It's Official - I've joined the DIY ranks

I'm so excited!!! Due to having some serious back issues with this pregnancy, I felt like sitting for 5-6 hours in my consultants chair was not going to work. I ordered my nappylocs tool and figured this would be the time to experiment. Well I think I did a pretty good job :-) I didn't keep track of how long it took me, but at least it was on my own time and I feel so empowered that I can do it myself.

Thanks to Kalia and Saabira for the information and the boost of confidence! I'll have to do better with keeping up the posts, but please know I haven't fell off the face of the earth.

Still loving my hair

I know....I know. I am the biggest slacker ever!! Blame it on the baby :-) So I have finally experienced what it is like to go through a first trimester of pregnancy. I can't say that it was bad, but I had no energy or motivation at all, and food was not my friend. Although you can't tell by the way my belly is looking, I actually lost 7 pounds!

The problem is, why couldn’t I lose the wait this easily before I became pregnant??? Oh well, God knows best so let me just go with the flow. I’m just excited about the whole experience.


My hair is growing and I can finally see some length. I was hanging out with my line sisters not long ago and I took a picture of a twist out that I did. I think it came out okay considering I only had it twisted for like 30 minutes before I had to leave. Hair is so easy now. I love the way it just sticks out really funky so I am enjoying this phase.

One major breakthrough was my consultant made record time on her retightening - 5 hours!! I know, to me it is still a bit much. But it is at least improving. Thanks to those on Lockitup who ensured me that as she gets more clients, her speed should increase.

I know this picture is not the best on clarity, but you get the point. I’ll try to update with more pictures soon. Thanks for those checking up on me, you are the best!!

It's been a long time

It's funny how I thought I would be totally on top of this blogging thing and here I am the biggest slacker....LOL!!! I still need to update new photos. My MBA program has been taking up a lot of my time so I will be happy if I can just do an update every month :-)

I am still loving my sisterlocks. Besides my retightening times being still ridiculously long, I have no complaints. I just had my locks retightened on Monday and it took 6 hours this time. So it looks like I will be looking into the nappylocks tool here soon because I won't be able to have that type of time to just sit there after I have been at work all day. Not only do I work full time and go to school, I am 7 weeks PREGNANT!!! Yes, it is official. God has blessed us beyond measure and we are expecting our first child or children, depending on whether not I'm having twins. Soon enough, I will know :-)

Another Year!!

I have so much to be thankful for coming into this new year. Not only is it a new year, but I just turned a year older on the 4th. So Happy Birthday to me :-) I feel like I have learned and experienced so much in my 27 years of life. And yet I have so far to go. Well this is a short post as I am more in a contemplative mood right now. But I do have a couple of new pictures from Christmas and from New Years Day.

1st Retightening

As to be expected, I had lots of slippage in the back. But as I keep hearing patience, patience, patience!! Here are some pics after my long extended re-tightening session.

Initially my scalp started going crazy with dryness and all the drama that comes with it - flakes and itching. But I have determined that the sisterlock starter shampoo just isn't going to work for me. It actually felt like it was burning my scalp whenever I used it. I am down to washing my hair only weekly now with a natural shampoo. I can't quite remember the name of it right now since I am not at home, but it has been working so far. Hopefully this will help with the slippage since I am not washing so frequently.

I am in Greensboro, NC right now visiting with my husband's family for Christmas. I have to admit that I married into a wonderful family and that is a blessing itself. But thinking of blessings brings me to my next thought.

Warning: Non-hair topic

Lately, I have gotten so excited just to hear people say Merry Christmas. That's crazy that the true meaning of this season is getting lost in all of the "Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings". There would be no season if there were no Jesus. I'm in no way trying to be politically correct. It just makes me so upset that people are afraid to say "Merry Christmas". The greatest gift that I could ever receive is the gift of life that Christ gave me. I can be free, and salvation is a gift. People spend so much time spending money they don't have, for things they don't want to buy for people they don't even like. What sense does this make? Now I understand that I am making a very general statement. However, the meaning of what Christmas represents is so lost nowadays. It is the celebration of Christ's birth, not the celebration of Santa Clause. I run the risk of being a "scrooge", but I do not want to lose myself in what people consider to be important in this season.

