My Journey Back to Natural!

Hyper Hair

2011-12-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

After removing 2-week old twists and combing out before washing (which was a complete waste of time as I had to detangle again after washing.....this is why I need to stick to the plan)!

After washing, I blowdried and installed a few jumbo plaits. Winter hair boredom has set in, so I am once again searching for non-humdrum styles....

Ever hopeful that I will last until spring...

Twistory

2011-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

12/2009

12/2010

12/2011

xoxo

Random Cuteness

2011-12-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

My little brother kissing me goodnight.....sweetness!

xoxo

Janelle Moorehead

2011-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine lost her eldest child around this time last year. Janelle was a smart, beautiful young woman with a bright future ahead of her. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could realize her full potential. One of the goals of Janelle's family is to help keep her memory alive via a scholarship that was established in her name. Please take a moment to read the attached flyer and if it is within your ability to do so, consider making a donation to the scholarship fund and/or participating in the softball camp.

Monmouth University Office of Advancement

c/o Janelle Moorehead Scholarship Fund

400 Cedar Avenue

West Long Branch, NJ 07764

Please visit this site to read more about Janelle.

Thank you,

New Blog

2011-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Because I need an outlet for my bursts of creativity and sometimes feel the need to post about sparkly, girlie things, I have started a new blog called Mikimu Made. I didn't want to mash natural hair concerns with fuzzy blankets, and other hand-made goodies, thus the creation of a separate blog. If you're so inclined, run on over and visit. Mostly I will be posting photos of things that I make for no other reason than to ooh and aaah (I know...very gratuitious)!

Making things is one of the ways that I manage to stay somewhat sane with family, work, school and the like. Whether it's crocheting, sewing or making jewelry, I find solace and contentment when I finish a project.

Hope to see ya there!

xoxo

Innie Braids

2011-12-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

I absolutely adore these "innie" braids. I call them that bacause the braid is inside instead of outside, on top of the hair.

I never start my braids at the part line or braid along my hairline as this eliminates the tension and breakage.

xoxo

Blowout Braids - part three

2011-12-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

My hair this week.....

xoxo

Blowout Braids - part two

2011-12-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

After taking down these braids I washed, conditioned, detangled and blow-dried my hair and put it in the following style:

I kept these braids in for a wee bit more than a week or so. I wasn't quite ready to wash/condition when I took them down so I just sported the hum-drum ponytail for a couple of days until I was ready to re-style.

xoxo

Blowout Braids - part one

2011-12-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

This is the first of maybe many photo-posts featuring my blown out hair in braids. The first day of this style features the ends rolled and set with Jane Carter Solution Wrap and Roll setting product on purple flexi rods.

After about 4 days of rolling my braids on the rods, I decided that I had had enough of that. To keep the braids out of my face, I simply "pinwheeled" them down and clipped them in place with these cute mini-clips.

Back/top view:

These photos were taken after around day 9-10, right before I took them down to wash/condition....♫♪can't you feel the fuzz tonight......♪♫

I definitely love these braids as they make for great protective styling options.
xoxo

Natural Bloom

2011-11-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have been featured in the November issue of this lovely magazine....

Thanks again JC!

If you have a moment, click on over and check it out....

Thanks!

xoxo

Shea Moisture Experience

2011-11-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

I was in Walgreen's the other day and finally, on the shelf amidst the "other" hair products (you know the ones...corralled into that 2 foot wide space at the end of the aisle...the ones for the OTHER hair...yes, y'all know), sat the elusive Shea Moisture products. I decided to purchase the trial pack that contained:

Curl & Shine Shampoo, Hold & Shine Moisture Mist, Curl & Style Milk and the Curl Enhancing Smoothie. I bought separate containers of the Curling Souffle and the Deep Treatment Masque.

Since the Masque contained ingredients like shea butter, sea kelp and argan oil and claimed to "heal, grow & strengthen dry, damaged hair", (not that I would classify my hair this way, but still...) I decided to do a pre-poo with this. Honey, I was slapping this stuff in my hair like it was a commandment. Every strand was covered as you can see in the photos below:

After around 2-3 hours of sweating it out in this plastic cap, I washed with the shampoo then detangled with a cheepy conditioner not related to this line. Once all that was done, I added a bit of my regular leave in (because of the creature of habit that I am) and commenced to cracking open the rest of this stuff. I wasn't quite sure if I needed to use everything mainly because the Style Milk & the Enhancing Smoothie are both very similar in consistency. I ended up leaving the Smoothie and the Souffle for another day (maybe a wash and go in the future).

The pre-treatment with the Masque yielded a noticeable difference. My hair felt soft and was much easier to detangle. I do need a trim right now as the knots have started moving in. I don't do well with trimming my own hair so I will make an appointment to have that done really soon.

Oh, I did spray my hair with the Moisture Mist while I was twisting my hair in a few medium size twists. All of the products in this line smell really good, but the scent of this spray is really nice. Kind of sweet, but not overbearing, maybe even tropical (a very good product to alternate with my beloved JCS Leave In). It's not sticky and the spray bottle, although small, really blasts it out, which I appreciate. I hope the spray nozzle on the full-size bottle is as generous. I have been using this every other day to mist my twists so my hair doesn't become dry.

I like the line. The price point for the 4-pc trial set was $14.99, which is not bad to give this line a whirl. The Souffle and the Masque were $10.99 each though for the full-size containers. This is not bad either seeing that I've dropped $48 on a product before...that shall remain nameless.

♥♥Bonus♥♥

So I was looking through photos and came across this from January 2011 (although it may not be easy to see sans bra, my hair was right above my bra strap):

So I decided to snap this photo the day I tried the Shea Moisture products to see what progress my hair had made since January:

It's about 4 inches longer. That shrinkage is a mother! I am not length obsessed, but I figure since it is growing, why not see just how long it will get?!

Protective styling is a must...oh and the trim I desperately need.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Loves & Shoves

2011-11-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

LOVES: creating sweet things with my own two hands, getting through the day without blowing my diet, happy talks with my (now grown up) kids :0)

SHOVES: alone-ness, bad news, seeing peoples' nasty lookin' feet in sandals

This week...

2011-10-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

After having my hair twisted in flat twists for about a week, I decided to let it out for a few days. I miss my beloved twist outs.

In other news....I just got my hands on some Shea Moisture products that I will be using the next time I wash, condition and style. I know these products have been reviewed to death, but I figured there is no harm in adding my two cents :0)

xoxo

I made it......

2011-10-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

My official time to run/walk was:

I only ran about 20% of the way so finishing under an hour felt pretty good!

Right after crossing the finish line....

Approaching the 4k mark.....

Some of the pink "oddities" I managed to capture. I photographed this guy from behind for a reason......the front was just too much...LOL!

The starting line.....

I just found out that another friend of mine has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thank God it's still in the early stage. This is rather alarming mainly because she has no history of breast cancer (or any cancer) in her family and leads a pretty healthy lifestyle. Thankfully she heeded the warning to do self-exams and yearly mammos.

I too will elect to take the necessary precautions and remain on the lookout for this dastardly invader that is attacking so many of our moms, sisters, aunts, friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Please, I urge you to do the same!!

xoxo

3 more days.....

2011-10-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Focused on the goal
With determination, I
Cross the finish line.

Need a favor please......

2011-09-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am participating in the 13th annual Susan G. Komen Inland Empire Race for the Cure® and I am asking for your help to reach my goal in raising $500.00. Komen for the Cure works hard to provide education, screening and treatment that saves lives in our communities. By providing funds to Komen for the Cure, you can be a part of their promise to end breast cancer.

LOCATION: Promenade Temecula

DATE: Sunday, October 16, 2011

EVENT TIME: Registration opens at 6:30 am, please go to www.komenie.org for specific start times.

You can make a tax-deductible donation at any of the suggested levels or enter another donation amount.

♥ Thank you for your support ♥

xoxo

Week of September 17-23

2011-09-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

New 'do: Five 2-strand twists, ends tucked away for protection. Style was done on freshly washed/conditioned/detangled hair. There is an asymmetrical part down the back so that the part doesn't show. Pros: quick & easy, Cons: Fuzzes quickly and will only be in for a few days.

xoxo

September 16-23: protective twists

2011-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings from LaLa land.....

This will be short and sweet. I am still on my protective style mission and will see if I can last through the fall and winter. Besides being conveniently time-saving, protective styles allow my hair to rest for a while. For the next 3.5 months, I will be taking my hair down once a week for a good washing, detangling and conditioning. I will spare you the photo of that gigantic hairball I was left with after taking those 4 week old twists down. I know it's normalish to shed aroun 100-300 hairs a day, and upon close inspection, it was determined that the hairs were indeed shed and not broken. However, that was a lot of hair to lose at one time....so I will pass on doing that again. Plus, it took me almost THREE hours to detangle my hair....argh!

Anyhoo, after I was finally done with all of that, I threw in a leave in and a little olive oil and twisted 7 large twists from the right side of my head to the left (#habit)...I know right? It's nearly impossible for me to twist in the opposite direction...LOL. Then I rolled each twist and pinned it down with bobby pins. They look kind of like cinnamon rolls or rosettes. Notice the flair in the front? LOL. That's my attempt at fanciness.

I am noticiing that my hair is tinted reddish near the ends. I am surmising that this is the remainder of the henna incident. I thought it didn't really take, but realize now that it did deposit some color way back when.

These twists will be coming down tomorrow and I will be yet again on the lookout for a different protective style.

Photos:

xoxo

September update.....

2011-09-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

The twists are still hangin' tough. I have surprised myself by keeping them in for.......get ready.....drum is rolling.....FOUR WEEKS!!!!! Either I have been feeling really lazy OR really determined to keep them in for longer than 2 weeks. It's probably a mixture of both. Just thinking about taking my hair down, washing and detangling makes me uneasy. Really, my scalp has not been itching all that much, well it has but not enough for me to take them down apparently. Is my scalp dirty?? Yes, really dirty. It's probably the result of me spritzing every couple of days with the leave-in/water combo I've been using to keep them moisturised. **side note** Seems that I have misplaced that sprayable dry shampoo that I was all giddy to try. I searched high and low and could not figure out where I put it...oh well.

Yesterday, I decided to add a little style to my coif. I put a braid up the back of my head, then clipped the twists in two places with my favorite hair accessory: The Goody Ouchless Hair Clip. They are very easy to operate as there are no moving parts, beads or metal to get snagged in the hair. I have them in brown and black, large and small.

Photos:

Notice the frizzy fuzz in this last photo. It really is time to take them down, but I don't wanna....ok, I think my itchy scalp is demanding otherwise!

xoxo

Twist Month - weeks 3 & 4

2011-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

True Story.....

Her: Hi how are you?

Me: Fine thanks and you?

Her: Good, good! I like your twists (unexpected hand thrusted into my hair)...ooohh, this is some soft hair. Who is it by?

Me: [Befuddled look on face] Huh?

Her: This hair, who is it by?

Me: Um, this is my hair.

Her: Whaaaat?! You mean it's ALL yours? Wow.....

She went on to tell (and show) me how she is going bald at the top of her head and that she doesn't know why. I asked her if she used relaxers....she answered in the affirmative. I told her that I stopped getting my hair relaxed 3 years ago and made a few product changes. That made all the difference. My hair stopped breaking and is really healthy. She said she would give that a try, but I know that she won't.

I've had this conversation so many times before. A woman will ask me about my hair and how I grew it out, what products I use, etc. When I tell her about the few things I've changed in my haircare routine, she seems unphased or disinterested in making the changes herself. OR, she will say something like "My hair isn't like yours....it's too [fill in the blank]". To hear a comment like that is really disappointing because I know so many black women with all different hairtypes and they have successfully grown their hair out to magnificent healthy lengths simply by taking better care of it. Most of these women used to think they could not grow hair past their shoulders until they made a few changes in their hair care regimen. I even direct them to the many YouTubers and bloggers from which I have learned so many useful things along my hair journey. No deal....they will not even take the time to investigate.

So, I've concluded, as with anything else in life a person will change when they are ready to change. When this woman is ready for her hair to stop falling out and breaking off, hopefully she will stop the madness and adopt new behavior.

