sondai: tales of a Visual Goddess

The Accessory Closet...

2013-09-10T07:01:00.005+01:00

Check out Missy Klectic! Troi and Moni J. are doing it! I love these button earrings. I purchased them at the last installation of Parallel Film Collective's Hair in the Gate at Marvin DC in August. And since then... I have found every excuse to use this pop of color everywhere! I absolutely adore them. I also purchased a textured blue oversized pair that have been in regular rotation as well. If you are a fan of the unique and fabulous you must check www.missyklectic.com

sondai

Going Through It

2013-06-23T21:00:00.001+01:00

Whew. So last week I decided to cleanse my body with bentonite. Other than that there was no plan. Here is the main issue. My diet. For a while now I have been slacking majorly on cooking and eating well. So much so that I saw a photo of me that was so unflattering that I said whoa... That is it. I have got to get this together. I like being a curvy girl but one thing I have always maintained is that despite the curves the lumps and bumps are not a distraction. In these photos all I saw were lumps and bumps. Totally ungood. So I figured cleanse and exercise. My issue for years has been balance. That is across the board. If I exercise I don't eat right. If I eat right I don't exercise. It is a pain. I swear Life sometimes needs an assistant.

So what am I talking about detox? Bentonite... Kim is always coming up with some stuff.

"Bentonite is a clay that is available in supplement form. The primary ingredient in bentonite is hydrated aluminum silicate. Other constituents in bentonite include calcium, magnesium, and iron (the composition varies according to the geographical location in which it is found).

Once in the body, bentonite easily absorbs water. It remains in the digestive tract and is believed to bind and inactivate toxins and promote their excretion."

Now... the "promote their excretion" part has come to mean more than I could imagine. From itching to sweating, to a strange rash about my face and some other strange things happening to my body all at once. Not to mention the flu like symptoms, night chills, sweats, body aches, sore throat, fever ugh since Thursday. Each day has brought with it something new to contend with.

To detox is to expell but replenishment is necessary. I continued my now bad habit of not eating properly and therefore created an environment of malaise. So what else do I do but try to fix it? Wrong move. Everything I have tried has lead to another crazy issue. I thought BC powder helped but then my lips felt strange and I woke up to swollen eye lids, and reptile like skin around my eyes. AKA scarier than Scary Spice could EVER be. And equally as scared for my health. Because not only did I feel horrible I didn't know what to expect next. And truthfully still don't. I am no way 100% and I am not sure what to do next. Since thus far everything has gone awry. I considered a smaller dosage of the bentonite so it could continue to flush all this stuff that has been brought to the surface. I have also considered psyllium husk to expell what ever was left. But I am not sure that is the best idea either. So I have had a diet of chicken noodle soup, tea, ginger ale, any fruit I had access to and WATER. I still don't feel good. But better is beautiful. I am still no where near photo ready. But I hope I am on a course the strength and health.

Motley Crew: a family lineage

2013-06-13T17:21:00.001+01:00

Bold, courageous, fair, just, intelligent, protective, creative are words that embody the lineage of my family. My definition of culture starts with my mother's family. It was years before I truly appreciated the richness and valuable history of the Still family. I am the great, great, great, granddaughter of Dr. James Still, Doctor of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. During high school I was more embarrassed of my family's past than I was embracing of it.
My family has a very strong history. However, being a typical teenager I was worried about being accepted and not drawing an overt amount of attention to myself. Nonetheless their passion is a part of who I am as a person. It was bound to exude from me at some point or another.

I was more fortunate than most; my family was able to research our history beyond the transatlantic slave trade directly to Senegal on the continent of Africa. My grandmother and grandfather were both descendants of Native Americans. And my great-grandmother had Jewish and Italian ancestry as well. From an early age I learned that I was ultimately a descendant of Africa no matter how many ethnicities comprised my story, that I was not defined by slavery, that I had the power, intelligence and guiding force to be who and what I chose in life. I grew up with my mother publishing poetry about the Great Kings and Queens of Africa, and about the patriarchs of my family and their fights in the abolition of slavery and struggles during the civil rights movement.

