Cinnamon Roll Buns

The first style here was made by my friend Sarah and I have no idea how she did it.












The second is a pretty simple bun I wore at Christmas that got lots of comments (positive). You basically make it the opposite way you usually make a bun. Instead of spiraling from the inside to the outside, you twist the hair and make the big outside spiral first. Then you go in until the last bit of hair is in the very inside of the bun.

52 Weeks - Week 4

I took this photo earlier in the week, just haven't gotten around to posting it here until now.

Last weekend was a CRAZY winter storm that dumped 20 inches or so of snow on the city. And, despite shoveling the driveway out (multiple times, due to the wind blowing the snow all back in again), I was still unable to leave for work on Monday morning. SHAME!

The plows had not made it to the residential streets yet, so while I could move around comfortably in the driveway, I couldn't get anywhere on the street. So it was a SNOW DAY holiday!

I was excited to take advantage of this rare opportunity, where I wasn't otherwise engaged during daylight hours, to try for some outdoor action shots with Gio. But, while luck was allowing me to have a long weekend due to snow, it would not grant me any decent sunlight for action photos. I got a bunch of dark blurry romping in the snow shots, but nothing worthy of the 52 Weeks project. Instead, I opted for this photo.

Normally, I greatly dislike "shooting down at the dog" photos. They tend to look really amateur to me, so I hope that isn't the vibe with this photo. I love the big goofy grin and the snow all over his face from Sheltie Snow Plowing through the drifts. When the snow piles up between his eyes like this, I always think that it makes his eyes look so tiny and silly!

Vietnamese wedding gifts

The wedding favour has long been a part of every culture's wedding traditions.
It is the way to show your appreciate to the obliging guests who care enough to turn up at your wedding and thank them for this nice gesture with a gift that they will always treasure!

The almost vietnamese wedding celemony use a wide range of wooden souvenir gifts for wedding guests such as, miniature woodcarving of Vietnamese dolls, key chains, pocket mirrors, pocket Business card case, mini boat, jewel-box, clay statues...

This is some picture of them

Shampoo Day!

First thing first....I needed to file my nails. I had some little ridges that I know would have sliced right through my strands.

Prepoo: I separated my hair (with my fingers only) in four sections and applied coconut oil to the entire length, starting about 1/2 - 1 inch from my scalp. Then I braided each section. I left this on overnight. I wore a plastic cap under a hat(for going out in public) until I was ready to wash. I love hats :)

Shampoo: I shampooed once focusing on my scalp with Suave Tropical Coconut Shampoo. I used my Roots Only applicator to apply the shampoo directly on my scalp. After shampooing I noticed that my hair was a lot softer than usual. I think the coconut prepoo had a lot to do with that.

Deep Condition: I like to do an Oil Rinse after shampooing but since I am starting the Castor Oil Challenge I didn't want to overdo it with the oils so I deep conditioned with Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol that was mixed with Olive oil, Rosemary EO, and Peppermint EO.

Right now I have my hair in two braids just resting, I didn't do anything special to it.

Just apply some conditioner prior to braiding and left it alone to air dry.

Styling: I have been wanting to try this style I saw on Essence.com for a long time. I think that is will allow me to reach my scalp with oiling this week so I gave it a shot. Pics coming...

Snowed In!

I hate when NC gets snow because it shuts the entire state DOWN. I am glad that it happened on a weekend in which I had no where to go. Everything I need to do is right here in my house :)

If you are snowed in....stay in! If you have to go out please be careful. Have a great day!

Hooray for Hollywood: Wednesday, Jan 20

Now my trip is a blur, but boy, did I have a blast. I'll still be adding to this particular topic as time goes on. First, we left on Wednesday, and headed into a blizzard, in the Mojave Desert:

I missed the snow. I haven't seen snow in a year. We leisurely got through the snow and hit Los Angeles. I was so excited.

Lula magazine and more clothes for sale...

I just wanted to let you know that I am selling the two previous issues of Lula magazine over in my shop, as I have mentioned before. I am also selling clothes (including a brand new dress). So if you are interested you should go and have a look! Also, the things won't be available for very long since I am soon moving, and for that reason I'm also trying to sell everything other places.




And - just to let you know - the prices have been lowered on all of the items in my shop.

Chiffon Long Sleeves Top

Code: C543
Price: RM 40

Color: Light Grey
Material: Chiffon + Cotton

Size: Free Size
Shoulder:35cm
Sleeves:58cm
Length:56cm
Bust:82cm

Solange Knowles Best

Solange Knowles is not only embracing her new TWA, but she is definitely rocking the style. Check out these pictures from the 2009 MTV Awards, photos taken at Bryant Park, and her photo shoot for Honey Magazine.

