Do-It-Yourself Shiny Hair Mask

I don't often blog about DIY Tutorials on my blog, but when I come across something as easy as this, I need to share. I can be a lazy girl at times (she says with a big smile), so any do-it-yourself thing needs to cater to that lazy side.

You'll only need two(!) ingredients: Coconut oil and raw honey. Organic is obviously preferred, but work with what you've got, okay?

Scoop 1 tablespoon of each into a saucepan. If your hair is longer, two tablespoons of each should be sufficient. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it completely melts and you have something that looks like this:

Slather/massage it onto wet, yet unwashed hair while the mixture is still warm. Wrap your hair up in a bun/shower cap/towel for at least 15 minutes, but preferably one hour if you have the time! After the magic happens, shampoo and condition your hair like normal. And that's it! OH THE WONDERS OF COCONUT OIL! You'll notice softer, shinier hair immediately. It's recommended that you do this little "mask" once a week.

Oh and yes, it's a little messy, so be prepared for that! I originally got this "recipe" from Juilanne Hough, a celebrity blog that I actually enjoy.

Happy Tuesday, all! 

Chillin' in Trondheim, Norway (Day One)

As I descended into Norway, I was honestly speechless for words about the kind of beauty before me. The snow covered trees looked like they were sketched in charcoal set against the wondrous mountains and rolling white hills. And it was all lit up with the soft glow of the setting sun.

Below is a quick shot of the airpot, but it still managed to be a beautiful picture!!!

Straight away from the airport, Sonja and I went grocery shopping for some local goodies:

This cart thingy really amused me...ha. 

But enough of carts. The show stopper in Norway is most definitely the snow. ALL AROUND. EVERYWHERE. I felt like I was in...heaven? The North Pole? This California girl has never seen a proper blanket of snow. Now, I think I am truly in love with it. 

 

My cute friend, Sonja! 

I chilled in Trondheim in two ways the first day: 

1. I took the morning to sleep in and lounge in Sonja's super warm and super nice apartment.

2. I walked outside and truly understood the notion of freezing one's ass off. 

A glimpse out of the bedroom window in the morning:

Sonja's pig radio that I dubbed Sir Francis Bacon. And honestly, Sonja's apartment is something straight out of IKEA: 

Norwegian apartments are as adorable as the people. There is simply too much adorable going on!

I asked Sonja (only half-jokingly) if I could live in her living room. But really. Can I, Sonja? 

I eventually peeled myself off of the couch to take a stroll outside...

That night, we went to a fancy hotel dinner close to the town center. 

To wrap up this first post, there was something quite special I found about being in Norway. Something I didn't expect. I spend so much time talking about my Turkish roots here, that I've neglected talking about my Scandinavian side. It's mostly because I don't know much about it, other than I have ancestors that lived both in Sweden and Finland...

Walking around Norway, I realized that I look immensely Scandinavian. I can't tell you the amount of times people talked Norwegian to me straight away, and it really made me smile. I thought to myself, "I found my people!" Which, of course, is a silly American thing to think (we're always talking about where our ancestors are from). Still, I felt it in my veins and it's undoubtedly cool to see where your family line stemmed from.

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Of course, my next post on Norway has the best pictures. I just had to split it up because I took so many! Just know you are in for a treat next time *wink*

The [BADASS] British Museum

If you are a museum lover, the British Museum is honestly one of the most BADASS museums I have been to. I honestly wasn't planning on taking pictures, but just could not resist when I got to these exhibits:

This. This is an actual mummified body from Egypt. I stared at this thing for a good 10 minutes because I'm a little morose like that. 

On an ancient Persian wall. 

Weapons!!! Swords!!! Spears!!! I'm obsessed. 

The first known mosaic of Jesus Christ. 

The old Christian symbol.

Besides mummies and weapons, old jewelry is the other thing that I can stare at for hours. I feel as though these pieces are maybe the most personal things you can find in the museum. It's almost as though a little bit of someone's soul is trapped in the object; thus, I am entranced. God, I love history! 

This is the same museum that "owns" the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles. Of course, this is an interesting controversy as Greece has asked for the marbles back, but the British have sort of a 'finders, keepers' mentality about it all. There was even a plaque up explaining, in a very politically spun way, that if the British hadn't taken the marbles they may have been eroded, vandalized and destroyed. In a conservation effort, they say, they had to take and keep the valuable pieces. 

Ok, fair enough, I suppose. But maybe it's time to give it back? 

What do you think? 

Bits and Bobs

My British friend Jackie once said the above phrase when heading to the market. It was something along the lines of: "I need to pick up some bits and bobs." I suppose the best American equivalent to this phrase is 'things' or 'stuff.'

Ours is less cool.

I thought this would be a good title for all of my random posts in where I want to string together many random unrelated things! Er, I mean, bits and bobs!

• First, you should check out this guide to British Slang. 

• Recently, 2 people have told me that I look like Marion Cotillard: 

Source

What do you think? It must be the eyes they are thinking of. I'll take it! 

