channeling alexa on my bday weekend

HAPPY MIDWEEK LOVELIES :)

so here are some other photos from my bday weekend (as if my celeb on my exact bday wasn't enough! see bday blog post here)...it was surprising that the skies cleared out for my bday weekend because last week was just freezing! it was i think 22 degrees celcuis last saturday and although that would be like baguio weather already in the philippines, it felt hot! i think my skin is slowly adapting to canada's weather...which is a good thing because ever since i got here, all of my concerns are skin-related. i had soooooo many issues!!! luckily, my skin is getting better and i now know how to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! :)

so i had an extended celebration last weekend. it was a small celebration because i don't really know anyone here YET and even if i know people, they're from far awaaaaay. canada is just too big, man, i'm telling you! so i had 5 guests--my sister, my brother-in-law, my friend (from the PI and now from cochrane) grace, grace's hubby, steve and my brother-in-law's officemate and now my friend too (cos we are bounded by local showbiz chismis HAHA), carla. i had a small filipino feast of pancit (for long life, of course!), lumpiang shanghai, lechon manok, lechon kawali, escabeche, veggies and a black forest cake c/o carla :) yes, it was too much for my 5 guests. i ate leftovers until yesterday. LOL! and to make the filipino feast complete, may videoke at inuman :)

about the outfit...i was feeling alexa chung-ish ;) that's all.

here are some photos inside our house (that turned into an instant studio, ha!) 

and of the small celebration :)

American Eagle dress. denim jacket. Aldo sling bag. combat boots from Value Village. Garage rose ring. Tomato strawberry necklace. aviators.

this year's bday purchases:

Spring laced up boots

Spring cowboy booties

(2) Costa Blanca jeggings

Garage lucky bracelet

Garage rose rings

H&M faux leather jacket

H&M saddle bag

H&M ankle sneakers

H&M rings

iPhone cover

i think i've treated myself well enough :) :) :)

then again, no more excuses when it comes to shopping and pigging out for the next 11 months...sigh :(

photos by benj

Style Search: TWA, BBA, and all lengths in between

In July 2010 I.M.I. held a giveaway that asked readers to suggest topics that they would like to see on the blog. The following topic was inspired by one of those suggestions:

When I am looking for a new style and I get stumped, I have found the that internet and a good ol' Google search can provide me with some inspirations. Recently, I have discovered Tumblr and the numerous natural hair photo blogs that are housed on that website. Here are a few that I like to browse regularly:

Natural Hair Rules!
le coil
Currently Obsessed With...
**** Yeah Natural Hair

Those will keep you busy for a few hours and if you start clicking around you will come across more photo blogs. Hairstyles will  not always fall into your lap, especially natural hair styles, so you must go looking for them. Happy Hairstyle Hunting.

Be sure to click the Suggested Topic label to see all the posts in this series.

"Whip My Hair" - It's becoming a phenomenon!

My reason for straightening

The ends of hair are extremely curly and coil around themselves easily. The picture below shows the curls that form from simply wetting my hair.

As a result of all of this "curliness" I experience a lot of SSKs. Sometimes I feel like I get more than the average curly girl. To remedy the problem (temporarily) I figured I would roller-set my hair for awhile because a roller-set stretches out my curls and prevents them from curling up onto each other. 

Also, roller-sets make it easier for me to identifying split ends and SSKs - then I S&D (it sounds so evil, LOL). By destroying those ends I can retain more length and experience less breakage. I have found that healthy ends are a great contributor to my length retention. I believe that my ends are now suffering as a result of a busy life and lack of proper hair care many times over the last two months. Roller-setting will help whip my hair back into shape for my bunning this winter. I can feel myself getting close to a length in which I will just focus on maintaining and not so much retaining more length. 

Un-stretched

Stretched

SSKs = Single Strand Knots
S&D= Search and Destroy

---
Then my hubby got jealous and wanted his own length check, lol (we're racing):

Caring for My Straight Hair

September 2010

Usually I like to use water based moisturizers but when my hair has been straighten/roller-set; water based moisturizers would revert my curl and defeat the purpose. So I need implement my straight hair regimen.

I continue to do protective styles when my hair is straight (buns, french braids, tucked ponytails, etc)

Every other night (or sooner, if needed) I apply a palm full of any lightweight oil to my length (about the last 6-10 inches of my hair). If needed, I will also oil my scalp - but not often.

