OOTD's

Gosh, it's been a while. Not much as gone on in MY world as of lately. I've been spending a lot of unnecessary money on my soc life. SMH. I have nothing else to report so I'll simply post a few of the outfits I've been wearing in the few weeks that have passed...

rent -A-friend

This is a subject that has been lingering around in my head for years now and it took a poem written by my bew Angie for me to finally address it. The poem states how this one individual is working hard to succeed at their dream but they have this weight, their friend who holds them back. Not purposefully or out of malice but because they're simply not taking the same route as you. It's a very touchy subject. I mean, how do you just up and leave your friends behind for your dreams? These may be the very same friends who were there when you received your first kiss or the friend that lent you money when you needed it the most. Maybe it's the friend that was there when your dad died or when your mom was diagnosed with cancer. Are you just supposed to up and leave them after all of that? Then that age old saying came to mind, "Some friends come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime". I can't even begin to express how true that is. I've had so many friends that I thought were gonna be with me for the long road only for the friendship to just evaporate. Of course I'd try to fight for the friend only to realize it's a one-sided fight. People change, grow and move on. And while it's hard to swallow it's probably the truest thing I've ever read.

So, what happens now? Do I become skeptical of who I befriend out of fear that one day we'll no longer be able to bestow that title upon one another? Do I continue to fight for those very friends knowing that there was something that once held us tight like glue? Or do I take it as a lost and accept the small amount of time that that very 'friend' was in my life?

Many rented friends will come into my life from this point on; it's pretty much inevitable. I won't put up a fuss when our time suddenly expires and it's time to turn them back in. I'll simply thank my rented friend for the time they've granted me and move on with my life.

AT LAST.

Those who know me know how dedicated of a Trey Songz fan I am. He's the shit, plain and simple. I've been to so many of his shows but oddly enough I never get to meet him. I have such bad luck when it comes to him. I always come so close only for the Trey door to be shut in my face.

But not this damn time. I met him Monday AND Wednesday. It was great! The show was crazy and he was extra sweet (not that I didn't expect him to be). I also met the members of Day26 and they're very nice. Especially my new bew Que :). There's not too much else to say.

* parting ways

I'm officially in weave withdrawal. I'm so annoyed with my hair and wearing ponytails. I want nothing more than to call Monique (my weave girl) up and have her do my hair. That should be happening in about a month or so. I'm pushing for mid-November. I can't wait. I still have my Bohyme body wave from last year but I think I'm gonna get some other brand. I want body wave but the Bohyme in more natural looking and way thicker.-Here's a few pictures of the looks I'm going for.

i think i'm addicted!

Ever since I decided I wanted to grow my hair out I've turned into some crazed hair junkie. It's weird. Before this I had a 4 hair products tops; a shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner and something to tame my edges with. But now... Well, you guys saw the picture! I can't seem to stop adding on to my already full linen closet. It's like I see something, read it, love it and buy it. SMH.



Last week I blogged about that evil Ojon Sulfate-Free shampoo and how much I hated it. But folks it seems as though I've come across a Sulfate-Free shampoo that I love! It's the DevaCurl No-Poo (and yes it's formulated for curly hair.) My hair is no where close to curly but after listening to my friend Jori rave about it I decided to give it a try. To say that it's amazing would be an understatement. The shampoo doesn't lather hence the title, No-Poo. My hair was left tangle free and soft. I'm not too crazy about the scent (Peppermint and Turkish Rose) but that's something I quickly forget when I run my fingers through my hair.

Here's the description and promises:

No-Poo's lather-free formula cleanses and hydrates severely dry hair and scalp while restoring frizzy and unmanageable curls. Also a superb prescription for color or chemically treated hair. The infusion of peppermint and menthol stimulates the scalp and wakes up curls . . . a must-have in every curly girl's shower caddie.

