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Shirlé Hale's avatar

In 1989 Lisa Bonet was all the rage. Her ankle length braids were a thing of beauty to this 24 year old woman. Her bohemian wardrobe was everything I loved. Velvet, paisleys, berets and beads.

My hair was almost to the top of my butt the day I decided that I, too, wanted ankle length braids. I found a beauty supply store in Baltimore City and bought a plastic wrapped bundle of synthetic, brown hair that measured 30 inches in length. I had my friend Andrianna cornrow my real hair into 20 rows. Then I made the same amount of braids with the synthetic hair. We then attached them with intricate, metal dreadlock adornments. Voila! Instant Lisa Bonet ankle length hair.

That, along with my leg hair that I shaved into barber shop pole swirls, always garnered varied comments from people on the street, but in my head, it was an attempt to show my love of the beauty of one Ms. Bonet.

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Melissa Shatto's avatar

I am no eco-warrior, but I am devoted to avoiding disposable plastic. My deodorant comes in a cardboard tube like those push pops we used to get as kids. I use chewable tablets from a small paper sack instead of toothpaste in a tube and buy cooking staples from bulk stores in the same paper bags I filled the first time I shopped there. Our pantry is largely stocked with those items decanted into mason jars, and only a few things I cannot find package free. Where I fail is identifying as a bluehead. I have had blue hair on and off for over 30 years, and that's how everyone here has ever known me. The one time I tried going back to my natural dark brown hues was literally jarring so while I do not think of myself as a vain woman, I do require that one little plastic pot.

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