Afro Puff...

I bought an afro pony puff today. I was just a little curious to see how it would look on me. It wasn't expensive and I have a good idea of what my hair will look like once I've grown it out. I've got a long ways to go and I haven't even cut all the relaxer out yet. I think I like it, but only time will tell . I have about 3-4 inches of relaxer left to cut out so, it won't be long before I'm all the way natural. Yippee!! Confession: I have been flat ironing my hair because it's easier to manage that way but, I've got to figure out a better way because I actually miss my kinks and coils when they're all straightened out. Hopefully I haven't experienced any damage to my hair as a result of the flat ironing. Perhaps this puff will be my saving grace from all the heat I've been using. Well let me know what you think of the puff, it may become my new best friend. :-)

Whew!

I am in my 8th month of transitioning from relaxed to natural and all I can say is "WHEW"! Yes it takes forever to blow dry my hair, but... I'm okay with that. I have not given in to the call of the creamy crack despite it's tempting lure. No big chop YET! A friend of mine told me the other day that they didn't think that I would cut my hair that short. I guess only time will tell. :-) My hair has grown a lot and the new growth is very thick. Overall my hair seems to be doing well and as of today I am still on this journey. Lord help me! I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos which are very encouraging to me. I don't know if I would have made it this far without YouTube. It has been a great help! So I send mad love to all the natural ladies out there who have taken the time to post videos.

Me, otherwise...

I ran across another natural beauty on Twitter today and her bio message jumped out at me. "If God wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise". I LOVE IT!!! When I read that, it actually made me smile and helped reaffirm my commitment to continue on this journey. I will say that since going natural, I have noticed that I am a lot more comfortable living my day to day life, not just free from the bondage of having to have straight hair, but also without a need to put on layers of "extra", to create a look other people will find acceptable. When I am in the mood, I will put on my face mask, and when I am not I will cleanse, moisturize and go! Now don't get me wrong, I like pretty eye colors and concealing foundation as much as the next gal, but it is no longer a necessity for me to feel good about myself. I won't automatically say, "whew I look a mess" nor will I accept that from anyone else just because I'm not wearing make-up that day or because my hair isn't bone straight. This journey has definitely been good for me. It's funny, I have more love for ME, than I ever had for me, otherwise (relaxed)... Big ups to janico44, thanks for the boost!

Merry Christmas to me...

Well all the presents are wrapped and ready to go! This is going to be a great Christmas. I just believe that. I am thankful for the gift I have been given. God gave me a new love for my hair - kinks, coils, curls and all. It feels good to love my wavy ponytail regardless of what people think. I truly love it. Now if I could just get my whole ponytail that way, I would be good to go. I have not stepped up to the plate for doing the big chop (yet)...but I am loving my hair...my real hair. When it comes to my hair...God has given me the gift of freedom.

Still going strong...

Well I will celebrate my 6 mth anniversary on the 3rd of January. Now I'm trying to decide whether I am going to cut the perm out or keep transitioning. At this point in the.game the relaxed hair is actually in the way. As I mentioned to a friend of mine, my biggest road block keeping me from doing the big chop is the comfort zone I have in wearing a pony tail. I'm still thinkin on that one. Outside of that all is going well. My hair is growing a lot and I love it!

Good Hair...

I recently saw the film "Good Hair" by Chris Rock. Although it was quite informative, it was somewhat disheartening as I realized just how much we have been taught to hate our natural hair. The movie served to further strengthen my resolve to stay on course as I make this transition and I am growing more and more anxious as I prepare my mind for the day I finally decide to cut all the relaxer out of my hair. My hair has grown quite a bit since I began this journey, so hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Sidebar: I happened to be in Fayetteville, NC today and saw several people with natural hair. Some more coarse than others, but all very beautiful to me.

Four months in...

I am four months into my transition from relaxed to natural. I celebrated my four month anniversary on Nov. 3rd. Yay Me!!! In all honesty though, it feels like it has been at least twelve months. I must say that this is definitely some work. But hey, noone said it would be an easy transition or that I wouldn't have to put in some effort. At this point in the game, relaxing my hair would be an easy way out. Simply slap some chemicals in my hair and VOILA, hair that is straight and easy to manage. As tempting as it sounds, I am going to opt out and take the road less traveled. I am determined to succeed and in the words of Donald Kendall, "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

Here we go again...

I recently had the "why are you going natural" conversation...again! I guess at this point I really want to understand why everyone is so against natural hair. Ok, maybe it's not for everyone, but for those of us who have chosen to go on this journey, a little less negativity would be greatly appreciated. I am fully aware that my hair is "nappy" but I am at a place where I am okay with that. Right now it's about showing my hair some love. I could care less about looking different from my peers. If I happen to be in the mood for straight hair, I will use a little heat and straighten it, but the overall goal here is to get to know and love my naturally un-straightened hair. I've been telling God that He did it wrong for over 20 years now. Dissatisfied with what I was given, I took matters into my own hands and proceeded to "fix" my hair with the help of a tub of creamy crack (it is addictive). The problem with that is that my hair was never broken, so it didn't need to be "fixed" in the first place. God did good, and it's time for me to appreciate what He gave me. I am content with my decision to go natural. I can't say that I will never relax again, BUT, I can say that I will take much better care of my hair going forward. Whether relaxed or natural, I'm gonna do me. :-)

Still I Press...

It's been almost a month since I've blogged and during that time I have run through the full range of emotions. From picking up the scissors in frustration to pre-pooing as a show of love for my hair, I've been there this month. I have began wearing fewer twist outs as I am trying to manipulate my hair less. I've been doing a simple pony tail during the week and twisting it out or flat ironing on the weekend. Yes, I have reintroduced heat back into my regimen, but not on a routine basis. I am trying to use as little heat as possible, so I won't be flat ironing frequently. It definitely takes longer to do now. I think that once I find the right product to use during heat styling I will fare much better. I also got "the question" again recently. Someone asked me if I was going natural, I affirmed and they in turn asked "why?" Sometimes I ask my self that question, but it's ok for me to do it...lol! I am reminded of the freedom of going natural when I can air dry and go, or when I don't have to scramble to get an umbrella when I go out in the rain. It's all good though. I am still pressing and soon, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon I will be free not only from the relaxer in my hair but from the mindset that comes with it. I'll get there, but until then...Still I press.

P.S. I love the bit of sage wisdom I received from a friend recently...Good hair is hair that looks good on you! I love it!!!!!!

Pre-Poo?

Ok, so I tried something new. Not too long ago I had a horrible time detangling my hair after a regular wash/condition. A friend of mine (Binti's Mom) suggested that I "pre-poo", so I gave it a try. Loved It!!!!! I love how soft all of my hair (naptural & relaxed) feels and how defined my naptural curls are. This is what I did: I worked my "pre-poo" treatment (1/2 cup honey and 1/4 cup olive oil) into my hair one section at a time. I then covered it with a plastic cap, waited a while, and shampooed/conditioned my hair as usual. It took no time for me to detangle and there was very little hair in the comb afterwards. Yay me!!! Bottom line...it has a funny sounding name but the "pre-poo" worked wonders for my hair. It's definitely a keeper. Thanks Binti's Mom!!