Alopecia Update and My Bald Beauty Regimen!

Time for another update on my DCP treatment for my Alopecia! It has been going well. I missed a week because of my wisdom teeth, but I went again last week. There is definitely hair coming in now, which is kind of cool except it looks terrible (yay patchy short hair) so I ain't exactly showing it off (I tried to photograph the progress but it is hard to capture because a lot of it is blonde)! Still not much hair on top so I joke to the person doing the treatment (doctor? nurse? student? I have no idea) that I am going to look like an old man if this keeps up.

Still no guarantee that this hair will stay, but it is about an inch long in places so that means it hasn't been falling out for a month or two. So we shall see- my next follow up isn't until the fall. I am a long way from a ponytail (my ultimate dream hairdo after wearing wigs for so long!).

I thought I would give a few "beauty" tips for other people who have full Alopecia Universalis like me, because I do require a different regimen than most girls!

1. Wigs
I gave a long update on my wigs throughout the years about a month ago. The majority of my later-years ones came from Continental Hair in Toronto. I have seen mixed reviews on them online on Alopecia boards, but I have always loved going there. They treat me really well and my current wig is 2.5 years old and still going strong! A good quality human hair wig will run you a good chunk of change (ahem almost 3 mortgage payments on this condo!), but they last a long time.

I prefer human hair because I can style it! Since I can't wear my hair in an updo, it is nice to have some options to change up my hair. I also love my hair salon because I can go in and get my hair cut and styled on my head like a normal girl! They also can change the colour or do highlights. Only issue is you have to COMMIT because it won't grow out (but you can often try on the style with the in-store wigs first!)

Same wig:

 

Curled

Straight

French Braid

Wavy

2. Eyebrows
I don't remember when I lost my eyebrows. My body hair (including facial) was the last to go, so I imagine I was 15 or 16? No idea. At first I drew them on, but the results were hideous! Oh my gosh I kind of wish my mom would burn all those photos! Luckily one day my mom found this product at the drug store called Ibrowsers, which are temporary tattoos. You can no longer find them in stores, but they are in Toronto and ship quickly! Also, over the years their prices have gone down and their selection has gone up. That never happens! I wear style 111. I have gotten used to this look on my face so I never try new ones. I have considered getting them tattooed on for real but that is scary! A tattoo on my FACE?! What if one is crooked? What if styles change? What if it looks weird when I am old and wrinkly? So I haven't made up my mind, but it would be SO convenient! I always carry spare eyebrows and brown liquid eyeliner just in case (the eyeliner can fill small holes) and I am careful not to scratch my forehead. A pair usually lasts me a few days.

3. Eyelashes
I wear false eyelashes everyday to help frame my eyes. I just buy drugstore brand eyelashes, but I recommend finding Duo or Lashgrip brand glue. They are the best! It does take practice, but once you get it you can throw them on in 2 minutes flat.

What I do to apply is put a dab of glue on a Q-tip because it works better if the glue sits out for 30 seconds or so. I then pick off yesterday's dried glue (it is easier next day!). I apply a thin line of glue with the Q-tip and apply to my eye. I hold the outer corner with my fingers and I start sticking it down on the inner corner of my eye and place down along the eye. I hold it for a couple seconds, and then I turn the tube of glue around and use the thin edge to press between to lashes to make sure it stays down! That's it! Make sure you don't start too close to your inner eye or it will drive you nuts all day. Also, it is always toughest when they are new. Eyelashes need to be broken in and it takes a few days. I also carry glue and a small mirror with me all day because sometimes a corner can pop up. I just apply a dab of glue to my finger and use the thin edge of the glue tube to pick up a bit and fix the spot. A pair of lashes lasts me a month or two! I also have a case for them when I travel!

4. Face washing
Because my eyebrows can be easily rubbed off, I avoid washing my face with traditional face wash. Instead, I use these facial wipes I find at Shopper's Drugs Mart from Balea.

Source

They are way cheaper than other brands and usually go on sale. They take off makeup well and make it easy for me to work around my eyebrows! I also have a case for them so they are easy to pack for travelling. Whenever I am eyebrowless, I try to exfoliate to keep my skin fresh. I find my eyebrow area can be a bit dried out and I can't moisturize it daily due to the eyebrows.

5. Leg hair
Hey! Alopecia Universalis means I don't have to shave my legs so there are no tips here- just enjoy those smooth gams!

So those are my tips for living with hairloss. Lots of women with AU choose to go wigless, but I have decided it is not for me and that is ok! I am quite comfortable going without it if the need arises, but I am just a girly-girl at heart and I like my hair and eyelashes! And as you can see, I have made the most of the blank canvas up there!

Ah, That's Better

I finally finished off the bathroom (well, for this stage!). After the new countertop went in, it looked kind of silly because the back and sides were still white. So even though I lost the back and side splashes...it kind of looked like they were still there.