Ingredients: Aqueous Extracts of: Achilea Millefolium, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria), Cymbopogon Schoenanthus, Humulus Lupulus (Hops), Melissa Offcinalis (Balm Mint), Rosmarinus Offcinalis (Rosemary), Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Laureth-4, Grape Seed Oil, Peppermint Oil, Propylene Glycol, Wheat Amino Acids, Soy Amino Acids, Oat Amino Acids, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Menthol, Fragrance.

This shampoo will knock Ojon Tawaka the hell out of my regimen and I will use it every Monday.




The next product I stumbled across was this Macadamia Healing Treatment Oil. When I first saw it I twisted my lips up all crazy and wondered why this oil was so damned expensive. I mean come on, macadamia oil, I could get that at Whole Foods. Then I read the back of the bottle. It contains both macadamia and argan oil. For those who don't know argan oil is the main oil used in the product Moroccan Oil. Judging by what I read about argan oil I know that it is nothing short of amazing. So I got it... And I LOVE it. First, it smells amazing! But most importantly it leaves my hair soft and shiny. It's not greasy or heavy and a little bit goes a very log way. I believe the results will be more noticeable after long-term use.

Description:

Macadamia Healing Treatment Oil is a therapeutic oil perfect for all hair types and is especially beneficial to dry, damaged hair. Benefits include: intense nourishment, smoothing and a long lasting, tangle-free, frizz-free finish. Hair is ultra-smooth, manageable & shiny. Instant absorption & light-weight, non-greasy feel. Shown proof to extend the life of color treatments by reducing fading. Natural UV protection. Reducing drying time an amazing 40-50%.

I will find a way to squeeze this oil into my regimen.

STUD muffin.

So as you all know thigh-high boots are a huge trend for this Fall/Winter and I lucked up and found some to fit my wider calve. Yaay me. Any who, I purchased the black one's pictured from Torrid but I'm not satisfied (am I ever). A couple days later I was e-shopping again and stumbled upon PURPLE KNEE-HIGH BOOTS. I couldn't believe it. Purple is my favorite color of all time. I was instantly ready to exchange the black for purple but then I realized that I wanted to keep my black. So, I'm going to order the purple this weekend and I'm again not satisfied with doing just that; I want to stud them. Yes, I want to go out and buy a be-dazzler, studs and stud them my damn self. And I'm going to do just that.

I just hope I don't ruin them.

dear summer,

I know you gon miss me...

Chicago had a sucky summer this year leaving me confused on what to wear some days. It was frustrating to say the least. BUT now Autumn is here and I couldn't be happier. I love sweaters, boots and rich colors. The falling leaves and cooler winds have always made me happy. Weird I know...

This is one of the last ensembles I put together for summer. It was pretty random and very comfortable. Those sandals unlike any of my other similar styles sandals are very comfy. The dress is a favorites and sadly I've only worn it twice, once this year and once last year. The vest too is a favorite seeing as though I've had it since high school. I love this look and now as I look at the picture its seems as though it was inspired by Fall.

... we had fun together but like all good things you must come to an end.

No More Tawaka!

sigh. I'm anything but pleased with this Ojon shampoo. I'm shocked because I love Ojon products and have never has an issue with them. This shampoo is very different from their other products which are usually very rich and moisturizing. It could be the whole Tawaka line which is supposed to have a higher percentage of ojon oil and tons of antioxidants. Surprisingly this shampoo doubles as a face wash too.

This shampoo contains no silicons, sulfates or parabens which I thought was perfect for me! Sulfate-free shampoos are rare and the ones that acted as my options weren't quite was I was looking for (Giovanni, Burts Bee, TIGI Bed Head, Kenra, ETC.) Just when I gave up hope and was ready to buy my apple cider vinegar I stumbled across the Ojon cleanser. It sucks! It makes my hair feel dry and strips it of all moisture when i use it (that's a characteristic that comes with regular shampoo!) I washed Monday and had to deal with major untangling which annoyed me. The scent was another thing that annoyed me. It was very strong and reeked of cocoa. Even after using my conditioner and leave-ins I was still able to smell the product in my hair.

