I am sure you are aware that February 29, 2012 is Leap Day. I’ve never really paid attention in the past, but I thought it would be cool to celebrate it this year. From what I hear, many people just do something they wouldn’t normally do. You could try something new. You could read a life changing book with this extra day especially with Audible audiobooks. I’ve made a to do list for tomorrow that will force me to be about 3 times more productive on Leap Day than any other day.

Also, February 29th will mark the end of Chapter 2 February in our Book of 2012. If you’ve been keeping a journal like me, you can read over all of your entries for February and dedicate a page to summarizing your biggest breakthroughs and action steps that you took on the path to your goals. If you wrote out your goals for February, hopefully now you can check some of them off. I also like to highlight and circle the big things as I go. Now, you can also think about what you want to accomplish in March and write out those goals because writing them down actually helps to make them happen!

Happy Leap Day! Happy Chapter 3 March 2012!

Who are you? Who do you want to be? Have you branded yourself? What 3 words describe you now in this moment? What 3 words do you want to describe you? What 3 feelings do you want people to feel when they encounter you or think of you? Of course we are all super complex creatures and 3 words are hardly enough to encompass our complexity, but for the sake of this assignment it will help you focus on the person you are and the person you are becoming. The 3 words should align with your major goals. One of the things I have done is to write the words on a mirror with lipstick/eyeliner, a dry erase board or on Post-Its in places that I look at frequently throughout the day to help me stay focused on my goals.

Here are some examples to help you get started:

How are things going with your 2012 goals? Hopefully, like me, you are making some headway, taking steps (big or small) every day to achieve your goals. I want to introduce you to a cool new tool that I’ve been using called ‘The Goodie Box’. I heard it on Iyanla Vanzant’s Hay House radio show. I took the basic concept of it and made it my own.

Sometimes we don’t get what we want because we don’t think we deserve it. The Goodie Box enables us to clearlysee all the lessons, action steps and things we’ve experienced on the path to our goals. The general idea is to get a really cute box or even a cute bag or container that you love. (Tip: Marshall’s & TJMaxx are great for finding any of these items or you can make your own starting with a cheap box from a dollar store). Next, you should get note paper, Post-its or cut up pieces of paper in your favorite color. You want to narrow your focus on your major goal for 2012. Now, on the pieces of paper write all the lessons you learned, reasons you deserve the goal, obstacles you have overcome, action steps you have taken, affirmations, things you have received, help you have received, knowledge about the goal, positive beliefs about the goal: just everything good and positive that you can think of in terms of this specific goal. Fold the pieces of paper and put them in the box. Now, try to keep adding new things to your goodie box every day until you reach your goal. If you’re feeling out of sync with your goal, go back and read some of the “goodies” from the goodie box or just read a couple when you wake up and before you go to sleep. Make sure everything in this box makes you feel good.

I hope this helps you on the way to reaching your goals this year.

All the best!

It is February 13th, my 29th birthday. The beginning of the last year of my 20s. It’s very exciting and I plan to take huge risks leaps towards my goals this year. I have a few wishes and two of them you can help grant. First, if you haven’t already, I would appreciate your vote for my Scomb invention on Quirky. All you need to do is login with your Facebook account. It’s super easy and painless. It would be also be cool of you to leave comments on Quirky and tell them why the idea is needed and why they should pick it. Did I mention that if the Scomb is chosen, you can give feedback to make the idea better, create taglines for the invention and you can earn a percentage of the sales if the Scomb is developed/manufactured? It’s really dope and if you have an invention just sitting on the shelf of your mind, get it out there and make it happen either on Quirky or on your own. Next, I know that thousands of you have been reading Mane and Chic over the past almost 5 years and thousands of you downloaded my transitioning e-book. Please leave your positive reviews on Amazon for the e-book. That’s all.

I plan on having a magical amazing day and if you’re reading this, I wish the same for you!

You’ve been asking for it, here it is: my first hair update in 2012. This is a twist out where my hair was detangled with the Tangle Teezer. It was also my first time using Suave’s Captivating Curls conditioner and that’s all I have in my hair besides water. I have copious amounts of the conditioner in my hair… probably 1/2 a cup or more.

One of my goals in 2012 is to not straighten my hair with heat, so I’ll only be giving you curly updates for all of 2012. Well, I’m going to attempt to do that. I only ever straightened my hair to see how long it was and to change it up a bit, but I never keep it straight for longer than a couple of days.

I am not sure if you can tell from the lighting, but I have ombre highlights. I had them done last February for my birthday. You can’t really see them indoors, but they look better now than when they were fresh. It’s very beachy. I’ll try to give you some outdoor pictures soon.