My love and passion for culture and people is derived from being an African American woman who is confident and proud of her heritage. It shows in my art, my style and the projects I am dedicated to seeing to fruition. In 2012, I curated an exhibition called "#myDeanwood: Honoring the Past to Create the Future" for a community project. It was a mix of textiles and photography highly inspired by my grandmother, from which a lot of my inspiration comes. Now an ancestor, her strength and love of family encouraged me to revisit history to learn from and share it. I currently live in one of the oldest African American communities in the District of Columbia yet it is tucked in a forgotten corner of the city. This exhibition was my way of creating a connection from the past as a foundation to keep pushing forward towards a more creative and informed future.

Apart of having that rich, boisterous, passionate, mixed up lineage is being appreciative of it and of others. Having the foundation of who I am, gives me the freedom to explore, connect, engage and experience in other’s cultural histories that only further enhance my story and connection to the world.

2 weeks and 5 days

2013-05-14T17:29:00.000+01:00

This is my first quarter in SCAD! I am pursuing a Masters in Arts Administration. It has been so far an amazing and exciting experience. However, the amount of work in this week and last has caused some more grey hairs to rear their head. Everyday I am connected to a new piece of the puzzle and believe me I am thankful for it. This Arts Financing and Money Management course is OOC, but I tell you this, I will have a firm grasp on accounting dang it! Whew! Back to studying. (Forgive my absence there is more in store... very soon)

On the road: Personality

2013-01-26T18:55:00.001+00:00

As I sit here awaiting my chariot... I am pondering just what makes a person stand out in the crowd. So much talk about swagger has run amok lately. No matter how much you force swag onto your person it doesn't discount personality. That is the true reason for standing out. No matter how much war paint or how many feathers and frills you add personality is the real winner. That is certainly not to say leave the baubles at home. On the contrary, do it up, be you, the TRUE you. Because in all honesty the winning personality will shine through no matter what you adorn yourself with. But if you don't have a personality or you are an evil sad bitter person... Uhhhh... I don't know what to tell you.

New Year View: Eating for life balance

2013-01-16T20:33:00.001+00:00

Last year I ate meat. More that I have eaten in quite sometime. So I decided to clean me up. Go back to the olden days of regular cleansing and eating better. In high school I made dramatic changes to my diet and thus my family's as well. I denied pork in all shapes and forms. It was hard because WHO doesn't like bacon. To be honest there were those days when a side of scrapple fried hard would hit the spot too. Instead I choose turkey, chicken and fish over the swine. In college (the later years) I was into pescatarianism. I selected seafood and fish as my proteins of choice. Over the years I waned. If I was dating a carnivore I would dip and dabble. But only with chicken nothing hard like steak. Fast forward... My peapod order a couple of months ago read...

Red potatoes,
Bell pepper,
salmon,
ground turkey,
herb marinated STEAK,
cereal,
brussel sprouts...

Yes you read correctly. I had never cooked anything beef related until last year when I purchased two (very delicious) steaks that were already seasoned. I didn't know what to do so I took out the Foreman. When in doubt George will iron it out. Those steaks created an avalanche of carnivorousness. Just talking about it makes me salivate.

So the start of this year I thought a cleanse was in order. Especially since I can not remember the last time I fasted or did a cleanse of any sort. I choose the Tiao He Cleanse. 15 days that I wasn't totally unprepared for. I just knew I needed to expel that which was not serving my body well. So I was almost setting myself up for failure. I barely had any vegetables in my house least of all fruits. I fortunately got it into gear quickly. No I can not say that I was at all prestine in doing this cleanse. As I type this on my 14th day I am battling a faux pas on my part in not being prepared earlier in the week. However, all and all I have been really good. I even went to Matchbox for a holiday event and DID NOT partake in the greasy, fatty, TASTY, oh-so-delectable looking food that the group had as appetizers. So many people commented...

"Kim you are better than me. I wouldn't have even come."
"Wow! You are good!"
"I couldn't do it."
"I am really impressed!"

Those comments help me. Made me proud. I felt some real change going on. I have learned a considerable amount from this cleanse. It has really been a good one. Better than any group cleanse I have done or partnered fast. Mainly because I listened to my body and finally after all these years understood what it was saying. Even that faux pas that reared it's head. I get it. Certainly moderation is key. Live foods are DEFINITELY key. But most of all not faulting yourself for "falling off" has a major impact. I just said "Okay, pull it back together. Start again."

