Ok, so I decided to start a hair journal.  My hair isn't long enough to really do any styling with, so I hadn't started one yet, but I'm trying some new products, so I figured this would be a good way to keep track of what works and what doesn't.  :)

So, as some of you may know from the Garnier Fructis thread, I'm a Fructis girl.  I like their shampoos and conditioners and also use their leave-in conditioner and sometimes their sleek & shine hair serum.  I had just used up my bottles of their extra body formula and decided to try out Pantene.

Shower routine:  Washed with Pantene ProV Beautiful Lengths shampoo and realized I should have clarified first since I'm using a new product.  Rinsed out the shampoo and lathered up with my Neutrogena anti residue shampoo.  Rinsed that out and used the Pantene shampoo again.  Yeah, it's a lot of shampooing, but the smell of the Neutrogena is such a strong masculine smell to me that I like to try to mask it with the shampoo followed by conditioner.  Put in Pantene ProV Anti-Frizz conditioner and let it sit while I did all my other shower stuff and rinsed it out at the end.  

While I'm doing all this, the thought occurs to me that the Pantene does have 'cones in it.  The Fructis does not, so this will be an experiment in whether my hair likes them or not.  So then I thought about the Garnier Fructis thread and all you ladies that don't like it (if my memory serves, most thought it didn't moisturize enough).  So, all of you that don't like Fructis, is your hair the type that likes 'cones?  Just wondering if there's a correlation there.

Other: I went to Macy's yesterday and bought a Chanel lipstick, gasping the whole way at the cost.  I've never spent that much on such a little bit of nothing.  But I can't wear drugstore lipsticks.  They chap my lips and make them peel so badly.  I do have a lip gloss brand I like, but sometimes I want more coverage and less shine.  So I thought that maybe a high end product might have higher quality ingredients.  I made sure before I bought it what I would have to do to return it (keep the box!).  So we'll see how it works out.  The lady picked out the most lovely pinkish-gold color for me and so far it seems to wear really well.  

Ok, gotta take off for work now.  Later!

Hi, Michelle, and welcome to journaling.  Have fun trying new products and writing about them.

I am sorry to tell you that Garnier Fructis does contain a silicone derivative, specifically: dimethecone, which some people feel can dry the hair.  Their shampoos also contain sodium laurel sulfate, which produces lather, and definitely dries the hair.

I recently switched to sulfate-free products, and like them much better.  My hair is fine and curly/wavy, and looks fuller and healthier with the sulfate-free products.  I have tried L'Oreal, which seems to make my hair frizzy and bushy  (and it was supposed to be moisturizing  :-?), and am now switching between Burt's Bees and BedHead sulfate-free products. I like both, but the BedHead really gives me fullness without frizz.

I'll have to check the bottle again; I didn't see that Dimethicone (which is what the Pantene has).  Thanks for the heads up.

Okely-dokely here's the straight scoop (straight from the bottles in my bathroom).  :D

Garnier Fructis Body Boost Shampoo: nothing on the ingredient list ending in 'cones
(Don't have the conditioner anymore, but I think I looked at it before and I don't remember it having anything)
Sleek & Shine anti-frizz serum: Dimethiconol
Long & Strong leave in conditioner: Amodimethicon

Now I know (...and knowing is half the battle!  I just can't resist).  ;D

Come to think of it, I was using the curly/wavy formula, so maybe what you are using is formulated differently.  That would make sense, wouldn't it.  :)

I know that Chanel is costly and I'm at ther mercy of charitable souls but I can only wear their stylo liners.  If Garnier works for you then that's great.  Melusine's comment really helped me to understand why my hair isn't happy with the Garnier products I've tried.

melusine wrote on Jun 22^nd, 2009 at 11:01pm:

Come to think of it, I was using the curly/wavy formula, so maybe what you are using is formulated differently.  That would make sense, wouldn't it.  :)

Definitely!

Today was day three of the new Pantene stuff.  I have to say, I really like it!  I never felt like my hair was bad with the Garnier, but my hair had gotten to the length where it's starting to be difficult to comb my fingers through without brushing first, and since I switched to the Pantene, my hair is so silky and soft I have zero tangles.  I will definitely keep using the Pantene.  I can't wait to see what my hair is like when it gets long.  I guess it's good-bye to the Garnier.   :-/  

Once I run out of the leave-in products I have, I'll have to try the Pantene versions and see what they're like.  

Other: The other day when I bought that Chanel lipstick (which I still love btw) they gave me one of those little bitty sample bottles of Allure Sensuelle.  I'm leery of perfumes (most make me sneezy and my eyes and nose burn) so I sprayed a little bit on the card it came on.  At first I didn't think I liked it, but I took another sniff and thought it was ok so I smeared some on my wrists.  You know how some perfumes work with your body chemistry and smell either rancid or amazing?  Well, I've been wearing it daily since then and the more I wear it the more I LOVE IT!   :o    Hmmm...my birthday is coming up in August, maybe I'll drop some hints to my hubby.   :D

I feel like I'm breathless today.  We got approved for an apartment in Texas and have put down a deposit on a moving truck.  We'll be moving on the 1st of August.  We live in Southern California now, so it's a big change.  I am excited and scared all at the same time.  

Hair: Not much to report since it's still so short.  The Pantene is still working great for me.  
I was looking in the mirror the other day and realized it is longer than chin length now; it's really down to my shoulders.  Still not long enough to pull all of it into a pony tail, and not long enough to pull out of my collar when I put a shirt or jacket on.  I would say that if I were wearing a collared blouse, it would be long enough to just barely cover the down-turned part of the collar.  

May 15th
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/3682439065_0ec3dd782f.jpg?v=0

July 2nd
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2655/3682439059_4647c87ea6.jpg?v=0

It's kind of fun to see the progress made in about six weeks.  It's encouraging!

Congratulations on your move to Texas- I hope everything works out great!!!

Looks like you're growing nicely!!  Keep up the good work!  ;D

Good luck with the move.  I have done it several times and it can be a pain.  Hope you don't lose anything important.

You have lovely hair.  I can't wait to see what it looks like longer.  

Sakina & Melusine:  Thank you both!  

I can't wait either!

Your hair looks really good and I'm so envious.  

Your hair looks beautiful!

Very nice hair! :)

SoCal to Texas, eh? :o You must favor hot weather. hehe Good luck...

Nice waves, btw. :)

Thank you ladies, you're all so sweet!

Midnight, I grew up in SoCal, so I guess that's what I know.  :)  I did live in TX before for 5 years, and believe me I am not looking forward to the weather there.  At least here when it's hot it's mostly dry.  The humidity combined with the heat out there is miserable!  IMHO, anyone who doesn't think a dry heat is different than a humid heat hasn't lived with both!   ;D

I agree with you completely.  I grew up in central ILL, which shares St. Louis' heat and humidity, and I have been in Phoenix in July, so I know the difference.  In Chicago, it's always too cold and humid or too hot and humid.  I'm talking about temps in the high 90s with humidity in the high 90s, too.  Talk about miserable.  Yuck!!

MichelleR wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2009 at 3:47pm:

Thank you ladies, you're all so sweet! Midnight, I grew up in SoCal, so I guess that's what I know.  :)  I did live in TX before for 5 years, and believe me I am not looking forward to the weather there.  At least here when it's hot it's mostly dry.  The humidity combined with the heat out there is miserable!  IMHO, anyone who doesn't think a dry heat is different than a humid heat hasn't lived with both!   ;D

That's my experience too.  I could handle the dry hot heat in the San Joaquin valley, CA but just a bit over 70F and humid here is absolutely miserable.  This has been confirmed by guests from AZ and San Joaquin Valley in CA who thought they were going to pass out when it was 72F and humid here one Spring a few years ago.  

 

Humidity does make the heat quite uncomfortable...but extreme arrid conditions are no picnic either. Texas has both. :P

wrote on Jul 4^th, 2009 at 5:05pm:

Humidity does make the heat quite uncomfortable...but extreme arrid conditions are no picnic either. Texas has both. :P

Yes, the bloody noses and dried out skin, lips and hair are no fun either!  I went through that when my family moved to the hi-desert when I was in high school.  I suppose I adjusted to it though, and find it more difficult to cope with a humid heat.  

There were fireworks last night at one of the colleges up the street from us.  This was my cat's first July 4th and he was not a happy camper!  He's not the type to be fearful but he definitely did not know what to make of all the noise.  We opened up one of the windows for him (he only likes to sit in them when it's open and can smell all the happenings through the screen) and he could see the fireworks through the trees.  I really think he calmed down after that.  He's a most unusual cat.  

Whoa, that's one brave cat to go to the window and actually look at what was going on. :o

And yeah, that's SoCal alright. Dry, hot, dry...and hot. :P Though it's been rather humid for the past couple of days.

My mood:  >:(

Well, we were supposed to have our friends over today and they bailed on us.  It's a bunch of stupid drama.  They're having relationship issues and are in marriage counseling.  So my husband talks to "Joe" and gets information and Joe tells him not to tell me and I talk to "Jane" and get info and she tells me not to tell my husband.  The whole thing is just ridiculous.  I'm trying as hard as I can to just support her and try to get her out of the house and doing something without knowing anything about what the issue is between her and her husband.  I am not getting involved.  Argh!  Part of me wants to just drive over to her house and drag her butt out of the house.  I know she is sitting over there moping and sleeping and that's just about the worst thing you can do when you're depressed.  

*sigh*  It is even more difficult for me because we're leaving in just a few weeks now, and I'm afraid I won't see her again before we leave.    :-/


Hair: It's at that awkward length where it covers my neck and makes me hot, but it's not long enough to even get into a pony tail.  Even if I pin back the top and put the back in a band, pieces still fall out on my neck.  Bleh.

I washed my hair today with Neutrogena clarifying shampoo.  My hair *really* needed it, and I had run out.  Since we are moving in less than a week, I had been putting off buying more.  But the last few days were driving me crazy.  I could feel the build up on the top of my head when I would shampoo...it would feel like my hair wasn't really getting wet.  So I bought some and used it this morning and it was such a relief.  My hair is light and soft again.  It even tangles less.  I still like the Pantene a lot, but I think it does cause more build up on my hair.  I just need to clarify on a more regular basis.  I still haven't tried the vinegar rinse.  I'll have to get some apple cider vinegar once we're settled and give it a try.  

Other: When my hair is long and I pull it into a pony tail, I get this fringe of hair at my temples from my ears up through the "corner" of my hairline that sticks straight out and it never grows past a couple inches.  My friend in high school called it my devil horns.  I hate that hair.  *humph*  Well, I had this pair of sunglasses that were a men's athletic style and they had a little rubber nub on the earpiece that would pull at that hair above my ears every time I took them off.  That hair is fine and frizzy enough as it is and I don't need something to pull it out and shred it further.  So I went sunglasses shopping today and got a nice new pair.

Well, we're all relocated to Texas.  It took us three days to drive here.  I had our cat in my car.  That was fun!  The movers came with our stuff yesterday so the apartment is a huge mess now.  I'm just taking it one box at a time.  

We went and bought a really nice bed since we have two bedrooms now, and our old queen mattress is in the second bedroom as a guest room.  This morning I woke up and realized the cat had peed on my feet and it was all over our brand new mattress, sheets and coverlet!  OOOOOHHHHH I was burning mad!  He has never done anything like that before.  I can only assume he was upset over all the changes and was letting me know.  I sprayed a solution that is meant to neutralize cat urine all over the area and blotted it as best I could with a shammy.  It's drying now, and so far I can smell the fragrance of the solution, but no urine smell.  Hopefully it works.  

