Good Morning Beautiful!

Dodge.

'39.

Natural Hair 1O1

 If you haven't noticed by now, I do have a thing for hair throughout some of my posts. If my hair is all jacked up, then it'll be one mucked up rest of the day for me. When I'm in that mood, that is when I throw on a wig! I've previously mentioned that I've been relaxer-free for almost a year. I've noticed that the females in my family hair starts to thin out around the crown and bald through time from the over use of relaxers.  So that put me en route of refusing to furthermore use relaxers.

Now I've been accidentally in "transition" for a while now. It is kind of tough actually. I have to work with two different textures in my hair at the same time. I have my new growth coming in at the roots while the chemically treated hair is still on the ends. The whole time I was sitting, wondering, "Why are my old usual products not quite working for me anymore?" LOL. I was also still unknowingly damaging my hair with heat to maintain the two textures.

I'm too wimpy to do a big chop (BC). My hair was already armpit length when I was using relaxers, so it was pretty devastating when big clumps of hair would come out at a time while detangling. I'm figuring out that conditioning and braiding has been key to preventing major breakage.  I've even taken to the technique of leaving the braids up while washing my hair. It cuts the terrible detangling process out, which makes major hair breakage pretty much none existent. I've also learned that when I do have to do some detangling it is way better to just finger-comb and sometimes follow up with the use of a wide tooth comb if needed. I've always combed from the bottom working my way up through the roots.

For a deep conditioner (DC) I like to use:

• Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Coconut Milk (can be found in the healthy section of regular grocery stores)
• Coconut Oil
• 1 Avocado

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Strain the mixture through an knee-high, if it isn't smooth enough. This is so that you won't have to pick out pieces of avocado in your dry hair later.
3. Strain into an applicator bottle to prevent a huge mess during application.
4. Part hair into sections and apply mixture.
5. Massage into hair and scalp. Massaging the scalp actually promotes hair growth stimulation.
6. Leave in hair for at least 45 minutes. The longer it stays in, the better. I like to let hair sit for 2 hours covered in a plastic cap and a towel wrapped around my neck.
7. Rinse out mixture.

These ingredients add shine and moisture with great natural fats. Ingredients can be found in health food and vitamin stores. For a quick hit of much needed moisture, throughout the day I use a mixture in spray bottle consisting of mainly water with an oil, like olive oil. Sweet almond oil or jojoba oil are good to use too. It is better to spray water onto hair first and then with oil. This way the oil seals in the moisture instead of blocking it out. Doing hot olive oil treatments help as well, especially, throughout the harsh winter weather.  By the way, you can also enhance cheaper conditioners by adding an oil to the bottle!

Upgraded: School Lunches

Has anyone else noticed through the year changes made in the kids cafeteria food? The other day my sister said they've stopped having pizza day at school a year ago and now they've stopped serving cheese fries. Even 2% milk will no longer be an option. We can thank First Lady Michelle Obama for making the biggest changes to school food criteria with the USDA in fifteen years! Through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, kids won't have any other choice but to eat healthy. Of course, healthy eating has to take place at home too. Kids can still bring their own unhealthy lunches to school.



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Bogus Terms

Some very popular products may include label claims using these terms:

• 100 percent natural
• Contains organic ingredients
• Cruelty-Free
• Earth-friendly
• Environmentally safer
• Essentially nontoxic
• Hypoallergenic/Dermatologist Tested/Allergy Tested/Non-Irritating
• Made with nontoxic ingredients
• Made with organic essential oils
• Vegan

Seem legit right? None of these terms are actually regulated. That is why you have to look for the certified seals on products. And even then you have to watch out for the order in which ingredients are listed on the label. The first five ingredients listed are the most prominent in the product. So the "Hypoallergenic/Dermatologist Tested/Allergy Tested/Non-Irritating" is really up to the individuals skin condition and allergy. Most of the products saying, "contains organic ingredients" have only one certified organic ingredient. The "100 percent natural" product can still contain preservatives and parabens. The same goes for products claiming, "cruelty-free". That doesn't mean it doesn't have any harsh chemicals. The "Made with organic essential oils" would be misleading because the USDA only regulates actual food in products, not including plant derived ingredients. And how the heck can you be "Essentially nontoxic"?

