All Grown up!

Well, time is flying by!

I remember the day I went and saw the first Harry Potter movie like it was yesterday...when those kids were so tiny and cute.

And now some people are starting to call them hotties!

I can't wait to see the fifth movie...look at those kids! The girl they picked for Luna Lovegood is all kinds of awesome. I would never have the balls to dress like that for a big movie premiere. But there she is, looking all proud and happy in those baggy pants and shoes. I wonder if this is all her real hair....If so, I am disgustingly jealous.

Emma is looking like a lady! Wow! Love the dress! Great color (olive green, my favorite), great cut!

I know some people are going to hate me...but....hmmm, I can't understand all the drooling going on for the boys....I mean, Ron has his charms, red hair is hot, pretty sleepy eyes, humor....but Harry? I honestly don't see it....

Celebrity Anagrams...

Yep, I was bored...but some of those are eeeeerie....

Alanis Morissette------It's nasal, tiresome. (I would have to disagree!)
Christina Aguilera -----Agile haircuts rain
Angelina Jolie----------I join anal glee (*coughcough*)
Britney Spears---------Best PR in years (lol)
Tom Cruise------------I'm so cuter
Tori Amos-------------I'm a torso (This is just so random, I couldn't stop laughing!lol)
Paul Bettany-----------Beauty! Plant (I'd say: Beauty. Man.)
Helena Bonham Carter-No real charm beneath?
Ewan McGregor--------Now. Grace germ
Nicole Kidman---------A demonic link (I knew it!!lol)
Paris Hilton------------In his patrol (Hmmmmm....)
Kate Winslet-----------New tits leak (woah!lol)
Justin Timberlake-----I'm a jerk, but listen (Bwa-hahahaha!)
Nelly Furtado---------Artfully done (100% agree!)
Marylin Monroe------In lore, my Norma (Wasn't her real name Norma???)
Marylin Manson------Many sin normal
Pamela Anderson-----Darn a-ample ones (Well darn!!lol)

Anagrams

Since I read The Da Vinci Code, I've been fascinated by anagrams. But unlike Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdon, I am no good at creating or resolving them.

Then I found this site:
http://www.anagramgenius.com/server.html

Turns out that my name (Liliane Grenier) is a perfect anagram for Linear Lingerie. How cool. I'm having difficulty to imagine what *that* would look like, but the idea sounds cool enough. I would no doubt buy Linear Lingerie....

Liliane-Nail lie (!) Hmmm, cryptic!

Hours of fun await.....

In the Springtime of the Year....

Just wanted to share a pretty picture I found today....

It's the kid at our daycare, welcoming Spring and dancing around the Maypole on Beltane.

Aren't they adorable? I hope they will remember the fun and keep up celebrating the changes of season when they are older.

Faces are blurred for Internet safety, of course. (But they are all smiles under that!)

A new project

Well, it's not breaking news, but I'm tired of seeing that picture of my hair when I check out my blog....
And, wow, it's practically been half a moon that I didn't write an entry! (Thank you, Current Moon Phase Indicator!)

Well, what's new? I got a little drawing job-ette. Which is very cool, I'm going to decorate some blackboard menus for an ice-cream shop. Gelato, Smoothies....how fun!

Also, I'm trying to avoid my gentle stalker at all costs. I think I'm doing well, he hasn't been able to talk to me again....and spying on me is kept at a minimal, because I try to not stand where I can be clearly seen by him. Yeah, he is still sitting on his balcony, looking in my general direction. How weird....But I'm hoping he will tire of this little game. I'm a patient women, and it's not like I used to bake myself in the sun anyway.

Cats are feeling nice, but hot.

There is a new movie with Audrey Tautou coming out Friday! I must see it. How I love this actress. She looks and sounds just like a Pixy!

Update 2

Taking a break from freaking about stalker to report on hair's progress with shampoo detox!

Nothing bad to say about it! It's even raining today and hair still looks nice. Excellent!

One thing though...I just learned that I will have to change my beloved Herbal Essence Gel...the company is still making animal tests, and in our modern times, that's not acceptable to me. Will start to hunt for cruelty-free products this afternoon.

Freakage!!!

Well now, I don't like to be alarmist...

