talesofacurlyislandgirl

Q&A a Day f0r Writers: Poem from a Bookshelf

Todayʻs prompt sent me on a little journey!

Go to the edge of a bookshelf, count seven books in, and select the seventh page and the seventh sentence. Make a poem about something in that sentence.

Alright, so I chose the seventh book on my first shelf, which ended up being Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Page 7 is actually the first page of Chapter 1 and the last sentence of the page is actually only the third sentence (Carroll had very long sentences). Therefore, I will need to go onto the next page, haha.

“First, she tried to look down and make out what she was coming to, but it was too dark to see anything: then she looked at the side of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-shelves: here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs.” Carroll 8

Here we go! (Iʻm doing free verse, because that one comes more naturally to me)

I can’t see

Itʻs too dark to see anything.
Will anyone light a flame for me?
Will anyone reach out a hand?
Iʻve been sitting in this space - in my head
for I don't know how long. 
Sometimes I see pictures of what could be and what has been
kinda like maps with journeys waiting to be taken.
But I canʻt see that far.
I donʻt see the destination - itʻs out of reach
and out of sight because
its too dark to see anything.

This was a short one for you folks, maybe Iʻll incorporate more free verse poems in my posts – just for additional creative stimulation.

I like to write free verse a lot more than other types of poetry, because I am not as familiar with them. I also like not having rules when being creative.

This was a fun exercise and is simple to try for yourself! If you do try it, let me know what you come up with!

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: My Ideal Writing Conditions

Todayʻs post will be my last daily post. I really wanted to try out something new by attempting consecutive days and after nine (and whew, has it been hard), I have decided that I will be doing posts twice a week (starting next week). I would like to have more time to create thoughtful pieces and or do a little more research for you all. Thank you so much for sticking with me so far!

The prompt: E.B. White said “ a writer who waits for the ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” And although White has a point, describe your ideal conditions.

My ideal conditions are pretty simple. Letʻs do this one as a list!

To start – I would most definitely prefer writing on a computer/laptop (for my blog). I have written posts on my phone and iPad before, but it doesnʻt feel as good as typing on a keyboard.
Music would be playing – Any music that Iʻm interested in at the time, but if I need a lot more concentration – classical for sure.
A drink would be next to me – whether, itʻs coffee, tea, water, energy drink, juice, whatever – just not alcohol (I donʻt think I can drink and write, although that may prove to be a really good test)
Comfort – I would need to be comfortable. It could be comfy clothes, a comfy chair, cool air. Sometimes I need to take a shower before sitting down to write, it would depend on my mood. I think itʻs super important to be in a good physical space to get you into a good mental space which leads me to number five.
Good mental space – Writing while in a good mental space allows your ideas to flow freely. When I say good mental space, I do mean just the space for writing. Sometimes the saddest and angriest people write such beautiful things, controlled by their emotion of course.
Time – This one is probably the most important to me. If I need to rush, itʻs not gonna be my best. I re-read and re-read and edit and re-read again and edit so many times to get a near-perfect piece or paper. Which is why, I am choosing to lessen the amount of posts to twice a week. I want more time to write better content for you all.

These six things really influence whether or not what I am writing is my best. We all have ideal conditions in which we work on our hobbies and talents.

What are your ideal conditions for doing what you love?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: The Sky

Today’s prompt is to describe the sky without using the words: blue, gray, clouds, green, or sun.

When I look up into the heavens I see something grand. My initial thought when I open my eyes it’s to see what the sky looks like. It’s miraculous, it’s nothing short of exquisite. It’s the purples and the oranges and the yellows that travel like watercolor exploding across a canvas, when the day finally meets up with the night. It’s the trails of white, sometimes it looks like cotton balls, fluffy and big, but sometimes its like beautiful lace strewn across a white surface. Some days the sky is sad. Where the tears fall, our grass grow, our land is replenished. And on some days the sky is furious, flooding the earth and cleansing everything. The sky offers us so much.