**segue**

To finish out the month, I put mini twists in for weeks 3 & 4. I only had them down for the first day then they were clipped up into a swingy little pony. When the ends begin to get a little unruly, I will spray them with a leave in conditioner, seal them with oil and tuck them away in a bun. My goal with mini twists is to keep them in past the two week mark. So far I haven't been successful. This time I will try a little harder. At the two week mark, my twists usually still look pretty good....it's the itchy scalp business that drives me to take them down for a good washing. This time I am going to try a product called Oscar Blandi Volumizing Dry Shampoo. This little can was included in a boxed set of products that I picked up from Sephora back in October. There may be a review in the future...

Anyhoo, here are a few photos:

Right now, I am trying to decide what I will be doing with my hair next month...any suggestions?

xoxo

Twist Month - week 2

2011-08-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

This is post is being brought to you live from beautiful San Diego. I am here this week on business and the weather is absolutely perfect!!! It's blazin' hot where I live, so I am really enjoying myself :0)

The view from where I am sitting......Quallcomm Stadium

This weeks twists don't look nearly as good as last weeks. But if you could see how I struggled with my hair just to get these in.....you'd say I was winning!!

I did these on Sunday. They lack creativity and for some reason began to fuzz up really quickly. I desperately need a trim but won't be getting one until at least September....#fairyknotsgalore!

Photos:

Hopefully, I will think up a better 'do for next weel!

xoxo

August is TWIST Month

2011-08-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've finally caught up. This month I have decided to wear my hair in a variety of twisted styles. So far, I am off to a running start with these Side Swooped Two-Strand Twists

Pre-styling, I used the following products:

Wash: Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie shampoo
Condition/Detangle: Tresemme Naturals silicone free conditioner

Once out of the shower and ready to style, I used (in the following order):

1. Leave In: Giovanni Direct Leave In Conditioner

2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3. Ecostyler Gel with Olive Oil

4. Pooka Shea & Olive Oil Butter

**Finished Look **

xoxo

Breezy Twistout - July

2011-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

After the wedding, I washed and conditioned my hair and twisted my hair up in medium sized twists. Sorry no photos :0(

I did, however, remember to snap a few shots of the pretty decent twistout I wore for about a week after I took the twists down.

This was also the first time I wore this cute butterfly headband I picked up from....hmmm, I don't remember now. It's been that long since I bought it.

The only products I used when I twisted was Giovanni Direct Leave In conditioner and some shea butter mixture. Since I didn't use a product to "set" my twists, this twistout did not last long. The hubs and I went to the beach right after I took these photos and ♫wooohaaaaa I gotchu all in check (thanks Busta)....random I know but that's what that humidity sang to my un-set hair as I sashayed along the coastline!!

Anyhoo, lesson learned....when I twist my hair, I definitely need a leave in, something to set my hair and something to seal my ends!

xoxo

Wedding Hair

2011-08-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a while since my last post. That's because I haven't really been doing anything special with my hair. Okay, truth is, I've been struggling big time with my hair. I get sick and tired of "dealing" with it and frankly, sometimes I am just plain bored. Enough already!!

So, in June, my baby graduated from high school *yay*, I attended so many graduation parties, a funeral (of a very dear friend) and a wedding. The wedding was an intimate affair at a beautiful Southern California winery. I decided to straighten my hair for the wedding because 1) I was just in the mood and 2) I must have forgotten what happens to natural hair when someone dances all night and sweats profusely to ♫♪ "celebrate good times, come on......" or while ♪♫ "steppin' in the name of love". Trust me, that was not a good look and I will think twice before doing that again!

I also decided to get me some 'lashes. The woman that gives me a perfect pedicure every two weeks suggested that I let her make me "mo' beautifo" by gluing not one but TWO rows of (supersized) individual lashes to each of my eyelids. **insert dramatic pause with crazy look here** She said they would last around 2 weeks (um no), more like 2 days. I took them off exactly 2 days after they were applied (while making all sorts of ouchy noises due to the glue that was ripping from my eyelids, and I am certain that a few of my own lashes were pulled out in the process). Anyway, lesson learned.....I will not be doing that again. Of course I had to photograph them, you know, for the sake of posterity. Or so I could say that I've done that before.

closeup of THE LASHES

cheesin' in the mirror while getting ready for the my son's graduation earlier in the day

honestly, I should have just rolled with the twistout I wore all day because this semi-straight style did NOT look the same by the end of the night...

beautiful bouquets that the bridesmaids carried...

my simple clutch that I adorned with this beautiful brooch...voila...stunning evening bag

lovely table settings

Erm...yeah, this hair was in a clipped up ball by the end of the night

So, that was my June. Umpteen graduations/parties, a funeral and a wedding. So glad to have survived!!

xoxo

Sunshine Award

2011-08-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hip hip hooray!! Mama M over at Hair-raising Adventures has nominated my blog to receive this beautiful award. This is especially heart-warming to me because I never thought anyone would be remotely interested in reading about my hair. When I started this blog it was more or less a way for me to document my natural hair journey and keep a collection of photos as I plan to one day put all of my blog entries together in a book. Thanks to anyone who has ever subscribed to, read, commented on or recommended my blog to anyone else!

(sorry I've been M.I.A. for a while, but will be posting soon!)

According to the rules, to collect the award this is how it works:

♥ Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them

Super-duper THANK YOU to MamaM :0)

♥ Tell one thing about yourself

My dream job....race car driver!

♥ Nominate 10 blogs you would like to receive the award (alphabetical order):

A day in the life of a curly girly

Alice in Nappyland

Chocolate Hair / Vanilla Care

ChocolateTresses

Glamazini

Happy Girl Hair

How to Play with Barbies

Little Bit Funky

Smylnbig

The Natural Haven

**This was a difficult list to compile**

♥ Stop by and let them know you chose them

Done!!

I thank and appreciate all of the lovely ladies who take the time to write quality words and post illustrative photos, charts, graphs, surveys, product reviews, etc.

xoxo,

Loves & Shoves

2011-06-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

LOVES: low-tech distractions (word searches, crosswords), sweet adoption stories, eggplant

SHOVES: migraines, lonliness, death

Just wondering.....

2011-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

This will be a very short, but insightful post. I notice whenever I am around other black women, I get a variety of comments along the lines..."I would go natural if my hair was like yours"...."my hair is too nappy to not be relaxed"....."oooh wee, I'm not walking around with a bush like that (I'm assuming they are referring to my hair and it looks bushy) on my head"....."uh un, you will not catch me walking around like THAT".

These types of comments used to annoy/irritate me. Although I was always polite and did not retort with a stinger, inside I was furious. Not just because of what I thought they may or may not be thinking about my hair or the decision I made to embrace the natural hair growing out of my head, but because deep, deep down inside myself, I had to admit that I once felt the same way or had the same sentiments they were expressing.

Back in January 2007 I mulled over the idea of going natural. At that time I was relaxed and had a decent head of hair. I ultimately chickened out because of listening to my stylist at that time and others tell me how "difficult" it was to care for natural hair, blah blah blah.

Then, on August 22, 2008 I decided that would be my last relaxer. While browsing around the net, I stumbled across a photo of a woman who was natural, even read about her journey. I cannot for the life of me remember her name, what website I was on or anything. She will never know how much she inspired me to change my way of thinking about my natural hair and my decision to embrace it.

So as I proceeded with my decision, I thought about all of those negative comments about natural hair being difficult to care for and nappy and all of that. I though about "not" going natural if my hair was a "certain type". **The rest of what I am about to reveal about myself is difficult, yet truthful** At that time, I did not know what my natural hair texture was like. My hair was relaxed since I was around 12 or 13 years old. Before that, my mother used to press it once a week, so I don't even think SHE remembered what my natural hair looked like. Anyway, I wanted to "see" what my natural hair would look like before I solidified my decision to go natural by chopping off all of my relaxed hair. I cut off the relaxed hair from a small patch in the back when my relaxer had grown out about 6 or 8 weeks (there was about an inch or so left in that little patch). I was not one of those women who just decided to big chop sight unseen....one of the ones that just decided to embrace the kinks/curls/naps no matter what they looked like. At the time, I didn't think what I was doing or how I felt was so, for lack of a better work, wrong!

I am shame to admit that my decision to follow through with my decision to go natural was based on my actual hair type. I liked what I saw and decided to run with it. (Although, I am glad I stopped relaxing because of the damage it was causing to my hair: thinning, breakage). I cannot swear that I would have gone natural had I not had this hair texture. It didn't help that there was this "divide" between the "curlies" & the "nappys". There are some "saditty" groups where all natural hair was referred to as curly or "3c, d or e" and death do you if you mention the word NAPPY. Then there was the militant "nappy" group, type 4d and beyond, that scolded anyone who called themselves natural, yet colored or dared to heat-straighten their hair. Thinking about this now makes me feel sad. Sad that I, at one time, subscribed to the "I'm so glad my hair is sew and sew" philosophy. Facing this ugly truth about my negative thinking actually helps me to understand the comments that I mentioned at the outset of this post. This prompts me to ask the question:

**Did your hair texture affect your decision to go natural??**

I feel 100% different now than I did back then. Since that time, I have read hundreds of blogs, viewed tons of photos and watched countless videos of women with all types of abso-freakin-lutely naturally awesome hair. Whether loosely curled or tightly kinked, it's all gorgeous. There have been times when I wished my hair type was tighter and thicker, but I'm sure y'all know about that green grass...LOL.

I guess this post wasn't so short after all. My final point is this: In the beginning, my reasoning was skewed and tainted by society's (you can insert whoever or whatever group you like here) hangups and crazy notions of what is generally accepted as beautiful, especially when it comes to Black Beauty. Since then, I have grown emotionally and am able to see the beauty in accepting what is naturally and beautifully mine. I am glad to have been affected by so many beautiful heads of hair along my journey.

I ♥ natural hair...

$100 Visa Giftcard Giveaway.............

2011-05-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all, for those of you who like to win $$....skip on over HERE and see what's happ'nin!!!

Peace & ♥......

Chocolate Hair, Vanilla Care

2011-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

As I was reading through my blog updates this morning, I discovered a blog that is really cute with some really great styles and info, so I wanted to share it with you all. By way of Mama M over at "Hair Raising Adventures" (Hi!), I clicked on a link to:

For those of you with little girls, there are really cute hairstyles featured and great tutorials. Reading the family's adoption story moved me to tears. My husband and I have discussed the possibility of adopting a little girl and after reading that, my heart is once again revved up to begin the process.

Have a wonderful day....

Thank You.......

2011-05-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

......to all 56 of you that take the time to read my humble little blog!! I appreciate all the feedback and support! :0)

Flatiron - April 2011

2011-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

So, after the minitwists were all taken out, my mission was to go to the salon for a relaxing wash and wet set. That didn't happen. To make a very long story short, I ended up getting my hair flat ironed sooner than I had planned. Usually, I straighten my hair about every 4 or 5 months or so, unless I get particularly antsy or my ends desperately need trimming.

After explaining to the stylist that sticking a rattail comb in my hair, while DRY (or otherwise really) is a definite NO-NO, I could tell that she thought I was telling her how to do her job. While she is a great stylist, she knows squat about natural hair. I haven't sat in her chair since she gave me my last relaxer in August 2008, so she was really shocked that 1) I called her for an appointment and 2) that I had basically cut off all of my hair and have been growing it out naturally for the past 2 years.

She was impressed at how healthy and well maintained my hair is. I took great pride in that because I have been taking care of my own hair since I decided to go natural. Had it not been for the natural community I discovered on the net, I don't know that I would have done such an awesome job !

Anyway, after the washing and conditioning, she blowdried my hair with a round brush, then proceeded to straighten it with a flatiron. She was a little irritated that I declined the invitation to have her "get the roots" with a pressing comb. I just wasn't having that. The heat from the dryer and the iron would be (more than) enough.

When she was finished, my hair was BONE STRAIGHT, reminiscent of the relaxed days, I just couldn't keep my hands out of it.....twirly, swingy, bouncy..... then I was worried about heat damage. All I wanted to do was run home and put my head under some water, to make sure my curls would come back. I fought off that urge for a couple of weeks. Since my hair was straight, I decided to make the most of it and make it last as long as I could.

Photos:

front is shorter than the back...

back is right at bra strap...

