Diva Queen Janel's Loc Blog

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOCS (4 years)!

2012-01-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hello my loc family--it's so good to be posting again. Sorry for the long hiatus...lots of stuff going on. I hope that the new year is beginning well for everyone.

I know that it's been quite a while since I've posted and yes, the wedding planning and execution went well. The mother of the bride (me) got moved and situated so that the bride (my daughter) got her dress. The newly-weds are doing very well.

I thought it was time for me to show some recent pics of my locs and what they've been doing. And on what better day to do this than on my "loc birthday"--YAY!!! It's been four years to the day, and I have enjoyed and learned so much about my natural hair; I'm still loving my texture--the curly-waviness of it and the sometimes semi-nappy springy-ness of my edges. Check out the texture (and the silver hair LOL)! Number of locs: I'm not sure, since I have combined several. Length: approximately 2 inches above bra strap. I haven't had hair this length for three decades...

In this shot you can see the thickness of the locs pretty well--I know...who would have thought my hair was so THICK?!? It's gotten rather difficult to pull my hair back into a pony--I can just barely hold all the locs in one hand while manipulating the hair tie in the other! (Or is that old age and arthritis setting in? HA!) Maintenance schedule: wash as needed (usually once a week), use coconut oil and/or olive oil as needed for moisturizing, palm-roll whenever (I still semi-freeform). Right now, I'm currently sporting about 2-3 inches at the root. Oh yeah, I've started to finger-latch a few of the ones at my front hairline and nape of the neck, since the hair there seems to not want to loc without a little assistance.

I really hope you enjoy the mini photo gallery and this post. HAPPY LOC BIRTHDAY TO ME and many more! Blessings to all, love and peace!

Hairstyle Dilemma!

2011-05-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hello all my loc'd beauties! Last night as I was measuring my daughter to begin designing her wedding gown, it suddenly occurred to me that I have given absolutely no thought whatsoever to how I might wear my locs on her wedding day! I figure as the mother of the bride I need to look sophisticated, elegant and stunning (though of course, not as stunning as the bride herself!) It's just amazing what things you think of at the oddest times--she was describing to me her plans for flowers, bouquets, her dress (we're collaborating on an original design), possibilities for her hair and makeup, color scheme, etc. and this just comes to me all of a sudden.

So...I guess I'm now on the hunt for loc inspiration pictures for this momentous day. All I know right now is that I want an updo--one that is intricate (well, not necessarily intricate, just intricate-looking) and very regal-esque. I don't know what is is about regal looking hairstyles, but they always make me feel like I'm a tall, slender Amazon! (HA! Tall I'm not at 5'3" and slender is debatable; I've got the curvy thing going on and while I'm not fat, I'm not the thinnest person that you'll ever meet either.) The intricate part is just because I absolutely ADORE anything that looks complicated (although it may not necessarily be complex and complicated). I'm thinking some kind of adornment worn in the hair--beads? Woven ribbon? Gold or silver charms? I dunno...something. Oh yeah, did mention that I also have to design and make her dress? And design and make my dress? So maybe I should decide on a dress design first, then worry about the hair!

I figuring that I'll be doing my hair myself since I don't have a regular loctician and I actually don't know of anyone to go to here in my area. I'm here in Louisville, KY, so if any of you have any suggestions, by all means let me know! Also, if you have any suggestions of loc sites, blogs, photo galleries, etc. that show some bangin' and I mean really bangin' loc updos don't keep it to yourself--let a sistah know so she can check them out for ideas! Until next posting, stay loc'd, be blessed, hugs and peace!

FINALLY--Some NEW Length Shots!

2011-05-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Bonne journee, mes amis ! It's been a couple of months since I last posted and I seem to vaguely remember promising to post some new head shots of my locs. Well, I finally remembered to take some pictures yesterday after I'd washed them. Wow, even I was kinda blown away at the length that they've gotten. I don't really obsessively watch for length changes; in fact, except for routine washing and general maintenance type stuff, I don't really notice my locs at all now. They just do their thing while I'm doing my thing! Anyway, without further ado, here are the pics:

As you can see, they are almost mid-back length. I decided to do a couple of texture shots also; my locs are (I guess) kind of a medium size and are very healthy and thick.

No, they are not all the same length; in fact, the ones that were the longest when I first started gaining length are now some of the shorter locs on my head. (I still haven't figured that one out yet). My locs are three years and four months old as of today and the love affair is still going strong! My maintenance routine hasn't changed significantly: I wash every week (sometimes I stretch the time out a little longer if the weather is extremely dry) with a rotation of Dr. Bonner's castile shampoo and Avalon Organics Olive and Grape Seed Oil Shampoo. I condition when I feel that its necessary and I've been using organic, unrefined coconut oil to moisturize my scalp when needed. I semi-freeform, so most of the time all I do is separate after washing; this current routine seems to be working like a charm! I've been loving the journey thus far; I hope and pray that your journey has been as wonderful. Let me know how you are doing and until next time, blessings (jusqu'à la prochaine fois, la bénédiction)!

Hello Everyone!

2011-03-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys and gals! I sincerely hope that all of you are well and happy. If you follow me on my other blog, Levels of Beauty (http://www.levelsobeauty.com), then you've seen the news that I had to share about my upcoming trip to Chicago, IL to attend the Makeup First makeup school. I am SSOOOOOO jazzed about this--I'm finally going to take a real stab at following what I've been dreaming about for a long time...

So what, you may ask, does this have to do with my locs? Well, I'm gonna need a little help from you folks out in loc-land. In the interests of keeping my baggage load light AND being able to have a few new fly styles to wear while away from home, I need some suggestions from you all as to how to wear da locs. You all know that I don't use a lot of product in my hair, which in this case is good, since I'll be gone a month and I don't want to have to pack a lot of "stuff" to use in the maintenance of my hair. I really do like to style my locs, but I also need styles that are quick to do, don't require a lot in the way of pins, rollers or other hardware and will look really bangin'. Oh yeah, I also will probably be wearing my hair off of my face for the most part because we will be using each other at models in class for makeup demonstrations. I know that I can do the standard ponytail, but besides putting stress on the hairline if worn too often, that just gets plain boring (at least to me LOL)! I love updo's--the more intricate-looking, the better! They are just soooo elegant! And if done right, you can just tie them up at night and keep it looking good for several days at a time. So, can all you loc'd beauties help a sista out? I have medium length locs--about chin length in the front around my face and between my shoulder blades at the longest point in the back (no, my locs are not all on length!) If you've got any suggestions, please feel free to post a comment to this post or leave a link to a tutorial or post pictures--I would so appreciate the help! Blessings to all of you!

