4 weeks 4 techniques - Week #1 Braid-out on straight hair

Hello all! It's been a minute and I have lots to share...about my hair!!

I have hit many blahhhh stages in my 4 years of being natural. This is due mostly to my sheer laziness and my preference for an extremely low-maintenance routine. Hey...that's just me!

But with new lengths to my hair, new-found hair blogs (shouts out to curly nikki and moptop maven), and friends who are newly natural... let's just say that my interest in my hair has been renewed!!

I ended 2010 with an obsession with all things henna. That was pretty cool, but nothing I could do on a regular basis. Like I said...I'm low maintenance. 

Then I wondered...why haven't I played around with technique?? Sure I love my spirally coils just as they come out of my head, but why not try something different? My hair is about bra-strap length now. But with my usual wash n go's, it shrinks right back up above my shoulders...sometimes more depending on the products I'm using. I have never had a problem with that shrinkage but I'm getting to the point where I'd like to show some of that length :) 

Shrinkage Deluxe

Rock & Republic Cosmetics Haul!!

So I came back to the office from lunch a couple of weeks ago and this little baby was sitting on my desk!! Woo hoo! It was my Eye Colours from Rock & Republic. The one's I was drooling over here. 

Each eye shadow is luxuriously packaged in the 

Rock & Republic outer casing.

 

Rock & Republic Eye Colour

Each compact is designed with the unique Rock & Republic logo in a metal black and silver compact with mirror.

The Indian Grocery Store aka My New Target!!

My haul from the swagat foods indian grocery store

Move over Targét, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's! The Indian grocery store, Swagat foods in Oak Forest, IL in particular, has become one of my new favorite stores. You can find anything from exotic spices and produce to traditional Indian beauty treatments to delicious healthy prepared meals at extremely affordable prices. As you can see above, I picked up a few goodies :-) 

Fitness Goals for 2011!!

I've been here before... face to face with the obvious ultimate New Years Resolution  + lingering holiday gluttony guilt = a renewal in my pledge to get fit and trim! Last year I got pretty close to my "aha moment". I knew that this goal could not involve a quick fix, an overzealous diet, or purely superficial short-term goal (i.e. birthday, vacation, bikini by the summer time). If I wanted to lose the excess weight and be in top physical condition, I had to be in it for the long haul! Around this time last year, my husband and I began running ON THE LAKE FRONT...IN THE DEAD OF CHICAGO WINTER.

Chicago's Lake front in the Winter...yeah

Photo courtesy of: http://glacierbliss.com

Granted it wasn't as harsh as the one we are seeing out of our windows right now. Still, we must have been pretty serious about this!! And we were. We consistently ran for months and then switched to tennis in the summer (though we hardly knew what we were doing, it made for a fun workout). And then... the thing that always happens happened. One day we just stopped. I believe it was a week when both of our children were out of school. But nothing could excuse our failure to pick the ball back up after we so carelessly dropped it. I didn't think that my results were all that great. That was until my body started rapidly changing for the worse.

Speaking of Rock & Republic...

They are being featured on Hautelook today! Thanks for the heads-up TT!! I just placed an order on their website last week. Check out my post here for the scoop on that :oD
A pretty complete range of products from their makeup line are being featured at about 60% off (blushes are pretty much sold out except for the one I've been wanting anyway YAY).
And here's my new baby...

Pressed Blush - Immoral

Ain't she purrty!! Can't wait to play with the corally orangey goodness! Check out the awesome reviews on Makeupalley, my favorite resource for beauty product testimonials.

They are also offering a pretty huge selection from their premium denim line. I'm loving this pair of skinnies...

Stella Straight Leg Jean

OH and another item I'm putting in my IMAGINARY cart ...

Landan Platform Bootie

*swoon* 

If you're not a member of Hautelook yet, you can click HERE to join!

SPC