Finally... I arrived!!

I endured 17.5 hours of laughter, small chatter, watching many movies, enduring a sore and numb butt (occasionally) to say I'm FINALLY SISTERLOCKED!!

Although, my installation was split into a period of 2 days. I chosen 8/29 to be my Official sisterlock birthday. I went back and forward on what day to put on that "birthday" card but decided 8/29 because it was the official day I got it started.

As of right now, I have mixed feelings about my hair. I wish I would have had my hair cut into a style before I actually got the sisterlocks. That way, it would have a more define shape. My hair is uneven going into the installation so, the back of my hair will be a lot longer than the front. However, I think it may grow into a layered type style. The top back of my hair is shorter than the bottom back of my hair. So, I'm really interested to see how my hair would look as it grows out! My loctician and I talked about the option to get a nice cut style once my locks grow out and begin to settle. It all depends on how it looks.

I love my hair and the freedom it will bring me! Of course, now that I'm officially locked, I can't wait to actually SEE the progress. I was shocked to see that my hair has more spacing than expected (only because my hair is kinda thick) but, my loctician assured me that it will be only be temporary! My husband thinks I have a bit of "buyers remorse" because I'm not feeling the "spacing" in my hair. I told him I definitely don't regret getting it locked I just have to really embellish my hair with hats and accessories for the first couple of months into I see progress!

I'm so excited to share my journey with all of you and I'm looking forward to the see where this journey will take me! I'm finally home and it feels good!

Quick walk down Memory lane

This is me with wigs and weaves before I decided to wear my natural hair ! Some of the looks were fun like the curly hair wigs but, overtime I knew that I wasn't being true to myself and ditch wearing fake hair all together! Back when I had these hairstyles my cousin's would call me Weave queen because I never left home with out one! That's when I knew it was time to embrace MY natural beauty and stop hiding behind those styles! It's always fun to look back but I'm excited about my hair journey ahead!

VACATION!!! YEAAAAAHHH!!!

I'm officially on Vaction in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!! I'm FREE!!! I'm so excited to rest for 10 whole days without the day to day stress of getting up early in the morning to get ready for work, fighting morning and evening traffic,and dealing with coworkers, nagging me and piling work on top of work on my desk--- all day long! YES!!

You better believe I will be soaking up the sun, chilling and relaxing while sipping on a chilled tropical drink at somebodies beach!! Although, I will not be leaving out of town, I will be traveling around the city and engaging in fun activities in my home town! My husband and I wedding anniversary is 8/27 ,so I can't wait to see what he got plan for me this year!!

Not to mention the rebirth of my hair through Sisterlocks (installation) on 8/29 & 8/30! You have no IDEAL, how much this vacation is needed for me. Between work, home, clients, coworkers, family and Church-- I was 2 seconds from losing my mind! I've been feeling so overworked latelty and the lord knows I am TOTALLY burnt out!!

You better believe -I will be turning my phone off for a couple of days and I am going to rest like never before!! HAPPY VACATION TO ME!

Products I love for my Natural hair

Since I've been natural, I always seem to get asked questions on what I use on my hair to get it so soft and manageable. I think there are essential products every person should have to promote healthier, stronger hair!

Product 1 - A very large tooth comb and Denman brush. I love both products. They are made for our hair types and I really feel that I don't lose as much hair when I grooming my hair.

Product 2- This one is for the ladies: A satin bonnet, scarf and/or pillow case. Your hair won't dry out as easily on a satin pillowcase and it protects your hair from breaking easily!

Product 3- Vitamins or Supplements!! My favorite supplements is Biotin-- It helps promote healthier skin, nails and hair. I've been taking this for over a year now and YES I can see a difference in all 3!

Product 4 - Raw Shea butter, I just got hipped to using shea butter this year! I originally got the shea butter to help with my skin because I hae ecezema! But, I started using it in my hair and it was a heaven sent. I notice my hair is so much more softer and fuller. When I would curl my hair I would use this as a oil to help aide in the process.

Product 5- Extra Virgin olive oil and avocado- I would mix the 2 and use it as a deep conditioner before I wash my hair for 1 hour. It promotes shine and growth! It gets messy at times but is well worth it if you do this every week to every 2 weeks.

Product 6- Jojoba oil
Product 7- Mayo and eggs
Product 8- Kinky Curly Shampoo and Conditioner- This is the best organic shampoo and conditioner I ever used on my head... The shampoo gets your hair SUPER clean with out stripping your hair from its natural oils. The leave in conditioner makes my hair so soft and easy to comb and detangle! I even like the Curly custard... But because my hair is so curly on its on I stop using the curly custard! LOVE IT LOVEIT LOVE IT!!

This is just some of the products that I used to help my hair get stronger and healthier! I love any natural products and I try to stay away from name brand shampoos and conditioners that strip our hair from it's natural oils. I love each item on my list and I hope if you try them you will get the same results that I do!! Have a blessed day!

