Natacha's Journey...

Like me on FB

2011-05-04T14:41:00.002-04:00

I've decided that a better way of keeping in touch with all of you was to create a Facebook page for myself!

Feel free to join and post any of your updates or questions for me there so we can all share! See you on FB ladies ;-D

I'm going to add this like link to my FB page on the right hand column of my blog for future use!!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Style of the Month: Cassie Inspiration

2011-05-03T10:34:00.002-04:00

I know this look isn't for me, but I think it's really funky and hot on others! I liked this edgy cut on Cassie and when I saw a pic of someone who tried it with long locks, I truly feel in love and had to share the look!! I venture to say it looks even HOTTER on locks!!! lol

What do you think?!?

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

The Beauty Within...

2011-04-27T07:39:00.001-04:00

I'm absolutely LOVING this song!!

The count down begins...

2011-03-08T10:12:00.002-05:00

I've decided to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica for my birthday, which falls on Memorial Day weekend (as always)!!!

I CANNOT wait!!!

Nubian Kinks Locing Pomade

2011-02-23T10:07:00.004-05:00

I've watched plenty of the Nubian Kinks styling videos on Youtube, but was never really tempted to purchase their products until recently. I typically make my own concoction for twisting my locks, but I found that I need a bit more hold than that provides now since my locks are getting longer, so I ordered their Locing Pomade. It is on a slight back order, so be warned in advance. It took about a week and a half to arrive, but I wasn't pressed to get it, so I wasn't put out by the wait. It's also very affordable, I got the 8 oz jar for $15. That jar will probably last me a while since a little goes a long way with this product!

I just washed and styled my hair last night so I decided to use the Nubian Kinks locing pomade. Due to it's creamy and light color appearance I wasn't sure it would work in my locks, but it isn't heavy and simply melts into your lock. It doesn't contain any mineral oils, beeswax, or petroleum that typically cause build up or residue on hair. They don't lie in their advertisements that it provides shine and hold. It's absolutely great stuff. It's definitely Haitian_Hunny/Nat approved!!!! I think I'll try their Liquid Hair Vitamin and Hair Oils mixture next!

If you decide to try it, please let me know how it works for you!

Here's a video from their Youtube Channel that shows how to use this product while braiding your locks to achieve the crinkled look:

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Summer Music

2011-02-16T14:55:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've decided that since I've had enough of the cold weather, I'm just going to start playing and posting what I consider warm weather music in hopes that it will encourage the weather to warm up!! Are you guys with me?!?

Ok, here goes!! Get your warm weather dance on folks, I am!!!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Style of the Month: Bantu Knot Mohawk

2011-02-08T10:58:00.004-05:00

Here's a great lock style that I came across on a lock group on Facebook. It's a flat twist/bantu knot faux-hawk style. I love it, what do you think? I'm sure it yields great curls when it's taken down as well, which makes it a whole new style, bonus!!!

Here are some additional shots from the back and the other side:

Gorgeous style, no?

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Lociversary Pix!

2011-01-19T09:19:00.003-05:00

So my gifted photographer Vicki took some shots of me on MLK's holiday to celebrate my locks 5 year anniversary. I had my locks styled in bantu knots a couple weeks ago and these curls are the result of the bantus. They are the best way to get perfect spiral curls and the bonus is the bantu knots can be worn as a cute style as well. So it's like having two hair-dos in one!!

I've posted the update photos on My Fotki Photo Journal, feel free to check all of them out! Enjoy...

Thanks for all the support and great comments over the years ladies! I still look forward to seeing where this journey leads and every year it gets better and better!

Photos: www.photosbyvicki.com

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Hunk of the Month: Ryan Gentles

2011-01-10T09:48:00.007-05:00

This sexy brother is an actor, model, personal trainer, and our locked HUNK of the month. He is just gorgeous and he rocks those locks with stylo and moxy!! Check Ryan's website out!

I'm loving it, how about you ladies?!?

UPDATE: I saw this Jennifer Hudson video this morning and realized that Ryan played the role of her love interest (even though he was semi-stalking her.. lol), so I thought I'd add the video for your viewing pleasure!!

Enjoy:

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

2011-01-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

My 5yr Lociversary!!

2010-12-29T08:08:00.001-05:00

Wow ladies... I can't believe that it's already been 5yrs since I started my locks. They have only brought positivity into my life and I'm so happy I decided to take this journey years ago. I am still enjoying my journey and still look forward to what's to come along this path!

Thanks so much for your continued support and stay beautiful!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

2011 is coming...

2010-12-28T08:15:00.000-05:00

Locked Style of the Month: Janelle Monae'esque

2010-12-06T14:09:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've seen a lot of fellow locked folks attempting to recreate the Nappy 'Pompadour' look that Janelle Monae has made so popular of late. None I've seen look as good as the sister pictured above, don't you agree?

Who is her stylist/loctician you ask... Thierry Baptiste!! He is one of my ULTIMATE favorite stylists and lock colorist! I definitely plan on treating myself to having his hands in my locks one of these days, it's on my bucket list (lol).

For those of you who don't know who Janelle Monae looks like, here's a photo. Isn't the locked version SASSY/FUNKY?!?

Tell me what you think readers....

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Comparison time again...

2010-11-22T10:24:00.002-05:00

So here's a quick comparison of my locks from last year to this year. You can definitely see a difference in length and the color is so different as well.

More photos to come soon!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Beauty of the Month

2010-11-04T09:47:00.005-04:00

I'm not going to lie and say I remember who this is, but I found these pix of this sister in my collection of locked beauty photos and I love her stylo so I thought I'd chose her for the locked beauty of the month.

Going forward, I'm going to take a spin on this theme and not only post locked beauties of the month, but alternate with locked style of the month. I'll post a photo of a sister or brother rocking a bangin' locked style. I know you guys will love it!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Beauty of the Month: Luna Angel

2010-10-07T15:57:00.006-04:00

The locked beauty of the month is Luna Angel. Luna is a singer and she models her mother's clothing designs. She's based in LA and is working on her sophomore album release. Luna comes from a longtime musical family. She wrote, produced, arranged, and released her first album in 2005 called 'Move With Me'.

Luna Angel is a beautiful example of natural beauty and more importantly, locked beauty!

Autumn in New England!

2010-10-07T15:40:00.009-04:00

I went to New England this past weekend to visit family and had a blast. Autumn in New Hampshire is a beautiful thing! I went apple picking with my second cousins and then we went through an 8 acre corn maze. It took us an hour to find the end, but we did it (lol) and I got my exercise for the week in that hour. I'm posting a few photos for you to enjoy. Just click on the photo to enlarge the view!

Enjoy the photos..
Nat

Sweet Almond Oil

2010-09-16T09:09:00.005-04:00

I recently purchased some Almond Oil for my skin and hair. It's a natural moisturizer and is often used for aromatherapy and massage. Here's some more information about almond oil...

Almond oil has become one of the most popular vegetable oils due to its many uses. However, there are two types of almond oil: sweet and bitter almond oil. Bitter almond oil is extracted from the bitter almond plant, and can actually be quite harmful so consumption is not recommended. Sweet almond oil on the other hand has some wonderful applications and has become more and more popular in the beauty industry. Extracted from the sweet almond seed, almond oil can do wonders for our skin, health and even our hair.

Skin Emollient:
Almond oil is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and E, and as a result is great for the skin. Almond oil acts to balance the moisture in our skin and helps to nourish the skin. It is easily absorbed and is most effective for combating dry and irritated skin. Also, almond oil has a fine texture, so as a result it will not leave your skin feeling greasy or block your pores. As a result of its moisturizing qualities, it is now being used in many soaps and moisturizers. It’s great for the complexion and can even help with the removal of dark circles under your eyes.

Healthy Hair:
Almond oil’s properties even extend to having benefits for our hair. Massaging a few drops of almond oil into your scalp adds a healthy glow to your hair. Also, it helps make your hair stronger, thicker, and adds shine as well as nourishing and smoothing hair cuticles. Almond oil has also been known to facilitate hair growth.

I've already used the oil on my locks and it feels and smells great. I can't wait to see the benefits in the long run. I'll be adding it to my skin care regimen as well! I hope this information is helpful/useful to you. Let me know if you start using almond oil and how it works for you.

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Hair Steamer Review Pt II

2010-09-15T09:11:00.002-04:00

So I've washed my hair twice since I got my steamer at full working status and I must say that it's made a big difference for my babies!!! My locks have always been very healthy, but now they're extremely moisturized and oh so soft!!

I've colored my locks twice in the past couple weeks. First, I colored the lower half of my locks black. Then, I colored the other half of my locks black to the root. Both times I used the steamer. I sat under the steamer for approximately 15mins with the deep conditioner in my hair and then after rinsing the conditioner, I sat under the steamer for an additional 20mins after applying my oils.

With the summer heat in this area, my babies needed that moisture. Having done both the color and steam treatments, my locks have a great sheen about them. I venture to say that my babies have never looked this good before. I think I've found a new way to keep my babies looking and feeling their best!

I'll be posting pix of my newly fully black and shiny locks very soon!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Updated pic...

2010-09-13T09:35:00.002-04:00

Hi guys, I know I promised that I would post more photos from my recent shoot, but I have to admit that I don't like the way most of them turned out. I was outside and sweating in the sun, so it's just not a good look. I've posted the few shots that I actually liked in my Fotki album, so feel free to check them out.

