Preparing Your Hair for a Weave

I wanted to do a short post about preparing your hair for a weave.
When I did my last install I went into detail about what I had done to prepare my hair for it but the video was too long and unfortunately that footage hit the cutting room floor. So I have decided to share that info on my blog. I always share more here anyway so it’s best to be subscribed to both :-)

A good solid foundation is very important. What I am talking about is your hair and your braids, as well as the braiding pattern.

So first make sure you wash and deep condition your hair. If you are taking out an old weave or braids make sure you comb out all of the dead hair; if you don't the dead hair will entangle in your own hair and cause knots that may end up being cut out. If your hair is a bit rough add some conditioner to your hair to make it easier to comb through, start at the bottom and work your way to the top, holding it at the roots. After doing so you can wash and deep condition your hair. Deep conditioning means to put conditioner on your hair put a plastic cap on your hair and allow it to sit on your hair while you are under a dryer for about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a dryer you can wrap a warm towel around your head for 45 minutes. But if all else fails just put the bag on your head and leave the conditioner on for at least an hour, longer if you choose. I have kept it on all night and slept with it in many times.
Ok so once you rinse the conditioner out of your hair put a moisturizer on your hair then blow dry it, some choose to put the moisturizer on afterwards, that is ok as well.

Once your hair is dry you should clip your ends or have your ends clipped for you, not a lot but just a little bit, about ¼ an inch. Now this is for those that leave their weaves in for 2-3 months at a time. Otherwise just clip them every 2-3 months.

So as for the braiding pattern. I have seen people who have big braids underneath their weaves. There are a few issues with this; first let me start off by saying if you don’t plan on having your weave in for more than two weeks then it isn’t as huge of an issue. OK back to the issues; smaller braids are easier to dry under a weave, big braids hold too much moisture and you will end up under the dryer forever. Smaller braids help your hair grow better and provide a sturdier base for the weave and they last longer than big braids. It is usually those that cannot braid their own hair or those that are too lazy to do so that will tell you differently. Another thing you want to watch out for is your braiding pattern certain patterns will pull at your hairline so it is best to have your hair braided at an angle instead of straight back. Some people braid their hair in a circular pattern and for some that is fine. I just choose not to due to a bad experience.
It is also good to leave out your edges, just a little bit, you don’t have to put out a lot. Just so your aren’t putting at your edges and pulling them out.

After your hair is braided oil your scalp. I prefer oil over grease because grease will clog your scalp. Do this so your scalp isn’t dry and to minimize that new weave itch.

Well, those are my tips. As always it’s a good idea to wear a weaving cap. Feel free to hit me with any questions.

And…It Is What It is

A Proud Parent Moment

I’m so so so so so blessed. My daughter asked me can she go to a party. I’m really protective of my child so my initial reaction was hell no but I took a few days (a week) and decided I would let her go but of course I would have to pick her up and drop her off. So I sent her a text today saying she could go but if her friend was still staying with us I would have to talk to her aunt to make sure he was ok with her niece going to the party. My daughter just text me back saying she doesn’t want to go anymore because she heard there would be drinks and stuff.
I honestly could not be more proud right now.

Cleaning His Essence Away...

Have you ever broken up with someone and cleaned your whole house from head to toe trying to remove any essence of their presence?

A friend of mines was telling me she recently did just that. I dont know what it is but somehow it just makes you feel like you are cleansing them from your life. Wiping down all surfaces, washing all sheets and towels, vaccuuming up any hair or skin they may have shed on your carpet.

For years I thought I was the only person that did that.
Just a little random thought that ran through my head.

And...It Is What It Is

Love

Never be afraid to love over & over again. Even if youve been hurt. It hurts a lot more to never allow yourself even a moment of happiness...

I Finally Got A New Do!! (Video)

Pink Diamond Indian Remi Full Sew in Install

So I finally re-did my hair. I like it! It took me longer than usually because I decided to lay the tracks closer together that usual. So it is a lot fuller than usual. I am not good with cutting my own hair and this time I wanted layers so I had Trina cut my hair for me at the shop. I love having the ability to do my own hair.

I took my hair down Friday night and washed my hair and braided it. I then oiled my scalp and put on my satin scarf and went to bed. Not too long after I woke up I started my install. During this process I am also working on reviving my daughters friends weave. I was video taping both procedure simultaneously. It was a long night…lol

When I got up I cut a little but if my hair and curled it. I loved the curls. They were absolutely beautiful! So Even though the color on the bottom wasn’t what I expected it came out lovely anyway.

I didn’t get it cut until Monday afternoon. While I was thee Trina pointed out that my leave-out was far back. I had realized this myself but didn’t know what to do with it. I know it bothered the hell out of me though. Trina suggested I braid it into a circle and then take a latch hook and pull the braids down into my existing braids. When I went home it was really irking me so I decided to do something about it.
I didn’t have a latch hook so I decided to take out my red track up top and part a portion of my leave out in to two halves I braided them back then or twisted them into a circular pattern. I then threaded then to the surrounding hair. I then took a fresh piece of red hair and sewed it back around the new leave out area. After that I added two new black track to the open area that was once a part of my leave out.

I want to say that my daughter was a huge help during this whole process. She helped me sew in most of my install. I love her to death!

