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By Kera, on May 18th, 2012
I love creating custom orders, especially when I get the opportunity to blend colors. There is so much beauty and dimension you can get from doing that. Allena found me on Etsy and asked me to create her order. She gave some color perimeters and told me to add some light or dark to round out the colors. I absolutely adore this set. The color set is gorgeous, Allena did a fantastic job selecting the base colors she wanted. I cannot wait to see some pictures of her wearing these.
Thanks Allena!
If you are looking to acquire a set of designer dread falls or a dreadlock kit, find me at my Etsy Shop, or send me an e-mail: dreadnaughtdarling@gmail.com .
~Kera
By Kera, on May 16th, 2012  Me. Photo by Scott Haydon. It was around 8:45 a.m. I awoke to the sun shining and birds chirping (and not my bladder for once). I have not woke up to an alarm on a daily basis for about a year and a half. Noticing I was awake, Riley crawled up to greet me, like we do every morning. We cuddled for a moment and I stretched, then he did. While we cuddled I let the tasks of the day slowly enter my brain.
I climb down the stairs, Riley in tow. I slip on some yoga pants and a tank top and then fill the tea kettle and place it on the stove. Putting on my flip-flops I shuffle outside into the beautiful morning. The chickens cluck a hello at me and I cluck back. I grab the implements to clean up the poo in the yard (my ‘rental’ agreement is for me to clean up dog poop). That doesn’t take too long. I grab a piece of bread and split it up and toss it to the chickens. After that I do a few yoga stretches in the sunshine in my bare feet. I can hear the kettle has started to boil and wander back to the house.
I prep some MarketSpice Tea in a Tea Ball. While that steeps I turn on Spotify to listen to my Pure Moods blend of music. I stretch a little more. Tea completed steeping, I grab my cup and sit down to blog. I write best in the morning and dread best in the evening.
Life is a lot simpler now. I have such a slow pace to my days. I have time to think and not get anxious. I feel welcome and loved here. It is a hugely inspiring thing. Business has been a little spotty as of late, so I find myself considering re-entering the work force as making ends meet is becoming a bit tougher. A part of me is hugely reluctant to do so, because I am afraid I will get caught up in the ‘treadmill of doom’ again.
I have recently been brushing up on my business information, photography skills, concepts and ideas, as I want to be wildly successful. There was a quote that struck home with me in an Etsy Online Lab called ‘The Art of Pricing for Profit’. ”Drop the starving artist routine. Embrace the thriving artist routine.” That is pretty sound advice. I realize I do not want my business to become a thing that I resent or (ha!) dread. I want making money to be as joyful as my existence is. It is also excellent advise to not undervalue your work so that you may have ‘competitive’ pricing. As that leaves many of us to be ‘starving artists,’ quite literally as it leaves no room for profit for your business to grow and thrive.
 Me laughing at the shenanigans during a dread photo shoot. Photo by Scott Haydon. I love to make dreads, dread falls and other hair accessories. I love the creativity I am allowed to express in doing so, I adore the fact that I can listen to didgeridoo inspired music while creating hair. I love the fact that I can choose my own hours and that I am my own boss. Beyond that, my goal in this is to make you feel beautiful, classy, unique, or a tad eccentric. I offer my product because I delight in watching people light up when they put on dreads or braids and the delighted look that crosses their face when doing so. This is what keeps me motivated! The gifted wine and baked goods are pretty awesome perks too.
I want to take a moment to thank all of you, my readers, customers, friends and family for your support and encouragement as I have bumbled along trying to find my way. I have received so many positive words, gifts of insight and even forged some new friendships along the way. I also want to thank you for being a part of my dreams. Without your support and continued patronage, I would not be as successful as I have been.
As always, I encourage you to look inside yourself to acquire a dream that you want to pursue. What have you done this week to further your dream? If you have not done anything, consider this a call to action. I draw inspiration from success of others, just as much as my own. Come back and let me know what you are up to!
~Kera
By Kera, on May 13th, 2012
By Kera, on May 10th, 2012
Ready to ship!
This is a fantastic set of dread falls that will make you feel like a Princess. Drawing inspiration from Grace Kelly (a legendary blonde starlet who later became the Princess of Monaco), this fantastic set of dread falls combines a number of different blondes, browns, strawberry blonde, white, and gold to match with a variety of hair types and colors.
This beautiful set of dread falls has layered dreads that range from 13 to 16 inches in length. Mounted on two elastic bands to allow you to style your hair in a pony tail or pigtails to attach these lovely ‘locks.
If you have any questions please feel free to send me an email to: dreadnaughtdarling@gmail.com . If you would like something more customized, I happily do custom orders too.
By Kera, on May 9th, 2012 ~Eleanor Roosevelt
That particular quote has resonated with me for much of my life. It has also been the cause for a lot of internal dialogue and calling myself a chicken sh*t on many occasions. A blog I like to follow, So Many Places, re-posted an old post of theirs today. I read it awhile back, around the time I was selling my house and waiting for The Fortune Cookie to be delivered. It reminded me of my own personal journey in the last year (and change).