Should I Feel Insulted?

2010-11-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Hey you all! Looky looky now--two posts in one day! But this is one that I meant to do several days ago and then I got caught up in the turkey day preparations...

Anyway, here it goes--long story short...a coworker and I were talking the other day, and she commented about the loc style that I had going on, you know, saying how much she liked how it looked, how I always had an interesting style goin' on, etc. she then asked me if I could ever take my locs down if I wanted to and then she made a comment about how usually she doesn't like the look of locs because she's seen a number of white people with them and they always looked dirty and nasty, and so on. She then made a very pointed comment--"but yours always look really clean and well kept and I just gotta ask, how do you wash that STUFF?!" I looked at her (with a slight *cut you off at the knee side eye*) and responded "the same way you wash your "stuff"! Now, we get along quite well (she's white) and all, but I did feel a small dig of indignation at my hair being called "stuff" as if it were a giant dirtball or something. Said coworker quickly came back with "I wasn't trying to insult you; you know what I mean, how do you wash your hair, locs, or whatever you call them!" Now, I want to feel and truly believe that she really meant no harm but...how do you refer to someone's hair--anyone's hair as "STUFF"? To tell you the truth, this one phrasing has insulted me more than any other comment that has been made about my hair in the almost three years that I've been loc'd. So tell me the honest truth y'all--am I being just way too sensitive? Love to hear your take on this! Blessings!

Same Old Argument...Again!

2010-11-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Brittany (hey b girl!) from the Loc Rocker blog (http://www.locrocker.com/2010/11/going-natural-makes-news.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook) for this one. (check out her blog--it's great!) But my question--why are we still having to worry/prove our professionalism when it comes to how we wear our hair? In my mind, someone that uses intelligence and tact to perform their job to their highest ability in the workplace is a professional; professionality (is that a word?) is NOT dependent upon how one wears their hair. Let me tell y'all, I've seem some "melanin deficient" (HAHAHA! a friend's term for "white people") folks looking truly like who-did-it-and-why in the workplace, and their "professionality"
wasn't/isn't questioned, regardless of what they look like or how they wear their hair? I mean really, have we not progressed at all?!? WTF?!? I AM PROFESSIONAL because I act professionally, no matter if my hair is permed, natural or loc'd. 'Nuff said...blessings!

YES...I AM STILL AROUND!!!

2010-11-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hello all of my fellow loc'rs! Yes, I am still around, although I haven't updated in quite a while. I'll give you a short synopsis of what has been going on in my life and with my locs. In my last posting I believe that I mentioned that work was really stressing me out and taking up quite a bit of my time (boy, what an understatement!) Anyway, if I didn't say that, I'm saying it now...my (almost) entire life has been consumed by work. This, however, will be changing drastically in about 8-10 weeks. My store, of which I am the manager, will be permanently closing and I will be among the unemployed. Now, before you weep for me and gnash your teeth, don't feel bad for me. I feel bad that the store is closing and I feel badly for my coworkers losing their jobs, but I don't feel badly for myself and neither should you. In fact, the day I found out about the closing, I'd given my manager notice that I was stepping down from the manager position due to health issues. I've been having ongoing problems with an irregular heartbeat and chest pains and a possible ulcer and of course, these problems can be majorly aggravated by inordinate amounts of stress. So, although I did struggle with making the decision to step down from the post, once I'd made the decision I felt so much better because I knew that the stress levels would eventually level out. Now, it's just a matter of getting through the liquidation process. I've got several options and irons in the fire right now, and I know that S/He WILL NOT let me fall so all will be as it should be. The other thing that I need to now concentrate on is getting my health in a better place.

Now, to keep this loc related: I will soon be three years loc'd (january 4, 2011)--I can hardly believe it! Remember my first posting--it was in celebration of my 6 month anniversary. WOW--it seems like such a short time ago. My locs were really just baby comb coils and very, very small--seems like my head was huge then and now...the locs have matured beautifully and they are past my shoulders. I've just left them alone to do their thing and they have done their thing very well with very little direction from me. I don't have a really good pic right now--will have to get someone to take one for me as my reach isn't long enough now to show the full length LOL! I'll get a couple of pics posted soon so that you all can see. My hair is healthy and I'm happy, especially since I can do all sorts of updo's now (updo's are my favorite!) My locs are still evolving as is my spirit and both are evolving for the better. Blessings to all of you that have hung in with me and have prayed with me and for me as I have prayed for all of you. Wishing you all well in your journeys and I hope to be back to regular postings soon. Blessings, hugs and peace...

Quick Update Posting...

2010-06-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hello loc'd divas! No, I haven't forgotten about you all; I just haven't had time to update on the regular like I should be doing. Not a whole lot to report at this time--the locs are growin' along, getting longer, still strong and healthy. I'm almost at the 2.5 year mark (july 4th) and still lovin' the journey. They are long enough to gather into a pretty decent pony on top of my head and the ends just kinda splay out all over the place--I love this semi-wild look! I'm able to do some updo's now and I'm lovin' it! Check out my pics below:

Still doing the semi-freeform thing also and I'm just absolutely loving it! Very rarely (2-3 months, maybe longer) do I palmroll the roots, now the maintenance routine is wash, pop, spritz on a little oil/water/eo mix and go. When I do palmroll, I don't always clip the hair. Seems to be working just fine for me! Will add more to this blog soon, I promise! Keep it loc'd, divas! Blessings...

Just A Story From Today...

