Stroll on the weekend

Thank you for all your good ideas and advice on what to do if you have troubles sleeping. I've tried out some of them already and my sleeping routine's gotten better. It's still not perfect since I still go to bed at about two or three in the night, but at least that's a whole lot better than eight in the morning. Hopefully I'll be able to go to bed earlier and earlier and slowly get back on track.

We took these photos on the weekend when my boyfriend and I went for a really long walk (we probably walked for an hour or so) along the beach promenade in Tel Aviv and in a little park that we got to at the end of the walk. I've always loved going for long walks, but here that is nearly impossible due to the extremely bright and hot sun and the humidity. In the evening walking is a little more manageable (though the humidity is still there), luckily, and therefore that is something I try to do very frequently.






Skirt and hat from H&M and top and shoes from Asos

Twisted Loc Bangs

I had some fun with my loc's last week. I was inspired by Thierry's curls, and came up with some cool styles. On Wednesday, I was just testing it out and had some cute locs that where twisted, and pinned up.  On Thursday, I pumped up the style a little bit and got some height.   I am hoping to get a chance to do some loc tutorial video's (if any one is interested) sometime in the future.

Interview with Teri LaFlesh

Check out my interview with Teri LaFlesh, author of the book Curly Like Me.  Teri talks to Naturally Beautiful Hair Website & Blog about what motivated her to write her book and to reach out to others.

"I didn't want to see anyone else with hair like mine, have to go through with theirs, what I did with mine."
~  Teri LaFlesh


On Teri's website, she talks about her book, and why it can help:


"Curly Like Me is the off-the-grid, do-it-yourself owner's manual for tightly curly hair. Within the book you'll find:
* How to wear your own curls in their natural curl patterns
* Complete curly hair care guide, with simple, easy-to-follow instructions and over 250 original photographs and illustrations (done by yours truly)
* The best products, tools, and ingredients
* Pain-free techniques on how to comb and style your curls, or your child's curls
* Over 30 easy curl-enhancing hairstyle ideas, tips for growing out your perm, and more
* How to avoid costly treatments, products, marketing misinformation, and frequent salon visits so you can enjoy your natural curls, without pain, chemicals, or the use of weaves or extensions
* The story (with photos) of Teri’s passage from hair broken by relaxers, texturizers, improper care, trying to force it to conform, and fighting her weave addiction—to finally understanding her own curls. Now cherished and happy, her natural hair reaches well past her waist.

End your struggles with broken, damaged hair and begin your journey to thriving natural curls. Applying the ideas and information in this book will end the frustration and heartache of the past so you can love your hair the way it really is. Curly Like Me empowers you to take back the care of your hair so you can let your own beautiful curls shine."

To see Teri's interview, go to Naturally Beautiful Hair's Website Interview Page.   You can also find Teri on the following websites:

Website - Tightly Curly
Book - Curly Like Me
Blog - Former Mushroom Haired Child
Her readers Before & After pictures 

Tiredness?

I've had such a horrible sleeping routine the last few weeks going to bed in the middle of the night and sleeping until very late. The last few days have been even worse and I've only been able to fall asleep at seven or eight in the morning and getting up at three in the afternoon. It's driving me crazy and I feel like I'm wasting the whole day. One of the reasons why it's become so bad is probably that I have a lot to think about these days. This evening I am feeling tired though, and it's not even midnight, so I hope tonight will be better.
Have any of you ever experienced sleeplessness or having a bad sleeping routine, and if so, how did you fix it?







Hair band, skirt and dress worn as a top from H&M, shoes from Sixtyseven and bag by Miu Miu

Crocheted earrings from Fatemeh's Etsy Store

I meet Fatemeh, creator of Fatemeh's Jewelry and Accessories at the San Francisco Natural Hair Event I attended in SF last month. I had a chance to see her beautiful handmade collection of earrings and hair accessories. I received my pair of beautiful blue crocheted earrings from Fatemeh last week, and wanted to share it with you. I think they are so cute and very unique!  They definitely stand out from any other earrings that I own.  To see more of Fatemah's collection, check out her Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/fnggrant

 

Nicole Renee Boisseau

Nicole Renee Boisseau talks to Naturally Beautiful Hair about what has inspired her to stop perming her hair & embrace her natural texture. And what her how she maintains her natural hair.

"My children inspired my natural journey. As a mother of 7 saving time and money was very important to me so I decided to stop relaxing my hair. My natural hair enlightenment came as a result of a store visit. A woman in the store asked me about my hair (it had only been 4 months natural at that point) and she told me about a study that was done on deceased African American women with chemically treated hair. Studies showed their autopsy results listing these women with a neon green slimy substance under the scalp and on the brain. Having heard that, there was no turning back for me. I'm the daughter of a naturopathic doctor and for health reasons alone that was enough. After extensive research linking health problems to chemicals in skin care products and cosmetics I studied to become a Holistic Health & Beauty Specialist. Health and beauty go hand in hand.

