A Day in the Life - Sandy's Coils

Losing Weight - Down 66 Pounds

2010-06-28T12:42:00.003-04:00

Ok just a quick update. I know this blog is about hair but man, I have to acknowledge that I have lost a whopping 66 pounds!!! That is amazing. No, I haven't had any type of gastric bypass surgery and I am not on any type of weight loss drug. This was all from being mindful of what I eat and making better food choices. I need to lose about 20 - 25 more pounds to get to my goal weight.

Just know, if I can do this anyone else out there who is trying can do it too. Keep trying and keep pushing. Thanks everyone for all of your support.

*BTW - Please excuse the sunburned face. LOL

Resilience

2010-05-29T10:58:00.003-04:00

Resilience is defined (on dictionary.com) as the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc, after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.

This word best describes my hair. This month has been really something as far as my hair is concerned. I blew it out the 2nd week of May and then the next week I went and got a Dominican Blowout. I finally wet my hair this week and it went right back to those tight coily spirals that I have grown to love. I was almost a little worried that my hair would not revert back, but within 5 minutes of rinsing my hair in the shower, it was back to waves and coils.

Some of my hair coiled even tighter than it did prior to my blow-outs. It was funny to feel this one little section in the back all tightly coiled. Now this is what I call "good hair". I am one of the lucky ones. When I was relaxing my hair I could leave the chemical on for twice the recommended time and still be ok. I could work the chemical down the entire hair shaft and still be ok. There were a lot of things that I did to my hair that were not great, but my hair always pulled through.

As I am going through this time of "hair uncertainty" it's nice to know that no matter what I do with my hair, my hair will have my back.

Texlaxing could be a possibility.

2010-05-25T09:43:00.004-04:00

Well, I've been trying to find something new to do with my hair so of course I went and got a Dominican Blow-out last week and I'm still trying to hold onto it for this week. LOL I will probably go over it a little with my blow dryer tonight. I'm not sure when I'm going to wet my hair and let my curls return. I guess I'll see soon enough - maybe this weekend.

So, I've been thinking about other hair options. I'm not really wanting to relax my hair back to bone str8. I've done that and I realize that I was doing way too much in relaxing my hair. After all that I have learned these past 2 years, I can not believe that I even had hair down my back. I would do my touch up and apply the relaxer all the way down to the tips of my hair strands! Yes, all the way down the hair - every time! What was I thinking? I was a dayum fool! So, if I ever went back to that route I wouldn't do the things I was doing before. It was just foolish.

I am seriously considering texlaxing though. Texlaxing is simply under processing the hair with a relaxer chemical. I read up on this yesterday and it truly is an art to this thing. There is a great article here on texlaxing. I read it yesterday and actually took notes. There were 5 different methods for texlaxing listed in the article. When I took noted I thought I would combine all 5 methods to try and keep as much texture in my hair as possible. Basically I would like my same hair just not as bulky. ...and I don't want to get one of those "bulk reducing" haircuts either! I heard that those haircuts are great at first, but they are horrible once it starts to grow out.

So, if I do this correctly, there may not even be that much of a visible difference to my hair. I don't want my hair to look processed. I would just like the bulk removed, less shrinkage, and just a little more curl definition. My mind is basically made up that I am going to go through with it. I'm not afraid of the chemicals as I have been relaxing my own hair since I was 19, so that's no big deal. I have never really trusted my hair to other people. that way if I mess my hair up - it's on me. I could always get a weave, wig, or braids until it grew back, but i never had to deal with that.

I've been trying to rationalize and think: "What is the worst that could happen if I texlax my hair?" Well, the worst is that all of my hair could fall out. LOL I doubt that will happen as I only intend to leave the mixture in my hair for <15 minutes. I used to leave relaxers on my hair for 45 minutes! (yeah, I know) So, what else could happen. Well, my hair could end up bone str8 instead of "textured". That would be an epic fail, but not a loss. I would just keep it moving and make my "newly str8" hair work.

I have had to re-learn how to take care of my hair in the past 2 years. I am a bit discouraged that my hair isn't longer. I know that everyone's hair grows at a different rate, but I just feel like my hair should have been much longer than it is now. I mean, true enough, blown out it brushes my shoulders in the back, but I wanted it to be longer. I am not sure what I was expecting. it just seemed like when my hair was relaxed it grew so much faster. Patience is not a virtue that I current;y have. I have been trying to work on that, but when I want something I want it RIGHT NOW!!!! I've made some good decisions and also some bad ones by "jumping the gun" so to speak.

I seem to get "like this" every couple of months. You know, where I just need a change. Last year i wanted color, so I started henna-ing my hair. This year it's something else. I mean, I am gonna be 40 in a couple of years. I have to keep it young and fresh! LOL I have to remain a trendsetter in my circle of friends and go back to being the chameleon I used to be. one of my friends told me a few years back when they were looking at my pictures, "Wow! I didn't know that was you. You have so many different looks." I need to get back to that. Now that I have been losing weight it's a lot easier.

Going to the mall and seeing all of the different styles and healthy relaxed hair doesn't help either. I saw so many different styles & textures. *sigh* It doesn't make my final decision any easier. Oh well, I'll continue to weigh out my options and I'll make sure to keep you all posted.

You can get with this or you can get with that.

2010-05-19T10:21:00.004-04:00

I am at a corssroads. I'm not sure what I want to do with my hair anymore. I have been thinking about chemically altering my hair for some time now. So, instead, I blow-dried my hair about a week ago just so I could get an idea of how long it was. It's pretty decent. I bunned the whole week that I had it blow dried. Then I feverishly co-washed to get my curls back.

This week I just up and got a Dominican Blow-out. Yeah, that's right. I'm not gonna lie, I missed my long, blowing in the wind hair. I was never so glad to feel my scalp! LOL My hair feels so soft & silky. (SMH) But is does. It feels good. It's kind of "poufing" up a little because of the humidity, but it still feels good. The experience wasn't a bad one. The only thing I hate is that my ends need a good trimming and I just got that done in January (2 inches when I went to Urbanbella). What the heck is going on with my hair that my ends are that raggedy? Well, I haven't been sealing them and maybe I need to change my routine up. I don't want to have to trim all the time.

At this point, I'm really trying to figure out what I want to do with my hair. Do I remain natural, go back to relaxing, or go the "in-between route" and do a texturizer. I do know I am enjoying my almost str8 hair today. I had curled it a bit this morning, but the curls didn't want to stay - except for in the front, so I clipped my hair up like in the old days. I hadn't been able to do that in 2 years.

I miss my long hair!!!!!!!!!!!!! At the same time, I like the freedom of having natural hair. I like being able to wash my hair in the shower, shake it out, and go on about my business. At the same time, I am loving being able to have str8 hair today. Maybe I can just stay natural and get my hair str8nd every few weeks so as not to get bored. I don't know, but I am quite "smitten" with my look today. I am feeling more and more awesome every day and it's showing.

Really "off topic", but hey, it's my blog.

2010-05-17T15:08:00.003-04:00

Ok, so if you follow my blog you know I've been losing weight and really trying since the summer - I mean really sticking to it. Well, I have a great update. I have, as of July, lost a total of 56 pounds!!! For me to get to my goal weight, I have another 34 to go. I will even be happy losing another 20 - 25 pounds. I'm not really going to be greedy because I know I am so blessed to even have lost this much weight. Some people would give their left arm to have the success I have had. All I can do is thank Jesus for helping me along and walking me through this. I know I could not have done it without him guiding me.

I have been gradually cleaning out my closet to make room for new (smaller) clothes. (insert blushing, giggling smiley here) But about 2 weeks ago 3 of my co-workers sort of ganged up on me about my clothes. I was still wearing clothes that were a few sizes too large for me and I was looking a mess. They called me out and told me about myself and "demanded' that I get rid of the extra large clothes. I went home that night and folded everything that was too big and put it in a stack on the bed. Out of that came a few pairs of slacks and some sweaters. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it is when you consider almost all of it was work clothes, that's a lot of stuff that I need to replace.

So, today I took the first step in updating my wardrobe. I went to New York & CO in search of pants. They were having a pants sale, so I felt like they were a good choice - plus there is a location in the mall right across the street. I went over there and looked at the pants - I already knew which ones I wanted to buy. (I had peeped some out online already) SO when i get to the pants I liked I took a size 18 and a size 16 into the dressing room. I tried the 18's on first. When I did I was like, "Damn, I don't like how they look. This sucks."

Rather than give up, GOD told me to try on the 16's. I tried on the 16's and as I slid my leg into the pant leg, I thought, "there's no way these are going to fit", but they did!!!!! OMG. the 18's didn't fit right because they were too big. Lord have mercy! I can't believe it. I do not remember the last time I was able to wear a size 16 anything. Oh yeah, and it's not a 16W, it's just a plain old 16 - from a regular store - not a plus sized store!!!! I almost cried as I was walking out of the store with my bag. I was floating on air.

Today has been one awesome day. I have an entirely new attitude and a whole new bounce in my walk. Thank you Jesus, because you are really working on me - inside and out!

Blow Out

2010-05-11T09:00:00.004-04:00

Alright, so I did it! I blew my hair out again last night. It seems to work better when I do it like Longhairdontcare2011 suggests in her YouTube vid. I didn't blow out wet hair. It was only damp. I had co-washed my hair yesterday morning and when I got home yesterday evening my hair was still a little damp in some places, so I just added the Redken heat protectant and combed it through the sections and then used my Denman for a few passes through my hair and then the blow dryer.

I was somewhat surprised. I did get my hair a little str8r than I had previously and i think it was the actual hair dryer and my method. Before I just used a brush, this time I used the comb attachment. I was a little skeptical, but I used plenty of heat protectant so I think I will be fine.

I have a few pics in my Fotki, but here are 2 just to show what I've done.

Hair Change

2010-05-10T16:10:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I have been MIA for a while and here I am to post once again. I promise I'm going to get back to it. I just bought a blow dryer from Target. Yeah, you read that right. (It's better that the texturizer I was going to use last month!!!!) So I am again going to attempt to blow out my hair. I'm going to take my time and while I sit in the bed watching TV, I'll blowdry. I think if I can maintain a little patience I can do this.

Last time it wasn't a disaster, it just didn't get as str8 as I had hoped that it would. Now that I know how my hair will most likely look and what it will do, I'll just go in with the attitude that it will def not get str8 like some ladies have been able to get their hair to look by just blowing it dry. I just have to face it: I don't have that kind of hair! LOL My hair is a little more resistant, and I should know that from my relaxer days. I could leave a relaxer on my head for 45 minutes and still have hair!!!! I know, it still amazes me that something like that could even be possible.

Well, once again I am going to see what happens. I'll post results tomorrow.

Twists Again?

2010-03-24T15:43:00.002-04:00

Man, I am once again thinking of putting some twists in my hair - or should I say putting my hair in twists. I think the former sounds like I would be addign hair and I am not. LOL

I think it's time for me to "twist it up" for a while - even if it's just for a few days. I just don't feel like doing it though. LOL. Maybe I could start doing it Friday night and be done by Saturday night when I get ready to go to church. I think I'll have to go back and check out my twisted styles from way back when it used to take me a whole night and just get bussy. both of my girls have their hair in twists and I think it's time for me to stop being lazy and get it done.

I just wish it didn't take so long. I got my daughter's hair done in not time, but when it comes to my hair it seems like it takes forever. I want small twists too. Oh well. I guess there's nothing to it but to do it. Wish I could start tonight, but with my little get-a-way on the horizon, I just don't have the time.

Yeah, I think I'll put it up in twists this weekend. My hair needs a rest. It would be nice if I could henna then twist, but I think that's pushing it. I just need to make sure that I can keep the twists in for more than 3 days! That is my problem now days. I just can't keep the twists in. Maybe if it takes me forever to do them I wont be so eager to take them out. maybe I should do some small twists and challenge myself to keep them in. I know I can do it - I've done it before. We'll see. I'll post pics when I finish twisting.

Hair Envy

2010-03-24T13:03:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I know it's been a long time since I've posted. It's a "tag-team" combo of laziness and being busy. It also doesn't help that I really have to use my brain sometimes to come up with interesting things to write about either. LOL

Today I just want to talk about hair envy. Don't try to act like you don't know what I'm talking about. We've all been there before. But here I'm not just talking about the hair envy where it's like, "oh man, I wish I had her hair", and things keep moving. I'm talking about real hair envy.

I am a member of a number of hair boards/sites. I do a lot of lurking and some posting - not as much posting as I used to. Lately I have been noticing a lot of hair envy - and not the good kind. I'm seeing sisters hate on other sisters simply for achieving length. What kind of mess is that? One discussion really sticks out in my mind: there was a discussion about one sister who had very long 4a hair and someone commented that "all that hair is unnecessary".

Really? Why? Because you can't achieve it? If she wants super long hair, then let it be. Why make that comment? It's obvious the young lady takes time to take care of her hair to achieve such length, so maybe "all that hair" is necessary for her. What is your point to make such a comment? Then for someone else to chime in and agree - it was just too much. I saw some similar actions on another hair board I visited the same day.

I mean, can somebody please shed some light on what is happening here? Is there that much hatery in the hair world that we have to go out like that? I mean, she has no chemicals in her hair - so no one can say - oh she's permed. Folks wanted to see a true natural 4a with hair longer than APL and here she is and still she gets no love because her hair is long and 100% hers - grown out of her scalp. Now if the hair had been a weave there would have been something said about that. She even got talked about because she uses heat on her hair - like blow dried & flat ironed once a month - hey that's her routine. Nobody said you have to do it. She is just sharing what works for her.

Why do we feel it necessary to be so judging about people? I mean, I'm not going to lie, I want her hair, ok? LOL Hell yes I want long, natural hair down my back, but if I can't achieve it will I go out and dis somebody who has it? Hell no. What's wrong with people? Instead of criticising and obviously hating - why don't you just do some research and get your hair game up!!!!

I'm just saying.......and because this is my blog, I can.

OMG! I Wanna Be a Drag Queen!!!

2010-02-22T19:02:00.004-05:00

Ok, I have admitted it. Could I be made up just once! LOL I can't get enough of Top Model, and RuPaul's Drag Race. I mean, I friggin' love RuPaul!!! Child - I live for it. Imagine my surprise when I was flipping channels and saw RuPaul's Drag Race on tonight!!! Oh but not just any episode, it was the 1st episode from last season! Hammercy.

I mean, I just can't get over how fabulous these guys/girls are. Theydo make-up, hair, wigs, and they can even sew! If I could get made up just once - just once! I mean outrageously gorgeous clothes, amazing hair, and super fierce make-up. Puh-leeze! They know how to work some make-up. Not like that chick at the Dior counter in Perimeter Mall who had me looking like a damn clown. SMH

Maybe that's what I need to do - get my make-up done by a drag queen - maybe then it would look decent. I mean, I have had it done like 3 times and it never EVER looks good. It always looks like a mask or something. The foundation NEVER matches my skin, and you can always see "the line" where the make-up deosn't blend correctly. Hell, I do a better job with some E.L.F. powder and a brush. LOL

Oh well........I guess I'll keep watching Ru, becuase if nothing less, she/he is damn sure entertaining! I'll watch just to see what she'll be wearing every episode. LOL

Just Thinking

2010-02-22T17:25:00.004-05:00

Well, I know if you have been following the blog, you notice I have been slacking on posting and I am so sorry ladies. Work has been so demanding lately and I haven't had much spare time to blog. BUT....today I got my butt into work and I was a beast, ok! I was working my ass off today - and with great results.

I am nearly completely caught up with things at work from the Christmas break. Yes, I said Christmas break! I was out for two weeks, then when I came back in January I had to prepare for an office move - which took me away from my regular duties - you know how packing for a move can get. Well, once settled into the new office we had an off-site retreat which took me away from the office. Not to mention I am doing the work of 3 people! Anywho, I am nearly caught up. I should be good to go by Wednesday. :)

I haven't really had any new revelations regarding my hair. I mean, no new products to try, no new styles or anything like that. I've just been coasting along...doing my thing....enjoying my hair...wishing it was longer. Yeah, I'm craving length. I think my hair is probably in shock from all of the cold weather. In the 10 years that I've been living in Georgia, I haven't known the winter to actually "be" winter. I mean in years past I was able to count the days I really wore a "real" coat to work. This year it's been nearly every single day. Today was the first day probably since early December that I didn't have to wear a coat to work, but guess what? That cold weather is coming right back! ...and talking about snow flurries on Wednesday morning!!!! UGGHHH! I know I am soooo sick of the cold. Oh yeah, now they're even talking about the potential for spring flooding - how about that! We go from a drought to flood potential. Hammercy! LOL

Can the spring just get here so that I can get back to the daily co-washes that I love so much? I mean, for real. I miss my daily co-washing, but I know my husband and water bill don't miss it. I mean, even my little Wal-Mart bill has just diminished. I haven't been buying 3 bottles of Suave a week or my tub of Softee Activator Gel - I just been like................whatever.

Last year it was easy to co-wash every day because I had a TWA and it was warmer. Now I have some hair and it's cold as heck outside and I just can't walk around with wet hair like that. Wetting it like I do now still keeps it wet most of the day. As a matter of fact, I still have a small damp spot in my hair as I am typing this at 5:24pm (12 hours post shower). SMH

Watch out y'all. I haven't even been on the hair boards like I used to be. I have just been way too busy. But, I'm gonna be back on today - tonight. Like, right now. Like, I have NaturallyCurly.com open in the other tab of my Windows Internet browser. LOL I have been toggling back and forth just to try to stay connected to the boards and not lose track of what's been happening.

Oh yeah, one more random thing: I am so glad that I haven't been made to feel crazy in Dunwoody. I mean, working up there - it's a different crew all together. I mean, working in Midtown - natural hair is almost "the norm" there. Dunwoody, well, that's one of the "more professional" spots to work in and I was so afraid that things would be "different" as far as hair is concerned. Well, thank goodness it's not. I mean, I only remember seeing 1 other natural in our building so far, but I've only been there for a month. There are 4 of us in our office, so I’m at home within our walls, but I don't feel out of place when I leave our office. I'll have to take notes on who and what I see in our building and report back.

Mmm Hmm

2010-02-17T15:21:00.003-05:00

Well here I am - just sitting with a few extra minutes to write a little. So....my hair had been feeling a little "extra" thick for the past week, so I decided to henna to see if that would "take it down" a bit. I hadn't henna'd my hair in about 3 weeks so it was pretty good timing. I mixed up just one box of Reshma Henna (200g) with my usual vinegar and water. Then once everything was mixed, I added some honey to make the mixture a little more smooth. it was perfect.

I'm telling you, that Reshma henna is the truth. That immediate dye release is the bizness!!! No more sitting and waiting for dye release. I mix and slap it on my hair and I am good to go. Funny how I nearly cried when I couldn't find MDH Henna in Cherians the day that I started buying Reshma. Oh well......so glad it worked out like it did. This time I did the application a little different than usual. I started the application in the back of my head, but I made sure to really concentrate on my problem area - applying lots of henna to that back portion. Since the front of my hair has a much looser curl pattern I decided not to apply the henna so thick to the front.