I've posted my favorite shot of the day above, hope you like it!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

8 Mile

2010-09-08T23:06:00.001-04:00

The subject of this blog entry is a pun... I'm in the city of 8 Mile, Detroit Michigan. I just posted a quick sharing vid on youtube, so I thought I'd post it here too!

Check it out guys:

Black locks!

2010-09-06T19:26:00.003-04:00

My girlfriend and my photog, Vicki, took some update photos of me today. I'll post more when they're available, but here's a sneak peak. You can definitely see how rich and black my locks look with this new color. I think I'm going to do this color from the root because I think it will look very dramatic and compliment my skin tone.

What do you think?

Nat

Hair Steamer & Dreadz-n-Headz Review:

2010-09-05T20:10:00.004-04:00

So, I just washed my hair this weekend and finally had a chance to use my steamer afterward. First let me tell you about my color dilemma.... I had honey colored highlights in my hair from years before I began locking. It just so happened that when my locks condensed and matured, all the color was concentrated in the tips of my locks, so they naturally looked like brown tips. I wanted to have burgundy tips for the longest time so a few years ago, after much apprehension, I dyed my tips burgundy. Nothing too dramatic and since it was a rinse, over time, it faded back to a honey color. I didn't bother to color it again.

I didn't feel the itch to color my hair again until this year. I finally decided to make an appointment at a local hair salon named Dreadz-n-Headz because I'd met the owner, Malaika Tamu-Cooper, at a natural hair show years ago and was impressed by her professionalism and the dos that her hair stylists were providing at the show. I don't know anything about coloring hair, so I figured that I needed to go to a professional to color my locks. Bad idea, at least for this salon.

To make a long story short, it was THE worst salon experience I've ever had. I was overcharged, it took all day (I was in the salon for over 6hrs), my hair color was on more than the tips of my locks and they were varied colors of burgundy (light & dark orange as well), the stylist ruined the shirt I was wearing by getting bleach and color on it, and my hair was never conditioned afterward. I could go on and on about how upset I was with this experience. I had befriended Malaika on FB when I joined a couple years ago, so I thought I would just write her a letter via email detailing the unprofessional and unacceptable experience I had at her shop. This woman NEVER responded to my email!! Like she just couldn't be bothered. I was and am still appalled. She then proceeded to remove me from her friend list. I've since spoken to a few people that were unhappy with their experience at the shop, so I'm not alone and although I don't normally say things like this, I hope her business fails because this isn't how a serious/good business person approaches customer service & complaints in general.

Needless to say, I've been trying to repair the damage done ever since the end of June when I went to the shop. I've colored my tips a true burgundy via henna and Adore (a popular hair color brand). Nothing worked because after just a couple washes, my tips would turn a dull brown again and now that the color was covering much more than just the tips of my locks (3"-6" at the end of my locks), I wasn't at all happy with the results.

I promised myself that if the last attempt to color my tips didn't work, I would simply dye them black and be done with it, so that's what I did. I decided to just put my locks in a pony tail and color the entire pony. I used L'Oreal Feria 21 bright black and I have to say I'm in love. I don't know why I hadn't colored my locks black before.

I sat under my hair steamer for approximately 20mins after applying the conditioning treatment that came with the coloring kit. And I again sat under the steamer after rinsing the conditioning treatment out of my locks. I first moisturized my hair with extra-virgin olive oil, Oyin handmade burnt sugar pomade for my scalp area, and some Nexxus leave in conditioner. My locks feel so soft and moisturized. The color is so rich and my locks have an amazing shine which I'm sure I can attribute to both the steamer and the color. I have a lock update photo shoot scheduled this week so I'll post those photos when they're available and you'll see how gorgeous the results are!

I also did a steam treatment for my face again after doing my hair and my skin feels great. I think this steamer was an amazing investment and I'm already profiting from the benefits!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Bun Pic

2010-09-03T09:12:00.003-04:00

I found a pic I took of myself in Charlotte, NC while on travel for work. There's just something about a bun that I love so much. I find that since I have very chunky ends to my locks that it usually presents a problem in trying to form buns because it's not at all easy for me to tuck my ends in and hide them (lol). Hopefully as my locks get longer, this will become easier for me and I can do my buns more often!

It's a cute pic, so I thought I'd post and share it!

"Human Touch" by Kem

2010-09-03T08:30:00.005-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Kem and I'm so excited that he has a new album out called Intimacy. The link will take you to Amazon where you can listen to a snippet of all of the songs on the album. Kem has a very laid back, jazzy feel about his voice and music. I think his voice is very reminiscent of Al Jarreau in my opinion, but with an updated sound of course.

I'm absolutely LOVING this song called "Human Touch". This link will take you to a vid to hear the entire song. Check it out and tell me what you think....

Locked Beauty of the Month: Lenise Safi'Yah Smith

2010-09-01T11:11:00.002-04:00

Lenise Smith is a model, poet, and actor. She rocks her gorgeous locks with style and flair. I found this gorgeous locked woman via Facebook thru a mutual locked friend. I haven't seen a bad photo of this locked beauty.

Lint.... The New Frontier!!!

2010-08-31T09:51:00.002-04:00

Ok, I have a confession to make... In the beginning years of my locking journey, I read a lot about folks needing to find ways to get lint out of their locks on forums and elsewhere. I was confused since I never had any issues with lint in my locks and assumed that would always be the case. Little did I know...

Now that my locks have some true length to them, I've had my first encounters with lint in the past few weeks and I'm not at all pleased (lol). I can now empathize with all those that went before me in the process and have been dealing with this issue for some time.

I guess I'll just have to wear my hair up when I want to wear certain fabrics, especially in the winter months when I love to sport soft and fluffy sweaters that would most likely wreak pure havoc on my babies (lol).

I am open to suggestions and guidance on how to avoid lint, so if anyone has any, please share!! smile

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Good news....

2010-08-30T11:15:00.005-04:00

There was a part missing on my steamer and all has been resolved, so I plan to wash my hair ASAP so I can enjoy the great benefits for my locks!!!

I have already done a steam treatment for my face and it was heavenly!! My skin looked and felt better immediately afterward! I'm so happy I can now make this a part of my regular facial treatment routine!!

I'll be sure to post my review next time I wash my hair!!!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Womp, womp, womp......

2010-08-23T10:51:00.003-04:00

Ok, I have to post a big sad face because I washed my hair this past weekend and I was so incredibly excited to use my new hair steamer and it was a total bust since it didn't work :-(

For some reason, although the unit had no problems producing steam, it never made it into the hood. Everything was assembled correctly and securely, so I'm assuming I got a lemon. I will be exchanging this unit for another in hopes that the next one will work as designed!!!!

I have to admit that I rigged it in a way that it would work to some extent, so my babies did get some of the benefit, but there was a point where I just gave up, so I'll still provide a review once I actually use it as it's meant to work and be used ;-)

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Still loving my journey....

2010-08-19T21:56:00.004-04:00

I took a few photos of myself the other day and thought I'd post one of them. I'm four and a half years into this journey and I am still completely in love.

I'm still look forward to what's to come...

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Locked Beauty of the Month: Nerissa Irving

2010-08-11T12:31:00.005-04:00

So, since I'm back to blogging, I NEED to reinstate my most popular series of entries for the locked beauty of the month. This month, it's rasta and dread model Nerissa Irving. Click on her name to be redirected to her site.

Nerissa is an actress, writer, trained violinist, and model. She goes by the handle 'Imperial Goddess', which is rather fitting when you look at this locked beauty. Nerissa and her family relocated to America from Jamaica when she was just a child. She attended her first model search at the age of 7.

Even at a young age, you can see that Nerissa's locks help to define her beauty and still do. I have had an opportunity to get to know Nerissa via Facebook and I can honestly say that her personality is just as beautiful as her outer beauty. Her career is taking off these days and she deserves all the success that's coming her way since she is a very sweet and grounded person.

I have to admit that Nerissa is my biggest lock inspiration these days. Sad to say that a lot of the locked idols I had when I started my journey have since cut off their gorgeous locks, so I've had to resort to finding new inspirations. Nerissa is a lock idol to a lot of people and she's turning the model world on it's head since they have yet to fully embrace a locked beauty under super model status. Perhaps Nerissa will be the first.

I have a fabulous collection of photos of Nerissa in my Fotki photo journal under locks I admire. Feel free to check it out!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Photo Comparison time...

2010-08-11T12:15:00.002-04:00

Ok, I've been remiss, but here's the newest comparison pic that I've done. You can really see a difference in these photos of my progression. What a difference two years makes.

It's amazing how photos help you to see where you are and where you've come from. If you haven't started chronicling your hair journey in a photo journal, I would strongly suggest starting one!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

I'm getting a new toy!

2010-08-11T08:49:00.013-04:00

A Hair Steamer

Yup, I'm getting a hair steamer for my locks! Prior to a couple weeks ago, I didn't even know that hair steamers existed. Well, thanks to my new youtube obsession (lol), I came across a vid about using a hair steamer. The person that used it raved about how soft their hair turned out and how well moisturized it was after the treatment. So I thought it would be amazing for my locks as well. Especially for hot oil treatments and the like.

I did some research and here are the benefits of steam treatments for the hair:
- Better Circulation in Scalp leading to better hair growth
- Cleanses Scalp, removing dirt and dead skin
- Brings moisture to your Roots and hair shaft
- Leaves your hair soft and smooth
- Great for Dandruff Sufferers
- Stops Dryness and hair Breakage
- Makes hair stronger and healthier
- Improves Hair Color Treatments

Hair steamers are more widely used for deep hair treatments such as scalp cleansing, protein moisturizing, color treatments, and many other treatments.

