Sunday, May 31, 2009

Summer Flowers



Spring and Summer provides the perfect weather to play outside barefoot! I saw this beautiful flower in my back yard. Life is the same way. Taking the initiative to take care of oneself is a choice. You can bloom like a flower or you can be the weed that gets stepped on and goes unnoticed. But weeds don't look nice in a flower garden, so they are always the first to go!


Even when it rains in life, take those experiences as lessons and find some way to grow from them. Once you begin to bloom, others will notice. Flowers are a reminder that I am growing and adapting throughout life . Just make sure that you make it a point to stop. Splash through some rain puddles. Look at the flowers and remind yourself that your life & your health are just as beautiful!

Fotki Updated! :)



A few posts back I was saying that I had a fotki account and that there was a story? It was taking forever to upload pics, error uploading, etc... So I installed a new program on my laptop for pictures and it is marvelous!! I was able to seamlessly upload all pictures with captions within a few hours. I had to go back to February but it is current to date. So if you are curious and want to check it out my album here is the link, oh you have to have a registered account to view my photos (it's free).



Please sign my Guestbook! :) Thanks

Saturday, May 30, 2009

LaToya's Bookshelf



Ok, I know that the month is almost over but these are the books that I have managed to read over the past 3 weeks. I'm currently reading "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama. I know, I'm late picking this one up, but so far, I have found it to be a great read. Most books that I purchase are leisure reads. I pick up a finance journal every once in a while because what I have found it is repetitive information and is catered more toward the general public. I am glad there is a lot of published material because it doesn't do any justice to work and not know what to do with your money or know where it is going. I have an iPhone and I downloaded the Checkbook application ($1.99 when I purchased it) and you can keep track of your balance at all times! I do not believe in paying a bank to hang on to my deposits either, so you better believe I have free checking! I could go on and on about finance, I was a finance major and graduated with a BSBA but this is supposed to be about my bookshelf...speaking of which, I won't post a pic of it because you all would be like omg, are you like, the library? I have a ton of books, but should we happen to read the same books in the future, please, feel free to post your comments and discuss!! I'll post when I get ready to place my order at Amazon.com so that you know what I am going to order. Here is the list so far... http://good.ly/ajhdmq (This book was released Tuesday, I'm going to BooksAMil this Tuesday to see if I can get a copy), http://good.ly/aoxk24 (PreOrder 7/28) , and http://good.ly/awr8pa (PreOrder 8/25). Generally, I do not order from bookstores because I prefer hardcover books and when you order from a warehouse you can get the book at discount. Besides when you order online you save yourself the disappointment of going to the bookstore and they are sold out. I usually get my books within 3 days of ordering from Amazon. Not bad.

Diet




It's not a diet. It's a lifestyle. I'm a vegetarian. Why? Because I want to be healthier. The loss of my best friend opened my eyes to my health. In addition, I have read several books from different authors about vegan/vegetarian lifestyle that seem to be streamline. I don't argue facts. I have been vegetarian for 7 months and counting. There is a lot in life that you cannot control but I would rather make lifestyle changes now, than to be forced to make changes when I am older and unhealthy. You only get one body. Take good care of it. I'm only giving my opinion. So please, don't be offended. So, right now I am at the point to where I NEED to shed a few pounds to be at a comfortable weight. Ok, I'm 5ft5 and 149.2 lbs of Wednesday (My ideal weight 134lbs). My birthday is coming up next mo (6/15) and I've put myself to a challenge. I have an in home gym. Treadmill is my best friend (why? because when I get tired, I can walk). I've done well the past few days. My challenge is to exercise everyday for a month. So I'm not weighing myself or anything until the beginning of July (7/1/09)! My diet isn't going to change, but I think I will see a significant difference when I implement exercise into my lifestyle! My grocer? Trader Joe's. It has a great selection of produce, organic dishes, and is a very friendly place to shop at! Everything is fairly priced. I spend about $40 a week in grocery. Their juices are 100%! I bought some green juice (literally) and it has spinach, apple juice, mango, etc. Really good. I'm not going to lie when I bought it I was like, I hope this is good, turns out, it was great! The pic? That was breakfast, lunch, and dinner today! It was delicious!!! My rules for eating are: I always eat on a plate, make my food presentable, and take my time eating. Just me.



Just thought that I would say this that the reason that I have been sucessful in my lifestyle change is because of my own self-motivation and determination. I am not easily influenced by others, but I DO know that when you are surrounded by others that do not share the same ideas and aren't supportive of whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish that you can get distracted.I am going to do a juice fast Tuesday (6/2), Wednesday (6/3) & Thursday (6/4). I will keep you posted! :)

May 2009 (Month 6)


I know you are like woah! A ton of information for one night! That's the update to where we are now. I've taken pictures this month as well. This month is coming to an end, but I celebrated my 6 mo hair-versary on 5/21!! While I am here I am going to tell you what my regimine consists of and what I have learned about my hair thus far! For starters, put down the comb on dry hair! My hair is extremely dry and fragile so when there is any manipulation (Combing) my hair is soaking wet and has ALOT of conditioner! I don't skimp. It's alot easier to detangle and style during this time too. I NEVER let my hair air dry without having it in twists. This is crucial, unless you like taking the time to untangle more tangles! I don't allow my hair to dry naked anyway because of shrinkage. Plus, having it twisted is a great style and it also protects your hair as well. All those scarves you see? Yes, I sleep with one religiously! You'll learn, sleep on something cotton and you will be lint picking the next day! So, as I said before I love Oyinhandmade products. The only thing is shampoo. I tried the poo bar & although it cleanses well, I found it to be quite a difficult adjustment. It's low lather, and I used it several times and I just couldn't do it. So I'm using Aveda's Dry Remedy Shampoo. I'm placing an order this week for some more goodies because I am almost out of conditioner! Thats a no no for me! So when I do place my order, I am going to try the HoneyWash as a shampoo. I have high hopes that it will work great, but I will see and I will post an update. So my regimine breaks down to this:


