Is my hair too big???

Ever since I have been natural one of my main goals has been to have BIG, HUMONGOUS, GORGEOUS, THICK hair. However, I have noticed that lately the questions about straightening my hair are occuring more and more frequently.

Honestly, I am kinda getting tired of the questions. I just want to snap, "No, I'm not doing it!". But, that's not me.

So, I wonder if maybe the questions are occuring more becuause my hair is getting bigger. It makes me start thinking about what is going to occur even a year later--if the Lord wills--and I have more hair? Will my hair no longer be professional enough to wear out to work? Will I be limited to pulling it back and wearing only protective styles? I really don't know.

What I do know is that I like my hair. I like the length it is and I like how thick it is. But, I am now starting to question if it is too much?

I just had to vent for a quick sec:-/

This is how my hair looks at a typical day at work.

Hair Today: Braid Out with Center Part

Here are a few pics of my hair. This is a braid out I did with 16 individual braids in my hair. This is Day 3 of my hair. This past Sunday, I took the braids out but, can you believe the hair was still damp in the middle and back?!?! I put the braids in on Friday!

Whatev...

I just let my hair do what it do. Sometimes I feel like my hair is trying to tell me to stop trying to tame it so much. If it wants to take 48 hours or more to dry then, so what? So, I just let it do what it do;)

I do like how thick and full my hair looks when it doesn't fully dry. And I do like that it isn't so defined. There are perks in all things.

How To Be A Frugal Natural and Still Stay Fabulous!

At the point I am in my life, I don't have very much money to spare or waste. I make sure my bills are paid and after that I don't have much left for many luxuries. However, I don't let this stop me from staying naturally fly! Below are a few tips I follow to stay oh-so-fabulous in the natural world:-)

1. Research any products before buying. Because I don't have the money to go just randomly try products to see if they work for me or not, I always do thorough research on any product before purchasing. I first look at the ingredients. I then google reviews online from blogs or websites. And next I go to YouTube to see how the product worked for other naturals (I usually flock to reviews from naturals with my similar hair texture).

2. Find what works for me and stick to it. I mentioned this before. I am by no means a product junkie. I find what works for me and I stick to it. I have one shampoo, one detangling comb, a few conditioners, a few oils, etc. You get the point. I find what works for me and I stick to it. Why mess up a good thing?

3. Throw out hints to family members. Yeah, I do this. I throw out hints to my sisters and parents about products I am in need of or products I wouldn't mind having. I must admit that this method usually works pretty well.

4. Stay away from the "hot and new" thing. I go to many blogs and I hear great things about many products and lines out there. But, I look at what the products purpose is and I analyze if I am really lacking in that area. For example, if a product claims to give great definition, shine, and thickness. I think, I have a my styler and my oils. So, even though it would be nice to try the "new" things I would rather wait for a better time.

5. Don't sacrifice quality for cheapness. One thing I do not do is sacrifice quality just to be cheap. Even though there are some great products out there that are very cheap (ex. V05 conditioners), there are some things that I can't go cheap on. For example, I will not use just any old shampoo on my head (only Giovanni for me). No sulfates will touch this head.

These are just the rules I follow for my budget. Maybe one day I will be a baller and be able to splurge. LOL. But, my frugal methods work for me:-)

Product Review: Oyin Handmade Shine and Define

This past Monday night I re-twisted my hair using Oyin Handmade Shine and Define. This was a gift from my sister Auset and this was my first time using it.

Ingredients: Purified water, Organic flax seeds, Organic aloe vera gel, Sea Vegetable Complex, Coconut Oil, Castor, unrefined shea butter, organic raw honey, Vegetable Glycerine, Palm Stearic Acid, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, fruit pectin, xanthan gum, destrose, Optiphen (preservative) citrus essential oils, fragrance

Here is how I used it:
1. I took random sections of my hair and applied the Shine and Define along the entire section and concentrated on the ends. I then put in medium size twists.
2. I kept the twists in for a day.
3. I took the twists down and wore the hair out on Wednesday.

Pros:
1. The smell was simply wonderful. I loved it.
2. I like that the consistency was great.
3. It did not give my hair a stiff or weird hold.
4. Great ingredients
5. No build-up.

Cons:
1. I actually didn't think it defined that well.
2. I didn't think the shine was that great.

