Several weeks ago, I borrowed this book from the library - The Curly Girl Handbook by Lorraine Massey.  I was in desperate need of a haircut, was wearing a lot of ponytails, the weather was humid and atrocious, and I had read about this "Curly Girl Method" and figured I'd see what it was all about.

The handbook convinced me to give it a try - for at least 6 weeks.  I mean, look how pretty those curls are! I was wearing my hair curly most days anyhow with all the insane Alabama humidity, so why not try to make it look better when I did wear it that way?  Plus, it looked like the process would be pretty easy...just a little odd, since you have to quit using shampoo. 

Okay, let me explain...

The Curly Girl Method

Here are the basics of what I did:

1. Get a haircut.  I needed a trim, badly.  It had been about a year since my last haircut.
2. Quit using shampoo - cold turkey. Evidently sulfates are a big no-no for curly girls.
3. Use a light conditioner - I used Suave Naturals Conditioner - just on my fingertips, and vigorously massage my scalp with it.  This is supposed to remove all the oils, dirt, hair product, dead skin, etc.
4. Rinse hair thoroughly, starting to detangle with my fingers.
5. Apply a deeper moisturizing conditioner - I used Giovanni Conditioner - from the bottom up covering the ends first and moving upward in a scrunching motion.  
6. Comb through with a wide-toothed comb to remove tangles and loose hairs.  
7. Scrunch again and let conditioner sit on your hair for a couple of minutes.
8. Rinse hair gently, but not completely, leaving much of the conditioner in it.
9. Squeeze hair dry in the shower as much as possible, still using that scrunching motion.
10. Use a t-shirt to scrunch the curls dry, squeezing out more water. According to the book, terry cloth towels can cause a lot of breakage, but cotton doesn't.
11. Apply gel (lots of gel) from the bottom up in a scrunching motion (curly girls REALLY like the scrunching) - I started off using Suave Naturals Gel, but later switched to LA Looks (about week 4) and liked it much better.
12. Let hair finish air drying.
13. About an hour later, I would turn my head upside down and shake my hair out, scrunching the curls to "release the gel cast" from the gel.

So that's the method I used...and here's what I thought of it and how it worked:

Week By Week Results

First...this is the hair I was aiming for.  Realistic? Maybe not (especially since she has about a foot of length on me and is some sort of model). But we all start with a wish, right?

Before: These photos were taken just after my haircut and my last shampooing, with just some mousse scrunched in my hair.  I let it air dry.   As you can see, it's kind of wavy, a little bit frizzy, but not so awful, the curl is just a little uneven.

1 Week:  Not liking this.  My hair feels a little greasy, my scalp itches, and I haven't figured out how to squeeze the water out of it very well after I wash it.  Curlier? Yeah, I guess...but it feels kind of icky.  And I felt like I was getting some odd looks from people who see me often.  My guess is, since they didn't say they liked it, they thought my hair looked crazy. :)

2 Weeks:  I (and my hair) are more used to the process now - not using shampoo and using lots of conditioner and lots gel. I can see that my hair looks a little bit bouncier and the curl is more even.  I'm having a hard time not running my hands through it though, and feel like it's ALWAYS tangled.  Since I used to straighten my hair about once or twice a week, I'm really missing that smooth feeling - at least once in a while. This week I did get a couple of compliments though on my curls, which helped me press on.

3 Weeks: This week I started noticing a little bit of dandruff and what looked like product buildup at my roots  Nothing major, but I switched up my conditioning routine to apply less of the deeper moisturizing conditioner to the top of my head, and concentrated mostly on the middle and ends.  That way the roots just got cleansed and massaged, but not overly conditioned.  That appeared to help.

This photo (below) was taken at about 3 weeks into my experiment.  Seeing the photo was the first time I thought - Wow! My curls actually look pretty!

4 Weeks: I would REALLY like to shampoo my hair this week (about this time I probably should have tried a warm water and baking soda rinse to remove some product buildup), and I'm dying to just brush it and wear it straight for a few days.  But, I don't.  A six week experiment is a six week experiement.  So, instead, I start shopping for a different gel since it still gets pretty frizzy by the end of the day.

