Get Caught In The Act

Will You Be There?

2008-09-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

It's almost October and that means it's time for the annual Philadelphia Locks Conference. This is the ultimate occasion for Philly area ladies with locks to get together. The Conference is again being held at the Palmer Charter School, 910 N. 6th Street (just south of Girard Ave). You can get more information about the conference, vendors and schedule here. Although the Conference is 2 days, we'll be getting together on Saturday, October 4. The Conference opens at noon; while many of us may not arrive until about 2pm, feel free to go any time that's convenient for you.

After all the shopping and classes, we'll start gathering together at about 6:30 at the main entrance to the Locks Conference and then leave for dinner. We have reservations at GiGi's Restaurant, located at 319 Market St. Here's a link to their menu. We had dinner at this restaurant last year, however, they've made several changes to their tapas (appetizers) selections, and they also have regular dinner entrees.

Last year, we had almost 25 ladies join us. If you don't want to be left out of the fun, please email me as soon as possible so I can make sure to save room for you.

See you there!

Time to Get Together Again

2008-04-29T20:45:00.002-05:00

CALLING ALL SISTERLOCK SISTAS!

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN
TO MEET, GREAT AND EAT

Let’s celebrate ODUNDE FESTIVAL! together

WHEN: Sunday, June 8th, 2008
WHERE: South Street between 21st and 23rd Streets

MEET UP : 1pm 21ST AND SOUTH
DINNER:5pm Miss Tootsie’s Restaurant and Lounge
1312 South St.
215-731-9045

Please rsvp with:

Leslie~ leslietarr@yahoo.com
or Brenda ~ brenda.Johnson@ed.gov

You can also rsvp via this blog, but please be sure to leave an email address so I can get back in touch with you.

Click Here for more info about Odunde

SOuthern(Girl) Hospitality

2008-03-26T21:01:00.001-05:00

I knew I was likely to be in the Orlando area during the week before Easter, so when I saw a notice in Lockitup that the Sisterlocked ladies in Central Florida were planning a gathering for March 22, I emailed SOuthernGirl and asked her if I could attend.

As it turned out, she had completely overlooked that fact that the date she suggested was the Saturday before Easter. So, unfortunately, the other ladies could't join us as they had plans. But, since I had already committed to being there, she was gracious enough to meet me anyway. Truly southern hospitality! She is such a sweet young lady and the two of us spent about three hours just talking away about everything under the sun and hair. She's got big plans and I have no doubt she's together enough to make them come true. And I met her mom, another charming woman.

When I told my mom and sister that I had dinner plans for Saturday evening (and my DH wasn't there!) they were surprised since they were unaware I had any friends in the area. I said I'm meeting them for the first time. Of course, they looked at me as if I'd grown another head. I then had to explain how I came to "know" these ladies - very strange to explain it to a non-locked person without sounding crazy. I know people form e-relationships centered on common careers, sports and recreational activities, yet that seems pretty normal. I don't know of any other types of hair groups.

Since my mom and sister live in St. Cloud, I find that I'm down there up to four times a year. My next two visits will likely be towards the end of August and Thanksgiving. I've already told her I want to meet the other ladies in the orlando area when I return.

I know this is my first post in quite some time, but I can't promise that I'll do better. I'm just not naturally inclined to put my thoughts down. But as soon as we make plans for another gathering here in Philly, you can bet I'll blog about that. Something should be coming up soon.....

Party Like a Lock Star!

2007-10-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

This year was bigger and better!

And it doesn't even include the ladies who met up with us at the conference, but were unable to go to dinner! We had ladies from Philly, Boston, NY, NJ, Delaware, MD/DC and Atlanta. If some of the ladies in the collage below (top row, right corner) look very familiar, they should be - While QuietSpirit and I live here, we had three other bloggers come for the fun. Cluizel, Sunsail and Naturally Sophia were able to join us.

I also had my first blogger-sighting! A lady came up to me and said, I know you, but I don't know you - know you. She confessed that she reads many of our blogs, but was too shy to actually leave any comments or to send me an email to let me know she'd like to join us. But she decided that she'd go to the conference and hope to see us. Well, after fussing at her for taking the chance of possibly not getting in on the fun, we hijacked her to the restaurant as if we'd known her for years! Needless to say, when she called her husband to let him know why she was going to be a little late getting home, he told her to be careful - you don't really know these people. We also picked up another lady at the conference after telling her what our plans were. I felt like the Pied Piper.

This year's location for the conference was much better, in my opinion. It was bright and air conditioned, which was very welcomed since the temperature was in the 80's. It was also much roomier and folks weren't squeezing by each other to get to the various booths and tables. Some thought there were fewer vendors, but that could be because there was much more room to spread out. Since the location is a school, each demonstration or class had its own classroom and the presenters weren't interrupted by folks passing through on their way to another part of the conference. They also had use of the courtyard outside the school so folks could step out and get some fresh air. That's where they put the food vendors, who had a separate covered area with tables. There was music and dancing and one station was actually retwisting and styling clients' locks. Also, Sister Nandi was there with her Wrap-a-Loc tools. I was glad to have a chance to actually see them and how they work, but I'm not sure yet whether I'll get them. Maybe next year.

The restaurant turned out to be very nice. We were worried that with such a large group, it'd take all night to get our orders, but that wasn't the case. Plates were coming out left and right within minutes of ordering. They had "large plates," which were regular sized entree portions, but they also had "small plates," so I finally had the opportunity to have "tapas." In addition to the Talapia Ceviche and Crying Bacalao which I officially ordered, I also had some Oxymoron and Chicken Mofongo - all were very tasty. For the price though, the portions could have been a little bigger. I saw quite a few forks digging in to plates across the table and some waited until another had ordered something before ordering it too. And while I not a big drinker, I had the Ice Pearl, which was a blend of champagne and pear nectar. For me, dessert was Lavender Cheesecake. I guess I should have thought like Brunsli and taken some pictures - the presentations were beautiful and they must have ten different platters for each of the unique dish concoctions.

Our friends from Boston told us about their efforts to have a conference up there, so we're definitely going to try to support them. Road trip!

Hopefully, these fun pictures will inspire you all to try to get here for the next conference. Although, I don't know what restaurant is going to be able to accommodate us if we get any bigger....

And The Winner Is....

2007-10-03T21:38:00.000-05:00

None of the above!

Actually, Azure was the winner but unfortunately, by the time I called back, they’d already confirmed another large party for the same time and they’re a relatively small establishment. All is not lost though. Since Azure was the clear favorite, I tried my best to find something comparable, and not too far away, that could accommodate a large party (22!) and not restrict us to limited menu choices. Obviously, I didn’t have time to consult with everyone, so I’m hoping that everyone will find this alternative acceptable.

The restaurant is GiGi’s – located at 319 Market Street (btw 3rd and 4th). Click here for a link to the menu.

Since this restaurant is in the Center City/Old City area, on-street parking (free or metered) will be a challenge. However, there are a number of nearby lots available.

The location of the Locks Conference is 910 North 6th Street at the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partnership Charter School. Again, click here for the link to it.

I’ll be arriving at the conference on Saturday, October 6 at around 2pm. At about 6:15pm, please meet me at the entrance and we’ll caravan to the restaurant. The restaurant reservation is for 7pm.

See you all on Saturday!

Time to Vote

2007-09-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

We’ve almost finalized plans for the annual Philadelphia Locks Conference and you can check here to take a look at the many activities scheduled.

Also, this is your opportunity to vote for the restaurant that we’ll attend after the conference. I’ve included their websites so you can take a look at the menus before making a selection. The final decision will be made by a majority vote. Voting will be open effective with this message until Sunday, September 30. You can vote by sending me an email through this blog or by sending me an email through one of the discussion boards.

The choices are:

AZURE RESTAURANT

BAR FERDINAND RESTAURANT

Note: prices aren’t listed on this menu, but most dishes range between $4 and $8 and since this is a Spanish tapas bar (appetizers), most people order 2 or 3 selections.

LAS CAZUELAS RESTAURANT

Once the votes are tallied, I'll post the selected restaurant to the discussion boards, my blog and by personal email to all who sent me one.

The tentative plan is to meet at the conference on Saturday, October 6 at around 2pm (but feel free to come earlier or later as your schedule dictates). The location of the Locks Conference is 910 North 6th Street at the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partnership Charter School. At about 6:15pm, we’ll start rounding up everyone and caravan to the restaurant (which won’t be too far from the conference for everyone’s convenience). The restaurant reservation will be for 7pm.

Please don’t miss your opportunity to attend the ultimate locks event of the year in the Philly area! I’m hoping to see everyone who came last year and some new faces too!

See you all soon!

The Locks Conference is Coming!

2007-09-19T22:11:00.000-05:00

Don't we look like a happy bunch? Want to be happy too? Here's how:

This picture was taken at the restaurant we all went to after spending all afternoon at the locks conference in 2006. The annual Philadelphia Locks Conference is coming up the weekend of October 6 and 7, 2007 and we're having a gathering this year also. We're still in the planning stage, but we'll be attending the conference on Saturday, October 6 in the afternoon and then head off to dinner. A group of us are exploring dinner options and as soon as we have more definite information, we'll share with all who are interested. I posted a message to Lockitup, LadyLocs and SisterlockLookForLess for everyone to send me an email so that I can personally keep you up to date on the plans, in addition to posting to the message boards. If you're interested in attending but haven't let me know yet, you still have plenty of time. We're hoping to have an even bigger turnout than last year and we'd really love to see you there. Let me know soon!

Enlargeable view

2007-07-05T22:43:00.001-05:00

Don't know why Picasa doesn't always let my collages enlarge, but here it is again.

Bun Tutorial

2007-07-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

Warning!!! This is going to take a good 30 to 45 minutes to get it right!

Instructions refer to photos starting from top row left to right, continuing down to second row, etc.

Photo 1 - Pull all your hair up into a high ponytail on top of your head - You don't want it to sit on the back of your head or you'll never be able to lean back! Bad for driving!

Photo 2 - I did this in five sections, so starting on one side, separate about 1 fifth of your hair and make sure the strands are smooth and free of tangles. This was particularly important to me because I wanted it absolutely smooth and symetrical.

Photo 3 and 4 - Start winding the first section around the base of the ponytail at it's lowest point. Don't worry too much because subsequent sections will cover it, but wrap it tightly and as compactly as possible because you don't want it to get too bulky too fast, especially if your hair is very long and you need to make several rotations.