• Jillian taught the blogosphere how to make yummy mushrooms in red wine sauce. This is a winner!

• You're not a true gangsta until you've bobbed your head to Milk In My Sippy Cup. 

• Lastly, I'm smiling because my UK Visa was approved and I'm really happy about it!!

P.S. I think I made this very random post (with too many exclamation marks) because I'm too excited to think clearly!!!!

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On a Magic Carpet Ride...

I went to a deliciously fun belly dancing/magic show/concert last weekend called Magick Carpet Ride. These sorts of events are rich in culture and different than the tired club-hopping scene. There's also something very satisfying about supporting the local arts.

All photos taken by gilani photography

The show featured my talented belly dancing teacher Adelaide and her sis, who have formed a group dubbed the Shimmy Sisters (cute!). Performing alongside was a middle-eastern flavored band called Danyavaad. Watching the show, I felt transported to gypsy's den, complete with snakes, swords and hypnotic colors. It was most definitely a hippie's dream!

Adelaide bravely dancing with a snake.

These girls make belly dancing seem easy peasy; in reality, I now know how hard belly dancing is after taking a few lessons. I am forever wowed by the art form of belly dancing, and hope I can perfect a few moves. Oh, and can we bring up the snakes? SNAKES + BELLY DANCING = ONE BAD ASS COMBO! 

Above: She's swallowing a sword...can you believe it??

Adelaide is a stellar acrobat!

Well, I'm off to perfect my belly dancing moves, but I'll leave you with a couple links:

Alizera Gilani is a new friend of mine that took the above beautiful photos. Here is his web site.

Below is a picture of the band plus the Shimmy Sisters, and here is their web site where you can see awesome videos of the belly dancing in action.

Enjoy!

And One For the Weekend

I love pianos. I love the Foos. What more can a girl ask for?

Like the New Header?

I have Donny to thank for it.

THANKS!!!

Strugglin'

"Struggling is nature's way of strengthening." --LOST

Well then 2011 strengthened the HELL outta me! Here's to the new year (again)!

Oh, and interesting post from a friend of mine, care to read?

***

(As I have been sick the last few days, I may or may not have indulged in a LOST marathon. Just wrapped up Season 1).

:)

I'm In Love With Them Both (and Happy New Year!)

A Very Socially Conscious Christmas

Some of you may have already finished your Christmas shopping (good for you!). But if not, I have a few ideas of where to get gifts and give back at the same time:

isanctuary.org

isanctuary is selling jewelry in support of stopping human trafficking. This is how it works: women who used to be in the human trafficking system are now given jobs with this nonprofit, and given their freedom from the chains that once bound them. I bought a pretty bracelet for my sister through their site, and it came with a note about the wonderful woman who made it (it actually made me tear up). The jewelry is well-made (I can vouch for that). So head on over and check out goods for a good cause!

ONE.org

Ahhh...ONE. I will always be fond of this charity because it prompted Adam Levine to point at me from the stage at a Maroon 5 Concert (I cherish that day!). While ONE gets a lot of attention, it's still a great cause to support as its focus is to stop the AIDS epidemic in Africa. So why not buy a grocery bag from them and give it as a present to your green-friendly friend?

Volunteer!

I have a major soft spot for the homeless. We give so many frivolous gifts to one another (which can be fun), why not also give a gift to someone who needs it? It's so easy to organize your own group to go out and feed the homeless...it's as simple as making a big batch of spaghetti! If you are not comfortable with feeding the homeless, you can even donate to such charities as Everyone Deserves A Roof. There is NO feeling like giving to someone who TRULY needs it.


After buying/giving said gifts, eat some cookies and give yourself a pat on the back for making Santa's Good List...you deserve it!

The One About My Hometown

I spend so much time posting on traveling, that I don't think I've ever posted on San Diego. I think it's time to showcase my hometown:

We might have one of the best skylines EVER. Just sayin'...

Chillin' on the ferry that takes you from the beautiful Coronado Island to Downtown SD.

We have approximately 4 military bases in San Diego, so you're bound to see ships and planes about the city.

One of my fave hangouts...Little Italy has fantastic Italian food and art.

Del Mar (northern county of San Diego) has one of the oldest racetracks in the country. It's quite fun to go to the yearly races and dress in big hats while gambling.

La Jolla Cove is pure beauty!

Hanging out in Encinitas where all the surfers go :)

Palm trees in Cali = classic.

There is an annual December Nights Festival where the museums are free and everything is decorated in pretty lights!

Awed by nature!

We have some of the best Mexican food in the country. That's what you get for being a border town!

I think I've made my case in showing you San Diego's beauty. Sometimes I'm worried that San Diego is turning into another LA: it's becoming overcrowded, the traffic is getting unbearable and all open spaces are starting to fill up with buildings, complexes and more buildings. Hmmm...

I still love it so. This is the city I was born in! It will always be my home.

If you're planning on visiting California, I'd urge you to skip LA (or just spend one day there), but make stops in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and of course, Sunny San Diego.