This is why I do this!

On Wednesday, I had the wonderful opportunity to stop by Salon Fusion in South Bend to get to know some of the fabulous hair dressers there but to also get "My hair did." Sarah, the owner, was gracious enough to help my sad locks of hair (it was a long time since it was touched). After a lengthy consultation (communication is key!), we found an excited assortments of color and away we went!

As I was getting my hair all situated, I talked to Sarah about my journey to becoming a hair dresser. I mentioned that not all of my family was thrilled with my career choice. I explained that with a family member going through cancer and how important hair is to women, I had to figure out a way to utilize my talents and help make others feel beautiful inside and out! When my loved one lost all of her hair, it really affected her... You can wear fun scarves and pull a Liza Minnelli with fun falsies but it's just not the same without your own locks of hair. There's a reason why they say that hair is a woman's virtue. I had this revelation... I know that this is why I went into hair, to help women (soccer moms, cancer warriors, and all) stand a little taller and feel gorgeous.

After a few hours of color treatment, blow drying, and chatting, my hair was finally revealed! I felt fabulous! I wanted to recreate the Herbal Essence hair commercial and scream, "Yes" upon walking out the salon door!! There's something magical about a little trim here and there. I personally know how much of a difference hairstylists make, whether it be by listening to your whole life story or getting you dolled up for a hot date!

I'm happy to fuel the passion for hair dressing and to know that I'm helping others feel fabulous!

Wisdom from a hairdresser...

Let's talk Shampoo...


1) Avoid any shampoo with Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES). Yes, it is in almost everything unfortunately (even most of my favorite shampoos... Even, Johnson's Baby Shampoo). To be frank, this stuff strips your hair of all of the natural oils and leads to breakage and cancer. One of the best things I have heard from a vegan hairdresser is the best stuff has ingredients you can pronounce and recognize.

2) Moisturize several times per day. I was told that every time I put lotion on my hands, I should be sure to run some lotion through the ends of my hair as well (even chap-stick does the trick). Honestly, I don't always do that since I have oily hair but it's never a bad idea to care for the ends of your locks.

3) Use Horsetail and Vitamin E. Horsetail has a high silica content as is great for strengthening hair (can be used for nails too). I also take Vitamin E supplements as well. Phyto has some great supplements that aid with hair and nail regrowth but is a little pricey for me.

Here's the best website for different homemade shampoo recipes:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Shampoo/

They have 10 recipes geared for: flakiness, dry hair, sweet smelling, rejuvenating, and etc! Try one out and let me know how it goes!

Enjoy!

I found these older hair commercials today and thought I would share!

Creativity... Takes daily practice.

Until recently I haven't had the opportunity to spend a chunk of my time with art in one shape or form. Thus I have really taken the time to work daily to strengthen and keep up the creative flow... So, I have been: cutting styling and coloring hair, drawing, painting, random sharpie tattoos (purely for fun), rebuilding my baby gift stash with stuffed softies, remodeling my parents home with painting, creating fun handouts for girls camp, and photography.

My brother requested that I send one of my sketches over to a gentleman in Texas who had a dream about a book that saved his life while he was serving in the military in Iraq. It was a neat opportunity to draw up this idea and send it off to this fellow.

Jon asked that I make sure my tattoo pens work and draw him a turtle walking in the sand... Needless to say, they work!

One of my stuffed softies I'm making through this wonderful pattern (will post pictures when it's finally completed).


I decided to help my mom change her kitchen lamps with random glass paint... I think it's improved from plain white!


One of the handouts I slapped together for Girl's Camp... One of the evening's devotional is "Let Thy Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts.." I decided to take a different approach with the skull and cross bones (used pink to soften it up a bit). It goes along the lines of: "Thoughts become your actions (so keep them positive) and actions become your character and character becomes your destiny." It's a lot of work to make sure these girls have a meaningful week in which they can build up skills to aid them as an adult/leader. I take it seriously to make sure that each night I have a handout and a planned devotional that hopefully makes a good impression... It takes a lot of creativity to impress and teach a whole bunch of 14 yrs old girls!


I was walking along the River near Notre Dame and found a small patch of beautiful flowers!


I am progressively finding that Indiana has some beautiful wild flowers along the sides of the roads.

It's amazing what you'll find right outside your doorstep!



Styling Hair

In short, creativity is a very unique force that seems to visit me often with impromptu ideas and a constant source of new ways I can view my surroundings. I also find that it sparks a courageous spirit within myself to do the unexpected and the daring. I am a firm believer that regardless of whether you're an artist or a local accountant, flexing your creative talents can open so many doorways to success... Whether that is a new way to improve your own business or a renewed promise to improving your health or a better sense of gratitude for the beauty that lies around you.

I try and make sure that I take a little bit of time each day and dedicate it to increasing my creativity. I have had a lot of inspiration and motivation through many sources:
"The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life" by, Twyla Tharp
Handy Dandy "Word a Day Calender"-Nothing wrong with building your vocabulary
"This Book will change your life", Benrik- Unusual and quite hilarious guide to changing a boring work week
"Wreck This Journal" by, Keri Smith
"Living Out Loud", Keri Smith
"The Awe-Manac: The Daily Dose of Wonder by, Jill Badonsky
Just to name a few...