Photo 5, 6 and 7 - Once the first section is tucked under, continue with sections 2 - 5, making sure to continue winding, smoothing and tucking in the same direction at all times. This helps to keep the bun even all around and not lopsided.

Photo 8, 9 and 10 - After all sections are wrapped, tuck any stray ends under the base of the bun or into the body of the bun and then smooth to adjust any holes you make when tucking in strands. Check the back also - It has to look great coming and going!

Photo 11 and 12 - Voila! Your bun is done! If your hair is long, you can do it without pins, as I did. If hair is shorter, I would suggest using very thin hairpins and insert them gently.

Photo 13, 14, and 15 - Adding decoration makes good dramatic effect! Put your Brunsli hairtie to great use, just wrap it around the base of the bun and try putting the decorative shell in the back. Your face is already drama enough for the front, give the folks behind you something to stare at! If you don't have ties, use flowers or another kind of clip. (Ayankha - These ties were some I made using Brunsli's inspiration.)

After I put this bun in, I jumped around, shook my head and held it up-side-down to make sure it was secure. It was. Even a strong wind wasn't moving this! It lasted the entire evening (and could have gone longer!), and since I didn't have any pins in it, there was nothing poking me and giving me a headache. Also, it wasn't as heavy as I thought it might be, nor did it make me feel lop-sided or top heavy. The only caveat - watch out getting into the car! I completely misjudged how high up it was and smacked into the side of the car. I immediately thought it was done for, but it didn't make a dent!

Have fun!

I finally got it up...

2007-07-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

In a bun, that is! What were you thinking??!

On Saturday evening, I had to go to a dinner. I knew exactly what I was going to wear, but I hadn't given much thought to what I was going to do with my hair and I hadn't felt like curling it in advance. So I'm in the bathroom putting on my make up and I take my hair out of the ponytail I had it in. Hanging straight down didn't look very good, so I put it back up into a ponytail, but that wasn't dressy enough for the occasion. I remembered one time I tried to put my hair up and it worked, but I hadn't done it with all of my hair. With a half an hour to go before I had to leave, I started winding my hair around itself and this is what materialized! Amazingly, I did this on the first try. What's even more interesting is that that there is not one pin in the whole thing! Goodnapps - I was thinking about you the whole time!

Want to know how I did it? How to pics and instructions coming soon!

ps - I don't know why the picture won't enlarge - sorry!

TAGGED!… AGAIN??… NOW 7 THINGS??!!

2007-06-28T10:02:00.000-05:00

In fact, I've been so slow to post that I just discovered that I was tagged twice!

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

OK - Last time it was only 5 and I had to think long and hard to come up with those things I was willing to share. Not that I’ve led a totally boring existence, but while you do want the facts to be somewhat amusing or entertaining and a little revealing, you don’t want to let everyone in on all the sordid details! Anyway…

1. The summer I turned 13, my parents bought a Mr. Softee ice cream truck and made my older sister and me work on it. Yes, we got paid and we thought it was good money. Looking back, it wasn’t even minimum wage! At first it was great eating all the ice cream you wanted (salary perk?). But you would not believe how the ice cream smell stays with you. And you don’t want to know what re-run is! After working a few months, I was so over it. To this day, I don’t eat soft-serve custard ice cream.

2. During elementary and high school, I was much more (ok – totally more) athletic than I am now. I used to run track (50 and 100 yard dash) and do gymnastics (I can’t do a backbend now to save my life!). The only thing I can still do now is a headstand.

3. The theme song for my HBCU's entering freshman class was “One Nation Under a Groove.” I still love that song and I can still do the dance that was popular at the time. Can any of you east-coasters of a certain age name the dance? Feet don’t fail me now!

4. I can’t stand getting into an unmade bed. If I didn’t make the bed in the morning, I have to make it up at night before I get in to go to sleep.

5. I can’t help counting things. Does that make me somewhat compulsive? If I’m doing a mindless solitary task like walking or riding, I’m almost always counting something - the number of steps I take as I walk or climb stairs, how many punch-buggies I see, how many heads of fake hair I’ll see before I get to my destination…

6. I’ve gotten 3 speeding tickets.

7. I can't whistle and I can just barely snap my fingers, and only with my left hand.

I know, I know - this is juicy stuff!

It took me so long to think about what to post, there's probably no one left to tag.

Six fantastic looking women!

2007-06-18T09:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I'm slow sometimes - but I'm on vacation! As you can tell by these few pictures, we all had a great time! In fact, we were so busy talking that we didn't even bother to take any pictures until the very end. So what did we talk about? Hair, of course! And men, and kids, and hair, and men with boats....

I met two of the ladies for the first time, Ms. D, far left in the back row, and Ms. R, second from the right in the back row. Ms. D has had her SL's for about a year and they looked so cute and cutly. She even had a beautiful piece of hair jewelry. Ms. R is a very fresh newbie, having just had hers installed about two weeks ago. She started with all natural shoulder length hair. And contrary to her own thoughts, everyone thought her hair looked beautiful and will only get moreso I've known Ms. DE, second from the left in the back row, for several years. She's also a newbie, having had hers installed about 2 months ago. I think I'll take credit for finally convincing her to take the plunge! Her hair is full and has a beautiful color. I think most of you know QuietSpirit, front left. Her SL's will be 8 years old this summer and her hair is just about the thickest I've ever seen. And just think, all that length and she had cut about 8 inches off a few years ago. We're going to have to get together so I can give her the crash course in softspike setting so she can finally use hers. And last, but not least, Energyteacher, front right, who's at the year and a half mark. She still has cute little curlies at the ends.

I really appreciate these opportunities that we have to get together and just talk. They're about so much more than hair.

Save the date!!! The first weekend in October (October 6 and 7) is the annual Locks Conference in Philadelphia. Last year, we had about 15 people join us for classes, presentations, entertainment and opportunities to buy beautiful products for locks. We capped off the day with a lively dinner and rounds of picture taking. We'll be organizing something along those lines again, so watch out for information probably sometime in September. We're hoping to make this one even bigger and better than last year!

Lunch in Philadelphia

2007-06-16T23:39:00.000-05:00

The ladies in Philadelphia are meeting for lunch on Saturday, June 16 at 1pm. The Rock Lobster Restaurant is the place to be for food, fun, laughs and, of course great hair! If you're planning to join us, please email me and I'll add you to our reservation. Looking forward to seeing new faces and familiar ones. Bring your cameras!

Goldie's Self Portraits

2007-05-31T21:03:00.000-05:00

You haven't seen her in awhile, but here she is! Goldie has discovered that she likes to take pictures of herself. So much so, that when I went to use my camera, it flashed MEMORY CARD FULL!! When I looked through the pictures to delete some and decide which to download to the computer, it was full of Goldie and cats! Aside from herself, she likes to take pictures of Ike and Tina, our brother and sister cats. Ike made his way into one of the pictures. I'll admit they're cute, but you'd think they were actually doing something for her to have taken so many pictures. She even took pictures of herself while pretending to sleep because she wanted to see what she looks like. Finally, I had to delete them down to about 50. These are some of my favorites. I'd like her to show a little teeth! In most of these pictures, she looks like the Cheshire Cat.

By the way, Goldie just celebrated 4 years in locks. She loves them, but mostly likes to freestyle. She almost never lets me even give her a braid out. Lucky she has locks because she can just wash and go!

Cha Cha Diva Wins!

2007-05-19T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather when Jaslene and Natasha were selected as the two finalists, sending Renee home. I thought Renee was a sure thing. While I wasn't surprised that Jaslene got in, I absolutely did not think Natasha deserved to be there. Don't get me wrong, Natasha was a nice enough girl, but I just don't have a clue what they saw in her. I could see her doing print work, but not runway. When the three of them did their Covergirl shoot, I didn't even want to listen to Natasha. Jaslene was smart to add a little flavor to hers when she threw in the spanish.

So then Jaslene and Natasha did the final runway and Natasha lost her skirt. She kept her cool and just stepped out of it and kept walking. But other than that, I just didn't see anything worth getting hyped about with her. Her face is very full and round looking which makes her look chubby and she doesn't have much neck. And I think her accent is always going to be her downfall if the job calls for voice-work.

I had to give it to Jaslene on the runway. Her walk was much stronger than Natasha's. Overall, she had a stronger start and her pictures were usually edgier than everone else's. While I'm not absolutely thrilled with the final choice (like Danielle, she's going to have to work on her voice), I'm always happy when they choose against the norm. I think this is the first Latina winner.

Told Ya So!

2007-05-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I said I hoped Dionne and Brittany made it to the finals, but also that I doubted it would happen. I was right.

Last week, poor Brittany had a melt down when she was late getting to a meeting. Standing outside the entrance screaming about it not being her fault, while not even having the courtesy to step in and at least apologize for being late was just not professional. I knew then that she’d be in the bottom two. But the nail in her coffin was the fact that none of the designers from her go-sees offered to book her. That was a surprise, although I gotta admit that her walk was weak. I guess her lack of personality did her in. But this was a great picture.

Was I the only one who thought that Tyra was going to say something about Dionne asking whether she could keep the clothes? She must have asked at least three times! And it was probably more since they had to edit the footage. Tacky! But she was the other one in the bottom two but was saved because she had more personality than Brittany. The judges got on her about her mean look and they’re right. Instead of coming off as intensity, she just looks evil! Which is so different from what her personality appears to be. Maybe they should have eased up on the arch of her brow. Nevertheless, I thought this was by far Dionne’s best picture.

So this week there were four left. Dionne, Jaslene and Renee plotted to get rid of Natasha while she was sick in bed. Now die-hard ANTM watchers know that there were at least two prior contestants who actually went to the hospital, then dragged themselves to a shoot and judging and rocked it! Two of them also won. Don’t remember? The two I remember were Adrienne and especially Danielle. So Natasha’s little sniffles didn’t seem like all that big a deal and her photos were horrible. But I can’t believe that this was the best one they could find.

And as much as I hated to admit it, Renee’s photos were the best. While I didn’t particularly care for Jaslene’s photo, I know she got picked because they’ve considered her photos to be consistently strong overall. So that left Dionne and Natasha. Regardless of the fact that Dionne didn’t pick herself when asked whom she believed had the most potential (Duh! What are you here if not to win??!), I knew that a bad shoot for Natasha wasn’t going to cause her to be sent home when she’s been picked first for the last two or three weeks. But this wasn't a great photo of Dionne, so she was sent home.

