begun. Our goal was to start early (which we did), stick to fewer toys (which we have) and try to have it finished before Thanksgiving. Hmm. We'll see about that. Unfortunately, I think we're skewing off the road a bit. We've already bought the oldest a treasure trove of DVDs. How in the world has this happened so quickly? I had a list and I shared the list with hubby. I also said that we didn't have to buy everything on the list. Somehow, we've managed to buy nearly 3/4 of the list. Yeesh! We haven't even done the winter/Christmas clothes shopping, parent shopping or neighbor shopping yet. As for Indy, there is many an Elmo to buy that we haven't even started purchasing (luckily, Big Lots has them for El Cheapo prices). I'm unsure of what to do for my coworkers. Last year, I was the Martha-Stewart-of-Color and made the gifts. I'd like to do something similarly, but by the time my vacation starts, I won't want to be bothered. Christmas usually isn't a very hectic time for me. I've got to get this under control before it becomes so. This is a time for great happiness and creating new memories, not stressing about gifts.

Finally, on the hair front, I found a red that works. My "ravishing" blend from the Clairol Professional line never really was what I thought it would be. So, I broke down over the weekend and went for a box kit. It's still Clairol, since I trust that it won't set my head on fire and make my hair fall out. Burgundy is who I am for the time being. I think hubby is seriously missing the blond, but he won't say that out loud (men). That's alright. I think I'll surprise him by being blond at Christmas dinner. This is the first year he's had to work on Christmas morning in years. I'm really bummed about that but, I'll make sure that we all have a wonderful Christmas eve to make up for it.

Happy Halloween!

I tried on my costume last night. Um, it's tight. Seriously. Painted-on-tight. Well, not tight like X-rated tight, but still tighter than I thought it would be...and it's velvet. I guess I didn't think it would be from the picture. It's going to keep me roasted warm today and this girl has a tendency to sweat buckets, when nervous. So, the tight velvet costume, coupled with wearing it to work in the presence of all my coworkers and a bit of nerves at that? I better bring a few empty buckets.

Here's the odd thing, though. I'm really kind of stoked! It fits better than I thought it would. A small ponch in the front, but I did have a baby less than two years ago (and by C-section). The arms look good, the legs look pretty good, and the butt looks much better than expected. These are reasons to celebrate, yes? As I work on this body it appears that it is starting to pay me back by looking better. Who knew?

So, along with this skin-tight outfit comes my long "come hither" black haired wig and silver/black eyelashes. I'm wearing a huge, rhinestone bracelet, ghetto bling rhinestone studs in my ears, glitter dust eyeshadow, my poppin' lip gloss, I painted my nails N.Y.C. White Lights Glitter last night and finally a few short sprays of glitter all over (cat's like shiny things).

I hope I'm a hot kitty (um, not the sweating buckets hot) that doesn't embarrass herself too much. I feel badly that the babe can't wear her costume to school this year. They opted not to do the Halloween parade and hosted the literary night instead, which was fun, don't get me wrong. My youngest and I will be sporting ours momentarily and I'm hoping that it doesn't make the eldest feel bad. She still seems to be really excited about the Halloween party they're having today and the trick or treating she'll be doing tonight. I'm personally glad her dad will be home at a decent hour and is off tomorrow. By the way? I didn't even have to talk to him about my ordeal (read yesterday's post). He attacked me, once we got to bed last night. I just love it when he reads my mind. It's so much easier than hashing things out.

Happy Halloween!

Hair Color Snafu

The blond is gone and in it's place? Easter-egg pink. Yes. I have pink hair and it's not cute. It didn't begin this way. As some of you know, I started off as a pale blond. My roots were coming in, so I was a pale, dirty blond. I mixed my concoction of colors together, along with my Clarioxide formula. The color added to my hair started off a very bright plum, then intensified to a fiery wine, then darkened, darkened, darkened. I left it on too long...my hair looked like dirt. It was awful! Not to be defeated, I quickly devised a plan to redo the color last night, but first, I would have to strip out all the color and start fresh.