Size, Curly q's and slippage issues

As I patiently wait for my sisterlock journey (14 or 15 days away :) !! ) I can't help but wonder about some issues that may arise! For instance, size... My loctician believes small and medium will be suitable for me. I wounder when they begin to settle and swell will they begin to look too big? I like the ideal of "miro locs" so I'm trying to decide will that be a better choice for me! However, with micro sisterlocs the maintenace tends to be even more tedious to maintain, than the size we chose. I really want to be happy with what I choose besides this is how I will be wearing my hair for years to come!

Secondly, my other concern is with my curly q's at the end of my hair. I wonder does curly hair hinders or helps with the locking process. My hair tends to curl a LOT especially when it is wet! Well, I guess I will see.

Lastly, slippage issues, I read a lady blog who stated that when she first got her locks she didn't wash her hair but like once a month because she really wanted her hair not to slip. Is this something all newbies should do? I hear different stories all the time and I don't know what to go with! My loctician suggest to wash your hair as often as I want with the sisterlock shampoo just to help the locking along. I trust her judgement but, I also don't want to wash too much that my hair loses its moisture. I guess as I embark on this journey I will begin to see what works and what doesn't! Oh, the questions!

Count down to the sisterlock Installation

Here are some pics of my sisterlock samples. I went to meet my sisterlock loctician on 8/2 and I had a very informative consultation. I'm really excited that I've chosen her because she is very informative, very sweet, and flexible with her time. When I decided I wanted sisterlocks I looked up her site along with numerous others before deciding that she was the person I wanted to do my sisterlocks. I have a good feeling that I chose the right lady, I believe we are going to have a good relationship we seem to click and have so much in common.

I also received my Sisterlock starter shampoo in the mail today at work !! I was soooo excited I started to jump up and down at work. People looked at me at work like I lost my mind but when I explained why I was excited they kind of understood.. My package was just a reminder that the date is almost near! Of course, each day seem to drag by like eternity because I'm so excited LOL!

My hair is curly at the ends so it curls up tremendously when it is wet. I wonder as I embark on this journey if my curly ends will be a problem locking or will it help. I guess we will find out soon!

Every day after I exercise or go for my jog I sit and gaze at sisterlock pics read some of the ladies blogs and sit and wonder how mine will look when it's mature. Just typing about it is exciting me inside. I will be tracking my journey through pictures so get ready--- 19 days more days before I'm official!!!!

In the Beginning.., There was kinky hair... and it was good!!

Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

This year has been all about me allowing God to transform me from the inside out! I never realize how beautiful I could be until I stop hiding behind "European standards."

As a young woman, I was always was taught that Our hair is our crown of glory! I was taught that our hair can help aide in getting a mate, help us with our careers and it overall defines our beauty. Did I forget to mention, I was taught that in order to have these things that kinky hair was out of the question!! I wasn't taught that from my home parse, but definitely from my peers and in the media.

I can remember at the tender age of 9, begging my mother to put a perm in my hair! My mom of course went against my wishes until I was 13. It's funny looking back, boy was I so naive; I was so hardheaded I should have listen to my mother :)!

At any rate, my obsession with straight hair progressed to excessive weave wearing, fake nails, eyelashes and colored contacts! I can't believe I wore all of that stuff to make me "beautiful". I gradually stop wearing those things as I got older and started to embrace my own beauty. I knew back in 1999 that I wanted to transition my hair back to its natural state because perming my hair was causing too much breakage and damage to my scalp. To transition, I wore wigs and weave...

Let's just say I transitoned way too long 10 years to be exact!!I had a very hard time letting go of the weave! It was just something about the having long straight hair or curly/ wavy texture that defined my feminity. It also meant that I was accepted in our community, did I really want to jeopardize that?It was Very difficult to shatter that image for me.

In recent years, I started to see more African american ladies rockin' their natural hair. I was in awe, I wanted to exube the confidence that they had in loving their natural kinky-curly hair! I started to contemplate doing the same!

One day, I was washing and blow drying my hair. When I re-discovered my hair in mirror, I fell in love with all of its beauty all over again. It still took me a while to get rid of the weave. I started to educate myself more on why we hated our natural texture and on natural hair care. The more I learned the more I knew I had to stop this cycle of self hate! One morning I finally decided to break the chains of bondage from from my feet and I did it- I EMBRACED my own hair! In all its God given glory and I started ROCKIN' my natural unpermed hair! I have not look back since! I still Can't believe how we let society's' view on hair define our lives and we become victims to perms and other texture altering products.

I wore weaves for ½ of my life! HALF! It took a lot of inner strength and courage to tell the world that I'm beautiful in spite of many superficial standards!

Now I'm ready to start a new journey with my hair! I will be installing sisterlocks in my hair on 8/29 & 8/30!! I'm so excited and anxious, I can't wait to share all the stages of my journey with all of you! Please stay tuned....God Bless!! Remember we are all fearfully and wonderfully made GOD never makes mistakes!