Day 62 To straighten or not straighten...

Yep, another rainy day. Pretty soon I am going to have to call up Noah and find out how he built that ark.


But I am no longer pissed on rainy days. Sure, I would love to be home all curled up napping or reading a good book but I don't have to run from the rain because I am afraid my hair is going to get messed up. I just really no longer care. I just go with the flow. Whatever my hair wants to do that day I let it. Today it wanted to be big and poofy and that was cool with me. It just didn't want to part on the side or middle. It just wanted to stay all together and be big and curly. Oh, when I rolled my hair yesterday after I co-washed, guess what....my "new" hair can now go around the roller. It doesn't make a full turn yet but it is pretty darn close. I was so excited!!!!



Okay, now where was I? Oh, so yeah, I love the rain and love my big ol hair. Now, a friend asked me today if I was ever going to straighten it again. I told her maybe, but not anytime soon. I am so scared to straighten my hair that it is not funny. I have heard (AND SEEN) too many horror stories about people who can't get their curl pattern back after they straighten. I do NOT want that to happen to me. I would be all kinds of pissed it my curls didn't spring back. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know that it doesn't happen to everyone and those who have the issue may not have used any kind of heat protection or they may have been straightening for months/years with no breaks. However, I know 3 people who after either the first or second time of straightening never got their original curl pattern back or experienced areas/patches of straight hair. No for now I say no thanks, I'll pass. I like my hair just they way that it is and I am super excited about what it will eventually look like. I already think that the curls are awesome (most of my back it natural).


Peace, Love & put that hot comb DOWN!
~GNH~

Day 60 - Alright ALREADY!!! and if I am counting right 100 DAYS

100 days down and 230 more to go before I chop it off.  Yes, it has been 100 days since my last creamy crack application.  I deserve a medal, a day off, a cash bonus...SUMPIN'.  Can I get a high five please?  I guess I will just have a well deserved glass of wine and put my feet up. 

I know, all good things come to those who wait, but I am tired of waiting DANG IT!!! I want to be done with this transition process. Yes, I could just cut it off and go with what I have right now but I don't think that I am ready for that. People at the workplace are already asking me like 5 million questions about my hair (damn u Chris Rock!!) so if I showed up there with a buzz cut, TWA or some other microscopic amount of hair I think that heads would roll.

I am just so excited to see what my natural hair is going to look like. I remember what it use to look like back in da day, but I wonder if it is going to look the same as it did in high school and even just a few years ago (well, like 8) when I was rocking my hair natural (not so proudly then though). Oh, I did finally purchase those head wraps I was talking about last month. I got two of them and they will be a must on the weekends.

I also finally got a nice hair maintenance regimen down. Since this two texture thing was making me want to run for the hills I decided that I would co-wash on Wednesday's and pre-poo and all of that on Saturday's. This is going to help a lot since I do workout HARD and all of that sweat build up on the scalp is not good. Also, my hair is super thirsty and needs the water and conditioner. I am still using coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin E oil, carrot oil and Infusium 23. Another item that I cannot live without is the Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti Breakage Serum. It is the same line as my shampoo and conditioner. Love this stuff. Right now it is a STAPLE item since I do have the two textures. I use this when I take down my Bantu Knots. I have also come to the conclusion that I will have to just stop being so darn anal and deal with whatever my hair looks like in the morning. I have been manipulating my hair too much so I had to take a good hard look at the situation. So I decided that after I wash on Wednesday/Saturday I will rock the bantu knot outs on the first day and when it starts looking rough then I will have to floss a head band. After that, when it is looking even rougher, (is that a word?) it will just have to pull it back into an afro puff which I will pin to hide the rubber band and I will slap on a decorative scarf and keep it movin'. Not ideal, but right now I have to work with what I got.

Anti-Breakage Serum (LOVE IT!!)

My FAVORITE shampoo and conditioner

Peace, Love and TIRED OF WAITIN'

~GNH~

Day 52 - I just wanna scream

I wish I was done with this transition process.  For a brief moment and I do mean brief moment I wanted to relax my hair.  See, when I started this process, well, when I commited to this transition process it was near the end of the quarter, I didn't have a lot of work to do and I was going to be off work for 3 weeks.  Now, with teaching 3 classes and all of the demands of field trips (our school is big on those), planning the 8th grade graduation and class trip I just ain't got the energy at the end of the day to deal with my head.  If I wasn't so particular I could make the bantu knots last 3 days but I am picky.  Plus, my hair is really fine and soft so after sleeping one night on it the curls start to wave BYE-BYE.  I am not one for sleeping pretty either.  When it is time to go to sleep I am OUT!!!! Plus, it has been raining cats and dogs here everyday so that isn't helping.  UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I just want to scream!!!!  I know, I could cut it all off but I really don't think that I am ready for that just yet.  I just keep telling myself if I can make it 6 more weeks I will have 5 weeks off work and I won't have to comb my hair.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Peace, Love and Patience
~GNH~

Day 51 - So I saw the movie and....