For the product, to be called "Shine and Define" I was not that impressed with the shine or the definition. So, I am still on the fence about this product. I think I am going to try using it with a different method. Maybe on damp hair...
This was my hair after I took the twists down and wore it out.

New Hair Day!

So, I finally decided to officially change my hair day from Sunday to Friday. Initially, I was debating between Friday and Saturday but, I made my final choice for Friday. And even though I go to prayer on Fridays I figured I should be back home no later that 8:30 p.m. and that should be enough time to start doing my hair. Then, if I go shopping or run any errands on Saturday I will just wear a head wrap, a beanie, etc.

So, why Friday? I chose Friday because that day would allow for my hair to fully air dry. Also, I could take the braids or twists out if I'm wearing "out" styles that Sunday morning and then, I would have an idea of how my hair would look for the week.

I must admit that I am kinda excited about this new hair day. Its different. The only con--which is not that major--is that now my hair will be covered on Saturdays and not out. But, its a good thing I learned how to do head wraps this week:-)

Here are my plans (I really am hesitant to post my plans because they may fall through, however; these are my plans if the Lord wills):
1. Co-wash my hair tonight using a conditioner (duh. but, I don't know which conditioner as of yet)
2. Oil rinse using 50:50 mixture of Castor oil and EVOO.
3. Apply a conditioner as a leave-in (not sure which conditioner I will be using)
4. Do a center part and do a chunky braid-out (nothing new about this hairstyle)
5. Allow hair to fully air dry over Friday and Saturday
6. Take braids out on Sunday morning.

Awkward and Awesome Thursdays

New segment alert!

I must admit that this new segment will probably not have much to do with natural hair (I am sure it will somewhat). But, I was on this blog yesterday, which I can't remember for the life of me. Hold on...going to find it---> Ok, the blog is a fashion blog and its called The Daybook. So, what I am pretty much going to do every Thursday is a run down of awkward things that occured during the past week and awesome things that occured during the past week. Here goes...


AWKWARD

• Pulling out deodarant in a very public place and applying it...like its lipgloss or something (for the record, I did not do this, just observed this)
• Walking past a group of people or a person and feeling my underwear ride up--on one side. And chanting in my head, "Please don't let them see, please don't let them see, please don't let them see..."
• Having to go check the spelling for deodorant because I had a feeling I had spelled it wrong in the above first sentence...which I did^_^
• Waking up to head full of wet/damp hair. Now what am I supposed to do.
• Making videos for YouTube and noticing for the first time in my life the weird facial expressions I make. Then, getting so annoyed with them and delete the video and not upload the video.
• Going to sleep at night with the heat on. Waking up sweating profusely. So I turn the heat off. Wake up shivering because I'm cold. Turn the heat on. Start back sweating. Turn off. This goes on and on at night, which is why I'm probably suffering from this cold/sore throat:-/
• Drinking some very old coffee (given to me from my mom) and having it taste so nasty and old. And then drinking a second sip just to make sure it was nasty...

AWESOME

• Received a compliment on my hair of "I am SO jealous of your hair!!!" I don't want people to envy my hair, but it was nice nonetheless.
• Purple eyeshadow. Enough said.
• Bible Study at my church. It is simply great and I promise you I learn something new each time, which truly enriches my spirit.
• My veggie burger from Burger King, which I get with no mayo and no ketchup and extra onions. The secret is to ask for a barbeque sauce packet and it makes the burger out of this world!
• My daddy bringing me coffee to work after my coffee fiasco:-)
• Having a really nice young lady--passing by my office--show me hands-on how to do a head wrap/turban with a large scarf. I'm an expert at it now. Too nice!
• Clip-on earrings. Though some hurt like crazy! (so maybe this is awesome and awkward)

Hairstyle: Side Cornrows and Half Pinned-Up

This the hairstyle I discussing in a previous post.

I achieved it by doing the following:
1. I cornrowed the side of the hair before washing. I had the cornrows lead upward and to the side.
2. I then shampooed with Giovanni Deep Moisture shampoo, I co-washed with the Giovanni Deep moiture conditoner, I deep conditioned with the Giovanni Deep Moisture conditioner (which I am completely out of now), and finally I applied Suave Naturals in Coconut as my leave in.
3. I two strand twisted the remaining hair--making sure they all swept to the left side.
4. The next morning I applied EVOO over my entire head.
5. The hair was not dry but, I still took th twists out.
6. I did not seperate the twists.
7. I pinned back the front section using 3 bobby pins.
8. And I was done!

