One year of being a curly girl.

This time last year I started an experiment! I was to do something bold and daring, something that, if I had told my friends and family before hand, they might have questioned my sanity. I was going to embrace my natural hair…no more flat ironing it every single day, no more hiding it in a ponytail, no more anything that would hide what God put on this head of mine!

Here is how it looked the first two weeks

I'm still unable to find a picture of my hair straight and down. I'm thinking of straightening it tonight just to do it and to take a picture for y'all.

Before I show the "now" pictures I want to share what going curly has taught me. I'm sure some of y'all are thinking "yeah right what can hair teach some one", well I'll tell you. First of all it has taught me acceptance.
Accepting my self the way God made me, not the way my friends look or how Hollywood thinks some one should look. What first got my into this horrid cycle of frying my hair into submission was none other than my best-friend. She was beautiful; she and everyone who saw her knew it. Little did I know she had curly hair! Until one day, it rained. Her hair looked just like mine, slightly frizzy and poofy. Then one day, before a youth event at our church, I went to her house to hang out. That was when the self inflicted abuse started. In my best friends bedroom. As skilled as she was with that flat iron it still took an hour- hour and a half! All the compliments that night left me sure of one thing. Straight has was good. My hair was bad.
While she was not to first person to straighten my hair she was the person who got me into doing to daily.


Second it taught me that being different is okay. Really, it is. Here I was 13 and already hating every thing about my body simply because my best friend did. I was short and skinny with "that" hair as people called it. I wore glasses and was clumsy. Some how I always blamed my hair on my misfortunes. Most of my friends were Mexicans with dark skin, hair, and eyes. I was white, boy was I white, with bright hair and bright eyes. Needless to say I stuck out! I tried everything to blend in but in time I realized that maybe God didn't want me to blend in. Maybe I'm God's "sore thumb"...OK lame joke but ya get the idea. I stuck out.


Thirdly, Beauty is more than what is on the outside. Yes the outside does count a little, but loving your self for who you are is what beauty really is! A truly beautiful person not only accepts how she looks but how those around her looks. She thinks others are pretty and lets them, in a sincere and honest way, lets them know

As strange as it seems the one thing that I swore was ruining my life is now the one thing that every single day people compliment and notice. I get asked all the time "do you hate your hair?" "My daughter has curly hair like yours but she flattens it every day! What do you do to your hair?" To this I smile and tell them how I use to hate my hair but I learned to love it by accepting it. While this may not be a purely Biblical based thought itis so true, If you love your "faults" then those close to you will learn to see them as your "trade mark". I can't say it enough, being happy with how you look is the first step to being truly beautiful. I deal with the doubts every single day just like y'all. "Am I to skinny, is my nose to big, are my eyes to big, am I to short, is my hair out of control etc. etc. etc." In the end I always end up closing my eyes and thanking God for how He "fearfully and wonderfully knit me in my mother’s womb". I may not always like what I see but I know God does, and that does count for something.

OK back to hair. Here is the method! You can also find this on Wikipedia
I found out about the method the YLCF site. Here is their translation of how to get your curl on.

Curly Care
the Curly Girl Way!

"My philosophy is, `Blow-dry straight, you're happy for a day; stay curly, you're happy for life.'"
-Lorraine Massey to The Toronto Star

So how does a Curly Girl care for her curls? Lorraine Massey's curly care principles include:

* don't use shampoo (except if you're a wavy girl, and then only a little bit once a week)
* never blow-dry your hair (unless you use a diffuser)
* never comb your hair
* use lots and lots of conditioner

Curls needs lots of moisture (think conditioner) to maintain their curl. But the main ingredient in most shampoos is a harsh detergent (such as sodium laurel sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, or sodium laureth sulfate), which dries out your curls (making them frizzy to boot!).

As Lorraine Massey told New York Times, "The curly-haired can leave their hair hydrated with natural oils and clean their scalps quite well by rinsing only with hair conditioner once a week or less. Rubbing the scalp firmly with fingers is enough to loosen dirt."