But he freaking came running behind me this afternoon when I was walking *with my little brothers* to give me a bouquet of 3 red roses! Holy everything! I just wish I will wake up tomorrow and realise that this is all a freak dream.

I loathe the whole situation to bits. I told him clearly again that there was going to be nothing at all but friendship, and he said he knew, with a kind smile. And I got this sinking feeling in my stomach that sadly, he probably takes this as a challenge.

This is bad Karma...what did I do wrong?

Oh my God! He hit on me!

OKay. That was way strange.

For the very first time ever, a random man hit on me. I'm so not used to that. And I'm so not looking for this.
I was walking towards the little park near where I live, and suddenly, this man appears from nowhere amongst the trees and says hi. He's being polite and I don't get bad vibes, so I chat back, and he asks to walk with me.
Turns out he's the guy living in front of my apartment. I would guess he is about 40. I've seen him play guitar a few times, but that's about it.

Oh my god, he admitted he has been watching me for a long time. And nicely starts to enumerate his qualities as a boyfriend. Says how pretty I am, how he like my hair, etc. Never. In.My.Life. someone came up to me like that. Shit! And I told him I didn't want a boyfriend, but he kept saying that he is different, trying to hold my hand, saying he respects me, even to hug me when we came back around.

I'm slightly freaked now. Hence this post. And even though he seems sincere and non-threatening, I seriously hope I didn't create myself a stalker. There is 0% chance I would go out with him. But I feel like my liberty to go take a walk by myself is now at stake. How will I get out if this? I didn't need this.

May 31th...

Yeah....I've got a special cranky mood that suddenly appears nearing the end of each month.

It's this feeling that my bank account is suddenly bleeding out like crazy.

I spend the whole month putting money in there, and every last day it's the same....Rent, Bills, this stupid Bus Pass that is so godamn expensive. (You know shouldn't they make them cheaper if they want to encourage people to leave their cars at home?) All at the same time.

And then I realize I need batteries to top it all....And it's raining. Have a wonderful freaking day!

If there ever was a sin....

....It's probably that thing I ate this weekend.

Now, I try to stick to being reasonable, active and veggie-eating on weekdays, but weekends are the time to indulge, so I went to that nice breakfast restaurant. They have to most wonderful crepes ever.
Last week I had the spinach and cheddar one, which was still pretty okay, diet-wise. There were lots of the green.

But this Sunday, I decided to try something called "Country Delight". And it was described as Crepe filled with cream cheese and covered in Raspberry sauce. Nice!

But then I saw the waitress come my way with this embarrassingly *Huge* plate. I don't know if it's just me, but when that kind of thing happens, I get pretty convinced that everyone around is thinking that this girl is quite the pig.

I swear, I must have misread the menu, because first of all there were not one, but two rolled crepes, each one as long as my forearm. The sauce was good and very much tasted like fresh raspberries.
But....it's just unbelievable the quantity of cream cheese filling they managed to cram in there.
The first few bites were excellent of course...but you quickly start to feel like you're eating a full cheese cake melted inside those crepes. So I started to press the rolls with my fork, and couldn't believe how much there was. It kept coming out. There must have had at least a full cup of sugary cheese cream.

I didn't even eat it all (not because I was keeping my resolutions, but because I simply couldn't anymore....and I tried, it was so yummy.) But I'm sure I ate at least 1000 calories that morning. If not more.
And now I feel kind of bad.

Next time I'm bringing someone. Oh my God, bathing suit season is coming so fast!

The Mystic's Dream

Yesterday, as I was walking trough the little "park" near where I live, I suddenly had a realisation:

If I had to chose only ONE song in the history of songs I adore, and only be aloud to listen to that ONE song for ever and ever. The choice would be easy: "The Mystic's Dream" by Loreena McKennitt.


To me, this piece represents absolute musical perfection. A Masterpiece if there ever was one.
I have listened to it for years and always get shivers, and even discover new things about it. It is that complex.

Now, I realise some people would look at me like I am some kind of fool, and pick a Pink Floyd song, or something like that. But hey, we all have something that moves us.

In my case, it's this very eclectic mix of Oriental-sounding drums and percussion.
The mystical effect of the deep Gregorian chants and Loreena's ethereal high voice that makes me close my eyes and shiver as I am transported outside a very very ancient, small stone monastery in the middle of a dark, ageless forest of giant trees in Old England or Ireland. Druids and priestesses, the overpowering beauty, power and mood of nature....

