It's Finally Been One Year!!!

My one year mark has finally come!! December 1st and 2nd marked my true One Year Lockversary!!! The year has flown by and I'm glad to have been able to blog my progress along the way.

Life hasn't changed much for me in the last few months. I've moved from Mississippi to South Carolina and will be on the move again at the end of January.

I'm happy to be spending Christmas with my BF this year in cold NYC. The city is so beautiful this time of year. We spent about 6-7 weeks apart then finally reconciled in mid October. We've been talking so much more openly now and while we've learned how to change our relationship to be more open and mature, I've learned many things about myself and my own insecurities. I'm realizing that there are issues from my past that have a profound effect on my today and I somehow have to learn to work through those issues as they surface so that they won't continue to be problems in the future. (And yes, the beautiful flowers and mosaic vase are from him!)

My hair has grown like a weed and I'm glad to have found a consultant in North Carolina to take care of my retightenings. Although I took the retightening class, it was never my desire to retighten my own hair on a regular basis. I had to learn how to do it myself though because with all of my travels, I'm sometimes in an area where there are no consultants available. In these pictures I've curled my hair on plain foam sponge rollers spritzing with a little water along the way. I like to call this my curly fries look! ha ha! I have to say that of all the curling methods I've tried, I find that these good old fashioned rollers maintain my curls longer than any other. I can get nearly a week of curls without having to do any touching up as long as I'm able to keep my hair dry.

Happy Holidays!!

Below are more pictures of the progression of my hair over the last year.

Before Sisterlocks

The first day after my 18 hour install

My Sisterlocks at 6 months

And today, Christmas Eve, 2008

My Sisterlocks at One Full Year

Accessorized with a Tomoka's Twist and matching earrings

It's My 10 Month Lockversary!!!

I am now at 10 months with my beautiful Sisterlocks. I don't have any new pictures because my hair at 10 months looks the same as it did at 9 months. My hair is definitely settling in well but when I look back to the beginning, I wish that I'd left my hair completely alone when I first got my locks. My hairline is giving me all kinds of trouble partially because it's a finer texture than the rest of my hair, but also I think because I played with it too much in the beginning. Aaaahh, the lessons we learn along the way.

I'm wearing my hair freestyle 99% of the time to allow it to continue to progress on its own but now that I have a few new hair accessories, I think it's safe for me to branch out a little bit and play with a few styles.

In the meantime, I'm procrastinating on packing for my move to South Carolina. I love traveling around but it's always the process of moving that I hate. Oh well, off to pack up boxes I go....

I've Been Tagged

It's been awhile but I've been tagged again so here's what I have to do....

1. Link to the person that tagged you..... I was tagged by Luvlocd.

• 2. Post the rules on your blog
• 
  3. Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself that have not been shared already
• 
  4. Tag 6 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

Hmm...what are some important or weird quirks about me...

1. While on an internship with Walt Disney World several years ago, I got the opportunity to hold a cheetah in my arms. Yes she was alive, but yes, she was also sedated.

2. My least favorite part of the day is the whole process of getting dressed. If I had it my way, I'd live in my pajamas.

3. I knit and am just finishing a sweater for me to wear this fall and winter.

4. I'm pro-gay. What I mean by that is that even though I'm straight, I believe that gay people should have all of the same rights and privileges that straight people do, including the right to marry and be covered under family insurance plans. I think the right to marry is a civil issue and not one of morality. After all atheists are allowed to marry so marriage is not just a religious sacrament. Civil unions do not allow domestic partners all of the same rights as marriage and just like it was wrong for whites to deny black people of their right to vote, I think it's wrong to deny gay people of their constitutional right to marry. Just my two cents...

5. I just received word that I'll be moving to South Carolina in a few weeks so a shout out to all the SL sisters there!

6. I'm a recovering Ben & Jerry's addict. My favorite flavor is Americone Dream which has vanilla ice cream, huge swirls of caramel, and chocolate covered pieces of waffle cone. I don't know how many days I've been clean but I'm workin' on it.

Okay, I'm tagging...

1. One Girl And Her Hair
2. Nappy And Happy
3. Amina's Sisterlocks
4. Teen 1937
5. Allecia's Sisterlocks
6. Penny's Locks of Love

The picture above is one that I just took the other day at 9 1/2 months. Oh, and Monday the 15th was my 34th birthday!! I have a feeling it's going to be another great year! TTFN

A Quick Update In Month Nine

I can't believe it but I'm already in month 9 of having my Sisterlocks. This picture is from my Homecoming Photo Shoot at 7 1/2 months and I would say that my hair hasn't changed much since that time.