The reason why hair steamers are so great for hair treatments is that it will improve circulation with the steam and the heat will then open up your hair follicles and hair shaft cuticles which allows moisture as well as your hair treatment product (like oils for hot oil treatments) to enter the hair shaft.

The steamer is then set on a cooler setting towards the end of the hair treatment and this then closes the cuticles and hair shaft and locks in all that deep hair treatment product giving your hair long lasting benefits as well as using natural H2O to bring moisture to your hair and scalp.

I've learned the best moisturizer for natural hair is water, so this hair steamer should make a huge difference in the health of my already healthy locks and scalp! This can only make it better and even healthier!! I just received it, but have yet to wash my hair again, so as soon as I put it to use, I'll let you know the results!

If you're just starting your locks and dealing with flaking and itching, a steam treatment would do wonders for you since it brings moisture to the roots and scalp and is great for dandruff sufferers. Keep in mind that ACV rinses will help tremendously with this issue as well since it's a natural anti-bacterial and also cleanses the scalp.

By the way, the steamers aren't cheap. I paid $118 for mine and I found it on ebay. If you purchase yours via ebay, I would caution you to make sure you know what the shipping cost is prior to placing your order. Some of the hair steamers seem cheap and then they tag on a $30+ shipping fee that trumps the value.

I just found another site for a good hood steamer similar to the one I purchased called the Heutiful Hair Steamer. They run $114.95 and the facial steamer attachment is an additional $9.95. Here's a video review of this steamer from a natural youtuber:

I specifically wanted a model that was like a hood dryer and could be stored in a closet easily. Most of the hair steamers I saw were stand alone models and they weren't practical for me. One of the nice things about the model I got, pictured above, is that it has an attachment that can be used to convert it from a hair steamer into a steamer for facial treatments, which is an added bonus. I plan to use it for both!

I realize we're in a recession and a lot of people don't have $100+ to invest in a hair steamer, so you can always do an alternative. Take a regular bath towel, wet it and fold it. Place the wet towel in your microwave until it's hot and place on your wet hair (with oil treatment on your locks). Wrap the towel with either plastic wrap or a plastic bag to lock in the moisture. You will need to keep your locks wrapped for 20 - 30 minutes. This will give you a steam treatment. You will need to put some cooler water on your hair and scalp after this treatment to close the cuticles and hair shaft to lock in the moisture. I would suggest a spritz bottle with cool water and for an added bonus, include a few drops of essential oils like Peppermint, Lavender, Tea Tree, etc.

I hope this information is helpful and please let me know how it works for you!

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

I'm baaaaack....

2010-08-09T13:14:00.005-04:00

I know, I know... I've been away for far too long. So I thought since I was updating my Youtube subscribers, I'd go ahead and update my blog readers as well.

Inspirations and blessings as always,
Nat

Charlotte, NC

2010-07-30T13:15:00.003-04:00

So I went on travel to Charlotte for work and was taken by this statue that was right outside of the office I was visiting, so I snapped a photo of it and of myself to share with you all!

Maxwell ROCKS!!

2009-10-06T15:56:00.005-04:00

I took my big sister to see Maxwell as a birthday present to her. We had a blast. He performed at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. on Friday, October 2nd. Opening acts were Chrisette Michelle (who I like, but am not impressed with live) and Common. Common is a VISION of sexiness in person and he is an amazing performer. He got the crowd hyped. He performed with Bilal, who cut his locks off a few years ago. He sounded great as well.

I've seen Maxwell live before and absolutely feel deeper in love with him than before, but after this performance I'm completely enthralled. Even though it was a huge venue and it was sold out, he made it seem very intimate and he engaged the crowd in his performances. He had what was like conversations with us and made us feel like he was very comfortable which endeared him to all of us even more. He was even kind of freaky nasty, but in a good way (wink). All in all, I had wonderful evening and would do it all over again and again!!

Now, let's talk about locks for a moment. I had my hair in a nice thick bun that took only a few moments. It looked sleek and very classy. I followed the tutorial of a sister named Natralfree on youtube. I posted the first photo so you could see how the bun looked, it's not the best shot, but I'll get better photos next time I do a bun. She uses a hair net to achieve both a low and high bun and makes it so simple that I couldn't believe I didn't think of this myself. If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you!

September Lock Updates!

2009-09-22T14:12:00.005-04:00

It's been a while since I've taken pro shots, so I thought it was high time to get some done. They're artistic, fun, and they track my hair's progress!

Photography: www.photosbyvicki.com

Just click on the thumbnail if you'd like to see the full sized photo, enjoy ladies.... If you'd like to see the rest of the photos from this photo shoot, check out my Fotki Album.

Nappy Rock Star...

2009-08-21T08:19:00.003-04:00

I love to see a sister rocking it out with her natural/nappy hair. I love the way Shingai Shoniwa of group The Noisettes rocks her natural hair. They are from the UK, which makes it more surprising that she rocks her hair the way she does because women of African decent don't normally represent like this in the UK. I know I was expecting to see so many natural sisters when I went to the UK a couple years back and was shocked to see so many extensions/weaves/wigs/perms. I say all this to say that it's very refreshing to see a performer in the limelight creating a great example of how a siStar can rock her natural hair with flair and still be funky and sexy.

Check out their new video for the song entitled 'Never Forget You':

The Noisettes - Never Forget You (Official Video) HQ
by wonderful-life1989

Digital Photo Fun...

2009-08-19T09:13:00.004-04:00

So I had some fun with my photos inputting them into some cool backgrounds. This is just a couple of the photos I did, if you'd like to see all the others, feel free to check out my Fotki Album!

Locked Beauty of the Month: Valerie

2009-08-11T09:23:00.005-04:00

So it's been forever since I've chosen a locked beauty of the month. I love thick locks and no one quite rocks them as gracefully and with such style as Valerie. She's a singer and personally, I think she should be a model with all that gorgeous locked hair.

Enjoy the beauty!!!

Comparison shot...

2009-08-05T07:57:00.002-04:00

So, I thought about it and remembered that I had a similar shot from July of last year. I thought it would be great to make a comparison shot to show how much my locks have grown in the past year.

It's always amazing to see comparison shots. What a difference a year makes, no?

Lock Length Update

2009-07-30T16:00:00.002-04:00

I took a photo of the length of my locks the last time I washed my hair and thought I'd post it. It's amazing how much of a growth spurt my hair is going through these days. I've been pulling my hair up most of the time, because it's been so hot and the length is getting to a point that it just makes me hot. I know I'll appreciate it come winter though, so don't take my comment as a complaint!!

More updates to come...

Time with family...

2009-07-27T08:57:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone.. I know it's been some time since I last posted, so I thought I'd throw up a couple of recent photos. My immediate family had an impromptu photo shoot for family photos this weekend and these are some of the snapshots that were taken after the formal photos were done. They turned out to be great hair shots too (smile).

The photo at the top is of me and my sister. The photo below is of me and my niece. Don't ya just love family?

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

I am......

2009-07-17T09:39:00.003-04:00

I have my mother’s nose.
I have my father’s eyes.
I have my mother's lips.
I have my father's ears.
I have my mother’s temperament.
I have my father’s strong desire to be logical.
I have my own style.
I am not afraid.
I am me.
I am many things.

Curls....

2009-06-12T15:45:00.003-04:00

Ok, I know this is late, but I took this photo almost two weeks after I took the bantu knots down and you can clearly see how tight the curls are. It's now almost three weeks since I took them down and they're juuuuust starting to fall a little bit. I now know the best method to curl my locks is by using bantu knots. What could be better, something you can wear as a style, when you take them down, you have wonderful curls and never had to sit under the dryer to achieve the look!!!!

I had my hair pulled back in a headband since I was at Dave-n-Busters and didn't want my hair to get in my way, but when I have it down, it's reminiscent of a Marilyn Monroe look. I'll try to take a photo of that look before washing them out!!

The Michelle Obama hair challenge...

2009-05-31T15:53:00.003-04:00

I came across the following article by Erin Aubry Kaplan and loved it so much that I had to share it. Let me know what you think...

Feb. 3, 2009 | Are we moving toward a "black hair" moment?

It might sound like one of those media-created, racially overwrought questions meant to boost ratings and Internet chatter. But with Obama in the White House and a black family center stage -- not to mention a first lady whose appearance and fashion choices are already being endlessly dissected -- the question suddenly becomes almost reasonable.

Consider: Michelle's hairdresser, Johnny Wright, just signed a development deal for his own beauty reality show. Chris Rock recently went to Sundance to screen his documentary "A Good Hair Day," a look at the enormous but mostly unexamined industry and culture of black hair care. "[Black women's] hair costs more than anything they wear," Rock recently said in a Salon interview. "It's like the No. 2, 3 expense of their whole life." Meanwhile, in a recent discussion on MSNBC, black Princeton prof Melissa Harris-Lacewell agreed with Rachel Maddow that an Obama administration meant white people would be more emboldened to ask black people about previously taboo issues, like how they do their hair (Harris-Lacewell admitted she wasn't looking forward to that). The interest is encouraging to a point. And like all white scrutiny of any aspect of black life, it also feels like voyeurism, to a point. The gray area is just one of many reminders that bridging the racial divide, like black hair itself, is going to be complicated.

