I'm BACK!!!!!

GREETINGS!!! It has been 7 months since my last post. However, recently a number of my friends have started the natural journey, so I feel compelled to get back on the wagon (so to speak).

The last time I posted was immediately following my "big chop." Since then I have been experimenting with a number of styles (see photos below) and even had my hair twisted once (sorry, I don't have any photos of that).

It has been almost a year since I have done any kind of chemical processing to my hair. Next month I plan to begin my locking journey (stay tuned). In the meantime, I will try to post some links from sites and YouTube videos that have helped me with styles. I will also post personal reivews of some products that I have used along this journey. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. God bless!!

The point of no return....

Hello, good people!! I had to share this update with you all. Since my transitional journey officially began in March, I have been very excited and motivated by all of the well wishes, compliments, advice and support that I have received. I have read other blogs where people talk about how some days they had to really struggle not forsake the journey, lol. I never really experienced one of those days, until yesterday.

So, I have been gradually "trimming" my hair. I do it almost daily; mostly clipping split ends and things of that nature. About once every 2-3 weeks, I will cut up to an inch. Well, yesterday, I was trimming, and I was in one of those moods to trim a lot. I trimmed before and after I washed my hair (I know, complete craziness lol).

While my hair was wet, and immediately after I finished trimming, I looked at all of the hair on the counter. I looked at my hair in the mirror, back and front. The front has always been longer than the back, so sometimes when I just look at the front I am completely fooled as to how much of my hair I have cut. Well, when I got around to the back I was speechless. I have almost completely cut off the perm in the back, and I am flirting with a low afro in the back.

(As you can see from the styles I wear, they all consist of tight curls so you can't tell that my hair has all these varying lengths.)

When I realized how short my hair was, I almost panicked. I thought to myself,

"what have I done?! This is it!! I am ALL IN...no turning
back."

Okay, so after about 30 seconds of mental hysteria, I calmed down and remembered my goal and why I had chosen to go natural. Today, I am excited to see how far I've come along this journey in such a short time. If everything goes well, I will reach my goal of beginning the locking process in December/January.

I have found a second style that I've been experimenting with. The straw curls were becoming a little time consuming, and I just wanted to try something different. I've been bantu knotting out my hair. I'm still experimenting with it until I get it just right. (I keep getting these deep parts in my hair when I take them out, so I'm trying to figure out how to work through this lol.) I will post pictures of it soon.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who has been supportive, whether it was through words of encouragement or advice. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Gone for a minute...now I'm back!!!

Well, it's been a while since I've updated and A LOT has been going on so here goes....

I tried some new things in the past month (or so) including new styles, products and "recipes."

1. I did a "Faux-Frohawk" with a hump in the front

2. Then, there was the "difficult hair day" also know as a "bad hair day" lol. I attempted a braid out but things went left. I ended up having to cut 1-2 inches of my hair to even things out.




















3. I purchased some products from the Cantu Shea Butter line and so far I love them. All of their products have a wonderful scent and leave my hair feeling soft and moisturized. I use:

- Moisturizing Cream Shampoo (1-2 per month)
- After Shampoo Rinse Out Conditioner (1-2 per week)
- Moisturizing Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream (1-2 per week)
- Super Shine Hair Silk (daily)





4. I also took a trip to my local organic supermarket (Mother Earth) and bought a few things:
- Dr. Wood's Peppermint Castile Soap with Organic Shea Butter (used daily on face and body; 1-2 per week on hair) I loved it so much, I went through the bottle with a quickness lol. So, when I went to the store to purchase more I decided to try a different brand (it was on sale lol)...
- Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. While the peppermint essence is significantly stronger in this soap, there is no shea butter. So far I like it though.
- Almond oil and peppermint oil mixed with some tea tree oil (with Vitamin E) that I got from my local beauty supply store. I use this mixture for my scalp...it feels great! (I also use the almond oil as a face moisturizer.)





5. I started using a mixture of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 warm water on my scalp before I shampoo and/or condition to lift the dry, dead skin. It has been working so far and my scalp is looking a lot better. I do this every 1-2 weeks. So far I have found that the straw curls have been the best style for me. (I especially like it when the curls loosen up.) I have gotten a lot of compliments with this style, and I've even straw set a few of my sorority sisters' hair. I've gotten compliments from women and men (which is the toughest crowd to please lol). I do see myself getting bored with the style soon, though. And, I have been thinking about doing the BC (big chop) a lot lately. I'm debating between the end of August or waiting until the end of October. I'm going to consult a loctitian because as soon as I do the chop I want to start locking up lol.

YouTube is the BEST!

So, I have been heavily dependent the wealth of information that can be found on YouTube for transitioning hair and natural hair. I will try to share as many helpful videos as I can. The first one is a straw set tutorial....enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX1ibfQyvfo

My First Straw Curls!!

So, I took out my straws yesterday, and I was quite pleased. For my first try I think it came out pretty well. I even added some new accessories to my look. I walked past a mirror today and didn't even recognize myself lol. I love my new look :-)

My first straw set

And so it begins...

Today is the day that I officially embark on my journey to transition from relaxed to natural hair!! I feel so many different emotions right now--happy, excited, determined, stronger....and so much more.

My brief hair history
When I was young, I had beautiful thick hair. I wore the typical ponytails, plats, braids/beads, with the occasional press and curl. My mother decided to perm my hair at a young age, I believe I was only 8 or 9. From there it was a rollercoaster ride--I had wraps, short cuts, a Jheri curl (ugghh!), braids and, my latest trend, sew in weaves.

I attempted to go natural my freshman year in college (2004), however I lacked one thing = PATIENCE. Not only did I have no clue as to how to care for my natural hair (or transitioning hair at that point), but I had no patience in trying to figure the situation out.

Why I'm going natural
In a nutshell..... I'M SICK OF THE CHEMICALS AND WEAVES!!! It has taken me more than a decade to figure this out, but I now realize that my hair was not meant for these chemicals. I remember my younger days when my hair was natural, thick and BEAUTIFUL! Over the years (and the many different processes) my hair has been left damaged and weak. I want to start fresh, and learn to love my natural hair.

The purpose of this blog
This blog is multi-purpose :-)

1. Chronicle my journey transitioning to natural hair and eventually growing locks.
2. Provide a forum of support for other people looking to embark on the natural hair journey.
3. GET HELP from those of you who are farther along on the journey.

Whether you are natural, thinking about going natural or just a casual spectator I welcome you! Thank you for taking interest in my journey and please share your thoughts along the way. Be Blessed!!!