I am so thankful for Christ and the gift that he gave. It is not only for me, but for all who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. I want to encourage everyone to really think about the real reason you celebrate Christmas. Then maybe we won't be so timid to say....

Merry Christmas

Week 2

Hair with Sisterlocks has been a breeze. Outside of my scalp issues, I have no complaints. I have set up an appointment with a Dermatologist so hopefully he can shed some insight to my skin issues and the thinning hair on my crown. I will say though that I got to spend the say with all of my Disney friends on Saturday!! Kwesi and I had a blast. It was so wonderful to be a kid again. And the icing on the cake was that I was able to spend an entire day in the Florida sun, and not worry about sweating out my hair...LOL!! You can't beat that at all.

I am scheduled for a retightening session next Monday so I will have to update on how that goes.

Week 1

Life with SL’s has been a joy so far. The only problem I have been having is my scalp being dry and itchy. I was told not to put anything on it by my consultant, so I will try to stay diligent in the matter. However, snowflakes in Florida (dandruff J) just isn’t going to cut it. I have had some suggestions to do an ACV rinse and/or Sulfur 8 spray. (Thanks DolceNYC1!!) So I will have to see how that works. I have to admit that I had no idea what an ACV rinse was. But then it occurred to me, hey maybe she is talking about Apple Cider Vinegar…..Voila!! Although I don’t have the best memory, thank God it isn’t completely shot. I’m sure I will be reaching out soon to figure out exactly what I need to do for the rinse. But that is the advantage to having so many knowledgeable locked sisters and brothers on the web. I also heard back from a sister who advised that she has been washing her hair every 3-4 days since she has been locked and she uses Elasta QP for her scalp condition. It seems to work for her and she hasn’t had any problems so I may try that as well (Thanks Kim!!). I completed my first wash and it came out just fine. I think I have some minor slippage in the very back, but my hair is really soft in my “kitchen” so that is to be expected.

And I think I have discovered that I have another issue, Hand in Hair Disease, which I think some people affectionately call it. I can’t seem to stop. Hopefully this will get better as time goes on, but at least I was warned that this might happen. Can I say again that…I LOVE MY SISTERLOCKS!!

I am also a member of the LIU yahoo group, and I get so much encouragement from everyone. I work in Corporate America and I always had an issue with my hair. I have mostly only worked with people who, in an effort to not offend anyone, do not look like myself. So the countless issues of not getting my hair wet in the rain, humidity, products and hair accessories to bring while traveling, etc. Not to mention the emotional roller coaster as a black woman, just trying to fit in.

Well those issues became even more evident when I decided to go natural. Not only was I going to be a black woman in a society who does not understand my struggles, but I would have to do it with a nappy headed fro. Many people did not understand my decision to cut my hair off. And it was sad because most of the “verbal” opposition came from my own kind. Now how is it that we are always talking about “keeping it real”, but the person who is saying it louder than anyone else has my skin complexion with purple eyes and blonde weave down to their ankles. Okay, an exaggeration at best, but when will it end? It is hard enough when some people at my office look at me like I am a germ or something. Mind you I am just as qualified as they are or more. Or could it be it is in my own head. That’s a thought! Nevertheless, I came to the conclusion that no matter what anyone thinks, it is more important of how I view myself. It is very easy to get caught up in our own insecurities. If is isn’t someone else doing it, chances are we are going to condemn ourselves at some point. I am learning that I do not need to seek the approval of other people. My validation in Christ is more than enough. My favorite passage says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). Well if the creator of the universe says that I am wonderfully made, and in His very own image, who am I to look down on that very thing that He says is “good”. So in all my naps, (say it with me) I declare “I HAVE GOOD HAIR”. (Hey, that rhymes…hehe)

Now...a shout out to my other biggest fan. Introducing Eko (like Echo), my American Bulldog puppy. He keeps me company and seems to enjoy watching me fool with my hair :-) He also doesn't mind when I pour out all the details of my day before I can talk to my husband. He just listens and loves the fact that I am spending time with him. Who knew taking care of dog would be like having a child!! Not that I even remontely know what that is like, but at least I am learning patience before my babies do decide to bless me with their presence.