Hump day (sort of) happiness

Hey there lovelies~
I was a bit out of commission yesterday, but here goes my happiness....

1.  God woke myself and my family/friends up this morning

2.  Rima finally finished that ENTIRE cake she ate (why do my friends continually supply her with sweets?!?!?)

3.  Beach time this weekend

4.  Family time this weekend (I feel like I haven't seen the niece and nephew in forever)

5.  New work computer (help, I'm turning into an Apple girl)

6.  Breana is excited for hump day happiness

7.  My tummy is getting happy again

8.  I'm surrounded by wonderful people

9.  Upcoming birthday (hooray for 28!)

10.  Pay day!!!!

Share your happiness too!!!

Tootles for now

Hump day happiness

Crazy day, but here it goes....

1.  God woke me up this morning with a purpose

2.  Rima had a good first day of school

3.  A fun (and super busy) Columbia weekend this past weekend (thanks Breana)

4.  Phone convo with Kandy 

5.  Meeting great new colleagues (I had to wait until now to attend the new faculty orientation, imagine that)

6.  I got to watch Half and Half yesterday, perhaps this cable thing isn't so bad

7.  A yummy dinner is in the oven (which Rima will eat since all of her cookies are gone, thank God)

8.  It is almost vacation time (well, mini vacation, well, family time disguised as vacation)

9.  Krissy's birthday lunch tomorrow (mmmm....Indian food)

10.  Micah and Taylinn had a wonderful first day of school this week

Well, that's it for this hump day and thank goodness because I am pooped!

Tootles for now

Hump day happiness

And the top 10 today are.....

1.  God woke me up this morning

2.  My Granny (I love her so much, I'm so grateful that she's still around)

3.  My new daughter

4.  Linda (the mother of another host family who has been SO helpful to me, I foresee us being friends)

5.  My knee finally feeling well enough for me to run a bit again

6.  Upcoming family time (the whole family, whoa, I don't think this has every happened on vacation before, I mean we're talking aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole VanDyke (Mommy's family) clan)

7. Small group tomorrow

8.  Learning so much about other religions and cultures from Rima

9.  Meeting Louis yesterday (he and his wife have a newly adopted son and Louis was so positive and has such a great and grateful spirit)

10.  Having to cook (now that Rima is here I am cooking more, and I think it's a good thing, I could use the practice)

So, that's it for today.  Feel free to leave a comment containing the things that you are most grateful for/happy about on this beautiful "hump day"

Tootles for now

Denise Richards on the couch: let's talk about it

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Hey there lovelies~

I was checking out curlyniki's blog as I periodically do, and I came across this interview with Denise Richards.  I clicked to read the interview not because I like Denise Richards, but because her hair looked beautiful in the accompanying photo.  After reading the interview I began reading some of the comments as I usually do.  I noticed that a lot of women were commenting on the "racist" comments that had been made by some.  So of course I then had to read back until I go to these "racist" comments.  The comments that were shunned said things like....

"thin ice Niki, very thin ice"

"i think her people pretty much reached out to CN because she's going to be in a Tyler Perry movie...I can imagine this post might get interesting...."

"I love diversity as much as the next person, but as a woman of color this interview does very little to inspire me. It kind of reminds me of reading mainstream magazines and they have a "Hair" section that does very little to speak to me or my hair. I applaud her acceptance of her hair, but I can't relate."

".....don't "they" (yes, by "they" I mean WHITE PEOPLE) have enough already? Don't we see so much about their hair enough in commercials and in magazines that won't even consider using black women in ads? I'm pretty open minded, but I have to be honest...When I saw Denise Richard's photo, I actually looked up at the URL to make sure that I was in the right place....."

So, I want to know your feelings on the interview.  Do you have a problem with curlyniki doing an interview with women who are not Black?  Do you think the comments made were racist?  What did you think of the interview?

Be sure to weigh in and share your opinions.  Let's talk about it!

Tootles for now

I'm a mom!!!

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Yup, you read the title right, I'm a mom.  Today I picked up my foreign exchange student from the airport and officially became a mom (that's what she calls me :-) for the next 10 months.  My new daughter is Rima and so far I just think she is great!  Rima is from the Philippines.  She is 16 years old and adorable.  The decision to host a student was a last minute one that made me quite a bit nervous at first; however, now I know that it was a great idea.  I am already excited about all of the things that I will learn such as how to cook everyday, set rules, be selfless....you know...mom stuff.  As Rima and I were at dinner tonight she said, " mom, can I have a favor?"  I replied, "sure, what is it?"  She said, "when we get home may I rest?"  I said to myself, "God sent me the right one, that's my child, we are going to get along just fine."  So, here I am, broken Shayna single mother of one.  

Tootles for now!

Broken

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Hey all~

I just returned from a journey group meeting and felt led to write this post.  Tonight, I visited with a small group (this church calls them journey groups) for a church that I am considering joining.  I found the group to be a wonderful and enlightening experience. 