I did take the retightening class and have successfully retightened my hair once so far. It's easier than I expected and I have to say that I did a darn good job if I say so myself.

I'm still living down in the Mississippi bayou and did evacuate to Georgia for Hurricane Gustav but I'm glad to say that I had no damage at home and it was as if the storm never came through.

I finally ended the bf relationship and I'm completely okay with my decision. I realized that just because time has been invested in a relationship, it doesn't mean that you have to try to tough it out with something that's just not meant to be. I'm thankful that I spent the time because I learned things about myself, about what I'm really looking to find, and most especially tools that I needed to learn to have a successful relationship in the future.

I guess that's about it. My hair is progressing along very well and I'm seeing signs of some of my ends sealing and a few buds that are showing signs of locks beginning to form. I still have a long way to go and it's been hard to be patient because I'm ready for my locks to thin out some instead of being so puffy and fuzzy. I keep reminding myself that it's a journey and that although it's taking a considerable amount of time to settle in and lock due to my looser curl pattern, it won't be long before I see the changes at one year and beyond. I notice that my hair is growing to be fuller moreso than length and that's what I expected. It's encouraging to see the little budded ends that I'm seeing now and I know that the best is yet to come.

My Homecoming Report....

Homecoming weekend was an exciting time! I had a chance to meet sisters from all over the U.S., reconnect with the sisters that I met in Northern California, and really bond with others that I found things in common with. While the majority of us of course had Sisterlocks, there were also sisters with traditional locks and other natural and relaxed styles.

It was also a very busy weekend with classes, brunches, workshops, and vendors to shop from. I think the climax of the weekend was definitely the dinner/dance held that Saturday night which included a fashion show. We got down on the dance floor and were even provided with partners to teach us the basic steps of salsa dancing!! I actually got dressed up over the weekend which is a first for me in a long time. I recently bought some skirts to express a little more of my feminine side as I'm usually in shorts and t-shirts or jeans and fleece during the winter.

This year is the 15th anniversary of Sisterlocks and Dr. Cornwell shared with us much of the history of how things got started with little to no resources and clients to becoming what is now a worldwide concept. Many of us expressed how wearing Sisterlocks has opened the door for us to show the world on the outside the natural selves that we carry on the inside. I think of some of the other women that I know that are dressed to the nines all of the time yet they have such a low self-image that it's a constant act of disappearing behind their clothes and shoes and relaxed or wigged out hair that it's a really sad phenomenon.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure that there are many confident women out there wearing relaxers or wigs that are in touch with themselves, but the question is are those outward appearances truly expressing the person on the inside. Is nappy hair taboo for them? Do they think that natural hair would not be accepted in the workplace or with their significant others? One of the truths that was discussed over the weekend was that unfortunately many of our brothers are not okay with our nappy hair whereas many white men find our natural hair beautiful.

Anyway, we had a wonderful speaker for our Empowerment Brunches, Ms. Pamela Perkins. She empowered us to find our inner genius and go for the dreams and goals that everyone else tells us that we can't achieve. Another special presentation was that of a documentary film entitled "Got Breast?". The filmaker, Anastacia "Stacey" Tolbert was on hand to discuss with us how our own self-image is partially defined by our breasts. These simple things that hang from our chests that can gather both wanted and unwanted sexual attention as well as provide essential nourishment for life very much impact how we view ourselves. Many of us shared stories of things we've experienced in relation to our breasts and the mistreatment they've received at the hands of others.

Some of the other workshops included a styling workshop with Sisterlocks' 2007 Master Stylist Calla Johnson and a hands-on styling class with Master Trainer Michelle Bryant. Both created some beautiful styles some with using your hands alone, and others with different rollers and rod sets. We had a good ole' fashioned backyard barbecue, photo shoots, and also got the chance to visit the Sisterlodge, headquarters for Sisterlocks.

The only part that was disappointing was that there weren't more client Sisterlock wearers there. There were many consultants but we as clients weren't well represented. Where were y'all at??? I missed you!! I was hoping to meet more of you, my fellow bloggers, and even more of our younger Sisterlock wearers. The workshops were for everyone, not just for consultants and my hope for next year would be that there would be more clients there as well as the consultants. All in all, it was a full weekend...full of fun, full of learning and yes I finally took the retightening class!!! Whoo hoo!

