Lady Mika--The Locs Start HERE. (lol) Leaving the interwebs for a while.

Beautiful guitar! My dad has a bass guitar that is collecting dust. He used to play in a band. It's really nice also.

@ silly co-workers. I'm like 8-4, 5, 6 whatever. But let's keep it separate. I've learned and been burned that way. No more. A co-worker/friend got pissed off because I got promoted to a job she and I both interviewed for. I told her to apply. Anyway, she acted like a DAYUM Fool about a job. Her own family told her not to ruin our friendship over the job. She ended up getting promoted 5 months later. I learned a valuable lesson from that, business is business and keep friendships/outside affairs separate. They need to grow up, as you said, and keep you out of their mess.

Your BF is right. Love that statement.

Knock knock, are you home?
I'll try to catch you at the train station.

Hello all!

Yesterday went pretty fast, though I felt bloated all damn day because I overate. Impossible to imagine with my being thin, but I DO NOT like to feel stuffed until the seams threaten to pop. I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full...let's call yesterday a relapse of my old eating habits.

At any rate.

After work, I came home and set right to work for two things.

First, is my Shea-Mango-Aloe mix. Here is the recipe:

--1/2 lb of unrefined shea butter
--1/2 lb of unrefined mango butter
--About 1/2 cup of aloe vera gel
--4 (large spoons) of extra virgin coconut oil
--Castor oil
--Grapeseed oil
--Tea Tree oil (preservative)
--Rosemary oil

I usually eyeball the amounts of the other carrier oils (grapeseed, castor, jojoba, etc.) based on the amount of mix I have in the bowl. After I was done whipping it, it looked like this:





I give it the look and consistency of fresh cream. It melts VERY easily and goes on VERY smooth. It also moisturized my skin NICELY. I washed my face with my black soap, added my tea tree oil, put this mix on and went to bed. Woke up with SOFT skin that was NOT too dry at all. (My face was actually quite smooth!) As for my hair, it makes a nice, LIGHT sealant and moisturizer. (I attribute that to the aloe vera gel.) My hair prefers HEAVIER moisturizers and sealants, but with the heat making an early debut, something LIGHTER would be better for my scalp.

Now for the Aloe Grow. Mind you, the ORIGINAL recipe that I found off YouTube is as follows:

--1 cup of water
--1 1/2 cups of aloe vera gel
--5-10 drops sage oil
--5-10 drops peppermint oil
--5-10 drops of eucalyptus oil



*I* added rosemary oil (10 drops), tea tree oil (10 drops), and some KCKT (I used the same mix but substituted with the Knot Today and enjoyed it. Plus, I don't want the Knot Today to just sit in my cabinet.). This will serve as my leave-in spray until it finishes, then I'll give a final verdict. I DID give it a test run last night, and it woke Gypsy RIGHT up after being shrunken from the Afroveda PUR Whipped Gelly.

Today for my wash day, I cleansed with the black soap, DC'd with my Giovanni mix (coconut oil, honey, peppermint and rosemary essential oils), and sprayed my hair with the Aloe Grow. I followed that up with the Shea-Mango-Aloe mix and my castor oil, and I'm liking the results. I also have some definition. (w00t for aloe vera gel!) I'll keep everyone up to date on how these two mixes fair.

As for my plans for today, I've got laundry in the dryer, boiling water for pasta, some sketches I'd like to work on, practice and then my guitar lesson at 6:30 tonight. Also on my plate is getting the yarn to do my braids since that fell through over the weekend. I enjoy having a FULL day off, as opposed to rolling out of bed around this time (12:30-1pm) and epically failing at keeping myself occupied throughout the day.

And that's about it for now. It's a nice day outside (FINALLY!!) and I plan on enjoying it. Hope everyone does the same!

Deuces.

DvaAuNaturel wrote:Beautiful guitar! My dad has a bass guitar that is collecting dust. He used to play in a band. It's really nice also.