So, I left the henna on for a little over 2 hours and of course I DC'd with the Hello Hydration, honey, EVOO mix and this time I made sure to really pack the mixture on. I mean the conditioner completely and totally saturated my hair to the fullest. I left that on for a few hours as well. I noticed something when rinsing though. My hair seemed extra super soft. I think I had finally gotten the right measurements for the mixture. Too bad I didn't measure. I usually just pour it all together in a bow and mix. I added a little more EVOO this time and honey too. I noticed when I was rinsing my hair I could feel the EVOO still - if that makes sense. I liked that. My hair was so friggin soft and it always smells so good with that mixture.

I didn't add any product after I rinsed my DC since it was in the evening. Instead, I waited for my hair to dry as much as possible and then I clipped my hair down and placed my bonnet on. Can't complain not one bit. My hair is looking good. Kind of miss the 2 inches that was cut off a few weeks ago, but hey - it willl grow back - and when I look at the pics pre-cut, those ends needed to go away. Now I can start fresh and since I'm sealing I should see major progress.

I'm Cancelling My Date

2010-02-05T08:31:00.002-05:00

This is my designated henna weekend. Although I have co-washed my hair since my awesome trim & style from Urbanbella, my hair still looks great. I cowashed and added some Softee curl activator gel to my hair yesterday and put it up in a puff and let me tell you, my little coils and curls were putting on a show for everyone to see!

I'm not sure what happened at Urbanbella, but since my visit my hair is not the same. My hair feels softer and stronger. It feels less....."rough". I don't know if my hair cuticles were not completely closing or what was happening, but my hair almost always seemed "rough" in some way or another. Right now my hair is so super soft and smooth. I might just be investing in some of the products that were used on my hair at Urbanbella. I mean, my hair feels great!

So, in lieu of this, I will not be doing my bi-weekly henna treatment this weekend. That's right henna. I'm sorry, but I have to break our standing every other Saturday date. My hair feels so good right now that I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it.

I am almost about ready to rebel against the henna for a while. Well, I wouldn't really call it rebelling. I think I'm just going to lay off the henna for a minute and see what happens. I wonder what my hair would look like if I allowed the natural color to grow out and have this burgundy on the ends. LOL Probably a hot mess, but we will see. I might go a month or so without the henna and see just what happens.

Urbanbella Trim - Update

2010-01-30T18:20:00.003-05:00

Ok, well today was the day. I got up and showered around 9:00 so I could be ready to leave the house right after 10:00 for my 11:00 appointment. I didn't do anything to my hair since they told me to "come as you are" for my trim. Traffic was jacked up from I85 to the GA400 ramp so I had to take an alternate route which ended up being pretty easy.

With the delay in traffic I ended up getting to Urbanbella right at 11:00. When I got there a gentleman signed me in and I had to fill out a paper - similar to what you would fill out at the doctor's office if you were a new patient. It asked questions like:

What do you want to accomplish today? (styling, volume, cut, etc)
What concerns do you have about your hair?
When was your last haircut/trim?
What chemicals are you currently using on your hair?
What is your hair regimen?
What products do you use on/in your hair?

It took me a minute to fill out the paper. Once finished I looked through a book of styles they had on the table in the waiting area. The book had pictures of styles along with the method of styling Ubanbella would use to achieve the pictured style. By the time I was making my second pass through the book, a stylist (Bernadette) came to get me.

Once I sat in the chair Bernadette asked what exactly I wanted and then she place a small towel around my neck and a smock over me. She asked about the color in my hair, then remembered that I had written on my form that I use henna bi-weekly in my hair. Then she asked if the henna color washes out - which led me to believe that she hadn't dealt with many customers who use it in their hair.

As Bernadette and I were talking, Keneesha walked in to greet the customers and ask another stylist some questions. I was in awe just looking at her. I didn't expect to see her in the salon at all, but she was there mostly cleaning up and finding out what products needed to be reordered. I was trying not to stare and I could help but giggle at myself for being so childish.

After Bernadette and I discussed what I would be having done, we went over to the shampoo bowl. First she washed my hair with Deva Care No-Poo. Then she conditioned my hair with JCS Nutrient Replenish. Then I was given a deep treatment with Curls Hair Tea and was placed under the dryer for 30 minutes. After I was taken from under the dryer I went back to the styling char where Bernadette began to detangle my hair. I was dreading this part because I just knew my head would be sore afterwards. However, Bernadette was taking very good care of my hair. She was heavy-handed, but not in a way that hurt.

Keneesha (the owner of the salon) ended up calling Bernadette away, so Ukali ended up finishing the detangling session. Let me just say, she was sooo gentle that I had to watch the mirror to make sure that she was truly detangling my hair. As my hair was being detangled, the would twirl the detangled section and then pin it up with a clip.

After the detangling was finished, Ukali went through my hair and asked exactly what style I wanted my hair cut into. At that time I told her I was just concerned about removing my split ends. She combed through a section of my hair and then came the news. "I need to cut off about 2 inches", she said. I was fine with that, considering that I hadn't had a cut or real trim since I BC'd on August 22, 2008. So only 2 inches, I was totally fine with that.

Ukali started to cut my hair as I watched her in the mirror. The scissors she had came from her own special case. The scissors were sharp too. Each snip sounded "oh so precise". I watched as she combed and snipped and combed and snipped. I was a little worried because I wondered how my hair would look after the cut, but I knew I needed the ends trimmed.

After she finished trimming my hair she swept up the hair, which really was minimal. I was surprised. I'm sure I wont miss the hair. After Ukali finished the cut/trim, we went back to the shampoo bowl so that she could rinse out the Curls Hair Tea.

As she was finishing my rinse out Keneesha came back into the part of the salon where we were and started putting some things away. Imagine my surprise when she began to finish rinsing my hair!!!!!!!!! OMG! I could not believe it!

She and I chatted as she asked about my hair, the henna, and the other products I use in my hair. She said she would start by adding Kinky Curly Curling Custard to my hair. She really was meticulous about adding the product to my hair. I mean, she has a complete routine in how she did it. She added the KCCC all around and all over my hair. Once she completed that, she said she would then add Miss Jessie's Curly pudding on the top. This process took a minute because she would add product, then add a little water, then more product, then more water, then more product, then smoothed it out. This went on for a while until she had my hair perfectly smoothed out with product.

Once the product application was complete, she place me under they dryer. Keneesha had already told me that the product application would cause my hair to take a while to dry and as thick as my hair is, I knew it would take a while too - especially with that KCCC on my hair. Anyway, I think I was under they dryer for over an hour. I didn't even check the time because I just wanted to enjoy the experience.

The dryer felt sooo good. The heat was just right - not that burning heat I've felt in some other salons. I was just meditating and trying to catch a nap under there. It really was relaxing. While I was under they dryer I was able to see myself in the mirror and a lady behind me who was getting a color job done. I watched her hair go from dark brown to a burgundy almost like mine. LOL

Once I was dry, I was taken back to my seat by Ukali where she got some Miss Jessie's Curly Buttercream and added a little to my hair while she finger combed it out. Yes, I could notice that my hair was shorter, but I also noticed that the ends didn't look as thin and stringy as they had a few days ago. I love the new cut and the way my hair was styled. I do have to say that I am really not a fan of Miss Jessie's, but for the way Keneesha applied the product and styled my hair - well, I love it.

I know there have been a lot of ladies that don't really care for MJ's and says it ends up drying their hair out, but I felt safe since the KCCC was added to my hair first. I don't think it would be too bad to use it every once in a while with the KCCC added first. I like the way my hair looks with the combination. Keneesha explained that the Curly Pudding would give my hair a more "finished" look over top of the KCCC and I knew exactly what she was saying. She was exactly right.

Once my finger styling was completed I went to the front where Keneesha checked me out and gave me a "Customized Take Home Prescription". Basically it was just a re-cap of what they had done at the salon and what products were used. It also told me how to maintain the style at home and what to do if I wanted to refresh the style for 2nd or 3rd day hair.

When it was all said and done and I was checking out of the salon, it was 3:21 and I had been there for 4 1/2 hours!!!! That is a pretty long time. I knew it would take a while because I have a lot of thick hair and my hair takes a long time to dry, but I didn't think it would take this long.

Would I do it again? YOU BET!!!! I am totally and completely satisfied with my experience at Urbanbella.

I'm posting a few pics, but encourage you to visit my fotki for more pics.

Urbanbella Trim

2010-01-29T13:47:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I called Urbanbella around lunch time today and they had an opening for a trim on tomorrow morning at 11:00am!!! Of course I booked the appointment. I had to. That was right on time because anyone who knows me knows that I do not like to wait - for anything! I paid my $50 deposit (which goes towards my service) and am booked and ready. I just hope that the weather doesn't get too bad and I have to reschedule.

They are going to shampoo and condition my hair then trim - that costs $60. But, since i haven't been to a salon in 2 years I decided to pay an extra $20 for them to use some product and fingerstyle me on out. So it will be $80 total, which isn't bad. I wouldn't do this every month or even every 3 months, but once a year? Yeah, I would splurge and do it once a year.

The stylist who booked my appointment said that my actual stylist may recommend additional services like deep conditioning or hydrating, but those would be optional. I'm wondering what - if anything - they will recommend? I'm not spending more than the $80 for the service I agreed to - that's it - nothing more! At least for a little while I will be pampered and I can let someone else take on the responsibility of making my hair look good.

I'll make sure to come back tomorrow night with an update and pics from my Urbanbella trim.

To Blow Out or not to Blow Out

2010-01-28T17:29:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I have been on the hair blogs and feening to blow my hair out. I mean, it's been over a year since I have had my hair straight And I kind of miss it. I have been asking questions and researching to see what types of precautions I need to take to make sure that I don't damage my hair with the heat of the blow dryer. I know I don't want to go through another "grow-out" process just because I wanted to try to blow my hair out.

Anywho, I went and bought some Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide to protect my hair from the heat. It came highly recommended by the ladies over on the 4a board at NaturallyCurly.com. The Redken was about $16 for a bottle and a little really goes a long way. I'm sure I will have that bottle for a long time because I will not be putting heat on my hair but maybe twice a year.

So, the first thing I did was shampoo my hair with Kinky Curly Come Clean. Right now that's my holy grail shampoo. I love the smell of it, and it gets my hair really clean. I only have to use it every other month unless my hair has a lot of product buildup. After I shampooed, I conditioned with Suave Coconut - another holy grail. While the conditioner was in my hair I made sure to do a thorough detangle. Then I rinsed out the conditioner, towel blotted my hair dry and added the Redken.

After the Redken was applied all over my hair, I went on to blow it out. I used the Denman to sort of stretch my hair while drying it. I used my hair dryer on medium heat and made sure to keep the nozzle away from my hair as much as I could. Back in the old days I would have used the dryer attachment and everything to try and get my hair to the coveted "bone str8" look. Well, after about an hour of blow drying, I decided to give up. My arms were getting tired and so was I. I liked the freedom of my wash-n-go's and this was NOT what was up. When I stopped, my hair looked like this:

Let me just say, when I thought of blowing my hair out, this was not what I had in mind! LOL I truly thought I would get my hair nearly straight like some of the ladies on the hair board did. I should have know better. My hair rebels! It was probably laughing at me the entire time I was attempting to blow my hair out.

I guess if I really want it blown out I would have to go to a professional. I'm thinking I need my ends trimmed and I wouldn't dare try that on my own. I have notice a few split ends here and there and I don't want it to get worse. I'm thinking if I let anyone straighten and trim my ends I would have to go to Urbanbella to let them do it. I don't know if I would even trust anyone else with my hair. Ahhhh, ok, so I took just a few minutes to call Urbanbella to see if they had to straighten my hair to trim the ends and they do not. Not sure how accurately they could trim it without straightening it, but hey, they are in business for a reason. I think I will call in the morning to make an appointment with them. I think I can treat myself to a professional cut/trim once a year.

Oh well, I'll keep you all posted as to when I get my trim and how it goes. I'll have updates with the whole experience.

Ciao ladies!

Thank You

2009-12-17T11:03:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who is following my blog. I started this blog earlier this year just as a way for me to vent and take notes regarding my journey with my hair (and a few other random things). I never really went out and “pushed” my blog or advertised it. All I did was provide a simple link in my signature on the 2 hair boards that I frequent.

As of today I am grateful to have 28 followers. That’s at least 2 new followers a month. I know I’m not writing super compelling articles or even giving out tips to miraculously grow you hair overnight. I’m just providing information about how I deal with my hair and my opinions about the products I use (or don’t use) and why, and the benefits I have seen for the routine(s) I have.

I am happy to see the numbers of followers grow and even more, I am happy to receive a message from someone who says that my blog has helped them, or given them some good information that they could take and use. That’s what this blog is all about – sharing knowledge in the hopes that I could help someone or just provide some information that someone felt was valuable.

So I humbly say “Thank You” to everyone who reads and/or follows my blog.

Update: Reshma Henna

2009-12-16T14:52:00.004-05:00

Here I am again slacking on posting - too much going on. I used the Reshma henna and why did I love it? LOL since the Reshma comes in 200g boxes I only have to mix one for a full henna application - convenient. One thing I noticed about the Reshma henna – that stuff had almost IMMEDIATE dye release!!! I was almost afraid to let it sit because I thought I would miss the window for dye/color uptake to my hair.

I haven't been mixing my henna with honey like I should have been the past few times, so the rinse out has not been as seamless as in previous applications where I have mixed in the honey. I have just bought a new bottle of honey, and I promise to always keep some in my stash. Not only do I mix it with my henna just prior to application, but I also use it when I make my deep conditioning, and it's also a wonderful and healthy alternative to cough syrup.

I was supposed to henna last night, but couldn’t since I wasn’t going to be home. I have tonight at home, but really want to relax, so I will wait until a week from Saturday before I henna again. That will put me back on track for bi-weekly henna applications.

I gotta say though, I’m still trying to make sense of this henna thing. I see the color change in my hair from sandy brown to a cherry brown/burgundy, but I still don’t understand “full color saturation” and what it truly means. From what I thought I understood, full color saturation happens when your hair will not become any darker from the henna applications – which I’ve heard usually happens anywhere between the 3rd and 5th application. Now, understanding this, can certain henna lighten your hair? I will have to say that would be doubtful. The only reason I am even trying to figure this out is because it seems that since using the Reshma henna, my hair has a different “glow”. In the picture to the left you can see the glow really well.

I think it’s time for me to start doing a little more research on henna. I know how henna changes your hair color, but I need to figure out if colors can be altered. I mean I guess if a different brand was used it could/would cause different effects on the hair. This sounds like a good science project! Let me talk to my son. LOL

This Could Be Trouble

2009-12-04T12:55:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. I went on a henna run today because I am completely out! When I got to the Indian Market there was no MDH Henna at all!!! Not even one box. I could have died. I've been using that for 6 months and I love it. What was I going to do? Well, they had just stocked up with Reshma Henna and I had heard good things about it so......

I picked up a box to take a look at it. Immediately I noticed that the box was larger than my regular MDH Henna box. Reshma comes in 200g boxes instead of the 100g boxes like most boxes of henna. that is a plus because I used at least 200g per application and if I am using henna on my daughter I need a bit more.

I am actually a week behind in my henna process and I am not sure if I want to wait until next weekend to henna or henna 2 weeks in a row to get back on track. I'm thinking I'll henna this weekend and then again on the 15th and then I'll almost be back on schedule. I am anxious to see how this henna will work. I'm also a little nervous. I've had such good results with MDH Henna that it was hard to just up and buy another brand.

I think I am going to henna tonight - or at least mix it. We'll see.

...and of course I will post my results - complete with pics for you ladies to see.

101 Protective Styles

2009-12-02T16:03:00.010-05:00

I am posting this as an FYI. I saw this list somewhere else and decided to post it here so that I would have it readily available in the event that I needed to refer back to it. Although most if not all of the styles are not done on natural/napptural hair, you still get the idea and similar styles can be achieved.

SLEEK & SIMPLE (for long hair, some for short/med hair):

- Classic Bun (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34532#34621)

- Bun w/ Sideswept Bang (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8861)

- Bun w/ Chopsticks- Bunned Pigtails

- Chignon (http://z.about.com/d/beauty/1/0/f/E/chignon7.JPG, http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...ns/image/34542)

- Unique Chignon/Bun (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8861#8882)

- Textured Chignon (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8861#8892)

- French Roll/Twist (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34532, http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34602, http://photos.essence.com/galleries/beauty_its_a_wrap/image/15132, http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8862)

- French Roll w/ Pompadour (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8862#8862)

- Braided Coil Updo (http://www.hairstylescut.com/articles/holiday-updo.htm

- scroll to Beyonce)- Roller/Flexirod/Curlformer set & Clip up the hair- Flamenco (http://www.longlocks.com/flamenco.gif, http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- Elegant Gibson (http://www.longlocks.com/elegantgibson.gif, http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- Braided chignon (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/braids/image/9852)

- Retro Pompadour - Romantic Bun - Ringlets with Headband (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/updos_/image/8862#8912)

- Bun with Headband (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...les/image/2072)

- Sophisticated Bun (http://www.essence.com/essence/photo...3897-6,00.html)

- Quick Updo - Event Updos (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...on/image/85822)

SINGLE-TWISTING IT:

- Bantu Knots (http://images.inmagine.com/168nwm/rubberball/rbv013/rbv0130053.jpg)

- Finger / Comb Coils (for short natural hair)(http://www.naani.com/contents/media/dreamypisces029.jpg, http://www.naani.com/models/photos/a0/98/66/a098662b826cd94.jpeg)

DOUBLE-TWISTING IT:

- Twist Updo (http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/57172304.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939847EC77F5F8D1CEBBA218850D491E14A40A659CEC4C8CB6, http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34532#34582)

- Twists into Bun (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34532#34592)

- Twisted Ponytail- Twisted Ponytail into Bun - Twisted Buns - Chunky Twists- Tiny Twists- Flat Twists (http://www.aolcdn.com/aolnews_photos/0d/07/20050426160009990011, http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f323/phillyflower/DSC01452.jpg)

- Senegalese Twists (http://www.braidsinc.com/gallery/senegalese1.JPG)

- Kinky Twists - Spring Twists- Gypsy Twists (scroll down: http://www.khamitkinks.com/twists_locs.html)

- Baby Curl Twists (scroll down: http://www.khamitkinks.com/twists_locs.html)

- Loc Extensions (http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd85/mushiyasmith/0150-921-davadreadupdo.jpg)

- Loc Updo (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/photos_buns/image/34532#34552)

BRAIDING IT:

- Single Braided Ponytail- Single Braided Ponytail into Bun/Updo (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/braids/image/9852)

- Double Braided Bun (http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- Sideswept Fishtail (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...ls/image/13591)

- Box Braids (w/ real hair/extensions)- Individual Braids (extensions)- Micros (not too tight)- Tree Braids (http://www.spoiledsalonandspa.com/im...eBraid_001.jpg)

- Cornrows (w/ real hair/extensions)- Cornrows into ponytail (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/braids/image/9852#9791 )

- Plaits- One French Braid (http://photos.essence.com/galleries/...es/image/20342)

- Two French Braids- French Tuck (http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- English/Dutch Braids (http://www.longlocks.com/how-to-braid-hair.htm, http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/Braiding_Tips.htm)

- French/English/Dutch Braid(s) (w/ extensions)- Victorian (http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- Edwardian Braid (http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm)

- Braids into Updo

- More braided styles: http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/Braiding_Tips.htm

MIX N MATCH:

- Cornrows in front; Twists in back- Cornrows in front; Box Braids in back- Cornrows in front; Bun in back- Flat Twists in front; Twists in back- Flat Twists in front; Box Braids in back- Flat Twists in front; Bun in back- Bantu Knots in front; Twists in back- Bantu Knots in front; Box Braids in back- Bantu Knots in front; Bun back- Braids into Bantu Knots (http://www.worldofbraids.com/upload/page_files/58.jpg)

- Twists into Bantu Knots

COVER IT UP:

- Cornrows under Wig- Weave / Sew-in- Micros / Sew-in Combo- Lace Front / Lace Wig- Phony pony- Phony puff- Bun/Cornrows/Twists/Braids under HeadWrap (http://www.bilaldesigns.com/ProductI...blackgauze.jpg)

- Bun/Cornrows/Twists/Braids under Tam (http://www.curlyhairsalon.com/images/cotton-crochet-tam.jpg, http://pyogazel.free.fr/img_blog/kinky.JPG, http://evilbeetgossip.film.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/yaya2.jpg)

There's No Place Like Home

2009-12-02T08:20:00.004-05:00

With the holidays last week I know many people traveled to a place that they fondly call “home”. Often times this “home” is a smaller town/city where they mother or grandmother lives – along with various other family members. Anywho…

I went home to Tuscaloosa, AL over the holiday break and I had a really good time. I always look forward to spending time with family that I don’t get to see often. My children get to visit their Grandmothers and Nanas. We eat at places that we don’t have here in the ATL, and life is just a little more relaxing.