After about three weeks of this, I decided enough was enough. I washed, conditioned and retwisted my hair in minitwists. This Thursday will be two weeks since I put them in. As I finished each twist, I decided to clip off about 1/4 inch to get rid of the fairy knots that were missed when my hair was trimmed back in February. Also, I am not sure, but I think some parts of my hair may have suffered heat damage from this last straightening. I can't be 100% sure if that is the case or if I am just being paranoid :0(

My next goal is to be waist (hahahaha, I remember when I had an actual waistline, but stay with me people) length by March 2012. If I keep my hair in protective styles and utilize low manipulation techniques, I could very well meet that goal. Also, I've been drinking lots of water and eating more veggies to help out. The products I use will remain the same....because they work for me. I see no need to switch up now. There is one product I've used recently though that I will tell you all about in my next post.....'til then....

I ♥ natural hair...

Dead Prez - The Beauty Within

2011-04-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful tribute to natural beauty......have a listen!

Make today splendiferous!!

I ♥ natural hair...

**Edit....unfortunately the YouTube account that posted this video is no longer active...

Happy EARTH Day!!

2011-04-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

SOURCE

Mini Twists March 2011 ~ The Takedown

2011-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 9th the twists had to come out!! I tried to keep them in for 4 weeks, but I found that to be impossible. I'm not sure if keeping these twists in for longer than 2 weeks has caused a minimal amount of breakage, but I've noticed a crazy amount of halo fuzz that has me wondering. Judging from the photos, my hair has grown almost an inch in 3 weeks, woohoo!!

To make this process easier, I sprayed my hair with the JCS leave-in and added some jojoba oil.

Tried to get a photo of the new growth.....

Finally, all taken down...

Wash time!! I decided to use these Ojon mini sizes I purchased from Sephora way back in October when I was in Vegas. I actully like the way the shampoo cleaned my hair. I washed twice, actually thrice to make sure I removed all the build-up, dirt and whatever else was lurking in my hair after 3 weeks of being twisted. The scent of both was pleasant enough. The conditioner had a fair amount of slip, although not what I am used to with my usual conditioner. Two thumbs on both!

This is all the shed hair. This hairball is bigger than my usual 2-week size, but I am not shocked or surprised by the amount of hair that came out when I detangled. I am sorry I forgot to put somethng next to this to show size relativity :0(

After washing, I added my usual KCKT leave in, Some Ouidad Moisture Lock, which was purchased with the Ojon products, and some Moroccan oil to seal in all the moisture.

Ack....this is what frustration looks like...LOL! After washing and detangling I was at a loss as to what I should I do with my hair this week.

Braid Out it is.....I wore my hair like this all week, then Saturday I went to a salon for a wash, condition and style. Washing my hair is definitely more of a chore the longer it gets. Having someone else do it is relaxing, although I had to school that chick. She tried to stick a rattail comb in my DRY hair to detangle.....WRONG!!!! More on that later.......

I love natural hair....

Mini Twists March 2011 ~ week 3

2011-04-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Since I am really on a mission to keep these twists in past my usual 2 week mark, I decided to wash and condition them, which is something I've never done before. I used my usual Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie shampoo and conditioner. When washing, I mostly concentrated on my scalp to stave off the itchiness that's been plaguing me for the past couple of days. Oh, and of course to ride my hair of those awful little white roots....ugh! Darn shed hairs....

In the following photos, notice the amount of frizz, both at the root and the ends. The twists actually don't look that bad, I just wish it wasn't so fuzzy.

I will probably take these twists out either Saturday or Sunday evening. I do like the thought of protective styling, however, I am finding that it's difficult for me to leave my hair in the same style for longer than 2, er 3 weeks. Kudos to me for proving to myself that I could indeed stick it out for a whole 'nother week :o)

Mini Twists March 2011 ~ week 2

2011-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

This week, I've been playing with new styles in order to avoid being bored with my hair. My scalp is itchy and the shed hair root tips are showing....gross. Those little white bulbs look, well, nasty. Some of what I am seeing is probably lint or dry, flaky scalp. Whatever it is, it's getting washed out this week.

These photos were taken around day 12 or 13, right before I washed my hair. I used one of my beloved Flexi8 clips (medium) to fasten my braid at the top of my head and just left out a few twists for bangs. I know that was a lot of bangs, but once I clipped my hair, I really didn't want to hassle with it anymore to stick any of that hair back in there...LOL.

On to post-wash and week three...

Mini Twists March 2011

2011-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm back. This post (and the few that follow) will chronicle my determination to keep the latest mini twists in for longer than 2 weeks. This is usually my cutoff, my breaking point for deciding to take them out. The reason varies from itchy scalp, super-fuzz or plain old boredom.

To start, I washed, conditioned and lightly blow-dried my hair (with a heat protectant) to make it easier to twist and have some stretch.

Photos:

Freshly twisted closeup (before I sprayed them with Jane Carter Solutions Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner

All done (took around 5-6 hours) as I was taking frequent breaks....

After I sprayed them with JCS leave in. I do this to plump them up a little and to get the ends to curl. If I do the twists on wet/damp hair initially, the twists shrink up and don't last as long.

cheesin'......

The ends don't look like they curled up much, but they actually did look better in person.

Pulled back after a couple of days. I love the freedom of not having to do much to my hair when it's twisted up. For maintenance, I sleep in a silkish scarf and moisturize about every 3 days with the JCS leave in, then seal with Moroccan oil (mmmmmm!)

A little hump in the front for some style. The back was braided from the neck to the top of my head (pics to follow in another post). My fuzz is starting to show...LOL!

So far, week one was great...on to week two!

Growth Check.....TWO YEARS!!!!

2011-03-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

Big Chop 03/01/09

Year One 03/13/10

Year Two 03/05/11

Routine: Simple - wash, condition every 7-10 days. Use a Leave in and seal ends when twisted.

Current Go-to's:
Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Shampoo & Conditioner
Jane Carter Solutions Leave In & Nourish and Shine
Kinky Curly Knot Today/Jojoba Oil/Aloe Vera juice mix as a leave in
Moroccan Oil on occasion because it smells divine and I just love it!! :0)

Trims: 2 per year or when otherwise necessary

Styles: Mostly protective twists. Wash-n-go's are virtually a no-no now because of the tangle factor.

Heat: Flat iron only TWICE a year....period. This is when I get my trims. It's just easier this way.

Nighttime: Wrap in silk scarf.

Looking forward to continuing my journey.

I ♥ natural hair.....

2-Year BIG CHOP Anniversary!

2011-03-01T22:46:00.000-08:00

Two years post big chop......woohoooooo!!!!!!!!

Focus for the next year: protective styles

Current style: flat twists

Flatiron February 2011

2011-02-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

It is indeed time for a trim. You know, fairy knots, splits...time for them to go. The last trim I had was in July of 2010 so it is the right time. I decided to flatiron my hair, make an appointment with a stylist (referred to me by a gal I work with who is also natural), and hope for the best. My appointment is this Saturday morning. When I was making the appointment, I asked her if she understood that a trim is not a cut and she assured me she did. We shall see.....

Anyhoo, I cannot believe how much my hair has grown. I don't wear my hair out as much anymore. Maybe that has had a lot to do with retention. I have virtually no breakage and little shedding when I detangle. Overall my hair is healthy and I am happy with the condition and growth rate. My diet has been healthier than usual. Also, I am off of that medication that kicked my fine little body hair into overdrive. After suffering through the pain of having my entire face, hands and arms waxed, I told the doctor make a change because I was through with that.

Pictures:

2/8/11

Before bed, I French braided all of my hair down the back and rolled the braid with an orange rod before donning a silk scarf. I had hoped for full and wavy, with a slight curl. This was the outcome:

2/9/11

This time, before bed, instead of one braid down the back, I parted my hair down the middle and braided two Pocahontas style braids, and rolled each one with orange rods, then scarved. This photo doesn't show it but it was actually much fuller and wavier. Results:

2/10/11

After I get about 1/4" trimmed off, I will spray my hair with Jane Carter Solutions Leave In Conditioner, twist my hair in mini twists, then seal with Nourish & Shine. Those should last for around two weeks or so.

I ♥ natural hair!!

Fat Side Twists

2011-02-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is my very first attempt at flat twisting my entire head. This was quite the success as I was able to keep these puppies in for two whole weeks......wooohooo to me!!! I need to practice making straighter parts but overall I am pleased with the results :-)

Photos:

1/28/11

1/31/11

To make them last so long (yes, two weeks is very long for me), I eventually untwisted the side twists that were hanging down and fluffed them into a twist out. As shown here when I "went" to the Super Bowl....

2/6/11

When this hair was just too unruly to call styled, but I wasn't ready to wash/detangle, I clipped it all up with this absolutely wonderful hair clip I bought at a Farmer's Market (more to come on these babies later....)

2/7/11

Wet Set FAIL

2011-02-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

So, early in January, I was a little bored with the standard twistout so I decided to foray into the wet set arena. I watched a few YouTube videos and dug deep in my memory for the technique my mom used to set my hair when I was younger. Easy peasy.......hmpf! I went to Sally's, bought these HUGE plastic rollers with the matching caps, bobby pins, setting lotion and wallowed in my pseudoconfident mode.

When I got home I was really excited at the thought of these beautiful , flowing curls I would have when I took all of these rollers out.

I proceeded to wash, detangle, condition, meticulously part, roll and fuss over every strand of hair on my head. I was ready. My faithful, Gold N Hot bonnet dryer was purring and ret' to go. I get a comfy chair, grab a magazine and commence to stuffing my now too big head under that too small dryer. What was I thinking??

Well, I made the best of it....shifting and turning to dry my hair in sections. Finally I could not take it anymore. After 2.5 hours of this madness, I slapped on a scarf and went to bed with the hopes that my hair would be dry by the time I woke up in the morning.

When I woke up, I removed the scarf and took out the roller in the front. Ooooh weee! Nice. Smooth, perfect curl. Success? What I found was the more rollers I took out, the damper my hair was toward the back. To wrap up this sad story, all of the "curls" ended up looking sad, frizzy and in no way compared to my aforementioned vision of how I thought my hair would look.

Photos:

1/13/11

1/14/11

1/15/11

Lessons:

• Do not...repeat do not use rollers the size of soda cans to do a wet set.

• Under no circumstances start a wet set at 7:00 at night

• Make sure hair is completely dry before removing rollers if frizzy frizz is not your goal

• Do not use too much setting lotion when setting

It will be a while before I try this again!

Twisted Bang Twistout

2011-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the new readers of my blog. Thanks so much for taking time to check me out! I appreciate the support and please feel free to comment and ask questions.

Next, I know I am a very infrequent poster, however, I do take plenty of pics of styles that I do and will be fervently posting this week...whew!!!

Yes, my staple style is the good ol' twist out. This time, I decided to add a little panache to the front bang section. I simply flat-twisted three sections then chunkily twisted the rest of my hair in nondistinct sections. I twisted my freshly washed and conditioned hair, straight outta the shower. This procedure works best for me.

Products I used:
Wash - Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie shampoo
Condition/detangle - Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie conditioner
Leave In - Kinky Curly Knot Today w/ Jojoba oil mixed together
Sealant for ends - Jane Carter Solutions Nourish & Shine

Photos:

Reader Questions

2011-01-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to answer a couple of questions I've recently received:

Q. What does your hair look like right after you wash it? ~ Stacey P.

A. This is me right after washing, still in the shower in fact. My hubby was gracious enough to snap the photo for me. I pre-poo'd with the AO Honeysuckle Rose, then washed with the Matrix Biolage and finished up with a detangling session with the help of the Matrix Biolage detangler.

~and~

Q. How long is your hair now? ~ Tamika M.

A. This is the best job I could do to stretch it out. My best estimation is that it is around BSL or a little above. It's really difficult to tell when there is no "landmark". Shrinkage is a mofo. When my hair completely dries, it is just above my shoulders, which is quite alright with me. All I am really concerned with is that my hair remains healthy and on my head (I rather hate excessive shedding).

Thanks so much for the questions! I will do my very best to answer them when I receive them.

Ciao!

2 Fat Twists

2011-01-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all.......

Yep, it's been a while, so I thought I'd check in. I haven't really been doing anything special with my hair these days besides putting it in protective styles. Nothing much has changed with my routine except for a couple of product tweeks.

Current Regimen:

1. Wash once a week with Matrix Biolage Hydra Therapie shampoo. I have started washing my hair in two sections. I have found that this procedure makes things much easier as my hair gets longer. Trying to tackle this mop in one huge mass was getting to be quite the struggle. Plus, I was not real sure my hair was getting as clean as it could. Now, I don't have to worry about my hair or scalp getting clean.

