Ok, I'm not great at keeping up with a journal, but here goes. I'm currently trying to grow my hair long, beautiful, healthy, and thick as I can. I'm growing out damaged locks and can't wait till it's all one color, my natural color at that.

My hair has been through a lot in my 27 years. I've got a fun collage of my hair history from when I started to mess with it....should update this to include pictures from my first haircut at 12....but for now this will have to do. The first pic shows me at 15, the last is current.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/hairhistory.jpg

Tee hee hee, that is so silly to see.

EDITED TO ADD:
I've decided to start a color key to comment on products.
Products and procedures in red are things that do not work for my hair.
Products and procedures in green are things that work well for my hair.
Products and procedures in orange are things that are so so, not impressive, or don't much affect my hair.
Products I want to try in purple

I may add more color codes later, but for now this will do.

I'm a bit distressed after my ACV disaster. I'm not sure if I can take trying it again...think I may, but not for a while.

I'm thinking of going to CO, but am not sure what conditioner to use. I've been using AO, but I'm not so sure I'll like it as CO. So the never ending search continues. I'm also trying to locate a very gentle shampoo, perhaps a clay one. I'm not sure if the AO shampoo contributed at all to the painful irritated scalp, but it's possible. Hmmm.

On a positive note, I'm loving my first batch of misting spray. I've used Distilled water, a touch of jojoba, eo rose absolute, and eo lavender. It smells so yummy and makes my hair moist and soft. I use it lots throughout the day. It helps my updos go smoothly and is good at keeping the wispy hairs in place. It hasn't, however, soothed my scalp. This is a new issue for me and I'm not quite sure how to resolve it. My HAIR loved my old CWC routine, but my scalp was suffering. ARGH!

Woo Hoo! Scalp feels good. Thanks to the recommendations I received here I decided to do a pre-wash scalp oiling, CO style first wash, and purchased a new gentle shampoo (Mastey Traite). The shampoo was great, the best shampoo I've used in a while. It felt so moisturizing, but my hair was absolutely clean after washing. Even got out the masses of oil I had put on my scalp. I conditioned pretty much as usual, with AO's GPB conditioner. Then I did my usual wet bun....and now, it feels so soft. It's so nice to no longer be in scalp pain. I hope the pain doesn't return.

I also purchased California Baby's sensitive shampoo...but decided to try the Mastey first. I'll save the California Baby till after several shamps.... just to make sure I'm all healed and such. The California Baby seems gentle...but the Mastey seems so much more moisturizing. Just felt so nice while I used it.

Well, horray...Happy day. Looking forward to my next wash...Friday.

Some new hair toys from Nordstrom today. I'm in trouble with a Nordstrom so close with all those lovely hair goodies. Purchased my first two Ficcares and my second France Luxe. They are wonderful...now I just need to figure out how to use the large Ficcare. I really need to work on my french twist. I'm just totally uncoordinated with it. Ah well... maybe I can find some good tips somewhere. I wonder if trying it on damp hair will make it easier. It's funny 'cause I could do it with BS length hair...but the almost tailbone length seems to have become a problem.

Anyway...here's an image of the lovely new toys. My poor purse is now empty. :x Can't splurge like that again for a while.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/hairclips.jpg

Ok...here is my attempt at a french twist with my new ficcare. The pic is so grainy...can't wait till I get a real digital cam to replace my horrible web cam.

The twist took a very long time for me to actually get. I'm still not terribly happy with it....guess I just need lots and lots more practice. It is so much harder to do with longer hair. Argh.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/frenchtwist.jpg

It's funny to see how my old damaged lighter hair looks right next to my much darker natural color. My buns look funny like that too...I'll have to take a pic of one someday for a good comparison. Can't wait till it's all one color. Unfortunately I'll have to.

Thank goodness, my scalp is still in good condition after my second shampoo with the Mastey. I'm so relieved.

I conditioned with AO Honeysuckle today. OOOH do I love the way that stuff smells. It is so expensive though....wish I could find a place that sells it cheaply and in bulk. I would slather it all over myself daily if I could.

I'm a little concerned as I've been seeing some shedding of shoulder length hairs lately...I'm not sure if this is unnatural or not. I'm used to seeing the really long buggars fall out, but the shorter ones should stay in my head till they are the length of the longer ones shouldn't they?

Don't know what to do about this since I hate taking large pills and vitamins are consequently not an option for me. Then again this could be nothing. It's not huge clumps falling out or anything, just a few hairs.

Guess it's time to research fallout.

Went to Disneyland and California's great adventure yesterday, so I wore my hair in a braid most of the day, then a bee butt bun for the rest of the day. My husband kept begging me to wear it down. I explained how it was too windy to have it down, and would get all tangled on the rides. After we were done with the rides..the butt started to fall out. DH begged me to just put it down, so I did. Pulled it down and finger combed it. He looked so happy. Just stood behind me for a few minutes looking at my hair. He is so sweet. It really made me feel good that he appreciates my hair. I'll have to make an effort to wear it down more often for him.

Can't wait to get my MP pocket so I can keep it down more often without danger of not being able to detangle.

Hair feels really soft today. It's in a quasi french twist held with my large ficcare. The updo is very comfortable.

Doing a deep treatment as I write using AO GPB. This is the first time I have ever used GPB for a deep treatment. Come to think of it, this is the first deep treatment I have done since summer....recent GM visit excluded.

I tried to go to GM salon to buy 12 min conditioner, but alas they were out. So this will have to do. My hair still felt clean from Friday's wash, but the ends were feeling quite dry and Monday is my usual wash day. So, I cleansed very lightly using the Mastey Traite, and applied loads and loads of GPB. I've got my head wraped in what was once a very hot and wet turbie towel, but the towel is now dripping, and cool. Hmmm...

I tried to buy a heat cap today as well, but it seems that Sally's doesn't carry them in my local store. Guess I'll have to purchase on-line after all. Now I just must decide if I want to get a plug in or microwave one. I'm leaning towards plug in cause I'm not sure microwave one will stay warm long enough...guess I'll have to ask people on the boards.

I (shame on me) washed my hair while taking a bath today. I love baths and miss them so much. It's just not comfortable to take a bath with my hair up, so I've been banished to showers. But today I decided to chance it. Hopefully it won't have caused much damage.

Will write more after my hair has finished cooking.

Ok, bit disapointed in the results of the deep treatment. Guess I didn't rinse well enough. Thought I did, but my hair is tacky and dull. Now I'll have to wash again tomorrow...lest things get miraculously better by tomorrow morning. It doesn't feel really bad, just not soft like it usually after a wash. I'll try it again when I get the 12 min conditioner. And maybe a heatcap.

Ok, I'll never use the GPB as deep treatment again. Washed my hair today...twice...conditioned it 3 times (CWCWC) plus a leave in. My hair is finally feeling ALMOST normal. It's still a bit tacky. Wow...wonder why I had that reaction. It also feels kind of brittle. Ugh...what a mistake. Oh well, now I know. Hopefully it will be back to normal after my next wash. Don't know when that will be...I'll try to make it to Friday, but it depends on what my hair needs.

I'll wait a while for my next deep treatment attempt...maybe a few weeks. Think I'll try either the coconut milk or 12 minute conditioner next time. It can't possibly go worse than this try.

My hair seems to finally be getting back to normal. It is STILL a bit sticky in the length...but not nearly as bad as it was. It is finally getting soft and managable again. I'm still loving the Mastey and my scalp hasn't bothered me for a while.

I'm looking into deep treatments...i just ordered a microcap and am looking forward to trying it out. I think I may try the ARTec Moisture Pac with it. I haven't yet used the pac...but I used to use the ARTec S&C and really liked it so I imagine the Pac may work well for me. I'll also try the 12 min conditioner and am keeping my eye out for other good deep conditioners.

I'm going to measure in a few minutes...but I noticed yesterday when getting ready for my shower that my hair was touching the top of my vertical smile...guess that means I'm finally at tailbone length? I hope so...just a few (well, several) more inches to my goal of classic. Woo Hoo!

I'm a little ashamed to say that I went to Nordstroms again...I didn't buy one of the headbands I wanted last time...so I decided to go back and get it...Then I decided I needed a medium Ficcare to use for pony tails...My large and small are good for everything but a ponytail. Now I only need to get the innovation cilp for use in buns.

Anyway...mom is here to take me and DH to Universal Studios...I have to figure out what I'm going to do with my hair. :D

Just posting again cause I measured (a day early) with Mom's help. She got 35.5 inches...Hmmm, last month I got 34 inches...I must have measured wrong cause I KNOW I didn't gain an inch and a half...though I did notice my hair at tailbone yesterday which I have never noticed before...even before my last GM trim. Well, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. My goal is listed as 36 inches, but I'd like to add maybe 4 inches to that to an even 40 inches. Don't know if it will make it, but I'd love to see if I can make it to classic.

