Happy Birthday Virgos!

Yes it's that time of year --- Virgo Season! I'm excited about my upcoming birthday, September 8th! Over the past few months I've heard people stressing over the CurlBOX craze. There has been alarms set, madness, controversy, excitement, heartache, and a lot of other emotions being expressed about this service. I've been a CurlBOX receiver since it launched earlier this year. Even though it's my birthday, I wanted to do something for all of the followers of my fan page, where I first saw disappointment from followers.

SO here it goes...I fought through the madness of signing up for CurlBOX again, so that I could giveaway the opportunity of a subscription to one of my followers.Your first box (September) will be on me!

CurlBOX

For those who aren't familiar with CurlBox it's a subscription service for a mix of products that are good for curly, kinky, and textured hair. Each month there are new products that are shipped to you. I've read that there are some new boxes in the making so you may want to stay tuned for that.

~~~~~~~~~~

One of my biggest goals that I set this year was to complete my first half marathon! I've been doing a training program, eating healthy, and gave up drinking pop to help me accomplish this goal. Today I ran for 10 minutes, walked for 3 minutes, and repeated for 5 sets. Tonight I'll repeat it for a total of 10 sets. As you can see I did a little over 2 miles doing this. The race is a little over a month away! Wish me luck ^_~"

What I'd like to see from those who enter this giveaway is a goal (new/old) and what's being done to reach it! This can be in the form of before/after/progress pictures, a vision board (collage of pictures and words), certificate earned, etc. Be creative and have fun!

~~~~~~~~~~

To Enter:

1. Must like my Facebook Fan Page AND
2. Post a picture of your entry on the fan page wall AND
3. Tag me in the picture

That's it! This giveaway will be open for 1 week, so you have until Monday, September 10th, at 11:59pm EST to enter.

The winner will have 48 hours to contact me once a winner is announced, or a new winner will be chosen!

Naturally MzDezy Milestones & Goals!

I wanted to take the time to thank everyone that has been supportive of Naturally MzDezy! I also want to welcome all of the newcomers and long term supporters! Please continue to give feedback, ask questions, and share the site. There has been so many exciting things going on in the past couple of months! Many many milestones have been met and exceeded.

The Fan Page on Facebook has reached, and passed the previous goal of 100 likes!!

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Fan Page make sure that you do! There are inspirational quotes, messages, photos, hair info, and more! Don't be shy about sharing your own photos to be added to any of the albums.

~~~~~~~~~~

Follow me on Instagram @MzDezy!!

Source

This app was suggested to me by a friend, and guess what....I love it! If you're a picture taker, like to search pictures, or just into socialmedia I'd suggest this app to you. Make sure to search and follow me @MzDezy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Side Note:

Outside of socialmedia and blogging I've been meeting goals I've set for myself. One goal is to complete my college education. A milestone I've reached with this goal is getting enrolled, and back in class again! College has definitely been a rocky period of my life, but I'm SO excited and happy to be back in school!!!

~~~~~~~~~~



Source



Yep, that is a marathon logo! I've registered to run the half marathom (13.1 miles) in this race. This will be my first time running a race of this length, but I'm determined. Wanting a challenge for myself, and wanting to do something for a good cause prompted me to join this marathon. There is about 2.5 months left to train before the Big Day is here. Wish me luck!

Did You Know:

4 out of 5 African American women are overweight or obese?!

The group Black Girls Run was created to change that! Check it out and see if there's a local group for you to join:



Source



~~~~~~~~~~

These are just a few milestones and goals that are active in my life right now.

Do you have any goals or milestones you've reached recently?! How is that New Years Resolution looking....have you stuck with it?

Start thinking about your goals and milestones *hint hint* Thank you again for supporting Naturally MzDezy and feel free to share this post and  Tweet me @MzDezy!!

Length Check & Updates

In the past the length of my hair wasn't as much of a priority to me as the health and condition of my hair. I still feel that hair grows back and there's nothing wrong with cutting it. In October of 2011 I signed up for a hair challenge, It's All Mine. After doing a henna treatment I blow dried, trimmed, and flat ironed my hair straight. I noticed that my hair has grown a lot. Even though I've been completely relaxer free for some years now I never stopped getting hair cuts. The cuts were more than just a trim so prior to joining the hair challenge my hair appeared to stay the same length. It's definitely been a challenge to keep the scissors away from my hair if it's not for trimming purposes.

If you haven't checked out Naturally MzDezy on Facebook yet I encourage you to! I recently posted a photo showing my hair growth from October 2011 to the present.

The Natural Hair Challenge 2014 is now closed, but if you're interested in seeing how much hair you can grow and retain I'd say go for it! "Unofficially join" the challenge by pledging to do all that's necessary to protect, and maintain your hair. For me the trick is staying on top of conditioning daily, deep conditioning as needed, and trimming as needed. Wearing styles other than poofs and wash n go's has helped me be successful in growth retention. Being challenged to do protective styling has been interesting as well. I've come up with some pretty creative hair styles along the way.

Have you been documenting your own hairs progress? Do you have pictures of styles you've done on yourself or others? Share your pictures via Naturally MzDezy on Facebook, and be added to the "Hair I Did" album!! You'd be surprised by who you can inspire with your hair photos. You can also send me a Tweet @MzDezy!