Hair:
14" Pink Diamond Indian Remi Hair #33
12" Pink Diamond Indian Remi #1B
10" Pink Diamond Indian Remi #1B

Supplies:
Black Mesh Weaving Cap
I used 5 "C"

Independence (Retro)

Originally Posted Aug 27, 2008
Independence

Well, once again it is Wednesday and I am going to share my thoughts with you (see the pattern here? Let’s see how long I can keep this going). Today I am going to move away from my previous topic and discuss what’s on my mind. Independence. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? Everyday I get an email from a blog I am subscribed to. I enjoy reading the blog every morning. I usually start my work day reading it. Yesterdays blog was about the blogger receiving too much of another opinions on his subject matter. How someone isn’t happy with the content of the blogs. The blogger states his blogs come from his life. So why would one change what is fact, right? That is my opinion. Me being the outspoken person I am, responded to the blog and voiced my very own opinion. What bothered me and made me decide to respond was the doubt I read in the blog that made it seem as though he wasn’t sure if he should continue on the path he had been on for this time that has gotten people to enjoy what he has to say. He let the opinions of a few cloud his mind of who he is. What I feel is wrong with our world is the fact that people do not allow a person to be the person that they are. Everyone has their opinion on how a person should be, think, act, say and feel. When they see a person being themselves and that person isn’t like them they demean that person. Causing the person to become unhappy with the person they are. We question why these kids are shooting up campuses as we call them “the rejects” but have we ever asked ourselves what make them a reject? I have never been a “follower”; I could never just do what someone else did because they thought it was the cool thing to do. I guess I was fortunate. I never had to deal with ridicule from other kids growing up. I had many that didn’t like me because I was who I wanted to be but it was never a matter that caused others to dare succeed at making me life miserable. Oh I had girls envious all throughout high school. They would talk behind my back like girls do but it stayed behind my back unless someone else told me what they heard and it was always the tacky little hood rats so I couldn’t give a rat’s ass…lol If we could all be who we wanted to be and allow ourselves the greatness we deserve we can be truly happy. Being independent does not meaning not wanting someone in your life or handling all of life on your own. It means being able to be who you are and being able to handle your business without worries. Anyone who comes into your life should be an addition. So if for some stroke of cause they are taken from your life you can still manage and function. It means not having to depend on someone else for your money, your happiness, your place to sleep, or anything else you need to survive. A man shouldn’t have to depend on his woman to get him through and vice versa. They should both be able to hold down their households on their own and still be able to come together and hold it down as a unit. If one falls the other should be able to keep things going until the other picks themselves back up and the one that has fallen should never stay down for too long. The one that is still standing should be able to smile down on the one that has fallen and hold out their hand in love and allow that person to stand next to them in pride. Being in charge of your own life and your own happiness is not a crime, accepting someone for doing it isn’t either. When you try to keep your mate down just to keep control of that person you lose your own independence, because you depend on them to be right under you at all times. Women who do not allow their men to be men and want to pay the bills so they can keep a hawk eye view on him afraid of what he might do if he has his own cash is just as tied down as he is. That moment he does find a job and have some cash you become afraid, afraid he will cheat and trapped by your own emotions of fear, emptiness, and losing.

Feeling Refreshed (Retro)

Originally Posted Aug 20, 2008
Feeling Refreshed
Current mood:content

It has been a week since my last blog and I am feeling so much better. My last blog was the beginning of the healing process. There has been no tears throughout any of this but there has been confusion. I was so frustrated and confused last week that I was feeling as if I would bust at the seams. I realized that if I got out my anger and my frustration that I could possibly feel some sort of relief, I was right. I made it a point to hit up the E&J Bar & Grill in Lakewood on Wednesday Night in order to unwind a bit with my girl Ny. DJ Quiet Storm played every song I requested allowing me to enjoy the music and shake my tail a bit. Even though we didn’t stay too long it was just enough to put me in a better mood. My ex responded to my blog stating a few things but one of the things he asked was why I would put his business out there. After I reminded him that no one even knows who he is on here, I thought to myself, “it was your business before you allowed it to effect our relationship and took it out on me, making it my business as well” Over the weekend I enjoyed myself spending time with my kids and going out with a friend & working my 2nd job. Keeping myself busy doing things I enjoyed doing without sitting around thinking too much of what is said and done. I felt very at ease and my mind was content, body relaxed. I’ve been talking to friends and focusing back on my company. I had my moment of sadness and now I am back to business as usual. As each day passes, I no longer look back on what was and what could have been but to the present and what will be. I read something that I’ve read many times before. “When the Lord takes something away, he is preparing you for something better” I smile as I recite this sentence because I know it is true. Every time I have something taken or I hit a rough spot something better always comes along, something greater than the last. Another statement that I enjoy is “Never allow someone to be your Priority while allowing yourself to be their Option.” This is very true; at one point I felt like the most important person in the world to that man. What made me throw in the towel is when I began to feel like an option to him. When he decided it was appropriate to distance himself and put other before me. I have never been one to sit and take second seat to anyone so that was all it took for me to say goodbye. If there are any women out there that feel like they are not their man’s priority please know you are not alone. So many of us have been put in that position and have been taken for granted but it isn’t the actions of another that define you. It is how you handle the situation. Find your strength and empower yourself. It will only hurt as long as you let it. Our strength runs deeper than the ocean. Women have been the backbone of this world for many years. Lets not allow ourselves to be mentally torn down and weakened. If only one woman reads this blog and finds the strength she needs then that’s ok with me because I will know that I have made some sort of difference in at least one person life.

