Mow The Lawn

I think this is great....

♫♪ ♫ ★ ♫♪ ♫ ☺ ♫♪ ♫ ★ ♫♪ ♫

This AM, I spent a fair amount of time updating iTunes and downloading new music.

A few of the songs downloaded from a mix Reggae CD that I heard on the islands, some of the songs picked up by Shazam , and an entire sumer album courtesy of Flavorpill's Mango Mix.

I couldn't help but share a few of the songs I downloaded:

Passion Pit :: Live To Tell The Tale

Lykke Li :: Little Bit

Pete Philly & Perquisite :: Time Flies

Alaine :: Deeper

Groove Armada :: Get Down

A. R. Rahman :: Jai Ho!

Mary J. Blige :: Just Fine

Aswad :: Don't Turn Around

The Gap Band :: I Don't Believe You Wanna Get Up and Dance

N.A.S.A. :: Gifted

Chikita Violenta :: Laydown

Curumin :: Caixa Preta

Santigold :: Your Voice

Libretto :: Volume

Lady Sovereign :: I Got You Dancin'

Divine Brown :: Old School Love

I Wayne :: Life Seeds

Karrin Allyson :: Samba Saravah

Lollapalooza. Chicago. Grant Park. Summer Time.

:::smiles:::

A few of the reasons my heart was pounding with excitement after seeing the 2009 line-up:

Zap Mama
Santigold
Passion Pit
Kaskade
Kid CuDi
Lykke Li
Depeche Mode
Beastie Boys
Snoop Dogg
Thievery Corporation

♫♪ ♫ ★ ♫♪ ♫ ☺ ♫♪ ♫ ★ ♫♪ ♫

Six Degrees Of Separation

When I was a small girl, still playing board games and Barbies, the Ouija Board always promised that I would eventually marry a guy named Troy.

Just a few years ago, I met a guy named Troy, who at the time was in a relationship. When that relationship proved failure, Troy and I "hooked up." [I have no intention on marrying Troy, and we are no longer "hooked."]

Troy resides in the Logan Square, a community located on the northwest side of Chicago.

I just recently moved to the Logan Square neighborhood and live on North Troy Street.

In Minnesota, there is no shortage of Co-Op Grocery stores to shop at. In fact, within a 5 mile radius of my place there, I had 2 Co-Op Grocery stores to choose from.

Logan Square will soon be home to the only Co-Op Grocery store in Chicago.

Clean & Green ....not just because it was Earth Day.

Yesterday was Earth Day. A day to continue thinking about creating a new earth, putting an end to global warming, reducing our pollution, recycling, taking our health back into our own hands.

*deeeeeeep breath*

Just recently, I noticed a flyer hanging out of my mailbox. It was originally hand-written and had obviously been copied. It read:

Chicago's Clean & Green
Help Our Neighborhood
This Saturday is our Wards Clean Up
April 25 2009
Let's make our neighborhood more attractive. Keep it Clean and Green. Lend a hand to sweep up the accumulated litter and trash of winter on our block.
Bring your shovels and brooms. We will supply the bags.
We will meet at 10AM.
SEE YOU SATURDAY

Time to step up to the plate and DO something to make the world a better place.

Huffo Post On how becoming a Vegetarian has potential to save the Earth.

The Raw Divas say that it doesn't matter if it's diabetes or cancer or arthritis or asthma... People change their lives every day by changing the food they put in their mouth. Getting people to transition toward a vegetarian, vegan or raw food diet is without question the fastest way to improve the environmental conditions on this planet.
Not just for the obvious reasons related to waste, consumption and toxic overload, but because when you improve the health of the people on this planet--when you inspire them enough to believe that they can thrive, they'll start doing a lot more to make sure that future generations can, too.

The Guide Girls The hilariously creepy duo puts on the hot (their word, not mine) for online instructisodes that teach people how to lead more ecofriendly lifestyles.

Dig N’ Swap is the easiest and fun way to swap fashionable clothing and accessories with people who share your passion for fashion.

Urban Fox provides Dainty burlesque-inspired undies and tops made of bamboo and organic cotton blends.

No Impact Man wrote an open-discussion blog about our purpose on this Earth.

To celebrate Earth Day and our beloved planet, Evite and your favorite BRAVO celebrities have created these exclusive invitations to help you get eco-friendly for your next party.

