Hello Esty, here I come!

Very exhausted, but it's under construction:

Creative Magic

Handmade knits, the "Bracelet", my music, lace wig application DVDs, etc.

Finally, a commercially creative outlet for my expansive output.

Stay tuned.

Bald Spots Are Filling In!

I'm still monitoring my hair breakage. The above pictures are after I washed with the Aphogee Deep Moisture shampoo, then followed it up with the Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructer (left on for 10 minutes, under a plastic shower cap and my microfiber turban). After rinsing the reconstructer, I slathered on Nexxus Humectress and put the plastic cap/turban on for another 20-30 minutes. I rinsed that out and let it air dry. It's so funny, but I don't comb my hair that much, especially now, that it's coming out so much. I guess there really isn't a need to comb it. The less manipulation, the better.

It seems like the bald spots are filling in. I'm glad I didn't get impulsive and cut off my hair to start over. The MegaTek seems to be working (I'm only putting it on the bald spots, as an experiment, to see how fast those areas will grow back). I figure curly hair can disguise the bald spots easier than straight hair. I'm really debating on if I'm going to keep textlaxing my hair. I should find products that make my new growth soft. I should only textlax if the roots become too hard to comb.

I'm really feening for a 12" wig from Rex, but it's so damn hot out. Too hot for a wig.

I'm going to St. Louis in 2 weeks. I'm so excited to see my family.

That's all I have on it for now.

Why Did I Have to Get Sick on the Weekend?

I'm posted up in my bed, watching my Batman 1966-1968 dvds and my Brady Bunch box set. I'm sick with some kind of flu. I started feeling really weary yesterday afternoon and I couldn't wait to get off work and hole up in my bed. Armed with my pharmaceuticals (Halls Cherry cough drops, Theraflu, Andre's Champagne, and aspirin), I'm good to go. I love that sleep you get when you're sick. My cats are getting on my nerves though.
Well, it looks like I'll be wearing these this fall:

Even with some jean shorts with white socks peeping out from the top, I'll be channelling Madonna (first two pictures). I ordered them last week from LeatherUp.com, and they should be here sometime this week. I hope they don't smell like gasoline. They were only 69 bucks!

I'm getting the writing itch again, especially since I know how easy it's going to be to publish through CreateSpace.
I have to get started on my "Rush Project" - a list of all my favorite Rush songs translated to acoustic guitar by me. I started learning "Natural Science" last week; it's coming along fine.
Back to sneezing, my throbbing throat and the Brady episode where Marcia joins Greg's Frontier Scouts and Peter becomes a Sunflower Girl.

An Evening with Rush: The Time Machine Tour, August 9, 2010, Shoreline Ampitheater, Mountain View, CA (San Francisco):

Video Intro - (The Real History of Rush Part 1)
The Spirit Of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Workin' Them Angels
Leave That Thing Alone!
Faithless
BU2B
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions

(-Intermission-)

Video Intro - (The Real History of Rush Part 2)
Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan
Drum Solo (Love For Sale)
Closer To The Heart - (with new 12-string acoustic intro)
2112 (Overture/Temples Of Syrinx)
Far Cry

Encore:
La Villa Strangiato (with polka intro)
Working Man (reggae intro)
Video Outro - (I Still Love You Man)
Exit Music: Closer To The Heart Polka

I'm still marinating on the concert. I love Rush, and I love them even more now. They are the baddest band in all the land. It was especially wonderful because that was the first Rush concert that me and my boyfriend attended together. Rush is the reason why we came together. They give the best shows. It's all about the music. They played "Faithless". I'm so glad I was there to hear it. More review later...

Still Working On The Elastic Straps

I'm in the lab working on the elastic straps method for my LFs. If this works, it will change the LF industry. I really want to buy a 12 inch virgin malaysian or chinese virgin remy straight from Rex, so I can cut it (or have it cut) into the Stacey Dash cut:

This will be my professional at work look. I'm really feeling the bangs on Cindy Crawford's hair, and Kelly Rowland's hair also:

Maybe I can cut bangs into my virgin malaysian straight I still have.