Love & Relationships (Retro)

Originally Posted Aug 13, 2008
Love & Relationships
Current mood:blah

Hello all. I haven’t gotten the chance to blog like I use to but I felt the urge to express what’s on my mind. For the past 5 months I had been in a relationship. For the past week or 2, I have been single (time tracking not great, I know). I have had so many emotions and thoughts going through my mind that I am growing frustrated. So here’s my blog/rant. For me love is very hard. I have experienced this feeling 2 times, the latter relationship being the 2nd time. It overwhelmed me like a ton of bricks. There was no timing, no warning, no nothing. I just know what I felt. What is even more amazing to me and even though I know this is how it happens; it was with someone who doesn’t fit into my “usual” attraction. From the very beginning we hit it off. He caught me at a time where I had been single for 4 ½ years and was not interested in even going on a date. We began to converse all the time, morning, noon, & night…lol. We mentally stimulated one another’s mind and for me that was refreshing. He didn’t try to rush me, he didn’t try to jump in my bed, he just respected me for the person that I am and for me that conquered everything. I was afraid to commit to someone and had to really overcome my fear of trusting someone with my heart. Over the past 5 months we were tested in many ways and stuck strong throughout the whole thing. I didn’t allow my fears to become my enemy. They were my component and I was determined to be the winner in the end. There were many occasions where I tried to give up and throw in the towel because it was just easier to do than to just stick it out. He always brought me back to reality and reminded me that I couldn’t just turn my back whenever shit got hard. We are both hard headed individuals, stubborn as hell but loyal. What went wrong… During our relationship this man of mines decided he was tired of his working field and made a change. He decided that less pay was better than enduring the unhappiness he felt every time he showed up for work. I supported him in his decision because I wanted my man to be happy. With this career change, came financial burden. Him being the strong minded man he was, use to having money to dispose of and use to not having someone in his corner to have his back; began to shut down emotionally. I think he became depressed. It seems like he began to disappear deeper and deeper into a black hole. The man I thought I knew was no longer available. He began to snap on me (which doesn’t go over well), he began to dismiss things that he said he would do which wasn’t like him. See I am in the middle of a major remodel of my kitchen where most of the work I am doing myself and in the meantime I don’t have a kitchen to utilize. So having his help on this particular project was important for me since what I needed done couldn’t be done by just one person. Then when I would express my unhappiness, he would act like I was attacking him no matter how gently I said it or how I tried to address the matter as open discussion. After an argument I told him I needed some time to think things through. During this time I realized that I truly did love this man and would try to be there for him through this trying time. We discussed this matter and I informed him of my decision. Well, it did not get better, just worse. This man that had been there with me all of this time, never called, would barely text, and only had time for his boys. After a week of that nonsense I was too through, so I spoke up. What is so funny is that when we decided to try and tough it out I told him that I wanted to take the time and just rebuild our friendship. Allowing him the free time to do what he had to do with his friends and mentally. I gave him the freedom to get his mind right. All I wanted to do was talk like we did in the beginning and strengthen “us” before we got back to spending time together. I felt like if we tried to just take off where we left we would be standing on a crumbling foundation. Well, all that being said when I asked why he hasn’t tried to call he told me that I needed to give him time or move on. So you guessed it. I moved on. I mean who says some shit like that if they so-called loves you. While he says this crap to me, he is still telling me he loves me. WTF! Are you serious? Am I caught up in some kind of twilight zone episode? That’s what I was thinking. I am a firm believer that a relationship takes communication to remain strong and there had been zero between us. Even still I cannot shake my feelings for this person. I still love him and can’t stand him at the same time. As much as I want to let go of the thoughts of our plans for the future, I can’t help but look back and be saddened by the reality that it isn’t going to happen and I am back to square one. Once again I have to meet someone, get use to them, have them get use to me, etc etc. I know some of you may think I should have just stuck it out but in reality you only have a partial of this story. Telling you the whole damn thing would be a book, probably a best seller. Men please tell me this; why is it that you can have a good woman on your side that does everything you need for her to do and yet you still push them away when shit gets difficult for you. Why can’t you allow her to be that rock if you are not strong enough to deal with the confusion in your life? Has it ever dawned on you that maybe two heads are better than one and maybe if you quit focusing on your current failure so much that maybe you can have a better focus on life and where you need to go to get in the right direction? That pushing away those that love you will only cause you to become even more alone than you were before? Have you not realized that a relationship can become stronger when you conquer the bad together? I am a very head strong woman, very independent so I know how it feels to want to conquer things on your own and how it feels to want to shut everything out until you get it right but I am also aware of the importance of having someone love you and I know that I cannot allow my pride and fear to ruin that love that at some point will overcome the fear if I allow it to. I feel like that was the prime time to test our relationship and I feel like I was passing this test that was set before me only to be derailed by his bull headed bullshit. Finally, I saw the better half and depended on the better half to get me through. I looked past the pain I was feeling at the time and reflected on our past time together and told myself I had someone who had always been in my corner so I wasn’t going to shut the door on them, but at some point they decided to shut the door them self leaving me out in the cold.