I felt very nervous going into the retightening class because I had no idea if I'd be able to do a good job or not and of course I don't want to mess up my hair in any way. It was difficult at first especially learning which direction the rotations should go depending on where in the head you were working and difficult for me to use the hook tool. One of the consultants later showed me more of how to use the clip tool and that it might be easier for me because of the length of my hair. Celeste, a Master Trainer, Dr. Cornwell's sister, and instructor for the class did a wonderful job at working with us and being patient as we tried not to get our hair tangled in with other locks. She suggested that after the class we go back to our consultants for a full retightening so that we could start maintaining from scratch. I went to see my consultant this weekend for a retightening but I did retighten some of my locks ahead of time so that she could check them for me. I now feel much more comfortable and know that my greatest challenge will still be isolating the lock I'm working on from the hairs of other locks, particularly when I get to areas of my hair that I cannot see. Even with taking the class they recommend that you see your consultant at least twice a year for troubleshooting and maintenance.

Yea!! I can now be an official DIY girl knowing that I'm doing things the correct way and I have the official Sisterlocks tools to boot. I did do another photo shoot but am waiting to get the pictures back. I'll be sure to post them when I do!!

A Little Bit Of Somethin' And A Little Bit Of Nuthin'

I realized that I haven't really blogged much lately and I guess it's because there is not much to do down here in the bayou. I'm sure that I'll have PLENTY of pictures and memories to share soon though because I leave for Homecoming in a short 10 days! Whoo hoo!! In the meantime, here are a few pictures of things that I've been up to lately.

Here is a picture of me at the Chalmette Battlefield in Louisiana. The area doesn't have much to see but there is a rich history there telling the story of the battles of the War of 1812 and the various groups of men that fought in it. Here I am sitting on the steps of the monument and next to it a picture that gives you perspective on how tall it really is with me sitting there.

Taking a walk down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I found this t-shirt to be pretty interesting.

On the 4th of July, my boyfriend and I decided to spend the evening watching the sunset from the beach on the gulf coast. We took Sydney with us and boy was it a treat. My bf buried his legs in the sand and Sydney decided that she would dig him out!

On a recent road trip to Atlanta, Sydney snuggled into her car seat for a nice long nap.

A few months ago before I moved here, my mom and I paid a visit to the aquarium in Monterey Bay, CA. The penguins were interesting to watch being the biology nerd that I am. In this first picture, the penguins all assembled in a line to listen to the calls of the one penguin standing at the top, as if they were having church or some really important meeting. After that, several of them broke off into pairs and began the business of penguin lovemaking as you can see in the second picture. Shame on me for taking the picture right?

There were several different types of jellyfish there too and these are just a couple of them.

One of my hobbies is putting together jigsaw puzzles. These are pictures of my most recent challenge, a black and white photomosaic puzzle of Marilyn Monroe. The puzzle has 1,026 pieces all of which have mini pictures of her. All of the mini pictures come together to make one large picture. This one took me a few months to finish and it's probably the hardest puzzle that I've ever done!

When I finish my puzzles I do glue them together with a special puzzle glue and frame them. I couldn't imagine actually breaking this one apart after she was done.

Well, I guess I've been up to a little bit of somethin' and a little bit of nuthin' but now you know!

My Six Month Photos

I finally have gotten a chance to post pictures of my 6 1/2 month old locks. I wanted to take a look at my total progress so here's how we started...

This is a picture of me with my natural hair just washed and conditioned before I got my Sisterlocks. The picture below was taken about 2 days after my install.

This next picture below is of my locks at 1 month followed by a picture of my locks at about 3 months.

And finally......here are my locks today at 6 1/2 months.

I'm really starting to notice the difference in length of my hair as I feel it creeping below my ears. The crown of my head has started to stick up as it prepares to descend down the back of my head as well. I'm still very pleased with my locks and I love seeing the difference in how my hair feels as it's growing.

This truly is a process and it's one where I look forward to each stage that comes along. The time has gone by so quickly and I can't believe that I'm already this far in. I'm excited to see what the next six months will bring. I'm having less slippage at my hairline but I pray that my hair will really begin to settle and start the locking process soon.

