Photo Update month 67

63 Months

March 13th made five years and three months having these locs. Mary bantu'd them two days ago, and I took them down this morning. She used light setting lotion on wet hair. I did spend twenty minutes under the dryer at one point, too.

The bantu knots were not too tight, but sleeping can be uncomfortable at first even when the knots are not tight. For the most part, they stayed in place. I spent some time re-wrapping or knotting a few along the way.

Because my locs are a bit larger, I don't get the curls I desire from Bantu knots, but the waves are nice. They last a good while. The fullness effect is bold. My locs go from flat to way full whenever I do this. My head seems "ge-normous," but I don't mind because the style is cool for me.

The back never seems to hold the curl or wave too well. I think I may just roll the back next time. I am always a bit disappointed when I spent so much time waiting in bantu knots only to have the back fall right back flat. Fortunately, the length of my hair is longer on the top, so those waves can cascade over the few unwilling locs in the back.

All in all, I am satisfied with the style. Next time I have a long break like this Spring break, I may just keep the bantu knots in for the entire week. After day two, I learned how to sleep with them a little better.

As far as the years of having my locs are concerned, I reflect back on my install, and I remember that my consultant, Imani, had just entered her seventh year with Sisterlocks. Today, she has had her locs for 12 years. They are still stunning, and time will tell where my locs will be in seven years.

Blessings~

Five Year Update or 60 months

Here are some pics from Christmas 2008. My five year date has come and gone.

December 13, 2003. Maryee and I spent Christmas with our adopted brother and sister Tim and Jackie Willis in Dickinson, Tx. It's really League City, but with a Dickinson/Santa Fe zip code. They are wonderful! I created the back flip tie look with my locks in the pics above. With this length, I can go without using any hair tie accessories from time to time. I still love my Brunsli Hair Tie, but desperately need an "upgrade". I've worn the ones we got a while back, out!

Have a very Happy New Year!!!

Blessings~

Endorsements Election USA 08

I was curious to see the list of endorsements for each candidate. It was striking in numbers, but also telling in names. One thing I noticed was that two (Ind/former R) Senators support one candidate while one (Ind/former D) Senator supports another. These folk sure do circle the wagons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama_endorsements

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_John_McCain_presidential_campaign_endorsements



Back in Texas from my 30 day excursion. Had a restful and enjoyable time seeing the country and catching up with friends.


This month is the 58 month since install. Thank you, Imani for setting me straight. You are the best consultant, and I love you much! Get this, the woman has only gone up ten dollars on her services in almost four years. Still loving my Sisterlocks!

Big shout out to MARYEE... Happy 38th birthday! Love you, Sister!!!

Blessings~

Vancouver beautiful and growing

Blessings~

Red, Brown, and Gray all over

It's in there. Can't wait until the gray is more pronounced. Right now I just want to cut those gray hairs down to the nub.

Loc count: 275 total.






Blessings~

It Gets Better and Better

Here are some update pictures. 51 months and still growing. The color is naturally two toned... Who knows? I don't try to figure it out.














I still enjoy my Sisterlocks. It has been a trip to say the least. At every stage of growth, I have been "undone" with enthusiasm... except for maybe months 2 and 3 when the slippage was common. At every stage of definitive growth (baby, toddler, teenager, and now young adult), I thought I was "too much for colored television." But it just keeps getting better.
















The downside... There are two issues I do not particularly enjoy: the speckles and the dry flaky scalp.

I am kinda stuck with the dry scalp. I have seasonal flaking/dandruff no matter what style or chemical or extensions, etc., I "rock"... But the speckles are annoying as all get out. Trimming helps a bit, but I suffer them because I love my locs (warts and all).















I am enjoying the tubular form of my locs these days. Because I have combined so many, the look has really taken the form I was trying to achieve when I first had my locs installed. This makes me very pleased that I followed my instinct to combine the smaller locs when the timing was right to do so.















Hands down, getting Sisterlocks, combining my locs, and sticking with my locs at every stage are some of the best decisions I have made concerning my hair... (with the exception of when I shaved my hair all off the very first time, lol!) That was a very bold thing I did back in 1995, but shaving my hair to the quick woke me up a little, and I needed that then. Now, I can say with a "big ol' grin"...

Sisterlocks has reinvigorated my attention to and joy in my natural hair. And this is what I need now.