But first, let's take a look at Michelle. Her hair represents the highest aspirations and also the limitations of a certain black style. It's always immaculately done, straight and shiny. On Inauguration Day, it complemented her cheekbones; it riffled gracefully in the frigid wind. Nothing wrong there at all. And that's potentially the problem: Nothing's wrong. It's perfect. It's the look Michelle's had since we've known her, and it's already starting to look locked in, like armor (Condoleezza Rice, anyone?). Certainly first ladies have their signature looks, including hair -- Nancy Reagan's coif never moved an inch in eight years, wind or no. But I wonder whether such a young, high-profile black woman who gets her hair straightened or relaxed as a matter of course will occasionally let it be something different: unstraightened, less straightened, or anything that doesn't bounce, lie flat or swing like a pageboy. In other words, a do that suggests her ethnicity rather than softens it.

I know firsthand how complex these choices of style and identity can be: I'm a black woman with curly hair, but it's not curly enough to be considered kinky (aka nappy) and typically black. Yet my blackness dictates perceptions and expectations about my hair; non-black people assume I have a relaxer or a weave and are always curious about what I've had "done." I've had very little in the way of chemical or heat straightening in my life, but I didn't escape black hair rituals altogether: Growing up, I wasn't allowed to wear my hair "natural" or "out" because that was simply too ethnic. To this day I have childhood anxiety about how to wear my hair for special occasions or photo-ops. Do I hot-roller it, pull it back? How do I look my best, or look like myself? Is it even possible to do both? Poised as she is, I would wager Michelle Obama asks herself such questions too.

A hair change shouldn't be a radical notion; every beauty magazine I've ever read trumpets makeovers every month. But black images -- indeed, the very idea of beauty -- are still inherently political, mirrors of our national mood about race and ancient tensions between reality and what we prefer to see. Hair is a particularly good mirror. A reality check: In this alleged new era of racial enlightenment, how would we see Michelle if she switched to braids, twists, curls or dreads, if she looked more like the black person she is? We applaud the sparkling new role models in the White House. But do we expect the Obamas to define a new black mainstream or to hew to an idealized model created by a white mainstream that blacks internalized long ago?

Hair is a very complicated piece of that model, historically speaking, as brutal a demarcation of worthiness as skin color. Hair texture and skin color work in tandem: The darker you are, the harder you have to offset it with "good" hair in order to be considered attractive or acceptable. If Michelle weren't dark-skinned with classic black features, she might not be so wedded to super-straight locks. Of course, this is also about class and station -- most professional black women of a certain pay scale adopt the relaxed look as part of the overall look of success. And then there's convenience. A good friend of mine pointed out that processed hair is often more convenient than unprocessed black hair, which requires quite a bit of maintenance and time. But she also agreed that issues like practicality are virtually impossible to separate from the pressure on black women to have relaxed hair in the first place. Which is why I suspect that even a mild curl on Michelle, à la Oprah's lioness look, would make people nervous. It was no accident that last year's instantly infamous New Yorker cover that depicted the Obamas as White House terrorists featured Michelle with a huge Afro. Barack's turban was a bad joke; Michelle's big hair was a legitimate threat that could materialize at any moment.

One of my favorite inaugural moments was the Rev. Joe Lowery invoking that crude but accurate black folk saying about the hierarchy of skin color: If you're white, you're all right; if you're brown, stick around; if you're black, get back. A parallel saying for hair gradations would be something like: If you're straight, you're great; if you got curl, you got a pearl; if you're nappy, you're unhappy. Lowery was voicing that sentiment in order to bury it, but he was also admitting that it still has great power. Weaves and relaxers have become de rigueur for black women past the age of 13. The unprocessed black woman is assumed to be a vegan, a rebel, a Rasta, a nationalist, an artist, or some combination of the above. And for a black woman to wear her hair "out" -- that is, to wear it in its natural state with minimal moderations -- well, she must be so far out on the fringe that everyday presentation doesn't matter. Most likely she's an entertainer -- Erykah Badu, Diana Ross or Rufus-era Chaka Khan. But in the real world that Michelle Obama represents and that most of us inhabit, there is no black equivalent for the wash-and-wear "out" style that white women wear all the time, and have worn for 30 years. For them, it's become so routine that we now have all sorts of expensive products meant to create untamed, wind-tossed, day-at-the-beach hair. But natural, of course, is a loaded description. You really don't want to see me with beach hair.

While I appreciate Rachel Maddow's singular ability to breach racial etiquette in a thoughtful and good-humored way, I cringe at the thought of once again having to educate white people who have no clue. And I don't think they really want to know about intensive black hair rituals that bond black women but can seem downright medieval to anybody else -- hot combs, chemicals, wearing scarves to bed. It's absurd and not a little maddening to think of all this as being a "moment" for whites, when it's so much ancient history for us.

The way out of this tangle is, I believe, Sasha and Malia Obama. Throughout the campaign and the inaugural, they were regularly pressed and straightened for the public -- "Sunday hair," we used to call it. And like their mom, they look wonderful. Adorable. But the public also sees that in the girls' everyday lives, they literally let their hair down with braids and cornrows and puffs and whatever else black girls wear. Now that they're no longer groomed for the Corn Belt voters on the campaign trail, I see the Obama girls casually affirming the black mainstream in a way perhaps their parents can't yet. It helps that they are wildly popular now amongst pre-teen girls of all colors; there are even Sasha and Malia dolls on the market, though they don't resemble the girls much, from the hair on down. But a recent cover in the family section of the Los Angeles Sentinel, my hometown black paper, spoke volumes. One photo was Sasha and Malia dolled up for the inaugural in their Sunday hair, and the photo below it showed them at a more relaxed event -- a fourth of July outing -- sitting on picnic benches in summer clothes. Malia wore cornrows, Sasha a voluminous, unmoderated ponytail. An American flag sits in full view on the table behind them. That's a modest vision of the future and of equal opportunity, perhaps, but one too rarely seen. Long after the glitz of the inaugural and the president's first 30 days in office has faded into the mundane, they'll be the show to watch.

Happy Personal New Year to Me!!! lol

2009-05-26T19:55:00.006-04:00

Also known as my birthday!! I view a birthday as someone's personal new year, since it is your official year mark in your life, right? I've turned the ripe age of 36 today and I feel great. I'm in my prime and feeling all the possibilities that life has to offer. I can say that I've learned a lot in this past year about myself and others. I've relished every lesson I've been blessed to learn.

My sister sent this Apache blessing via email this morning and I thought I'd share it since it's so beautiful... (brought tears to my eyes)

May the sun bring you new energy by day.
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries.
May the breeze blow new strength into your being.
May you walk gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life.

So, I even tried a new hair style to commemorate my new year, bantu knots. I've only tried them once before while my locks were still maturing and it didn't turn out well. I ended up looking like a runaway slave and as you can imagine, it just wasn't a good look. I think I took them down while driving home from the salon.. lol

Needless to say, they turned out a whole lot better this time around (smile)!

Tell me what you think...

I'm baaaaack....

2009-05-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

Ok ladies, I know I've been away and haven't even come back to say hello in some time. I've been very busy with work, they've had me traveling a lot and when I get home, I have so much to catch up on that I never get around to updating my blog. Well, I'm here to remedy that now. I have to thank you guys for your comments on the Locked Hunk of the month, you guys had me cracking up!

I actually took some updated photos in April and I thought I'd post a few here and say hello to everyone. Here they are and if you're interested in viewing all of them, just check out my updated fotki album.

Maxwell - Pretty Wings

2009-05-02T14:36:00.003-04:00

I've been waiting ever so long for Maxwell to finally release this new album. It's had some delays and I've been checking his Myspace page to see his updates. Well, he's made a new video for a song from the new album.

The song is called "Pretty Wings" and here's the video. Even though he's cut his hair, he's still as yummy as ever. He's half Haitian too, so that doesn't hurt one bit!!

Let me know what you think, ok!

February Locked Hunk of the Month: Ulyses

2009-02-01T18:15:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I've been hella busy and haven't been updating my blog of late. So, since I'm a couple months off on the locked person of the month, I thought I'd give you ladies a treat and switch things up this month with a locked hunk that is beautiful. Meet Ulyses...

This is a MS friend of mine that is just gorgeous. His body is gorgeous. His face is gorgeous. And most importantly he is representing with a gorgeous head of locks. Is this what Sampson looked like? I wonder....

Enjoy...
Nat

Lock Updates...

2008-11-13T07:22:00.004-05:00

So I took some lock update photos this week and wanted to share a couple of the shots with you. If you'd like to see the rest, just visit my fotki album where I've been chronicling my locking journey since day one!

By the end of December, I will have been locking for 3yrs. It's amazing how they have become more and more beautiful as time has passed. I don't think I ever imagined how wonderful locking my hair would be although I've been excited to see each phase and how it's matured over time. I am totally loving my journey and my locks.

On to year 4!!! YAY

Mama Africa - We loved you Miriam Makeba

2008-11-11T13:18:00.003-05:00

I can't believe she's gone. I was immensely saddened to hear that Miriam Makeba collapsed after a performance in Italy this week and passed away shortly after at the age of 76. She has been an iconic singer from South Africa. Remembering her has always brought back fond memories for me. My father used to play her music when I was a child and as a result, one of my favorite childhood songs was 'The Naughty Little Flea'.

I was lucky enough, after all these years of loving Ms Makeba, to see her live at Trafalgar Square in London last year for Africa Day. She was so beautiful, energetic, and regal. It was pouring rain and so cold, but the crowd flocked together and made our own kind of warmth. She was the sun and we basked in her glory and radiance!

You will be sincerely missed and our love and respect for you will never end Miriam...

