Starting a new journal   ;D  Here goes:

My hair is about 20 inches long.  My first  goal is BSL and then see from there if I want to go longer.  My hair is dark brown with lots of gray and white "wings" on the side.  I rotate several different shampoos:  a blue shampoo for the white hair , one with tea tree oil for my scalp, a lemon scented clarifying shampoo and a honey moisturizing shampoo.  My favorite conditioner is the honey one from the Body Shop.  I don't rinse it all the way out and I rinse with cool water.  
 
I usually wear my hair in a french twist.   I have been experimenting with a french braid lately, but don't quite have the hang of it yet.  

I need to have a few inches trimmed off because the ends are getting wiry and are dry no matter what I do.  The biggest obstacle seems to be getting around to making the appointment   :-/   That, and I hate to lose the length.

A personal note:  I recently found out that I'm going to be a grandma!  Hooray!  ;D ;D ;D

That's all from me for now.  Nighty-night!

Congratulations on starting your journal AND on becoming a grandma.

I know how hard it is to need a trim but to be in the early stages of growing it out.  I say get the trim so your hair looks good and healthy.  Who wants long ugly hair?

Good Luck!!

A grandma!  Yippee for you!  

Your hair sounds lovely - keep taking care of it!

Sakina:  Thanks for the push!  I went ahead and made that appointment.  Next Saturday will be my first haircut in over a year!  I think I'll ask for two inches off all over (it's in about 3 different layers) and then shaping of the bottom layer into a U.  Then about every six months, have the U trimmed again until all the layers catch up.    Sigh!  This is going to take forever!   It should be just the way I want it by the time I'm 60!  But seriously, I'm just glad to have hair.  My baby sister is starting chemo next week and will lose all of her beautiful long blond hair   :'(  Poor baby!! Sure puts things in perspective!

I've been in the same place, wanting not to loose length and still needing a trim.  I still get trims every 10 weeks, I'm prone to splits 'cause I've got wavy hair = dry texture.

Sorry to hear your sis is having chemo.  I wish her well.

Glad to have you back!

Thanks, Sakina, it's great to be back!

I'm so excited-- I figured out the tickerfactory countdown thingie!  Next I may figure out how to get a picture posted.  Of course, I'd have to get a digital camera, figure out how to use it, THEN figure out how to post it! :D ;D :D  So that'll be a while!

lol silvermane...I am totally in the same boat with the digicam.  ::)  Someday, eh?

We'd love to see pics of your hair!!  Hurry up and figure every thing out.  ;D  When it comes time to post them here, we can help you out if you need it - just let me know.

Welcome Silvermayne and congrats on becoming a grandma!!!

Just to let you know, you don't really need a digital camera to post pics online.  If you really want to post pics here or anywhere else online, you can take your pics on a Kodak disposable camera and when you get it developed, request that they do it on a cd rom and then you can put them on your computer to share in emails or whatever you'd like. It's very easy and it costs less than $5.00 (not including the price of the camera), I've had to do this on occasions when I'd go out and mistakenly forget my camera at home. I believe most drugstores do this nowadays.  :)  Good Luck!

La Diosa:  thanks for the info about posting pictures.  I never thought of doing that!

I got my hair trim today that I have been so nervous about and it went very well.  I even told my hairdressser about the longlocks site and she wrote it down and said she wanted to take a look at it.  She commented about what good condition my hair was in, so that's when I mentioned where I was getting my info.  She has long hair herself and totally understood what my goals are.  She cut off the smallest amount she could and still take care of the fuzzy ends.  Whew!  What a relief! ;D  I don't think she understands why I like my hair gray, but she supports me anyway.  So I guess I'm pretty lucky, huh?  :)

You are VERY lucky indeed!  Hang on to her - she is a precious gem in the hair salon world!

A rare gem indeed, silvermayne! You should give her something nice...a small token of your appreciation, just to say thanx for understanding. I definitely would!  ;D

Everyone should have a hair lady like her.  :)

My husband and I met after work the other night to go to dinner with his brother and his wife and I decided to wear my hair down, which I almost never do any more.  I put it into curlers in the morning before I went to work and it turned out real nice.  Got a lot of compliments during the day.   The nicest compliment, though, came from my husband.    When we got home that night he said to me "your hair looks so pretty tonight, when I first saw you, I thought you looked like you did when you were 25".  I was so surprised because he almost never comments on my appearance at all.   By the way, we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary next week.  