So I did. Back to a bright blond (with sort of pinkish highlights) I mixed my beautiful concoction again and added it to my newly lifted hair. The color hit that intense wine color I was looking for and I jumped the gun; I rinsed. When I came up for air, it was pink. Ugh! I finished the process and decided that I would just re buy everything (because now all the color is gone) and try it again on Saturday. My hair needs a rest. It's been through a lot this week! I think that I've figured it out. Somewhere within the fifteen to twenty minute mark, is the magic number. Thirty minutes was just too long. The color I'm going for is called (you'll love this); Ravishing.

Yesterday, the babe had her hair done professionally for the very first time. Hubby said she twitched and moved a little bit when the hairdresser was combing her hair, but other than that, did very well. She has crochet braids, but with the professional job, they should last until just before my birthday. She's seven, so I don't know how likely this is. They look too cute! She's loving them and got up extra early today to beautify herself (it's picture day at school). Hubby was not loving the price of the beautification...seven packs of hair, four more packs than her non-professional mother uses.

The weekend is nearly here and I can't wait! My coworker has gone on leave and the work has tripled since she left. I've been hoping around like a jumping bean. I'm typing this during my lunch, just to make sure I'm keeping up on my posts. The nerve! To type during my non-working hours? What's that about?

My kids may actually get a bit more use out of their costumes this year. We're having pictures done on Sunday (at least, for now) and there are some activities that they'll be a part of next week. Usually, it's a one shot deal with the costume. Then, I pack up the babe's in anticipation of Indy wearing it in the future. I'm glad and I'm sure they'll be happy to be cute kitties more than just once.

Finally, blonde Pictures

The lighting quality isn't so great, but you get the idea. This is the front part, just out of the shower. It was taken about two or three days after I colored it the first time.

Here's the back and a better look at some of the highlights and curlies I have. Again, my hair is wet in these pictures, so it's much wavier this way then when dry. I have colored it once more, since these pictures. Normally, you would only color the roots but, since I have to "lift" my hair to take out the color, I just end up doing my entire head. The lift removes all pigmentation, then I add the color. It's a very drying process. I usually don't wash it for a couple of days. This way, the natural oils have come back and restored the elasticity to my hair.

It's grown a lot and the pick is making my mini fro look more like a regular fro. By Christmas, I may have a decent helmet to sport. By this time next year, I could be ready for twists and such. It's been such an adventure and my hair is loving me for it. I have growth in places I never knew I was missing hair from. All those years of retouches and too tight braids gave me bald spots. Who knew! It's all back now and thick, thick, thick!

(Oh, and if you've been reading the Enchantress site, my shoes came today and they are hot! I can't wait to meet that goal, so I can sport them. Seriously...hot!)

This is Why I'm Hot!!

Okay, I know that's one of the most irritating songs in the world, but I thought it worked as a great title for my post. (For those who have never heard the song, take the opportunity to loose a few IQ points and YouTube this sucker. Then, for giggles and kicks, YouTube the parody, This is Why I'm Fat.) I colored my hair with the stuff I posted about a few days ago. The box arrived via snail-mail on Monday afternoon and I was too excited. The color on the box is quite pretty and I couldn't wait for my hair to be this color. I didn't have time that afternoon to do it, but then I messed up and washed my hair Tuesday (you should always wait 24 hours after washing your hair to color it).

Tuesday afternoon, I took a closer look at the box to see if there was a color guide. Low and behold, it said what I feared; since my hair was sort of a burnt red/medium brown, it would only make my hair redder. What?! Not what I wanted at all. So, out of frustration more than curiosity, I began searching the web to find out why you can't have the color on the box. I found my answer. Indeed! You can have the color on the box. My research told me that I needed to "lift" my hair before I colored it to get the color I really wanted.