~~~~~~~~~~

Some Naturally MzDezy via Facebook "Hair I Did" Photos

Naturally Meet: Karita

It's been a while since we've had a Naturally Meets post, so I decided to bring it back with a friend of mine. This beauty has overcome many obstacles and continues to climb, break barriers, and achieve a list of goals. She's very talented, wears many hats, is down to earth, and rocks natural hair. If you haven't already heard her name, be on the look out! I'd like you to Naturally Meet Karita Fleming!!

How long have you had natural hair? Over 10 years

What's your definition of natural hair? Just no relaxers, because to say chemical free is silly. You're setting yourself up for the impossible, because even dreadlocks require maintenance with conditioners and shampoos; all which have chemicals in it. Even the water we use to wash it has chemicals in it.

Do you have a favorite style to wear?  I love em all. My style changes when the wind blows. I can flat iron it straight, add color, or rock a giant afro. The possibilities are limitless.

Any must have products?  Just recently discovered Mane and Tail detangler, it is a life saver. It quite literally transformed my hair from a gnarled up monkey knuckle that would break a comb, into a healthy manageable tangle free mess of curls.

If you could suggest 2 things to someone who's considering going relaxer free what would they be? First, don't think just because your hair is natural you have to rock an afro for the rest of your life. As a model or actress, for me having to always rock the same style would be a career killer. Natural offers the same hair options as a relaxer, and in fact more, because you can now dye your hair, you can straighten it with a flat iron, wear weaves and wigs, play with textures, or you can rock an afro with little to no lasting damage to your hair.

Second, to be honest not everyone looks good with the afro just as some people can't rock short hair or red hair, or blond isn't your thing, but please really explore all your natural options, for instance like more people don't know this, but Queen Latifah has natural hair she keeps braided in cornrows or flat ironed.

What was your biggest hair mishap? The last hair show I did for Paul Mitchell. It was so terrible. They bleached my hair then died it 5 colors, and shaved a headband into my head and cut out little stars in the middle of my hair.

How did you cope?  After the show I went home and balled my eyes out. Let's just say a good chunk of that pay check went to getting me a nice wig for a month or two.

Where do you get hair styles/fashion tips from? From anywhere and everywhere, sometimes it might be an anime I saw, a film, book, my shoes, or the way the sunsets and the biggest is YouTube. Someone will know how to exactly what you want to do to your hair and tell you how to do it step by step. I learned how to cornrow my own hair last night for instance and I love making my own clothes so it gives you that too.

Do you have any fav hair sites, blogs, or magazines?  I look for inspiration from every possible source. I have to admit it, but I am that chick that loves getting the hottest styles first (just to be like you ain't up on this). So I usually watch YouTube for most of the fashion weeks from around the world. It usually is an indicator of the next big trends. I love love love Trendhunter.com. Being a model and actress means you have to take in a lot of media from music videos to magazines. Well, I haven't actually read a real magazine in a long time, but my favorite blog, besides yours, is MUSE from Paris, and Cutie from Japan, and of course ISIS from the U.K. As for films the biggest influence right now is, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," original version and anime from Japan. I have to stop there, because this would take over the whole blog to name them all off.

~~~~~~~~~~

What does your family and friends think about your hair? My mom is so not a fan, but my boyfriend loves it when I pull out my Foxy Cleopatra (my Afro's nickname).

Are you your hair?  Yes and no. Hair is dead; it isn't a living organism no matter what a hair commercial tells you. But what I do with my hair is an expression of me.

If your hair had a theme song, what would it be? Chaka Kahn 1979 "I'm Every Woman"

Did you transition from your relaxed hair, or did you do the big chop? I actually got bored of my hair when I was about 16. Like I always had long relaxed hair for most of my life, and one day I wanted my hair to be a reflection of me, so I chopped it all off like the chick from 28 days later and never looked back.

 Any pics to share? Girl, they are plastered all over my internet and facebook, but I have a few just for your blog.

Is there anywhere we can see more of you online? Recently I was featured in Vibe Vixen Magazine, and finished an editorial for ISIS, which is a British mag dedicated to natural hair. You can also see me on the first season of MTV2's Burnout the Ultimate Challenge, and soon to be aired Syfy Pilot "Wizard Hunters." Also check out my page and Facebook.

Twitter? @KaritaFleming

Naturally MzDezy on Facebook

Have you checked out the Facebook Group: Naturally MzDezy?? What are you waiting for ^_^" Here is a peek at a few of the latest posts:

Styling Ideas for All Ages