Will go look for some deep treatments tomorrow. Going to buy ARTec Moisture Pac if I can find it. I may also purchase a new regular conditioner. I'm not altogeather convinced that the remaining stickyness in my hair isn't due to my conditioners. Ah well, the experiments continue.

Wash day today.

It went well I think. I tried to get the ARTec Moisture Pac at the store where I had seen it, but they no longer carry it. GRRRR! Now I'll have to see if I can find it elsewhere. Instead of the Pac, I purchased a few sample sizes....I got the All Soft conditioner and Heavy cream and Wella Flash Flood. Will try these when I get the Microcap.

I then went to RiteAid to get some light conditioners to begin experimenting with CO. I got Suave Natural Strawberry something and Suave Humectant....I tried them both out for the first C in my CWC, each on one half of my hair. I was SO surprised at the Suave Natural...it felt reallly slippy and nice. No WONDER people use it for CO...it really seems like it would do the trick. The other was nice also, but I was really impressed with the Suave Natural.

I also purchased the Aussie 3 minute miracle. I used to use the 3mm lots several years ago...before I cut my hair the last time...and loved it. I don't know why I didn't keep using it. I used it for the last C in my CWC today. When I put my hair up in a wet bun it felt so slick and soft. Now that the hair next to my scalp is almost dry, it feels GREAT. My hair felt so good after the shower that I skipped my usually Jojoba step. We'll see if I still love it when I take the bun down.

On a side note. I can't wait till my formerly colored length is completely grown out. Maybe I should measure how much of my length is au natural to see how long it will be till I reach my hair health goal AND my goal length. I'm bound to add years and years of dissatification this way.

OK, I have aprox. 20 inches of natural/virgin hair. That means about 20 more inches till I reach my goal of healthy 40 inches of hair. So at a half inch a month I have a little more than 3 YEARS left before I reach my goal. UGH! :evil:

I swear I will NEVER color again as long as I shall live!

Just wanted to note a momentous event. I wore my hair down all day today. It was fun, my long hair flowing down all around me. Several of my co-workers commented on how long and nice it looked. It hasn't seemed to have gotten too tangled...of course I haven't tried to comb it yet. Anyway...It's really thick and wavy today...guess that's cause I washed yesterday and it hasn't flattened out yet.

Ooooo Oh yeah! I forgot...I used my new Good Hair Days pins for the first time last night for my top of the head bun to sleep in. It was great...worked really well, stayed in all night, and my head didn't hurt at all. I'm so excited...I'd been braiding, but so many of the hairs at the nape of my neck were escaping that I was concerned that I was doing more damage than good with the braids. I'm glad to now have this other option. I had tried scrunchi bun, but they hurt so much. Woo Hoo for my new pins.

Ah, what a day...maybe I'll wear it down again tomorrow...We'll see.

What a nice hair day. My hair was so soft from the misting I did before bed last night. I love my new mister, it douses more than it mists...I like that, a nice thick spray.

I wore my hair down for some of the day, in a braid for some of the day, and then in that "waterfall twist". One of my students said I should wear it like that all the time...it's so pretty. It was a nice compliment.

I couldn't stop touching my hair, so nice and smooth. ANYWHO.
I came home to a package in my mailbox. I GOT MY MICROCAP! WOO HOO!!! :D I'm so excited...why oh why isn't today my wash day? Ah well, guess I'll have to wait till Friday to test it out. I hate waiting, but OOOH maybe I'll get my Madora comb by then and I can play with the two things together. Yippy! I love getting new hair stuff. Now I only need to find the perfect deep conditioner. I think I'm just going to try an Olive Oil treatment. I've never used Olive Oil for my hair, but I'm interested to try. Or maybe I'll use Coconut oil....hmmm...or just jojoba....choices choices choices. I hope the cap works well for me. Ok, that's all for now.

Today was a rather uneventful hair day. Tomorrow is wash day so I misted heavily and put my hair in a loose cinamon bun secured with my plain wood sticks. I looked very music teacher which is fun. I took the bun down about 10 min. ago and it was one very large spiral curl. It's funny when that happens. The hair on the outside of the curl is dry, but the hair on the inside is still rather wet from the misting. It feels pretty good, perhaps too conditioned to do a deep treatment tomorrow. I'll see how it feels in the morning. I'm anxious to try my new heatcap but I don't want to over condition.

*sings* Oh when, oh when will I get my Madora comb...I can't wait. I lost my seamless comb for a few days and was "freaking out". Thank goodness I found it this morning...but I still can't wait for the Madora...then I can use my current comb as a travel comb for my purse. I can't believe I don't have a comb for travel. I only recently got a pocket MP BBB for travel. I don't know what I was thinking. At least now the situation is remedied.

I realized today that I don't remember what it's like to have short hair. I read some of the journals by people with shoulder length hair and wondered... did my hair tangle when it was shoulder length...I don't even remember. I do remember that my hair seems A LOT thicker when it's short, also it's much much wavier at shoulder length...but other than that, I don't remember life with short hair. I don't remember how I took care of it...don't remember what S&C I used, I guess I just didn't think about it then. I can't help but think about it now. Guess you can't really ignore hair that can get caught in a car door or stuck under your husband when you sleep. Now I have to think about my day...what I'm going to face and be prepared hair wise....even when my hair was mid-back I didn't have to think about it like I do now. I don't mind this at all...it's just interesting. I don't know if I can do it forever...but for now I'm determined to see how long it will get. I will likely cut back to either waist or mid-back after I reach my goal...but you never know...perhaps when my hair is all one color and finished growing, I may decide I can't live without it.

Wow...this really turned out to be a long entry...I was just going to write that I had nothing to report. Hmmmm...weird. :?

I can't believe I did this.

Yesterday after I took my bun down...I never combed it. I just let the goofy looking single spiral seperate itself as the evening progressed...it looked rediculious, but I didn't really mind...I planned to comb it just before I put it up for bed.

Well, aparently I fell asleep on the couch last night. My husband was able to wake me up enough to get into bed, but he had to undress me. I don't remember any of this. I woke up this morning....I SLEPT WITH MY HAIR DOWN :!: UGGGH, It looks SOOO bad now...I'm thinking of taking a pic just for the fun of it. I'm not sure though that I want everyone to see how bad it can look. I guess the only consolation is that it never ever ever looks like this.

I joked that I should get really dressed up...full face of make-up...evening wear, the whole 9 yards and leave my hair like this just to see what sort of reaction people will have.

I hope no real damage was done. Today is wash day so I will report after the wash as to the condition of my mane.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/slepton.jpg

Ok...did a deep treatment today with my new MicroCap. It took a very long time for the cap to get warm in my microwave...I must have had it in there for over 2 min. total.

ANYWAY...I did the treatment using simply a mixture of jojoba and my AO Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner...just cause it smells so nice. I left the mixture in for about an hour. Results seem pretty good so far. My hair is soft and easy to comb...no tangles. The matted look from this morning is all gone. I DID however lose a lot of hair in the shower today. I'll be sure to not let this happen again. Well, at least I'll try very hard.

So here is an updated pic...a huge improvement over this morning.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/2o6o3.jpg

double post

DH and I went out on the town today. Before we left, were standing on our porch discussing how beautiful it was outside....it was great weather...probably 75 degrees out and calm, so I decided it would be a good day to wear my hair down. I pulled back the sides and braided it just a little to keep wispies out of my face and off we went. It looked beautiful if I do say so myself...very stylish.

WELL, after we parked, we got out of the car and WHOOSH!!!! The wind was unbelievable. Gusts like I haven't felt in a while. I had to hold onto my poor locks very tight, lest they would fly away in the tumbling breezes. Ugh...that'll teach me to wear my hair down. LOL Ah well. Now they are only slightly tangled...I did fairly well at keeping them under control. Phew! What an adventure.

Washed my hair today....a day early. I wasn't supposed to wash till tomorrow, but was in quite a funk today. I was feeling very depressed, which can be dangerous for my hair. You know the hair is the first thing to go in a deep depression. So rather than contemplate a cut, I showered and did a CO, actually I did a CCCCO. It was a really long shower, and I didn't want to dry my hair out, so I kept adding conditioner. It feels fine... not really any different than usual, maybe not quite as full, but it's not much different. I also didn't have the energy to put it into an updo to dry/set. Just left it down, so it's not as pretty as usual, but looks fine.