Well, while grocery shopping at Bruno’s, a lady (with relaxed hair) came up to me and just struck up a conversation about my hair. Here’s how it happened:

Lady: Hi, how are you?
Me: I’m fine, and you?
Lady: I’m good. I just wanted to let you know that your hair is pretty and I really like it.
Me: (smiling) Thank you.
Lady: How did you get it to look like that? Did you twist it first?
Me: No, I just washed it with conditioner and added some gel and went on my way.
Lady: Well, it’s really pretty. Do you get it done locally?
Me: No, I do it myself at home.
Lady: So you did nothing but wash it and it looks like that? Mine wouldn’t do that.
Me: Yep, all I do is wash it and add some gel. I had to get rid of my perm before it would do this though.
Lady: I don’t think my hair would do that. I guess we have different textures and that’s just the texture of your hair. Well, it’s very pretty.
Me: (smiling) Thank you.
Lady: See you later.
Me: Ok, bye.
(my husband walks up to me)
Husband: Who was that lady? Do you know her? What did she want?
Me: She wanted to talk about my hair.
Husband: Uh oh. I can hear you now: You got the African drums in the background and you talking about how you use natural berries in your hair and henna. “Child, I use Kinky Curly…”
Me: Shut up! LOL

I got 2 other compliments on my hair during my visit home. I was really shocked because Tuscaloosa is a small town and I see a few naturals there, but it’s nothing like the natural community here in Atlanta. T-town showed me and my fab hair some love over the holidays, and it truly made me think:

…there’s no place like home.

Catching Up

2009-11-18T13:49:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone. Work has had me so swamped that I hadn't had much time to post anything. I really don't have much to post. My hair and I have just been cruising along. I've been pretty much sticking to my bi-weekly henna applications - which is really doing great things for my hair. Sometimes I don't feel like the long process of henna, but hey, if I miss a week or two, then I am still doing the application at least once a month so that's fine by me.

I've gotten into a "no new products" buying challenge on Naturally Curly, so that is somewhat limiting what I can/will purchase for styling. I wanted to try Eco Styler gel, but I will not do that until my challenge is over. So, I've been trying to find different ways to use the Long Aid gel and my Lemon Cake Batter to get the results I want. Right now it almost seems as if my hair requires more butters than usual. I think it's because it has been getting a little cooler outside and there has been less humidity in the air. Not only am I using the Long Aid Gel, but I am finishing the ends with the Lemon Cake Batter.

Today I didn't even co-wash. I just wet my hair in the shower and went on to add the Lemon Cake Batter. I know my DH loved it because I was able to cut my shower time by half this morning since I was not co-washing. I have to admit, my hair is super soft. I love what the "butter batter" has done for my hair.

Although it's been only 15 months since my BC, I have learned a lot about my hair, but I still have a lot to learn. I guess by this time next year, I might just have it down to a science.

1 Year Comparison

2009-11-03T15:46:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to drop a short comparison post. It's not my Nappiversary or anything like that, but I think I am going to start doing comparison posts every month just to remind myself about how far I have come in this short time.

This time last year (November 2008) I was sporting a TWA and it was election time! I also made my first attempt at 2-strand twists. Looking back, I think I was brave to attempt those little bitty twists. LOL They even look a little funny now, looking back. That was just one year ago! How about that. I'm just looking in awe of my accomplishment with growing my hair out. I can hardly believe the progress I have made.

Now, here I am, one year later with hair that I am loving:

I'm Getting There

2009-11-03T13:38:00.009-05:00

Ok, so I am always on hair blogs and site looking at the trends and styles for natural hair. I'm reading up on products and everything. So, imagine my surprise when Brigid Turner showed up on the header banner for The Coil Review during the October 2009 issue. Brigid actually models hairstyles for Khamit Kinks in Brooklyn, NY. Her hairstyle is simply jaw-dropping and I can not wait until my hair gets there! Sure, it's weave, but this hairstyle is fierce!!! I mean, I am even using her pic as my IM avatar! I never really go bananas over anyone's hair, but this did it for me. Why? Well, because this truly is a realistic hair goal for me. I mean it's truly attainable. Our textures are not too far off - in this pic, her hair does have a looser curl pattern than mine, but it's still very similar. I think if I can get my hair to grow out for another year, I could be really close. So look out for me during the 2010 Holiday Season!

I can see myself now, going to the Holiday party next year rockin' this crazy style! OMG! Folks will hafta get outta my damn way because a diva will be in the building! LOL How amazing would it be to wear this hair every day? Well, let's take a look at the answer to that question. To me, this looks like a fab wash-n-go. Probably salon styled, but hey, I have faith in myself that I can do this style with that amount of hair. My only thing is what do you do with the hair at might, because surely you are not doing a wash-n-go every day - not with that much hair. Now I'm starting to think of detangling sessions! Ouch! O_o LMAO But hey, to have great hair, you have to take care of it, and that's a part of having natural hair. I hear it alot: "you get out what you put in". This is exactly true and if you want great hair, you have to treat it right.

I am all about using great things on my hair, but that doesn't necessarily mean using the most expensive products on my hair. I have used the Kinky curly line which to me is pretty expensive, but my hair seems to like cheaper, less expensive products (right now, we know how temperamental our hair can be from time to time). I use Suave Naturals to co-wash and Herbal Essences Hello Hydration & Hydralicious mixed with olive oil and honey for my deep treatments. I used MDH Henna for my henna applications. This henna is about $1.29 per 100 gram box. I alternate between using Long Aid Activator get and the Lemon Cake Batter I make. So all in all, I really don't spend that much money on hair products. I really could do without the Kinky Curly Curling Custard. I'm trying to figure out if I need to keep purchasing the Knot Today leave-in conditioner. The Come Clean shampoo is a keeper for sure. If I can find a leave-in that is comparable to Knot Today with a cheaper price, then "it's on"!

For the most part, I guess I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. My hair is growing. It's looking good and feeling good. For the most part, I think I know what my hair likes and doesn't like. I'm fortunate - my hair is very easy to work with and always has been. It doesn't give me a lot of trouble. I'm lucky and I know this. I read about people having to avoid protein and cones and all kinds of other stuff. I don't even read the labels. The only thing I try to avoid is gels with alcohols in them because I know that dries my hair out. Other than that, I'm going for what ever product works in my hair. Since they really don't cost me alot, I'm not losing much if it turns out that my hair doesn't/didn't like it. So, I guess I'm saying all of this to say, hey, I'm getting there, and I am on my way to having the hair that I want.

Tired of the Wet Look

2009-10-29T15:00:00.009-04:00

Earlier this week I decided to shampoo my hair - which I know I hadn't done in about 2 months. My hair felt so good to be clean. I also love the smell of Kinky Curly Knot Come Clean. The citrus smell is great. I followed up my shampooing with the Kinky Curly Knot Today. I love how that stuff makes my hair feels.

I followed up my freshly shampooed mane by adding some of my Lemon Cake Batter - that's it. I just have a fro - no flopping, not dripping wet hair, no wet looking curls - none of that. I just wanted a nice, soft fro that didn't flop in the middle. I can't that by weighing my hair down with gels.

For whatever reason, I was just tired of using gel and my HIF Disease wasn't helping. I didn't like the gel residue that was starting to accumulate on my hair. It left my hands sticky & tacky, so who knows what all of that was doing to my hair.

My "cake batter" definately has my hair feeling as soft as a cloud. I'm enjoying my "big" hair and wearing a fro that sits up instead of automatically flopping in the top/middle.

Just looking back at my "hair journal", I am just at a loss for words. I have had so many differnt looks over the past 14 months since my BC. Natural hair is where it's at. I can have a super soft cloud of a fro one day, super defined coils the next day, 2-strand twists the next day, I mean my hair is just so versatile. I love it more and more each day.

What do you bet that tomorrow I wake up end up having a head full of gel because I want defined coils? LOL, well, at least I have that option.

Weight Loss Update

2009-10-27T10:55:00.005-04:00

I had gotten some comments on my weight loss and since I hadn't blogged in a while I decided to come on in and update everyone on the progress.

The first thing I did to start my weight loss journey was join Caloriecount.com. There I can enter in everything that I am eating and it automatically calculates the calories for me. It also tells me how many calories I have burned during the day at any given time. You can also log your daily activities and find out how many calories you have burned. They even have a Face Book application so when you log your weight, your friends can see how much weight you have lost. I don't use calorie count as much as I did in the beginning, because I am sticking with a lot of the same foods and I know about how much I can eat at a time.

I am not a real water drinker so any water I drink is a struggle. I get down at least 30 - 40oz of water at work and maybe another 20oz at home. I have almost completely cut out any sodas. If I drink a soda most likely it's a ginger ale or diet soda and those are very limited - once or twice a week. I am almost exclusively a water drinker.

I have also cut down on a lot of sweets. It's a daily struggle because I love cake. Birthday Cake! I crave it. I can buy it by the slice and I will if I don't concentrate on my goal. I stay away from sweets as much as possible so that when I really am at my breaking point and I must have it, I indulge - but not over indulge. That is the key. I just tell myself, that every time I "pass" or turn down dessert, that just allows me another time that I can really say yes. Even when I do decide to have a treat, it's not long before I am satisfied. For example, this weekend, I wanted Oreos. I was able to eat only 2 and I was honestly satisfied with those two cookies.

I also try not eat a meal after 7:00pm. Most times I don't eat anything after 5:00pm unless it's fruit or vegetables. That has helped me tremendously. Since I also have acid reflux, ending my meals earlier has also helped to keep that in check as well.

I have even cut back on fried foods and carbs as much as possible. Even if I happen to eat out at a fast food restaurant, I opt for slaw, fruit, or salad instead of french fries so that when I really want french fries I can have a few. It's a sacrifice, but I am enjoying the rewards.

I think my body and I can finally agree and get along with one another. I have gotten into a rhythm and routine that I don't want to break away from. In February I had to buy all new pants because mine were getting too small. This past weekend, I cleaned out my closet again so that I could make room for a few more items in smaller sizes. I am no longer wearing 2X's or XL Women's sizes. I can comfortably say that my tops are now a size L-Large. I haven't been that in a while and I am so happy. I am now a solid size 18 and not the 26 that I once was a few years ago or even the size 20, 22, or 24 I was earlier this year.

I am excited about what I have going on. I look at myself now and there is no way that I am going back. I am hoping to lose 54 more pounds so that I can be at a healthy weight for my height. I want to get rid of the medications I take for high blood pressure, and angina, and I want this borderline diabetes to go far, far away. The only way I can do this is to take matters into my own hands and get this weight off. The mini-rewards of new clothes here and there is a constant reminder of what I am doing is working. I'm now down 33 pounds for the year. Once I reach my goal, weight and can maintain it, I will be giving myself one final reward - a tummy tuck! Look out world, here I come.....

Hair & Weight and Weight & Hair

2009-09-29T16:20:00.005-04:00

As I sit here, just thinking about how I have been slipping with the blogging, I do have some good reasoning behind it. Work for one has become a bit more demanding and it is our busiest time of year so that leaves me with very little free time during the week.

My main focus over the past few months has been my hair and my weight. With my hair, it wasn't so simple. I had to be able to find the right products for my hair within a reasonable budget. I also had to find the right styling method(s) as well as a night time routine. I mean it could have all been overwhelming - but it wasn't. For the most part, I don't have/use expensive products. I am fortunate - my hair behaves very well, and because I continue to use the same products, if I tried something and my hair were to turn out horrible, I would know exactly what product to "ban" from my regimen.

Adding the bi-weekly henna is time consuming but worth it. My hair is loving it and I am loving the results. My hair is so much softer than it ever was. I also can "go light" on the rpoduct usage as well. I'm tripping because my hair is thick, but now I am at the point where it is not necessary to use insane amounts of product to get the same results I was getting maybe 2 - 3 months ago.

I think I am a bit obsessed with my hair, but it's ok. LOL Now my weight, that's something else. I've lost 29 pounds this year with no sign of stopping. It's been rough too. I'm not even gonna lie. But I am loving the new me. I feel so much better. Although I am no where near my goal, I am totally motivated by the fit of my pants. Sure, it's annoying to keep having to pull them up, but it's alot better to do that than to have to unbutton them because they are cutting into your skin!

It may be funny, but that has been a real truth for me. My eating had gotten out of control. I was eating just for the sake of eating. I was eating because I was bored or just because I felt like eating...and eating whatever I want, too, just as if there was no consequence. I have finally seen the light and refuse to go back.

Regimen Confirmed

2009-09-21T09:52:00.005-04:00

Well, Friday night I did my 7th henna application. I had already mixed the henna at work so that as soon as I got home. I ended up leaving the henna in all night. I didn’t really plan on it, but I did.

When I woke up around 6:00am –ish, I got into the shower to rinse. It didn’t take to terribly long. I co-washed about twice to make sure that the majority of the henna was gone. I have noticed that when I sleep in the henna it’s harder for me to rinse, so I think that is my last time doing that for a while. The next time I henna it will be for no more than 5 hours. This will also leave more time for my deep conditioning.

I made my same deep conditioner with a mix of Hello Hydration and Hydralicious, honey, and EVOO. This mixture always has my hair smelling like heaven! I simply love it. It also keeps my hair soooo soft. No need for me to spend extra bucks when this stuff will do the trick.

The one thing I meant to do was to apply some of my Lemon Cake Batter to my hair before the deep conditioner. I bet that would have totally sealed the deal and sent my hair over the edge! LOL That’s ok – it’s a side-note for the next time.

Once I rinsed out the deep conditioner, I was set. My hair felt great – as usual. I am still so surprised every time I henna and my hair is like “whoa”! My hair feels so good. Coils and curls get more defined, less frizz – what more could a girl ask for?

More than anything though, I was surprised at how long my hair has gotten. Check it out for yourself.

Date Night

2009-09-18T12:17:00.001-04:00

Yep, its date night and unfortunately it’s not with my husband. This time it’s with henna. LOL Yep, time for my bi-weekly henna application. I am undecided as to how I feel about it. I almost feel like it’s too soon to henna again, but whatever.

As I type this, there is henna sitting on my desk (@ work) getting “ripe” for this evening’s application. After 4 hours of sitting, it looks like there has been some dye release. I am undecided as to the process will take this time.

I will mix in the honey before application – as usual; however, I am unsure as to how I will go through the rinsing process and DC (deep condition). I want to stop by Wal-Mart and get some Hello Hydration & Hydralicious to do my regular DC, but as tired as I am, I don’t know if I will feel like it.

I know good and well that I am not going to use my Giovanni to do the DC. LOL …and I don’t think that Suave will cut it for the DC – so it looks like I will have to go and drop about $8.50 in Wal-Mart this evening for my DC supplies. At least I still have honey and olive oil. I am going to have to buy bigger bottles – especially if I am going to henna every other week.

Not that it’s a big deal to buy bigger bottles – I mean; I already buy the $5.00 bottle of Hello Hydration. I just wish that Hydralicious came in a big $5.00 bottle or that Wal-Mart sold their own brand of it. Kmart sells their own store brand knock off of Hello Hydration, but I really don’t shop Kmart like that to know about their store brand products, so I left it sitting there.

I’m not even sure how long I’m gonna leave the henna in. I don’t know anything! LOL I was thinking of leaving it in at least 4 – 6 hours. If I happen to fall asleep and it’s in longer, no big deal. If I can manage to stay home tomorrow, the DC will stay in all day. Well, I guess it could still stay in all day because if I needed to go out, I could just wear a head wrap. That’s an option.

Now that I think about it, I need the henna out by like 11:00pm so I can DC over night. I don’t want to leave the DC in too long. All day until the next morning seems like a long time. I better just keep this going the way I’ve been doing it.

I see now that I am gonna have to freestyle this henna application. I’m tripping. I want to get maximum color, conditioning, and curl elongation, so the henna will have to stay on until morning and then DC for maybe 4 hours. I just need my hair dry before bed-time Saturday night. This plan should work – I guess. If I wash the henna out around 7:00am and then leave the DC in until at least 11:00am, I should be good to go. I might pick up a VO5 to co-wash the henna from my hair too.

I guess I’ll just see how I feel about it all when I get home. 4 more hours to go…

Water: The Essential Element of Life

2009-09-18T10:51:00.004-04:00

This post is gonna be so random. I have so much on my mind. This past week has been a week of extreme emotional challenges and I am praying that I have at least gotten over the hump.

First of all, water.
Don’t think I’m crazy. Yes, I said “water”. I hate drinking the stuff. I truly do, but I cannot deny the results I have seen lately from my increased intake of H2O. My skin is looking good. Not many break-outs or pimples. I usually get one around “that time” and that’s it. Even my problem areas on my upper arms are completely clear.

Not only has it helped my skin, but it has more than helped in my weight loss. In just the past month I have lost 7 pounds and I know that it has a lot do with me drinking more water.
I have also realized why my hands swell so badly. It’s the sodas I have been drinking. I love soda, ok. Love it! I mean I have a 12 pack of Ginger Ale as “tummy fixer” in my room at almost all times. (don’t ask, I have a lot of tummy issues) And my new fave drink is Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper! That stuff is so yummy – I could have that as my dessert if I really needed it to be.

Anyway….back to what I was saying about the swelling hands. My hands have been swelling when I am out walking at the mall, around the neighborhood, any time I work out, etc. and I never knew why. I do take a “water pill for my high BP, but that didn’t even seem to help with my hands swelling. Well, since I have “kicked-up” the amount of water I have been drinking, I have not really been thirsty for other beverages. So I have really been trying hard to drink water at/with my meals just so that I can get in as much water as possible.