Can you imagine a world without that. It would be a shame to only see a blank canvas when we look towards the heavens? Can you imagine little fingers reaching for the stars and not seeing anything there? Can you imagine laying on a blanket face up and not being able to count how many floating pictures you see go by? Can you imagine not being able to connect with a spiritual realm because there were no sky?

It has so much to offer to us, the color, the presence, the rain, the moon, the stars – all of it like a beautiful blanket. Could you imagine life without it?

Yeah, me neither.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

CG Method: Redefined (Part IV)

I havenʻt written a post in a long time in the Curly Girl Series and a lot has changed for me. Today I am going to talk about the CG Method and how I re-defined it to fit my own life.

I was a Curly Girl for at least four years ( I am going to say, I still am one). I kept myself extremely strict with this process as well. Here is a link to my Curly Girl Series category, (youʻll find a lot of links in this post for your convenience as well) if you wanted to read up further on it, because itʻs still a great method to taking care of your curls!

About six months ago, I decided I need to re-define what the CG method was to me. I believe it to be a great starting point for those wishing to go back natural after many years of straightening and heavy products. It can get you to a point where your curls are much more defined and healthier.

Donʻt get me wrong, my curls are so much prettier now than they were before I first started. You know that stringy curly look you get when you decide today isnʻt the day to straighten it? Yes, my hair was like that too.

However, I tried so hard to stay within the Curly Girl Method and battle a never-ending issue with my scalp. It was dry and extremely flaky – every day I wore a bun to work to cover any issues that would absolutely show if my hair were down.

CG method calls for only sulfate free, paraben free, and silicone free hair care products. My curls thrived on this, but my scalp did not! I would go through bouts of bad scalp months and good scalp months. During my bad scalp months, I did natural olive oil scrubs, sugar scrubs, longer rubbing of the scalp in shower, silicone hair scrubbers etc. I even had to break the rules, by using medicated shampoo every now and again to get my scalp back under control.

I ended up finding Manes by Mell on Youtube, who does not follow all the rules of CG Method, and omg, her curls are so super pretty. She is also a professional stylist that specializes in curly and textured hair, so I mean I would say she definitely has merit to be giving us information on how to take care of our curls.

My realization of not needing to follow everything the CG Method called for came after binge watching her channel. Here are the things I have changed and what I continue to do to help my scalp and my routine:

I brush my hair now! (but only in the shower and when it is wet). I use a specific brush meant for the shower and the teeth of it are kind of spread apart like a comb, which I previously used for detangling. I canʻt tell you how much quicker detangling my hair has become. Itʻs very practical. I absolutely recommend. But, continue to be gentle with your hair please.
I use sulfate shampoo. I truly believe that my scalp dryness had to do with product buildup, that all of my CG treatments were not removing. I think it also has to do with the amount of oil my skin produces and the products mixing in with all of that, you know? Like I said, good stepping stone, but doesnʻt always work for everyone. Can I just tell you how much this has made a huge difference on my scalp again?! My curls are still just as pretty when I do the full routine. I am currently using Head and Shoulders and Herbal Essences Shine Collection Brilliance interchangeably.
Although I use sulfate shampoo, I still use silicone free conditioner. The reason for this is because, I enjoy the slip of my current conditioner, it makes it easier for me to detangle, I didnʻt want to waste the stockpile I had of this in my bathroom, and I didnʻt want to add any extra weight to my curls since I am essentially stripping it every time I wash my hair now. I get the moisture back in using my conditioner. I am currently using Cantu Hydrating Conditioner for detangling and Yes to Tea Tree and Sage Oil conditioner for leave-in.
I put on a silicone curl cream over my silicone-free leave in conditioner. I donʻt know if this idea has any merit to it, but with my limited knowledge of how silicones generally work: I put the moisture in with my conditioner/leave-in conditioner, but, curls lose moisture really quickly. So, I figured how about sealing in the moisture with a silicone (the curl cream)? And, because I am using a sulfate shampoo, it will take the buildup right out when I wash my hair again. I am currently using the Herbal Essence Aloe and Mango Curl Cream.
I continue to use a microfiber towel to dry my hair. Curly hair frizzes very easily. Regular old bath towels (terrycloth, Terry cotton etc) donʻt work really well (honestly, for anyone). What you want to use is microfiber. My hair is really long (one of these days, I want to measure it), so I need a large microfiber towel, big enough to cover someoneʻs body.
I still use Eco Style Gel! This is CG friendly, and is not super expensive. The best part about it, is there are so many choices, one with argan oil, one with olive oil, etc. You get so many to pick from. Oh, and it does not flake at all.