Fathers Need to Step Up! (Retro)

Originally Posted Aug 5, 2007
Fathers Need to Step Up!
Current mood:aggravated

I just got done watching Mel B's press release for like the 2nd time and I agree with her in many ways if not all the way. Eddie Murphy should be ashamed of himself. It urks me to see men willing to take care of the chick in their life but not their own flesh and blood. One minute you swear to be the best father in the world and the next you are acting as if the child doesn't exist. All until something goes wrong in the relationship then all of a sudden you remember you have a child.

Another thing that agitates me is when the broad is cool with the fact that her man doesn't care for his kids. What kind of woman is that? What kind of woman would stand by a man who does nothing for his own? Tracey Edmunds is no better than the average broad. I guess it is just my opinion.

I just cannot respect a man who doesn't take care of his child or a female who thinks that shit is cool. More than likely she is so insecure that she feels that the child will somehow cause the man to not feel for her or she is scared the mom can take him back if he visits his child or pays his child support and he is so desperate for love that he is willing to push his kids aside to have somebody love him.

I don't friggin know but I know I have dated men with kids and they took care of their kids and those I came across that didn't were kicked to someone else's curb. I use to like Eddie Murphy but now that this has all come to light I find him a miserable excuse for a man. I feel the same way for all men who do not take care of their children. There is no excuse and there will never be an excuse. No child deserves to be treated as a commodity. Every child deserves the utmost love from 2 parents regardless of the past relationship. Because it isn't about what they "had" it is about what they have and that is a child. Even if the love is gone between the parents it should never tarnish the love they have for their kids…EVER!

Choices & Responsibilities (Retro)

Originally posted Nov 20, 2007
Choices & Responsibilities

I am in the process of purchasing my 2nd home. We are set to close on the 20th of November I am excited since this one is a lot bigger than my 1st. I can't wait to get in there and start tearing down walls and floors and such. I think about the decisions I make for my 2 kids and how they will effect them. I'm striving to ensure they need for nothing. so far, so good. I was not raised poor, in the projects or subjected to anything I shouldn't have been but we were not rich. If I needed it. I had it. All except for my dad. When I moved to Washington it was w/o my dad. He did not abandon my mom and me. She left him because h was violent towards her. Neither one of my parents had planned for a child. My father was 30 and my mom 25 when I was born. my dad was street all the way. He was all about the street life and money. He never worked his whole life. Eventually that life took him over and destroyed him. I was 17 when he died. I remember flying to California for the funeral. His only child. Standing over his casket feeling numb. See my mom, she made a decision. She decided to be a mom and raise her child. It took consequences to decision for that to take place but it did. I've never been a street runner. I've never been a hood rat chick. I've always walked my own path regardless of the friends I chose. For me theres been no other choice but to be an involved parent always striving to do more for my kids. I will never have anyone else raise MY kids not while I'm here on this earth a free woman. I provide for my family because I see no other way. I was 18 when I found out I was pregnant w/my daughter. 19 when I had her. I was scared but happy at the same time. I was 27 when I found out I was pregnant with my son. This was and unexpected shock that carried mixed emotions. I didn't want another child. I had one that was almost 8 and could see starting all over again. I talked things over with his dad and we mutually decided that I would keep the baby. It's so crazy because I didn't feel pregnant until I was maybe 6 mos. I just went through the motions. Most of my friends had no idea because I barely showed until I hit 8 mos. When I was 3 mos or so my and the daddy broke up. When I was 4 mos he stated he wanted us to be together and asked me to join him at Disney World for Thanksgiving weekend. I told him no and felt it was best we were not together. I decided to go home for Thanksgiving. After that we did not speak again until almost a month before my son was born. April 12th my grandma on my moms side passed. Her funeral was on the 19th and for me it was a hard time. I still haven't gotten her death. I was 8 1/2 mos on a plane for a funeral no one could keep me from. I returned back to Jersey on April 25th and had my son April 30th. His father was not there. He was in a drug rehab center overseas. He lived a life on the road and enjoys the perks as well. Snorting cocaine. I found out why he was where he was a few months after it happened. all I knew is that he was out of the country. I assumed it was work. I had my son alone. He was due May 15th so both my mom and his dad planned to be in town for his birth but he was early. I was induced because my son had already grown to be almost 10 lbs. Once my son was born his father was the happiest man alive. I had never seen him so renewed. He was a different person. He was patient. He looked at my son and I saw in his eyes he loved him. Its so weird because from the moment I saw him I felt the same way. I didn't realize how much I could love the little stinker. He is wonderful. To me it was amazing how 2 people who never loved one another could love the being they created together so much. For me, that love was and will be everlasting. I cannot say the same for my sons father. 5 months after my son was born he met a female over time the love he expressed for my son began to fade. He made it a point to see how he was doing and make sure he was taken care of. Not anymore. He now acts as though my son does not exist and I refused to try and make him take part in his life. I do not call him and I won't. he has expressed that my son is only a financial responsibility to him and the funny thing is: he doesn't even pay child support. He makes sure his new female is taken care of but could care less about my son. I refuse to hate him because hate consumes you. I do despise him and I am not afraid to say so. he does not deserve my respect nor my son. My son looks like both of his parents but he is the best of both worlds. He is so so wonderful, smart, and loved by so many. One day I may be faced with the task of explaining why this man isn't in my sons life and that scares me. I never want my son to feel the pain of the rejection he has been given by this man. Me and his dad did not argue. We were not holding on to any kind of relationship besides being parents. There was never a threat to his relationship. not from me. I wanted to ask, "why can't you love your son too?" but why even bother. I know its a mental thing for him and with his lifestyle my son doesn't need him in his life. Still, how do u explain that to a child?