Here's a live performance from the 60's of my favorite Miriam Makeba song.. Enjoy:

Wazzzzzz Upppppppppp?

2008-11-07T09:40:00.001-05:00

Change, that's whaz up. Do you guys remember the Wazzzzzzz Upppppppp commercials? Well, if you do, you'll get a kick out of this vid.

Tell me what you think...

Introducing Peanut Wiggins

2008-11-06T18:03:00.001-05:00

As I've said before, David Alan Grier is a dayum fool and this skit shows it on so many levels....

Enjoy

Locked Beauty of the Month: Divinity

2008-11-05T10:49:00.005-05:00

It's that time of the month again guys. I've chosen another Myspace friend who's handle is Divinity, what a fitting name, yes?

I love this photo to the left; the quintessential BLACK POWER pose and ultimately fitting for this time in our country's history. No wonder why I chose her this month and specifically this photo of her!

Divinity rocks her locks with style and power. Of late, she has colored the bottom half of her locks a fierce fire red, which you'll notice in the subsequent photos. I'm not always a fan of red locks, but I must say that Divinity rocks them in a way that would make any natural woman proud and slightly envious. Not just any woman could pull this look off, but she does it with effortless ease!

So for these reasons and more, Divinity is my pick for the locked beauty of the month for November 2008!

Presedential Elect Barack Obama...

2008-11-05T10:21:00.007-05:00

Wow, what a night last night was!!! Over the past year, we've gone from reciting the slogan 'Yes we can', to reciting the slogan 'Yes we will' yesterday, to 'Yes we did' today. I have to admit that coming from a very religious and immigrant family, I was never encouraged to get involved in politics in any way. I've never felt compelled to either, but this year was different. At the age of 35, I registered to vote for the first time in my life and voted for what I felt was right. I wanted to make my voice heard and it was touching to see so many others that were in the same frame of mind as myself. It just felt right on so many levels. America has spoken and our voice has been heard loud and clear worldwide!

I'm reminded of the struggles that my parents had to endure as immigrants coming to a country as adults where not only the land was foreign to them, but the language as well. I'm reminded of how they struggled to provide for my siblings and myself in this, a foreign country for them. I'm also reminded of how I was raised in America, but with the culture and ideals of my parents homeland. I realize how much I have in common with Barack and how my heart swells with pride for him and for America as a whole.

This is indeed a magical time. I have so many blessings happening for me right now and having this happen just sets the stage for change in every respect. I feel blessed to be here to witness and be a part of this momentus time in our country's history. I am taking advantage of this magical time to make resolutions for the coming year since I'm feeling now more than ever that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

Inspirations and blessings to all who read this,
Nat

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King Jr could walk.
Martin Luther King Jr walked so Barack Obama could run.
Barack Obama ran, so our children & grandchildren can fly!!!

Chocolate News

2008-10-17T07:04:00.003-04:00

Have you guys had a chance to watch the new David Alan Grier show called "Chocolate News"? The premise of the show is that it's a serious news reporting show that only reports on stories that relate to or have a chocolate/African American theme. And oh my goodness, David is a freaking fool, I tell ya.

Well, I had a chance to watch an episode last night and this skit made me literally laugh out loud, so I thought I'd share it with you!

Hipe this starts your weekend off on a funny note!

Enjoy...

Locked Beauty of the Month: Ainjoy

2008-10-06T09:47:00.004-04:00

The Locked Beauty of the month for October is my Myspace friend Ainjoy. She's a musician in LA and has done some modeling as well. She was one of my first inspirations while considering locks because of the thickness and beauty of her locks. She's one of the many sisters that made me decide to have the size locks that I do. Mine aren't as thick as hers, but I absolutely LOVE how thick hers are! What do you think?

No doubt, Ainjoy is definitely a representation of the natural beauty of a locked woman!!

My Very First Lock Vlog

2008-09-18T07:59:00.002-04:00

I have a Youtube Channel that up to this point I've primarily been using to post slideshows of how beautiful locks are and can be. Well, I've just started creating vids to add to my channel and this is my first lock vlog installment.

I thought I'd share it with you since you've all been so supportive on my blog, so I thought you might want to see my vlogs as well. As I mention in the video, I'll be posting more in the future and will be using my vlogs as a forum to answer some of the questions I receive both here and on youtube!

Enjoy...

Racism....

2008-09-17T09:32:00.004-04:00

Came across these and found them so hilarious. I've even experienced this at one time or another. Guess you've gotta be a thug when you're black and have locks, right?

Racism in the Elevator:

Racism in the Car:

Tell me what you think...
Nat

Locked Beauty of the Month: Jimetta Rose

2008-09-02T10:45:00.008-04:00

This is another MS friend who's an artist based in LA. I love how she represents natural beauty as well as showing how beautiful us thick sisters can be! I love the thickness of her locks and how she rocks them with such style!

Here's a video she's featured in by a group called The Living Legacy:

Cute updo...

2008-09-02T10:18:00.007-04:00

My hair stylist Wynnel hooked me up with a cute updo.

It's been so hot and my locks are getting long enough that they're just adding to my feeling so hot all the time, so I asked Wynnel to do an updo for me. It's been some time since I've had my locks in an updo and now that my hair is getting longer, I think I'm going to have to do them more often!

I really liked this style and kept it in for a week until it started getting a bit fuzzy and my scalp was crying for some moisturizer in the areas that I couldn't get to with it in the updo.

August Lock Updates:

2008-08-07T08:15:00.012-04:00

So both my girls Vicki (my photog) and Wynnie (my stylist and makeup artist) hooked me up with a nice little photo shoot for my August updates.

My hair is getting longer and I think it's as healthy as ever. I think my locks are thriving with all the moisture they're getting, but you can be the judge of that!

Just click on the photos to see the full sized photo:

And just for fun, here's one of Wynnie and me!
Locked Divas all the way:

Locked Beauty of the Month: Sparlha Swa

2008-08-04T09:17:00.007-04:00

Sparlha is another MS friend of mine, I tell you, I've found so many locked beauties on MS. Anywho, she has a beautiful crown of locks and has a very casual nature about the way she carries them and herself that is just stunning.

Keep doing your thing Sparlha and keep representing the example that being natural and having locks is a beautiful thing!!

Fly Ass Cut Locks Style: Saturn Misst

2008-08-04T08:45:00.008-04:00

This is my Myspace friend named Saturn Misst. I've always loved her locks and the fact that she always rocked them with so much style. I also loved her locks because they were thick and reminded me of mine so much, I looked to her as an inspiration of what was to come with my locks.

As a lot of the ladies that initially inspired me to lock, she too has cut off her locks. She didn't decide to just go with a fro like most though. She kept her flare and managed to keep a few of her locks in the process to jazz up her short cut as well. She kept some locks in the front as a bang and it is surely BANGIN'. She is just so freaking fly. I complimented her on the new do and told her that if/when I cut my locks, I plan to do the exact same style. Maybe it will help to ease me out of the locked hair look when I'm ready. I may need to take some baby steps, ya know (lol).

Anyway, check out her new do and tell me what you think. I think it's absolutely stunning. Of course it doesn't hurt that Saturn is so beautiful to begin with!

Hair care regimen...

2008-08-01T13:38:00.006-04:00

So, I've received some questions about my hair care regimen both on my blog and on my fotki page, so I thought I'd put together an album that addressed the questions.

Just click on the link above to get to the album. Click on the first photo and all the information will be there!

New Artist Find: Jehro

2008-07-31T07:57:00.003-04:00

So, if you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love music and I always share artists that I really love on my blog with others. Well, I've recently fallen in love with a French artist named Jehro.

He's from a musical family and hails from Marseille, France. My father played acoustic classical guitar and because of this, I have always had an affinity to musicians that play the guitar. Jehro plays the guitar and his sound has a very folky, reggaeish, soul about it. I know, that sounds like a strange mix, but it sounds wonderful. I'm a fan of each genre, so his sound is sweet music to my ears.

His self titled album came out in 2006 and I'm just now discovering it. Never too late though! If you're interested in purchasing his album, you can find it on Amazon.

Check him out and tell me what you think:

Here's one of his videos for the song 'Everything':

And here's the song that led me to him called 'Long is the Way':

Hair & Makeup Photo Shoot

2008-07-28T17:24:00.022-04:00

I have a friend that's opening a salon, so we did a photo shoot this weekend. She did the hair and makeup and I took the photos. Here are the results, let me know what you think ladies.

Just click on the photos to see them full sized.

The Meaning of Bra Codes...

2008-07-21T20:02:00.010-04:00

Nappies Rockin' it out!

2008-07-21T19:57:00.003-04:00

I have to give a shout out to my Naptural ladies that attended the July Nappy Gathering this past Saturday.

It was wonderful to meet the newbies and see some old friends. We had a wonderful time with our rock themed night. We started off at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and walked the four blocks to the National Museum of Natural History to watch the 3D feature concert of U2 at the IMAX theatre. It was an awesome show and it was great to be surrounded by awesome naptural women who are so beautiful and down to earth!

Had a great time with you ladies and look forward to future events!

July Lock Update...

2008-07-17T07:28:00.004-04:00

Well, my hair is definitely going thru a growth spurt. I suddenly feel it brushing my upper back and it's strange since it just seems to have started doing that in the past few weeks.

This is my hair right after a wash while it's still wet. My hair regimen is back and forth these days. I'm still washing my hair on a weekly basis. I go back and forth with retwisting these days. Since it's warm outside and I tend to sweat a lot in my scalp, I've been twisting my roots about every other week to keep my hair, or more precisely my roots, from looking a bushy mess (lol).

