Starry Elven Twins

New blog address: http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/

2010-05-29T23:22:00.000-04:00

I went on over to Wordpress. Just like the features more. Check me out there: http://suburbanbushbabe.wordpress.com/

Tips to Loosen Curly Hair?

2010-05-29T21:32:00.001-04:00

Kimberly recently emailed me with a request for tips on how to naturally loosen curly hair. Other women might give her the verbal side eye, wondering why she has issues with the tightness of her texture. I have no such agenda. My shrinkage is so extreme, I live for second and third day hair. And my favorite days are when I sport a twist out and -- yay! -- my hair is shoulder length! One day

The First Mother: Inner Beauty Trumps the Hot Iron

2010-05-09T10:02:00.001-04:00

Doesn't matter whether FLOTUS straightens or is natural. And there are very few women I would say this about. In photo after photo of Michelle Obama what shines through her skin is the beauty of her spirit. I don't gush, but I don't think I'll stop admiring this woman. However....if she wore her natural texture and didn't have to straighten the bejusus out of her hair; if she had the

Arizona Immigration Reform

2010-05-02T17:08:00.000-04:00

Don't Quit Your Day Job

2010-04-16T22:34:00.003-04:00

I didn't. Instead, I got laid off today. I'm sharing it here because a few weeks or months from now I want to return and see in print exactly how I felt this day...surprisingly, pretty darn good! Yes, there was shock. Being in a room with five others experiencing the same thing. My mind distanced itself from my body a bit and went into auto-pilot. It became difficult to write my information or

Monet is the Winner!

2010-04-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Monet, the winner of the PhytoSpecific Revitalizing Oil giveaway. Her "Styled or Wild" photos submissions were exactly on point. And I plan on posting them in the coming week -- be sure to visit, subscribe, and judge for yourself. Stay tuned for the next giveaway!

Giveaway! Styled or Wild? Is it Pure Hotness or Just a Hot Mess?

2010-04-04T10:01:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter, Curlies! Didn't find an Easter egg with a prize? Here's a bigger chance to win! The lucky winner of the upcoming Styled or Wild? Is it Hotness or Just a Hot Mess feature will win the following prize: PhytoSpecific Revitalizing Oil Pre-Shampoo (Retail value: $30.00) Sephora.com has more information To qualify: For a chance to win, submit 2 photos -- one of a hot natural do (

MakeupVixen is the Winner!

2010-03-26T20:45:00.001-04:00

Actually you all are -- but MakeupVixen gets the giveaway - a copy of Thank God I'm Natural autographed by the author, Chri-Tia Donaldson. Congrats, curly! It was a tough choice, and I want to thank you all for participating. Great stuff! Check back in on Friday, April 2nd for the next Giveaway!

Giveaway! Win an Autographed Copy of Thank God I’m Natural

2010-03-12T13:04:00.002-05:00

The Giveaway is here! And the lucky curly wins a copy of Thank God I'm a Natural, personally autographed by the author, Chris-Tia Donaldson. For a chance to win, submit your idea for a natural hair workshop you want to attend. You know the one. You've been jonesing for a chance to learn new things and resources, meet other curlies and exchange tips with them, and come away refreshed with new

Giveaway coming!

2010-03-10T23:59:00.001-05:00

Hello, beautiful curlies. I've amassed some goodies -- so it's giveaway time! Stay tuned for the first, coming later this week. Tune in this Friday and try your luck!

Curly Archetypes: The Women of Power Who Made a Difference

2010-03-10T23:11:00.001-05:00

Check out my latest article at Naturallycurly.com in celebration of International Women's Month. Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on March 8. Hundreds of events occur not just on this day but also throughout March to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women. The first IWD was held 1911 in the USA.

Random Thoughts

2010-02-09T13:15:00.002-05:00

I used to worry about things so much more than I do now. I guess the therapy is working. My car was due for inspection in December and I'm driving around with an expired sticker because it burns oil and needs a new catalytic converter which it is not going to get. I don't care. My engine light has been on for 9 months (that burning oil) - I don't care! Car's driving fine, 60 miles a day.

