[Everstorm]

On 9/21/2024 at 3:57 PM, Sea-to-sky said:

I have to fiddle with it a bit as my hair is very light and fly away and i live in a very windy area of the uk. But thw finger combing only things is very worth trying. Also suspected i would end up looking like a belatrix clone (especially as my fair is too fine to use gel with) but it was actually ok. 

 

I feel like it's hard for me to get a good read on how it would do if I could actually get it to set, but it takes so darn long to air dry I am having trouble getting it completely dry (like seriously 6 hours) before I have to -- you know -- be somewhere or go to bed or something and then it gets all messed up.  My husband treated me to a new hairdryer with a diffuser today, so maybe that will speed things up a little.  Maybe.  Diffusers reputedly take eleventy-twelve hours to dry, too.  The things I do for Wicked Fashion, smh.

 

On 9/21/2024 at 3:58 PM, Sea-to-sky said:

Ooh, sounds good. 
 

i have the added joy of sensitive skin to add to the mix. So minimal crud in the bottle is kind of a must sadly. 
makes trying new stuff a complete nightmare/very stressful

 

Oof

 

16 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Funnily enough my hair feels a lot more under control since I started gently using a detangling brush daily before going to bed and reset my curls in the morning with a very light curl cream. ? But that works better when my hair's somewhat in check. In some climates I could only detangle it in the shower with like half a bottle of conditioner. Otherwise I'd break off and pull out half my hair. Sometimes I'd literally get dreads that I had to cut off, it was so bad. ? 

 

Funnily enough, that's what my hair would look like after brushing dry with the wrong brush. ?

 

Fair point.  I loose all curl definition and just get fluff when I brush it dry.  I am looking into a good curl reset lotion/potion/gel/cream, but might wait until payday to try it.

 

 

15 hours ago, Harriet said:

 

Drying without combing and touching allows my hair to form wavy clumps. If I touch it or brush it or towel it, the waves fall out. My curl pattern is very weak--just enough to cause a frizzy, ugly "not quite straight hair" look if disrupt the pattern by touching it while wet. But if your curl pattern is much stronger, it may not require such delicate non-handling. Brushing when dry separates my waves so they are soft, loose and flowing rather than separate and defined. 

Bellatrix's hair in this photo is curly but separated, not clumpy. So I think she (or rather, the wig) has a strong curl and it has been allowed to dry normally, *then* brushed to separate the strands. The strands have then been piled up and clipped to produce a voluminous deliberate mess. 

 

That's the real trick isn't it?  Defined curls but not too clumpy or too stringy.  My hair might not even be capable of the level of curliness I am envisioning, but I am curious what it's limits are if I did all the things too show it to it's best advantage.  Honestly, I am happy with whatever texture --straight, curly, wavy, whatever -- if it would just look shiny and healthy and hold in whatever pattern it picked reliably.  Just tired of blowouts and flat irons and curling irons and it all turns out looking like frazzled bedhead by mid-day no matter what I try.

[Sea-to-sky]

7 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I feel like it's hard for me to get a good read on how it would do if I could actually get it to set, but it takes so darn long to air dry I am having trouble getting it completely dry (like seriously 6 hours) before I have to -- you know -- be somewhere or go to bed or something and then it gets all messed up.  My husband treated me to a new hairdryer with a diffuser today, so maybe that will speed things up a little.  Maybe.  Diffusers reputedly take eleventy-twelve hours to dry, too.  The things I do for Wicked Fashion, smh.

Yeah mine takes ages to dry too. Even not its much shorter. 
best thing ive found it to put it up in a microfibre hair wrap for 5 mins or less before air drying it. Then scrunch it when i take it off. Works best if its still damp when i take the hair wrap off
Hair dryers and i are a non starter. It is like pouring petrol of a fire as far as the frizz is concerned for me. 