So we’re down to the final three and the finale next week. The Covergirl spokesmodel shoot has traditionally occurred at this point and they’re usually required to walk around while trying to look at the camera, hold a product in focus and say “…Blah, blah, blah, easy breezy, beautiful Covergirl!” Based on this, I think either Natasha or Jaslene go home next. And I think Renee will win.

Five Left....

2007-04-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

....and I'm not really feeling any of them! I know I haven't posted on ANTM8 for the last few episodes, but I think it's because the way things are headed, I have a sinking feeling that I'm not going to like whoever gets chosen.

My personal picks to be in the top two are Dionne and Brittany. But I don't think it's gonna happen. Dionne isn't really the greatest model, but I love her personality and that should count for something. She seems real, doesn't really trash talk anyone else, doesn't hype herself and especially not at the expense of her competitors. She's low-key and hasn't been involved in any of the drama. Pretty much the same could be said of Brittany. I really felt for her when she revealed that she had a head injury that affected her short-term memory. And she looks so much better since they cut that awful weave out of her hair. It was looking like a dead animal had crawled up there and died!

I have a suspicion that Renee and Natasha are going to be in the top two and Renee is going to take it. If all that mattered was looks, I wouldn't be so bothered by the possibility that Renee might win, but I hate her personality. She's been bitchy and mean spirited and she has an over-inflated opinion of herself. I'd hate to see someone like that win.

Natasha. What can I say? I haven't a clue what the judges see in her! She's short, I can barely understand her and she has that annoying habit of wrinkling her nose and pursing her lips. It's her sexy look. Unfortunately, it's her only look.

Jaslene's stock is way down lately. Her look wasn't good during the Covergirl shoot in the Australian bush - she looked like she was squinting to see the cue cards. At a minimum, I would've put her in the bottom two and for me, it would have been a toss-up as to who'd go home - her or Jael. And that voice!! She sounds like she's talking through a wad of spit in her mouth.

Well, having the lame re-cap episode last night gave me a chance to catch up. See ya next week!

Boy, Oh Boy!!

2007-03-29T11:11:00.000-05:00

Did Natasha actually think looking like a street ho was a good look and that she made it work??! Then I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised that she was sitting there having phone-sex with her husband on national TV.

Renee is still up to her tricks. How insulting was it that she told Whitney that she didn’t think she could be a top model because she’s plus size? And it was no less rude even if she qualified it first by saying how unfair she thought it was. Apparently Jael will have some choice words for her next episode.

I almost died when Sarah won the challenge by accepting credit for putting together the outfit that won. So where was the reward for the team effort? And why did Whitney plop herself down on the floor?

I’m so glad Dionne stepped it up, especially at judging. Her hair looked good combed back. So again, why doesn’t anyone have anything to say about Natasha’s so-not-a-model look in judging? That hair was back up in a ponytail. But I guess if she left it out, she’d look too much like Roseanne Roseannadanna.

Special Segment of the Week -- Separated at Birth

And much as I hate Natasha, she was hilarious doing her hip-hop impersonation! Other than that, I wouldn't go out with any of them thinking they were men!

Unfortunately, I'm going to be away next week and I'll miss the next episode. Who's going to do color commentary for me???

Go Whitney!!!

2007-03-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

I so didn't want Renee to win, so you know I was happy when she didn't even finish!!! I think Whitney did a fantastic job with the lasers. In fact, she was the only one I really saw do some actual posing worthy of being called modeling. Jaslene and Natasha poked out their lips and Dionne didn't pose at all. At this point, even if Whitney doesn't win, she got major loot she can sell and finish college. By the way, shiney silver spandex was not a good look on any of them. And shiney gold spandex with red draws.... I don't need to go any further!

I have to confess, I missed the first 5 or 7 minutes (it was the first day of spring and I was getting my free water ice!) so I don't know what all Renee was getting herself into, but by the time she got on the phone and was blubbering to her husband to come get her, I was like, how fast can you get there? She needs a serious attitude adjustment. And I can't even think about what she'd be teaching her kid at home. She's no more mature than a three year old.

I thought that everyone did well in the photo shoot last night, although some were much better than others. I actually didn't think Jael's was going to come out as well as it did. Having said that, I'm in total disagreement that Felicia and Dionne were in the bottom two, and that Felicia got sent home. All things considered, if Felicia was in the bottom two, it should have been with Diana, and Diana should have been sent home. She doesn't look any more "alive" than Felicia. And Diana's pics haven't been better than Felicia's through the weeks. And if they thought anyone was relying on just being "pretty," they should have sent Natasha home.

I also didn't care for the comments that were made about Dionne's style during judging. While I agreed that her hair looked too "done," her clothes and general hairstyle were far better than Natasha's. I swear I can't stand to see that girl wear another pair of tight, shiney spandex pants. And with plastic fake-wood-look "Candies" mules from 1978! (Yeah I said it! And I wore them too, back then!) And her hair was pulled up into a mess of a pony tail. I think the judges still have yet to really see her haircut in person. Her look in judging is definitely not model material. Plus, they told her she has a big head!

Last, but not least, what in the hell did Twiggy have on??!! It looked like blue crushed velvet on top of some black tee shirt. At least Miss J dresses for judging!

I expected more drama from the makeover episode

2007-03-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

I was quite disappointed
that nobody had a meltdown over their hair. Although Jael cried, it wasn’t really because she hated her hair, it was that she’d sat in the chair for over 8 hours enduring the tight braiding to put the weave in only to have them decide they weren’t going with that. I don’t think long would have looked good on her anyway. Ultimately, most of them looked pretty good, even Renee. But, poor Cassandra still looked like she had someone’s mop on her head and so did Brittany. Maybe it was just that in the judging, they didn’t have a clue how to style their own hair. And although Natasha’s portrait gallery photo looks nice, her’s looked like a mop too. I liked Dionne’s hair best.

Renee’s picture from the photo shoot looks like she’s got morning crust in the corner of her mouth. Natasha looked like a porn star in her photos, then she looked like a disco queen in judging. Where'd she get those shiny straight-leg spandex pants? And somebody please throw Jaslene a pork chop! She looks like she’s going to disappear.

So now Renee’s moved on to Brittany, calling her fake and saying that she was acting like child. Even if she thought Brittany was, who said she needed Renee to talk to her about it? It’s not like she had Brittany were BFFs. But flipping Brittany the bird when she didn’t like her response was so mature. And did you catch the look on Renee’s face when Brittany was called first in the judging? MEOW!! But Brittany’s photo was the best. And for once, it’s not the black girls causing all the drama – so far. However, none of them seem to be that type, they’ve all been very mellow. Unfortunately, that could spell disaster if you’re not getting noticed enough. So Cassandra was eliminated last night. I don't feel too bad, her pictures weren't that great.

Next week, it looks like it's Renee's turn to lose it.

Some cheese to go with that Whine?

2007-03-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

I was reminded by Bygbaby that I've fallen behind in my duties! I had started it, but got called out of town unexpectedly. Here's the recap post.

Did I miss something? When did ANTM Cycle 8

become the Renee and Jaslene Whine Fest? There was almost no one else who had anything to say. In the first episode, I originally thought Renee wasn't too bad, but after episode 2, her true colors are showing. She seems really petty, jealous and whiney. All she could do was boo-hoo about how all the others, and especially Jaslene, got a character that was easy to portray. "I could have done weird," "It's easy to do sexy!" Didn't she think the judges would have had more respect for her if she could have taken something goofy and far from her own personality and own it? And Jaslene wasn't much better (although this was a good look for her). She's so stuck on herself, she can't see that she ain't all that. She is waaaay too skinny for my taste. And that voice! Tyra needs to suggest she get a diction coach because she needs one at least as much as Danielle did.

Now y'all know I was just waiting for Natasha to get the boot! I didn't actually think that Samantha was all that bad. Yeah, she was really green, but she had a nice look - better than Ms. Greencard. And I understand that there's somewhat of a language barrier for her - she may not understand all the nuance, but she does speak the language. How hard can it be to understand teacher's pet? She's got one look - "Oh, look how cute I am!" And is it just me, or does she look really old? This one is just painful to look at! She's got to go!!!!

So, who's going to cry about getting their hair whacked off this week?? And how many feet of weave will be be looking at??

Sizing for a Nappylocs tool

2007-03-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

In reference to my post about lost locs, combining them and general maintenance,

Mel said...
Having seen your hair in all it's glory, I am in awe of the fact that you maintain it yourself! Amazing!I want to ask you a question about the nappylocs tool - what size do you suggest buying? I know you haven't really 'seen' my hair, but a guestimate would be greatly received:-)

Well Mel, I actually got a ruler out, found one of my thickest locs and measured it. One of the thickest ones measured about an eighth of an inch. I looped it through the Nappylocs tool and took a picture so you can see. As I said, I purchased the small sized tool and even my fattest loc fits through it comfortably. I don't think they make one smaller than that. So if your locs are about the same size as mine or smaller, the small tool should work for you. If you think you might be more comfortable with a larger size, you could get the medium.

Another one of us goes home first

2007-03-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

You guessed it - another cycle of America's Next Top Model has begun! Yay!!! But for some reason this cycle, more girls than ever immediately got on my nerves. I think it's because of their voices. There are two that sound like Nu Yawk homegirls, one with a heavy Russian accent and one who sounds like she's high. And none of them look like models yet.

But the good news is that there are more black girls in the final 13 than I've ever seen before - 6!!! And 3 are very brown-skinned and one of these three is plus size. But, wait, you say, I only see 5. Well, one is mixed - can you tell which one she is?

The bad news is, one of the black girls was the first to be cut - Kathleen. If you look closely, she's wearing what can only be described as an afro-puff. Whether it's real or not is questionable, but at least it's an attempt at something close to natural looking hair. I wonder what Tyra would have done to her hair during the makeover. The other 4 (not counting the mixed one) are obviously sporting weave. In fact, during the episode, one showed Tyra how she sewed the edges down! Another one bragged about knowing the exact color number to ask for in the hair store - 1B something or other. I can already see the new weaves coming - flowing and blowing in the wind. Can't they find a natural style that consists of more than a short fade?

