ponytail

This is the longest I've gone without having my dreads twisted since I've started going back to the salon I've had my hair washed. That's it.



Going on 3 months with no maintenance. I'm trying to get it done before New Year's.....

blast from the past

February 2006 - 2nd month of having "dreads" (well twists)

This hair journey is no longer fun. It is painful, I want to start over again when I’m in a better place. Is that crazy talk? I just feel bad & nothing will make it better. The hair reminds me. I’m ashamed. Want to hide. I feel bad because I am happy with my hair. If I am happy my stylist should be happy with my hair. You know?

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I wrote that in my paper journal in 2006. I would say something about "oh how things have change" but I'm having a bad hair week. lol

I play in the sun...w/spf 20 clear foundation.

I've read a few books on the color complex. Don't Play in the Sun by Marita Golden is the one I can relate to best. It is well written. And she went to Brazil and other countries. She painted a good picture of how blacks live there and in Cuba. The color complex is something 95% of people like to deny. It seems like dark skinned people are more likely to talk about it. It bothers me when people deny it exists. IT'S A LIE!!!! Saying the color complex doesn't exist is more offensive than saying racism doesn't exist...to me. Probably because the color complex negatively affected me more.

The way people stereotype me these days amuse me. You have to laugh. They think: afrocentric, dumb, poor, racist against whites, etc. Then when they get to know me I'm a WHITE GIRL...sometimes. I'm American. I was born here. Is that white???????

I haven't washed my hair in a month. lol. I go to the salon in 3+ weeks. I may get free maintenance next week if work isn't too busy next week. Otherwise I'm going to give myself a shampoo free mini soak. I should do that anyway...........

photo album updated

silly kitty

added a few pics to the gallery

when I get bored, I'm going to cut off the little hairs on each dread. I need tiny scissors first. ;)

can't complain nor explain

current photo album updated :)


Dreadlocks month 36-48 - current

Dream big

Vick mania here. However many people are "for" Vick returning to the NFL, add 10-20% around here. I call it 'loyalty despite what he did' other people call it 'ignorant'. Anyway.....

I haven't had my hair retwisted in 5 weeks. That seems soooo long since I started going to the salon. Today I got my hair sprayed (still don't know what that is). Like my do? Too bad I have no idea how to keep this neat. I'm just glad that it will be like this on Saturday.

I'm selling Avon for 6-8 hours on Saturday. Feel free to stop by! I hope to make at least $600 and pick up some new customers. Hey, I got to dream BIG.

I gotta dream big (dream big)
cuz when it happen its gon' happen real quick
(yes i feel it, i gotta)
I gotta move fast
cuz when it happen i cant let it move past
(only get one chance)

-Jazmine Sullivan

football, where art thou?

I've been busy but I really can't complain about that. I'm sort of ready for summer to be over for many reasons. I'm sooo ready for some football! College & pro.

I went to the salon over a week ago. I probably won't go back for a wash & retwist until 7-8 more weeks. see current pics in my foto album.

Random: When I retire, I'm moving to Buenos Aires and buying a condo. It's not as expensive as it sounds.

dry shampoo photos

I love the smell...


too bad it leaves white spots in my hair. I had to spray it with water afterward.


The brand I have is Batista. I have NO IDEA if it does anything to my hair since I won't spray it on my scalp (it leaves flakes). I just like the idea of it. I use it every other day. I'm probably going to cut back. I don't want to have to buy another bottle.

brush??

I found the dry spray shampoo. It isn't the best stuff. It was the only brand at Sally's.

 

This stuff is for people with straight or curly hair because you are supposed to brush it OUT of your hair afterwards. My hair hasn't seen a brush in years. Oh well.

 

I still used it since when I wash with Suave clarifying shampoo, I always leave some it in. I never get all the shampoo out of my dreads.

 

It left flakes. I should have tried to massage it out. I got the scented kind. It smells good but not too strong which I like. I will probably keep using it even though it may be turning my hair white. :) I can't remember the name. It is probably the worst stuff out. It only cost $6.00 on sale. It starts with a B. I'm on my lunch break so I can't look it up.