Shampoo with Aveda's Dry Remedy Shampoo

Honey Hemp Conditioner (Detangling)

After rinsing HHC, I will spray Greg Juice (Smells like fresh squeezed OJ!) throughout my hair

I'll part a section for twisting and use Whipped Pudding (This is your BEST FRIEND if you have dry hair! There are so many butters and goodies for your hair in this, it's amazing! It's a chocolate treat for your hair! Really. Try it for yourself!)

That's it! I let my hair dry in the twists and I will usually wear the twists for a few days. Since my hair is longer, I'm trying to keep the twists in longer, its to protect my ends. I find when I wear my hair out I tend to have that touching problem (ya know- handsnhairsyndrome) and it creates alot of knots. Not fun. The only heat that my hair feels is from the rays of the beautiful sunshine. I cannot even break myself to get my hair straightened, blowdryed, or anything. That's just me though. :) Everyday is a great hairday!


I love my hair and for those that are considering going natural it will be the best experience! Especially when you have the opportunity to speak to others! I was at SouthPark a few weeks ago and had an hour long conversation with a lady about hair! Her hair was stunning! We both exchanged helpful infomation to one another. There are a lot of naturals out there! If you have any questions or if I can be of assistance let me know! E-mail me!

April 2009 (Month 5)


Not too much more going on this month either. Here are some pics. One thing I DID notice this month is that I was having A LOT of knots. I knew that I needed to keep my ends protected in some way. This is the month that I started experimenting different ways to twist my hair.

March 2009 (Month 4)


Ok, there isn't alot going on this month! I took A LOT of pictures though! My twists are starting to look better. Hence the scarf, the back is a wip! I'm getting there though!

Feb 2009 (Month 3)


Ok, this was not a good month for pictures. Don't ask. I don't know either but I only had 14 pictures total so here ya go! This is also my first month trying out Oyinhandmade products. Before I was using what I purchased right after I got my hair cut and really didn't like the products so......the Honey Hemp Conditioner reeled me in! It made my hair sooooo soft! Since it was still kind of short, so I needed moisture to soften my hair! Instant winner! I felt I hit a jackpot. It smells like an orange creamsicle on a summer day! The Burnt Sugar Pomade is a treat as well! Can you say fresh from the bakery!? Yes! It provides a sheen to your hair. A word of advice a little goes a long way & it is oil based so..be careful!

January 2009 (Month 2)


Ok, so this is the month that I decided that I was going to take as many pictures as I possibly could of my hair! I created a fotki account, that's another story but here are some lovely pictures that I captured during that month! I played with scarves and also tried to do a few flat twists! I'm on my way now!!! :) All of these pics were taken throughout the month of January.

Cut


Ok, I did not take too many pictures shortly after I got my hair cut. I should've now that I am looking back on it but its ok. :) Here's the 1 that I could find and it's the back of my head so I probably wasn't smiling. I know that I took more pictures, but I cannot find them. I really need to purchase another card for my camera and really organize my pics. They're everywhere, so excuse me.


Transistion

Here are a few pictures during the short amount of time (3mos) that I did "transistion". I kept it simple. I usually did a braid out and when I got tired of that I did get creative and braided the sides and did a 2 strand flat twist going down the middle and coming up from the back. :)

Good Afternoon!!

Hello! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm LaToya. It is a VERY pretty day outside today! :) I'm here to share what's going on in my life and chat mainly about my hair, books, and being vegetarian. I don't think that is too much to talk about? Is it? Well, I hope that maybe in some way I am of positive influence in your life. So I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. I'm going to try & post pics as well.

First off, I've been natural for about 6 months! :) So excited! My last relaxer was 8/10/08. To be honest, I never really considered going natural but I lost my best friend to a cancer battle and that changed my entire life. Literally. I was so confused & lost at that time. I learned from that experience and it also sparked my interest in health. In the area of the state that I lived in at the time it was a drive to go & get a touch up every 6 weeks and I remember being fed up because I went out there 2 consecutive trips, only to find myself disappointed. So that stylist hasn't seen me since. I tried for a few months afterward to do my hair myself. Well, you know where I am going with this, so 8/10 was the last relaxer I had. I knew that one was going to be the last one. OK, so..what now? I'm a licensed stylist so keeping my hair styled wouldn't be a problem. At first, it was flat iron and blow dry to get the textures to blend. That worked for a few weeks. Then, by the time November rolled around, I was really frustrated with my hair!! It was breaking (fully aware) and I was at the point that I had to get it cut. I wasn't going back. So, after 3 different stylists because no one wanted to cut my hair, I was finally relieved! Now, I have no hair so what am I going to do? Well, I went to Sally's and bought headbands, thinking I was going to be cute, well, not exactly. Especially when you don't have enough hair to push back! I didn't care! I rocked the bands anyway. It's just hair! And I knew that it would be a lot easier for me to work with my own texture of hair and it has been the best experience!!! So I am going to share a few pictures with you (cross my fingers that they post) & I'm new to this so if you have any comments or suggestions, please, let me know!!