Hair-versary

It is now a little over a year since I've had my BC and stayed natural. I am so proud of myself that I was able to accomplish this. And I've seen a lot of positive changes in my hair throughout this process. Not only did it grow longer, but now it is as long as it was before I cut it :) I cannot believe it only took one year to grow back! Also, in dumping the hair crack and letting my hair grow freely, I was reintroduced to my natural hair texture and found a head of curls. I think I will wear protective hairstyles for another year to give my hair some more growth and then I will leave it out more.

Here's a look at some of my hair styles throughout this past year. I wore protective styles a lot to keep me from being tempted to go back to the hair crack.

Protective style wig

Natural hair style - wash and go with hair pinned up


Natural style - fro hawk with the sides braided


Protective hairstyle - Full head straight weave


Protective hairstyle - Full head wet 'n wavy weave


Natural hairstyle - bantu knotted then picked out, with a braided front


Protective hairstyle - full head straight weave again


Protective hairstyle - red full head weave


Protective hairstyle - short full head weave


Natural hair slightly blown out 1 year after BC


Nappy-versary length test one year after BC - Not bad...

New protective style - full head long weave

Ready for another year of protective styles, another year of growth, and another year of perm free coils!

Been Gone for Too Long

Wow! So it's been almost a year since my last post, and I must say a lot has changed since then.

First of all I no longer live in Albany and have moved back down to the city -- one of the best decisions I ever made. Ever since I moved down to the city, I have accomplished so much more towards my career that I would've never done in upstate. In addition to finishing college, I also graduated from the Made in New York PA Training Program and have been freelancing in production ever since. I LOVE it! I was blessed to work with and meet some of the most amazing people, including my bf. We have been dating for almost 9 months now and he is just amazing and treats me like a queen. He embraces my natural hair and loves me for who I am. I have learned a lot about life, love and God through him.

I've also experienced some harsh realities of this world that I feel need to be addressed. Although we tend to look the other way, most of us are aware of the appearance discrimination that constantly occurs in the work force. For most companies, it is subtly implied that you need to maintain a certain "image" or act a certain way in order to work for that organization. Don't believe me? Walk into Holister and Abercrombie and what do you see? Most - if not all - the employees are blond and blue eyed. Although truly disappointing, this reality came to me last year when I was let go from my job because of my natural hair. Disgraced, appalled, and disappointed, I was saddened for a few weeks. However, after getting myself together with the support of my friends, I realized that it was the best thing to happen to me because it gave me incentive to move and pursue my interests and while still being me. I was able to embrace my natural beauty and love who I am. So for that, I have to say "thank you".

This Stops Now

It's a new day and what a beautiful day it is! I am feeling great! Although I am still a little sick, I am more positive about life. I've been baptized, I'm alive and well, I have my family and friends and I am blessed. Can't complain. Next on my list is getting healthy and fit. I've had a membership to the gym for 2 months now and I have not taken advantage of all its benefits. How many people spend hundreds of dollars on gym membership each year and then never go? And yet they complain about not being able to lose weight or stay fit. I refuse to be another statistics. I will take advantage of my gym membership and I will see results. It's not that I don't like going, because when I am there, I have fun in the classes. It's just that it is too easy to get comfortable skipping the gym, convincing myself that I'll go the next day or another time. This stops now!

Have Faith

Hello again...

Sorry I was gone for a little bit. I've been feeling a little under the weather. I think I have bronchitis, or at least that is what I have diagnosed myself with. Here's the recap on everything that is going on currently. Yesterday I got baptized! Yes, it's official. After the long anticipated day, I have re-established my relationship with the Lord and have made a commitment to serve Him. One thing I've learned throughout my years is that God is forgiving. No matter what we do and how far we drift away, He still forgives us if we repent. If you love Him and put your trust in Him, He will carry you throughout your most trying times. I know sometimes many of us, including me, tend to forget that and lose faith. That is why I decided to re-evaluate my relationship with God and have done everything I can to strengthen that bond. Aside from letting the world know my position, this baptism has really allowed me a second chance (or third or however many this is) at life. Just wanted to thank all my friends for coming out and supporting me in this journey.


Message of the week:

"When the celebration ends, the dance begins!" -Minister Young

Hello!

Hi everyone. This is my first blog post ever so please bear with me as I get the hang of this thing. (I'm not sure yet how long these entries are supposed to be so I apologize in advance if this gets too long). I originally started this blog as an attempt to "find myself" and get some answers by addressing different areas of my life that I have the power to change or control. For the past couple months I've been feeling trapped and lost and engulfed with anxiety. Maybe it's the fact that I will be turning 25 in less than 2 months or maybe it's because I am now finished with school and now have to start thinking about getting a real job and paying off school loans. Or perhaps its because I am entering a whole new chapter in my life and still have no accomplishments to show for this last chapter.


It's time for a change. I've decided to take back control of my life and make moves. In this blog, I hope to discuss a variety of different topics from health, career, beauty, religion, entertainment and so forth; basically anything that has to do with taking control of your life. Out of this, I hope to get answers and advice to some of the challenging questions that life may offer, a deeper appreciation for myself, family and friends, and an understanding of how to live a healthier and more rewarding lifestyle. I hope you find my thoughts interesting, helpful in whatever similar situation you might be facing and somewhat entertaining.


I would like to start off my first entry by addressing the issue of hair - natural hair to be exact. Why? Because that's the first area of my life that I would like to take control. I have been perming my hair since I was 10 years old and have hated every moment of it. As a result, my hair has become, dry, damaged and broken. From the smell of the chemicals, to the burns it left on my scalp, to the dry damaged feel it made my hair, everything about perms turned me off. I would find myself avoiding the hair salons so I can stretch out my perm as long as possible. Then one day an old classmate brought up the subject of natural hair. Natural hair? I didn't even know what that was really, but it got my interest. No perms? The thought never even crossed my mind. Now all of a sudden everywhere I looked, someone had a natural hairstyle. When did this become a trend and why was I finding out about this now?


This natural hair explosion definitely caught my interest, so I had to evaluate my hair and its current state. I became consumed by my own fears and apprehensions. Could this natural hair possibly work for me? What if I didn't like it? What if it came out all wrong and looked horrible? How would I style it? Millions of questions flooded my mind as I contemplated this new notion. For months I researched, read blogs, and watched Youtube videos, all the while wearing my hair in braids the whole time. After 6 months of research and not perming my hair, I made the decision to cut my hair and fully go natural. I did my first BC March 5, 2010...


...and thus embarks the beginning of my natural hair journey....