 

Now days you have to basically be your own doctor and teacher. I'm all about people making their own decisions, but I rather be an educated consumer at the same time too.

Ingredients to Avoid

Alcohols

Isopropyl alcohols are very drying. Alcohols in general very bad for eczema.

Cetyl alcohols are good alcohols. They are derived from coconut or palm oil and can help conditioners and hairsprays evaporate into the hair shaft.

Artificial fragrances

Most perfumes and colognes aren't legally required to list ingredients to protect their trade mark. Artificial fragrances and synthetic dyes are a carcinogenic, which can cause illnesses in children. They have been linked to certain types of hormone imbalances, especially in young men. Phthalates can contain fragrances and are the most dangerous. Avoid them at all costs. Not the best idea to use or even be around perfumes if you have eczema, allergies, and asthma.

Paraben preservatives

Examples include: butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben. They have been linked to certain types of hormone imbalances. Parabens mimic estrogen which is also linked to breast cancer. Pregnant mothers can pass along the effects of some chemicals to their unborn offspring, like testicular abnormalities in little boys or obesity in teenage girls.

Petroleum Jelly and Mineral Oil

They clog the skin. Mineral oil does when it isn't in purest form.

Phthalates

Avoiding products with phthalates can be difficult, because they aren't always labeled clearly. DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are two to look for on labels. They can be found in items from shampoo to shower curtains. Phthalates are linked to reproductive problems, cancer, allergies, and asthma. Pregnant mothers can pass along the effects of some chemicals to their unborn offspring, like testicular abnormalities in little boys.

Silicones

Dimethicone and simethicone are heavier silicones that coat the hair and prevent moisture from getting into the hair shaft. Also avoid dimethicone and simethicone in body lotions if you have eczema.

Good silicones are water-soluble and help make products slick. They are great in conditioners and they don’t build up on the hair. In either instance, you want silicones to be toward the end of the ingredient list which means there are less of them in the product overall.

Sulfates

Sulfates make cleansers foam and become sudsy. Sodium laureth sulfate is a poison commonly used in soaps, shampoos, detergents and toothpaste.Women with natural hair should really avoid using shampoos that lather and use a cream-based shampoo instead. It causes skin irritation and hair loss.

Synthetic dyes

Anything with F&DC preceding it, usually followed by a color and a number. F representing food, D&C representing drugs and cosmetics. Other color additives include: caramel, lead acetate, manganese violet, and more.

Green Beauty Product Labels

If you are planning on going green with your makeup, then these are the trustworthy labels you want to see on beauty products:

• USDA Organic certified
• Paraben/Phthalates/PCB-free
• BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics
• Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal
• Biodynamic
• IOS Natural & Organic Cosmetic Standard

USDA Organic certified is the most trustworthy, especially on foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also regulates food ingredients found in cosmetics. Plant-derived ingredients and essential oils are not regulated and ingredients like honey, avocado, cinnamon and other foods are regulated. The USDA only has jurisdiction over farm-raised ingredients, meaning, not all beauty product ingredients are regulated under this program.

The term "organic," as it appears on beauty labels, has four variations.

1. 100% Organic: The product must contain only organically produced food ingredients, and the label will display the USDA Organic seal.
2. Organic: The product must contain at least 95% organically produced food ingredients, and the label will display the USDA Organic seal.
3. Made with Organic Ingredients: The product must contain at least 70% organically produced food ingredients. While the front of the product can list up to three organic ingredients or one organic food group, the label will not have the USDA Organic seal. Individual ingredients on a product's ingredient list will be labeled as "organic".
4. Organic Ingredients: Products which contain less than 70% organically produced food ingredients can only include organic ingredients on its ingredients list, but these products cannot display the USDA Organic seal.

Paraben/Phthalates/PCB-free means there are no traces of these harsh chemicals. Parabens are especially found in shampoos. Phthalates are used to soften plastics. PCB refers to the plastic used in a bottle. These three have been linked to cancer.

BDIH Certified Natural Cosmetics is an independent German certification association (Association of German Industries and Trading Firm) that regulates health care products, food supplements and personal hygiene products, including cosmetics.

To gain BDIH certification, brands must use natural (not synthetic) raw materials such as: plant oils, herbal extracts, essential oils, fats and waxes. The ecological impact of each product also plays an important role in certification. More than 2,000 natural cosmetics are certified BDIH in Europe and North America.

