If you are interested, I recently gave a TED talk in Richland, WA. It's about creating a document of self-definition.

Hope you enjoy it.

Beautiful Women,

I just finished watching Lizzy Velasquez's Tedtalk video (she has been called the ugliest woman in the world.)  I think what she has to say is extremely powerful for women with Alopecia.  So many supportive people on this site echo her positive message, but she -- more than anyone I've ever heard -- provides the encouragement we need to see ourselves in a new way.…

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Making music is one of the many things I do when I'm NOT thinking about hair loss.  My band, ZILLIOX, has finally finished our first four-song EP of original tunes.  "Z1" is now available at Bandcamp.  Give it a listen?

WWW.ZILLIOX.BANDCAMP.COM

Those of my Alopecia World friends who are still coming to terms with your Alopecia, take heart and know that there are wonderful things on the other side of it.  If Alopecia can be a jumping…

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My band, Zilliox, is finally in my studio recording our original stuff. I've added a rough mix of one of our songs("Rush I Need") to my profile page. It's sort of trip-hoppy, retro, techno. I co-write/produce the tunes and sing lead. Hope you enjoy it.

FYI - I've added a track from my band to my profile page under "My Music". This is what I do since Alopecia stopped running my life. :-)

(I'm the vocalist. My bf is on bass, guitar, and percussion. The sax player is freakin' mazing!)

A woman and I were trying on shoes next to each other at the mall this morning. She slipped on a pair of black high-heeled pumps, obviously admiring her reflection in the little "shoe mirror" on the floor. Her well-meaning daughter frowned and said, "Don't try on those, Mom. They are just NOT you." I glanced over at her and said, "Maybe they're not you NOW. But, if you bought them and wore them, then they would be, right? The perfect pair of shoes (Like the right wig? Like finally shaving your… Continue

My band has been officially formed! We've been featured at local jams since Christmas, and the response has been amazingly positive! So, we're in rehearsal now and we'll be ready to gig in a couple of months. How much more fun can a girl have???? A middle-aged girl at that! I've added a preliminary band photo to my pics. The band name? Stiletto. (Duh!)

Beautiful People,



If Madison Avenue ever created a slogan for life, that should be it. One of the things I learned through dealing with Alopecia (and having my husband suddenly drop dead of a massive heart attack), is that you can't wait until things are perfect -- or even better -- to meet life full on. If you do, you will always be waiting instead of living, and life is short. Like art, your passions are revealed in the process, not the product.



An analogy (and example)… Continue

Friends,



I just found out that the Minnesota Center for Book Arts has selected one of my pieces, "Autotomy", for their Quantified Aesthetics exhibition that will run from March 12th to June 20th. MCBA is the largest book arts center in the nation, and I couldn't feel more validated!



THANK YOU! The confidence I have gained from being a member of this online community has contributed greatly to my artistic endeavors. As always, I urge you to go out there and find something… Continue

Hello Sweet Women!



I have not posted, or messaged, or blogged, or commented in FOREVER! But, I just had to take a minute to connect with all of you – old and new members.



Today, I was looking at what I wrote in my profile when I joined. I had written, “I look forward to the day when I wake up NOT thinking about my hair. When that day comes, however, it will have nothing to do with alopecia and everything to do with me.” Well, I realize that day has finally come, and I was… Continue

Lovely, lovely women,



My girlfriend just ended a lifelong relationship with a man she loved. It was difficult and the loss was devastating. She sold the house they owned together, started a new job, and moved into the condos across the street from me. She is a wonderful, interesting person and I am in awe of her strength. What I like most about her is the way she takes ownership of her heartache. She doesn’t embrace it or try to push it away; she simply understands that it exists as… Continue

Question: What cost $6.75, is black, looks fabulous, made my day, and goes perfectly with my $50.00 Beverly Johnson wig?



Answer: The results of my last trip to Goodwill.





Shopping at Goodwill (or any other thrift store) can be a great activity. Mining the rejected, the odd items, the used, the marginalized, the ignored, the passed over to find a true gem that speaks to your personal style is gratifying to say the least (at least 50% of my eclectic wardrobe has been… Continue

Hello, lovely ladies!



I just spent the past 10 days sailing the British Virgin Islands with my guy. What a wonderful time. We sailed in heavy winds, snorkeled around beautiful reefs, and visited little beach side bars – and I did it ALL in my wigs!



I brought two basic synthetic wigs, the kind you can buy online (Noriko, Aspen, etc.) They are not custom made (but I usually have them thinned out a little and perhaps have the bangs cut.) One was pretty short and razor cut,… Continue

Beautiful Ones,



This weekend while having drinks with Bass Man at Jimmy Maks in Portland, the topic of conversation rolled around to the impact of Alopecia on women. I mentioned that so many of my friends on this site had expressed concern about how men they meet will react to a woman having Alopecia and wearing wigs. He was surprised that women would fear rejection for this reason. He said that very few men would find that important enough to end a relationship or never start one.… Continue

I confess to the ultimate wig addiction: Afer spending oodles on expensive pieces, I have found reckless abandon in cheap, human hair, fashion wigs (I'm talking as little as $50 - $60). I'm having to make space in my closet!



A typical fashion wig scenario --



A couple of nights ago, I wanted to pull off an edgy, sexy persona when I dropped in on Bass Man. I donned tight jeans; killer black pumps; hip shades; and a new, trendy, dark, "fierce" wig (as Christian Siriano would… Continue