Through some of these sources, I have discovered that its nothing really scientific to De-stress and rebuild your creative fuel. I usually write in my journal or handy notepad in my purse, reflect/mini meditation, sneak away for a hike or window shopping, do something crazy/out of the ordinary, revert back to my 5 yrs old self and laugh out loud or literally see my world upside down, and etc.

I hope this may have help with your own creative progress but I thought I'd share my own two cents on the subject today.

Let's be straight here...

If you have been blessed with fairly straight hair, then you are lucky and the envy of many women. Thick hair that is mostly straight, with maybe a slight wave is usually the easiest hair to style (which I don't have thick hair or any waves whatsoever). Your natural wave loves to be curled and styled, and yet is easy to straighten and looks fabulous worn straight.

Women with tight curly hair, or fine, dead straight hair that has little body and refuses to hold curl (yes, that's me!!) struggle to style our hair at times.

If your hair is not quite as straight as you want it, you have some easy options to temporarily straighten your hair: straightening products, hair dryer or straightening iron.

If your hair is really not straight and you want to get rid of your curl permanently (well, at least 6 months), you have the option of professionally straightening your hair (ie: There are a few names for it - Bio Ionic Professional Haircare System, Japanese Ionic Hair Straightening - yet they are all thehttp://www.paulmitchell.com/Products/PaulMichell_ProTools/Pages/ExpressIonDryv2.aspx same.).

HOW TO BLOW DRY HAIR STRAIGHT

Blowdrying your hair straight is definitely the cheaper option to permanently straightening your hair - all it takes is a few tools and products and a bit of practice.

What do I need?

- A hairdryer- I use a Paul Mitchell Ion Dry but I also LOVE CHI brand as well as Turbo

- A Large Round Brush-The size of the brush will depend on the length of your hair - your hair needs to be long enough to wrap around the brush once.

- Paddle Brush for final smoothing.

- Clips to keep hair out of the way. Large flat clips that hairdressers use work best.

- Styling products - products that protect your hair from moisture and hold the style. Moisture is what reverts the hair back to its natural wave, so products like mousse protect hair from moisture as well as heat damage. (I love the Extra Body series from Paul Mitchell, works great with limp thin hair like my own).

- Gloss or serum to smooth over hair, remove frizz and finish off the look (I use Super Skinny)

• Start by washing your hair with a volume producing shampoo (personally use Paul Mitchell Extra Body Daily Rinse)
• Comb with a wide-toothed comb to remove any tangles. Partially blow-dry your hair to get rid of excess moisture.
• Spray a volumising tonic on your hair, or a handful of mousse spread from tips to ends for extra oomph.
• Pin hair up and take out small sections at a time to blow-dry. Hold the dryer in one hand and a styling brush in the other.
• Place the brush underneath the first section of hair and position it at the roots. Keep the tension on the hair (without tugging too hard) and move the brush down towards the ends, while directing the air flow down the hair, following the movement of the brush.
• Blow-dry using a large, round brush with a metal core. Wind hair completely up the brush, focusing on creating lift at the roots. Gently blast hair with a hair-dryer until dry.
  
• Curl the brush under at the ends to achieve a slight bend. Continue until the back sections are completely dry and then repeat on the top sections of hai
• Finish with a light, flexible hairspray.
• Remember, practice makes perfect!

HOW TO USE A STRAIGHTENING IRON

What do I need?

- A temperature controlled straightening iron

- Styling products - products that protect your hair from moisture and hold the style. Moisture is what reverts the hair back to its natural wave, so products like mousse protect hair from moisture as well as heat damage.

Things to remember:

Also start with clean, DRY hair, If not you run the risk of greater damage (wet hair is prone to major damage). If possible, use a leave-in conditioning spray after washing your hair, but before starting to straighten.
Hair must be completely dry, as slightly damp hair will respond badly to straightening. Also using a heated appliance on damp hair causes the hair to "cook" from the steaming, swelling the hair shaft and forcing the protective moisture from the cortex of the hair.
Use a flat iron appropriate for your hair length. Wider irons are suitable for very long hair, but most women are better off using an appliance with heating plates 1" to 1 ½ " wide. These smaller irons offer better control and are lighter in weight.
Section your hair into small, manageable sections. If you try and straighten a big chunk of hair at once, you will get an uneven result. The hair on the outside might straighten but hair in the middle won't have been straightened. Work on smaller sections and you will get a much straighter look.
Use a small amount of styling product to maintain the style. Using a spray of hairspray on the straightened sections, or a small amount of mousse or gel when drying your hair, will extend the life of your hair style. Your straightened hair will last longer.

Instructions

Take a small section of hair. Starting at the roots, work the flat iron through the length of your hair slowly, but keep the iron moving.
After each draw, comb your hair smooth.
Continue, piece by piece until all of your hair is straight.

Juicy Hair Videos- "Evo-Chicismo"

Culture Magazine, (a high end hair magazine out of Australia), has a website with an education section crammed with hairstyle how-to's. Most of the videos involve cutting, but there are some great styling ones also. http://www.culturemag.com.au

I'd like to point you all to the one titled "Evo-Chicismo". It is created along with other bizarre videos of avant garde hairstyles that are more editorial than everyday hairstyles. This one though is a great illustration of what can be interpreted as a vintage 1940's hairstyle. Imagine it not pulled quite as tight when the twisting is done. Another option to imagine, is as the hair is worked around the back, direct the hair gradually down the back of the scalp so you get a roll that stays closer to the hairline like a halo. Either way, I think it looks fabulous!!