2010-03-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hi folks! Just thought I'd share a little story about something that happened to me today at work. As y'all know, I work as a retail manager. Anyway, a gentleman walked into my store, and as I happened to be the closest sales person to him, I spoke to him and offered assistance. His response, "do you work here?" I said "yes" and then he said, "can I ask you something about your hair?" I again said "yes". He then proceeds to ask about his "locs" (they were obviously newly set in--coils or finger twists really)--"how long does it take for your hair to loc?", "my hair is kinda straight and I've had these in for a month, why aren't they loc'd yet?", "what do you use on your hair to twist them?", etc. First off, I thought this was a slightly odd conversation to be having with a REALLY COMPLETE STRANGER in the middle of a fabric store. Secondly, his questions, and his responses to my answers, led me to believe that he'd not talked with anyone about the process of locing; it seemed as if he'd just decided to get his hair "twisted/loc'd up" one day without doing one iota of research--even if it was just talking and asking questions of others that he perhaps knew that were loc'd, or even asking questions of the person that did his baby locs. I asked all kinds of questions and read everything I could get my hands on about locing before I took the plunge; I stalked fotki albums, I devoured articles/videos on YouTube, I joined several forums dedicated to locs. The concept and the process truly fascinated me. Am I just crazy/obsessive/compulsive, etc? I just can't imagine doing something like this and not being curious about what I was getting into! What's your opinion? Even if it is just hair (which, by the way, is not the way I feel about my locs), seems like you would want to know something about a major process like growing locs. Anywho, leave your comments, I'd like to know what you think! Blessings!

HEADWRAP TUTORIAL--BY REQUEST!

2010-02-09T15:28:00.001-08:00

hey folks--here it is: the headwrap tutorial! thanks for watching and i hope you enjoy and learn...blessings!

PIPE CLEANER SPIRAL SET---UPDATE!

2010-02-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

Hey there, folks! Well, I promised an update on the pipe cleaner spiral set and ...there is no update! LOL Well, sorta an update...the experiment was a bust, at least this time around. Guess i need to practice my technique for rolling up the locs, 'cause the curls just weren't "spiral" like they came out in the YouTube demo videos. I dunno--maybe I just don't have enough length yet for the curl to look right? maybe i need to do only one loc per pipe cleaner, instead of the two that I did (but in Chescaleigh's vid she rolled two at a time and her locs are super long!) Anyway, guess I'll practice up and try it again, maybe this weekend--oh wait, that means I'll be rolling hair during the Super Bowl...Aww, what the heck--anything for the sake of beautiful, spiral locs HAHA! I'll take pictures this time--good, bad or ugly, all right?!? Blessings...

SHAKE DEM LOCS!!!

2010-01-21T16:44:00.001-08:00

hey all! thought i'd cross post this video that i have up on youtube--it's a response to shaggylocs7's "shake dem locs" tag. this was really fun to do! check out his channel--he's got skills! blessings to all of you!

YOUR THOUGHTS/COMMENTS, PLESE!!

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hello my loc family! Hope your day has been well. Just gotta ask your opinion on this because it's still bugging the crap outta me. Remember a couple of posts ago I mentioned about being b*&%?@'d out by a customer in my store because of my gele (headwrap) and bindi? Well, I just thought I'd post a pic or two of a gele that I've worn to work and ask your opinion as to the appropriateness/professionalism of the look. Now, the pics that I'm posting show what I would consider an "everyday" type of wrap look--nothing overly ornate or dramatic, and the fabric colors, while very vibrant and colorful, are not what I would call "over the top" for a retail work setting. What's your opinion? After speaking about the incident with my superior, he assured me that as far as he was concerned, I'd not violated the company dress/uniform code (which is black or khaki pants/skirt, black polo-style shirt or red polo-style shirt. Almost 100% of the time, I wear all black--just doesn't show as much "stuff" as would khaki!) and that I was good. If you were to deal with me face to face, would you be offended by my wearing the wrap and the bindi (of course, you would be treated courteously and professionally at all times!) Thanks for the input!

MY EXPERIMENT WITH PIPE CLEANERS

2010-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, I'm trying to come up with some different styling ideas for my locs. Not that I don't think they look fine as is, but you know...a girl likes to change up her look every once in a while. Anyway, I've tried using the perm rods for curling--maybe i'm using rods that are too large for the length that I have, but the resulting curls were big and loopy--not the elongated spiral that I really wanted. Oh, the style was really cute and I did like it, it just wasn't what I was envisioning. I've been surfing Youtube, and viewed several tutorials about using pipe cleaners (chenille stems to some of you) to set your locs. They seem to be just what the doctor ordered--CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP (I'm just saying, these days you gotta save where you can!) and they seem to produce a beautiful spiral curl. I just got back from Wal-Mart with 50 pipe cleaners; now to experiment with the "pipe cleaner spiral rod set" technique! Will post the results in a couple of days--in the mean time, give me your thoughts and suggestions for styling ideas, fellow loc'rs...blessings to you all!

TWO YEAR LOC ANNIVERSARY PHOTOS, AS PROMISED!!!

2010-01-17T18:00:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! Hope your Sunday was well; mine was wonderful. I attended a very spirited church service today and spoke with the minister of music about getting back in the choir (not that I was kicked out or left voluntarily--my work schedule prevents me from consistently attending rehearsals.) Hopefully, I can work out a customized rehearsal schedule--I really miss singing and if I'm still missing it this much, especially since I've been gone for almost five years, then I think God is trying to tell me something.

Anyhow, here are the promised two year loc pics--I hope you all enjoy them! Many thanks to my daughter for taking the pics (seems that I've neglected taking pictures for so long that I've kinda lost the knack for taking self-portraits LOL!) Blessings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR (and a LOC ANNIVERSARY!)

2010-01-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hello folks! Happy new year to everyone--hopefully everyone's holiday was wonderful. Thanks so much for hanging with me through my not-so-frequent postings--due in part to the general craziness of the retail holiday season, but also due to my extreme fatigue. It has been discovered that I have a quite irregular heartbeat and the lack of oxygen in my system was contributing greatly to my feelings of continual and extreme fatigue and general daily feeling of malaise. I'm now under treatment and hopefully I will have the energy to post more regularly to this blog--at least that's the plan as of this moment!