Up on the Roof A lofty idea is blossoming in cities around the world, where acres of potential green space lie overhead.

Make Juice Not War. Take the Adventure Cleanse with me and the gang. DO IT.

♥peace. love. raw foods. and green grass.♥

exposed. completely.... and i brought it upon myself.

On May 6th I watched Slumdog Millionaire ....again. On May 7th @ 5:07 AM CT I was boarding a flight to San Juan. I have a strong passion for my profession with interest in educating others, at the same time allowing myself to continue my growth as a person and a professional stylist & facilitator. I do not watch TV. I graduated from South Side High School in 2001. I need to read A New Earth Again. One of my favorite quotes: "...the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."-Carrie, Sex and the City.I am a Redken Certified Haircolorist and I work at Aniko Salon. Vegan Girls Taste Better, Beach Babes, Shoe Addicts Unite, and Pandora are a few of the groups I have joined. I voted for Barack Obama.I exist in a world that exceeds my surroundings. Raw food, recycling, skinny bitches, high heels, lip gloss, world news, music, traveling, mascara, creme brulee, bling, flirting, skinny pants, converse, W Hotels, Chicago, amazon.com, and good books are a few things that interest me. Rude, mellow, organized, unpredictable, shameless, bizarre, gentle, curious, versatile, and approachable are a few words that I would use to describe myself. I am a fan of Shades EQ and Sam Villa.I read City Magazine. Duluth, Maui, the Caribbean, New York, and LA are among many of the places I visited last year. I attended the Redken Symposium. The next time I visit Atlanta, I will have dinner at Il Localino. I have attended the Summit Salon Business College. I gave 5out of 5 stars for the Ice Wine @ Rum Jungle.

As long as sites like Myspace, Facebook, Linked-In, and Yelp exist, none of this information is secret. Model Mayhem and Twitter, Classmates and Tumblr. TripAdvisor and Blogspot. Our lives have been posted to the WWW via social networking site after social networking site for the whole world to see.

Just recently I met a new friend. Within 24 hours of meeting this person, she found me on 5 different social networking sites, 3 of which I do not update regularly. The only way to feel was Exposed. slightly Violated. and Embarassed. I was excited about the opportunity to create a new first impression for myself, but I was never allowed that opportunity. I have portrayed myself in such a way that could be interpreted so many different ways. I will never know what runs through a persons mind as they discover page after page of status updates, personal information, and profile pictures of myself.

It's time to make a choice: Do I continue to maintain profiles on all of these various sites? Do I continue to accept friend requests by people I don't even know? Do I continue to join groups whose forums I don't even visit? Do I continue to update a profile page that is viewed mostly by people I don't even like?

OR.... have I outgrown this?

All of a sudden, I would prefer to have a conversation face-to-face with my colleagues rather than e-mail via Facebook.

All of a sudden, I am not interested in updating a profile which is viewed mostly by people that I went to high school with.

All of a sudden, I would prefer to keep personal moments captured by film to myself rather than sharing with people that will never know the story behind the image.

All of a sudden, I seek mind stimulation rather than gossip material.

All of a sudden, I simply don't have time.

Product Whore - Must Have's For The Moment

Go Smile Lemonade Whitening Toothpaste: This deliciously fruity toothpaste contains beneficial, natural white cranberry powder and lemon extracts. A dose of fluoride prevents tooth decay and strengthens enamel. I don't dig the taste of mint & cinnamon (in fact it makes me barfy) SO this stuff is perfect! It tastes like candy, and will help whiten your teeth, AND clean the chops.

Pureology Colourmax: Fortify and help repair hair while delivering extra colour protection and radiant shine. This lightweight, daily-use mist envelops hair in the highest concentration of the exclusive AntiFadeComplex® to maximize colour retention, while restoring softness and manageability. I want my haircolor to last, therefore I use ColourMax. There is nothing else that works quite like it. It's bomb.

Redken Color Extend Shine Enrich: Protects haircolor while helping to seal split ends, smooth flyaways, and impart mirror-like shine. This new product is AMAZING. After I've blow-dryed volume into my hair, I use this product to soften my hair back up. This product is super light-weight and really does impart a mirror-like shine.

