Nail Polish

So since I began my hair journey, I've been watching way more YouTube than I'd ever imagined.  Each time I click on a new hair video, two things jump out at me: one, these chicks can do some makeup and two,  their nails look awesome.

I CANNOT deal with makeup. My mother didn't wear it when I was growing up, so I never really played with it as a child.  Plus, I do not need to add another step to my "get ready" routine.  BUT NAIL POLISH!  I can do nail polish... or so I thought.

If you look closely, you will see I jacked up this manicure!! I have polish all over my cuticles and let's just say that I didn't come close to staying in the lines.  To make matters worse, I had a Christmas Eve dinner to get to, so I didn't have time to take off this stuff.  So, yes I went out like this.  Luckily, it was a dinner filled with friends who could care less about my terrible first attempt at "fancy polish."

Don't fear, this won't be my last attempt at this.  Like my hair journey, I am hoping this "situation" will only get better with time.

French Twist Obsession

I have become obsessed with French Twists since Naptural 85 posted her set of French Twist videos on YouTube.  I watched The Help last night and it only made me love the style more.  Ladies rocked the heck out of that style back in the day.

 I love having my hair off my neck and neat.  I also love that I don't have to touch my hair for two days or more, if I do everything right.

I have been searching high and low for new techniques to help me master it.  Right now, I can only do it if I have a hump up top.  I am tired of the hump, but unless my hair is pressed, it ain't laying flat.  So, I need the hump to style the volume.

I'm really excited about my upcoming roller setting challenge because when the curls fall, I will make sure they fall into a french twist of some sort.

I am going to kick off the new year with a hot oil treatment for my scalp and I am going to stick to one set of products.  I'll focus more on purchasing accessories, instead of more hair products. I can honestly say, I HAVE ENOUGH.  I know I have said this before, but I plan to stick to it this time.  Since going to the shop is no longer an option, I have to do this right.  Plus, when I go back home I want my old stylist from childhood to do my hair.  I already know she'll be disappointed in the state it is in, but I want to tell and show her that I am truly in a state of repair.

Goals

I just signed up for a six month roller setting challenge, thanks to Ebonyprincess.  It seems simple enough for me, but of course I got too excited.  I hopped on Sally's website and ordered some Creme of Nature products.

((Yes, my editor is a dog.  She sits over my shoulder.  Unfortunately, she's not a good editor. LOL!))

I've been reading everywhere that the company has changed the formula, but I feel like I need to give an old and trusted name a try.  My hair isn't totally in love with any of the shampoos and conditioners I've been using.  Of course, I really haven't given any of them a real chance because I am a product junky.  I mean I seriously have a real problem.  Plus, after my last trip to the salon, I know I have to find something that really works because that place charges an arm and a leg.

There used to be a time when I said I would always set aside money for my hair because it is part of hygiene, but I won't allow stylists to take advantage of me.  The last over priced place I visited, had three separate people working on my hair.  How does anyone develop a personal relationship with your hair to help you keep it healthy?  They say it's in an effort to put an end to eight hour days in the salon. Whatever!  Until I can find a good stylist who is not trying to rob me, I'll just keep ripping out hair.

Now, I should add that at this point, I've ripped out so much that I don't have much to spare.  But I am looking at this as a learning period.  As I've mentioned before, this is the first time that I've really tried to care for my own hair.  I've only been doing this five months.  It can only go up from here... I hope.

Anyway... I've totally digressed from the point of this post.  The other day I was looking through old pictures when I was younger, slimmer and had longer, healthier hair.  I looked a lot better when I was lighter.  I stood on the scale today and  let's just say I have surpassed the safe zone.

I am going to drink and eat all that I can because in 2012, I'm bringing the slim sexy back.  OMG!  Just five years ago, it was so easy to stay slim.  It looks like the 30s are going to kick my tail.

I should add that the dog/editor pictured above isn't helping me stay fit.  She hates walking and she's friggin' lazy.  WTF?!

Ok... back to my point:  Aside from sticking to roller setting my hair for six months, I will also get a better handle on my diet.  It appears that junk food and Starbucks lead to weight gain.  Why didn't anyone tell me?  LOL!

I'm Straight Again

I made good on my pledge to get my hair pressed and trimmed every two months, but I didn't get as much cut as I was supposed to.  I only trimmed an inch.  For the first time in my life, I had scissor fright.  Ugh!  I was a bit disappointed in myself.