(It's so funny that while I'm writting this post, all the little smileys are winking and rolling their eyes and smiling and kissing and crying.  I feel like I have an audience !) ;D

I bet that made your week!  Congratulations on your upcoming 30th anniversary.  You now join a dwindling group.   ;)

Thanks, BB!  Yes, I have been lucky in love and believe me, I am grateful for it.

I haven't added to my journal in a while.  I have a day off today, so I thought I'd write a little something.  I took the day off on the spur of the moment because I had a strong yen to drive "down the shore" (as we call it in Jersey) or you could say "to the beach".    :) I was going to go to Atlantic City and just walk the boards a bit, have a little fun with the slot machines, get lunch and then come home.   I never did, though, since a rainy day was forecast.  For  some reason lately, I have such a longing to see the ocean.  It's just far enough away that it's not real convenient (2+ hours), but close enough for a day trip.  It's getting pretty chilly for the beach, too, which is why I thought Atlantic City with its boardwalk would be a good idea.  Oh well, another day maybe.

On the hair front, nothing special going on.  I've just settled into a routine of washing and conditioning every other or every third day.  I mostly wear it twisted up with a clip.   I'm getting used to thinking of myself as a woman with long hair, and it's nice  :)

I mentioned a while ago that my sister was going to have chemo, but I was wrong.  They have decided on 5 weeks of radiation for now.   Her type of cancer has a high rate of reappearance (80% within 2 years).  I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this.  I can only imagine how SHE feels.  She'll be 45 years old on Saturday.  Boy, life is tough!!

OH!  I just received the most beautiful hairsticks in the mail.  I'm finally starting to get the hang of using them.  Any time I even think about cutting my hair, I just look at my little collection and forget about it!!

Well, that's enough for now. I hope you all are having a nice evening!

Well, I finally got to the beach on Saturday.  Took 2 hours to get there, spent about an hour looking at the waves and listening to the surf and sea gulls, then drove 2 hours back home. Ahhhh!  I needed that!  So many upsetting things going on in my life these days - problems getting along with my son, who I'm real worried about.  Then my sister with breast cancer.  Another sister whom I just can't talk to - she lost her son last year and is just not herself. All things I don't know what to do about.  It makes it so hard to focus on the good things - which, of course, is the only answer to troubles like these, right?

Well, let's talk hair!  I really enjoyed my hair today!!  ;D  I put it in curlers this morning, and then wore it down.  I felt pretty!   I just have to rest my scalp once in a while, too.    Tomorrow, back in the clips!  Or maybe tomorrow's the day I finally perfect that French braid.  ::)

Hooray!  I'm no longer listed as an ex-member!!  :D
Thank you to whomever took care of that.  I really appreciate it! ;D

Yea!  I'm soooo glad you are no longer showing as an ex-member, even though I know you never were an ex.  

Hooray!  :D  I FINALLY figured out how to get my hair sticks to stay put.  I wore a pair on Thanksgiving and they stayed in just fine all afternoon.  I think I might start wearing a pair every day! :)

Congrats on getting your hair sticks to stay put. :)  I'm still trying to get my hair to stay up with hair sticks alone but I haven't discovered that trick yet.

I've been getting compliments on my hair lately, and it's nice.  :) I wore it down and curly with the sides pulled back into a jeweled clip when I went to church on Sunday.  As I turned around to leave after Mass, the woman behind me gushed at me "your hair is gorgeous!".  I blinked and said "oh...thank you"  A woman in work told me the same thing the next day.  I have to admit I'm surprised because I'm never sure if it looks good or not for two reasons.  :-/ I'm 56 with long hair, and I'm 56 with long GRAY hair.  

My husband and I went to visit our son, his wife and our new grandson over the weekend.  We drove from NJ to NC on Friday through some of the worst weather.  What should have been an 8 hour drive turned into an 11 hour drive.  :P  We had such a close call at one point that I am still thanking God that we weren't killed.  :o  But it was worth it to see our grandson.  He is so cute!  My daughter-in-law is very uncomfortable when we are around, so we kept the visit short, but at least we got to hold the little guy and say hello.  

I'm so glad Spring is here, I hope the weather warms up real soon and I can open the windows!

Silvermayne, I just wanted to say hi and tell you that I've enjoyed reading your journal very much.

Nice to meet you ;)

Anais

Anais, sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but thank you for your kind words.   ;D

Hey there!   Welcome back!

My compliments to you on your beautiful silver hair!  Although I have never seen it, I know it's beautiful.  I think long graying silver hair is just out of this world gorgeous!  It also is so rare for a lady our age to let it grow!  Please do post a picture sometime for us long hair lovers to enjoy!  Mine is blonde and 35 inches long now!