Anyway, on to the good stuff--I've reached the 2 year mark! Happy Lociversary to me! January 4, 2010 was the famous (or is it infamous) day and I couldn't be happier with my locs! Sorry that I don't have a pic at the moment of my hair, I will post one later on this week--silly me let my camera's battery completely discharge and I am currently letting it charge up. Two years ago, my baby locs were less than 1/2 inch long and now in just 24 months, they are past my neck--is that amazing or what? Several people have told me to watch out now--that my hair will REALLY start to take off! One of my best friends has locs (I believe that she's into her fifth year) and she says that she's blown away by how fast they've grown. Yep, they still have a huge spiritual significance for me and yep, I'm still committed to keeping them for life. With the growth in length has come more growth in terms of patience with self and others, understanding and empathy with self/others, and self-understanding and self acceptance. In this past year, I've also had to (graciously) respond to a couple of individuals that have attacked my choice to wear my hair as I do and have also attacked my choice to wear gele (traditional african headwraps) and bindi. I had to respond graciously because the attacks took place in my professional setting and when working with the public, one must always respond in as gracious a manner as possible so as to not reflect upon the professional environment--this was in fact very difficult for me because of the personal nature of the attack. I believe that this individual choose the time and place purposely because she knew that if I were to respond in a "ghetto mama" style while on the clock, she could use that against me when reporting me to my superiors. As it is, there was a time when my self-esteem would have been severely shaken by this incident; now my self-esteem is much higher and my self-confidence and self-acceptance is such that this incident had no effect on me except to follow-up with my superior to report the incident in the event that this person decided to pursue her "complaints" further up the line (which I found out today that she did). Fortunately, my superior is supporting me to his superior so again, peace and no worries on that front. But enough of these ramblings--I hope all of you are in good health and good spirits and I really hope to be posting more regularly in the coming weeks. Blessings!

FINALLY--A NEW POSTING AT 22 MONTHS!

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

hello people! finally--a new post about my locs! this will be a short one...i hope that all of you are doing well and getting along in these rough times. my locs are 22 months old now, (well, actually on 11/4) and my how things have changed! ther's hardly any frizz now (or as much "no frizz" as i can have with my particular hair texture), the locs have filled in nicely (you can hardly see any scalp now even when i palm-roll them) and they have grown almost to my shoulders! YES---i am STILL IN LOVE with my hair--i truly believe that i will never fall out of love! my babies are doing exactly what they are supposed to do--all with no coaching from me. i am "semi-freeforming"; that is, i'm only palm-rolling my hair once every 2-3 months, or whenever the odd mood strikes me. i knew from the beginning that i wasn't going to be into the strict "palm-roll every 3-4 weeks" routine--i work too much for that. so, i wash once a week (maybe i'll go a week and a half--IF i get really crazy busy at work), i deep condition once maybe twice a month, i will do a hot oil treatment once a month or so and i use olive oil, almond oil, vitamin e oil and jojoba oil as a mixture for my scalp. after my washes, i usually pop the locs and air dry, unless i deem it necessary to do a full retwist/palm-roll session. i am so lovin' this routine--it's great not to be a hair slave anymore. i will roller set or braid set or rod set on a whim and i love the fact tht my locs will hold the curl/crimp for a week or more so styling is a breeze!

the spiritual awakening that i associate with my locs is still evolving and growing; oftentimes i feel as if i'm more aware of spiritual vibrations all around me, kinda like an antennae picks up and amplifies radio waves. sometimes it's a little unsettling, but i will adjust. i've become more in tune with my personal spiritual energy and hopefully that has/will make be a better person. all of this and more just by shedding my relaxed way of life and cultivating locs! who would have thought...?!? i'm posting a few pics of what my hair looks like at the moment (three days post perm rod spiral set); enjoy the pics and stay tuned for the next installment of..."AS THE LOCS TURN"! lol blessings...

My New Loc Update--20 Months and Counting!

2009-09-06T14:23:00.001-07:00

hello fellow locr's! it's been a while since i've updaed this blog. i apologize for that--but life is still getting in the way LOL! anyway, i just wanted to do this quick update to show you all that i'm still (trying) to kick it and to let you all know that i haven't forgotten you. i know it's not much, but hopefully you will enjoy and by grace i will be able to talk with you all again real soon! blessings...

Quick Sunday Morning Entry!

2009-06-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Good Morning ladies and gents:

Just a really quick post--a friend of mine was over here on Friday collaborating with me on a sewing project that I'm doing for her and after we discussed and I mocked up part of her project, she offered to groom my locs. (She's loc'd also, and not too far away from her first locaversary!) Now, as you could tell from my most recent photos on here, I haven't done a full grooming session (clips and all) for quite some time (probably about three months or so), so I said yes. Thought I'd post some pics here on what it came out looking like (although it's two days post grooming)--she did a fantastic job and guess what--I had a lot of new length! Also, I had her trim off my curly ends (I know, I know--"you shouldn't do that!") but with my locs now touching the back of my neck, the little "whispies" are tickling my neck and are annoying as heck to me; besides it didn't seem as if my ends were going to really seal all the way to the tips. Oh, guess what else happened? We discovered two new baby locs at my hairline LOL! I'd tried to incorporate these two areas into two of my current locs for several months now, but they just didn't want to integrate, so she just coiled new ones--I tried to get a shot of each one. Aren't they just too cute?!? I tried to point them out in the last two pics. We'll see how they go. Have also discovered that I definitely have lots more hair on my head than what we both thought LOL! Oh, and please ignore the makeup--I crashed last night after work for a one hour nap and I woke up this morning at 10:23 am; needless to say, the makeup didn't get washed off... Hope you all have a great day and be blessed!

Correction To My Last Post!

2009-05-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Just a quick correction to my timeline in my last post. My locs are almost 17 MONTHS OLD! This on June 4, 2009...Okay, so I couldn't count the day I posted (LOL). Still, quite an accomplishment--and me and my locs are still together!!! Time seems to be really flying now--is that because I'm getting old or just becasue? Anyway, just wanted to make the correction--have a great evening!

Another Quick Post!

2009-05-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It's me again with another quick post...I just found out the KUMINA has awarded me the Kreativ Blogger award and now I have to pass it on. Here's how it works: the recipient has to list 7 things that they love and then passes this award to seven other bloggers and then they do the same and so on and so forth, so a big THANK YOU to Kumina ( http://kumina4603.blogspot.com) for passing this to me. Love ya girl!!

Seven Things I Love (in no particular order):

1) MY LOCS! I can't imagine myself without they anymore--they are me!!!

2) The color red--I don't care what the object is, pretty, ugly, pretty ugly, whatever--if it's red I

will love it!

3) My granddaughter Spanky--she is such a sweetie. Grandma's little Spanky-girl!

4) My family, extended family, close friends (you all know who you are) and all of those people

that have given me mad support through all the "stuff" through the years.

5) My God-the creator and the finisher, the all in all of my life. His guidance hasn't failed me

yet, even though I'm sure that I've failed Him countless time--but still He loves me!