I also know that I love 'sweet'. (no 's' necessary.) So not merely cookies and cakes, that isn't really the' sweet' I crave. I like the sweeter things in life. During this cleanse I absolutely fell in love with cinnamon and honey. It is better than jelly for toast. I mix up a bit and add a smear to my toast in the morning and I am a damn happy camper. Not only is it yummy but totally good for you.
I learned from a Facebook friend and high school chum some new things about the two. I was on the go and hunger started to set in. I knew that cinnamon helped to balance your blood sugar and stave off hunger for a bit. So I gave it a lick and was on my way. But here is a smidge of more health benefits cinnamon and honey combined have.

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

I am super excited (and nervous) about Day 16 after my 15 day cleanse. Surely jumping back into greasy fried or fatty foods or hunks of meat make absolutely no sense. I am totally excited to create a new way of eating for my life. I was able to made from scratch a number of dishes and find alternative ways of creating meals that would fall within range of the permissions of my cleanse. I have always enjoyed cooking. I love trying new recipes. I am moving towards a more vegan-esque lifestyle with seafood and lamb peppered in. I realize that, again, moderation is key. There are so many flavors in the world, so many WONDERFUL spices, so many ways to cook meals that can not only satisfy your taste buds and your soul but keep you healthy and energized.

So here I am, on a new path to healthy and energized, and no resolutions were made in the process of this journey. My current love of life and flavor are to blame.

sondai

Inspiration

2012-03-08T00:37:00.001+00:00

I had to post this! I heart asocialbutterflyflying.blogspot.com Shahidah is the publisher of this blog and I heart the way she looks at fashion and her creative eye! She was the inspiration for today and yesterday's looks. Check her out!
Oh and check me out too.

Photo(s) of the Day...

2011-10-19T20:04:00.001+01:00

Wedding Photographer Jason Lee is awesome. I love his portraits of his daughters.

A funny thing happen on the way to the hospital...

2011-09-27T00:16:00.001+01:00

Well not really...
On Friday I had a "slip and fall". It was certainly not a fun experience. It put a damper on my weekend plans. A serious damper. I was in the house with limited cable channels to surf and I was Senorita hop along. I didn't want to go to the hospital because I was just hopeful that "it would feel better soon". However, the pain is still there and the swelling is in an odd/weird formation. I called to see the hours for one location and the man got really snarky when I asked about x-rays. He said "oh so you are a doctor now and diagnosing yourself?" It took all I had not to jump through the phone and grab him by his collar. Ain't no one say anything about a diagnosis. Sometime people hear things and follow what others say and think they have the same license to say
it too. No bueno. It doesn't work like that. He finally said they did not have that capability there. To which I responded... 'Thanks that is all you had to say in the first place'.

So yesterday I went to the hospital. Ace bandaged and tiger balmed down. When I was 16/17 I did an internship in a hospital ER. I hated it. Fortunately, it was in an office and not in the open ER. Though I still had to walk through it to get to the office. Every ER smells the same, has kooky characters and things I just don't want to see or hear or smell. GW is no different. From the family arguing in the corner over the loved one brought in, to the giggling college girls, crying babies, eventually the football game, several SARS patient look- a- likes and a pregnant woman in agonizing pain the ER had sensory overload. I arrived about 6:45pm was processed and put to
wait for about 51/2 hours. Upon heading back to the ER, X-RAYS were ordered... You know for the diagnosis. And funny no snark came with that. They bandaged me back up and fit me with an air cast. My right foot looks like a mummy. Oh and icing on the cake... a cane. She didn't want to give me crutches because my knee is battered and bruised too. So a week and a half into age 36 I am walking with a cane. My ankle will more than likely lose weight too because this air cast is plastic and my ankle is sweating. This so sucks. Very much.

Awesomesauce!

2011-09-23T05:34:00.000+01:00

No other words!!

Day 2

2011-09-13T01:18:00.001+01:00

Looks like the products are working. Last night I maintained the curls with "the pineapple". I was able to just fluff and go. My hair is soft and has body. I know tonight I will need to re-set it and moisturize to keep the look going. Check out my pic below.

Yesterday Hair Results + Today's New Do

2011-09-11T18:17:00.001+01:00

So obviously this will be an update in pictures... These were taken with the cell phone. I think the quality is pretty good.

