I Love My Hair!

I rediscovered this book while organizing boxes of books. Super cute book!!!! I got this after working at THE best summer camp ever. At the end of the summer each person who worked got a book that fit them from my boss (who by the way was amazzzing!). Being a super cheery morning person is something I've been actively working on for some time. Add high temperatures, along with about 15 young kids in an outdoor environment--lets just say I was NOT motivated to fool with my hair in any way  ^ = ^"  AFRO's and wash-n-go's ruled the summer!! Everyone I worked with left a message on a folded piece of construction paper. The tucked away paper was bittersweet. I was taken back to the summer of 2008--memories of all the great people I met came back to me. My hair was the subject of many convo's and wandering eyes, BUT my hair and I survived and I had a blast!! I Love My Hair, immediately makes me think of  the Whip My Hair song by Miss Willow Smith. Both are very good motivators and positive messages to anyone who may think twice about wearing a big fro, how their hair looks, or what people think. Anyone with second/third thoughts, curiosity, or just a lover of good books should check this out~stay encouraged!

I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Protective Style

Protective styles are one of the best ways to wear your hair if you're chemical free. Simply put, they're styles that keep, shedding, breakage, tangling etc to a minimum---protecting your hairs health. Braids (with your hair or weave), two strand twists, and flat twists are examples of protective styles. Twist/braid outs and fros look nice, but aren't "good" for your hair because the strands are more likely to be damaged/break from the sun, heat, tangles etc. I like to wear protective styles, but they're the most time consuming styles that I've done on myself.

As always I always start with freshly cleaned scalp and hair that's conditioned. With the following style I could've stopped after I did the side twists and wore a fro hawk I love my fro hawks!! They're super easy to do and there's a million and one ways to styling them!

Since I'll be taking a trip soon, VEGAS,  I didn't want to have to fool with my hair too much until it's time to do the style I'll have for the mini vaca. Protective style it was! I didn't have a pattern in mind before I began. This was just a freestyle and totally random. I did 7 two strand flat twists on the side. After parting the hair for the twist I added a small amount of Hawaiian Silky hair cream. It smells SO good and helps repair/condition your hair. I use this product for a few hair styles. The second product I used was the wave moisturizer. This was added to the hair left out from the flat twists. I love using this if I'm doing small two strand twists. It keeps your hair very soft and moisturized--you def feel/see a difference after wards. Oh yea, a little goes a long way when it comes to the wave moisturizer!

The flat twists are twisted all the way to the end then I wrapped the twist into a mini bantu knot and secured with a small rubber band. Rubber bands always always pull out chunks of my hair no matter how careful I am at putting them in. I used one rubber band for each twist here, BUT I didn't twist the rubber band to get it to stay. I chose the tiniest ones I could find and just slipped it on to the knot--so far so good with this!

I didn't use a comb to part or section my hair. I started at the back toward my neck; grabbed tiny sections, and started twisting working my way up. Small twists were what I had in mind. Usually the longer I'm twisting the bigger the twists start to get  O_o  Not intentional..Smaller twists last longer. This is the end result! If my hair got dry while doing it I just lightly sprayed it with a water bottle to re-wet it. After my whole head was done I used large rollers on random sections, then covered with a satin bonnet for the night. Right before I left for work the next morning I took the rollers out, then finger combed through the curled twists.

Twist Out

There are a bunch of different ways I like to do and wear twist outs. It's another style that you can play with. The two strand twists that I talked about in my last blog are what I used for this twist out. A twist out is just what it sounds like; twists that you take out ^_^" 

It took me about 10 minutes to do this one. I started in the back of my head by my neck. Holding the majority of my hair out the way, I used one hand to undo one twist at a time. An easy way to undo twists without making them frizzy is to hold and twirl the strand of hair in the opposite direction the twist is in. Next separate the two sections, it's that simple. If you pull or mess with them too much you'll end up with a frizzy head of hair. There maybe a style that calls for bigger or poofier hair, but with this style that's not what I was going for.

Fresh twist out. LOVE flowers in my hair!! Usually put them on the side I part my hair the most, or where I want hair pulled out of my face.

Everybody has one of THOSE friends ^____^

Day two of the twist out. I fell asleep without covering my hair. It doesn't look too bad, but I think I'll just keep in in for one more day.

 

 

 

 

Since I didn't cover my hair overnight it was a little dry the next day. I didn't want to add too much product, so I used a light glosser to add shine. I don't like this product when I'm flat ironing my hair, because it makes my hair stiff and heavy. I don't straighten my hair too often, but when I do I prefer it to be light and bouncy. That's just my personal preference though.