2. Condition/detangle with Matrix Biolage Detangling Solution. Luv this stuff! I can only find this product at a few select salons. It's very difficult to locate. I deep condition once a month with Aubry Organics Honeysuckle Rose conditioner & a plastic cap while under the huge hair dryer.

3. Apply leave in: mix Kinky Curly Knot Today leave in conditioner with a few drops of jojoba oil and a little aloe vera juice and apply that to my soaking wet, detangled hair. The pH balance of all three of these is just right for a leave in. I was adding a few drops of castor oil, but stopped adding it because it's too heavy for my hair and makes it feel weighed down and greazy! (yes, greazy...LOL)! I tried making up a batch of this concoction and storing it in the fridge, but was afraid to use it because I thought bacteria or something may have started grow. So now, I only make up just enough to use in my hair right after washing. Better to be safe than sorry :-/

4. Yesterday morning, I didn't have time to do any major styling as I was short on time and did not want to be late for work. I decided to just flat twist 2 jumbo twists. Parted down the middle and commenced to twisting. On the ends of each twists, I used my beloved Jane Carter Solutions Nourish and Shine:

5. Now that it's completely dry, I will take it down and perhaps twist it in smaller twists. Anyway, here is the final result:

Sorry, I couldn't take a picture of the back. Anyway, thanks for reading!!

(*Note* please excuse all this hair on my face. Seems that one of the new meds my doctor prescribed has "wolfiness" as one of the side effects...LOL! My arms, hands, back, fingers, toes, legs and face have been bombarded with a ton of unwanted hair. It's either this or have a stroke.....I think I made the right choice. :)

Ciao,

Loves & Shoves

2010-12-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

LOVES: laughter, snuggling & guacamole

SHOVES: pedaphiles, neglectful parents & uncomfortable silence

Mini Twists

2010-11-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Aloha blog friends...sorry I've been away for so long. Family + work + school + everything else in my life = hectic schedule with little time for anything else!

Anyway, just thought I would post my mini twist experience. I am trying to keep my hair in protective styles for fall and winter. The benefit of not having to manipulate my hair for a couple of weeks at a time is really appealing.

On Thursday, November 18, I washed, conditioned and lightly blow-dried my hair. I mixed some leave in conditioner with jojoba oil, castor oil and aloe vera juice to make a very hydrating leave in. I will have to cut the castor oil down, though, because it's too heavy for my hair and ended up being a little greasy.

To the twisting. It took around 4 hours to twist all of my hair. Yes, my arms were tired when I finished. When all of the twists were complete, I rolled sections on orange perm rods like the ones on the left:

Exhibit A

I donned my black scarfy, wrappy thing (it's actually a really long rectangle made from the same fabric as those infamous "do rags").

The next morning, I removed the rollers and fluffed out the twists with my fingers and this was the result:

I wasn't really feeling this. I did wear it to work like this, but by the end of the day, I had clipped all of the twists up in the back. While it makes it much easier to twist or braid my hair, blowdrying stretches it too much and my hair ends up looking thin and unappealing to me. I suppose I am used to the fluffy big hair I usually wear now.

A few days later, I contemplated taking down all of the twists. My original goal was to leave my hair twisted for a month or until it was so fuzzy, you couldn't tell how it was actually styled...LOL. Well, laziness took hold of me and I didn't want to take them all down after only a week. So, I decided to wet them down a bit.

I didn't want to wet them in the shower because I didn't want them to shrink up THAT much and have to walk around with soaking wet hair for hours.

Lo and behold, I whipped out my trusty Jane Carter Solutions Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner (oh gosh, I love this stuff so much...smells so good).

Exhibit B

I began spraying all of the twists, concentrating on the ends, which began to curl up nicely. The twists started plumping up rather nicely. Here is what they looked like after a few days of doing this:

Very cute I must say! I love the way it looked once I started spraying it every morning. At night, before bed, I simply secure all of the twists in the back with an ouchless band and put on my scarfy. Get up in the morning, spray, spray, spray and voila.....happy hair! This morning I woke up and my scalp felt a little itchy. I am used to washing my hair at least once a week, so maybe it's just time to do that. I will be aiming to keep these twists in until Thursday. That will officially be two whole weeks. This is what it looks like today:

Oddly enough, my ends look like they have color on them....but they don't. Maybe the sun has done a number on them. When my hair was relaxed, it used to turn auburnish on the ends, I guess that's the still the case. At just a week and a half, I can see growth...maybe almost a 1/4 of an inch. My hair grows at a rate of about 1/2 an inch per month so in two weeks...that sounds about right. Overall, I am happy with my mini-twists. After I wash and condition on Friday, I will be twisting this hair right back up. It, and me, needs a break!!

Newsworthy....

2010-11-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

I just watched this video via Naturally Leslie and thought it was very interesting...

Natural Hair ~ According to Glamazini

2010-10-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers posted a video explaining natural hair to non-blacks (as if we really need to explain our hair to folks...I guess some people really need to hear this info). As usual, her delivery was great and the info was both interesting and right on the mark. So, I thought I'd share.......

Check out her blog at: http://www.glamazini.com/

Happy Wednesday!!!

Sunday Sum Up....

2010-10-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

Today, hubs and I attended the Bridal Bazaar at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This was the hugest (word?) collection of wedding vendors I've seen assembled in one place. Too many in my opinion. I think I am really just burnt out with all that is wedding right about now. Just how many D.J.'s and photogs can a person really stand to visit in one day?

There is really nothing else I want to see, for a while at least. I have a very good idea of how I would like things to look. It's just a matter of saving up the rest of the moola needed to pull off this shin-dig.

OMGeee, why did I stumble upon a nasty YOUtube drama yesterday? Seriously? There are really so many other things to become up in arms about besides the ins and outs of how and why people make natural hair vids. My take: if you don't like what the person is saying, tune out, unsubscribe. Simple! I really am shaking my head that all of those ugly politics go on amongst supposedly civilized women. Anyhoo, I am glad I don't have to be a part of that.

I've been feeling pretty crummy today. Hopefully, scheduling will contact me tomorrow about my next step of tests the MD has planned for me. Still positive though =)

Big ups to the Green Bay Packers for trouncing the Vikings 28-24.....oh yeah, Favre needed that whoopin'.

Last but not least, I have a new product that I absolutely L-O-V-E: Goody's Ouchless Comfort Flex Barette (shown here in black). There are two sizes, large and small and two colors, brown and black. The one shown here is the smaller one. These gadgets area amazing. They hold a remarkable amount of hair, do not snag your hair and are very durable. Two huge thumbs up on theses.

I twisted my hair in two-strand twists today. Hopefully they will last the rest of the week and I will have a very low-maintenance week. I secured all of the twists in the back with an ouchless stretchy band and left a few out in the front, ya know, for cutesy reasons...LOL.

I am ready to face the week. Hope you all have a great one =)

Hope....

2010-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to see the Endocrinologist, a very nice Indian man who kept me laughing and comfortable the entire time I was in there. That was very comforting. Like the Nephrologist I saw last week, he was very attentive and seemed to care about finding out the answers to all of the questions I had.

The first step would be to re-test for hormonal imbalances. If those tests come back negative, we will do other tests. Ultimately, he will be trying to eliminate the possibility of tumors in/around my adrenal glands. When I heard the T word, I instantly felt sad and wanted to cry at the mere possibility. Then I decided to stop being sad and be filled with hope. Hope that after all this time, I would find a solution the problem of my high blood pressure and all of the symptoms associated with that.

There is the possibility that this just IS my plight. That the hypertension is idiopathic and all I can do is keep it under control at this point. I am resigned to do just that, but more than that, I will keep a positive attitude and outlook. I will love and spend time with the people that mean the most to me. I will always let them know that I cherish them by taking care of myself!

Happy Thursday to me and YOU....

Recovery.....

2010-10-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had an appointment with the Nephrologist. Why this referral wasn't made 12 years ago, when I was first diagnosed with hypertension, is beyond me. During the visit, the doctor was very nice and included me in the conversation instead of speaking down to me, which I really appreciated. I've seen so many doctors over the years and almost 100% of them seemed to have this attitude of superiority or that it's my fault that I ended up with high blood pressure.

The first thing he did was go over all of the lab tests results. He said that although my kidneys are showing signs of being in the early stages of failure, they are still functioning at this point. That was a relief! What's troubling is that over the years, I have been on umpteen medications of varying combinations and dosages and yet none of these seemed to ever control my blood pressure. He decided to discontinue two of my medications and begin two new ones. The first one is a very strong anti-hypertensive medication, with side effects that I didn't exactly like hearing about. The other one is a stronger diuretic that should help alleviate at least one of those side effects. As he was going over the test results, he expressed his concerns about irregularities in my hormone levels. I have had concerns about my hormones and have even mentioned these concerns to doctors I've seen in the past, but none of them ever felt the need to pursue that matter.

I have another referral to see an Endocrinologist next week. I pray that he/she finds something that would explain why my blood pressure has been sky high and uncontrollable since I was 27 years old.

This ordeal has also strengthened my resolve to adopt a new style of living. One in which I eat what I am supposed to and exercise on a regular basis. I am happy with my body image, but could definitely stand to lose a few extra pounds. I have made a new commitment to love myself and do more than the occasional yo-yo diet here and there.

I consider myself very fortunate to be in a position where something can still be done to save my kidneys. Some people don't find out about this type of damage until it's too late, and they are already on dialysis. Don't be one of those people. Please have regular checkups, eat a healthy diet and exercise. If something doesn't feel right, talk to a physician about it. Love your body, mind & spirit!!!

Here's to a brand new me.....

Really?

2010-10-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, who knew happiness could be thwarted by early signs of kidney failure?

9 years and counting.......

2010-10-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

So, my incredible husband and I decided to renew our wedding vows next year.....via our TENTH anniversary. Actually, although we've been married for almost 10 years, this will be our first wedding. When we initially married, we went to the courthouse and said 'I DO'. It was just the two of us, the officiant and that beautiful California sunshine. I know, sad. No friends, no family to share that incredible moment with. We could not afford to have the wedding we wanted at that time, so we have decided to proceed with all of our original plans.

I am so excited to finally be planning our wedding. Even more so to still be madly in love with my best friend!!

The first thing I thought about was My Hair! The wedding is not until November 26, 2011....so my hair should have grown out a bit more by then. What will I do with all of this glorious hair? I've been back and forth with "to straighten or not"....."up or down".....this will be a very big deal.

For the past month or so, I've been flipping through bridal mags and surfing the web looking for ideas. So far we've booked the caterer and secured the venue...and I am secretly hoping that David Tutera from "My Fair Wedding" will swoop in at the zero hour and throw us the fabulous wedding of my dreams. Daydream over!

I have some really fantastic plans, but have to be realistic with the budget. I will do some things myself, can you say sophistication on the cheap??? I can =)

I am trying NOT to stress...(mmm yeah), but these invitations I've been working on all week have my head spinning. Couture wedding invitations can cost as much as (get ready for this) $50.00 each. I am still reeling from that notification! I decided to create my own couture wedding invitations. All the fabulousness...sans the craziness.

What I anticipate having a really difficult time with is choosing the perfect dress. There are really so many gorgeous gowns out there...how does one choose. I definitely know what I do not like, but deciding what I really like will be a challenge. The first dress I picked out (saw it on T.V.)....hunted down the name of the designer, and of course it costs $3500.00 (that's a no thank you). This is exactly why I started planning early.

Photo booths are a new addition to receptions. Guests can take pics alone or stuffed in there with a few other folks...makes for really great memories.

Every now and again, I have to stop, and take a much needed breath. Along with work, school, family and other activities, planning this wedding can be a stressor. I refuse to let it zap my joy though. The focus remains on the fact that I love my husband just as much if not more today than I did when we first married. Makes me smile just to think about it!

Will keep ya posted....

Loves & Shoves

2010-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Loves: decency, butterflies & oxtails

Shoves: domestic violence, pornography & tomatoes

Loves & Shoves

2010-10-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Loves: my family, rain & blessings

Shoves: sadness, rudeness & lies

Dry Twistout

2010-09-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

So, last night I was sitting on my bed and out of the blue felt like twisting up a piece of my hair in the front. I was watching T.V. and before long, I had twisted up my entire head. I usually twist my hair when it's wet....easier to manipulate and great definition. Anyway, I decided to leave all the twists in overnight. Earlier that morning, I washed and conditioned my hair and pulled it back into a low bun. During the day, I took that down because I started getting a headache. By the time I started my "twist fest", it was pretty much dry.