 

Later.

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appointment missed

I was supposed to get my hair "sprayed" this afternoon but I canceled 4 hours before. I felt horrible. But due to DRAMA (um, my fault), I had to stay up until 1:30AM. Then I had to go to work. Since this is a holiday week, I couldn't just go in late and make up the time. I wish we had real flextime. I have another free spray scheduled in 2 weeks.

I can't remember what a spray entails. Well obviously they spray your hair but I can't remember if it is shampoo spray or just some other stuff. I've only had it done once back in '06. I didn't ask questions.

I gotta look for the spray shampoo. I'm going to try to buy some this weekend if I can find it.

Updated my thrift store finds photo gallery (link the same as the hair pics link or just cut and paste the link in this post). I'm going to start updating it more. I haven't been to a thrift store in months but I have a lot of stuff in my closet.

http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2202050230105114518NjRAsu

even if you don't care about clothes, you have to check out my varicose veins. I used to have them more visible in my leg. Anyway.........

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10 days out

posted 2 new pics in my photo section (link below).

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Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that's right for you.

another trip to salon

More new pics here

I'm trying to go every 8 weeks (with FREE spray washes in between). But somehow it ends up being 6 or 7 weeks which moneywise may as well be every 4 weeks. Anyhow, does spray shampoo really work with natural hair? I don't know a lot of people that use it so I'm a little weary. The salon is 3-4 minutes (driving) from my house so I don't mind going there to get it sprayed after work. I need to look into this spray shampoo thing, it is becoming big for all hair types. (meaning: naturally straight hair)

Get this: I just went to the salon yesterday. And due to all the rain, I haven't been able to cut my grass until today. It's 85 degrees! Of course I'm going to sweat. Yeah I know 85 degrees is nothing (where I live anyway). I have more lawn work to do this weekend. It is supposed to feel like 100 degrees. blah.

Twitter is messing with my brain. I don't tweet that much...maybe 5 times a week but I keep wanting to spell THE like DA. annoying. I need 160 characters.

i'm so over the top

My hair stinks! Ugh. But at least whatever the salon uses is invisible. I have spritzed my hair with water. I will definitely be washing my hair this weekend. I hope this doesn't happen next time. Yes there will be a next time in 3 weeks. I don't want to spend $$ on my hair but I uh, ::sigh::.

I have a lot of pics from my short vacay. I haven't had time to upload them yet but the hair pics will be here.

love it...if I can say that

My first real style!!!!!!!! I've curled my own hair and have a braid out once or twice but DAYUM. Yes I went to the salon. It took forever.....since she separated dreads and combined some. Then she even went and cut loose hairs off EACH dread. Well I don't have a lot of time. I have to pack and clean. So much to do. More when I get back!

no salon yet

I had the consult today. Appointment tomorrow afternoon. Leaving Thursday. Birthday on Saturday. Hopefully I will have a lot of pictures to upload on Monday. If I have time, I may upload a few pics to the new photo album tomorrow...fresh from the salon. Oh, and the loctician said that my hair "wasn't that bad". I just have a few dreads that need to be separated.

I'm pretty sure I will end this dread journey soon. My hair grows too fast. But I don't know what to do with loose hair so...I think I will know when it's time to end. (And I'm going to cut it off, not undo the locks. That would be a nightmare!)

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I wanna wash my hair

...but I'm going to the salon on Tuesday for a consult. I'm hoping they can fit me in that day. I'm leaving town on Thursday morning so I don't have much time.

I was playing around with my hair by doing a basket weave style. Of course I didn't follow the rules but it came out okay. The point is  that is it made me realize how much my roots are thinning on the sides. Salon please help me! I need feedback.

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scalp

I've been thinking about the whole free forming thing. I've been doing it for about 3 months straight. I don't really keep up. I just know that I haven't done maintenance in a looong time.

My point is that I have always loved to see my scalp and now it's (gasp) disappearing! So I guess free forming is officially not for me. If I like to see my scalp....ugh. Anyhow, I was trying to strengthen my hair by free forming after the horrid "latch" experience. I don't know if it worked.