Unfortunately now I'm all off schedule...I may have to do a mid week wash to get back to normal.

Still haven't gotten my Madora comb...I'm hoping it will arrive tomorrow. Ordered a hairstick from TnT designs site today...just a single stick...I can't yet justify the pair I REALLY want, maybe after next payday...I wonder if she'd let me reserve them...hmmmm. Something to think about.

Made a new collage...I posted it on the Mane Board...but thought why not post it again here...just for my own comparison.

I've been noticing my regrowth a lot lately...it's unbelieveable HOW different my natural hair is from this bleached crap. It seems like completely different hair. It's absolutely coarse...I remeber having coarse hair as a child...my brothers used to tease me that it was like horses hair. It was very thick and strong. The bleached hair is sooooo thin in comparison..and absolutely weak. It's funny because my natural hair is very wavy and has loads of body. I'm noticing a lot of breakage right at the botom of my natural growth. It looks like the dyed length has no strength in comparison to the natural stuff, and therefore it just gives up and breaks off. I've seriously been thinking about a chop due to the difference in hair texture. I'm just sort of afraid that the hair will become so thin and scragly at the last 10 inches. The color difference really only bothers me a little...I've been living with it for so long now, but the texture difference is so strange.

Ok, here's the collage.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/colordifferences.jpg

The first shows just a few inches of regrowth, the second shows when I tried to correct with robert craig, the last three show what it looks like now. Just 3 years to go till it's all fixed. I'm contemplating a vitamin regimen to try and get growth to be as fast as possible. If I cut, I'll cut to mid back probably...but I'm gonna wait a while to see if this urge passes. Or maybe I'll wait till my goal length....I dunno. I want to see if I can reach my goal length...I've got at least 10 more months till 40 inches...but I may never reach it with my hair like this. If I cut, I would cut to about 30 inches...then I'd have 20 months. It doesn't look HORRIBLE yet, so I'm gonna hold off on any scissor action till it becomes unbearable, which could be as soon as next week. :? ARGH, why can't it just be easy?

NO MORE COLOR, NO MORE COLOR, NO MORE COLOR...this is my new mantra

OK, I know I already posted today, but I'm so excited....Why you ask? Because something very special came in the mail for me today. Was it my Madora Comb? No.... was it my new TnT hairstick? (that would be amazing 'cause I only ordered it yesterday) Nope. It was my Small Ficcare Innovation that I purchased from RosePetal on the Swap Spot. It's so pretty. I love it. It's quite small and can only handle a little of my hair, but it looks so pretty in a half (or rather 1/8th) up do. A pic, a pic, it's time for a new pic.

Drumroll Please........................

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/ficarre.jpg

Ta-da!

Horrah, THANKS ROSEPETAL!!!! :D :D

Now I just need a medium and a large...then my collection will be...uh, just barely started....I'm kinda' addicted to the hair toys. :oops:

FASCINATING! I finally tried adding honey to my conditioner. Wow, it really brought out my waves, especially in the virgin growth. It's not all dry yet, but so far it's very intriguing. My hair doesn't feel any softer or more moisturized than usual, but I'll reserve my final judgement on this point 'till my hair is completely dry. It is slightly enhanced in the shine department, and BOY OH BOY did it smell good when I applied it. I mixed it with my Suave Strawberry Naturals Conditioner. YUM!

I got more goodies in the mail yesterday. My Madora Comb arrived. I must admit, it's not really any better than what I was using (an Umberto seamless wide tooth comb), but it IS a few inches longer and therefore detangles a bit quicker. My Umberto was actually the same price...so I suppose the Madora is a better value.

Along with my lovely new comb came the GM samples I ordered. I got the cream rinse, the detangler spray, the instar spray, and the styling gel. I sampled the detangler and the instar a bit last night. I actually LIKE the smell of the GM products. It reminds me of the way I smell for days after a treatment. I'm looking forward to trying the other products, but one hair experiment at a time. I will wash again Friday and will try something new then.

I'm currently only awaiting one more delivery, my TnT stick. I....must....resist.....the...urge to...order....more.....hairtoys...

Nah, can't...I still need a shower filter, and two more sizes of Ficcare Innovations. I can't stand when I'm not expecting a fun new package in the mail.

Yippie! I got my TnT Design Hairstick today. The lampwork bead is simply lovely. of course I must post a pic, so here goes.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/hairstick.jpg

Hope that turns out o.k. I just quickly threw my hair into a makeshift bee's butt. I kind of like those ends sticking out like that...it looks casual and cute.

Went to the gym today, finally...it's been a while. It's too bad that I was having such a nice hair morning. My hair has been so very soft these past few days. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's just the honey. Hmmm. Dunno.

Today was wash day. I did a two step CO. "Washed" with the Suave Naturals (I love that stuff) and "Conditioned" with my sample of Redken's All Soft Conditioner. It's got a cone in it, so I'm not so sure how it's going to turn out. I wasn't a fan of how it felt while I was applying it, but post shower detangling was a snap. It's down and drying now and it's hard to tell exactly what the result will be. So far I have mixed feelings. It seems to be pretty soft with average shine, but the ends feel kinda dry. Also, it's not as thick and full as it usually is after a wash. Cones often make my hair kind of limp and sometimes crunchy/dry. Well, I'll reserve my final judgement till tomorrow.

Speaking of cones, I found an interesting website discussing cones today that I posted on the mane board, but I want to put a link here in case I lose it. http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/silicone_use.html

Well, guess that's all for now. Valentines tomorrow...what to do with the hair? Ugh, the eternal question, DH loves it down, so I'll probably aim for that. Maybe I'll even do an oh SO rare curling.

OK, so I attempted to do something a little special with my hair for valentines, though DH and I had a gloriously uneventful day. We just did a little shopping and saw "50 First Dates" last night.

I decided to try a new updo...I tried the one Jen W. posted in the Long Hair Loom...here's a link http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=242462&messageid=1061427557

Now mind you, mine isn't nearly as lovely as hers, but in my defense it was my first ever attempt at the do. Next time I will certainly use something to smooth the hair better. But it was fun anyway, and felt so secure. It was comfortable most of the day, but late in the evening my head started to ache just a little. Before we went out, I put in my new TnT stick (see above) for some ornamentation.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/hairdoattempt.jpg

I'm about to wash...to CO or not to CO, that is the question. I'm enjoying the CO, but my hair is getting greasier a bit sooner than usual these days. I'm not really positive it's the CO though. I don't mind washing more often...3 x's a week has been kinda' nice.

I found a new detangling and moisturizing trick that worked really well for me. My hair was quite dry, tangly, and frizzy after my hair rejected the Redken All Soft Conditioner. I wanted to quickly moisturize/detangle my sad/dry hair before bed, so I took some of my semi solid Shea Butter/Coconut Oil/ Jojoba mixture and smoothed it on the very soft boar bristles of an old inexpensive brush and brushed through (well, over) my hair. Holy softness batman! I couldn't believe how well that worked to tame the frizz, detangle, and soften.

I've had that brush for a long time, but the brush is too soft to even think about penetrating my hair, so I never used it. Actually, it became a cat brush for a while. Because of the extreme softness of the bristles, however, I didn't need to worry about the bristles tearing my hair at all. The tangles just smoothed right out. It was great and I'm so excited to have a new technique in my hairy bag of tricks. Think I'll do it again now before I shower.

Off to wash...

Horrah! A conditioner success! Would you believe it, my hair liked the Wella Flash Flood Conditioner! It felt great while wet, and great when it dried. My hair is still very soft since yesterday's wash.

I ended up doing a CWC. My hair didn't feel clean after the first C, so I decided I needed to Shampoo. I diluted my Mastey Shampoo and washed the scalp. I left the Wella in for about 6 minutes, and washed with lukewarm water. Great results. No frizz, no dryness, nice full/soft hair. Back to normal. I think I'll go ahead and buy a full size of the Wella Flash Flood and keep it in the rotation.

So far regulars in my wet care rotation are: Mastey Traite Shampoo, Sauve Naturals for CO, AO Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner, AO GPB Conditioner, Wella Flash Flood Conditioner.

Still need a good moisturizing instant conditioner, and another deep conditioner for use with my heat cap. The suave is great for the first C in a CO, but not quite moisturizing enough for Shampoo days. The Wella was great, but I don't want to have to wait 7 minutes each wash day.

There are several things I still want to try...let's see how many I can remember.
Mastey Freehair Conditioner, ARTec Moisture Pac, Goldwell Dry & Porous Intensive Treatment (for deep treatment), the 10 in one I can't find, Ion Hardwater Conditioner, at some point I'd like to try the MM products as well. Shea Moisture Shea Butter Leave-in, wow, there's a million things. Also, I still need to try coconut milk as a deep treatment.