Well, there was one day in particular that I didn’t drink any soda. I only had water – all day. I walked my dogs that evening in the neighborhood and didn’t get any hand swelling. I was amazed. I thought I was cured. Until the next week when I went to the mall with my son only to find my hands swelling! I could not for the life of me figure out why that was happening. Then I went back to the food log I use on Calorie Count and realized the only thing was the day I walked the dogs, I didn’t have any soda. So I have been noticing now – the days I drink soda – I find that my hands swell if I do any activities outside of “just sitting still”.

Needless to say, I have cut way back on the soda. Instead of 2 a day I have more like 3 a week – if that. I wondered when I would be able to give it up and what would lead me to do it, but I never really thought I could give it up. Not me, I was addicted to the stuff. GOD is slowly but surely seeing me through this madness.

Who knows how my hair is benefitting from all of this water? I guess I will see in the long run.

The Last Couple of Days

2009-09-13T12:03:00.002-04:00

Well, I have to admit, the past coule of days have been "good hair days" in more ways that one. I made a product for my hair from scratch - that truly is amazing (Lemon Cake Batter).

On Friday I was able to get some Giovanni products for $5.49 ea. This was great considering I wanted to try it out. I got a shampoo and 2 conditioners. I can't wait to use them!

On Saturday I got my Long Aid Activator Gel and that was the last thing I needed to complete my stash. When I take my son to football parctice this week I will re-up on Suave Naturals Coconut Conditioner and Vanilla Flower conditioner - Just so that I can continue to co-wash as much as I like.

I need to get back to the basics of my hair. Daily co-washing is what got me to where I am, so why should I stop now? LOL I think part of it is just laziness and finding it somewhat challenging to do my hair at this length. Oh well, just like I have heard other people say...."back to basics".

Visiting an Old Friend

2009-09-11T14:09:00.006-04:00

With all of the talk about Kinky Curly Curling Custard on some of the hairboards I frequent, I decided to revisit it since I had some just sitting under my bathroom sink taking up space. After my pretty decent experience with my Lemon Cake Batter, I didn't see the need to "hover" with it.

This morning I co-washed with Suave Vanilla Flower, then I added some Kinky Curly Knot Today with the Curling Custard on top. This time it took way less product to get a more than favorable result. I am excited.....again! Seems like I had fallen out of love with the KCCC and had moved on - or so I thought.

I think that all of my henna-ing to no end has helped with product application and not needing so much. I had heard that was one of the benefits, but really hadn't seen it yet. Well, after my 6th henna, I am finally seeing that benefit.

Now, what does this mean? Well, I'm not sure. How long will I continue to drop $30 on some KCCC? I guess I'll have to see. I can't lie, my hair looks good today and it took little to no effort at all. I can't complain, and I really do like the product.

To be honest, I really did miss it. But what about it did I miss exactly? Was it the smell? The texture? How it makes my coils sit, hang, and command attention? I missed all of it. Yes, my long Aid Activator is very comparable, but it doesn't quite do what KCCC does for my hair.

Welcome back old friend. It really was good to see you.

Lemon Cake Batter

2009-09-10T08:35:00.006-04:00

Mixtress in the making? Could be. Back about 2 months ago I ordered some butters: Macadamia Nut, Aloe, Olive, & Shea. I ordered them with the intentions of using them for my hair in various ways. Well, I have been having the itch to mix a few things together to see how it would work for my hair, hence the new hand-held mixer I bought a week or so ago.

So, yesterday I went by Whole Foods and bought some Aloe Vera Gel and some Vegetable Glycerin so that I could make my mixtures last night. I was so excited. I took out all of my butters, my jojoba oil, and my sparkling lemonade. I was trying to figure out what butter(s) to incorporate into this mixture I was making.

So, I got my glass bowl and put a little shea butter in, then I added the aloe butter. The aloe butter is very soft - not at all like the shea butter. Then I decided I would also add in some olive butter which is also a very soft butter. I whipped the three butters together and in no time it was a very smooth. Not very hard at all, more like cream. Then I added some jojoba oil, aloe vera gel, glycerin, and some sparkling lemonade for scent. When I whipped it, I wanted the mixture to be a bit thicker so I added a little more shea butter.

It smelled great, however the consistency was not exactly what I was going for initially. I was trying for something more like very, very thick - like very thick whipped cream or a pudding consistency. No, more like spreadable cream cheese - yea, that's it. Then I thought back - in the beginning I wanted something comparable to the "creams" being sold by some of the upper end boutique style natural hair care companies, so hey - not a loss.

My mixture reminded me of cake batter. LOL If you look at it, it looks solid. Even if you turn the bowl on it's side, the "batter" moves very slowly, if at all. Oh, but when I touched it, it was very light and smooth, and it melted into my skin/hand right away. I knew I was going to like this. I wiped off my hand mixer to get all of the batter off, and rubbed my hand in my hair and oh my gosh!!!! It made my hair feel soooo good!

I co-washed my hair with Suave Naturals Vanilla Flower conditioner and detangled. I towel blotted my hair dry and began to part my hair and apply the batter to my hair and brush through with the Denman. My hair and I both were melting with pleasure. After I brushed through each battered section, I twisted the hair. I covered my hair with a silk scarf and bonnet. I loved smelling the lemony scent while sleeping. It was so relaxing.

When my husband came into our room, I asked him to smell my hair and tell me what it smelled like. He told me it smelled like a cake his grandmother used to make. Ok, that made me smile. Then he smelled it again and was like, I smell a little lemon too, like lemon cake. (That was the a-ha moment, because I had no idea what to call this concoction, but he gave me the name without ever knowing.)

This stuff is even good for your skin! I put some on my husband last night before bed and this morning his skin felt amazing! I hated that he had to take a shower! LOL

When I woke up this morning my hair was mega moisturized! I loved it. It feels good - and my hair has a wonderful lemon smell that is not overpowering. I know my hair is loving it. Who knew I could make such wonderful things? I can't wait to make my next batch of "batter".

Henna'd Up....again.

2009-09-08T13:44:00.003-04:00

Well, I am on scedule for my bi-weekly henna dates with my holy grail henna - MDH Henna Powder. I henna'd Friday night with no problem. I had mixed my henna by 2:30pm and and by 6:00 I already had dye release and the henna was already in my hair. Around 10:00 - 10:30 I was already rinsing and applying my deep conditioner mix of Hello Hydration, EVOO, and honey for an overnight deep conditioning treatment.

With my henna being in the deep freezer I think I am on point to purchase as much as I want and just stash it downstairs in the deep freezer. Man, yeah, I am about to be on a roll now. I'm trying to figure out if I can mix my henna in the mornings and apply when I get home or if the dye release will have been long gone y that time. I mean, the first time I henna'd it was cool to have it there for like 10 - 12 hours or so and it did color my hair, so I am guessing that it would be ok. However, I could always mix it at work and carry the henna back & forth. LOL Really though? That is way too much. I guess I could mix the henna before I leave for work. It would definately be ready for application once I got home though.

This time, I did something different during the henna process. I co-washed my hair after I rinsed most of the henna out. I used the Suave Coconut to co-wash and it worked very well. I also kept gloves on for most of the time (application as well as rinsing process) so that I wouldn't have the Cheeto effect going on. I'm trying to figure out if there is anything else I could be doing during the henna process that would make things easier or better. I guess I'll keep reading and learning. If any of you have any tips or suggetions, let me know.

My Pastor Talked About it This Morning

2009-09-06T17:38:00.006-04:00

Y'all....I went to church this morning - all ready to receive the word of GOD and of course I always love it when Rev. Alexander "brings it". LOL So, he preached from Daniel and talked about the "fiery furnace" and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I always love when he preaches about this story. Heck, I like when anyone preaches/talks about it. Madea/Tyler Perry always says "Shadrach, Meshach, and ABillyGoat", and someone else I know says "Shadrach, Meshach, and ABadNegro". LOL

Anyway, Rev. Alexander went off on that racism tip today - which was right up my alley. I was ready to hear this and I was all up into it. Now, mind you, I will be paraphrasing what he said today since I don't have the CD from today's service (yet). So, Rev. was talking about how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had their names changed from what their given names were and compared that to "black folks" today. How when we came here from Africa we were Niggers & Nigras. Then we became Negroes. Then we were "colored", and after that we became African American. And now we are just BLACK - which is the "cousin" to "colored". LOL

Oh, but the killing part was when he talked about how "we" in "the club" (you know the club - US - Us 'Black Folk') have to "try to fit in" to "the world". HAHAHAH Man, it was so funny....but when he busted us out for using "conk" and "frying our hair" to fit into "society" I thought I would die! Oh, but it gets better. He said, "yeah, we moved on from that to 'wearing other people's hair"!!!! Ooooh-weeeee!!!! LMAO

It is 6:00pm and I am still laughing about it. Rev. was saying, "no wonder we're confused, we don't even know what we really look like." HAHAHAH Oh lord. LOL I am still dying behind that. I can't wait to get the CD. Oh, and if I get the DVD, I will be posting it on YouTube.

Let me tell you, if I wasn't already napptural, I sure would have shut it down and quit perming after that message! LOL

The Dior Make-Up Counter in Macy's

2009-09-06T16:39:00.009-04:00

Alright ladies. I been on the hair boards for over a year now and blogging since March or so and those who know of me know that I don't do the make-up thing. I only wear it for special occasions. The most I do is mascara and lipstick/gloss - that's it - nothing more. So, ans I was walking through Macy's and the Dior lady approached me, I decided to give it a shot. What the heck - they would clean my face and apply expenisive make-up for free. What's not to like?

So first they clean my face with some cleanser, apply toner, and some eye serum. Of course....all while telling me how much I need the products to take care of my skin - that's a part of the game. Anyway, the cleansing was awesome, and they almost had me sold on buying the stuff, but my skin looks great just like it is.

Next came the application of the make-up. It all felt soo good. The foundation was in a spray can like a can of paint and it looked nice when I saw my face with nothing but the foundation on it. That make-up artist put everything on my face: foundation, bronzer, blush, eyeshadow, eye liner, mascara, lip liner, lip stick, lip gloss - all kids of stuff. The final look at myself was somthing different. Part of me liked it and part of me felt like it really wasn't me at all.

The real test was going to be what my 15 year old son thought of me when he saw it. His initial reaction was cool. He said it wasn't "too much", so I figured it was ok. I walked through the mall with someone elses face on me. When I went home to the rest of my family, I would know the deal.

Even before my family saw it I decided to take pictures - I mean, seeing as how I had about $1,000 worth of Dior product on my face, I felt like I should capture the moment. So, I started to take pictures. That's when I noticed............the mask!!!! WTF?!?!?!?! This so-called make-up artist for Dior didn't even blend the make-up in. You could see the whole "line" around my face...and the damn foundation wasn't even the right color - it was too light!!!!

When I looked at those pictures I was horrified! I mean, dang, I had just walked through the mall looking like that! *sigh* Lord have mercy. See, that's why I don't trust people with my face. I just don't. ....and she was supposed to be a professional, a paid and trained professional. ...and not just any professional.......a Christian Dior make-up artist. Are you kidding me? By the time I got home - which was 45 minutes, this stuff lookedlike it was practically melting off of my face! How disappointing is/was that?

I'll let y'all be the judges. Look at the pictures:

Needless to say, as soon as I saw this mess, I went right to my bathroom and scrubbed all of that mess off of my face except for the eye make-up and lip color. I still feel like the natural color of my face hasn't returned. Dayum! After I got home from College Gameday @ the Georgia Dome and Centinnial Olympic Park, I took a shower and proceeded to scrub until my face was like I like it - clean and pure.

OMG! It's back in my life.

2009-09-04T10:25:00.005-04:00

Well, while my son was at football practice yesterday I decided to go to the BSS in search of some tuck-n-combs for a style I wanted to try. (inspired by Spiral) So, I did just that. The store I went to sure didn't have much of a selection as far as combs went, so I decided to go down the street to Kmart.

Yep, you read that right: Kmart. I know that most of them are closing or have closed, but there are still a few of them around the Atlanta metro area. Anywho...I went in there and it took me a minute to locate the tuck-n-combs, but I got 2 packages. One package had 2 large combs about 4 inches wide and the other package had 12 small combs in different colors: 2 each of black, tortoise, clear, olive, navy, and a clear/cream color.

I was excited because the styles I had been wanting to try, I now could - with ease and quickness too! So, while perusing the hair care isles, I ran across something amazing! Y'all I ran up on some Suave Naturals Vanilla Flower. Why Lord, why? LOL I popped the top and took a whiff - "my Lord"!!!! That stuff smells heavenly. I have never seen that particular scent available anywhere!!! I had to get it. I mean, just the other day I said I was going to go back to co-washing with Suave, so this was perfect. Then on down the shelf they had a super huge bottle of the Coconut! Well, needless to say, I picked that up as well. So while my son has practice over there near Kmart I will be stocking up on the Suave.

I cowashed with the Coconut this morning, and man! My hair really missed it. What was I thinking to cut back on the daily co-washing because my hair had gotten a little longer. My napps was born & raised on Suave co-washing! LOL I can't stop now. I'll go back to saving the HE Hello Hydration & Hydralicious for my DC treatments. I'm sorry for doubting your love for me Suave. I know that Vanilla Flower will have us in love for years to come.

Alright, so, back to the co-washing. It was amazing this morning. I had forgotten how easy it was. Not to mention how much I really do enjoy it. My hair felt great afterwards too - not as good as it does after HEHH, but still, it felt good. Thank you for not giving up on me Suave.

You still my boo.

Hey Y'all

2009-09-02T13:34:00.006-04:00

Ok, I know I have been missing in action for a while but there really has been nothing going on. I have been trying to focus on getting healthy. I have been doing pretty good too. My weight loss plan is in full effect, so I am counting it as a blessing and thanking The Lord for just getting me this far.

On the hair end of things.....well, I have just been taking it easy. I'm not doing wash-n-go's, but more like rinse-n-go's. LOL It's coming up on the Fall, so I am cutting back on the gels and getting more into the butters. I have a little over a pound of Nikki's shealoe butter so I know I will need to re-up around November. I have some Macadamia nut and olive butters that I am dying to experiment with. I need to get some aloe vera gel and glycerin from whole foods and I will be on my way. I even bought one of those nice hand mixers from BrandsMart just for mixing my hair products. It's not the kind with the beaters. It's the stick kind that looks kind of like this:

I paid less than $6 for it so since I will only be using it for product mixing, I should be fine. I can't wait to start whipping up different kinds of butters for my skin & hair. But Nikki's butter will always be my steady. LOL

I'm going to henna sometime during the night Friday night. Especially since my son doesn't have a game on Saturday. I can just chill at home and do "the hair thing". Oooh, so much time. What will I do? *insert evil, sneaky laugh here*

It will have been 3 weeks since my last henna, so I will go on and get the party started. This way I can henna every other week like I want to. I just didn't want to henna on the weekends I get paid, because well....henna time interferes with shopping time. LOL That way on the weeks I don't get paid I still have something to look forward too.

I'm thinking about incorporating Suave conditioners back into my life. I have been so in love with Hello Hydration that I just gave up on Suave. LOL I mean, Hello Hydration and Hydralicious - I need kegs of that stuff! But Suave will be better for the every day co-washing if I ever go back to that. I can't see daily co-washes until the spring of next year. By that time I will have so much hair that daily co-washes will be ridiculous! It's a chore now just with the thickness of it all. I am hoping that the bi-weekly hennas will help to tame my hair a little more.

What I really need to be doing is trying to get some different hairstyles together. I haven't been on NP or Fotki in so long that if it's not an Afro or puff, I just ain't seen it. I am all about what's quick and easy right now. I'm already getting up before the chickens, so I need to make every minute count. I'll be stalking Fotkis tonight so watch out! You just might see me with your hair. LOL

1st Nappiversary!!!

2009-08-23T08:28:00.003-04:00

I am excited and relived. I have finally made it 1 year since my BC. It wasn't hard but it was challenging. There wasn't a time that I thought about perming/relaxing my hair again, but there were times where I wondered WTF have I done! LOL After years of having at least shoulder length hair - to cut it off to about 1/2 - 1 inch of hair - well, I musthave been crazy to do that. LOL

Well, it has paid off and in this past year I have learned a lot about natural hair and how to take carfe of it. I've learned about products, techniques, regimines, and styles. Some things were for me and others were not. All in all, it has been great and I know that there is no turning back for me.

Totally Twisted

2009-08-21T10:43:00.003-04:00

Alright. I bit the bullet and twisted my hair last night. For some reason I didn't make the twists as large as I wanted to. Anyway, I got the twists in and they will stay in for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks is up (Saturday morning) I will henna my hair and retwist with my Under Picasso Moon Shealoe Ferox butter and keep it moving. Next time I just have to make my twists bigger. I only want to take about an hour or less to twist - not 2 1/2 hours.

My twists feel good - nice and soft. The shealoe is wonderful for them. My hair drinks it up and it's not too heavy. The challenge is going to be trying to behave and keep the twists in until henna day. If I can do it just once, i know I will be able to do it through the cold months. Then when I unleash that hair in the spring - WHAAAAAAA!!!!! LOL

Am I Tripping?

2009-08-18T14:22:00.012-04:00

Since I henna'd over the weekend I just been loving my hair. When I put the henna in and my hair was weighted, I loved it. I hadn't seen my hair "hang" in so long that I forgot what it looked like. I sat there in that bathroom for about 15 minutes playing in my hair that was full of henna just because it was "hanging".

Am I falling into the trap of "long hair" all over again? I would like to say that I'm not, but all the signs point to that being a lie. I mean really, if I said I didn't want long hair or if I even said I didn't care about long hair I would only be lying to myself. Hell yeah I want long hair - all the way down my butt! I want to be able to sit on it and complain about how I can't do anything with it because it's so dang long!

I even went so far as to look at the change in curl pattern. My hair has been coily since the beginning, but I have been noticing the change with each henna. Now this time my curls have really elongated and guess what they do? They "hang". ...and I'm happy about it. Shoot, skip happy, I'm damn excited about it!

But why? Shoot, because I'm falling into the trap...the stereotype. The "loose curl/wavy hair is better" trap. Mmm hmm. I thought I was better than that. I sure did, but slowly I have been noticing it. I mean, in the beginning I thought to myself that "Hey, as long as my hair is natural I don't care how it looks." Well, that was because I knew how my kids' hair looked and I knew that for the most part I would have some type of "manageable curls". As I'm typing, I am sitting here thinking to myself, "would I have gone natural if my hair was '4z'? Probably not - and that's just being real. I would have come up with some other type of option, but it wouldn't have been to be natural. Maybe locs, but not loose, nappy hair - hell no!

So now what? I've admitted my problem, so how do I solve it? I need to do some serious soul searching. Why am I really on this "natural" journey? Is it really important for me to have long hair? Is it important for me to have waves or loose curls? If so, at what expense? I have a lot of thinking to do.

On the other hand, does it even matter? Can't I be who I want to be? Are my feelings about my hair hurting anyone other than myself? I mean, I'm not saying these things out loud - they're only in my mind and in my heart. I'm not passing this onto my kids. These are just my personal thoughts and feelings about my own hair.

Yeah, I got issues, I'm tripping right now and I don't feel good about. I damn near feel like a hypocrite. All this talking I been doing about natural hair and wearing your natural hair, and be comfortable with your hair. Whatever....I been tripping. I have to get my behind in gear because I am slipping. Time to re-evaluate myself and why I made this move to go natural.