Vera Wang Princess: Created for the playful, unpredictable, independent woman who treats every day like an event and adventure. This is a woman who likes to make her own magic, this sheer, flirty blend of water lily, lady apple, mandarin meringue, and golden apricot skin are melded with sheer floral notes, accented with dark chocolate, and finished with a pink frosting accord, amber, warm woods, musk, and vanilla - a whimsical treat. Subtle but YUMMY. I use the fragrance and Body Butter.

Dermalogica Skin Renewal Booster: An exfoliating complex of hydroxy acids and smoothing plant extracts to actively loosen dead surface debris, smooth the skin and improve texture. Must stay pretty. Refuse to get old. Taking care of my skin is the most important part of my day.

Urban Decay Baked Bronzer: Baked Bronzer is no ordinary pressed powder bronzer. It starts as a cream then is baked on a tiny terracotta dish to create a totally refined powder. This high-tech, streak-free bronzer gives you a perfect, lightly-toasted look. Bronzer with bling... has a teeny weeny amount of glitteratti/sparkle for a perfect glow.

H2O Poolside Moisturizing Body Balm: This fresh, fragrant body lotion drenches skin with water-rich moisture leaving it smooth, supple and lightly scented with green melon, camellia and magnolia blossom. Marine extracts combine with emollient shea butter and soothing aloe vera for an all-over healthy radiance. This lotion smells YUMMY. Even smells delish on men..... the scent is subtle but last all day. Ladies, I encourage you to gift this to the BF. seriously.

OPI Log On To Love: Part of OPI's e-romance collection. This shade is a shimmery red that’s a digital darling. This color looks good with Reds... it looks good with Oranges... it looks good with Pinks, therefore it is the perfect summer color. It looks good with everything, damnit. (was perfect on the cruise)

Redken Urban Experiment Velvet Gelatine: Contains a silk infused formula that achieves surreal velvet texture with luscious body. Enrobes hair with dense cushion and softness. Gives a velour, cushioned finish. I blow dry this product into my hair every day. Smells delish and provides just enough volume which is a cushy volume, not a blown-out volume. love, love, love it.

Victorias Secret So Sexy Brilliant Shine Mist:This extra-fine aerosol mist gives hair a high-gloss finish and soft, silky feel without weighing it down. Lightweight silicone- and vitamin-enriched formula with hydrating silk amino acids adds brilliance while infusing hair with moisture and a sheer, fresh scent. Spray lightly on wet or dry hair for instantly sexy, super-shiny style. I love this product mainly because of the scent. It smells delish and last all day.

The Hair Files

To inspire not only you, but myself as well... I am (finally) going to begin blogging about information relevant to the industry that I work in:
Hair & Fashion.

For the hottest hair trends straight from the Runway visit: Fashion Week

[all images borrowed from Redken.com]

As of this week, I am joining Aniko Salon & Spa in the South Loop as a Redken Certified Haircolorist and Stylist.

You can catch me at the salon every Friday rockin' the locks of hott-ees.

bunny food

Brother: "Dad has always made the best
cupcakes. I don't know how he pulls it off."

Dad: "I follow the directions."

ambivalence

u-haul trucks and furniture pads. movings boxes and busy work. class requests and paperwork. new neighbors and long-lost friends. conference calls and bio pages. missing items and ill-functioning light sockets. a salon search and a photographer hook-up. a busy social life and insufficient alone time. dunkin' donuts and portillos. cb2 and trader joe's. google maps and new paths. picture hanging and office organizing.

i was ill-prepared to get what i asked for: a move to the city. the city that has caught my intrigue for years. Chicago. home.

maybe i thought that my friends were longing for the day that i'd be back. they haven't called much.

maybe i thought i would live in a small one bedroom condo with beautiful granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances, hard-wood floors and street parking. instead, my place is intrinsically quaint. a jacuzzi tub, berber carpet, and a fenced-in back yard.

maybe i thought i needed to be closer to my family. i have contemplated NOT going to see my family for Easter.

there are days that i don't a minute to spare. not a second to process a thought. there are nights that i am alone.... unsure of what i should be doing.

i got what i asked for. Chicago. home.

ambivalence: the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.

a house is not a home

Goodnight Chicago, you have skies
As red as any summer
Goodnight Chicago, you are mine tonight
Goodnight Chicago, you have eyes
As bright as any child
Goodnight Chicago, you are mine tonight.

[Lucy Wainwright Roche]