It doesn’t snow here very often, the last time being 1996. Even then, it was the wet, sleet/slushy kind, not the white fluffy stuff we got this past Friday.

That last bullet is a doozy. As I was updating my age on the various profiles I have online, I was blindsided by an overwhelming feeling of “oh my God.” That’s the best approximation I can give to it. I am in my late twenties now and I believe a result of this is the sudden grown-up feeling I have when thinking about doing certain things, like washing dishes, cleaning my room, applying for jobs and seriously considering learning how to cook whole meals rather than random dishes like rice, box-macaroni and cheese or scrambled eggs.

11.02.2009 . shopping

Earrings from Lotus Boutique

11.03.2009 . around the house

11.07.2009 . My sister’s wedding

Me

My sister, Laura

Nicole & Charles

11.13.2009 . self portraits

11.17.2009 . before work

Lunch from Panera

11.25.2009 . at the office

Maya

11.26.2009 . visiting family

cousins: Kyra & Laura

Writing this, I realize that this could become a very long blog post, but my intention now is only to post photos of a recent hair styling success.

I’ve had lots of trial-and-error trying to figure out how to actually do my hair these past two months. I figured out that washing with conditioner (Garnier Fructis Moisture Works), and then twisting while damp, preferably with something with holding capabilities (Garnier Fructis Fiber Gum) works best. This is especially necessary because the top, front section of my hair doesn’t seem to want to hold a coil or curl pattern.

For moisture, I apply a bit of Carol’s Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey to my scalp and hair. I picked it up on a trip to New York over 3 years ago. When I had a relaxer, dryness was always a problem. I needed something that was non-greasy and wouldn’t weigh down my hair (and have minimal aroma), and the brand advertises its “natural” qualities, so I figured I might as well try it. It’s worked pretty well so far and I’m still on my original jar, but that’s partly because I couldn’t find it for about a year at one point.

I’m pretty lazy when it comes to my hair, the simpler the regime the better. It takes quite a bit of effort to sit down and put twists all over my hair. This time around, I decided on doing some flat twists, because they take a lot less time, and I liked the sense of the curl pattern I saw when I took them down after I had put them in my hair when it was dry.

So, I did the twists, tied my hair with a satin scarf and hoped things worked out in the morning.

I wasn’t sure how my hair was going to look, but I’m really happy with the result.

All day I got a niggling feeling that this style resembled something I had seen before, and at the end of the day I realized it was Corinne Bailey Rae‘s hair. Her hair is a lot longer, with bigger, looser curls, but it’s the basic shape with the part that’s most similar.

I’m hoping I can stretch this style through Sunday. We will see.

Another appointment with the orthodontist yesterday. He said my teeth need to move “a hair more” which is what he said the last time, but at least I no longer have to wear the elastic on the inside to correct my cross-bite.

I’m growing my hair out natural, so braids were the next step in the evolution of my hair style. I haven’t had braids since I was 13, and I’ve never had a style like this. It pays to have a talented little sis.

Secondly, My friends Azalea and Sam, who I did the maternity shoot for in October, welcomed a healthy baby girl into the world on Monday: Jernigan. My sis and I rode over to P’cola to see the newly expanded family. I was so in awe to go from taking pics of while Jernigan was in gestation to holding a real live person who came out so perfect. Awesome.

I took these photos Saturday; she’s just 5 days old.

Big sis, DeDe.

Sunday, my sister and I made it back safe and sound. I suppose I’m refreshed after being away from everything, in a completely different environment for a week and a half.

What I enjoyed most was seeing such a diverse array of people. I mean, really, I had to actually look for the white people at first, which was a very surreal experience. So many different ethnicities living side by side. Take the couple we stayed with, Maudeline and Frank. Maudeline is from Montreal, born and raised, and her parents are from Haiti. So, French is her first language. Her husband, Frank, is from Union Island, I think. (I’m like, dude, how do you grow up on a place that is only 3 miles long? I guess it’s no biggie if you have all the necessities.)

I had a great time visiting with friends. Hopefully, next summer I’ll be able to see Montreal.

Below the cut you will find a selection of photos that I consider my favorite shots/highlights from the trip.

City Hall . Missassauga, Ontario

Me and a “Yummy Mummy” cookie from The Queen of Tarts.

Ryerson University . Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The CN Tower

View from the Observation level of the CN Tower. When I went out here I didn’t know it was open air, and it kind of freaked me out feeling the wind blowing all those stories up. Still, I braved it to get this shot.

I’m not a big drinker but this stuff was pretty good.

I was really enthralled by the look of these massive towers that supported the power lines.

SNOW!

Isaiah. He was sick during most of our stay with his parents, as a result he was rather bratty. Here he started crying when his dad left him in the car with me.

Yay! for Tim Horton’s. Apparently (from what I’ve been told), it’s very addictive.

A bird in the hand. . . feels very weird. Our friends had lovebird hatchlings that had to be hand-fed so they could get accustomed to people. I got to feed them a few times. I was kind of frustrating trying to get them to east the food, or rather, getting them to open their mouths enough for me to get the food in.

Maudeline treated us as this dessert restaurant called Caffe’ Demetre’. It was very good. I ordered a dish called “the Last Straw”: vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries and strawberry syrup on a Belgian waffle.

It was good.

We went skating at the ice rink at Gage Park in Brampton, Ontario.

It was fun. I didn’t fall, but my sister did. I definitely tripped a few times though. Stupid toe pick.

It was nice though, despite the freezing cold. One of the “ice monitors” looked like a slimmer Steven Strait.

Before crossing the border to Buffalo, NY to catch our flight, we stopped off at the Duty Free and I bought a few souvenirs.

I finally know what Mobile, Alabama (my hometown) looks like from the sky. Ever other time we’ve flown out has been from the airport in Gulfport, MS, because it was cheaper.

A sketch I did on the plain ride back home. One of the characters from my novel, Tara.

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I got a new shirt from Old Navy.

My first slice of pumpkin loaf of the season. Yumm.


I just realized the problem with my glasses. I bought them about 2 years ago, and since I’ve lost weight, they’re not a bit too wide for my face.

It’s important to start the day with a balanced breakfast

Another pic of DeeDee

I’m woefully behind as far as picture posts go, I know.

I’m starting to experience why stress is such a killer. Older people have told me that I’m too young to be stressed, and that should be true. If only someone would stop being lazy and actually be banking on her talent.

I’m working on it, though.

It’s all just so tedious. Well, at least I know what to do this time.

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Here’s a seriously overexposed photo that I took this evening in the elevator of Mobile Infirmary while leaving after visiting my great-aunt who’s been admitted there this past week. She was in good spirits, and it’s the first time she’s been the hospital in her 84 years of life. That’s pretty amazing. Just today, I heard the story for the first time about how she was born a month premature after her mother (my great-grandmother) went into labor as a result of being frightened by a streetcar that nearly hit her. Yes, a streetcar.

Her mother had not made any plans for her to have the baby in Mobile, as she wasn’t due. She had made arrangements to have the baby in Stateline, MS, where her family was from, and it was the family custom, I suppose, to have the baby wherever your mother was. So, she had to send my grandmother, who was about 5 years old at the time, across the street to go fetch the West Indian mid-wife to come and deliver the baby. Needless to say, the baby survived, and weighed less than five pounds. She didn’t go to the hospital though, and has been fine ever since.

I guess I come from pretty good stock.