What Does Being "Natural" Mean?

The Million Dollar Question

2 Months

I keep seeing this questions posed on different forums so I've decided to talk about it.

When "going natural" first started taking off, I thought to myself "What in the world is going on?!" Most women I saw going through the process raised my eyebrows a few times, and to be honest some still do. Now that I've gone through my process of transitioning to natural hair then doing a big chop, I have a better understanding of what goes into it! Before my mind changed, I would talk to my hair stylist (at the time) about going natural and tell her how I could never go natural and she was on my side 100%. She would talk about how going natural wasn't for everybody and how she would never let me go natural.

March '13 Length Check

14 Months Natural

Welcome to the 4th edition of my length check!

My hair has made great strides this month and I'm excited about it's growth.

February 25 = 56 weeks natural, 15 weeks since the BC

March 24 = 60 weeks natural, 19 weeks since the BC
(Next month I'll simplify the natural weeks, i.e. 1 year 2 months, and round up the BC weeks, i.e. 5 months)

My hair is definitely flourishing!!

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New Button

I made a new button and just had to share it! This is the first button I've made on my own (no help)!

<center> <a href="http://mlhender.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/JustMiBlog/media/redjustmi_zpsc73da3d2.jpg.html"/></a></center>

This is the first button I've made on my own (no help)! I couldn't quite remember all the instructions I got, and will probably tweek it when I get a minute, but I was proud of myself!

What do you think??

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2 Dilemma Tuesdays

Different Natural Hairstyles

So, I haven't posted about Dilemma Tuesday for 3 weeks because I wanted to surprise my boyfriend. The surprise went very well, so now I'll show it to you!

I decided to try a roller set. Surprisingly, the look held up really well. It looked more like a straight style than a natural style, but I loved it just the same.

Day 1

Day 10

Day 11

2 wks - after combing the curls out

I loved this style and will definitely get it again. In order to keep the style, I pin curled it each night and secured it with bobby pins. The downside was this took 20+ minutes to do...and there was a many a night when I didn't feel like doing it! But I did and it lasted the whole two weeks!!

I also didn't moisturize my scalp like I wanted to for fear of messing up the curls. My stylist suggested I start using a q-tip to apply coconut oil because I was using too much. She also gave me a lighter oil to try to combat all the issues I was having with the coconut oil. The oil is Influance's It's Natural, Natural Oil...yeah, the name cracks me up too...lol! This oil is made by the same company that makes the moisturizer I got from the salon, which I love, so I'm hoping to love the oil too.

I told her about all the itching I was still having as well. She gave me some type of treatment (I believe a tea tree oil treatment) to help relieve the itching. I need to ask what it is, so I can share that with you. She also told me my scalp was in great condition and thought it may just be my nerves, which I can totally get behind (because in the past, I've noticed that I scratch my head when I'm nervous, stressed, upset, etc.). With everything I've been doing, I think the stress of it all is starting to catch up with me.

During the most current Dilemma Tuesday I decided to get a protective style. After having spent so much time having to set my hair every single night for two weeks, I went into the salon already knowing what I wanted! Hand claps for me, right?! Here's how it turned out:

I got two french braids that connect in the back (the part goes into a 'S' shape in the back). I love the style and I'm definitely going to try my best to keep it the whole 2 weeks. My problem is that my hair is so soft that it frizzes out quickly. I've tried to gel the frizz down, but I feel I've made it worse! You can't see the frizz from afar, so I'm glad I don't have anybody to impress because I'm not taking this style out until I get good and ready!!

Which do you like between the roller set and french braids??

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First Things First

1. First real piece of jewelry you owned
The first real piece of jewelry I had was given to me by my moma. It was a single sapphire-stoned ring (sapphire is my birthstone). I can't quite remember if the ring was gold or silver, but knowing my moma, it was probably gold...lol, (if you knew her...or have at least seen her...you would understand why)! I got the ring around 4th or 5th grade and I wore that ring every single day for a number of years. I hardly ever took it off. I wore it so long my hand outgrew it! We ended up cutting the ring off of my hand. The only other real ring I've had is my class ring. It's a sapphire ring too.

Yeah, I don't know why I still have magazines
from 2008-2009 either...

2. First magazine subscription
Glamour. I didn't order this subscription, but I was very glad to have it for a couple of free months. This subscription was the origin of this. After I stopped getting the magazine, I craved it for a little while longer. I bought one magazine out of the store like to months after, but it wasn't the same!



3. First time staying home alone

HA! I was a latchkey kid. I was staying home alone since I was a baby! Lol...okay...not really, but I was young! Shortly after entering the 4th grade I began staying home alone. My school was literally 20 steps from my front door, so it was only logical. I would get ready for school in the mornings, watch morning cartoons, then walk to school 5 minutes before classes started! When school let out, I was home in no time. I loved it! A couple of years later, I began watching my sister after school too. I guess you can say we lived in a close knit neighborhood, so we were safe, but if we were to need something there were people we could call. After watching an episode of 'Where In The World Is Carmen San Diego' and half an episode of 'Ghostwriter', my mom was home anyway! Besides, I was a very mature and responsible child! :-)


What are your firsts??