How I took out my Locs

As I type this I still thoroughly miss them. I fill this hole in my heart with marley twists, which is great but it's not permanent. Any whosies, on to the tutorial!

T O O L S :
Hot water in a mug
hair tie
An abundant amount of cheap conditioner
Dental tool
Netflix

Each loc took about an hour, and I had a little over 100 locs so I literally spent the whole summer taking them out, 2-4 a day.

1. I found it easiest to put all of my hair into a high pony tail and pull out one loc from the back at a time.
2. To the best of your ability, dip the loc into the mug of hot water and hold it for at least 10 seconds. The heat opens up the loc to receive the conditioner and eases the detangling process.
3. using a quarter-size dollop of conditioner, squeeze it into the loc so it's super saturated.
4. Using the dental tool, gently pick away from the bottom up. Your hair will separate and the process will amaze you because if you're like me, you thought this was impossible.
5. once completed, I combed and twisted it out of the way.

MORE TIPS

Each week I washed my hair, keeping my loose hair separate. I kept the loose hair in twists neatly tucked away in a bun or a ponytail. I worked at a camp full time 6 days a week and at a pharmacy for 14-20 hrs a week, so I was quite the busy lady. Just know it's possible!

I went to a salon the moment I was done because I didn't know if my hair was damaged, if I would have to cut it all off or what. I got my hair professionally washed and trimmed by a salon who knows natural hair. To my surprise, only about an inch was trimmed off! *happy dance*

This process can be done at any stage of locked hair because at the end of the day, locs are just beautifully organized knotted hair. Good luck!

College Advice for the Indecisive

I've posted before about my major switches (seven in total) and anyone who knows me knows how indecisive I can be. It's especially tough when it comes to college; no one wants to be clueless about the rest of their life! I'm finally going to graduate this coming spring semester. All summer long I've thought about how far I've come, and what it took to get me here. It's humbling and exciting all at the same time. Through my five years in higher education, however there were some nuggets of knowledge I wish I knew when I was a freshman.

If you don't like a professor, GET OUT.

It is better to have a W (withdrawal) on that transcript than an F. I wish I knew how to drop a class as a freshman. I know it sounds silly but it's not something that's made clear when you get to college. You're paying to be in their class. If they're not worth your time and money, then why be there? If you don't like the professor, then it will be extremely hard to pass the class if you're anything like me.  It's best to take advantage of this piece of wisdom while you're still completing gen-eds (general education requirements). There will be a dozen other professors to teach you english or math; not so much once you're in classes for your major and there's only one professor that teaches advance biochemical engineering or whatever. I highly suggest checking out ratemyprofessor.com before signing up for classes.

It's OK to go to a community college.

Fresh out of high school, my only concern was being away from home. I didn't think about graduating, I had no concerns for my classes, and essentially made a very expensive mistake. That being said, I'm super thankful my parents made the decision to have me go to a community college instead after my first semester screw up. It allowed me to really figure out what type of career I want without the guilt and burden of debt. As I was figuring out my life I was gaining valuable, transferable credits at a fraction of the cost. Unlike most four year schools, community colleges' number one priority is the student. The professors aren't there to have studio or lab space or to finish up their doctorate or to get funding for their research. They are just there to teach, and that's a big deal. Most of the professors also teach at other more reputable schools so don't be quick to think it's a "you get what you pay for" sort of deal. I had plenty professors who taught at Yale, Sacred Heart University, or University of New Haven amongst other schools while simultaneously teaching the class I was in. They taught the same curriculum with the same book. I cannot praise the value of community colleges enough. 

Lastly, it's OK to not know what you want to do!

I went through an emotionally tough period when I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I mean, that's what college IS here in the United States. We place so much self worth and identity on careers. It was draining and confusing, mostly because art majors are stereotypically poor and don't find artistic careers which is totally false; but I didn't have people to tell me that until I spoke with my professors at my community college. I've finally found my passion and couldn't be happier and I only wish the same for everyone else in this type of predicament. 