The video tutorial can be checked out {HERE}

When Ideas Go To the Wasteside...and New Ones Are Formed

So, this past week I had an idea in my head of a hairstyle I wanted to try. Needless to say, the plan went by the wasteside.

The hairstyle I had in mind were some side cornrows that would lead to a sideswept twist-out. Yeah...this didn't happen.

Here's what went wrong:
1. I started too late doing my hair at 4:00 pm. And that was the cornrowing part. I actually started washing my hair at about 5:10 p.m.
2. I tried finger detangling on dry hair to cornrow it. This was time-consuming! I don't even know why I did this. I just went back to my damp/dry detangling method.
3. I actually started putting the two-strand twists in my hair at 6:00 pm. Much too late to fully air dry. But, I was in denial.
4. I did not get a chance to do my oil rinse because time was winding down...
5. The next morning the hair was not dry at all! I was baffled...

So, necessity becomes the mother of invention. Despite all these mishaps I still like how my hair came out. No, it wasn't what I pictured, but it was cute nonetheless.

Lessons learned:
1. I definitely need to change my hair day. I only like air drying my hair and its crazy to think that all this hair will fully dry by the next morning! So, Sunday will soon be out the window...(maybe Friday or Saturday)
2. My hair misses the oil rinse. Its not that my hair is dry because I did apply EVOO over it. But, the oil is better distributed in my hair with the oil rinsing and it just feels better.
3. And maybe I shouldn't record videos until I've tried the hairstyle out before.

More pics of the hairstyle coming...

Tomiko Fraser does a 2nd Big Chop!!! And its gorgeous!

You all know I love me some Tomiko Fraser. She is simply a beautiful person inside and out. Well, my girl just did a 2nd BC and it looks absolutely B-U-tiful.

I love that she has a fearless attitude about tackling and trying out new looks. It is assumed that most people in the modeling industry would not have the courage to display their natural hair while changing it up at the same time. She dispells any of those thoughts.

Her BC was done by the natural hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood.

Click {HERE} for more pics.

Covering the Hair

Each night I cover my natural hair with a satin scarf and/or bonnet. I have been doing this for years---even during those relaxed times.

Is covering you natural hair with a satin bonnet/scarf really necessary? Honestly, I am not an expert on if this proccess is necessary or not. I do know that I cover my hair each and every night (even naptime) with a satin scarf/bonnet. However, I was recently talking to a fellow natural with a gorgeous head of hair (full, thick, long, etc.) and she said she never covers her hair at night and doesn't even sleep on a satin pillowcase. But, we have to find what works for us.

Why do we cover our hair with a satin bonnet? Hair should not rub against rough fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, etc. By rubbing against these rough fibers the hair becomes more prone to breakage. Simply put, I treat my hair like a baby. I am gentle with it and I don't feel it would benefit from rubbing against rough fibers each and every night for up to 8 hours.

How do I cover my hair each night? When my hair is in protective styles such as braids and twists I simply put the satin bonnet over my entire head. When I wear my hair in "out" styles such as twist-outs and braid-outs I have a process that I developed for covering my hair. I put my hair in 2 low ponytails using an ouchless band. I only wrap the band around my hair once to avoid pressure and tension. I then wrap the satin scarf over my hair. After the scarf has been put on I take the bands off my hair and I then put my satin bonnet over the remaining hair. Click {HERE} for a video of the process.

First Black Charlie's Angel...and She's Natural:-)

Photo source: www.theybf.com

The "Charlie's Angel" franchise has finally cast their first Black Angel. She is actress Annie Ilonzeh. When I saw pics of her I was so excited. Not only is she black but, she is also natural!!

Her hair is simply gorgeous!

I am so happy that Hollywood is learning to embrace our natural hair and showing the world that it can be the norm.

Click {HERE} for more pictures of Annie in her role and on the set. There is even a scene where she gets her hair wet---putting an end to those thoughts about black women not wanting to get their hair wet.

I Was Given the "One Lovely Blog Award"...Yay Me!

Hello all. I just wanted to briefly (Ok it turned out to be not so brief) get on here and tell you that I was recently awarded the "One Lovely Blog Award" by Funbi of DatFunkyFro. Thank you, girlie:-)

How great is that! My blog is like my baby and I appreciate that others enjoy it. It just brightens my day.

