Spring is in the air. New growth surrounds me.  Hosta, Peony, Iris.  pop above ground and stretch  skyward. The speed is furious, even the grass is high!  Its like Mother Nature loaded up at GNC.

I also notice more growth at the hairdresser too! My hair has gotten long, strong, thick and Oh, did I say long? How did this happen?

Years ago, when I turned 50,  my hair was weak, breaking and stunted. At 51 an allergy to hair color forced me to strip out all of the color  and with it went most of its life how could it get any worse? I created my own hair-therapy plan which, I have to say, in 18 months has had AMAZING success! So, at my last visit to the hairdresser I chatted up with Steve what I was doing for these phenomenal results

But first, he told me what most women do wrong HATS!  Hats cause more breakage and damage to hair than a bottle of Prell! They rub, chafe, weaken and break the hair in a circle around your head. Put on a baseball cap, knock off a quick ring around the crown.  A straw sunhat will quickly mince your tresses too. On, off, on, off with the hats. Why don’t women get it? he asked.  And if they must cover their (already) bad, damaged hair, a silk scarf would be the safest choice for the road to recovery.   Steve also mentioned tight ponytails and hot styling tools as damaging too, but he couldn’t stress enough how bad the hats were.

As Steve was trimming my ends he commented on my hairs resilience too.  What are you using? Well Steve, the external products are just the icing on the cake so to speak. The growth starts within.

Hair is protein. Protein and lots of protein. Most of us don’t get nearly enough. The RDA for an average female is 50 grams. I doubled that to 100 grams. Start the day with a 90 calorie scoop of CytoSport , 16 grams. After the gym an egg white omelet kept me lean while packing in another 25 grams. The remaining 60 grams came from lunch and dinner. Each ounce of beef, chicken or fish has about 7 grams of protein so I ate at least 10 ounces to supply the remaining protein — any more is a bonus for your nails! Ideally, a 14 ounce grass fed sirloin steak is my dinner 3 times a week. If dinner last night was chicken, then a half of a leftover chicken is lunch today. You get the point.

Rounding out a routine with organic treatments such as a vinegar rinse to balance the alkaline damage from shampoos, chamomile tea rinses for shine and mayonnaise conditioning for strength I managed to correct the damage the chemicals had caused. And new growth took off.

But I wanted more. I searched for more and I found more. I developed a combination of minerals and vitamins which are normally overlooked by most nutritionists. This unlocked the key to fast hair growth. Taken 3 times a day, all available at a local drugstore, no crazy witch doctor spells, just the RIGHT COMBINATION of minerals and vitamins, in the right quantities, did the trick. Why? You ask, do you need to supplement that much. Shouldn’t a good diet be enough? Well, yes and no. To eat enough of the right foods to furnish the necessary amounts you would eat yourself into obesity, and most of us are already eating so many empty foods which contribute to our daily calorie intake.  ( I gave up bread, rice, potatoes and pasta in 1998 so my diet is mainly protein, vegetables and more protein.) The point is,  that bagel is not going to your glorious hair, rather to your generous hips!  So yes, you DO need the supplements.

For more info on the supplement list and quantities feel free to email me at MrsMay . Good Luck and Happy Spring!

Whew! Summer vanished, Fall flew by and chilly November is telling me to knit, knit, knit… The Studio opened November 1^st and we were barely ready. Thank goodness for “soft openings”. The Debbie Bliss and Araucania yarns were delayed in shipping but have finally arrived. They are gorgeous. I was a bit nervous about adding any commercial yarn to my organic, handspun, hand-dyed selection but unpacking my boxes of new skeins put any preconceived notions to bed…

Araucania Yarns is a group of artisans and designers dedicated to the artisan dyeing of fibers for weaving and knitting located in Santiago, Chile, on the southwest corner of South America. Their Coliumo yarn is 70% wool and 30% silk, 3 sts to 1”, soft, drapey, wonderful. It should fly off the shelves.

Debbie Bliss is another story. A legend to 21^st century knitters, Debbie Bliss uses the finest materials to create yarns that will make you swoon. My granddaughters already have a wardrobe of sweaters knit with fabulous Baby Cashmerino (55% merino wool, 33% microfiber, 12% cashmere) so I knew I had to include many shades in the boutique. Then I added several more varieties including Donegal Tweeds and Alpaca Silks in fabulous colors!

Lastly, the development of custom patterns for HeidiHope Photography has been a full time endeavor. A huge project with a tight deadline for holiday photo sessions, I am cranking out new designs as fast as I can… groping my way to the computer at 4am to convert patterns to PDF files for sale both in the boutique and on Etsy. Stop by the boutique for a sit’n knit when you’re in town…

MrsMay is expanding!

