curly walk

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Hey there lovelies,

I decided that I'd like to do something more interactive with those reading this blog (and their friends and family).  I came up with the idea of combining some of my favorite things, exercise, talking, hanging out with friends, and hair talk.  So, I am starting a new initiative and I hope that you'll join me.  Each Sunday (unless it's a holiday or I'm being mega lazy) I will start taking a walk at River Front Park on Huger St. in Columbia.  The walk will begin at 4:30 and take as long as those participating would like (the walk can be brisk or leisurely for any distance).  I thought that this would be a great way to hang out, chat and get up and move (I mean, beach season is here;-).  So, I'd love for those of you who are local to come join me.  Please don't make me have to go out there and talk to myself because then people look at you funny (not to say I know that from personal experience ;-)  So, the first walk will be this Sunday May 1.  If you are joining feel free to just show up at 4:30 or to let me know in advance.  If you want to carpool (I'm all for earth friendly) shoot me an email or text and let me know.  I'm excited!!!!  Hope to see lots of you out there.   

Have a wonderful and safe weekend!!!
Love, peace, and happiness

quick rant about stereotyping-let's talk about it

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Hey there wonderful people,

I have a quick rant to get off of my chest.  So, yesterday at school (I go to school at a medical university) a strange man was spotted on our floor, and it was presumed that he was intending to steal.  I get home last night and my room mate is talking to me about it and she says "why would a man with a full on gold front think that he can fit in in the student room at a med school."-that's paraphrased, but almost exact.  Okay, so this bothered me slightly but I usually half pay attention to my room mate b/c she is always talking.  However, as I thought about it more, it bothered me a lot bit.  Now before I really rant, let me put two things out there, 1.) I at first did stereotype by thinking a man with a full front who was suspected of being in the area for the purpose of stealing must be Black (and I acknowledge that this is shame on me) and 2.) my room mate it white suburbia at its finest.  Okay, so for the rant, why can't he fit in?  Who gets the say in what the typical medical student, graduate student, or anything gets to look like?  This completely goes back to the "you look so professional" comment.  I mean, if truth be told I don't look like I fit in so what does that mean my room mate and others at the school are really/secretly thinking about when they see me?  Or am I an okay exception for some reason?  That really got under my skin.  While I was at my maddest about this I made the decision that I should be more out there and wear my hair even bigger and dress even more "abnormal" (by my department's standards at least) and fit in even less (if that's possible). 

I also began wondering what I'll do with my hair when I go for job interviews.  Usually if I have something professional to do I do not opt for straightening my hair, but I make it a bit "more tame" shall we say-for example, twists, twist-out, pulled back in a bun.  Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem with my hair, but when I'm giving a talk or something I much rather people pay attention to me and not my hair.  So, we see this terrible phenomenon (basically being Black is not being "professional" or "fitting in" in an academic setting unless you have assimilated to white man's standards) and how do we correct it.  I am all for "to each his own" so I in no way think a stand should be made by everyone turning "Afrocentric," but if that's the way I choose to go that should be accepted as long as I'm doing my job and I'm doing it well.  Now that I've ranted I can think clearly for a moment, and I wonder if this will ever change. 

"we are in places that weren't created for us"-this is a quote I heard frequently at a national Black graduate student conference that I attended.  I have not found this quote to be so true as I now am.  I feel like my little naive eyes are finally being opened to the big mean world around.  What do I do now?!?!?  Part of me wants to hide and only surround myself around those who would think I fit in and the other part wants to take a stand an change the world one bigot at a time.

What are your thoughts?  Leave a note.....

Aveeno conditioner, yup, another new product

Hello there lovely people,

I have another new product to review.  Recently Publix had Aveeno hair products on sale so I decided to buy a conditioner (I'm all for a sale product).  I decided on the Nourish+Mosturize.    When I first squeezed it into my hand to use I was a bit hesitant about this product because I thought it would be too thin and light.  Typically when I go for a conditioner, especially one that will be used during detangling sessions, I like something thick, creamy, and a bit heavy.  However, after using this stuff I absolutely loved it.  I had no problem with detangling my hair, and have found this Aveeno conditioner to be an awesome leave in.  When I do a wash and go and use Aveeno for a leave in my hair is soft and moisturized even on the next day.  I also find the price to be pretty reasonable (about $6 for 12oz).  I do, however, have a concern with this product.  One of the top ingredients (numero 2) is a silicone.  Silicones have gotten mixed reviews with some people detesting them because they are said to not be water soluble.  As you may know I don't shampoo my hair which is the best way to remove silicones (note: there are different types of silicones and I am referring to dimethicone).  The concern with not removing silicones from your hair is that they will build up ultimately causing other products (including water) to not be able to reach your hair, therefore leaving your hair dry and vulnerable.  I have not taken a strong stance on silicone products yet, so I think I will keep using my Aveeno (currently one-two times per week) and decide how I feel once the bottle empties.  So, for my pros and cons list.