6) My sewing/quilting/embroidery/jewelry-making/singing talents that have been given to be

by my God, although I don't get to exercise them nearly enough (sigh)

7) My makeup collection--it's growing by leaps and bounds and is yet another way for me to

express my creative abilities.

I'm not really sure who I can call out for the tag individually, so I will tag anyone who reads this and I will go to individual blogs as I think of them and tag those individuals. Thanks to all who subscribe and follow my blogs and be blessed!

2009-05-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

HELLLLOOO, Everyone! It's been quite a while since I've posted to this blog, and I do apologize for that. So far, this year has been flying by--can you believe that we're already at the half-way mark? I was so hoping that I would have another, less stressful job at this point in time, but alas, it is just not to be right now. I know, I should be grateful that I have a job, right? What with the way the economy is and people losing jobs, homes, etc. left, right and sideways--and I am grateful because I truly know that it could be worse for me. However, ...LOL!

Anyway, just thought I'd post a few pics of my locs as they are nearing their 15 month anniversary...15 MONTHS Y'ALL! Can you believe it?!? And I can remember when they were at that "do whatever WE WANT" stage and not "do whatever I" want stage. they have condensed and firmed up and have some length on them now ("shake dem dreads"!) and they truly look like locs. I've been "semi-free forming"--not retwisting for 2-3 months at a time now and I love the way it looks! Even from the beginning, I wasn't that into the "tightly twisted, see every single part and lots of scalp" look; I thought it made my hair took too scrawny. Now, everything looks really full and lush. and, I have to tell y'all this--one of my customers at the store (thank God I know her as a regular customer) came up to me about a week ago and touched my hair and said "I've been wanting to see how your hair feels. It looks gorgeous on you and it's so much softer than I would have guessed!" Now, mind you we don't hang out or anything like that but she does shop my store all the time, so I didn't feel violated, but I was a little surprised that she would touch my hair without asking. But the best part of it all was that she just raved over how soft my hair was and how pretty she thought it looked! "Course y'all know that I didn't do this for style, but for me; however it was really nice that someone else chose to validate at least a part of what I have already been feeling. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the pics and I'll try to post again really soon! Be blessed...

My First Attempt At A Loc Updo

2009-03-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Just a quick posting with a couple of pictures of my first attempt at a loc updo...I just love updo's! I wore them all the time as a permie and also as a loose nap, and now I've got enough length on my locs to do a modified updo....YEAH!!! All right, enough cheering...on to the pics:

Sorry that I couldn't get the lighting a little better and a better closeup for detail, but here's what I did to achieve the look: I divided the back of my head in half (more or less) and created two under-handed french braids that run from the nape of my neck to the crown. I pinned the ends of the braids to hold. The rest of the locs were lightly misted with a mixture of water, rosemary e/o and a little veggie glycerine and set on satin covered sponge rollers, using end papers. The rollers were left in overnight, unrolled in the morning and...VOILA! a curly updo. I thought it came out pretty cute--I'll wrap it up tonight and see just how long I can keep the style. I'm so excited--my locs are finally long enough to allow me some styling options! If any of you divas out there have suggestions on additional short loc styles, please let me know! Much love and blessings...janel

Back In The Saddle...

2009-03-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all you kings and queens...I know that it's been a while since i've posted. This was completely unintentional on my part and if you are a faithful follower of this blog, I do humbly apologize. Have had some major issues at work: I've lost four employees (one of which was my only supervisor), I was down with the flu (seriously down) for the better part of a week and recovery has been really slow. I'm now currently putting in 60+ hours at work until I can get a new person hired into one of the two supervisory slots that I have open and trained. I'm coming home dead tired (literally) each day, and in the short term, it's not going to get any easier.

Anyway...to make this posting loc related--you know that flu that I had really did a job on my hair indirectly. I was running a temperature of 105 degrees (yep, it was the real-deal flu!) for several days and you just wouldn't believe how dehydrated my hair and skin became! My skin was flaky and had really fine lines especially around my cheeks and forehead, and my poor hair--dry, flaky, itchy scalp, and crispy, crunchy locs. I swear, they sounded like cellophane paper crinkling when you touched them! I was in a panic, let me tell you. I put out a call to my YouTube loc buddies for some suggested remedies and several of them came through--most of all it was going to take time and I had to work on getting my internal fluid levels back on an even keel. Adding vegetable glycerine to my daily spritz helped, along with some extra conditioning. My hair and scalp feel a lot better now, although I am still having a little problems with flakiness. I'm sure that will eventually right itself. Anyway, I hope this post finds all of you in good health and high spirits and looking forward to spring! I shall endeavor to post a little more often in the coming weeks and by all means please feel free to comment and offer suggestions for topics for discussion! Be blessed and talk with ya later!

Happy Locaversary!!!

2009-01-05T16:37:00.001-08:00

Hello ladies and gents! January 4th, 2009 was my one year locaversary and I made a short video to commerate the event. Ok, so it may not be momentous to everyone, but it's a big accomplishment to me LOL! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the vid and thanks for all of your support. Bless up and I will post more a little later...hugs and peace, janel

My Loc Journey (1/08 to 11/08)

2008-11-14T18:58:00.001-08:00

Hello ladies and gents! Thought I would cross-post this video montage I made of my loc journey thus far. It's been a real trip and yes!! I'm still in love with it...be blessed!

2008-11-09T16:45:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I've been slackin' on the blog entries. So sue me--no, really, I've transtioned to a new store and life has been a little more hectic than usual. Things have finally quieted down for a few minutes, at least, so I thought I'd post this short video of my 10 month loc update. I can't believe that it's been ten months already--my hair is growing like weeds and I absolutely love it! Just thought I'd take this time because retail is going to be busy from here on through Christmas so I may not be making another entry again for a few weeks. Be blessed you all, hugs and peace! janel

The Great BUILD-UP Issue

2008-09-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all you loc-lovers! I'm feelig a little better after having to wash my hair in freezing cold water the other day. Yeah, I survived, but I REALLY wasn't happy about it--I HATE WASHING IN COLD WATER! Anyway, (I hope) that the water heater for this building has either been repaired/replaced and now I'm going to rewash my hair using HOT water. I don't know about anyone else, but especially for my hair, it just doesn't feel like it's clean unless I've used warm/hot water. Maybe it's just me being crazy...(it's not like I haven't been crazy before! LOL)

