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

Great job on the yarn braids Justice/Janet, I mean LadyMika .

I love trying mixes. My hair loves aloe vera anything. I will try your mix. I really need to pay more attention to my scalp. I have made a aloe grow like concotion in past. Thanks for mentioning it.

ChrsLvsBks wrote:Great job on the yarn braids Justice/Janet, I mean LadyMika .

I love trying mixes. My hair loves aloe vera anything. I will try your mix. I really need to pay more attention to my scalp. I have made a aloe grow like concotion in past. Thanks for mentioning it.

I'll have to dig that hat out of my closet--then I'll be Justice FOR REAL.

Not a problem! And please, tell me how the mix works out for you. I can't use it on my hair right now because of the braids, but I DO use the aloe grow spray on my scalp. So far, so good. Thanks for stopping in!

Lovely avatar by the way! You're beautiful!

Hey Mika I wanna see pics of the outfit you mentioned in my CSJ!

Hey Mika! Just dropping by! And waving! Hello!

im with curly_aquarius i wanna see pics too!!! and im dropping by to say wassuupppp???? LOL

Hey Lady! Passing thru showing some love, sis!! How are your braids holding up? Holla back!

Curly_Aquarius wrote:Hey Mika I wanna see pics of the outfit you mentioned in my CSJ!

Workin' on it CA.

poeticlyspkng wrote:Hey Mika! Just dropping by! And waving! Hello!

Hey Poetic! I'll stop by your thread later today. Thanks for stopping in!

BrownSkinDiva wrote:im with curly_aquarius i wanna see pics too!!! and im dropping by to say wassuupppp???? LOL

What's up?? I'll get pics together when I finally get the outfit together--which won't be too long from now.

CurlsGalore wrote:Hey Lady! Passing thru showing some love, sis!! How are your braids holding up? Holla back!

Hey CG. The braids are doing pretty good! I'll be updating about them later this evening--got a busy evening ahead! (Practice, artwork, domesticity. )

So yesterday was Wash Day, as planned. I went on with my wash routine, AS PLANNED. I lost a couple of braids--"No big deal, I'll just re-braid them!" I said to myself. I finish my routine, dry the braids out as much as possible, get dressed and re-braid the few that I lost.

Then the trouble starts.

Apparently, my hair is still too short a length to support braids that are still HEAVY WITH WATER.

And yarn braids are a bitch to dry by hand. Soooooooooo.......when I went to move my head around to pull them back, another one slipped out--and I re-braided it. And another one. I re-braided it. Moved them around some more, and some MORE SLIPPED OUT.



Eventually, I was to a point where I was sitting down, checking for ones that were ready to just fall right the hell off my head and re-braiding them. AND THEY STILL SLIPPED OUT LATER ON.

Now, I KNOW I'm braiding tight enough so they WON'T slip out in the first place. But Gypsy is STILL VERY SHORT in some places--basically my entire hairline, all the way around and up the back of my neck, where most of the braids slipped from. There just wasn't enough hair for the braid to cling to. (I know this is the issue, because I had NO problems washing my braids when my hair was longer.) So I had to decide between A) Re-braiding my entire head--to have them fall out sometime down the road, or B) Take them out.

............I took them out.

Twelve hours in the toilet, pull handle, WATCH IT SWIRL.

So, I'm back to the TWA it seems. I suffered no damage from the take-down (so far as I can tell), and my edges are intact. It'll be head wraps for the bulk of the summer. I'm betting by at least AUGUST I'll have enough hair to braid and they won't slip out on me. Or, I just need to learn to braid better. (Or, maybe I just need to stop playin' myself and WAIT UNTIL THE FALL. Which is what my gut told me, but I don't LISTEN. )

On that note.

After the take down, I did a quick co-wash, threw in some Knot Today, sealed with some castor oil and was out the door (I was running late for my guitar lesson). When I came home, I refreshed my hair with the leave-in, shea/mango/aloe mix, castor oil and called it a night. Today, I co-washed again. To be honest, I'm not feeling the Afroveda Pur Whipped Gelly at the moment--not while I'm using the Aloe Grow mixture and the shea mix. It's drying my hair out a bit, so I'll put the Pur Whipped Gelly on the shelf for now. I'm going to put another layer of castor oil on top of this stuff to try to counter the dryness.

As for my week? It was fairly decent. Well, except for yesterday when some douche tried to talk me into helping him skip paying his train fare. I was like "Did you pay???" And he said "Yes, I just bought it from the machine!! PLEASE let me in!!" though the emergency door that has an ALARM in front of FIVE COPS (who probably wouldn't have cared, but that's not the point) so he could catch the train that LEFT US BOTH BEHIND--like they ALWAYS do when you're LATE? I said "No, you HAVE to swipe your Metrocard." And he refused to do it, SO I left him at the turnstile. I'm sorry, but I'm not catching a ticket or a fine (up to $200!!) for helping ANY ONE beat paying the train fare. I paid MY $2.25, YOU pay YOUR $2.25, I don't give a damn if it's the LAST TRAIN RUNNING FOR THE NIGHT. PAY UP!!!