PHEW!

I'm not even done yet.

DH and I went to California Adventure today to celebrate both our day off and our 6 month lunaversary...wore my hair in a half up style, secured with a France Luxe claw clip. My hair is a bit tangled now, but it doesn't seem to be too bad. It was fun having my hair down in public all day. I brought a pony tail holder just in case, but didn't need it.

I saw a few lovely long hairs at there today, but no one with hair longer than mine. WOO HOO!

I'm psyched about the Wella Flash Flood Conditioner! My hair STILL feels great. This is amazing since I've worn it down every day since I washed it.

I wore it down at California Adventure, wore it down yesterday at work and at home, wore it down again to day. It looked so full and still felt soft even today. I can't believe it. It's a little tangled...but nothing unusual. I mean it HAS been down all day, and it was a fairly active day. I don't imagine these tangles will be any more difficult to get out than yesterday's....they were a breeze.

Yippy for a new conditioner!

It's been a while since I posted. Just getting busy these days. I finally got the GM 12 min. conditioner yesterday and used it with my microcap. I left it on with the heat cap for about an hour. I'm very pleased with the results. As I rinsed it out, my hair felt so much thicker. It was odd. I didn't put in any detangler or oil like I usually would because I wanted to see what the 12 min would do on its own. My hair still feels nice and thick. It's soft, but tangles fairly easily...next time I'll be sure to use some sort of leave in.

It appears that the ARTec moisture pac I was so excited about trying no longer exists. Oh well...the search continues. I bought some coconut milk, if that works like people say it does, I may not need to find a new deep conditioner.

So I measured today. DH confirmed that I'm at 36". I've reached my first goal. Now let's see if I can make it to classic.

I've purchased three new pairs of sticks...can't wait to get them. I kinda went crazy for hair stuff these past few days. I bid on some Graydog sticks, but alas, they bacame too rich for me. Perhaps some day.

Look, the smiles are back....Happy Day! :sun:

Horrah! New sticks. I'm so excited. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE :love: the Sophie and Lucy Hairsticks from. http://www.hairstiks.com/ The sticks are so smooth and they look so sophisticated and flawless. It's amazing how smoothly they glide into my hair. They are also a pleasure to order from. I can't believe how quickly I got these sticks. I ordered them late Friday and they were in my mailbox today (Monday). There are several other sticks I've got my eye on there, but one pair at a time.

So here they are in my hair...I can't stand the poor pic quality...still need a real digital camera.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/Picture127.jpg

Now to my hair care....Did a CO today. My hair was still very clean from my last wash, but was getting a bit tangled because I didn't use any form of leave in last wash. SO, I did a two step CO with Suave Naturals then the Wella Flash Flood...THEN used the GM Cream Rinse as a leave in. So far so good. My hair is currently in a damp bun. Just took it down...it's wonderfully detangled and smells nice. It feels quite soft, it IS still wet, but sometimes it doesn't even feel soft when wet. Could it be that I have found a combination of products that work? Boy I hope so.

I know I love my Mastey....I know I love the Suave....I know I love the Wella...all that remains are a deep treatment for my heat cap, another (fantastic smelling) instant conditioner, a leave in/detangler, a styling product, oh...and a clarifying product. Guess that's a lot after all. Will it never end?

I'll try the GM 60 second conditioner next wash....I'm secretly hoping I will hate it....it's rather expensive. Then again so is the Wella that I love.

That's all for now...hope my hair is lovely tomorrow.

Today was wash day, and darnit, I used my 60 second conditioner and liked it. I don't know if I liked it enough to spend 16 dollars on it again. I DO wish that it had some sort of plesant scent...perhaps I'll add a few drops of EO to it. Maybe some of my rose absolute. I did a two step CO with the Suave Naturals and the GM 60 Second Conditioner. I did not use a leave in like I normally do because I wanted to see what the GM would do on its own. Next time I use it I'll use the Cream Rinse as a leave in. I liked the conditioner, but not nearly as much as the Wella Flash Flood that I LOVE. I'll use it up I'm sure, but will be again looking for something else.

Think I'm gonna do a quick S&D tonight. I've seen far too many split ends showing up.

I think I'm gonna try the Goldwell Porous Something or Other Treatment. It sounds like my hair may like it. Worth a shot. But Monday it's going to be the Coconut Milk Deep treatment with my heat cap. Hope I like it.

Oh, by the way, I got a new pair of hairsticks in the mail today. I bought them on e-bay from "Designs by Dennie". They are lovely, but the bone sticks aren't that smooth at the tips...they catch my hair a bit. I'll post pics at some point.

I didn't S&D yet, but I've been in the process of getting custom hairsticks made by maiden's treasures. They are a gorgeous pair of amber sticks. I'm so excited. I've got a pic of what they are going to look like and can't wait till they arrive. So here they are.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/amberbayong.jpg

*I'm giddy with anticipation* :face: I'll post a pic of them in my hair when they arrive. :waltz: (that's me dancing with joy)

UGH! Dental needs have minimized my hair stuff spendage lately. :cry:
SO frustrating. I did however purchase some Jesicurl samples. I got the styling sample set and a sample of the shampoo and the Shea conditioner. Washed today with the shampoo and conditioner and I've got to say...I loved it. I especially love the smell of the Island Fantasy products...yummmmy! My hair is feeling soft and conditioned. I suspect that the conditioner will be a great leave in. I can't remember who posted about this stuff recently...but to whomever it was....THANKS!

So, no hairsticks this week....no hair toys whatsoever. :sigh: OH WAIT I did order a slide from Madeleine....but that won't come for quite some time.

I've been looking into getting a fork from Blondiesturn...but I didn't win the one I bid on. Someday I'll get one. I also really want an unadorned stick from Graydog....but they are so pricey and I can't really cut it right now.

I've really got to fix my siggy...it's quite inaccurate.

I've started a tiny little website...I'm enjoying learning how to do html...fun fun fun. Its just itsy right now, but hopefully I can turn it into something interesting.

Well, off to try and do that.

Well, didn't I say I was bad at keeping a journal. Well, here goes. I'll try to keep it up through summer while I have some time off.

Hair is doing well. I've been through a couple of bad cut urges since my last post in March, but it's still long and growing. I've only done one S&D since then.

I haven't really been buying hairtoys or really any hair products since discovering BPAL. All my spending money has been going towards that new obsession, but I need to buy some more Wella Flash Flood, so I guess I'll have to do that with this next paycheck.

I HAVE purchased some more Jessicurl, I just love that stuff. I really should get a bigger bottle of it next time. I bought the unscented version and added some BPAL to it. I was so pleased and surprised to see how nice the BPAL made my hair feel. Really extra soft.

My hair has been feeling pretty good lately. I've been washing even less frequently these days. Often I only wash once a week....my hair seems to like this...though it doesn't really act negatively towards more frequent washings.

I've been loving how my hair feels when I'm washing it. It brushes my bum which is such a neat feeling. I can't wait for classic length. Honestly, I may like the way it feels so much that I won't want to cut back to waist like I had always intended. It's fun having hair this long. I certainly get intresting comments.

Been wearing it down lots more and have not been having any trouble with it. Actually I tangle a lot less now than I did a few months ago....No idea why. Perhaps it's just cause I rarely mess with it these days.

Routine is pretty much the same as it was in March. CWC....Suave Strawberry, Mastey Traite, Flash Flood-Jessicurl-or AO GPB and Honeysuckle Rose. I did buy some of that Shea Butter Leave-In, but I'm not really impressed with it. It's ok, but I don't really like the smell of it (and I'm all about smell these days). I may just have to make my own version and add some of my much loved BPAL.

I keep meaning to get the ingredients to make some solid perfume, but I keep forgetting to set aside some money for that. I really want to get a custom scent so I'll have to save that $150 somewhere.

Ok, that's it for now. I have some work I must do around the house today before DH gets too sick of cleaning.

I totally forgot today was going to be the first of July and thus measuring day. I haven't even thought about how much growth I might have been getting.

In any event....I'm pleased to announce that I got more than a half inch again last month. I'm now at 38.5....it's still not perfect, ragged ends and all, but at least I know I'm still growing strong.

Bought lots of stuff on-line today....shea butter, shea oil, jojoba oil and stuff like that there. Lots of projects for next week.