I learned that it was time to break the rules for my own sanity. My hair still feels the same and looks the same. Again, I wanna say, CG Method is a great starting point and awesome method to use. But, it wasnʻt working for my scalp. I made my own changes and re-defined what CG Method was to me and it still works!

If you are curious in getting back to your own natural hair journey or are wanting to know more about the CG Method you can read my other posts in the Curly Girl Series as well as check out this website.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: … What makes you great tomorrow

Todayʻs topic is a really good one and is really important for kids today and tomorrow to know.

What does this quote from James Victore mean to you, “the things that make you weird as a kid will make you great tomorrow.”

James Victore is a graphic designer and encourages all to create art that is unique to their selves even if it is a little different.

This quote is a really good one. I was one of those weird kids growing up, you know? I had the crazy curly hair and liked a purple/orange color combination. I loved to read and would sit for hours with my head in the books. Iʻm sure I will be at my utmost potential later in life, but I can feel myself making the moves to getting there.

Overall, I see this quote to mean that each kid who has a quirk that is out of the norm or who chooses to eat their food a different way could probably be the next great five star chef or master pastry chef. The kid that spends a lot of time playing with and taking apart electronics will probably build the next rocket ship for space travel. The kid who sells food on your neighborhood street could possibly end up being a big entrepreneur powerhouse of your community. The possibilities are endless!

We should never forget to empower these children to be the best that they can be. There is no wrong in being a child, and all the little quirks and differences make them even more special when they grow up. Children never stop dreaming and are so full of life. We should uplift them.

Take what you are and move forward.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q&A a Day for Writers: Fill-In “Burning”

Todayʻs prompt is a creative one! I havenʻt written anything creative in quite some time, so I will give myself some grace, haha. Oh, and disclaimer, whatever else you read from this point on has nothing to do with my own life (although, you might never know and that is truly the beauty of creative writing).

______ is burning. Fill in the space and the rest of the scene.

His heart is burning. Not literally, but it almost feels that way.

Today, he woke up and something didn’t feel right. As soon as his eyes opened, he saw the sun rising through the curtain. The orange and the yellows blending together creating the most beautiful color he had ever seen. It seemed like it would be a good day, granted by this beautiful sight. However, in the pit of his stomach, he felt sick. Something was wrong.

He turns his head, and the other side of the bed was empty. She usually wakes earlier than him, he’s not really a morning person. He sits up and slides off of the bed. Itʻs eerily quiet. At this time, he usually can hear the bustling of objects as she packs his lunch and makes his coffee, humming along or giggling to the words of a podcast or YouTube video. How odd?

He slowly begins his descent down the stairs, the sound of creaking footsteps leading him. Hm, he smells freshly made coffee sitting in the coffee pot, but no mug was out for him on the kitchen counter. He opens the fridge and his food is sitting in containers from the night before – leftover spaghetti. He calls out for her. No response. He calls out again to an empty home.

He spots her purse by the door, her phone on the table, and her keys on the wall still hanging. Something is wrong. Where could she have gone? Unsure, he opens the front door with the sun already a quarter of the way into the sky. He calls out again. No voices, except the sound of the the little brown birds tweeting from the tree on the front lawn. It seems the whole neighborhood has already left to start their day or are still sleeping.