@ silly co-workers. I'm like 8-4, 5, 6 whatever. But let's keep it separate. I've learned and been burned that way. No more. A co-worker/friend got pissed off because I got promoted to a job she and I both interviewed for. I told her to apply. Anyway, she acted like a DAYUM Fool about a job. Her own family told her not to ruin our friendship over the job. She ended up getting promoted 5 months later. I learned a valuable lesson from that, business is business and keep friendships/outside affairs separate. They need to grow up, as you said, and keep you out of their mess.

Your BF is right. Love that statement.

Thank you! What kind of music did your father play? We mostly play/listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz (Miles Davis era, not so much the new jazz) in our house. I've been in my boyfriend's tail about not playing his bass anymore. He'd rather sing, but he can do both (extremely well). I look at him like "Shouldn't YOU be auditioning for bands??" He kills me sometimes.

FemmeFox wrote:Knock knock, are you home?
I'll try to catch you at the train station.

On my way there! Give me fifteen minutes!

Hey Mika, Love the recipes I might try them! Catch ya later

Hey LadyMika! I thought of you this weekend. The HellCity tattoo convention was held in our downtown. I really wanted to go but I kind of forgot. Ratz. Next time though. Reading your posts makes me miss my bc. That was a great time and yours looks fantastic.

Curly_Aquarius wrote:Hey Mika, Love the recipes I might try them! Catch ya later

Yeah, give them a try! Especially the shealoe. It's only been a couple of days, but I'm really enjoying it.

poeticlyspkng wrote:Hey LadyMika! I thought of you this weekend. The HellCity tattoo convention was held in our downtown. I really wanted to go but I kind of forgot. Ratz. Next time though. Reading your posts makes me miss my bc. That was a great time and yours looks fantastic.

Aww! There's always a next time (and other conventions!).

Thank you for the kind words. I miss the length I had, but I'm definitely having a lot of fun with the short look.

Hey Mika!

Hope you had fun on your day off! The recipes look good, I may try them out!

Hey Lady Mika,

How often do you apply the shea-mango-aloe mix to your face?

Now Mika, With the Shea Mango I have a question...... I'm terrible allergic to mangos and I wonder if I can still use it and not have hives?

FemmeFox wrote:Hey Mika!

Hope you had fun on your day off! The recipes look good, I may try them out!

Hey Femme! Hope you have a good day!

krazy coils wrote:Hey Lady Mika,

How often do you apply the shea-mango-aloe mix to your face?

Hey KC.

I apply it twice a day right after washing my face. I try not to be heavy handed with it because it'll make me look a little greasy. Other than that, my skin soaks it right up.

Curly_Aquarius wrote:Now Mika, With the Shea Mango I have a question...... I'm terrible allergic to mangos and I wonder if I can still use it and not have hives?

I honestly don't know. If it's anything like a citrus allergy (where any part of the fruit can instigate a reaction) I wouldn't try it. However, I know Lynnie has a shea COCOA aloe mix you can try instead. I would rather you substitute the mango with another butter, instead of risk hives (and lose money).

Hey lady, I love your shea-mango-aloe mix. Vey nice!!!
I will have to try that once I get some shea butter........

Hello all!

I co-washed my hair today with the Yes To Cucumbers condish, since I had some mild buildup from the last two days. Yesterday was GAWD AWFUL it was so hot. And HUMID. I was baking harder than a potato. The weather douchebag said "It'll be a PLEASANT comfortable day today with a high of 85". But I peeped the temperature when I got into midtown and it said NINETY-FRIGGIN-SEVEN. See, that's why you don't believe a damn thing those so-called weather people say. ALL THEY DO IS LIE!!!

Nevertheless, I bought the yarn I need for my yarn braids. Four rolls of black yarn and a roll of purple for highlights. I'm keeping my hair braided for the summer, so whatever's left over will be used in the next session. I'll keep them in for up to five weeks, let Gypsy out for one week, then braids again for five more weeks. I'm trying to keep my hands out of my hair and let Gypsy do her thing. I've got MORE than enough to catch, so I'll get started on Saturday afternoon (right after I get home from work) and hopefully finish sometime after midnight. I'll do a length check both here AND in the TWA challenge thread.