Quote:

Well, we're all relocated to Texas.  It took us three days to drive here.  I had our cat in my car.  That was fun!

Congrats on your new place! :D

Traveling with cat's is not fun at all.  I couldn't imagine 3 days of it.  Although, some cats do travel better than others.  Mine are horrible.  Even taking them to the vet requires lots of patience :P


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This morning I woke up and realized the cat had peed on my feet and it was all over our brand new mattress, sheets and coverlet!  OOOOOHHHHH I was burning mad!  He has never done anything like that before.  I can only assume he was upset over all the changes and was letting me know.

I would've been mad too!  Yeah, it was most likely the confusing changes that provoked that.    

Trying to stay up late tonight to catch the annual meteor shower.  I'm going to walk outside now and see if I can spot any.  It's way past my bedtime and I'm soooo tired!  But I had to try.  I always felt like this meteor shower was special because it occurs around my birthday each year and I always miss it!

Well, I didn't see any meteors meteorites shooting stars.  There is way too much light pollution here we live a stones throw away from Six Flags, the ballpark and the new Cowboy's football stadium) and the sky was too bright to see anything more than the moon and a handful of the brightest stars. Someday I would like to plan a trip out of the city and be able to watch it when the sky is devoid of artificial light.  

I did take a nice walk though on the golf course that is behind our apartment.  We're not supposed to go on the property, but I figured since it was 1:00am no one would notice me or care as long as I stayed on the cart path.  It's really amazing what noises you hear when the human world is quiet.  I heard cicadas, crickets, frogs, and some mystery sound.  It was a fast clacking noise.  Like furious castanets echoing from a long distance.  

My husband kept getting up out of bed and wondering outside to spot the shower too, but he didn't see it either.

I couldn't even imagine seeing something like that.  We also have an issue with too much artificial light. :P


Quote:

I did take a nice walk though on the golf course that is behind our apartment.  We're not supposed to go on the property, but I figured since it was 1:00am no one would notice me or care as long as I stayed on the cart path.  It's really amazing what noises you hear when the human world is quiet.  I heard cicadas, crickets, frogs, and some mystery sound.  It was a fast clacking noise.  Like furious castanets echoing from a long distance.

Sounds like a neat experience! :D  I love the quietness and sounds of nature at night.  It's so peaceful.

I live in the countryside.  I take these things for granted; that if the skies are clear enough I'll be able to see stars, moon, etc.  When hub and I were still dating and he lived in the Capital we kept talking about how when we moved out to the country, we'd go for long walks in the evening, especially in the winter and look at stars.  Then I became pregnant. ;D  I think we went on one of those walks while I was pregnant.  Luckily I just have to look out of my window or walk out onto the lawn.  *ough!*  I'm being really bad at hi-jacking others journals.  Apologies!

No apologies needed!  I love to hear other people's experiences too! :)

Not much news with my hair.  It's still too short to do anything with.  I just pin my bangs back everyday to keep my hair out of my face.  

We took my son to the park yesterday.  There were lots of pretty dragonflies around, and a friendly bird.

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs164.snc1/6131_1106989404459_1518530140_30335539_3601230_n.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/3818346495_80100f4039.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/3818347047_4518392162.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3819157196_9c93227c7e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/3819157956_262dd222ea.jpg

Cool Pics! :)

I love your pics!  And how jealous am I?  I'm never able to get a picture of a dragon fly, they don't sit still for me. :P

Thanks Isabelle and LD!  

I was actually really surprised they did sit still for me!  Most of them flew away before I could take a picture.  

Beautiful pictures!

Very cool pics!  Your son is a cutie pie!

Thanks everyone!  

Hair: Only rinsed with water today in the shower, then CO on the ends and at my temples where the hair is finer and frizzier.  After towel drying, I just lightly finger combed and let it be instead of combing it straight.  It didn't really dry more wavy, but it has a more tousled, "bedhead" look.  I think it has more volume if anything.  Not sure yet if that's a result of the not combing, or the not shampooing.  

Hair feels a bit more greasy than it would if I had shampooed.  I expect that's normal.  Also my scalp feels a little itchy.  Hopefully that will go away as my scalp adjusts.

Day three of no shampoo (last time was Saturday).  I've continued to rinse with water and CO on the ends.  My scalp is very greasy and looks really nasty.

I've read online about people who've tried this and complained about the smell.  Maybe I haven't done it long enough yet to experience that, or maybe I'm a little more accepting of "natural" odors.  There is a difference between the natural odor of the body and a "bad" smell due to infection or other disease.  So far all I notice is the natural smell of my greasy scalp.  Sounds gross, but isn't necessarily a "bad" smell if that makes sense.  

I'm not sure I can stand to do this cold turkey.  I will probably try diluting my shampoo to a runny consistency tomorrow and see if that gives me some relief without stripping all the oils out.  If that works, I'll try going longer and longer between washings and see if I can wean myself off the shampoo altogether.  

I haven't decided yet if this will be a permanent change or not.  I'm just having fun with the experimentation at this point.   :D

Hi, MichelleR! :)

Loved the pics, by the way! I was reading your last entry and I wondered how long your hair was. I remember reading one of the Measure Up sections and I think you said it was 17''? I think? haha, I just remembered because mine is pretty much the exact same length! lol, I know how it feels, then not to have too many options for what you can do with your hair style-wise. Just wanted to wish you good luck!

Jilayne75 wrote on Aug 17^th, 2009 at 11:28pm:

Hi, MichelleR! :) Loved the pics, by the way! I was reading your last entry and I wondered how long your hair was. I remember reading one of the Measure Up sections and I think you said it was 17''? I think? haha, I just remembered because mine is pretty much the exact same length! lol, I know how it feels, then not to have too many options for what you can do with your hair style-wise. Just wanted to wish you good luck!

Thanks!  My hair is just barely collar length.  I'm not sure I would even consider it shoulder-length yet.  *sits up very straight...nope not quite yet*  You're right; there isn't much I can do style-wise yet.  I have lots of layers, so I can't really even do a pony tail yet, or my layers all fall out around my face.  I need the layers though, while my hair is growing out or else I have the poofy triangle look around my face and that's not flattering to anyone!  Good luck to you too!

The last time I took a picture of the back of my hair was July 2nd.  I think it's time to check again and see my progress.  I'll wait until the beginning of Sept. though, so I can see two full months of growth.  

This morning I went ahead and washed my hair with diluted shampoo, then conditioner all over.  

haha, you're welcome.  :)

Oh! You have layers too? I know how you feel!
I love my layers and probably wouldnt go back to one length if I could (I know I need them because my hair is so thick, and because it helps enhance the natural curl) but sometimes they get annoying, like when they dont fit into things. My hair is about an inch past my collar bone, but the layers do fit into a ponytail.

Yeah. I'd love to see a picture!  :)

I don't have a sewing measuring tape (last time I posted in the Measure Up thread I tried to use a regular metal-type one) so I'm just going to keep posting my pictures here.  

Today
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3885246776_6e7d6a27fc.jpg
July 2nd
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2655/3682439059_4647c87ea6.jpg

I gave up on the no washing my hair thing.  It was pretty gross and I felt like it was affecting my face as well.  I can go maybe every other day, but not longer.  I can almost get it all up in a pony tail.  I did try to trim my bangs as they had gotten quite long, but I think I messed them up.  I may have to go and get them fixed.  Maybe I can find a hair dresser who will charge me only to trim my bangs, as I can't afford to pay for a full cut right now (and I don't want a full cut right now anyway).

Other: There is a katydid on my window.  He's probably just under 2" long.  He's been sitting there for a few hours now.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3885258076_8383992f33.jpg

Your hair is looking very nice!

Thanks!  :D

Some people say that after a while your face and scalp adjusts.  I just can't see that happening for me if I were to try such an experiment.  You take some really good photos.

Yeah, I'm with you Drear.  Maybe it would adjust after a while, but I don't feel like going through the greasy face and resulting breakouts in the meantime.  I'd rather experiment with milder, more natural shampoos.  

You have no idea how many pictures I had to take to get that one right!  :D  At our old house we had a medicine cabinet facing the wall mirror in the bathroom and I could use that to line up the camera right.  But now we just have the one mirror, so I had to take a bunch until I got one that was ok.

My goodness, you have a lot of hair! I see big, beautiful, blonde waves in your future. ;)

And I'm totally with you on the not washing theory. Nasty. :P If I go even one day without it, my face turns red and gets greasy and irritated. My skin is completely intolerant of oils, including its own, so frequent washing is mandatory. Plus it feels better anyway. ::)

Cheers!

Your hair looks super healthy and pretty, nice color! :D  Cool pic of the katydid, too!  I see those everyday but never knew what they were called. :)

Good luck with the bang situation.  I just trimmed mine about a week ago and I think I messed up a little too.  Only thing is they seem to need trimmed so frequently, I'm going to just wait and fix mine on the next one.  I doubt that my mistake is visble to anyone but me anyway. :P

wrote on Sep 4^th, 2009 at 11:31pm:

Your hair looks super healthy and pretty, nice color! :D

Thanks!


wrote on Sep 4^th, 2009 at 11:31pm:

Cool pic of the katydid, too!  I see those everyday but never knew what they were called. Smiley Good luck with the bang situation.  I just trimmed mine about a week ago and I think I messed up a little too.  Only thing is they seem to need trimmed so frequently, I'm going to just wait and fix mine on the next one.  I doubt that my mistake is visble to anyone but me anyway. Tongue

I didn't know what it was called either.  I knew it wasn't a grasshopper, so I went online and did an Image search on Google for North Texas bugs.  That is such a cool function!  I saw a picture that looked exactly like this guy and it said it was a katydid.  

I'm sure you're right about the bangs.  I just pin them back anyway to keep them out of my face except for those times when I actually want to style my hair with bangs.  Nobody will notice and they'll grow out in a few weeks.

Quote:

That is such a cool function!

Isn't it??? :D  I know that I'm about to sound really old here...but back when I was a kid, you had to go to the library to look up such things. :P


Quote:

I just pin them back anyway to keep them out of my face except for those times when I actually want to style my hair with bangs.  Nobody will notice and they'll grow out in a few weeks.

And it'll save you time and a little money.  Glad I could help. :)

wrote on Sep 6^th, 2009 at 6:21pm:

Isn't it??? :D  I know that I'm about to sound really old here...but back when I was a kid, you had to go to the library to look up such things. :P

Me too!

Quote:

Me too!

;D

Remember card catalogs and micro fiche?  I can just imagine the blank look on some youngsters face if I mentioned that in a library today!

Yesterday I opened a set of reed diffusers that I had been given for Christmas last year.  I finally have a place to put them.  One of them smells totally yummy, like vanilla sugar cookies and I put that in my bedroom.  The other one I put on the second bedroom, but took it out almost right away because it reeks!  It smells like some nasty version of patchouli or sandalwood incense or something, I don't know what it is.  It's horrid.  I threw it in the trash because there is no way I will be able to tolerate it anywhere in the apartment.  Last night I put the trash by the front door so I would remember to take it out first thing in the morning, and this morning, I discovered that the bottle had leaked, dissolved through the trash bag, and was all over my wood laminate flooring!   :o It dissolved the upper plastic layer of the laminate in three different places and now it's all bubbling and warped looking!   :'( Oh, that's not going to be cheap when the complex has to replace it when we move out!   :(  I wiped it up with a damp towel as best I could and threw all my towels in for a wash.  Now my whole apartment reeks of this nasty stuff.   >:(  I will probably have to run the wash a few times to get the smell out of my towels.  