My personal choice to go would have been Natasha (the one from Russia). Not because of her voice, but because she's short and thinks she's way cuter than she actually is. And she was as annoying as hell!! But, to be real, Kathleen was borderline dense!

Lost Locs

2007-02-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

In the comments on my last post regarding my milestone of reaching waist length hair,

Anonymous said...
brenda...absolutely beautiful...the length is simply amazing...i was reading an older post on tai's blog where he talked about how easy it is to lose locks, particularly when you wash them once they get really long because of the weight if they are thin...you often mention that you have thin hair(though none of us can tell)...have you found this to be a problem when you wash your hair?

Thinking back through the 61/2 years that I’ve had Sisterlocks, I believe I’ve inadvertently lost only one whole loc that I know of from breakage, as opposed to the bottom tips. That was probably about two years ago and here it is now. It was rather interesting getting it restarted since I had never gone through the baby loc stages with short hair (I was a relaxed transitioner) and keeping that short one in the loc pattern was trying at times – I probably had to restart it several times and fix a lot of slippage. I also inadvertently cut at least one that I know of because, unfortunately, I don’t have eyes in the back of my head (yeah, I was trying to separate a stubborn one with scissors and…snip!).

As I said before, my hair is thin, mostly in the top crown area. My vanity notwithstanding, and as a public service to those who might think they won’t look good with SL’s because of thinning, I’m posting a picture so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. Although I’d like it to be otherwise, I’ve learned to style strategically! Additionally, I just finished my retightening about 9 days before this picture was taken and I hadn’t yet washed my hair. From a scalpiness perspective, I usually like my hair better after the second week or at least after a wash to put some of the fuzziness back in the root area. In fact, if I don’t have time for a wash, I’ll just spritz my scalp with water to get the newly retightened portion to swell a little.

Having said all that, I don’t actually have the same number of locks as I originally started out with. I’ve had to combine some, mostly for two reasons: they were too thin for my liking to begin with and because my hair has thinned in the crown area. But I should add that any thinning I’ve had is probably hereditary and was exacerbated by prior relaxers and having children and not from the SL’s. You can see an example in this picture of one that I’ve combined and, yeah, I leave them two-headed. I should also add that I haven’t combined any for about 2 years now (except for one back in December that was unintentional and I couldn’t get it back out, though I tried). So I guess I haven’t been thinning lately.

So, Anonymous, I don’t think I’ve lost any while washing or separating my hair. I can understand how that might happen, especially in the shower, which is where I wash mine. As it gets longer, it does get heavier, as a mass, and even more so when wet, although each individual one doesn’t feel very heavy on its own. I just make sure that I don’t wash my hair overly vigorously and I don’t move the wet hair around a lot. I usually just stick my fingertips in and massage the scalp and then squeeze the suds through the length.

How low can you go

2007-02-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

If you recall, I started the new year with a decision to cut some length from the front. After putting down my scissors, I think I cut anywhere from 8 inches on the sides to 12 inches off the top. I'm happy with that decision since my hair has looked fuller on top and really keeps a curl there much better. In fact, not that I was trying not to wash my hair, but I actually let it go over three weeks just to see how long the curl would last. When I did wash it, it still had some curl on top, although I'd been wearing it in a ponytail since the back was just wavy. Thank you SoftSpikes!

But more and more, friends ask, "how long are you going to let your hair grow?" Believe me, that was not a question I'd have ever thought I'd be asked before I locked. I can tell I'm still not ready to cut the back and I'm willing to let it go for awhile longer. It must have something to do with the fact that my hair has never been anywhere near this length before and it's just facinating! I can honestly say that while there are some annoying aspects to having hair this length (getting it caught between your back and the chair when you lean back, having to pull it out from under your purse strap, and having it fall in your face when you bend over) it's not enough yet to make me want to cut it. I think I'll reevaluate when it gets to the point where I'm actually sitting down on it! Which brings me to these pictures. My hair is finally waist length!

The picture on the left was taken in May 06, when my hair was 5yrs 9mos. On the right, which was taken on February 19, my hair is 6yrs 6mos. I didn't realize how much it grew until I put these pictures side by side. It looks like almost 4 inches in 9 months! At this rate, I'll be sitting on it in the next 3-4 years!

My date with Marvin Gaye

2007-02-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

As expected, it started snowing Tuesday afternoon, earlier than predicted. By the time night came, I had a feeling a snow day was in the making. Normally, any time I can take a day off is cause for celebration. But this time, I wanted it to be bad enough that I didn't have to go to work, but not so bad that I couldn't take advantage of the plans I had for Wednesday evening - Valentine's Day! Luckily, it wasn't too bad, a few inches of snow and some little ice pellets blowing all around. I could deal with it.

So, my DH and I had plans to go see "My Brother Marvin," the musical written by (or based on memoirs of) Zeola Gaye, Marvin's younger sister. It was only in town for five days and Valentine's Day was opening night. The good thing about it was the chance to listen to some good, old school music. It's been a long time since I listened to Marvin and it brought back good memories. I'm old enough to remember some of his earlier work and to really appreciate his later music because I listened to it on the radio and in clubs. There's nothing like it now. It still sounded fresh.

The play, on the other hand, was a waste of time. I don't know if it was just me, but the play left me with more questions than it answered. I'll admit, I knew only basic information about him and there was alot about his personal life that was previously unknown to me. But this was not the forum where you'd learn much or truly understand the reasons behind what you did already know. After the play, I actually googled him to find out all the information that the play left out. I mean, I knew he had at least one child, Nona Gaye, but I don't think she or the others (he had three altogether) were actually mentioned in it. I also read that she was supposed to have been in the play. I must have missed her acknowledgement when the cast took a bow.

As portrayed in the play, Zeola Gaye was supposed to have been with him during pivotal moments in his life that lead to his downward spiral into drug abuse and depression. But the sad thing about it was that it came off as her trying to make her part in his life appear larger than it may actually have been. Not to mention that she apparently was right there with him using the drugs he bought. It seemed as if her reasons for doing the play were less to honor his memory than for her own aggrandizement.
There were scenes in the play that also just seemed to come out of no where and if you didn't already know some of the back story, you'd be lost. Like his confrontation with David Ruffin over Tammi Terrell, conflict with Berry Gordy over style and image and his second wife. There was actually a scene where he meets this young woman and then you never see her or hear a reference to her for the rest of the play. Turns out, it was the woman who would become his second wife and mother of two of his three children. Glad my DH knew.

And as long as the play was, about 3 hours, they didn't include all his major hits. I was disappointed in that. You know how it is when you're all set to hear all the good songs you remember. In any event, it was nice to have an evening out. I just think he deserves better than this.

What's Water Ice?

2007-02-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I shared a piece of Philadelphia that I've come to love. I also mentioned another thing that I loved, water ice. Not being from the Philly area, or the US,

Mel said...
Ok, now I'm curious - what is water ice? I thought it was an ice skating rink you liked to go to! Please help a poor English girl out...

So Mel, this is for you!

Water Ice, from what I understand, is the Philly regional equivalent of Italian Ice. Being from NY, I knew what Italian Ice was. It usually came in little waxy paper cups accompanied by a wooden scraper-like spoon. Sometimes, you could get it from a street cart where they would scoop it out of a tub into an accordian pleated paper cup. Cherry was always a favorite. I remembered Italian Ice being rather firm and totally frozen - that's why you needed the scraper. And the syrupy flavoring was always concentrated and frozen to the bottom of the cup making it the best part!

But Water Ice is not quite like that. It's more like a combination of Italian Ice mixed with a snow cone that's been blended into a smooth, semi-frozen slush. It's not like a smoothie (unless you get it mixed with custard ice cream) and, unlike a snow cone, you can't really suck out the flavoring and get left with a cup full of plain ice chips. And you don't need a scraper to get at it. Your cup of water ice comes with either a regular plastic spoon or you can suck it up through a straw. In the picture below, the water ice is in the cup with the orange colored slush.

Rita's is one of the most popular franchises of water ice, but there are many others, including one of my favorites, Philly Flavors (and also less expensive than Rita's). Most water ice establishments have a wide range of flavors from the usual, like lemon, cherry and grape to ones that are a little more exotic, like passion fruit (my absolute favorite!), mango (my second favorite), and kiwi-strawberry. Rita's also takes flavors usually associated with ice cream and turns them into water ice, like chocolate, cappucino and cookies and cream. I'm not fond of those as, IMHO, they taste like watery ice cream.

Now, this is the funny thing. Most water ice places are closed during the winter. They usually shut their doors around early November and don't reopen until around March. Apparently, business is brisk enough during the warm months to make up for it. On any given summer night, be prepared to stand in line for at least 10-15 minutes to get your cup.

Which reminds me, March is right around the corner and Rita's has a season opening special for the day - All their establishments give away a free regular sized cup, just name your flavor. Opening day is March 21 - go early, go often!

Philly can be beautiful

2007-02-05T22:30:00.000-05:00

When I first moved here, I didn't think too much of this place as cities go. Having moved here from NYC, I thought of it as a step-city. Don't get me wrong, there are many things I do like about the city, but it never really grabbed me in the same way that NY and Chicago did. I still believe that there are many things this city needs to do to become world class and one of them is having a comprehensive vision of what the city will grow to be and stop letting it grow in a piece-meal fashion.
One of the things I do like about Philly (besides water ice) is the Mural Arts Program. This is a volunteer arts program that grew out of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, which was originally a way to encourage residents to beautify their surroundings by getting rid of unsightly graffiti. It actually challenged graffiti writers to channel their tremendous artistic energies into muraling which had the capabilities to change the face of the city.

The efforts of the Mural Arts program is such that they have had, at various times, over 2700 different and beautiful murals in locations throughout the city - from downtown Center City to some of the most blighted neighborhoods. The subject matter has ranged from famous Philadelphia personalities in entertainment, politics, religion, sports and community service, to landscapes, abstracts, history and messages of inspiration and encouragement.

And the murals are huge. Usually covering the entire sides of multistory buildings - they are a presence in the community and you can't help but marvel at them. And at the talent and workmanship of those who developed the vision and brought it to life. Watching day by day as a mural is painted is awe-inspiring. There's one on the side of east-bound I-76 at Girard Ave. that never fails to almost cause me to crash my car as I drive by it. Unless you have binoculars to see it from the other side of the Schyulkill River, you can't get close enough until you're on the freeway!

