Here Comes the Bride...

Tomorrow, Kate Middleton is a bride and a princess.  She gets a real prince.  Lucky girl in some ways and not so lucky in others.

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I know how I felt leading up to my wedding last August - overwhelmed with love and joy - but I cannot fathom how she must feel.  The magnitude of emotions that I felt knowing that I was committing myself to one man for the rest of my life was great.  The magnitude of emotions that Kate must be feeling must be overwhelming - some really incredibly good and some of fear of the unknown.  She is not only committing herself to a man but she is entering a life of great sacrifice.

I believe that women in general sacrifice more than men do in a marriage.  There's nothing wrong with it and I certainly don't complain about it but it is a fact.  Traditionally, we sacrifice our last names to take on the name of our husband.  We also tend to sacrifice and compromise more to keep the peace and happiness in our family.  The sacrifice that Kate is facing is none that I can imagine or will ever experience.

Kate is not only sacrificing her last name - I'm sure she wasn't even given a choice - but she is also sacrificing her privacy, her family (I don't believe she will be able to spend Christmas with her family again), and so much more than possible to get into here in one short blog post.  I give her a lot of credit.  She dated Prince William for eight years before he proposed, so she knows what she is getting herself into.  From what is shown of her on the news, she seems to be pretty grounded - you've gotta love a girl who could buy any designer in the world but shops at the chain retailer a week before her wedding - and confident.  I hope that she keeps that confidence and doesn't lose herself like Diana did before her.

I wish both of Prince William and her much happiness, enduring love and commitment, as many children as they desire, and a peaceful and joyful life together.

For Kate's big day, as she becomes a wife and a princess, I wish her the clarity to take in every single moment of the day.  I wish her joy as she walks down the aisle to her future husband and happiness and love as she walks up the aisle into a new life for herself.

Many happy returns to Prince William and the future Princess Catherine! 

The Case for NOT Washing My Hair

What?!  Not wash my hair ever again?  I recently read an article in W Magazine where a writer didn't wash her hair for six weeks and that led me to read other articles that shows the benefit of not washing your hair with shampoo including one where the CEO of Proenza Schouler hasn't been washing her hair with good results.  Strange, huh?!

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Apparently, going "no poo" aka not washing your hair with shampoo is healthier for your hair - just rinse it with water and a combination of natural ingredients found in your kitchen cabinet, condition it occasionally and brush it with a boars hair brush.  You can use a dry shampoo or cornstarch to help with oiliness.  You can also use lemon or lime juice and/or vinegar rinses in place of shampoo.

I'm intrigued and may try it after doing some more research.  Why not experiment?!  It might help my hair get healthier and it is in line with my goals of putting less chemicals in and onto my body.  Right now, I only wash my hair every other day - sometimes every three days and it doesn't bother me.  I pull it up into a ponytail or into braids.

I do worry though with my dark, straight hair that it might get gross - and I worry that if I do this, it might be one more step closer to bringing my inner hippie to the surface, which I'm so far from being - we drive a "fancy" car and I like to carry nice handbags.  Should I still try it and allow only my hairdresser wash my hair with shampoo?  I think if the CEO of Proenza Schouler can do it, I can try it too.  Don't you think?

Have you done this and you are not a hippie (no offense to hippies)?  Do you know anyone who has done this and gotten amazing results?

Update: In a Beauty Pickle

In the couple of months since my eyelash curler needed a replacement pad, I have not used the curler at all on my lashes.  In my laziness to find a replacement, I decided to see what would happen if I stopped using the curler.  It took some getting used to but since not using it, my lashes feel and look healthier than ever.

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I only put a couple of light coats of mascara on in the morning and I go.  My lashes are longer and thicker than when I was using the curler every morning.

The lesson learned is that an eyelash curler is not a good option for my short and sparse lashes.  They do well on their own and while I love the look of eyelash extensions that I had for my wedding and the temporary curl given from a curler, I really love the look of my very own lashes au naturel (with mascara of course).

Have you given up any beauty products or tools that you thought were great only to learn that life without is much better?