If I plan to bun for a few days I used something a little heavier like the Koils by Nature hair butter on the ends of my hair.

Lastly, I make sure to wear my satin scarf or bonnet each night.

I have some Vatika oil that I have been waiting to try. I am going to use that for the next fews that I am roller-setting my hair. If you have any experience with this oil, please share.

Roller-set complete!

So, I battled the heat and decided to roller-set my hair and attempt to sit under that hot dryer (see why I almost didn't here).

It was hot so I'm going to be honest and say that I did not (could not) sit under that dryer long enough for the set to dry completely. So. I ended up air drying and flat ironing (that will be another post) but not bone straight. I have some body but as soon as my feet hit the street on Saturday I immediately missed my curls- they are an extension of my personality.

Braid-out on Flat Ironed Hair

To roller-set:

1. Hair was shampooed and deep conditioned

2. Leave-in conditioner applied

3. Hair was divided into five sections in preparation for the "cheat roller set"

4. Each ponytail was divided in two and set on magnetic rollers using FOTE aloe vera gel

5. I sat under the dryer for almost an hour and then let the set air dry for an additional hour

6. After removing the rollers, I flat ironed my hair on med heat, one pass, and with IC Fantasia heat protector

7. I am still styling my hair in buns because the point of roller setting was to gauge the shape of my hair and to stretch out my ends for SSK prevention

Let's see if I can do two weeks of this before washing...

Lil Kim opens a hair salon in North Carolina

I'm NC born and breed...so this is entertaining to me:


"Lil Kim and her cousin Katrise Jones have opened a new hair salon in Charlotte, North Carolina...."


Read more: HipHopWired

I wonder what creations will walk out of those doors?

let it fall, i'm 26 afterall.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

hey lovelies :) thank you for all your lovely comments on my last two entries. the first one about my homesickness and how i'll get over it somehow...and the most recent one with comments such as i don't look like 26 AT ALL (and my weight is perfectly fine...i still don't think so though. i'm obsessed with my weight, like that =P).

THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS MAKING ME FEEL BETTER AND LOVELIER, EACH TIME 

:) :) :)

moving on, i celebrated my canadian bday last friday and just when i thought i would have the worst bday in years (just because i won`t be able to go out-of-town cos i always did for the past 4 years), i was wrong. i actually had a blast even if we just stayed in the city...after all, even if i'm not out-of-town, i am actually celebrating my bday out-of-country for the first time (even if this country will be MY country soon). i didn`t know that my sister and benj actually planned something so i was really surprised, caught off-guarded without a bday dress to wear. i was really planning to buy the H&M jacket i'm wearing here before i go home and enjoy my PVR shows cos i really thought that my bday would just be low key. but my sister called and we were actually going to celebrate my bday over dinner so i grabbed a dress in H&M that just goes with the jacket i've been eyeing and dying to get for weeks (not that it's expensive. it is actually cheap but there are just a few malls with H&M here and i had to work all week with no time to spare for shopping). i had no time to go home...i wished i had so i could've grabbed a necklace that would`ve been so perfect with the whole ensemble. i'm just glad though that i was wearing some nice fashionable shoes and i actually had some tights on my bag!

so we had dinner at montana's and i was surprised when they went to our table, made me wear this ridiculously heavy hat with big horns that made me look like i was about to train a dragon and sang their own version of happy bday :) then we headed downtown and was supposed to have some cocktails over at sky 360 (which is a spinning restaurant on top of the calgary tower) but alas, we didn't have reservations so we ended up just walking around downtown, enjoying the scenery and taking pictures, of course! when we got home, i was surprised to find balloons all over the dinning area with happy bday banners! my friend jake, who just moved to new york was right...we just have to make the most out of what or who we have and right now, for the both of us, they are the few family members who are living in the same foreign country as we are.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY SISTER AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW FOR MAKING ME FEEL SPECIAL ON MY FIRST BDAY OUT-OF-THE-COUNTRY. LOVE YOU BOTH xx

faux shearling jacket and dress both from H&M. Anne Klein tights. Spring laced up boots. accessories from Garage.

thank you to everyone who greeted me through facebook, twitter, e-mail, snail mail, blog, skype, text or call :)

i am truly blessed by God to have another year here on earth so i lift it all up to Him.

with you my Lord, i am secured.

P.S.
new year, new banner! what do you guys think?

photos by benj