My initial style from the other day's hair care resurgence was a little lacking in definition. It wound up being a semi curly fro. It wasnt what I was looking for. I do not think it was thoroughly dry when I let it down. So later in the evening I re-moisturized with Lavish Curl Moisturizer from Curlz, good ole H2O, and coconut oil. I then sectioned my hair into six flat twists and knotted the ends. The end result of that set is the picture in the new blue Hurricane Irene bathroom project. :) I also added a look at the flat twists. I like todays look a lot better.

sondai

Back on my Hair Grind?

2011-09-10T17:33:00.000+01:00

*sigh* I never feel like I have enough time in the day. I am sure many folks feel like that. I am working on nipping that in the bud. I can not drift away from me anymore. With the dramas of everyday hawking my every move I plan on giving them the slip more often so that I can gain "me time".

Evidence of hair frustration

In the past couple of weeks I had to have purchased about $100 dollars worth of hair and body products. AND with some new YouTube videos discovered I am coveting about another $100 dollars worth. I spent my Friday night testing a few out and I am up early to see the results. Tar-Jay has a line of products called Shea Moisture. I discovered the lotion first. I love the combination of Frankincense and Myrrh. I use to by a product from Nubian something-or-other that was heavenly. That is a scent that will calm everything down for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! OK, but Shea Moisture (my friend Shaneika discovered the hair care products) has more than just body products. They have a series of hair care products as well. Now... Chimire told me about the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie which I used sometime back in an earlier post with some flexi-rods. I actually liked it I think that it did what it said... enhanced the curl. I ventured off into the realm of shampoo this time. I have mentioned that moving to DC years ago I noticed that my scalp has gotten progressively worse when it comes to dandruff and dry itchy scalp. (I also need to examine some dietary things as well) I purchased the Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap that focused on dry itchy scalp. Perfect. So I tried shampooing with that last night. I actually think that it stripped my hair leaving it to feel dry even under water. I do not necessarily think that was a bad thing though. I can see using it to tackle my problem scalp and using another shampoo to replenish. Which is essentially what I did. I followed that with some Suave, which also smelled a whole hell of a lot better.

So next after the wash I jumped out the shower ready to try some of the other products I picked up. I had come across Jane Carter products in Tar-Jay but I wasn't sure about them with my hair texture. My hair does curl for sure but I am not a multi-ethnic chick. At least not that close in my lineage to have hair that curls when you look at it. (Was that PC? Probably not.) Because so many products are coming out that have those curly girls in mind I rely on referrals and recommendations. I was watching a very reliable (SMH) resource called YouTube and came across a video, actually a few hundred videos on natural hair. There was a review... come to think of it the girl looked nothing like me and her hair texture was far from mine... None-the-less I tried Jane Carter's Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner. Let me back up... After washing my hair I noticed something I haven't seen in a while. I had curly ends and wavy roots. It was body full and not limp like I have seen it lately in my washings. That was exciting. So adding the conditioner was easy. I was able to saturate my hair quickly and it didn't feel tacky or heavy. The only drawback was the scent; it wasn't a fun scent for a leave-in. I like to have a nice scent to waft around while walking past folks... and for myself. The added like about this product was that I could read just about everything on the bottle. Mostly herbs that I was familiar with like hops, rosemary, comfrey... which was an added plus. It was also a detangler. My hair was easy to comb through and that is no easy feet on hair as thick as mine. So after the leave in, came the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. There was my scent. Coconut and Hibiscus it smells more coconut than anything else. I smoothed the smoothie through my hair and sectioned it into six parts. I discovered a cute video with an equally cute hair style so I tried it out. My hair is not as long but the principles are the same. Besides all of that comes in due time.

I am typing this before the big unveil so I do not have the final word on how any of this worked. I can say that this re-surge in hair care has saved me from a big chop that was hovering. I was getting tired of my style and look and the initial video recommendation from Carla Thorpe saved me. I love my hair I just don't love the time it can sometimes consume. Watching videos yesterday showed me easier ways of styling which is always a big problem for me. I am excited to see the results and to try the rest of the products!