Whole Foods Premium Body Care Seal Whole Foods regulates their own self-certification of cosmetic products that contain safe, gentle ingredients and are free from synthetic dyes and fragrances and harsh chemicals. Sunscreen is made with chemical-free alternatives zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Look for the premium Body Care seal in the Whole Body section of your local Whole Foods store.

Biodynamic is holistic in its approach to farming and food production. No artificial fertilizers or pesticides are used. Instead, farmers seek to achieve a natural harmony with the earth through an acute awareness of how weather and climate patterns and elements of nature (like the sun, earth, and air) work together to create a harmonious balance.

IOS Natural & Organic Cosmetic Standard requires that all food ingredients be organic and that the company follow a strict set of eco-friendly guidelines, including use of recycled and fair trade materials and production methods with small environmental impact. The first IOS Natural & Organic certified company, Eaurganic, launched in 2008.


Source: The Daily Green

CURLYNIKKI!

OMG I just got hip to Curly Nikki and I like her style! She offers great hair tips and DIY home treatment ideas for the au naturalle hair type, think curly-fros, twists, and braids.

At the House of Rush beauty launch in London,
Noisettes’ singer Shingai Shoniwa
swept her natural coils to one side,
topping the look with a jaunty fascinator.

Alicia Nicole Walton, the writer and psychotherapist, can be found giving advice on multiple websites:

1. Her natural hair care blog, http://www.curlynikki.com/ 
2. Thursdays at Essence in the Hair category.
3. Huffingtonpost.com  in Black Voices.

I'm a new naturalista! Yes, I've been relaxer free for almost a year honey! I would say I'm just about at 70% natural. Meaning, you may have a natural look but that doesn't mean all of the products it took to get that look were 100% organic. That would be an pretty accurate assessment of my whole lifestyle right now too because it is not totally holistic. Holistic to me is on a completely different level. Let's face it! If I were to give birth for a second time, then I would so get an epidural again! I just know I want to incorporate some healthier ways into my daily life. I definitely use 100% organic hair treatments on my daughter though. Especially, because she is a curly girly and at two years old African-American hair can get out of control, plus, she has eczema! Right when I was just about to give up on the maintenance of my own natural hair, I stumbled upon Curly Nikki's website through googling the subject of her latest article on Essence  for "benefits of henna gloss for natural hair". Ironically, I found this encouraging post on her blog.

At the Inspiration Awards for Women,
Kim Coles added a sparkly accessory to her
 short, springy natural curls.

Read My Lips

Mally Beauty Lipstick in Zooey Doll.

I was browsing the web in search of new makeup and I stumbled upon that beautiful shade from MallyBeauty.com! I usually go for the caramel to plum shades when it comes to lipstick. Hey, you have to switch it up every once in a while, right? This is the Mally Beauty Lipstick Singles line only true classic red in sheer. And yes .. the name of the shade is very familiar to a certain icon that reminds us all of a doll!

Except, when I googled Zooey Deschanel name just now the top searches that come up were:

1. Of course, her name.
2. Zooey Deschanel pics.  
3. Zooey Deschanel's ass. We can all thank the men for that search!

Back to the topic at hand, or shall I say lips? Any ways the search made me wonder, "What is the legacy of our fascination for rouge?" Well apparently ladies fascination of a painted pout has lasted practically forever. Did you know that one of the first women to coat her lips with color was Cleopatra and the color was made from henna and crushed carmine beetles? In ancient Egypt, women were buried with enough lipstick for another lifetime! It sent a message that you are fertile, young and sexy. The first known lipstick was actually found at a tomb in modern-day Iraq. It is over 5,000 years old!

By the 1600's women and men of the respectable society in Europe wore lip paint. Queen Elizabeth I, popularized the dark almost black lips trend. Hers was made of red dyes from plants and beeswax. Though it soon became controversial with religious authorites who deemed it to be immoral because it, "masked a woman's God-given beauty". In 1700, the British actually passed a law making it illegal for women to "trick" men into marrying them by wearing makeup. It was considered witchcraft!