He walks out of the house and around to the back yard. The pool is empty, aside from just a few flowers from the neighbors tree floating around in the water. He sees no sign of her having been there, and the back door is still locked. His concern is now growing. He walks back inside the front door and begins checking the guest bathroom and bedroom. Sometimes she sits in here if sheʻs on a work call leaning on the brown desk we picked up from her coworker. Nope. She’s not there. He calls out again and goes back upstairs to grab his phone. Now is the time to call 911. People donʻt just disappear. She wouldnʻt disappear.

He returns to the bedroom and retrieves his phone from his nightstand. A piece of paper was under it. He picks it up curiously, hopefully its a note. He must have missed it, distracted by the sunrise and discomfort for no apparent reason. His eyes are scanning the small torn piece of notebook paper and reads as his expression turns cold and angry:

I have no words for you. None. Here is all I have mustered up.

How could you? I gave you everything. I answered a phone call. You know the one that says ʻElectric Companyʻ? Yeah, that’s not the electric company.

I was good, wasnʻt I?

His heart is burning. The same way he burned her. Today he deserves that feeling, for how do you distinguish a heart that is fueled by kerosene?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Tales of a Curly Island Girl

What’s in my purse?

How fun is this post going to be?! Nah, maybe no one actually cares, haha. Thatʻs okay if you skim over this one. I knew it would be fun and lighthearted and thatʻs exactly what I needed after yesterdayʻs post.

I just carefully laid out everything from my purse (backpack) on my bed and snapped a photo. I usually use a rather large leather tote from the same designer/small business as my backpack, but with not working right now, I donʻt need such a big purse.

Lets talk about the contents:

The black backpack with the teal ʻawapuhi (ginger) flowers are from Cay and Col. It holds quite a bit of things, as you can see, and I really love how medium sized it is. Itʻs perfect for me right now. I also want to say that this is a small, woman, and Black owned business! She is amazing at what she does.
The olive green ʻawapuhi pouch also comes from Cay and Col. I really love this print! Within this pouch are the contents:
- Pacifica underarm wipes – these are aluminum free and for the occasional times where I need a re-up of deodorant
- My Saalt menstrual cup – in case I get my period while I am out and about! (kinda like carrying around extra tampons/pads)
- Tylenol and Advil – evidently, I am asked pretty often if I am carrying any sort of pain reliever, I rarely ever take them myself lol
- Victoriaʻs Secret Bombshell perfume roller ball – my favorite all day scent
- Extra liners and intimate wipes – for the days I’m out for hours and feel like I need to refresh
The bright green pouch (on the left) is a Clinique pouch from a friend who had a beauty subscription. The contents within this pouch are:
- Eclipse gum – no one likes stinky breath, also it curbs the appetite, haha
- Alcohol wipes from Daiso – in case I need to wipe something or my devices
- Pens – this is the single most “adult” thing to have in your purse! I canʻt tell you how many times you need a pen and never have one. I now carry a few in case I ever need to sign something.
- Bath and Body Works lotion – my legs and arms are actually quite dry as compared to my oily face
- Oil blotting sheets – for my oily face, which is often needed
- Victoriaʻs Secret Tease perfume roller ball – my second favorite VS scent
- A jumpdrive – you know, Iʻm not entirely sure why I have this in my purse, but it could possibly come in handy
- Līlīkoʻi tea – this tea does not need any sugar, and is super delicious cold or hot
- Reusable straw – need I say more?
The black and floral velvet smaller pouch was from Target! The contents in this pouch are:
- Anker portable charger – I swear by this brand! Itʻs really good and this one specifically has 20,100 mAH and two USB ports (for multiple device charging). It charges my phone from less than 20% battery life to full about 5-6 times before dying. For my Hawaiʻi peeps, Amazon will not ship it to us and I am not too sure what stores may carry it, but here is the link in case youʻre interested in the specs
- Mini USB and iPhone lightning cords as well as a couple of power bases – for the portable charger and in case I am in an area with an outlet
Bath and Body Works A Thousand Wishes spray hand sanitizer. Letʻs all be responsible and stay clean when there is no available sink.
Lastly, my Kumumea wallet (no, I will not show you what is inside lol). This is a Hawaiian and small business brand. The owner is the sweetest woman and is a cancer survivor. This is her Hiapo waterproof leather wallet.