Q&A - Natural and long, but too thin!

2010-01-06T22:28:00.002-05:00

Dora writes: Q. I am completely natural and have been for about 7 years now. I have bra length, fine soft hair. My hair does not like to be twisted. When I did wear twists, I did not like them because you could see my scalp. When I wear a ponytail I have to make sure I brush my hair a certain way, so that my scalp won't show. Is there anything that I can use or do to thicken my hair up. I

Today's Quote

2009-12-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

"Make giving up not an option because if this is your mind set, finding solutions will be the journey and the days when your hair just doesn't look right to you, you will pass it up as part of the journey." Gotta Have Curls from www.Naturallycurly.com

Clay-- Going the All Natural Route Without the Big Expense

2009-12-11T13:48:00.004-05:00

Keisha writes: Q.: I am a 9 month transitioner and loving the process. I will BC in 3 months on my one year anniversary. I had a couple of questions dealing with natural hair clays and masks. I really want to go the all natural route without the big expense. I have been using amla and shikakai mixtures, henna and honey mixess, bentonite clay, ACV; honey and EVOO mixes; shea butter, coconut oil

3-day hair and 3 days of working out - Touchdown!

2009-11-08T21:17:00.005-05:00

Hair at the start of day 3. This is the side I sleep on. I rediscovered a great multi-day combo that withstood 3 days of an 11-hour per day fitness training intensive called a NIA White Belt. A lot of sweating was done - 2 formal classes a day plus many more moving and sweating opportunities during the training. The kind of workshop that requires a change of workout clothes from the skin

10 Most Important Steps for Growing Healthy, Hypercurly, Natural Hair

2009-10-25T15:17:00.008-04:00

Acceptance and Clarity - Take off the "mental wig." Once I accepted that I would never have Botticelli curls, I began to see that my hair could be even more beautiful. To actually see my hair, I need to look at photos. Mental distortion can occur when I look in the mirror, but the camera doesn't lie. Understanding - Observe your hair under different circumstances, different climates. Learn to

Celebrating 3 years of Natural Hair - 10/21/06

2009-10-24T16:28:00.009-04:00

October 21, 2006 was the day I got my third and last “little chop” -- 3 cuts I had gotten between then and August of 2005 when I stopped texlaxing. (My texlax had been a medium-strength sodium hydroxide relaxer kept on only as long as it took for the hairdresser to apply it). With the last of my texlaxed ends cut off, I walked out onto Church Street in Cambridge, MA with naturally curly hair for

Hair Q &A: Hair in a cold, cold climate

2009-10-18T23:34:00.010-04:00

Q: My daughter has a hair type EXACTLY like yours, and I am @ a loss for what to try in her hair. We live in a very cold climate so I am opposed to wetting her hair daily, but NO matter what I do her hair comes out looking like an oversized cotton ball. When wet it is eerily similar to your hair type but swells into frizz. HELP!! BTW you have a beautiful mind and beautiful hair! Thanks Sis! A:

Fall 2009 Hair Routine: Guess summer is gone. At least that's what my hair is telling me.

2009-10-18T23:16:00.006-04:00

A month into Fall and it snowed today, a light wet snow. Alrighty then!Life was good in the summer once I figured out what my hair needed - Up to 3 days with one wash and go and high dewpoints to help my hair more easily fluff out and back down on day 2. I would do dry twist outs after 3 days and easily go 6 days before washing again.Now I wake up to a stringy hard mess on day 2. But you know?

I dreamed I had long hair

2009-10-14T21:21:00.003-04:00

Other women have hair dreams, not me. I've read of women who dreamed they were straightening their hair, going bald, like that. These kinds of hair dreams seem to help the dreamer release or expose a fear she may not be able to feel when awake. My dream, the first hair dream I've ever had, wasn't about fear and it was very short.I was looking in the mirror in the bathroom. My hair was down,

Poem: i like my body

2009-10-14T21:15:00.002-04:00

i like my body by E. E. Cummings i like my body when it is with yourbody. It is so quite a new thing.Muscles better and nerves more.i like your body. i like what it does,i like its hows. i like to feel the spineof your body and its bones, and the

Hair questions: Help me with my daughter's hair please?