Sharing Some Of My Old Blogs

So I was on my MySpace page (yeah I know) and I decided that I would look at some of my old blogs from there. I have quite a few interesting ones that I am going to share. I am going to label them as (repost) So you know it is an old blog.

Pink Diamond Indi Remy Initial Review

So the Pink Diamond Indi Remy hair I ordered has finally arrived on Monday. I ordered a 14” in 33, a 12” & 10” in 1B.

When I first open the package there was a cute off white fluffy little teddy bear…so cute! The hair is really soft to the touch. I am really anxious to install it! I’m not so excited about the labor involved though but I know the results will be amazing!

I did pay for the hair on my own and I am not being paid to review the hair. Everything I have to say about the hair is my own thoughts and opinions on the hair.

Once again I will be doing something different with my style and putting the 33 on the bottom and the 1B on top. I will be installing this hair this weekend and I will be posting a video of the finished product.

How to Revive and Make Your Weave Look New Again (Video)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Ladies, you may want to get your do together for that special someone tonight, so pay close attention!
I decided to do a little video on how to revive and make your weave look new again even when you are using hair that is not expensive. This is a way to make inexpensive hair last longer.

The video was done on Sunday. I did my hair Saturday night. It is now Tuesday and my hair still feels soft and is completely tangle free. It literally feels just like it did when I first did my hair if not better.

I did not add this in my video, but in order to keep it straight at night I wrapped the top in a satin scarf and put the rest in a hair bonnet, you will have to flat iron the ripples out in the morning if you do not wrap your hair, I just tie mines up then put the rest under a bonnet. I do not wrap my weave at night.

I thought about showing a video while I was washing my hair then I changed my mind but when I got home my hair was still looking nice so I decided I would share with everyone what I did and how to do the same thing with their own hair.
I wish you would have been able to see what the hair looked like before I washed it. You would be able to fully appreciate what I am sharing with you. But remember do not put grease in your weave and do not add a bunch of oil to it. I may show a video of me doing my daughter's hair. Her weave isnt that bad right now but I do not use expensive hair in her head, she has had her weave in for a month and a half now. So I may use her head to show you both my tightening and revive/renew technique completely. Both of these techniques are good for when you want your weave to last just a little bit longer, everyone that has seen my hair though I got it re-done.

I hope you enjoy…

And…It Is What It Is

Full Sew In Install Using Vivica's Wink Hair (Video)

A little history on me and hair:
Some people are like; “Shani wants to be a beautician now” since I started doing videos. No, I’ve been doing hair since I was young. I was French braiding my own hair at age 8 or 9 in beads. I was the kid who did every other kid’s hair in the neighborhood and at summer camp, I did my friends and cousins hair. I even did one of my cousin's hair for her prom. I wanted a daughter so I could do her hair and I taught my cousin how to braid. But...I have never wanted to do hair for a living, it’s always been something I've loved to do but I’ve always just done on the side and made extra cash doing braids and whatnot. I study new techniques and ways to keep hair healthy so I can do my daughter's hair and my own.
If I choose to go to a salon I trust only two people to do my hair. So if you are in Seattle see LaShawn and if you are in Tacoma see Trina. I only let one person do my micros and that’s Awa and she is in Harlem so if you are ever in Harlem see her. She is on 125th & Morningside (yeah I am that picky).
So when I got home Friday my daughter's friend was at my house with her hair wet from being washed, she had conditioner in it. She pulls out a bunch of hair in different styles, colors and lengths and was dead serious about putting it in her head. I looked at the pieces she had and knew there was no way she was walking out of my house with all of that in her head, so I decided I would check out the beauty supply by my house to grab a pack of hair for her friend, since I had the plumber on his way, we also had some hair left over from my daughters last install. I usually go to the B & I for hair (until I found my new online very cheap Remi hair retailer) but I figured I would check them out. The lady showed me a hair by Vivica Fox called Wink. I've used Vivica's Remi hair before (see the review I posted a few months back), it tangles badly but I decided to get this hair anyway for two reasons; 1. It was only $18. 2. Out of the inexpensive quality hair they had it’s the only one that came in black and was yaki.
Initially my daughter was going to do her hair but her friend's hair is so fine and is short in some areas so we were going to have to add some hair and my daughter doesn’t know how to add extensions yet. Plus her friend has been wanting for me to do her hair for a while now after seeing my daughter's hair so I decided I would just do it and let my daughter curl it.
So as with all of my recent hair videos, I recorded the experience, well most of it, my camera died and I had to recharge it. I try to add little details in each video. So if I don’t cover something in one video I will try to cover it in another.
In this video I show how I secure the stitch and I also show how I put on the cap and how I cut the cap. One of these videos I will show how I style the hair. But not yet, that will more than likely be a video of its own.
Well I hope you enjoy this install.
Hair:
12" Vivica's WINK, Human Hair Remi Quality Blend Protein Hair 1B
10" Zury Human Hair 1B/33

Supplies:
Black Mesh Weaving Cap
I used 5 "C" shaped needles to prevent constant threading.
Black Weaving Thread

Music: Journey
By: Dice f/Element of Second Family

And...It Is What It Is

Intro to Pink Diamond Indian Remi

It’s time to redo my hair. I came across a website that has a lot of the hair brands for ½-¾ of the price that you would buy it at the beauty supply. So I decided to try a new brand called Pink Diamond Indian Remy, I usually use the Bobbi Boss Indian Remy but I heard so many good things about the Pink Diamond that I wanted to try it. I will do a review after I have installed it. It hasn’t arrived yet so I can’t tell you too much about the hair just yet.