sondai

Doris

2011-07-24T00:39:00.001+01:00

I remember a lot from my childhood. But mostly it is out of context, like the ice cream shop in East Camden that my mom took me to get milkshakes and banana splits or someone finding a roach in a Donkey's roast beef sandwich and people not going there anymore. Most of these memories are random as is evident above and at a time like this that is difficult.
I can remember the way she held her arm after her surgery because there was a pin in it but why she had the surgery is beyond me. I can also remember us finding the $5000 check she used as a bookmark and hoping the books around the house would have more money in them to no avail. I can remember the story of her pulling my mom up off the ground by the seat her pants when she slipped on ice. That was actually a funny account. My grandmother and I were an interesting pair. I would give her "zurberts" in my effort to bring a little bit of The Cosby's into the Gaines household. She would giggle and and say "Awwww Kimmie stop it." I would fuss back forth with my grandma. I have always tried to rationalize everything and debates would ensue on my theories... Of which I had many. Sometimes she would get flustered and yell "Kathy... Kimmie...leave me alone now." To which she would sometimes laugh when she realized she called me my mother's name. I called her Mom. It was odd to outsiders. My mother was mommy, her mother was mom to both of us, and her mother was mum-mum to me and my mom. It got even more complex when I grew out of the "mommy" phase. Then the majority of women in the house were called... Mom. I grew up in my grandparent's house an only child with creative outbursts. I stayed up late, drank weird concoctions and was loud. My grandmother would always tell me to keep it down because the neighbours didn't need to know all of our business. I figured the neighbours were my friends and who cared they shouldn't be listening anyway. I think that was our biggest debate overall.

What pains me now is that since my memories are random I for the life of me am having the toughest time remembering lessons my grandma taught me. I have been walking around the city trying to either block that I can't remember or block the tears that make my voice quiver when I speak.

For the last ten years my grandmother has not been the robust grandma of my youth. I mourned her the day that she didn't know who I was. I have anticipated this day but didn't really plan for the saddness of losing her all over again. I am happy that she is no longer the crumpled woman I saw on my last trip home. I am happy that I got to hold her hand as she fell asleep that last time I was home. I am happy that she is at peace. I hope that the memories return and that they are beyond random fits of scattered thoughts. Doris Priscilla Smith Gaines June 26,1926 - July 23, 2011

So... Let's talk hair...

2011-07-11T03:59:00.002+01:00

It has been some time since my last confession... I have always known that hair is the equivalent of MAINTAINANCE. My mother has been digging out these old pictures and came across an image of a whincing child with her hand around the child's wrist pulling her towards her. That child was of course me. I had to ask... "Mom what were you doing to me?" Her reply... Trying to comb your hair. She said I would fret and run and scream "Noooooooo!" Now this particular time I don't remember. I remember seeing this picture before but the time in question... Nope. I do remember hating to get my hair done. My hair is THICK. My mother use to try and trick salons into doing my hair she would ask them if they did children's styles make the appointment and bring me in to only take me back home because... "Nah uhh her hair is too thick". They had no idea how to handle it. And I was one of those kids that was... Tenderheaded. (Really the notion of tenderheaded kids is merely because folks to not know how to comb hair properly. If hair is tangled combing from the root to the end is not possible. Section the hair give it a twist at the root and start detangling from the end.) My hair is still thick and had I knew how to communicate that combing tip as a child there would have been less tears. I can also remember snatching my hair out of my mom's hand one time because it hurt so bad... My hand hurt worse after I did that which kinda took my mind off of how bad my head hurt.
A few months ago with all of the henna and twistin and treatments for my hair. I got tired. I understood what those hairdressers who refused to do my hair were avoiding. There is a lot of hair up there. Arms get tired. Backs get sore. But I will tell you I prefer to have someone do my hair. I thought I would try a salon in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. It was a Spanish salon but a girl I met on the train got her hair done there and it was cute so I tried it. The wash was GREAT she scrubbed my scalp well... Great little head massage! Wash, condition, blow dry and flat iron. That was the goal. Had she just did a blowdry like she did on her previous client my hair would have had life, bounce, body... But instead she sprayed shine to blow dry each section. I thought it was a heat protector she was using. Typically shine is used AFTER the hair is dry. I guess because my hair wasn't looking shiny from jump she thought it was needed. So... My hair came out with to much product in it and it was uncute! It wasn't a Dominican salon. (since then I have the name an number of the best... I will have to try her one day)
I am currently happy with my current style and think this will be a new journey into braided looks. At Pizzazz Hair Studio in Camden NJ (my mom's salon) Desiree hooked up a cute braided style with a swoop of straightness on the left. I like it. I am whippin my hair back and forth... (may need ER soon for my neck). Once this comes out I will be headed to Twist it Sista over in NE they did a cute braided mohawk that I loved. I need to get a hair fund going because I can't do a raggedy braided doo. That just ain't acceptable. I will keep you posted.