I think I will go to the salon. I haven't been in over a year. Or has it been 2 years? At least I can get some feedback.

Don't forget to check out my new photo album. Link below. I know these entries look funky. That's what happens when you post @ blogger by email.

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new and improved photo album

current album year 3-4

test

Testing.

Posting by email. If this works. I may post more frequently. Nothing new. I'm sick of the afro on my head yet I'm not doing anything about it. I may go to the salon when I'm off in 2 weeks. I don't have much time to make a decision.

This is just a test.

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39th month or so

Dear Anonymous

Anonymous said...

why don't you just free form?

Dear Anonymous

This is a complicated question. There are so many reasons. Some might seem like excuses. I do see beautiful photos of people with free forming dreads. Their dreads look nothing like mine. Unless they have some secret, this is due to hair type. I envy the people who can free form and just put their hair in a ponytail or wear it loose.

1. My hair does not dread quickly. And it grows quickly. So those two things make a make bad free forming combo. If I did nothing to my hair, it would look like a small afro on my head. My hair type just doesn't do the natural dread thing.

2. I live in a conservative area. People do comment. If I were my own ideal person other people's opinions wouldn't make a difference but it does. The conservative people are the people who can hire and fire people....

3. I am worried about my roots. I never did a lot of maintenance. In year one I would do maintenance once a month. Now I do it whenever I feel like it which is once every 3 months or so. No matter what I do, some of my roots are still thin. About 3 dreads have fallen out. I'm pretty sure 2 more are on their way. That's one reason I want to go to a salon. I want to ask, "why are my roots thinning?"

4. I don't like having to wear a hat or scarf to hide my new growth. When I'm just going out, it's fine but @ work I like to cover it.

I'm sure there are more reasons. #1 is the most important reason. Why doesn't my hair look semi-neat if I just watch and go like the others? *whine* I would love to free form but it doesn't seem to work, if you know what I mean.

PSA - don't 1pt latch

I'm done with that latching stuff. I'm pissed. I'm going to an out of town salon in March. I don't have an issue starting over.

That's that. ;)

1 pt latching

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJgzcdyxLhOJHpwBqpFutJBdD4xs1EG1Behlr27LYNBrecN1arjBn8s9CvQxl1sDjkA7Ti67tvEWQpBMhpQy_sqaepgleJIV9QbGV-pf66h2yuBClZIrDH4pzStRfVq7fDkJp2Q/s1600-h/001.JPG">
This was my hair pre-washing and pre-latching. After finally figuring out how to latch my dreads, I did it today! Kinda. Last night I read about how latching can leave a hole in your dreads. So today I did what would be called a 1pt latch AKA playing with your dreads. :) I decided to do it because I didn't like the way some of my dreads were thinning at the root. (Yes I did read that latching can cause thinning - ARGH!!) I definitely won't be doing it for another 6 weeks or so.

What I did was hand latching. I don't even know if it worked. I don't even know what latching is supposed to do to dreads. I was inspired my this video:


I didn't even know hand latching existed at the time. But after watching that video, I knew I could easily do it with all the new growth I have. Later I did find out that this hand thing has a name:

(Thank g-d for youtube!) The lady in the video is doing it right. I only went through each lock ONCE. I hope that makes since. It probably isn't even called latching.

Here is my hair soaking wet after washing with Suave clarifying shampoo. No conditioner this time.


I didn't use any heat on my hair for the first time in a while. I wanted to see if this mattered with frizz (haha - NO). I "latched" my locks right after I watched them. This is how it looked from the top.


Another view:


A few hours later...my hair is about 40% dry. Still frizzy!


The end. Obviously latching can't be (?) used as a the only maintenance technique. When I get back into maintaining my hair, I will probably palmroll. I hate doing it cause it takes so long. And one bad night of sleep ruins it. So what is the point?? Hopefully by then I can figure out a way to braid the extra hair into my locks. I dunno. It took me 3 years to latch incorrectly. :)

random