5 Weeks: I switched to LA Looks hair gel this week, and although it makes my curls a little crispier, I think it makes them much more definined, less frizzy, and a little "lighter" looking.   I did a one-day trial with some Suave Mousse (and no gel) - and it was Frizz City!  Back to the gel I went...

6 weeks: I spent most of this week dreaming of straightening my hair and being able to run my fingers through it without them getting stuck.  No joke. I actually had a dream about using my flat-iron.  That said, I DO like the way my hair looks when it's curly now and I think experimenting with this haircare method has helped me cultivate my curls a little better.

Additional Notes: 

While doing this exeriment, I always liked the way my hair looked better when I showered in the morning and let it air dry, rather than when I let it air dry at night and then slept on it.  On those days I would use a spray bottle with water to wet my hair and re-scrunch it, which worked fairly well, but since I couldn't really comb or brush through it first, it always felt more tangled on those days.

I still have a lot to learn, and there are lots of great recipes that I'd like to try - such as a lavender mist spray to revitalize your curl, or a brown sugar scrub to exfoliate your scalp, and a baking soda rinse to remove product buildup.  Maybe I'll try those sometime soon.  Here are some great recipes if you want to try them - Curly Concoctions.

VERDICT: Is it possible to be a partial curly girl?  I'm going to continue working on finding a formula that works for me.  Right now, I'm thinking it will include an occasional sulfate-free shampoo and occasional flat-ironing too -- even if the true curly girls think that's from the Devil!  However , I do have a renewed love for LA Looks hair gel - which is a major throwback to my junior high perm days. :)

But tomorrow - I'm straightening my hair and I can't WAIT to run my fingers through it again!

Curly Girl Products:
 

Update: Here are links to some curly girl products that have been mentioned and recommended in the comments below from fellow curly girls: 

• WEN products
• Aveda Be Curly Products
• DevaCurl Products
• Mixed Chicks Products
• Sebastian Potion 9 Wearable Treatment
• Kinky Curly...Knot Today
• Redken Contour Shaping Lotion
• Moroccan Oil Curl Control Cream
• Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Balance Moisturizing Conditioner
• Loreal Sulfate Free Products
• Organix Brazilian Keratin Treatment
• Nature's Gate - Tea Tree Calming Shampoo

Update:

This post has gotten WAY more attention than I ever would have imagined, so I think it deserves an update. :) After this experiment, I tried a few of the suggestions people have mentioned here.  Some things I liked:

• I loved how a white distilled vinegar rinse & water solution made my scalp feel and how well it removed all the buildup from the conditioner and gel. 
   
• In the same fashion, a sulfate free shampoo works really well too.  I've recently started washing with Nature's Gate - Tea Tree Calming Shampoo.  That seems to help with removing the product buildup and significanly reducing dandruff and itchiness I had started to notice when I began this experiment.
   
• One commenter recommended the Ouidad.com web site for great curly girl products and tutorials.  I checked it out and tried the "rake & shake" method they recommend as a way of detangling and applying gel while it's wet, and then "setting" the curls with a shaking method.  I tried that today and I've been SO pleased with the results of that very easy-to-do technique!  Here's a look at my hair today after trying it out for the first time (click images for larger pictures):

  

  Rake & Shake Method -
  Section your wet hair (I did the bottom section, then middle section & finally the top section) and secure it with a clip.  

  Then put a dollop of gel in your hands and apply it to your hair in 2-3 inch sections using a raking motion to detangle the hair. 

  Rake to the ends of each section and then gently shake the hair.  This lets it set into it's own natural curl pattern.  Continue throughout the rest of your hair by section.

  When finished, scrunch the curls gently with your towel (or cotton t-shirt) to enhance the curl and remove excess moisture.  You can then diffuse dry or air dry.  It left my hair with un-frizzy ringlet curls all day long!  

A while back, I made myself a jewelry organizer for my closet from a picture frame, wire and fabric.  But, after dropping earrings on the floor over and over and over again (because of the fabric backing & wire not having enough space between them) I decided to give it another shot with a new design.