Support Youth's Summer by Swapping Cool Fashions!

2011-06-03T18:12:00.000+01:00

Decide to declutter? Feel the urge to purge? Fancy a flirty frock?

Well gather your garments and bring them to...

The General Store Inc's

Summer Swapping Spree Fundraiser

benefiting CentroNia's Studio 6/4 Youth Program.

Bring your gently used SUMMER clothes and accessories to exchange or swap for other "new” gently used items.

Items that will be accepted include dresses, skirts, pants shorts, tops, blouses, shoes, purses, and jewelry.(summer items only)

All sizes are welcome and you must bring at least 10 items.

Swap as much and as long as you like (well until we end at 2pm)

Artist and Youth Advocate Lisa "Lady Pcoq" Pegram is the host. Door Prizes! Complimentary refreshments and copies of TGS’s OFFICIAL SWAPPING SPREE MIX while supplies last.

Proceeds benefit CentroNia's Studio 6/4 Youth Program

CentroNía’s Youth Development and Leadership Program, Studio 64, prepares and guides youth towards future opportunities created and defined by them and rooted in entrepreneurial initiative, social justice, communities, cultures and languages. The Youth Development program is a direct result of a need to serve our children as they have transitioned through CentroNía.

www.centronia.org

¿Tomaste la decisión de ordenar tu casa? ¿Sientes la necesidad de deshacerte de algunas cosas? ¿Deseas un vestido coqueto?

Bien, reúne tus prendas de vestir y tráelas a La Tienda General Inc.

Summer Swapping Spree Fundraiser benefiting CentroNia's Studio 6/4 Youth Program.

Trae tu ropa y accesorios de VERANO ligeramente usados para intercambiar o cambiar por otros artículos "nuevos" ligeramente usados.

Los artículos que serán aceptados incluyen vestidos, faldas, pantalones cortos, camisetas, blusas, zapatos, carteras y joyería (solamente artículos de verano).

Todas las tallas son bienvenidas y debes traer al menos 10 artículos.

Intercambia durante todo el tiempo que desees (bueno, hasta que terminemos a las 2pm)

Artist and Youth Advocate Lisa "Lady Pcoq" Pegram is the host. Door Prizes! Complimentary refreshments and copies of TGS's OFFICIAL SWAPPING SPREE MIX while supplies last.

Lo recaudado es a beneficio del Programa Desarrollo Juvenil Estudio 6/4 de CentroNía.

El Programa de Liderazgo y Desarrollo Juvenil de CentroNía, Estudio 64, prepara y dirige a la juventud hacia futuras oportunidades creadas y definidas por ellos y arraigado en iniciativas empresariales, justicia social, comunidades, idiomas y culturas. El programa de Desarrollo Juvenil es un resultado directo de una necesidad de servir a nuestros niños cuando ellos han realizado su transición a través de CentroNía.

Hairily Frustrated.

2011-04-13T02:49:00.001+01:00

So there have been no hair posts. For that I do apologize. A number of you have let me know you have read my posts. I am grateful! I have written posts and hoarded them on my computer in my phone. Why? Because I am frustrated with my hair. I see cute coifuires everyday and then I see my fuzzy top. It is not stylish or funky and I just feel like I can't do anything with it. I just want a new doo. Something cute and manageable. Something that fits my face and my personality.

Kinda Over It

2011-02-15T19:35:00.000+00:00

Ok so it was fun in the beginning. I thought this challenge was going to be so much more. So let me give you some updates. I am not sure of the status of the Moptop Maven. I pray that she is recovering from what ever has kept her away so long. I am kinda over the curly look right now; particularly because my goal was to treat my hair better, the shrinkage and maintenance has been grueling. Despite using neem oil I still have dandruff interestingly enough it is not falling though. (strange) I am fighting the urge to blow dry my hair straight. Really fighting it. I want to last until June but I am getting tired of this look. Just wanted to keep folks posted. I know I have been lost in cyberspace so... Oh and I am due to wash my hair. No... over due.