I won't be going back to this particular shop because they boosted their prices significantly.  So.. I have two months to find a new stylist to help me out.

Sooo my hubby has fallen in love with my Suave Naturals conditioner, so I think I will have to get myself more new cheapy conditioner.  I think I'm going to try the Herbal Essence Hello Hydration.  Everyone keeps saying it has great slip and I am having a hard time adequately detangling my new growth.  My hair is shoulder length and I have about three inches of new growth now.  The ends will be detangled, but not the new growth.  I don't think that's good for the hair or my scalp.

I'm hoping this press lasts at least two weeks.  By that time, I should be ready to return to the curlformers. I have a new technique that will hopefully help me out a little bit.

Ok.. so back to the cheapy conditioner. I know I said I wouldn't buy anything else for three months, but this purchase won't be more than five dollars.  Plus, I'm really doing this so my hubby can have the Suave Naturals... yeah.. I'm sticking to that.

Latest Purchases

Products:

Jessicurl Deep Conditioner
Original Moxie Leave-in

Tool:

Aveda Paddle Brush

Jcrew Headbands

1. The one on the left is black and bejeweled
2. The one of the right is actually a glittery silver and gold with a bow on the side

Wash Day

Wash day was interesting.  I didn't feel like using the curlformers and decided that once my hair was dry, I'd quickly put it in an up do. I tried three different ones and didn't like any.  I finally had to give up so I could go to bed.  Here's the boring look.

Here's the rundown.

1. I washed with Design anti-dandruff shampoo and the moisture retention shampoo.  My scalp was so dirty and I was glad these two products performed well for me.

2.  I used Jessecurl deep conditioner.  I tried to detangle as I put it on, but the comb was not going through.  So I smooshed it on each section (I had six braids), put on a plastic cap and sat under the dryer for 30 minutes.

3.  I tried part of Shelli from Hairscapades method and put some Suave conditioner on top of it once I was out of the dryer.

4. I hopped in the shower rinsed it all out and detangled.  The detangling process wasn't bad at all.

5.  I used my new leave-in by Original Moxie. I know this is just the first use, but I'm tossing Knot Today to the side.  The Original Moxie feels more like a lotion.  I immediately saw and felt its effects as soon as I put it on my hair.  It left my hair shiny and I didn't have to put a bunch of other crap in there.  With the Knot Today, I never knew when it was working and thought maybe I wasn't letting the hair dry enough before I put in on.

6.  I should have just dried my hair in the braids, but I tried to wrap the sections on Flexis.  That was stupid, that just prolonged the drying process.

7.  Once dry, I smoothed with my new paddle brush.  I'm not sure I should have used it.  I think I may have ripped some thangs.

8. I embarked on my attempt to style my hair.  My magic was not working, but I finally got it done.

***I didn't use any oils to seal. I decided to just put some Dax grease on it.  My hair feels incredibly soft and it's kind of shiny. I just hate I couldn't execute the style I envisioned.

I'm hoping this boring style lasts two days, then I'll moisturize and re-style.  I get my hair done at the shop this Saturday.  I hope I get a different wash boy.  I don't want to have to get ugly in there.

Looks of the Weeks

As I stated in my last post, I am OVER the spirals.  So.. here's a look at how things went this week.

I brushed out the curls, combed it into a pony tail and did this bun. It was inspired by the cinnabun look on YouTube.  Mine is rather blah, but it's OK. Right?

I followed it up with these looks.  I got sick on Thanksgiving and had to skip the necessary wash.  So when I wash this Sunday, it will be long overdue.

Strange french twist/roll

I jazzed things up with a headband (at least I thought it was jazzed up)

Then I added a little flare to my bangs.  I put them in a flat twist at night, took it down and pinned until it looked like this (a man's hair piece. LOL)

I finished up the week, with a flat twist in the front and a bun in the back.

What I learned most from this stretch is that if my hair isn't pressed, it needs to be moisturized every two days.  So I really shouldn't rock any style longer than two days, although I am lazy and try to stretch it to three.

I have to admit that I am still discouraged by how long my wash days are, but I won't give up.  I like knowing that if I get caught in the rain, it's no big deal.  I can fix my hair and I didn't waste a $50 trip to the shop.  But with that said, I am going to get my hair pressed and trimmed next Saturday.  I'm supposed to take off an inch, but I'm not sure if I can handle that.  I can barely get my hair into a french twist as it is. I may only cut off a half inch.

