Hair: Ugh. Decided to try out the purple Herbal Essences Hydralicious S&C that I bought sometime ago and never used. The shampoo was thicker than jellied brains and didn't even lather until I added lots of water to it. Even then it was like trying to wash my hair with super glue.
    Rinsing it out was interesting too. Ever loaded every last inch of your hair with EVOO for an overnight treatment and then rinse it the next morning? Same kind of thing. Heavy, gloppy, greasy...

The matching conditioner would've been a dream were it not for the burning sensation it caused. It didn't leave behind a waxy residue when I rinsed it out but the Pantene conditioner that I followed it with certainly did.

Today's only leave-in was ELOO on the ends. I let the whole mess dry for as long as possible but ended up having to break out the blowfryer and dry upside down on the cool, high settings. Time constraints, people.
    Then I just shook it out and twisted it into a dreaded scrunchie bun...a look I hadn't rocked in years. That was the style for most of the afternoon. Upon returning home, I took it down, combed it out and put it in a proper bun with 2 bobby pins.

Etc.: Another interview, blah blah blah. I'm hardly trying anymore - went to this one with a black, glittery, chipped manicure, "experimental" hair and very little makeup. Drove like the devil to get there on time only to be told that the interview was being pushed back an hour (the time I'd originally requested when we set it up).

Halfway through the usual bs, I found out it was a part time position. Better than nothing, perhaps, but had I known that in advance, I wouldn't have bothered.

After it was over, I returned the Pantene Medium-Thick spray conditioner at Target...and this character was in line in front of me:



Yes, that's a man. He was there with an enormous black woman with enormous gold earrings. I had to keep from giggling and muttering, "this ain't Walmart, darlings" until they were well out of earshot.

Anyway, I eventually took the cheap route and got another bottle of Suave Kids double dutch apple detangler. It will do while I use up all of the random shampoos & conditioners that have been in my supply closet for æons.

Hair: Clarified and ready to start over. Yesterday I picked up more Pantene Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality S&C (mostly for the bottles, I confess) and decided to use one of my mother's Suave Pro rosemary mint conditoners as a light conditioner. That will start tomorrow. Today, like every Sunday, I needed a clean slate.

Also, I'm ironically happiest with the Pantene spray conditioner for curly hair. At least so far. It was my only leave-in today.

Music: Friday's show went rather well. Lizard only missed a minor part of one song. We also debuted our new song in front of a live audience...but once again said live audience was a scant few consisting of mainly Grateful Ed's family & friends.
    One very fashionable and flamboyant club patron wandered in after we'd finished our set and were tearing down. He was disappointed to have missed us even though he hadn't the first clue who we were. He asked me to sing a bar for him and said that I had a wonderful voice. And he hugged me at least 3 times.
    Downtown was crazy as it always is on the weekends. The clubs and restaurants were all quite busy and the streets and sidewalks were crowded like New York City. The curbs were all occupied so Lizard had to park his minivan in the street and put on his distress lights, blocking a lane as 5 of us threw our gear into the back and crammed into it with cars swerving to get around us. I rode in the back, smashed up against a door until we got back to Lizard's place. What a night!

Etc.: Spent most of last night washing and waxing my car, though my mother interrupted to have me drive her to a friend's party...in her car. I was in no shape for company but hadn't seen the hostess or her 3 kids in years so I made the effort to go in and say hi anyway. They are lifelong family friends and I wasn't sure when I'd see them again. It was a hippie party and I drove my mum's car home with a pink plastic peace sign around my neck.

Today was spent painting my parents' office a strange color that I can only describe as a pale, dusty berry. It goes fantastically with the Victorian items in my room so I requested to have the same color when the time comes to paint in there.

In any case I'm exhausted so I'll bid you all adieu for now.

Curlgirl: Amen to that!

Hair: Broke in the Pantene Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality S&C again. I the Nature Fusion line! Amaaazing softness.
    The Curly detangler is working well too. The only problem today was the ELOO. Wayyy too heavy - hair is in a bun, which works for all of the home renovation I've been doing.

Etc.: For the last two days my parents and I have been renovating and relocating their home office, which is a lot of work by itself, let alone in 100° weather. Outdoor painting = thank God for umbrellas!

Right now I'm watching Property Virgins on HGTV and cracking up at the couple who are looking all over San Diego for a nice house in the $400,000 range. The first place they looked was one of the poshest (read: most expensive) areas in the county. They're obviously not native to the area.
    I always find humor in discussing real estate with people who aren't from SoCal.
    Looks like the couple ended up moving into the area where I used to work. I'm sure their son will appreciate all of the strip clubs and "adult" shops nearby as he gets older. Suckers.

In other news, I've been trying to restore my pallor after the burn from 2 weeks ago and so far it's coming along nicely. I'd love to be even paler than I was before the burn if that's even possible.

Anyway, time to trade these paint clothes for pj's. I'm knackered.


Your Autumn Sense is Taste



It's pretty simple... you love fall because it's the most delicious time of the year.
From Halloween candy to Thanksgiving leftovers, there's always a culinary treat right around the corner for you.

You also enjoy the smaller seasonal foods of fall - a pumpkin latte, apple crisp, or butternut squash soup.
You wait all year for your fall food favorites to return, and you're going to savor every single one of them!

What's Your Autumn Sense?

Hair: Yesterday I combined the last of my Pantene Volume and Nature Fusion Smooth Vitality shampoos in the latter's bottle and slightly diluted the mix with water. Interesting blend...still does the job, albeit with thinner lather. I  was also able to use up the MTDM conditioner, thank goodness - one less annoying abbreviation.

Thus today I was left with a blended shampoo, Nature Fusion conditioner and Suave light conditioner to do a WCC. I'm experimenting with washing the entire length of my hair every 3 days.

Lately my only leave-in is Pantene's Curly detangler. Its formula seems closest to that of the old one which I loved. Why oh why did they have to go and change everything?

So far my hair has been air dried for a long time but I haven't yet managed to put it up. It's been a rather busy day.

Etc.: My father's band has 2 gigs in San Juan Capistrano over the weekend so the house is all mine until Monday night. I've wasted no time in making it as cool and dark as possible though it's not even 90°F outside.

The window in my room now has a blackout shade behind its heavy velvet curtains to prevent intrusion from even the faintest flicker of sunlight. The guest room has one too. So nice to be rid of the broken, old vertical blinds that were there before!

Anyway, hope everyone's enjoying their weekend so far. I'm off to create another deliciously dark manicure for the week. Ta-ra!


You Are a Hazelnut Latte



You are a quiet thinker. You like nothing better than an early fall morning when you're alone with your thoughts and your coffee.
As each day gets colder, you can't help but remember autumns past and reflect on your life a bit.

You love fall weather. A gray day is perfect for writing, reading, or just thinking... all activities you enjoy.
You like feeling warm and energized inside while the world is cold and quiet outside. It's the perfect contrast for you to feel inspired.

What Autumn Drink Are You?