2011-02-04T10:27:00.000+00:00

So I did my Kalpi tone treatment this weekend (uhhh sorry two weekends ago now). I thought I would be out and about running the streets but I stayed home. So back to the treatment... I probably mixed it with to much water because it was a little bit looser than pudding. (I forgot to take a picture of it... sorry) I applied it pretty much the same way as the henna treatment. The purpose of this treatment was to make my hair more manageable and stronger at the root.

Kalpi tone is also said to add a darker tint to your hair as well. Currently, I still see red highlights from the henna. One thing I did notice is the the strand is more "together" for lack of a more scientific hair term. It looks healthier. I don't notice any split ends.There are some drawbacks to this treatment though. I currently remind myself of an Indian restaurant which in turn is making me hungry. The scent is super strong.

Though it is growing on me. It is a fresh earthy scent. Also it seemed to make my hair dry but not brittle. I think this treatment was also harder to wash out. I may have left it on to long though too. I applied this new moisturizer (courtesy of @naturalellechim) called Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie which I got at Target. And contains hibiscus, coconut oil, neem and other ingredients that are mentioned in the ayurvedic convo. My hair is a little greasy. Which I do not like. But I think that I used to much. I did a Caruso curl and then I was out the door. (and neglected to take a shot of the final look.) But next time... My hair is growing though and it feels better.

Meanwhile... I like this shot...

2011-01-17T21:16:00.000+00:00

The results are in...

You can't really see the color but it is there. My gray hair is a goldy red color. I didn't do the indigo because I was already doing my hair the ENTIRE DAY! From about 11am - 8pm. I think my next washing I will do the Kapli Tone and after that the indigo. I found all natural "black" henna in the HOOD! Yes in the neighborhood beauty supply. Really excited that I can just go around the way and support my African bredren.

Jersey at-ti-tude...

So for styling this time around I did a rod set and sat under the dryer for about 30 minutes. The more rods you have the less hair on each and the less drying time it takes... I think. Now I hope you all are aware I have no idea what these hairstyles are going to look like prior to. I just roll and figure it out later. So far I have been enjoying the experiment. When I took my hair off of the rods last night the curls were loose. I put a scarf on my head before going to sleep and hoped for the best. To my surprise the curls were mashed down but when given a little shake they perked right up. So, today I was channeling Dorothy Dandridge.

Side Bar...

2011-01-17T18:14:00.000+00:00

I am working on a project for my mother. The wheels got to spinning in my head and I thought... 'Hmmm the silhouette of a sophisticated woman would set this off and make it classy." So I did a search for images. There were more women bending over and crawling on the ground on the internet than anything else. Diversity isn't offered much either. The objectification of women is ridiculous. This is by no way an in depth analysis just a sidebar to my days work. Carry on...

woman silhouette - Google Search: "silhouette"

Tchau!

2011-01-16T20:39:00.000+00:00

UPDATES... UPDATES! They finally came. My package from the Indian Grocer! It included Vatika Oil, Henna, Kapli Tone and Neem Powders. I was extremely excited! I have been watching and re-watching MTM tutorials only to figure out that I had forgotten to pick up odds and ends to actually do the Henna Gloss.

Yes I look crazy... I said I was extremely excited!!

So today I did it. I was nervous but I just dove in. Glossing your hair with henna is believed to:

Help stop/curb breakage
Makes hair stronger
Thickens strands
Temporarily loosens curl patterns for some [enhances curl patterns in others]
Reduces dandruff
Imparts shine, and makes hair incredibly silky

- Taken from Moptop Maven's blog dated Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Once I started it took about 15 minutes to apply the pre mixed (mixed the night before) henna to my head. It looked like chocolate pudding. (I was actually thinking about doing mehndi to my hands with the rest but the added conditioner may not work well for that.) I started off with wild hair as I collapsed the night before because of the Axel F party at Liv with DJ JahSonic. I had so much fun that my body was off the creak when walking up the steps. I guess missing 3 weeks of Zumba and sugar will do that to the joints. So my hair was TOSSED!

Cute little body wave in the front though right? I sectioned off my hair into my now customary four sections. Put on some gloves and had at it.

