Upcoming Posts for the New Year!

Its a new year! Woohoo! 2013 is here! Well, almost. With a new year comes new goals, dreams, and opportunities. Here is a list of posts for the new year:

Hair Products & Reviews-I notice that I get more views on hair product reviews, so I guess people like them. If you are a company or small business and would like for me to review a product, please email me at walkingthroughhoney@yahoo.com

Clean Eating-A new lifestyle that I kinda do, but not all the time. I currently have the Clean Eating Recharge book, so when I finish there will be more posts about that and how I am doing, challenges and recipes.

Fitness-I know that I said that I wasn't concern with losing weight anymore, but I feel like I need to do something for myself. I am going to do a little somethin', somethin' in the new year, but once again a lifestyle change.

Books, on Books, on top of Books-In 2012 I seriously slacked on reading books, other than the bible, I got nothing. I really miss just getting away from technology and letting my mind run wild and reading a good book.

Money Mondays-Saving money, buying a house, no buy challenges, yup, its on in 2013.

I'm thinking about opening back up my 360 in 365 list again, because I didn't accomplish as much on that list that I wanted to. And also there will be the normal posts about life, dating, Words of Wisdom, and Spiritual Sundays.

What posts would you like to see in 2013?

Spiritual Sunday: Knowledge

This year has been almost blah for me. Not in a bad way, but just in a way that has made me take notice of the things that are going on around me and within me. It seems like the one thing that the Lord has been telling me is to seek knowledge. 

As many of you may know, I have been debating on several things in my life and it all boils down to knowledge. I have been debating back and forth about whether I want to buy a house and out of no where my coworker says 'Have you actually researched the programs out there for first time home buyers and single woman?' With a clueless look on my face, 'No, I never thought of that.' I looked online and there it was a program that will help me with closing costs and repairs. Something that I never would have known if I wouldn't have talked to her that day or about mentioned it casually in conversation.

At the end of this year I realize that there are some things that I want so very badly, but I am not quite ready for since I have not taken the proper steps to seek the knowledge to make my plan successful. Now, I know that there are things that you just have to trust and take that step of faith out there and do, but what you will find is that some things are just not in God's time since you don't have the knowledge to do it. And yes, there are mistakes that will be made, but learning from them and taking the knowledge that you have, and moving forward.

Leading into 2013, I am going to fill myself with knowledge, knowledge and more knowledge! There are so many things that I need to seek out and expand about my life. My friend said something that kind of inspired this post. She said that '[We] are the last generation that will actually have some sense. Most of these kids out here don't have a clue what do, how to make decisions, or anything that will help the world or make it a better place.' And the more I thought about it, its true. I thought about how wise my father is. He only has an 8th grade education, but he is really well-versed in many things, from politics to carpentry. Some of his habits consist of reading the paper daily, not looking at TV, unless its CNN or the local news, and seeking knowledge from different people and places.

For the next year, I invite you to be a sponge and soak up all that you can. Read the book of Proverbs.  Read the newspaper. Learn a new word every week, and use it. Think outside the box. Exercise your mind in ways that you never thought possible. Find a different way of doing things. Be aware and knowledgeable of things other than the newest IPhone out. Seek and you shall find. Make the right decisions knowing that you have thought about all possible options and looked at it from every angle, but most importantly seeking out God for his knowledge to guide you.

The Best of 2012...

Well, 2012 is winding down and all over the place there are 'the best of' lists everywhere. So I decided to do one. Aside from the 'Never to late for Now' episode of 30 Rock, there are actually a couple of things that made my life easier, better, happier and all of the above.

Beauty



MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 in NW 45. I've never been one to use concealer, but after watching 100 Youtube videos, I finally gave in and brought some. Seriously, the best $18 ever spent! The coverage is amazing! You can wear just the concealer and powder and you will look flawless. It's buildable so you can for from light to full. I cannot explain how great it is, just go to you nearest counter and try it for yourself.