I'm on a roll.

2009-08-17T11:02:00.010-04:00

I did my 5th henna application over the weekend, and I must say that I am super pleased. I got some fresh MDH Henna from the Indian market on Saturday. I couldn't wait for my husband to bring it home before I mixed it up. I had my supplies all lined up on the bathroom counter - ready and waiting. It had been nearly a month since my last henna and considering I said I would do it every 2 - 3 weeks, I was long over due. My little greys were beginning to peek from under the rich cherry red of the majority of my hair. That's always a sure sign that a henna application is needed. It had been way too long and I really was itching to do it. ...and my hair needed extra attention in the worst way. What better than a henna application to get things started.

I mixed my henna at about 5:00pm and it smelled soo good. It was fresh. I could tell by the bright green color that it was a good batch. I used 200g of henna to cover my hair. My 1st box was an older box and I could tell by the color of the henna too. I had the older box since May. But no big deal because the new box was supa dupa fresh.

By 7:30, there was already some dye release. I checked on the henna and immediately (without removing the plastic wrap) I could see the color change. I didn't apply the henna mix until about 10:00pm. I showered so I could wash my hair and start with a clean slate. It seems like when I henna w/ the henna I have just purchased on freshly shampooed hair I get these crazy amazing results!

The dye release was fast and once I mixed the honey in with my henna paste/mud, it was super smooth. The henna hardly had any lumps and this made for an easy application process. I knew that relaxer applicator brush would come in handy for something else! LOL

After applying the henna, I kind of massaged it into my hair so that I could make sure that my hair was truly saturated with the pasty mud. It kind of let good omn my hair. It was nice to see my hair "hang" a little. Of course I don't see much of that. It was tough trying to get my hair into a position where I couls get the plastic wrap around it, but I made it work. The I placed the curl cap over that. Once I got into my bed, I placed the heating pad on my head and a scull cap on top of that while I slept. Yeah, I was doing a lot. A little of the henna dripped, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

When I woke up and it was nearly 6am, I decided to go ahead and rinse the henna. It seemed like it took a little while to rinse from my hair, so I helped it along with a little co-wash. It really wasn't so bad, I guess because I had it on all night, it really started to "stick" to my skin and hair. Once I co-washed the henna out, I added my deep conditioner mix of Hello Hydration, honey, and EVOO. I left that on for about 4 - 5 hours. My hair loved it, and I continued to smell like honey on into the night. :o)

When I rinsed the deep conditioning treatment from my hair it felt so good. I added some Long Aid Gel and went on my way. My hair looked great. I am so pleased with this henna treatment. It's amazing how amazing the results can be - especially if you have some really fresh henna. I still can't for the life of me figure out how a green paste can make your hair turn orange/red.

(look @ that great color)

Ok, so at least 2 weeks from now I will henna again. This is going to be interesting. I really want to wait and do it 3 weeks from now, but we'll see. If my grey is really peeping out, then I will henna for sure in 2 weeks. It's just hard to henna on the weekends that I get paid because I have so many other things I need to do on payday weekends. I'll work it out somehow.

E.L.F. - Eyes.Lips.Face. Discount Codes

2009-08-15T16:09:00.004-04:00

Hey ladies. If you didn't already know about E.L.F (Eyes.Lips.Face.) I'm gonna put you on to some game! E.L.F. used to be sold in Nordstroms' stores, but since E.L.F. no longer has the contract with Nordstroms they have become mostly a web based make-up company.

I bought my first few products from E.L.F. in January so I could have some new make-up for my trip to DC to attend the Inauguration. I only spent about $25 and got plenty of items. I am not a big make-up wearer so I made my purchases very consciously.

I signed up for their email alerts and they send discount coupon codes at least once a week. The last email they sent me included plenty of codes, but code I was most interested in was the 75% off Minerals Lipsticks! Yep, that's right, 75% off! I went directly to the website and started browsing around to see what I liked. The fall is coming, so I believed that new lipsticks were in order.

I just wanted to pass the savings along to you divas!

75% OFF MINERAL LIPSTICK! No minimums, no maximums! Code GETLIP Shop Now at www.eyeslipsface.com/products_minerals.asp?dept_id=1234

FREE FLIPFLOPS Code 5FOR5FLIP with e.l.f. orders $5 or more. Shop Now at www.eyeslipsface.com/

FREE AVIATOR SUNGLASSES with any $10 purchase. (An $18 Value) Use coupon code EGSUNG Shop Now at www.eyeslipsface.com/

3 FREE GOLD BANGLES with any $15 purchase. (An $20 Value) Use coupon code EGBANGLE Shop Now at www.eyeslipsface.com/

FREE BRONZER KIT! Code EGBRONZA with e.l.f. orders $10 or more. Kit contains Bronze Wristlet, Studio Line Bronzer, Blushing, Bronzing & Blending Brush Shop Now at www.eyeslipsface.com/

Happy Shopping!

FL09 Regimen...I think.

2009-08-15T13:14:00.004-04:00

It's been about a month since my last henna and I need to get on it. My hair is begging, screaming for it. Since my husband has gone in the direction of my fave store to get henna I asked him to pick some up for me along with some Vatika Oil. My hair needs an overnight henna session and a great deep condition in the AM.

I want to start henna-ing my hair every other week. While I am entering into the fall season at work I think I will try to wear twists in my hair until the day before I henna. Then I can henna on Saturdays and twists again on Sunday night.

I'm going to see how long I can go with this routine. I don't usually stay in protective styles very long because I miss feeling my loose napps. The last time I put twists in my hair I took them down about 3 days later because I missed my hair. As long as I get my products together (butters) I think I'll be able to do this the way I want to do it.

I'm hoping that Nikki's Sheaole Ferox Butter will help me through the cold months as far as protecting and moisturizing my hair. I am really going to try extra hard to go through with this. I want to see if there will be any significant changes to my hair after going through the fall and winter in the majority of protective styles. I bet my hair will thank me.

I'm really going to have to get this thing down because my hair loves co-washing. Ususally when I have twists in I don't co-wash very much. I only rinse in the shower, add some type of oil and go on about my business. That is going to have to change if I keep my hair in twists. I'm going to have to learn how to co-wash my twists without them unraveling. If I can keep them from unraveling, this might be easy.

I should measure my hair now and then again around the end of the year. I haven't measured my hair in a while, because I have been noticing significant hair growth. I'm not sure if it's the henna elongating my hair or actual hair growth or a combination of the two. Whatever it is, I'm going to continue to enjoy it while I can.

Co-washing really is the -ish!

2009-08-14T09:31:00.002-04:00

Well, after I was able to admit that I was no longer in the TWA stage and admit that my wash & go’s were becoming “I’m washing too long’s” I began to twist my hair at night and rinse the twists during my A.M. shower. This was a pretty good idea. It works well, for what need it for, but I miss the wash & go.

By Thursday I was seriously “needing” a wash& go. (or was I) I’m not sure, but I sure wanted one. Last night I slept bonnet-less on my satin pillowcase in anticipation of my Friday morning co-wash. I couldn’t wait to get my Hello Hydration this morning and go to work on my head. Oh man! My hair needed it soooo bad!

I just stood under the shower head this morning – relaxed, and thinking how good the warm water felt as it tickled my scalp. Once my hair was almost completely wet, I added the conditioner. Man! My hair was just drinking it up! It felt amazing on my hair. I enjoyed every minute of the hair fondling! LOL My hair was full of conditioner and the finger combing was easy. My hands were able to slip through the coils while smoothing them at the same time.

I had a good little bit of shed hair, but what could I expect when I had just stopped my daily co-washing “cold turkey”? My hair was retaliating and I didn’t too much care for that. I am going to have to go back to the co-washing! I just have too. My hair will thank me for it.

Product Review: Under Picasso Moon's Shealoe Ferox Butter

2009-08-14T09:29:00.010-04:00

All right. You want it, I'm gonna give it to you straight - no chaser! So a few months ago I realized I needed heavier products on my hair. My hair was getting longer and thicker and most of the gels and things I have been using were not giving it the weight and moisture I needed. Someone suggested I look into "butters" and I did.

In one of my previous posts, "Butters Butters Everywhere" , I highlighted and talked about a lot of different butters. I visited a lot of different websites looking for the best product at the best price. In the nautral hair world there are a lot of trusted and recommended websites where a lot of the ladies make their purchases. I visited them all. But for some reason, I kept searching for something else. But what exactly was I looking for?

*I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I would know when I found it.* My search took me on to eBay. I entered “shealoe” in the search box and just went down the list. One listing in particular jumped out at me. It was labeled as: “Body Butter - Shealoe Ferox - All Natural Ingredients!”

I clicked the eBay ad and began to read. The ad seemed very sincere – like I was actually talking to someone about their product. All of the ingredients are natural, and the product is home made. This product is made by someone who had a family member who had extreme sensitivity to mainstream products that are sold in stores. This prompted the seller to start making products on her own in order to help a family member. What a story. I was intrigued to say the least.

Just that little bit of info along with the low price of $4.75 (plus $2.92 shipping) for a 4oz jar was enough for me to try this shealoe butter out. Well, when I made my purchase “Nikki” was out of town on vacation and stated that any of her regular customers who purchased from her during her vacation time would receive a 10% discount for her appreciation of their continued business. Well, I wasn't a regular customer so I didn't worry about it. I didn’t even see the notice until after I made my purchase, but hey, I was fine with not getting the discount, and I was fine with waiting until she returned from vacation to receive the goods.

“Nikki” sent the package and to my surprise she included my 10% discount in a small snack-sized Ziploc baggie. She also included a bag of dried calendula flowers as a “thank you” along with a personalized hand written note. By this time I was already impressed with her customer service although I hadn’t tried the actual product yet.

So, the shealoe came in a cute little dark blue jar with her own product label on one side and the ingredient label on the other side(I'll come back to list the ingredients). Everything looked “all good”. I opened the jar and looked at the product…..

It didn’t seem “extra” just by looking at it. I smelled it. It smelled a lot like Shea Butter I had smelled before – kind of reminded me of how crayons smell. Oh, but when I touched it…it was so light and airy. It almost felt like touching whipped cream! I rubbed just a little on the back of my hand and OMG!!!! I can’t tell you the last time something felt so good on my skin! At that point, I didn’t give a hoot if it worked for my hair or not because it sure had my hand feeling like silk. I could hardly wait for the next morning’s co-wash to try it out on my hair.

So, after the next day’s co-wash, I added the shealoe to my hair, and just as I suspected…my lord!!!!! That stuff had my hair feeling all kinds of amazing! This heavenly shealoe had my hair singing in appreciation!

Not only do I use this on my hair, but my skin, my daughter’s hair, my husband’s skin, etc, etc. I had to email “Nikki” and get her to hook me up with a 1 pound jar! She’s amazing. She said she would get on it and let me know when she has it ready for purchase.

I’m in love y’all. I told “Nikki” that she had a customer for as long as she was making the product. So, if you’re looking for some amazing Shealoe Butter, just do a search for “Shealoe Ferox” on eBay and her Shealoe Butter will come right up!

So all in all, I have to give “Nikki’s Under Picasso Moon” Shealoe Ferox Butter an around the world and back snap!

Oh, P.S., if you happen to try her out, tell her that Stephanie sent you..... :o)

Product Review: Greg Juice

2009-08-12T08:22:00.005-04:00

There was a contest on NaturalHairGrows.com that required you submit 2 resources that you used to help you with your natural journey. The winner(s) would receive Greg’s Juice from Oyin Handmade. Well, I was excited, I felt like this was possibly something I could go for – and win! Well, I was chosen as one of the winners and couldn’t wait to get the Greg’s Juice. I had been researching it online, but wasn’t sure about making the purchase. This was right on time!

It took about 2 weeks for me to get the package in the mail, but when I did, I was ecstatic! Even my husband teased me about it. I immediately ran upstairs to try the product out. It smelled great! When I sprayed it on my hair it felt pretty good – I mean it should, right? It boasts ingredients like Purified Water Infused with Rosemary, Nettle, Horsetail, Red Sage, Lavender, & Chamomile, Flaxseed Decoction, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Essences of Rosemary, Lavender, Sweet Orange & YlangYlang, Grapefruit Seed Extract, and Vitamin C. What’s not to love?

Well, after a few days of using the Greg’s Juice, I really didn’t notice anything special – at all. For me, water and curl activator or water and shealoe (or any of my other butters) work better for my hair than this. I even tried it on my daughter’s hair just to see if maybe it was just a product that wasn’t compatible with my hair, and still, I didn’t care for the results. The end result almost makes my hair feel dry – like if you hair real fruit juice on your hair – it just had a somewhat dry and sticky feeling.

I know that someone reading this might say, well, this product is great – well, maybe it is….for you, but not for me. I was surprised and disappointed because I don’t think I have ever really had any hair product that didn’t work or show favorable results on my hair. I’m lucky – I have very user/product friendly hair. I am so glad that I got the product for free. If I had spent $11 (plus shipping) on this product I would have been thoroughly upset. Getting to try it for free was a blessing.

So all in all, I have to give Oyin Greg’s Juice a

On a side note, it does smell like berries.......maybe I can use it as a body spray.....

Hair Observations

2009-08-07T10:17:00.003-04:00

Ok, it's almost been a year since my BC. My hair has reached a critical stage. I can no longer to a quick and simple wash and go. It has started taking me about 10 minutes in the shower to get it "right" - which is far too long. I mean think about it....it takes about 3 1/2 minutes to get my hair fully saturated by water just to begin the process. Then I have to add the conditioner, fingercomb, rinse, add product, finger comb again, and shake out. Oh yeah, and I still have to wash my body! LOL

I knew it was coming, but my husband said something about my long showers. I had been trying to find a way to cut them shorter, but wasn't sure about what to do, and when I finally got a clue, he made mention about the daily 20 minute showers. I couldn't say a word except that I would do better.

Well, yesterday morning was the last of those showers until I do a detangle which will most likely be a weekly thing. But yesterday I added some Knot Today and Curling Custard. My hair was ok, but it was ready for what I had planned - good advanced thinking on my part. So, last night I put my hair in a few big twists (not sure how many, I didn't count) and wrapped my hair up. This morning when I got into the shower I just rinsed my head/twists under the shower to make sure they were wet. Cool! That only took a few seconds to do. My loose hair takes forever to get fully wet. I didn't have to add any more product since the KCCC was still in my hair. I shook the excess water from my twists and added some shealoe butter. I let that soak in and took the twists down, and shook my hair out and I was surprisingly pleased with what I saw. My "problem area" didn't get as wet as it should have, so I just spritzed it with a little water shook my hair again, and I was good to go.

Today my hair looks just as good as it did yesterday if not better - and I didn't even bring my camera to take pics. *boo* My hair also feels great. I know the shea aloe I bought on eBay had plenty to do with it. I am going to make a little of my own next week so that I can have a little more for my hair. When the winter comes I will be needing to protect it and my butters will be just what I needed.

Hughes Family Reunion - Washington, D.C.

2009-08-05T14:18:00.005-04:00

The Hughes Family Reunion is something that I look forward to. This is the reunion for my mother-in-law's side of the family. It's always great. They are a special group of people that never hesitate to show and share love.

I think I look forward to it so much because my family never did anything like this. We were too busy being disfunctional to care to try to get together for longer than an hour. From what I remember of my family gatherings as a child, there was more agruing than anything else going on. My grandmother(paternal) would always have to be in charge and order people around. My grandfather would would quietly do what she said. My dad and uncles would always be in charge of keeping all of us kids in line either by making threats or by beating one of us so that we would be an example for the rest as far as what not to do. When the Buchanan's got together it was almost always a disaster.

Not the Hughes Family though. You look at them and almost feel like they are too good to be true. They all are really in and into church, they are all genuinely kind and warm towards people in general. How can you not love them? My mother-in-law has done more for me in the time that I have been married than my mother and father have done for me in my entire lifetime.

My children know their paternal side of the family like they know their friends at school - that's much more that i can say about what they know about my family. I mean, they know their aunts, great aunts, great-great aunts, grandparents, and their goo-gobs of cousins! I am so very thankful that my husband gave my a family I could be proud of.

Catching up

2009-08-05T10:29:00.003-04:00

I know, I know, I've been out of touch. July was a busy moth for me. I have had so many things going on that I couldn't really write like I wanted to. I mean in the past 3 weeks I have been to Washington, D.C., back to the ATL for a week and then to Orlando for a week with my job. Sounds glamerous, but I don't like living out of a suitcase. I have so many things I want to talk about and my mind is racing a mile a minute. Bear with me while I get my thoughts together so I can get back here and catch everyone up on what's going on.

*smooches*

Miss Lillian BC'd

2009-07-14T09:11:00.004-04:00

In April 2008 my then 6 year old daughter told me that she didn't want me to put "the white stuff" on her hair anymore. She said it was cold, and itchy and she didn't like it. She told me that I couldn't do puffs for her anymore and she wanted her puffs back. I talked to her and explained that it would take a while for her hair to grow the p.erm out and for a 6 year old, she was cool. So - that began her transition.

Well, my daughter saw a commercial on TV one night back in May. There was a little girl about her age on the commercial who had a natural afro and my daughter thought it was so cute. I told her, "You can have your hair like that when we cut the p.ermed part off."

She was so excited that she wanted it cut off before she went back to school in August. I told her, "sure thing, we can make your hair like hers". She had been gone to visit her grandmother for the summer and just returnd this weekend and was still talking about the curly afro.

So, with her having been in swimming class and all, when she came home her hair was a little dry. Over the weekend we talked about when she wanted to cut her hair and she said soon. Cool, I'm definitely ready to chop, but it's not my hair - it's on her and she has been a real trooper - especially wanting to have "long hair".

Well, I needed to wash her hair and told her that I could cut it if she wanted me to. So she says, "let me think about it" and layed down in my bed. Then she jumped up and said, "I want the afro!" I was so excited. I immediately ran and got the conditioner and went to work.

It took a long time to chop. She had a lot of relaxed hair left to cut. Also, it was hard in some places to tell where the line of demarcation was for sections of her hair. But, we got the job done. She's happy and I am happy.

Butters, Butters Everywhere

2009-07-13T14:06:00.004-04:00

Coffee Bean Butter

Just when I thought it was safe for me to put away my wallet........then came "butters". LOL On the different hair boards I frequent, there is a lot of talk about "butters". I haven't completely gotten on the band-wagon yet, but it's quickly approaching. I ordered some Shealoe Butter online and I am just waiting for it to arrive. I'm hoping that it works for me. If not for my hair then definitely as a skin protectant and moisturizer.

While visiting one website, I decided to take a look at the different butters listed there. I'll list and talk a little about each one.

Aloe
Avocado
Cocoa
Coffee
Hemp Seed
Illipe
Kokum
Macadamia Nut
Mango
Mochacchino
Olive
Pistachio Nut
Shea
Shea Aloe
Sweet Almond

Aloe Vera Butter - aids in rapid hydration of dry skin caused by eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, sun burn, wind burn, and general chapping

Avocado Butter - a very rich, moisturizing treatment for the hair and skin, and it has some natural sunscreen properties

Cocoa Butter - is a soothing emollient that has been used for centuries in Africa for skin care. It has been traditionally used to heal and moisturize skin that has been exposed to the elements. Cocoa butter helps reduce the formation of stretch marks during pregnancy by keeping the skin supple.