My Henna was made with water, V05 Moisture Milks Moisturizing Conditioner in Strawberry and Creme, LustreSilk's Herbal Cholesterol Deep Conditioning Creme enriched with Carrot Oil and to really soften my hair (hopefully) some olive oil.

Being that I love my camera and do not want henna on the lens or body I did not take pictures during the process. You can check out the mud head shots below though...

I am hoping to strengthen my curl pattern and prevent any more damage. I will let you know the results but it has been about 3 hours and I think I should go rinse this now. I still have to deep condition and rod my hair.

Tchau for now!

Today's Inspiration comes from Photoleer: Jack's the name...

2011-01-10T22:22:00.000+00:00

Photoleer: Jack's the name...

2011-01-07T16:05:00.000+00:00

So... my morning Caruso Curler project... Apparently, I thought that I only had a little bit of hair. I was wrong. I have A LOT of hair. So my 14 curler pack Caruso was a little short and I had to stretch them. So I guess I will have to buy some more curlers. Besides that, I am rather impressed with the product. I will most certainly need to do some things different. I think I am an end paper candidate and need to purchase those to roll so my ends don't get fuzzy. I also think I need to leave the rollers in longer. My hair is thick and the curls still felt a little damp when I took them out.

"Just wakin' up in the morning gotta thank God!" ~ O'Shea Jackson

The Regimen
I started out with a twisty, coily fro that I fell asleep on. Glad I have a satin pillow because I was knocked out without my scarf and didn't moisturize my hair. So first, I sectioned my hair into four, detangling each section and moisturized with Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural for Women of Color Daily Oil Cream Moisturizer (please note that my products STILL have not come). I sealed in the moisture with a blend of coconut and olive oil. I am excited about pay day because I will be ordering more products from Oyin Handmade in Baltimore. (I love those folks at Oyin!)

I already had the Caruso steaming...

I began rolling the back. Oh yeah... steam is hot... and my fingers are sensitive.

See that hair that is out? I was making it STRETCH with the curlers by then. The little curlers just had to work!!! Thank goodness they did. I let the rollers sit for a while as I sat under the bonnet for about 15 minutes on cool.

stock shot from previous post... :)

So the curlers came out... and I got ready for work. I am normally not a big hair person but...

Wavy Curly Fro... hmmm ok...

Come Check Me Out!

2011-01-05T11:45:00.001+00:00

Digital Photography by Kimberly C. Gaines

December 1, 2010 – January 22, 2011

Tubman-Mahan Art Gallery
The Center for Green Urbanism
3938 Benning Road, NE
Washington, DC

Curated by Authentic Contemporary Art

Artist Reception: Friday, January 7, 2011, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Artist Statement:

“Solar panels, green space, bicycles and assimilation; brick, construction, power and gentrification, those are the words that I equate with Denmark and DC.

This exhibition shows how well both places mask the power they have over “little people” with development. From DC to Denmark, you will find the nuances of city life; manicured lawns, mosaics, graffiti, traffic… all at the surface of a complex human condition. Traveling to Denmark to discuss integration from my perspective as a teaching artist, I found that it was really assimilation that was sought, but the resiliency of war torn immigrants is in conflict with a new generation growing up Dane. When gentrified neighborhoods and marginalized people have been camouflaged with new store fronts and street signs in DC living the battlefield has a glossier appearance. This exhibition is about the surfaces.

You will not always be able to identify the “hood” in either place but you must certainly keep in mind that it exists.”

About Kimberly C. Gaines:

Kimberly C. Gaines was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, and “grew up” in Washington, DC. In the chocolate city, Kimberly studied film and photography at Howard University. She is the founder of sondai expressions, her own graphic design and photography firm. Her skills as a visual artist have led her to be a consultant for over 7 years.

Kimberly’s photographs have appeared in Metro Connections, the Source Magazine, Urb Magazine and The Smithsonian Institute National Portrait Gallery. She has also completed designs for the Harlem Theater Company, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Green and Williams Enterprises, Inc., and the stage musicals THE TRUTH and All That Glitters… for Restoration Stage, Inc.

Kimberly was selected in 2005 by the Museum of the African Diaspora to be a part of their permanent exhibit with her portrait series, Lady’s Day in the Park. She is currently using her talent in design, photography and media to build curriculum for youth to foster a better understanding of Media Literacy.