Still Blogging??

My boyfriend out of the blue asked me if I'm still blogging. I told him that it seems like most people aren't blogging like they used to and more people are now doing you tube videos. No one reads anymore or writes...hmm I'm definitely concerned about how my daughter will communicate in the future. From the texting where you abbreviate everything will children truly learn how to read, write, spell correctly...ok on a tangent. So with that I'm starting to think whats the purpose of blogging when I can just create a you tube channel and get in front of the camera and ramble, trust me I'm good with that.

Here are just some recent photos with an updo. Unfortunately, my curls are not staying like they used to, so my bang looks SHOT. It seems like my locks are going through a phase where I have to use some mousse or spray before putting rollers in. Another change in the journey.

Processed not Permed Ends...do you need to cut them? Help?

I posted this to LIU, but then I thought I could also ask my blog family to see what thoughts you all may have. So here it is:

I have had my SL's for almost 13 months and I originally started with probably about 2 inches of processed hair. My hair was processed with somewhat of a texturizer chemical (Miss Jessies). After 13 months I have quite a few areas of my head that has locked. However, depending on what shampoo I use, when my locks start to air dry the ends look curly (like how they looked prior to locking). I have not cut any ends off the locks that have locked, so my question is, do I need to cut the processed area off in order for the remaining locks to lock? Or will the processed ends fall off on there own?

-Gigglz

3/18 it's my 1 year loc-a-versary!!!!

Oh wow! I can't believe its been a year of trials and fails :-) and trials and successes and I wouldn't change anything for the world! Its funny because although at the time I decided to lock I felt I was making a simple change to my hair, that simple change of chemical to natural, and natural to locked has trickled into my life. I have started using all natural products for my body as well and I am more aware of what I put into my body. I have learned a lot about myself over this past year as well.



It feels like over the past 2 weeks or so, my locks have stretched its like the year marker was approaching and my locks, LOCKED!! Its really weird but I will definitely take it. It seems odd to that over this past week I have gotten a lot more compliments then I have over the past few months, maybe the color has me walking with a bit more swagger, who knows! But whatever it is feels good.

The things I have learned about my locks is that I should keep it simple. Stop with all the product experimentation because at the end of the day a spray bottle with tap water is enough to refresh it all. If that fails stick with the sisterlock products. For me when I use them my locks seem to come alive again with bounce and moisture. Also a satin cap and a satin pillowcase go a long way. I have not had to battle with lint as I hear this can be a pain; satin against satin feels nice going across my locks as well.

All in all, I am glad I made the decision to lock, not only to lock but to lock with SISTERLOCKS! I love my sisterlocks and I'm looking forward to the changes they will go through in the next year.

My plans for this year is to do more updo styling and also down styling but with more accessories, pins, flowers and curls. Stay tuned :-)

Creative Juices Flowing....W/a pic

UPDATE Here is a picture of the back!

I have been wearing my locks in a ponytail with a bang. But to achieve the ponytail I split my head and two and put that in ponytails and then pulled it all together in one. Then I put a roller in the bang for a curl. This morning, I think I must have been dreaming about how I could wear my hair and I woke up with a bright idea. Why not put a french braid going up into a ponytail!! I thought to myself, yes, that will work, because it would alleviate the tension I was causing with the 3 ponytails. So I did it, I didn't have to use pins or anything!!! I slept with the jherri curl rods in my bang and it came out BANGING!!!!

I received so many compliments from the ladies at work on it, so this is definitely a keeper. I tried to take pictures but it was actually so sunny out that the flash made the pictures dark. So I will post pics once I do it again. Since Thursday is my actual official loc-a-versary I will be taking tons of pics!!!

Hair Type

Before SL's how long were you a loose natural?

For me, I was natural under braids but as far as a loose natural, hmm. Maybe 2 months. I was not pleased with the daily maintenance and I just didn't know what products worked and for that reason, I tried them all that were mentioned on blogs. While being a loose natural the question always came up of what "Type" of hair I had. Ugh, nappy coils! However after research I figured I'm between a 4b and 4c. With my hair type my SL's took pretty good and I didn't experience much slippage and my hair seemed to lock in the average time of a year, although I still have some curly Q's probably because I tried coloring 2x at home. What's your hair type and do you think it help or hinders your progress?

Year One!!!

Here is a video i put together for my Year one journey!!! It has been...a journey needless to say!

Color .... Oh yeah good look!

I've been quite lazy the past week and I've been wearing my locks all back. Scarfs and headwraps just won't work for my job so this is what I opted for. The funny thing is I was looking at my locks before being colored and its definitely two different looks. I'm enjoying the look of color :-)
-Gigglz

Taking it back to the Basics...YET AGAIN!

Although I'm not seeing hairs shedding from my locks, I feel like the color now shows how thin SL's really are. So a week after I got my hair colored I orderd the Green Tea Product kit from the sisterlocks website.  Ironically, Dewdrop mentioned in her combining SL's into TL's post that extensive coloring started to thin her locks out and I've been feeling that its definitely possible. Today I used the green tea shampoo which has a really nice smell and lathered up so well.  The applicator bottle posted on the SL website that came with the kit notes to put water in with the shampoo.  Its funny because you read so many places that you should or shouldnt' dilute who actually knows the answer.  I had stopped diluting the starter shampoo for months now, maybe I shouldn't have.  Oh well :-(.  So I used the green tea shampoo for 3 shampoos and I didn't bother braiding and banding, I think I'm definitely over that (at least for now).  The shampoo has a nice tingling feeling and I felt like my scalp and locks were getting a really good cleaning.  I moved on with the reconstructor conditioner and left that on with a cap for 30 minutes.  I must say my locks feel so soft and really, really moisturized.  I had no reason to even put any oils on my locks. What they (who is they, lol) say is true, sometimes its just better to go back to the basics and use the products made for what you have.

Whats your reason?

As I get close to my loc-a-versary I started thinking back over my past year I asked myself why did I become a DIY'er.  It started out as I didn't think that I should pay $200 for a retightening that took 4 hours. It was just way too many hours; the shop I had to travel an hour to get to and the shop didn't allow children.  So for me that meant taking a day off, or "working from home" and traveling with my laptop! NO FUN!!! Getting my hair done was supposed to be relaxing and to me it wasn't relaxing driving thru rush hour traffic to get into/out of NYC.  That was step one. 

Then I found another consultant she too took 4 hours or more.  So the timing was good, my travel time was 35 minutes, but I sat in a kitchen table chair listening to her daughter and my daughter playing and making all types of racket.  NO FUN, and not relaxing, and not for 4 hours!  Step 2.  I love my baby, but after 4 hours of squealing, I'm done!!!  

Now please don't get me wrong, I have/had no problem with paying for quality.  Trust me, I paid for my SL's.  The original trainee was good, but with all the extra's it took to get to her, not worth it.  The second wasn't bad, but if I'm going to be in someone's home I can be in my own. Step 3, was more mentail because a part of me felt in the dark about sisterlocks and my own hair, which I had been in the dark with for so long between the weaves, braids, perms, cuts, color and all.  I was always relying on someone to "hook it up" for me.  I didn't know how to treat my hair and I was still relying on someone else to tell me how to care for it.  Enough was enough, SL's is about freedom and self enlightment so I took control and become a DIY'er and I haven't looked back. 

With all that said, for you DIY'ers out there what led you to the decision?  Or for newbies are you looking towards becoming a DIY'er?