Ooh, wow!

I recently worked with Madeline Roosevelt, who's stunning make-up artistry I'm sure you've seen from the Novel Romance, Elizabeth Dye's lookbook, and many other notable events and photo shoots. She is amazing, simply put. She had a recent photo shoot and a very interesting concept.... Bare Beauty. See for yourself! Stunning! All headpieces are by Twigs & Honey.

Photo credits: Erik Freeman
Make-up: Madeline Roosevelt
Head pieces: Twigs & Honey

Straight hair :: Thermal Reconditioning from LeResh

I got my hair straightened and as promised, here are a bunch of pictures. I go to a great lady in Portland just off NW 23rd, LeResh. She is absolutely fantastic at what she does.

The hair chronicles of Myra begin...
At around 6th grade, my straight hair went curly. Not in a lovely, "oh, my hair is just nicely curled like this, always" kind of way! It was and naturally is unruly. I have major cowlicks along my hairline. I suppose if the rest of my hair matched, it might actually be lovely. Think pin curls of the 40s. Yes, my bangs are that curly! BUT, the rest of my hair is sporadically wavy and frizzy. I don't know what happened when the genes were doled out when I was in my mom's belly, but what I do know is that my mom and sister have the quintessential straight asian hair and I got the leftovers. As if the one dealing out genes started off giving me curly hair, but got tired midway through and quit. I'm rambling.

So for years, I wrestled with my partially curled-wavy-crimped-frizzy locks. I blew it out straight and flat ironed it and suffered through frizzy hell in humid weather. I have a cupboard full of various frizz/curl reducing products. Trust me... it takes years to develop this kind of collection.

Then I heard about thermal reconditioning.

It is an investment - ballpark - expect to spend at least $500-$600 w/o tip, but it varies depending on length of hair, texture and amount of curl.

Since it was a large sum of money, I had to rationalize it with Matt a couple years ago and put aside a mini hair savings fund. When I was ready, I tried to go the economical route and went to an unnamed salon to save a couple hundred and with this service, you get what you pay for. Don't scrimp! My hair was NOT straight and still frizzy and the service was not good!

I waited about 6 months before seeing LeResh. She is worth every penny and more. She straightened my hair right before the wedding and saved me from insufferable unruly hair when Matt and I were on honeymoon in Maui.

LeResh is so sweet and great with many hair types. I have very coarse hair and the strands are super duper thick so nothing else would ever work... but LeResh is a miracle worker when it comes to straightening hair. You must see her if you have the same hair troubles as me! Some advice: She requires an in person consultation so she can see if you are a good candidate for the process. Thermal reconditioning is a strong process and if you have very fine hair or processed hair, it might not be for you. Also, after you get the treatment, you cannot wash your hair, put it up, or even pin it with a bobby pin for 48 hours. You have to be careful how you sleep on it too! It must stay straight. After this, ta da! Straight hair!

Whew~ Sorry for the long monologue! For those who have stuck through to the end of my hair stories, here are some photos of my newly straightened hair (excuse the photos. I have ZERO makeup and this is an old dress that is a little baggy after losing weight):

Be sure to contact LeResh if you are interested or if you have any questions! By the way, my hair is still down to my bum AND she gave me a complimentary trim. So you can get the idea of how long it got! I still need to get another haircut, but people keep telling me "NO!"... it is your trademark! Even my mom's friends tell her to tell me, "keep it long!" We'll see how long I can keep it long. Also, I was going to do a "before and after" photo series... but last minute, I changed my mind. I wouldn't want to put you through that kind of horror.

Seaside birthday : Razor clams, a bust

Matt, Indy and I spent Saturday night and Sunday at Seaside this weekend and despite not finding one razor clam in a record breaking season, we had a wonderful time. Indy was a terrific travel companion and didn't whine or complain. On Saturday, the wind and rain blew at us sideways while we were clamming by lantern light in the evening/night. At that point, the tide was already a bit too high. It was crazy. I felt like my face was getting a microdermabrasion treatment. Indy's face and body turned completely gray from all the sand.
At night, we ate at Girtle's Restaurant. Matt had steak and I got the fish and chips. Yum! On Sunday, we forced ourselves out of bed after staying up late and went clamming again, but still couldn't find any. We hit the snooze a few too many times, so I suspect we still got out too late. We're thinking of trying again next weekend, when low tides will be in the early afternoon. For breakfast, we ate at Pig'n Pancakes and afterwards, we walked around Seaside's downtown to shop and go to the Arcade. For lunch, a healthy serving of elephant ears and candy. When we were out with Indy, without fail, every person that saw her came over to pet the cutie pooch. Her ego, I am sure, is enormous by now!
Here are some photo highlights:

On the beach at Seaside, the lone fisherman searches for clams. Okay, it's just Matt.

Indy was a Pointer in a previous life. "The clams are that way!"

"Maybe if I close my eyes, the clams will appear."

"oooh, lots of water!"

"Okay, I've had enough water!"

Indy with "dad".

Indy with "mom". Update: Just wanted to say that the rubber boots I'm wearing are from Joe's. The brand is Western Chief and here is a link to a very similar pair - the only difference is the contrasting color of green on the sole and trim. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm wearing two pairs of pants in this photo. It was chilly at the beach. Both pairs soaked through, but these wellies kept my feet warm, comfy and completely dry! Amazing! Everyone... go out and get a pair!

Missing you...

"Look at how pathetic I look! Take me with you!"

Matt made me wear it! We're at the shop, Seaside Mostly Hats. Like the scarf? I got it at a neighboring shop and it is made using recycled silk.

Typical couple's tourist shot. :)

Here is a photo of Indy's brother, Badger! Isn't he cute? I recently exchanged some emails with his owner. It is great to see his progress and to hear updates. He is so big! Thank you, Kelly!!