 The average student changes their major three to five times. Few people graduate with the degree they intended to when they first entered college. Your first two years will be filled with primarily gen-eds anyways, so take advantage of this time in college. Go to club fairs, career fairs, the career development center on campus, and talk to professors and alumni if you can. There are so many resources that your tuition is paying for that you should take advantage of. I hear countless stories of people in their junior or senior year realizing they're getting a degree in the wrong major. If you find yourself in this position, thats ok too! The average student takes more than 4 years to obtain a bachelor's degree. It's rewarding of course to graduate, but even more rewarding if it's in a field you truly love. If your really don't want wasted efforts, maybe double major, or go back for a second degree immediately after to avoid Sally Mae phone calls. You won't be the oldest person on campus, it'll be fine. Otherwise, save the majority of classes in your major (once you decide) for your last years in school; you'll need that drive to graduate. That's one thing I actually did right. 

I know some of my readers could definitely contribute some wisdom about how to survive college, so comment below, yeah? And for those with questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Ugly Christmas Sweater DIY

I've noticed lots of sites have been popping up to supply the perfect "ugly christmas sweater" which I feel takes away all the joy from finding these in thrift stores; not to mention, who wants to pay $30 for an ugly sweater? What really makes them great is that they were originally designed without the intention of being ugly, and they've eventually retired to thrift stores across the nation once their owners have realized their fashion disaster.

I went with Zack last night to find sweaters for the party tomorrow night. We found the most hideous amazing sweater vest for him, but nothing quite right for me. So I decided to make my own. I snagged the green sweater for $4, and spent another $2 at the dollar store for the creepy santa ornament and the gold garland. $6 and an hour later BOOM! My masterpiece.

POSSIBLE MATERIALS

• Sweater
• Sewable ornament(s) that's flat on one side
• Garland
• Pompoms
• Yarn
• Needle and thread
• Scissors

I would NOT suggest glue. Not even liquid stitch, given the nature of sweaters it'd probably give you more hassle than convenience. I'm not so great with a needle and thread but it doesn't have to be perfect. The hat on the santa made it super easy to work with, so I suggest a bit of cloth on the ornament if you can. I might add some pompoms later  to fill up the sides, but I'm cool with it the way it is.

X = where I tacked things into place with needle and thread

DIRECTIONS

1. Try on the sweater and pin where the main attraction(s) will go. Take off sweater.
2. With a needle and thread, tack objects into place.
3. Be festive.

Are any of you sporting "ugly christmas sweaters this season? I'd love to see! Link it up in the comments below :)

TTFN!<3

Thanksgiving Centerpiece DIY

Super quick and easy DIY to add a final touch to your thanksgiving decor. Most if not all of the stuff you might already have!

YOU WILL NEED:

• twigs
• leaves
• pine
• ribbon
• optional: gold spray paint

INSTRUCTIONS

1. gather all the nature you'd want to include into your centerpiece. I wanted to make sure I had all of the colors of fall!
2. depending on the size of the table, brake the twigs to the size you'd want. I ended up using a total of about a dozen twigs and kept them around two to 3 feet in length.
3. If you're using spray paint, split the amount of twigs in half and give them a nice coat of spray paint. Wait a couple minutes, flip 'em over and spray the other side.
4. After your golden twigs dry, layer the twigs into a bunch, alternating between gold and brown. 
5. Using about three feet of ribbon, wrap it around the bunch twice, and tie a pretty bow
6. using the leaves and the pine, stick them all throughout the leaves until you are pleased!

As you can see, this would look fine with just the twigs, or just twigs and pine; especially for a christmas centerpiece. This idea is totally customizable and didn't cost me a dime! If you found some pinecones, you can spray paint them gold and use them as place settings for a little something extra :3

 

Hope you like this little DIY! let me know if you've tried this or had a centerpiece DIY of your own!

TTFN <3

-Avé

P.S. - Dont let your dog chew up the material

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Hair Regimen

In case you didn't know, my hair is not like everyone else's, so it requires a different routine Shocker right?  Many folks going natural jump into it not knowing everything about taking care of it, but that's OK! I'm going to break down what I do when it comes to basic hair care. This may not work for everyone, but who knows? maybe this info will be helpful to some! I know I get lots of questions from people of all hair types, so this post will be good for that too.