Lesson learned: fragrance oils really will dissolve plastic and destroy wood finishes, just like it says on the bottle!

Quote:

Remember card catalogs and micro fiche?

Yep and yep. ;D  


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I can just imagine the blank look on some youngsters face if I mentioned that in a library today!

I wouldn't even bother.  My 16 and 20 year old nieces alreay think that I'm ancient.  No need to add more fuel to the fire.  ::)


Quote:

Last night I put the trash by the front door so I would remember to take it out first thing in the morning, and this morning, I discovered that the bottle had leaked, dissolved through the trash bag, and was all over my wood laminate flooring!

I feel for you.  I've had similar situations.  Once in one of my early apartments, I accidentally got oven cleaner on the linolium floor.  It made burn marks on the floor that I was unable to remove.  So I just put an area rug over it to hide it.  However, one day when I went to wash the rug because water had leaked from somewhere and totally soaked it.  And when I took  the rug up, the marks were gone...just dissappeared. :-?  I'm not sure why, but I'm grateful that I didn't have to pay for new flooring.

And just today, I took my trash out.  I don't use plastic bags...trying to be green in some capacity.  Anyway, when I was dumping the trash out of waste basket and into the dumpster, some fluid spilled onto my dress. >:(  I don't know what the stuff was but it was gross.  Right now I have my dress in the washer.  I hope whatever it is comes out.

I love the smell of sugar cookie candles, they do smell yummy!  My husband hates them though because it makes him think that somethings baking...when of course nothing is.  Doh! ;D

MichelleR wrote on Sep 10^th, 2009 at 10:16am:

Now my whole apartment reeks of this nasty stuff.   >:(  I will probably have to run the wash a few times to get the smell out of my towels.   Lesson learned: fragrance oils really will dissolve plastic and destroy wood finishes, just like it says on the bottle!

Try setting out bowls of baking soda to absorb the smell, and you might try adding some to the wash if the first one doesn't remove it.

Oooh, good idea; thanks!

I think the baking soda worked.  The smell is nearly gone from the area and I can barely detect it in the towels.  Phew!  

I'm watching Say Yes To The Dress right now on TLC and one of the brides trying on a dress has this beautiful black shiny hair that is about BSL.  So pretty!  

I think my goal right now is nearly waist length.  I love the look of long hair that covers "the girls."  Mine's never been that long.  I've probably got 2.5 - 3 years to go before I'll see that.  *sigh*

Quote:

I think the baking soda worked.  The smell is nearly gone from the area and I can barely detect it in the towels.  Phew!

 

Well that's good! :)

Ugh..I love shiny black hair.  I still can't decide if I wanna indigo mine or not. :-/

CurlGirl and I must be on the same wavelength!  I went through the last of my boxes from the move.  I had about 10 boxes of pictures and decorations and crafts and random crapola.  I went through and organized everything and consolidated and now I have about 4 boxes to put in storage.  I went through all my old beading supplies and organized my patterns.  I found a bunch of little projects I had completed; maybe I'll take a picture or two and post.  

Doesn't it feel good to get things organized? :)

Yes, please post pictures if you can! :D

wrote on Sep 16^th, 2009 at 7:50pm:

Doesn't it feel good to get things organized? :)

Oh my goodness yes!  Even if it's just boxes crammed away out of sight in a back closet, I still know it's there!

Ok, so here is some of my "work."  I really enjoy doing this, but it's extremely time consuming.  I want to branch out and make some of my own items to embellish, but I don't know how to operate a sewing machine.  That's something I really want to learn to do; I would like to eventually take a class.  I think this type of beading would translate well to wrist cuffs, pouches (like a cell phone pouch maybe?), journal covers, etc.  

Some of my patterns are iron-on, some are plastic stencils.  I have used various methods to trace the design onto the fabric, like fabric pencils and chalks, to fabric paints.  I thought the paints would make a nice effect (like the silver on white fabric one at the end) but I think I prefer the simplicity of the chalk/pencils that wash out and leave only the beads showing the design.  I wish I had taken a picture of some of the ones I did for my step-mom.  One of them was a white sweatshirt with a large snowflake on the front done in silver.  It was really pretty!

These are a pair of jeans that were my first project.  Unfortunately this was not a wise choice to start with, because I had no idea of what I wanted the overall effect to be, so it's a mish-mash of different size and color beads, and it doesn't look pulled together.  I really need to take off the beads I don't like, but the design would still be there because it was one of my iron-on ones.  :(
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/3927314381_27df7b9d19.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3927288521_852dec8dc7.jpg
A head scarf I made and wore to a renaissance faire:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2497/3927288553_905d9905c8.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/3928070184_afa004dcbf.jpg
Another of my design methods: I stitched cross stitch fabric (the kind you can throw in the wash, it disintegrates and then you pull out the threads that are left) onto a little tote bag and was following a cross stitch pattern.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3927288677_6375cd0503.jpg
A sachet bag: the idea was for potpourri, wedding favors, bath soaps or salts, etc.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/3927288739_77d0c729d8.jpg
Here's the silver and white hanky:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2634/3927288797_65f6b3965b.jpg

I really like the scarf, the bag and the sachet which is so cute.

Nice work! :)

Wow, how very cute! :D  

You're very talented.  You should take sewing lessons. That'll help speed up your process.  I have plans to learn to sew as well but haven't yet. :P

I like everything you did but especially the satchel, only because it was an unexpected touch.

A few years ago, I got one of those electric iron rod things (I forget what they're called) that you use to apply rhinestones.  I went rhinestone crazy with that thing, I applied them to shoes, jeans, jackets and even my cellphone ;D

I have some old jeans that I want to put iron on embroidered patches on but I didn't get around to it this summer... and I don't own an iron. ::)

Thanks ladies!  It's something I really like to do, but don't have much time to do it.  :(  *sigh*  Now, if I could just win the lottery or something...  :D

From your mouth to God's ears!!!  I was thinking the same for myself!

So I was just reminiscing today about a lotion I used to use probably over 10 years ago.  It was a lotion by St. Ives which was in a spray bottle.  It was very light and refreshing and a nice light scent.  It's been discontinued forever, and I still haven't gotten over it.   :'(  I've been thinking about it again lately because with the humidity and heat here, I can't stand using normal lotion (even one I found by Eucerin that is supposed to be light and non-greasy) but I still get that "ashy" look to my skin and need something.  

I haven't seen any spray lotions since.  Anyone know of one?  Failing that, I was thinking of maybe watering down some lotion and putting it in a spray bottle.  Has anyone tried that?

Never tried the spray lotions, or making one for that matter. I use Suave's oil-free lotions for light work since there's practically nothing to them. The natural oatmeal one is especially good, in my experience. But then, I live in a very dry climate so results may  vary. :-/

wrote on Sep 21^st, 2009 at 11:16am:

Never tried the spray lotions, or making one for that matter. I use Suave's oil-free lotions for light work since there's practically nothing to them. The natural oatmeal one is especially good, in my experience. But then, I live in a very dry climate so results may  vary. :-/

Yeah, when we lived in SoCal I needed a pretty heavy duty moisturizer.  My skin has changed since we moved here.  And just when I had gotten into a good routine with my facial cleanser and moisturizer.   >:(
If I can find a travel size bottle of the Suave lotion I'll pick it up and see how that works.  Thanks for the tip Angel.  I'll try diluting the lotions I have as well and buy a little spray bottle.  I'd like to be able to use up what I have!  

I need to make a trip to Bath & Body Works too.  My little boy likes to take baths and used about an inch of my shower gel and now I'm almost out!   :o  I need to get him some kid's bubble bath so he doesn't use my expensive stuff.  

Well, I think it's my turn to have the cold.   :(  It didn't start in my head this time; it's in my chest.  I have a raw feeling in my chest and I can tell I'm wheezing slightly.  I'm not coughing too much like a maniac yet though.  

Went to the mall and got more of my body wash from Bath & Body Works.  I luuuurrrrv the Butterfly Flowers fragrance!  
They have a new one called P.S. I Love You.  Doesn't do anything for me.  Too much fake rose fragrance in my opinion.  
They rolled out another fragrance a couple of months ago called White Citrus which is heavenly!  I have a candle in that scent and I just love it.  
They're having a Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale so I got a Butterfly Flowers body wash, a White Citrus body wash and a Moonlight Path bubble bath.  The Moonlight Path is very relaxing and calming, but kind of sexy too.  

Then went over to Target and picked up a 2oz spray bottle and some travel size lotions.  
I got Suave Skin Therapy Aloe with Cucumber, St Ives Whipped Silk, Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating and Johnson's Body Care 24 Hour Body Lotion.  They were each under $1 so I figure if I hate them it's not as bad as tossing a full size bottle.  

When I got home I tried the St Ives Whipped Silk since my arms were really dry and scaly looking.  It absorbed really well and was very light.  I actually needed to apply more than I estimated.  So far it feels ok, but I want to try it first thing out of the shower and wear it all day.  

I'm going to try mixing my Butterfly Flowers Body Lotion with water and using the spray bottle.  

Whilst I was in line at Target, a recipe book caught my eye.  I usually never buy magazines at the store, and rarely buy anything off the impulse racks, but this is a Campbell's Casserole & One-Dish Recipe Card book.  I'm told I'm a very good cook, but I have no inspiration like some of you ladies, so I never know what to make, and frankly I'm pretty lazy about it.  So I thought this would be a good thing to try.  They are simple recipes and I can throw them in every once in a while to break up the monotony of my typical freezer stir fry dinners.  

Feel better soon! St Ives Whipped Silk is one of my fav lotions :) Love the bead work btw!

Thanks!!

I can't believe that you have a cold too.  Ugh...it just seems too early in the season for that nonsense.  Anyway, I hope you feel better soon.

Sorry I can't help with the lotion.  I cannot use watery lotions.  I need something thick and ultra moisturizing.  

Grrr, I'm so fed up with my husband right now.  

I asked him to pick up some soup and a package of those Shower Soothers for me.  I told him I would be in the shower, and this is the message I get from him: "I don't se shower things and u don't answer phone so u have to buy urself"  Thanks honey.  

Dammit, if he was sick and wanted something, I'd drive all over town to find it.  At least I would ASK someone at the store to help me find it.  He is the worst when it comes to being sick and wanting to be nursed a little.  God forbid something happens to me when we're old and he has to take care of me.  I'd better die first.   >:(

Grrrr! Stupid males...http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Manga/japanese-011.gif  Those shower things sound really good! Wonder if I can ge them in Canada?

Isabelle wrote on Sep 24^th, 2009 at 9:28am:

Grrrr! Stupid males...Those shower things sound really good! Wonder if I can ge them in Canada?

They're wonderful!  Here's the link to the manufacturer's website for the product:
http://www.sudacare.com/page.jhtml?id=/sudacare/include/prd_showersoothers.inc

You might be able to find out if they distribute to any local stores.  They are also available for purchase online, like on Amazon.com, but I don't know if I'd do that since I'd have to pay for shipping.  I'm pretty cheap that way.   ;D

Well, I just found out that I don't have a job anymore.  :(  I had been working part-time from home for the company I left behind in CA.  I had worked there for 4 1/2 years and was very close to the boss and his family.  I'm good friends with his daughter, his wife and I exchange gifts at birthdays, that sort of thing.  I've even been to Knott's Berry Farm with them as well as some other events.  

The company is a very small, family owned company and was hit hard by the economy crash and ensuing recession.  The understanding when I moved was that I would continue to do payroll for them, as well as bidding jobs (they are a sub-contractor in the construction business).  At any time I was free to look for another job, since this was considered to be a part-time thing, and at any time, they were free to let me know if there weren't enough jobs for their full time people to be bidding, etc.  

