My Newest Obsession....

So I finally jumped on the bandwagon and joined my newest obsession, Pinterest. I am completely, absolutely, utterly HOOKED! I LOVE PINTEREST! I mean I can really stay on there for hours and hours!! 

My absolute favorite part of Pinterest is the food. My 2nd favorite part is the crafts! Two things I love in one place, food and crafts. LOL! And lots of it!

Who else is on Pinterest? Are you?

http://pinterest.com/authenticallyu

An apology to my hair....

So, I woke up this morning wanting my hair braided! LOL It seems that as I was recovering from a cold and food poisoning over the past three days, my hair took on a life of it's on. I woke up this morning and could have sworn, if I let it go another minute without some serious attention, it would have dreaded itself into locks with no direction. I guess, I didn't realize how much 3 days would make a huge difference. My hair was dry and brittle and just looks horrible. At any rate, I dreamed of a beautiful style and searched the internet for something similar, this is what I found (to the right). Do you like?


Because my hair is in it's natural state, I spend time between straightening it with a flat iron, having a tamed blow out, or wearing my natural curls. Some people say that natural hair requires so much maintenance but in my opinion, if you give it the attention it deserves once a week, it will do you well during times like these when I was in the bed for 3 days straight. Apparently, I owe my hair an apology.

So today, I am going to love on my hair! I am going to use some of my favorite products and give it some T-L-C. And from the looks of things, I am going to start including my hair journey in this blog as well. Perhaps I will share some ideas or new products along the way, as I continue to explore the things that my hair loves. Feel free to share with me as well! What have you done on your hair journey that worked for you?

Below are some of my favorite natural hair blogs! Enjoy!

• Hairscapades
• Naturally Beautiful
• Afrobella
• Black Girl with Long Hair
• The Good Hair Blog

Also, here are some of my favorite products!

A study done in India shows that virgin coconut oil is a more effective hair treatment compared to other oils. The study compared the effects of mineral oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil, three most commonly used oils for hair treatment in India . The Taguchi Design of Experimentation was used. Using the three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce protein loss in damaged and undamaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash for hair. The sunflower and mineral oils did not reduce protein loss at all. Researchers believe that the difference in composition of each of the oils accounts for the test results. Coconut oil, being a triglyceride of lauric acid (principal fatty acid), has a high affinity for hair proteins, and because of its low molecular weight, and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft. Mineral oil, being a hydrocarbon, has no affinity for proteins, and therefore is not able to penetrate and yield better results. In the case of sunflower oil, although it is a triglyceride of linoleic acid, because of its bulky structure due to the presence of double bonds, it does not penetrate the fiber, consequently resulting in no favorable impact on protein loss.(Excerpt taken from http://www.manilacoco.com)

Luster's Pink Oil Moisturizer Hot Oil Treatment

HEALS & HYDRATES 

Need a quick hair makeover? Start with healing overworked tresses. This self-heating treatment imparts natural conditioners, and rinses clean. Use Pink® Hot Oil Treatment after shampooing to condition and moisturize your hair and scalp and repair split ends. Contains Healing Castor and Jojoba Oils that penetrate dry, damaged hair, restoring softness, shine, and manageability in minutes!

Pantene Ice Shine Collection

Let the best of you shine through
The Pantene Ice Shine collection works to transform lifeless looking hair into gorgeous, shiny hair. Cleansers work to remove dirt and residue while lightweight conditioners smooth the surface of hair strands. The collection gives/provides conditioning and shine to hair—giving it the look of health.

Guess who's back......

HEY ALL!!! How are all of you fabulous ladies? Seems as though I let the blog die as soon as the realities of wedding planning became a reality. I've been married now for exactly 1 year, 3 months, 15 days, 9 hours, and 46 minutes!! I am super excited to come back to the blogging world and see how every has been doing. I plan to blog here at least 2-3 times a week and I will start by recapping my wedding. Thanks for being apart of my Perfect 10 world and I am honored you are along for the ride!!

So much has happened......
Let's catch up!!

Blessings,

My Beginning!!!

REPRINT from my other blog - ORIGINAL POST DATE 10/15/2008





This is my first time ever blogging and I think I'm going to love it. I am a creative spirit and write as often as I can. There is something very special about the ability to express ones self in words. I hope this experience will open the door to many months of fun and friendship as I plan my April 2010 ceremony.
I also hope to gain some insight as I have deemed myself a DIY bride, along with relieving any stress that tries to creep my way as I attempt to plan the wedding of my dreams (on a budget, of course).



Wish me luck!!!
.............. and many blessings to each of you!

Blog name, Blog Identity.....

I found a link to this on Queencitybride's blog (Thanks girl) and thought it was really cute, so I went to the site tried it! Enjoy~

You Are Bold and Fearless

~You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. ~You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. ~You have the classic "Type A" personality. ~You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. ~And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. ~You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. ~Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. ~You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. ~You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. ~You are quite passionate and easily tempted. ~Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. ~You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. ~Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. ~Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. ~You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. ~You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. ~At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. ~You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. ~You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. ~You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. ~You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. ~You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. ~You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. ~You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. ~You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. ~A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. ~You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. ~You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. ~Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. ~You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. ~You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. ~You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. ~You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. ~You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. ~Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. ~You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. ~You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. ~You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. ~You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. ~You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. ~People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. ~

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?