Adventures in No Poo

NO POO
Over the past year, I've read a lot about people going the route of "No Poo" or "ShamPhree" meaning using natural products rather than commerical shampoo products that contain lots of chemicals.  Over the weekend, I decided to try it.  OMG... I had a hair nightmare while I was awake.

First, I used a natural recipe from Mother Earth News newsletter.  It contained castile soap, water, and a tiny bit of oil.  Now, to be fair... I do use castile soap for hand washing and general cleaning around the house with no problem.  However, on my hair... Despite using the recommended ACV (apple cider vinegar/water) rinse, "no poo" left a heavy film.  After blow drying, my hair could be styled toward the ceiling using a comb. It would've stayed that way if I'd had the notion!

Obviously, I couldn't leave my hair like that so I opted for the second "no poo" alternative I'd read about.  Baking soda and water followed by the ACV rinse.  I watered my hair down and started again.  Hoping that this mixture would rinse the film out of my hair.  No such luck.  After blow drying, it still had a film on it and I looked like Medusa on a bad hair day.

By this point, I'm 2 hours into my hair routine and had places to go, people to see if you know what I mean.  Obviously, I couldn't subject peeps to what looked like greasy, flyway hair.  I shampoo'd my hair yet a third time with my tried and true commercial products in order to bring back my smooth, soft, somewhat shiny hair.

A couple of other things I found out about after my "no poo" adventure which I hadn't read about before:  Castile soap should not be used on color treated hair.  Baking soda will remove hair color as well.  The two natural recipes may work for some people, but they didn't work for me.

FAMILY

A couple weeks ago, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer. I've taken a few days off work here and there in order to go with my parents to the consultation appointments. Dad has so many medical appointments and doctors that he's getting confused and upset. So, I've started keeping a log of the appointments and what's been said at each one by whom.

He's been diagnosed with Soft Tissue Sarcoma. It's a rare cancer with unknown origins. At the consultation appointments, the doctors wouldn't give a prognosis or whether it has spread. Actually, we had some discrepancy between the two doctors as to whether it has spread or not. He had an MRI last week, and this week there is another consultation appoint that I'll be going to with him.

STITCHY STUFF
I received my first ever Easter/Spring mailart!  After doing a Christmas themed one (seen HERE and HERE), Anne of Doll's Musings and I agreed to do a private exchange again.  She did such a great job of stitching and putting it together. :)  She included a pretty card telling me about the fabric, designs, and floss she used.  I wish I had thought of that!

Fabric: 28ct Baby Blue Luguna

Fibers:  DMC, Dinky Dyes, and GAST

Design:  Tulips and Chick by Snowflower Diaries

Design:  Breath of Spring by Blackbird Designs

 

Incidentally, my 16 year old niece was with me when I picked up my mail from the post office.  I showed it to her and explained a little about mailart.  Her eyes lit up and she said, "That is SO the bomb!"  LOL  Later, I showed her my collection of mailart and told her where in the world they came from and she thought it was really cool.

 

I've had little time for stitching, but have managed to get a few X's in here and there.  Petal Pincushion has become my work lunch hour project now that the Easter/Spring mailart is complete.  I've gotten five of the nine pieces done and am well on my way to have a sixth one done.

 

 

As you may recall, I am doing this as a SAL with Christina at A Stitchers Work.  She is farther along than I am and has given me a heads up that the instructions aren't correct as far as the dimensions of the bottm piece.  I scanned over the instructions last week and had questioned it in my mind, too.  Since I'm using a different count fabric, I didn't think too much of it at the time because I've had to re-figure sizes of everything anyway.  Christina has contacted JCS regarding the snafu in the instructions, though.

 

On to my next project:  I haven't worked on JG since the end of March. Shame on me!  Last night, I pulled it out and worked about an hour and half on it.  Doesn't look like I did much, though.

 

Recently, Sue finished A Little Beach by Lizzie Kate.  I had commented on how adorable it was (and is!).  She RAK'd it to me along with a very sweet card.  Thank you, SM!

 

 Until next time,