This is what the company has to say about Pink Diamond Indian Remy:
“Pink Diamond Indian Remy is so soft and silky it makes whoever wearing this hair feel like a diamond in a rough”

The company also has a new hair called Rain Moisture Remy. I can’t find any reviews on it yet but I am going to try that as well, maybe I will be the first to review it.

This is what the company has to say about Rain Moisture Remy:
“THE NEWEST REMY HAIR from SHAKE-N-GO. RAIN is vibrant in color, has soft to touch texture, and will forever liberate you from frizzy limp hair. Moisture Remy RAIN. Hair that is truly BEAUTIFUL”

That’s all for now, I will keep your updated!

And…It Is What It Is

Fix Your Credit Score & Payoff Debt: A Simple Solution

At some point in life we decide that it is time to get our affairs in order and strive for something more. But in the back of that thought is our history; credit history that is. What some do not understand is that the amount of people you owe hurts you more than the amount of money you owe. Some people opt to file for bankruptcy for a quick fix. I wouldn’t suggest this option for any debts less than $10,000. So I am going to address those debts that are under $10,000, now I still do not suggest bankruptcy but this will make it easier to manage and understand what I am saying.
First I suggest you go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp and get a free copy of you credit report from ALL THREE reporting agencies. This is free to do once a year. Each company will have something different on them. If you know you’ve paid something off that may be on one but not the other you need to dispute it which is not hard to do, each site will tell you how.
After you do those look at everything under $100 and list them on a sheet of paper or on your computer. Next on a separate sheet of paper do everything under $500 and list them on a sheet of paper or on your computer. Then on another sheet of paper list everything else.

Right now ignore your under $500 and more lists. Each paycheck payoff one of the under $100 charges. Now so far you’ve already improved your credit score by removing the small stuff and you’ve improved your debt to income ratio.

Once you have paid off all of those move on to your under $500. Look at your paycheck and decided how much you can pay towards these bills per month. I suggest you choose the smaller balances first and get them out of the way (under $300). Then list everything else and decide how much you want to pay towards it per paycheck. Do this until all of those bills have been paid off.
With these it is a little different. Instead of paying on the same bill each paycheck. Choose a different one for each paycheck so that you are only paying on one per month and not twice per month. What really helps is if you put the paycheck date that you are going to pay that bill. Each time you pay on a bill add the new total and a new pay date.
Ex:
Credit Card 1: $500 – Pay $50.00 on 06/01/12
Credit Card 2: $300 – Pay $50.00 on 06/01/12
Credit Card 3: $200 – Pay $50.00 on 06/15/12
Credit Card 4: $400 – Pay $50.00 on 06/15/12

Credit Card 1: $450 – Pay $50.00 on 07/01/12
Credit Card 2: $250 – Pay $50.00 on 07/01/12
Credit Card 3: $150 – Pay $50.00 on 07/15/12
Credit Card 4: $350 – Pay $50.00 on 07/15/12

Lastly, you have your big bills. Hopefully, you don’t have too many of these. Contact the creditors and request a settlement amount. A lot of these balances have incurred interest and are usually 5 times what you actually owe. Most creditors are willing to reduce this amount by 50% but they will give you a certain time to pay this amount and you will need to do exactly that. Request a copy of the settlement agreement so you have hard copy proof that you paid this amount and keep a copy of all payment receipts, money orders or cashed checks, until these have been removed from your credit report.

As you pay off each debt cross it off your list so you can keep track of your progress.

I hope this helps and good luck!!

Chase Bank: Time To Run Away Fast!!

So a co-worker of mines posted a bible verse on her Facebook page. “I can do all things through Him which strengthens me - Philippians Ch.4 Vs.13”. So I decided to see if she was ok. After talking to her I found out that she had been having a rough few weeks.
The main source of this hardship was Chase Bank. Here is a short version of her story:

On payday she went grocery shopping her card was declined so she went to the ATM only to find not only were her two checking accounts empty but so was her savings account. She called Chase who told her miscellaneous electronic withdrawals had been taken out of her account and they do not know where they came from. They could not trace the withdrawals and when they called the 800 # that accompanied them it was busy.

She filed a police report and followed Chase’s fraud procedures and then was told that they will reverse the overdraft fees and open her new account but they will not replace the money that was stolen because they could not say whether or not she authorized the withdrawals from her account. They then stated that they attempted to call her and she didn’t answer so they just let the money go. WOWZERS!!!

This irritated me to say the least. I have been with Chase since 2002 when they were Washington Mutual. Once Washington Mutual was bought out by Chase I kept my account open. A couple of years ago I decided to open an account with a credit union. I started to use the credit union account as my main account but I did not feel like the hassle of moving one of my direct deposits (non-work related), my square up and my paypal account, plus I had my car insurance coming out of that account. This is the account I figured I would use for all of my business transactions.