I measured my hair for you too. My goal is 15″ from my neck (using my measurement technique) with my hair stretched straight. That’s natural waist length for me and as you can see the longest part of my hair is barely grazing the 14″ mark. I have to be honest, whenever I reach a hair length milestone/goal… I tend to want to keep going. Now, I’m thinking that I want my hair to reach natural waist length while my hair is in a natural state or in a curly style like this. So, I’ll be growing my hair probably for the next 58 years. It’s all fine because I am learning patience and enjoying the journey.

To Waist Length and Beyond – Current Hair Regimen

I exercise 5-7 times per week and I wash my hair quite frequently. I typically wash with a diluted shampoo once a week. I dilute the shampoo: 1 part shampoo to 3 parts water. Also, I conditioner-wash a few times a week. I use a deep conditioner once a week. I typically use Aubrey Organics, GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Conditioner Rosemary Peppermint or Giovanni’s Smooth As Silk Xtreme as a deep conditioner. I use the Gold ‘N Hot Conditioning Cap for about an hour, using the condition and reconditioning method in 15-20 minute intervals. I only use warm water when I’m washing my hair and I always use cold water as the final rinse. Cold water shuts down the cuticle to lock in moisture. It makes a huge difference if you have frizz-prone hair like me.

After washing, I braid or twist my hair in about 10 braids (or more twists) and set the ends on flexi rods (using end papers). I use Kinky-Curly Knot Today or experiment with different cheap Suave conditioners to set my hair. When I’m taking the braids down, I fluff my hair for volume and clap through a quarter-size amount of jojoba oil. I like it because its lite and scentless. Oh, are you wondering what “clap through” means? I just put the oil in my hands and literally clap it through and fluff my hair as if I’m “playing numbers” with my head. It gives me more even distribution and more volume.

I also reset my hair every night with about 5 braids with the ends set on the super skinny red flexi rods. I am not interested in trying to sleep without re-setting, so I don’t care about second or third day hair. I’ve tried the “pineapple” and it works if I want to rock a ponytail, but otherwise it doesn’t work for me. I like to really sleep when I sleep and I’m a wild sleeper. I was never satisfied with my hair when I tried to sleep without resetting.

What else?

Detangling –  I detangle on wet hair in the shower with a Jilbere shower comb. Then with a small seamless comb and finally smooth with a Denman brush about once a week to cut down on one strand knots. I’m super careful when I detangle and I really take my time. I do everything in sections! Wash in sections, condition in sections, detangle in sections and set in sections. I also recently began to experiment with the Tangle Teezer and the jury is still out.

Smoothing – After my hair is detangled and before I set each section of my hair. I use smoothing techniques. This is very important and it makes a huge difference. If you don’t want know what smoothing is, I explain it here: Smoothing Explained.

Scissors –  I use the Search & Destroy method to get rid of bad ends as I see them. I don’t don’t keep track of how often I do this… maybe once every couple of weeks. I have high quality professional shears that I invested in, no cheap shears come near my hair.

Thermal Styling – No heat this year! I use a Pibbs Kwik Dry on a medium low heat setting after washing my hair sometimes, but especially if it is cold or I don’t want to sleep with wet hair.

Scalp Love – I give myself brief scalp massages whenever I feel like it, at least once a week.

Time – It doesn’t take long for me to do my hair. I spend about 5 minutes setting it at night, 5 minutes styling it in the morning, one hour per week deep treating, 15 minutes washing, 20 minutes setting and 1 hour under the dryer. That’s it.

Questions about my hair? Leave them in the comments or send an e-mail.

Shop this look.

Do you remember I told you about one of my hair inventions: The Scomb? Well, I have been getting tons of e-mails about it. People were asking if was following through with getting it made. I wasn’t. It has been on the back burner while I pursue other interests.

Today, I was inspired to do something with it rather than just let it sit. I decide to submit it to Quirky.com. It’s a cool site that helps inventors get their products in stores like Target, Toys R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, OfficeMax, The Container Store, ACE Hardware and on Amazon.com. So now that I have submitted my idea, people leave feedback and vote for it to be manufactured. Products with the most votes and most potential are chosen and get designed, manufactured and marketed by Quirky. The process can happen in as little as a couple of months. It’s also cool because you can leave feedback and ideas for improvement. If the product is selected, there are even opportunities for you to suggest a retail price.

If you liked The Scomb idea and want to see it in stores, please go vote and tell all of your friends. Click here to vote for The Scomb. There is only 30 days to vote. It’s really easy to vote if you have a Facebook account. I love this whole process. I think everything should be done like this. I also want to encourage any of you with an idea to submit it to Quirky or work to get it made. I’m interested in seeing how this goes and excited to submit more of my other ideas. There is a $10 fee for submission, but I didn’t pay because I googled “Quirky.com coupon codes” and found one that allowed me submit my idea for FREE!