 

The group is a singles group for ages 19-34.  The group is usually made up of 6-12 people; however, tonight there were only 4 of us.  The leader of the group is a 30 year old single woman from Phoenix, AZ who has been living in Florence for 2 years now.  In the next few weeks this young lady will be moving back to AZ.  Throughout the evening she shared many personal thoughts and experiences behind her desire to leave Florence.  As I listened, I realized that a lot of the issues that she struggles with, so do I.  

She posed the question of, "why is it that we are afraid to show our brokenness to others?"  In other words, when I see a friend and she says, "hey, how are you?"  Instead of saying "good, thanks" why don't I say, "I've been better, I'm tired of being single, I still don't understand why God brought me to Florence, I feel like I'm living in a dream, I'm tired, I'm a bit stressed, I have no idea what I was thinking when I agreed to host this exchange student, I don't feel pretty enough, I really want to go on vacation and I wouldn't mind going on a shopping spree to fill my closet with loads of fabulosity."  

Even though I too play into this idea that my life is perfect and there is never anything wrong, I'm not sure why people do this.  I suppose I do it because I feel like I don't get the "right" to feel down.  My problems aren't big enough to give me the "right" to complain.  Or perhaps I hide my broken self because telling others what is really going on would make me feel vulnerable to them.  Maybe I play this role because in my mind, as a follower of Christ, I am supposed to not worry and despite what is going on be joyous in the Lord at all times.  

Honestly, I don't know why I play this game, but I'm tired of it.  So, here I am, broken.  Fortunately, I know now that I'm not the only broken one in the crowd.  I know that not only are there other broken people around me, but there are broken people around me suffering from the same (or similar) feelings as myself.  So, tonight I have been inspired.  I feel inspired to share with others and not cover up the brokenness.  A wound that's always hidden under a bandage takes much longer to heal than one that is exposed to the open air.  

So, weigh in.  Why do we cover up our "uncomfortable" feelings?  What are your fears?  What is it that you don't say when asked, "how are you?"

Tootles for now....

  

Hump day happiness

Top ten of the day.....

1.  God woke me and my family/friends this morning

2.  Kandy got a job!!!

3.  Time with my sister this weekend 

4.  Seeing the niece, nephew and parents briefly this weekend

5.  Seeing Mark Friday night

6.  Dinner Sunday with Avis and Amaka

7.  Breana time Friday and Saturday (even though I am obviously getting too old to hang out with her and Deborah, IHOP at 3am, when was the last time that happened?!?!?!)

8.  Anticipation of Tori's answers on "Shayna and Breana's male mind inquiry"

9.  Meeting Rimalyn Friday (grateful/excited/nervous...feeling magenta)

10.  Terressentials hair wash

Well, that's it for today.  Leave me comments of what you are happy or thankful for today.....

Tootles for now, happy hump day!

Terressentials Organic Hair Wash: product review

A wash and go.  I used Terressentials hair wash and added as a leave in Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose conditioner with a bit of water.  I loved the outcome!

Hello there lovelies~

For a while I have been wanting to try the Terressentials Organic Hair Wash.  Well, I have tried it a few times and am ready to write a review.  I decided to try Terressentials because it is USDA certified organic, is said to help reduce tangles/knots, help to add/maintain moisture and is highly recommended by my hair icon (Naptural85)!  Terressentials is not widely sold in stores, so I had to order online.  I decided to order the largest bottle (16 oz) of the Lavender wash.  Including shipping and handling the product came out to be a bit less than $30.  The package arrived on time (within one week) and was in good condition upon arrival. 

The website for Terressentials recommends doing a detox regimen upon first using Terressentials.  The detox lasts for one week and consists of multiple hair washing per day.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen here.  I instead decided to do a modified detox consisting of me washing my hair 3 times in one week on 3 separate days.  The detox is meant to rid the hair of all the build up from non-natural products.  Considering I didn't use much non-natural product (everything I use now is natural) I probably didn't need to do a detox at all.  However, I ended up doing 2 washes in one week on two different days. 

The first time I washed with Terressentials I liked it.  While the hair wash was on, my hair felt soft.  Once I got out of the shower my hair remained soft enough.  The second time I used Terressentials I didn't care for it much because I felt like it dried my hair out a bit.  However, I decided to give the hair wash another try.  This morning (about one month after my first two attempts) I washed my hair with the Terressentials again.  This morning, I loved it!  I washed my hair in the sink instead of the shower and I think that this helped me out a lot.  The first couple of times that I used the Terressentials I didn't like the fact that I couldn't gauge how much I was using (it doesn't lather AT ALL).  However, by washing outside of the shower I could see in the mirror how much I used.  

Oh my goodness.  My hair felt SO soft while the Terressentials was on it.  My hair felt so great I didn't want to rinse the hair wash out.  After I rinsed I followed with Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner as a leave in.  My hair feels clean, soft and refreshed.  My scalp also feels super clean, but not dry.  Although the product is a bit costly a little goes a long way, and I feel that the product is well worth the price!!!  As of right now, I plan to make this a staple product (of which I currently have none since cutting my hair). 