~~~~~~~~~~

A #NaturalHair support group in Cleveland, OH!  <~~ Links to natural hair news, updates, and stories from different locations!

You can find, "LOTS of #NaturalHair inspirational pics!" Even links to lists of pictures.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hair Inspiration



Source

~~~~~~~~~~

Encouragement

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
- Thomas A. Edison

"Some days we just need a reminder."

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."
— BRUCE LEE

~~~~~~~~~~

Be sure to Like & Share Naturally MzDezy on Facebook!! Occasionally there will be a Giveaway for group members or even a chance to sample Red.Daisy Products made by MzDezy!

Whipped Shea Coconut Shimmer Body Butter

As always, thanks for stopping by!!! Tweet me @MzDezy ^_~"

Step by Step: Hawk Variation

After wearing my hair in a twist out for a while I needed to wash and style it for Easter, but was short on time. Instead I thought of an easy style to get me through the day until I could wash my hair that night. The end result of this style looks like a mohawk made of puffs.

Tools I used: Shea butter mixture, 3 rubber bands, 7 standard sized protected bobby pins, 1 large protected bobby pin, and hair pins (number may vary)

I didn't want to manipulate my hair too much so I didn't use a comb. To begin I smoothed on my shea butter mixture to moisturize my hair and to give it a shine. Next I sectioned my hair into 4 sections making the biggest in the front of my head.

(Right) The red shows where a rubber band is used. The brown shows where rough parts were made.

Tip: If you part your hair using a comb you'll be able to see the parts easier in the finished product. If you use your hands/fingers to section your hair there won't be parts showing in the finished style.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

The very first hump in a basic pompadour secured with one large bobby pin. Once that's completed I moved on to the next pony tail in line. The hair is roughly divided into two parts, rolled, and then secured with a standard bobby pin.

 (Right) The red shows how the pony tail is roughly divided into two parts. The brown shows where the rubber band is securing the ponytail.

Tip: The rubber bands don't have to be very tight, or to pull your hair uncomfortably in any way. The sections that are pinned don't have to be exactly the same size either.

~~~~~~~~~~

After your first section is finished it should look similar to this:

 (Right) The brown shows the direction the hair was rolled. Yellow shows where a bobby pin was placed and red shows the rubber band that was used.



Tip: You can see that the pompadour was bobby pinned in two places since the section was so large. I made the next section's rolls large enough to touch and blend with the roll next to it. You won't notice the rubber bands once the rolls are done.

~~~~~~~~~~

Continue to roll and pin for the remaining pony tails.

Tip: When you section your hair, if you make the sections smaller as you go towards the back of your head the puffs will appear to cascade down your head ^_~" Also, when securing with the standard bobby pins, place one pin on each side of the roll. This will help minimize the amount of bobby pins needed.

~~~~~~~~~~

The last step when all of the rolls are pinned is to just clean up any stray hairs, curls, or make the puffs tighter with the hair pins. Since I started this with hair that had been previously twisted I had random strays all over the place.

After pinning everything how I liked here is the result:

 

Follow & Tweet me @MzDezy

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Night Care: Since this style is so simple to do I take it down completely and cover with a satin bonnet before bed. In the morning I sprits with my EO water mixture, smooth and restyle.

This hawk variation, puff hawk --- what would you call it?? --- has many pros:

• Can be worn by people with different hair lengths
• The number of puffs can be changed very easily to switch up the style
• People who are transitioning can wear this style
• Doesn't take a lot of time to style
• Easy style for people of all skill levels to achieve
• Can serve as a protective style since the ends of your hair are covered

~~~~~~~~~~

I encourage you to try this style!! If you do make sure you post it on the Facebook Fan Page, so that it may be added to the "Hair I Did" album for others to see! You're welcome to post any and all natural hair pictures of styles you've created or styles that inspire you in some way!