So, over the course of this week, I spackled up the few scratches around the side and sanded them down.

I love the pink spackle because it is easy for my to see when it dries because it turns white. Except I kept forgetting about it, which is why this project took me all week!

After I was happy with the smoothness of the walls, I taped off the countertop to prep for painting. I did test a strip of the tape on the side first just to make sure it wouldn't hurt the finish (it didn't).

Then I got to work! I used pieces of paper to protect the countertop and I kept a wet cloth on hand to wipe up any stray drops! I am a total helicopter parent about this sink now. haha.

With two coats I could call it done! The paint was left by the previous homeowner (it is Ralph Lauren "Impressionist") and it is almost completely gone. However I am planning on repainting the whole bathroom this year so I am not worried about no longer having it for touch ups.

Much better! The smooth, modern surface shows off much better next to a coloured wall! Now I think I need to find some more stylish solutions for all the stuff I keep on my countertop. I hate the clutter, but I need everything laid out when I get ready in the mornings because my brain just doesn't function that early.

I feel like I need to do another before and after ;)

Casey likey!

Happy weekend everyone! Plans? I am going to a cottage!!

Condo AGM

I went to my condo's Annual General Meeting last night. I only started going to these last year, but I really wish I had started going earlier because they are so interesting! The financial stuff is a little dry (I read financial statements all the time at work so I can decipher them easily without the auditor), but then it gets into a whole discussion of what is going on the condo building and we, as owners, get a chance to bring up any questions or concerns.

I have noticed a huge difference in my building's management in the close to 4 years I have lived here (Ack! Where does time go?). The maintenance fees have leveled off to 1-2% increases per year vs the 29% and 26% I first got! And our finances seem to get stronger and stronger each year. Not to mention the board is working hard to improve the image of my building. Recently we had a gym makeover (yay!), and party room makeover (yay!), along with many other improvements. They also have added indoor bike parking, yoga classes, and more social events. As an owner, I cannot believe I didn't take more interest in the board and management when I was younger. I am now seeing a huge difference in the running of this building and I really hope it helps the property values long term. I am even toying with running for the board next year (if I see myself here still for a few more years- I'd hate to get elected and then move!).

In the meantime, I heard at the board meeting that there is a community interest group for my neighbourhood so I am going to search them out and join. My area needs a lot of improvements (it is safe and clean, but sparse on shopping and food and the roads are poorly planned!). I really feel like I need to get involved in my neighbourhood, even if just to meet people. I only know one other person who lives down here and there must be thousands!

As for funny (well, not so funny to some) news, there is always some crazy story of something the board has dealt with and this year did not fail. Apparently someone on the 19th floor was throwing DOG POOP off their balcony!! They actually set up some sort of surveillance to catch them and now the person is gone (thank god). Can you believe that?? What if you were standing on the street when it happened? There are also complaints of people drying laundry on their balconies, which I find gross because my balcony always has a layer of dirty film on it (I wipe it down a lot). I dry my stuff on a rack indoors and never have an issue. Otherwise, this year was pretty tame compared to last year's "where can dogs pee" discussion. 

Anywho, that is the interesting update from my crazy condo. Living in a shared space (500 units?) has it's challenges, but I think a good board who cares about the image and quality of living for the residents, on a budget of course, really makes up for it. I am satisfied that my investment is in good hands!

Does anyone else participate in their community? Do you find it to be a useful endeavor?

I Got Business Cards!

As I announced a couple of weeks ago, I am going to be attending Blog Podium in the fall and I am looking forward to meeting all sorts of new bloggers! I knew when I signed up that the most important thing I could bring with me (besides an open mind and a smile!) would be business cards so I can introduce myself to new people and let them know how to contact me.

I asked my friend Lisa, who designed my new site, if she could whip up some cards for me and she pulled through big time!

Aren't they awesome? I love how they match my "brand". Plus, Lisa left a lot of white space on them so that I could write in notes to people when I hand them over. And I happened to mention how cool it would be if they had a QR code that linked to my blog and BAM! she came through on that in seconds! The girl is a wizard.

I ordered 250 cards from Vistaprint for only $15 plus shipping! Their cards are $10, plus $10 more for double sided. But when you sign up for their emails, they send a coupon for 25% off! As payment to Lisa for her hard work, I also ordered her new cards for her newly rebranded ebook publishing company, UpsetAppleCart Press. They came super fast (within 2 weeks).

I did have one slight panic, though, when I first opened the box and saw this:

That is my card, printed over someone else's card! haha! Luckily it was only two cards and so I still have 248, which is MORE than enough for me. But if you need a person for construction jobs in Allenstown, New Hampshire, I can totally give you a name :)

Installing a New Bathroom Countertop!

