Hair Happiness

My daughter has crazy thick hair, always has.  This has been an ongoing source of frustration for both of us, now that she recognizes how many compliments it brings, and wants it as long as possible.

The problem is maintenance.  Washing it is crazy hard, especially when you're young and not very coordinated.  So, Mom needs to step in and help, which then starts the yelling and screaming no matter how much conditioner, detangler, etc.  Ugh.

We have FINALLY found a (partial) solution!  It's been around for a LONG time... dry shampoo.  The stuff is great for her hair, which tends to get oily at the roots, and dry near the ends.  She loves spraying it on and becoming "Granny" (it makes her hair white), and then, after a few minutes, we just brush it out. This has become our mid-week solution to mom's insistence on clean-looking hair, and her insistence on a painless way to do it.

Channelling my inner Minnesotan

In my heart, I will always be a California girl.  Yes, I grew up in Michigan, and only spent a few short years living west of the Rockies, but when I was there, it just felt... right.  Hated being far from family, but there was a peace in my soul in Northern California.  I've lived lots of other places, and enjoyed most of them (Columbia!) but my dream is to someday return to California.  Hopefully after they've fixed all the political and budget problems, and home prices become somewhat reasonable.  I'm not holding my breath on the last two...

I digress.  It was -22 here this morning when we got up.  -26 if you count the wind chill.  Now, I have learned to really love winter, especially if there's snow on the ground, because I love to ski.  There aren't a whole lot of places in the country where you can have an active xc-ski-life like I do.  It's awesome that I can ski 4-5 times a week, schedule permitting.  But seriously, -26 -- that's cold.

Especially since I'm supposed to go snowshoeing tonight.  I signed up for this women's outing; 60 minute hike with a bonfire at an igloo at the end.  (Yes, I know the two don't seem to go together, bonfires and igloos).  So, I'm channeling my inner Minnesotan, putting on my 27 layers, and going to tough it out.  I think.  Hopefully I won't end up like this little guy.

This photo was taken Tuesday morning in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. A squirrel was found frozen, standing up with its hands up to its face. Submitted by: Chris Lee, Fairfax, MN.


3pm update:  So far it's only gotten up to -3.  I doubt that it's going to get warmer after the sun goes down, regardless of the weather forecast, so I made the decision to stay home and stay warm.  My snowshoe adventures will have to wait. 

Inspiration or Procrastination?

Does it really matter?  I finally took care of a problem that had been bugging me for years.  Granted, I had a lot of "important" things to do instead, but now one less thing on my "I need to fix that..." list.

About 6 years ago, I painted the living room.  At the time, I had no money for art on the walls.  I bought two picture frames at Ikea, and vowed that I would find posters for them.  In the mean time, I took out some craft paints, swirled them around on the back of the sheet of paper that came in the frame, and called it "art".  Here is one of the frames:

Embarrassingly, this "art" has stayed in that frame until today, when I decided that I had to find something to put in those frames!  I spent 2.5 hours on the internet, trying to find posters I liked, with no success.

I was so frustrated, I decided to try my hand at art again.

Here's my supply list:

• 2 Ikea posters purchased on clearance a few years ago and never used
• 1 gallon of brown paint purchased for $5 from the mis-tint bin because I loved the color
• Foam paint roller
• Colored sand from an old sand-art kit (to texture the paint)
• Black and cream-colored scrapbook paper
• Circle punches
• Scissors
• Glue stick

If you think the above reads like an elementary school art project, you're not far off.  Here's the end result:

I was able to create a cool mottled effect with the roller, cut the leaves and stems freehand from the paper, and glued the pieces in place.  If you look at it up close, it does resemble an art project, but hey, it should buy me another few years.  It's less embarrassing than what I had before, and cost me nothing but time.

Only problem - The plexiglas in the frame glares terribly with dark artwork, so I may have to invest in some anti-glare glass.  Still, the cost is minimal, and the satisfaction of getting something off my list is great!

Update - my kids came home and declared they hate the new art.  Sigh.

Missing it

I really, really want to be spending time blogging, but one of my resolutions is to finally attack the mountains of paperwork piled up, and get our "filing house" in order.  To do so means tackling one of my biggest demons - the "I can't throw it away - I might need to know it someday" curse.

So.... I've been extra diligent in tackling paperwork projects lately, and I refuse to stop skiing while there's still snow on the ground, so that doesn't leave much time for blogging.  I hope to post more pictures soon, but don't hold your breath.

:)