[Harriet]

7 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I feel like it's hard for me to get a good read on how it would do if I could actually get it to set, but it takes so darn long to air dry I am having trouble getting it completely dry (like seriously 6 hours) before I have to -- you know -- be somewhere or go to bed or something and then it gets all messed up.  My husband treated me to a new hairdryer with a diffuser today, so maybe that will speed things up a little.  Maybe.  Diffusers reputedly take eleventy-twelve hours to dry, too.  The things I do for Wicked Fashion, smh.

 

Yes mine also takes six hours. I hope the diffuser works well-let us know!

 

7 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Honestly, I am happy with whatever texture --straight, curly, wavy, whatever -- if it would just look shiny and healthy and hold in whatever pattern it picked reliably.  Just tired of blowouts and flat irons and curling irons and it all turns out looking like frazzled bedhead by mid-day no matter what I try.

 

I think of it this way: I have a weak curl pattern that forms in curl clumps when it's absolutely dripping wet. When it's wet, the curl pattern and curl clumps are very susceptible to disruption with towels, brushing, or any touching. I pat on gel to support both the pattern and the clumps. When it's completely dry, brushing will separate the clumps and weaken the pattern somewhat, but not as badly as when it's wet--and it also doesn't cause frizz because the short hairs have already dried in the right shape. Frizz is just a short hair that curls outside of a curl clump. If it dries within a curl clump, it won't stand out. So maintaining curl pattern and clumping with gel and non-touching is important to avoid frizz. For me anyway.

[Everstorm]

6 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Yeah mine takes ages to dry too. Even not its much shorter. 
best thing ive found it to put it up in a microfibre hair wrap for 5 mins or less before air drying it. Then scrunch it when i take it off. Works best if its still damp when i take the hair wrap off
Hair dryers and i are a non starter. It is like pouring petrol of a fire as far as the frizz is concerned for me. 

 

Yeah, I do the towel thing too, except mine is made of tshirt material (with is also supposed to be good for hair).  It's not dripping when I let it down, but still pretty wet.

 

6 hours ago, Harriet said:

Frizz is just a short hair that curls outside of a curl clump. If it dries within a curl clump, it won't stand out. So maintaining curl pattern and clumping with gel and non-touching is important to avoid frizz. For me anyway

 

The important part is getting to gel to "cast" first, which is the problem I am having so far.  I'll keep working on it.

 

My weekend was pretty awful.  My son was housesitting all weekend, so we were kind of worried about him.  We need to get used to that, I know.  *Sighs*  Then, someone tried to scam me out of one of my artworks.  I went from over-the-moon excitement at making a sale to severe disgruntlement over it being a scam.  The roofers showed up several hours early on a Saturday morning, so we woke up to hammering on the roof directly above our heads.  There was another thing I don't really want to get into, but suffice it to say it was emotionally draining and the whole family is feeling pretty cut up about it.  On top of all that, we were running errands constantly and eating out way too much because we were stressed.

 

My habits kind of feel apart.  I didn't count calories at all, missed 2 shoulder therapy sessions, skipped portraits once and didn't really do fashion one of the days, other than research. 

 

 

Anyway, it's a new week and I am trying to get back on track.  Wings done, calorie tracking started.  Fashion and Portraiture pending.

[Elastigirl]

Sounds like a rough weekend. Hope this week is better.

[Snarkyfishguts]

Sounds like a LOT. I hope this week is a relief and not a burden.

[Harriet]

Oh gosh, sorry about all the stresses :(((( I hope tomorrow is a better one.

[Sea-to-sky]

Wow, that is a weekend and a half. Hope the week is less stressful for you. 

[Everstorm]

20 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Sounds like a rough weekend. Hope this week is better.

 

Thanks.  So far, so good ?

 

20 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

Sounds like a LOT. I hope this week is a relief and not a burden.

 

My son is back home, the roofers are done (hopefully for the next 50 years), and the other stuff is moving to the back of my mind, so I am already a bit relieved.

 

20 hours ago, Harriet said:

Oh gosh, sorry about all the stresses :(((( I hope tomorrow is a better one.

 

Monday went considerably better.  I made myself attend all 4 of my Villain classes -- albeit with poor grace.  But I did all the things.  I also avoided running errands because they add to my stress even when they are things I want to do.  I worked in my garden instead, which always generally reduces my stress, even when I don't want to.