Food



Roasted. Broccoli. I eat this every week. Just look up a recipe for it and you'll be making it every week. I love it!

Hair

I am still in the trial and error phase with hair products when it comes to trying to develop a regime and staple products. My go-to line, when all else has failed: Shea Moisture. The Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Moisture Retention Shampoo, the African Black Soap Body Wash, and the list could go on. One of the greatest thing about this line is affordable and available in drugstores.

Clothing




Old Navy's Rockstar Jeans...or Jeggings...whatever you want to call them. I found myself buying and reaching for these jean more than any pair in my closet. The stretch and fit are great, when you figure out what size you actually wear. Also, the length is perfect for shorter people such as myself.



Honorable Mentions



Etsy! I am addicted to looking at all types of things one here. From vintage wedding dresses to handcrafted earrings to body products. The thing that attracts me to this site is the uniqueness of everything on there, truly one of a kind items, and you are supporting small businesses.

Words of Wisdom...

Thankful Tuesdays at Work!

I just had to post that today was a good day! It seems like everywhere I looked there was good thing happening around me at work.  I normally post Thankful Thursdays, but this time I was so excited that I just had to share...right now!

• I am so thankful that one of my residents finally got her stuff together to go another site! Long story, she needed a birth certificate to be able to transfer units, and she got it! I am so proud of her. Sad to lose her as a resident, but happy because I know that she'll love her new place even more and its the best for her.

• Everyone that I called today answered their phone! Great! Yes! At work, that is a good thing.

• My part-time maintenance aid had a good attitude and was willing to help out with stuff. He begged to leave early, but I got more out of him than most people did.

• One of the other managers was at a store and asked if he could pick my material up and deliver it to my site! Sure can!

• Without even asking one of tradesman volunteered to come help with snow removal, if needed!

• I got someone to help out while my full-time maintenance aid is off!

Not work related, and possibly the best thing ever, my dad wants to buy my car and help me get a new one! There ain't no body like my daddy! I love him so much! It's kind of like a win-win for the both of us.

I feel so blessed! Thank You Jesus! I know that some of this seems like small stuff, but it helped make my day. Its the little things with me.

Feeling Blessed and Highly Favored??!? Let me know--no matter how small it was!

Words of Wisdom...

Product Review: As I Am DoubleButter Cream

I tried so hard to love you, As I Am DoubleButter Cream! When I say that I tried, I mean, I did every possible thing to try to make this work for my hair.

I went into Sally's, palms sweaty, debit card in hand, prepared to shell out $28.99 plus tax for this product that I seen all over YouTube with rave reviews. Believe it or not, I glanced at the ingredients because I noticed that it contains coconut oil, and my hair doesn't respond well to it.

After about 12 minutes of contemplation and two conversation with the sales girls, glancing several other products for one-third of price, I ran to the register and brought it!


Moisture is essential for great natural coils and curls. When your hair feels a bit rough and dry, and looks that way too, this is the jar to reach for. The power-packed As I Am® DoubleButter® Cream is a rich emollient blend, graced with the finest array of natural butters and organic oils. It gets the job done.

Sounds really good right?







I couldn't contain myself!  Hastily, I washed and deep conditioned my hair. Finally something that would make my hair really soft, great for twist outs, moisture for days, my mind just went on and on. After my deep condition, I prepared my hair for a protective style. I added a leave in conditioner, oiled my scalp, added the DoubleButter Cream and sealed with some castor oil and started to detangle and braid. I woke up the next morning and expected that my hair was going to be super soft, but it wasn't. Ok, no problem, mist with water, add the cream, and seal with some oil. After 3 days, my hair felt drier than ever. It was like I didn't do anything to it at all.

When I removed my braids to wash, my hair was crunchy. Crunchy like I had been putting gel on my hair the whole time--not a creamy moisturizer.