Hair Oops!

Have you ever had a hair disaster before?? How did you fix it, or cope with it? While reading about some past and present style icons I came across some info about the great late singer Billie Holiday. Besides a powerful voice, Lady Day was known for wearing gardenia flowers in her hair. This led to a trend that many still follow. I personally can't get enough of hair flowers! Did you know that this was an accidental trend? Yep, it's true! Mrs. Holiday had a section of hair burned off by a curling iron that was too hot!! To mask the area she pinned flowers all over it. This cover-up turned out to be a signature look for her.



Source

~~~~~~~~~~

My hair oops

During my 1st attempt at transitioning I tried to straighten my hair with a straightening comb. Bad BAD idea! The comb was way too hot and literally burned through my hair. Just my luck it happened to be a section at the crown of my head. I was left with a cluster of about 1 inch hairs sticking straight up in the air. Imagine the little hairs on top of tweety birds head, SO embarrassing! There was really no way to cover this up. It took a few months of scalp massages with tea tree oil and heat avoidance to grow the spot out to a workable length. I definitely learned my lesson, and have not repeated it since! I wish I had pictures of it to serve as a warning of what heat damage can do.

~~~~~~~~~~

Post your hair mishaps, oops', trial/errors, etc over on Facebook! I'd love to hear them...if you also have pics, please share!

You can also Tweet me your pics @MzDezy ^_~"

Video: Warning High Heat!

Warning: High Heat!

How do you protect your hair from heat damage?? Do you have any horror stories? I know I do!! One of the worst things that I've don't to my hair was trying to hot comb it. The comb was way too hot and burned right through my hair. The section was on the crown of my head. so there was no hiding it. About two inches of hair was left. Terrible!! Learned my lesson with that! You can learn more about heat damage H E R E!!

Share your stories on my Facebook Fan Page wall! H E R E!!

CLOSED: Hair Challenge 2014!

In case you didn't know, there's a hair challenge going on right now, and it is Free.99! I've decided to commit and join in with it. Basically it's for you to grow your hair naturally for the next two years. The challenge is for you not to wear wigs, weaves, or braid extensions! This can be hard, especially with winter coming, and protective styles, such as these, being worn a lot during this season. There are women from all over who are joining the challenge. There will be future events, before and after pics, networking, you can talk to others who have joined it, and more.

Over these two years you are to maintain healthy hair, and grow it to a length of your choosing. Here's a quick fact from the Natural Hair Challenge 2014 site:

"Hair grows about ½ inch per month, so in one year you could easily grow 6” of hair.  In two and a half years you could grow 15 inches of natural hair and even more if your factor in the hair you started with.  If you started with 4" of hair, that could easily total 19 inches of hair …"

I always try to keep my hair growing and healthy. Sticking with this is part of my New Year Resolution! I think it will be fun to challenge myself to grow my hair longer in this time frame! The other part of my New Year Resolution is to stick to things on my to do list. I always make a list of things I want to do, need to do, places I want to go, places to see, etc., but never get to them. My resolution is that once a month I will do one thing on my to do list!

Examples of things on my list:

1. Try a specific restaurant in town
2. Try out for a specific group I'm interested in
3. Attend an annual festival I never make it to
4. Visit some small local shops I've never been to

What is your New Year Resolution and how do you plan on sticking to it??? It's def not too early to start thinking about it! Have you ever stuck to a resolution that you made? What's the longest you've went? That leads me to this........a New Year Resolution Giveaway!!!!

To Enter You Must:

1. Follow me on Twitter, and tweet "I'm entering @MzDezy New Year Resolution Giveaway #NaturalHair" (Bonus Entry)
2. Like A Natural Hair Affair fan page on Facebook, and on the wall say what your New Year Resolution is, AND how you plan to stick with it. (1 Entry)

Rules:

1. Must follow me on Twitter, and tweet the above message (Bonus Entry)
2. Must like the Facebook fan page, submit your resolution AND plan (1 Entry)
3. All submissions must be received before 11:59 PM December 31, 2011

Giveaway Prize:

The winner of this giveaway will receive a gift basket with things to help them with their New Year Resolution!! You'll be nice and refreshed in the new year, and able to keep track of your progress. 