When you visit, you can take an organized tour of all the current murals, or get a map and drive around at your own pace. As a tribute to one of the things I like about Philly, these are some of my favorites. Enjoy.

What I'm willing to spill....

2007-02-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

I try to check everyone on my bloglist everyday, but I must've missed Simply Mel on Wednesday. I read Creyole's late Wednesday evening, but she must've posted after I went to bed. When I checked her today, I found out she'd been tagged by Simply Mel. Curious to see who else Mel tagged, to my surprise, she tagged me! As I wrote on her blog, luckily, I'm still new to blogging that you all don't know that much about me yet. And yes, I still want cheesecake, Mel!

Here goes:

1. When I was in my first year of college, I was banned from one of the dorms because I used to spend the night in my boyfriend's room. Mind you, this was not a single-sex dorm and the girls who lived in that dorm were free to visit the boys who lived there anytime. However, if you didn't live there, you had to be out by midnight. But did that stop me from visiting? No! Since he lived on the second floor, I used to climb in the window using the bars on the first floor windows! Ah, youth...

2. In my lifetime, I've had about 24 different addresses in 7 states (although I lived in one state two different times). And I'm not even counting the temporary addresses I had during summer breaks from school when I didn't go home - if you count those, I think it adds 5 more.

3. While waiting for a train one Sunday in Brooklyn, NY, I was held up at knife point. He took a ring, a watch and about $20. When he tried to take my credit cards, I was able to avoid giving up my wallet by telling him that my cards wouldn't be any good to him since they were charged to the max! Score one for being a shopaholic!

4. My husband and I have known each other since before birth. How is this possible? His mom and mine were high school friends and kept a friendship throughout the years. He and I always referred to the others' mom as "aunt." He was born the day before me and we were in the same class from kindergarten through 6th grade. Although we were in different states during high school, when I would visit family in Brooklyn where he lived, we would go out. We went our separate ways after high school but kept in touch, personally and through family, and saw each other periodically. We finally reconnected in 2001 when I called him. We've been married for 4 years now and our anniversary directly follows our birthdays, one after the other. What's weird is I still call my mother-in-law Aunt. The picture on the top is from third grade. Can you guess which one is me and which is my DH? The one on the bottom is of us at 15 on the Board Walk at Coney Island.

Who's next? Ayankha, Cheleskilove and Tanya.

Addendum: I realized after I posted this that I only had 4.

5. When the Jackson 5 were the hottest group, everyone liked Michael and Jermaine. But my best friend and I looooved us some Tito!

We're all entitled to a little vanity

2007-01-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

Unless you actually dye your hair silver, how do you live with those annoying gray hairs while you get it to the point where it looks like your hair is supposed to be silver rather than that you forgot to get a dye job? I don’t know, and I’ve decided I don’t feel like finding out right now.

When, they started creeping up in the front, I ignored it for awhile – it wasn’t so much. Then, it seemed like I woke up one day and had the “halo” effect! So not cute. At first I plucked. Not a lot, just enough that the rest didn’t stand out so much. Then I found myself having to do that way more than I knew was good for me – especially since I’m already thin haired.

So, what to do? I wanted some coverage, but I didn’t want to do my whole head. I didn’t care about the back and there doesn’t seem to be as much there as in the front anyway. Plus, I didn’t want to get a whole bottle, only to waste most of it since I only needed some for the front. Just so you know, this picture shows me at about 1 to 2 weeks away from a permanent color touch-up.

I found a haircoloring system, Bigen, where I can mix only a small amount that’s needed to touch-up the hairline. That seemed to work fine and I only needed a touch-up every two or three months or so. And no, this is not the color I use.

Now, I’m finding that about 3 weeks after touching-up the front, it’s back. I don’t want to go through this every time I wash my hair. So I bought the “hair mascara.” I hated it, but was a fast and immediate touch-up. It covered what I needed it to, but it made my hairline feel “tacky,” like mascara does on lashes, and it seemed to rub off quickly. I had to reapply every other day. So what do I try now?

As usual, I went looking on-line and found “Hairmarker.” This is marketed as being actual haircolor, not a mascara or crayon, but it’s pricey. It’s 19.99 at Sally’s Beauty Supply in 8 colors. It’s temporary so it’ll wash out with shampoo, but won’t flake or rub off.

I gave this a trial run and found that I like the feel of it much better than the mascara. The consistency of the mascara is thick and creamy while the Hairmarker is thin and liquid. After several re-applications it still didn’t feel gummy even though I didn’t wash my hair in between. But I still find I have to reapply every three or four days. However, I can’t tell yet whether it’s because it’s gradually rubbing out or because my hairline sometimes gets wet when I’m washing my face. (Have to get a bigger, better shower cap – which I’m still searching for.)

This has a sponge tip applicator, like lipgloss, rather than the mascara type brush, so application of this requires either a very light touch or use of the enclosed “comb” that slides under the hair to which you’re applying color. An extra step, but not hugely inconvenient. But I also read that you can purchase mascara brushes (without the mascara), so my next step is to get one and try applying it that way.

Since I’m not a water girl, I haven’t given it the swim test, so I don’t know how it holds up to the pool or beach. If anyone has tried it, or does, please let me know. The last thing I’d want is for it to be streaking down my face as I emerge from the water! The only thing left is to see how long a tube of it lasts.

Problem solved!

I shop, therefore I am

2007-01-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

I must confess – I’m a shopaholic. I love shopping for clothes and this is truly my recreational activity of choice. Window shopping is good too, even if I don’t buy anything. I love discount stores such as Marshall’s, TJMaxx and Ross and I’ve found several good thrift shops that benefit not only from my purchases, but also my returns! I love it when I come home with lots of bags and relive the thrill of the buy as I find hangers to put them on and figure out where I can stuff it into my closet. It’s also a thrill when I confirm that my mind’s eye was right on target and the blouse perfectly matches the slacks I had at home and is also just the right style. Conversely, it can really be heartbreaking when you find yourself completely off. Then you have to decide, do I return it or go out and shop more to find the perfect piece to match the mistake? Depends on how much I really liked the mistake. Then again, there are the occasional “what the hell?” moments. What was I thinking when I bought THAT? I save all receipts and don’t frequently shop at stores that only have store credit return policies. And shopping for clothes in Philly and Jersey is also fun because there’s no tax! You can shop right up to the penny! Come to think of it, though, maybe I’m not as much of a shopaholic as I thought. I find myself not buying a lot when I’m visiting other cities and have to pay tax. I have to really like it!

But I don’t think I’m a shopaholic in a bad way. Many people who are shopaholics have tons of clothes that sit in their closets and drawers, tags attached, never again touching skin except for the fleeting moment when it was tried on in the store. I wear my stuff! In fact, sometimes I think the only reason I have a job is just so that I have some place to wear what I buy. Plus, since my favorite stores are discount places, I haven’t really paid huge sums for them. I know, I know – some people would rather buy top quality items that will last years and years. But I know me. After about 2 or 3 years of something, I’m usually sick of it. And no, changing an accessory or two is not gonna do it. At a minimum, I need a new piece in order to keep one of the old ones in rotation. And I wouldn’t say it’s because my clothes are ultra faddish and subject to going out of style in one season. They’re relatively mainstream – I do work in a center city office environment, even if it is informal and I don’t have to wear a suit. Think casual Friday 5 days a week. I just like having a lot of variety.

One item I just couldn’t resist was the shorter jacket. In the summer, I found one in red stretch canvas. It fit great since it wasn’t boxy. Then I saw a very similar one in corduroy in an olive green color. At the time I wasn’t seeing a lot of green of any hue and the price was unbelievable. On my next stop at the store, I found more. This time in burnt orange and cream corduroy. Then I found it in demin. Then I found another in a blue/gray corduroy. I bought them all. I just recently saw the same jacket in a gold colored corduroy. But lest you think I’m obsessive/compulsive, I didn’t get it. I figured that even if I didn’t have enough of that style, I did have enough of that style - in corduroy. I must admit, that it they were a good buy. I wear at least two of them almost every week. So what do I wear them with?

I wear them with my true obsessive/compulsive find. The Express Design Studio Editor Pants. I discovered these slacks by accident since I don’t actually shop at that store. I found my first pair in black at Marshall’s. I tried them on and was absolutely shocked! Generally, no pants fit me without alterations to take in the waist – never. This time, no alterations needed. When I went to the actual store, I found that the pants normally retail for about $78. I didn’t love them that much, but I figured that I’d keep a look-out for them should any land in the discount store. Later that year, I found some in three different colors at Marshall’s and TJMaxx. I thought the first fit was a fluke, but when I tried them on, they also fit perfectly. These are billed as the best fitting pants on earth.

Then the compulsion began. While looking to see if the store was on-line, I found that sellers list them as a whole category on Ebay. There were 100’s of pants listed in a rainbow of colors, materials and some very unique patterns! And since I knew exactly what size fit me, I didn’t have any concerns that I wasn’t going to be able to return them. And I didn’t have to pay $78 for them either. In some cases I had the winning bid (usually between $20 and $30), other times I got it for much less especially when nobody else bid. And most times, they were still new with tags.

The extent of my obsession/compulsion? I estimate that I have at least 50 pairs between summer and winter variations and I’m currently awaiting delivery of another pair. I don’t think that’s too much since, other than jeans, I don’t own many other styles and I do wear them just about every day.

Can you guess what's in my hand?

2007-01-04T22:10:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you have no idea what this could be!

It could be a handful of change, or a piece of jewelry. Maybe it's a tube of lipstick or a memory card for a camera or some new hair toy. Give up? Scroll down.

This is a MobiBLU. And what, you may ask is a MobiBLU? Scroll down more.

It's an mp3 player! Isn't it cute! Last year I got an Ipod Shuffle for Goldie who was just recently starting to really listen to music. Unfortunately, she put it into her back pack while on a school trip and it was stolen. While the Shuffle was nice, being only the size of a stick of gum, and which she could have and should have slipped into her pocket, it was only 128mb and had no menu to be able to make song selections. While browsing on line, I stumbled across this. It's only about twice the size of a sugar cube and comes in about 5 colors. This model is 512mb (more than enough for someone just starting to listen to music), but it also comes in 1 and 2gb. Now I'm no technology or music whiz (so shoot me Michelle!) but this was so cute (and 49.95) I couldn't resist! Sounds good to me.