I wasn't willing to give up that easily. I pre-pooed, washed, and deep conditioned again. This time I used the LOC method for sealing in moisture. I added my leave in conditioner, added castor oil, and then the DoubleButter Cream and proceeded to braid it up. The next morning...better! Finally!

Now, I thought to myself, let me try a twist out. The results were ok. Why? Because my ends were dry and crunchy. I used the LOC method and the ends were still dry. The definition was decent for it to just be with a moisturizer, but nothing like when I did it with the Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

The bottom line: For the price this product, it just doesn't stack up. My concern is that when doing the LOC method I wonder what is making my hair moisturized--the water and castor oil, or the actual moisturizer. I wanted to say that it was because of the change in the weather and that my hair was just extremely dry, but I think that I was just making excuses to try to love this product after all the hype. The one thing that I do love about this product is the smell, but beyond that...I got nothing.

I know that it was more than likely because of the amount of coconut oil in the product and from what I heard (not sure if this is fact) coconut oil has some protein in it and that could have possibly caused the crunchiness in my hair. I'm sorry but it will be going back to Sally's tomorrow.

I did buy some Qhemet Biologics products as a replacement, and I'm just as excited to get it in the mail as I was to try this one! I also brought another cream moisturizer on Black Friday. The search for the perfect moisturizer continues.

Have you tried the As I Am DoubleButter Cream? Do you like it? Was it worth the price for you?

Words of Wisdom...

Cold Weather+Natural Hair=Protective Styles

Here in Western PA, we have went from sunny 60 degrees to a balmy 39 degrees with flurries all within one week. But I am not complaining by any means because I love fall weather. Beyond all of the scarfs and falling leaves, I have to take extra care with my natural hair. My go to protective style is a wig. Yes, some naturals are like, I don't wear any type of wigs or weaves...I'm not that natural. My reasons for choosing wigs are simple: they work, allow me to take care of my hair under there, quick and easy.

I recently went crazy on blackhairsprays website and ordered about $70 in hair. One of the wigs that I purchased was a full cap wig named Cutie 15. Oh wait, let me just say that this wig was $17.99, not too bad. Underneath the wig I wore my hair in cornrows, moisturized with As I Am Doublebutter Cream (review to come at a later time), and a stocking cap. Wigs allows my hair and scalp underneath to breath and be oiled and moisturized whenever its needed.



As you can see the hair is a really nice texture, but its the typical full cap wig. The one thing that I wish is that this was a little fuller, track-wise. Honestly, its really thin when its worn out,which is the reason that I wore it up or in a ponytail most of the time. I wore it 2 weeks and it still looks like it did when I first started wearing it. For the price and the purpose, it worked for me. But there are times when I don't feel like myself.

I am thinking about making a protective styles calendar, so that I can plan out exactly what I am going to do during the colder months for my hair. Planning ahead will help me with saving money because I can stock up on hair and or products when there is a sale, and never say that I am bored or have nothing to do with my hair.

What are some of your protective styles during the cold weather?

Small Business Saturday...

The coffee shop that I frequent had a sign up for Small Business Saturday. Now, I have heard about it, but it's not being broadcasted everywhere. There are lots small business around, and trust me #beanthru gets at least $30 a month from me, but I cannot say that I make an effort to go to them. For instance, I am on this homemade, french bread pizza kick. Instead of me buying it from Bottom Dollar or Wal-Mart, I am going to attemp to buy it from the bakery down the street next time. Small businesses extend farther the street corners of Avalon, so I decided to buy some cute earrrings from Etsy. Lately, I have been obsessed with earrings! I mean, I look for them everywhere. I recently purchased a cropped, hot pink blazer from Target on sale for $15. Well, what goes with a hot pink blazer, hot earrings, of course!

After searching and contenplating for about a week, I finally decieded on a pair.