I went digging in my garage and came back with two metal cube panels, several nails and some ribbon.

I liked the idea of the metal cube pieces, because if you face them the right way, the cross-bars leave a natural space between them and the wall that allows the earrings to hang freely.  Plus, using the grid means I can easily stagger the earrings so I can see them all well and they won't get tangled up together.

I used ribbon to tie two panels together and secured the top two corners with screws.  The bottom is secured with one screw to hold it still.

Since this grid solution didn't work for my necklaces, I simply added some staggered nails directly to the wall. 

Let's hope this solution is a little more user-friendly!  I'm not the only one looking for a great jewelry organizing solution. Check out these great ideas that I found on pinterest:

Linking Up:

Craftomaniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Dittle Dattle, DIY Showoff, Sarandipities, Keeping it Simple, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, DIYHSHProject,

Stories of A to Z, Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Today's Creative Blog, BellaBeforeandAfter, Linda-Coastal Charm, Crayon Freckles, Tip Junkie

WomenWhoDoItAll, Sugar and Dots, Someday Crafts, BlueCricketDesign, 733Blog, CreationsByKara, SassySites, GingerSnapsCrafts,

Delightful Order, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple, Katie's Nesting Spot, Paisley Passions, Fireflies & Jellybeans, 733Blog, House of Hepworths, SavedbyLoveCreations, A Glimpse Inside, Momnivore's Dilemma,

Tatertots & Jello, At the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Creation Corner, Whipperberry, Serenity Now, Simply Designing, Someday Crafts, Just a Girl Blog, Lovely Crafty Home, 504 Main, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Addicted to Decorating

PerfectlyImperfectBlog, Be Different Act Normal, NV CraftEnvy, FunkyJunkInteriors, TheDIYShowOff, Iheartnaptime, LovelyLittleSnippits,

A  few weeks ago I learned how to make a large t-shirt into a fitted tee shirt.  Very cool, right?  But...I still had some trouble figuring out how to make the sleeves look right since the REALLY big t-shirts had such low shoulder seams.  Plus, the necks seemed awfully high and confining on some of the shirts I tried it on.

Since I'm NOT a seamstress of ANY kind, I went looking for some solutions and landed on this scoop-neck version that I think might be just what I needed.  

Here's what I started with and the link to the tutorial for how to get from a large t-shirt to a fitted t-shirt:

It worked great with my navy fire department shirt, but with this shirt, I wasn't happy with the neckline or the sleeves, which meant I hadn't worn it yet and wasn't sure whether I liked it.  So, I figured it couldn't hurt to get a little scissor happy on it again in an effort to "save" it once more.

I went back to youtube.com for some inspiration, and sure enough, found this video by ashleybrashier about "How to cut your shirt into a scoop neck".

Here's how it's done:

Lay your shirt on a flat surface. 

Make a small snip on each shoulder about an inch from the collar.  You can also put the shirt on and mark where you want to cut, but I've found that about an inch works perfectly for me, while keeping the shirt on my shoulders (instead of becoming an off-the-shoulder shirt). 

I also make a cut down the center of the front collar, so that I have a mid-point to cut towards to make an even scoop across the front. 

When you've finished cutting the front scoop, it looks a little like this:

Cut the back of the shirt straight across directly underneath the collar band.

Next, try on your shirt and mark where you want the length to be cut.  I just used my scissors to cut a little hole on one side. (PS...I don't recommend holding a camera in the other hand while snipping! That's just for this tutorial pic!)

Lay the shirt back out on a flat surface and begin cutting across the bottom of the shirt where you marked.  

I like to cut a small curve in the front, and then fold it over to match the other side.

For this shirt, I decided not re-cut the sleeves (yet), but you could cut them just after the shoulder seam to give the shirt an even more cropped-sleeve look.  I'm going to try this short little sleeve out first and see what I think. 