I have been told I am inspirational by a number of people, and I love that. I love that I may have inspired even one person to something that they desired. However, much of my journey has been a lot harder than I could ever begin to explain. Quitting my job was one of the easiest and hardest things I have ever done. After suffering a few nosebleeds from stress in one day, I couldn’t take it any more. I had wanted to quit for years but had never given myself permission to forgo security for my happiness. Then one day I realized I was worth it, and quit after almost 8 years of working for that company. I quit my job with a vague notion of what I was going to do next. The minute I walked out the door for the last time, I was elated. Terrified, but elated. I felt alive.
I took a three week vacation to Hawaii, as a means to relax and find my inspiration. To allow myself to vacation alone for the first time. To breathe. Right before I left, I had commissioned Abel to build The Fortune Cookie. I knew the minute I met Abel that he was The One. The one I wanted to build my tiny house. As I cut him that check, I was scared. Not because of him, but wondering if I was making the right decision.
While in Hawaii, I felt myself taking in who I was again. Letting myself dream of whomever I wanted to be. I gave myself permission to be scared. I really have no idea how to explain to anyone what Hawaii did for me. I felt free in a way I never had. I loved it. I also met some astonishing people. I felt so alive. Additionally, I realized what I needed to do. It was a bit daunting.
Selling my house. That was another major step for me. Much of my last relationship was in that house. There was a lot of love in those walls, as well as a lot of pain. I learned so much there. If it was not for purchasing that house, I would not have realized everything that I wanted to do with my life. That house was almost the exact same layout as the house I grew up in. Again, I was terrified. I was terrified of being a failure. I was terrified I was going to regret the decision. I was terrified my family would ridicule me at length. Terrified I would botch my credit and never be a productive member of society again (whatever I believed that to be). I was terrified that I was going to fail and prove whomever and whatever I was afraid of, including myself, right. As I pulled out of that driveway for the last time, I was elated. Terrified and sad, but elated.
Life has been a crazy ride. Selling or donating my things has been heart wrenching at times. But after those things are gone, you realize how little you miss them. Another Post by Kim at So Many Places hit home too. She quotes The Alchemist (which I need to read) and the whole passage that was quoted hit home again with me. I put a portion of the passage below.
“Once we have accepted that love is a stimulus, we come up against the third obstacle: fear of the defeats we will meet on the path. We who fight for our dream suffer far more when it doesn’t work out, because we cannot fall back on the old excuse: “Oh well, I didn’t really want it anyway.” We do want it and know that we have staked everything on it and that the path of the personal calling is no easier than any other path, except that our whole heart is in this journey.”
Once I moved into The Fortune Cookie I knew I was home. Fully and completely home. However, my dream is not finished yet. I run a small business making and selling synthetic dreadlocks. At times, this makes ends meet and at other times it really does not. Feast or Famine. Business is slowly growing and I am incredibly blessed to have excellent customers that I adore.
Right now, right now is tough. I am terrified again. I want to succeed and have a thriving business, but I’m struggling. I love what I do and I love the freedom it gives me. However, my end goal is to travel extensively all over the world. World travel has been my goal since I started my journey. What I am running into now is how to grow my business enough to make ends meet as well as fuel my dream. Some days it feels like I will never get there. Other days I feel it is just around the bend. What I do have faith in is that I will get there. The question before me now is how will I get there?
“Do one thing every day that scares you.” I’m terrified, and that is always the first step. I do my best when I am scared. I do not believe that it is possible that I would be filled with such an unquenchable desire if it was not achievable.
~Kera
By Kera, on May 7th, 2012
Ready to ship!
This is a set of dread falls that will make you feel like a Queen. Drawing inspiration from Queen Elizabeth I (a most noteworthy red head), this fantastic set of dread falls combines a number of different reds, burgundy, copper, dark brunette, black, gold and blonde to match with a variety of hair types and colors. This beautiful set of dread falls has layered dreads that range from 13 to 17 inches in length
This gorgeous set is mounted on two elastic bands to allow you to style your hair in a pony tail or pigtails to attach these lovely ‘locks. I had a particularly hard time putting this set up for sale as I wanted to keep them for myself.
To purchase, head on over to the Etsy Listing for this item! Keep an eye out for more! I will be posting a blonde set soon!
~Kera
By Kera, on April 30th, 2012  Side View  Ready to ship! This set is a lovely mixed set for brunettes or aspiring brunettes out there. This set consists of two dread falls mounted on elastic for easy install. The dreads on these two falls range from 22 inches – 25 inches long.
To determine if this is a good color set for you, check the color chart in the fifth picture in this listing. The colors reflected in this set are as follows:
Dark Auburn & Light Auburn Mixed
Dark Auburn & Strawberry Blond Mixed
Ash Blond & Platinum Blond Highlights
This set is a beautiful color combo that adds a little auburn, blonde and copper tones to bring out the brown beautifully. A perfect transition for the spring and summer months.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail. I also make custom orders if this is not exactly what you are looking for. This item can be purchased through the Etsy Listing or you can request to purchase these directly from me by sending me an e-mail.