So, I researched products and saw some names I trusted I also figured out that I could purchase the items from Sally Beauty, which was convenient (there is a location about a mile away from my house). Thankfully, I already had some Pure White Creme Developer (30, although the box suggested 20). One less thing to buy. Here's what I did purchase:

1 2oz (59ml) bottle of Clairol Professional Instant Whip Creme Hair Lightener
2 .05oz packets of Clairol Professional Lightening Activator for 7th Stage, Instant Whip, Ultra Blue & Born Blonde
1 Sally's color mix bottle with slanted tip

I set to work, washing the dishes as the creamy concoction sat on my head. I would check in the mirror every few minutes to see what it was doing. Holy cow! I was red, orange, than yellowy gold then gold. If I'd left it on a bit longer, I believe it would have gone platinum or white. The idea was to "lift" my hair a few levels, in order to make the hair porous enough to receive the new color (a clean palette for the paint, if you will). After the lift (about 30 minutes), I rinsed my hair and dried it off completely. Wow! Every strand of hair was gold. I mixed the color from the Creme of Nature box and applied it to my hair. Almost immediately, I saw my hair absorbing the new color...a pale, dusty gold/blonde. Beautiful!

Jumping in the shower, I added a bit of water to begin the shampooing process and washed the color out. Then, I applied the Creme of Nature shampoo included in the kit and washed my hair again. Finally, I showered while a thick layer of my conditioner (hopefully) restored the moisture I had just zapped from my head. I came out of the shower and wow. What an amazing color!

Hubby was mesmerized...seriously! I can't believe how much he likes it. This morning while I was getting ready, he called and was asking about whether it had faded any or not and, "Why don't you just go ahead an buy up the rest from the eBay store you got it from." He's really digging it! The babe likes it too, and made sure to comment to the daycare lady that, "My mom "blonded" her hair." Not many have arrived to work yet, so no one has really said anything. I wonder if anyone else will be as enchanted?

On Permahold

For those who do not exist in cubie-world, permahold is a term many of us use when we're on the phone for, what seems like, an unending amount of time. When this happens, we're usually listening to really bad Muzak or spending the time on hold talking to those around us (or updating our blogs).

My home projects are currently on permahold. For the past few nights, hubby has wanted to cuddle or rest (no complaints from me) but this deck situation will really need to change quick and in a hurry. The poor dog isn't too keen on going through the garage to "do his business." He'd much rather run out of the back door, then quickly come back in. With no steps out back, he'd plummet to near death if he attempted this now.

Hubby's friend comes back Saturday to help him complete the project, but that was under the condition that the flooring be completed. It's not done, yet and I don't think the "friend" wants to spend an entire day at our house again. I know I wouldn't.

Even with 200 pounds on his hefty frame, my brother-in-law is useless for this project; he simply just isn't in good enough shape (despite the basketball and football). The current task requires that he pull the boards as flush against the adjacent boards as possible (one at a time, of course), but he tires out entirely too quickly. If he didn't, hubby would have had this completed a few days ago. He's been waiting on me and, believe it or not, I've been available. By the time I get home, though, his song has changed:

"We'll just wait until tomorrow," or "It's too hot," or "We'll just rest tonight."

So, today, hubby is picking up the remaining wood for the railing and tonight (last chance) we'll get the flooring done. Tomorrow, I'll be journeying to a friend's wedding shower at a lake somewhere up one of our many canyons. I'm happy to be going to see her, but I feel like I'm ditching out on hubby a bit. The idea is that I start trying to do things on my own sometimes. It just so happens to coincide with a big home project. The saving grace for me is that I'll only be gone for the day, not the entire evening which would cut into help/bonding time.

GC asked about my hair, which has grown out a bit with lots of dark roots. I was planning on going a bit brighter in the blondes but have had a hell of a time finding the color I want in this cultural wasteland that is where I live. I called around and the places that carry the kind I want don't have the color I want. I think I will break down (today) and just order it online. It's nice that we have that option, to be sure. Back in the day, the store could order it for you and charge you a fee just for going to the trouble. Eliminate the middle man...that's the way to go. The color to the left is what I'm thinking...champagne blonde (Right now, I'm supposedly light golden blonde...but I think it's a myth).

Oh! A coworker of mine bought an iPhone. He says, "Yeah, it's $600, but it's not just a phone; it's a lifestyle." I don't think I'll ever have that lifestyle...not sure if I want it. But, the phone is really cool.