I'm still diluting both my shampoo and conditioner concoctions with water in a spray bottle to evenly distribute during my washes. I've also made a watered down conditioner solution to use as a leave-in conditioner. With all the heat, it's always good to have a water based moisturizer for your locs. I've always read that our hair needs water most of all, so I'm trying to give my locs what they need to help them along their journey.

On a personal note, I have a lot of things going on in my life at the moment. I'm planting seeds that will be flourishing in the coming year, some of which will be clearly noticeable as time goes on via my blog and some that may not be. I feel like I'm on the verge of bringing forth a lot of light and I'm so excited to see how things will go.

Thanks for the ongoing support and inspiring comments.

Inspirations and blessings,
Nat

Kiss my placenta...

2008-07-14T10:33:00.003-04:00

There's been talk that Erykah Badu is pregnant again and apparently, there was a backlash of negative comments made about the fact that she's having another child out of wedlock. How that matters to or should bother anyone is a mystery to me, but there were judgmental 'fans' making comments on a website. This irritated Erykah, as it should, and she decided to post the following response to all the nay-sayers.

This is absolutely classic and I agree with her 100%!

Check it out:

HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT THE QUEENDOM

…AND MY CHILDREN AND MY INTELLIGENCE.
ive never been so disgusted in all of my life .
there is no other place i used to enjoy more .
i post no where else .
you guys have taken an all time low , tho.

I’LL STATE MY PEACE

i am a great mother and care giver to my 2 children and to this world .
my children are 2 of the kindest and happiest people i have met.
I home schooled them and taught them the ways of good to the best of my ability.
i am their doctor and their nurse .
and even sometimes their mother and their father.

i am an excellent mother and resent all of the negative comments and insults on my character.
I PUT MUCH TIME AND THOUGHT INTO HAVING AND RAISING MY CHILDREN.
IVE HAD THE HONORS OF HAVING 2 HOME BIRTHS AND 2 WONDERFUL PARTNERS BY MY SIDE.

every relationship i have been in was because i loved the person DEARLY and was dedicated to us “exclusively” FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

the fathers of my children are my brothers and friends .
we have a great deal of respect for one another and always will.
WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN TO NO END.
we took our own “vows” and CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THEM.
AND THAT IS WHAT THAT IS .

question?
WHAT IS MARRIAGE ?
WHO IS THE JUDGE?
WE ONLY UNDERSTAND THE EXAMPLES WE ARE GIVEN ( well sort of)

WOULD IT “LOOK BETTER ” TO MARRY AND DIVIORCE AND MARRY AGAIN ?
WOULD THAT BE MORALLY CORRECT ?
WHATS THE DIFFERENCE ? the government’s involvement i guess.
IDEALLY , IT WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO FIND THE MAN OR WOMAN WHO FULFILLS YOUR SPIRIT AND STAY FOR EVER AND EVER ( thru sickness and health till death do us part ) AND HAVE HEALTHY STRONG CHILDREN AS A RESULT OF A HEALTHY AND STRONG UNION.
(this CAN happen … we need much training , however.)

OR

IS IT REALLY “GOOD” TO STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP WHERE BOTH PARTIES ARE UNFULFILLED , LONGING FOR RELIEF , BRINGING one another down as a result of improper training , creating BAD ENERGY AND EXPERIENCES FOR THE CHILD TO REPEAT ?
(not to mention breeding deceit and anger and resentment )
SEEMS TO CREATE FEARFUL CHILDREN WHO TURN INTO FEARFUL ADULTS .

HOW MANY OF YOU GREW UP IN 2 PARENT HOMES THAT WERE MISERABLE AS FUCK ?
OR 2 PARENT HOMES THAT WERE NOT PERFECT BUT WORKED?
HOW MANY GREW UP IN ONE PARENT HOMES WHERE THE MOTHER WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE CARED FOR BUT SHE WASNT QUITE HAPPY?
HOW ABOUT A HOME WHERE THE FATHER WAS THE MAIN CARE GIVER AND DID THE BEST HE COULD -LACKING NURTURE?
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE A SIBLING THAT HAS A DIFFERENT FATHER OR MOTHER?
DOES HE OR SHE MEAN LESS TO YOU?
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 1 MOTHER OR FATHER OF YOUR OWN CHILDren ?
HOW MANY OF YOU HAD /OR / ARE PARENTS RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN ,THAT DONT QUITE FIT ANY OF THESE DESCRIPTIONS?
HOW MANY OF YOU STAY IN UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS FOR FEAR OF GOING TO HELL?
HOW MANY HOS OUT THERE … THAT HAVE KIDS TO GET A PAYDAY?
HOW MANY PEOPLE GETTING THEY ASS KICKED AND ARE FORCED TO SUBMIT CAUSE YO MAMA GOT HER ASS KICKED?
THEN WHAT is CORRECT?

how about this:

I PRAY WITH MY CHILDREN
I FEED THEM GOOD FOOD
THEY RESPECT PEOPLES DIFFERENCES
THEY TRAVEL THE WORLD WITH ME
THE KNOW WHO THEY ARE
THEY ADORE THEIR FATHERS AND ARE LOVED BY 2 PARENTS OR MORE -
OR TWO OR MORE SETS OF LOVING GRANDPARENTS
THEY CRY
THEY GET HURT
THEY GET SICK
THEY HEAL

THEY ARE real

THEY ARE NOT AN IDEA or a TOPIC
AND NEITHER AM I .
I AM ALIVE .
I AM BEAUTIFUL A WOMAN.
I AM A GOOD WOMAN.
I AM GROWING
I AM COMPLETE WITH OR WITHOUT A PARTNER AND WILL ALWAYS BE
AND I HAVE DREAMS OF A FAMILY STRUCTURE
ALL OF MY DREAMS DO NOT COME TRUE
AND DESPITE ALL OF THE PAIN IN MY LIFE …
IN MY MOTHERS LIFE …
IN MY GRANDMOTHERS LIFE
WE HAVE ALWAYS ENDURED
AND THERE IS SO MUCH JOY TO BE EXPERIENCED.
I NEVER HAD A FATHER AND I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE -
BUT MY CHILDREN DO , AND THEY LOVE THEIR ‘PARENTS’ .

WE ARE THEIR CHAMPIONS .

live how you want . follow which ever pattern YOU like .
MY CHILDREN WILL BE LEADERS
and they will not ever be slaves to this society’s failing idea of morality.
THEY OWN THEIR MINDS AND THEIR DREAMS.

BIRTH CONTROL lol … could have 10 babies instead of 2 .

I LOVE CHILDREN AND I WILL HAVE AS MANY AS GOD WILL GIVE ME .

I AM VERY HEALTHY AND RESPONSIBLE AND SO ARE ALL OF MY PARTNERS

I CHOSE THEM WISELY AND SOBERLY .

ALL GOOD BROTHERS .

your opinions lack experience and are not only careless but also very uninformed and immature.

nothing is sacred here . and i see why.

if i loose you as a fan because i want to continue to have children then
F*CK OFF… WHO NEEDS YOU ….CERTAINLY NOT ME … KICK ROCKS … CALL TYRONE … PACK LIGHT …. BITE ME

i have defended myself here ON THIS SITE and hurled a few insults .. but only in response to your insults of
my music , my clothes , my lyrics , my hair , my being a woman , my spirit, my choices of partners….
these have all been on trial here . and i continued to support the energy of this place .

this is to all the okay players / REAL HUMAN BEINGS hiding behind screen names in order to insult one another and who ever else you will.

geeeez…
i had to say something
i am so sad for parents who try , today guys
enough is enuf.

dont judge to quickly , OKAY PLAYER?

i know you are having fun , but what if it were you and your children?
my son is 10 .
my daughter, 4 .

peace

ANALOGUE GIRL

and if this post is not clear
kiss my placenta.

Positivity...

2008-07-07T10:31:00.003-04:00

I need change in my life. I'm sure a lot of you who are reading this can relate to my ongoing revalation. I believe in the theory of The Secret and have been slacking in my practices of late. I had an epiphany and I realize that I've been back peddling and that's why I have returned to some old habits that have been producing ill affects in my life. I have to live for me and make change for myself.

Our thoughts create our reality..... This works in both a positive way and the reverse. Think of the negative thoughts you might have and how they manifest themselves in your life.

The universe has been calling to me and I have not been listening until this weekend. I had a few experiences that brought to light that what I have been thinking, I brought into existence. There were moments of clarity that manifested in several different ways this weekend that started as little whispers and ended in full clarity.

I am recommitting to positive change in my life. I started to see its benefits in my life and got so distracted with stress and other people's issues and problems, that I strayed from my path, but I am not going to allow this to happen any longer. I will create change in my life because I am already visualizing what the other side will look like and it is such a beautiful existence.

The world is conspiring in my favor!

Locked Beauty of the Month: Winniele

2008-07-07T08:47:00.007-04:00

Winniele is another MS friend that I think is just gorgeous. She is rocking the thick locks that I prefer and doing it with such style. I know that everything isn't for everyone, but I've always had a thing for thick locks like hers. I love the fact that just as in our race there are so many varieties of colors and hues and the same holds true with locks.

I have to say that Winniele has inspired me from the start and continues to be an inspiration for me on my bad hair days. As my journey has progressed beyond the early stages of transformation, I must admit that I have had very few of those days and know that even if I do, I can look to these kinds of photos for inspiration that there is beauty on the other side.