I hope that this hair wash will help to maintain the moisture in my hair, help reduce the amount of time needed to detangle and help maintain the softness of my hair.  I am especially hoping that these things will be true as my hair grows back out (whenever that happens to be).  I will be sure to report back on my feelings once I have been using it for a bit longer.  As of now, I'm super excited about it!!!!  Hooray for recommendations from Naptural85.

Pros  

• Organic
• Leaves hair soft
• Leaves hair moisturized
• Doesn't require much product
• Smells GREAT!!
• Doesn't cover up damage to your hair (as do many other products), but actually restores health (this is something that I don't know first hand yet, but have heard and believe because it doesn't coat hair, you can see it rinsing out and feel the clean afterward)

Cons

• Must be ordered online
• A bit costly (although the longevity of the product may balance out the price)
• Hard to gauge amount being used if you wash without a mirror

So, those are my current thoughts on Terressentials.  I will be sure to let you know if I'm still loving it in about 6 months or so!  If you've tried Terressentials let me know your thoughts on it and which one you have tried. 

Tootles for now

What now?

Normal short hair wash and go.  The skirt is from Goodwill, the tank top is from Target, the belt is from a boutique in New Orleans and the shoes are from Ross.  I love these long skirts. 

As most, if not all, of you know, I recently (a month ago today) got my hair cut, cut VERY short.  It took me very little time to get used to and embrace my new hair cut.  However, I am now at the crossroad of what to do with my hair now.  As is probably obvious, there are two options:  let my hair grow back out long or keep it cut short.  I teeter between these two options often.  On many days I absolutely love my hair cut and want to keep it short forever.  However, on other days I miss my long hair and want to let my hair grow back out.  Oh, the options.  My hair is getting to a length where I really need to decide what to do with it.  I am leaning toward growing out, but as I do for all (when I remember) big decisions I think I'll make a pros and cons list and just see what happens.  So, here I go.....

Keep hair cut short

Pros

• Cute
• Makes me look older
• No detangling hassle (I still detangle, but it takes all of 2 minutes if that)
• No twisting necessary
• Less product required (conditioner and hair wash)
• Can do wash and gos (I didn't realize how I missed wash and gos until I started doing them again)
• Boosts my confidence (it takes for real confidence to rock this short do)
• Super quick nighttime routine

Cons

• Have to "water" every day (or every other day when I'm stretching it)
• Have to use moisturizer everyday (might get costly)
• Limited in my styling options
• Requires that something is done everyday (can't just bun and go)
• Must shower in the morning to wet (not that I am anti-personal hygiene, but..sometimes a hassle if I showered the night before and am in a rush)
• Have to go someplace to maintain cut (this requires me actually going somewhere to have work done to my hair, yuck, I don't miss the days of beauty salon waiting)
• Doesn't look as feminine as longer hair (this is not a blanket statement because short hair can look feminine, but it doesn't on me)

Let hair grow out long 

Pros 

• Looks more feminine
• Plenty of styling options
• Doesn't require daily "watering"
• A style (twists, twist out, braid out etc.) can be maintained for at least a week
• Fun
• 5-10 minute nighttime routine-this is a pro and con. I actually enjoy doing my nighttime routine unless I am sleepy or in a hurry.  When not rushed, my nighttime routine feels a bit therapeutic. 

Cons

• Hassle to detangle (although this may change with use of the Terressentials hair wash)
• Hard to maintain wash and go (this may also change with use of the Terressentials hair wash)
• 5-10 minute nighttime routine-this is a pro and con.  I don't enjoy this on nights when I am sleepy or in a hurry
• Takes a while to wash/style on my once/week "hair day"
• Must do a style (twist out or something similar) at least once a week for easiest maintenance (although as stated before I may be able to do wash and gos more once I start using Terressentials hair wash)

So, now that I've made my pros and cons lists for both keeping my hair short or letting it grow out I am still stumped :-(

The pros list for short hair is much longer than for long hair, but the cons list for long hair is much shorter than for short hair.  Oh what's a natural beauty to do?!?!

Looks like I'm going to need help with this one.  What do you all think I should do?  Keep the new short do or let my hair grow back out as long as it can?  

Let me know :-/

Tootles for now

Hump day happiness

Here is goes....

1.  Life

2.  A great tennis Tuesday last night (I was on it)

3.  I get to see some of the fam this weekend

4.  I still have two more weeks before classes start (this is good because I still have a TON to do :-0 )

5.  Lunch with Breana last month (even though she ordered an appetizer without me and ordered an appetizer that I couldn't eat and switched sides over to the enemy)

6.  A fun Friday night last week at Florence after Five (the band Too Much Sylvia was great, you should check them out and like them on Facebook on my behalf)

7.  I'm taking the day off Monday and going into hiding (don't try to find me between Sunday and Tuesday of next week)

8.  Vennece getting a job at OCTech (we need more Black professors, especially in the STEM fields)

9.  Whooping up on Terika and Sherika in Words with Friends

10.  My Milesypoo (although he is stinky right now, anyone want to give him a bath?)

That's my list for today.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful "hump day."  Leave your happiness in the comment section!!

Tootles for now!