for a while, i wanted  to find a way to organize my big pile of costume jewelry and get my craft juices flowing again. when i decided to tackle my stash, i knew that because i love very organic pieces, an earring tree would give me what i wanted.

this was my inspiration:

this project was soooo fun and easy to do and took me less than an hour to make!

tools needed:

• a manzanite tree (they come unsanded – like mine, or sanded like the inspiration photo. however you can also use any pretty branch you find) from a craft store like michaels
• plaster of paris
• water to mix the plaster (see box for amount)
• a disposable object to mix the plaster and water – a spoon, chopstick, etc.
• a vase or base for your tree
• and something or someone to prop the treed up while you pour the plaster

if you are doing this inside, as i did, make sure your house is well ventilated (for the plaster dust) and put down an old sheet or tarp.

trim your tree as needed (i had to trim mine because it was branchy and had some pods) and place in your vase; i propped my tree with some old books. if you have someone that can help you, they can hold the tree in the center of your vase/base.

mix your plaster as directed on the box and pour immediately into your vase. be sure to make enough – over shooting is okay – because it dries FAST – think super glue almost, and trying to remix and add more is messy.

the plaster will dry quick and be ready in about 30-45 mins. that’s it! this is a super easy diy!

hang your jewelry after you are done!!! this was the result.

my glass vase cracked from the heat formed from the plaster so i have to replace it (it’s NOT a lot of heat, so don’t worry, but it is enough to break the glass that i was using which was too thin). so if you decide to do this diy project, get a thicker, heavier glass vase or just stick to a thick clay vase.

(p.s. when my candle burns out, i’ll have a recycle project for the glass container coming up shortly. would you believe i just got that candle a less than 5 days ago?! it smells soooo good – pineapple mango from bath and body works – i burn through candles a lot – literally!)

some of my fave pieces from the tree…

my coconut leaf earrings ( they are made from coconut skin)

my black chandelier earrings that i got for some insanely cheap price!

and my colorful, wide, graffiti bangle. i love this thing – though i’ve only worn it once.

i use my tree to hang my costume/fun jewelry and if you are a boutique or store owner, this is a great way to display items for sale.

check out these additional eye candy inspirations to hang on my tree. why does that skull remind me of little wayne? must be the diamond teeth!

*i’d originally posted this idea back in october of 09, and my tree has been done long since then, so this is an update.

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i ran across this picture of french actress noemie lenoir and fell immediatley in LOVE – LUST – HEAD OVER HEELS.

I WANT THIS HAIR. I NEED THIS HAIR.

VERY RISQUE. VERY ME.

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this is my first attempt at an outfit of the day post. go easy on me, i’m still virginal.

i took these pics as i was about to run out  – in a hurry as i was running late. my bed, messy and covered in “i’ll wear that next time” outfits and feb 2010 issue of vogue.

i’m trying to be all avant garde with this blurry pic.

i think it just looks blurry!

i lust for these boots. these are my favorite boots. i’ll probably wear them until they turn to mush and the only thing left on them is the zipper.

i’m wearing…

white tee: forever 21

jean shorts: jc penny – brand: 1 ♥ ronson (jc penny you say? i know, right?!…and they were $8, i think – last fall purchase)

tights: target – brand:  mossimo (bought them about 4 years ago and this is my second time wearing them. the first time was two weeks ago!)

boots: kors michael kors

total outfit cost (less the boots): shirt $5, shorts $10 (i’ll say ten since i know they were less than ten but not sure if exactly $8 or $9), tights $5 = $20

and finally,  my crazy hair…

have a great day guys!

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fly.

to be

on.

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and, i got them all from kmart.

last week, i was out looking for curtains  – quite unsuccessfully – to buy for my bedroom makeover when i got tired of searching. there was a kmart next door to the linen store i was at so i walked over the kmart to see what old girl martha may have had curtain wise that i would find appealing. nothing. she had nothing.

but kmart, like target and walmart, has an awesome makeup selection.

so, i picked up some goodies!

• 2 wet and wild blushes: mellow wine #833E and berry shimmer #834E
• 1 wet and wild lip gloss in 570A (a bronzy dark peach)
• 1 tropez blush: sweet cheeks #35302
• 3 tropez lipsticks (from bottom up in the swatch photo): 22527 (a dark brown), 22508 (a goldish peach), 22537a alight shimmery pink; the second removed cousin of mac’s creme de la femme

the kicker of this purchase was the lipsticks. they were all $1.00 and go on creamy like high end brands. they also have very strong color pigments!

i picked up the brown for fun so that i can try a look with a bold brown lip and neutral face – very vintage.

the wet and wild blushes, both $2.99, are highly pigmented and understated because i would expect to find these behind a department store counter! mellow wine on left, berry shimmer on right.

mellow wine is a matte wine color and the berry shimmer is a “berry” red with gold shimmers. (pics with and without flash). the pics are doing these beautiful colors no justice; see photo at the top of this post for better color comparison of the two.

up close of the mellow wine:

the berry shimmer is a sister color for nars orgasm! it’s a tad darker but very, very pretty and as soon as you see it, orgasm is what you think. so i was so very excited about that seeing as orgasm is my favorite pink blush. i’ll be doing looks with all of these products.

side by side of nars and berry shimmer. up close of berry shimmer (with and without flash).

the blush from tropez is a beautiful red blush with silver and gold shimmers. it def. puts you in the mind of nars turkish. this photo is true to color:

the great thing about this blush is the very substantial brush that comes with it. i will NOT be throwing it out as i normally do the little flimsy brushes that come with the packaging.

it’s very big and can be shaped with your fingers and used to contour your face. two thumbs up to tropez for such a nice brush in a $2.99 package!

i’m excited about my purchase and can’t wait try them all and share them with you guys.

if you’ve ever tried any of these products, please share how you like them.