This morning, I took the twists down, only untwisting the two strands. I didn't separate each piece like I normally do. It actually looks pretty cute....thick and fluffy!

I think tonight, I will moisturize with some shea butter mix and retwist....we shall see how that turns out in the morning.

Ta Ta.....

Question.....

2010-09-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

I am attending a wedding tomorrow evening and haven't a clue what I am going to do with my hair. Per the mother of the bride, the requested attire is:

'"No Prom Dress" which means "After 5" which means "Get Down on the Floor and Boogey Dress" which means "No MooMoo", which means "No Jeans" which means "No Birthday Suit" which means, "If You Just Want to Wear a BLACK TIE" knock yourself out!"'

Uh, that means, I don't even know what I will be wearing at this point. Does anyone have any suggested styles I should consider? Something elegant, yet not too complicated? I was thinking 'up-do'. Any websites I could go to for ideas? Anything? Help!!

Any help would be much appreciated :]

♫♪...Let me show you.....Let me show you the way to FRO....♪♫

2010-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend was a really lazy one. Friday evening, I crawled into my coccoon and didn't emerge until this morning. Who knew it would be so much work laying in the bed for two days straight. Partly because I needed the rest and partly because I wasn't feeling all that great.

Anyhoo, I thought I was gonna get creative and style my hair with some braids and a lot of pizzazzz....how wrong was that notion!!!!! For starters, My super duper puff that I wore on Friday had dried up and was really tangled. I shoulda known this wasn't going to end in a good way.

I really didn't want to wet my hair again because it's a little easier for me to braid dry hair. I didn't want to blow it out either because I am staying away from heat. What to do...what to do. When pondering that dilemma, I decided to have a little fun and (lightly) pick my afro out...just to see how big it actually was. When my hair was shorter, this process was easy...just comb all of the curls out and voila...fro. Now, no!! I got to the point where I was actually TIRED of combing. Is there such a thing as hair being TOO CURLY?! I was really in a fightin' mood by the time I gave up. Here's what it looked like:

The ends kept curling up...ridiculous!

So I just began patting, and patting and patting....trying to get it to look like that classic Roberta Flack fro...

I don't think it is quite at that point, but looked rather nice with the flower.

Now I fully understand how difficult this process is. This style is not good for my hair anymore at this length. Big hair is still an option, but to pick out all of the curls is a NO NO!! It takes way too long to achieve this style and putting that much stress on my hair simply could not be healthy. Oh yeah, I never did anything to my hair after that. I just put the ouchless band back on and got back in the bed. I know...lame! After all of that, I didn't feel like doing anything, let alone my hair.

The Power of the PUFF

2010-08-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!!! Ok, why did I just sit down in my chair at work and I am already counting down the hours, minutes & seconds 'til FIVE o'clock? Really?

Anyway, last night I decided to do a pre-poo treatment with some Aubrey Organics J.A.Y. Desert Herb Revitalizing Conditioner (stinks but is good for deep conditioning....besides, I just wanted to use the last of it...good riddance LOL). I also used a little bit of Avocado Shea Butter that I recently purchased from SafiHair Care. I donned the ubiquitous plastic cap, tied a silk scarf over that and went to sleep.

This morning, I washed with Matrix Biolage Ultra Hydrating Shampoo and detangled with Matrix Biolage conditioner (some type of hydrating mix...can't quite remember the name). When I was thinking about what to do with my hair today, I decided I was in the mood for uncomplicate cuteness...LOL. The PUFF...

I laid down those hairline flyaways with my JCS Nourish & Shine and combed out my hair with my huge purple comb. I was really going for puff. Then I doubled up a stretched ouchless hair band and began the arduous task of evening out my hair. The first time I wore my hair in a puff, it definitely wasn't as difficult to get a great shape because my hair wasn't as long as it is now. Today, I was patting and patting and patting for what seemed like 30 minutes. Whew! Finally!

Finished product:

Hahahaha....now that I'm looking at these pics....it almost looks like I am wearing a HAT.....LOLOLOLOLOL. I love it though! :)

Have a wonderful Friday and a safe and fun weekend!!

Funky Twistout

2010-08-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

So I decided to do another twistout with a little flair. Friday evening, I washed and conditioned my hair, then cornrowed the sides back into a mohawk motif. I two-strand twisted all of the hair at the top and down the back of my head. I used my usual JCS Nourish & Shine to seal, JCS Leave In to keep my hair moist while I braided, and Lustrasilk Shea Butter & Mango conditioner as a leave in. I wanted to get a few days out of this style so I pulled out the Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding (unscented).....the nose knows!

Saturday I gathered all the loose twists and secured them with an ouchless band. I left a few out in the front to tone down the "big head effect"....LOL.

Sunday, I untwisted the twists that I had left out in the front and fluffed them out a little.

This morning when I was getting ready for work, I took all of the twists out of the ouchless band and untwisted them, separating each twist into about 4 parts for fullness. I also unbraided all of the cornrows on the left side and only left the ones on the right side and at the top. This is what it looks like:

Whammo....can you say "Flyyyyyyyy Girl"?? Hahaha...remember that song?

Two Year ANNIVERSARY.....woohoo!

2010-08-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's been two whole years since my last run in with the creamy crack...LOL! I've had to strengthen my resolve to vigilantly care for my natural locks. It isn't always easy but it's well worth every bit of effort.

To all the newbies out there who are either thinking about going natural or who have made the choice to transition or big chop......don't give up!! Celebrate your hair and embrace the way you were made.

Drumroll please...........

2010-08-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

The WINNER of my first ever giveaway is.............

AGNELINA

Congrats!!! :-) Please email me at MikimuCurlyQ@gmail.com with your preferred shipping address. Thanks!!

Thanks to the others who took the time to enter the giveaway...I really appreciated reading your comments.

Winner was chosen via Random.org:

GIVEAWAY DEADLINE......

2010-08-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hey there.....

Don't forget, my first ever giveaway ends today at 5:00 pm! Get your entry in :-)

If you miss this one, there will be more to follow!

♥Have a wonderful Friday ♥

My First GIVEAWAY...woohoo!!!

2010-08-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

[click on image to enlarge]

The person chosen at random will receive the following:

Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Shampoo

Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Conditioner

(try saying that 5 times in a row...)

To win, you must come along with me on My Journey Back to Natural

(be a public follower)

AND

leave a comment about what "being natural" means to you.

That's it...pretty easy huh?

The deadline for submitting an entry will be:

Friday, August 20, 2010 @ 5:00 pm (PST)

Thanks for entering!!

Headband Twists

2010-08-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I was feeling really blase' about hair in general. With all of the other things I have going on in my life, my hair seems to be just another thing to "deal" with.

The thought of wearing the same ol' twist out was just not appealing. So I decided to spice things up by making some "headband twists"...I don't know if this term is already in existence...if not than I just coined it...LOL. This was a very easy hairstyle to achieve. I just washed, conditioned, applied a leave-in and some JCS Nourish & Shine...that's it. No gel or any of my favorite Kick for Curls (mainly because I have to restock that item).

this would have looked nicer had my twists been even...LOL I didn't realize they were 'off' until I looked at the pictures. After I finished all of the twists, I clipped them together in the back so they wouldn't stick out.

before bed I tied on my silk scarf and voila....insta hair in the morning!

this style would also look nice on shorter or longer hair as well.

Flat Twists s/ Side Puff

2010-08-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

This style was created a few weeks ago. I thought I'd practice flat twisting. Doing the front of my hair is no problem, but when attempting to do the back....it's a disaster. That's precisely why there are no photos of the back. I'm quite proud of how this style turned out:

♫ ♪ She Bangs....She Bangs ♪ ♫

2010-08-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

I've never really liked bangs on me, so I kinda susrprised myself when I tied my hair back and left out these "bangs".

The next photo is a really fluffy twistout, after my salon trim. I liked it a lot. By the end of the day, though, my hair was a LOT fluffier, downright unruly!

...gotta love it!

Post Salon Trim JULY2010

2010-08-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

My hair had gotten me to the point of utter frustration. Back in May when I ventured into hometrim land, I thought I did a pretty good job of trimming my ends. NOT!! I still had single strand knots up the ying yang and realized that I needed to seek professional help. I did in fact book an appointment with a stylist. I was really nervous because no hands, other than my own, have been allowed anywhere near my head since my last relaxer in August '08.

I did some research and actually met a wonderful stylist and drove all the way to SHERMAN OAKS for a doggone trim. Significant because that's about 90 miles from where I live! Yes folks, I was thinking this person had better be as good as I thought she was. All worked out in the end. I left that salon with freshly trimmed (YES trimmed, not butchered ends) and conditioned hair. She probably cut off about 1/2 an inch all over. She has natural hair herself, which is nice because she understands the whole natural hair thing. I never felt like I was being pressured to straighten or relax my hair, and I certainly appreciated that. She also gave me a lot of information about care and maintenance of natural hair.

~What up Amber :-) ~

What she used on my hair:
Biolage Matrix Hydrating Shampoo
Biolage Matrix Hydratherapie Conditioner
Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask (I ♥ this stuff)
Moroccan Oil oil treatment

The next day, I was feeling a little creative. I used a banana clip to swoop the majority of my hair to the side. I left out a chunk in the front and created a hump or poof. I will share these photos, but PLEASE not one comment about my dreaded double chin situation in that profile shot...LOL:

...ugh!

My blog HATES me....

2010-08-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to post for the last 2 hours now....booooooooo! I am beat and am starting to loathe HTML code :(

Epic FAILS July 2010

2010-08-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Um, whoever told me that THIS monstrosity was a style?

This is my argument why I should NEVERRRRRRR wear a center part. Oh and random chunky braids (even with the assistance of being rolled at the ends) with no product to speak of are a NO NO!!

This next set demonstrate (although the photos may not accurately show the epic magnitude of this failure) why I will never mix gel with a certain leave in/moisturizer combo. There were nasty white flakes AND my hair was UBER stiff (we live and learn):

Flatiron July 2010

2010-08-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

While I don't plan to straighten my hair for a while, it was nice to switch up the routine for a few days. To achieve this style, I washed (with a clarifying shampoo to remove some gunky buildup), conditioned, used a leave-in and a really good heat protectant.

hot off the presses...

fluffed up a little.....

day two after I removed the rollers and finger separated the curls

...day 3 and beyond...the front was kinda through so I clipped it back and kept it movin'.

What I've learned about twists & twistouts

2010-08-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

I take photos of myself EVERYDAY! Yep, that's right. Not because I am consumed by vanity, but because eventually I have plans for all of these photos regarding my hair journey. That said, I was going through some of these pics this morning and though I would post a bunch and comment about the styles.

Twistouts are one of my go-to styles. They're super easy to do and yield fabulous results. That is, if I use the right products to set the twists and if and only if I twist my hair when it's freshly washed and pretty wet. Unlike the time I blowdried my hair then twisted...which I probably will neva...eva eva eva do again.

When I follow the above procedure, my twists are plumper, and my hair doesn't look limp and lusterless. I currently use the following to do my twist outs:

Lustra Silk Shea Butter, Mango conditioner (as a leave in)
Blended Beauty Kick for Curls
Jane Carter Solutions Revitalizing Leave In Conditioner (because I loooooove the scent)
Jane Carter Solutions Nourish & Shine
These pics were taken some time in June:

love, love, love these twists

sealed ends with Jane Carter Solutions Nourish & Shine

untwisted and fluffed out

quick length check....

Goals........

2010-08-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

[source]

.........are the oars to the boat of your life!

Boot Camp

2010-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Signing up for Boot Camp was one of the better things I decided to do so far this year. Boot Camp is a 10 week program of cardio and strength training that two of my colleagues started via the Wellness Committee at work.

Forty-five minutes a day, three days a week doesn't sound like a lot, but I can feel a difference already. Three weeks down, seven to go. I can make it!

One of my long term goals is to change my way of thinking about food and eating. I was discussing the possibility of incorporating 'raw foods' into my diet with a friend of mine....after listening to what that actually entails, I may have already given up on that idea. It's really going to take a mind overhaul, if you will. My mind is willing, but sometimes I just become 'unmotivated'. Let's just hope this is not one of those times.