The Basic Steps of Curly Care

1. Step under the "waterfall" of your shower and rinse your curls well (but don't touch them!).
2. Once-a-week Cleansing Step: Using your fingertips and a bit of conditioner (gentle shampoo if you're a wavy girl), gently rub your entire scalp. Rinse well.
3. Gently but generously and evenly distribute conditioner through your curls. Wavy Girls, rinse well. Botticelli Curly Girls, rinse 'til your curls feel right. Corkscrew Curly Girls, rinse for just a second. (Rinse with cold water to "seal" the hair shaft.)
4. Use your towel to "scrunch-dry" your curls, gently scrunching towards your head.
5. Spread a small amount of gel over your palms and scrunch your curls in an accordion motion. Repeat until all your curls have been scrunched (scrunching the canopy last), but don't over-gel!
6. Use claw clips to arrange and style your curls (click here to see examples), twisting any last curls into place. Then don't touch your hair while it dries! (Use a diffuser on the coolest, lowest setting if you must speed the process.)
7. Bend over and shake your dried curls to give them more volume. Enjoy your soft, springy curls!



Extra Tips

* Thin your conditioner by adding water to the bottle and shaking well, in order to allow for a more even distribution of the conditioner throughout your hair with less to rinse out.
* Blondes, mix lemon juice with your conditioner to eliminate product buildup and discoloration of your hair.
* Use a mustard-like squeeze bottle with nozzle to cleanse or treat your roots only.
* Use cold water, especially on the last rinse, to “seal” the hair (hot water strips the natural oils that protect your hair).
* Hang in there for at least three weeks. You may have to wean yourself off shampoo gradually, as it takes a bit for your scalp to adjust, so shampoo a bit if you must, but don’t give up yet! Curly hair is happy hair!

My changes to the method:
My hair is to long and thick for the clipping method to really work with out giving me a killing head ache, so when I have an important day or I just have some free time in the morning I do what is called "plopping". Here is a very helpful video on how to do it; while Jessi calls it "plunking" it is still the same thing, just a difernt name. Sometimes, when I'm rushed on the weekends, I will wash my hair after work on Saturday nights and plop it while I sleep or at least for part of the night!
I also use baby shampoo or a this natural shampoo instead of cutting it out all the way.

For those who are older or have your parents permission check out the curly girl forums for helpful tips! When I first started Naturally curly's site was extremely helpful and encouraging! Thanks guys!

OK, so for the now pictures.














I'm not saying that straightening your curly hair or curling your straight hair is wrong. You just need to learn that there is nothing wrong with your hair the way it is naturally.
Sometimes I straighten mine; some times I’ll curl it a little more for concerts when it is looking a little flat. So, for the sake of your hairs health, please, practice moderation! If you do use a flat iron or curler, make sure you use some sort of a protecting product on your hair first. I use this. It works wonderfully and doesn’t take a lot, it doesn’t even leave a film on my hair the next day!

So, if your an incognito curly girl, give this a whirl, the looks on peoples faces will be worth it when they first see what your hair really looks like. Be warned your friends will want to touch it! A lot! My first few weeks where kinda crazy. At choir my hair would get touched and played with though rehearsal. So be ready for your friends and family's' shock. Oh yes, and for brothers to throw stuff at the back of your hair to see if it sticks in your curls... or to randomly flick your hair...or pull a curl just to watch it bounce back...gotta love em =]

What do you do when the winter winds start to blow?

You Moisturize of course! Its that time of year again, winter. *sighs* I honestly dislike winter! Give me 100+ degrees any day over winter! Since its here I might as well face the facts and share how to keep your skin health all winter!

With winter often comes dry skin, but have no fears its relatively easy to prevent and or cure it!

1. We've all heard a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! So one way to keep that skin hydrated is drink water! How much should you be drinking? Take how much you weigh and divide it in half, that is the number of ounces you should be drinking each day.(approximately)

2. Cut back on the hot water in the shower and when washing your hands. The water does not have to be scolding! Hot water washes more of the skins natural oil and drains the skin of its moisture faster than cooler water! I'm NOT saying that you should take icy showers but just cut back on the hot a little.

3. Don't just assume that the same lotion you use the rest of the year will keep your skin soft in the winter. I just had to switch my face lotion because of this! I went from sensitive skin to an advanced hydrating lotion. My favorite facial lotion is the generic CVS brand its about 3 dollars cheaper than Olay and works just as well.