Had a great guitar lesson yesterday--we played R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" for those of us who remember the 90s in its entirety. I'm no fan of his, but I DO like that song. I'll also be doing work-study at the guitar school starting next week. In exchange, I get to take ONE group of ten classes FREE. (Price is $320 for 10 classes. Returning students pay $282.) SA-WEET.

For today, it'll be errands: washing linens, and re-stocking on Spiru-tein (my shake powder), eggs, bananas and soy milk. Also on the list is INK (colored ink) for some projects I want to do today, and a couple of books that I really want to get. I don't know if I'm going to cover all this in a day (may have to sacrifice the inks--they're more expensive, and I can substitute watercolor or acrylics), but I'll do what I can.

I want to gift the boyfriend with a brand new bass guitar. He already has one, but it's looking as old as it...well...LOOKS. It's beat up from wear and tear and AGE. So, I want to get him a spankin' new one. I'll have to consult my bass playing cohorts/acquaintances to see what their thoughts/opinions/suggestions are.

And that's about it for now. I really need to get my day started so off I go!

Have a good day everyone!

Hey Lady Mika,

That sucks about the yarn braids because they were really cute! I remember REM and I use to love that song.

Hey LadyM,
Sorry to hear about the braids. Dag! Gypsy wasn't having it.... .

Dag L! That's sucks! That hurts me and they weren't even my braids!

Sorry the yarn braids didn't work out. But look on the bright side. It's summer. Your hair is now free to just be. And if it's hot, your TWA will keep you cool, especially when a breeze blows by.

I do indeed remember the song. Lol. I love the 90s... in it's entirety...

krazy coils wrote:Hey Lady Mika,

That sucks about the yarn braids because they were really cute! I remember REM and I use to love that song.

I had a feeling they'd slip out, but not like this.

Funny enough, my boyfriend still has that album. (He still has A LOT of things from back then. He's such a pack rat...in a good way. )

DvaAuNaturel wrote:Hey LadyM,
Sorry to hear about the braids. Dag! Gypsy wasn't having it.... .

No, Gypsy doesn't like to do a damn thing. Not even wear simple TWISTS. I don't know WHAT I'm going to do with her later on in the year. She ain't makin' things easy!

CurlsGalore wrote:Dag L! That's sucks! That hurts me and they weren't even my braids!

To tell you the truth...I'm kinda glad they're gone. I'm just not that into long styles anymore. I'm annoyed the time spent on them went to waste, but eh, live and learn, better luck next time and all that jazz.

Juices-n-Berries wrote:Sorry the yarn braids didn't work out. But look on the bright side. It's summer. Your hair is now free to just be. And if it's hot, your TWA will keep you cool, especially when a breeze blows by.

I do indeed remember the song. Lol. I love the 90s... in it's entirety...

My boyfriend said the same thing. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.

I'm not big on the 90s, but it had its moments. In terms of music, at least.

Aww Sorry Mika, I know you really wanted those braids to work out! But like JnB said it is Summer and you can do so much with Gypsy! Good Luck on you finding a good price for a bass guitar for your BF!

Hey Lady Mika!

I like your braids! You did them yourself and waist length? Do it! LOL

I've always wondered "what are yarn braids?" Do you wrap the braid with yarn? I don't mean to sound dumb...I just never understood how this works!

Hey Mika!!!

Sorry the braids didnt last.....that sucks!!

Good luck on your hunt for your BF's new bass guitar. I will get Hubby's (two cents) on a good bass guitar.

I know Gypsy is glad to be free again.

Me too Lady Mika, sorry about the braids! You looked fab with them but you look fab without them too!

Gypsy is funny. I think she just told you no!

Hey Mika sorry to hear about your braids. I know it was a probably a biatch to take down. At least you know Gypsy wants to be out and about!

awwww LadyM

I'm so sorry to read about your braids. Gypsy just wasn't having it I guess...

Well at least you can just washNgo which is a very nice style on you!!

Did you really flush the yarn down the toilet?

KNH

Sorry about the braids...Gypsy was like uh-uh, these gots to go! lol Good luck with finding bf a new guitar!

Curly_Aquarius wrote:Aww Sorry Mika, I know you really wanted those braids to work out! But like JnB said it is Summer and you can do so much with Gypsy! Good Luck on you finding a good price for a bass guitar for your BF!

Gypsy just needs to be FREE for now. But she better recognize: when winter hits, SHE'S GETTIN' THE BRAIDS. End of story!

TheRYL1 wrote:Hey Lady Mika!

I like your braids! You did them yourself and waist length? Do it! LOL

I've always wondered "what are yarn braids?" Do you wrap the braid with yarn? I don't mean to sound dumb...I just never understood how this works!