~Mik

Break Time

2010-08-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

I NEED a break! From what? From work, school and especially my hair. Please don't get me wrong, I am loving my kinky curlies, but my life is so hectic right now that I just want to put it in a nice, versatile style and just leave it alone for about a month.

When I first chopped and sported my TWA, I was co-washing like crazy...everyday! That worked at the time. Now? No way. I would never do that....too much work. Now, I wash or co-wash about every 4-5 days, depending on what products I've been using during the week. Sometimes my scalp gets so itchy, no dandruff though, which is great. We all know the thoughts on that stuff *shaking head no*! Besides, Head & Shoulders and T-gel both stink, so I don't want to go there.

I asked myself..."am I bored"? With the length? Maybe. Then I thought..."am I just lazy"? Probability = high. I scour the internet for cute natural hair-do's, ya know, styles I am gonna try on my own head....*laughing*. The one and only time I did try something involving flat twists into a 'mohawky' sorta style, that was a FAIL. I managed to salvage a few twists in the front and on the side and turned it into something else. I find it rather difficult to do flat twists on the back of my own head...even at my ears for that matter. My arms and shoulders only contort so much.

This week was one of the laziest I've experienced since I embarked on this journey. Today:

Yes, this is how I have worn my hair basically all week. Happy Puff....I did add a little flair though:

This huge purple flower I snagged from Walmart of all places.

I am on the lookout for someone in my area that can flat twist me into hair freedom. Heck, I will even drive....very far... to get it done. I don't/won't trust just anyone though, so my quest will be difficult I'm sure. I am so desperate for a break, I've contemplated wigs (dismissed at the thought of how hot my head would be), braids (dismissed at the thought of how that synthetic hair makes me itch), and even a weave (erm, I've never had one, but none of the weave wearers that I know have particularly healthy looking hair of their own under there...but that's a whole nother post)!

Tonight my plan is to wash, deep condition, and two strand twist....again. Oh sweet freedom, doth thou eluudeth me? LOL (ok, clearly I've been staring at this computer screen too long it's frazzling my brain)

~Mik

Please excuse the mess.....

2010-08-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

Photo credit

Lately, I've been trying to spruce up the place. Understanding HTML code is a challenge for me, but I am definitely getting better at it. Once I learned what code to use and where to stick it....things started to get much easier.

Anyway, I plan to do a couple of giveaways. 1) because my poor closet is screaming UNCLE...(LOL) because it's bursting at the seams and 2) I have quite the collection of hair products that someone out there may really love.

So, stay tuned!!!

Love is......

2010-08-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Fromance.....

2010-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hair I Go Again.....

2010-06-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

So, I've been really trying to style my hair in interesting and different ways lately. A few product changes have made this more of a treat instead of a chore.

This one was a simple (under) braid across the front, sorta like a headband (it was kinda fat...LOL) and the back was a twist-out:

This one started out in a whole nother direction. Since I have a rather hard time flat twisting the back of my hair, I just said forget it and turned the corner...LOL. I twisted up my entire head. When it was dry the next morning, I did the usual twist out, but this time I tied up the back with a cute little silk scarf and left the front out.

So this past Tuesday, I get the idea to do mini-twists ala PRETTYDIMPLES01. Hmmm, the entire process took me around 4 hours :-/ I did the "light" blowdry thing to avoid the ever-present shrinkage. What I learned from doing that is I LIKE SHRINKAGE!!!!!! I've grown quite accustomed to my springy, frizzy hair and miss it when it's gone (realized that the last time I straightened my hair to trim it). When I was done with the last twist, I looked in the mirror and was a little disappointed. 1) that I spent four hours twisting my hair and getting one heck of a neck/back/shoulder ache and I didn't really like it and 2) my hair must be a LOT thinner than it used to be (***GASP***). Right then and there I decided I wasn't going to wear these teeny little twists down and immediately secured them all with an ouchless band. Are my expectations too high? I've only been growing my hair out since 8/22/08. It's growing at a pretty good rate, but I am concerned about the thickness of my strands. I don't lose a lot of hair when detangling...so what is it??? Perplexed.

Oh well, since it took me so long to put these twists in, I will be keeping them (or trying to at least) for the next 2 weeks. Maybe when I wash/condition them, they will fatten up. I have moisturized the ends so they won't dry out and make sure to don a silk scarf at night before going to sleep.

Have a wonderful weekend...

~Mik

Blended Beauty Kick for Curls

2010-06-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

In one word, this stuff is fantastic!!!! I happened into a little beauty supply shop one day that "specializes" in natural hair care products. The selection was not great but this was one of the products the sales guy suggested I try and they just received the shipment on that day. *Hmmm, sell it dude, sell it*

Anyway, after walking around that tiny store no less than 3 times to make sure I didn't inadvertently overlook something I may have needed, I finally settled on this and one other product, which is also amazing...more on that one later. ;o)

My thoughts: This is by far one of the best products I have used on my hair since I've decided to go natural. I have to admit, it took me a few days to get used to the scent. It's not floral, fruity or chemical. I can't really describe it. It's not awful, but it definitely had to grow on me.

Pros: light consistency...liquidy (word?) and doesn't weigh down my hair, yields the most awesome twist-outs (see exhibit 1) EVER, moisturizes my hair leaving it touchably soft and shiny. I have used this to freshen up 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even 5th day hair. I wouldn't use this as a detangler, but as a styler it's great.

(exhibit 1)

Cons: that spray bottle is NOT cool or comfortable and there is no way to adjust the nozzle, which sprays a very, very, very thin stream and forces you to spray the product into your hand to apply to your hair (a simple modification to the nozzle would fix this I'm sure), the price I paid was $18.99, which is pricey, however, since I love this product and what it does for my hair, I will pay (after purchasing from this beauty supply store, I saw this on the Blended Beauty website for $16.00)

Product claims according to the Blended Beauty website:
An original spritz leave-in conditioner and detangler. Tame bedhead or freshen up squished and frizzed up curls, with a kick! Natural moisturizers revive the bounce in your curl, while satiny conditioners leave curls feeling soft and smooth Use on top of any of our other leave-in products or use alone.

Ingredients*:
aloe and chamomile water

polysorbate 20 – slight foaming and cleansing ingredient. Also used as an emulsifier, and for conditioning. This is too mild to be used on it’s own as a cleanser, so it’s often used with a stronger cleanser, or in baby products.

capryl isostearate – light emollient with little oiliness, often used as a substitute for cyclomethicones (silicones that give a slippery feel when wet, then evaporate.

vegetable glycerin – natural emollient used in cosmetics and body care products to assist in retaining moisture.

rice bran oil – produced from the bran of the rice kernel

natural conditioner, natural preservative optiphin

*ingredient sources
http://www.tightlycurly.com/ingredients

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkmisc/bulkmisc.html
http://www.ricebranoil.info/

~Mik

T.G.I.F. (Thank God I'm Free)

2010-06-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Each day I take a moment to reflect on the many blessings I've received and show appreciation for each and everything that I am able to experience. One particular thing is my freedom. I know that freedom is relative because we are all subject to some authority, however, being free to plant flowers in my own front yard and watching them blossom is a joy that I will never take for granted.

When I read stories of how women in other countries are oppressed and treated like property or as less than human, my heart just aches for them. People in general....I cry for humanity. I do have all the faith in the world that conditions on this earth will be different in the future and the vile things that currently go on in this world will eventually cease.

Back to my garden...I don't have a green thumb. In fact, both my thumbs are...how should I put it....BLACK!!! I used to try to maintain houseplants but to my dismay they would all die. So, I resorted to silk plants. Hey, they may get a little dusty, but they don't die...LOL.

Last spring I decided to plant some flowers in my flowerbed. I was in Lowe's and had a little Spring Fever, so I bought these beautiful flowers with the hopes that I would plant them, and they wouldn't die. Got home, planted, waited and some of the flowers did bloom in about a month or so. Then all the plants died...or so I thought. All of the green just disappeared, so I just accepted the fact that I should stay away from anything planted...LOL.

Around last month, I noticed a few buds and thought they were weeds. Then about 2-3 weeks later, these things were about 4 frickin' feet tall.....WOW!!! I guess they were waiting for the weather to warm up to spring back up. Now, the flowers on these things are just gorgeous and I thought I would share!

On another note, I appreciate God's wonderful and awe-inspiring creations! Peacocks are beautiful, but I've never seen an albino peacock...truly amazing!

Wednesday WHYs: Baby~bangs!!

2010-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, there are times when I think that I absolutely cannot be shocked anymore by things that I see or hear in this society we are currently living in. However, I ran across a product yesterday that sent me reeling. This has inspired a new feature called "Wednesday Whys".

WHY would someone create a wig (that's essentially what it is) for a BABY????????????????????????? Then, what the (beep) would make someone actually buy this CRAP and put it on their baby??? This really infuriates me.

According to Merchant Circle, Baby Bangs are:

"a new and innovative hair accessory+hair enhancement made just for baby girl's!

Baby Bangs! can be worn anytime and anyplace and will give your little baby girl the appearance of being born with a head full of hair! Baby Bangs! are safe, comfortable, and so adorable! Make-believe HairStrands are secretly hidden inside our exclusive Ready2Wear HAIR+band design.

Baby Bangs!
For the Baby Girl who has Everything! (...except Hair!)

Recommended for infants 0-9 months old."

Exhibits A & B:

My daughter was born with no hair to speak of.....her hair eventually grew to be long, healthy and beautiful. She literally didn't have even a pigtail until she was two. From birth til 2 years old, I had to put cute, frilly headbands on her head, so people wouldn't confuse her with being a boy (this despite the fact that here ears were pierced at 6 months old...go figure).

But really, this is just crazy. This is bothering me soooooooooooooooooooooo much. And people wonder why our girls are growing up with twisted self images wrought with self loathing, and trying to measure up to unattainable and unrealistic beauty standards.

UGH!!!!!!! Please pass on this atrocity......

~Mik

Les Cheries Cecile

2010-05-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a fellow Happy Girl Hair reader I was introduced to the cutest little doll this morning: Les Cheries Cecile 13” Doll by Corolle, and she sells for around $40. My daughter is all grown up now, but I would have bought this doll for her. I just thought she was too adorable not to share!!

Have a wonderful Tuesday...

~Mik

Home Trim 101

2010-05-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, this was an extensive undertaking which I may never take on again. Since I had my hair in a bun (which is not what you want to do right before you decide to trim your hair...duh), I had to break out the flatiron once again...owwww. I didn't want to have to do this again for a while, so my hair was pretty straight this time. Notice how ratty my ends look before the trim. I haven't put a pair of scissors in my hair since the big chop, so I am amazed that the back appears to be evenly cut.

At this point, I was in a quandary. The ends desperately needed to be cut as the fairy knots had just about taken over, but I didn't want to cut off more than 1/4 of an inch so as not to drastically change the shape of my hair when it's curly. No helmet hair...LOL. I know, I know...I could have just went to a professional. I wouldn't trust any of my previous stylists in my head right about now. I've been the only one taking care of my hair since going natural and I am QUITE protective of it. Besides, I don't want to have to explain about curly hair regimens, no-pooing, etc. Ultimately I would like to find a stylist that specializes in natural/curly hair.

Anyway, I gingerly snipped off the rough ends on each section that I parted. When I got to the back, who knows what I cut off. The process was difficult to say the least and I probably should have cut off more than I did. Oh well. Here is the final result.....

My hair actually feels much smoother and looks a lot better. I guess my snip job wasn't so bad after all. I realize that I don't like my hair straight anymore because all I kept thinking about was washing the straightness away. I missed my curlies.

Finally, the very next day, I washed and conditioned. HOORAY, the real me is back.....

The power of SHRINKAGE!!!!!

I'm glad to be back...

~Mik

Update....

2010-05-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Not that much is going on with me these days. My hairstyling has been kind of ho-hum. There are plenty of styles I want to try, but I just fall short in making the time to actually follow through. Last week I did get a little fancy with a 4 day old wash-n-go. I just really didn't feel like washing, conditioning, the whole nine. I simply rolled up the back into a French roll of sorts and stuck a huge decorative comb in it to secure it. (don't ask me why I only took pics of the front and NOT the back, which was the best looking part....argh!) I used bobby pins to get any escaping hairs in the back, on the sides and the top. The hair in front was really big, so I used a few more pins to shape it until it looked decent.