2009-09-09T18:03:00.004-04:00

This is a real question from Answers.yahoo.com, and here is my actual answer to it, and what I didn't say below it. I had to bite my tongue--Q.I have two mixed daughters. One is three the other is two and for the life of me I cannot seem to get their hair to look shiny or decent. I have tried greasing it, I have tried baby oil, Pink lotion. The oldest daughters hair is very rough and brittle

I won an Arcane Society Mug

2009-09-01T12:07:00.003-04:00

I'm a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz books and just finished Obsidian Prey, her latest as Jayne Castle. Under that pseudonym she writes quasi-futuristic paranormal romance. Krentz also writes historical romantic suspense as Amanda Quick and contemporary, sometimes paranormal romance. In her last few books she has begun a convergence of her worldbuilding while retaining the generational timeline, and I

Poem: Be Nobody's Darling

2009-08-28T21:45:00.001-04:00

By Alice WalkerBe nobody's darling;Be an outcast.Take the contradictionsOf your lifeAnd wrap aroundYou like a shawl,To parry stonesTo keep you warm. Watch the people succumbTo madnessWith ample cheer;Let them look askance at youAnd you askance reply. Be an outcast;Be pleased to walk alone(Uncool)Or line the crowdedRiver bedsWith other impetuousFools. Make a merry gatheringOn the bankWhere

Today's Quote

2009-08-26T22:21:00.000-04:00

Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.William Butler Yeats

Edward M. Kennedy: In Memoriam

2009-08-26T20:40:00.004-04:00

I grew up in New York City during the '60's. It's a town and a state well known for its charismatic, brilliant legislators and states people -- Bella Abzug, Shirley Chisholm, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Robert Wagner, John V. Lindsay, William F. Buckley, Mario Cuomo. Even so, Ted Kennedy was always on my radar screen. When I was three he was tossed out of Harvard for cheating on a Spanish test

Hair Q & A - Got one? Send it to me

2009-08-09T19:04:00.003-04:00

Are you sporting your natural hair, newly natural or getting there, and have a question, problem, comment or tip about routines, products, etc.? Send it to me! I'll answer it personally and may publish it here if I think it can help others -- suburbanbushbabe@gmail.com reaches me. Cheers!

Discount Days: Nordstrom Rack Large Size Shoe Event

2009-08-09T18:32:00.005-04:00

Mark your Calendars: August 14-15, 2009I get my hair cut in a town 45 minutes away that just happens to be near a Nordstrom Rack. Good enough excuse for me! I saw the sign for the August 14 shoe event. It being August 1st I was disappointed, but took my size 10 1/2- 11's and soldiered on in.Who needs an event? Nordstrom loves my big feet today! There were 2 racks (not just shelves) of size

Poem: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

2009-08-09T18:20:00.005-04:00

If you can think of a poem as good as this one, please tell it to me.Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Nightby Dylan ThomasDo not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light.Though wise men at their end know dark is right,Because their words had forked no lightning theyDo not go gentle into that good night.Good men, the last

Discount Days - 5% Off Your First IHerb Offer

2009-07-27T22:29:00.004-04:00

Get 5 % off your first iHerb order. Use code TOS286 at checkout.iHerb has great pricing on NuNaturals Stevia and my probiotic of choice, Renew Life Ultimate Flora Senior Formula with 30 billion active probiotic cultures (trust me you need 30 billion at my age). I don't think this code as an expiration date.