I don't know if they're selling in stores now, but when I got it, I had to order it through Walmart.com. However, I checked again, and they no longer have it. But you can get it at Target.com.

New Year - New Hair

2007-01-01T18:10:00.000-05:00

When I was a young girl my mom was a single parent until I was 11 and had three girls. All of us had varying amounts of hair, but at just below shoulder length, I had the least. Somewhere around the 4th grade, my mom convinced me, and then my older sister, that we'd love to have afros (I think she just needed a break). What did I know? Of course I said yes since I hoped that it would mean the end of our once-per-month beauty salon torture sessions or, worse, the kitchen salon.

Unfortunately, my 'fro didn't turn out like the ones I envied - The Sylvers! Don't pretend like you don't know who I'm talking about! So I think all through those later years, I was trying desperately to get my hair to grow back. Obviously, when perms became popular, they did more harm than good - But they did allow my hair to get back some of the length.

So when I discovered Sisterlocks, the pictures that I fell in love with were the ones of women with long hair. This was the one way that I could have the length I desired, but without all the negatives. Interestingly though, the longer my hair has gotten, the more I can see both the pros and cons of having long hair. Ultimately, I decided that I needed some short hair. Being honest with myself, I think my face is rather long and having my hair all one length, especially if I don't have curl, isn't the most flattering look for me. I also don't like how it constantly falls in my face everytime I bend over.
So I cut some. I'd been contemplating this for at least the last year, but just wasn't sure. But I finally decided to just do it. The top two pictures is what it looked like right after I took it out of my trusty SoftSpike curlers. The bottom two are after I slept on it and fluffed out the curl. It may not be as noticeable to you all, but it feels different to me. I parted off the front quarter of my hair and cut between 5 to 8 inches from ear to ear so it's gradually shorter on the top. Because it's shorter, it holds a curl better and it looks fuller around my face.

So far so good. I didn't cut any from the back, but who knows. I think after I wear this for a little while, I'm probably going to take a little more off the sides and top. Happy New Year!

Changes

2006-12-31T19:39:00.000-05:00

It's just hair, right?

My first two years with Sisterlocks

2006-12-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

As I look back at these pictures, I'm amazed at how far I've come. This first picture was taken at about the 7 month mark. I would estimate that I had about 2 inches of locked hair and the rest was loose permed hair. When I first started out and decided that I didn't want to cut all the perm off, I wasn't sure how my permed ends were going to behave. I had thoughts of them tangling up together and was I supposed to comb the part that was loose? Unfortunately, my consultant didn't explain alot of things to me and I didn't know enough to ask. No one that I know was blogging six years ago and while the lockitup group had just started a few months before I locked, I didn't know about it.

As it turned out, I didn't have much to worry about. Many things I learned through trial and error and luckily for me, my errors weren't too bad. I learned that I had to stretch out my permed ends after I washed my hair and BEFORE it dried in order to avoid bunching. It was a tedious process since I had to do it in addition to separating each lock. But it helped me to maintain the look I preferred on myself. This picture was taken at about the 10 month mark. It's still mostly perm, but it's getting near 3 inches of locked hair. And I really didn't have to worry about the loose hair getting tangled. Strangely enough, my relaxed ends behaved better than they did when it was just loose relaxed hair.

This picture was taken at about 18 months locked. It looks like my hair hasn't grown any since the picture above, but as I said, I was diligent about trimming off the relaxed ends each time I went in for a retightening. And I liked to wear it curled. This is approaching the half way mark between perm and locks at about 4 to 5 inches.

This is the first picture where you can really see more of the definition of the locks. I was still doing a braid out and curling the ends under. I wasn't brave enough to freestyle yet - still too much relaxed ends. This was taken at about 23 months.

In this picture, at the 2 year mark, I had no choice but to let it go! I was on a family vacation and there wasn't time to primp. I did have to pull some of it into a pony in the back, but it turned out well. I couldn't pull it all up into a pony because the relaxed ends were still too straight and they wouldn't fall properly.

Looking at these pictures has also helped me come to a long contemplated decision about my locks. We'll see what the new year brings! Have a happy and safe new year!

The disaster decade - unbeweavable horror stories!

2006-12-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

I received so many compliments on my post showing my hair from my first installation, but I think alot of it comes from the fact that you all know where my hair is now. I guess it kinda seems like it all happened over night. But lest anyone think I didn't go through some of the same trials and tribulations they did before discovering SLs, let me set the record straight!

This picture was taken in June 1991. In April of 1991, I made the first of several bad hair decisions. This was around the time when salons were screaming about dry curls. You know, the jheri curls without the juice. I had decided that I was going to get curls so that I could have that wash and wear hair that I had always dreamed about. Of course, since it's a completely different process and one is not compatible with the other, I was going to have to grow out the relaxer before putting in the curl. Since I wasn't one to cut, I had the bright idea that I'd get a weave to transition me through until I had enough length. Could my hair be any bigger??!! People actually thought it was mine and I must say that I did a great job of making sure the tracks were covered and that my hairline blended into the fake stuff.

But it was good in theory, bad in practice. Having the weave put in meant having my hair braided and then having the tracks sewn in. When I went back to the salon after the first weave installation, I found that my braided hair had matted big time. Combing through that mess was a nightmare. But bad as it was, did it stop me from doing it again? Of course not! The hair I got was the wet and wavy and as long as I sat under the dryer to make sure the sewn in tracks were thoroughly dry, I had the wash and wear hair I wanted.

The second picture was taken in November 1991. More weave, but you just don't know what was hiding under there! In September, my dumb impatient self decided that I had enough length on the top to go ahead and have the curl put in and just get a partial weave for some length in the back. OMG!!! as she took the rods out, I could tell I had messed up big time! She spritzed some greasy mess that I had been trying to avoid by getting the dry curl in the first place... and it never did curl right. Over the next couple of days, I had decided that I wasn't putting that crap in my hair. Well guess what? My hair got crispy dry since it wasn't getting any moisturizer. Then it started falling out!!! It was coming out in my hands. Believe me, I cried.

Unfortunately, I couldn't leave my hair like that. I looked like a half plucked chicken with a platypus tail which was the big, thick partial weave that was hanging off the back of my head. I don't think I went to work that week. And no, I do not have a picture of that (at least not one that I'd publish). Not one to leave bad enough alone. I went to a different salon and got another full weave on what was left of my hair.

After that, I saw a friend with the cutest corkscrew braids. I got me some of those too in the spring of 1992. Looked cute on the outside. The remainder of the decade (yes, decade!) was spent trying to recover. My hair eventually grew back in enough to stop wearing a weave in about 1993, although it was never as thick as it was, and it really wasn't very thick to begin with. Then, I got pregnant and my hair loved that! Until after the baby was born in 1994. Then, it seemed like all my hormones shut down and hair started coming out again. By the time I recovered from that, I had another baby in 1997. Here we go again. That brings me up to the first picture in 1998 in my last post, below, and my decision to get SLs in 2000.

I think if I hadn't gone through all of that, I wouldn't have been looking so hard for something that would take me away from all the chemicals and attaching hair that wasn't mine.

Coming next - pictures from the first two years of my SLs.

My Sisterlocks Metamorphosis

2006-12-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

As I promised a number of people when I started my blog, I finally dug up some old photos of myself prior to beginning my SLs and right after my installation. This first picture was taken in the Spring of 1998, about two years before I discovered SLs. I remember this style and I think I wore it like this up until 2000 when I got SL'd.

Back then, I'm sure I thought I was cute with this flip! But I know I was running from all kinds of water! The occasion for this pic was my cousin's graduation from UVA and we had all gone down to watch her walk. It was a mini-reunion and we stayed at a resort in Williamsburg. As all resorts do, this one had pools. Do you think I went in? I was very tempted not to, but Goldie (my daughter who actually has golden brown hair - don't know where that came from!) wanted in. So in I went, all the time trying to keep my head above water - and I told everyone within a 20 foot radius that they better not even think about splashing me! Alas, I didn't make it out of there unscathed as the humidity from the heat of the pool caught me! I still don't do water that much, but now it's not for fear of getting my hair wet - it's just I hate getting in water. This is Goldie in her pre-locks days at almost 4 yrs and A-man at not quite a year - he got some of that blond, too!

As I look at this picture now, I can only think how thin, limp and damaged my hair looks. I was diligent about keeping after the split ends since I got a trim every time I got a relaxer, but this was the extent of the growth. Un-flipped, it was just below my shoulders. I just knew something had to change.

Fast forward to about February 2000, I had decided that I wasn't going to relax my hair and was trying to figure out what to do with it. For about the third time in my relaxed life, I considered going natural, but how to transition? I didn't want to do the BC - I just didn't think I was one who looked good with really short hair. But trying to keep the length with two textures was madness! I made it to May then broke down and got creamed. Less than one week after giving in, I was in the magazine section looking at hair mags. I don't know why exactly since I was never usually one for looking at them. I came across this multi-page spread on SLs and I instantly knew this was for me!

I had thought about locks at various times before, but didn't do it because everything I knew about them said that I'd have to cut everything and start with natural hair. I had even gone so far as to have my hair braided with extensions in the hope of transitioning them into locks. Not a very well-thought-out plan and they were gone in a month.

After noting with glee that SLs could be started with relaxed hair, I couldn't wait til the next business day to call San Diego and get a referral. I was on the phone bright and early (minus the time difference) Monday morning and got the names of three consultants. I was so disappointed that one didn't answer and I had to leave a message with the second. But the third was the charm. I spoke to Jo for about a half an hour and was ready to make the appointment when she burst my bubble! She told me I had to have at least and inch and a half of new growth. Damn that cream! I told her I'd call her back in about two months.

Two months later I was back on the phone and told her I could set an appointment at her earliest convenience - how about today??? No, but she did manage to see me within a few days. When I got there, I found a woman who had small SLs that were just touching her shoulders. I should mention here that up to this point, I had not yet seen any actual SLs in person, but I just knew I wanted them. She put in about 6 test locks and in two weeks, I was settling down for 13 hours of installation over two days. The last two pictures were taken just after my installation on which she did a braid out. Amazingly, these don't look as scalpy as I originally thought they did, but I think my hair was thicker overall than it is now, at least at the crown area. My usual style in the early days was a braid-out, roller set to keep the relaxed ends under control. It would take me almost 4 years to trim away the relaxed ends and feel comfortable free-styling.

