Black Girl's Think Tank - My Life According to Pinterest

I am addicted to Pinterest.

I have access to Pinterest on my tablet, computer, and mobile device. I truly believe there is no problem in this world that Pinterest can't solve.

Ok, that may be a slight exaggeration, but Pinterest is and can be so many things! And whats strange is that when someone asks me exactly what it is...I can't explain it. An online cork board? A scrapbook of sorts? Bookmarks for websites categorized more specifically with pictures?

All I know is that Pinterest pops into my mind several times a day, no matter what the subject. I can plan weekly menus, romantic getaways, house design, lesson plans, new hairstyles, a whole new wardrobe and style reinvention, reference a funny or inspirational quote, find things to knit, paint, create, sew, carve; stock a wet bar, and pretty much make ANYTHING you could buy from a store for half the cost.

Here's a list of what I've used Pinterest for so far:

- countless recipes...I actually plan weekly menus with my Recipes board.
- made my own green and natural home cleaning solutions
- made my own hair conditioner with items from my kitchen
-  knitted two scarves, a hat and a head warmer from patterns found on my Knitting board.
-  made green and natural pest repellant (totally put the kabash on a fruit fly infestation)
- made my own air freshener!
- got detailed lesson plan ideas
- gotten a few hairstyles to try (one was cute, the other a bust)
- made my own dried fruit snacks.
- gave myself an at-home Shellac manicure
- used a great DIY tip to dry said manicure in 3 minutes!
- made my own microwave popcorn
- discovered a number of great websites with great tips on everything from saving money to putting outfits together!

It is extremely easy to navigate and use, and you can download a "Pin It" button right into your browser menu. So if you're cruising websites and come across something you want to pin, you just go to the menu your Bookmarks are in and click Pin It. Plus you will spend hours just repinning all the great things that other people have pinned - they've done the searching for you! Not only is it a great resource, it has now become a great marketing tool as well, joining the ranks of Twitter and Facebook. If you haven't gotten hip to it yet, or think that it may be a bit overwhelming for you, do yourself a favor: get over it and get over to Pinterest! If you're already there, what are your favorite boards? What life-changing thing did you gain from it?

The Curlie In 3C - One Mo' Gin!

It's been a long time. I shouldn't have left you...

You know the rest.

I'm moved to blog again! Not sure how long it will last, but if you're down to enjoy it while it lasts, I'm down to give one more try!

For my loyal followers, I always start my blog posts with one of Five Headers:

Soul Survivor
Kiss My Glass
Black Girl's Think Tank
*The Curlie In 3C
*Foodie Call (Tales of a Foodie)

I'll start by replacing my header Naps, Mishaps and Product Caps with my new hair persona, The Curlie In 3C (@CurlieGirl3C on Twitter and there's a Facebook page too!) This is for you and me: if you're interested in how I care for and present my hair, I will be bothered to care for and present my hair.

We'll start with me not only trying new products, but new styles. My comeback hairstyle experiment is the Bantu Knot Out. I've heard mixed reviews - some of my friends have tried it and were not pleased with the results. But YouTube and other blogs and pics have shown me that a successful Bantu Knot Out can be done. Now whether or not I have mastered it is a different story. I also tried three new products on this style: I co-washed with Oyin Handmade's Honey Hemp Conditioner, then styled the knots with a combination of Dr. Miracle's Curl Care Strong Hold Gel and Elasta QP's Olive Oil and Mango Butter Moisturizer. These products are all courtesy of my Nov, Dec and Jan CurlBox shipments.

 

As you can see by facial expression, this was not an easy task for me. I didn't get that you had to twist them and wind them counter clockwise until I was halfway done. So the ones I did right were tighter and more secure than the ones I had done wrong. So me being the perfectionist that I am went back and re-knotted the first half. By this time, I was forced to re-wet and re-gel the ends (smh...curly problems). It only took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to finish. 

I was forced to sleep like Regina King did in Friday (remember the opening scene when she was sleeping like she was laying down reading a book?) because every time I laid back on my head, one of the knots would dig into my scalp. The knots and I survived till morning. 

This is what it looked like when I first took them out:

As you can see, I was underwhelmed. They were tight little coils and I had no idea what to do with them! Then I asked myself, what would one of my hair gurus do? (Mine is Jenell of KinkyCurlCoilyMe) So I scrounged up some bobby pins and started pinning!

Not too shabby for someone who has no real talent for styling hair. Below is the 2nd Day - I only tied it up with a silk scarf for bed. All us natural gals know and understand that the Sleep Test is the real test! 

So that was my adventure with Bantu Knot Out. Overall I would say its a win - now that I know how to do it, it shouldn't take me nearly as long, AND I know the style lasts at least 2 days. I shall file it away and pat myself on the back for doing something new with my hair! I may even try some variations, such as knotting it on dry, blown out hair.

Please share your Bantu Knot stories with me - was it a success or a fail? Did you try it different ways? What made the difference? How do you think mine turned out?