Sunday I get the big idea to trim my own hair because I've noticed a lot of teeny knots at the ends of my hair. I thought I would see splits, but no, just knots. Um, obviously I wasn't thinking clearly as I didn't realize how monumental this task would become. I didn't end up doing it Sunday, as ~~laziness~~ tiredness overtook me and I just relaxed all day.

Monday, when I woke up I looked in the mirror and in NO WAY was I going to work another day with that tired head of hair. Sooo, I washed, conditioned, blowdried and flatironed (wow, that sounds so foreign to me now...LOL). Since I haven't cut my hair since my BIG CHOP on 3/1/09, my hair has been growing out at the same length all over. Now that it's longer, it's really layered and didn't look that bad straightened. Although, my ends feel really rough, knots...ugh! There was no way a trim was gonna happen right now as I was already running behind schedule this morning. Final result of all my efforts:

(Top to bottom) When I left my house, arrived at work, walked from my car to my desk, my hair had already began to swell up from the humidity in the air (my curls are gangsta.....LOL); trying to capture those rough ends and my hair looks lighter than it actually is; lovely layers; I had to get a close-up of that fly piece of jewelry I had around my neck ;0)

By the time I arrived home from work, let's just say my hair looked NOTHING like this. I crazily thought I could wrap this mess (Laughing really hard at that image). I just brushed it all back into a pony, secured it with an ouchless band, put on my trusty silk scarf and went to bed.

Tuesday, it was bun city! Oh sweet freedom, it was soooo hard to get a self-shot of the back of my head....the human arm & shoulder were simply not meant to contort like that. I left out a lot of "bangs" in the front and pin curled them on the side so they wouldn't be in my face the entire day.

That evening I decided to do it, the T-R-I-M.....dun-dun-dunnnnnn! That will be my next episode...until then...

Toodloo

~Mik

Accessories...the good, the bad and the plain ole ugly.

2010-05-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Long story short, I have found a replacement for my old friend. I ran into Walmart the other day to pick up something totally unrelated to hair accessories, but decided to check the hair aisle anyway. Lo and behold, underneath the rat tail combs and bobby pins, there it was.....a brand new three-strand, braided, silver head band. I could have sworn horns went off and confetti fell from the rafters. When my other one snapped, probably from overuse, I did try to mend it, but lost one of the braided strands, and it was much, much tighter than before I "fixed" it. Now that my hair is longer (bigger), wearing that bedraggled thing was getting to be quite the challenge. This brand new one is looser and doesn't give me headaches, amen to that.

In other news, I was inspired to try the side-swept afro featured here and decided to pick up a banana clip. Um, let's just say that Bella (the sweet new name I have given to my delicious mega-fro, soon to be featured...LOL) did NOT like the fact that I was trying desperately to shove, place, wrangle my coif into that apparently too small clip. I finally was able to secure the end, but my head felt like it was in a vise...un uh. When I took that clip out, this is what I saw:

It looked like my hair knocked it's teeth out and screamed "....and you bet not come back...!" I laughed so hard when I saw this A) because it looks like a mouth with missing teeth and B) because when I didn't see the missing teeth, I immediately knew they were somewhere in my hair. Laugh over! I just shook my head and, yep, as I suspected, one at a time...ting.....ting.....ting.....I heard them hitting various objects as they flew outta my hair one by one.

OK, since my hair is only about 9-10 inches long, and there are sistahs out there with hair twice the length of mine, that seem to be able to work a banana clip, what's the deal? Did I miss the sale on industrial strength banana clips? I really need to get myself one. Because this here, not cool!

So, if anyone knows where I can get a banana clip that will not self destruct at the sight of my hair, please let me know.
~Mik

TRESemmé Naturals Conditioner, Nourishing Moisture, with Aloe Vera and Avocado

2010-05-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Walking through Target the other day, I noticed this conditioner and decided to buy it. Maybe I was sucked in by the word "Naturals" or just felt like trying something new. Since I've been natural, my staple detangling conditioners have been Herbal Essences Hello Hydration and Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut. These two products work very well on my hair as detanglers, are very affordable and easily accessible.

My thoughts: Overall, I really like this conditioner. When I read the ingredients, I was concerned about the alcohol, however, since it's pretty far down on the list of ingredients, I decided to give it a try anyway. In the shower, I applied a very generous amount to my water saturated hair, concentrating on the ends. I parted my hair in two sections and clipped one side while I detangled the other side. The slip is amazing!!! It took me less than 5 minutes (per side) to detangle. (This was hair that had been out, wild and free for the previous 2 days....plus I had slept on it without donning my scarf the night before....yeah.) Anyway, the scent is nice, clean & lightly citrusy, not overbearing. After detangling both sides, I thoroughly rinsed, as I didn't intend to use this as a leave-in. Once out of the shower, I blotted dry and was very happy to see virtually frizz-free curls. To style, I added a quarter sized amount of a leave-in conditioner, some Jane Carter Solutions Nourish & Shine and bit of styling gel for a little hold. Wow!!! Once my hair was dry (about the time I arrived at work), it felt very soft and touchable.

Summary: Terrific slip, great scent, moisturizing, at $4.99 for 25 ounces it's very affordable!! I like that it's silicone-free and not tested on animals.

Product Description/Claims:

• Professional quality, used by professionals

• Silicone-free & light weight

• Affordable

• U.S.D.A. certified organic aloe vera & avocado extracts

• Moisturizes hair, protects against damage & breakage with naturally derived polymers, leaves hair soft , more manageable, looking shinier and feeling 10x stronger after just one use (when used with Tresemmé Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner versus non-conditioning shampoo).

• Dye-free, hypoallergenic, color-safe, great for all hair types

• Not tested on animals

• Made in U.S.A.

Ingredients:

Water (Aqua), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Fragrance (Parfum), Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylyl Glycol, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Aspartic Acid, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice. USDA Certified Organic Extracts: Aloe Vera, Sweet Orange, and Avocado.

Warnings:

Avoid contact with eyes. In case of contact with eyes, flush thoroughly with water.

Suggested Directions:
Apply an adequate amount of conditioner from mid-shaft to ends first. Work anything that's left through the roots. Leave on for 2-3 minutes, rinse thoroughly, style as usual.

Ingredient definitions*:
stearyl alcohol - Fatty alcohol used as an emollient and to help keep other ingredients intact in a formulation. See fatty alcohol.

cetyl alcohol - Fatty alcohol used as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, and carrying agent for other ingredients. Can be derived naturally, as in coconut fatty alcohol, or synthetically. It is not an irritant and is not related to sd alcohol or ethyl alcohol.

caprylic/capric triglyceride - Extract derived from coconut and considered a good emollient and thickening agent in cosmetics.

stearamidopropyl dimethylamine - like behentrimonium methosulfate is technically a detergent. It is slightly milder than shampoo detergents and is at a much lower level than you’d find in a shampoo (say 1% versus 12% in shampoo). (http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/03/09/how-to-clean-your-hair-with-conditioner/)

lauroyl lysine - Amino acid derivative that functions as a skin- and hair-conditioning agent. It also contributes to a product’s texture by helping to gel solvents, while also remaining stable under high heat conditions (Source: Organic and Molecular Biochemistry, November 2003, pages 4124–4131).

caprylyl glycol - Skin-conditioning agent that may be plant-derived or synthetic. Often used as part of a preservative blend with phenoxyethanol and chloroxylenol, two preservatives that meet current global regulations.

brassica campestris - See rapeseed oil. rapeseed oil - Nonfragrant oil that has emollient and potential antioxidant properties for skin (Source: British Journal of Nutrition, May 2002, pages 489–499).

aleurites fordii oil - Oil from the Polynesian tung tree, which may have antimicrobial properties for skin (Source: Journal of Ethnopharmacology, November 1995, pages 23–32).

aspartic acid - (See amino acid) amino acid - Fundamental constituents of all proteins found in the body, such as: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, cystine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine. Some of these amino acids can be synthesized by the body; others, the essential amino acids must be obtained from protein in the diet. In skin-care products, these types of ingredients act primarily as water-binding agents, and some have antioxidant properties and wound-healing abilities as well. However, these substances cannot affect, change, or rebuild wrinkles. Whether the protein in a skin-care product is derived from an animal or a plant, the skin can’t tell the difference. See protein and natural moisturizing factor (NMF).

distearyldimonium chloride - Antistatic Agent; hair conditioning agent. (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=702183)

persea gratissima oil - (See avocado oil) avocado oil - Emollient oil similar to other nonfragrant plant oils. It has antioxidant properties. See natural moisturizing factor (NMF).

citric acid - Extract derived from citrus and used primarily to adjust the pH of products to prevent them from being too alkaline.

alcohol - Group of organic compounds that have a vast range of forms and uses in cosmetics. In benign form they are glycols used as humectants that help deliver ingredients into skin. When fats and oils (see fatty acid) are chemically reduced, they become a group of less-dense alcohols called fatty alcohols that can have emollient properties or can become detergent cleansing agents. When alcohols have low molecular weights they can be drying and irritating. The alcohols to be concerned about in skin-care products are ethanol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and sd alcohol, which not only can be extremely drying and irritating to skin, but also can generate free-radical damage (Sources: “Skin Care—From the Inside Out and Outside In,” Tufts Daily, April 1, 2002; eMedicine Journal, May 8, 2002, volume 3, number 5, www.emedicine.com; Cutis, February 2001, pages 25–27; Contact Dermatitis, January 1996, pages 12–16; and http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-4/277-284.htm). In a product where these ingredients are at the top of the ingredient list, they will be problematic for all skin types; when they are at the bottom of an ingredient list, there most likely is not enough present to be a problem for skin.

isopropyl alcohol - See alcohol.

aloe vera - There is no real evidence that aloe vera (Aloe barbadenis) helps the skin in any significant way. An article in the British Journal of General Practice (October 1999, pages 823–828) stated that “Topical application of aloe vera is not an effective preventative for radiation-induced injuries…. Whether it promotes wound healing is unclear…. Even though there are some promising results, clinical effectiveness of oral or topical aloe vera is not sufficiently defined at present.” There is research indicating that isolated components of aloe vera, such as glycoprotein, can have some effectiveness for wound healing and as an anti-irritant (Sources: Journal of Ethnopharmacology, December 1999, pages 3–37; Free-Radical Biology and Medicine, January 2000, pages 261–265; and British Journal of Dermatology, October 2001, pages 535–545). However, when mixed into a cosmetic product, it is doubtful those qualities remain, although it may still play a role in binding moisture to skin (Source: Skin Research and Technology, November 2006, pages 241–246).

*unless otherwise noted, ingredient source: http://www.cosmeticscop.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary.aspx

If you've tried this conditioner, let me know what you think.....
~Mik

Check This Out

2010-04-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

Please run on over to Happy Girl Hair and read The Beauty Standard: Fairy Tale Hair by Katie.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

~Mik

Why You Would/Would NOT Go Natural

2010-04-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Inspiration!

Through a series of interviews, I would like to find out how women feel about "going natural". I've read plenty of experiences about why women decided to go natural and how they're doing on their individual journeys. I am asking women who are NOT natural, to tell me why they would/wouldn't go natural.

To me, "it's just hair". But to many women, it's definitely NOT "JUST HAIR". I have visited many natural hair blogs/forums where heated debates jumped off and I really could not understand why women were getting so offensive/defensive about hair. So, I became inspired to get the opinions of my family, friends and even complete strangers and get to the root (pun...hahahahaha) of the matter. My goal is to have a better understanding of hair, how it relates to societal norms and how black women are influenced in one way or another to wear it.

If you would like to be interviewed, please answer the following questions and email your responses to: MikimuCurlyQ@gmail.com along with photo(s) of yourself to feature with your interview.

Question: Would You Ever Go Natural? (for this discussion, natural means no relaxers or texturizers)

If YES answer the following: (if your answer is NO, please scroll down for another set of questions)

Why?

Would you transition (gradually grow out your relaxer) or Big Chop (cut off all relaxed hair at once)?

Have you ever been natural before?

What is your view of natural hair on black women?

How are you currently wearing your hair?

Why is that your preference?

If you wear a relaxer/texturizer, how long do you go between “touch ups”?

How do you feel between “touch ups”?

Do you have your hair done at a salon or do you style it yourself?