This is day three of using the Aloe Grow and shea-mango-aloe mix, and I'm liking the results. My skin is smooth, and Gypsy is POPPIN' with definition. I can definitely see some growth; my edges aren't as naked as they were two months ago. I won't be able to use the shea mix while my hair is braided, but I'll keep up with the Aloe Grow and castor oil. I'll share my regimen to keep my braids fresh after I install them.

But for now, it's a do nothing day. Practice, Bedroom Hustle, and spending a lot of time doing...well...nothing!

Have a great day everyone.

Haaaaaaaaaay bedroom hustle!

Can't wait to see the braids. I'm wearing my hair out for the summer (but mainly in protective styles) so I can practice my cornrow skills. I will be installing kinky twists after August. It's hard having your hair hidden when you're used to playing in it all the time.

Have a good weekend! Hope you don't melt!!

LadyMika wrote:

DvaAuNaturel wrote:Beautiful guitar! My dad has a bass guitar that is collecting dust. He used to play in a band. It's really nice also.

@ silly co-workers. I'm like 8-4, 5, 6 whatever. But let's keep it separate. I've learned and been burned that way. No more. A co-worker/friend got pissed off because I got promoted to a job she and I both interviewed for. I told her to apply. Anyway, she acted like a DAYUM Fool about a job. Her own family told her not to ruin our friendship over the job. She ended up getting promoted 5 months later. I learned a valuable lesson from that, business is business and keep friendships/outside affairs separate. They need to grow up, as you said, and keep you out of their mess.

Your BF is right. Love that statement.

Thank you! What kind of music did your father play? We mostly play/listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz (Miles Davis era, not so much the new jazz) in our house. I've been in my boyfriend's tail about not playing his bass anymore. He'd rather sing, but he can do both (extremely well). I look at him like "Shouldn't YOU be auditioning for bands??" He kills me sometimes.

My dad played music similar to New Birth, Tower of Power, Graham Central Central, Rose Royce...stuff like that. But he listens to ALL kinds of different music though. Not sure why he stopped playing....who knows...lol!

Intelligentbeauty wrote:Hey lady, I love your shea-mango-aloe mix. Vey nice!!!
I will have to try that once I get some shea butter........

Yes, do give it a try! At least try it for your skin. I love the way it feels.

FemmeFox wrote:Haaaaaaaaaay bedroom hustle!

Can't wait to see the braids. I'm wearing my hair out for the summer (but mainly in protective styles) so I can practice my cornrow skills. I will be installing kinky twists after August. It's hard having your hair hidden when you're used to playing in it all the time.

Have a good weekend! Hope you don't melt!!

Gotta love that Hustle!

Funny you mention kinky twists, they were the first style I tried with extensions. They turned out to be EPIC FAIL because I'm ALLERGIC to synthetic hair. Something in it, the chemicals, the dyes, I don't know but it all set my scalp ABLAZE. And human hair is too damn expensive (and I don't support that aspect of the hair industry), so I switched to yarn. I can go with a protective style for a WHILE, because I'm lazy. If I DON'T have to do it, then I'll do what I can to avoid it.

The weather's going to be great! Not too hot, just rainy and cool. Enjoy your weekend!

DvaAuNaturel wrote:

LadyMika wrote:

DvaAuNaturel wrote:Beautiful guitar! My dad has a bass guitar that is collecting dust. He used to play in a band. It's really nice also.

@ silly co-workers. I'm like 8-4, 5, 6 whatever. But let's keep it separate. I've learned and been burned that way. No more. A co-worker/friend got pissed off because I got promoted to a job she and I both interviewed for. I told her to apply. Anyway, she acted like a DAYUM Fool about a job. Her own family told her not to ruin our friendship over the job. She ended up getting promoted 5 months later. I learned a valuable lesson from that, business is business and keep friendships/outside affairs separate. They need to grow up, as you said, and keep you out of their mess.