So the way I found out was I got an email from a co-worker who told me that the boss had told her to take over the payroll from me.  She said that she asked him if he'd talked to me yet, and he said, "she knows that we can only use her while we are busy."  So that's it.  I don't even warrant the courtesy of a phone call or an email to let me know.  I'm just sick over it.  I'm not surprised or upset that this needed to be done, but the way he's handling this is just sh*!!y.     >:(

I have a very hard time making friends and really opening myself up to people and giving them my trust.  I guess this is just a reminder of why that is.    :'(

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I had a similar siutation a very long time ago, so I can relate to how that feels. :-[  Hopefully, in the future you and your ex boss/friend can become friends again.

:o Ugh. Welcome to the ranks of unemployment. :P Same thing just happened to me.

And you're right, what a shady way to find out! Did you call your former boss and ask him what the deal was? Did he specifically tell your co-worker to inform you that you were no longer needed? That's just...ugh. >:( I'm sorry, hon. *hugs*

Thanks ladies.  I already feel better now that I've had a change to digest things.  No, I haven't talked to him about it yet.  I think I would be too emotional to talk to him on the phone.  I do need to email him though and make sure he'll approve my unemployment claim.  Technically since I moved my unemployment would be considered voluntary (I think), and he usually fights those claims.  *sigh* Not looking forward to it.  

On the bright side of things, I put my resume in for everything I could find on Monster.com and already had someone call me about a possible phone interview.  It's for the local passport office, and I'll have to pass a credit and back ground check.  Credit check is first and I already sent her back the consent form.

Health  : I'm still getting over this cold.  Two weeks after I got the chest cold, I was getting better and symptoms had not spread.  Then, one night I had a sore throat and the next morning I was all congested.  Two days of minor fever and sinus pain followed, and today I finally feel better as far as the sore throat and energy returning.  But I still have the sinus congestion, and even a hot steamy shower doesn't help to break it up.  I just hope it clears up a bit more before I have to go on any interviews!  Nothing worse than trying to impress someone whilst dripping and coughing.  

Quote:

No, I haven't talked to him about it yet.  I think I would be too emotional to talk to him on the phone.

I agree, your feelings are probably too raw to talk to him right now.  As long as it stays professional, the email does sound like a good idea to me though.


Quote:

Nothing worse than trying to impress someone whilst dripping and coughing.

I hope you get over your cold soon.  However, if you find a lead in the meantime, I say go for it if you can.

I went on a job interview when I had walking pneumonia.  It wasn't contgious at the time, but I was still visibly sick.  Not only did I get the job, but my interviewer was impressed that I would even show up in such conditon.  Hey, sympathy points and a show of determination can be good things. ;D

wrote on Oct 9^th, 2009 at 1:40am:

I hope you get over your cold soon.  However, if you find a lead in the meantime, I say go for it if you can. I went on a job interview when I had walking pneumonia.  It wasn't contgious at the time, but I was still visibly sick.  Not only did I get the job, but my interviewer was impressed that I would even show up in such conditon.  Hey, sympathy points and a show of determination can be good things. ;D

Oh, I definitely would go!  Who knows when another opportunity would come along, right?  

Well, I got news that I passed the credit check for the passport office position.  I have a phone interview this afternoon with the placement agency and they are also going to set me up with some online testing.  The background check part will take 8-12 weeks, so even if this one pans out I will definitely have to keep looking for some temporary work.  I have an appointment with a temp agency on Wednesday, so we'll see how that goes.  

On Friday afternoon I emailed my ex-boss.  I kept it very short, neutral and matter of fact.  I hope he answers back soon, as I want to go ahead and file for unemployment if he will approve it.  

Health:  Feeling a little better; was able to sleep in bed for the first time in almost 3 weeks.  Although yesterday, hubby and I went shopping for some nice shoes for me to wear to the interview and the little outing really drained me.  I felt almost feverish again in the evening.

This cold has really taken a lot out of me, which is unusual for me.  I'm typically very sturdy and don't get sick very often and when I go get a cold, they don't usually take me down like this.  I feel like a silly hypochondriac for saying this, but I saw a thing on the swine flu on the news, and the symptoms matched mine perfectly!   :o  Of course, they also match the symptoms for the normal common cold.   ;)

Entertainment:  U2 is playing at Texas Stadium in Arlington tonight.  We are just across the freeway from the stadium, actually within walking distance.  I can't remember if the top of this new stadium is open like the old one was - I wonder if we'll be able to hear the dim roar from where we are?  

Congrats on your new job! :D  Hopefully, your ex boss will cooperate so that you can receive unemployment in the meantime.

Wow, your cold is really trying to hang on for as long as it can.  Try to take care and get some rest. :)

MichelleR, I was just going to say get checked out for swine flu.  The thing about this one is that it is more severe than the common flu.  Without treatment it may drag on for months, so please get some help!

I hope your phone interview goes well.  Will you be wearing pj's, just for fun???

Sakina wrote on Oct 12^th, 2009 at 2:47pm:

MichelleR, I was just going to say get checked out for swine flu.  The thing about this one is that it is more severe than the common flu.  Without treatment it may drag on for months, so please get some help!

I would, but I don't have insurance at the moment.  :(  My husband is supposed to get insurance after a probationary period (I just can't remember if it's 60 or 90 days) so if this thing is still hanging on by then I definitely will!  

The other possibility that seems feasible is that different regions have different bacteria, and when you move to a new place, your immune system may not have the proper immunities anymore.  At least, so I have read on the internet.  There's no bad information on teh internetz amirite?   :D ;)  Seriously though, my husband and I both got sick within about 6 weeks of moving from CA to TX, so that could be the culprit.  


Sakina wrote on Oct 12^th, 2009 at 2:47pm:

I hope your phone interview goes well.  Will you be wearing pj's, just for fun???

I totally would have!  But I went to get my new driver's license this morning, so I was all made up and dressed nicely for my picture.  :D  I went all out with the make up - well, for me any way.  I put on some mineral powder and blush, a little highlighter at my brow bones and heavy eyeliner (sort of like "Flo" in the Progressive commercials) and a little lipstick.  I even penciled in my brows since naturally they are so blonde as to be clear and so I have no frame for my eyes.  I was pleased with how I looked, so hopefully the picture will come out halfway decent!  


wrote on Oct 12^th, 2009 at 2:47pm:

Congrats on your new job!

Thanks, but I haven't got it nailed down yet.  The phone interview went very well.  I should have a face-to-face interview this week sometime with someone at the passport office, and if they like me, the lady at the placement agency said she would put me in as her recommendation.  She sounded very positive.  The downside is that the background check will take 8-12 weeks.   :o
So I will definitely have to keep looking for other work until then.


wrote on Oct 12^th, 2009 at 2:47pm:

Wow, your cold is really trying to hang on for as long as it can.  Try to take care and get some rest.

Thanks!  :)  That is the one good thing about not having work at the moment; I have more than enough time to lay about!  I do feel lazy though   :D and I try to get up and do a little housework every day so the place doesn't get too run down!  

Yikes!  I hope you do not have H1N1. :-X When we thought Don had it we were quarintined for 24 hrs. We both had to wear masks and not go out of the house till the doctor called with the results of the test.  Thankfully he did not have it but I was scared. Hope your feeling better.  It sucks that you do not have OHIP :'(

Thanks Lisa.  My congestion has cleared up significantly in the last day and I can breathe through my nose again.  The cough is better too, although it does flare up when I go outside since the air is cold and dry.  I hope you are feeling better soon too!

Hey ladies, I need some fashion advise and I hope you guys can help me!  

I have an outfit that I believe is suitable for going to an interview at a temp agency.  The skirt is gray with a sort of subtle tweed pattern, and the blouse is purple.  I have black shoes with a very slight heel; just enough to keep from being totally flat.  

I would prefer to wear tights because they last longer.  I have terrible luck with nylons; they run on me and I can never wear them more than once.  Problem is, tights usually come in bright colors and obviously for the purposes of interviewing, I want to look professional, not colorful!  :)  Also, since the weather is rather cold, I think the heavier stocking would be appropriate.  

I figure I could wear neutral colored tights, but I am no good at coordinating colors in an outfit.  All my pants are either jeans or neutral colors, and then I wear whatever top I want.  

What do you ladies think?  Should I match the tights to my skirt and get gray?  Or go black and match the shoes?  I think brown would be going a little too far and navy blue would clash with the purple blouse and I think you're not supposed to wear blue socks/stockings with black shoes anyway right?  I think I should stay away from white or cream, as that conjures images in my head of little girls in Easter or Christmas dresses.  I am leaning towards black as I think that would be safest.  

I vote for grey.  Do you know about www.sockdreams.com?  They have great tights!

Probably gray. Just make sure that the tights do not have any sort of pattern or texture to them as that would clash horrendously with a tweed skirt. :o

Thanks ladies!  I'll have to check out that website, Sakina.  

I got one pair black and one pair "Heather Graphite."  I would describe it as a heathered dark charcoal gray.  I think it will go well with the skirt.  When I got the skirt out to put up next to the tights, I realized it was actually a very light plaid pattern, not a tweed.   :o  Well, I said I was no good at fashion details right?  LOL

I also decided to take a look at the business suits as they were having a sale.  I found a suit on the clearance rack and found a blouse to go with it.  I've never worn a suit before; I wonder if I looked as uncomfortable as I felt in it!  Well, the fit was right and it will give me a more professional look when I go on more formal interviews (the lady setting up the interview for the passport job mentioned wearing one if I had it).  I can still wear the blouse and skirt for the temp agency and other jobs where the dress is business casual.  

I'm glad the others could advice you on tights.  I have nylons and even stockings but I always end up putting on tights when I have to choose.  Convenience and comfort.  I don't know how tall you are but if you're really short, then it's recommended that you match the leg wear to your shoes.  I think matching socks or tights to the bottom of your pants or skirts is just as good though if you're trying to achieve a professional look.  

Thank you, Drear!  I wore the gray tights to an interview this morning with a temp agency and I think they looked great.  They were a bit on the small side though.  They barely made it all the way up to the crotch and were pretty tight around the bum.  I am 5'8" and "big-boned" shall we say,  ;) so I usually end up at the upper end of the size chart.  Unfortunately that was the biggest size they had in the gray, although I was able to find one size larger in the black.  

Tomorrow is the interview with the passport agency and I will be wearing my new suit.  I have some knee-high tights to wear with that.  

The cold is getting better.  I'm not having the sinus headaches and fatigue like I had been.  Still some nasal congestion and coughing, but I can tell it's less and less each day.  

Today after the interview, I came home and was changing into more comfortable clothes.  I noticed my cat, Yoda, staring intently out the window and meowing.  I went to see what he was looking at and:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs234.snc1/8122_1141624110305_1518530140_30421248_6992832_n.jpg
I took a dish of food out to him and he ran away, terrified.  I don't know if he's feral or what.  I also don't know if it's a boy or girl, so I'm just saying he/him for convenience.  His eyes are totally yellow/green and have no kittenish blue anymore, so between that and his size I am guessing he is maybe 12-14 weeks old.  I finally got him to come back to the window and he just loved sitting there talking to Yoda through the screen.  I sat there for about 2 hours with him.  He let me get about 3 feet away and just sit there, but would bolt if I made any move toward him.  Finally I thought, "hey, what if I take off the window screen and put a dish of food on the window sill?"  Sure enough, he came right into the bedroom and I put the screen back on from outside.  Now I just have to catch him and inspect him for fleas, ear mites, etc.  I suspect if he's been outside all this time, it's a matter of how bad, not if.  The poor little thing was so hungry he ate a whole can of cat food and has no collar, so I don't believe he belongs to anyone.  Even if he does, he's clearly not being cared for, so I really don't care to try to find any potential owners.   >:(  Not sure yet if we'll keep him, have to discuss that with hubby.  At least we will get him cleaned up and take him to a shelter if we have to.  I hope there is a no kill shelter around here that will take him.   :'(

Awwww....what a cutie!  I love cat's! :D

I think that perhaps you should try to find it's owner just in case.  Someone out there may be missing their kitty. :-[  My cat loves to eat so much that she ALWAYS eats as though she's starving...the size of her belly gives her away though. :P

Good luck on your interviews!