~Kera
By Kera, on April 25th, 2012  The Color List! I commented earlier that things have been busy over here at The Fortune Cookie. Between hatching new hair ideas, hanging out with Riley, attempting indoor plant alchemy, blogging and camping a lot, I have also been working on the Dreadnaught Darling website here. What I was missing for a good chunk of time was a decent order form for ordering hair! Now, picky creature that I am, every time I drew something up, I never really felt that it was quite right. However, I realized it is a necessary feature that needed to be added.
So, I sat my butt down and took some pictures and stitched together a color sheet. This is to aide all of you, my fabulous customers, in knowing what on earth you can order. You can find the order form here. If you see anything you think I should add or clarify, please let me know. In addition to the order form, I added some terms and policies too (way less interesting, I know). My goal is to help clear up all the things I can, and make the ordering process a lot more simple and straightforward.
Now, if the color you have your heart set on just is not on that list, send me an e-mail and tell me what you’re looking for. I am happy to do some mixology to get the color you want. I custom blend colors or match colors to your natural hair color. So, if you have questions I am completely at your disposal. I just wanted to create a baseline for what is available, as I get asked that a lot.
Thank you all for your support and putting up with my erratic posting schedule as of late. I have so much going on that I have to remember to stop and jot some of this down!
So who wants to place the first order with the new order form?!
~Kera
By Kera, on April 24th, 2012  I have been in business as Dreadnaught Darling for almost two years! I had the urge to make some other hair items, to branch out and give myself some variety. I’ve been thinking about this particular item for quite some time and the various ways I could implement it. Finally, I decided to just give it a whirl.
 I present to you my new line of braids/plaits!
These beautiful braids are roughly between 32 – 36 inches long! To install, tie your hair into a loose bun and wrap the band around your hair. These allow you to have the fantastic look of long hair, without all the work of growing it out.
Left: Fishtail/Herringbone plait (Color: Bright Auburn)
Middle: Regular 3 strand plait (Color: Dark Brown)
Right: 5 strand plait (Color: Ginger)
If you would like to have one or more of these custom made for you, please feel free to e-mail me at dreadnaughtdarling@gmail.com .
~Kera
By Kera, on April 20th, 2012  View of the garden from my front door. So, I have never had much of a green thumb. Most of that is because I have never put in a huge effort into gardening. Prior to buying a house I lived in apartments and assumed that because of my small space, I couldn’t. Once I had a house, the yard was almost entirely covered in shade and any desire to garden dissipated due to me working nights. I also considered gardening when I was living out in Graham, but I knew I would not be there after winter, so I didn’t bother.
So here I am at The Homestead. Eowyn is a fantastic inspiration for many things, her green thumb and good cooking among them. Outside my front door is a fantastic view of the garden. The other day I helped Eowyn plant some seeds in the garden. To be honest, I think she is humoring me a bit, but I appreciate it. She was also poking around in the greenhouse, as she has started a number of plants. Hanging around someone who takes an avid interest in simple living has been really good for me.
 Green Onions thriving in my little house! So, I found out a simple trick I can do in my tiny house that doesn’t really need a green thumb. This trick has been floating around the internet and I thought I would give it a shot. I can grow green onions (scallions) in a cup on my counter. This is pretty awesome, I have been doing this for a few weeks now and I have to say they grow quickly! To your right you will note some pretty rad looking green onions.
To get these started, do the following:
1. Acquire green onions – Mine were received in a delivery from Terra Organics
2. Put in a cup (or mason jar) of water – I recommend filtered water. When placed in Tacoma tap water they weren’t doing so well.
3. Watch them grow, really quick.
4. When you would like to use some green onions, just trim what you need using kitchen scissors. Make sure to leave the white part (the root) behind. This is where the onion grows from.
 Grow all of the things! I have been doing this for weeks now. Trimming off and eating what I needed and leaving the rest. It is a pretty delicious and simple bounty. Once in awhile I will dump out the water in the cup and add new water when it is looking a little slimy. So far I haven’t had to buy green onions in a few months!
This week I got a delivery from Terra Organics again that included Red Spring Onions and Green Garlic. Now, they have a similar shape and look to green onions (read: white root base). I decided to plunk the Green Garlic and the Red Spring Onions into cups of water yesterday, just to see what happened. I do not think the Green Garlic is going to take, but the Red Spring Onions already are showing signs of growth, I’m pretty happy. That is two onion varieties I will not have to buy again, in theory.
I made a delicious omelet today utilizing my green onions and some of the red onions. I am also adoring the green in my kitchen. Makes my home feel a little more…. cozy. There is also a weird statistic somewhere that people feel more comfortable in spaces that have plants. If that is true, I hope these edible cozy makers work for you too!
~Kera
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