After months of dallying around with fiber arts it’s time to introduce our newest line of handknit baby goods, handspun yarns and original patterns. The handknit items, created for use by HeidiHope Photograhy, were such a success that we developed patterns to allow home knitters to create one-of-a-kind items for their family and friends.

Online shoppers will soon have their choice of several custom patterns available in PDF files for easy transfer along with some yummy handspun merino yarns.

MrsMay is also expanding into a retail location in Warwick, R.I. where many handknit samples and tons of handspun yarns will be available. All yarns are grown organically, dyed with natural, organic plant extracts and handspun into fluffy softness. Just what you want to put close to your baby’s skin! Keep an eye out for more news soon…

Spring is in the air. Oh yes, I’m still addicted to my car’s seat warmer, to sleep-in socks and flannel PJ’s, but I know that in a matter of weeks, the “Formal Season” will commence and carry on late into the summer.

Ahhh, formals. From Sadie Hawkins and Spring Ball to Prom and Weddings, warm weather is blitzed with galas. Galas mean dress-up, and girls love dress-up! Why not? It gives us a chance to play a role, to nurture our inner glam, our femme fatale. And yes, we make our entrance sure to stun, but we know all too well the hours of hard work it takes to get there….. nails, diet, skincare, gown and hair.

Hair? Hair can be frustrating and time-consuming. Hair can go all wrong. Hair can make you late. Also called our crowning glory, hair can be totally unruly. The secret to success is a back-up plan! A back-up plan will save you from hours of frustration. A back-up plan is ready to take over when you surrender. The back-up plan is POP!

POP! stands for Put On Piece and it is just that. A hairpiece you simply “put on”.

Elegant, sleek, flirty or formal, you can have any look you want in less than 5 minutes. You brush your hair and fasten it into a ponytail high on the back of your head. Pick up the POP and attach the claw style clip right over your ponytail, tucking any stray ends in. Done! Instant glamour! And let me tell you, you will REALLY love it when you have to look your best at breakfast the next day. Just brush, clip and go.

I got my first POP a few years ago for a formal event. Soon after that, my daughter borrowed it for Prom. All of her girlfriends were paying big bucks for updo’s… we shared and saved. I’ve added many pieces to match my many changing shades of haircolor over the years and we continue to share, now in a bigger circle of family and friends. My POPs go in the suitcase to vacation in the Caribbean every year, and they’ve been to London, Palm Desert, San Juan and Chicago. They even show up after a round of golf at the country club leaves me with “hat hair!”

It’s funny: what I originally bought for a black tie event has now become one of my everyday accessories!

MrsMay began selling POP’s in 2003 and we are proud to incorporate our three best sellers into the online store for you to enjoy. POPs are easy to store and clean and will last as long as you need them with just a little care. Try one today, and see what you’ve been missing!

As daylight diminishes and winter sets in I find myself focusing on rebirth (renewal). Autumn, not spring, seems the better season to nurture a healthy complexion. Fewer hours of daylight encourages more sleep. The return of schedules and routines allow for compartmentalizing exercise blocks. Oven roasting and home cooking cuts way back on the BBQ sauce, glaze, marinade… carbohydrate overload of summertime. But, is that enough? I found myself needing more.

On November 1, 2007, Oprah aired the Dr. Oz on Aging episode, which got me thinking. I watched, I read, I self-tested. Yup, I’m in good shape. Then why, at 50, did I look so dull? Here goes. Vitamins for one thing. The test results — take your own test here — found me lacking in MANY essential vitamins. At this point I must interrupt myself; as a nutrition/exercise/diet freak, I found this shocking. The days of One-A-Day vitamins are over. The body can use many key nutrients for regrowth and anti-oxidant protection that we just did not know about 5 or 10 years ago. Take them! I ran to CVS, clipped coupons, bought 2-for-1, shopped sales until I had all that I needed and more.

Lastly, it was time to get rid of the old, weather beaten, faded suntan. Exfoliating had begun on a daily basis about 2 weeks before I walked into my local SpaVure for a waxing. While chatting with Erin, my aesthetician, I learned about a new, non-invasive peel from Skin Medica. The Illuminize Peel might be just what the doctor ordered. Never having had one before I was only a little tentative, considering the slow results my “Grow a New Face” project, as I came to call it, was getting. Five minutes later I was being prepped for my treatment. I walked out a newer woman. The peel worked great, I have kept up the stepped up diet, exercise and vitamins, and started going back to bed at 5:00am for another hour or more of sleep! We’ll see the results soon and report back!

Welcome to the new MrsMay.com, where you’ll find the same great catalog of products we’ve always offered for the most competitive pricing anywhere on the Internet.

We’ll be using this blog to post tips about how to use the products we offer, as well as information about upcoming sales, so be sure to check back often!

Please email us if you have any problems or questions about our new site. Thanks for shopping and happy holidays!