If you visit a salon, does your stylist encourage healthy hair practices or concentrate on bone straight hair regardless of perceived damage being done to the hair?

Do you use heat (flat iron/pressing comb) to style your hair?

How do you feel about the word “nappy”?

Do you use the terms “good hair” and/or “bad hair”? Explain what those terms mean to you.

How do those around you (family/friends/co-workers) feel about natural hair?

Do you think you would have the support of family/friends/co-workers if you went natural?

What would be your goal ~ length retention, healthy hair or both?

If reaction from family/friends/co-workers was negative would you continue on your journey?

Have you ever heard anyone make a negative comment about a woman’s natural hair? How did that make you feel?

When you were a child and your mother/sister/aunt/grandma did your hair, what was the hair culture prevalent at that time?

What was the attitude about natural hair?

What products were used on your hair when you were a child?

If you have a daughter(s) are you encouraging her to embrace her natural hair?

Do you know how to maintain/style natural hair?

In your opinion, how is natural hair portrayed in the media: commercials, television shows, movies, music videos, celebrities, etc?

Who do you look to for inspiration regarding natural hair?

When do you plan to start your natural journey?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If NO answer the following:

Why?

What is your view of natural hair on black women?

Do you have family/friends/co-workers with natural hair?

How do you prefer to wear your hair?

Why is that your preference?

If you wear a relaxer/texturizer, how long do you go between “touch ups”?

How do you feel between “touch ups”?

Do you have your hair done at a salon or do you style it yourself?

If you visit a salon, does your stylist encourage healthy hair practices or concentrate on bone straight hair regardless of perceived damage being done to the hair?

Do you (or your stylist) use heat (flat iron/pressing comb) to style your hair?

How do you feel about the word “nappy”?

Do you use the terms “good hair” and “bad hair”? Explain what those terms mean to you.

Have you ever heard anyone make a negative comment about a black woman’s natural hair? How did that make you feel?

When you were a child and your mother/sister/aunt/grandma did your hair, what was the hair culture prevalent at that time?

What was the attitude (in your household/community) about natural black hair?

What products were used on your hair when you were a child?

If you have a daughter(s) are you encouraging her to embrace her natural hair?

Do cultural norms/opinions reflect your decision to not go natural?

In your opinion, how is natural hair portrayed in the media: commercials, television shows, movies, music videos, celebrities, etc?

Fill in the blank: If __________ was/were different, I would go natural. If you would NEVER go natural no matter what the situation, please skip this question.

**NOTE: Please be as honest/candid as you can, I would appreciate it.

Thank you lovelies for taking the time to answer the questions and be featured!!

~Mik

San Diego Meet Up

2010-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

The date for the San Diego meet up is Saturday, April 17. We will be meeting at Seaport Village located seaside near beautiful downtown San Diego and the historic Gaslamp District.

To R.S.V.P. sign in to the Curly Nikki Forum, click on the "Curly Meet-Ups" tab then leave a post on the L.A./San Diego Meet Up #2 thread by TerraD.

Looking forward to meeting my natural sistahs!!

~Mik

Sip 'N Shop

2010-03-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies....if you are in the Los Angeles area Dymesha from Trendy Tee'z would like to see you at the first Sip 'N Shop event. Also check out her blog and Etsy page.

I scored two really cute T-shirts from her site today:

Natural Beauty Tee

White Afro Girl Tee

Both of these will be just right for the summer! She also has some tank tops and other colors to choose from. Get on over there and take a look!

~Mik

Question of the Day...

2010-03-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I marvel at the things I read on the web. There was a discussion on a natural hair board about what type of women go natural and their reasons for doing so. Hmmm, interesting you may think. Well, I was intreagued to say the least, so I lurked around reading comments. I typically don't leave comments on forums because a) many times what I want to say has already been said and b) sometimes when a person does make a comment people take it way out of context and end up offended. That is never my goal.

For me, my decision to go natural was not motivated by any political or societal factors. I was simply TIRED of relaxing and decided to chop off the relaxed hair and be the natural me. That's it. I've never lamented over what other people would think about my decision, about how my colleagues would react to my new hair or why the rules of society dictate that my hair should be this way or that way. To me, it's just hair. When I was relaxed, I loved my hair. I don't associate being relaxed to "wanting to be white or conforming to the European standard of beauty". This is also a HOT button issue with a lot of black women. Some say that it's definitely NOT just hair and there seems to be a dividing line between "the curlies" and "the nappies". Some people have expressed the sentiment that nappy is just another N-word and are offended at the use of it to describe their hair. Everyone is soooo entitled to their opinion and have every right to feel the way they do or don't.

Anyway, the main issue being discussed on the aforementioned board was this: Black women who are educated and generate higher incomes opt to go natural while their un/undereducated, lower income bracket counterparts opt to wear their hair relaxed or weaved. Hot topic indeed!!!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Have you found this to be the trend? Do you notice a distinct difference between black women of different socioeconomic groups when it comes to hair? I'd like to hear what you think.

~Mik

Over 30

2010-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday my happy little group of readers! I received the most hysterical email this morning and thought I would share it with you all. Yes, I laughed so hard @ "safety arm"......read on and you'll understand!!

If you are 30, or older, you might think this is hilarious!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways… yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go
to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOD !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you
just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!

Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd

Share this with someone who you'd like to make smile...
Enjoy your day!
~Mik

Current Product Arsenal

2010-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Being relaxed for so long, I didn't know the first thing about natural hair care. When I did my big chop, I started buying and trying every product I heard/read about. Needless to say there are hundreds of products in my bathroom that I have decided to kick to the curb because they just didn't work for me and my situation. I have a HUGE liter of Bumble & Bumble shampoo (paid a mint for) that I use to clean my shower with. It's great because I can clean while I am deep conditioning my hair and not be asphyxiated by harsh chemical fumes...LOL. The useless conditioners I use to shave my legs with. *High Five* on that.

I have used Miss Jessie's products like the Curly Pudding, Curly Meringue & Stretch Silkening Crème. They weren't bad products, and a couple of them worked very well on my hair, but they are expensive and I've been getting fabulous results from my new best friend....Herbal EssencesTotally Twisted gel. I'm in ♥ with that stuff...LOL. It yielded one of my best twist-outs in the history of hair.

I've also tried Devacare products and Mixed Chicks stuff, but I like to keep things simple....no product junkyism here (anymore). So, once I forced myself to quit buying and trying new stuff, I finally settled on a few things that work well for me and don't cost a fortune.

So, here is my current list of things I just can't live without (right now....may change in the future):

Gels:

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted curl gel ♥♥♥♥♥ (soon to be reviewed in another post)

Crèmes:
Jane Carter Solution Hair Nourishing Cream

Detanglers: (I use cheap ones only for the slip to detangle in the shower)
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner
Suave Naturals conditioner, Tropical Coconut

Shampoos:
Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Clarifying shampoo (organic)
Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose moisturizing shampoo (organic)

Conditioners:
Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Hydrating Calming conditioner (organic)
Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment (www.jessicurl.com)
Jessicurl Too Shea Moisturizing conditioner (www.jessicurl.com)

Leave In conditioners:
Giovanni Direct leave-in conditioner
Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave In conditioner (spray)

Butters/oils:
Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine (has shea butter, essential oils & vitamins A, D & E) ♥♥♥♥♥
My own mixture of Grapeseed, Almond & Vitamin E oils....(I get these from The Vitamin Shoppe and pour equal parts in a skinny-tipped applicator from Sally's)

I usually keep these products on hand and alternate with the shampoos and conditioners. I figure if it's not broken, don't try to fix it.

~Mik

Curly Nikki Forum

2010-03-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Hi ladies,

I have finally done it...joined the Curly Nikki Forum. There is a meetup tentatively scheduled in San Diego for a Saturday in April. If you're in the L.A./Orange County/San Diego area, join the forum and come along. It will be nice to finally meet other naturals and get to know them.

I will keep you posted...

~Mik

Growth check....ONE YEAR!!!!

2010-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post pics of me right after my big chop one year ago and pics of me today. My hair is growing at a rate of about .5 inch per month, which is normal for me. I've been checking for splits and have found one or two over the past year, so I just snipped them out as I ran across them.

BIG CHOP (3/1/09)

ONE YEAR later (3/13/10)

As far as my regimen goes, it's not set in stone. I just do whatever I feel at the moment. I do favor, however, washing/conditioning on Sunday evening, twisting with a leave-in conditioner and curl creme, then letting it dry overnight. When I wake up in the morning, I untwist, style and wear it like that as long as it lasts, which is usually 4 days.

When I get lazy, I just don a stretched out ouchless band (I stretch it out so I can double it) and sport the curly puff for a while. Recently I wore a bun....which was fantastic to see that my hair is now long enough to wrap around that donut-shaped thing....LOL.

Reflecting, I do miss my TWA.....so if YOU are still in that stage, enjoy the freedom and ease while it lasts.

~Mik

3-Strand Twistout Results

2010-03-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

Well, here is what the final product looks like once I untwisted and separated all of the twists....not bad! I didn't make the twists very small, so it was a breeze to take down this morning.

On a totally unrelated note, Essence Magazine is "Calling all natural hair divas" to be featured in their Street Style section. Thanks to Naturallyleslie for posting that info.

Make today wonderful...
~Mik

♫ ♪ ♫...a doo bun bun bun, a doo bun bun....♫ ♪ ♫

2010-03-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

It's official...my first BUN! After figuring out that my wash-n-go days are few and far between, I decided to try more protective styles. I washed my hair on Sunday morning, applied product (one of which made my hair hard and sticky...argh!!) and let it air day. Despite mad shrinkage, it looked pretty good all day. Before I went to bed, I wrestled all of my hair into a puff and donned my satin scarf.

Upon waking up the next morning, my hair was...hmmm, how should I say this....BUSTED! It was just a HUGE mess of sticky tangles. I had to spritz (heavily) with Jane Carter's leave conditioner and water just to get my hair to look like anything. I did manage to salvage some of the curl and was able to rock that "puff" to work yesterday.

What I am finding is that the longer my hair gets, the more control I need. That air drying stuff is for the birds unless I use a curling custard to really set the curls. I need to braid, twist or bun it after I wash it in order to stretch my hair out or get my curls in order.

This morning I re-washed but didn't have time to really style. So I decided to try a bun. I used one of those donut-shaped bun makers which worked really well. I've seen people make them out of old socks, but this little thing works too. They sell them at Sally's for around $2.99.

Products I used: Jane Carter Solution Leave In Conditioner, JCS Hair Nourishing Cream and JCS Nourish & Shine (to keep those little flyaways down).

When I get home this evening, I will take down the bun and twist all of my hair in 3-strand twists...my new favorite! Using 3-strands gives me more definition and the twists last a little longer before the fuzz factor sets in. My product of choice for twisting is Sunsilk Captivating Curls (yields fabulous definition and does not leave my hair hard or sticky) and JCS Nourish & Shine to seal the ends. When I twist I don't usually roll the ends, I just let each twist curl up on it's own.

Bun side view:

I would love to start wearing my hair braided (cornrowed), but it's nearly impossible for me to part my hair straight in the back. I'm not necessarily down with the five braids going straight back routine...my head does not accommodate that look...LOL! I am on the lookout for a braider that doesn't rip hair out by braiding too tightly.

There are so many styling possibilities for my natural hair. I just have to keep on stalking Fotki's and bloghopping for ideas. Finally being able to bun my hair is great....progress!

For those of you still in the TWA stage...enjoy it while it lasts. I do miss those days.

~Mik

BIG CHOP Anniversary!!!!!

2010-03-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's been 365 days since I (spontaneously) decided to chop off all of my relaxed hair.....whew!! The past year has been wild. I've learned so much about my hair and me in general. Thanks to all of you natural bloggers and commenters who have contributed to my blog in support of my decision to embrace and appreciate my natural hair.

New styles: 3-strand twistsout (the front twists were left in longer than the back ones)

This here was my attempt at a curly frohawk....I need to practice on this style. I think it will look a whole lot better once my hair grows out a little more. Maybe I will try a different technique and more BOBBY PINS....lol!!!

As you can see, I'm terrible at blogging. There are so many things I'd like to write about in this here blog, but my time is stretched thin as it is and unfortunately, my poor blog gets the least of my attention.
That said, here's to another year of kinky/curly DIVAtude!!!!!!
Ciao,
~Mik