My hair is super thick, lots of shrinkage (I don't like that word because it sounds so negative; can we say extra coily or something? I'll work on that), and on the coarser side if I don't moisturize it. My hair is actually past my shoulders if I were to straighten it! This is just to give you an idea of how much hair I'm dealing with.

EVERY DAY

• When I wake up, I spray my hair with water and/or Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-in Conditioner. Then I rub some of my Mango Shea butter mix through my hair and fluff out my fro. Time: 5 - 10 minutes.
• Every night I spray it with just water fairly lightly and wear my satin cap (when I remember) Time: less than a minute

EVERY 3 to 5 DAYS

• I try to make sure I rotate hair styles about this often. By style I mean hair clip, pulled back, pinned, etc...Time: style depending, but these styles usually take no more than 10 minutes
• I co-wash about this often. Depends on if I sweat or product build up; basically if I have to wash anything out between washes. Time: 20 minutes in the shower

EVERY 10 to 14 DAYS

• I Shampoo, condition, and detangle. If I shampoo any more often than that, my hair will seriously feel stripped of moisture and bounce. Since my type of hair is dry and it will never get oily on it's own, I really don't need to shampoo any more than that! Time: 1 to 2 hours

EVERY MONTH

• I try to twist my hair once a month (always after shampoo and conditioning). It's the best way to really get the butter through my hair so it's nice and moisturized. also the best way to detangle since I'm working with smaller sections. Time: 3 hours

EVERY 4 TO 6 MONTHS

• Trim! I know it's time to trim when I get a lot of single strand knots at the ends of my hair. I do this as I do my twists. Time: 4 hours (including twisting)

Thats about it! I hope this was helpful. If you have natural hair, what do you do differently? Feel free to ask questions :3 Of course, life gets hectic and I don't always follow this to the T; but for the most part it's pretty manageable!

TTFN!<3

- Avé

DIY: Nail Polish Box

My sister and I have quite the nail polish collection. If I were to guess, probably around 50 to 60 polishes. We have all of our stuff in a reusable bag and a plastic container all sorts of jumbled up....lame sauce! I usually decide as I go when I paint my nails, so that means I paint the base coat and then think "mint polkadots would look so rad with this color!" and as my nails are drying, I'd attempt to find the mint and eventually mess up a nail or two.

This nifty little box solves that issue and makes painting my nails a breeze! The shoe box I used was for flats, so it's narrower than the average shoe box (allows for a maximum of 21 polishes). The average toilet paper roll fits most polishes perfectly. For this project, you'll need a shoe box, 5 or more toilet paper rolls, a glue gun, and scissors (optional: paint). Cool thing about this project is that it will cost you NOTHING! Except patience. I had to wait for my family to go through enough rolls...

D I R E C T I O N S :

1. Paint the insides and outsides of all the toilet paper rolls.
2. Cut the tubes in 1" increments. 1 tube = 4 little rings
3. If you have different size tubes like I did, situate the rings before you glue them in the shoe box. Then glue the bottom of the rings one by one and place them accordingly.
4. Organize your polishes however you'd like, then paint a little swatch of the polish in the corresponding ring. This allows you to put back the polishes in the right ring. 
5. Once you have all the rings filled, you can paint the lid to match the swatches. This way, you don't have to lift each polish to find the right color. 

Done! Wahoo! Time for a manicure :D

TTFN!<3

Thinking about going natural?

Before i decided to go natural, I went back and forth toying with the idea for months after transitioning for over a year. I hadn't the slightest clue what I was doing before I started looking further into it; the whole thing was overwhelming! I didn't personally know anyone who had natural hair and I had no idea what I'd do with it or how I would make the next move. After two and a half years of fro, I've come up with a few things to consider if you're thinking about going natural...

Why do you want to do it?

If your sole reason is to jump in on the trend (although I hate calling it that, but right now it seems like it is), that may not be the best reason. Trends come and go in a matter of months, maybe a year or two. Hair growth takes much longer than that. Whether you're transitioning or doing the BC, it's much more of a commitment than a fad.