4. Use lotion every single time you bathe.

5. If you suffer from dry scalp in the winter try deep treating your scalp with some warm olive oil for about 15-20 minutes just to relieve the dryness and to add some moisture. Be sure to wash it out thoroughly!! Also there are shampoo/conditioners made just for dry scalp! My favorite shampoo/conditioner for dry scalp is Head and shoulders, you can normally find coupons and free samples at their website.

6. Don't forget your lips! Our lips are often exposed even when we're all bundled up! A simple chap stick can help prevent your lips from splitting and cracking. Carmex works wonderfully! Basic kind seem to work best for me, The fruity glossy lip gloss' may be fun but put on a base coat of protection first!


Keeping your skin healthy in the winter time is not hard, you just have to know how to do so. Got any tips? Share them!

Coupon giveaway and other great deals.

Hey Everyone! My mom is doing a coupon give away! All you have to do is leave a comment in order to be in entered in the drawling! It ends soon so be sure to check it out!

Also I got a flier in the mail to try Proactive for one month for free! I've only been using it for five days or so and I've already noticed a difference in my skin! I have very sensitive skin so I was nervous about trying it at first. All it did the first day was make my face pink because I just dived right in and started using all of it full force instead of waiting and slowing adding in the lotion like they suggest, but anyways =]. Any one that I refer can get the same deal I got pay 5.98 I believe it was for shipping and that’s it! Since I have to refer you I'll need you E-mail addresses. You can send me an e-mail with your name and e-mail address and I'll sign you up under me so you can get your free month worth too! In no way will I find out your home address or anything other than your e-mail. I'm really excited to find out how my skin will look at the end of the month! Again if you’re interested send me an e-mail at youngladyinwaiting.ymail.com. I hope to hear from y'all soon!

Tips for clearer skin

This is the first of what I hope to be semi-regual post on health/beauty tips.
The first one shall be on clearer skin.


Many of us have suffered from acne at least once, if you haven't then your very blessed and I'd love to have you genes! I don’t have perfect skin but over the last month I have found ways to keep my skin clean and clearer.
The main thing NOT to do is don’t mess with them. A bad pimple can take 8 days or so to heal BUT if you mess with it can take three weeks or more!
Drinking allot of water is also very important and one of the easiest things to do to improve you skin. Eight glasses is the recommended amount of daily water intake. I'm sure you've all heard that eating chocolate and French-fry means you'll break out, this is not true as long as that's not all you’re eating. If you eat a balanced diet of healthy food and eat things like chocolate and greasy foods sparingly then more than likely it won't make you break out. Eating veggies and fruits are wonderful for the skin because they supply the body with the things it needs to control oil production and to keep you feeling great.

Here are a few quick tips.
~Do not touch your face, this spreads oil and will cause breakouts.
~Change your pillow case often to prevent oil and bacteria from spreading from your face to you pillow case and then back to your face.
~Pull your hair back off your face at night; even if its just a headband or loose ponytail. You hair will run against you face and get not only your hairs oil on your skin but also what ever product you used in your hair.
~When your doing your hair be careful not to get hairspray on you face, this can cause majoir problems. Cover you face with one hand while you spray to prevent getting it all over your face.



One thing that I had to do to keep my skin clear is stop wearing makeup. I have nothing against make-up I enjoyed wearing it but it caused my skin it break out, even when I tried "light" and "clean" make-up. If you don’t want to give up make-up then try to cut back on how much you use. Give your skin a break every so often and go natural! I've never worn foundation but I've been told that it’s very bad for your skin because it can clog your pores; if you do wear it be sure to wash your face before bed! Another way to help cut down on make-up caused acne is to wash your powder brushes/poofs once a week. The shelf life of powder is about six months after that time its best to throw it out, bacteria can be transferred from your face to your brush to you make up that over time will grow in your makeup which in turn will get on your face and cause blemishes.