Okay, so I went and saw the movie/film "Good Hair" and let me just say that it was not INFORMATIVE AT ALL!!! I guess with all of the hype and press I was expecting something different. This movie, in my opinion, was pure entertainment (yes, I know that is what movies are for) and there was no substance. With a title like "Good Hair" I was at the BARE MINIMUM expecting the movie to talk about where the title came from and why it is such an issue in the black community or at least have Madam C.J. Walkers name mentioned. I guess once again momma was right, if you want to learn something you have to pick up a book and get from in front of the TV. Yes, I know that Chris Rock is a comedian and entertainer so I should not have had such high expectations. Also, the topic is too huge and too complicated for one movie to cover comprehensively. Personally, I just feel like other ethnic groups are going to come away with a worst perception of blacks than they already have.


Okay, here are the things that stuck out to me:

• INSIGHTFUL - I thought that the comments by Rev. Sharpton were very insightful. He talked about economic retardation. How we spend all of this money on hair care but we are not putting the proceeds back into the hands of other blacks. We have been stupid enough to let the Koreans take over the market. He referred to hair in ways that I had never thought about. “Putting on your economic retardation and oppression each day, combing it each day….” It was truly something to think about. I wish I could remember word for word what he said, but I was meditating and digesting the words as he said them so....
• SO SAD – What I found heart wrenching was all of the people in India who are giving their hair to the Gods and it is being sold. Do they know this? How dare we exploit the religious rituals of a group of people! SHAME SHAME SHAME on the weave wearers and the people who are actually selling the hair. Then there are those who steal the hair while the women are sleeping or watching a movie. And get this, it is okay because it is not a crime. WTF!!! Stealing is stealing right?!?!
• POWERFUL – Then there was Tracie Thoms who said something very powerful. She said this "I decide to wear my hair the way it grows out of my head, and it’s considered revolutionary". That's what I'm sayin'!
• DISTURBING – That the young girls are already so brainwashed that they believed natural hair was “unprofessional” and dissed their friend who was rockin’ a fierce fro. Then there were the 2 & 3 year olds who get relaxers I am not even going to comment because we all know how I feel about that.
• EVEN MORE DISTURBING – The salon owner who had a policy of letting customers put the weave on lay away. SAY WHAT?!?! To me that is just plain predatory.
• DISTURBING AND GROSS – The Hollywood hair stylist who said he recycled weaves of celebrities. How many heath code violations is that?
• STUPIDITY - That whole Bronner Brothers show and all of the parts of the movie that went along with it. STUPID and not needed. Ugh!
• HEART FELT - The story of Sheila Bridges who has alopecia —she was so beautiful with her bald head.

I’m one who believes all hair is good hair (as long as it is clean and you love it). I’ve worn my hair in so many different ways it should be illegal. Right now I am going back natural. Why? cause I want to. Health wise is it better for me at this point in my life. I am not one who is intolerant of someone else’s hair style choice. What you do is your business. In summary, when it comes to hair, you need to just do you. Whether that is straight, braided, weaved, relaxed, locks, twists, fro whatevah!!! It is what it is. Ya know.

Peace, Love & Fro's
~GNH~

Day 48 - Why would she say that?

Okay, so now that I am not so PISSED anymore, I can write about this is a calm fashion. When I was at the wedding this past weekend I saw a lot of my relative that I had not seen in a long time. Some of them I had not seen in well over 15 years. So it was nice to catch up. However, as we all know, there is always that one (or two) relatives that you MUST love from a distance and of course I encountered "the one". My niece was there (my brother’s daughter) and she is almost 2. Very few if any of these people had ever seen her. Let me just say if you have not seen pictures of her you must check her out. She is so damn cute I can't stand it. Anyway, after the wedding was over, we were all just hanging out in the church waiting on pictures and stuff. My niece was standing on the pew holding my hand and one of my aunts was talking to me. She then looked down and said (about my niece) and I quote "Woo-Wee....we gone have to take a straightening comb to this" as she was rubbing Chloe’s curls. I know I gave her the dirties look but come on now. First of all HER head is always a slam mess so how dare she talk. In my 33 years of living I have never even seen it look halfway decent. Secondly, my niece has the most beautiful hair I have ever seen. Her curls are da bomb. I am so jealous of her right now.


It is like I posted before, it is the older generations that have given us a complex, well at least me. I mean really??? I straightening comb? SHE AIN'T EVEN 2 YET??? Plus, there is no freaking need!!!!!!

Lord help me.....calm.....10, 9. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...okay I am better. Now I must go moisturize and put on my bonnet.