The best reason is because YOU want to. simple as that.

Why I did it:

• My scalp was getting worse with each relaxer I got. (Bad reaction, redness, scabs, maybe my scalp is sensitive? allergic? who knows.)
• The older I'm getting, the more I want to eliminate harmful chemicals from my life.
• Genuine curiosity! 

Get ready for attention...

Good. Bad. Stares. Glares. Questions. Comments. You will not believe the increase of attention I gained when I chopped off my hair and started growing my curls. Unless if you currently have an already out-of-the-norm hairdo, you will gain more attention. Although the number of natural dos is growing, it's still a minority within a minority. Most of the attention is positive and/or curiosity. For instance,  the most common question I get is, "How does your hair do that?" To which I reply "It just does!" However, I still get negative glares now and then. I think a few of those from older generations are firmly under the impression that "nappy hair is bad hair." I just shrug it off; what can you do? 

You'll be spending more time with your hair.

In my opinion, natural hair is generally easier to maintain. HOWEVER, everything was new to me my first year of naturalness. My mom was my hairdresser and natural hair was uncharted territory for her--and many hairdressers I might add. I have yet to find a hairdresser who knows how to manage natural hair. In fact, I don't think they learn in school how to do anything with fros except how to straighten them. If you live in a metropolitan area (especially Atlanta) you might find a salon that caters to your hair, but I'm not that lucky.

This means you will be left to discover your own hair. If you're used to salons, this might be a big jump for you. Take advantage of the growing natural hair community among the interwebs! I suggest doing the BC (if that's what you want to do) during a time of year when you're not too busy, like winter break or summer vacation. This will give you ample time to play around with your hair and figure out what you like in terms of products, routines, and maintenance. 

Get nerdy, do research 

This sort of plays off the last topic. There is a wealth of information available on how to take care of natural hair. Like I mentioned before, this is a minority within a minority, so most people dont know what to do with it. But there are some lovely hair gurus and more experienced natural ladies (and gents) that can help you out! You'll most likely be using a whole new set of products and tools, so it's good to start learning about what you want/need for your hair before you go natural.

Lastly, have fun!

It's your hair, you can do whatever you want with it. Natural hair is fun! But so is relaxed hair, and braids, and wigs, and weaves, and whatever else. Do what fits for you, your style, and your life. Don't listen to the debbie downers out there either. There's bits of controversy even within the natural community; like using heat or combs or certain less potent chemicals; but don't let that bog you down. In due time you'll figure out what you like and don't like. 

Hope this helps! Any other naturals have any tips to make the decision?

TTFN<3

DIY: Kitty Car Freshener

A few months ago I got my first car (with a little help from mom n' pops; thanks!). I got those little packs of trees to keep my car fresh, but they only last a week or so each....And I'm not too fond of having to keep buying more. So here's my little kitty for my car!

everything you could possibly need for this project

Materials

• Felt
• ribbon
• liquid stitch/fabric glue
• essential oil
• scissors
• chalk
• pins

my choice of scents

You can also use...

• any scrap fabric (if it's thin, use cardboard in the middle to hold it's shape)
• perfume
• cologne
• body spray
• fabreeze
• needle and thread
• glue gun
• elastic (instead of ribbon)

On to the kitty cat!

For the kitty, I first layered two pieces of felt. I kept them together until all of my pieces were cut out. I traced a 4'' diameter circle using a ribbon spool. Then I added the ears. Pinned it together, and snip!

For the face, I cut out two circles for eyes, two triangles for the inside of the ears, a smaller triangle for the nose, six skinny rectangles for whiskers, and a "3" shape for the mouth. All the pieces were still doubled, so I had a set in pink and a set in blue.

Using the liquid stitch, I glued the two kitty head pieces together, and then glued the face on using the opposite color set. Once the glue is dry, I cut a slit big enough to string the ribbon through (18" to 24" will do) After that, I used roughly 20 drops of essential oil on each side. That's it! ready to hang!