Oh... and it's been 7.5 months since my last relaxer.

I'm About Ready To Give Up

I am freaking tired of these all day wash sessions. Is there an easy way around this?  Why yes there is.  Returning to the beauty shop!

Anyways, here's the rundown of my latest wash day.  Forget the saying "read 'em and weep."  Look at my pictures and weep. Yikes!

I decided to give my design express moisture conditioner a shot.  After washing with the anti-itch and the moisturizing shampoos, I piled on that conditioner.  My hair felt good.  For just a quick second I thought, "this is going to be awesome."  Well, I was dead wrong.  When I rinsed out that stuff, my hair was hard with no slip, which means my hair was NOT in the mood to be combed out. OMG!  Luckily, I had my suave close by.  I had to saturate my hair with that stuff and comb my hair out under a stream of water.  Things hadn't been that bad in a while.

As you could imagine I was dead tired when my hair was ready for styling.  Thank goodness my hubby turned it into a party and played some awesome songs, while I did my hair.  I used my Knot Today leave-in, coconut oil and sheamoisture smoothie to moisturize and seal my tresses.  Then I used Bee Mine curly butter to set my curlformers.

I must take this moment to say the curly butter sets and holds the curls far better than the ORS loc and twist gel. So... the gel will be resting in the back of my cabinet for a while.  Thank goodness it wasn't super expensive.

The curls came out great, but I AM. OVER. the spiral thing. I have to find some other way to stretch out my new growth. I mean that's why I love the curlformers so much, they stretch out those roots (As much as kinks can be stretched. LOL!)

So the next day, I brushed the curls into a side ponytail and left a bit out for some bangs.  Yes, I am 30+ rocking a toddler hair do.  Don't judge me.

I should add that my past impatience has cost my hair dearly as I have ripped out some hair in the crown of my head. It's looking like a bird's nest in the middle of my head. Oh well, you live, you learn and recover.

I am surfing YouTube looking for a new "french twist-roll-thing" to put my hair in for the rest of the week.

Now it's time to make a bit of a confession.  I ordered new leave-in and deep conditioners. I'm an idiot and this god awful do-it-yourself-hair has become my new obsession, hobby and burden.

So... next week I will NOT be using the design conditioner. Maybe, I'll just put my hair in medium sized braids and let it air dry, then put it in a bun or something.  We'll see. But something has got to give!!!

Oh... and no more purchases for at least three months!  Somehow, I will stick to this:-)

When Things Work, Stop Trying To Fix Them

I keep running into the same problem when it comes to my hair.  I always want to try something new when there's nothing wrong with what I'm doing at the moment.  Case in point-- my latest curlformer set.

There is only one way to get three to four days out of those curls. I have to use a goodie ouchless headband to pull the curls back, then flip my hair up and tie on a scarf to sleep at night.  This is known as the pineapple.

 Everytime I don't do it, disaster strikes.  And there was definitely a disaster on my head this morning because I did not follow the proper procedure.  I didn't have time to snap a picture because I was running late, but I was able to salvage my hair with an up 'do.  Here's a bad look at it.

I wore this "Little House on The Prairie" hairdo for four days.  It's definitely time for something new:-)

27 Weeks Post Relaxer

I'm trucking along, folks.  It's been 27 weeks since my last relaxer.  My wash day was pretty uneventful, aside from the fact that my arms were freaking sore from putting in the curlformers.

 However, I tweaked a few things.

1.  I rinsed my hair in braids in every step.  I think that helped to cut down on tangling and my general insanity.

2.  I only used Knot Today and *hangs head in shame* African Pride Hair oil as my leave-ins.  (when it came time to set the curlformers, I used the generic Chi Serum and the ORS twist and loc gel.

3. Oops! I accidentally forgot to use the Generic Chi Serum on the back of my hair as I was setting. I don't think it caused much damage.

Here are my results:

 I must say, I really felt good today. I felt like my hair liked me and the curls were awesome.  There wasn't much drama, but I'm not really sure I'll get much out of this set for the rest of the week.  The curls kind of fell throughout the day, but I will remain positive.  I hope I at least get day 2 out of these things. 

I Gave Up!

