Curls vs.Towel

When I first decided to start playing with my hair I found a book called Curly Girl at a local bookstore. I read it and thought about it but never actually applied any of it. I didn't really know where to start. It did help me to classify my curl type though. This is very helpful if you get involved with any of the discussion boards on nc.com. My curl type is 3a or b. Erin's is a 2. Click here to figure out what your curl type is. Last May I found a website, http://www.naturallycurly.com/ (nc.com for short), and it changed my life.

Curly Girl taught me about my hair. So did Tiffany, who is a hair stylist in Florida. I learned tons through her page. Another source that I used was Laura Lee. Both of these bloggers are curlies and are using the Curly Girl method even if they modify it sometimes (soap bars, low poos, you'll learn more about that later). Curly Girl method consists of not using silicons in your conditioners and stylers, and breaking up with your shampoo. It has lots of other stuff involved and can seem daunting to start but here are a few pointers to start. First, even before breaking up with your shampoo, break up with your towel.

Curly hair needs more moisture then straight hair. Towels pull as much moisture out of your hair as possible. This lack of moisture is in part what causes frizz. So for my sanity and your hairs, make your hair a no towel zone. I clip my hair up after I rinse my conditioner out while I dry my body then do the rest of my routine upside down to stay mostly dry and get the most curl possible.

So for now, continue what your doing and just switch from using a towel to dry your hair to one of these.

I just use one of my old t-shirts. I turn that bad boy inside out, put one hand in the neck hole and one in through the bottom of the shirt and use it to scrunch out the water, rotating the t-shirt as it gets too wet. Scrunching out the water instead of wrapping the t-shirt around my head like a towel promotes curl formation too. Two great things just from changing one thing that you don't even spend any money on. Gotta love that!

So starting today, don't touch those tresses with a towel, from now until the end of time. Starting you out easy. Don't worry I'll get you more involved soon. Test this out today and let me know what you think.

A year and a half ago.....

Just before my Grama got sick, a little over a year ago, I decided I was going to embark on an adventure. You see, I'm a Curly Girl. My mom has some wave to her hair and my dad has curl. It was passed down to me. As a little girl, leave in conditioner didn't exist. We didn't use a detangler on my baby tresses. This caused me to keep it pretty short. This is me and my siblings. My hair is actually pretty long for me in these shots.

As I grew up, no one really was guiding curly girls specifically. We were lumped in with everyone else and told to use shampoo and conditioner. In high school, I remember, they started coming out with lines of product for Curly hair. Panteen and a few others were trying to sell to a broader group. My hair was so dried out and frizzy. I just didn't know what to do with it. I ironed it to make it straight, but that was too much work. In general it was pulled up. My mom didn't have the curls I did so she didn't know how to help. It most often looked like this through high school and college.

For my wedding I used product and diffused the crap out of it. I loved it. It was springy and curly and full. Lovely, but let me tell you about then next morning. I sat in the shower for twenty minutes letting conditioner soak into my tresses to help my comb make it through the mess without ripping most of my hair out. That's how most of my formal day afters went.

This is a normal day. My hair would have been washed with shampoo and conditioner, which ever my preference at the time, towel dried and then styled with gel and left to air dry. My curls were not clumpy and shiny. They were very susceptible to the weather and would break up and frizz easily.

Something this period in my life taught me was not to touch my hair. The more I touched the worse it looked.

I was tired of not being happy with my hair and had lots of thoughts of chopping it to my shoulders. I wanted something more like this.

So my quest began slowly. I googled curly hair. I began talking to people with curls. I explored the beauty section in the bookstore. I was looking for anything that would help me in this area that I was totally lost in.

To be continued.......

Post to come.

I have been getting a lot of questions about my hair routine. Therefore, I will be working on a post just about my hair routine and the products I use. More to come.... and pictures!

Slacker, That's what I am.

So my life hasn't been unmanageable, busy or full of drama. Really I've just been lazy on the blogging front. This will be an update post.