The song makes me relax, or concentrate, or motivates me. It works for everything. It's MY song.

Even yesterday, as I was walking through the trees , after years of listening to it, I discovered that nearing the end, there's even some kind of organ that begins to play softly in the background. And I had to sit. I had never known what made the song get even more intense nearing the end, and now I know. Viva I-pod!

To Fight the Zits....

A simple trick to fight those pesky pimples we tend to get every month....and that make us feel even more hormonal then we already are:

-One drop of Tea Tree Essential oil. (That's it!)

Simply use a cue-tip (or fingertip), pour a drop or two on it and dab on spot.

It works even better if you manage to catch it at the earliest stage, even before it's out. It kills the bacteria, the zit is dead, and you feel much better.

*Reminder-Wash your finger before petting cats or any animal!*

Accepting....

I realized something this morning, as I prepared to pull out one of those dreaded white hair I've been finding on my head for the last ten years or so.

I didn't give them much thought because they were constantly covered in many layers of hair colors and junk, but now that I want to let my hair grow it's natural brown, they are screaming for attention. Being whiter and longer then ever.

Now, it's not that white hair isn't pretty, I have to admit that every time I pulled one out, I looked at it an unnatural amount of time, wondering at how shiny, and pearly and *solid* it looked.
I also have this long time fascination with Albinos and their beautiful whiteness of skin and hair.

The thing is, I am only 25...and there are already 10-15 of these outsiders on my head. So I guess the problem is coming to terms with having a full head of white when I'm 35 or so....
Well it's in the genes....it's the transition that's bothering me really, give me fully white, shiny hair right now, and I will be ecstatic. But salt and pepper at 30?....Meh.

Flax-Seed Gel

Quick Recipe to make your own gel.
Extremely cheap, quick and fun to do. You can have a different scent every week too!

-2 tablespoons of whole Flax seed
-1 cup water

Bring the whole thing to a boil, then let it simmer at a low heat for about 10 more minutes. Until a gel-like substance has formed.
Now, this won't exactly be a Jell-O consistency, more liquid/gel.

But once you've got over your natural aversion to spread that weirdness into your hair, all will be fine. I suggest adding a few drops (2-5) of essential oils to the mix.

Keeps about one week refrigerated in a small glass bottle.

****An important note about essential oils:****
They can be very Toxic to animals. So there is no putting it IN or ON them.
I keep mine carefully closed, but even though I leave the bottles on the counter, I found that my cats aren't particularly attracted to the strong aromas.

Also, E.O. are VERY strong and should be used with caution. Never straight from the bottle, they almost always need to be mixed with a carrier oil or substance.

My three personal favorites are Lavender, Tea Tree and Rosemary. The first two are pretty mild, so less dangerous.
I put Lavender in practically every hair stuff I make.
Rosemary is believed to give shine to the hair and help it grow faster.
Tea Tree is excellent for dandruff, so when I need it, I add a few drops in my Shampoo/Condi mixture.

ACV:The Fruity Gold

We all have heard about Apple Cider Vinegar.

Yeah, you can make healthy and yummy vinaigrette with it, I even heard that it can help you burn fat faster. (But later found out to my great dismay, that it won't really work as promised if you are not willing to abandon fries, and your mom's excellent, excellent deserts. Which I am not.)

I was pretty sceptical when I read it could be put on our hair....I mean, vinegar? That's pretty scary, especially if you were a bleach junky like me at a time in your life, and you have experienced the trauma of seeing your hair burn and break off your head like spiderwebs.)

But I did it. And oh wonders! It worked!
It even worked better then all my expectations. I'm not too sure of the chemistry involved, but I think that this kind of vinegar gently dissolves any residue and buildup from the hair, and closes the follicles. Resulting in beautiful, shiny, bouncy hair.

This shouldn't be done more then once every two weeks though. Here is the super easy recipe:

-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
-1 cup water

Mix in a large bowl.
Now the trick is to saturate the hair with this mixture. So I use two big bowls. With my washed and conditioned hair still wet...I kneel and bend over the side of the bath with the empty bowl under my hair, ready to catch the ACV. I pour the content of the other bowl over my head and just switch like that, pouring it over and over again, until I'm tired.