Coffee Bean Butter - Coffee extract is being used in slimming cosmetics due to the natural caffeine content of coffee beans. In addition, the extract has been found to be a powerful antioxidant. The high content of unsaponifiable matter in coffee oil has made it popular in cosmetics too. The oil offers natural protection from ultraviolet light and is becoming a popular ingredient in sunscreen products. Coffee oil is rich in phytosterols which promote excellent moisture retention, quick penetration and good adherence in cosmetics.

Hemp Seed Butter - Hemp seed butter is made by combining the fatty fractions and unsaponifiables of cold pressed hemp seed oil with hydrogenated hemp seed oil obtained from unsterilized hemp seeds. The butter is exceptionally rich in essential fatty acids that nourish the skin and helps reduce moisture loss from the skin.

Illipe Butter - Illipe butter is obtained from the nuts of the Shorea stenoptera, a tropical tree. Illipe butter is very similar in nature to cocoa butter, but it has a higher melting point.

Kokum Butter - Kokum butter is obtained from the Indian tree Garcinia indica. It is used in skin care products because of its ability to soften skin and heal ulcerations and fissures of lips, hands and soles of feet. Kokum butter helps reduce degeneration of the skin cells and restores elasticity. Use kokum butter is soaps, balms, belly balms, foot care products and other emollient skin treatments.

Macadamia Nut Butter - Macadamia nut butter is made by blending hydrogenated cold pressed macadamia nut oil with the fatty fractions and unsaponifiables collected during the refining process of the oil. Macadamia nut butter provides excellent emolliency and dermal protection. It is a light, non greasy butter that penetrates the skin easily.

Mango Butter - Mango butter is obtained from the kernels of the mango tree. It has a high content of stearic acid which makes it similar to cocoa butter. Mango butter has good emolliency and lends protection against the sun. It is said to prevent drying of the skin and formation of wrinkles. Mango butter also reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores elasticity.

Mochacchino Butter - Mochacchino Butter is an exciting combination of Coffee Bean butter and Cocoa Butter and the scent is heavenly! But aside from its irresistable aroma, this butter has the healing, moisturizing properties of cocoa butter, and the sun protection and antioxidant benefits of coffee butter.

Olive Butter - Olive butter is the butter obtained from cold pressed olives. The extracted oil undergoes a unique refining process to collect the unsaponifables. Olive butter possesses all of the natural qualities of olive oil and is similar in feel to shea butter.

Pistachio Nut Butter - Pistachio nut butter is made by blending hydrogenated cold pressed pistachio nut oil with the fatty fractions and unsaponifiables collected during the refining process of the oil. It is a soft green butter with great spreadibility on the skin. It penetrates the skin easily making it a good massage butter. Pistachio nut butter does not clog the pores.

Shea Butter - African healers have used Shea Butter for thousands of years as the ideal treatment for dry or aging skin. Its high content of non-saponifiables and unique fatty acid profile gives Shea Butter the ability to moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin. Shea Shea Butter also helps to protect the skin against the damaging effects of the sun while repairing cellular degeneration.

Shealoe Butter - Shealoe butter is made with equivalent quantities of shea butter and aloe vera gel resulting in a healing and moisturizing emollient. Use shealoe butter "as is" to soothe dry, irritated skin, or add it to your formulations as a skin or hair nutrient.

Sweet Almond Butter - Sweet almond butter is obtained from sweet almond oil and exhibits all of the natural qualities of sweet almond oil. It hydrates the skin and restores elasticity.

*(Information above provide by From Nature With Love - www.fromnaturewithlove.com)

Hemp Seed Butter

Now that I have listed the butters and a little information about each of them, you can see why I am so anxious to try them! The next one on my "hit list" is Coffee Bean Butter. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but I sure do love the smell of it! I wouldn't mind my hair smelling like coffee - especially in the fall and winter months. Seems like it would give an amazingly warm aromatic feel to those chilly ATL winters. Once I've tried Coffee bean, I would be anxious to try the Hemp Seed and Mochacchino Butters. Both the Coffee Bean and Mochacchino Butters are really expensive though, so maybe I can purchase them as treats to myself.

Excitement is building as my shealoe butter makes it's way to my home this week. As the fall months approach, I'll be making sure to protect my hair from the cool and windy days and nights that I'll be attending my sons' football games and my wonderful butters will surley play a large part in my Fall routine.

As I purchase and use new butters I'll make sure to come back and give a review of each.

Henna #4

2009-07-13T11:36:00.004-04:00

Here I am slipping again. LOL It's been rough. I been trying to get things together for this busy month of traveling. Anyway....enough of that - onto hair!

Well I henna'd again on July 3rd and it went great. I mixed the henna when I came home from work and by 11:00PM I had great dye release. I applied the henna, wrapped up my head and went to sleep. I kept the henna on until about 7:30am. Yeah, it was a while. I DC'd using Hydralicious and Hello Hydration mixed w/ honey and EVOO. I kept the DC mixture in my hair for about 3 hours. I made sure to rinse good so that I wouldn't have the "orange drippies" like I did the last time.

With each henna my hair is looking better and better. I think I might be at full color saturation - which is fine with me. My hair is doing some great things since I henna'd - well, since the 1st henna - and it's only getting better. My hair is responding nicely to whatever product I put in it. It's really nice. Even when I was relaxed, my hair still "behaved" well. I'm just glad to see that this carried over with my natural hair.

I love the curl definition I have here (6July09 pic) and I used nothing more than some VO5 Passion Fruit Smoothie in my hair - that's it. I never knew that wearing my natural hair could be so rewarding. The only problem I really have is trying to supress the product junkie in me. I've been doing pretty good. For the most part I have been able to purchase commercial products for my hair that work just as well as the boutiqe products that cost 2 and 3 times as much. I am making some significant changes and my wallet will thank me. I've already given up on KCCC and KCKT. I can get the same effects from the VO5 and Long Aid Activator gel. Every time I think I want to try something new, I get nervous and change my mind - if it ain't broke....

Needing Something New

2009-07-01T08:33:00.004-04:00

Well, here I am again with another recipe that I ran across. Let me back-track a little. I have been wanting something that will be a little heavier on my hair. The Curl activator, Curling custard, and IC gel alone aren't really doing it for me. I'm thinking I need something more like a cream/creme type product.

So, I had a sample of Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding that I used on my hair today and I nearly needed the entire 2oz container for my thick hair. What I liked about it: It went on really great - not greasy. It gave my hair more weight and didn't take my hair long to dry after the product was applied. It's been a little over 2 hours and my hair is about 80% dry as opposed to 40 - 50% dry. My hair doesn't feel dry like some poeple reported experiencing. I guess I will have to see how my hair holds up through the rest of the day. What I don't like about it...THE PRICE!!!!!

Now, so far, with the way my hair feels, I'm liking this Curly Pudding. So, I go onto Miss Jessie's website and this stuff is expensive - and I'm actually considering buying it - BUT before I do, I'm running to Nappturality to see what the ladies have to say about it. So I'm reading and then someone says that there is a recipe for something similar in the Homemade Hair Products thread.

All I had to do was search for it and there it was! I am currently reading the thread now and will come back with more info....

Ok, so the recipe sounds great, but after further reading, this is not somethign that I could use daily after co-washing. Hmmmm......not sure what to do now. I like how Miss Jessie's did my hair this morning, but that stuff is just too expensive. Someone on NP mantioned MJ's has a BOGO once a year, so maybe I can find out when that is. At the same time, I'm not sure that I even want to try it, and get addicited to it only to have a need for a product I can't afford.

I am going to order some shealoe this week and maybe I will make a little of the recipe I saw on NP today. I mean, what can it hurt? I think I will make half of the amount that was listed in the recipe I saw. If worst comes to worst and i don't like it for my hair, I can use it on the kids and it wont go to waste.

Now I have the MJ curly pudding on my hair so I def am not going to co-wash tomorrow. I am going to spray my hair with just a tiny bit of water and twist in big twists for a twist-out in the AM. Then in the morning I will see how it looks.

Caramel Treatment - Not for Me

2009-06-29T08:01:00.005-04:00

All right. Yesterday I did something on a whim. I sat and thought about doing that caramel treatment. The more I thought of it, the more I was ready to take my twists out and give it a try....so I did. I mixed everything and it was not creamy like the article said. I think I may have added too much water. Anywho....

I made the mix and saturated my hair with it. Man!!! It was so much of the mixture! It was seeping all out of the plastic cap I had on - dripping everywhere. I think I kept it on for like an hour before I decided to give up on the process. I rinsed the mix in the shower, and I hated the little black "beads" that were in my hair as I rinsed. The banana was also hard to rinse.

Ok, so I rinse all of the mix from my hair, and continue to co-wash. Imagine my surprise when I get out of the shower to find conditioner caked onto my scalp!!!! I'm sure that happened when the olive oil from the mix and the conditioner got together. Amazing. So then I have to shampoo my scalp to get the caked up conditioner off. Have mercy!

After I do, I just take it to the next level and go with the Kinky Curly Knot Today. I really do love that stuff. I didn't really notice a change in my hair. However, I can not blame it entirely on the process as I did not follow the directions completely. Maybe if I had, I would see a difference.

I think for me, I will just stick with the henna. Henna is my friend and I know just what to expect from it.

Time to Change it Up

2009-06-24T11:18:00.008-04:00

I don't know what I am gonna do about my hair. It's not like it's hard to take care of or anything like that. It's thick and coily and I love it. However, I am noticing that it is taking longer to co-wash...and the detangling this morning was painful! I guess as my hair is getting longer and thicker I am going to have to change up my regimen. I love the Suave conditioners, but I think I am going to have to go with something a little thicker. I have a big bottle of HE Hello Hydration under my sink, and as soon as I am out of Suave I will switch over to that. I think at this point my hair requires some heavier products in order to keep from being all over the place.

I'm still going to stick with my Long Aid activator gel because it gives the curl definition I am looking for. However, if there was something a little heavier, I would use that instead. I guess I am going to have to start looking at more/different products.

I'm not trying to use that as a reason to get back into PJism. LOL It's the truth. I am going to have to test out some things. I swear, I want to go to Urbanbella so bad to get a consultation. But I know if I do, they will be recommending expensive products for me to use when I really don't want to spend that kind of money on hair products. I mean, the Curling Custard is already $26. I stretch that and make it last for about 6 months so that it's not so bad, but the way my hair is now, I don't think there's going to be any more stretching. I guess that's why I have been holding onto the Long Aid curl activator like I do.

I'm trying to do this on a realistic budget. I'm not some well paid diva who can spend hundreds of dollars a month on her hair. (although I would love to think that I am) LOL I am a mother of 5 who works for a non-profit. Get the picture? I have to do this as economical as possible.

Let me get to my co-washing and detangling session from this morning. It was pure hell!!! Well, maybe not pure hell, but it was a little rough. I had no idea how much my hair needed detangling. I knew it needed some assistance, but to this magnitude - NO! I have been slipping on the detangling because I have been trying to spend less time in the shower. Well, I gotta do what I gotta do, and what I gotta do is spend more time on my hair.

So I put some Suave on my hair and tried to work it through, but it was not enough. I had to saturate from root to tip with the stuff to even get the amount of slippage I needed. I mean my hair was plenty white. So I am finger combing and raking my hands through my hair and it was a tough time. I was hitting all kinds of tangles and snags. I had a decent little wad of shed hair too. I can't complain though. I usually only have a few hairs a day. Today I actually did a good detangle and still got only a small wad of hair. I'm not tripping on the shed hair - I mean, with all of the hair on my head, it's not like it will be missed. It would be different if it was a clump of hair that came out all in one area, but that's not the case.

So, as I continued to detangle my hair, I noticed it began to act as if it wanted to go into a more downward direction as opposed to it just being "out". *I'm thinking, "Finally. It only took you 10 months."* Even as I was putting the gel on my hair, it was still trying to hang down a little. Even now that my hair is about 95% dry, it has "attempted" to dry in a more downward direction than usual.

I'm not taking this as the new trend, because I know that my hair will do what it wants. The top of my hair usually flops anyway, but this rough front hairline, shoot, it sticks straight up! LOL ...and the very back of my head - where that little egg part is, well, parts of it grow down while most grows out. It's going to be funny to see what my hair looks like a year from now. I'll just pray it's not a hot mess. LOL

Ammonia Poisoning?

2009-06-23T15:02:00.005-04:00

My fridge had been wreaking for a few days. Even so much so that I didn't go to the grocery store because I didn't want to open it! (I secretly hoped my husband would clean it out, but no such luck.) Yesterday was the last straw. My husband and son went to church for choir practice and I had the house to myself. I decided tonight was the night that I would clean out the fridge.

When I got home from work I changed clothes, got my cleaning supplies together - complete with a few pair of latex gloves. I went old school on the cleaning method. I had Brillo pads, Clorox, and ammonia - along with some Dawn dish liquid. Yeah, this thing was gonna be clean and disinfected - maybe even sterilized!

I started taking all of the food (Mostly condiments. We don't keep much food in the fridge once the kids go away for the summer.) out of the fridge. After that I took all of the removable shelving and glass out. Anything that could be removed was and washed in the sink that had my cleaning mixture in it. I also had the same mixture in a bucket that I could use to clean out the fridge as well. So all of the shelves and bins went to the sink for a gold old scrubbing - Brillo style. I wasn't even going to wrestle with any stuck on mess - straight up scrubbing!

Those that had stick messes had to soak a while. All was good on that end. However, the trouble came when I went to clean out and wipe down the actual fridge. I got my bucket, Brillo, and cleaning towel and went to work. The top half of the fridge wasn't bad at all. It didn't require any scrubbing - just wiping down - cool. The bottom half, well, every time I looked at it I just shook my head. The further I got to the bottom, the worse the mess was.

Before I got half way down the fridge my eyes began to water. Then I started coughing and my nose started running. I was thinking, "man, what's up with this?" I kept scrubbing and things got worse. More coughing followed by gagging and eventually vomiting! Yeah, it was getting really bad. I ended up catching on that it was the mix in my bucket. But I couldn't stop cleaning the fridge. I moved the bucket away from me and just made trips back and forth.

By the time I finished cleaning out the fridge I was a mess. My eyes were constantly running water and I couldn't stop the coughing/choking/gagging and occasional vomiting. I even sucked on a few cough drops (and anyone who knows me knows I absolutely hate those things) and they did help a little bit. My fridge looked great, but I was a mess! I went upstairs to shower - hoping I would feel better. No haps! All of my symptoms continued on throughout the night. I ended up having to sleep with a face towel across my eyes because they continued to tear uncontrollably all through the night. Every time I would doze off, I began to cough again and that would keep me awake.

I woke up once during the night to use the bathroom and I decided to check the mirror because my eyes felt horrible. They looked even worse! They were swollen and bloodshot. I ran back to the bed before my husband could get up to see what I looked like. I still had time to get few hours of sleep and I was going to try. My efforts were futile as the coughing and watering eyes continued until morning. I must have fallen asleep in the wee hours because when my husband told me it was after 6:00am I could have died. I had just fallen asleep. Damn! I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower - no lights. Have mercy...when my husband turned those lights on, I screamed! He quickly shut them off and used the light from the adjoining toilet room to light up the bathroom. I was in bad shape and wanted to stay home from work, but I didn't.

When I got out of the shower and took a looking the mirror, I realized that my eyes were still swollen. I felt like I had been ran over by a truck - then drug for about 12 blocks. So more than 12 hours have passed since cleaning out the fridge at this point and I am still suffering from it.

I'm thinking all this time that maybe I was allergic to the cleaning mixture or something that had been left behind in the fridge...until I talk to one of my co-workers. I told him about me cleaning out the fridge and he says, "oh that sounds like ammonia poisoning." The look on my face is like huh? So I'm like, "What?" "Yeah, ammonia poisoning. If you breathe in too much of those fumes you can get poisoned." I immediately went to Google "ammonia poisoning" to see what I could find.

There were plenty of results that explained it and told of the symptoms. Here is one of the articles I found through Google. Guess what the symptoms are listed as:

Symptoms:

Lungs and chest
Cough
Chest pain (severe)
Tight chest
Wheezing
Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat
Tearing and burning of eyes
Temporary blindness
Throat pain (severe)
Mouth pain
Lip swelling
Gastrointestinal
Severe stomach pain
Vomiting

The symptoms in blue are/were the ones I have been experiencing. OMG!!! This is crazy. Now I just have to wait for this stuff to wear off. Chemicals are no joke. Needless to say, I will NEVER use ammonia to clean anything else again - ever!

*My fridge really is super clean though :o) *

Tybee Island and the Wonder of GOD

2009-06-22T09:48:00.012-04:00

Yes, I went to the beach on Saturday. More specifically, I went back to Tybee Island. It's a 3 hour drive and well worth it. It's not Miami Beach or Venice where you go and see all kinds of vendors and people. It's where you go to just relax and enjoy the beach for what it is.

So, I get there and at first I am so consumed with just getting in the sun, that I can hardly think of anything else. I wanted to get a super great tan and nothing else. LOL So, when I get there, I pick a great place on the beach to settle in. I spread out my blanket and sat for a minute - just watching the water, and everyone else that was there. I like to observe people. I walk down to the shore just to get my toes wet and to see how warm the water is. Well, the water was great - so warm. I walk back to my blanket and sit down. I was so happy and so thankful to be there. I was just going to relax and try to let the ocean wash away all of the stress that was built up.

So, I chill on the blanket for a while before getting into the water. I never get in too deep. If I can't see my feet through the water, I get closer to the shore. However, this time, I was a little more adventurous. I went out into the water, and I couldn't see my feet. But I wasn't too afraid. Even the little fish that were jumping up out of the water just a mere few inches in front of me didn't bother me. The water was calming - even as the small waves began to come in. I enjoyed the way the waves beat me up and pushed me towards the sand. The water was so warm and comforting. It almost felt as if GOD was wrapping his wings around me to let me know that things would be ok.

After walking in the water for a while, I go back to my blanket just to sit and get some sun. I lay down and just clear my head. I can hear the sound of the waves and water hitting the sand. I love that sound. It's so soothing. I could stay here forever. I can here children laughing and people talking - not their exact conversations, but just voices. Everyone looks and sounds so happy. I can even here my own children laughing and playing in the water every once in a while. I love this sound. It's like the beach is a magical place. I sat up to take a look around - just to observe...I saw smiling faces everywhere. I didn't see one person who didn't look like they were enjoying themselves. Everyone was either tanning, sleeping, resting, jogging, or playing - from age 2 - 90 - everyone was having a great time. I saw older people, couples, children, surfer types, all kinds of people, chilling - doing the same thing - enjoying the beach. No one was arguing, or fighting. There was no tension at all. I saw white people and black people kicking it together - strangers - having a good time together.

The most amazing thing to me was to see GOD's work. I mean to see the beach and think about how GOD made it is awesome in itself. I mean think about it. Think about how he created each and every grain of sand, every seashell. Even more so, look at GOD's greatest creation - man. Look at us all on the beach enjoying what god has given us. Look at how we are all interacting together - coexisting. One of the most exciting and most amazing things for me was to see the dolphins. YES! Real dolphins!!! They were in the water and we could see them. They were not as close to the shore as we were, but they were close enough for us to see them swimming out in the water.