I know this blog post might not be what you were looking to see today, but if you stayed this long, thank you! Again, this was a fun and lighthearted post. What do you carry around with you?

Thank you for the continued support so far this year!

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Mental Health – How I’m Coping

I was asked months ago to discuss how I have been coping with my mental health issues, and then recently on my Instagram account, so here it is! Mental health will always be a recurring topic and I think itʻs super important to talk about it.

I have never been diagnosed but I do struggle with anxiety. Every person has some anxious thoughts, but the kind of anxiety I have keeps me in the house and makes me nervous to be alone in public settings. It really heightened in 2018 when I moved away from home. I had a huge realization that I probably had always been anxious but because I know my hometown like the back of my hand, I was able to get around and not be nervous. Now that I no longer live on the Big Island, I have become pretty introverted.

My coping skills from the summer of 2018 through early 2020 have been to just put errands off until someone can go with me, or to have things shipped to me instead of picking it up, or to just cancel it altogether. When the pandemic started in March of 2020, I was working from home for 3 months and during that time my anxiety was at an all time low (which is good), but some other issues popped up in its place.

2020 had been my worst year for my mental health. It was a roller coaster of mostly depression. My job began eating away at me (along with the state of the world, my communities, and other outside factors) and I was constantly complaining and crying at night. I was so unhappy and my husband and sister didnʻt know what to do and how to help me. Fortunately, my job had given me the opportunity to work in a behavioral/mental health field; I had met coworkers who specialized in mental health (licensed clinical social workers). I was able to discuss my problems and concerns with them. You know who you are! I am so grateful to know you.

I was given a tool to use! I mentioned it in my last life update post in October of 2020. The book I began reading in August 2020 with encouragement from my LCSW friend was Mind Over Mood. This book was the resource I needed to utilize cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify the reason why I was reacting/feeling a certain way (in specific situations). Any time I felt upset for what I thought was no reason, really opened my eyes to why. Knowing ʻthe whyʻ allowed me to properly express my feelings and do something about it, whether it was telling someone the reason why I got upset, or realizing that the only thing that could go wrong was terribly unlikely. It also showed me techniques to soothe my anxious thoughts.

I so encourage you all to read through this book or look into CBT. In fact, to be honest, I need to read some chapters again because my anxiety has resurfaced and is stopping me from doing simple things like grocery shopping and dropping off packages to the post office.

If the book and reading is not for you thatʻs okay too. Finding someone you can share your thoughts with can help. Perhaps someone else experiencing the same or similar situations would be a good idea. I did rely heavily on a handful of my friends, my husband, and my sisters. I cried to them and spoke honestly and as freely as I could about my own issues. I asked them to listen and give me advice when solicited. For my loved ones who didnʻt understand or have not felt the way I felt, I explained my feelings as best I could.

I sat alone and prayed (if youʻre not religious, meditation might work as well) and tried to work it out on my own too. I let myself feel what I needed to feel, I tried not to hold it in as much as possible. My saving grace was letting my husband and sister know (I live with them) that my mood was not good today and I needed to be alone.

This is me being honest about my own mental health issues. We are not all the same and we may not all be able to self-teach but I encourage you to talk about it with someone (professional or not, depending on severity). Although this post may sound like I made myself the center of attention (I really hope that’s not what it is conveyed as), I was a good listener too. Sometimes the situations I felt so strong about was because of my own actions. With that being said, your pain is always valid and just because you may handle some situations better than someone else with mental health problems does not mean your problems are insignificant. We all deserve to be healthy (body, spirit, and mind).