I named my car Freddie :3

These photos were taken right after I dowsed it in essential oil, so you can still see the drops. They disappeared after a couple of hours, but the scent was just as strong. Now every time I open my door, I get a whiff of tangerine and lychee, *yummmmm* It's been about a week and a half so far and the scent has yet to fade. I'll report back when I have to add some more essential oil.

The best part about it is you can use scraps and don't have to buy a thing! Even if you do want to splurge, it'd run you about $3 for materials, and anywhere from $5 to $15 for the essential oil. Also, I love that this is reusable!

I think I might make a Green Lantern logo for my brother, and maybe Jake for myself. Let me know if you try this out! I'd love to see :D

***UPDATE***

Today, August 17th I finally had to re-saturate my kitty. That's a total of 52 days of tangerine goodness in my car! The freshener shows no signs of wear or melting. :)

TTFN<3

Independence Day Nails! You're a Grand Old Flag

Here's a little secret: I stink at painting my nails, but I still love to! I'm messy, accidental, and I always manage to smudge them before they dry (my sister can attest to this). Nevertheless, I made a super easy 4th of July manicure! GO MURRICA!

base - red - white crackle - blue - glitter - more glitter - top coat

All the polishes from start to finish; except I didn't realize the red was a terrible crackle; I replaced it with a brick red (sally hansen). The OPI blueish glitter had bigger silver speckles that served as stars!

1. Base coats are my best friend; I hate stained nails. womps!
2. Two coats of red.
3. One thin coat of white crackle. I deliberately left a couple of stripes just to make sure people kinda get it.
4. Paint the blue square in the lefthand corner of the nail; I took up about 1/4 of my nail bed.
5. GLITTERRR! I did one coat of the blue one first and made sure to get a couple of bigger silver pieces in each of the blue squares. Then I did a general glitter, still only over the blue squares.
6. Top coat!

That's it! super easy. I like that this is kinda edgy and fun. It also goes along with the whole "grand old flag" HAHA get it? 'cause it's all cracked and stuff? no? ok...

hope you like it!

TTFN<3

The Quintessential "Hair Journey" Post

You might be thinking, "what the heck, a post about your hair?" Why yes! it's one of my most prized possessions. Having natural hair as a Black woman is a kind of big deal. For centuries, Black women in western countries have been straightening their hair. Natural, kinky hair was/is not proper and seen as demeaning and unkempt. This view on hair like mine is still prevalent; but the whole Natural Hair Movement is changing that. Thank goodness!

I am half Black, half Puerto Rican. But as you can see, my hair is all fro. Ever since I can remember my mom has used products to straighten my hair. Nothing too harsh; mostly those Just 4 Me kits that looked so awesome with all the pretty colors. This is basically the norm for every little Black girl with thick curly hair. I'll admit I had A LOT of hair that was incredibly thick. It'd be a chore to manage my hair without this nifty little relaxer, so thanks mom for all the wonderful styles! Although this picture doesn't quite showcase that... I was too busy having fun at the beach down the street from my house that day.... 

christmas party,  2008 ~ Also my last relaxer

As I got into my teens I never kept up with my hair; I'd get a relaxer twice a year and have my mom braid my hair most of the time. I was very active with sports and band all year round and pretty much a tomboy until I graduated high school. I was the princess of ponytails, wearing my hair out twice a year, right after my relaxer. Throughout this time I noticed my scalp not fairing too well with scabs and redness, so my mom and I tried a few different brands; but nothing worked. So by the time college came around, I just stopped. 

June 2009; before I knew what transitioning was...Same beach as the 2nd pic!

I didn't really know what I was getting into; I just knew I didn't want another relaxer. The picture above was a very popular hairstyle for me. *Wash condition, mousse, scrunch, air dry* It'd last a couple days, was super easy, and hid the fact that I have two very different textures going on. If it wasn't this, It was blow dried and pulled back into a bun or a ponytail, like this picture over here on the side.  This was actually the last event of pictures with my hair still relaxed, taken January of 2010 by Zack when we went to see Yankee Stadium. He's a huge fan. Also notice my rad warhol bag that I still own and love

I started looking into how to care for natural hair towards the end of 2009. There wasn't very much information so it took a while. But alas, YouTube had all of these hidden gems of natural hair vloggers, tutorials, and encouragement. It was overwhelming. I would literally spend hours every night watching videos. The vloggers that helped me decide to do the big chop (in the natural hair community, the moment you cut off all the relaxed hair) are NaturalChica, Naptural85, and BlackOnyx77. Late one night (March 5, 2010 to be exact) I went into the bathroom and just cut off all my relaxed ends. I went to bed grinning from ear to ear.