Now, That's Love

Short and sassy was what I was yesterday. Today, I am this:

There were still some really straight ends, I discovered as I was playing with my hair yesterday. They looked fried and unhealthy. The roots looked great...so, when I got home I implored hubby. Out came his trusty clippers and he, luckily, found a 1/2" guard (otherwise, I would be even cleaner than this). Buzz, buzz...clip, clip. All the hair to the floor. At least 2 to 3 more inches. Man, you don't realize how much hair you have until it's all on the floor. Mister, "I hate short hair," even cleaned up my edges for me. He kept looking at me, but he wasn't shaking his head as you might expect. Starring and starring. Maybe realizing that beauty doesn't come from one's face or hair, but from somewhere deep inside. I'm sure he already knew this, but I could see the facts laying themselves out all over his expressions. What a guy.

It feels good...light and airy. I'd say it was a freeing experience. I'm nervous again for the second time this week on reactions, but much more comfortable with how I'm feeling about it. It will grow back healthy and strong. It will be all me and not some fabricated, European idea of how I'm supposed to look. My African, German, East Indian, Irish and Native American heritage all over me...my face and my hair.

(Now, I will search for my India Arie copy of I Am Not My Hair and blast it from my car this morning.)

Sporting the All Natural

I did it. I am chemical free (sort of). I took my braids out on Sunday evening and then colored it with, what I thought would be a bronzey red (see box). I guess I forgot I was "all natural" because the color didn't take. I mean, it really didn't take at all. My hair is so thick and so non-porous that it sort of winked at the color and said, "So, you're trying to color me? Good one." Despite this, I cut off the remaining relaxed ends (about four inches...painful) and wrapped it up in a scarf.

I wanted my hair brighter and happier for spring and summer. I really liked the highlights and tones that my braids had and I was eager to have that over my dusty black hair. So Monday, I was on the hunt for African-American hair coloring (something I swore I'd never use again).But, the difference is that there's no relaxer in my hair. No further damage to add to already damaged hair...just healthy, virgin hair for the color to absorb in. In fact, the color I chose states that it only be used on natural hair. An indication that this color had a lot of umph to it. I was game.

So, I colored my hair with Dark and Lovely's, Light Golden Blonde. Well, not exactly. It turned out very bronzey red. I like it, but it will look much better after a couple of washes. I plaited up the parts I could catch up, wrapped it in a scarf and prayed I'd adjust to the change.

Today, I've received nothing but compliment after compliment. Everyone loves it and the biggest compliment of all came from my coworker, who (like me) decided to stop railing against nature. Of course, she made her decision a few years ago but, nonetheless. She's Caucasian with naturally straight hair. She used to perm the hell out of it and tried wearing it long, which her hair didn't seem to respond to. So, now she's short, sassy and straight. "It's much easier to deal with and I know, yours is easy now, too." She's right! It was just unbraid and moisturize this morning. Braids are even easier of course, but in terms of what I do when it's relaxed? No more curling irons, rollers, wrapping lotion, wrapping papers, spritzers, and sprays. I'm actually looking forward to when it has a bit of length and I can work some puffs. Wow! To be brave!

Hair

So, here are a couple of shots of the hair and the unique color I'm sporting. Again, it's called F503 (whatever that means) and it's twisted, rather than braided at the top. It's left loose about midway and falls into body curls around my shoulders. I've gotten lots of compliments on the color from friends and strangers. I've tried to guess the tones as have my coworkers and I've listed those on my previous post. The "F" in the color name is almost assuredly a reference to frosting, but the color number alludes me, since it isn't one I've seen in the typical number scheme.

The photo below is of the babe and of the haircut I gave her. Initially, it was cascading down her back in a river of curls, which later made a huge mess. She's just not conscientious enough to run her fingers through it daily to keep it from getting mussed and tangled. So, I brought out the shears and took off about 6 or 7 inches. It's cute at this length, I think and easy for her to manage. The color is 4 (a number I see everywhere in color schemes) which comes out looking like a bronzey brown. This has been her color for spring and I don't intend to go any brighter than this. She's just a little girl, after all. She can go wild color hopping all she wants, once she's a teenager.

