Hi! I'm Pwatem

@nubienatty : thank you!! Amen to that.

My Cap's lost today!!!! no playoffs for us anymore They were the #1 overall seed!!!!
And my Nuggets are on the verge of losing and getting kicked outta the playoffs too!!!! Why is this happening to me?!?!?

Ok enough with the tangent. SO I realize now I have been stressing and carrying on for no reason, because I did well on all the things I was stressing out about. Quorra and skin suffered as a result. I actually had an allergic reaction to stress the day my term paper was due, and my chin, mouth and nose broke out in hives! Quorra has been a mess as well. I didn't know stress could affect those things THAT much!

So Quorra has lasted well, and I don't think I'll have to redo her until this weekend. I think I'm going to do a twist-n-curl, or a rollerset.... probably the T-n-C (lol!) I'm not one well made for sitting under the dryer for a long time.

I don't have class anymore (only finals ) so I actually might wash her tomorrow...

I'm too tired to do anything today, so I'm gonna wash Quorra tomorrow morning so I can sit under the dryer and continue to study all day.

I definitely need to henna soon and DC, because Quorra keeps becoming uber-dry uber-fast.

ot much else to say. I still haven't had a chance to get HE LTR, but I will eventually.

I lost my camera!!!

In my apt. though... lol

I went to James River/Belle Isle today, and swam a bit, so I co-washed and did a B-n-C. My hair has been so dry lately because the humidity has dropped a lot since winter, which I don't understand because it should definitely be the opposite.

So since I haven't posted a pic in a while, I'll post some unbearable cuteness

OH THEY ARE ADORABLE

pwatem wrote:I lost my camera!!!

In my apt. though... lol

I went to James River/Belle Isle today, and swam a bit, so I co-washed and did a B-n-C. My hair has been so dry lately because the humidity has dropped a lot since winter, which I don't understand because it should definitely be the opposite.

So since I haven't posted a pic in a while, I'll post some unbearable cuteness

OMG are they yours? tooo cute!

@sweetdrk1: I wish!!! I want one of those and a min-pin, but my landlord says no

giiiiiirl those min pin's got TOO MUCH energy..like jack russell energies, lol.

but they're so little and cute!!!!

My plans for the weekend:

• henna
  
• study for my last final
  
• study for my last final
  
• study for my last final
  
• try and find some time to do a rollerset... if not, then just a B-nC
  
• find a job (haha
  

Oh yea, and I found my camera, so expect pics in the near future!

and dont forget to post henna steps n whatever u mixed with...im tryin to get ideas for whenever i try henna for the first time!

@nubienatty: OK!

I decided to mix 200g and use 150g this time because 100g wasn't enough last time.

I tried to use all organic ingredients this time so I used:

• 2+ cups of filtered water
  
• organic wildflower honey
  
• organic China Chun Mee loose leaf green tea
  
• a lemon
  
• 200g of Jamila henna
  

I mixed the henna with:

• plastic container
  
• spoon
  
• rubber gloves
  
• glass measuring cup
  
• tea infuser
  
• shower cap
  
• towel
  

(These are '09 pics)






Applying

1. I heated the water and put about 4 tablespoons of tea into the tea infuser. I always heat the water a little too hot, so I end up having to put it in the fridge for a little while. I let the tea steep for 4-5 minutes.

2. After the tea had cooled I put the 200g of henna in the container and slowly mixed in the water with the spoon. I pour in about 1/4 a cup at a time and mix. I ended up using all 2 cups and a little extra water for the 200 g. The mix should resemble mashed potatoes, and it will be lumpy.

3. I covered the container and co-washed my hair with HE Hello Hydration and Aussie Sydney Smooth. I used my hand-towel thingee I got from a hotel in Italy
that gets all my hair perfectly damp (you can see the henna stains on it)

4. I added about 3-4 tablespoons of honey, and I halved the lemon, took the seeds out and squeezed as much of the juice out of both halves as I could without getting pulp into the mix. After mixing those in the mixture should resemble yogurt or pudding, or basically be a paste.

5. I put on my hennaing shirt (a cheap wifebeater from Walmart) and parted my hair into 2 sections. I put on my rubber gloves and smoothed the henna on my hair from root to tip. Not much manipulation or worrying about getting the henna in the middle of the sections of hair is needed. After you put the shower cap on the henna will distribute.

('09 pic)


6. After all the smoothing was done my hair resembled a pony tail and was slicked back by the henna, so I took the end and twisted it around once and pushed it into the middle section of my head, with the tip at the top of my head.

7. I put on a shower cap and let the henna sit for around 10 hours. I hennaed during the day this time (1:30p to 11:30p) but usually I henna before I go to sleep, so that's why a towel was on the list. The towel is for putting over your pillow if you henna at night. Or for putting around your head during the day to stop leakage, and further heat up your head to help distribute the henna.