I can't tell if the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment is working. I did it last Sunday, and my hair is still coming out, but not as much. I'm wondering how long does it take to kick in. The instructions says not to reapply it for another 6 weeks, so I'm going to leave well enough alone. I made a hair calendar that has when I should do the protein treatments, and when I should textlax. I'm determined to stick to it. Maybe I can soften up my new growth in between textlaxing. Speaking of textlaxing, I'm not due until November. I should have enough new growth by then. I may even carry it over into the new year. I've learned my lesson with being hair-bored. If I get bored again, I'll slap on a LF.

I've started my moisture regimen. I've been alternating every day between Mane N Tail Deep Moisture conditioner, Aussie Moist, Nexxus Humectress (the Sally's brand), Aphogee Pro Vitamin leave in conditioner, or Silk Elements Moisturizing Leave In Creme. After I rinse my hair, I put one of the before mentioned conditioners on, then I seal it with my homemade oil/glycerine mixture (glycerine, grapeseed, oil, jojoba oil, and Morrocan Argan oil). My hair has never been this soft! To be honest, I'd forgotten about the moisture/protein balance. I know for a fact that my hair came out because I left the relaxer in the back too long. No use in beating myself up about it. I'm just going to protect what I have left on my head, keep wearing my LFs, and move forward. I also bought the Aphogee Deep Moisture Shampoo, and maybe shampoo once every 2 weeks. I rinse everyday, so I shouldn't have that much build up. I really need to get rid of all the other conditioners I bought. I'm a product junkie, what can I say!

I just found out that this blog is one of the top 50 hair blogs: The Top 50 Hair Blogs. When I was told, I beamed proudly.

Aphogee 2 Step Treatment

I was on BHM (as I always am) in the hair breakage section. The consensus pointed to the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment, so I went to Sally's yesterday and got some (along with their version of Nexxus Humectress, and some Silk Elements Moisturizing Leave In, in a tiny jar - wish it was in the large bottle). I couldn't get to it because I was giving my two LFs the "Tootsie's Mom's No Glue No Tape method":

I still need to work on the temple area and the sideburn area, but with the clips, it seems like it will hold tight. I'm going to braid my hair on Friday night and wear them all weekend, because the concert is Monday night. Stay tuned.

So I got around to doing the Aphogee 2 Step Treatment today. I followed the instructions to the letter (comb the hair to untangle, put the treatment on - wish I would have gotten the large bottle, because I had to use both of the packets I bought; pile the hair on top of the head, sit under a dryer until dry and hard, rinse out completely, put the Balancing Moisturizer on, for 2 minutes, rinse out and proceed with further styling). My hair is still coming out, but I'm being very careful not to comb it or be rough with it. I also rinsed it with the Clairol Beautiful Honey Brown (my go to color). I've slapped a lightweight head band on and I'm letting it dry. Hopefully, I can recover from this. This is totally my fault because I started with the relaxer in the back and did my whole head, instead of doing the back first, rinsing, neutralizing, THEN doing the front. I've made a MS Works calendar and I've set my textlaxing schedule on it. It's going to remind me EVERY THREE MONTHS to textlax. My next textlaxing session should be in November. I'm not even blinking about it. I'm going to keep moisturizing more often than proteining. I'm still going to Mega-Tek when in braids (under my LFs). I've got to recover from this. I'm confused on how the 2 Step Treatment is to work. I'm still researching it.

As for new products, it's all about moisture, so when I get paid again, I'm going to get more of the Aphogee Balancing Moisturizer and the Aphogee Deep Moisture Shampoo. I've got to start "listening" to my hair.

After the 2 Step Protein treatment, the Balancing Moisturizer, and the Honey Brown rinse:

^^ where the end of the headband is and where my fingers are is where most of the breakage occured. That's the area that I textlaxed first.

My new textlaxing oath:

1. I will NEVER textlax my whole head at one time.

2. I will NEVER start in the back.

3. I will ALWAYS part my hair in as many sections as I need (starting in the front and working my way to the back, that way I can rinse a section and move to the next section without getting the subsequent sections wet.

If my hair bounces back from this travesty, this will be a hard lesson learned.