I had to let go of the curls.  They were too smooshed to go on.  So I tried something different and OMG...LOOK!

I did a french twist based off of Naptural 85's YouTube channel.  It's not the best, but it's MY best.  I've never been able to do a version of a french anything on my hair.  Yay me:-) I must admit that I went a bit buck wild with the bobbie pins and had to remove some because they were hurting my head.

Uhm... so yeah... I worked late last night and didn't have time to figure out something else to do with my hair, so it looks like I'll be rocking the french twist for as long as it will allow. I sure hope it hangs on until Saturday. Now I want to find more updos that I can do (which means they have to be VERY remedial).

Side note: Asian girl I work with says, "is that all of your hair in there?"
Me: "Yes"
Asian Girl: "That's a lot of hair."
Me: "That's my problem."

I can't believe I said that.  I guess I was trying to make her feel comfortable.  I love the thickness of my hair and it is not a bad problem to have.  I hope I didn't insult my hair.  I need it to cooperate with me.  This do-it-yourself haircare is a trip.

We're Not Holding Up

Day 2 hair was okay. I decided to modify my sleeping routine and... well... it didn't work. I smashed some of my curls

Day 3 saw the steady decline of my curls, but I'm not giving up easily. Apparently I sleep on my left side because the curls are crushed on that side.  The back is holding up pretty well.

I'm going to try to make these curls last until Thursday, but that is looking unlikely.  I think I'm going to return to using the Bee Mine curling butter to set the curls.  They seem to flatten more with the ORS twist and lock gel.  Also, I'll be glad when I get my eyebrows waxed. I'm starting to look like a wolf.

Wash Day

It has been six months since my last relaxer and a little over four months, since I started doing my own hair.

This is my hair fresh out of the curlformers. I was quite impressed, but I took a nap later and... well... I wish I could sleep standing up.

Anyways, back to wash day.  Since my hair was straight there wasn't any drama over detangling and such. I parted my hair in six sections, sprayed down each one with water and applied my Design anti-itch shampoo.  It was alright I guess. My head isn't itching like crazy right now, but it didn't make my head tingle like the Influance dandruff shampoo did.

I let that shampoo sit on my scalp for about ten minutes, then I hopped in the shower. I rinsed out the anti-itch and applied Design's moisture retention shampoo.  I don't know what moisture it retains because my hair felt squeaky clean like a clarifying shampoo.  Honestly, my hair feels a bit better after I use the SheaMoisture.  BUT this was only my first use, so I can't really give a good review.

After I rinsed out the last of the shampoo, I applied a crap load of suave conditioner to each section to soften it up. I rinsed that out, applied ORS replenishing conditioner, detangled and braided each section, then sat under my new dryer for 15 minutes,

I decided to leave the braids in when I rinsed out the deep conditioner.  I'm not sure if that was the best idea because I'm not sure I rinsed it all out.  But I lost a lot less hair.

As you can see for the pic above, I used curlformers. I used the generic version of the chi serum, coconut oil and ORS gel to set them.  I sat under my new dryer off and on for a total of three hours and the darn things dried.  My hair looked shiny when I took the curlformers out.

I'm excited to see how long these curls hold up:-)

I would like to end by saying that I love my new Thermal Ionic BaByliss hair dryer. It's like I'm in a salon. It's just that I finished setting my hair so late that I could only sit under there for about two hours Saturday night. I thought they were pretty dry, but I was scared. Curlformers are NOT your friend when the hair isn't dry. So I sat under there for another thirty minutes Sunday morning to be sure. My hair was totally dry. Like I said, I really love my new dryer.  Now.. if I could actually reach my goal of starting my hair earlier in the day.

Look What Came In The Mail

Soooo... my healthy, do-it-yourself hair journey came to a bit of a screeching halt with my press-n-curl.  I have not washed my hair in three weeks.  I know it's bad, but I just haven't had the time to tackle the issue. It takes me eight hours to wash, condition, deep condition, detangle and set my hair.  And no, that time does not include the actual hair drying time... but I digress.


A sample of Carol's Daughter's new Monoi conditioner came in the mail for me the other day. I was so excited.  I filled out something for it a couple of weeks ago and totally forgot about it.  I didn't think there was a chance I'd actually get a sample.