Women in the the late 1880's and early 1900's risked their lives for the perfect pout. Unwittingly, adding toxic ingredients such as: arsenic, lead, and mercury. In the twentieth century, the French company Guerlain made the first lip rouge in a stick, which used to come in a pot. An American, named Maurice Levy, created the first metal casing. Silent films in the 1920's and 1930's made burgundy-black-rouge popular again. And in 1940, Max Factor made the first kiss proof lipstick that didn't smooch off.

In the 1960's, the popular color choice was pale mod lips; 1970's and '80s purple was the "It" color; matte browns were stylish in the '90s. These days it's pretty much whatever floats your boat. With such an array of colors you can find a shade to match all of your moods! Did you know that the average regular lipstick wearer inadvertently ingest 4 to 9 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime? Thank goodness we now have organic lipsticks available mainly made out of oils and wax!

By the way, according to Mally ingredients in Zooey Doll are:

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Lanolin Oil, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Beeswax, Ozokerite, Silica, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol

May Also Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 22 Lake (CI 45380), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410)

Here's a printable Ingredient Glossary!

DIY: Home Spa Treatment

Vanilla Coffee Exfoliating Scrub

What you need:

1/4 cup Vanilla-flavored Coffee, ground
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons almond oil
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated
1/2 cup unscented body lotion, like Aveeno or Lubriderm

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl or reusable jar.
2. Rub slowly onto skin in circular motions during your morning shower.

The coffee and sugar will exfoliate skin and the orange peel revitalizes at the same time. This makes for a nice and yummy smelling wake-up call and it didn't even leave me all jittery!

Reflection

photo credit: pinterest

I never intentionally make New Year's resolutions, but it somehow happens anyway. My internal clock naturally wants some sort of change around this time of year. The same way I naturally get the urge to clean out my closet in the spring and rearrange furniture for spring cleaning. I was just further exploring what I'm all about. Just thinking about my last few posts in 2011 and posts so far in 2012. I think this year's theme for myself is literally cleansing my mind body and spirit. From something as simple as hugging more to making peace with someone in my spirit; I know these things can really bring great change. I want to simplify my life. Especially, by ridding my life of negative people. One day at a time.

DIY: Liquid Hand Soap

Here's a fun way to use those skimpy leftover pieces of bar soap!

What You Need:

• A bar of soap (I use Dove unscented)
• A cheese grater
• A sauce pan or pot
• Water
• Empty soap dispensers
• Essential oil (optional)
• Soap coloring (optional)

Difficulty: Easy

Getting started:

1. Grate a bar of soap.
2. If you have a four ounce bar of soap, then you'll need to boil four cups of water. Just use one cup of water for every ounce of soap.
3. Turn off the heat, and add the soap. Stir to melt the soap. Continue stirring until the mixture is fully combined. At this point the mixture will be very liquidy.
4. Let mixture cool for at least 15 minutes. Stir again. The soap should be slightly thicker. Let cool for another several hours or overnight.
5. Stir to check the consistency. If it seems too liquidy, reheat and add more soap. If it seems too thick reheat and add more water.*
6. If desired, add a few drops of essential oil and coloring.
7. Pour soap into dispensers* and enjoy!

*Note: For a super-smooth consistency, run the finished soap through a blender before pouring into dispensers.

Cabin Fever?

Feeling more blue, cooped up, and sluggish around this time of year, but feel much better in spring and summer? It could be seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Symptoms include: loss of interest in your usual activities, feeling drowsy all the time, feeling sad, grumpy, moody, and craving carbohydrates. Lack of light upsets the sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. It may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood.

Though this is coming from a self-diagnosed hypochondriac, I think this is what happens to me every winter!Throughout this whole week in St. Louis it's been warmer than usual. I'm talking like almost sixty degrees and sunny! It was really reminiscent of spring just going out walking, wearing a jacket instead of a coat. Of course with any issue experts say regular exercise can help you feel better. It immediately boosted my mood just being outside. Unfortunately, other treatment options involve sitting in front of a light for hours every day until the season changes called light therapy or taking antidepressants, which always has the risk factor of making symptoms worse.

Whelp, so far some simple mood boosters are:

• Walking outdoors.
• Keeping up with my tot.
• Reading my bible and praying at quiet "me-times" when I can best reflect on things.
• Vitamins, preferably vitamin D and fish oil for Omega 3.
• Hugging more, because happiness is contagious.
• Spending time with positive spirited people, like at church.
• Staying hydrated.
• Opening the window curtains during the day.
• Not WebMD-ing yourself when you're a hypochondriac!

