Hair Progress… Aiming For Healthier Strands. January 22, 2010

Just documenting the changes that are taking place in my hair. No more bleach for a long while. Only sulfate-free shampoos. (Sulfates are cheap foaming detergents… the same ones used in car wash soap. They strip hair of color, proteins, and upset the pH balance.) Only tlc and pampering now. I wanna get it as healthy as I can.

Platinum blonde, my before hair.

After lots of research and several protein treatments I was able to remedy most of the porosity issues with my hair and get it to hold color. Then I matched my roots and voila’! I have my natural hair color back.

With hair that had been bleached to the point where most of it was white, it was certainly a chore. Some hair color doesn’t react well over bleached and porous strands. One could end up with all sorts of strange pigments showing thru, and most of the desired pigments washing down the drain. Blotchy grey, green, and violet being the results in cases of failed coloring attempts.

Matching my natural hair color.

I used a professional color, b/c boxed color kits suck and just don’t deliver professional results. (I should buy stock with Sally Beauty Supply. Professional color products on a budget. Note: Not every color product they carry is pro, only select ones.) I wanted my hair to look natural, not like I had a girlfriend color it with a magic marker. Also I didn’t want every strand to be the same color, since each strand would naturally have its own unique shade- creating those natural highlights. Box color kits=bad and might end up sending you to a professional anyway.

Relieved strands, no more bleach.

I had to let my roots grow out for several inches so I could match them. It was kind of annoying, and very unkept looking, but I did it. I’m glad that my hair grows so fast. On average head hair grows about a half inch per month. Mine grows at about double that. It’s a fact that bewildered my hairdresser since it required more frequent touch ups.

It’s getting really long and full now. The thick of it is just past bsl. I’m happy to have my natural color back and to know it’s not so damaged. It makes me feel good to know I’m taking better care of it.

So, About That Tomato… January 22, 2010

Did you know…? Tomatoes are full of potassium, calcium, vitamins A, C & E, AND lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant and natural SPF. Rub a slice over your face to allow skin to absorb these nutrients… prior to application, dip in a bit of sugar for added exfoliant. Then rinse and pat dry.

All Natural Scrub/Mask and Toner January 21, 2010

At some point everyone has experienced issues with breakouts, scarring, hyper-pigmentation, and dryness. It sucks at times, but it’s normal. The oil in the skin is called sebum. Sometimes our skin doesn’t produce very much of it and we experience dry, flakey, or scaley skin. Sometimes our skin produces excessive amounts of sebum resulting in oily skin and at times clogged pores and acne. Then there’s the combination skin which experiences dryness in some places and oilyness in others.

We attempt to combat these reactions in our skin with cleansers, toners, moisturizers, sun-block, healthy eating habits, a regular sleep schedule, vitamins, exercise… All of these are important, and they all play a part.

Today I thought I’d share a recipe for a facial scrub/mask and complemetary toner. It’s easy to prepare, inexpensive and it’s all natural… So it has no harsh chemicals. This isn’t just for girls either. Guys should be interested in caring for their skin as well. Women aren’t the only ones with blemishes and dry skin. We also aren’t the only ones who like pampering ourselves. Even those “manly” men might try this at home when no one is looking.

Ingredients and Tools:

Apple Cider Vinegar (Don’t use distilled)
Sugar
Honey
Cooled Green Tea
Jars With Lids (Like an old jelly jar and small baby food jar)
Small bowl.
Spoons

Optional Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Tea Tree Oil

(If you are allergic to vinegar, please don’t try this recipe. Also let me stress again… Do not use distilled vinegar. It is far too harsh. It will burn, and it has none of the benefits that are the point of this facial.)

I bet you’re still thinking “Vinegar, that’s going to stink…I don’t want to make my face smell like feet… That’s gross… blah blah blah…”

Don’t whine so much. The vinegar does smell, but the smell goes away after a while. Do it at night if you’re worried about the smell. Besides, you know you want to try it. I did, and my skin felt so good afterward.:-)

The cider vinegar is important to this recipe. It contains alpha-hydroxy and amino acids that dissolve dead skin cells and fatty deposits (excessive sebum) on the skin, break up scar tissue, unclog pores, reduce scaley skin, balance pH levels in the skin… and naturally contains vitamins A, E, C, B2, B6, and P which help repair skin cells. Cider vinegar has been a key ingredient in home remedies for generations.

