The laziest braid and curl ever

I did this during the summer.
It turned out so well to be such a lazy style!

Products: Suave Humectant to Cowash, garnier fructis leave in cream to style

Procedure: Cowash the night before, and add leave in cream. Allow hair to get mostly dry, about 70% dry. Braid hair into 7 very lazy and sloppy cornrows. Add a small perm rod to the end. Unravel and fluff in the morning.

Maintenance: Pile hair on top of head and sleep with satin bonnet on.

I seriously don't know how this turned out so well. It was literally the perfect curly fro look. 

Quick easy hair: wet bun

I wore buns a lot this summer, since I was in the twist/braid/bun challenge on LHCF.
I love them: they're quick, easy, and chic.
I would say that I "can't wait" to have my bun back, but I'm REALLY enjoying my short hair at the moment. It'll get here when it gets here. Lol.

Products: V05 Strawberry something or other to cowash and leave-in, coconut oil, ORS edge control, scarf,   scrunchie,brush, good hair day pin

Procedure: Cowash. Add some conditioner back in, seal with coconut oil. Put hair in ponytail. Twist ponytail and pin it up with the good hair pin. Slick back hair with ORS and brush, tie down scarf to set for about 5-10 minutes.

Maintenance: I usually redo this every day, so I don't maintain it.

Can I wax poetic about the Good Hair Day pins for a quick minute? This is how they look:

They are fabulous! One pin is all I needed to hold up my hair. They hold very snugly and do not irritate my scalp or snag my hair.

You can find them at a Sally Beauty Supply near you. 

Braid and Curl

Here are a few quick snaps of a braid and curl I did a little while back. Obviously before I got my fade lol.

Sleepy face

Second Day

Products: Suave Humectant Moisture to cowash, Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie

Procedure: Cowash, allow to dry a little. Braid up damp hair with the smoothie, roll ends on a roller. Allow to set overnight. Unravel and fluff next morning.

Maintenance: For second day and beyond, I sleep with a satin bonnet on my head and pile all the hair to the top. Unravel and fluff the next morning.

Very easy and simple. I had actually cut some bangs for dimension at this point, I think you can maybe notice in these pics.

Quick and Easy Vegan: Scrambled Red Pepper Tofu and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I've been on a vegan kick lately. I really am trying to do it this year. Putting the label on myself would make me feel really pressured, so all I'm saying is, I'm trying to eat vegan meals more often than not.

This was a really easy weeknight meal. I apologize for my ultra basic plating and minimal photos, but I wasn't planning to take pictures of this meal at all. Then I remembered, you're a blogger, silly.

This meal is multipurpose: I think it's suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Feel free to change up the seasonings to suit your taste. 

Ingredients:

Scrambled Red Pepper Tofu:

1/2 cube medium firm to firm tofu (avoid silken, the texture will be too mushy)

olive oil

1 red pepper

2 garlic cloves

garlic powder

1 cup green onions 

1 plum tomato

Mrs. Dash's salt free garlic herb seasoning

seasoned salt

(185 calories/serving, 9g carbs, 10g fat, 14g protein, 4g sugar, 106g sodium)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

1 sweet potato

olive oil

garlic powder

seasoned salt

Mrs. Dash's salt free garlic herb seasoning

(146 calories/serving, 20g carbs, 7g fat, 2g protein,7g sugar, 128g sodium)

1. Place potato in microwave to cook. It took about 15 minutes for me. 
2. Sprinkle olive oil in the bottom of a pan. Add garlic and allow to get a little brown. Then add chopped red peppers, green onions, and tomatoes. Saute.
3. Remove your potato from the microwave. Cut into thick slices and place on flat baking tray. Brush or drizzle each slice with olive oil. Sprinkle garlic powder, seasoned salt, and herb seasoning. Place in oven for about 20 minutes on 350.
4. Crumble tofu with fork or hands into sauteed veggie mixture. Stir and add seasonings. I like to turn up the fire a little bit to get it brown. 
5. Remove potatoes from oven. Plate with tofu. Enjoy!

College Student Tips:

• This can be about two meals, three if you eat like a bird, but that's not me. No sir! This makes a good lunch-just place in some Tupperware and go!
• Don't skip the microwave part for the potato. Baking potatoes in the oven from raw takes a loooong time-too much time for me. You could boil it instead, I suppose, if you have hangups about using the microwave and carcinogenic radiation-but I prefer the simplicity of the microwave.
• You can leave this dish pretty much unattended to do your homework while it cooks. Just keep the fire low on the tofu and don't make your temp higher than 350 on the potatoes. 