Cheap Thrills - Suave Exhale Calming Body wash Lavender Vanilla

2009-07-25T20:53:00.009-04:00

You've seen me in stores. I'm the woman opening the tops of products, creating testers when there aren't any testers. Sniffing at stuff. Discreetly squeezing out a bit to test the consistency and feel. Fragrance is a make or break issue for me since I am fragrance sensitive, especially to chemically created fragrances. Not for me Garnier Fructis, Pantene or Clairol Herbal Essences or VO5

Going Natural Inside and Out

2009-07-25T13:11:00.006-04:00

Is eliminating chemicals from your hair related to eliminating them from your diet? Don’t know for sure, but I suspect they are. Three months after I stopped eating sugar and products with added sugar, I decided to stop coloring my hair. Three months ago, I gave up coffee and Splenda. Except for naturally occurring sugar in foods, I have been sugar free since January 2008 – no ice cream, cake

Even Product Junkies Need to Clear the Decks

2009-07-19T14:33:00.002-04:00

I have limited product space, and just put a shitload of hair products up for swap/sale on Naturally Curly's swap board. Since I'm a member of the frequent buyers' club, (aka Association of Product Sluts), there is not a dog among them. Check them out hereHow do you like this beauty from Tomoka's Twists? Yup, it's for sale - SOLD! Check out Tomoka Twists website.

Tropic of Smoothies - Soursop

2009-07-16T14:41:00.007-04:00

Last night I stopped at El Oriental de Cuba in JP to pick up a Tamarindo Smoothie. Across the street is a Hi-Lo Supermarket. I needed harvarti cheese so I walked over there. No sign of havarti, because this is a tropical supermarket. They have Goya products you won't find at your local Hannafords and -- oh joy! -- they have frozen unsweetened tropical fruit puree -- Tamarindo, soursop, parcha

Today's Quote

2009-07-12T12:54:00.011-04:00

"Pain is a great place for growth"Neuroeconomist Paul Zak, from Speaking of Faith, WBUR-FM, click here to listen or downloadOkay. I have found this to be true. Suffering can spur great growth.But what about pleasure? Don't we also grow through pleasure, through trust? I think we do.But as a society based on Puritanism, we tend to focus on the pain, suffering and mistrust portion. We even place

The Recession: Where do you think we are?

2009-07-10T21:03:00.002-04:00

It is saddening to see on-line and real-time buddies and colleagues getting laid off. It's tough not being able to give decent job leads to truly talented people. And it's hard to manage the stress of being left behind, and knowing you are closer to the door with each RIF. Early to mid-2007 I started to notice the recession well before the government and markets acknowledged there was one.

An anthropological introduction to YouTube

2009-07-07T19:05:00.002-04:00

Here is a wonderful introduction to what a Kansas State University working group led by Dr. Michael Wesch calls digital ethnography, the world of mediated cultures and networked individualism.

Milk & Honey Hair Smoothie - Pre/Post Swim Conditioner

2009-07-07T10:47:00.004-04:00

Here's a great hair smoothie/deep treatment recipe from Curls. I don't swim in chlorinated pools because chlorine is to me what sunlight is to a vampire. But this would make a great DT for any parched hair. I would apply pre- or post-cleanse on dry or wet hair, and use with my Micro Hair cap. 1 can of pure coconut milk (rich moisturize - hydrates,

Father's Day

2009-07-01T14:45:00.005-04:00

Fathers Day is hard. I'm used to ignoring it and ignoring my feelings about it. But not this year. This post is way late because for the past couple of weeks I flittered around the subject like a dragonfly over water, avoiding heavy water that could drag me down and cause me to drown. I have many mixed and uncomfortable emotions about my father. Our relationship has been too close, too distant,

Hair Haiku, or Will Write Poetry for Free Products

2009-07-01T14:28:00.005-04:00

Clinging wavy wethair shrinks tight when air touchescotton candy strandsOr something like that.Do you feel inspired to write a hair haiku? Post it athttp://www.curlynikki.com/2009/07/kccc-giveaway.htmlfor a chance to win a free jar of Kinky-Curly Curling Custard.