Pros

• inexpensive
• easy to find (Publix, Target, drugstores, etc.)
• good moisturizer for wash and go (I have not tried it on dry hair yet)
• doesn't require a lot
• can be used for regular conditioning or as a leave in (I currently prefer as a leave in simply because it's cheaper than the leave in I am using (Beautiful Curls))

Cons

• contains a lot of silicones
• more expensive than most store brands such as Dove-however this is a small one, b/c the price difference isn't big and it's still quite under $10 for about a month supply

So, looking at my pros and cons list, this is a keeper for now, but the final say will come after some more use and an empty bottle. 

That's all I have for now, tootles.
Love, peace and happiness

Check it out!

milk + honey series trailer from brown paper dolls on Vimeo.

Hey there lovely people,

This preview was shared with me by the lovely Ms. Williams, and I thought I'd share it with you.  Some very talented people have come together to create a potential new television series.  Currently, the series is still waiting to be picked up by a station, but the creators are hoping that with a million views it will be.  The series features the lives of an all Black group and was created by Black executives, including.....drum roll please....Debbie Allen and Idris Elba.  Need more reason to watch?  One of the cast members is none other than one of my potential future husbands, Lance Gross.  I may just give them those million views they need  ;-)  Hope you enjoy. 

Tootles, and pass the link along to others
http://vimeo.com/18093788

Where have all the good people gone....

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Hello there my lovelies,

I hope that everyone is wonderful, and excited about the upcoming weekend.  I was listening to the radio the other day, and was just reminded of the fact that there are still a lot of good, kind-hearted people out there.  So often, we only hear about and focus on the negative things going on in the world that we overlook and don't dare to recognize when good is done.  I was listening to 89.7 which is a Christian Rock/Inspirational radio station here in Columbia, and they had people call in to tell about others who had gone out of their way to be helpful.  One lady called in and told a story of a police officer who took about an hour to teach her son (who was 4 at the time and insisted on walking out into the street) how to properly cross the street.  This nice deed done by the cop really meant a lot to this struggling mom who was at her wits end.  On the radio station they also do the Friday drive through.  This is a challenge to people to pay for the meal of the car behind them when at the drive through window.  I've heard many stories from callers who have done this or had this done for them talking about how good it makes them feel in both scenarios.  Hearing all the positivity that is put out by this radio station always makes me feel so good inside and gives me a strong desire to myself go out and do good.  I just thought I'd share some happy goodness with you to end this week and to begin the weekend.  

Feel free to share with us any stories you have of someone (yourself included) doing a good deed for others.  Have a great weekend!!!!!

Until next time

Love, peace and happiness 

It's wash day-a few tips for decreasing wash day stress

I really like this outfit, it's weird yet a bit chic, and a nice hat always brings an outfit together:-).  Generally speaking I really like the designs by these ladies, the company is HunterDixon, click the caption to check out their stuff

Hello there my lovelies,

I recently was in the company of several wonderful women who all happen to be natural or transitioning (which coincidentally encompasses about 98% of my friends).  During our inevitable natural hair discussion, several people expressed their concern about how long it takes to do our hair on "wash day."  And just to clarify, I define wash day for me as the one day a week I DC (which I've been slack with lately), detangle, and usually twist, but generally speaking it's the day that we each spend the most amount of time on our hair.  I have learned a few tips that have made wash day for me go a lot smoother for me.

1. Set aside the time-My most helpful tip (which I learned from Teri LaFlesh's website) is to have the time it will take for you to do your hair set aside.  Wash day is much less frustrating if you already know that "today I am spending 4 hours on my hair" (obviously the amount of time may vary for each person, but that's what I usually plan for).  If you know that you will spend 4 hours on your hair you will not plan anything to occur during those 4 hours.  However, if you just say I'm going to do my hair, you will be annoyed 2 hours into it, b/c you "weren't expecting" to spend that much time on your hair (in reality we all know how long our hair takes, we just don't always want to admit it ;-).  Going into doing your hair with this mindset is a HUGE help.
2. Section, section, section-I can't remember a time when I didn't do my hair in sections.  Sectioning hair (I usually do 4 or 5 held in place with clips) makes your hair so much easier to manage.  I would suggest that if your hair is 3inches or longer section!!! 
3. Prepare-On wash day I have my little station set up, I pop a TV show DVD into my computer and have it set up to watch while I detangle and listen to while I DC.
4. Use time wisely-I know that when I DC I am going to have time during which I am just sitting so I plan to do work at this time, or read, or write a blog post.  In reality, often I fall asleep while I'm sitting under the conditioning dryer, but I start out with something to do.  And fyi, nap time during DC is awesome, I actually kind of look forward to it.
5. Have a plan-This isn't huge, but I like to already have my mind set as to what I will do with my hair once I rinse the conditioner out.  I suppose this partially goes along with setting aside the right amount of time.
6. Be patient-If you detangle your hair on this day you will definitely need patience.
7. Enjoy it-I used to avoid DCing and twisting my hair b/c I thought it'd take too long, but now that I do it more often, I have learned to enjoy the time I spend with my hair and actually slightly miss it when I don't do it.  Doing your hair can become somewhat therapeutic, as I said it can be good nap time, it's something that you do just for you, and  you get instant gratification. 