Kaleidoscope Yo Yo Earrings

These handmade earrings are from Etsy and made by a seller called Tulips and a Daisy. I chose these earrings because they are so colorful and unique! Now, when I was on etsy there were hundreds of earrings that I would have loved to have, but I chose these. I feel like I will get alot of use out of these, as well as compliments.

Did you participate in Small Business Saturday? If so, what did you buy?

Words of Wisdom

Money Monday...

Hey There! I know that its been a minute since I have done a Money Monday post. And there is a good reason for that. Well, not really. I know that its really, really hard to start saving money with the holidays right around the corner. If you are anything like me, you will want to save in advance for gifts and also be slightly laxed on you budget during this time of year. With that being said, I am putting Money Mondays on hiatus until January 2013. Yeah, go ahead and spend til your hearts content...but know that the new year is about thirty-some-odd days away.

Spiritual Sundays..

Blessing to you on this Sunday morning! This is going to be a random kinda post today. I have really been trying to get myself back on track from falling asleep at the wheel. I have been reading alot of things, catching up with some television sermons, and just preparing myself to get back on that path, full-time.

During this time of self-reflection, I am learning alot of things about myself. It seems like every time I turn around there is something or someone reminding me and encouraging to get back on that path. With Thanksgiving just passing, I realize that there are so many things to be thankful for. Honestly, there are things that I never noticed (almost took for granted) that are coming to the light. I am working on strengthening relationships that I have. One of the things that I have been praying for the most, I realize that I might not be completely ready for--but I am working on it diligently. Knowing this, is helping me be more content with my life and the situation. As with anything comes change. I am facing some struggles in life and this is building character and preparing me for what is ahead. You know, I will be driving from work and something will just pop into my head from my past. And two seconds later, I will say 'Kara, why are you thinking about that? That is in the past, stop living there, and look forward to the future'. Yes, I am getting ready for 2013 and I know that its going to be a great year! The Lord is telling me to leave all of those things that happened in the past right there, in the past. Let it go and let him work in my life. All of these battles that I have been trying to fight are not for me to fight, but for me to truely put my faith him. Its a great feeling when you can come to that realization and just let go of all of the worry and negativity behind. Whew! Let me stop there...Peace!

Words of Wisdom...

1 Peter 3:3-4

BioInFusion Curl Pomade Review...

In my prior post, I stated that I achieved my twist out results using Bioinfusion Curl Pomade (in the post, the name is incorrect). Here is my review of this product!





First off let me say that I brought this product when it was on sale at Walgreen's for $4.99. For that price you get 6oz, and a little bit of this stuff goes along way. I actually gave my friend some of this for her daughters hair and I havn't made a dent in this stuff. Oh wait, lets get to the technical stuff first. As per the Walgreens website:

Healthy. Beautiful. Nourished.

This pomade contains moisturizing oils to condition your curls. Protective beeswax makes hair pliable and creates strong styles.

• With soy
• Safe for color treated hair
• Paraben and sulfate free
• This product is not tested on animals

100% satisfaction guaranteed

After cleansing and conditioning hair with BioInfusion Curl Nourishment products, dry hair. Emulsify a small dab of product in your hands to warm it. Apply pomade evenly throughout dry hair before styling. Mold hair into desired look.
 

I used this product on damp, not wet hair, layered with shea butter and castor oil. For the record, I have not tried any other products from this lineI only used a small amount, mainly on the ends of my hair, and twisted. The smell of this product is a little strong, but once it dries, you can barely smell it.

The pros of this product is the price. Even without the sale, its $7.99 regular price. Another thing is soft hold. Any of my 4a/4b/4c ladies out there if you have frizz and no definition, you need to give this a try. It gives you just the right amout of contol and hold. Oh, its moisturizing.

Now on to the cons. Smell. If you are sensitive to smells, this one isn't for you. Also, the ingredents. I'm no professional about this, but its not a natural product. The packaging says no parabens or sulfates, but everything else...I couldn't tell you what's in it.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a good product to have on hand. Its affordable and it will last a long time with regular use. I think that for any natural out there its worth a try. And like I said if you are looking for a little more hold then give this a try.