Disclaimer: This is my own personal journey. I am in no means saying this will help everyone, and if you suffer from severe depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, please seek out help from a professional.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Q & A Day for Writers: Why do you write?

Hello again!

Although I do have plans to write in other categories and on other topics for my blog, I did want to start a new series this year. This series is inspired from the Q&A a Day for Writers book, which is a 1-year journal published by Clarkson Potter. There are simple prompts for each day of the year to encourage more writing. If you wanted to check it out, click here.

Todayʻs question is “Why do you write? What does it do for you?”

What a great question, right? Why do I write?

I write for myself. It doesnʻt bother me if my audience is small or no one reads through the entire post. I like to let my words out on “paper”. Writing means so much more to me because I can take time to think about what I am trying to convey, I can erase something that doesnʻt make sense, and I can continue to re-read what I wrote.

I do have friends and family who have suggested I vlog as well, but here’s the thing. I like to talk on camera, sure, but thereʻs just something about reading words that I feel more emotional with and not as compelled by listening/seeing someone talk. It might be because in a video there are other distractions. If you wanted to read something, you would read it (and thereʻs only words!).

Writing is a release. Ask any writer, that would be the cliché answer for sure. Writing something good is like reading a really good book. You can get lost in it for a bit. Now I’m not talking about writing a research paper, that is different from writing for fun (although, I donʻt mind research papers either). This is the kind of writing I like. I pick a topic or am inspired by an event or person(s) and just kind of dive in.

I take pride in a good post or paper (even paragraphs, hello texting haha). It reminds me why I like to read and why I like to learn. It inspires me to reach farther and expand my mind.

If you are a writer, what does writing do for you? If you are not a writer, but you find yourself here reading my blog, does my love for writing and reading equate to another project or hobby you love just as much? What is it?

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Curly Island Girl

Reset, Revamp, Renew, Rebirth

There is so much going on in the world – COVID-19 pandemic, economic crashes, elections, political activism (BLM!), mental health awareness … the list goes on and on.

For a lot of my friends and family, 2020 is on record as the worst year ever.

And guess who decided to jump back into blogging (on a hopefully more regularly basis) and re-vamped her site? ME. If you haven't noticed yet, she got her own domain, too! yay

With all that's going wrong in the world right now, what is going right for you right now?

Let's celebrate the wins in 2020, even if it is minimal:

Tales of a Curly Island Girl got a new and improved outfit, I got her own domain set up, and her logo is new and improved (thanks to my hubby!)
My mental health is so much better now than it ever has been, this year had been a learning curve with my own demons. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a working progress, but now possess some tools to help manage that. Thanks to my licensed social worker friend, you da bomb.com. If you want to check out a book for some self-help, go ahead and click here.
I have the most wonderful group of friends that I am in contact with pretty regularly. You know who you are! We need another FaceTime date ASAP.
I applied to a Masterʻs program, and this month I will apply to a second one. Man, oh man, did I forget how grueling the process is with just applying. Oh, let’s not forget the cost to just apply too. Send me all the good vibes and prayers that I get accepted!
None of my friends and family got sick or passed away from COVID-19 and I am truly grateful for that. We are all healthy and take necessary precautions to stop the spread of this disease.
I had maintained a job throughout the year, and I am grateful for this. But I was finally able to get out of that sticky situation. I am already happier for it.
I created new relationships that I feel will last a lifetime. I am so grateful for the the people who held me during the year.
Although we were not at home in Hilo, we had a wonderful Christmas and New Yearʻs Eve. Being with each other will always be enough.
By leaving my job, I now have the time and energy to pour into things and people that I truly love.

I truly wish you nothing but the best in 2021. May you continue to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your community.

Happy Curl, Happy Girl

Signing off,

Your Curly Island Girl