No longer still growing strong. I'm sad to report that I really haven't gained much more length. Last month I was still at 38.5".....NO gain in length....I decided to trim a little off. I trimmed about 1/4 to 1/2" of length. I measured two days ago and am now at 38.75" So I gained a little...(about 1/2 inch) Sad that my growth rate has decreased but I guess it had to happen sometime. Hopefully it will still continue to grow. I'll try to make it a few more months before I trim back to waist. If I don't get any gain in length in the next few months I'll give up till my stronger virgin length reaches waist....then I'll try again.

OK, really really really having strong chop urges. I don't really know what to do. I love the idea of long hair and some days I even love my own, but most days I'm disapointed with it. It's texture is uneven and annoying. The hair above my shoulders is thick and very wavy and a lovely shade, but the hair beneath my shoulders is scragly, dry, damaged, brittle, and a dismal shade of bleached out blonde. The length is often pulled by my DH or in the way. I really want to wear my hair down, but it rarely looks nice enough for that these days.

I still have this goal....classic length virgin hair. But, do I want to keep it long in the meantime? I love the length it is now, but not the condition. I hate the way it looks and feels. (well half of it anyway) I hate how thin the ends are. I hate how brittle the length is. But....I can't imagine cutting off all the damaged parts. I'd be left with shoulder length hair. No thank you.

I keep putting off a decision. I should probably just cut of 2 or 3 inches and see if that improves anything. I know it will grow back, but it's oddly difficult to move backwards in length. It seemingly takes so long to grow a few inches....especially at this length.

Ah well, the struggle continues.

Wow, I never even posted to this journal that I cut more than 3 inches off recently. Cut from 39.5" to 36.25". I felt so much better about my hair after that large trim. My tangles decreased significantly and it instantly became easier to manage. Hairs are again starting to split, but they are still better than they were before the trim.

I've decided to play around with my natural hair a bit. I want to journal what it looks like when air dried (therefore showing my true hair type) ....the differences between air dried when using a cone conditioner and when using an oil based conditioner. My suspicion is that the cone makes the damaged part of my hair stringy but the natural part of my hair soft, smooth and shiny. We'll see how it goes.

Jaynyne mentioned the Feria conditioner so much in her journal that I just had to try it. I must say I am rather pleased with the results. It's a good cone that doesn't leave my hair feeling crunchy like other cones tend to. It does leave my hair a bit limp, but I don't necessasarily dislike that. It's great for the thick natural part, but makes the damaged part look less than amazing. Can't wait till all that hair is gone. (just 3 more years or a major cut to go)

Anyway, off to wash...if I'm brave, I'll post a pic of the air dried hair. Going to do a shampoo wash and use my jessicurl conditioner. Here goes....

OK, wash went well. I'm all out of the Jessicurl Daily Conditioner....really like it and will have to get some more. I let my hair dry down for the first time in a very long time.

SO, here is the first pic of my "true hairtype experiment"
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/airdrieddec-1small.jpg

The pic shows several things.

1) My hairtype in this pic appears to be 2a ?...I'll have to double check that.

2) The bottom of the pic marks classic length....I'm not so far off afterall.

3) You can see how much my hair has faded after about 6 washes after coloring with the Robert Craig color. The color isn't as even as it was a few weeks ago, but it is still much better than it was before I colored.

Amazing...I've gained slightly over an inch in length since my trim. I'm at 37.5" now. I can't believe it. I wasn't gaining any length when I was at 39". Don't know if that was because of breakage or terminal length issues. Guess I'll find out when I get back to 39" again. I think I'll probably trim again though before I get there..probably a micro-trim or maybe as much as a half inch. I'm so pleased with the results of the trim...my hair is quite a bit more managable.

Hair still really soft from my last wash. I really like the Jessicurl conditioner...must get more.

OK, I think I've finally decided to cut. I'm gonna keep it past Christmas (and reserve the right to change my mind) but I'm planning a cut to waist. I probably try lower back first...just to be sure I'm not going to hate myself after I cut.

Why am I cutting? Good question.

#1. I woke up yesterday morning...I had accidently slept with my hair down...my thoughts upon waking were about cutting my hair. Those thoughts actually seemed to be the ones that woke me. It was so nice to sleep with it down. Then I started to think about how much less work my hair was at waist length. Not that it's really that much more work...it just takes more care and thought. I'd like to be able to abuse it more...curl the ends....wash it more often if I like...etc...

#2. My hair just doesn't do me that much justice lately. The extra length isn't visually giving me the look I would hope long hair would give me. I DO love the way it feels and while I don't hate the way it makes me look, I just think the hair itself will look prettier at a shorter length...at least right now while there is still a bunch of damage on the last 10-15 inches. I may try growing it again, but I'm not sure.

#3. I really want to wear my hair down more often...and actually have it look pretty.

#4. I'm just really exhausted of worrying about my hair and "treating it like fine old lace". I'd like to treat it like a hardy cotton for a while.

Now...what are my reservations?

#1. I love the feel of my hair and the "idea" of long hair.
#2. I'm so close to my goal length and part of me hates to cut before I see if I can reach classic.
#3. What if it is just as much work at waist and I've lost all that length for no reason whatsoever?
#4. I can't think of a number 4.

Anyway...right now the pros for cutting out number the cons. I will still have long hair at waist length and it's not that far to grow to get back to where I am if I decide I made the wrong decision. I think part of my frustration lately may be partly due to stress at work (I ache to cut my hair and wish I could do it yesterday which to me makes me think part of this is stress impulse). So the wait period that DH suggested, (till after Christmas) while very difficult to do, is a good idea. I really don't think I'll change my mind because it's been a long time coming, but then again, I may.

So, I just got my hairstick from Fox. I must say, the sticks are SOOOOO much prettier than in person, but I have a pic of it in my hair nonetheless.

This is my hair last night, the night of the Winter Show. DH loved how "teacher" I looked.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/stickinhair.jpg

And

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/stickagain.jpg

Nothing of note to report as far as hair is concerned. Just wanted to post the pics.

A post about my cut: I'm just going to paste the one I posted to the main board. I'll elaborate later, but this will have to do for now.

Well, I did it. Got it cut. Lost about 5 inches. I'm now back to 33". I'm having mixed feelings about it. That first day was a bit hard, but I must admit that I'm wearing my hair down all the time this past week. I have had no trouble with tangling yet, which is a nice change of pace...but I sort of feel amputated.

So, I had already decided to cut...for a number of reasons that I outlined in my journal. I was going to go to a cheapo place when I was visiting home for Christmas but didn't have time, so I ended up going to a Regis in a mall somewhere. I walked in, hair in a bun and warned the "stylist" that my hair was quite long and we were going to be doing a dry cut.

Down went my hair, and I carefully combed it out as the "haircare professional" sneared and rolled her eyes at hair that obviously hasn't been properly cared for. It was afterall below my shoulders. (please note the sarcasm here) She asked all the usual questions indicating that she had no appreciation for long hair. Her: "How long has it been since you last had your hair cut?" Me: "I cut 4 inches off a little over a month ago" Her: "OH!" Her: "Have you always had long hair?" Me: "No, the shortest it's been is chin length" Her: "OH!"

Whatever. She really looked at me with a strange disgust. Not quite sure exactly why. Whatever. I told her that she'd probably want to do it with me standing, so there I stood and shook, I was so nervous. I held up my shirt to the point where I wanted my length cut to. I asked for a gently U shape. I shivered as I heard the scissors shear my hair. UGH! It was so frightening.

It took about 2 minutes. A very long 2 minutes to me, but just 2 minutes. When she finished, the very sensitive (ahem!) stylist said "Ok?" I then asked if I might please have a mirror so I could check. She had cut the U very deeply and unevenly. She argued with me about this point, but agreed to make the U less jagged and deep. Unfortunately, this fix cost me at least another full inch. I actually debated leaving and fixing it myself, but that would have totally have defeated the puropse of having gone to a salon in the first place. She fixed it and then walked me to the counter where she charged me the exorbitant amount of $25 dollars.

WHA????? $25 dollars for 4 minutes of her time? Unbelievable. I really should have waited to go to the GM salon where they would have also done a dusting for the same amount. Oh well, live and learn. Next time I'll try harder to convince my mother to trim my hair for me.

Anyway...despite the less than wonderful visit to the salon. I'm mostly enjoying my new length.

So, here's a pic. I took the after pic this morning after just waking up, so it's not the best, but will give you an idea.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/dectrimbef_aft.jpg

Just wanted to report how completely happy I am with my hair since my recent cut. I've worn it down at least 90% of the time (that includes sleeping). I'm much happier with the way it looks when it naturally dries and am no longer afraid to occasionally blowdry or curl it. The tangles are almost non-existant. It's amazing!