Included: Note pads to keep you on track of your new year resolution, a jar of my hand whipped shea coconut body & hair butter, a jar of my sweet almond body sugar scrub, a sample of my lavender bath salts, a manicure/pedicure tool set, and a pair of my handmade earrings!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Helpful links:

A Natural Hair Affair Facebook fan page H E R E!!
@MzDezy on Twitter H E R E!!
Hair Challenge 2014 official site H E R E!!
Hair Challenge 2014 Facebook page H E R E!!

CLOSED: Hakuna Matata Giveaway

A NATURAL HAIR AFFAIR: HAKUNA MATATA

Las Vegas!! This is the last year for the Vegas show, so go now before it's gone!

Hakuna Matata is Swahili for, "there are no worries". That's what I think of when it comes to my hair. I'm pretty laid back and carefree about it. My hair is important to me, but I refuse to let it be me if that makes sense. When I'm styling it, accessorizing it, or just wearing it day to day I don't really have any worries about it. Hakuna Matata fits my personality when it comes to my hair. It doesn't hurt that the Lion King is my all time favorite Disney movie,  ^_~"  and probably the best Broadway musical I've ever seen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red is my favorite color, and I love wearing fros!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to have a business card made to help spread the word about my blog. Most importantly I wanted it to portray me! I had no clue of how to make one, where to buy one, or anything. Dun dunna duuun, Liz to the rescue!! Liz is a great photographer, and artist that I had the pleasure of meeting. It was so much fun being able to work with her. It was at least 90 degrees, and we were working in a huge warehouse with no air conditioner.

Can you tell we were being tortured by the elements doing this???

Since Liz has been oh so great to me I wanted her to be a part of my blog. Now it's your turn to Naturally Meet Liz:


What's your name? Liz Pumphrey


How old are you? 27


Where are you from? I'm originally from a little town called Bandera, the self proclaimed "Cowboy Capital of the World." Yeah it's about an hour outside of San Antonio, Texas. I work hard to hide my southern accent.

What do you do..job, hobbies? My full time job is teaching, but my favorite job is being a professional photographer. Photography is my passion, and I'm fortunate enough to have my own business! I also like to play video games, knit, and spend time with my husband and our dog.

What was your first impression when we met? You can be honest...I won't cry, promise! You were infectiously upbeat and I LOVED it!


How would you describe your hair? I love my hair. It's naturally wavy, but easy to straighten which makes it very versatile. It can also be problematic, because there is so much of it. Sometimes it just wants to hang there instead of having movement, so a good cut is a MUST. Ultimately, I think I have sexy hair....when its not in a pony tail.  

What are your thoughts on natural/chemical free hair? Too many girls go for that "dead, frizzy, fried" look and to be honest...its not sexy. At all. I think natural hair is more manageable and attractive than hair that's been destroyed by chemicals. That said, I do dye my hair, but I've educated myself on the best ways to do it without causing damage, and if I have questions then I go see my stylist.


Any must have products? My blow dryer...not that it's a product per say, but it's a necessity. I also keep a bottle of Tony and Guy's Frizz Ease around for days when my hair is really unruly.


Where do you currently get hair tips and ideas from? I Google punky/emo/funky hair and go from there. lol Not that I can do any of the things I want to do with my full time job....Sigh. 


Where can you and/or your work be found at online?
Photography Website
Model Website  
Facebook

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No worries, red, and, my love for fros helped inspire the business card (above) Liz designed. So here comes my challenge. If you had to make, or find an image that fit your personality what would it look like? Show me and tell me how it reflects you!!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a little more than 2 weeks I'll choose a winner for my very first giveaway!! I'll be giving away a super cute, fancy business card holder. Below you can see the one that I use!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*** R U L E S !! ***

1. Enter via email, Twitter, Myspace, or Facebook
2. Submit an image that is NOT you, but reflects your personality
3. Tell me how it represents you
4. In the Subject line, or available space put, "I'm entering @MzDezy Hakuna Matata giveaway"
5. Be Creative and have fun!!!
6. 18 yrs of age or older to enter please

Want More Entries??

You may enter up to 4 times 

1. Email me your submission
2. Follow me on Twitter, then Tweet @MzDezy by the above rules
3. Like "A Natural Hair Affair: Hakuna Matata" Facebook Fan Page, then post by the above rules
4. Friend me on Myspace, then submit by the above rules 

Giveaway Closes October 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM