Thursday, November 20, 2008

When the Smiles Came Out.

Yesterday I washed my girls hair and braided it in cornrows while it was wet. I let it air dry and they went to bed with their hair like this. They they liked their hair in the cornrows. I think it was simple for them. They also knew their hair wouldn't be tangled up with Bed head in the morning. Both the girls don't like to have their hair fixed. So I'm trying to find easy hair styles that does not involved heat. Here is what the Cornrows looked liked. I also did this to my hair the day before. I have my roots twisted but they don't.
This afternoon I took their hair down after their school day was finished. It's thick and wavy. I don't have the Tomoka's Twists yet so I took two hairpins and pushed the sides up and back. I'm excited to try the Tomoka's twist hair accessories. They are so cute! So here is what they look like now with their big wavy hair. They are so happy about their hair now. All the smiles came out when they looked in the mirror. It feels good to like your hair!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Guiding Encouragment.

So I got up today and decided to braid and band my hair. The first two times I did inside braids. This time I did outside braids and it came out wavier than last time. I’m not sure if I like it yet. I think I’d like it to be some where in-between. This is a good hairstyle for my transitioning. It’s giving me some practice on the braiding and banding. So far so good. My hair is growing well. I found the hair growth guide in the Going Natural book interesting. Last week I took a strand of my hair and laid it on the guide. I placed a clear cover over it to take a picture of it. It s been about 4 months since I made the decision to go natural.


According to that guide I have about 2.5 inches of natural hair growth. Now my question has been asked but not answered, is this how you measure natural African American hair? I’ve seen some stretch it out and wondered if this was right. The hair in the photo is not stretched, just flattened for photo sake. I've also noticed the different textures on my head. I don’t think I will be contacting a consultant just yet. I want a bit more growth before going to the consultant again.
I have found this time around I don't have that urge to perm at all. My husband has been a great encouragement to me in this whole process. He's told me he likes my hair and is happy to see me with my hair like this. He says he loves the texture and how soft it is. It is weird because I have to get used to him having his fingers in my hair now. I'm not used to it but love it when he reaches over and feels my hair. It is such a blessing to hear his compliments on this journey. I am enjoying this journey. So far so good with the transitioning!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Reading up

Ok, so today I had sort of a bad hair day. It wasn't bad I just was blah about my hair. I couldn't decide on how I wanted to wear it today. I started out with two braids in the back then decided to just wear it pulled back on the sides. Yesterday I had it all curled and felt good about it. The mist from the shower made my curls fall. So I had blah hair today. I'm still wearing the twists.
I bought some natural hair books. I got

Curl Talk: Everything You Need to Know to Love and Care for Your Curly, Kinky, Wavy, or Frizzy Hair

Hair Rules!: The Ultimate Hair-Care Guide for Women with Kinky, Curly, or Wavy Hair

Going-Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair [Illustrated]


Organic Body Care Recipes


Locs for Life: The Root to Well Being for African-American Women

I just finished Locs for Life. I read this whole book on a plane from Los Angeles to St. Louis. It was a short good read. I did learn a bit about locs. The author talks of her experience with her natural hair. I think most women with kinky hair can identify with her struggles of dealing with hair and fitting into society's views.

I haven't started reading the other books just yet. I did thumb through the book Going-Natural. It has an hair growth measurement guide that interested me. You can see the measurement guide it if you click on the link and view the book online.

I'm excited about the Organics Body Care Recipes books since reading The Green Beauty Guide. I've become interested more in the green sort of living. One of the things I think about is just how much damage has relaxing my hair done to my hair and scalp over the years. The chemicals that are in the relaxers are scary. That just makes reading about natural choices and alternatives more appealing.

Aside from the books, I did see a website that was interesting. http://naturalsuccess.ning.com/ it is a wonderful site!