Olive Oil Hair Treatment

Last night I found myself on some crazy kick looking up all sorts of homemade beauty treatments. I may just have to start a new feature and regularly post some of these, because I found so many I wanted to try. The first one I knew I wanted to do was a basic olive oil hair treatment.

My hair is pretty dry. I don't know where I got it from, because most of the women in my family insist on washing their hair every single morning so it doesn't get oily. I've always found that mine is way better if I go a few days without washing it, but that rarely happens and it sometimes can get TOO dry. On a daily basis I usually put a little bit of Moroccan Oil in it, but I tried this treatment and I'm hoping it will eliminate the need for that at least for a few days at a time!

It's really simple- no specific ingredient amounts, no official way to go about it. Here's what I did:

Put about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small bowl, little mug, or anything that can be microwaved. Microwave for about 30 seconds to warm it up a little bit.

Make sure it's not too hot (for your fingers or your scalp) and just start scooping small amounts into the palm of your hands, rub it around to coat your hand, and then work your fingers through your hair. I also took the ends of my hair and dipped them full on in the olive oil, squeezing the extra out.

Your hair does not have to be dripping wet with olive oil. In fact, it's better if it's not. Just make sure you've coated it all and there aren't any dry spots. Some sites recommend trying to avoid your scalp so it doesn't get oily, but I didn't have any issues with that, particularly since it's been a little chilly and my skin has started to get a little bit more dry.

Put it up in a bun to keep it out of the way and leave it in for 1-2 hours. I was just hanging around the apartment looking at some blogs/watching Tuesday night TV, but if you're doing something where you're worried the oil might get on something you can cover your hair with a plastic bag or saran wrap.

Shampoo hair thoroughly to remove all oil and condition as you usually do.

(Several recommendations stated they left the treatment on overnight, but others said they tried both versions and leaving it overnight didn't make much of a difference. You can also add a few drops of essential oil in the scent of your choice to the olive oil before heating it to give it a more specific smell, but if you don't have any don't worry... your hair is not going to smell like olives.)

I definitely started noticing my hair felt softer and shinier immediately as it began to dry, and the next day this still applies! It even looks better than when just using the Moroccan oil, with a more consistent shine throughout.

Let me know if you try this or have any other suggestions to add! I don't think I'd recommend it for anyone who has oily hair naturally, but if you have dry hair this should work wonders. I'll be sure to update with how long the extra shine lasts.

I Just Can't Get Enough

Have you heard of Spotify yet? If the answer is yes and you still don't have it, believe me when I tell you that you want it immediately. I heard about it what must have been two months ago but I don't think I really understood what it was and only downloaded it a few weeks ago.

Basically it's an online streaming service FOR FREE. At least for the first six months. With a minimal amount of ads per hour the artists still get paid without you even subscribing, but after six months of your use restrictions on play time and number of plays are put into effect. I've only had the service for a few weeks but I am already totally willing to subscribe: for $10 a month (yes, the price of one album on iTunes) you not only don't face these restrictions but are able to stream the music offline and download it to devices such as your phone or iPod.

I understand any issues this brings up in the music industry, but I do think it is a great middle ground that still allows artists to benefit while working with the changes technology has brought about. I know that I certainly will continue to buy the albums I really like, because sometimes it's just nice to have that physical copy, and I do believe in supporting artists you like. This is just a great option to explore and sample new music, especially with the collaboration with Facebook that allows you to share playlists or albums with friends and even directly send music suggestions. Besides, how many times have you wanted to buy music from iTunes only to get sick of it a week or two later and not ever listen to it again?

Here are a few of the albums that I REALLY can't get enough of on Spotify, some that I have already bought and others that I have every intention of buying:


Cold War Kids: Mine is Yours


Florence and the Machine: Ceremonials


Pistol Annies: Hell on Heels


the bird and the bee: Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates


Two Door Cinema Club: Tourist History


Is Tropical: Native To



Interested in any of those, or any other albums you have been thinking about lately? What are you waiting for? Go get it!