All of this brings me to the dreaded issue of LOC BUILD-UP--why does this seem to be such a problem? It seems to me that if you are washing your head thoroughly and rinsing VERY thoroughly, you wouldn't have that much of a build-up problem. Now, I know that product choice has some bearing on the matter, but still... Very oily products would seem to be of some concern, but then again, if you use these types of product in your hair/locs, it would seem reasonable to me that you would wash your hair a little more often to make sure that the product doesn't become embedded in the loc and it would seem reasonable that you would really scrub the hair and scalp and then pay particular attention to rinsing out the product. Am I making this just a little too simplistic? All the stuff I read on the loc lists about using apple cider vinegar rinses (AVC) and baking soda rinses and such goings on...is this really necessary? I would think that we all would know by now how to wash our hair--if you're loc'd, you'll just have to take a little more time to work the shampoo into the scalp and through the locs, since the shampoo/water mix can't flow through as freely as it does when one is a loose nap. Then, after careful scrubbing, be sure to rinse very, very thoroughly with lots of running water to flush out all the debris. Repeat the process if you wish. Just that simple, in my opinion. This can even be accomplished with cold water, though of course this is not my preference! People, this is not rocket science, nor is it an exceedingly complicated task. To avoid most build-up issues, just wash and rinse your hair thoroughly as often as it needs it! Be blessed, hugs, and peace...janel

Loc Washing Madness!

2008-09-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hey people! I'm taking a few minutes to post since I haven't done so in a while and since I'm sitting here boiling water to take a bath instead of taking a shower! That's right, the water heater for my apartment building is out and guess who woke up to no hot water?!? ARRRRGGHHH! I HATE COLD SHOWERS, epspecially when I have to wash my hair. I am too damn cold natured to appreciate pretty much cold anything--except for ice cream, of course! Even on the hottest day of the year I can't do a cold shower unless really forced at gunpoint, let alone wash my hair. But alas, I really must wash the dreads today before I go into work; I close the store tonight and will probably not have the energy to do it when I get home. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this, since I really like to rinse well with running water...I even had plans to do a full twist and clip thing and sit under the dryer for a while--guess that's out the window now. I'll be lucky to get to work on time at this rate! Why is it that a watched pot never boils? Just because you want it to!!! Don't know how "squeaky clean" the hair will be this time since I'll have to really grit my teeth and rinse under cold running water. Never mind that it's September here in the Ohio Valley and the high for today will be in the mid-90's; that water that SOME people call tepid is COLD!! Catch you all later, have to keep talking myself into this dreaded ritual...be blessed, hugs and peace. janel

Guess I Should Post A Couple Of Pics...

2008-08-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hi people! In all the hullbalou of my mother's accident and subsequent race to catch up once I returned to work, I didn't even think about the fact that I didn't post any pics of my hair at it's six month mark. So, without further ado, I'll put up a few pics taken today (okay, so TECHNICALLY my six month shindig was July 4th, but hey, what's a few weeks past?!?):

Whatd'ya think of dem dreads? I am just so excited to see such progress in such a sort amount of time. Still love touching my hair and still haven't quite gotten over the texture but thank God I'm not twisting, tugging or pulling it! and can I say---WOW! THERE'S A LOT OF SILVER COMIN' IN at the front hairline! Just kinda all of a sudden-like...I've had several regular customers at the store tell me that they think it's DA BOMB!! LOL Guess it will have to be, since, I ain't gonna color it--imma just let it go...

In the last week or so, I have split several of my locs into smaller ones because the hair didn't seem to be meshing as well-I'm thinking that it was maybe due to the size. I've got a couple more that I may split--I'm going to watch them for another couple of weeks to see what they do. Also, wonder of wonders, I've been asked to consider modelling in a show being sponsored by a local hair salon. Of course they offer the usual chemical services: relaxers, color, texturizers as well as weaves, etc. But they also say that they have a specialist in natural hair care and can do dreads. HUMMMMMM...says I. They are offering a free service (in my case, a loc maintenance) to get you ready for the show. I'm kinda thinking that I would like to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the show; perhaps I could make a few contacts that would help me launch a freelance makeup gig (which is something that I've been thinking about for quite a while now as a way of earning some extra money). Think I'll check into this a little more...

Anyway, not much else to tell right now, except that my inventory will finally be over and in the books as of next Friday (YAYYY!!). I am so tired because I've been running so many hours trying to prepare for this, that y'all just wouldn't believe. I feel like I'm losing my mind at this point. Off to take a nap now, doctor's orders because I'm not getting enough sleep and because I may possibly have a thyroid problem, which would help to explain the excessive (to me) tiredness. I'm being tested the week after inventory is over, along with a bone density scan and the big "M" (mammogram). See y'all later, be blessed, hugs and peace! janel

Good Sunday Morning...

2008-07-27T07:17:00.001-07:00

Hi everybodies! I should be getting ready for work right now, but I'm sitting here bloggin' and looking at my YouTube page, counting subscribers and such. A good friend of mine stopped over last night (I wasn't expecting her) and it was such a surprise to see her! I was just stunned--I haven't seen her or talked with her for at least a couple of months (our schedules just constantly clash). Anyway, she has locs (somewhere between 3-4 years, I think) and she was just astounded at the growth of mine in such a short time. She was one of the few sistas that supported me in my venture and was one of the first people to see my coils when they were first put in and miniscule and I was sporting the "tres scalpy" look! LOL I can remember her laughing at me just a little and saying that I would have a hard time locing because my hair is much softer than hers--she has a really coarse texture and mine is more wavy than a really tight kink. Much as I love her and much as she loves me, she honestly didn't think my hair would loc very quickly.