Your BF is right. Love that statement.

Thank you! What kind of music did your father play? We mostly play/listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz (Miles Davis era, not so much the new jazz) in our house. I've been in my boyfriend's tail about not playing his bass anymore. He'd rather sing, but he can do both (extremely well). I look at him like "Shouldn't YOU be auditioning for bands??" He kills me sometimes.

My dad played music similar to New Birth, Tower of Power, Graham Central Central, Rose Royce...stuff like that. But he listens to ALL kinds of different music though. Not sure why he stopped playing....who knows...lol!

My mom had something by Rose Royce (can't remember for the life of me). I'll ask her about it next time I talk to her. The boyfriend turned me on to Muddy Waters and I've been (trying) to play some of his songs. EPIC FAIL every time but I'm loving it.

Morning LadyM

I see you have a full day planned. I can't wait to see your braids. I'll be checking back tonight for sure!!

Enjoy your day!!

KNH

stopping by to say hi!

Just dropping in to post pics of my yarn braids, since I know a few people were waiting to see them.



I typically pull the front away from my face so I can see. But it makes a simple, but professional look for work.



Tired Ol' Stink Face. (12 hours of braiding non-stop. I was dead tired.) Just like the FIRST set I installed last October, these are WAIST LENGTH. I can do more styles with this length than I can BSL.
I'll post about the regimen I'll be using after I get some sleep. I am
KAPUTSKY.

Good night everyone.

MUDDY WATERS!!! Grew up with my grandma and grandpa slow rocking to his blues!! I swear I hear him and Clifton Chenier (Zydeco) in my sleep sometimes.

I love the braids on you Mika!! I wish I could stand extensions in my hair I would so attempt these. You did a excellent job

LadyMika wrote:

DvaAuNaturel wrote:

LadyMika wrote:

DvaAuNaturel wrote:Beautiful guitar! My dad has a bass guitar that is collecting dust. He used to play in a band. It's really nice also.

@ silly co-workers. I'm like 8-4, 5, 6 whatever. But let's keep it separate. I've learned and been burned that way. No more. A co-worker/friend got pissed off because I got promoted to a job she and I both interviewed for. I told her to apply. Anyway, she acted like a DAYUM Fool about a job. Her own family told her not to ruin our friendship over the job. She ended up getting promoted 5 months later. I learned a valuable lesson from that, business is business and keep friendships/outside affairs separate. They need to grow up, as you said, and keep you out of their mess.

Your BF is right. Love that statement.

Thank you! What kind of music did your father play? We mostly play/listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz (Miles Davis era, not so much the new jazz) in our house. I've been in my boyfriend's tail about not playing his bass anymore. He'd rather sing, but he can do both (extremely well). I look at him like "Shouldn't YOU be auditioning for bands??" He kills me sometimes.

My dad played music similar to New Birth, Tower of Power, Graham Central Central, Rose Royce...stuff like that. But he listens to ALL kinds of different music though. Not sure why he stopped playing....who knows...lol!

My mom had something by Rose Royce (can't remember for the life of me). I'll ask her about it next time I talk to her. The boyfriend turned me on to Muddy Waters and I've been (trying) to play some of his songs. EPIC FAIL every time but I'm loving it.

Didn't they make "Car Wash"?? Only remember cause my mom is something of a soul sista and still think this is the business

Hey Lady Mika,

Stopping through to say hi and your braids are lovely!

Your braids are very cute. I understand how you feel with sitting down non stop for 12 hours. I would have been watery eyed tired by now.

hey mika the mixtress!! i had to jot down the recipe before i slid down to admire your WAIST length braids , girl i can only imagine how grueling those 12 hrs were! EEEK!! but they look good. how long are u gonna keep em? i remember i had the janet jackson braids that long and they got on my NERVES!!!