So, here are the rules of this award:
1. Accept the award and in your post provide the name & the link of the person who gave you the award.
2. Tell us 7 facts about you that we do not know.
3. Give the award to 15 other lovely blogs that you have just discovered.
4. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

1. Of course I gladly accept this award!!

2. Seven Facts about myself: (1) My birthday is December 29th. I know that is random but, I don't think I ever shared that with you all. (2) I was born, raised, and currently reside in Tuskegee, Alabama and I graduated from Tuskegee University. (3) I was raised as a strict Pentecostal (this is still my belief) and we could not wear pants, nail polish, makeup, earrings, etc. growing up. (4) I believe I adore fashion, clothes, and all things girly because of my upbringing (5) I am an avid dog lover except for pit bulls. Please don't judge me for that:-/ (6) I have one tattoo on my inner right hand wrist that says 11-4-08---the date that Obama won. (7) I don't plan on getting any more tattoos. I think the one I have shows the rebel in me that came to the forefront briefly.

3. 15 Bloggers who deserve the "One Lovely Blog Award" (no particular order): (1) Dat Funky Fro. I don't know if I can give it back to the person who gave it to me, but why not? Great blog with great information on caring for natural hair and beautiful protective styles! (2) Natural Beauty and Wellness. I know she's my sister but, I love her blog. She gives great advice on products, concoctions, finding many uses for one product, information on locs, and natural hair! (3) Precious Curls. I really like this blog! She has the cutest hairstyles, thought-provoking posts, and so much more! (4) Fro Stoppa. This girl has one beautiful head of hair and a great sense of fashion! (5) Healthy Hair and Body. This is another great blog! She has a gorgeous mane of hair, does great features, and gives great advice for our hair and body. (6) Barbara Naturally Speaking. Beautiful hair and great features! (7) Livin LaVida Natural. Though this is a fairly new blog, she has some great posts! There is even one about her experience with Black Tea Rinse. (8)The Moptop Maven. You all know how much I adore the Moptop Maven. My prayers are with her as she is struggling with Wilson's Disease. For this reason, I may not contact her about the Blog Award because she is recuperating. (9) Meechy Monroe. I initially started following her YouTube channel but, I simply love her new blog. She talks about natural hair, her sisters' natural hair, her life, makeup, food and so much more. (10) the Natural Haven. Very informative blog from the perspective of a real-life scientist, Jt. (11) Happy Girl Hair. If you have children, go here for beautiful ideas for styling their natural hair. Adults also can rock some of the styles:-) (12) Target Queen. She is simply gorgeous! She sells beautiful handmade jewelry and she is simply creative. Her natural hair may be long or short in the next breath. She constantly changes it up and it fits her! (13-15) For the last three and then some, I tag all natural bloggers out there!!!

Hair Today: Chunky Braid Out (Day 6)

Hey, yall.

I thought I'd quickly show you a shot of my hair today. This is the sixth day of my Chunky Braid Out. I plan on washing and re-doing my hair on Wednesday (or Thursday b/c Wednesday is Bible Study night). I am sure you all are wondering why I am doing my hair in the middle of the week. Well, since I was off work last week--except for one day--I didn't take the braids out of my hair until Wednesday (I washed on Monday). So, that is why my hair schedule was thrown off a bit.

As you can see, the hair has gotten bigger. As I mentioned before, these are the days I really be feeling my hair!

I did a video on Youtube showing my Day 6 Chunky Braid Out in real time. You can check it out {HERE}. The second half of the video shows my Outfit of the Day so, you may disregard that part if you like:-)

Fairy Knots

Where do I begin? Where do I begin? Fairy knots.

I have learned to accept fairy knots as an inevitable part of my life and the life of my natural hair.

So what exactly are fairy knots? Fairy knots are knots that occur along the single strands of hair and is mainly present in curly hair. Of course, the curlier your hair the more likely you are to experience fairy knots.

How do you deal with fairy knots? I have learned to accept that fairy knots will come. However, I do believe that it is possible to decrease the amount of fairy knots that you experience.