For those of you who are newbies - keep the faith! Your hair will blossom in no time, and you will definately believe that this is the best hair decision you ever made. I was by no means the poster child for thick, abundant hair, but you can see how mine turned out. I'm amazed at how far I've come. When I find more pics from along the way, I'll post.

Dreamgirls

2006-12-06T22:48:00.000-05:00

I remember being in school when the hit play "Dreamgirls" debuted on Broadway. It was all anyone could talk about. Unfortunately, my school budget didn't allow for Broadway tickets and I wasn't in NY at that time anyway. Although the play stayed on Broadway for many years and probably toured the country, I never got an opportunity to see it. After 20 years of talk, it was finally made into a movie.

This evening, I had the chance to see the preview of it. I took my daughter, Goldie, who's a big Beyonce fan. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I'm not a big fan of Beyonce's acting, but even she kicked it up a notch. But I was really there to see Jennifer Hudson, who I heard was stealing the movie. That was no lie! Her rendition of "And I am telling you I'm not going" would have done Jennifer Holiday proud. Makes you wonder how Hudson didn't win American Idol! For an acting debut, she gave a great performance.

After the movie, I had to explain to Goldie some of the nuances of what had happened, but in order to do that, I first had to explain about the group upon whom the movie and the original play was based - the Supremes. Her reaction? Who were they? I had to start by saying, you remember the actress who plays Joan in "Girlfriends?" Her mother was Diana Ross who Deena Jones (Beyonce's character) was loosely based on. In her opinion, Beyonce was the best, but I had to tell her that in the original play, the person eveyone remembered most was Effie and her hit song.

One thing that was really funny was a point in the movie when Eddie Murphy's character is singing some song that I can't remember. All I could think about was, that sounds awfully familiar - alot like "my girl wants to party all the time, party all the time....." Horrors!

Addendum: Obviously, since I was at the preview of Dreamgirls, I wasn't home to see the finale of ANTM (see post below). I haven't checked the website yet, but was I right? Did Caridee win? I'm going to find out in a minute!

Do we always have to root for the Black team?

2006-12-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

After reading Michelle's post on America's Next Top Model, it got me to thinking about picking our favorite person or team to win these reality series competitions. I realize it's just a small slice of life and we take race into consideration for many more important things (like our political choices - but that's a whole other discussion!)

Michelle raised a good point that the black model in this cycle probably won't win and, more than likely, it's because a similar looking black model won just last cycle. So it's not her "turn."
But could it be that she's just not that great, race notwithstanding? I've watched this reality series from almost day one, and all the episodes of this cycle, and Eugena just doesn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of Caridee's and even less of one for Melrose, but IMO, they have way more personality than Eugena. I can't remember anything she's done that's really made her stand out. My personal choice would have been Anchal, who was gorgeous but, unfortunately, her insecurities allowed the other models to run her off. So, am I a traitor for not rooting for the black model?

And, for that matter, what about the competition going on in the Amazing Race? For the first time in ten seasons of this series, an all female team (the Bama Girls) has made it to the final three. And they're both black! Unfortunately, they aren't really my choice to ultimately win the million bucks. I'll probably root for them because the other two choices are so unpalatable - the crack-head models or the bickering dating couple who yell and scream at each other. But I don't think the Bamas really earned their place in the final three and I'd rather have seen the Cho Brothers take it. The Bamas have never come in first on any leg of the race, and the two times they came in second, it was because another team made a serious mistake. And if it hadn't been for the alliance between them, the Coalminers and the Cho Brothers, they would have been gone long ago. But I always found myself being so disappointed when the episode ended with them just barely bringing up the rear as if they carried the weight of the entire black race on their shoulders. Sigh.

Which brings me to my reaction to the first eliminations on these two shows and Survivor. In ANTM, the first model to go this season was Christian, who was black. The one thing we can be mad about is that this show is very subjective in nature since you have a panel that judges who's got the potential to be a model and, let's face it, race is a big factor. But what about the shows where it's mostly based on skill, knowledge and cunning? The first team to be eliminated on Amazing Race was Bilal and Sa'eed, the black Muslim team. They got to the pitstop last. On Survivor, they did something new this season - they made the initial tribe divisions along racial lines; a black tribe, a white tribe, an Asian tribe and a Hispanic tribe. Guess which tribe lost first and had to vote a member out? But it was because they lost the physical challenge, not because someone possibly targeted them because of race. It's down to 7 people and only one is black, Sundra. And if she doesn't win it's probably because the alliances that others formed preceded her joining them. I'm actually rooting for Yul, the diplomat!

My latchhook

2006-11-17T19:57:00.000-05:00

For those of you who asked, or didn't but wondered, this is the latchhook I first used when I started latching my SL's. When I got the latching booklet, I immediately went out to Sally Beauty to find a latchhook. I figured I'd find one there. I wasn't sure this was exactly what I was looking for but I had made a decision that I was going to latch and, as usual, once the decision was made I wanted to get to it ASAP!

First, I started on my daughter. It wasn't because I wanted her to be the guinea pig, but because I'd be able to actually see what I was doing before trying to do my own.

Everything went well, for the most part, but I did have some problems. The latchhook above doesn't look that long (a little over 6 inches) but, in use, I found that it was cumbersome for two main reasons: length and straightness. When holding it and completing the rotations, the hook end was more likely to catch hairs from the neighboring lock that I wasn't working on, or the handle end would butt up against the other side of the locks or, when latching the locks down near the nape of the neck, it would butt into my back or shoulder, so it wasn't comfortable. As to it being straight, as soon as it went through the base of the lock I was working it, it would catch hair from the next lock.

So, being the amateur tinkerer that I am (I'll hack up anything to make it fit my needs!) I experimented with making it more comfortable and easier to use. Besides, it was only $1 and I figured I could get more if I totally messed it up.

One of the first things I did was remove the pink part. It was hollow there anyway. This was better, but still a little too long. Since the handle was plastic, I got a sharp knife, heated it up on the stove and cut off about half of the length of the green part, just below where the metal shaft of the hook was imbedded into the plastic. Better, but still not quite there.

The next thing I did was to slightly bend the metal shaft of the hook end. What this did was allow the hook end to curve up and away from the neighbor lock as I came out of the base of the one I was working on and lessen the chances of catching hairs. Much better, but still not quite. It was still too long and I thought I'd be more comfortable with a handle that wasn't as long or as fat.

Initially, I cut off the entire green part, leaving only the shaft of the metal hook. That didn't work very well because there wasn't anything to grip in order to manipulate the hook through the rotations. Since I had gotten several latchhooks, I got out my trusty knife and sliced off almost another half of the green part. I also cut down the sides of the sides of the green part so it was just enough to grip. The top latchhook in the picture directly above is the modified hook that I currently use to latch my new growth. At about 3 inches, it's comfortable for me and, unlike the Nappylocs tool, I don't lose it if I drop it!

Hairstyles

2006-11-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

A friend emailed me and asked what I do with my hair. She said she had 6yo locks also and wanted some inspiration for new styles from someone who had similar length locks.

I replied that right now, I'm in love with my Softspike curlers. When I take them out, I get long Shirley Temple curls. I usually leave them intact for up to a week. After that I shake out what's left of the curl and just wear in in a loose curl with some of the hairties I made to keep it off my face. You can see a picture of those curls in the post directly below or in my fotki album. I don't use setting lotion, but I've tried the JML setting lotion (it's ok). Others use Lottabody, which I used when I was relaxed.

My daughter also has 3yo locks. She likes it best when I braid in about 20 sections and then take it out for a crimped look. I use crinkles and curls on hers because it seems hers doesn't hold a curl as long as mine.

I haven't really tried to do up-dos partly beacuse they feel heavy and partly because I can't seem to get it all up in something that looks like a style using only my two hands. I think I need at least one or two more hands to make it look like it wasn't a mistake! Plus, I don't do alot of parting because my crown area is thin. When I'm not feeling like curling, I just leave it straight and pull it back with a tie or pull it up into a high "I Dream of Jeannie" ponytail. This french braid is one hairstyle that I've mastered and can do quickly. Also, this style will last for several days, even if I don't cover it at night!

I'm looking for cute, but easy to do styles. But part of the appeal of SL's is that I can do nothing and still look good! I washed my hair this weekend and, since I'm getting ready to retighten, I didn't curl it. What was unusual was that rather than pulling it back, I just let it flow with no ties or anything, which is something I rarely do because I hate it falling into my face or having to constantly flip it over my shoulder. Stay tuned for more hairstyles.

Latchhook v Sisterlock tool

2006-11-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

Several members of Lockitup have inquired about whether there are any differences in the look of locks that are maintained using the Sisterlocks tool and those that are maintained using a latchook. My SLs were started with the SL tool and my consultant maintained them for about 2 and a half years that way. After that, I began retightening them myself. I found the Latchin' e-booklet (there's a link for this on the side - I don't know how to link in my text yet!) because I had never taken the SL retightening course. I'm all about being able to do it yourself, as economically as possible, so when I read the booklet, to me it felt and looked like what I saw my consultant doing.

Since I didn't actually take the retightening course, I'm not saying that the way that I latch my locks is exactly the SL way that they were originated. The Latchin' booklet advises that a 2 point pattern be used. I did follow those directions, but after hearing others talk about "4's" and "reverse 4's," I started using a 4 point circular rotation to maintain my locks. I also know that the Nappylocks tool has instructions for a 6 and 8 point rotation, although I've never actually read those instructions for myself. I also started my daughter's locks myself from 2-strand twists and then retightened using the latchhook instructions.

As I said, I've had my SLs for 6 years now. Other than trimming off the relaxed ends over the first 4 years, I've never cut my actual locks in the back. My best estimate is that the bottom third of the locks is the SL pattern and everything from that point up to the root is from a latching pattern. So, for those of you who are concerned whether there's a discernable difference from one to the other, see for yourself. If you see a difference, or think there'll be a dfference in yours, then take the retightening course and use the SL tool. If you think not, save your money and purchase the latching e-booklet (for about $10-$15) and a latchhook (for about $1) or purchase the Nappylocks tool (for about $15) and the instructions. I don't know how much the instructions cost, but there's also a link to Nappylocks on the side.