Final Note: I'm going to try to step up my cooking blogger game, hence the nutritional information breakdown (taken from my MyFitnessPal recipe calculator) and the college student tips. Let me know what you think, and if you have any other ideas about how I can make this more useful for readers. Thanks. :)

Fade progress: 3 weeks/Face of the Day

I started wearing it non slicked down at the third week.
I honestly think it might be just a little too scalpy for this look, but I was tired of the waves look
Products: Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie, Ecostyler Gel
I slicked down both the sides for a faux tapered look.
I also liked my makeup look that day (sans that stupid breakout at my temple).

Eyes: Maybelline clear mascara, Elf liquid eye liner, Nars concealer

Cheeks: Wet and Wild Mellow Wine (my new fave!)

Brows: Touch of dark brown NYC shadow

Base: Stila Bronzing Tinted Moisturizer

Lips: NYC Petal, Wet and wild clear gloss

Fade progress: 2 weeks

I took these pictures 2 weeks after I got my fade.
I hadn't gotten a lining or anything.
I simply cowashed and slicked my hair down with a little ecostyler gel and a brush, tying down a durag down till it dried.

My neck is mad hairy lol.

Medium-sized Twists

I did these once during the summer.
They look much better on camera, I think.
I promise I am wearing a tube top in these pictures, lol.
These were done on freshly cowashed hair without any product at all. I wasn't at my own home, and had none of my products with me.

1 month fade anniversary! January 2013-Monthly hair update

Exactly one month ago I shaved my head! Yay!
It's been a mostly uneventful month, but I think I should maybe get into the habit of doing monthly hair updates. You know, get some kind of structure on this joint, know what I mean?

Routine/Products: Shampoo/condition daily with Bioinfusion Shampoo and Suave Humectant. Rub in small amounts of Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie and Ecostyler Gel. Let dry. At night, I usually rub my head with castor oil or jojoba oil.

Likes: I almost have a legit TWA now! Yay!

Dislikes: My head is COLD. It's freezing outside and my poor dome is suffering the brunt of it. Repeat to self: I must remember to put on hats, I must remember to put on hats, I must remember....

OOTD: Afrikan-inspired for the Office (Old post)

I love incorporating my pride in my African heritage into my personal style.
Currently, I don't have too many pieces, so I try to utilize the few that I do.

Top: My mother's friend purchased it in.. Ghana, I believe...but I could be wrong about that

Blazer: Forever 21

Trousers: Forever 21

Earrings: Forever 21

Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Stretched Twist and Curl (old post)

I will be doing a few posts of hairstyles I did right before the BIG chop.
This became one of my staples this semester because it's quick and cute.
Twistout on wet hair the night before, and then I stretch the roots with a blowdryer in the morning.
Products:
Shea moisture curl enhancing smoothie
Garnier MoroccanOil for shine.

This is before I stretch it out.

Finished product-I'm sorry I don't have a better pic.

Yes, those are prescription, and yep, my eyesight is pretty bad. Despite being an avid carrot eater lol.

OOTD: Teaching Style

I am going to begin student teaching in a few weeks, so I will be probably sharing a few of the outfits I wear in the classroom.
I try to keep it simple and professional.

Please excuse the blotches on the mirror-ha!

I can't really remember where I bought anything, so I'm sorry about that.

October Half Marathon

I ran a Halloween themed half marathon back in October, and here are a few pics.
I had the most perfect running weather one could ever imagine!
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I got the time that I was seeking, give or take a few minutes.
I look forward to doing more running events this year.

My costume was the lamest thing ever because I only decided at the last minute I would attempt one at all. I was the most unmotivated hula dancer in the world, I suppose, lol.

Back and Faded....

I took a brief hiatus from blogging, but now I'm back and ready to have a go at it.
A lot has happened since I last blogged, but the biggest news as far as hair goes is that I got a fade on December 17, 2012.

Right before pics:

The fade:

My reasons for doing it:
-Unhealthy hair
-Boredom
-I've just always had this notion that I've got to do it once in my life, and the time felt right.

So now you'll be able to watch my hair journey from start to finish. :)