• Protective styles - Protective styles help to greatly reduce the amount of fairy knots. I have noticed that after taking my hair out of protective styles, I find little to no fairy knots. I feel this is due to the hair being tucked away, which makes it less prone to wrap around individual or single strands. The most effective protective hairstyles to battle fairy knots for me are two strand twists and individual braids.
• Decreasing the amount of Wash N' Gos - Wash N' Gos will increase your chance of experiencing these little knots. I think the main reason is that the hair has been rubbed (sometimes vigorously) and then just left to do its on thing. So, when the curls dry naturally they will wrap themselves around each other. I think the most effective way to battle the knots when doing a Wash N' Go is to put the hair in twists or braids (if your length allows for it) and then, rub the conditioner and/or shampoo gently (VERY GENTLY) through the hair. DatFunkyFro even suggests to wash the hair in sections. I think this is a great idea. It will allow for you to pay special attention to each section, which will promote a gentle hand and not allow for you to rush through washing your entire head of hair--which can lead to more unwanted fairy knots.
• Detangle Your Hair - We all have different detangling methods and routines. However, no matter what method you use just make sure you have a detangling routine that you adhere to consistently. For instance, I detangle my hair once a week with "out" styles and once every two weeks with protective styles. I can't even imagine the state my hair would be in if I didn't detangle it.
• Prepoo - Try a prepoo of oils as some naturals do. Some naturals say the tangle just slip out of their hair when they do prepoo treatments. I have not tried prepooing as of yet, however; since I have been wearing my hair out I will be soon adding this to my regimen.
• A GENTLE and PATIENT hand - Sometimes we can simply prevent fairy knots by having a gentle and patient hand. For instance, when my hair is out I sometimes notice that my hair will begin the tangling process. I simply take my time and very gently detangle my hair as I encounter these tangles to prevent them from becoming fairy knots. Also, when styling my hair in protective styles I also take my time in detangling any tangles I may run into. And during my detangling session, I ensure that I don't rush the session and may baby any tangles that need my special attention.

So, if you experience fairy knots, what should you do about them? I do one of two things.

• Ignore Them - I know some people would say this horrible but, I am being honest:-/ I sometimes run my hand along the length of my strands and I may come across one, or two, or three knots and I will simply do nothing. I figure they will take care of themselves.
• Cut Them Out - Now, if I have a fairy knot that has a shed piece of hair attached to it then, I will cut it out. I can usually spot these fairly quickly because they are usually abnormally long strands.

Are there certain hairsyles that will make you prone to more fairy knots? Most definitely. As I mentioned before, wash n' gos will have an increase in knots. Also, everytime I do "out" styles I experience them more often--twist outs, braid outs, textured afros, etc.

In the end, fairy knots will occur in our glorious natural heads. However, it is possible to decrease the amount and do preventative measures.

Natural Inspiration: Esperanza Spalding

This is the girl!

She is simply stunning! Talented, gorgeous, beautiful hair...I could go on.

I must admit that her hair really inspires me. I think that all natural hair is beautiful but, when it comes to what I'm aiming for...this is it. Her hair is so big! You can see her true texture. It always looks so on point and it doesn't even look like she tried (Carefree is the word).

So, Esperanza Spalding definitely deserves to be featured as a natural inspiration. She is one of my main inspirations:-)

Let's Talk About Day 1 (and 2) Hair

I've been natural for almost a year now (April 5, 2011 will be my anniversary). And I've learned many things in my natural journey. One thing I know without a doubt is that I am not a fan of Day 1--or even Day 2--hair.

You've heard me mention this before on this blog in passing but, I decided to have a post dedicated to this topic.

Day 1 hair is associated with:
1. Super defined look - I know some people love that super-defined look but, I am not a big fan of it. I find myself seperating my hair so much when I first take down my braids or twists in order to achieve my fuller, more natural look.
2. No emphasis on the true texture of the hair - This goes back to the hair being super defined. Because of this the true texture is not really shown. I don't fight frizz, I embrace frizz. Its simply beautiful to me.
3. Too much of a sheen:-/ Yeah, I said it. I mean I want my hair to have a nice sheen but, sometimes I think it just looks too relaxed-like. Its hard to explain but, I hope you get my drift.

Its not that I hate Day 1 hair, it just isn't my favorite day of my twist-outs or braid-outs. I don't like that super defined, not quite natural looking look of my hair. Now, as for Day 3 and on up...I LOVE it. That's when the true texture starts coming to the forefront and it just looks glorious!

Switiching Up That Side Part

So, I know that some people suggest that you switch up the parts in your hair. It is suggested that we switch up the parts to avoid thinning in that area. I must admit that I am not sure if this is true or not, however; I decided this past Monday to switch up my part.