Source: Just Jared, Zimbio & Thierry Baptiste

L.A.M.B ‘Zan’ Sandals

Only in my dreams would I have a reason to wear shoes as hot as these!

But it's nice to dream... :-P.

- Source: highsnobette

Castor Oil Challenge: My Planned Routine

Castor oil is really thick and some even say that it smells (I don't smell it *Kanye shrug*). You may find it beneficial to mix the Castor oil with a carrier oil. Carrier oils include:

Sweet Almond Oil	Kukui Nut Oil
Apricot Kernel Oil	Macadamia Nut Oil
Avocado Oil	Watermelon Seed Oil
Meadowfoam Oil	Jojoba Oil
Borage Seed Oil	Sunflower Oil
Seabuckthorn Berry Oil	Hemp Seed Oil
Tea Tree Oil	Sesame Oil
Peanut Oil	Hazelnut Oil
Cranberry Seed Oil	Pecan Oil
Evening Primrose Oil	Pomegranate Seed Oil
Coconut Oil	Grapeseed Oil
Rose Hip Oil	Olive Oil

You can find the majority of these oils in any health food store. Olive oil will probably be the easiest to find-it is in almost every grocery store. From previous information I have read-the greener the olive oil the better. But to be honest, my hair response the same way to olive oil no matter the color.Mixing the olive oil with a carrier oil can be tricky.

If you look at some homemade hair product recipes out there you will notice that when Castor is used, the same amount of carrier oil is used. Some people apply the Castor oil straight with no chaser. The choice is yours. Listen to your hair and give it what it asks for.

The rules of the challenge say to apply at least twice a week. Castor oil has anti-fungal properties so if you have a serious dandruff problem you may want to consider a few additional days a week. The challenge will be going on for a while so feel free to start off slow and adjust your application if needed.

My plans for this challenge (and some things you may want to ponder):

Participation time frame: 2 months (Feb 1 -Apr 1)

Brand used: Walgreen’s Castor Oil and then Home Health Castor oil for the rest of the challenge

Mixing: Castor Oil and Avocado Oil (equal parts of each oil)

Application: Twice a week. Sundays and Thursdays, Sunday is my wash night.

Overall goal for this challenge: Healthier scalp, I put a lot of care into my strands but don’t really pay a lot of attention to my scalp.

I have pledged some serious dedication, I hope I can stick to it. Hold me accountable!

Healthy Hair Care on a Budget

I have noticed a lot of so-called "quality" hair care items can be on the pricey side. So what is a girl on a budget to do? Get creative and put those brain cells to use! Many products can be made right in your own kitchen. I know buying products is more of a convenience...but when you make your own, just make a lot-the amount you would pay for anyway. Additionally, you can make the product just like your hair likes it.

You want a good moisturizing quality shampoo...
Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, because you have to dilute this soap-it lasts quite a while. Search the web for mixing/dilution options

You need a conditoner for cowashing...
VO5 & Suave are two brands that always affordable, sometimes less than $1

Deep conditioners are only good when then cost a lot....NOT!
Get a cholestoral conditioner (Lustrasilk, LeKair) and add some oil (olive, coconut, jojoba, etc) to it. I like to mix 1 cup of conditioner with almost 1/2 cup of olive oil and some essential oils.

Styling Aids....gotta have 'em
Organic Aloe Vera Gel....make it into a spritz, add it to a pomade, or use it to make a holding gel. The options are only limited by your creativity
Sweet Almond oil...a little goes a long way and gives awesome shine

So there you have it wallet friendly cleansing, conditioning, and styling. All it takes is a little research.

Braided Headband

I found this cute braided headband by Conair at the local CVS Store (formally Longs Drugs). I thought it was cute, so I bought it at $7 dollars, which is kind of high for a headband. But decided to get it because it looked like it would last for a long time. The only problem is that the little brown elastic band on the bottom, wasn't big enough - that thing was way to tight when I put it on for the first time. So I cut off the little brown band at the bottem of the headband, and tied on my own little slim black hair tie. It fit much better.

J. Verner -- Summer 2010 EP

         Artist.......  >  J. Verner                                     
         Title........  >  Summer 2010 EP                                
         Genre........  >  House                                         
         Label........  >  HMSPgigital (HMSPmusic)                       
         Cat Nr.......  >  1012D                                         
         Source.......  >  WEB Release                                   
         Quality......  >  320kbps / Full Stereo                         
         Store Date...  >  2010-01-23                                    
         Size.........  >  64.09 Mb                                      
         Duration.....  >  26:42                                         
         Url..........  >  http://www.beatport.com

Tracklist  :

    1    J. Verner - Aqua De La Musica (Original Mix)               
       2    J. Verner - Florido Tambor (Original Mix)                  
      3    J. Verner, Aretha Becken - Jungle Is Life (Revisited Mix)  

Rapidshare.com 

Uploaded.to 

  

Castor Oil Challenge

Recently, I have came across a few videos on YouTube regarding a Castor Oil Challenge upon further investigation I discovered that quite a few of the ladies got this Challenge from Black Hair Media (BHM). The claims from the challenge include growth, healthier scalp, and less split ends. Sounds interesting huh? Well because I am more about maintaining length the healthier scalp and less splits intrigued me. So I decided it's worth a shot. I am going to follow that same rules posted on BHM. Once again, curiosity is getting the best of me. However, this challenge utilizes products that I already know that my hair loves. Therefore, I assume that no harm will be done.