When I saw them I was so excited. I had butterflies in my stomach like a small child at Christmas. I was pointing and laughing and giggling. When they were first spotted, people were yelling and pointing - someone even mentioned that they were sharks, but that was because of the fin on the dolphin's back. There were so many of them - swimming up the coast. I couldn't wait to get up off of my blanket and run into the water to get a closer look. I really could not believe what I was seeing. Sure, you see dolphins at the aquarium, or Sea World or something like, that, but when you see them in the ocean like GOD intended them to be, it's so amazing.

As the sun started going down, I headed back for my blanket so I could just sit and enjoy the rest of my time on the beach. As I layed there watching the water, my attention turned more towards my immediate surroundings. I just looked and studied my blanket, my sunglasses, and then the seaweed that had washed ashore, and the sand. I kept thinking to my self and remembering Pastor saying that GOD knows every grain of sand. Then I began to look up and down the beach and back down at the sand that was immediately surrounding me. Then I thought about something else that Pastor said, "He knows every thing on this earth." ...and I am thinking, "every grain of sand?" I mean, to know every grain of sand just on the beach where I am or even the sand that is just immediately surrounding me is unfathomable! But to imagine every grain of sand on every beach in the world, every person in the world, every animal, etc...well it's just too much to even imagine.

Just as I was surveying the sand around me, I noticed the different seashells that were mixed in with the sand and remnants of seaweed. There were all kinds of shells. But what was most amazing to me were these tiny little sea shells that I found in the sand. When I say tiny, I mean super tiny. When I saw them all I could think about was the tiny little clam that would have been inside this shell. It was hard to believe that there could have been something so small. What was even more amazing was once again, the work of GOD. I looked at how small the shell was, and then I studied the shell. I took into account the color of the shell. The detailing of the lines and shape of the shell. Then I was just in awe of GOD all over again.

How could he take so much time and patience to create something so small? Because he is a GOD that loves. He loves everything that he creates and creates everything because he loves. Then I began to apply this thinking towards people. To GOD we are just as small as the shell I had laying on my fingertip. He took time and patience to create each and every one of us. Just like the tiny seashell, he thought about our color, our hair, the color of our eyes, the shape of our arms, legs, and hands. He even gave us distinct shapes and lines like the shells. Think about our fingerprints - they are unique to us - no one has the same finger print as I do. Think about every person in the world, and not one is a duplicate.

Then I went right back to looking at the beach and all of the people there. I was glad to have this day. I was fully able to appreciate GOD and just a small portion of what he is capable of doing. I realized how fortunate I was. Not only because I was at the beach having a good time, but because GOD took so much time to make sure that I was a special one-of-a-kind. There is no one else like me, and I love GOD and thank him for creating me.

Rant

2009-06-19T08:54:00.005-04:00

Why do folks have to keep commenting on my hair?

“What’s up with the hair?” *What do you mean what's up with it? Nothing, it's mine, it's growing, and this is the style for the day. If you don't like it, then don't look at me.*

“Oh, I don’t like it like that.” *Who asked you?? I know I don't remember asking if you like it or not. I didn't know I needed to run my daily styles by you to make sure you "liked it". *

“Are you going to pull your hair up?” *WTF???? What kind of question is that and WTF does it matter if I pull my hair up or not? Are you suggesting that I need to "pull my hair up"?*

“I love your hair like that.” "Thanks" *So are they thinking if they compliment this style that I'll keep wearing it like this and not wear the other styles that they don't like or feel comfortable with me wearing?*

“I really like your hair like that.” "Thanks" *Ok, so does that mean that you really hated my hair in all of the other 1billion styles I have worn?*

"Is that a wig?" *Is this a compliment or is somebody really tripping?*

Do you really think I give a rat’s azz what you (people in the world) think about my hair or how I should wear it? I mean really?

...and then there are the folks that think I should report all of my “hair activities” to them. Why is it that folks think they have a say-so on your hair once you cut the perm off? If I don’t ask for your suggestion, don’t offer them, ok?

Am I now incapable of styling my hair now that it's natural? Give me a break already. How about you get yourself some business and stay out of mine...and my hair.

Henna #3 & Noticeable Hair Changes

2009-06-16T14:01:00.005-04:00

I mixed my henna Friday night so that as soon as I woke up on Saturday I could do it. I woke up about 4:45 am and went ahead and applied the henna. I was so out of it that I forgot to shampoo my hair first! I didn't even think about it until I was sitting with my deep conditioner on. Oh well, I still got the effects of the henna. I was scared tho. LOL

This timed I used 2 boxes of MDH Henna powder. I sure do love that stuff. It rinses soooo easy. No twigs or grit like the Mumtaz Al-Aroosa Henna. And the vibrant red that I got from the MDH henna is totally present. My hair doesn’t seem super dark like the Mumtaz Al-Aroosa Henna made it look. MDH Henna is my top pick and there is no need to go messing it up by using something different.

So yeah, I used 2 boxes. I had to for maximum coverage. My hair isn’t very long. The very back is only CBL, but my hair is just so thick. As straight as I used to wear my hair when I was relaxing it, you would never believe that it would be this thick without chemicals. Now after reading that henna can help your hair to become thicker, I am afraid of what it may look like. Part of me is afraid that I will fail and go running back to relaxing – but I can’t see that happening. Especially after I cut off all of my hair only a year ago.

I have noticed that my hair is flopping a little on the top side. I have even noticed a small patch in the upper right that has nearly stretched all the way out. It’s just like a wavy patch and the very bottom coils. I have noticed that my hair responds a lot better to “product” now than the pre-henna days. I look forward to getting up in the morning just to see what my hair will do or look like.

I must say, the more I henna, the more I like using curl activator for my hair. I really don’t know if I will ever buy Kinky Curly Curling Custard again. Yes, I love the stuff, but with henna and curl activator in my life, who needs to pay $25 for KCCC? I'm just sayin'. Lately, I can’t stay out of the mirror! I keep a little one on my desk at work just so I can see my coils. It’s insane.

Oh, did I mention flopping hair and curl elongation? Yeah, I’m getting that too. I’m only really noticing it in the very top of my head where the coil pattern is a little looser than the rest. It seems like the roughest area is right around my front hairline – STILL! Now giving it credit, the henna has definitely softened it tremendously and it seems like this last henna did a super great job with it. Seriously, so I will note additional changes after next month’s henna. I am anxious to see what new changes my hair will make.

Living the Lye

2009-06-15T16:20:00.013-04:00

I used to be so happy when “hair” day would come around. This would be the day that the “men folk” would go away from the house and leave us to the task of relaxing our hair. Oh yeah, and it had to be done. My mom was a teacher and she had to keep up her appearance, and well, I was he daughter, I couldn’t be going out embarrassing her. My mom and I would gather our “supplies” and head off for the kitchen to take turns relaxing each other’s hair. It was important that we kept our hair looking good, I mean, that’s what ladies did, right?

Well, my mom got that thinking from her mother. My grandmother, my mother’s mother, used to be a beautician back in the day. From what I hear, she was all that. She still had trophies in her house when I would come to visit her as a child. Sometimes, when we went to Baltimore to visit her, she would treat me to a wash, press, and curl. I used to love for my grandmother to do my hair. I would be in her kitchen for hours while she took her time and was careful not to give me the burns my mother was famous for. You know the ones I’m talking about – the ears and kitchen burns…..yeah those. (I know you flinched at the thought of them. You know what I’m talking about.) I never remember ever having a burn when my grandmother did my hair.

Oh, but the best part was the curling. She was using the beveled curling irons back in the mid 1980’s. She would do these crowkinaw (not sure of the spelling on this one) curls – which were my favorite. These curls were so versatile. I could wear my hair curled under, or flipped up. If I wanted I could coil them around my finger for Shirley Temple curls. My grandmother could work those curling irons like nobody’s business. I still haven’t seen anybody work it like her. All I remember is the clinking of the metal tapping as it hypnotized my hair into a curly submission.

Once done, my hair was shiny and curly and it would last for at least a month or so. I mean even the Alabama humidity was no match for my grandmother’s skills. She laid down a hard press and my hair had to obey. I remember visiting her when I was in the 8th grade during the Christmas break. She did my hair for me. I couldn’t wait to get back to school and show off my new ‘do. It rained a lot and my curls held up through all of it. Imagine my excitement when I could stay outside under the carport and not have to worry about the humidity from the rain destroying my hairstyles. While other girls were running into the school, I was able to stand outside under the metal covering near my homeroom and chat it up.

When hair day came my mom would do my hair and then I would do her hair. Yeah I was a teen-ager relaxing my mom’s hair. I was good at it too. I would be getting it bone str8! She loved it and I loved doing it. Until…I was in the 12th grade and my mom switched relaxers. I still remember, she changed to TCB. I put the relaxer on like I usually did – started in the back. But when I went to rinse her hair, it was rinsing right down the drain!!! I couldn’t believe it. My other’s long beautiful hair was washing away! So many things ran through my mind: “What happened?” “She’s going to kill me!” “I didn’t do anything different this time. Did I?” “How can I tell her that her hair is gone?” Oh my gosh! My mom’s APL hair is gone in the back! I remember her rubbing the back of her head feeling no hair. I had to leave for Army boot camp shortly afterwards and while I was gone, she ended up cutting her hair off – but we were both still going to use relaxers. (To even type this seems insane.)

Even when I went off to college, I tried to cover my napps w/ grease and water. I remember slicking my hair back in the bathroom of my dorm so that no one would know I needed a perm. I remember the little waves I saw and how I almost gave up relaxing then. I wasn’t ready. It was 1990 and the pressure of being new in college and trying to fit a certain stereotype was important to me. I mean, I was able to pull it off for a long time, so why stop relaxing now?

When I was relaxing, I hated to see those nappy edges growing in. Why? Because that was like the curse of all things - to let someone - anyone see "them nappy edges" as my mother would so bluntly put it. In my household, that was the equivalent of your dress flying up only to realize you had on no underwear - you would be exposed! People would know that my hair wasn't that "good hair" or naturally straight. Well, who the heck thought it was "good hair" or naturally straight anyway? I never told anyone that it was. (No, I just pretended that straight flowing hair grew naturally from my scalp.)

It was considered to be embarrassing if your new growth was showing. That was something that had to be “fixed”. My mother had conditioned me to think that my natural hair was something that should not be seen by anyone out of our household. She often reminded me that my hair was “as nappy as a sheep’s ass”, and if you have ever seen a sheep’s ass, that’s not something that you want to walk around looking like – not even as an adult.

So fast forward about 18 years. LOL Imagine my mom’s face when I come to my aunt’s funeral sporting a TWA! Yeah, I was nervous to go home and face everyone after BCing. After all, I was always the one with all of the long hair. Hey, but I am a grown woman, right? Yep. Well, when am I nervous as hell? Because I was still worried about what other folks would say about me. All this time, I’m thinking, “Girl, suck it up and put these folks in their place about your hair!” And you know what? That’s exactly what I did. It was tough, but I did it, and that was the beginning of the confidence.

Hair Growth

2009-06-15T11:24:00.008-04:00

Well, I henna'd my hair on Saturday. I had to use 2 boxes of henna this time in order to fully cover my hair. Not only is my hair super thick, but it has grown a little. How about I stretched out a coil from the back of my head and it is already CBL (collar bone length). You would never know it with the 99% shrinkage I have. LOL *well, not quite 99%, but you get the idea* It's another 4 inches for the very back to get to APL (arm pit length). So, I am thinking that worst case scenario it will take me 8 months, or until February 2010, to reach this goal. Maybe I should invest in some biotin and see exactly what that will do for my hair - if anything.

The very front of my hair reaches right to the bottom of my nose. I'm ready for this part of my hair to be chin length. Unstretched the very front doesn't even reach my eyebrow. (add side-eye smiley here) Althought I know my hair is growing, that is no sense of comfort for me right now. Summer is haere and I am wanting a fierce ponytail instead of my super fly puff. Yeah, I know - they typical "woman is never satisfied".

On an up note, my hair onthe sides is hanging half the length of my ears already - unstretched. Yes, I am quite happy about that little tidbit, but not surprised. Right on my hairline around my ears has a less amount of shrinkage than the rest of my hair. My son's hair is the same way, exept his curls are much more loose than mine. I used to wonder when I was braiding his hair why those two braids on each side of his head would always hang longer than the rest. i had no idea about shrinkage back then. It was only after I got on Nappturality and started reading and researching that I found out how shrinkage and out hair worked. Then I wondered if my hair would act the same as my son's and it does.

So, as I keep track of my hair growth from day to day, month to month, etc, what am I really expecting to see? I guess in the beginning I really thought I would see some overnight growth. LOL It sounds stupid, but I really did think I was going to see something miraculous. I went and visited Fotkis of people I knew whose hair was nothing like mine. Why? Because I was looking for just one person who has that "overnight" growth so that I could have the hope of mine growing that quick. I spent countless hours on Fotki looking, hoping, and wishjing, that I could have the "supernatural" (pun totally not intended) hair growth I was searching for.

My hair seemed to have grown fast when I was relaxing my hair - especially seeing as how I was doing a "touch-up" once a month. If I ever made it to six weeks, that was pushing it. Why was my hair growing so slow all of a sudden now that I have decided to stop using a relaxer? Where my hair was concerned, it seemed as if time stood still.

It's been 10 months (on June 22nd it will be 10) since my BC (big chop) and I'm still looking for something out of the ordinary to happen. Foolish - yes - but understandable. Every now and then I would get a little pick-me-up because my twists were longer or fuller or I would notice neding more product for my co-wash. Sometimes I would even be able to achieve a new style because of the added length I now had - wearing a puff...huh....huh?

Ok, so yeah, I shouldn't be complaining. Moreso tripping. I been able to wear a real certified puff since April - what's that, like 6 months post BC that I could wear a legitimate puff? Enough said.

NAPPY HAIR EPIPHANY

2009-06-15T08:24:00.003-04:00

I went to the beach Friday.

It rained.

I didn't run.

Did I finally stumble onto something?

2009-06-12T13:31:00.014-04:00

Ok, so I have been trying to find a way to keep my hair moist and get a little curl definition in the process. It seemed like things would work half way - either give me dry definition, or moist frizz. LOL I could never get anything to do both.

Well, just from pure experimentation, I think I have found something! I occasionally leave Suave conditioner in my hair and on yesterday I did that again, but I topped it off with some Long Aid Activator Gel. Yep, so I added both to my damp hair. Shook my hair a little and went on my way. Yesterday's results were fantastic and at the risk of it being a fluke, I did it again today with even better results!

My coils have so much definition. My hair is soft and moisturized - not sticky, tacky or flaky. Frizz has truly been limited and cut down to nearly being gone. It's amazing. Each little coil is sitting up doing it's own thing. I finally got the hair I wanted just by going and trying something new with the products I already have. And just think......the gel costs $6 for a huge tub, and Suave is $1 a bottle. So I got my miracle for less than $10.

Here are pics of my hair from today:

Caramel Treatment?

2009-06-10T13:56:00.008-04:00

Ok, while surfing the net I ran across this article: The Caramel Treatment - a Natural Hair Softener

Well it sounds pretty good. However, it says something about loosening the curl pattern, specifically: "Many report 'loosening' of hair texture as well as less shrinkage after the treatment but this is likely due to the added weight of the product as well as the increased moisture levels in the hair. For this reason, the caramel treatment is excellent for helping to straightening the natural hair as it takes less heat to get smoother results as well as better moisture retention." I am not looking to loosen my natural curl pattern, but I am all for an all natural hair softener and less shrinkage.

(On this website you can find a small paragraph about the Caramel Treatment as well as a link to the article I mentioned above. Just go into the "101 beginners guide" section for tips and info.)

I have some of the things for the recipe at home! The rest I can buy later. Here is the recipe as posted in the article mentioned above.

Here outlined is a simple recipe.....:

Honey - 6 tablespoons
Olive Oil - 6 tablespoons
Bananas - 2-3 overripe and very soft
Molasses (Treacle) - 3 tablespoons
Water - 4-6 tablespoons
Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tablespoon

I am loving this simplified version of the recipe. The original "product" also has wheat germ oil and cornstarch. I am going to henna this weekend, so in about 2 weeks I think I will try this and see how it goes. I am intrigued. LOL I think it will be fun to put this in the blender and have a go at it.

Ok, so after a little more reading, I see that (to me) it looks like this is more of a protein treatment. I don't want my hair getting too much protein, so I think I may just do this once a month (as suggested) instead of every other week. I have heard/read things about the protein overloads that some ladies have gotten and my hair has been fine without me doing "specific" protein treatments. I say specific because I don't knowingly put products in my hair that contain protein. If one of my products happens to have protein, then great, if not, then that is fine too. I just go with what products work best with my hair.

Once I do the Caramel Treatment I will be sure to post an update along with pics.

What was I thinking?

2009-06-09T08:36:00.004-04:00

Ok, so this morning I got up and co-washed my hair. Not just any co-wash, but a really good one - detangling and everything. Ok, I hadn't done this type of co-wash in weeks because I just hadn't had the time in the mornings to do it.

Well, this morning I was able to peel myself away from the bed before 6:00am so that I could get in the shower and take care of my hair. This co-wash was much needed, let me tell you. My hair has grown a lot over the past few months. I can tell just by the co-washing. My entire experiences with my hair in the shower has gone from less than 5 minutes to more than 10. That's a lot of time when you have kids that need help getting dressed in the morning and a husband that needs that shower that I am hogging!

Any who.....I get in the shower to co-wash and start rinsing my hair. My hair wasn't as soft as it had been for lack of co-washing. I mean I'm sure that's what it is/was. My hair was loving the Suave. I'm sure it is still thanking me. LOL The detangling wasn't bad, it was just that I had one tangle where as I have NEVER had a tangle before, so to me, the detangling session during the co-wash was a bit rough - so what....I'm spoiled. LOL

I did notice a lot of shed hair this time, but that was to be expected since I had not co-washed in a week or more. Still, I didn't like seeing it all. It was a lot of hair (but not really). I think my hair is still thanking me for the co-wash this morning. I'll need to do it every day now, or at least until I henna this weekend.

Lesson learned. I can not afford to get lazy with my hair. I must co-wash a minimum of 4 times per week. Yeah, that's right, 4 times per week. My hair needs it, and since I raised my new naps on co-washing w/ Suave, I have to stick to it. Why mess up a good thing. I'll just have to be quicker in the shower because my husband and water bill are suffering behind my leisurely showers/co-wash sessions.

Just Checking In

2009-06-04T09:21:00.007-04:00

Sorry it's been so long! A whole week without a new post. I have so much going on. I stopped "Tweeting" because I couldn't hang. I finally got the hang of FaceBook, Nappturality is where I spend the majority of my FIT (free Internet time), and between all of that, work, and looking for a fiyah gold or bronze pair of shoes, I'm just swamped! LOL I promise I will do better......really, I mean it.