Jim

BB:  Thanks for the welcome back!  How are you doing these days?  Have you any biking adventures planned?

Blondstorm:  You make me blush!   ::) One of these days I'll get a picture posted.  Maybe my hair will be really silver by that time.  Now it's only white at the temples and graying everywhere else.  I have seen the picture you had on your avatar and your hair is magnificent!  :)

Hey Silvermayne,

I am just getting around to reading other people's journals and I just new I had to read yours after our little chat.  I look forward to reading on.

I haven't been around in a while, but I thought I would pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  Life is good these days - my hair is in fairly good shape - it's almost at BSL already, but needs a trim.  I find it tangles alot more than it used to, especially at the back of my neck, so I need to address that.  Any suggestions?  

Last week my daughter in law and grandson came for a visit, and we had a wonderful time.  She and I have had trouble getting along in the past, but I think we made a good start towards a friendship this past week.  The baby is 9 months old and so funny!  Now I understand that joke that says "If I had known grandchildren could be so much fun, I'd have had them first".

Well, that's all.  Hope all is well with everyone and I look forward to catching up a bit on everyone's journals.

Good to hear from you again,Silvermayne!  Merry Christmas!
Glad things are going well and it sounds like you're fine.  
Congrats on your healthy hair journey!  It sounds like maybe if you did an ACV it might help with the tangles.  If you give it a try,please let us know how it worked for you.  A helathy and happy New Year to you and yours!! :)

Good to hear from you, Silvermayne. Merry Christmas! http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/char1/character0181.gif

Merry Christmas!  Glad you stopped by.  I love that saying about grandkids.  My mom used to say it all the time - now she want great-grandkids.  (But her 3 grandkids are not cooperating - only one is married (my son) and they are waiting!).

Tangles at the neck are a common issue.  I wear my hair up most of the time to avoid the tangles, but when I wear it down I try to at least finger comb the neck area frequently.  Hair that is not freshly washed is less prone to tangles, so I never wear my hair down the day of or the day after washing.

Good luck reaching your BSL goal!

Curl Girl:  Hi!  Thanks for the ACV suggestion.  :) I will surely try it and let you know.

Angel:  I love the little Christmas tree and Santa.  Where do you find those?

BB:  I think you're right about wearing my hair down being some of the problem with tangling.  I have been wearing it down more often because my hair is thinning in the front and I think it might be from the weight of wearing a bun on the back of my head.  Do you know of a way to make a bun in the back, leaving the front loose and then working it in softly so it doesn't pull on the front?   :-/ Does that make sense?

Have you tried starting with a french braid?  I've found that will redistribute the weight and put less hair into the bun itself.

Another option is to use a barrette to hold the front hair at the back of the top of the head then making your bun.

I haven't been here in quite a while.  I don't know why, just doing other things, I guess.  I'm seriously thinking about getting my hair cut.  I don't like what I see in the mirror, which is a few inches past BSL gray hair.  It's getting to be a pain taking care of it and I don't know what I want to do.  I just look so OLD these days.  Even if I get it cut, I don't want to dye it.  I just hate keeping up with the roots, and the last time I had it dyed, I was sick for three days with a wicked bad headache, which I believe came from the dye since I've never had one like it before or since.   But if I want to look more youthful, I guess I will have to color it and get a haircut that is more flattering.  Maybe I'll get a good trim and see how I feel before I do anything drastic.  Or maybe I'll just stop looking in the mirror  ;D

If you're not liking your color, you could always try henna or indigo.  Maybe you could find a recipe to get a subtle color. :)

I second the idea of henna.  Or maybe just a color gloss to give more highlights?  Cutting does not necessarily make you look younger, but style can.  How about trying something new?

Thanks La Diosa and BB for the ideas.  My hair definitely is lacking in style.  I'll give your ideas some thought! :)

Keep practicing the french braids.  The ability to style your hair can make all the difference.  My hair is very similar to yours, except that my wings are yellow!  It seems I can use all the blue shampoo I want and it won't make a difference.  It is also thinning, but only on one side.  I sometimes use the Rogaine stuff, but I've read that only works on baldness at the top.  Unfortunately I think my thinning is due to genetics and nothing else.   :(      

I also frequently feel I have no "style" and have been considering cutting so I can get a perm.  I know they are very damaging, but I've had them many times and I think my hair can take it if I lose about six inches in length.  I want those luscious, sexy waves and my hair just won't do it with out a perm.  Not without some major futzing, and oddly enough I don't really enjoy futzing with my hair.  Interesting that many of us here don't.  