Words of Wisdom...

Natural Hair Update!

Hey Guys! Just an update on my natural hair and what's been going on with it. I think (crosses finger) that I have my twist out routine down! As you may or may not know, I am a avid Youtube video watcher and I came across Naptual85 twist out method. Its kind of like flat twisting, but its not. Watch her video and you see how she does it. It works for me because the thing that I still struggle with is the separating and fluffing of my twists. This method eliminates that process because your hair is already separated when you untwist em.

This is a picture of day 2 hair. It has started to get big.



No frizz, soft, still moisturized. Great results. Also, if found that my twist out lasted about 4 days looking nice and defined. I wore it for two more days, but it wasn't as defined or cute as it was prior to that. I am so excited about having 4 day hair, I don't know what to do! YAY!

This picture, I think was day 3. You can see that its fluffy looking, still soft, but still defined.



I achieved these results using Shea butter, Castor oil and Bioinfusion Curl Pomade . I re twisted at night. I only added additional product on days 4 and 5 because it was starting to feel dry on the ends. I would consider this a milestone for me. Also it looks like my hair grew a little bit. I'm not into length checks, but maybe in December I will do one since I will be 6 months post big chop.

Words of Wisdom

Super Tuesday!

If you do nothing else today, VOTE! Whoever you chose, VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

I'll Admit It..

...I fell asleep at the wheel.

I know that its has been a while since I have posted a Spiritual Sunday post. One of the reasons for that is because I have strayed from the path that the Lord has set for me. I was so frustrated with how I thought that my life should be going, and it wasn't, that I wanted to take things into my own hands...again. Well, during this time I had two drinks, didn't get drunk, but still had two drinks. Now to clear this up, I didn't feel that it was that big of a deal. But it was one of those things that I had to ask myself 'Why?'. Why was I doing this. As you know if you follow my blog, I don't think that there is anything wrong with having a drink of wine--as long as you are not doing it with the intentions of getting drunk.

I went out to the club. Ok, so I've been feeling this way about the club for a while. It's lost its luster to me. I went out and I was totally annoyed. I found myself wondering, once again, 'Why?' Now, I think that I have started the transition to where I think I'm too old for it. The club atmosphere just doesn't excite me anymore. Sweaty dudes, grinding on me that are slightly inebriated...I'll pass. Now, lounges with a cool, laid back atmosphere, I can do. It just makes me wonder, other than a club what other fun social activities are there for the grown  people to do? Have any ideas, please let me know.

 I reverted back to cussing on four separate occasions. I went years without cursing. Seriously, years.

Dating...and other things. Every woman has their picture perfect list of what they want their man to be. Well, I think that in this area, I started to settle. I was perfectly happy content fine with being single. But there is only so much that a woman can take. I feel like even though I prayed and have been celibate for almost two years now, the Lord still hasn't heard me or sent me my husbabd. You see everyone out there meeting their man and starting their picture perfect life, but in reality its not all that. I asked myself do I want the illusion or do I want whats real. Real Love. Real Relationship. Real Life.

I got caught up and started making rash decisions. Which brings me to this...(tires screeching) HALT! Not stop! Its an acronym for:

H(ungry)
A(ngry)
L(onley)
T(ired)

Funny how the Lord puts things in your life at just the right time. So, after all of this stuff happened, going out, drinking, dating, I tuned into TD Jakes and after he went off there was another program coming on. The man started talking about you may be in a place for a reason. Its your Gerar. He stated that you shouldn't make decisions if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. All of these decisions were made when I had one of these emotions running through me. These emotions and decisions that I made threw me off my path.

So here I am driving through this valley, which is my Gerar, and I fall asleep at the wheel. As I drift off the road, I hear a voice that says HALT! Its God and he takes control of the wheel and steers me back on the path that I was supposed to be on.