BGTY: Relaxation

As part of BGTY (Be Good To Yourself) I will hopefully be able to relax and soak in the tub for a long amount of time tonight. Lord willing, because I have a two year old daughter who is my shadow. Gotta love those terrible-twos. Anyone that is a mom knows all too well about not being able to just go to the restroom by yourself or get yourself fully ready before you head out the door. Yes, even this small task somehow turns into a crying meltdown!

I haven't been able to read a book and actually finish it. In fact, the last book I've read and actually finished is The Help. This book is surprisingly realistic and evoked emotions and thoughts. I couldn't get that story out of my head afterwards! That's what a good read is supposed to do! I still haven't seen the movie (one of the many perks of having a little one). Thank goodness it's available on DVD now. In which, I'll have to watch with subtitles. I won't get to hear a word of what's going on because my daughter talks over everything I'm really trying to hear, including when I'm on the phone.

I've really been dealing with feeling exactly like Charlotte in Sex In The City 2. Overwhelmed when the baby is screaming the whole time she's on the phone and the older child (Lily) ruins her perfect vintage cream Valentino skirt. Then she has a meltdown. Fast forward to later on in the movie. Miranda and Charlotte have drinks at the bar in their hotel. They're talking about how hard it is to be a mom. Charlotte always wanted to have a family but her daughters are driving her crazy. She wonders, "And I have full time help! How do the women without help do it?!" Miranda answers with, "I don't effing know. Here's to them." They drink. That's what I need a drink, a long bath, a good read or movie and a young mothers support group! I can empathize with Charlotte except for the fact that she is well-to-do, has support, and a nanny. All of my friends don't have any children. If you have a nanny don't even talk to me.

Too many times women put everyone else first, neglecting to take care of ourselves. It's totally the burned toast syndrome. This is when we get done fixing everyone else's toast and there's the one piece of burned toast left. We take the burned piece of toast so that everyone else gets to have a perfect breakfast. We get  obsessed with pleasing others and being the perfect supermom. You know it's completely illogical to be perfect. It still doesn't stop you from feeling like maybe what you think is your all, isn't your best.

God forbid we actually put our foot down for fear of turning our kids into psychopaths later in life. We ask ourselves such questions like, "Will this make (insert your child's name here) hate me or resent me for the rest of their little life?" Even when we're at the point of being really ticked off we still want to protect their little heart. I have to constantly repeat myself. Am I a human tape recorder? I don't even want to get started on the topic of sleep. I haven't had a full night of sleep not by choice, since two years and six months ago. By the end of the day you're left thinking to yourself WTEff? You've been drained and turned half crazy. And that's a normal week. Yet, my relationship with my child is still the most fulfilling in my life. Perplexing.

Holiday Treats

Photo by SashasMommy

Since my Peppermint Land treasury went so well I decided to celebrate with this recipe. There may be more mint recipes to come throughout this month of blog post! You can say I've taken a umm.. special liking (cough, slight obsession) to peppermints for this holiday season.

Peppermint Candy Cane Bark
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2lbs. White chocolate chips
12 Candy canes, crushed (can be pulverized in a closed Ziploc bag with a hammer)

1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

Directions:

1. Melt white chocolate either in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.
2. Stir in crushed candy cane and peppermint extract into melted white chocolate.
3. Line a 11x17" baking pan with wax paper.
4. Pour and spread chocolate mixture onto wax paper.
5. Chill until firm and break into pieces
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Such a simple recipe with a gourmet look! You can use 1lb. baking chocolate chips (bittersweet or dark chocolate) to layer the bottom of the white chocolate. Just let the brown chocolate cool in the fridge while you're melting the white chocolate and layer that on top. You can also reserve the chunkier pieces of crushed candy cane to layer the top of the whole treat as sprinkles.

I also found these:



Head on over to Our Best Bites for

Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

and even more winter goodnessville!

Screams For Eames

Charles (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1988).

