Happy Birthday Maryam-o

It's been a crazy few days but I wanted to wish my co-blogger & sister a very Happy Birthday! Her birthday was Monday so this entry is alittle late but better late than never! We shall be continuing the celebration next month in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival *screaming with excitement*

Mommy and I took her to dinner at Ruth Chris in Downtown Charlotte, NC with our Aunt Peggy and Cousin Roz. The food and service was ah-mazing! Her bun was sooo adorable on her birthday, maybe talking about it will inspire her to do a "tutorial" lol :) 

Have a great day y'all!

Smile,

Kam

Make You Slap Yo Mama!

Although this is a hair blog, (blah, blah, blah), from time to time, we may write on things that are not hair related.  Fortunately for you, this would be one of those times. Two Fridays ago, Maritza (the roomie), Liz (my good friend/workout buddy), and I set out on a mission to have a “Date Night”, just the three of us.  However, you may wonder, “Date night with three girls?  What’s that about?!?!??  Well, Martha Stewart posted a video a couple years ago on her website called “Date Night with Jim Cantiello and Brendan Kennedy.”  The video was about the three of them on a quest to try a bar called Dram and a restaurant called Pies-n-Thighs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The video is amazingly funny; Martha really out did herself.  (see link below)

                                           

One look at the images of food and drinks in the video, I was instantly determined to try these “hipster-esque” establishments.  This great idea not only lived itself out on 90 degree day in NYC, which made me quite hot, bothered irritated, and exhausted.  Nothing could cure those sensations but a nice alcoholic drink (don’t judge me), a hardy cheat day meal (again don’t judge me), and some dawg ole blasting air-condition (sue me I am from the south)! 

The three of us set out to meet at Dram to have a drink, which must include a ball (you must watch the video to understand).  Dram was a very cool bar with a very “creative” wait staff/bartender.  There were cute little palm-like trees, and floor to ceiling windows which made me feel like I was on an island somewhere with the air conditioning pumping, all I needed was that drink.  So I asked the bartender for a Jones Girl Signature Drink of gin and grapefruit juice.  I am not sure if it was my curls that day, but he made a custom creation that was SO refreshing and delicious that I forgot to ask what he put in it.  I guess another reason to go back even after three of them!!!

Later we decide to roll across the street to Pies-n-Thighs to put our names on the waitlist.  As we chatted, many happy, but full faces rolled out of the restaurant raving about how good the food was including a family who said they’d come from Coney Island to Williamsburg just to enjoy the deliciousness.  Still raving about the bar while we waited, we discussed about the other possible places and we haven’t even sat down and eaten yet.   

Finally the moment arrived where we are seated at our table.  A little secret that the other girls did not know is that I had already combed through the menu a few days earlier so I already knew what I was going to eat (okay now you can judge me, lol).  I ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken Biscuit, Black Eye Peas, and Hushpuppies (a lot of food I know).  I am surprise I am able to write this post as I nearly ate my fingers off!  I still can’t breathe because I ate so much.  The food was so good, it took me back to when I was 13 years old sitting on a barstool in my childhood home in Orangeburg, SC, while my grandmother made biscuits, chicken and other comfort foods.  The Chicken Biscuit (which was my fav) was only slightly hot and slathered in hot sauce, butter and honey.  The chicken was fried to perfection.  I believe that my southern ancestors would be really proud of such great cuisine.  Even though I do not eat meat off the bone, they served a “Fried Chicken Box” that looked delectable.  Not the chicken box that you would find at a local around-the-way Kennedy Fried Chicken either, for those that know what that is. 

                                                               

 As we left, Maritza ordered a homemade donut to take home. I cannot tell I lie I was scheming on it too.  As gracious as she was she shared a slice of it the next morning.  It was SO good, with a cake like taste and consistency.  To top it all off, one of the best things about this restaurant besides the amazing food was that everything was so reasonable priced.  Our total bill combined for the three of us was a whopping $60, which I can totally spend easy on hair products.  Even though this was not a hair related topic, I seriously urge you all New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers to pay a visit Dram and Pies-n-Thighs.  I promise you won’t regret it!  Remember the secret is to look at the menu before you get to the restaurant :). 