Words of Wisdom

Well, if you are reading this post, I made it through Hurricane Sandy. We just got the winds and heavy rain here in Western PA, but still it was an experience. Just some encouraging words to get you through the day =)

My Decision To Stop Taking The Pill...

After much debate, I have decided to stop taking birth control pills. There were several things that brought me to this conclusion and I am hoping that it was the best one for me. Nothing against my gynecologist, because he is very supportive in options to help regulate my period and other things, but I am just tired of pumping myself full of hormones that may be hindering more than helping me.



My first and foremost reason for wanting to go off of the pill is that sometime in the near future, I would love to conceive a child. My one friend once told me that being on the pill saves your eggs. I later learned that a woman is born with all of the eggs that she will have for a lifetime, so saving some or losing some really wouldn't make a difference for me. The quality of the eggs is what matters.

One thing that sticks out in my mind are some of the side effects of being on birth control for an extended period of time. I have been on birth control a total of 6 years since the age of 18yrs. Since then, I have noticed that I have had migraines! I mean, sitting in the dark, give me Excedrin, don't bother me, migraines. My mood swings are crazy. I will cry at the drop of a hat, sometimes worst than others. I've been on that roller coaster of weight gain and loss. My lowest weight in years was when I was not on birth control.

As if all of that wasn't enough, I just didn't feel like a woman. My sex drive is extremely low. I read somewhere that our hormones attract the opposite sex, and birth control blocks these hormones. The last thing that I need is to not attract my soul mate due to a tiny yellow pill! My body, as a whole, was off. Remember my posts about natural deodorant, well my body chemistry was going wacky. I am not going to stop using natural deodorant, but my birth control could have something to do with this.



Now, I know that without birth control, I have horrible periods that last for weeks at times. This is mainly due to my hormones being out of balance. To help assist with balancing my hormones naturally, and get myself back to a normal-naturally- I am going to be taking Vitex Chasteberry. Its a natural plan found in the wild that is shown to help balance hormones in woman. Its basically the equivalency of taking a vitamin. But it takes a while to show the effects of Vitex, so I will be updating in about 3 months and let you guys know if it made a difference in my periods, moods, headaches, ect. I have been tracking my periods using an IPhone app, so I have a good base of how my periods worked, or are supposed to work, while being on birth control. I will continue to use it and see if there is a pattern or if its all off.

I am working towards living a more natural lifestyle, so there will be more posts to come with my vitamin regimen, whole foods/trader Joe's food reviews, and the development of some homemade products that I have been working on.


Sources: The Daily Beast, Vitex, Facts about Vitex,

Words of Wisdom..

Budgeting 101: Analyzing Where It Goes..

Alright, so the next step in the Debt Diet is finding out where it all goes! Analyze you statement and find out where your money is going. Continue to write it all down for the two weeks. After this month separate your finances into the following categories:

• Food (this should be separated into two parts-grocery and eating out)
• Entertainment
• Living Expenses (Fixed-Rent, Car Payments, ects)
• Living Expenses (Variable-Phone, Internet)
• Savings/Retirement
• Cash/ATM transactions
• Clothes, Hair, Misc.

I think that you will be surprised at where your money actually goes. And if you are not saving anything but you are spending money on entertainment, shame on you!

The Best Chicken Ever...Right...

Pintrest has been on my mind and in my pockets as of lately. I came across this recipe for The Best Chicken Ever. Their words not mine. Then it was also called Man-Pleasing Chicken. Either way, I decided to give it a try. I brought all of the ingredients that were needed and this is what I came up with.



Was it good? Yes. The best that I  have ever had [in my Drake voice; insert music here]? Ummh, not really. I mean the way that people were talking about it on Pintrest was like it was the greatest thing ever. I used everything the recipe called for and even went out and brought the real, 100% maple syrup, which costs about $3 for 4oz. Overall, I would make it again, since most of the things needed are already in my kitchen. The one thing that didn't happen with this recipe is that my chicken didn't brown like in the original recipe. I am not sure why, but it just stayed the same color. Oh, I turned the oven down because I used chicken with the bone in and I didn't want it burn before it cooked.