Your Yoda is super cute!!!

I hope you have a happy result from your interviews!!!

Yoda! What a great name for a cat! ;D

Your Yoda looks a lot like my Blackie, who passed almost a decade ago. :'(

I've never seen myself as a cat person but I'm melting.  My mom's always had cats and I had a couple but mine thought they were dogs and the last one my mom still has, barks.  I hope you get results with your interviews.

LD: The more we have this kitten in the house, the more I am convinced it's feral.  He's very bold and not nervous about exploring, but the moment one of us moves, he bolts.  We tried to catch him last night so we could inspect him for fleas and he is just too fast for us!  We had him trapped in one bedroom and the two of us just could not get a hold of him.  

Hubby suggested he could be an outside cat, but with him being so small and winter coming, I don't think I could live with that.  I would be fine with him living here and not letting us touch him, but he needs to go to the vet and get flea dipped, shots, tested for feline leukemia/parasites and get neutered.  I don't want Yoda to catch anything from him.  

Woohoo!!  They offered me the job at the passport agency!  It's contingent upon passing the federal background check, but I can't imagine anything that would cause problems with that.  *happy dance!*

Wow, lady. Congrats! :)

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations!!!http://freesmileyface.net/smiley/Holidays-and-Party/party-010.gif

Congrats!!!!  That's wonderful news! :)

Congratulations!  That's fantastic!  

Well, the little kitty went to the vet today.  I almost lost a finger to the little turkey getting him into the carrier, but I did prevail in the end.  The vet and his nurse assistants were fantastic!  I warned them all about the little guy, but they had the experience, and once they got him all wrapped up in a towel, he was the model patient.  Oh, and he is a he by the way.  :)  He's negative for feline leukemia/AIDS, been deflea'd and deworm'd and had his first series of shots.  Got him home with no trouble and haven't seen him since!  Poor thing is hiding under the bed.  The vet wants him back in 3 weeks for the next series of vaccinations.  *sigh*  Not sure how that will happen, but I'll jump off that bridge when I get there!  

I think that's great what you've been doing with him!  I think he'll realize you mean no harm and in 3 weeks you'll have an easier time with him.  That's one less little puss out there by himself!

Thanks CurlGirl!

Hair: Hair is growing apace.  I can't believe November is right around the corner!  It will have been two months since I took a picture of my hair at the beginning of September, so almost time to take another and see the progress.  I can get it all into a pony tail now except for my bangs and the bits at the temples that never grow past a couple of inches anyway. :D

I still love the Pantene Beautiful Lengths Shampoo & Conditioner.  I can run my fingers through my hair when I first get out of bed with no tangles.  My hair is very fine and tangles so easily, so this is amazing for me.  When my hair gets longer, I'll have to try some of their leave-ins.  I just don't feel the need for it right now.  

Job: Still waiting for the results of the background check.  I had to fill out this very invasive *ahem* extensive form online.  I think it took me 2 hours to fill it all out, then I had to get my fingerprints done as well.  I really hope this goes smoothly and doesn't take 8 weeks!  

New kitty:  He's still spending most of the daytime hours under the bed in the guest bedroom.  He does come out in the late afternoon though.  I hope he'll at least get to the point where we can move around freely without him being afraid and bolting back down the hall.  I've been thinking about naming him Zaphod, after the character in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books.   ;D

Other:  It's raining again.  To a girl who grew up in California, it's amazing how quickly the weather changes here!  We'll have bright and sunny for a few days, then wake up to gloomy and pouring rain!   :o  Seems like in CA when they say there's a chance of rain, even if it's 70% or higher, no one believes it because it never pans out.  Here, they could say there will be a 20% chance of rain, and by Jove, we've got it!

Quote:

Seems like in CA when they say there's a chance of rain, even if it's 70% or higher, no one believes it because it never pans out.

Too true. :(

Congrats on the job offer!

Oh, you moved to Texas? Mind sharing where? I spent a few formative years in Austin, m'self. It's interesting, people from Austin rarely say they're from Texas, they're from Austin!

I do sort of miss the Austin weather occasionally, if they say it's going to rain, it pours! But then it's done, and the sky is all blue again.

Here in the 'burgh, if the weather says it's going to rain, you have NO idea what's going to happen. It might be sunny, or foggy, or it will pour, or it might snow.

Hi KNS, I live in the DFW area.  It is odd when you have a big storm and the next day it's bright and blue like nothing ever happened!   :)

;D

You think that's weird, just wait until you start doing some Texas roadtrips!

You'll be driving, it'll be blue and beautiful. There will be a dark smudge of clouds right in front of you, off towards the horizon. You drive further and find out it's a thunderstorm. You drive through the wildest thunderstorm you can imagine and emerge out through the other side... back into bright blue skies!

DFW is a nice area, I have some family out by Plano.  :)

I've heard that people experience strange time perceptions on those trips.  

Congrats again, on the job!  I had a feeling it would work out well for you! :D

And a new kitty too, bonus! ;D  I think getting new pets is fun.  It's good that he has you to look after him. :)


Quote:

Posted by: kittennoodlesoup Posted on: Today at 1:53am You think that's weird, just wait until you start doing some Texas roadtrips! You'll be driving, it'll be blue and beautiful. There will be a dark smudge of clouds right in front of you, off towards the horizon. You drive further and find out it's a thunderstorm. You drive through the wildest thunderstorm you can imagine and emerge out through the other side... back into bright blue skies!

I've experienced that too.  My family is from Buffalo, NY and it's very flat there.  While visiting once, it was so freaky driving through rain only to be able to drive past it to clear skies.  Looking back and still seeing the rain behind you is crazy! ;D   My family was used to it though.

Have fun with your new kitty and I hope the job works out well for you.

Thanks Mel!

Well, it's been almost two weeks since my back ground check was submitted and I haven't heard anything yet.  I am going to check in with the agency tomorrow and see if they've heard anything.

Kitty:  I named him Zaphod!  He is still skittish, but my mom's husband suggested taking the feeder away (we free-feed) and letting him get a bit hungry and then making  him come to me for his food.  So I'm working on that right now.  I keep offering him food, but I sit on the floor and put the dish just inches in front of me.  It took him a whole 24 hours of no food before he was hungry enough to come and scarf down from food!  Hopefully he will learn from this that we're not to be feared and that good things come from us.  :)  His next vet visit is Thursday and I have to find some way of getting him back in the carrier!

Halloween: We took my son to the park where they had a sort of community "safe" alternative to trick or treating.  They had tables set up with party games so the kids could play, and then get a piece of candy for playing.  They also had jump houses, airbrush tattoos and lots of the big inflatable decorations.  It was really neat, and best of all, free.   ;)  My husband and I didn't dress up, although I did wear my "MUMMY" (get it?  Mummy/Mommy? HAHA!) t-shirt.   :D

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs098.snc3/16549_1151816525109_1518530140_30446973_3632736_n.jpg

Then Sunday was my son's birthday, so we did homemade pizzas.  Ethan's favorite food "in the whole entire universe" is pizza, and he loves getting to help make the dough and put all his own toppings on!  I made a cake and let him decorate.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs098.snc3/16549_1152635945594_1518530140_30451007_1236307_n.jpg

It says Happy Birthday somewhere under all those sprinkles!   ;D

What great pics!!  Thanks for sharing!  It sounds like you all had a great time!
Your son is a cutie!!
I'm so glad you kept the kitty and he will come around.  Cats are not stupid,he'll know where to get his food and love from!

Cute son!  I like the safe alternative to trick or treat. Wish someone had thought of that way back when...

Awwwww!!! You little guy is so cute!!! :)

Thanks ladies!

Well, it's been 2 months since I posted a pic of my growth. 

Here's the one from September for reference:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3885246776_6e7d6a27fc_m.jpg

And here is today:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3508/4071786523_b80a537a6c.jpg

All that body at the end, you can see why I really like layers!  If I didn't have layers in there, my hair would be one big awkward triangle. 

Very nice!!

Yay! You can definitely see the new growth.  :)
Have you gotten past the awkward get-hair-half-stuck-in-half-out-of-shirt-neckline phase?

kittennoodlesoup wrote on Nov 4^th, 2009 at 3:28pm:

Yay! You can definitely see the new growth.  :) Have you gotten past the awkward get-hair-half-stuck-in-half-out-of-shirt-neckline phase?

LOL yes, I think I'm past that part.  For me, in terms of my hair looking awkward and not really falling right, it's from shoulder length to APL and I'm definitely right there! 

I've been about BSL before but never able to do a bun that would hold a stick.  It seems like by the time I wind the hair up, there's not enough hair to hold the stick, and my hair is so slippery and fine that it all just falls out.  I am trying for waist length this time and I hope that will finally be long enough for the styles I want to try!


Kitteh update: Zaphod is finally comfortable enough to eat normally while sitting right next to me on the couch!  For a couple of days I had to keep shooing him away from the food bowl because he was eating so fast out of fear that I was afraid he would make himself sick.  He will play with my finger tips and occasionally come and smell my fingers when I offer them, but I still can't touch him.  We're making progress though!

Job: I heard back from the recruiter that I passed the first part of my background check!  I asked her if I could start work because she'd told me I could once I passed the first part (there are three total).  She said they are being "cautious" and wanting to do the second part now before I start.  I don't know if that's something they're doing with everyone or if that means there was something they didn't like on mine.    :(   I don't know if I should be worried or not, but that makes me very nervous.   :-/

Great news with the kitty progress!

Have you tried anything like sock buns yet? Your length would probably work well with those now. You are also fast approaching the enviable "perfect length for french twists" point.

Hooray for kitty! Soon, he will be the snuggliest and purriest lap cat ever. Although I think that if names have any power, you have doomed  little Zaphod into staying just a bit crazy, forever.  ;D

Can't really say much about the background checks. I'm betting that the recruiter didn't really KNOW and assumed it would be reasonable that you could start after the first, and found out differently when she actually had to go check. I've had recruiters in the past do the classic bait and switch purely by accident/ignorance.