Well, she was very pleasantly surprised and pleased for me and she just couldn't get over how much progress I've made thus far on this journey. I really value her opinion. She has what she terms "ghetto, mammy-made locs"--locs that she started herself, no meticulous parts, no guidance really, she just one day decided to grab and start twisting. She had permed hair at the time and didn't cut the ends off, she just kept twisting and twisting and twisting until the ends stayed twisted and the new hair began to loc. Her hair looks fantabulous! And you know what? She also views the growth and transition of her loose hair into locs as a spiritual journey, just like me. As her locs grew strong and long, so did she and she grew in self acceptance by leaps and bounds. I personally have a hard time understanding how some can view this experience as just a fad or just for fashion and not also about growth on an emotional/spiritual level. I'm not hating on those that loc for these particular reasons, I'm just saying that I can't fathom this not having some type on impact on one's emotional/spiritual outlook. I say this for the simple reason that we, as women, do tend to get a little emotionally involved with our hair, especially if it ain't lookin' as fly as we would want it to! We obsess over it and have an almost compulsive need to keep it looking just so and when it doesn't cooperative, we get bent! Those of us on this loc journey are currently at or have been at the "fugly, ugly" stage at some point in this process--you can admit it. You know what I mean--the "baby" coils/braids/locs aren't doin' what we want them to do, they are fuzzy and standing all over the head, they aren't neat, etc. And we get emotional about it--what do we do to calm it down, cover it up, make it behave? And then one day it hits us--forget about it, let it do what it gonna do and it will one day transform into the proverbial swan. Don't obsess and don't hate; just accept and move on. The same for the spiritual transformation--having to care and maintain locs physically puts one in touch with oneself and, in my opinion, encourages some introspection, meditation and inner quietness that allows one the time to return to one's spiritual core and to cultivate strength there. This is/has been such a strongly emotional/spiritual experience for me that I just can't really put it all into words. I have gained such strength so far and I hope to continue to increase that strength. My girl friend remarked that I just seemed to be glowing with an inner peace and serenity and she has been privy to some of my most deeply held insecurities and fears--she's seen the worst parts of me, and she is totally blown away at my new-found spiritual "grounded-ness" and peace. God was/and still is working on me in a big way through this loc journey and I thank Him for that. Thanks be to God for allowing me to experience Him in such a way as this.

Just A Quickie Entry...

2008-07-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! This is gonna be a quickie entry since it's been a while for me. I am finally getting back to "normal" (whatever that is) from my mom's accident, work catchup for being off with her, etc. Now, of course, it's time for me to start prepping my store for inventory--whew! Does it EVER end?!? Anyway, I'm falling more and m ore in love with my hair on a daily--no make that hourly, basis! It seems to be growing really fast. My assistant manager (she's a person of the caucasian persuasion) says that everytime she sees me it seems like my hair has grown another two inches LOL! The process has yet to lose its fascination for me...

You know, late last week a young sister was in the store and I noticed that she had sisterlocks; she's shopped in the store before, but I hadn't seen her for about a month or so. I walked up to her and complimented her hair and asked her how long she'd been locked up. She replied "I've had them for a month." And then she said "...But mine are Sisterlocks" in a somewhat condescending voice, as if MY hair wasn't a viable option in locdom or something! WHY oh WHY do we insist on separating ourselves against ourselves? As if Sisterlocks are any better than any other type of loc? Now mind you, I had just washed and twisted mine the day before (my day off from work) so I knew they were clean and neat and smelled WONDERFUL (I just love the smell of jasmine, so I've been adding jasmine e/o to my daily dose of olive/jojoba oil) and as a bonus my head was under "fuzz control"--I don't normally mind the fuzz, the hair's gonna do what the hair's gonna do, so I guess it doesn't matter if I mind it or not! Anyway, such an elitist attitude just really irks me--haven't we learned yet that we should be supporting anything/everything good about each other instead of always trying to "one up"? It still amazes me that I've gotten more overt support in this endeavor from my white sistas than from my sista sistas, except for a few like my mom and my sister and a couple of friends that are also loc'd. Hell, even my "ex" husband has been more supportive than most of the black sistas that I know, and he's my ex. What's up with that?

These are some recent pics of me and my hair (all right, three out of four of these were taken to show some makeup looks, but I think they also show my hair off pretty well!) What do y'all think? Just a rhetorical question--I don't really care what y'all think (you know what I mean! no offence intended (smile)) I think my hair look GREAT at the six month mark! Guess I'd better go and finish getting ready for work. Have a wonderful day everyone and be blessed! Hugs and peace, janel

What Is It About Our Hair...?

2008-07-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! I'm here in North Carolina right now with my mom and stepdad--kinda an unscheduled "vacation" of sorts. My mother was in a serious car accident several days ago and of course I had to hot-foot it here to see for myself that she was all right! She's fine, generally speaking, but the car was totalled and it's truly a blessing that she was able to walk away from it under her own power. Anyway, I've just been thinking about some of the issues that we as women have with our hair...

What is the "thing" that we have about our hair? Why aren't we comfortable, for the most part, with what God gave us? If our hair is long, we want it short, if it's short we want it long, we want it flowing and straight and "just so"--why do we want something other than what we were naturally given? So far in my loc journey, have discovered a couple of things about myself as it relates to my hair: 1) I really do like my natural texture, 2) my natural texture isn't as hard to work with as I thought at one time, 3) my hair is beautiful just the way it is, and 4) I don't feel any less feminine with my hair short.

I really do like the texture of my hair--it's coily/wavy and soft to the touch. It's springy, curls easily and actually behaves quite well, sans relaxer. I'm getting some silver in with the dark brown/black strands now, and it's all good! The silver is beautiful. My natural texture isn't as hard to work with as I once thought--as long as I am working WITH my texture and not AGAINST it. If I listen to my hair, it will tell me what it likes and doesn't like; all I have to do is listen. It likes minimal manipulation--it likes locs! My hair loves olive oil and jojoba oil and it currently loves the smell of jasmine essential oil--the smell stays for a long time and each time I catch a whiff of it, it brings a smile to my spirit. My hair is soft and fragrant and my man loves the rough velvet texture in his hands. My hair is beautiful and I don't have to do anything other than keep it clean to keep it beautiful. It needs no relaxing or shine serum or frizz control serum or flat iron or curling iron to show its beauty. My hair has a subtle sheen that is given by nature and is as it should be. In time, with patience and care, it will grow to new lengths and perhaps even exceed the lengths that I had when I was relaxed. I feel no loss of femininity with my current short hair; why should I? My hair doesn't define me as a woman; it is merely a common idealistic symbol of my status as a woman. Were I to become bald, I would still be a woman because my DNA and my thoughts and my socialization and my internal/external physical and psychological makeup would mark me as such. I will not feel more feminine as my hair grows longer, neither will I feel less feminine with my currently shorter hairstyle.

What is is about our hair that gives us such anxiety, such anguish? I think that we as black women should find the answer(s) to this question within ourselves and then seek ways to become comfortable with what the Creator has given to us. As for me, I am now truly in love with what the Creator has given me and I embrace it fully, it's beauty and it's strength, it's sometimes quirkiness, it's loveliness and it's awesomeness and I give thanks to Him for making me thus.