Be Blessed~

Tagged 2008

I have been tagged by n'Drea. Here we go~

Tag Rules

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Responses

1) I love children's laughter

2) I very much enjoy chewing on the soft kind of ice (not the hard frozen kind)

3) Hummingbirds in Spring gathering nectar sooth me

4) Quarreling Squirrels in a park make me say, "Hey, cut that out..."

5) I have to whistle from time to time

6) For me... Big 10 cent words are fun to use when correcting teens and adults who just don't always seem to "get it" with small kind words.

I am tagging: NaturalistOne, Sunsail, Moosiko, Djt, Drea, and Cee

Blessings~

Bantu Knots Experiment

December 31st, Maryee fashioned a number of bantu knots in my head. She just twisted three locs together at a time and then bantu'd them. I kept them in about ten hours. They hurt my head too much to leave in any longer. She really did a monster grip job of placing them firmly into position.

By the way, she used a mixture of Jamaican Mango & Lime (Lock & Set Styling Lotion) and Lotta Body after I initially wet my hair. She could have used more, but she had somewhere to go; hence, she hurried to get through.

I sat under the dryer for about 30 minutes, but my hair was not dry. I just kept them in as long as I could stand it. As a result I have had waves for almost four days and counting. It is nice to have this big head full of waves to start off the new year. It seems the waves are not going to fall unless I wet them down. Pretty good staying time, I think.

Thanks Maryee!

Maryee also just purchased Soft Spikes, so this should prove to be a year full of exciting big hair, locs, curls, and waves... I am very excited about the soft spikes.

I am so tender-headed it is not even funny. That is one of the main reasons I avoid styling my locs... the pain... the pain... Another reason... this town doesn't motivate me to reach that high and my ever popular reason... "just choosing not to."

The last pics are from last night. The waves are still going strong.





Blessings and have a wonder-filled, peace-filled, and awesome new year~

48 months Later 4 Year Anniversary

I've have spent four years in a relationship with Sisterlocks. I have not regretted one day. Since my sister Maryee came home with her new locs, resulting in my mouth flying open in awe, I was instantly "moved" to join the Sisterlock revolution. I abandoned the traditional approach I had utilized. I had worn locks that I cultivated and maintained myself, but I have to say that the Sisterlock method changed my entire perspective on locking, dreadlocks, and natural hair.

I am grateful that Dr. Cornwell created a business and a lifestyle "adjuster" that both transformed/(s) lives and affected/(s) so much positive change for the greater good.

Dr. Cornwell states, " You will see that Sisterlocks is much more than a hair care system. It's more like a movement, and it is really powerful! We welcome everyone who has positive energy to share, to join in this movement! ENJOY!"

As a former locked head, it was not the fact that Sisterlocks was just any other way to lock your hair, it was the entire notion of creating a method where uniformity and integrity were placed in the forefront by way of how one approached the process of cultivating/sowing the locks, relationship and information was mandated up front, and thoughtfulness, respect for decision-making, accountability, and personal responsibility were not afterthoughts.

My consultant wanted to be clear that I understood what I was getting into, and that the process I would be going through was established on sound business principles and a sound business philosophy. She wanted me to be sure that I was ready to make a commitment both financially and aesthetically, a long term commitment. I am sure she dreaded(s) seeing a first time client, but she courageously braved(s) the storm of questions about "short-cuts", "whys nots", and "how comes" with dignity and grace.

Did I want it to be easier, quicker, more economical/inexpensive? Sure. But because I ultimately submitted to the procedure, I am all the better for it. I humbled myself and submitted. I saved the money necessary to go through the process. I waited the period of time I was asked to so as to be on the other side both grateful and having tremendous respect for my consultant and the Sisterlock method and family. So after four years, I remain ever so happy I made this choice. I have no regrets.

Understanding and realizing there are other approaches and methods men and women are choosing everyday to manage their hair, I am in no way suggesting that other methods have no merit. I am simply celebrating my four year anniversary by saying "thank you" little seedling for growing into the grand fruit producer that you are.

I love my Sisterlocks.

Blessings~

So Many New Loc'd People

Please visit the Locked Blog Hair Exchange if you have a chance. There are so many new bloggers and fotki members to find out about. It is truly a blessings to have met and learned about all these loc'd folk. Keep sharing!