KNS: as a acquaintance of mine used to say, "Cats reflect their owner's personality."  So Zaphod is pretty much doomed no matter what is name is.  :D

Job: I have an update on the passport agency job.  I actually had to meet with a special investigator from the State Department  :o to "clarify" something on my report.  I had answered yes to a question about having been treated for depression or mental illness and I had given a short description of what it had been for.  So they send this guy out to meet me and get more details face to face.  Once he had my story (basically just being down due to going through divorce and all the nasty stuff that entails) he said he didn't think there would be anymore problems and that my explanation was totally satisfactory.  Whew!  So I am hoping that was the only thing holding me up and maybe I can start working soon!? *crossing my fingers*

In the meantime, my husband found out about an opening at the company where he works.  Since the background check had been dragging on, I thought there'd be no harm in submitting my resume.  I had an appointment this afternoon for the interview, and was getting in my car to leave when I noticed my front left tire was totally flat!  And my left rear tire was very low.  I just replaced my tires maybe six months ago, so I just knew it had to be a nail or something.  I had AAA come out and put my donut on and put more air in the rear tire so I could make it to the tire store.  Once there, they inspected my tires and found NOTHING.   :-?  They did the whole thing where they put the tires under water and could find no leaks.  So they just filled me back up and sent me on my way.  AND, didn't charge me a penny for it.  Woohoo!  This was at the Discount Tires chain by the way.  I definitely have high praise for them today!  We'll see how my tires are in a few days.  Even the guy at the store seemed worried that they couldn't find anything.  I mean, something had to have caused the flat, right?  Anyway, the lady I had the interview with was very understanding and offered to reschedule my appointment.  I do hate to waste their time and don't want to be misleading, but at the same time, I feel so unproductive just sitting at home.  I feel like I have to do something...

New products: I saw a commercial for a new lip balm by Neosporin (of antibiotic wound ointment fame).  They are targeting chronic chapped lips, from which I suffer terribly.  So I thought I would give it a try.  It comes two ways: in a squeezable tube (which is what I got) and a nighttime formula in a little pot.  The squeezable one has SPF20 in it.  Not sure about the nighttime formula.

Now, there is some buzz about being "addicted" to lip balm.  It seems to be mostly caused by people unconsciously licking their lips constantly, especially if the lip balm is flavored.  Because my lips are always so chapped, I make a conscious effort not to lick my lips.  I do however, have a terrible compulsion to chew and peel at my lips, especially if they are peeling.  I cannot just leave them alone.  So my best defense is to keep them moisturized and minimize the possibility of chapping in the first place.  I typically only need to apply it 2-3 times a day (one being at night before bedtime), so I don't think the so-called addiction is my problem.

Anyhoo, back to the product review.  :)  It absorbs well, and does not feel sticky to me.  That being said, it does have some staying power, which is important to me.  I have used other brands that seem to absorb or evaporate right away, leaving me to have to reapply it every few hours (which brings us back to the whole addiction thing).  Since it does have some staying power, someone who does not have lips as dry as mine may feel it is too heavy.  However, it suites me just fine.  There is no pleasant flavor to it whatsoever - not nasty, not camphor-y, just...faintly...medicinal (for lack of better descriptive word).  Anyway, so far I like it and will probably continue to use it.

I also picked up a new kitty litter.  I remembered that 7-8 years ago I used to use a clumpable kitty litter that was flushable.  Can you imagine??  I loved it!  I remember that it was made from paper or pine sawdust or something.  I haven't had cats since then and once we got our 1-1/2 year old I'd been looking for this litter again and couldn't find it.  But today -oh joy!- while buying another box of litter, I came across Swheat Scoop.  It is made from wheat hulls, and it's better for the cats since it's not made from clay, and best of all, it's flushable!!   :D  And, for a 17lb bag which should fill the box comparable to the competitors 28lb box (the same volume of wheat hulls is apparently much lighter than the clay litter) the cost was only about $1 more.  I can't wait to try it.  I need to dump out the existing litter and clean out the box before I put the new litter in.  I am just crossing my fingers and hoping the kitties will take to it and not be picky about going in something different.  The bag claims it should be fairly easy to get them to accept it since the size and consistency is very similar to clay litter. 

OMG I actually ran out of allowable characters on that last post.  Too many words for such little content!   :o

Anyway, I wanted to say also that I tried a recipe for sourdough bread that I found online.  It was DELICIOUS!!!!  I'm so proud of myself that I made the starter and the bread totally from scratch all by myself!  I could not believe how easy this bread was to make.  I won't go into detail here, but I did blog about it with pictures and everything and I would be happy to PM anyone the link if they are interested.   

You might want to try "Yesterday's News".  It's a recycled newspaper pellet for litter.  I swore by it when I had ferrets and rabbits.  Just a thought............

Mmmm, sourdough. You're speaking my language, girl. :D

Thanx for the insight on the new Neosporin lip balms. You saved me from possibly wasting money on them in the future. ::) I'm one of those people who has to have something on my lips at all times, but I don't do medicinal flavours. :P

One little trick that might help your chronic dry lips is to apply just a teeny bit of moisturizer to them before your lip balm. I do this almost daily. :)

Angel, here is the link to my blog entry if you are interested in trying it yourself (or anyone else! :)): http://journeythroughthelabyrinth.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-adventures-with-sourdough.html

My next attempt will involve trying to adapt the recipe to making rolls instead of a great big loaf.  Better for upcoming Thanksgiving, I think.

Thanks for the tip about the moisturizer.  I'll have to give that a try.

Woohoo! Thanx, lady!

And you're quite welcome. :)

I'm sorry to hear about the tires. Do you park outside? Is it possible some kids in the neighborhood let out air as a prank?

At any rate, I hope it didn't interfere too much with you getting to that interview!

When I get kitties, I hope to avoid the whole kitty litter issue by teaching them to use the toilet. It's the best of all worlds. They don't have to fuss with the smell, and they've essentially already scooped for you! In addition, there's a "litter box" in every hotel room or house you visit! :D

I can't really offer much on lip balm. Whenever I use lip balm,  even if I don't lick my lips, I get the most amazingly tender (as in painful) easily-cracked skin development on my lips. Only way I've found to break the cycle, when I find myself in it, is to go cold turkey and put up with the cracking and bleeding until they re-toughen up. I've only let this happen twice, once in highschool when I didn't know any better, and for my wedding (since that's one time when looks are more important than practicality!).  ;D

KNS: I do park outside, and when I saw the flat, that was one of my first thoughts - possible vandalism.  But once I found out there was no damage I wasn't so sure.  I suppose the kids could have crouched there next to my car and held the valve with something to let the air out, but I would think it would be easier to pull the spouts out entirely or just knife the tire.  Also, I didn't see anyone else in the immediate area with flat tires.  Whatever it was, I'm grateful I haven't had to replace the tire (knock wood!).

Speaking of that front driver's side tire, I was at my friend's house the other day and had parked on the street.  We were inside when a knock came at the door.  It was a lady saying she had just hit the car parked on the street.   :o  I was relieved that it was only a dent in the panel and not something more serious like the headlight or something that would prevent me from being able to drive the car.  She gave me her insurance information so now I have to call them to find out how to get the repairs done. 

Weather/Skin: It seems like now that the cold weather has moved in the air is much drier.  I'm glad I didn't dilute all my heavy lotions for use when it was so hot and humid!  I'm really slathering it on now.  Especially on my hands; I can feel the skin tightening (and eventually the knuckles will crack) every time I make a fist.  I have my trusty jar of Eucerin though, and I trust it will get me through this winter!  I may have to start finally oiling my hair, if only to keep it weighed down, as this is the time of year it starts getting static-y and flying around my head. 

Of course, it started raining over night, so it is around 90% humidity right now!

Well, with a standard air pressure gauge, I can lower the air in my tires pretty fast. I know this, frustratingly enough, because I get a significant PSI change when I check my tires multiple times, since I'm typically too inept to get a good reading the first time I try. It also makes the most interesting hissing noise, so maybe, even, if it was local kids, they might not have known how bad it was for the car, since feeling the air rush by and hearing the hissing noise can be quite fun!  :D

Sorry about the fender bender! It was nice of the lady to come admit that she'd hit your car. Ordinarily, I'd quote Eddie Izzard's line about people with strong moral character at this point, but it might be uncouth.  ;D

I'm sorry to hear about your hands cracking. My hands sometimes crack badly in the winter, and I solve it by using less hot water, wearing rubber gloves when I'm scrubbing the pots, drying thoroughly after hand washing, and putting shea butter on them while they're still slightly damp from washing. Another thing you might try is slathering them in Eucerin before going to sleep, and putting your lotioned hands in socks overnight.  :)

I used to be a chapstick addict.  I never licked my lips.  However, if it wore off, my lips would feel very dry, itchy and uncomfortable to the point where applying or obtaining balm consumed my every thought.  Talk about being addicted! ::)

Once I began using Burt's Bee's I no longer have an addiction problem.  Now, I don't even go near Chapstick or any kind of petrolum based balm.

Good thing that the lady who hit your car didn't just drive away.  Unfortunately, I've seen that happen so many times. 

I use the kind of wheat litter that you use as well as the kind made of corn.  I use them instead of the Cat Genie when we go away.  They clump up nicely and flush!  They're also better than the clay litters because you don't have to worry about your cat inhaling the clay as it's bad for them.

I'm shocked that they called you back and had you explain the mental health situation.  I wouldn't have thought something like that would be legal but I guess it is. :-?

I'm noticing build-up in my hair.  :(  I usually use Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo once a week and it works great.  When I ran out last time, I decided to try something cheaper, as the Neutrogena costs about $5-$6 a bottle.  I bought Suave's Daily Clarifying Shampoo and have been using it once a week.  It's definitely not working!  I may try using it twice a week to see if that would improve results. 

Would an ACV rinse take care of this build-up?  It's only from my shampoo and conditioner as I don't use any other products.  I've never done a vinegar rinse.  What is the ratio for dilution? 

Michelle, sorry to hear about the build up!
I'll give my opinion on your problem, but I hope someone else chimes in as well, since I'm not terribly sure how to answer it.

ACV rinses are good for balancing the ph of your scalp, but it's not actually terribly effective as a clarifier. The length of time you keep the vinegar in your hair, and the acidity are more for balancing out the base (opposite end of the ph spectrum from acid) nature of your shampoo and conditioner than dissolving or rinsing out build up.

My opinion? Perhaps the problem is not with your shampoo, but with your conditioner, or more specifically, silicone. If you have really heavy-duty conditioner, you might need more shampoos to get the silicone out, or whatever other product it is you are using. Perhaps try using a double wash with a sulfate shampoo, since they are stronger, or the other option I can see is exploring cone-free conditioners as well as cone-free shampoos. Also, I've always gotten my worst build up from 2 in 1 shampoos, so I would steer clear of them.

If you are deep-conditioning more than once a week, try cutting back to just weekly, or bi-weekly, since deep-conditioning can also lead to some pretty hefty build up.
Here's hoping someone else chimes up with some other useful ideas. Good luck!

KNS: no deep conditioners, no leave-ins, no oiling, no 2-in-1s.  Only my Pantene Beautiful Lengths Shampoo & Conditioner.  I'm sure it is the silicones, and usually I don't have trouble with build-up since the Neutrogena works so well.  As long as I clarify regularly, I'm really pleased with the Pantene. 

Thanks for the info about vinegar.  Maybe I'll try using the Suave daily in place of the Pantene shampoo for a few days and see if it starts to clear up.  It is a formula meant for daily use, so it wouldn't be as strong as the Neutrogena. 

When I start working again and can justify buying shampoos and conditioners I might not be happy with I'll have to experiment with 'cone-free products to see if I can find one that leaves my hair as silky, smooth and tangle-free as the Pantene. 

Here are a few points that I actually know something about. :)

1.) Suave Daily Clarifying is crap for hair. Check the back. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is the harshest detergent out there. You'll probably notice a strong ammonia scent whenever you use it. Feel free to clean tubs, sinks, cats, dogs, horses, etc. with it, but don't put it on your head. :o Invest in a quality clarifying shampoo, babe. They work well even when slightly diluted.

2.) ACV rinses do get rid of build-up. Many people here use them once a week as part of a clarifying routine. Myself included.
    The ratio is up to you. I use an empty 1L water bottle and fill the bottom 3/4 of an inch (approx.) with vinegar (ACV or DWV, they work about the same) and the rest with water. Use this after washing.