Want the recipe? Click Here. If you try it be sure to let me know how it turned out and how you liked it!

Vitamins...

Vitamins! My first true love. Ok, that is a little extreme. I am starting back up my vitamin regimen for the fall season. The cold and other things weaken our immune system and instead of leaning on conventional medicine, I going to start back taking my vitamin. They consist of the following:

GNC Woman's Energy & Metabolism: This is an essential multi vitamin, kicked up with lots of B vitamins for energy and metabolism. One of the side effects, it turns you pee a bright yellow color.

Omega 3-6-9-: This vitamin is supposed to be good for a plethora of things. I will let you know what the outcome or lasting effects.

Vitamin C: Good ol' fashion, chewable vitamin C. I have to have the chewable one. I have also tried the ones with Rose Hip, but didn't notice a difference in anything other than price.

Vitex: The newest vitamin/herb on the block.This takes a while to see the effects, so this will be updated at a later time.

Are you taking any vitamins? What are some of your favorites? 

Words of Wisdom...

Negative Natural Hair Reactions...

Originally, I wanted to do this post as a vlog, but my Iphone was acting a mess and the lighting was horrible. You never know how hard it is to make a video until you try to do it yourself. YouTube makes it look easy.

The first week of me being natural was hard. I'll admit it. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I am dealing with completely new hair texture, length, styles, everything. I tried a couple of different styles, but there were so many things against me--including rain/humidity, which equals frizz and afro-like texture no matter what. So, the first day I wore a twist out, which I thought looked fine. The look on the co-workers face was like 'What is going on with her hair?!?!' Normally, she'll comment and say, 'Your hair is cute.' On this particular day, that wasn't the case. There were no words needed.

The next day, I went down to the central office and one of my superiors asked me if I did my hair like that 'intentionally'. Then he proceeded to question me about why I did my hair like that. Then he stared at it for period of time, that made me slightly uncomfortable because he was really trying to analyze it.

Over the weekend, I didn't have time to wash my hair, but I decided to run to the mall and meet up with a friend. She seemed to like it...until she started to question me about it. Then today, I received a text message from her that stated 'U want to get ur hair done on Saturday, they are having a $20 for wash and set'. My initial reaction wanted to be like, 'Bleep are you getting your hair done? Why would you ask me some stupid bleep like that. If I wanted to get my hair done before I went out of town, I would! Ugh!'

All of these comments have really taken a hit to myself esteem. And even though, I get those bright spots where someone asks me about my hair or my mom says that she likes it. It takes time to master styles. You don't always just get it right. A twist out seems easy, until you have to do it yourself and the first day is cool, but the next days is ewwh. Its so hard not having a support system or anyone who actually knows how it feels, other than the people online. As much as I want to give up and go back to the creamy crack, I can't! My one day of a successful twist out or puff makes it all worth while. Also, showing the haters what I can do with my hair no matter what the texture, or making you want to have hair that is as thick as mine, isn't my goal, but it will sure feel good!

Sorry, this is just a rant, so it may not be really coherent.

Words of Wisdom...

Natural Hair!

Hey Ya'll! Ok, not the best introduction...reminds me of Paula Dean. Anyway, just a quick post on my natural hair journey. On Saturday, I had so many plans, some of which involved washing my hair. I wanted to try a wash and go, but it was a little cold outside to be walking around with soaking wet hair. One of my friends asked me if I wanted to go to the mall and I had to do something quick with my hair. [Insert Puff here. Oh wait, its too big to fit.]



These pictures were taken at the end of the night...hence the lack of lip gloss.



I never realized how thick my hair was. I need to lay off of the castor oil hair for a while because its ridiculous! I doubled the hairband twice and it was tight!!!