Therefore, after finishing this product I will NOT being purchasing it again!

product junkie.

My regimen is still a bit shaky BUT it's getting there. I started with tons of product and wasn't exactly sure of how to balance it in a way that makes sense. Since I've yet to get my trim I've been lazing around and being pretty random when it comes to my hair. That will soon change. I hope...

Sunday:
Pre-Poo - PhytoNectar

Monday:
Wash - Ojon Tawaka Ancient Tribal Rejuvenating Cleanser (Sulfate-Free)
Deep Condition - Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator
Moisturize - Phyto 9 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream
Night:
Leave-In - Infusium 23 Moisturology Leave-In Treatment
Seal - Proclaim Natural 7 Oil W/ Olive Oil

Wednesday:
Co-Wash - Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner
Moisturize - Phyto 7 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream
Night:
Leave-In - Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Leave-In Split End Protector
Seal - Proclaim Natural 7 Oil W/ Olive Oil

Friday:
Co-Wash - Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner
Deep Condition - Joico K-Pak Intense Recontructor
Moisturize - Phyto 9 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream
Night:
Leave-In - Infusium 23 Moisturology Leave-In Treatment
Seal - Proclaim Natural 7 Oil W/ Olive Oil

A few of the items pictures are NOT in my solid regimen but I do use them. The Chi Keratin Mist (purple spray bottle) is something that I used just as a little hair pick-me-up. My Ojon Daily Intensive Shine Treatment and TIGI Bed Head Hair Stick are pretty much styling aids. The Hollywood Castor Oil is simple for my ends and the Phyto Supplements are taken by mouth daily.

This is a bit intense to start off with but I think I can do it. Some changes will be coming soon due to a few of the items pictured running a little low and/or me simply not liking a product.

5 inches is NOTHING.

Sadly my first couple of posts will be about my hair. Bear with me. This is the updated length of my hair; I've yet to get it cut. My ends do seem a bit ragged and I hope that when I do get it cut next weekend that I don't lose too much length.

I want to be bra strap length by my birthday (May 15). I don't this that that's too unrealistic of a goal. It's maybe 4 or 5 inches of growth at the most. I can do it!!!

chronicles of my hair.

There had been countless time where I just wanted to pull a Solange and chop my shit off. I didn't do that for two reasons: one, short hair requires much more attention and money to keep up and two, my face is toooo damn long for short hair. My hair has been through so many extremes within the past 3 or 4 years that it's ridiculous. I'll let the pictures speak.



That's me at 14, my hair at it's longest point. PLEASE disregard my Ronald Isley brows!



This is me at 17. Notice my length is pretty much gone. Prior to the color I was heat crazy. I neglected my hair and my length neglected me :(



AND this people is my hair at it's shortest. My friends teased me that entire night claiming that I looked like a missing member of The Beatles.

My updated length will be in an upcoming post.

confessions of a narcissist.

i'm selfish; plain and simple. this blog is centered around me and only me. some may call it narcissistic but i don't. i view it as the online journal of a young woman who's in search of change and new things. it's odd that these changes in me rooted from sucky areas in my life ( my moms health, my lackluster friends, my wack job, men, etc.)

with this blog i plan to showcase my change be it physically or mentally. my sudden selfish demeanor comes from me wanting better myself in anyway possible. i've learned that i can't focus solely on me when i'm dwelling on a one-sided friendship or holding grudges that only lead to my own tears and frustration. i'm letting go and while that doesn't mean that i'm going to cut myself off completely from the world i do plan to dedicate more energy to myself. had i been spending less time wondering about this guy and that guy or offering apologies that weren't due i'd be better off as a person. or at least i think so.

so, here it is, my blog. note that while it is about me some of the tips dealing with hair, weight loss and fashion can definitely be incorporated into your life.