Michael Jackson: In Memoriam

2009-06-26T13:15:00.005-04:00

Michael Jackson entertained us and performed for us for 45 of his 50 years on this earth. His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time. His music videos helped define the medium."From his earliest days with his brothers in the Jackson Five in the 1970s, through

Hair Q&A - Castor Oil

2009-06-14T16:12:00.004-04:00

Got a PM from pulchri2dinous (is that a cool name or what?) --Q-- I remember you commenting on a thread saying that castor oil should be avoided in the winter (I've heard others say this too). I am wondering if it would not be a good idea to use a creamy moisturizer containing castor oil (like Qhemet's AOHC) during winter?Thank you A--You know? I don't recall writing that. If I did I was talking

What's Life Without Hair Bling?

2009-06-14T15:07:00.003-04:00

I shudder to imagine. Fortunately there are lots of choices for headscarves, headbands, flowers, clips and whatnot. Browsing through the Fotki of a lovely curly who had left a comment in mine I came across Andrea's Beau Hair Accessories. And money flew out of my pocket.The model above was the hook through the virtual door. Here's what I bought. Be careful, people, this stuff is prime.

Ten Things That Make Me Giddy, Happy and Blissful

2009-06-10T17:13:00.005-04:00

This is a riff off a thread and www.naturallycurly.com which you can see here. Driving while it's sunny and warm, listening to WERS radio's a capella show, and singing along to the songs.NIA classesInterviewing really interesting people who do what I want to doA really good "O"Great conversation and connectionsFinishing a really good book and basking in the ending.Being in a pine scented forest

POEM: Love After Love

2009-06-08T12:30:00.003-04:00

Love after Loveby Derek Walcott, Collected Poems 1948-1984The time will comewhen, with elation,you will greet yourself arrivingat your own door, in your own mirror,and each will smile at the other's welcome,and say, sit here. Eat.You will love again the stranger who was yourself.give wine. Give bread. Give back your heartto itself, to the stranger who has loved youall your life, whom you

Ten Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner

2009-05-31T13:58:00.004-04:00

(While I'm on the subject of pets)--These Ten Commandments for a Responsible Pet Owner are from a PAWS Shelter Newsletter. PAWS is a non-euthanize shelter in Montclair, NJMy life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.Give me time to understand what you want of me.Place your trust in me -- it is crucial for my well-being.Don't be angry with me for long,

He came with a 24-hour Warranty - PETCO Calendar Contest

2009-05-31T13:23:00.007-04:00

Check out some of the story entries in the Petco 2010 Calendar contest. Or tell the story of how your pet changed your life. I have 2 cats. Here is the story of my eldest, Willie: Fourteen years ago, my sister who lives in New Jersey thought I needed a pet. And as a volunteer at a non-euthanize shelter there, she had just the cat in mind -- Willie. He had been in the shelter for 2 years and

Hair Purgatory: Between the Big Chop and the "Hang"

2009-05-24T19:56:00.013-04:00

A www.naturallycurly.com member started a topic about Hair Purgatory. For hypertextured 4a's, 4b's and beyond, that means when that pretty teeny weeny Afro (TWA) is no longer teeny enough to highlight your head shape, but not long enough to hang even partially south. It's still too short for that but it may be flopping out in other more crazy ways. It may naturally coil. But it also may have

Today's Quote

2009-05-23T09:58:00.006-04:00

"The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970

Coffee Talk

2009-05-23T00:50:00.006-04:00

I gave up coffee and Splenda in April and surprisingly my skin has improved. I no longer have to use concealer to brighten the dark spaces on the inside of my eyes by my nose. They are gone!Since quitting, I had one cup of full decaf, and it didn't taste very good. So it was the caffeine that kept me drinking coffee -- and gave me a 5-day headache after quitting, until I drank some yerba mate.

What's With The Name?

2009-05-17T19:15:00.001-04:00

I had a word dream this morning and Starry Elven Twins was it. Hello, blog name!Illustration by Arthur Rackham from Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens; reproduced by kind permission of his daughter, Mrs. Barbara Edwards