Well, lovely people, that's all I have for now.  I hope that something was helpful.  Until next time...

Love, peace and happiness

kinky, a quick rant-let's talk about it

Kinky:  closely or tightly curled (dictionary.com)

Many of us use the word kinky without actually knowing what it means or is.  As defined by dictionary.com I would say that many people (Black and not) have kinky hair, or hair that kinks at times.  Now some people are distraught when they hear this word used to describe their hair, but for most of us, it's true.  I am curious as to how the word got a negative connotation?  I have to admit, although I often describe my own hair as kinky, I was recently slightly annoyed by someone else doing so.  I was at Earthfare, and I asked the lady working about some hair products I was looking at.  She pointed a product out and said a lot of women with kinky hair like this product.  At the time I had my hair pulled back and was wearing an old twist out or something, so the texture wasn't so apparent (at least in my opinion).  It really irritated me that she assumed that all Black people have kinky hair.  Of course I may have assumed that she assumed and in reality she had peeped my hair out.  I later wondered if I would have been as irritated if it were a Black lady saying this to me opposed to a White lady.  I suppose it wasn't as much her calling my hair kinky as it was being put into the box of she's Black so her hair must be kinky.  No racial, ethnic, national group all have the exact same hair texture, but I feel like we so often generalize hair types especially within the Black community.  

So, what I want to know from you all is, does the word kinky have a negative connotation to you?  Is you referring to your hair as kinky different from someone else doing it?  And if so, does the racial background of the other person affect how you take the word to mean?  Hmmm....let's talk about it.     

me and my kinky hair :-)

Quite diggin my beautiful curls



Last night I pre-pooed with Amla Oil (which I'm not loving, too hard to rinse out without shampoo), then I exfoliated with brown sugar, conditioner (Aubrey's Organics), and Almond Oil (this is my current cheaper replacement for Jojoba Oil).  Then I conditioned with Dove Daily Moisture conditioner, and put Beautiful Curls leave-in, let air dry a bit, then braided into 4 braids, put oil and Shay Shay's Butter on the ends (this is whipped Shea butter form a friend).  I have to say I loved the way it came out, I still had some curl, but didn't have to go to bed with my soaked hair out.  I also today, re-braided my hair for about 1hr. while I worked out and sweated, so I'm quite pleased with how it held up, and I LOVE these feathers. 

 Hello there my lovely ladies (and gents if there are any reading),

I, being the recovering product junky that I am, have discovered a new product.  So I was unhappy with how dry my hair was on my off days when I do a wash and go, so that put me on a quest to find a new leave-in.  I wanted to use Alaffia, which I've used in the past and liked.  However, once I got to the store (Rosewood Supermarket for Columbians) I found that the store no longer sells these hair products.  So, I got Beautiful Curls (which is made by the same company) instead.  Oh my goodness, I am loving this stuff.  I bought the Curl Nurturing Shea Butter Leave in and Detangler-Ingredients:  Calendula Extract (aqueous), Neem leaf extract (aqueous), Shea Butter, Virgin Coconut Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Emulsigying Wax, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Sulfate, Choline Chloride, Coconut Oil, Vanilla Flower Extract, Mango Fruit Extract, Citric Acid.

Pros

• moisturizes my hair
• leaves my hair soft
• product is lightweight
• does not leave that build-up feel
• smells yummy
• is good for wash and go and for twists/twist-outs
• natural
• produced by a good company (Alaffia)
• only requires a small amount
• works on wet and dry hair (this is a biggie for me, I have been desparately looking for something that I can use for both wet and dry hair)

Cons

• the price is a bit high for my liking (~$12/12oz bottle)
• doesn't give as much shine as I'd like (I mix it with a bit of Almond Oil and this has been doing the trick for me)

So, as you can clearly see, the pros far outweigh the cons.  This is a product that I completely intend to buy.  I will probably use this only for wash and go, and continue to use Shea Moisture for my twists/twist-outs.  I am mega excited about this, now that it's warming up outside I will for sure be returning to my old faithful wash and gos :-)  That's all I have for now, tootles.

Peace, love and happiness