Ok, so right now I am just in chill mode with my hair. I did notice some new growth since my last henna on May 18th, so it's looking like I will have to mix some up for next weekend. I'll make sure to get my supplies together and spend my Saturday morning treating my hair to a wonderful spa day. LOL So.....I guess I will mix my henna around 7:00pm so that by the time I get up Saturday morning, I can get started. Yeah, that will be good. I need to run by Wal-Mart and pick up some more rubber gloves and HE Hydralicious. Well, maybe if i take the time to locate my rubber gloves I wouldn't have to pend $1.27 on a new package! LOL

I did some 2-strand twists last weekend and let me just say, they were nice! They were so thick. Before, I would make my twists and they wouldn't be nearly this thick and on Saturday when i did them, I was amazed at how nice and juicy they were. It didn't take long to do them either. I might start twisting my hair at night for a few days to see how it goes. (that's probably a lie seeing as how I love the ease of just putting on my satin bonnet and going to bed) I wouldn't do as many twists as are in the picture for overnight, but a few just to keep my hair stretched. Not sure though. I know it will be a commitment and plenty of nights I am guilty of watching TV until I fall asleep. I'll try it tonight and see how it goes - just some big ol' sleeping twists. LOL

Now what I have noticed is that my hair is starting to hang/flop a little more. I keep wondering is it because of the henna, the length/growth, or both. I'm really excited to see how my hair will look in about another year or so. I have been visiting different Fotki albums to see hair that looks like mine and I really haven't found anyone who has hair that looks like mine. I have fine little coils all over my head that range from coffee stirrer size, to small marker sized coils. Most are in between the two. I have seen one person with hair similar - she has a (slightly) looser coil but my hair is somewhat thicker. I guess nothing but time will show me the results.

No Life Preserver or I Gave Up the Security Blanket

2009-05-28T07:21:00.008-04:00

Ok, well, this week I have been trying to wear my hair "out" without accessories of any type. These are not limited to but include headbands, scarves, barrettes, click clacks, flowers, etc. It's hard for me to just wear my hair without feeling that it needs something.

How many ladies out there suffer from the "Security Blanket Syndrome"? How difficult was it for you to really give up accessories and feel comfortable enough in your hair that you don't need them? Well, it took me a total of 9 months. That's a pretty long time to be insecure about your hair.

Last week it started with me coming in to work with my hair "out" just so that it could dry, then I would put it up in a puff. Then one morning I literally forgot to put my hair up and people started coming in to work and complimenting my hair. Soooo, I decided to leave my hair "out". It wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been. It's even kind of cute. I just can't wait for my hair to get a little longer to see what it will really look like "out".

I'm Optimistic About It

2009-05-21T16:13:00.013-04:00

Well, if you've been keeping up, you know that I have jumped on the henna band wangon with my hair and it is in full effect! I henna'd twice in one week! LOL So I was all up in arms about losing the color I got from the 1st henna. Well it looks like my hair is continuing to evolve.

Here is are pictures of my hair from the 1st henna:

Here is a picture the morning after my second henna. Notice how much darker my hair had gotten.

Ok, two days after my second henna my hair looked like:

Ok, so it looks like it has gotten a little lighter and someone at work even noticed, so I guess I'll see. Although I am caught up about the color of my hair, right now my focus is to get my hair in the best shape possible.

Right now I have been conditioning my hair and testing out deep treatment recipes. Tuesday night I mixed up some HE Hydralicious, EVOO and honey. I put a plastic curl cap on and left it in over night. Was it soft? Heck yeah! My hair loved it, but I haven't found anything yet that my hair doesn't like. I have to admit, my hair behaves very well and I guess that' why it was so easy for me to relax my hair in the first place - because I got that bouncy, flowing hair you see in the commercials.

Well, now that I know better {than to relax my hair}, I am totally focused on getting my hair in good shape for the summer months. Much to my surprise, I found that henna is a good sunscreen for hair, so now it's not mandatory for me to cover my hair while I'm out in the sun this summer. However, I will still take precautions when I expose my hair to excessive amounts of sun.

Bring on the summer!

Sad but true.

2009-05-20T14:18:00.006-04:00

I'm having issues adjusting to the darker color that my 2nd henna imposed upon my hair. I like it, but I like the 1st color better. I'll even go so far as to say that I am saddened by the new darker color. That's right, I said it. I should have just left well enough alone. I'm wondering if I can even get my orange "glow" back in my hair. Since my hair isn't super dark right now, I feel like there's hope, but I'm not going to henna anytime soon. I'll wait until the end of the month or the beginning of June before I henna again.

I'm hoping that I'll get over this henna depression and just embrace the new color. Doubtful, but I'll try. You know, now I'm beginning to realize truly what that old saying meant: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." I just should have kept my bird in my hand.........

And the winner is.......

2009-05-19T08:08:00.011-04:00

Well, I did henna last night with the Mumtaz Al-Aroosa Henna. Here are my comparison results against the MDH Henna:

I used 200 grams and put it on pretty thick. This henna stayed dark green the entire time and it was hard to tell if/when the dye release occurred. The henna sat for about 12 hours before I applied it. As I was applying the henna I was a little worried because it looked different from the MDH Henna. This henna was super green! The MDH Henna was a greenish-brown after the dye release.

I left the henna on for about 3 hours with my heating pad and wrap. It took much longer to rinse the Mumtaz Al-Aroosa Henna than it did the MDH. I know I had to rinse for about 10 - 15 minutes just to get to the point of where the water was clear. There were still bits and pieces of henna and I could still feel some grit in my hair after the initial rinse.

Once the initial rinse was complete, I got into the shower to shampoo and condition my hair. With the MDH Henna I didn't need to shampoo right away because the henna rinsed away clean. The Mumtaz Al-Aroosa Henna did not. I shampooed and there was still a lot of debris left in my hair from the henna. As I conditioned, I still noticed tiny pieces of henna and grass coming from my hair.

On the bright side, my hair was super soft. It didn't take long to dry either. This morning when I got up, I rinsed my hair again and added some KC Knot Today and Curling Custard. I noticed my coils were not shrinking up as much, but I also noticed another color change. I liked my color better before this second henna. It seems as if my light streaks in the front are now gone or not as noticeable.

I just went outside to take some pictures. Let me see what it looks like.

Well, looks like the streaks are still there. I like the original henna color the best. I'll see if it brightens a bit after a few days. Maybe when I go back the the MDH Henna, I will get something similar to the original results.

Double Trouble

2009-05-18T10:25:00.007-04:00

Ok, so I wanted to henna over the weekend but didn't and should have. I know - confusing already. I was too busy trying to see if I could find an Indian Market near my home that had comparable prices to Cherians in Decatur, GA. Well, I went to a market near my home but man!!! I don't know how they stay in business. They hardly had anything in there. I saw the henna and it was triple the price of Cherians. Soooo, I'll be making some monthly trips to purchase my henna in Decatur. (And I'm acting like Decatur is far, it's only 15 minutes from where I work - so dramatic. LOL) So, Friday morning I will be making a trip over to Decatur to pick up about 10 boxes of henna. I'm taking some home for my sister - yeah, she requested 4 boxes.

Ahywho, I'm gonna henna again tonight - hoping to "jump-start" the conditioning effects. Yeah, I know I just henna'd last week, so what! I'm ready for round two. I was away from home last night so I decided to bring my "supplies" with me and prepare the mix here at work this morning so it would be ready this evening. It's sitting under my desk right now near my space heater wrapped up in a sweater. LOL I can't wait to see the results from tonight.

I can definately tell the difference in my hair from the pre-henna days. My hair is really much softer and not as coarse feeling - if that makes sense. I mean it's so soft that it's scary. I have noticed more clumping and better curl definition as well. Since I have henna'd, I haven't used any curl defining product outside of Knot Today. No gels or puddings - I haven't needed them. I can't wait to henna tonight and see my results of the wash and go for tomorrow that will include a good co-wash, Knot Today, and Curling Custard. I'm thinking a record setting hair day is on the horizon!

The Henna Experience.

2009-05-15T09:20:00.019-04:00

Well, it's done, and I was about as nervous as <--- this guy while I was going through the process of hennaing my hair for the first time. I went through with it last night (May 14, 2009). When I got home I checked my henna mix that had been sitting for almost 12 hours. I took a quick shower so that I could wash and clarify my hair before applying the henna. I wanted to make sure there was nothing that would prohibit the henna uptake. I read that the hair should be free from oils and products for maximum henna penetration of the hair shaft and I wanted maximum benefits. What would a little 10 minute shower hurt in all of this? Sure it would prolong me getting to the "mess" of things, but I wanted to make sure this was done right.

After the shower and a light towel drying of my hair I applied the henna. The application process was pretty simple. I put on my latex gloves, got my applicator brush and went about it. It took less than 10 minutes to apply the henna. I used an entire 100 gram box for my hair and almost didn't have enough! I couldn't believe that I had used the whole mixture. My hair is a lot thicker than it looks.

After I applied all of the henna mixture, I wrapped my hair in saran wrap. I then placed a plastic cap over my head. After that, I went to my room and got my heating pad - placed it on high heat and tied that to my head and then wrapped my head in a huge bath towel.

Yeah, I know I look funny, but after almost 2 1/2 hours, I was done with my henna. I took off the towel, heating pad, and all of the plastic that wrapped the muddy paste onto my hair. When I slid everything off, my hair looked like this:

Pretty messy looking, huh? Well it really wasn't too bad. I went on to rinse the henna from my hair and the water ran clean after less than 5 minutes. I was surprised. I had read so many posts from other ladies who said they had sand and grit and twigs in their hair and it took them forever to rinse the henna out. I thought for sure that I had done something wrong and the henna didn't take. I mean, for one, I didn't buy the BAQ Jamila henna that I hear a lot of people talk about. My henna was purchased locally for a fraction of the cost that I have seen other people buy. When I mixed the henna, I heated my water. I didn't use ACV (apple cider vinegar), I used distilled white vinegar. Lastly, I didn't have difficulty rinsing my henna from my hair.

With all of those discrepancies, surely I wouldn't get the conditioning effects from the henna. But to my surprise, as I was rinsing the henna, I could feel my coils. I didn't feel a lot of frizz like I have in the past, I could feel moisturized coils in my hair. Ok, fine, but I still wouldn't get any color change, right............WRONG!!!!

When I went upstairs to my bathroom to check to see if there was a color difference, I couldn't believe my eyes. There I was with this vibrant black cherry hair. Shining little highlights were everywhere. Even my greys were covered. I couldn't believe it. I just stood there in awe of my new hair. It was soooo soft, and the curls were defined - without product. At first, all I could do was just look at my hair. I loved it. The more I touched it, the more I wanted to touch it.

I went on to add my Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner. I tried to put it on as thick as I could so that I could cover all of my hair since I heard that some ladies experienced a drying effect after their first henna. I left the conditioner on for about 45 minutes before I rinsed it out. My hair felt so soft while I was rinsing, and it continued to feel soft throughout the night. I even noticed that when I woke up this morning my hair wasn't as flat - even on the side where I had slept for most of the night. My hair also wasn't tight to my head (for lack of a better description). My hair just wasn't smashed. I didn't have horrid "bed head".

So, this morning I shampooed my hair and it was great. I added my Knot Today, put my clips in and headed out. I love my hair today. The henna experience was pretty good. I was concerned yesterday about how messy it would be, or if no color showed up....and I did all of that worrying for nothing.

It's true, what works for their hair may not work for your hair and I am a true testament to that. All of the "rules" and suggestions that I had read on all types of sites were great and informative, but I was still able to do it my way and get great results. I'm not saying that I totally disregarded everything I read, because I didn't. I used the information I came across as a guide. I improvised and made this experience work for me.

...and here are my final results:

Henna Preparation Recipe

2009-05-14T14:18:00.009-04:00

This is not my personal henna recipe. This was supplied by one of my hair inspirations - Spiral (from Naturally Curly & Nappturality). I copied this from the Naturally Curly website through the following link: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/showthread.php?t=28006&page=5

Any notes or personal changes to her original post is shown in green italics.

I used this information to mix my own henna except I didn't have any ACV so I used distilled white vinegar instead. I hope this doesn't kill me! LOL I also heated my water - not to boiling, but it was pretty warm. Form what I understand, that may make my dye fade over time. I am not concerend with that. I have plenty of henna, so I can always do another application if I want color.

1. Dump my henna in a bowl (I used glass).

2. Mix my acv with a cup of water (room temp. Some people add boiling water to get faster dye release, but it makes henna fade over time) (I may have messed up here - I heated my water on the stove, but it wasn't boiling. I just got it to a nice warm temp. Next time I will use room temp water if I will not be applying the henna for 12 hours. I'm not too concerned about the color, I am more interested in the conditioning effects of the henna.). Change the amount of water depending on how much powder you're using. You want only just enough water/acv to moisten all the henna.(also, I use only 4 tblsp of ACV {I used distilled white vinegar} for 200 grams of henna. And I probably don't even need that much to get dye release).

3. Add acv{I used distilled white vinegar}/water to henna and mix, add a little more water if necessary (just to be sure that there are no dry parts.) Don't add too much water/acv.

4. The henna should be very thick, like mashed potatoes, because the honey that you add later will thin it out.

5. Cover with cling wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 9 to 12 hours or until you see dye release. (It will be about 12 hours by the time I get home and start applying my henna.)

6. After dye release has occurred, I add my honey. I don't measure, I just add it until I get the texture I want - goopy, but not too thin, like extra thick pudding. The mixture will be silky smooth.

7. Then apply it very thick, like icing, and leave on for four hours minimum. The henna will pull your hair almost straight if you apply thick, like you should.

8. Wrap your hair around your head, and wrap your head in cling wrap, then put on a wool hat or wrap your head in a towel. Natural heat is important for getting the henna to take. So keep your head warm. Your head will feel verrry heavy,You may need to lie down and read a book or watch a movie. (I think I will sit with my heating pad on my head to see how that works for me.)

Ok, so after I got home, I showered, washed my hair with Nature's Gate Jojoba Shampoo to make sure it was all clean. I added some honey to the henna mix and stirred it in. I applied the henna mix to my hair using a large applicator brush. 100 grams was almost not enough for my hair. I was surprised that I used it all. After I applied the henna I wrapped my hair with the cling wrap - including the pieces that previously cover my henna mix. Then I put on a plastic curl cap. After that I tied my heating pad on my head, set the temperature to "HI" and wrapped a large bath towel around all of that and watched TV for about 2 1/2 hours before I rinsed.

Stop! Henna Time

2009-05-14T08:40:00.007-04:00

Ok, well it looks like I am taking the henna plunge tonight. I bought my henna yesterday at an Indian store in Decatur and I mixed it this morning before I left for work. Yes, it was good and bright/pea green. When I mixed with the water and vinegar, the smell was like some grass or something "green" that you might be cooking on the stove like spinach or collards without the smoked meat. I had to use almost 2 cups of water for the 100 gram package.

It looks like some of the die released immediately. I stirred until it was about the consistency of mashed potatoes. When I get home tonight I will mix in some honey until it gets smooth and then I will slap it into my hair. Not sure how long I will allow it to stay on, but at least 4 hours. I might let it stay on all night and just get up early in the morning to rinse it out. Either way, I am excited about the experience.

I will post pics tomorrow - both here and in my Fotki album.

Products - Am I a junkie?

2009-05-13T09:31:00.008-04:00

Ok, I don't consider myself an outright PJ (product junkie), but I am starting to venture out of my comfort zone. My goal is to find the best product for the least amount of money. Sure, when I started my napptural journey, I spared no expense, I bought the Kinky Curly line of products hoping for moisturized and defined coils and curls. Spending about $60 for 3 products. Seeing as how those products (at least the KCCC) lasted me for about 6 months - that's really not bad at all.

BUT, I have been reading and deciding to try different things. I will probably always have Suave Naturals Coconut in my stash. It's my basic cowash product. I love KCCC, but I found that although I don't like the feel of the Long Aid Activator as it goes on my hair, I do love how it feels after it has dried and how it keeps my hair feeling soft after I wake up in the mornings.

So, here are the products I use and my reviews/views of each one.

Shampoo

So, in my stash I have Kinky Curly Come Clean Shampoo. I probably will not buy another shampoo until I have finished this one. I'll be on the look-out for some reviews on shampoos though. Since I only shampoo my hair about once a month, It will be a while before I am on the search for another. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

Conditioners

Suave Naturals Coconut for cowashing, it's cheap and it gives plenty of "slippage". You know we need that for detangling our precious and fragile napps.

If I want to give my hair a little extra TLC in the way of conditioning, it's Herbal Essences Hydralicious! Yummy. Hydralicious is so thick and creamy and it just coated my hair and made it so soft. This will definitely be a keeper. I was even thinking about phasing Suave out and Hydralicious in as my permanent co-wash product.

Leave-In

I must admit, Kinky Curly Knot Today is superb as a leave-in. It gives great slippage, smells great, and helps with curl definition. As far as leave-in conditioners, this is currently the only one I use.

Curl Definers

My favorite to use is Kinky Curly Curling Custard. Not only does it smell like something you would love to eat, it defines my little coils like nobody's business! However, at $26.00 per jar, it's a little pricey - but this is an all natural product. It also doesn't take very much of the product. A little really does go a long way.

The next thing I tried was Fantasia iC Gel - Olive. This defined my coils, but I just didn't really like how it felt when I was putting the product in my hair. I still use it on very rare occasions.

I am currently using Long Aid Activator Gel. I don't like how this feels when I put it in my hair either, but, the outcome is well worth it. This stuff defines my curls & coils. I have even noticed it to give my curls some "swell". My hair remains moisturized and soft until the next morning. On day two, I never have to reapply more product except for in my "problem" areas. For the rest of my hair, I just wet it in the shower using my hands. Then I can just shake and go. I love it and it is a definite keeper.

If/when I find or try more products, I'll post my feelings on them.

My Hair - Getting Obsessed

2009-05-13T08:59:00.004-04:00

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I promise to do better. My entire blog may shift the way of my hair! LOL Yes, I am getting obsessed with it. I'm buying books, products, reading, playing - all for the sake of my hair. So far I am not being outrageous as far as the money part of it, it's just the time I spend researching things I want to do to my hair.

I'll never claim to be an expert for anyone but myself, so as for the things I write here, take it as my experiences. Ask questions if you like and I will try to help anyone I can.

A New Day

2009-03-25T08:14:00.004-04:00

Yeah, the cycle is still going and I am caught up in it again, but I'm making it. I have a lot of work to do. I brought my journal in so that I can make digital copies of my poetry and short story writings. After I finish that, I can upload them to get them ready for the book.

I am excited. Wish me luck.

2009-03-24T13:57:00.003-04:00

I am sitting here, right now, contemplating posting my poetry here. I'm not sure of this is a good move or not. My poetry is so near & dear to my heart. I would be so hurt if someone ended up stealing it for their own. What to do, what to do...

Maybe I could publish a book of my poems first, then post them here. That's a thought! On to find out how to get them published.

Old things become new...and old again.

2009-03-24T09:53:00.004-04:00

All my life it seems like there is just this cycle of repetition. Why? Who knows. Will it stop? I doubt it. I mean really...what do I have to do to break the cycle? Must I be the one to give in? set my pride to the side? Sure does seem like it. I know it has really worn me down, and for lack of a better phrase: "gotten on my nerves".

I will keep playing the game - as if that is all there is to do. One day I'll be on top, and I wont have to put up with the mundane attempts at breaking the cycle. I can just remove myself from the cycle all together. I refuse to continue being caught up in the "same old, same old" of this life and this world.

My time is approaching....fast!