Henna

There are some things that never get old. Scooby-doo fruit snacks, ice cream in the rain, and henna.

For those of you that don't know, henna is like an organic temporary tattoo. The henna itself is a paste, made out of ground henna leaves. Other things are added to it, like eucalyptus oil, water, or lemon. The paste is put into a cone, and then piped onto your skin, like icing on a cake. Once the paste has dried, you can peel it off and there's a "stain" left on your skin that's orangish-reddish. Within 12 hours, it gets darker. Over a week or two, it fades from red to orange and then disappears. Needless to say, I've gotten a lot of entertainment out of it over the years.

The first time I had henna done was when I was 9, in Toronto. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Unfortunately, the addiction never faded. I got it whenever I could - in India, Washington D.C., etc. Starting in 8th grade, I tried my hand at drawing my own. My math notes were covered in random designs from then on. 

Surprisingly, I never actually tried to henna myself until recently. This past spring, my mom brought home the best present ever. Henna cones. I had WAY too much fun drawing on myself, my friends, and half of my classmates. (My English teacher was convinced I had started a cult.)  Naturally, my addiction carried over on to the summer. For most of the summer I had some kind of henna on me, whether it was my hands or feet. 

Now that the summer is practically over, I have one thing to look forward to. Summer's End. For more than one reason. Not only is it tons of fun, but I'll be opening up my own booth there for the first time. A couple of friends and I are willing to spend all night henna-ing the population of EG. (Unfortunately, my addiction has spread to those around me.) All proceeds are going to the EGHS Class of 2013. 

Come visit me at my booth!

Cecilia Simon and Garfunkel (covered by Local Natives)