Because of the health problems linked to chemicals in daily products that we use regularly as well as supporting other entrepreneurs in their endeavors, I strive to find organic and all natural products of the best quality that is also reasonably priced. Hair can become immune to the products with constant use so I try to switch up between 2-3 different brands of shampoo and conditioner. My favorites are Total Body Black Earth shampoo and Enhancing Herbal conditioner, also Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo and Restorative Conditioner sold at Target Stores. For moisture I use Olive Oil moisturizer, and Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist. To twist and hold the curl pattern in my “natural” red curly ‘fro, I use Jamaican Mango & Lime Locking Crème Wax.  It is important to use the best products, but remember beauty radiates from the inside out. Nurture your spirit and soul with meditation, replenish your body with water, and get outdoors and exercise breathing in fresh air. Rid yourself of overly stressful situations and people; eat fruits, vegetables, and foods that are conducive to your own body type and lifestyle. Live, laugh, love and do all things in moderation."

In her professional field Nicole Renee Boisseau is a Holistic Health & Beauty Specialist/Entrepreneur. Her background is in the field of cosmetology; a graduate of John Amico School of Hair Design and Taliah Waajid trained in natural hair. She studied Energy Healing under her mother, renowned Dr. Sunni DNM, and also Queen Afua. Nicole Renee Boisseau has a Research Fellow Degree in Divine Metaphysics. She lives with her husband and 7 children in Chicago, IL. Creatively she is an Artist.

Natural Hair Event - Atlanta, Georgia

For anyone living in or near Atlanta, Georgia - there will be a Natural Hair Event on August 30, 2010. Here are the event details:

Who:   Seraphin Cognac Couture celebrates natural hair with Tress Talk and GlamBar

What:  Celebration of natural hair & the ladies who rock it!

When:             August 30th, 7pm- 9pm

Where:            Glam Bar

                        244 Peters Street

                        Atlanta, GA 30313

                        http://www.theglambar.com

To RSVP visit: http://cognaccouture.eventbrite.com

**Event Highlights: Seraphin Cognac Cocktails, Natural Hair Experts, Q&A Sessions, Live Demos and Much More

About Tress Talk

Tress Talk is the brainchild of three ambitious curly girls, Sheronda Campbell, Benita Brown and Kimberly Walker. Their passion for multi-textural hair led them to become beauty consultants at one of the top natural hair salons in the nation. After identifying a lack of knowledgeable  multi-textural hair care specialists in the beauty industry, they decided to form a consulting firm to share their styling techniques. Tress Talk models its modern approach after some of the top multi-textural stylists and leading cutting edge retailers like Miss Jessie’s and Anthony Dickey’s Hair Rules. Their mission is to provide women and men with practical tips and affordable ways to style their kinky, curly and wavy hair.

About GlamBar

The GlamBar is located in the trendy, art district of Castleberry Hills. It is a lofty full service salon with all the fabulousness that the glam girl needs. They carry the latest in beauty secrets and products from across the globe. GlamBar provides you with all that a glam princess needs to get on her way (visit www.theglambar.com).

Thalia's Hair Jewelry

I just received my beautiful hair jewelry from Thalia's Creations, and I am in love! Each piece that I received is beautiful in its own way and is very well made. I can tell that I will have these unique loc adornments for a long time. I am so excited to get a chance to wear these pieces, to really show of my loc's.

To see more jewelry from Thalia, go to her website Thalia's Creations. All of the jewelry is designed for Loc's, Sisterloc's and braids.

Update for Beads, Braids & Beyond

Nikki, creator of Beads, Braids and Beyond, has a beautiful blog where she highlights hair styles for little girls. I just recently noticed that Nikki has started adding step-by-step instructions on how to create each style. Wow! Thank you Nikki for taking the time to give us so much information on how to create beautiful hair styles for our little girls.

Kem Juan Simmons

I had the honor of interviewing Kem Juan Simmons of the Bare Canvas Natural Nail Spa and Studio. Kem is a talented loctician,  and a savvy business woman. To see her interview, go to the Naturally Beautiful Hair Interviews page.  Look below, for photo's of styles she created, for some of her clients.  Kem works out of Oakland, CA. Here is the contact information to her salon:

Bare Canvas Natural Nail Spa and Studio

1470 MacArthur Blvd, 94602

510-482-8211

The old station

I had a such a wonderful evening yesterday going to the old train station of Tel Aviv, which had been newly renovated, together with my boyfriend and his parents. I'm quite sure that that's my new favorite place in Tel Aviv as everything looks so picturesque and pretty. There are lots of small boutiques there selling pretty and unique jewelery, lovely clothing shops, and romantic restaurants. We neither shopped nor ate anything while we were there, but just strolling around was enjoyable experience as well. I hope I will be able to go back there with my boyfriend again soon - maybe on a weekday when it'd be less crowded and while there is still daylight - to take more pictures of the sweet little shops and houses and maybe to enjoy a dinner in one of the restaurants as it starts to get dark.

The first few pictures are by the way taken by the sea shore where we had a stroll before we walked to the old train station.




I was wearing a playsuit from Dahlia and shoes from Topshop.