Happy Holidays~

Bit of Loc Chat

Natch commented:

I am new to So Cal, I have Sisterlocks but I like what you said about how yours are larger and that you've combined some. Could I hear more about your locks, their maintenance and your consultant?

Sadly, I do not live in Southern California anymore. Since 2005, my sister and I have been in our hometown of Waco, Texas (yee-haw). Imani Nash-Bey installed our Sisterlocks in November (Maryee) and December (me) of 2003. Since the installation, my locs have matured well. Imani's new shop is called HairStory. Check out her myspace for cool updates.

There was a rough patch between 2005 and 2006 when my locs experienced the withdraws of not having Imani care for them. They just loved Imani. The closest consultant to Waco was located in the DFW area, and we were very under employed. Whereas Imani's fee was a flat rate of 60 USD to retighten, the DFW's consultant's fee was 45 USD per hour. Needless to say, maintenance on a regular basis suffered.

Early on in Waco, Maryee took a trip to Euless (DFW) to take the retightening class. She helped me a bit to maintain my locs. During the rough time, however, I would two strand twist to try to maintain form. I experienced some breakage at the crown and decided to sew in (graft) hair to prevent the breakage and to encourage growth. This worked well for me. Since my hair line has the tendency to sprout new hair and the locs at the crown of my head tend to recede, I just wait for enough new hair to appear, crate a baby loc and then sew in a loc I previously had combined.

Also, my hair is very strange. I have a few areas on the top of my head where tufts of hair appear out of nowhere it seems. I try to pull this random hair into an existing loc, but the hair always manages to slip right out after one wash. I have recently decided to just start a loc and sew a loc into this tuft of hair. It is the only thing that seems to work because this hair is "indy-loc/combine-loc" resistant.

I started off with around 500 locs, now I am under 300. I'd say I have between 270 and 280 because of adding and subtracting/combining and sewing in. I have a few locs that are smaller yet healthy and a few that are larger yet healthy. I am trying to beef up the smaller ones a bit when I find an opportunity to combine them. Certainly for me, a few factors must fall into place before I make the leap to merge. Loc proximity to the other, girth of loc, and my mood. See December 2005 post on sewing in locs.

At times there are concerns of weightiness for me and strength of root bed, but that is just a part of the struggle to maintain faith. I purpose myself to choose not to worry and that makes a big difference in my choices with my locs. I am sure that whatever we (my locs and me) have to face, we will be fine. If you look at my sister Maryee's locs and my locs, you can see the difference in width/diameter. She wanted the flexibility to roll and set or style, and I wanted the bolder, freer, and funkier look... That is one reason why I had them installed a bit larger and why I combined my locs,- the other... mistakes in re-tightening and living with the error.

Regarding shampoo, moisture treatment, dry scalp, or grooming...

I shampoo about twice a month (Sisterlock shampoo). Because of the slippage, I can not shampoo more frequently. Because I love to shampoo my hair often, but I choose not to, I am bummed about this slippage issue. If I have an opportunity to have a consultant again, I will sho'nuf shampoo more. I would hope the consultant would know best how to keep that little hair in its place.

I moisture treat and spray moisture treat more during dry scalp seasons (Sisterlock Moisture Treatment and Spray Moisture Treatment). The change in the weather creates a change in my internal make up, hence manifesting in dry skin, scalp, and flux in my cuticles. This is usually at the onset of Autumn and Spring... Ahh my favorite seasons, but itchy...

I generally groom my hair with sharp cuticle scissors about four times a year. I also suffer from the cuticle specks many other loc'd folk have. They are a pain, but such as life. I try to cut them out, but I more than likely need to be more careful not to pull at my roots too aggressively when re-tightening my locs. They tend to be isolated at the front of the head. There are no noticeable cuticles at the back of my head. And to add... I prefer the Sisterlock clip tool over the hook tool, and I purchased and tried the Nappy tool, but have no desire to use it at all.

Next year will be quite interesting. The locs will be heading into a new stage of growth and uniqueness. I am looking forward to it. I love my Sisterlocks. I hope you love yours as well.

Click here for earlier post my journey...

Be blessed~

Coming Up On Forty-Eight Months

Some comparison shots from June 2006

February 2007


Two bottom ones are October 2007

Blessings~

A Few Pics from the Ft. Worth DFW Gathering

Blessings~