I love the way it looks lately. It's much fuller and I just look prettier....especially from the front an side. Funny, since my hair generally stays put behind my back, that it would still look nicer from the front. I don't understand it, but I'm pleased nonetheless. Perhaps it has something to do with my new simplified drying process.

I will likely begin having more frequent small trims (every other month) but still continue to grow the hair, at least back to tailbone length. I'm returning my hair length goal to a short term goal of 36 inches. I will decide when I get there if I'm going to go longer.

I'm thrilled with my hair for the first time in a very long while. I'll have to try to get some new pics done....the one in my siggy doesn't really do my new length justice. It's on 6 day old hair that had been in a plane and around a child and just out of bed. Time to break out the camera again.

OK, I know, I really shouldn't post more than once in a day, but I couldn't resist. I washed my hair today and blowfried it then put it in a bee butt to get bun waves. What's even better is that I have pictures of my hair at every stage of it.

First we have my hair day 5 dirty before I washed.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/1-05.jpg

Then washed and blowfried straight.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/1-05blowdried.jpg

And then freshly taken down from a bee butt.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/1-05prettywaves.jpg

I love the way the bee butt waves look and hope that I can find a good way to make them last all day. (other than putting my hair in a bun every few hours like I used to do) Sad thing is that if I put my hair in a bun damp, it doesn't look like that at all. It has those smaller waves like in the first photo. UGH!

Don't know why that picture is showing up so big. Hmmm

Anyway. Said it before, I'll say it again. I can't wait till this darn hair is all one color. Boy it's not a very attractive look. *Sigh*

Got such a nice compliment today. Not a hair compliment per se, but a very flattering compliment.

DH and I were browsing at Barns and Noble when a gentleman came up to us and said " I don't mean any offense, but I just want to say, you are the most beautiful woman I've seen all day"...then to DH..."your wife right?....wise choice!" or something along those lines. I said thank you and of course blushed. It was so flattering and really made me feel good. My hair was looking rather lovely....I had it pulled half back into a small pelican ficcare and was wearing one of my long flowy skirts....no makeup though...just a natural face.

After that I went to one of the mall's beauty supply stores and purchased the ARTec smoothing shampoo and smoothing serum that I've been meaning to get for some time now. Hope I still like them as much as I did when I was at 25".

THEN, we came home and there was a present awaiting me in the mailbox. My Treasures From the Tree hairstick! It is SOOOOOOO beautiful. Really much more beautiful than I was expecting. I immediately threw my hair up into a chinese bun and the stick worked splendidly! I love it and may have to get more....probably a set of shorter ones for plain old buns.

YIPPY!!! What a lovely day.

Why is the summer so far away? I want to start ttc NOW! I'm so anxious and excited to start trying. Oh well, I'll have to just wait.

I'm still so happy with the shorter hair length. I went to the Getty today and wore my hair down (as is usual these days). It was terribly windy, but here I sit, virtually tangle free. It's amazing!

On weight loss front, no luck, really. I am pleased to report that I'm drinking much more water these days and most days have been able to avoid dehydration. I've found it is more difficult on the days when I don't work. It's just so easy to drink water when I'm at my desk and so hard when I'm out and about. I've been taking my vitamins too...trying to prepare myself for those darn prenatals.

'Tis all for now.

Must never color again. Must never color again. Must never color again. I was just looking through old photos and missing the red hair. DH prefers it red...this I know, but it's just such a pain and so bad for it when it's long. Though sometimes I do wish my hair looked like this again.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/opheliaandhamlet.jpg

or this

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/ophelia2222.jpg

and this one

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/favoritesmall.jpg

But no. I've thought of henna, but I don't think I can get that color with it...and it would be such a pain to grow it out again if it wasn't the right shade. Ah well...I suppose I'll have to be a boring non-descript color for ever. Perhaps if I weren't still two-toned I wouldn't be so upset about my haircolor. ARGH!

Ugh...what is up with me? First I want to color...then I start to contemplate a big chop? Now...this chop is an appearance thing, not a tangle thing because I'm still doing very well on the tangle front.

I think it might be the "frizz" that's getting to me. I just wish my hair could be smoother. I've been experimenting with different ways of drying/styling. Unfortunately it looks best when I blowdry it straight and then bun it for bun waves. Sadly I'm afraid this would be too damaging to do every time I wash. Then again....a big chop would be much more damaging wouldn't it. OK, ok, before I chop, I resolve to do whatever bone-headed, thoughtless, damaging thing I can to my hair to try and save the length. God I'm incoherent today.


Kitty is having pee trouble...feel so sad for him. Little crystals in his urine....OUCH! He's sitting in my lap right now purring away. So sweet....but it makes it hard to type....he's using my arm as a pillow.

Didn't exercise today....I'm such a lazy a**.

OK, so I'm really diggin' my natural haircolor today. I was examining it in the sunlight which shows some really nifty colors.

SO, just did some interesting measurements...well, interesting for me anyway. I have about 13 inches to go before my hair is at this length and all one color. AMAZING! That means that if I continue to have the same growth rate of about 1" per month...I'll reach my goal of this length and all same color hair by this time next year. My top layer of natural hair is about 19 inches long....the under layer is about 26 inches long.

DH just said..."Honey why don't you just cut off the colored part of your hair now?" HA HA HAHAH.... really funny (grrrrr :evil: ) and he added..."or better yet...why don't you just dye it red again?" (double GRRRRR :evil: :evil: )

He's so sweet....pffft.

Well, I've decided it's time. I'm going to cut it. I just don't think my long hair flatters me much. I do love the way it feels...it's so soft and silky these days, but I don't think it does much for me.

When DH first heard me say I was going to cut he exclaimed "Don't cut your hair, I like it long" But then I did a little experiment. I gathered a bunch of pictures of me with different hair styles and lengths and had DH go through them and pick out the ones where he thinks I look prettiest. All the pictures he selected for the "like" pile showed me with hair that was a little longer than shoulder length where my hair was falling in front of my shoulders and framing my face. He even picked a couple where I thought my hair looked unkempt and messy. He passed over pictures that showed my hair passed my breasts in front. So, that clinched it. It's time to cut it. Not only will I look better, but DH will be pleased that he won't hurt me by pulling my hair nearly as often as now. I'll be happy to be able to take lounging baths again. Funny...kitty just got all tangled in my hair...affirming my decision.

Yes, I will definately miss my long hair...but mostly in a security blanket way I think. I play with it constantly and rub it between my fingers...much like I did when I was a little girl. I found the feel of my hair so comforting...it doesn't help that it's so soft lately...it feels so lovely in my hands. But it won't be all gone...just shorter...much shorter. I should still be able to twirl it...just closer to my head.

I'm not going to do the 2 week thing...I think I've already done it in a way....this has been a long time coming. I'm going to try to get a consultation appointment today. Probably won't cut until next week sometime...unless I'm really convinced today.

I'm planning on geting it cut like Julia Robert's hair in the movie "Closer" It's almost BS length in the back...long layers with very long face framing "bangs". Some pics:

Here's One (http://www.moviesonline.ca/movie-gallery/albums/closer//n_29-034A_r.jpg)

Another One (http://www.moviesonline.ca/movie-gallery/albums/closer//n_01-023_.jpg)

One More (http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/Images/moviestills/c/closer/6.jpg)

Other styles I like:
http://a820.g.akamai.net/f/820/822/1d/i.ivillage.com/cosmopolitan/style/org/articles/34layer_a.jpg

http://www.clamack.hpg.ig.com.br/Atrizes/JulianneMoore/JulianneMoore006.jpg

http://www.tonystuff.co.uk/extras2/julianne12.jpg

Stuff like that there.

ETA: Just editing to add a collage of the pictures DH picked for the like pile.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/richschoices.jpg

ETA: I lied...I am going to get it cut today and I'm very excited/nervous. I've already cried and my hair isn't cut yet. I went to the consultation and it went swimmingly. He really seemed to understand my concerns about my hair and also understands how little time I spend on it now and how nervous I am about going shorter. It looks like he's going to give me a cut that will remove the bleached portion of my hair and give my hair some shape plus the style will not be so drastic that it will be impossible to grow out. If I don't like it, I can just grow it again. Nothing really lost. I'm sure I'll still cry my eyes out, but that's what people do when they lose their security blanket.

3:00 is my appt...I'll post pics when it's done.

Funny...Mom called and I told her I was going to get it cut. She whimpered "why?" "are you sure you want to do that?" "your hair is so pretty" etc... She seems more shaken about it than me. She is definately concerned. She had the same reaction when I stopped coloring it red. My funny mother, I sure do love her.