But that's it!  It's significantly more comfortable with this neckline, and (I think) a little more fashionable.  My husband still rolls his eyes and just sees me in a cut-up tee shirt. But that's a guy for you. :)

Linking Up: 

Craftomaniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Dittle Dattle, DIY Showoff, Sarandipities, Keeping it Simple, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Skip to My Lou, DIYHSHProject,

Stories of A to Z, Sugar Bee Crafts, Not Just a Housewife, Today's Creative Blog, BellaBeforeandAfter, Linda-Coastal Charm, Crayon Freckles,

WomenWhoDoItAll, Sugar and Dots, Someday Crafts, BlueCricketDesign, 733Blog, CreationsByKara, SassySites, GingerSnapsCrafts,

Delightful Order, The Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple, Katie's Nesting Spot, Paisley Passions, Fireflies & Jellybeans, 733Blog, House of Hepworths, SavedbyLoveCreations, A Glimpse Inside, Momnivore's Dilemma,

Tatertots & Jello, At the Picket Fence, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Creation Corner, Whipperberry, Serenity Now, Simply Designing, Someday Crafts, Just a Girl Blog, Lovely Crafty Home, 504 Main, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Addicted to Decorating

PerfectlyImperfectBlog, Be Different Act Normal, NV CraftEnvy, FunkyJunkInteriors, TheDIYShowOff, Iheartnaptime, LovelyLittleSnippits,

I have these two t-shirts that I love.  They're soft, comfortable, and have good worn (and sentimental) designs on them.  But, I never wear them for anything other than around the house because they are large men's t-shirts and look completely shapeless on me. Then I found this great tutorial on YouTube for how to make a big t-shirt a fitted shirt!  - T-Shirt Surgery: How to Make a Shirt Fit

So, while I was staying with my mom at her camper this summer (she lives & travels in an RV), I asked her to help me try it out.  So yes...we broke out the sewing machine next to the campfire.  Strange, I know, but it gave us a project to work on!

First, a before & after look at the t-shirt we did.  Oh yeah, I know you love those electric blue fingernails. :)  

So, here's how it's done. 

1. Start with a t-shirt you love that's just too big
   
   
2. Turn the shirt inside out and lay a shirt that DOES fit you on top of it, lining up the collars so that you can be sure it is centered over your large t-shirt.
   
   
3. Trace the shirt that DOES fit you onto the large t-shirt.  Turn both shirts inside out so that you don't mark on the front of the shirts.  I used a sharpie, but you'd be better off to use a washable marker, chalk or a fabric pen.  When you do the sleeves, try to make your line parallel to the top shoulder.
   
   
    
4. Next, fold the large t-shirt in half to make sure that the armpit marks line up.  Mine did match up, but if yours don't, you can just re-mark them to match.
   
   
   
   
    
5. I went ahead and pinned the front and back of the shirt together, so that it didn't slip while we were sewing.
   
   
    
6. Sew along your traced lines.  Or, in my case, have your MOM sew along the traced lines. :)
   
   
    
7. Try on your shirt (inside out) to see how it fits.  Mine was still a little big, so we sewed it up again about a 1/4" more on each side.  Then it looked like this:
   
   
    
8. If you like the fit, then you can trim off the excess fabric.
   
   
   
   
    
9. Turn the shirt right-side out and try it on.   You can leave it as is, with longer sleeves, or you can cut & hem them - which is what I decided to do.
   
    
    
10. While I was wearing the shirt, I marked with a pin the length I wanted the sleeves to be.  Then I took it off, turned it inside out again and drew a line.  Okay, two lines, because I remembered that I wanted to angle the sleeve a little bit.  Then I cut about 5/8" past the line (to allow for a hem).
    
    
    
    Try it on and make sure it looks the way you want it to look.
    
    
     
11. Fold the shirt in half and cut the other sleeve to match.
    
    
     
12. Hem both sleeves.
    
    
     
13. You're done! Try it on & love the new look - preferably with cute jeans...not gym shorts and bright blue fingernails. :) But hey...we don't all do our crafting while looking our best, right?
    
    
     

Thanks to brianagayle for the video tutorial & tips! I'll be using this technique often I think. :)

No time to make your own? I love these tees from Zazzle:

i mustache you a question

Honey Badger Don't Care T-shirt

I Shoot People

Congratulations to Alexis! Her comment was randomly drawn and she wins a piece of hand stamped jewelry from Frostings in this week's giveaway!