SECRET

One trick that I often use when I'm wearing my hair in any type of style with a curl is the shower! Yes, the shower, well actually the steam from a hot shower. If my hair was straightened I'd cover it, wrap it, and try to hide it from all of the moisture in the bathroom, because we all know it would be 100% curly by time I dried my toes. Sometimes my twists, curls, knots may get flattened from me sleeping. A spray bottle with water is a quick fix, but that's usually a last resort for me. Just taking a hot shower with my hair uncovered is a solution that works every time. The humidity loosens and fluffs my hair, so I don't have to pull, separate, or mess with it too much....risking the frizzy mess I don't want.

Know any other tricks or variations I want to know!!! Please share and don't forget to leave feedback. Thumbs up, down, or not at all?!? Also don't forget to follow my blog!! Top right hand corner..you'll get updates as fast as I can write em, thanks!

Two strand twists

Two strand twists are one of my favorite hairstyles to wear. They hold up and last a while plus you can style them in lots of different ways! With the hair demos I'll try to include the products I use and the steps I take for the different styles.

I started with a freshly washed head! This Creme of Nature shampoo (below) is the bomb.com!! Absolutely love it! My hair/scalp feel clean, doesn't over dry, hair is soft/detangled, and it smells SO good!

With this style I wanted some length to it. So I put my hair into 4 sections and blow dried on low heat for about 2 mins before I started twisting. I worked my head 1 section at a time. Doing this helps the process go faster in my opinion.

Before twisting I add very little of the Motions cream to the section of hair I'm going to twist. Try not to use too much product or you'll end up with a stiff, crunchy twist! If you don't use enough product your twist won't last as long and may untwist itself over time.

I always like to do my twists while watching a movie/tv, it helps the time go by quicker. I also don't make hard parts when grabbing hair to twist or the end result will have gaps/spaces. If you're going for a more finished look then hard parts made with a comb would work for you.

This is the the halfway point. The 2 back sections are done.

Full head completely done. You can stop here if you'd like or style the twists into a fun 'do.

I think I found this at CVS. Walmart, grocery stores, Target, neighborhood hair stores carries this. It's not a hard product/expensive product to find. It cost maybe $5. Since you don't need a lot when doing twists this jar lasts a very long time!!

I usually only see specialized Creme of Nature at local hair stores. Target may occasionally have a basic Creme of Nature shampoo/conditioner. I may just pick the wrong days to shop too, so don't quote me! This specific one is certified organic, which is also a plus!

I wanted a little curl to the twists, so I used perm rods on the ends. I didn't roll them too tight, or all the way up because I wanted to keep some length. I kept them in over night and just covered my head with a satin hair bonnet.

I've had these twists in for about a week now. I like change, so they could last a little longer, but I'm probably going to switch it up in the next day or two.

Other options with these that I wore this week:

• Gathered my hair in the back into a french roll, then used chop sticks to hold it in place. I let stray strands fall on different parts of my head. 
• You can roll the perm rods tighter, or closer to your scalp for tighter curls. The twists will be very curly and during the day they'll fall some.
• Made a part between some twists, pinned them back and placed an artificial flower next to my ear. You'll learn that I have a thing for flowers in my hair.

I'd love to hear feedback on other variations of this, comments, and questions about this style too!!!

Child Labor

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the kids. No matter how talkative, cooperative, old, or young, I love them!  I also have a huge passion in helping others who may or may not necessarily know how to help themselves.

I was scanning the headlines off CNN and came across an article about human trafficking. I've been following some of the stories for a while now. It's a huge issue that's touched every country and person either directly/indirectly. It doesn't always have to involve forced prostitution as commonly believed. Fishermen forced to work on a ship to catch fish for our dinner tables, kids working in cotton fields to pay off family debts, etc. are a couple examples.

Off of this article were some links to sites for more info on the subject and ways you can get involved.  One link talked about products that Americans use daily that have a big chance of being a product of child laborers. I was curious to know what these goods were and gold happened to be one item. This is what a child laborer had to say:


"If I have one wish, it's that I might someday have a little bit of money." says Saliou, a child worker in one of Mali's informal gold mines. "Sometimes I dream that one day I'll own something made of gold."

Http://productsofslavery.org

I couldn't move on from this. This statement really caught my attention. It really puts things into perspective when you read this, and to know it's coming from a child. I think gold is something that many of us take for granted. Their wish could be anything in the whole world, but it's for a little money, and for something gold! Just sit and think how many things you've owned that have even the tiniest amount of gold, or even how old you were when you received something made of gold. Kinda makes you stop, think, and reevaluate things a bit huh.

Kick Start

One of the things I really enjoy doing is trying new hairstyles and designs out on myself! I love playing around with different techniques I learn, and experimenting with different hair products. A lot of my friends and strangers ask questions about natural hair, styling, how to's, etc. soooo what better way to share to the masses than to blog about it??! So here goes   =^_^=