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yes, it’s true. i stand in the mirror daily, for hours on end, staring at my hair and seeing nothing but a cesar  ya’ll.*

please pour out some likka for my strands. put your 40s in the air, wave ‘em like you just don’t care, and pour it out for  jah girl kurly!!! i got the ‘rexia bad!

what’s up with this?! i mean, for really? what’s my problem? during my “natural journey” i’ve always wanted to be at my goal, and my goal is bra strap length. but i cannot, for the life of me, seem to get pas the fact that i big chopped 6 years ago.

one obsession leads to another. leave the relaxer and then have nightmares that our natural hair is not growing.

is that what this is? a new kind of twist on the “black woman’s” obsession with her hair?! i don’t care about rain or sweat or even the wind anymore (i laugh at the thought that the wind on my freshly done hair was once my ENEMY), now it seems my enemy is growth, or the imaginary reverse of it.

my eyes are bamboozling me ya’ll. what is going on? why does my hair still feel so short? it is this deep wretching feeling that many black women (i’ve heard white women call this hair dysmorphia) have, but many would never admit to, that deep down, we are even stunned ourselves that our hair is *gasp* DOWN OUR BACKS?

after your first perm , the idea of hair “down” anything is foreign. okay i lied. it does go down, down your back and on the floor from breaking and lack of knowledge on how to properly care for and grow your hair.

are we shocking and awing ourselves?

we all know that SILKY straight hair has long been considered by many black women to be the ultimate crowning glory. i’m farrrrr past the silky thing – years ago. so, that’s not it, for me, my glory lies in the length. so when i press my hair out, or pull it to see it’s true length, then why does my crown seem so…rusty?

why is it that, when my hair is in it’s afro state i’m in love and lust with my kinky, coily strands? but when stretched or straight, it’s luster falls short of the peak high i get when i see it curly and bouncy?

there has to be more to this, so i have to do some research and report back.

all i know is, i’ve got to get over this hairarexia. it’s not good for the soul.

can you relate?

*not literally.

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…but can’t really, because i *kinda know* i still need it. kinda know as in, i have to clarify my hair because i will NOT deal with buildup.

i don’t like to wash my hair. there i said it. got that off my chest. whew! and it feels so much better!

since going natural, washing my hair is hades – but only when i use shampoo. since i co-wash with conditioner every other week to every week (depending on my workout schedule) i only use shampoo once a month to two months to clarify my hair.

i dread it each time. and though i use sulfate free products, i just don’t like the strippy feeling i’m left with in addition to the tangle – slight, but still tangles. i’m sure many of you can agree or at least relate to that.

if i was not colored, i would have given it up a long time ago, but color safe and protecting shampoos are good for your hair when you have color. now, granted, my color is over a year old now, but i treat it as colored hair – because it is – despite my deep, brown roots.

i like many different products, but i recently realized that what i like, more often than not, are my conditioning and finishing products. i don’t really “like” shampoo – no matter the brand.

i can’t say i 100% DISlike shampoo, but i don’t care for it. it’s so low on the bottom of my “i really care about…” list that it’s almost non-existent!

but i want to care about it. i want it to be kinda important. notice i said kinda. see, shampoo is one of those things in a healthy hair routine that is not as important as conditioner, etc. shampoo serves one purpose – to cleanse without being too harsh. that’s it.

but we all know we can also “cleanse” our hair with apple cider vinegar and baking soda (an old fave i would be using if i was not colored – as baking soda is a natural hair dye). but i digress.

i’d like to get my hands on something that really does not leave my hair feeling like i just washed it with shampoo. because even my sulfate free and organic products can’t even do that. are they better because they contain no sulfates? – yes, they are. does my hair feel stripped? – i’d say less stripped. a lot less. but i still don’t really like shampoo.

ugh, shampoo, shampoo.

in my fantasy world, my shampoo would MELT into my hair! it would be like butter and leave my hair so supple and moisturized that i didn’t even have to use condish afterward.

say what now?! sounds like heaven!

so helpe me out ladies, what products do you use to wash (when you need to clarify) your hair with that absolutely DOES NOT leave it feeling a bit stripped? put me on to some things (100% COLOR FRIENDLY) please!

share and enjoy!

Honey is effective in treating damaged hair thanks to the humectants it contains. It also smells nice, and will leave hair with a sweet after-scent.

Mix 1/3 cup of honey with 2 tbsp. of olive or almond oil. Carefully apply the mixture through hair, and wrap hair in a shower cap. Leave on for 30 minutes, then rinse.

see more in the homemade mixologist group!

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