Rinse off, preferably with colder water and plump hair. Voila!

Now and Then

Okay, so here are some testimonial pictures.

It has been two weeks since I've started this Poo-detox method, and results seem to be great.

I mean, look at that! It's practically magic (hence the starry-shimmers I felt compelled to add), considering the orangey bird nest I had to deal with only a few months ago.

The secret to Healthy Hair

First of all, let me say this:

http://www.naturallycurly.com/index.php

Because I can't explain every detail of the routine on this Blog.
So this works amazingly well for curlies and wavies (and wavy-curls like myself)....but I suspect it must work wonders for straighties too. Anyone who wants great hair, I guess.

That's how it goes: Our poor hair and scalp has become addicted to shampoo. Shampoo is harsh on the hair, especially the abused tips. (Curlies are even worst.)
Yes, WE made it this oily. Every time we wash it, we make it oilier. And then we are forced to wash everyday or look like an Oil ball. It needs detox. Warning, detox can be pretty ugly thing....but result will be worth it. So:

1-Eliminate every conditioner that has "cones" in it. That is, anything that ends with "Cone" in the tiny ingredient list on the back. (Suave condies are a good cheap label) Cone is our enemy, to make it easy, it's like putting a film of plastic on every hair. Sure, it becomes all soft and shiny, but it builds up like hell.

2-Eliminate shampoos altogether, or try the half/half method.
The No-Shampoo method is pretty easy, and works better for very very curly hair I believe. The trick is to wash your scalp with Conditioner and let it sit for awhile. Apparently, they have very mild cleansing ingredients that become sufficient with time. (You will need to go on the website for more info, because I don't have it all.)

3-Being a mix of curls and waves, I use the Half method (That should work for straight hair.)
In a small plastic bottle, you mix a small quantity of shampoo with a little bit more of conditioner. Add a lot of water, close the bottle an shake until it becomes a nice foaming/watery stuff.
Coat the length of hair with good conditioner to protect it.
Apply the washing mixture to scalp little by little, rubbing little circles on the scalp with finger tips. Rinse well.

4-Condition all of the hair, and this is the time to detangle while the hair is dripping in moisture.
use a wide-tooth comb or fingers. Rinse well.

5-Never towel hair dry! This kills the curl formation and messes hair up. Gently blot water out with your head upside down. This is called "Plumping" I think, and you can read about it on the site.

6-Add Cone-free Gel or products gently and let dry WITHOUT TOUCHING! I think this might be the most important part.

In the next entry----How to make your own gel with Flax Seed, the wonders of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and Essential Oils for your hair.

Hard to beleive...

They....are...making...a......BRATZ movie!

Yes, those little deluxe hootchie dolls with lollipop head, collagened lips and thong underwear that pass for good role-models to little girls.

Alright, I don't even know what to say about that. The only weirder thing, is that it's going to be a "real" movie with actresses and all.

It's just too out of this world, I can't come to terms with that. Are they really this desperate for ideas?

No more Fringe!

I felt the need to make this oh so very important update!

Fringes are way too complicated when you've got the curls. Down with the fringe! Spring is here!Free the hair!

In the next days, I'm going to post a few amazing do-it-yourself tricks I found on the net lately...Would you like to make your own shampoo? Have you been dreaming of making jewelry with bottle caps? Stay tuned!

Revisiting Moulin Rouge!

It has been a favorite movie of mine since the time I first saw it in the theater.....but years after, I had mostly forgotten about it....until this morning.

I'm pretty sure I could be called very weird when things like that happen. But in all seriousness, there I was, at 7:00AM, walking to the bus station and staring straight ahead with a faraway look, being practically moved to tears by Ewan Mc Gregor's powerful and heartbreaking voice and completely blown away by the orchestra and beautiful tragedy of Moulin Rouge's soundtrack.

I mean, that soundtrack is pure genius! Nothing less!

So please, for all that is good and beautiful, go listen to Tango de Roxanne, or the Show must go on, or Come what May, listen to it on your IPod, get into your little world, and get intense.

Because life just wouldn't be worth living if music that grand would leave me cold.