Jane of the Jungle 3.0

This year Jane came back with some new and improved accessories: real flowers, false eyelashes, green eyeshadow, and JUNGLE ANIMALS.

Despite the fact that these masks are truly some of the creepiest things I've ever seen, I was ok with Steven and Adam wearing them to complete the look. The flowers were a last minute addition thanks to me forgetting the usual go-to's in Chicago. I ended up buying some fake vines from Michaels, some Alstromerias, and hot gluing them both to an old bangle and a hair barrette. They were wilting by the end of the night, so they were really a one shot accessory, but I LOVED them. (Not to anyone attempting this: super glue is NOT an option. I first bought the wrong sized glue sticks and ended up trying to settle for super glue which really only got on EVERY FINGER but never made the flowers stick.)

I also ended up loving false eyelashes way more than I thought. They weren't TOO difficult to put on and nowhere near as awkward as I thought they might feel. I only wish I hadn't accidentally dropped them in a sidewalk grate when taking them off later in the night. I'll definitely be buying some more.

About Time for a Jacket

I just bought this jacket today at Forever 21 and I LOVE it. The lining is so warm without being too heavy,and it was SO cheap.... oh, and did I mention how soft it is, both inside and out? I have definitely needed a jacket like this, that works for fall or winter, for a while. Has anyone else seen any other cute jackets or coats that could easily transition from Fall to Winter?

Quilted Patch Suedette Jacket
Forever 21+
$39.80

Halloween's A Comin'!

I was starting to get concerned that it would never feel like October. I think all of the traveling and not officially living in one place right now has my sense of time a bit skewed and it has been the first year I haven't spent months thinking about what I'm going to be for Halloween.

I knew I wanted to reprise the role as Gretchen the Biergarten Girl since I have only worn that one once, but I hadn't thought of anything new. I think I'll still probably just do remixes of old costumes, but I'm looking forward to another Jane of the Jungle and maybe even a Cowgirl to use those good ol' boots and bring out the long-lost leopard print cowboy hat. Any suggestions for the name to accompany that one? Costumes are always much more fun when they have alternative identities to go with them!

What are YOU going to be for Halloween? Do you have any creative costumes that you have come up with using just what's in your closet? Sometimes those can require the most creativity not only in wardrobe but in hair and make up, and they're always a favorite of mine!

Now I just need to find a replacement beer mug for Saturday's tailgate, since mine seems to be packed away in the midst of all this moving...

A Night Out in Denver

Outfit
Dress: TJ Maxx
Leggings, Purse, Cardigan: Old Navy
Boots: DSW
Socks: Target
Necklace: American Eagle
Bracelets: Charlotte Russe

I just got back from spending a few days in Denver and I miss it already! The day we landed the weather was right around 50 degrees, which was a welcome change from the temperatures in the 80's that we had been experiencing in Chicago before we left. I'm not totally in love with Indian Summers... when fall gets here I am always much too excited about it to have it taken away again so soon!

The temperatures got up to the 70's the other two days in Denver, but because we would often leave in the mornings and not always come back until later at night I had to work with layers to make sure I wasn't too hot/too cold at any given time. This outfit was the perfect blend for a nice dinner at the Capital Grille downtown on Larimer followed by a few bars with my dad and what ending up being nearly a whole convention of friends from his industry who were in town. I am absolutely falling in love with these boots and I am so glad I kept them! (They were a bit of an impulse purchase and I wore them around the apartment for two days trying to decide)

Larimer Street in Downtown Denver

The Girls Are Back in Town

Last weekend some friends and I met in Bloomington for the Big 10 opener tailgate (We gave up on trying to go to games a long time ago). It's funny how, even though we just graduated in May and left at the end of the summer, the people are so different! It's weird being out at the bars and not running into a single person you know, and it kind of makes you feel a little old. Even more bizarre was the fact that we were tailgating with my little brother and his friends, who have replaced us as the next generation of Hoosiers. I'm well aware 22 is not old, but man, sometimes it feels like it.