 

20 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Wow, that is a weekend and a half. Hope the week is less stressful for you. 

 

Thanks.  I am feeling much more peaceful this morning.

 

Actual footage of the deer raiding my garden.  They are so beautiful I can't even be mad.  At least, when I actually see them, I'm not ?

 

[Elastigirl]

Deer are so pretty. I love them .However if they were eating my flowers I might have a different perspective. I used to think bunnies were cute too.?

[Sea-to-sky]

4 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Actual footage of the deer raiding my garden.  They are so beautiful I can't even be mad.  At least, when I actually see them, I'm not ?

Caught red handed…or hoofed 

[Everstorm]

42 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

Deer are so pretty. I love them .However if they were eating my flowers I might have a different perspective. I used to think bunnies were cute too.?

 

I have been extra frustrated with wildlife eating my plants this year because we took down our old fence.  They could get in when the fence was up, too, but it was more work so they mostly didn't bother.  This year, they had free reign and the devastation is pretty severe.  The deer have denuded half a dozen rose bushes and "pruned" two more.  They've half eaten the rose of Sharon ( which is hibiscus, not really a rose).  They ate a hydrangea to the ground and an evergreen Indian hawthorn has not one green leaf on it.  We had to throw up a mini-fence to keep them out of the blackberries.  The rabbits ate the asters, firecracker plant, black-eyed susans, and coneflower.  Rabbits and deer both love the ornamental sweet potato vine,and the squirrels pulled up my sunflower sprouts to eat their seeds.  I am going to have to give serious thought to my gardens next year. Because it's too depressing to see everything in this state and not blooming.

 

1 minute ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Caught red handed…or hoofed 

 

We keep saying we should set up a trail cam so we at least get to watch them.

[Sea-to-sky]

13 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

We keep saying we should set up a trail cam so we at least get to watch them

It is worth doing. We have one to watch the hedgehogs. Also foxes and every cat that wants to take a selfie (which is inevitably all of them, becuase cats)

[Mad Hatter]

What pretty deer! But how massive is even your garden?

 

18 hours ago, Everstorm said:

We keep saying we should set up a trail cam so we at least get to watch them.

Yes!

[Everstorm]

20 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

It is worth doing. We have one to watch the hedgehogs. Also foxes and every cat that wants to take a selfie (which is inevitably all of them, becuase cats)

 

Aw, hedgehogs would be so cute!  We do get gray foxes around here, and potentially black bear, although I've never seen one at the house.

 

2 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

What pretty deer! But how massive is even your garden?

 

Yes!

 

We own about 1.5 acres (or 6000 square meters), with about 2/3 of that cleared for lawn and gardens.  The rest is wooded and said woods eventually leads into a university-owned research forest, which is why we get so many wild visitors.

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Everstorm said:

Aw, hedgehogs would be so cute!  We do get gray foxes around here, and potentially black bear, although I've never seen one at the house.

 

I would love to see these! Even if they cannot be eaten, they're still cute.

[Everstorm]

10 minutes ago, Harriet said:

 

I would love to see these! Even if they cannot be eaten, they're still cute.

 

I only have crappy, grainy photos of the fox because he only comes out at dusk when the light is dim, but here he is:

 

[Harriet]

9 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

I only have crappy, grainy photos of the fox because he only comes out at dusk when the light is dim, but here he is:

 

Well he looks delicious!

[Artemis Prime]

It's a bit hard to tell since there's nothing nearby for scale, but he looks like a pretty good size.

[Everstorm]

14 minutes ago, Harriet said:

 

Well he looks delicious!

 

Something else may have thought so, too.  We haven't seen him this year (old photo).

 

13 minutes ago, Artemis Prime said:

It's a bit hard to tell since there's nothing nearby for scale, but he looks like a pretty good size.

 

They weigh about the same as the average cat, but are 3-6 inches/7-17cm taller.  And they climb trees!

[Snarkyfishguts]

46 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

And they climb trees!