Who doesn't know that Eames products are quintessential for creating your mid-century style home or Mad Men office? But did you know Charles Ormond Eames Junior is a native of St. Louis, MO?  He attended Washington University's School of Architecture. It is rumored he was dismissed from the school because of his modern views. Others say it was because of sleep deprivation between having the demands of school and work. To further his education in architecture, he moved (in 1938) to Michigan. Charles attended the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He decided to use the St. Louis riverfront as his area of focus in order to apply for the Architecture and Urban Planning Program. With the help of Eero Saarinen (friend architect partner), Charles designed prize-winning furniture for New York's Museum of Modern Art "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition. Originally developed by Alvar Aalto, it displayed the newer technique of wood moulding. Eames further developed this technique in multiple moulded plywood products including: splints and stretchers for the U.S. Navy during World War II, and of course furniture!

After Charles divorced his wife of 12 years and mother of his daughter, named Lucia, Charles Eames married his second wife in 1941. He married his Cranbrook colleague Ray Kaiser. Mrs. Bernice Alexandra "Ray" Eames met Charles while preparing models and drawings for the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition in September of 1940. Tsk Tsk.. dating before you're even officially divorced.

In 1943, 1944, and 1947, Ray Eames designed several covers for the reputable magazine, Arts & Architecture. She also had two of several textile designs produced by the company Schiffer Prints. So yeah, Ray can stand on her own two feet. Though, it is agreeable that Mrs. Ray was very involved and important in the designs with her husband. The Eames fabrics were mostly designed by her.

The Eames continued to be innovative in the 1950's, using plastic resin chairs and the wire mesh chairs designed for Herman Miller.

Throughout the mid to late 50's and into the 60's and 70's, Charles designed many exhibitions:

• Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India (1955)
Glimpses of the USA (seven screens for the American exhibition in Moscow, Sokoolniki Park) (1959)
Mathematica (for IBM, 1961)
IBM Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair
Nehru: The man and his India (1965)
The World of Franklin and Jefferson (1975) built for the US Bicentennial Commission opens in Paris, travels to five other countries and the US.

The couple had many short films documenting their interest, what we would consider indie films today. As part of the 20th Annual St. Louis Int'l Film Festival, the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts' Steinberg Auditorium at Washington University, will be screening "Eames: The Architect & the Painter". It is a revealing documentary on the husband-and-wife team.

Eames films include:

• Traveling Boy (1950)
• Blacktop: A Story of the Washing of a School Play Yard (1952)
• Parade Parade Or Here They Are Coming Down Our Street (1952)
• A Communications Primer (1953)
• House: After Five Years of Living (1955)
• Day of the Dead (1957)
• Toccata for Toy Trains (1957)
• Kaleidoscope Jazz Chair (1960)
• Powers of Ten (1968, rereleased in 1977)
• Image of the City (1969)
• Banana Leaf (1972)
• Fiberglass Chairs
• SX-70
• Eames Lounge Chair

No doubt they are part of America's most influential and important industrial designers!

One Suburban 50's Housewife Experience

Having two cars in the 1950's was such a big deal. Today you still need a car just to get around in the suburbs. Most interesting, is all the mixed reactions on the comments below the video on YouTube though! What is your input on this video? Can you relate to feeling trapped?

Then And Now: The President



Pic of President Barack Obama in his college days.


What is up with the increasing gray hair on the President and all Former Presidents for that matter??? Once they get some time into the White House they should just already expect the hair to be completely different by the end of their term. Perhaps, it's a combination of stress and knowledge beyond our civilian brains. Hmm.. I wonder what does First Lady Michelle Obama think of her husband's hair? I know I wouldn't mind it, but guys are so filled with pride. If it really brothered a guy, then I would just buy him Rogaine and call it a day! Guys would probably just turn that gesture right around. They would take it as we don't find them attractive enough anymore or that they must really need it at that point. I know my "special" guy friend is way particular about his hair, especially, when it comes to getting haircuts. I can only imagine that he would drive himself straight into a mid-life crisis just over a few gray hairs years from now!

What do you think of President Obama's hair? Ladies would you care if the guy in your life started getting gray hairs?

A Great Union

Today is President and First Lady Obama's 19th wedding anniversary. Brings me back to January 19, 2009.