After hearing her story I logged right in to my credit unions website and set up another checking account and printed all paperwork needed to start moving all of my deposits other payment accounts to the new account.

I also decided to do a little research on Chase. In doing so I came across multiple complaints against the bank similar to this case. Some may have heard about the man that was arrested for trying to cash a fraudulent check that Chase had sent to him. He spent five days in jail, lost his car because it was towed off Chase premises and auctioned off all while he was in jail and lost his job. Chase has since issued an apology and claims they are trying to come to a resolution. Here is the story: http://www.king5.com/news/125105599.html

Banks are required to pay you bank for any money stolen electronically I have attached a link to tell you the steps to take if this ever happens to you.
http://www.ehow.com/info_7737008_bank-stolen-money-debit-card.html

Federal Trade Commission Facts for Consumers on Electronic Banking
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre14.shtm

And…It Is What It Is

Shani's 37 Day System Detox

Good Morning!

Since I receive so many questions regarding my detoxing I have decided to put together a detoxing plan. This plan will be 37 days long. I will detail each step and phase in this detox.

This plan will prepare you to gear your body towards better eating habits and cleanse your system of current impurities and junk. If you are ready to cleanse your body and feel better this is the perfect plan for you.

With this plan I suggest you get a journal and journal your feelings, experience and what you eat. If you haven’t already, I also suggest you sign up for myfitnesspal.com once you get to Phase Three so you can monitor how much food you are eating daily and how many calories you are taking in. MyFitnessPal is also available in the android market for your phone.

So that this post isn’t so long I have attached a link within my blog that talks about each phase.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Phase One - Part One: Digestive System Flush & Preparation
This phase removes all waste from your body and prepares your body for weight loss.
You will notice that your stomach may reduce in size and you will not feel as bloated. This part of the detox is two days. You will begin on Friday night and end Sunday morning.
Friday Night: Drink a cup of Smooth Move Tea before bed.
Saturday Morning: Before eating, mix 64 oz of warm water with two tablespoons of sea salt (do not use table salt). You may add lemon juice to help the taste.
Drink this solution within 30 minutes.
After your body has flushed for the morning start Part Two: Juice detox
Saturday Night & Sunday Morning: Repeat the steps above.
SN: If you truly cannot tolerate the sea salt solution you can use magnesium sulfate available at any drug store and at the Dollar Tree.

For more info on the Sea Salt Flush click here:

Phase One - Part Two: 10 Day Juice Detox & Flush
This phase cleanses your body of all impurities and boosts your energy level sky high. Do not exercise during this phase.
During this phase you will need Odwalla or Naked Superfood 64oz per day.
Throughout your day sip on a 64 oz of the Odwalla or Naked Superfood juice. You should only drink one of these per day for 10 days.
One thing I have noticed that makes it a little easier is switching up your juice. For example: I will have an Odwalla protein drink in the a.m. and then sip ¼ of my 64oz Naked super juice throughout the day then have tomato juice at night. It gave me a more satisfied feeling and switching up gave my taste buds a little change which helped it not be so boring.

I really want to stress sipping the juice and not gulping it down. You will end up very hungry and when you sip your metabolism is constantly working.

The first three days will be the hardest. After those 3 days are over you will find it easier and your energy level will increase immensely. During this phase you should lose on average 20 pounds.

For more on the Juice Detox click here:

Phase Two: Introduction to food
This phase helps your body get use to eating solids again. The amount of time you take to do a juice detox is the same amount of time you should take to introduce your body back to solids.
Days 1-5
Breakfast: Have a smoothie
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Vegetable Soup
Snack: Fruit
Dinner: Steamed Vegetables or Vegetable Soup
Snack: Fruit

Days 6-10
Breakfast: Have a smoothie
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Vegetable Soup or Salad
Snack: Fruit
Dinner: Baked or Grilled Fish with Steamed Vegetables
Snack: Fruit

For more info on the smoothies click here:

Phase Three: 17 Day Food Detox
Prime your body for lasting weight loss. This cycle last 17 days and comes with up to 20 lbs of weight loss. Yes up to 20 lbs. It rids the body of water weight and fat while establishing healthy eating habits and dialing up your metabolism. During this time I also suggest drinking the Yogi Detox tea.
During this phase walk 30 minutes a day. Walk 15 minutes in one direction and 15 minutes back. If you are on a treadmill (speed of 2.0-3.5) or track walk 30 minutes.
1. Eat unlimited protein like fish, poultry, & eggs (NO red meat like, pork, beef, lamb, goat)
2. Fill up on detoxifying veggies like tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, & cucumbers
3. Favor low-sugar fruit (3 servings a day) like apples, berries, grapefruit, oranges, pears, & prunes.
4. Snack on probiotic-rich foods (2 servings daily) like yogurt, kefir, miso, tempeh & sauerkraut
5. Drink 8 oz of hot water with the juice of half a lemon when u wake up
6. Avoid starchy carbs, sugar and alcohol

For more on the 17-Day click here:

If you want to go further than the 37 days you can follow the remaining phases of the 17 day detox.

And…It Is What It Is!


Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube health channel http://youtube.com/shaninicolehealth

My Mizoutlet.com Jewelry Haul (Video)

Good Morning!