Well, this litter sucker is just under an ounce of glory.  It got me pumped up for this weekend's wash, but the more I look at it, the more it looks like a tease.  I really don't think there's enough product in this sucker for my entire head of hair.  However, beggars can't be choosers, right?

So!  I am armed with this sample that I may or may not use and my new dryer (hooray!).  I resisted the urge to buy a new styling product to set my beloved curlformers, but that didn't stop me from obsessing over ways to make the curlformer curls last longer.  I've looked over several girls' routines.  They all brush their setting product through each section of hair. I don't. I kind of just rub it on, so it's probably not distributed evenly.  I plan to change that this weekend.  Also, I plan to get an early start on the wash routine (before noon), but I may not be able to reach that goal because I have to take my car in for some work on Saturday.

Tool Change

Just a month ago, I purchased the Gold N Hot 1400 to help with my deep conditioning and speed up the styling process.

Well.... I just took the dryer back today and ordered a new one.  This dryer is approximately $40 and it basically gets an "F."

1. It was great for deep conditioning because you don't need your hair to dry.  You just need some hot air on the product

2. It's not very sturdy.  On more than one occasion, it came crashing down on my head.  Not only was it annoying, but it scared the crap out of my little dog, Roxie.

3.  My hair does not dry easily.  Since the age of five, I have spent A LOT of time under the dryer.  So I didn't think the dryer would dry my hair in 20 minutes, but I did expect SOMETHING. This thing did nothing for me.  I would probably have to sit under the thing for 24 hours for my hair to dry in curlformers.  I don't expect salon power out of these things, but I expect A LITTLE drying help.

I hate taking stuff back.  I know it's dumb because you shouldn't pay for something that doesn't get the job done.  I wanted to love this dryer, but IT DID NOT WORK for me.  I took it back to Sallys and ordered a Conair Babyliss dryer. 

 Hopefully it gives me a little more help.  Again, I'm not expecting a miracle, but I want something that I can sit under without fear of it crashing on my head and I want it to actually work towards drying a large portion of my hair.

Earthquakes!!

I took this picture at night and the cam could only focus on my bright shirt!

What an AMAZING day!  I experienced my first and second earthquakes today.  The first was a 3.9 and the second was a 3.8.

I am a Midwestern girl, so this is so wild to me.  I can honestly say, it's just like the movies.  You feel this sudden movement and it takes your mind a second to register that THIS IS AN EARTHQUAKE.  

I was sitting at my desk when the first one hit and I immediately called my husband and my momma.  When I couldn't get my mother on the line, I texted her and my father.  I was waaaay too excited.  In fact, my boss was slightly disturbed by how UNdistrubed and excited I was.

Everyone says I should have been preparing to get under a desk, instead of basking in the power of mother nature.  And you know what? They are right.  If one of those quakes had been the BIG one, I would have wasted critical moments.  I would have been too busy trying to absorb it all and determine if it was anything like I imagined it would be when I read accounts of earthquakes as a student.

Anyways... I am thanking God for showing the beauty of his power and his mercy.  This was indeed a great and amazing day to me.

Side note:  My hair is still straight.  I used a goodie ouchless barrette to pull half of it up and I bobbie pinned my bangs behind my ears.  It's boring, but a bit of a change up from the sleek straight look.

Houston, We Have A Problem!

It has only been four short months since I took over my haircare... and look at this!

Look at the amount of products under my sink.  I'll break it down for you:

4 different shampoos
12 different types of conditioners
2 bottles of hairspray (I'm trying to get a light hold, without the sting of heavy alcohol)
7 miscellaneous products including coconut oil, gels, smoothies, milk....

So I am going to take a firm stand right now with myself...ABSOLUTELY NO MORE PRODUCTS. NO MORE!

However, I am in need of more styling tools and accessories:-)  I need a brush of the Denman persuasion and just more headbands, clips and such.  I've never really collected hair accessories except for ponytail holders.  My mother was pretty strict when I was young. I was to return home with my hair in the same state it was in when I left the house.  Therefore, I did not play in my hair and my styles consisted of either wearing my hair down or in a ponytail.  I didn't put much imagination into it. I went to the shop to get it done and NEVER put additional heat on it.

I'm not hating on my Mom.  My hair was always nice and I always had a decent length because I kept fever fingers (yes, that's how my mother described hair-touchers) out of my head.