If choose to go with out makeup be warned that the first little bit you’ll more than likely feel weird and you’ll feel very self aware about every “fault” but after about a week and half you’ll notice a difference in your skin. I’ve been tempted to wear powder since I stopped wearing make-up last month but my skin has cleared up so much! A tip to remove redness is to put a few drops of eye drops on the affected area and in a few minutes the redness will be greatly reduced! Ice also will bring down the swelling and will reduce the size in about 2 minutes. If you have a shine problem oil blotting sheets work great for absorbing the oil and they only take 3 seconds to wipe over you face! Be sure to wear a little lotion with SPF to keep your skin glowing and healthy.

Every morning after I wash my face I apply face lotion, if you have dry skin then your face will try to produce more oil to moisturize you body and may cause break-outs. I have combination skin so I don’t know how people with oily skin should apply lotion but I'm sure you can look it up online and read up on you skin type for more details.

It’s best to wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. I use Noxzema in the morning and at night I use a mixture of witch-hazel and tea tree oil to tone and clean my face. I've tried many differnt products over the years and nothing seems to work as well as witch hazel. Another great product that’s all natural is Acne no more by Forces of Nature. This is applied only on pimples (not the whole face) and normally clears them up in 2-3 days.

Acne can be embarrassing, trust me I know, but it shouldn't stop you from feeling great about your self. The most beautiful girl with the clearest skin is far from pretty if she doesn't have a good heart. So even if you do have to deal with acne, as I do, remember that it’s simply a fact of life and that it’s truly what’s on the inside that counts. So show that pretty heart and let your love for Christ shine for the world to see.

1st Peter 3:3-4 “whose adoring let it not be the outward adoring of plaiting of the hair, the wearing of gold, or of the putting on of apparel; but let the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quite spirit, which is in the sight of God a great price.”

True Beauty

What is beauty? Sharon Hersh, author of "Mom, I feel fat" sat down with 25 middle school aged girls and asked them to "describe the perfect girl" Their response, in order of importance, where as follows:
Thin
Blond
Beautiful
Athletic
Has big breast
Has a boyfriend
Confident
Straight white teeth (no braces!)
Has her own car
Doesn’t have zits
Has her own phone

Who do we know who fits all of those? Barbie. Only one I can think of. That’s what middle schoolers said was the perfect girl. Notice most of them are how the girl would look? True beauty does not start on the outside, it starts with the heart. I'm sure we've all seen a pretty girl and thought how nice she looks and gone up to talk to her, but once we got to know her we realize that her heart is corrupt. On the other hand I'm sure we've all seen a "plain" girl and gone up to talk to her and her smile overwhelms up, its lights up the whole room and her eyes sparkle with the joy of the Lord. This kind of girl possesses an inner beauty. People like that make me feel loved and makes me want to smile. They make you feel like you’re important. Theres is a song that has a chorus of "I saw Jesus in you, I saw Jesus in you, in the words that you spoke, in the things that you do, I saw Jesus in you". Those are the people to whom I am pulled to the most.

One of best friend when I was first starting high school was very beautiful, boys flocked her and flirted and teased and fawned over her. When I got to know her better I realized how unsure of her self she was, she felt ugly and was always trying to show off her body and her looks. She always talked about how fat and how ugly she was around people to get them to say that she wasn't. The girl was 5'4 and only about 110 pounds and still she felt fat, she never could loose wait so she just complained about it and didn't go to any extremes thankfully. She was beautiful on the out-side but her insecurities and fears and self-hate made her heart, the part of her that truly was the most wonderful thing about her, hide from the world and from most people.

So what is true beauty? The joy of the Lord is true beauty. When some one has this joy she is the most beautiful thing on earth! Her eyes sparkle, her lips smile, her heart sings, and her hands show love with every thing she does. She pours herself into all she does. She loves and cares for those she meets. She is her self. She speaks kind words and she loves the Lord.
She doesn't try to make her self beautiful, but she is beautiful by letting down the barriers of hurt and fear that guard her heart and soul. By this I do NOT mean she does not guard her heart for her future husband and for her Lord. But simply not hide behind past wounds and fears.
I'm in the middle of reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderedge, I've cried. I've laughed, and I'm learned. I would encourage every one to read this book; I'd beg you to read it. If you only read one book (other than the Bible) this year I pray that it will be this one.