Don't let that "I'll look younger" stuff determine your decision.  Many people say that, and I'm sure it's true, but I kind of like the contrast of "youthful" long hair in a gray color.  And I get lots of compliments on my hair as well, so I think we are not alone in this.  Some even say it's like a river of silver.  Okay, it's my daughter that says that, but the point is that SOMEBODY does.  

There are many reasons for looking "old" beyond your hair color.  Your make-up may need an update, you might benefit from a facial, you might have lost (or in my case gained) weight.  Extra weight is very aging.  Trust me.  I know.  You might explore less permanent areas of change before you color.

Personally, I am working on a vision.  

I pull up to the school on my Harley-Davidson (can't decide between purple or black).  I swing one shapely booted leg off the seat and pull off my helmet, shaking out a mane of silver hair.  Someone looks at me and says, "Who's that?"  And someone else answers, "That's the principal."

So far the following components of the plan are in place.

Administrative degree and certification          check
Mane of silver hair                                         check
Shapely legs                             working on it
Job as principal                                      working on that one too
Harley-Davidson                                           will be purchased as soon as the job appears
Boots                                                           same as the Harley  (those are the easy parts!)

My target age for achieving this vision is 50.  I've got six more years.  And having long gray hair is a fundamental part of the whole plan!

I love your "vision" TexanTraveler!  ;D

Thanks, Texian!  Your message is very encouraging.  I think you're right about the hair not being the thing that's aging me.  I am overweight and my clothes don't look so cool so that's definitely a major factor.  I look dumpy.  :-/ I was watching the "ghostie" show on TV last night with Camryn Manheim (sp?).  She's overweight and has long hair, and I think she's attractive.  So it can be done.  She seems to pay alot of attention to little details.  I dress very plain - in my passport picture I look Amish.   ::)  I really do like the feel of long hair, and I like not looking like everyone else my age.  So I'm not getting it cut!!!  

I'm going to give some thought to developing a vision for myself.  I think that's a wonderful idea!  Thanks again for the encouragement. :)

And good luck with achieving your goals!!

LIFE:  Life has been especially challenging these days.  My DH has had a major job  loss and a diagnosis of cancer all in one month. I have never seen him so disheartened.  Presently I am visiting my son in Madison, Wisconsin. This past week has had some pretty interesting weather.  I'm from NJ and we don't generally have tornadoes there, so when the sirens started going off here, it was scary.  My daughter in law was extremely upset  by it all and was ready to move back to FL.   They just got here two weeks ago, so it hasn't been a great introduction to the area.  We were all saying how great it was to move here in the summer and get used to things  before the cold winter weather comes.  HAH! But today is a very beautiful day and I have to say that I really like it here.  I hope they can settle in and be happy here.  

My heart goes out to all the people who have been affected by the flooding  and I hope the weather cooperates in making their recovery efforts successful.  

HAIR:  I'm so glad I didn't give in a few weeks ago and cut my hair.  Thanks to all who offered words of encouragement!

That's all for now from Wisconsin!

Sorry about your DH.  :(  My thoughts and prayers are with him.

Sorry to hear about your husband, Silvermayne.  I don't know the particulars of his situation, but great advancements are being made every day in the fight against cancer.  

I'll send positive, healing thoughts to you and your husband.

I'll send White Light to you and your husband.  Hang in there!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband and hope that he gets well from this in no time.

Also, I'm glad that you've made the decision not to cut and that you're happy with it! :D

It seems that weather is taking a turn for the worse everywhere but I hope that you all remain safe where ever you are. :)

It's been forever since I've checked in here, so I though I'd take a minute and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  

On a personal note, the last time I was here, my husband had just lost his job and gotten a diagnosis of cancer.  I'm happy to report that he came through his radiation treatment with flying colors and it seems as though he has it beat!  Also, two weeks ago he got a job which will start in January.    I thank everyone who offered encouragement to us.

As for my hair, it's still growing.  I have had a few close calls in wanting to cut it, but a well-timed compliment from a co-worker has helped me "see the light".   Also, I started using an anti-frizz product which makes it look so much nicer.  It does have a cone in it, so I use it sparingly and hope I'm not doing any harm.  But I just can't stand the frizziness.   It makes me look frumpy.

Well, good wishes to everyone for an enjoyable holiday season and a good year full of friends and love! :-* :)

Great news! All the best to you, your hair and your husband.

Merry Christmas! http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/char1/character0181.gif

Good to hear from you, Silvermayne!  That is great news!!  Happy Holidays!

I'm glad that everything is going well for you! :D

Great news!!!  I'm so glad your hubby is doing well!  Congrats on landing a new job!  You and he must be so happy.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!