I plan to try this starting on Feb 1 and going until April 1. The ending date also happens to be the date I plan to slow down on protective styles. The air should be moist again-April Showers :)

If you want to join me, I hope this gives you enough time to purchase your Castor Oil and your mixing oil.

My previous post highlight all the other benefits that can be gained from using Castor Oil.

Hair Art

Another cool style by Thierry Baptiste

OMG!!! Eye Candy - Cowin

Here's some eye candy for you. The picture above is model Cowin. He is a featured model on B. Breezy's myspace page.

B. Breezy is also a model, as well as a photographer.

Castor Oil

Since using Castor oil on my hair I have noticed that it has been a lot softer and maintaining moisture better after my moisturizing and sealing regimen. Depending on who I talk to about using this oil-there is potential to get the yuck face, LOL. But it doesn't make me feel bad because they just don't know...there are tons of people out there that use Castor for their hair and not for....you know :)

A few facts I found about Castor oil:

• it is typically found in the laxative section in most stores
• Castor oil contains fatty acids that aid in maintaining hair moisture and prevents drying of the hair and scalp
• Castor Oil is a humectant
• Protects the hair and scalp from infections
• helps to thicken hair (eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair strands)
• Castor oil helps keep the scalp clean between washes
• Castor oil comes from the castor bean and is a vegetable oil

Resources

Wikipedia - Castor Oil

eHow - Castor Oil Treatment

Castor Oil for Hair

Spinach soup.

Recently I've been making this soup at least once a week, but it is so good that I could eat it daily, really. It is a simple and fast soup to make, which also calls for very few ingredients - and what could be better than that?!

Here's how to go about making it:

You need:

- one medim-sized onion
- three cloves of garlic
- frozen spinach
- water
- butter
- flour
- cream
- salt and pepper


1. Thaw frozen spinach. I used about 800 grams since I wanted soup that would last for a few days.


2. Chop the onion and garlic into small pieces.


3. Sauté in a pan on medium heath for 5-10 minutes.


4. When the spinach is thawed, add it to the pan and fill up with water. (Sorry about the blurry photo).


5. While the soup begins to boil melt about 50 grams of butter that you mix with a couple of teaspoons with flour. To that you add a little bit of cream. Add to the soup and stir well.


6. Let it boil for ten minutes and season with salt and pepper as you see fit.


7.Ready!

Snow Day

It appears as if the snow has finally stopped falling. Or, at least has tapered off to a light sprinkling. But the destruction left in its wake is pretty intense!

I live in a city that is used to snow. We're right smack in the middle of the Canadian prairies. We know snow. We know winter. We have the infrastructure to deal with such situations. Weather will rarely stop the city from running as usual.

This morning, the buses stopped running. I have heard tales that, of the 28 buses that were scheduled to be on routes this morning, 12 of them were stuck in snow drifts by the time service was canceled mid-morning. When Saskatoon buses stop running, you know it was some serious weather!

Luckily, it's not too cold out, just snow and wind. So, trying to be optimistic, it could be a heck of a lot worse. Like 40 below kind of worse.

These are the kind of snow days that I like! Enough powdery white stuff to cancel regular plans (like my Sunday afternoon Rally-O classes), but not cold enough to keep us housebound! So out we went to shovel the driveway, the workout from which I am now recovering. Who needs the gym when you have a thousand* pounds of snow to move?

I didn't actually measure how deep the snow was, and the "before" pictures I took didn't look very impressive. So I have called on my handy-dandy furry measuring sticks!

Gio is roughly 19.5" at the shoulder. Romeo is about 14" at the shoulder.

Here I have tossed some of the snow into a pile along the side of the driveway, edged by the neighbour's house. You can see the "smooth" bottom layer and the "chunky" top layer (yes, I thought of peanut butter, too). The smooth layer is where the snow fell, while the chunky is what was tossed on top from other parts of the driveway. The fallen snow layer is about 3" below Gio's shoulder, so one could estimate that there was about 16" of snow on the driveway. It wasn't consistently as thick across the whole driveway though, thanks to the wind.


Of course, the most fun is jumping through the BIG pile of snow near the fence!



I love a good Snow Face!


* May be a slight exaggeration.