Thanks for the inspiration Winniele and showing me and others that locks are indeed beautiful and sensual. You are a natural beauty!

ACV Rinse

2008-07-07T08:04:00.004-04:00

Ever since I'd started doing research on locking my hair, I noticed a lot of information on ACV rinses. When I discovered fotki.com, I remember reading that so many of the ladies that had locks I admired were doing ACV rinses. It's funny how much of a journey life is because I also distinctly remember thinking that I would never put vinegar in my hair, among other things (lol) and now, I'm such the advocate.

I've never been a product junkie, even before locking my hair, so I certainly wouldn't say I've put a lot of junk in my hair since I've been locking. I'm a very simple person and when I find something I like and that works, I stick with it. The easier, the better. This applies to everything in my life. I say all this to say that I was washing my hair a few weeks ago and noticed that I had this gunk in my hair. While towel drying my hair, I noticed a section of my locks that had this gunk that felt and looked like a build up of conditioner. So, I went back in the shower quickly to wash again and used water as hot as I could stand it to help break it down. My efforts were in vain since the gunk was still there.

I was pretty shocked, since I know I don't really use anything in my locks that isn't water solluble, I use a clarifying shampoo and conditioner on a regular, wash my hair weekly, etc. so I was wondering where this gunk was coming from. Thankfully, when my hair dried, it wasn't apparent. I went straight to my trusty research tool (my computer.. lol) and started researching what would resolve this "situation". I couldn't rest knowing I had gunk in my hair (ewwww). Well, that's where I found all this information about the benefits of an ACV rinse. For those of you that don't know the benefits, here's some valuable information:

The outer layer of the hair, the cuticle, covers the hair shaft and protects it like the bark on a tree. The cuticle is made of overlapping layers of long scales that lie along the surface of the hair like shingles on a roof. It is the condition of the cuticle scales that determines whether you are going to have a bad hair day. When the cuticle is in good shape, is unbroken, and lies flat, your hair has a smooth appearance. When the layers of the cuticle are tightly knit together, the light is able to reflect off the cuticle. This is what makes hair shine! The cuticle opens when we shampoo our hair. When the cuticle layers are open and not knit together, the hair will feel rough, coarse and brittle. The hair will absorb the light rather than reflect it, which gives the appearance of dull and lifeless hair.

Vinegar removes scaly build-up and residue from hair shafts and closes the cuticles. Since residue coats the hair causing it to look dull, removing residue gives your hair more shine. By closing the cuticles, the hair slides more easily and there will be fewer tangles. Vinegar has a tonic action that promotes blood circulation in the small capillaries that irrigate the skin.

I've also read some information that emphasizes the fact that ACV rinses cleanse the scalp of dandruff causing bacteria which will help reduce the itchies that many of us locking experience from time to time. Another added benefit is that lice cannot lay eggs on a smooth shaft of hair, so if that's an issue you've ever dealt with (yuk), vinegar comes to the rescue.

Well, I've now incorporated the ACV rinse to my hair washing regimen. I wash my hair every week and do an ACV rinse after shampooing. I have noticed that my locks are shinier and the gunk is GONE!!! That was also because I sat with the ACV rinse on my hair for an hour and went lock by lock and worked the build up out. As with my shampoo and conditioner, I put my ACV rinse concoction in a spray bottle to evenly distribute it throughout my locks from root to tip. I also added some EO to my blend and some fragrant oils as well to keep the smell at bay. I didn't want to walk around smelling like a salad.

I will say that I noticed the smell more while my hair was still wet and it slowly lessened as my hair dried. I have to admit that every now and then, I could smell it during the week, so I just put some fragrant oils directly on my locks. I'm sure I was the only one that noticed the smell, but I'm spastic about my hair smelling good, so I didn't want to chance it.

Have you tried ACV rinses and how did they work for you? I'd love to know...

Nat

Locked Beauty of the Month: La Sonya

2008-06-09T14:46:00.007-04:00

Ok, I've been too busy to get around to posting the June Locked Beauty of the Month, but here she is La Sonya.

Not only do I love her locks, but I LOVE the choice she made to color them in a localized area with such flare. It gives her locks SO much character, not that they needed any help in that area.

I hope to one day build the courage to do this kind of drastic color to my locks. I love it so much, but even when I had loose hair, I was leary of coloring my hair and only did highlights about 3 times total. I've recently colored the tips of my locs burgundy and that was a huge step for me, so hopefully this means I'm growing bolder and will one day go all the way (fingers crossed.. lol).

Anywho, I think La Sonya is gorgeous and represents locs so well. She is beautiful and her locs just take her beauty to a higher level! She's also a very talented singer and performer.

Check her out:

(singing) Happy Birthday to me...

2008-05-26T07:40:00.008-04:00

So, it's my 35th birthday today. I view my birthday as my personal new year, so happy new year to me. When I awoke this morning, I sat and reflected on the past year of my life and wrote in my journal about the good times as well as the not so good times.

It has been a year full of surprises and pitfalls. I have learned yet more about myself in this year and hope to bring myself closer to who it is I know I am on the inside. I want to live in my truth and not allow my inner light to be forsaken for the blind. I have lofty goals for myself in this coming year and I know I will achieve them. I have put forward my intention into the universe. I know that it will come back to me if I do my part!

Thanks for all the great comments and support on my blog ladies. Hope you've all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!!!

Inspirations and continued blessings,
Nat

For those of you that are interested in seeing more lock update photos, feel free to visit my Lock Photo Journal at fotki.

Moving Mountains - Usher

2008-05-23T09:02:00.001-04:00

I just found this video this morning and I really like the vid and the song.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Transformer

2008-05-19T20:29:00.003-04:00

Just had a thought...

Isn't a true woman really just a wonderfully gifted transformer?

This epiphany made me think of one of my favorite songs. The song is Transformer by Gnarles Barkley and this is a performance from the series 'Live at Abbey Road' filmed in London....

Check it out & Enjoy:

The Bday Countdown Begins!!!

2008-05-05T13:12:00.002-04:00

Locked Beauty of the Month: Jeri

2008-05-01T14:00:00.006-04:00

May is here and it's time to select the locked beauty for this, my birthday, month. I've chosen Jeri. She's a beautiful sister that I met online and she and her locks really show what beauty is.

Keep rocking your beautiful locks Jeri and showing everyone what natural beauty is!

Photo Effects

2008-04-06T18:21:00.001-04:00

Add this effect to your own photos

I've always thought these effects on photos was cool, so I thought I'd try it on one of my favorite photos of myself.

What do you think? I like it!

2008 Loc Update

2008-04-06T17:53:00.006-04:00

So, my locs are now 28mths old and they are still flourishing. I've been doing a revised free form lately where I just twist the front locks that are the most bushy and unruly and allowing the rest to do their thing. I've always thought that my locks were a bit flat and didn't have enough body, and this is already helping and it's only been a few weeks.

I have simplified my hair regimen and product use even further. I am now using Avalon Organics Lemon Clarifying Shampoo and Conditioner. What I do to wash my hair is put some shampoo and some peppermint soap in a water bottle and fill it with water to dilute it. I then spritz it throughout my roots and the length of my locks to really get it directly into the lock to take care of any lingering dirt or build up. This really works and is better than attempting to spread the shampoo around with my hands. Then I apply the conditioner only to my locks and not my roots and then rinse it out after about 10mins or so.

I am now using extra virgin olive oil as a moisturizer and for sheen. On a daily I either spritz just water with some drops of peppermint essential oil in it on my hair or use some leave-in conditioner spritz that a sister makes called Healthylocks Daily Conditioning Mist and that's the extent of my regimen.

I'm still loving my locks and especially now that they've entered into a care free phase so it's so much easier for me to care for them! I think you can see how they've thickened in these additional photos. Let me know what you think!

Locked Beauty of the Month: Kumia

2008-04-06T17:41:00.006-04:00

This sister and her locks are just amazing. She's a definite inspiration to me since her locks are SO thick and beautiful. I don't know many people that are sporting such beautiful large locks!

Name Analysis

2008-03-13T17:05:00.002-04:00

So, I find name analysis interesting. Most of the analysis I've read about my name has been pretty accurate. Here are a couple and those of you who know me personally, can tell me if you think this is accurate or not.

Here's my name analysis from the Kabalarians site:

* Although the name Natacha creates the urge to be self-expressive and happy, we emphasize that it causes a scattered and emotional nature.

* This name can hinder happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the liver and bloodstream.

* Although your first name of Natacha has created an expressive, fun-loving nature, it has not produced the qualities necessary for a full and complete life.

* You have always been a happy person, and, desiring to see others happy as well, you strive to inspire others, which you do most effectively through an engaging sense of humour.

* You are fond of surprises and are quick to respond to spontaneous invitations which promise a good time, particularly when they relieve you of a boring task.

* Your dislike for monotony and routine, often means that you do not finish the things you start.

And here's another analysis of my name:

What Natacha Means

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

My Bikram Yoga Experience...

2008-03-10T13:14:00.004-04:00

Ok, as promised, I said I'd write about my experience with Bikram yoga this weekend. So, I joined my local studio and attended a session both Saturday and Sunday morning. It's really hot in the room and the first class was more about acclimating myself to the heat as opposed to attempting each potsure. Overall, it was a very refreshing experience. It certainly felt like I was releasing my fair share of toxins. I was dripping wet throughout the class and understood why they instruct you to bring a large towel. You place the towel over your yoga mat so that you don't drip all over your mat as you're doing your yoga. Stepping outside of the yoga room into the hallway was like an orgasmic experience. The cool air felt soooo good (said like Halle Berry in Monster's Ball.. LMAO). And then stepping outside into the cool rain of Saturday morning was even more heavenly.