Everyone's a winner though! Don't forget to use the discount code by May 31st to get 10% off your custom handstamped piece of jewelryl

Just use code SIGNME10 at checkout in the Frostings Etsy Shop or at checkout when ordering on the Frostings website*. This code is good through May 31st, 2011. *If ordering on the website, the 10% discount will be refunded after purchase.

Be Joyful Always Hand-Stamped Sterling Silver Necklace by Natasha Vaughn @ Frostings

Discount

Natasha has generously offered a 10% off discount for you!

Giveaway

1. Visit the Frostings web site and comment here telling me what piece is your favorite.
   (Required entry.)
2. For a second entry, become a fan of the Frostings Facebook page.
   (Leave a separate comment here to let me know you became a fan.)
3. For a third entry, follow the Frostings blog by signing up for their RSS feed.
   (Leave a separate comment here to let me know you did.)

Not long ago, I saw this fabulous tutorial for how to make fabric flowers and knew they'd make great little-girl barettes. 

With a little girl birthday party coming up for a little girl with ADORABLE pig tails, it seemed like a good time to try it out. 

I raided my stash of random fabric scraps and pulled out this turquoise fabric that I used in both kids' bedrooms.  I'm a sucker for turquoise.  I bought lots of extra...

Here's how it's done (remember, not my original idea...I followed this great tutorial):

1. Cut a flower template from scrap paper and trace it onto the fabric and cut them out.  You'll need 6-8 flowers per bloom.

   
    

2. Cut a circle from the fabric to use as the base for the bloom.  Then fold each bloom into half, then again into thirds.  It helps to trim the point with scissors before then using hot glue to attach it to the circle.  Keep adding flowers around the circle with hot-glue until you have a full bloom.

   
    

3. Use hot glue to attach the bloom to a ribbon-covered hair clip. I actually bought these at Target, and they were already covered with ribbon - score!

   
    

4. To present it as a gift, I just cut a piece of coordinating patterned paper and made slits in it to add the clips:

   

Love it! I will definitely be making more of these...in fact, I made a larger version for Ayla:

Looks like maybe I should branch out to some different colors & materials though. :)

Linking Up: Craftomaniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Stories of A to Z, Someday Crafts, Night Owl Crafting, Women Who Do It All, Shabby Chic Cottage, Somewhat Simple, Katie's Nesting Spot, Delightful Order, Paisley Passions, Tatertots & Jello,

Since I made Paxton a birthday shirt this year, I didn't want Ayla to feel left out.  She picked "butterflies" as her party theme, so we took a good old Garanimals t-shirt and turned it into a butterfly party shirt with a reverse applique design and some scrap fabric (actually, I think they were hankerchiefs)!

Glad I could get this smiley picture of her.  She was in a silly face mood yesterday:

I walked into a spa in Auburn last week and was complimented on my nails by the receptionist.  At a SPA...where they DO manicures. 

I was a little sheepish to report where I got them done and how much they cost. 

I spend $6 a pack at Wal-Mart for Broadway "Real Life" Nails and I get two sets of nails out of each pack. One set that fits perfectly and one I have to file and adjust a smidge.  But for $3 a set and only about 10 minutes of labor -- it's SO worth it.  They last about 5 days and don't ruin your nailbed underneath.  And I get compliments ALL the time.

Try them...they're awesome.

Well, now that I've been working at Maurices for a few weeks, I can honestly say, I've been affected.   Suddenly I *need* a whole lot more than I thought I did! Well, maybe not need, but I do really like a lot of what they have in the store...which makes it a lot of fun to sell! 

Here are a few of my favorites from the spring line of clothes...might just have to pick a few of these up the next time I'm working....maybe (okay, so I already bought the jeans & khakis).

Then of course, there's this and this and this that I think are really cute too. :) 

So far so good with this new retail job.  I really enjoy it, the hours fly by and I get to visit with lots of women in the area.  Plus it's been fun to be a little more fashion conscious than my typical yoga pants & tank top!