OK, here it is. I've never had a cut like this. It's much "trendier" than I'm used to. I like it in many respects, and in other respects, I think I'll go "rounder" in the future.

I, however, LOVE that it's all one color. I'll have to find some new updo's to do, because it doesn't all fit into a proper bun anymore. It does however make a lovely ponytail.

The pics:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/NewHaircut2-05.jpg

Hope DH approves.

AH, the morning after. Thought I would post some pics of my new bedhead. It's not horrible, but not beautiful either. Still looks nice and shiny from the back.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/morningafter.jpg

Boy, I am NOT a morning person. Well, going to go to the Gym today (at least that's what I like to tell myself) and I'll probably at least wet it all down after that. I might do a CO....it doesn't feel dry per se, just not super conditioned like it usually does. They didn't use much conditioner at all when they washed it.

Sad to say that I feel much chubbier since the cut. I think I was trying to let all that hair hide all the chub I've acquired. It's really time to lose the extra lbs. I have no excuse.

I was a little sad when I woke up this morning. Not because the kitty didn't lay on my hair all night long, not because I didn't strangle myself with my hair, not because DH was able to rub my back this morning without my cringing. I was sad because I realized I can't just roll out of bed, comb my hair, and leave anymore. I have hair that requires attention...styling. I'm not sure how much yet, but it does require something. It wasn't as lovely this morning as it was yesterday. I doubted my ability to do what the stylist did to my hair. I'm still not sure I'm going to be able to make it look decent on a regular basis. I SO do not want to be a ponytail every day type of gal (though it does make a really cute ponytail). So, today it will start. The getting to know my new locks. How often will I have to wash it? Will I have to blow dry it? Will my old products still work? What updo's can I do? I'm sure these questions will be answered in time, it's just all so new and a bit scary....the security blanket is gone.

OK, this is CRAZY. Didn't work out yesterday (big surprise) or wash my hair. It actually ended up looking just fine by around 1pm. Guess it settled down a bit.

SO, washed it this morning...using a Sulfate shampoo (to remove the product the stylist used) and conditioned with a mixture of my Jessicurl Aloeba and Too Shea conditioners. Put it up in a towel like I usually do...added nothing and am now in the process of letting it air dry.

Well, FRIZZ CITY! My hair is SO wavy! I can't take it! It's got these sort of normal waves in the back, but in the front are two huge spiral curls....very fat curls. So weird. I'll take some pics now and when it's fully dry. I suspect that it will be difficult to see the actual texture amongst all the frizz, but I'll do what I can. Off to snap a few pics which I'll add to this post in a bit.

OK...here are some pictures....hair still slightly damp.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/mywaves.jpg

OK, that just drying naturally thing just does NOT work. After it dried completely, I was all hair. POOF!! Just so big, and frizzy...not at all lovely. SO, I tried to wet it down some and then used my hot air brush (which I need to replace with a better one) to dry it a little more smoothly....then I got out the curling iron and tried to make it look pretty. Still very poofy (sorry I took no pics). Now it's in a bun...I'm trying to calm down my strands. I HOPE this will make my hair lie a little closer to my head. I hate being a poofball.

I don't know if I'll ever figure out a way to have wavy hair. So, today is strike #! against my new haircut. Yikes..I hope I can figure out a way to style my hair.

ETA: At least I now know that I *CAN* put my hair in a bun. It's smallish and kind of pathetic, but it's a bun. Held with 3 Amish hair pins. I took a pic and will post it later.

OK Here are some pics... The Bun and my first attempt at styling this mop.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/947508/ABUN.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-2/947508/firststylingattempt.jpg

I guess the bun really DID help to calm my hair down. Nowhere near as poofy now.

I never did say how pleased DH was with the cut. He just beamed and beamed when he saw me. He is so sweet.

The ladies at chorus were all shocked (and delighted) with my cut. My quartet's baritone actually lept backwards, jaw agape in shock and awe. Very funny to witness. I'm really not a huge fan of the obligatory statements aquaintences give in response to a cut...I always just feel so akward and don't know what to say, but some of the ladies responses were just too funny.

Mom still hasn't seen it...she'll get to tomorrow.

SO...it's been behaving rather well. I wore it down for the coaching last night and it was a cinch to detangle. Today I wore it in a high ponytail. It was slightly uncomfortable, mostly because I had to wear the pony very tightly for over 8 hrs. It stayed in well, though.

I'm debating a long, hot bath now. The coaching took a lot out of me...I'm exhausted and a bath would do me good. I'm really looking forward to the first time I can take a bath and leave my hair down to float in the water with out fear, but I don't really want to take the time to style my hair tonight, and I don't really want to wash it again tomorrow. OOOOH!!! I know...I'll CO and let it air dry and then I can wash again tomorrow with out worry of over-drying my scalp. YIPPY!!!

Hair is so soft! I love that.

OH, I bought the Wigo hot air brush on e-bay today. Hope that it will work much better than my current one. My vidal sasoon one is only 250 watts and the wigo one is 1000 watts and both ceramic and ion. Should really work much better.

OK...time to go bath and see if I can get rid of this terrible headache.

OK, so today I actually shouted the words " I HATE MY HAIR" Why you ask? Because I washed it today and made the second attempt at styling it. It took an hour and a half to get it looking decent. UGH!!! It's my darn waves. I have to work against them to get my hair looking like I want it to look. I've GOT to figure out a way to work WITH my waves...otherwise I'm going to end up with a head full of splits. I LOVE the look I got today (I'll post pics later tonight) but I just CAN"T spend an hour and a half on my hair every time I wash it. I can't....I won't. I also can't dry it and curl it every time I wash...imagine all the damage. PFFFFT! Hope I can work it out. If not, I'll probably just have to grow out the layers (though I really love the look they can create). Still not the end of the world, I was just so frustrated today.

More later.

Well, I no longer hate my hair. I washed it this morning and put in some of Jessicurl's "Rockin' Ringlets" and let it air dry. I am so much happier with my hair today than when I let it dry without any product. I actually got several compliments at work today. They like the curly or wavy look. One person asked me "is your hair really that CURLY?" Ha ha. Yup.

Wish I could take a picture...or I hope it still looks decent enough by the end of the day when I get home to my camera.

Must buy more Rockin Ringlets. Great stuff.

ETA: Oh, I think I found a RL hair twin. Someone at work has hair about as thick as mine, about as wavy as mine and almost the same length as mine. We were talking and have very similar hair issues....so...we might also have very similar hair solutions. I gave her a sample of the Feria conditioner (which is the one I used this morning). Hope it works for her.

Let's see. I blew it dry last weekend with my new Wigo hot air brush and I wasn't thrilled. I just felt the whole time like i was doing SO much damage to it. Plus, it didn't turn out quite right. Just didn't work I guess. Maybe I'll sell the darn thing and look into getting that flat iron. I hate damaging the hair, so I'll have to watch how often I wear it straight...or figure out how to air dry it straight.

I'm wearing my hair wavy/curly today. There really are quite long, loose spiral curls all over...even in the back today. Impressive. I've had many compliments from students and staff. I applied the Rockin' Ringlets to my wet hair before I put it up in the towel. I was worried that it was going to dry all flat and stringy waves cause that was what it looked like when I took the towel off, but the waves/curls pulled up very nicely and are beautifully formed today. I really must capture a pic someday of this.

I'm managing to keep the wash days down to about 2 per week so far...but I am wearing my hair up several days of the week. I haven't really figured out how to make it look good on non-wash days. This is really the opposite problem from before the cut.

All for now.

Amazing...the No S Diet! I'm very excited. I've lost over 1 lb on my first two days of this simple, different way of eating. I'm very hungry though when I get home from work. DH doesn't get home until about 8 pm which leaves me 8 hours straight with no food. I'm going to try and get used to it for a couple of weeks, but if I can't I'll likely encorporate a very limited snack when I get home from work. Maybe veggies or a slice of toast with PB on it or even a thing of string cheese. We'll see.

The fast starts this weekend. Looking forward to it. I must go buy a juicer some time this week and start including a juice for one meal of the day, just so I can get used to it.

Hair is doing alright. I'm almost certain I won't get the layers in the back again. They just get all flippy and seem pointless to me. I don't see the need for layers in the back. I like the layered effect in the front, but the back just looks all wonky.

I actually only washed once last week. My hair felt fine. It didn't always look great, but it didn't even feel dirty this morning when I washed it.

Today I washed it and used a bit of the Suave moisturizing mousse. We'll see how it turns out when it dries completely. So far it's looking to be a bit fluffier than I like it. I don't even have a scrunchie in case it's horrible looking. Oh well, guess I'll just have to tough it out.