That was a very touching, romantic, elegant, and historical moment for me. I mean a complete blubbering mess! Beyonce was emotional during her own performance! I bet even the people who aren't hopeless romantics were moved to at least one tear trying to escape. Etta James beautiful song "At Last" really envelopes around the whole event. That song was very appropriate for the occassion on multiple levels. One level being the long struggle to get into the White House. The second level obviously being that the Obama's were having a first dance. I wonder what the statistics of that song being used at first dances in weddings were after that day? As it is already a popular choice and surely spiked off the charts that year! It doesn't hurt to see a healthy power-house of a couple in the media. I definitely think the key ingredients in a long term relationship are: forgiveness, communication, having an active lifestyle together. If you have that as part of your foundation everything else you want can fall in line with work on both ends.


First Lady Michelle Obama's dress was
designed by designer Jason Wu.

Similar airy appliqued dress for $3,000+ available at BHLDN:

Yeah, that $3000+ was a buzz kill, beautiful gown though! Happy anniversary to the then happy couple and hopefully still happy and strong couple now! Every great man needs a great woman to back him up, and every great woman doesn't deserve to be alone.

Extreme Couponers AKA Organized Hoarders

The other day I was watching Extreme Couponing or what I like to call Organized Hoarders. It was so unbelievable and amazing at the same time.  This one SAHM was able to get $2,000 worth of groceries for $44.67! Plus, she managed to accomplish this while shopping with her four kids all under the age of 10! Alot of time planning and organizing goes into these kind of shopping trips. She used so many coupons, like $900.00 worth. The computer system actually started to crash and she hadn't even finished using all of her coupons yet. When they finally checked out she had a truck to unload her 15 shopping carts of groceries onto. She even had five carts of items pre-ordered from the super grocery market.

When she showed her bomb shelter, oops I meant pantry that she had a locked door to, it looked like she was back at the super grocery market! Who needs racks and racks of stuff? A whole family wouldn't even be able to use up half of those things in a year. She probably had enough supplies to last for 88 years, and by then a person wouldn't be alive to use it! What if it was an apocalypse or something? All of these greedy people would just keep all the supplies to themselves and let their neighbors die of hunger. Items could be given to homeless people and food could go to local food pantries. There's only been one person I've seen so far from Extreme Couponing that's done something useful with the items purchased. Granted I've not seen every epsiode, but I've seen enough.  They spent a year or two saving up supplies to give as care packages to our American troops. Boxes and boxes of supplies were air dropped from a military plane to undisclosed locations.

At a certain point there's a difference between being frugal and being wasteful. I guess the whole appeal to the wasteful couponers is that they make it into a game for themselves at the cash register. While the rest of us play the game of life deciding whether to get groceries, gas, or prescription medications. What do you think of the Extreme Couponing show? Do you know any extreme couponers? Are you one yourself?

Dita Stole My Dream Kitchen!

InStyle Magazine February 2011
Dita Von Teese in her own kitchen!



Dita Von Teese sure did walk right into my "ReRe the Homemaker" dream and steal all my ideas for this retro kitchen. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! It possesses so much personality and charm with a touch of kitsch. This article even came with a dang-on recipe of Dita's Spiced Mice Butter Cookies!

I've ALWAYS dreamt of my retro kitschy kitchen being like that. That's why it pained me when two "hope snatcher" men callously dashed all my hopes of inheriting this beauty:

All that was needed was a good cleaning with elbow grease.



R.I.P. Westing House



This oven range has been in the basement of my parents home since the beginning. My mother got sick of looking at old stuff. So, she called in the two hope snatchers to pick up Westing House. They hauled her up the basement steps, dragged poor Westing House across the ground, and loaded her on to the back of a truck on nice hot day. Of course having sweet midwest manners, I offered the hope snatchers a cold drink. The only thing I could do was take pictures of Westing House moments before her fate.

However, I did find Elmira Stove Works company. This company sells customizable kitchen appliances in authentic vintage style with modern perks! I love the Northstar appliance line with so many color options!

 "Grandma never had it so good!"



Electronic Clock Controls



Sealed Gas Burners



High-speed Radiant Electric Elements



Warming Drawer

Self-cleaning oven

Elmira Stove Works has been featured in Rachel Ray's kitchen. They also have appliances on the B!tc#in' Kitchen show, which could be taken as the b!tc# in the kitchen, just saying.

What do you wish for in your dream kitchen?