Six Months Of Lovely Locks

It's here, my 6th month lock-a-versary! The time has gone by so quickly and I can't believe how much my hair seems to have grown in such a short period of time. Not only has it grown in length but it seems to have become fuller as well. It looks like I'm finally starting to get over the hump of my hairline slipping which I am greatly thankful for. I faithfully braid and band every time I wash which is sometimes a pain because it takes all day to do that, wash, then take all of the braids down but I'm willing to do it to have those perfect locks I'm hoping for. I'll try to post some pictures soon.

The time is getting closer and closer to Homecoming and I'm really excited! Has anyone been before? What's it like? I'm looking forward to all of the festivities and the retightening class.

Okay, okay. The time has come for me to stand with Hilary Clinton behind Barack Obama. It's been no secret that I've been a supporter of hers, but truthfully I believe that either candidate will do what the country needs even though it will be an incredible challenge with the mess that we are in right now. I do think that Barack should take Hilary as a running mate as an honor to all of the millions of people that did vote for her in the primaries. The two together, in my opinion, would indeed secure the White House away from the Republicans. John McCain certainly has no chance even as we speak if you ask me.

My time with my boyfriend waxes and wanes. When things are good they are very good, but when things are bad they can be very bad. This is my first relationship that has lasted this amount of time (2 years so far) so it's unfamiliar territory for me. He always tells me that you have to work through the disagreements and overcome them while my instinct is always to run away from conflicts. To be honest, in looking at the big picture, the things we fight about are small things, but sometimes those small things build up to big blowouts. A few things are for sure though and that's that he has never given me reason to distrust him. He has always been very honest and very loyal to me and that is something not found in every relationship. I also know that he does love me very much and I do love him too. Maybe those are the big things that I do need to focus on.

A Lesson Learned Through Comedy...

Saturday was the night for comedy. D.L. Hughley appeared in Biloxi for a gut-busting show that was a great and much needed opportunity to relieve stress. It was also a great lesson in black culture for my boyfriend. Originally, he didn't really want to go to the show because he was afraid that he'd be the only white guy there and that D.L. would be ripping on white people the whole time. I made him go though because I didn't want to miss seeing my favorite comedian live and I didn't want to go alone.

I also thought it might be good for him to be around a room full of black people and see that he could enjoy himself. Even some of the most open-minded white people seem to be terrified of being in a room full of black people. I don't know if they are afraid because of stereotypes and what they see on tv, or if it's them simply uncomfortable with being in a situation where they are the minority. They don't realize that being in a room full of people of a different color and sometimes being the only black person there is the story of our lives.

It turns out that we both had a great time. We both laughed and my boyfriend is still repeating and laughing at some of the jokes we heard. He said that he didn't realize before how much of the black comedians' acts are focused on race but he said that he was glad that it was more of a comparison between blacks and whites versus a bashing of white people. At one point in the show, D.L. laughed at the white people in the audience though and mentioned the fact that they could never get away with saying the things that he did. My boyfriend is still questioning why that is. He agrees that neither he or any white comedian could get away with talking about black people in the way that blacks talk about whites but doesn't understand why it would be so offensive. I told him that alot of it has to do with the difference in the experiences of black people versus white people. It is very much a difference in how you experience life and the fact that we are laughing at ourselves as much as we are laughing at them.

Beyond that though, I'm not quite sure why whites are unable to say things that we as black people can say. Surely there is room for things to be said in an appropriate manner but yet as black people we would be offended if white people talked about us in their comedy routines in the way that we talk about them. Hispanics and blacks seem to have an understanding where they can talk about us and we can talk about them, but why is that different for white people? Is it simply because they are the majority or will it always go back to the days of slavery and the years before the civil rights movement. Certainly not all white people are racists. I think that there are some that want to laugh with us instead of laughing at us but still there is this double standard that we hold. Why exactly is that?

Malik S. who has appeared on Def Comedy Jam and Last Comic Standing was the opening act for D.L. Hughley. He was pretty funny too and I recognized him from seeing him on HBO. Here is his routine from Def Comedy Jam in case you've never heard of him. (Viewer discretion advised - Adult language and content.)

On a hair note...I had my first retightening done with the trainee in Louisiana. She did a great job and believes in doing things by the book in the way that Sisterlocks taught her. It was a sigh of relief for me. I do want to learn to retighten my own hair and will be taking the class at Homecoming but in the meantime, it's nice to know that you can find someone dependable even when you move all the way across the country.