1. Make sure your hair is moisturized.
2. Make sure your hair is detangled. If you have a Denman brush or Tangle Teezer, now is the time to use it.
3. Make sure your hair is smooth. Think of your fingers as a flat iron and smooth your fingers down your hair strands. If you feel any rough patches, apply more conditioner to that section and keep smoothing until it feels soft and smooth to the touch.
4. Set the braids or twists the same way you will wear your hair. If you wear a center part, set the braids or twists that way with the front two sections framing the face and braiding or twisting the middle section straight back. If you wear an off center part to the left or right, braid the hair that way. If you prefer to wear your hair straight back, you might try cornrows, flat twists or just setting the braids or twists so that they are all going towards the back. You don’t want to manipulate your hair too much. Make sure the way you’re braiding is as close to the finished style as possible. Frizz happens when we try to move the part or do something different than the way we set the hair.
5. Don’t use a comb to part the hair where you don’t want a part because the part will show and you will have to manipulate the hair to hide the parts. This is where the set has the potential to be ruined. Instead just gather sections with your fingers and try to use the same amount of hair for each braid for a more uniform set.
6. While braiding, be sure to keep the 3 sections of the braid separate. Do not mix hair from one section of the braid with the other. Keep the 3 sections of the braid separate from root to ends. If you braid to the ends, this will be an issue. You might consider braiding as far down as you can without mixing sections and then add a roller  or start a finger coil to ensure that all 3 sections of the braid stay separate. Use this same method for twisting with 2 sections of hair.
7. If your hair is prone to puff or frizz, use smaller braids or twists to prevent frizz.
8. Use oil or butter after applying conditioner, but before starting the braid or twist to prevent frizz and to seal your hair. Just lightly dip your fingers in an oil or butter and smooth over strands before starting each braid or twist.
9. Make sure hair is completely dry before unraveling the braids to prevent frizz.
10. Use a seamless end of a rattail comb or very carefully with your fingers to unravel the braids and start from the ends up. If you want more volume, you can separate the unraveled braids from the root to ends using the rattail end of a comb.
11. If your hair is prone to frizz and you don’t want frizz, do not finger comb. It will make your braid out or twist out frizzy and ruin the set.

Yesterday, I purchased the Tangle Teezer from Sally Beauty Supply. It was about $10 with taxes. I used it in the shower on soaking wet conditioner-laden hair. I typically just detangle with a  shower comb and occasionally follow up with a Denman brush. Did the Tangle Teezer work better or faster than my typical method? Not that I noticed, but then again… I’ve only used it once. I did not notice any more hair in the Tangle Teezer than I would typically see after using my shower comb or Denman brush. The longer my hair gets, the looser my curls are and when my hair is wet my strands look like they are in the “Type 3A-B” range so this went through my hair fairly easily. It was fun to try, but the jury is still out as to if I will be adding it to my staples.

See YouTube reviews of the Tangle Teezer.

Lace dresses never go out of style and are perfect to wear to weddings and other events wear you have to dress up a bit. Solange wore her green lace dress at the Dolce & Gabbana “La Bella Estate” cocktail launch. So maybe you have a lace dress and maybe you’ve worn it already and want to figure out how to wear it again differently. Or perhaps you want one, but don’t know how to fit it into your wardrobe, these tips should help.

1. Throw a blazer on top. A blazer can really set the tone for a lace dress. You can do so many things with a blazer. Play with monochromaticity, color-blocking and texture-mixing. Here the muted orange lace dress was matched with a blazer in a darker shade of orange.

2. You can dress down a lace dress by layering it with a sweater or long sleeve top, here it is with a pale pink top. You want to make sure that the top is thick enough that you can’t see the lace underneath.

3. You can also layer the dress with a button-down shirt. I chose a plain button down that most women will have in their wardrobes that you can layer underneath a lace dress. You can even layer a sheer black button down shirt over the dress and belt it at the waist for a little edge.

4. If your dress is a bright color or a non-neutral color, you can find a multicolored bag that has your frock’s shade. This dress was paired with a Santi clutch and they are great for multi-colored bags that seem to go with everything.

5. Put a skirt on top. What? That’s crazy. The orange dress above is full and was paired with a full a-line skirt. Parts of the dress will hang beneath the shorter skirt, but that’s ok for this dress. If your dress is longer and more fitted at the skirt of the dress, then you should look for a pencil skirt or a skirt shape that flatters your dress. This can be tricky to style, but experiment with what you have and see if you can make it work.

6. This lace dress was styled with a blue suede platform shoe with contrast piping. The clutch features colors from the shoe and the dress so now it’s all cohesive. You can also just choose a shade that compliments the dress or whatever else you’re pairing the dress with. You can certainly dress down the dress with the sweater from above and a pair of leather boots.

7. Finally, by simply adding a belt to a dress can change the entire look. Pair your favorite belt with this dress and create a look all your own. Now, you can match your shoes and bag to your belt and the dress becomes the background/canvas.

Shop this look. (Including some cool items that didn’t make the cut).