Peace, Love and DANG IT SHE IS 23 MONTHS OLD
~GNH~

Day 47 - Patience is truly a virtue

Well it has been 10 days since I have logged on. Work has really been kicking my butt. I am really going to have to find a happy medium between work and play. However, I have been taking very good care of my hair. I know what products work for me and I am glad that it didn't take me a long time to figure it out like most people who are transitioning. I am still struggling with a good regime now that the weather is all over the map. I guess it will come with time. Let me just say that the amount of new growth that I have is OFF DA CHARTS! Whoever said you get half an inch a month must be trippin' because I have waaaaaay more than that. I love my hair. I really do and I am glad that it is growing and healthy and all that junk but I must admit, last night I was a little frustrated with my hair. At the crown of my head I have a mountain of new hair and the two textures in that area is really starting to work my nerves. And I know it is because I have like every type of hair on my head. The back third of my head has to be like 3C or something because the two textures are not hard to deal with at all. Then the top is a lot coarser and harder to manage with the two textures. Then the front third is like the back – no problems. I then realized that I should probably set a time for transitioning. When I first got started I thought that I would transition for a year. Now, I don't know if I can make it. I guess I will shoot for July 1st, if I can make it that long.

This past weekend was a true test. I was in a wedding. NOPE, I did not straighten it. I was so proud of myself. And let me tell you I was so glad that I didn't for 2 reasons. First off, I got to be me. I was the only one rockin' curls in the wedding party and my hair and style and flair was on point. Second reason, uhm, I am NOT down with waking up at 5am to go to the salon. I mean come on now, that is a tad extreme. FIVE IN THE MORNING!!! I don’t get up at that time for nothing except catching a plane. I laughed cause I was the only well rested person in the wedding including the bride. Why? Cause I didn't wake up until almost 9am. I rod set my hair, got under the dryer for about 45 minutes. Watched a movie, took a nap and headed to the church and I was $70 richer cause I didn’t have to pay someone else to do my hair.

P.S. I was reading the November issue of Essence Magazine and I was kinda impressed. There were a few pages dedicated to natural hair and natural hair care. I guess they are coming around.

Peace, Love & Patience
~GNH~

Day 37 - Depression

So, I am not having a good day or shall I say good weekend with my hair. I must have done something totally wrong when I washed on Thursday. When I got up Friday my hair was super duper soft. Which would be fine but I still have a lot of relaxed ends. Okay, this is what happened. I did bantu knots and took them out Friday morning when I went to work. About halfway through the day I noticed that I had straight pieces sticking out, and before you ask, no it was not raining. So anyway, I thought that maybe since I sat under the dryer that had something to do with it. Right???

Now, since my hair decided to have a mind of its own I had to redo the bantu knots on Friday night which I wasn't mad about I was just a little disappointed since I can usually get 2 or 3 days out of them. I sprayed my hair with the Infusium 23 and oil mixture and did the bantu knots again. They seemed to last all day and again, my hair was still crazy soft and a little dry (hmmmm....). Last night before I went to bed I put a little shea butter on my hair and slapped on the satin bonnet. When I got up this morning ALL OF MY FREAKIN' HAIR WAS STRAIGHT except for the very top (where the bangs would be). I was ill. What in the sam hell is going on???? The only thing that I could think of was that usually when I do bantu knots I leave them in for a whole day before I take them out. That has to be it right? However, why is my hair so damn dry. Ugh!!! This is so frustrating and depressing.

So before I got pissed and did something stupid like make a salon appointment I took a deep breath and did some thinking. While on the elliptical machine I replayed everything. See, normally, on the weekends I don't really do anything with my hair but this weekend my mother-in-law was in town and, well, I couldn't just walk around like I always do. Then I remembered, mommy in law wanted the freaking HEAT on. WTH!!! Man up! You live in PA for crying out loud how can you come to Raleigh and be cold. GRRRRR!!!. So there you have it. That is why my hair is so stinking dry. All of that dry a$$ air from the heat being on and since I had just washed my hair and did not use moisturizer twice a day...well, you see where this is going.

So to solve two problems at once, when I came home from the gym I turned off the damn heat and showered without a shower cap so that my hair could get a little moisture. I am telling you, it was like straw. Then I took an ample amount of coconut oil mixed with shea butter and rubbed it all over my hair and into my scalp. Used my spray bottle of leave in conditioner to damped my hair and did the bantu knots (yes, again). After that, I moisturized my scalp and new growth with more of the shea butter and coconut oil. Before I go to bed I am going to do it again. I just want the hair back that I had last week. You know, the NOT dry hair!

When it is truly time to turn on the heat then I will get the humidifier out. Until then get another freakin' blanket and put on some socks. I will let you know how it all turns out tomorrow. Hopefully the curls last (no straight pieces) and the moisture returns.

Peace, Love & Moisture
~GNH~