My instructor informed me that the room was a bit warmer than usual since it was humid outside due to the rain. She was impressed that I was able to stay in the room for the full 90mins on my first visit because even some of the seasoned veterans were complaining about how hot it was. She also shared that as the seasons change, our bodies reflect what is going on in the universe. Having said that, she also explained that we might feel light headed during the class due to the upcoming seasonal change and how our bodies react to it (read about that on her blog). I can say that I only felt light headed after attempting one position where we were flipping backwards and that was a bit much for me, so I'll have to work toward mastering this pose.

By the second day, I was attempting more of the postures. As I mentioned, the postures done in Bikram yoga are the same 26 postures done in the same sequence every class. You will do each pose twice and hold it for 30 seconds at a time (if possible.. lol). The postures are intense and my abs are sore, but I have to say that Bikram yoga is AWESOME!

I'll be attending sessions every day for the next 10 days and will give you a follow up at that point as well.

Locked Beauty of the Month: Cibelle

2008-03-07T22:29:00.007-05:00

So, Cibelle is the beautiful locked beauty of the month of March. She is a gorgeous model friend from MS. She is a wife and mother and still gorgeous as ever. I love how she shows how sexy locks are.

Keep representing Cibelle!

Bikram Yoga

2008-03-06T13:19:00.006-05:00

Ok, so my sister in Brooklyn called me the other day to tell me about her new life altering find called Bikram Yoga. It's 26 posture series designed to scientifically warm and stretch muscles, ligaments and tendons, in the order in which they should be stretched.

What's different about Bikram Yoga is that it's practiced in a steam room warmed to 105 degrees with 40% humidity for 90 minutes. The idea is that while the yoga gently guides the body into correct alignment, strengthens and tones the muscles, lubricates the joints, and promotes flexibility, both the yoga and the heat provide tremendous benefits on the organs, glands, and fluids of the body by aiding in the release of toxins. Sounds great right? It's like a mixture of a practice that can center you, while having a spa-like experience, and a workout simultaneously!

So, in usual form, I went and did a bit of research online and I love what I've read about this form of yoga. The testimonials are uplifting and encouraging. My first class is this Saturday, so wish me luck. I will definitely be writing about my experience. The center that I will be joining offers an introductory package of unlimited yoga sessions w/i 10 consecutive days or only $25. I plan to go to a yoga session every day during those 10 days and report back.

Check out their site for more information about Bikram Yoga if you're interested and let me know about your experiences. The site also offers information on studios around the world, so you can check if there is a studio in your area that offers this type of yoga. I found the following information helpful from the site of the studio that I will be attending. It talks about what to expect if you're a beginner, so you may want to check it out if you're considering going, but have some apprehension about being a beginner.

Ayo

2008-02-27T18:33:00.008-05:00

Ayo, which means joy in Nigerian Yoruba, is a singer-composer-guitarist-pianist from Europe that I've recently discovered. Her debut album "Joyful" went platinum in France in 2006. She was born in Germany to a Nigerian father and a Romanian Roma (Gypsy) mother.

I love her easy style. This album was recorded in 5 days in a live studio so you can feel the music as if you're sitting in a small audience enjoying it. You can check out her Myspace page. Hope you enjoy her as I have. And she's a beautiful natural sister to boot! What more can you ask for? She reminds me a lot of Joy Denalane from her Mamani album, one of my favorite artists from Germany.

Here's a little taster for ya:

The album is great, so check it out if you like what you hear. You won't be disappointed!

Rives I'm in love with you....

2008-02-27T17:49:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a man who writes poetry. Not the roses are red, violets are blue genre, but something intelligent and humorous and speaks volumes w/o many words and speaks to your soul and can be profound etc, etc, etc. You know of what I speak, no?

Having said that, I have been following the poetry/spoken word/performances of a performer named Rives (pronounced Reeves). I absolutely love his words. I love his humor. I'm in love with his mind. I realize that I'm gushing, but I mean it. I would love to meet a man like this in every day life, but in his absence from my life, I will continue to yearn for him and listen to Rives as a substitute.

Tell me what you think....

Kite

Dirty Talk

Yum!

FOTC

2008-02-25T17:31:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've neglected to post and share these guys with you, but I just kept forgetting to do so (getting old is a bitch.. lol). I don't know how many of you caught this duo on HBO this past season, but I am a huge fan. They are a comedic pair, Jemaine and Bret, from New Zealand that incorporate music into their humor. They're so funny and I love their New Zealand accents!

The premise of the show was that they moved to NYC to pursue their music and further the development of their band. It follows their misadventures and the cultural clashes they encounter along the way, as well as their silly mishaps. The band has a manager named Murray who's clueless, but also from New Zealand. They also have one fan named Mel to boot, but she's basically a stalker. She looks a lot like someone I work with, but we won't get into that (hehehe).

The show had me cracking up from beginning to end of each episode. It's what I would call laid back humor. The music that fits into the storyline of each episode turns into music videos that are just hilarious. I introduced the show to my sister when she returned from living in London for a year and she absolutely loved it as well. It reminded us both of British humor that we love so much.

Here's an example of one of their live performances, tell me what you think:

This is a scene from one of the episodes where Bret was told he was too skinny and began having body image issues, so Jemaine wrote this song to cheer him up. I had tears in my eyes I laughed so hard:

If you found those vids funny, you'd love the show like I did. The entire first season is available on DVD and worth including in your collection especially if you missed it.

PS - Jemaine is my favorite (the one with the glasses.. lol).

Nat

Flash back Friday...

2008-02-15T10:43:00.002-05:00

I was just thinking about this song and thought I'd share it with everyone. I loved this song when it came out and I felt like reliving my love for it.

Enjoy John Legend's first single, 'Used to Love You':

Hope you have a great one!

2008-02-14T07:57:00.000-05:00

Locked Beauty of the Month: Kahmna

2008-02-12T14:45:00.001-05:00

I just realized I've been remiss in posting my locked beauty of the month for January and February, so I'm choosing a late, but gorgeous sistah for February. Her name is Kahmna and she's a Carribean Queen! And I'm posting more than one photo to make up for missing out on the opportunity to share beauty last month!

I love the thickness of her locks and that streak of color is BOSS!

Straight vs. Natural: Still a Hair-Raising Issue

2008-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I found the above titled article by Rebecca Francis on the Black College Wire site rather interesting.

Take a moment and read it and tell me what you think!

Nat

2008 is here!!!!

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Oh, I meant to say...

Hehehehehe...

2yrs of Lockdom...

2007-12-31T08:09:00.001-05:00

Year 2 in review...

I reached my 2yr lociversary on December 29th, 2007!

I'm so happy to report that I am still in love with my locks and this journey! I am still learning so much about myself. Acceptance of self is a profound thing, yeah? I have found a lot of inner beauty that I was unaware of. I don't have to be prim (sp? lol) and proper all the time and my hair can be natural/messy/unneat (is that's even a word?) and still be beautiful!

I have been able to redefine my measure of beauty in the past couple years and that's a huge gift. If you are on the fence and thinking about going natural or locking your hair, I'd encourage you to do it. I won't lie and say that there won't be rough times and "bad hair days" in between or along the way, but overall, you will be so happy with your decision and your life will improve. There's nothing like enjoying your natural hair!

I'd always said that I wanted to live the life of a white girl and do whatever I wanted and not have to worry about my hair. Well going natural has done that for me. I can swim, exercise, etc. and not have to worry about my hair. White women have that freedom we pursue because their hair is natural (in the sense that they do not chemically alter the texture of their hair) and when we allow ours to be natural, we can enjoy the same freedom and liberation!!!

I'll include some updated photos soon, but until then, thanks so much for all the support and wonderful comments from my sisters online.

Stay beautiful and never dim your shine/light for the sake of the blind!

Nat

Almost there...

2007-12-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

Curly locs update..

2007-12-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

I just realized that, although I updated my fotki album, I never updated my blog with how long my curls lasted. My spiral curls were done on October 27th and were mahvelous. I ended up washing them out on November 23rd, a few days shy of a full calendar month, but technically 5wks later.

The photos are showing the stage of the curls right before I washed them out. I could have definitely gone a few more weeks with the curls, but my dry scalp wasn't having it since it was flaking. I cleansed my scalp a couple times throughout the 5 weeks, but it was time for a proper wash. The only thing I did to maintain my curls was retwist the front row of my locks when they got a bit bushy (since I sweat a lot) and spray them with ORS (Organic Root Stimulator) Olive Oil Sheen as needed to moisturize them. Unlike most, I don't wrap my locks at night any longer, so I didn't while I had the curls either. I sleep on a satin pillow case instead. I think the key to achieving curls that last is allowing them to fully dry before removing the rollers. I sat under the dryer for two and a half hours since my hair tends to hold moisture. That was the key to longevity for me.

Thanks for all the compliments on the style and I hope when you try it, you'll love the outcome as well!

PS - I added an instructional video I found on youtube of how to achieve this look on my blog, so check it out if you're not sure how to do it. Let me know how it turns out for you!

December Locked Beauty of the Month: Zee

2007-12-07T08:33:00.000-05:00

This is a Myspace friend of mine. She is a FIERCE makeup artist and a generally fly chick. She has a wonderful spirit and it doesn't hurt that she is gorgeous too. Her locks are always as fly as she is and she's an inspiration to me.

Stay beautiful sis...