So as promised, here is the post on installing my bathroom countertop! I had ordered a custom countertop from Mr. Marble through Home Depot. The reason I had to go custom is because my vanity sits back in an alcove and it is the awkward width of 33.5". I has originally wanted to replace the whole vanity to something more modern, but budget held me back when I realized how much it would cost! My countertop finally came in a couple of weeks ago and sat in the hallway for awhile because I knew I needed help to install it, but with my wisdom tooth surgery and a whole lot of plans ahead I had no idea when I would get to it. However, I somehow managed to sweet talk my stepdad Lee into coming to help out last weekend and get it over with!

He went in to work on disconnecting the plumbing and before I knew it, he was calling me back to say the sink was out! Man, he works fast!! I was working very hard playing cribbage with my Mom :) (Hey- the bathroom is small and only one person can fit under the sink! Don't judge me! I also washed out all the tap hardware, so I wasn't completely lazy.)

I was super nervous about wall damage when removing the old countertop because it has back and side splashes and my new one wouldn't. I was also worried about the mirror because I am pretty sure it is glued to the wall and it sat on the back of the vanity. I didn't know if it was connected with caulking or anything that may cause it to break when the countertop was pulled out. However, when Lee scored the edges we found out the side splashes were just thin laminate on top and the wood frame of the side splashes didn't actually come near the walls so there was no connection! We removed the four screws holding it from underneath and it just popped right out! You can see in the below image that the sides of my 33.5" vanity were just fake fronts!

Next came my other big fear- would the new counterop fit? I am prone to bad measurement and I was terrified that it wouldn't fit! We did end up having some problems with the wood shim that is in the front, because of the sloped sink basin on the new countertop. We tried to cut it down, but we didn't have a saw so we had to use a giant drill bit to break it down! Even after that it still wasn't fitting well so we just took it out. The countertop is well supported from the other three sides and the shim actually bent a bit with pressure so I don't think it was adding much support anyway.

Lee then carefully caulked around the top of the cabinet using GE Premium Waterproof Silicone. We chose it because it bonds well to slick bathroom materials, like the countertop!

After that he just heaved in the countertop, while I maneuvered the pipes underneath to fit together. It fit like a GLOVE! (We had actually dry fitted it a million times during this process so I was confident it would fit once we laid the glue down). Lee then reattached the faucet and caulked around the edges using the same caulk we had used to glue it down. He did a great job and used a rubber tool (the one on the right) to smooth it out, which he said he really liked for the clean line it gave.

And then we were done!

The funny thing was that I planned on getting a new faucet, but I think that the faucet looks great with the new countertop so I think it is here to stay! I still have to patch up and temporarily repaint the walls where the old backplash used to be (I chose to not have a backsplash). I also have to figure out a solution to this:

Removing that shim meant I now have a little gap at the front so I need to MacGuyver something up in there, but it is not noticeable at all unless you are 3ft tall, so I am not that concerned :).

But of course I can't finish this post without a before and after!
Before:

After:

It seems like a shame to put anything on the beautiful, new countertop, but alas, I need access to my stuff! I tried storing my vitamins in the medicine cabinet, but then I forgot to take them so that will never work. haha

Overall I am sooo happy with the new countertop! It looks so slick and modern and I know that this small update will pay off big time when I go to sell because all the new condos in my area all have fancy stone and marble countertops. Of course, this leads to me giving the kitchen countertop the stink eye now! Ah, if only I were richer!

Left to do in the bathroom:
- Paint (I am thinking BOLD)
- New accessories (shower curtain, bathmat and art work)
- New horizontal medicine cabinet (this one)
- Add shelving above and below new cabinet for added storage
- Hand towel hook near sink

But I have a busy and expensive summer so I will be stretching this one out for a bit!

New Bathroom Sink (and a lesson in bad blog management)

So....this happened this weekend:

And no, I don't know why my face looks so weird.

BUT WE RIPPED OUT MY OLD COUNTERTOP AND INSTALLED THE NEW ONE!!

I had plans to write up a whole bathroom sink post for today. I really did. This all went down on Saturday so I had all Saturday afternoon to do it. But I got lazy, and I figured I had all Sunday to write it (I don't usually post on weekends anyways). Then I had some errands to do Sunday morning and then I ate lunch, took a nap, went for run...but I still had plenty of time.

And then I got sick. Horrible headache and nausea and I wanted to be no where near a computer screen because it made me dizzy. Plus my friend and I were meeting for dinner after not seeing each other in two years so my goal was just to feel better fast. I did manage dinner with her- but it ended late! So now it is late Sunday night and I have no post to write because I need to get to sleep and feel better for work!! But I will leave you with this beautiful shot.

Full post tomorrow, I promise not to put it off any more :)