Sugar is of course the natural exfoliant in this recipe. It will help break up scar tissue, unclog pores, and reduce the appearance of large pores. It also contains a natural glycerin that is moisturizing to the skin.

Honey is a natural acne treatment, moisturizer, and anti-inflamatory. It stimulates skin renewal… and makes this whole concoction smell better.

Green tea, as most people know contains anti-oxidants and detoxifies the skin. It will help remove free-radicals. Yay!

Instructions:

Scrub/Mask- In a small bowl add 1 tbs (table spoon) cider vinegar, 2 tbl cooled green tea (maintain a 1:2 ratio with the cider vingar and the green tea, 1:3 ratio if you have sesitive skin), and 5 tbs sugar. Stir. Add 1 tbs honey. Stir. Add 2 more tbs sugar. Stir to combine.

Cleanse face before applying scrub/mask. Using a small amount of the mixture, smear evenly on the face with fingers or cotton pad. Then using fingertips, GENTLY massage mixture into face using a circula motion for 2-5 mins. Let it sit on the face for aprox. 10 mins. Rinse gently, and PAT dry with a soft towel.

*Store remaining scrub/mask in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Toner- Into a separate container pour cider vinegar until about 1/3 full. Fill the remaining 2/3 with cooled green tea. Appy a small amount to a cotton pad and sweep over face and neck. Follow with an oil-free moisturizer.

*Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

(For added moisture in the toner, you can add a very small amount of olive oil. A small amount of lemon juice or tea tree oil can be added to fight acne. I recommend trying the recipe first, without adding anything to see how your skin responds. The combination of the main ingredients should balance the oil and moisture levels on its own.)

If anyone has any questions about this topic, let me know. I’ll do my best to answer them.

 

Happy… Uh… Merry… Uh… Hmmm… December 17, 2009

I felt inspired to jot down a few thoughts (that apparently evolved into so much more) after seeing all of the mini-crusades online, in the paper and whatnot over all of this “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays” and “Christmas” vs. “X-mas”… stuff. It happens every year, and it’s getting so old.

So here are my raw thoughts on the matter.

I do wish people a Merry Christmas during the Chrismas season. I also wish Happy Holidays in collective messages- Not because I wish to be PC, but because I know there are quite a few holidays during the winter months (Christmas, New Year’s, the Festival of Lights… plus language barriers and all of that…), and most folks generally assume I’m am wishing them the blessings of happiness and wellness- which is pretty much my intention. I do celebrate Christmas as to commemorate the birth of Christ*. (Hello, I’m Christian… It what we do. It’s a primary point in our faith.) During the few days prior to Christmas, I will wish people (including my Pagan and Jewish friends) a Merry Christmas. I honestly don’t know if each person celebrates and honors the tradition the same ways that I do, but I figure they are living in the midst of the holiday the same as me… I might as well wish them a good one. It’s like saying I love you… but in your own language. Nothing wrong with that, I would think.

I doubt that the folks who say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” are nearly as intentional as some might imply. Although while some ARE motivated by PC in doing this, I doubt many are doing it out of some motive to replace or eliminate the use of “Christmas.” For the most part I don’t think people who are using “Happy Holidays” are intent on eliminating “Merry Christmas.”

Having said that, I DO know of Christians who definitely DO want to eliminate “Happy Holidays” as though it were somehow evil or wrong. Some feel the same regarding the term “X-mas.” I suppose that’s on them.

We know that the word “holiday” is a contraction of sorts, derived from the phrase “holy day”… and The “X” in the term “X-mas” comes from from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of “Χριστός” (Christ in Greek).** (Yes! Witness that seminary education and my linguistics-loving Daddy’s lessons shining through!)

So after all of that I think it’s not really the phrase, but the intent of the person speaking… and since no one has any control over any but their OWN personal intentions brought on by their OWN personal convictions… and I believe everyone is convicted in different ways for different purposes… We should all observe just that. If YOU want to honor Christmas by spelling it out and saying all the words- then do it. End of story. Don’t worry about how everyone else is doing it. You have your own convictions to keep and fulfill. Christmas is holy, but since “Holy” has different meanings for different people, Christmas has special meaning to those who are of the Christian Faith.