There really isn't a lot happening in my life right now and I have no complaints. Everyone is relatively healthy and I'm finally done with the steroids (thank God!). Last night, as a reward to my super, dutiful eldest, I took her roller skating. She had a good time, but did a fair share of falling because she rented skates rather than wearing her own. I've been worried because her skates are a size 12 and her feet are a size 1. She rented a pair of 13s, but they were too big, so she traded them for 12s and was much happier. Unfortunately, they aren't Roller Derby brand and I don't think her feet were comfortable, so she kept falling. She made quite a spectacle of herself, towards the end and many parents were looking for me, saying things like, "Do you have a little girl? She's fallen and is bawling her eyes out over there." Thanks. I know my daughter is a drama-queen. She'll be okay.

We left and I purchased her second surprise; a cheeseburger happy meal. She was elated! We don't do those often and being lactose intolerant, we even more rarely order cheeseburgers. She was on cloud nine, eating that thing in about five seconds time. Overall, it was a good evening and I got some good exercise too, rolling around the rink myself with Indy in her stroller. She loved that!

I begin my Detox 7 cleanse again today, which I'm actually looking forward to. I hope that it gets all the yuck out of me and helps me drop this unwanted poundage I picked up from taking the prednisone. Last time, it made me feel really rejuvenated, so I'm hoping for the same effects. Hubby's already started his.

The drink portion of the system is really grainy and isn't the easiest to suck down, but the benefits are well worth it. Unlike other detox systems, this doesn't make you have a mad, passionate love affair with the bathroom everyday. It's much more subtle in it's approach, cleaning you out (I believe) section by section so that by the end of the process, you have one moment of passion with the bathroom and then your done. I felt the difference it made in just the first couple of days and, if it were easy and cheap to find, I would do it the recommended once a month.

Today is the day for the installation. It's going to be a bit tricky, I think, because the guy didn't say when he was coming. All he said is that it would take all day. "Well, that's super, dude but...when are you coming?" I have to take the babe to school and I have a feeling he'll pick that exact moment to appear at my door. I think I'll tape a note on the front door or something saying that I'll be back in ten minutes. I guess that's the best thing to do.

Tomorrow, Indy has her well-baby visit and here's yet one more week where I'm out of a co-pay. It seems I pay hospitals and doctors more than I do anyone else, these days. My questions for the visit? How are her ears (are the infections truly gone?) and should I be worried about her legs. She's quite bow-legged, which is so cute but I don't want it to be the cause of trauma for her later. She's so busy now and I want to make sure she's walking and balancing the way she should.

I found a recipe for Snickerdoodles online, yesterday that isn't loaded in buckets of fat. I was thinking I'd make them with the babe this weekend. If they're good, I think I'll also make baskets of them for our three sets of neighbors who have been so nice to us, these past few weeks. Two sets have been picking up the babe from school and the neighbors across the street gave up many hours to help hubby put down tile. They've done an amazing job! (pictures to come soon). It's also a bit of bribery, since I'll probably need them to pick her up again in a couple of weeks. Hubby is going out of town on business and he won't be around to get her...in fact, he won't be around at all. This will truly be the longest period of time apart for us. The trip is back home in Nashville, so I don't think he'll miss me much. I think he'll spend his time connecting with old friends and seeing relatives. I'll miss him, though.

Naturally Me

I'm going to do it. I really am...a little scary, but I'm going to do it. I'm going natural. Yes, I had the opportunity before...full head of natural hair, just after having Indy. Now, it's all processed to hell. I've learned my lesson and, unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way. Sometimes it's the best way.

I've been researching and reading up on the best ways to transition. As I suspected, the braids method is the least stressful, so they're going back in at the end of the month. I've even picked out what I'm going to do and I've decided to be a bit daring (well, daring for me). I've picked a unique color blend that will hopefully scream spring/summer and youth. We'll see.

I created this post a few days ago and much has happened since then. I will repost in a few moments with the details of my tumultuous life.

Hair Raising Event

After GC's comment, I remembered that I've never posted pictures of "the hair" on this site so, here it is before I chop it all off. Yep! I'm close to the two-month mark, which is as long as I care to keep a braided style, these days. I'm going on a break and back to my ponies and falls for a bit (well, at least until April). My mom is coming over to put my relaxer back in and I'm not sure how I feel about that, yet. Underneath the braids, I am all natural again...ten foot fro and amazing strength. I wish I was brave enough to wear it natural, but it's never really been me.