Links:

Martha Stewart Date Night: http://www.marthastewart.com/993078/date-night-jim-cantiello-and-brendan-kennedy

Dram:  http://drambar.com

Pies-n-Thighs:  http://piesnthighs.com

My Silent Killer!

I, Kamilah Jones, have a problem. Well, not the problem you may think... It ‘s a silent problem that I haven't heard a lot of people talk about. You see, about two summers ago Curtis (my beau) and I prepared to go on vacation with his dad's family. That was when it all started. Elise happened to be in town so she helped me get ready. I washed my hair, and as I was moisturizing and twisting out, Elise says to me, "Uhh, you have flakes in your hair". Like many things, I ignored her but she persisted to tell me there were huge flakes in my hair and insisted that I look in the mirror. KAM SCREAMS!!!! "Omg I must have left conditioner in my hair".  I washed my hair again but the flakes were still there. “Ugh... I am going on vacation on tomorrow. What am I going to do”??? We had a day between leaving NYC and starting our cruise so I went to Rite Aid and bought everything from Neutrogena T-Gel to Head and Shoulders. NOTHING WORKED! I basically flicked as many flakes off as I could to make my hair presentable.  A few days later, the flakes had increased, but with itching as well.  I was soooo frustrated and for weeks I kept treating my scalp condition as "dandruff". It would help at first but only to come back with a vengeance. 

When I returned from vacation I consulted with about 4 or 5 dermatologists over a two year period and all of them would write prescription after prescription of harsh shampoos that not only dried my hair but were expensive and required that I constantly see a doctor (with a co-pay).  I was diagnosed with Seborrheic Dermatitis (SD for short). My Mommy, "the herbalist", suggested that I try essential oils to clear the flakes, but those were super expensive and the smell could be over-powering. I was OVER IT; not only embarrassed, but ashamed that I, the problem solver to so many, couldn't figure this out. 

Like many people, I took to the Internet to find a fix. I came across countless people with SD on the web who either had symptoms much worse than mine or their hair was not natural (therefore I couldn't identify with their condition). Many suggestions were to wash your hair everyday and let's face it, I am a busy New Yorker who barely finds time to even wash my hair weekly, much less daily. 

I went to a new dermatologist’s office most recently to see what help they could offer me. I saw the Physicians Assistant (the only open appointment). She listened to my woes, showed concern and offered this (in addition to a stack of prescriptions):  Try unconventional methods such as Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), products that contain zinc, tea tree oil or anti fungal creams in addition to the prescriptions. I had already done the ACV wash before, but I had never heard of using zinc or anti fungal creams. 

A week after that appointment, Elise and I were having our daily "life updates" chat and she suggested I try "Monistat".  Say whattttt?!?!?! You want me to use “va-jay-jay” cream on my head?!?! She had heard it worked well as a makeup primer, but thought it would be a good thing to try since technically SD is a yeasty fungus on the skin. I thought about it and thought, “What do I have to loose? I haven’t found anything that works consistently to my liking, so I’ll try it.”

Photo: Any product that is Miconazole Nitrate Vaginal Cream (2%) can be used....As Elise would advise, "Store brand works too" lol :)

So, I recently started a Monistat regimen: Wash every 4 days, separating hair into 4 or 5 sections and apply the cream to my scalp. This is hard to make time for because after washing I have to detangle and moisturize my hair, then part and apply cream to scalp, and then twist hair all over.  We are talking a 3-hour process (my hands are tired just thinking about it). But if this turns out to be a winner like I think....  It will be worth it. 

Photo: My hair sectioned off using Banana clips ......ready to wash

Stay tuned.....