I simply love parting my hair to my left side. I don't know why. I just like having more of the hair fall over my left eye (this eye is slightly smaller than the other from a horrible bike accident I had in my early teens). So, maybe subconciously I like having my part to the left side. I have done this for years---even during those relaxed times. My second go-to part is the center part. I do like doing this part every now and then for a different yet noticeable look. But, one side I do NOT like parting my hair on is the right side. And this past Monday I did it.

Really, I think it is all in my mind. But, I really am not a fan of parting my hair to the right. It just doesn't fall how I want it to fall. However, I think that its good that I switched up my side part to avoid depending on that other side of my hair. I think that I will continue to switch up my part every now and then, but I must admit that I prefer my left part.

What about you? Do you have a go-to part?

I've Changed My Mind

So, remember in a previous post I said I wanted a "Tangle Teezer". Well, I've changed my mind.

I am glad that there is so much support in the natural community. And even though I hate that bad things had to happen to other natural sisters' hair using this product, I am happy that they were helpful and honest to let others know of the dangers. (I also make sure I tell of any bad/tragic experiences with my hair to help others.)

CurlyNikki stated that she experienced horrible split ends from using this product and that she had to cut of about 2 inches of hair. I hate that this happened to her especially since she was aiming to grow out her hair. Yet, it is pure love that she decided to share her honest opinion with us on the product. Her review is [HERE].

Now, some people do like the product. I know that br0nzeqt of YouTube likes it. But, because of the mixed reviews of this product, I just can't risk it.

So, I'm sorry:-( But, I will not be purchasing the Tangle Teezer. I guess I'll be saving that $9.99.

Great Linkage: Battle of the Oils

I just read a post on my sister's blog. She gave great details on Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Honestly, I must admit that I am a EVOO faithful user. You can probably gauge that from my blog. I think that I have used Coconut Oil only once and that was when my sister was staying with me during a break and she had some. But, after I read that article I think I may head out to the local health store and pick up a bottle of Coconut Oil. It really is a shame that I don't own any. I must admit that I still think EVOO will continue to hold my heart.

Check out the link {HERE} to find out the pros and cons of EVOO and Coconut Oil. Its a great article.

Hair Today: Braid Out (Day 5)

My braid out has really held up this entire week. It seems I get the most compliments on Day 4 and 5 hair. I must admit that I like my hair the most on these days also. The hair just gets bigger and it loses some of that definition. Simply put, I like it.

You already saw a glimpse of my hair in the previous post. But, I decided to have a post specifically designated for my hair today.

To keep up my Braid Out I do the following each night:
1. I put my hair in 2 loose and low afro puffs.
2. I then tie a satin scarf over the hair.
3. I then put a bonnet over that scarf---for extra security.
4. Every other morning or night, I oil my hair and seal my ends.

Oh, the Ignorance...

So, I'm going along with my Friday with not a care in the world and I decide to check my Facebook. My sister, Auset, posted a link to an article on Black College Wire so, I thought "Let me check this out." Oh the horror!

First off, READ THE ARTICLE {HERE}.

Now, let me get started. I started reading the article with an open mind. I was curious about the title "Natural Hair and Nappy Heads" but, moved on. In the beginning, of the article I was just going along with the flow. La-di-da. She was going on about: reasons for going natural, natural being a trend, guys preferring natural hair, etc. Nothing that really pushed my buttons.

Then, she lost me and my respect with this statement, "Only a handful of females can pull off a short hair cut, let alone natural hair." All females can pull of natural hair because that is the way God made it.

But, she didn't stop there! She goes on to say that "extemely nappy" haired people shouldn't go natural. She says that if you look more like a "slave" than a "queen" with your natural hair then don't do it. She says, "I hate that girls walk around thinking that natural bush is fly when it is not." All of these are IGNORANT comments and I can't believe they came out of her mouth!

I could go on and on about how this article really pushed my buttons but, I won't. I will state my opinion on the matter. Point blank, natural hair is beautiful. I don't care if you are fat, short, skinny, tall, big head, little head, light skinned, dark skinned, brown skinned, etc. Your natural hair is GORGEOUS! Don't get mad that women with natural hair are walking around with confidence. They are confident. And I am tired of the comments of natural hair being equated with looking like a "slave" and "Celie". Please just stop it. God gave us this texture. He made no mistake, no mess in doing so. Embrace it.