So, off come the braids this weekend for me and the babe (she currently sports the same style I do). If I were a better beautician, she could go another month; however, I'm just not as good as those who are licensed. Hers have to come out every four weeks, or it's not a good scene. I think she'll be pleased with what I do to it this time around. It's all braids...very small...braided all the way, straight as a board. She hasn't had straight for about a year, so I'm thinking the new look will please her.

All hair aside, I'm feeling the effects of the antibiotics and decongestant big time. I can breathe at night and I no longer feel like I'm swimming in a pool of phlegm (lovely). I'm even enjoying my "tumble" sessions with hubby again (it's so hard to feel romantic and sexy when only one nostril is working). Whispering sweet nothings or even dirty talk, sounds like it should be coming from a Muppet rather than a human. Oh, so sad. Although, it really doesn't seem to matter to him. I guess I egged on last night session anyway...telling him he owed me and that he needed to service his wife. All I remember is waking up to his kisses...ahhhh.

I had sort of a fun dream last night. I dreamed that I went to my 20th high school reunion (which actually won't happen for a few years yet), but there I was. Hubby was on my arm and I saw people I haven't seen in years. There were plenty of faces in the dream of people that I had contact with in high school and my brain amazingly aged them effectively, but I couldn't remember their names. A few people were there to pose and I did what I would expect myself to do in that situation...I avoided them. Those who were there to reconnect and have fun were the people I hung out with the most. There was also a girl there who was severely disabled. I remembered her, but in school she had no physical problems. It appears that she was suffering with MS because she walked into the room on her own just fine and then progressively through the evening had problems standing on her own.

By the time they were making announcements and she had to venture up front, me and another lady supported her weight as we carried her to the podium. It was quite odd. At the end of the evening, a dear friend of mine arrived late and went around the room shaking hands with the guys, and kissing the ladies on their cheeks. He had gone completely silver, but had lost a ton of weight. We were all happy to see him. Through all of this, I remember being very proud and happy my hubby was with me (also going a little silver himself) and seeing all the women looking at us just amazed. Then I realized, I looked pretty good...even better with the eye-candy on my arm. Oh, dreams. Sometimes you just hope and wish and pray that they're real.

Happy New Year

It's a brand new year and I can hardly believe it! The holidays were nice, but I'm glad they're over. Indy's first Christmas was nice and the babe seemed happy with everything she received. I've been home (and still am) since December 19th and boy has it been nice. It's always amazing to me how fast time flies when you're out of your normal routine. I blinked and January was here, or at least, it felt that way. In a week, Indy turns a year. The next day, hubby and I celebrate a decade of being together. A couple of weeks after that, yours truly turns thirty-two. It's a big month, suffice to say.

I've started up on my plan again. The whole staying fit thing is always such a struggle in the beginning, but once I'm in the mode, things always go well. I become addicted to the workouts, the adrenaline and endorphin rush as well as the change in my physique. I understand why people like my hubby continue building their bodies, even when they aren't competing. He's so lucky to have the metabolism he has. Even with all the gorging we did over the holidays, he still looks amazing (or maybe, I'm just too biased).

On a separate issue, my office hasn't been too far away, even though I was off and didn't want to think about it at all. I think my coworker called 5 or 6 times about this or that issue while I was home. Personally, I feel they were all things she could have figured out on her own. She claims that my knowledge and history in the place are the reasons why I knew the answers to her issues, but I'm not buying it. I trained my last coworker in a full day before the holidays, two years ago. I called her one day during my vacation to answer any questions she had (she only had two). After that, I didn't speak to her again until my return to the office.

During the holidays, we're so slow that I knew it would work out this way with my new coworker. Also, she's been there a year herself but, to no avail. I still got calls. Oh, well. All I can hope for is that one day, she feels secure in what she's doing. Not surprisingly, her personal life is sort of the same way; insecurity in her home and family life, so much so that she's afraid to have children.

So, my last day of lounging tomorrow along with a two-hour hair appointment. My hope is to enjoy every moment of the time off as I've done for the past couple of weeks. Then, spend my work days pining for the next block of time off. Come on spring break!