Protective styling in this heat.
This has been a crazy week. I take a medication that, if not taken early enough, will keep me up all night. I took it within the normal range on Tuesday, but I was still up until 7:30am Wednesday. I slept for three hours, and went about the rest of my day. Around 7pm Wednesday night, I started getting incredibly drowsy. Unfortunately, that was not a great time to get drowsy because we had to go to the grocery store. When I say HAD TO. I mean had to. We didn’t even have milk. The past two weeks we had gone out to eat. It feels good to have groceries in the house again.
While at the store, I saw something a little… inappropriate, and I feel the need to say something about it. I understand that a lot of skinny girls (not skinny just skinny as in Paris Hilton, but skinny as in average) are wearing rompers this summer.
I don’t really like them. They look cute on people, but they just aren’t my cup of tea. Not to mention that I am shaped like a barrel (or a duck) and it just wouldn’t look right.
Anyway, Jeff and I are shopping and I see a couple ahead of us with their little girl in the cart. The mom is wearing a romper similar to what I posted, but it is made of a different material. What I notice the most is that her left butt cheek is hanging out. Not a hint of it, THE WHOLE THING. Then to make matters worst, she drops something and lets it all hang out! Really lady? Really? Way to set an example for your baby girl. Meh.
Anyway, she was probably eyeballing me like I was crazy as well. It was 98 degrees out yesterday. The heat index made it feel like it was 108 degrees. I was clad in jeans, a black shirt, AND A KNITTED BLACK BEANIE/BERET.
I know, it sounds insane. It is hot as hell outside, what am I doing in a knit cap? Currently my hair is protective styled in two strand twists. As I have stated in the past, my hair is never lovingly parted into two strand twists, I co-wash, detangle, and moisturize my hair. I then two strand twist it all haphazardly, then seal in the moisture.
Not the prettiest picture of myself, but you get the gist.
Unless I have somewhere I have to be (mainly job interviews), those twists do not come out of my hair until it is time to co-wash again. I don’t want them to get ‘loc’d’ up, so I take them down again to co-wash. As a result, when I go out some place that doesn’t really matter, I have a hat on. I won this beret in the winter from Revealing Beaute and it has been a godsend. However, I think I need more options.
I need to learn how to do up-dos. I attempted one before an interview, and it failed horribly. One major thing I have to take into account is that they are time intensive. I have to make sure I have the time to sit there and part and flat twist and everything.
Another option, is more hats. Did you know I know how to crochet? Yep, that and I can do basic knitting. Well, I can do the knit stitch when it comes to knitting. Because the purl stitch is just a backwards knit stitch, it messes with me. My thoughts are to purchase some lightweight yarn and make a couple of caps of my own. I know there are a few hat patterns in the stitch and bitch book I own. I am also a member of Ravelry, you can get a ton of patterns from there for free. I also have a binder of printed out patterns. I just need to get back into it. I also need to purchase lightweight yarn. I have a ton of yarn, but it is all blanket, afghan, baby blanket stuff.
What about you? How do you protective style? What kind of hats do you wear in this oppressive heat?
Hair on a trip.
Most people when they travel take one of two modes of transportation; car or plane. While gas prices are steadily going down (at least in my part of the world), they are still pretty high, making an extended car trip possibly as expensive as a plane ticket.
Our solution? The train. You win some and you lose some with the train. The last time we were on, I had a massive headache due to the fact that there were really stinky hippies. Our train last time also was like 5 hours late due to the fact that there was a mudslide in the Pacific Northwest. AKA: Nowhere near where we were, and nowhere near where we were going. Every little thing just went wrong that trip.
We are currently on a train. It is actually going rather well this time, and this leaves me optimistic. We’ve had no issues, except for a rather annoying squeaky voiced child that “loves everyone!”
The last time I was on a train, it was winter time, and my hair was in two strand twists stuffed under a scarf, stuffed under a knitted cap. The knitted cap is no longer an option in the mid west summer (the idea of it in this heat makes me gag a bit). Also, in the interest of not looking like the crazy ass ghetto black lady, I do not have a scarf on my hair. The result? I still look like the crazy ass ghetto black lady.. My hair is just out and looking a wee bit wild. I wanted to learn how to French braid my hair before this excursion, and that just didn’t happen. On long trips how do you protect your hair without looking crazy as hell? There are enough crazies on this trip (Mullet anyone?) I don’t need to add to the atmosphere.
Me Time!
Ever since the birthday that wasn't I have been taking time out to do things for me. I usually make excuses though. I am at the end of the semester, and with five classes on my plate (one at a different school), I have to keep up. I hadn't done much to my hair in a while though, and so.. it was time. A couple of nights ago I pre-pooed my hair with coconut oil and walked around with that god awful processing cap on my head. You guys have no idea how much I hate that thing.
I worse it until it was time for bed. I then went to shower and co-washed my hair and detangled with the wide toothed shower comb. I got out the shower and combed through it again using a double toothed comb and moisturized my hair using Belle Butters matcha green tea butter. I threw my hair into 5 thick twists, put my bonnet on and hit the hay. The next morning, I did some homework, and watched "The Secret Life of the American Teenager. A little off subject, but do you watch this? Maybe I am getting old, but none of the guys are handsome. Ricky has a pompadour, and Ben is gawky. Jack is okay but he is a manwhore, and the one that Grace is seeing is wonky eyed. I am however in love with Adrian's eyebrows. They are shapely and well defined, and I am jealous.
Mine are shapely, but don't stand out with my skin tone and I am just jealous.
While Secret Life was on, I retwisted my hair into smaller twists. It is not the prettiest look, and when it is like this I just stuff it under a satin scarf and put a hat on, but my hair is taken care of, protected, and loved.
How do you treat yourself?
Cap v Pillowcase v Scarf…what say you?
Relaxed or Natural, one thing we all have in common is protecting our hair while we are sleeping.
From the time I was little, I always had a scarf. As I have gotten older, I prefer a cap. It stays on better in my sleep.
One thing that is not a real option for me, is a satin pillowcase. I understand the logic behind it. However, I have sleep apnea. I have a breathing machine. In order to wear the machine I have two straps that go around the back of my head. It just seems prudent to me to have a layer of protection in between the straps and my hair. I have used a satin pillow case in the past before I was diagnosed, and it worked just fine for me.
My question to you.. what do you prefer? Do you have some other thing that I did not mention? How did you choose what you wear?
Espionage Cosmetics