Rinsing

1. I took the towel I wrapped around my head and put it on the floor next to the tub. I heated the water to warm and as the tub was filling the tub swished my hair around in the water and let the stream directly hit the back of my head, I did this until a large amount of the henna was out of my hair.

2. I started the shower and rinsed my hair in 4 sections until the water I squeezed out of each looked more clear. Then I co-washed at least 3 times with Suave Sleek and Humectant and a small amount of shampoo J/A/S/O/N Biotin (not clarifying) each section while scratching as much of the henna out of my scalp as I could.

3. I DCed with coconut oil, Aphogee Hot oil treatment, Lustrasilk Olive Oil DC , and Elasta QP DPR-11. I put on a shower cap, and wrapped 2 towels that had been heated in the dryer around my head. I left those in for 2+ hours and rinsed and co-washed with the same mix I did the last time.

('09 pic)


When I was done it was past 2am so I just combed my hair back into a ponytail, braided the ponytail, put a scarf over it and went to sleep.








my new growth has almost reached ponytail length!

Today I re-wet my hair and did a twist and curl.







I'm not sure how this is gonna turn out, because the back twists are more towards the sides because my arms got tired, and it's just a little off. I think I am going to stick to updos, ponys and buns for the rest of May. I'll make it into a challenge or something....

The result is TONS better than I thought it would be.

pre-fluff




The parts of Quorra that vary in length always come out with wonky curls. It's usually the front and certain parts in the back.

Post-fluff



Quorra is so soft and mousturized!!! I little too oily for my taste, but that's what she responds well to so...
This T-n-C was and is still difficult to fluff and separate (you can still see the separation) and the back is still basically split down the middle.

Anyone know ways to combat this?

Oh wow. It's been 7 months since I've posted... well anyways, I have some Big news.....

I BIG CHOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

after 72 weeks, 18 months of transitioning, I decided it was time.
It began after watching the British TV show Misfits (great show) I was comparing my hair to the Black girl on the show.

I started doing what I used to do when I was getting perms; thinking "why can't I have hair like that?" or "I wish I had hair like that ". After a few minutes of this I looked in the mirror and thought "It's time. I've put it off long enough." And that is the truth. I have been putting it off for quite a while. I have probably said something to the effect of "I'm not ready to BC" before on my thread. But Sunday night was the day.

As I began to cut I knew it would be better to start at the back, since that is where I cut the most early this year. From the back I was cutting about 4 inches of relaxed hair and the exhilaration I was feeling was unbelieveable. I kept stopping and jumping up and down with glee. After I got through the back of my head I had to take a second to rest and breathe. The rush of emotions I was feeling was too much. Then as I began to cut the front it was 5, then 6, then 7 and finally 8 inches. At this point I had begun organizing my hair choppings in sections by length. I was looking at the 8 inch section and this huge rush of regret hit me like a train.

But this train was going 1000 miles per hour and after that I just looked in the mirror. For at least 5 minutes. I felt on the brink of tears for about a second but then the happiness ran back to my side.

I then was joined by a little terror realizing that I had spent my whole life caring for long hair and knew nothing about how to deal with short/medium length hair. I decided to use my normal styling cocktail and try medium sized twists to last me a day or two, but the texture of my hair in the front is 3a at best and doesn't twist well at all (learned new things already) so I took the twists out before they dried. So the back of my hair is super curly and the front is basically straight and horribly frizzy.

I am currently rocking a blow out and plan on straightening it for my acapella singing group, R.A.M.ifications' final concert c(RAM)jam this Sunday.

side note:
if you are in the Richmond, VA area this Sunday around 7pm come see R.A.M.ifications perform. 907 Floyd Ave. tickets $5-7. door at 6:30.
We'll be singing:

• Misery Business by Paramore
  
• Kiss from a Rose by Seal
  
• Not the Same by Ben Fold
  
• Amsterdam by Guster
  
• Used to Love You by John Legend
  
• Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks
  
• Pokerface by Lady Gaga
  
• and an Ingrid Michaelson medley
  

Youtube Page

ok back to my BC.

So last night I got out of the shower and looked in the mirror and I am officially in love with Bella Dollee Quorra (I have changed her first name to Bella for extraneous and/or personal reasons). I realized that for the first time I can walk out of the shower, spritz my hair with my homemade moisturizer, and go. Well not now cause it's cold winter, but when it's nice outside I can.

Pictures will soon follow because I now consider myself back.

Code:

My moisturizer recipe:
(btw, my recipe is in accordance with a 2oz spray bottle. I need a bigger one.) ingredients from most to least amount used

• rosewater
  
• aloe vera juice
  
• glycerin
  
• jojoba oil
  
• essential oils of peppermint
  
• essential oils of lavender
  

Yay!!! Congrats on your BC!!