Another good book is Dear Princess it is geared toward younger teens (13-14) but I still read it and learn for it. It deals with many of the issues of the heart and of the spirit. It is from a Mennonite view point so it does talk of head coverings and of wearing dark hose at all time but it is still a wonderful book.

I think the main thing to keep in mind it that you where made by the Hand that created the stars and moon. That He formed every little detail about you and gave you his stamp of approval. He beamed with joy at your creations. He loves you and every detail about you. He knows the number of hairs on your very head! You'd never look at a gift from your best friend and complain and nit-pick at it, "oh, I like it but I wish I could change the color or the size". So why do we do it to our Maker? Samantha suggest reading Captivating I took her advice and I am loving the book! Once again I'd suggest this book to everyone!

Here is a link about feminine beauty; I found this site while doing research for my report on true femininity
May the Lord open you eyes to how beautiful you truly are and to just how much He really does love you.

1st Peter 3:3-4 “whose adoring let it not be the outward adoring of plaiting of the hair, the wearing of gold, or of the putting on of apparel; but let the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quite spirit, which is in the sight of God a great price.”

Modesty: Whats the big deal?

On Monday my mother, my brothers and I went shopping for clothes. Shopping can truly be an eye opener to how we throw aside modesty when it’s inconvenient. While I was looking for skirts I found a beautiful skirt, it was pink and green very springy and super girly. I held it up to me and it was to short, for a moment I wondered if I could get away with wearing it; Then my conscience started talking to me, well more like arguing with me, Think about your brothers in Christ do you want to be a stumbling block? no of course I don’t but they shouldn't be looking. No they shouldn't but you shouldn't put them in a place where they will have to fight looking. But it’s so cute. so what? You know that it might cause some one to stumble. I sighed and put it back slightly annoyed. Then I saw a nice shirt and it was to low .I put it back starting to getting frustrated with the lack of clothes my size. I then found an awesome skirt that was just the right size it came a good 3-4 inches below the off limit length and fitted perfectly every where else! By the end of the trip I had found two skirts and a shirt.
As spring rolls around there is going to be more and more chances to cause our Christian brothers (and other men) to stumble. We must strive and make sure that our clothes are not only long enough to cover what they need to but also that they are not too tight. I personally see nothing wrong with girls wear pants if they are not tight. Many jeans bring emphasis to the rear and to the thighs, If you think this is not a stumbling block to guys I highly suggest you check out the rebelution's modesty survey, Real guys answer wither or not something is a stumbling block I think it would a real eye opener to many young ladies. Also a great way to find out if an outfit is going to be a problem is ask you dad, my dad is very honest some times to the point where nerve racking to ask him but when ever I'm not sure about something I can count on him to give me an honest answer. Here is a link that has a check list for clothing.
Apart from our clothes the way we act must be modest as well. I'm sure you've all been told before sit with you legs together; well many ladies forget to do that! When you bend down to get something make sure your shirt covers your back when you bend, I try to make a habit of placing my hand on my lower back when I bend just to be sure that my shirt stays down. Button up shirts can be a huge problem! It is a good idea to wear a tank top under them, because then you move you can some times see inside. I know y'all have tips and idea on keeping modest so please share them!

There are no better cosmetics than a severe temperance and purity, modesty and humility, a gracious temper and calmness of spirit; and there is no true beauty without the signatures of these graces in the very countenance.
Arthur Helps

Two weeks and no shampoo or brushing!

I hit the two week mark of being shampoo free! I was so very unsure of being shampoo free and not brushing my hair but it really works! So many of my friends have been asking for the curly girl website because they are tired of "torturing" their hair as well. I looked and looked and I couldn't fine any pictures of my hair in its natural state, all of my pictures where me with straightened hair. It’s been very hard to get used to leaving my hair to do its own thing and even when it’s not as "tame" as I wish it would be, I can at least say "that’s my curl, that's what God gave me". I'm learning accept that God made me look the way I do and there’s nothing I can do about it. Hating my hair and complaining about its natural state was very much a habit, I'd walk by a mirror and cringe at the site of my puffy hair. By trying embrace my hair has helped me see that God makes each of us different and that everyone is a work of art, personally designed by the hand of God.