If any of this is offensive to you, remember that December 26 is National Whiners Day.

I love all of you guys.

Merry Christmas and Happy HOLY-days!

~Kitti

* Many will agree that December 25th is not the actual day of Christ’s birth. Using the 25th of December was early century Christian effort to establish a celebration of it’s own (Christemasse) during the time of the pagan festivities of that same week. Everyone likes a party… although a mass is a somewhat solemn event, it’s still a celebration honoring personal belief, conviction and purpose.

** The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning “Christ’s Mass”. It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. “Cristes” is from Greek Christos and “mæsse” is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century. Hence, “X-mas” is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

The Holy Crap I’m Craving Something Different Sandwich… November 12, 2009

Lately meats and I haven’t been getting along. I’m not going straight vegetarian at this moment, but I’m trying to incorporate more veggies/less meat into my eating habits- which is really how it should be. So after running around the market grabbing all these different fruits and veggies, I came home and constructed this supa-awesome sandwich… which I am munching as I type. As soon as I took my first bite my body began to feel instantly better and happier and excited. So I think I’ll be making things like this more often.

Here’s what went into making it.

I used flat tortilla bread. I did use smoked ham, but of course you can cut that out for a no meat version.
On top of that I piled sliced cucumbers, avacado, red onion (purple), and red bell peppers. I sprinked a good bit of black pepper and a small bit of salt on that. Then I added an Italian blend of shredded cheeses (ramano, asiago, parm…). The dressing I used was a roasted tomato-basil mayo. It’s very light and flavorful. Then I pretty much slapped it on a plate, cut it into quarters, and cut up an apple and the rest of the avacado on top.

Here’s what I might do differently next time.

Next time I’ll probably either make a smaller one and roll it up… or use a stiffer bread, like pita. I’ll probably use slices of cheeses rather that shedded. I might also add some fresh baby spinach, sprouts, and whatever other veggie pops up at the time… and of course I’ll try out different dressings too.

Hope you try it. Let me know what you add.

A Walk With Puscifer November 8, 2009

It really is a beautiful day here in Nashville… about 70 degrees. It’s warmer than I expected. I just got back from a walk with my kitty Puscifer. I took some pix. It’s so sunny and bright outside. =) I had fun. We saw the neighbor. She has a new puppy. He was very excited to meet us. Puscifer just sat back while I pet the puppy. He seems like a good little pup. She said he’s a Yorkie-poo and that he’s six weeks old. I didn’t get any pix of the pup. He had his business to doo. 

Pusc posed for me a lot, cuz he’s a ham-bone.

I love my Puscifer!

Halloween 2009! November 4, 2009

My costume was inspired by the art of Sylvia Ji. B’s was inspired by the game Wolfenstein. Together I suppose we were the Day of the Dead princess and her Zom-B! It was an interesting night. We saw a lot of interesting people and costumes.  One guy tried to pick a fight with B about his costume, but we had no time for that nonsense. There was fun to be had.

After spending some time downtown, we came back home to relax. Looking forward to next year!

My boyfriend dressed as a Nazi Zombie from the game Wolfenstein.

Brains...!!!

  

Dia de los Muertes make-up for Halloween night.

Complete with a big updo, a giant red rose and spiders!

Mr Fluff N’Stuff November 4, 2009

Mr Fluff N’Stuff went to his new home on Saturday. Yay!

Vet Visit and etc… October 23, 2009

Puscifer had a visit with the vet today. He has an abscess on his paw… which we already knew. It’s probably from a cat fight outdoors. His FELV/FIV/HW test came back negative. Aside from the abscess, he has a clean bill of health. He has to take his antibiotic Clavamox twice a day, and his boo-boo should heal up soon.

Still working on finding homes (temporary or not) for them all for when we move. B thinks one of his workmates is going to take Mr Fluff N’Stuff. That’s all the new’s I’ve got right now. We really need something to work out for them.

And Another B’day! October 22, 2009

Tomorrow is my friend Sean’s birthday. Those birthdays do seem to be  happening all over. I’m planning to bake a cake for him tomorrow. He demanded chocolate. I think that won’t be a problem. Here’s the ecard I made for Sean. (and yes, I put the wrong date… ) Happy Birthday my friend!!!