Money Mondays...

 

It's October 1st, and you know what that means...The start of the Debt Diet 2012! Ugh! Are you dreading it as much as I am?!?!

In my prior post, I stated that I wanted to save $5,000 in a year. I did some research and I found that most of the websites talked about doing things like cutting your cable bill, food costs, utilities, ect. While it all sounds good in theory, you have to take some steps additional steps to get there.

To kick off the Debt Diet, we are going to start with the basics. We are going to write down every single thing that we purchase for the next month. Sounds easy right? Well, once you write everything down, you will be shocked at where your money goes. One important note, checking your account balance online doesn't count. Why??! Because you will not be conscious about what you are spending your money on.

Get going! Dust off that checkbook ledger and get to tracking! Don't have a ledger, go to your bank and ask for one--its free!

Budgeting 101: October 2012

Starting October, 1, 2012, I will be starting a debt diet. My goal is to try to save $5000 in a year. I will be using some of the things that I have learned from several books, websites, tv shows, and just common sense.

Me and My Natural Hair

My big chop occurred on June 13, 2012. My mother did it and I immediately thought 'What did I do'. After I washed, conditioned my hair, I prepared for the next day of getting Senegalese twists put in. Fast forward 3 months later, and this is what I got.



This was my very first twist out! I used Entwine Couture products on damp hair.





The hardest thing for me to get used to is the length. I am not used to short hair. This isn't the shortest that its ever been, but I have to get used to the curly look. I may start a natural hair series because I have a whole lot of learning, trials and errors to do. Stay Tuned!

New Fall Posts?

With the dawn of a new season of shows, there is a new seasons of posts here on Walking Through Honey!  This weeks posts will give you a glimpse into what's coming up next, and also give me a little break to create. I will admit that I have been slacking on alot of things, but hopefully I will get back on the right path.

I am hoping to have more Krafts, tutorials, maybe and outfit of the day or two...wait, I am sounding YouTube guru like, lol!

Spiritual Sunday

Fall Styles...

I just realized that I need to step up my business casual game for the fall. I recently wore something to work that was completely out of character. I think that I have gotten into a rut, with my Target granny sandals and skirt down to my mid calf. Yeah, you don't want to see pictures of it. I am now re-committed to revamping my fall work wardrobe.

Here are some fall inspirational styles that I hope to get...but with me going on a budget, I am not sure how this is going to happen.









These are just a few ideas, but do you notice a theme...Burgundy. I got to step up my heel game, and just clothing in general. I have to do this on a budget...so this will be interesting.

Words of Wisdom...

Sedona Lace 88 Matte Palette Review...

 I'm not really the one for beauty reviews, but this one kind of blew me away. I had to go to a wedding with a peacock theme. I decided that I would do a little something different with my eyes. I watched a couple of YouTube videos that had peacock themed eyeshadow tutorials and just went for it. About a year ago, I brought the Sedona Lace 88 Matte Palette during a sale. Ok, 88 shadows for $12 plus shipping...I'm slightly sceptical.

I used it once and wasn't impressed at all. It reminded me of the cheap stuff that you get from the dollar store. It didn't last, colors wasn't vibrant at all. I thought that it was just a waste. My cousin used it and loved it! I was almost tempted to give it to her until I seen a video where the woman used a Nyx Milk Jumbo Pencil as the base, instead of eyeshadow primer. This is what makes all the difference, it makes all of the colors bright, vibrant, pop.

When I did my look, I wish that I would have taken close up pictures because it really came out pretty! I got complements about how nice my eyeshadow was. And, just as a disclaimer, I have big eyes, so I am not big on wearing crazy, bright, colors.


I would suggest this palette to anyone! This is not like the Naked Palette that has massive amounts of fallout. You get enough colors that you can create almost any look. And for the price of $19, you cannot beat it!
 

Words of Wisdom...