HTH

Thanks Angel!


wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 12:29am:

1.) Suave Daily Clarifying is crap for hair. Check the back. Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is the harshest detergent out there. You'll probably notice a strong ammonia scent whenever you use it. Feel free to clean tubs, sinks, cats, dogs, horses, etc. with it, but don't put it on your head. :o Invest in a quality clarifying shampoo, babe. They work well even when slightly diluted.

*looking at my bottles...*  Yep, there it is on the Suave!  But, ummmm...it's in the Neutrogena....and heck! my Pantene shampoo too!   :-? 

Ugh.  I guess I need to look for a different daily shampoo? Sucks though, as I still have another bottle of the Pantene shampoo to get through.  And I really like the Neutrogena anti residue shampoo.  I thought it was a quality one.  If I'm only using it once every week or two, is it really that bad?  I guess I've been using it for so long I don't know what else is out there. 


wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 12:29am:

2.) ACV rinses do get rid of build-up. Many people here use them once a week as part of a clarifying routine. Myself included.     The ratio is up to you. I use an empty 1L water bottle and fill the bottom 3/4 of an inch (approx.) with vinegar (ACV or DWV, they work about the same) and the rest with water. Use this after washing. HTH[/color]

So...shampoo, then ACV rinse, then conditioner?  Or ACV rinse after conditioner?  I'll give it a try at my next hair washing (I'm trying to only wash every other day since the weather turned cold and dry) and see what happens.  Does the ACV remove all the build-up the first time?  Or will it take a couple of uses to see results? 

Anytime, lady. :)

Most opaque shampoos have ammonium laureth/lauryl sulfates in them. The opaque Pantene shampoos in particular have a nasty way of building up on my hair anyway, so I avoid them like the plague. :P
    The clear shampoo formulas such as Volume, Ice Shine, Purity and Restoratives Breakage Defense don't build up on my hair and their detergents are sodium based. I don't know if there's a connection there or what.

As far as a clarifying routine is concerned, it's really up to you. Some people use their regular shampoo with a vinegar rinse, some just use a clarifying shampoo once a week without a vinegar rinse at all. Experiment and see what works for you.

If you're fond of Pantene products, the Purity shampoo is a great clarifier. The best one I've found, actually. I wash once with this, then use a vinegar rinse, then condition.
    If you want to use up your Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo, that should be fine. You may even be able to dilute it slightly so it's less harsh.

And yes, just one vinegar rinse should do the trick, though you can do them as often as you wish. They also work to combat dandruff.

Cheers!

Oh, good stuff!  I've just got to use up what I've got now and I will definitely be looking at the Purity for clarifying and a different shampoo for daily use.  Thanks!

Angel, I hate to disagree, but ALS is gentler than SLS.
Please check this link:
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=50418
The first post goes into a pretty detailed explanation of SLS, SLES, ALS, and ALES and their differences.

And here is another link about using ACV as a clarifier versus a PH balancer.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=56

My own personal opinion on ACV is it is beneficial for balancing Ph, might help kill bacteria or fungi on your scalp, and closes hair cuticles which increases strength & shine. All in all, definitely worth adding to your regime. But at the dilutions that are safe for hair, and when used as just a rinse, I doubt that it'd be terribly effective against significant grease or mineral build-up, let alone against silicone build-up.

I'm not saying that ALS is good, or ACV is bad. I don't use ALS because any sulfate is too harsh, and I do use ACV as a rinse. I'm just trying to help dispel a few myths.

No offense, KNS, but articles from Wikipedia aren't legit since they can be created and edited by anyone. Also, this journal belongs to MichelleR and I'm not about to hijack it with debates, kthx. ;)

I'm merely making relevant recommendations based on preference and personal experience.

Thank you both for your research and insight!  As usual, it seems it comes down to trying different things and seeing how they work.  Different strokes for different folks.  It's nice to have different options.  :) 

Happy Thanksgiving and *hugs* to everyone!

wrote on Nov 25^th, 2009 at 4:07pm:

Also, this journal belongs to MichelleR and I'm not about to hijack it with debates, kthx. ;)

Righty-ho.   ;)

Thanks, Michelle! I hope you do find the culprit to your current problem. You never know. It could even be that your hair just doesn't like one of the other ingredients in something new you've added. I mean, we get so wrapped up in sulfates and cones debates that you forget there are like, 20 other ingredients in most hair products. I know I had a terrible time with mint extract in one of my shampoos, and if you have sensitive skin, something innocuous like orange zest or fragrance or whatnot could give you trouble.

So, it boils down like what you said, try out stuff, and see what works best.  ;D


Quote:

Happy Thanksgiving and *hugs* to everyone!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, too. Weather looks to be pretty beautiful in Austin, up until the weekend. Hope it stays clear and warm out where you are. :)

Well, this morning I tried washing twice with the Suave crapola.  I thought if I shampooed twice and left it in a little longer (only about 30-60 seconds) it would get rid of the build-up.  My hair isn't completely dry yet, so I can't tell about the build-up, but it sure did strip my hair of everything shiny, smooth and soft!  This stuff is either my husband's new shampoo, or it's going down the drain.  My hair is frizzy and crunchy right now.  Ptooey!   >:( I didn't do an ACV rinse because I was in a hurry and forgot to grab it.  If I still have build-up I'll give it a try next time. 

I switched to sulfate-free shampoos about 6 months ago and have been pleased with the results.  I shampoo, vinegar rinse and condition every time I shampoo.  Burt's Bees makes a sulfate-free volumizing shampoo that I love.  Leaves my hair shiny, full, curly/wavy, and I have fine hair, just past shoulder-length.  If I wear it up all the time, I can go as long as a week w/o shampooing.  Bedhead makes a sulfate-free in three formulations (moisturizing, volumizing and one other that I can't remember) and Esencia is another sulfate-free product.  WalMart carries Burt's Bees, Meier's carries Bedhead and Walgreen's carries Esencia.  If you check Ulta, you can find other products that are sulfate- and even paraben-free.  I pay a little more ($7 or more per bottle) for these products, but my hair is worth it. 

Good luck finding something that works for you.

Thanks for your feedback, Mel.  I have a lot of options to try out!  I definitely want to try ACV rinses and see if they help with the build-up.  And when I run out of my daily shampoo I'll start experimenting with some of the others you and Angel mentioned to see what my hair is happiest with.  If anything, I may end up with a sulfate-free shampoo and continue to clarify with the Neutrogena Anti Residue shampoo every week or two since it works so well.

Quote:

This stuff is either my husband's new shampoo, or it's going down the drain.

It's funny how we always pass off "the bad stuff" to our husbands. ;D

I think you should try ACV rinses for build up.  I'm not sure what the science is behind it but they do work for me.  Since doing ACV rinses, I haven't had a need for a clarifying shampoo.  And with such dry hair and the need for lot's of moisturizing products, I sometimes build up a lot of gunk. :P

Good luck! :)

After all, he is almost bald and wears his hair clipped close.  It's not like he's trying to grow his hair long and protect it like me!  LOL

Quote:

It's not like he's trying to grow his hair long and protect it like me!  LOL

I'm sure that's the case with most men, I was just teasing. ;)  Believe me, I've given my husband a great deal of my discarded products.

It's been cold and rainy today and yesterday, so I decided to make soup yesterday.  I've never done chicken soup from scratch and wanted to try it.  I boiled the whole chicken with an onion, then split up the broth and meat cleaned from the carcass into a bunch of jars.  I'll use that to make chicken noodle soup later. Then, I made a vegetable soup.  Celery, carrots, onion, garlic, potato, zucchini, eggplant and lentils went into to it, and seasoned with chicken stock, soy sauce and a little bit of rooster sauce.  I let it simmer for a few hours and mashed it with a potato ricer.  Sure made me wish for an immersion blender!  We had that for dinner last night and it was really tasty!  Next time though, I'll leave out the celery and lentils and maybe add barley.  The tough fibers of the celery and skin of the lentils detracted from the softer texture of the rest of the veggies.  I jarred and froze some of that soup too, since it made so much. 

Wow, let me bow down to the queen! :o 

I doubt anything I've ever made includes that many steps. ;D

I'm sure it was tasty...sounds good! :)

Makes me want to try to make it if I can find all the ingredients.

I haven't done anything with the chicken soup yet.  My step-mom says to get better flavor I had better put all the broth back into the pot and simmer it until it reduces down more.  The veggie soup was super easy!  I just cut everything up and put it in together and let it simmer for about 3 hours.  The lentils I put in at the end and let them cook, adding a little bit of water every once in a while until they were tender. 

It snowed here this morning!  I was so excited, I put on my heavy coat and hat and gloves and went outside in it.  It turned back into rain after about an hour though and all the snow that was on the grass is melted away.  I did take pictures though.  Here is the link.  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024656&id=1518530140&l=cfea972881
It is supposed to be a "public" link that anyone can see without signing into Facebook, so let me know if it doesn't work. 

Snow!! :D Great pix, MichelleR! It looks so pretty where you live. And yes, they're visible to people who aren't on FB...I still don't have one. ;)

Thanks Angel. I'm glad to hear the link works.

Well, I tried an ACV rinse this morning.  It didn't make my hair any more shiny or soft like I have heard some others experience, but it did seem to help with the build up, so I'm happy about that! Perhaps a rinse once or twice a week is in order.  If that works, then I won't have to buy a clarifying shampoo at all!  Will continue to use it and see how it works long term.

Oooh!  You've got snow! :)  I wouldn't want it today when hub's out driving but I hope we'll see just a bit this winter.  Maybe not heavy snow at the end of December.  Dad's coming over form CA.  But we need just a bit of snow for the pictures while he's here. ;D

Love the pics, Michelle! :)  Snow is definitely something that I'd rather see in pictures than experience myself. Thanks for sharing!

Hair news: My skin and hair have been so dry lately!  I decided to cough up the money to buy a jar of coconut oil.  I oiled my hair last night, tied it back into a pony tail and put it up under a cap.  While working it into my hair, I generated a ton of static electricity and my hair was sticking out in every direction!  I haven't washed it yet, so I don't know how it will turn out.  I also put some on the dry areas of my face and slathered it onto my hands.  My skin really sucked it up. 

My hair is at that point where it's long enough for my husband to accidentally lay on it when he rolls over in bed.  It hasn't been this long in a long time!  But not long enough yet for braids to keep it out of the way.  I can't believe it's almost been two months since my last picture.

I broke down and bought another bottle of the Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo.  I'll shampoo with that this morning to get a nice clean slate, then do coconut oil tonight and see how it washes out in the morning.  When I did the coconut oil earlier this week, it seemed like it took two washes to get it all out, but that could have been because of all the build-up I've been fighting making it not absorb or rinse properly. 

Other news: My car is in the body shop and I have a rental.  It's a Chevy Cobalt, and I hate it.  Just another cheesy, flimsy low end car.  My own car is one of the cheapest on the market too, in the same price range as the Cobalt, but at least Toyota made it solid!  The windows actually rattle in the door frame when I drive the Cobalt.  Plus, the buttons don't work very well on the remote key fob, although that could be a battery problem.  Still, it's not earning any brownie points when I have to use the key to get in the trunk or car and that sets off the alarm!

Oh, please let me know how you like the coconut oil. I've been toying with the idea of trying it out, but haven't brought myself around to trying yet. If you don't like the coconut, I hear many people like shea butter, another sort of solid nut oil, too.