That morning I woke up to my mom yelling "WHAT'S ALL THIS HAIR DOING IN THE GARBAGE?" I sort of just looked up, pointed to my head, and clonked back out. The only person I told about it was Zack, and he was pretty nervous to begin with. My dad was totally shocked and my mom kept touching it and said, "well it's her hair she can do whatever she wants."

Whatever I want. :)

I've gotten an unbelievable amount of positive comments when people found out. I felt a little insecure, but I knew this was definitely for me. Everyone loved it!

The only other major thing I've done since is dying it this reddish color in September 2010. After I had my fill of this color I've been trimming the red out slowly but surely. You can still see it in the tips, but for now, I don't mind it.

Two years later, I haven't stopped looking into videos, tips, ideas, and products for natural hair. I've found out a wealth of information and only realized this after talking with one of my sister's friends about going natural. I told her I will share with her information on how to go natural, transitioning tips, talk about the BC (big chop), products, and anything else I know about hair like mine. I'm not turning this into a hair blog or anything, but my hair is a very important part of my style. My fro has gotten so many compliments and has become a part of who I am; I really think it reflects my style all on its own.

Now when you see a hair post, don't think it can't apply to your hair type. Lots of the hairstyles and products can be used for any hair type; especially the home made products I like to make and the masks for some TLC on your lovely tresses. 

I look forward to sharing with the world (and Nancy) all I know about hair. I love talking about it so much! Most importantly I love my hair. (in case you couldn't tell) 

TTFN<3

DIY: Ombre Canvas Shoes with Sharpies

I've been wanting to alter these plain Jane canvas shoes for quite some time, and I've finally found a fun and easy way to add some color. Just in time for summer!

You will need:

• Canvas shoes
• Rubbing alcohol
• A sponge, cotton pad, or dropper (something to drip the rubbing alcohol onto the shoe)
• Your choice of Sharpies
• Tester fabric (optional)
• Newspaper
• Bowl

Inspect your shoes if they're not new. Make sure they're relatively clean! I had to wash mine. They'll be fine in the washer machine with a couple of old towels. Remove the laces, get your stuff and head outside for this super fun craft! (if not outside, A well ventilated area is cool too)

What colors and fades do you want for your new kicks? I recommend a tester fabric because I found out later on that some colors don't spread at all, and some colors spread into other unexpected colors; although the surprise outcome is part of the fun.

To get colors to fade, color across the shoe with one or two colors, and immediately drip the rubbing alcohol over the color. To do this I poured some rubbing alcohol in a bowl, used the cotton pad to soak some up, and squeezed the pad over the color. The more rubbing alcohol, the more it spreads. You don't want to wait too long to drip the rubbing alcohol, because the sharpie ink could dry permanently. 

~ Color and drip, color and drip... ~

The teal in the middle didn't spread well, so I went back over with a blue that did

A few tips: 

• If you want to go back over a section, try to wait till it's a little dry at least. If you color on parts still really damp with rubbing alcohol, you'll dry out your marker.
• If you must and you're impatient like me, then go ahead. When the marker appears like there's no ink coming out, then grab a scrap sheet and color till it's revived.
• The ink spreads in all directions; experiment with other shapes and patterns if you'd like!
• Sharpie.com goes into greater depth about this technique.

Once you're all done, leave them out to dry over night. Once they're completely dry, the ink will stop spreading. Don't be afraid to go over a few spots if you feel like it! I did a OOTD post earlier with these shoes, if you want more pictures. I think they came out pretty great; I want more!

Let me know if you make these and how they turned out for ya! Hope you liked the tutorial; feel free to post any questions.

TTFN <3