Who could pass up free candy?

2006-10-31T22:03:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Even though my daughter is 12, she still asks that I get her a costume so that we can all go trick-or-treating. I expect it from my son, who's only 9, but I would have thought she would have grown out of it by now. However, she did mention that soon she's going to have to be nicer to her brother because she's going to have to rely on him in future years to share his haul.

My son was a ninja this year. It seems he alternates between that and power rangers. My daughter found a cute geisha costume. The other two girls are sisters who're friends of my daughter's. The one in red with socks stuck to her (she said she was a sock puppet!) also has traditional locks, as does her mother. Even pets were dressed for the day.

Quite a number of people put their carving skills to good use on pumpkins. These weren't your ordinary jack 'o lanterns. One even had a carving of Samuel Adams (from the beer label) on it and it was on the block where they traditionally have treats for the adults (think beer, wine and cheese, and hot and cold dips) as well as candy for the kids. I even found a pumpkin that appeared to have dreadlocks!

We got really luckythis Halloween. The temperature this evening was almost 70 degrees. Perfect for trick-or-treating. There's nothing worse than trying to stuff yourself in a cute costume over enough clothing to keep you warm without having to put a coat on top of it so no one can tell who or what you are. Not to mention that it's too cold to stay out for hours to ensure that you get maximum loot!

But, to tell the truth, I like trick-or-treating because I benefit as much as they do. After we examine all the candy, we sort out the ones that they don't like, they make their trades and I get to keep the ones neither one of them likes. My son doesn't care for chocolates (obviously not a trait he inherited from me), preferring the chewy types like starbursts, skittles and twizzlers. While my daughter likes chocolate and takes all the peppermint patties, 3 musketeers and milky ways, she doesn't like those with nuts. That means I get all the snickers, hershey's with almonds, reese's cups, mr. goodbars and almond joys. I'm licking my fingers as I type!

One of the things I really miss about Halloween is the ritual of ringing a doorbell and yelling "trick-or-treat!" The majority of people who participate sit on their stoops (east coast city word roughly equivalent to a porch) and wait for kids to walk past. Some even leave a lonely bowl of candy from which kids help themselves. It's kind of disappointing, but I guess it does save people from having to get their creaky joints up and down every time the bell rings.

Extracurricular activity

2006-10-28T22:59:00.000-05:00

As you all continue to read my posts, you'll find that alot of it will involve my kids. Seems like once you become a mother, they consume a major portion of your life. But I don't mean that in a bad way. I can't imagine life without them and they're usually my first thought. I also really like hanging out with them and we do alot of things together. As you can see from my earlier post, amusement parks is something we look forward to in the summer and the twice a year that we visit family in Orlando.

Another thing they're involved in that I encourage is Tae Kwon Do. They've been training for almost 2 years now and they really enjoy it. I was lucky enough to find a community center that offers classes 3 times a week for an amazing price. While I've never participated in other forms of martial arts, I like the principles that TKD tries to instill in young children. It's focused on self-discipline and integrity and, surprisingly, that's it's better to avoid fighting when possible. Having said that, it's also important to know how to defend yourself, when the situation warrants. Classes are all about practicing the various techniques for each belt rank, but several times a year, students have the opportunity to practice what they've learned in friendly competitions, near and far. I say friendly because students are very likely to be competing against another student from their own training hall that they're friends with.

This weekend, my kids participated in a small tournament. The pictures are from the sparring portion of the competition. My son is in the silver head gear and my daughter is in the blue. The sparring is full contact, but the referees are careful to warn the students that contact is not to be overly agressive and students have been disqualified for hitting too hard. As you can imagine, it's a little difficult as a mother to stand there and watch your kid fight, but spectators are allowed to shout encouragement and instructions. As you can also imagine, some parents get a little too excited and there are those who treat this as a kill-or-be-killed street brawl!

My son won a 3rd place medal in the sparring competition (we were late for his portion of the patterns) and my daughter won 2nd place medals for both sparring and patterns. We were all happy with the end result and I'm proud of their dedication. Hopefully, next month they'll get a recommendation for testing to move to the next belt rank.

Summer's officially over

2006-10-24T09:03:00.000-05:00

A sure sign on the east
coast that summer is not going to make a return visit for several months, is the transition of Six Flags Great Adventure from regular theme park to Fright Fest. The park is draped in cobwebs and ghouls roam the paths. All the shows have a spooky theme.

Since we have season passes we usually go once before the park finally closes for the season. It’s our last opportunity to ride the roller coasters. Unfortunately, we must have picked the wrong day for this visit. The park was beyond crowded. We’re used to having to stand in line for about 45 minutes to an hour for the good rides, but this was ridiculous! The lines for the most popular rides stretched out of the line-up maze and well into the walking areas of the park. The line for the new El Toro roller coaster was easily 3 hours long. Had I paid a regular admission on that day, I’d have been pissed!

Luckily, on our previous visit to the park, we had the opportunity to ride Kingda Ka. Billed as the tallest (456 feet), fastest (128mph in 3.3 seconds) roller coaster in the world, it was quite an experience. The concept is simple, you go straight up, make a hairpin turn and come straight down. I was actually more scared going up than coming down! For those of you who don’t do coasters, this picture’s for you!

Not wanting to waste the entire visit standing in line, the kids and I decided to check out the shows, which we rarely do at other times because we’re riding. The best one was Hypnosteria. A hypnotist called a group of 20 people on stage and then weeded them out based on their susceptibility to hypnotic suggestion. Once he got them under, he gave them all tasks that one would suspect they wouldn’t normally do if fully aware. Parts of it were hilarious! He suggested to one guy that he had his pants on backwards and told him to go behind the curtain and switch them. The guy actually came back with his pants on backwards. And you should have seen the rump shaker contest. Everyone participated and let’s just say that some had a little more to shake than others and did so for all they were worth! Due to the potentially embarrassing nature of the program, no pictures were allowed. I’ve never been hypnotized, but I wonder if I’d be susceptible to it. Have any of you ever been hypnotized?

And what would a visit to the park be without a scoop of Dippin’ Dots?

And these are my children

2006-10-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the first appearance of my kids on my blog. Enjoy it! You probably won't see them so well dressed for a long while. Their usual uniform is jeans and tees. The occasion for such a grand display was that while I was in AC, they attended the NAACP Gala (that was my babysitter). At least they smiled for the camera. They look like they're having a better time than they told me they did. But what do kids know?

I did my best to put my daughter's hair in flat twists. Earlier in the week, I had set her locks (locked 3+ years now) on SoftSpike curlers for her school pictures, but it rained several days that week. She still has some curl left but it wasn't enough to leave it out completely and still be in keeping with the formality of the affair. Plus, she so hates for me to do much of anything to it, preferring to free-style most of the time. I think it came out rather well. I wish I'd had some shiny clips or beads to anchor the twists - but I really didn't plan ahead for that and had nothing to match.

They so rarely get the opportunity to dress this formally, so I'm glad I have a picture. But I'm going to confess my little secret - I'm a BIG fan of shopping at the thrift store, especially for the kids, who grow out of everything in the blink of an eye, and for occasions like this when they'll only wear an outfit once or twice. My daughter's dress is a Nicole Miller purple velvet (Brunsli - I'll save it for your daughter!) that surprisingly fit her perfectly considering she's a toothpick. Unfortunately, due to her modesty, you can't see the beautiful rhinestone spaghetti straps that hold it up. My son's suit also came from the thrift store and also didn't need alteration. I can't believe how dapper he looks! For the price I paid, you can't beat it. And I know someone's going to ask, so I'll tell you now - the dress cost $4.95 and the suit was $7.95. Champagne taste for beer money!

Floetry in Atlantic City

2006-10-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

After dropping the kids off to attend their event, we got dressed and headed off to Atlantic City. About an hour later, we entered the gateway to AC. It's been at least 10 years since I've been there, so I was completely surprised at how much it's grown. I usually don't take pictures of scenery without people I know in it, so it didn't occur to me to snap a pic. Next time, I'll remember. But AC is sprawling. As you entered, it used to be that you could see just about all of it without turning your head. Now, it looks like there are a million hotels and casinos, not to mention casual and upscale shopping (and the requisite Starbucks!). Since we had limited time, we only stopped at the Showboat Hotel and Casino, where the House of Blues is located.

Overall, it was a good show - when the show was on. Maybe it's just me, but I thought it was an extraordinarily long time between when the doors opened (7pm) and when the show started (almost 9pm). And the amount of time to set up between acts was long too, especially since the first two acts didn't perform for more than 10 or 15 minutes. There were two acts before Floetry - I can't remember the name of the first woman (and unfortunately, she was forgettable anyway) and the second act was a group called Algebra. Never heard of them, but that's not unusual for me. They were pretty good and I was actually looking forward to hearing their last song, but something happened. Suddenly, they just announced they couldn't do their song and said good-bye. As I said, I couldn't have told you beforehand what songs Floetry sings, but when they started playing, I was actualy able to identify two of them! They put on a great show and had everyone up and dancing.

Of course I had to take a picture, so this is us in front of the House of Blues. I decided to go with leather pants, the first pair I've ever owned. However, I kept thinking of Eddie Murphy thanks to my DH's comment!

Now what would a trip to AC be without a stop in the casino? I'm not gonna lie, I have absolutely no interest in losing any money, but we did put in a quarter and cross our fingers. Guess what??!! We lost a quarter. We got this one picture before security came and told us we couldn't take any pictures on the casino floor. Guess they thought we'd use it to somehow rig the slots.

My first entry

2006-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, this is officially my first post. I don't actually have much to say at the moment but, hopefully, that will change tomorrow. My DH and I have tickets to see Floetry at the House of Blues in Atlantic City tomorrow evening. He's much more into music than I am - I know who they are, but I couldn't name one of their songs or hum a note even if you had a gun to my head! As far as I'm concerned, it's an opportunity for a night out and to get (sorta) dressed up. What do folks wear to the clubs nowadays, anyway? I know one thing, the hair will look good! I'll let you know how the show went.

As you can see, my links and other stuff isn't fully developed, but I'm working on it. Let's just say that I'm not the most computer literate person. Some things are intuitive, but for others - I just stare at the screen, clicking my mouse and asking myself "what the hell does this mean. English, please!" But all of you are so wonderfully helpful, I know I can count on the more experienced bloggers to help me along.