It always seems that they stick you with the most miserable rental car when your own car is in the shop! I've never driven a Cobalt, but my last rental car was a Ford Aveo. What a miserable car! At least it didn't have a car alarm to go off every time I opened the trunk. Hope you get your car back soon!

KNS: I think I like the coconut oil so far.  My hair isn't dry or damaged, so it doesn't necessarily feel better.  However, I hope to avert any damage as my hair grows longer, especially in this dry air we've been having.  My hands on the other hand are a mess and nothing seems to help.  I just keep slathering on the lotion and Eucerin and hope it doesn't get worse. 

Other: I finally heard back from my recruiter!  She told me I passed my security clearance!  Yay!!!  Then she told me that because it had taken so long (9weeks) that they had already filled all the open spaces at the passport office and didn't have any room for me anymore!   :o

So yeah, the last 9 weeks of waiting have been a total waste, because even though I had a job offer and was told I could start as soon as I passed the background check, they took too long and now I have no job.  Awesome!  Oh, but if a space opens up in the future, I'll be the first one they ask.  Yeah, let me just hold my breath for that. 

I'm really in a bad place right now.  I haven't yet gotten over the shock of it and I'm still in that angry, wanna-destroy-everything phase.  Haven't quite made it into the next coping-what's-my-next-move phase. 

I'm so sorry to hear that!  That's pretty crappy what they did,too!  I'd be just as mad if it had happened to me.  They should be embarrassed and ashamed of themelves!  Very unprofessional handling.  Yeah and if they had an opening and called you when they did;do they seriously think you'd be waiting for their call??? :-?

Sucky. :P But you'll find something else.

Glad to hear the coconut is going well for you! I've started trying some myself, and all one applications of it has felt nice so far.  ;D

I'm really really sorry to hear about that darn security clearance issue!
Here's a story that might make you feel better.
A friend of mine got hired to work for a company in Boston. He got the confirmation, toured Boston, picked out an apartment, signed a lease, sold his apartment back in the Burgh, boxed up all of his stuff and had it on the moving truck to move out, and that night as he was staying in the hotel before moving out to Boston, he got the call that said the division that hired him was being disbanded, and not to bother coming out. :-/

KNS: isn't it unreal how companies treat potential employees?  Like we have nothing better to do with our time then get bent over and then left to twist in the wind.

Wow, I'm sorry about your job too.  It's weird that they would be able to get away with something like that after making an official offer. :-?

I had something similar happen to me.  I was told that I had the job during an interview, only to have it go to someone else who had a contact within the company.  I was depressed too, but mine really wasn't a formal offer.

Hope you get another good lead really soon. (((hugs)))

I'm attending an 80's themed NYE party tonight.  I've decided my costume will be the Flashdance type athletic outfit.  I have a pair of tight-ish gray sweat pants (I'd go with leggings, but I'm a little too lumpy for that!) and a huge men's sweatshirt that I'll cut the neck out of so it falls off my shoulder.  I have a hot pink/coral colored tank top I'll wear underneath, and two pairs of knee socks in different shades of purple I'll layer and scrunch down.  I'm going to crimp my hair (scary I know!) and put it a side ponytail with a couple of tacky colored scrunchies.  I'll top it all off with way too much blue eyeshadow, black eyeliner and pink lipstick.  I did a test run last night and I looked like a clown!  Hard to believe women did their makeup like that everyday back then!  Thank goodness by the time I was old enough to wear makeup we were into the 90's and a more natural look was in.   ;D

Happy New Year everyone!

I am sorry about the job situation.  I agree, employers treat you like shit.  Good luck and I hope 2010 is a better year for you.

I was at TJ Maxx the other day (love that place!) shopping for a new purse.  All I have are very casual and not very nice looking for when I go on interviews.  I found a really nice blue leather shoulder bag.  I couldn't resist hunting through the health and beauty section and found a new shampoo to try when my Pantene runs out.  I've been really unhappy with it ever since the fiasco when I ran out of my Neutrogena Anti Residue shampoo.  I don't know if it's the dry winter air or what, but it seems like I can feel the build up every time I use it.  I don't want to have to clarify more than once a week because the Neutrogena can be pretty harsh.  It does it's job, but heck, I shouldn't have to use it more than once a week!

So the shampoo I found is by EO Essentials.  I checked out their website (http://www.eoproducts.com/Categories/Hair.aspx) and they are pretty pricey!  $9 for a 8 oz bottle!   :o  So I felt pretty lucky to have found this 32 oz bottle for $7.99 at TJ Maxx. 

It's the Sweet Orange shampoo.  It has no ALS or SLS and no 'cones.  I wonder if the formula has changed though, because the ingredient list on the bottle doesn't match the one on the website.  Maybe that's why it ended up at a discount store.  :)  Anyway, I really just want a basic, gentle shampoo that will clean my hair on a daily basis without a bunch of crap in it, so hopefully this stuff will do the trick.  I'll still condition with the Pantene Beautiful Lengths since I like it so much. 

I've also had to add some leave-ins to my routine.  The air is so dry and it's been windy, and my hair has been tangling pretty badly.  I do put a scarf over my hair to try to protect, but it still tangles.  And when I comb it, it gets soooo static-y.  I used my Garnier Fructis leave-in conditioner while my hair was damp, then put the Sleek and Shine serum in when I styled it.  I've been using the blow dryer a little bit to help it dry faster on the days when I have to go out to interviews.  Also, I cut my bangs again, with much greater success this time.  I do use a flat iron on the bangs only to style them.  The leave in and shine serum really help with the tangling, but I'm sure they'll contribute even more to the build-up, which is one more reason I'm dying to be done with the Pantene shampoo.  Ah well, waste not, want not.  It'll be gone in another week or two.   

I got a call today from a company with a job offer and they want me to start tomorrow!  I can't express how relieved I am.  The position is a customer service rep in an inbound call center.  The company has two main divisions: one leases washers & dryers to apartment dwellers and the other services the coin-op machines at laundromats. 

Hair: I started using the new shampoo (after clarifying of course) two and a half weeks ago and surprise! surprise! I haven't needed to clarify yet.  *grumble stupid Pantene shampoo grumble* 

I just realized I haven't posted a pic in three months, so I'll have to take a picture and upload it when I get a chance.  I can't wait to see how much it's grown!

Yay!  Congrats on the new job! :)

Congrats!   That's fantastic! :)

Congrats!!!

Hoorah for the new job!   :)

Congratulations, Michelle!!!

Good to know that jobs are available somewhere in this country. Let's hope this opportunity is much more successful than the last one, eh? All the best.

Congratulations on the new job! 

Yay! Congratulations on the job! Hope you do something fun with the family with your first paycheck.  ;D

Thanks everyone!  The job is not something I want to do long term, but at least now I have some kind of income while I look for something better, and that does a lot for my stress level.

Well, you may have heard that we had a record breaking snowstorm here in Dallas that dumped 10-14 inches in various areas.  That may not be a lot compared to other parts of the nation and world, but it is unheard of for us.  It started Wednesday overnight and continued all day Thursday and into Thursday night with no breaks.  Of course, today it's forecasted to be in the 50's and it's already melting fast.  Here are some pictures I took.

This one is at the parking lot at work.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs123.snc3/17071_1221663791247_1518530140_30615557_5434303_n.jpg

View from our sliding glass door of our "backyard"
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs123.snc3/17071_1222055761046_1518530140_30616485_4087681_n.jpg

My car on Friday morning as I left for work.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs143.snc3/17071_1222488531865_1518530140_30617272_5087196_n.jpg

Friday after work; the weight of the snow broke this tree in several places.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs122.snc3/16971_1222952303459_1518530140_30618332_3590893_n.jpg

This is my first snowman!  I never knew you really could "roll" up the body parts like in the cartoons.  I thought you just packed and shaped it.  :D  I was like a 12 year old, and laughing maniacally while rolling the big balls of snow.  I had to scale back the middle ball once I realized how heavy it was.  I couldn't lift it up on the bottom part!
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs122.snc3/16971_1222958023602_1518530140_30618339_5073967_n.jpg

The snow was deeper than my ankles.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs142.snc3/16971_1222958543615_1518530140_30618340_8307526_n.jpg

I walked out on the golf course to take a picture of the hills and sand traps.  I was tempted to break out my snowboarding gear, but I resisted.  :)
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs142.snc3/16971_1222961303684_1518530140_30618343_4371036_n.jpg

Hey!  That looks like my town! ;)

Whoa. :D

What great pics!!!

Well, I haven't posted an update in a long time!  Where shall I start?  As the Mad Hatter and the March Hare advised Alice, I shall start at the beginning, and when I get to the end, I'll stop.  :)

Hair:  My hair is just barely APL at the very tip of the longest layers!  I can twist it up in a bun and secure it with several tiny jaw clips.  It works best that way since I have so many layers.  It's thick enough that when I put it up in the morning and when I take it down at night, my hair is still very damp.

I bought some Pantene Ice Shine shampoo to try.  I am not pleased.  It gives me terrible build up just like the Beautiful Lengths shampoo did.  I bought some V05 shampoo just to try so we'll see how that works. 

I also bought the Infusium 23 leave in conditioning spray but I'm not thrilled with it.  I think it contributes to the build up and it leaves my hair feeling kind of...sticky?  Not sure how to describe it.  And I really don't see any benefit from it.  The Garnier leave in treatment never did that but it's not a spray conditioner and I like the spray for the convenience.  I'll try some other brands and see how they work. 

Work: Work has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride.  I hated it for the first month, because I'm just not suited to sitting and taking calls all day (customer service).  I really only took that job because I was so desperate and I figured I'd keep looking for something better.  However, after 4 weeks, the manager pulled me into her office and told me she'd been watching me and they wanted to offer me a team lead position!  :o  Of course I said yes!  She actually wants to promote me to a supervisor, but she has to get the OK from her boss first (the president) and I will have to meet him.  I hear he is wary since I just started here 2 months ago, so I will really have to impress him.  I am really enjoying my job now, as my role is to help and support the agents taking calls and that's what I enjoy doing.  I have never had any management experience before, so this is really a breakthrough opportunity for me. 

Isn't it ironic? You guys may remember that passport job that I waited for for so long and then it turned out they didn't have a spot for me.  Well, just a few days before my promotion, they emailed me to ask if I was still interested if a spot became available.  Of course I said yes and was hopeful they would get back to me soon.  After I accepted my promotion I wrote them off and forgot all about it.  Two weeks later they called me and said they were ready for me to start, and I had to tell them it was too late.  That was a really tough decision to make since it was technically more money, but now that I'm enjoying my job and I really love the people I work with I just couldn't quit. 

Other: My ex husband's wife is pregnant.  She's due in July.  Not really sure how I feel about that... :-?

We finally got the Cat Genie!  We are trying to get the cats used to it now.  They'd better use it...!  *shaken fist*

Ok, well I guess that's it for now.  Happy Spring to everyone!

Hey, Michelle! Good to see you again and congrats on the promotion! :-*

Congrats on the promotion,Michelle!!

Congrats on the promotion!  You deserve it.

Keep us posted on how the Cat Genie works, please.  I have heard cons and pros.

Angel, CG and Mel, thanks ladies!!

I took a picture of my hair in the mirror with a tank top on to try and get a better idea of how long it is.  It's actually about an inch shy of APL. 

So far the Cat Genie is great!  We took the advice in the instructions and left the regular cat box right next to the CG, but didn't clean it.  This is supposed to encourage the cats to use the clean "sand" in the CG.  After a few days of dirty cat box and the cats not using the CG we said to-heck-with-it and threw the whole thing out.  Within hours we needed to run the cleaning cycle.  The cats have been using it ever since.