I actually just got back from the trip due to spending a few days at home afterwards for the infamous Fall Festival in Evansville, and now I'm off to Denver on Sunday to hopefully make some progress on the job search and do some apartment hunting. It's been a busy month! Taking advantage of the opportunity to do all this traveling while I can. Has anyone else been anywhere fun lately?

Hello MADIEE...

Welcome to the family!

Steve Madden- MADIEE (Cognac)

I LOVE these Steve Maddens. They're still just a little tight so I've been gladly wearing them around to stretch them out a bit. I even learned how to polish shoes today just for them! (Yeah, ok, not hard but I had never done it before. I guess I don't own a lot of leather shoes.) Now I just need to stop even looking at boots. I'm definitely set for a while, but it's so hard to not look! Particularly hard when you have some how ended up on what seems like every shoe-related mailing list on the world wide web.

And I'll leave you with a picture of the gorgeously crisp Chicago day we had yesterday in between rain showers:

Tattoo Healing

I have officially only put any effort into outfits twice since last Wednesday thanks to this tattoo. Though I wish it would just finish healing already, I'm not really minding this temporary yoga pants lifestyle. (Not to mention I spent the weekend playing with/helping my aunt take care of my cousin's little baby Luke, with a pretty good chance of being spit up on, so there really was no need for looking all that put together.)

Speaking of healing... for anyone else out there with tattoos/wanting tattoos, I'm finding the care instructions from our guy at Insight to be WAY better than those with my previous tattoo. They recommend using lotion and NOT A&D/Aquaphor/etc. for moisturizing during the healing process, and it has made a big difference. The general thought behind it is that it allows any fluids to exit while better allowing oxygen in to the wound, and leads to much less scabbing and more of a peeling process similar to that of a sunburn. It also STARTED peeling a few days ago (it hasn't even been a week since I got it done) so the healing process overall has been much faster than when using Aquaphor with the last one. If you have any questions at all about the specific care instructions, feel free to comment/get a hold of me, because I definitely recommend this by far over using any kind of thick ointment.

I don't like posting without pictures, but since I'm sure no one (including me) wants to look at the peeling mess that this tattoo is right now, here's a super cute picture of little Luke the rock star.


Which reminds me... I need to get on buying him a precious little pair of baby Chuck Taylors. He's only 7 months old but we're all half convinced he's going to skip right over crawling and just start walking. He loves pulling himself up and, unless he's totally occupied, prefers to be standing, so it's only a matter of time. Might as well be running around in style.

Why I'm Only Wearing Yoga Pants

...At least for yesterday, today, and most of tomorrow. I'd make that all weekend if I didn't have real things to do.

Yep. That's a combination of the Tom Petty logo infused with the Hoover love of racing and an individual touch of the Jack White Airline. A family crest of sorts, forever inked into my body.

My dad, brother, and I have been talking about this "family tattoo" (my mom opted out) for what seems like two years. We're not sure what we're going to dedicate all of our time to now, but I'm sure we'll find something. Dane got his in early August, my dad a few weeks ago, and I just finished it off last night. This wasn't my first, but it's safe to say it was the most painful and that it may be the last. At least the last of any substantial size.

Shout out to Thomas at Insight Studious in Chicago for doing his thing and making me 100% glad I went through with it.

My brother's, with an Eddie Van Halen version of the flying V.

My dad's, inspired by Dave Grohl's Gibson... a guitar he has some version of. (Sorry the picture quality is a little iffy and shiny)

And in other news, I finally got around to updating the Wonderland Kitchen URL. This was far more of a pain than I anticipated. If only I could just take up two domain names and have all links forwarded to the new site. Hmm, maybe there's some way to do that, but I don't know. I just spent an hour updating any links I could find, but google searches are still off and I'm not sure what effects it had on the Google Reader followers. If you followed before the switch and are still getting the updates (like today's Mushroom Alfredo post) and could let me know, I'd appreciate it!

You can now find that here: AlexsWonderlandKitchen.Blogspot.Com

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week!