You don't sound dumb! Yarn braids are basically extensions but you're using yarn (the same kind you knit/crochet with) instead of human or synthetic hair. I'm allergic to synthetic hair, and I don't like to use human hair, so I use yarn instead. You put them in the same way you would normal braids. I got the idea from BlackOnyx77 on YouTube--she has a whole series on them with styles and maintenance tips.

Lynnieluve wrote:Hey Mika!!!

Sorry the braids didnt last.....that sucks!!

Good luck on your hunt for your BF's new bass guitar. I will get Hubby's (two cents) on a good bass guitar.

I know Gypsy is glad to be free again.

It's alright. I was getting a little weary of them to be honest. Thanks for asking about the bass for me! I know the boyfriend will be happy to have a new one!

Gypsy, is OUT OF HAND. That's all I can say.

swoodward wrote:Me too Lady Mika, sorry about the braids! You looked fab with them but you look fab without them too!

Gypsy is funny. I think she just told you no!

Thanks! I was right to name her Gypsy--she's TOO WILD to be held down.

ktoliver5303 wrote:Hey Mika sorry to hear about your braids. I know it was a probably a biatch to take down. At least you know Gypsy wants to be out and about!

Actually, the take down wasn't that bad because my hair AND the yarn were still pretty damp. They just slipped right out--30 minutes later (maybe less), I was back in TWA land. Everyday, I learn more and more about Gypsy. She's a trip.

KinkyNappyHappy wrote:awwww LadyM

I'm so sorry to read about your braids. Gypsy just wasn't having it I guess...

Well at least you can just washNgo which is a very nice style on you!!

Did you really flush the yarn down the toilet?

Why thank you KNH.

And NO, I did not flush the yarn down the toilet. It DID cross my mind though! I would've done it ONE STRING AT A TIME!!

KNH

LaToya28 wrote:Sorry about the braids...Gypsy was like uh-uh, these gots to go! lol Good luck with finding bf a new guitar!

Gypsy has her own way of saying NO. And believe me, she said NO. I was like "Come on, ONE more week?" and she gave me the stink face and more braids fell out so yeah. NO MEANS NO. I know I'll find him something nice. I'll head to the music store sometime in the next two weeks, see what they got. Thanks for stopping by!

dang i had to go back a few pages to catch up & the braids are already out! lol they were cute while they last though...and good job on doing them yourself too...i dont have that kind of skill or patience...lol i'm leaving my hair out for the summer (mostly cuz its to short to really do anything with) but as soon as it gets moderately chilly i'm covering her up with a weave till my 1 yr mark (hopefully i have enough hair for sum1 to grip for the cornrows)...also i bookmarked the page w/ recipe for that shea mango butter...def will be trying that in the near future

iri9109 wrote:dang i had to go back a few pages to catch up & the braids are already out! lol they were cute while they last though...and good job on doing them yourself too...i dont have that kind of skill or patience...lol i'm leaving my hair out for the summer (mostly cuz its to short to really do anything with) but as soon as it gets moderately chilly i'm covering her up with a weave till my 1 yr mark (hopefully i have enough hair for sum1 to grip for the cornrows)...also i bookmarked the page w/ recipe for that shea mango butter...def will be trying that in the near future

When you hit 1 year, you'll have MORE than enough hair to grip for cornrows.

When you try the shea mango butter, let me know how it turns out! I made my batch what, early last month? And I'm just getting to HALF of the container so it definitely LASTS. (Especially if you refrigerate it.) I may cut down on the amount of aloe vera gel with the next batch though--I need my mix to be a little thicker since Gypsy tends to eat whatever I put on her.

lol ooh i meant i hope i have enough by fall/winter to cornrow my hair to sew the tracks on ...and yeah AVG is more liquidy than gelly, but then ppl have so called "aloe vera gel" thats thicker than ecostyler and i'm like i dont think thats really AVG, and some are even green but i like that you can put that mix on ur face too! i love all-purpose products lol

iri9109 wrote:lol ooh i meant i hope i have enough by fall/winter to cornrow my hair to sew the tracks on ...and yeah AVG is more liquidy than gelly, but then ppl have so called "aloe vera gel" thats thicker than ecostyler and i'm like i dont think thats really AVG, and some are even green but i like that you can put that mix on ur face too! i love all-purpose products lol

Well, it all depends on the state of the AVG. If you're cutting it fresh from the leaf, it's going to be thicker than EcoStyler right off the bat. If the AVG is somewhat green in color, it's most likely the "whole leaf" type, where even the skin is included in the mixture. I get mine (by Lily of the Desert) from my local health food store (they've got the big gallon JUGS now, so I WILL be stocking up when this new bottle runs out. ). They also sell the Aloe Vera JUICE, which I'm considering trying some day down the line. Most likely when Gypsy is bigger.