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Hair Comparison

So the other day I looked at some photos of our At Home Reception for our wedding. That was August of last year. I didn't realize how much my hair had grown. I guess when you see it every day it is hard to tell. Then last Saturday I saw some people I hadn't seen in a while and they all commented on how long my hair was getting. So I thought...time for a photo comparison.

August 2009

May 2010

I have also been thinking about dyeing my hair. The Hubs is against this because the last time I dyed my hair i chopped it all off. The color was too different from my natural hair color and it grew so fast, I just couldn't maintain it. I am thinking about henna'ing (is that a word) my hair. I am a little afraid. I don't know what the results will be and it is permanent. It would put a reddish tint on my hair, but I don't know how obvious it would be. I have brown hair and I have seen some of the results on other natural people and the color barely shown. They mostly do it for the benefits to the hair. But what if the color does show, what if it is uneven, what if I hate it?
Here are some close ups of my actual natural hair color

When I look at these I think, what color is my hair? And I think it is actually pretty. But because it is this sandy brown color it can appear dull sometimes. So I will keep doing research on henna and hair and maybe I will make a decision on that subject. I do know that I will not be using any conventional dyes on my hair ever, so its either henna or nothing.
I must say, I am impressed with the growth i have seen in less than a year. I guess taking care of your hair can really make a difference ;)

style star: Miley Cyrus ...?!

As much as I hate this whole 'teen queen' thing thats been going on, I can't help but be into Miley's sense of style.

hot child in the city / runnin wild and lookin pretty

i can't believe it's may already. the year is going by so fast! i finished working on the theatre production i was working on last night, so now i'm working on finding a new job. i'm going back to school part-time in the fall, so i want to get a part-time job, maybe doing retail or something like that. i was planning on either going back to school full-time or just working for a year, but i'm really glad with how it worked out.

here are 2 outfits from the past week:

black coat - The Gap, free from a clothing swap / bag - Max C / button up shirt - thrifted / jeans - Primark / combat boots - Nasty Gal / skull ring - Jean Queen / heart necklace - sirens / iPod playing: nirvana - in bloom

metric tank - killthe8 / flannel shirt - F As In Frank / jeans - Primark / shoes - Converse / cross necklace - i-found gallery

Deciphering Produce Codes

I just posted a link to the new list of pesticides in produce. So, how do you know if a fruit or vegetable is organic. There is actually a very easy way to determine that just by looking at it. The price look-up (PLU) code. The PLU code is an international numbering system that identifies each produce item so that cash registers can ring them up automatically.
A 4-digit number indicates CONVENTIONALLY GROWN produce. These products use regular pesticides approved by the FDA, but not necessarily the best thing for you. (That is my opinion).
A 5-digit number beginning with a 9 indicates ORGANIC produce.
A 5-digit number beginning with an 8 indicates GENETICALLY MODIFIED produce. In a nutshell, STAY AWAY from this type of produce. I will go into more detail about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in another post, but basically STAY AWAY.
For example, Pink Lady Apples (one of my favs) have the PLU code 4128. An organic Pink Lady apple would be 94128 (these are the ones I buy). A genetically modified Pink Lady apple would be 84128. Got it? Good.
Why is this important? I have been in stores that have a big sign reading ORGANIC PRODUCE. Then I look at it and it has a 4-digit number. This means it is conventionally grown. Is it harmful to you? Maybe, maybe not. But if your intention is to purchase organic, don't you want to make sure that is what you are buying?
I do. And from knowing these 3 simple rules I can always decipher the code.

Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has updated their list of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 for produce. The old list can be found here and there are some significant changes. I received a preview of the list (it will not be officially posted until May 10), so I am giving it to my few blog readers.
Celery has beat peaches as the most pesticide ridden produce....way to go celery. AND blueberries were added to the dirty dozen. Take a look at the entire list here. This site also explains how the list is determined.
It is also a guide for the budget conscious, like myself. I cannot afford to buy everything organic, but if it is one of the dirty dozen I make sure I do. I save my money on the clean 15.
Hope this helps people make wise and green decisions. Happy and Healthy Eating.