Of course, I'm two decades behind in do-it-yourself haircare because I just never had to do it before.  I've ripped out lots of hair and it's definitely been rough, but I'm proud of myself.  I'll get it together soon enough... and hopefully use all these dang products on which I spent my hard earned money.

I've Been A BAD Girl

I got my hair straightened today and I love it!!!  The stylist trimmed off two inches and gave me a press.  My scalp felt the heat of that comb a bit more than I'd like, so I'm glad that I won't need another trim for two months.

My trip to the shop was bad and good.  As I told my mother, the shampoo boy gets a thumbs DOWN.  I was so excited to see a man would be washing my hair because big hands mean a great scrubbing.  But he was so timid. I was definitely underwhelmed.  I like a little aggression in the scalp---  makes it feel good.

Anyways, after he shampooed, he attempted to untangle at the sink and I was about ready to sit up, when he finally gave up (let's just say it wasn't going so well).  I was moved to the blow dry girl, who quickly detangled, blow dried and moved me on to the stylist.

I loved the stylist.  I mean.. she's not better than my two favorite of all time (Dorothy and Frenchie), but she was better than the last chick I had.  We talked about the products I use, how I use them and how I style my hair.  It was a very interesting conversation.

And that's when I was bad and purchased MORE shampoo and conditioner.  I just couldn't help it. I haven't found my staples yet.  But I got some Design products and I am really hopeful that these will do the trick. I want to have two sets of good products so I can trade them out each week.  I also picked up a pack of larger curflormers and a new clip.  Yikes!  I'm putting myself on punishment.

I'm hoping to keep this straight look going for two weeks.  After that, my goal is to get more out of my curlformer sets.  When the curls start to fall, I want to do more than pull it back in a severe bun.  So I've been looking at some YouTube videos in hopes of finding a style that I can fashion my hair into, after the thrill is gone from the curls.

Musings

My hair is in limbo at the moment.  Wash day is Saturday.  I THOUGHT I was going to a shop to get it straightened and trimmed, but they sent me a rather impersonal email cancelling the appointment. Ugh! I am so annoyed.  So, I have another date with the curlformers and jacked up ends.  I may have to figure out how to trim it myself.

Here's something random:

A woman at my job told me she tried to twist her hair back like mine (not pictured above), but it didn't work because her Asian hair is too thin.  I was stunned.  She thinks my hair looks good like that.  Here I was lusting after her jet black, stick straight hair.  Interesting.

Oh and update: I just called the salon.  It turns out they had a software malfunction that sent out cancellation emails.  Hooray, my appointment is still on!  I'm getting my trim:-)

Strange Happenings

These are my curls!  It's day 3 of the curlformer set and I spent the day in drizzle.  I think it held up pretty well.  Of course my standards of cute may be changing because I've been so whack for so long.

Happenings.

1.  I found out that my Vitamin Shop carries Aubrey Organics facial cleansers, but it doesn't carry anything for hair.  Workers can order it for you, but they do not have it in stock.  I thought it was cool that they were willing to order it.  I didn't need any. I am on hiatus from purchasing products because things seem to be working okay at the moment.  I need to dedicate those funds to accessories:-)

2.  I went to Victoria's Secret to pick up some undergarments and discovered a little secret.  Chocolate brown bras are seasonal.  I consider the color my nude because I'm chocolate, but when I asked the lady about it, she told me this should be the season for it, but they don't have them in stock.  I gently placed my bag filled with items down and left.  There's no need to purchase something from a store that considers me seasonal.  It's funny they have the nude that I consider tan in stock for all styles all of the time. There was not a single chocolate brown bra in that store.

3.  My husband made we walk away from a new bag that I didn't have cash for.  I tell you I was ready to whip out the plastic, but he reminded me that the credit card was not a responsible option.  I'm still a bit mad at him, but I'm happy that he loved me enough to say it:-)

Ok.. It's Officially My Bday

This is how my hair looked for the big day.  It held up a bit better than expected, but my edges aren't as smooth as I would like.  However, if I'm going to be 100% natural one day, I better get used to it.  Here are some shots.  This is day 2 of my latest curlformer set.

I swear this camera makes my hair appear a lot shinier than it really is.  Oh... and I forgot to mention that someone actually complimented me on my hair.  She made my freaking day.  I thanked her out loud, but in my mind I felt like I'd won a gold medal.  This hair is a mighty battle.  Every little bit counts:-)