OK, so the pound came back...followed by another....but I suspect they are menstural related and will disappear as quickly as they came.

I've been noticing a lot more of those really coarse hairs. I would say my hair is about 35% coarse hairs and 65% medium hairs. It might even be more on the coarse side. It's fascinating! I remember all the coarse hairs from when I was a child, but I guess all the hair color stripped them so they weren't as thick.

Hair maintains to dry nice and wavy/curly. It's rather curly in the front. The waves stretch out by dirty day one however and I'm left with large body wave. The back is much straighter...probably because I rest my head on things a lot.

Well, started the fast today. This morning I had pineaple and orange juice...about 12 oz I think. I'm not full in the least, but I'm going to try to make it a good 3-4 hours before I have another juice. Must remember to water.

FAST UPDATE: I started my fast on Sunday with juices. Fruit juices mainly. I pretty much drank juices at meal time and lots of water the rest of the time. I'd been cleansing the colon with herbal teas.

I did juice for two days and decided that I wanted more of a challenge and to detox more thoroughly so I started on just water for the next two days. (tues. and wed.) Tuesday was hard, but Wed. was a cinch. (save Wed. morning when I thought I would die)

Today it will be back on juice, and I plan to continue till Sunday...I will most likely break the fast on Sunday evening. Or, I may decide to start on fresh fruits Moday morning and move to an all veggie soup by Monday night. Still some more reading to do on fast breaking.

So far, I feel great! I'm still having cravings...particularly when I smell or see food, but the cravings are getting healthier and healthier. Instead of craving Pizza like the first day, I'm really craving hard boiled eggs, blue cheese, toast (like the dickens), and things like that. OH, and this broth I have that has little chunks of dried veggies in it. That would be so yum right now.

Though it is no longer the main goal of my fast...I see detox as being so much more important...I've I've gone from 140.4 lbs to 133.8 lbs so far. Not a bad side effect at all. I plan on continuing the "No S" diet after I come of the fast and hope that the weight loss will encourage me to go back to the gym.

It's been a great positive experience so far.


OOPS...forgot to add the hair stuff. My hair looks lovely this morning. Best bedhead I've ever had. It's probably because I used the cone conditioner (Feria) yesterday and blowdried just a little to encourage it to be straighter. I also used the tiny comb I purchased. That really encourages straightness too.

I did buy a CHI hair straightener. It works amazingly. I used it and was in about 2 min. actually able to finally recreate the way my hair looked on the day I got it cut. How wonderful. AND it really only took a second of that thing in my hair, so it's not as damaging as what I was trying to do with blowdrier AND curling iron. A definate improvement that I can use just so often.

I'm very pleased.

OK, so, another fast update. I'm down to 131 lbs....amazing. I feel incredible!!! DH and I even went for a small hike today. It was so beautiful here in sunny CA....it's finally sunny again. What a spectacular day. I'm so unusually happy...must be a side effect of the fast. Happened to DH too.

I wanted to post a before and after pic...before fast, and today. I'm amazed at the difference. I'm wearing the same shirt for added comparison.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/567432/firstfast-befandaft.jpg

Look at the difference in my face, my belly, my thighs! I'm so happy with this fast and plan to do one every year. This is the best thing I could have possibly done during my break!

Hair looks so pretty today. I washed and straightened it last night, I really do love this look. So does DH...he keeps commenting on how much nicer my hair looks since I started the fast. I said...no dear, it's since my new hair straightener. LOL!!! (of course the pic I just posted does not reflect my lovely hair...that's bed head you see there.)

Today is the last official day of my fast...tomorrow I'm going to move on to eating raw fruits....watermelon and oranges to be specific. Tuesday night I get to eat the soup. I'm so so so very excited for the soup.

This has been an amazing experience...one I plan to repeat every year during my time off. I may even do a long fast sometime....21 or more days. It's incredible...I feel like I could sustain myself this way forever....I know I coudn't, but I feel so...normal but better.

Well, washed my hair today...used Jessicurl stuff. I decided on a natural day because I used the straightener the last two washes. I don't want to do too much damage to my hair. Well, DH turned to me in the grocery store today and said..."your hair looks funny" WHA? He liked it so much before. Guess he just prefers it straight. So do I, I can't blame him. It was just such a silly comment. What a doll.

DH has been reading my journal...naughty boy! HA!

Happy Birthday to me!!! Happy Birthday indeed. I'm having a lovely day. Woke up to intestinal discomfort this morning due to the lovely, tasty, meal DH and I had at Real Food Daily last night. Digestion went well, but this morning was rough. I lived through it though and was able to go to the gym again today. Eliptical for 45 min...3.5 miles. I'm so happy that my temperature is raising...up from 97.2 to 98.2. It's almost back to normal which is a great sign for my metabolism. Resting heart rate was 72 bpm this morning. Higher than I like, but good. I'm starting to feel fairly normal again. I even ate some half off easter candy today (it's an "S" day...my birthday is special to me), oh, and one cheeto. Lunch was a raw ear of corn and half of last night's leftovers. Tasty!

DH and I are going to my favorite little Thai place for dinner tonight to celebrate my turning 29. I plan on ordering that tofu soup I like so much. It has a small amount of meat (pork I think) in it...it's time to reintroduce my digestive system to meat. Afterwards we'll walk to Cold Stone to pick up an ice cream cake. I'm sure I'll only be able to manage a tiny piece...but I REQUIRE cake.

Haven't washed my hair since the Burke Williams Spa visit on Monday. It's time. I'll probably wash and straighten it because I need to do something lovely with it tomorrow for the competition. I don't yet know what I'll do...I should really play around with some updo's tonight. I won't have that much time to figure out what I'm going to do with it tomorrow.

I can't believe the quartet competition is tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet...hope it stays that way. Due to the fast, our last rehearsal wasn't great. Sadly I seem to sing much better when I'm a few pounds overweight. Not really sure why that is. Hopefully I will have recovered enough from the fast to be able to sing up to par.

Off to the shower with me!

Here goes my 1000'th post. I suppose I'm a guru now.

Well, I should have known that a barbershop weekend would do in my weight loss almost completely. I'm back to 137 lbs. Still three pounds short of pre-fast weight, but not quite as nice as the 130 lbs of a last week. I shall attempt to shed those pounds again with exercise and the return of the No S diet in the next few weeks.

I've been so bad this weekend with my birthday and the competition. It's not over either....Dad is taking me to dinner tonight. I aparently have no will power anymore. I'm sure it will return tomorrow.

It is entirely possible that going to the gym has added a little muscle weight, but I'm positive it's not all muscle. Chocolate doesn't make for great muscle mass....it's great for a larger belly though.

Had fun with my hair this weekend. I wore up in this sculpturesque do for the quartet competition. It was pretty groovy. It was the first I'd used hairspray in a very long time. I haven't washed my hair since. I will make sure to do that today.....though I should really go to the gym first since I didn't get to work out yesterday. Only problem is that I'm so sleepy...didn't get to bed 'til about 3 am last night. UGH! Then it was up at around 8 to drive home.

DH is gone...in San Francisco. This will be my first night alone in our apartment since our wedding. I've been away a lot, but he hasn't. Hope I sleep ok. I miss him...it's been a long weekend away from him.

OK, done for now. Off to try and start my day more productively.

Lata'

Wow! It's been so long since I've been here. Busy with work and life. Today was the last day of school (and it was a half day) so I had some extra time. I'll probably visit much more over the summer.

I've lost all that weight again with a regular exercise and new diet that consists of five 300 kcal meals per day. It's working out great. I'm down to 131lbs. I feel fab!

Hair is doing well. I'm still only washing 1-2 times per week...even with all the exercise. I've been using the hair straightener about 1-2 times per week. I love it...it hasn't caused any damage that I can see.

I actually just cut my hair yesterday, and today. I went a little overboard today...cut a little unevenly in the front. Yesterday it was just to remove some of the extra length from my bottom layer. I'm debating growing the layers out completely from the back and keeping the ones at the front. I've been thinking about growing the hair long again...perhaps with some layers ( I think it's thick enough) but I'm not sure yet. I should take a pic....haven't done that in ages. I have no idea how long it is now...probably still around 25 inches (I just cut off 2-3 inches).

I'm enjoying not worrying about my hair much. I love that I can take baths again. I love that it's super easy to detangle my hair. I love that DH doesn't have to feel bad about pulling my hair anymore. I love that I can plop into bed without worrying about my locks.

I miss the idea of long hair. I miss the updos. But mostly I think it was a good move on my part.

Enough for now.