And what is funny is that she is rocking a cute TWA. I guess she passes her criteria to rock natural hair:-/ This just goes to show you that you can't judge a person's mindset by their hair.

That's my opinion and I'm out.

In my mind...Spring Is HERE = Hair is OUT

So, I don't think the official day of spring has arrived yet. However, if you are in Alabama you know that it has officially made its arrival. We have been having weather in the 60s-70s. And today has been 74 degrees. To me that is hot enough to have my hair out.

Of course, I adore protective styles. My hair loves them. But, I feel my hair was also telling to let it out and breathe! It is a relief to wake up in the morning and simply take of my bonnet and just shape my hair. Getting ready has been cut down enormously! I don't have to pin, or tuck, etc. my hair.

One reason, I don't like wearing protective styles for so long is that people get used to my hair being contained. So when I wear it out I get a few looks. One of my co-workers commented on my hair. "I see you did something different with your hair...You wanted to be flamboyant." Flamboyant??

I think this warm weather is here to stay. So, you will definitely see me wearing more out styles. I will still keep the styles diverse though:-)

Hairstyle: Braid Out?? or Textured Afro??

So, this past Sunday, I washed my hair and then braided it---intending to do a braid out. Well, despite starting on my hair at 3:00 pm my hair still did not fully air dry. So, the next day while taking it down my hair was really damp all over. You know me, I just let it do what it do. And I still like it!

I decided to show some pics of my hair over last 3 days that I have been wearing this braid out/textured afro.

Day 1 - You can see that the back of the hair really has little to no wave definition. The hair displays my texture. I like how full it looks.
Please excuse the puckered lips. I was feeling my new lipstick. lol. This shot really shows the full shape of my hair.
This is my hair today, I am still feeling it. I will definitely be rocking this style to the end of this week or longer. We'll see...

I achieved this hairstyle by:
1. Washing the hair.
2. Applying conditioner to my entire head
3. I then put my hair into 21 braids
4. I took it down the next morning using my shea butter/EVOO mixture to seal the ends.
5. I did not really seperate the hair for a fuller look because it was not dry. It eventually air dryed to this full look.

Advice From Fellow Naturals

First off, I apologize for my hiatus. But, I am now back in the game.

So, the natural community is so warm and welcoming. Since I have been natural, I have met other naturals and we would share and discuss what works for us and what doesn't. Even on this blog, many of you offer me great advice that has helped me in my natural journey (YouTube subscribers also helps with this). Also, it doesn't hurt having 2 natural sisters (My other sister went back to the relaxer) to give me great advice and keep me up-to-date. So, I begin to think about the vast advice I have been given and what has worked for me and what hasn't. They are below...

1. "Walking around the house while shaking your head at random moments will allow for you hair to fully air dry." I remember I received this advice from one of my followers and I also heard MsVaughn of YouTube say she did this. But, this just does not work for me! I tried it again this past Sunday. I walked around the house starting at 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm---doing various chores and what not. And the next morning my hair was still wet. So, my braid-out turned into a textured afro but, I still liked it.

2. "Blow dry on cold air." This is the advice given from many naturals on YouTube. This is to avoid heat damage, which I can understand. I have tried to blow dry on cold air twice and I didn't like it. I felt like I was getting no where so, I just decided to stick to the air drying. You know I ain't putting that dryer on anything higher than cold (I avoid all types of heat). The blow dryer is now used to hurry along the drying of any handwashed clothing:-)

3. "Oil rinsing will help your hair." My sister, Auset, gave me this advice and it is one of the best things I've ever done for my hair! I use a 50:50 mixture of castor oil and EVOO each time I wash. I leave it in for about 2-3 minutes--making sure to dip my hair ends in the mixture--and then wash it out. (I will then continue to co-wash, deep condition, etc.) The sheen my hair has after this is out of this world! And I love that some of that oil stays on my hair so, I don't have to worry about oiling my hair after I wash it:-)

4. "Detangle on dry/damp hair." This method is the truth! I have experienced a significant decrease in shed hair, washing now goes by in a breeze, and it doesn't take forever to detangle. I think I've said it all!

I am pretty open to taking advice from other naturals. As long as it doesn't entail heat, blowing out, etc. But, as you can see some things may works for some but, it may not work for me. And I am sure that some of the things that I practice may not work for others. However, I still love the advice nonetheless. So, keep it coming!

I actually have received so much more advice than this but, I think I will save it for another post...