Today I want to take a moment to share with you my shopping experience. I went online to purchase a few items from www.mizoutlet.com. I placed my order on Friday morning and received it by Monday evening.

This website has everything from novelties to make-up to jewelry. It is all super cheap and affordable.
I wasn’t going to do a haul or review on these items but I was so impressed by the timely manner in which I received everything that I had to share my experience.

Please view the video below. If you have not subscribed to my youtube channel please do so. http://www.youtube.com/user/IAmShaniNicole

Thank you!

And…It Is What It Is

How to Apply Eyelash Cluster Extensions (Video)

I’ve wanted to do a lash video for a minute now. As I stated in the video below I’ve been getting lashes for about 15 months now. I use to keep them on ever since I accidentally pulled all my real ones out a year ago but ever since I started boxing I haven’t really been wearing them because the sweat causes them to fall off faster.

Lashes enhance a woman’s appearance. Women have been wearing fake lashes forever. I absolutely love them!

I hope you enjoy the video, unfortunately you can’t really see me putting each one on. I will probably do another video in the near future so you can see what I am doing a lot better.

How to Apply Eyelash Cluster Extensions
Ardell Duralash naturals Knot-Free Flares Meduim "Black"
Salon Pro Anti-Fungus Hair Bonding Glue "Black"
Tweezers
Aluminum Foil

Music By: MarQui (one of my marketing clients)



And…It Is What It is

Full Sew-in Weave w/Invisible Part & Side Bang Install (Video)

So Sunday I did a full head sew in with an invisible part and a small leave out. This was my first attempt at an invisible part. An invisible part is a very tedious process, especially when you are sewing it in. Gluing it in seems like it would be a lot faster, matter of fact I know it would be.

The client/model only brought 1 1/2 packs of hair even though she was asked to bring 2 to 3 packs but I made it work. It wasn't quite as full as I would have preferred for it to be but it still looked damn good when I was done. That’s another reason I did the invisible part first, that’s the last place you want to run out of hair.
Like my daughter she has Remy on the bottom and just a regular Yaki on top.

I can say this though, an invisible part will not be a part of my normal sew in process when there is leave out. It took much longer than usual to do her hair.

My legs were killing me! I will say this again...I don’t know how stylists do it everyday. I have the utmost respect for them.

Full Sew-in w/Invisible Part, Side Bang Install with leave out using a mesh cap
Hair is 14" & 12" The 14" is Bobbi Boss First Remi #2
The 1" is 4 U Yaki #1

I used 5 "C" shaped needles to prevent constant threading.

Music: Put Ya Bag Down

By: Jig The Pres (one of my marketing clients)

I am working on my beauty marketing campaigns for stylists so if you are a stylist and you are interested in increasing your profit margin and clientele email me at marketing@reddibusiness.com to set up an appointment. This is for serious inquiries ONLY!



And…It Is What It is

So Sorry I’ve Been Gone…

So this is an update on everything. My weight loss, my health journey, my personal life and my marketing business. I have been somewhat over whelmed lately so I haven’t been blogging like I should so I’m going to try and catch you all up a little bit without going into too much detail. This blog post would be entirely too long.

So personally I have been on a roller coaster ride with a guy I was seeing. He recently had a series of events in his life that caused him to pull away. It was weird because one day we were thick as thieves then the next we were strangers. I truly tried to be there for him but after a while it just became too hard. I explained this to him and told him I would always be his friend which in my eyes by his behavior seemed like it would be what he wanted but he ignored my "I will always be your friend text" after I told him I had to move on with my life. So honestly I’m just confused but I will not contact him again. I do not chase down anyone, not friends or lovers, I did my part.
The way things were going between us made me unhappy all the time. I didn’t want my life to be that way. I couldn’t live like that. I know he was going through a hard time and I offered many times to be there but he wanted to be to himself and close himself off from the world. What else could I do?

Anywho, on to my workout progress. Well, I’ve lost an additional two pounds. I am happy to see some progress. Especially considering I haven’t been going as hard as I was. With everything going on and the snow and my car breaking down it's been hard to stay on track five days a week as far as the workout goes but food wise I’ve been doing good minus my day of red velvet cake that caused me to get sick. So needless to say I won’t make that mistake again. My body isn’t use to that much sugar and it let me know it. I also noticed that the Boxing/MMA gym I’m going to isn’t really giving personalized training anymore. I’m not sure if I want to keep paying $45 a month to stand by myself hitting a bag for an hour. I need to learn more techniques. I need to be able to practice on mitts and so forth as well. So I am re-evaluating my plans for the upcoming month.

Lately, I’ve been focusing very hard on my own business; I’ve taken the place of a client. Meaning I’ve become my own client. I am doing for myself what I would do for one of my clients and putting together my own marketing campaigns. That is part of the reason I am doing so many videos about hair and what not.
I’ve been learning how to put together and edit videos, part of marketing is visual. So being able to provide the client with videos instead of paying another company to put them together is a plus. So while I am using the videos to draw attention to my marketing I am also using them to learn how to create and edit videos. It is a tedious process that requires a lot of time but it is more than worth it to be able to do it.
This weekend I did two vides that I will be posting on here over the next two days. I did a eyelash tutorial and a weave install video. So look for those Thursday and Friday.

So that is my update for now. I appreciate you taking the time to rock with me as always…

And…It Is What It Is!


Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube health channel http://youtube.com/shaninicolehealth