First off Oliver is this weekend. Tonight is dress rehearsal. The show is coming together, more slowly then the director would like, I'm sure, but coming together. Costumes are finally done. My dress was in the making for weeks. You'll have that when you have over 100 people in the show though. Brad is not doing Oliver this year but I'm trying hard to convince him to be involved next year in Ragtime. I think I may win him over.

Last Thursday was Brad's birthday. He turned 33. It's funny to see the amounts of happy birthday wishes that are received on Facebook. So many people that you never talk to, maybe FB stalk once in a while, decide to swing by and give you a happy birthday wish. It's strange really. Anyhow, the family pitched in and got him a PSP. I think he likes it. I've played with it a bit and it's kind of fun.

The latest update on school is Brad has decided to withdraw. So we are back into limbo, kind of. He had an interview on Tuesday and is waiting to hear back on that. Hopefully we'll know by the middle of next week. It seems to be a great fit for him in a Children Literacy Lab. Send those prayers out for him.

Life is moving along. The summer seems to be flying by.

Sister Pictures

A month or so ago Erin and I went and had a session with Kama. Kama was Erin's wedding photographer and also did my Trash the Dress session. We have always had so much fun with Kama. When Erin decided she needed some head shots done, she called Kama up and booked a time slot. She knew it wouldn't take long and wanted to make full use of her time so she asked if I would like to come along. Why not! Who doesn't like to have picture fun? Ok, Brad doesn't, but I enjoy it so.....

Anyhow, we decided to do some 40's-ish, vintage feeling shots. And this is some of what came from that photo shoot.


This shot is so typical of Erin and I.

Laverne and Shirley!

I like this shot a lot. I think it really shows our friend ship and how we are together.

Isn't she beautiful. She has really matured and become a beautiful young lady. Inside and out!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

The many faces of Erin. She has always been a photographer of herself. You know, those shots where you hold the camera and take pictures of yourself making whatever faces and trying to get the best shot out of the 50 or so you take. That's Erin. I think this, in general, makes her more comfortable in front of the camera.

We had a great time catching up with Kama and talking about life and family pictures that we were going to have done with Kama a few weeks after this session. Picture time with Kama is anything but dull. Thanks Lady, the shots turned out amazingly well!

Summer Show

It's that time of the year. SUMMER MUSICAL TIME! It starts out with auditions Memorial Day weekend. I never audition but always go to support Erin as she auditions. Jake usually goes too, so we have a good time discussing the other people there and hanging out. Then chorus rehearsals begin. 100 people hanging out in the choir room, waiting until it's our turn to run our part. This year there is no waiting because there are no parts. It's very strange to sing with this group of people without parts. However, we get to sit next to who ever we want to..... even a boy!

Brad is not doing the show this year. Partially because of the craziness that is our life, partially because of the show that was chosen this year. That's right folks, we are doing the second show in 3 years to have the most kids ever in it. This years show is.....

I don't think I will do this show again if I'm around the next time they choose to do it. Next year is Ragtime, an interesting choice for this group.

It's interesting to see all the old faces mixed in with the new high schoolers and people that have never done a summer show. Some I like, some I wish would just go home and some that I hoped would be back are not. I know there are a few people that usually do the show that have chosen not to because of the show being Oliver. However, with Oliver they can guarantee to get butts in the seats. Overall, I think I will still love the experience.

So, in conclusion ..... Oliver, the weekend after July 4th, sweet!

2 Years!

Yesterday I tried to post but... stupid Blogger was acting up. So here is my anniversary post, a day late.

2 years ago, yesterday, Brad and I were having one of the best, most memorable days of our life. We told the world that we wanted to be together and love each other till death do us part. I often think of that day. The happiness and love that surrounded us was more then I ever expected. I have many wonderful memories of our wedding day.

Since then, we have made many more wonderful memories. I wouldn't trade a day in between June 7th, 2008 and now. Even when we fight and especially when we float on that cloud. I love that two years in there are days that I still float on a cloud of love.

Thank you for two years and I hope we have many, many more together. I love you more every day and am so glad that I am who you chose to spend the rest of your life with. Happy anniversary!