(Looks suspiciously at my trees…)

 

I like deer, but I don't love deer ticks or having my hostas eaten so I scare them away every time I catch them. Same with groundhogs, they get shooed away. Possums are welcome since they eat the ticks lol.. 

[Everstorm]

6 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

(Looks suspiciously at my trees…)

 

I like deer, but I don't love deer ticks or having my hostas eaten so I scare them away every time I catch them. Same with groundhogs, they get shooed away. Possums are welcome since they eat the ticks

 

I had no idea possums ate ticks!  That makes me like them better.

 

Challenge updates!  I has them!

 

Reclaiming Your Wings:  done

 

I actually did a full (if brief) GMB Elements workout today, which is rather heavy on the shoulders wings, so it was a good test of how well my rehab is going.  I was happy to note that my elbows did a lot less complaining than usual, too.  Excellent progress.

 

Price of Magic: done

 

Calories counted.  We ate out at lunch, a rather calorie-dense meal, but I stopped at half the plate, so didn't blow my budget.

 

Fashion for Nevers: done

 

I practiced with the diffuser again today.  I am definitely getting longer lasting curls/waves from the new styling protocol.  Diffusing takes a small eternity, so I generally just diffuse until my hair is close enough, then let it airdry the rest of the way.  That way, it takes only 3 hours instead of 6.  It works for me.

 

Portraiture: done

 

Finished another drawing today.  I am not entirely happy with the part on the right.  I had to keep adjusting the placement and proportions, and at a certain point had to call it good enough for now.  I love the left half, though.

 

 

I challenged myself a bit by changing things from the original photo (removing distracting extra branches and altering the head position on the cheetah on the right).  I definitely need more practice  seeing how things connect. This is growth.

[Harriet]

5 hours ago, Everstorm said:

I practiced with the diffuser again today.  I am definitely getting longer lasting curls/waves from the new styling protocol.  Diffusing takes a small eternity, so I generally just diffuse until my hair is close enough, then let it airdry the rest of the way.  That way, it takes only 3 hours instead of 6.  It works for me.

 

Excellent information, thank you for reporting back.

 

5 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Finished another drawing today.  I am not entirely happy with the part on the right.  I had to keep adjusting the placement and proportions, and at a certain point had to call it good enough for now.  I love the left half, though.

 

I challenged myself a bit by changing things from the original photo (removing distracting extra branches and altering the head position on the cheetah on the right).  I definitely need more practice  seeing how things connect. This is growth.

 

This is splendid! The cheetahs are very well characterised. I can even tell the one on the left is a youth, with its proportions and extra fluff at the neck.

[Mad Hatter]

6 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Reclaiming Your Wings:  done

 

I actually did a full (if brief) GMB Elements workout today, which is rather heavy on the shoulders wings, so it was a good test of how well my rehab is going.  I was happy to note that my elbows did a lot less complaining than usual, too.  Excellent progress.

Great news!

 

Love the fluffy neck cheetah, it’s adorable.

[MaeradCase]

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

 

I had no idea possums ate ticks!  That makes me like them better.

They do! They are pretty cool!

 

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Challenge updates!  I has them!

 

Reclaiming Your Wings:  done

 

I actually did a full (if brief) GMB Elements workout today, which is rather heavy on the shoulders wings, so it was a good test of how well my rehab is going.  I was happy to note that my elbows did a lot less complaining than usual, too.  Excellent progress.

 

Price of Magic: done

 

Calories counted.  We ate out at lunch, a rather calorie-dense meal, but I stopped at half the plate, so didn't blow my budget.

*Rounds of applause*

 

12 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Portraiture: done

 

Finished another drawing today.  I am not entirely happy with the part on the right.  I had to keep adjusting the placement and proportions, and at a certain point had to call it good enough for now.  I love the left half, though.

 

 

I challenged myself a bit by changing things from the original photo (removing distracting extra branches and altering the head position on the cheetah on the right).  I definitely need more practice  seeing how things connect. This is growth.

??? It looks amazing!