Me Just Feelin' Some Black Diva Pride...

2008-07-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hey all--I was just surfing YouTube and stumbled upon several videos by Naturalnana made up of slideshow style presentations of natural-haired black women. All I can say is....WOW! THESE PHOTOS ARE SOOOO INSPIRING!! All of the women in these videos--from very fair skinned to very dark skinned were absolutely beautiful. And it wasn't so much a physical thing, although all of them were very asthetically pleasing to look at--beautifully shaped eyes, lips, beautiful smiles, etc, but it so much more the projection of being comfortable in their own skins, of being and acknowledging their "blackness" as it were. From the complexions to the physical features to the hair--oh the hair, the gorgeous hair! Whether braided, loose, loc'd or whatever, they were all just GORGEOUS!!! The confidence and the "queenliness" was just too awesome to behold; the aura of proud black womanhood just too shining to behold. It made me feel something very close to reverence to be able to project so much from a two dimensional photo.

I feel so much pride when I see black sistas projecting this so strongly, and I aspire to project these things also. Even more than just projecting this type of pride so convincingly, I aspire to internalize this majestic pride and truly believe this of myself--that I am truly an awe-inspiring creation of God and that I am truly and wholeheartedly beautiful in my full fledged natural state--sans makeup, sans chemically altered hair, sans surgically enhanced body parts, etc. I no longer have the chemically altered hair and I don't have any surgically enhanced body parts (too expensive on a practical level for me and I've just never really had the urge to put myself under anyone's knife just for the sake of a temporary beauty lift--guess I just don't want to be that beautiful! LOL) And although I love wearing makeup and playing with makeup, creating looks that enhance my natural features, I can really live without it, if I have to--although I do have to admit that it does help to brighten up my look! Now, I don't personally know any of the sistas that were in the video, so I don't really know if their personalities and actions in real life reflect this high pride in self for real, but I truly want to be able to carry myself like the queen that I know I truly am. This is not false pride nor is it, in my opinion vanity--this is acknowledging what God has, in His graciousness, created me to be--a reflection of Him that should be/is awesome and flawless in its beauty. My physical self--my kinky/curly hair, my brown skinned body, my short, pug-ish nose, my (too) wide hips and my (too) small breasts, my mind--and my spiritual self are all manifestations of Him and are as they should be. It's a shame that it's taken me so long to truly feel ready to embrace this; such a waste of time trying to embrace something that He never intended for me. But, perhaps this is His way of teaching me/us how to truly appreciate what He has freely given us in the beginning. Thank you, God, for allowing me this journey of discovery of self and You, even though the road hasn't always been smooth. Be with me as I continue on this journey of self-discovery and "You discovery" and if it is Your will, continue to bless me with increasing knowledge of You and of myself. Please allow my loc journey to be a part of the vehicle that allows me to gain this knowledge and throughout this discovery process, temper my great and growing pride in self with genuine humbleness and allow not vanity to overcome the lessons that you would still have me to learn. Amen.

HAPPY LOC-DAY TO ME!!!

2008-07-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody! All right, all right, ...I just can't wait until the official day--today I'm going to celebrate my six month nappy lociversary!! **Clears throat**:

happy nappy Lociversary to me,
happy nappy Lociversary to me,
happy nappy Lociversary to me-eeeeeee,
happy nappy Lociversary to me!! (AND MANY MOOOORRRRREEEEE!!!)

Sorry, just had to do that! My actual six month lociversary is on July 4th, but I fear that it will be overshadowed somewhat by the annual July 4th Independence Day celebrations. After all, I guess the remembrance of the day that this country became independent from England is just a little more important in the whole scheme of things than the day that I started my locs. (To some people--just kidding!) When I began my locs on January 4, 2008, it didn't even occur to me that my six month milestone would be on July 4th; it just felt like the right time to begin the next part of my journey. Anyway, I've been celebrating all week so far--the ladies that I work with are excited for me and some of the customers are commenting on how much length my hair is showing in just six months' time. By the way, all of these women are white and the ones that are noticing the changes are the ones that are really supportive of me. I've gotten comments like: "I can't believe how long it is now--just seems like yesterday that you had almost nothing up there (on your head!)", "wow, your hair is growing like wildfire!", and "it is really becoming to your face shape. Did you know how you would look when you decided to do this?" (I have to laugh to myself at this question--no, I didn't know how I would look, not really. But, I was just ready to DO IT no matter how it looked in the end!) And of course, the comment that all us women just LOVE to hear, "your locs make you look SO MUCH YOUNGER!" (BOY, DO I REALLY LOVE THAT ONE!! ANYTHING TO LOOK YOUNGER--HAHA!) No, I'm not that vain; I know that if I'm blessed to live long enough, these semi-youthful looks, such as they are, will indeed fade. But it is nice to hear every once in a while that someone thinks you look a bit younger than your actual chronological age. Such an ego boost...

Not much has changed in the way of my maintenance routine. Still washing every two weeks, and rinsing/spritzing daily with eo's/water and sealing with either olive oil or jojoba oil or a combo of the two. I'm going to start trying to stretch out the time between my full retwists--instead of every two weeks after each wash, maybe just every four weeks. Will have to see how it goes. I didn't retwist after washing this past Friday, and discovered that I'm more anal about the "groomed look" than I first thought. It's definitely something different for me to just let the new growth go! I actually like the thick look although I don't know that I would be able to go for months at a time without retwisting like some of the others I know through the loc hair care site Nappturality. At least, I don't think I could go that long right now--just not quite ready for that. Maybe with time and more length to my locs...

As my locs grow strong (and hopefully long), so grows my spirit; or at least that's how I'm feeling. That inner core of strength that I've newly discovered within myself seems to be just a constant hum in harmony with my physical self. It's quiet, to be sure, but I know it's there and it's steady. God is there and is steady, and the beautiful thing is that I KNOW that HE is there and steady. It is indeed a heady thing to know and to feel through and through that this is a TRUTH that will never change. I mean, I've known this for a long time intellectually, if you can actually know such a spiritual thing on an intellectual level, but I KNOW this now on an overwhelmingly deep spiritual level in such a more intense way. It's really hard to explain in words because it's all just there as a full blown thing, like the eternal flame--never ending, never to be extinguished now that it's truly lit. Now, mind you, although my locs are a physical manifestation of this spiritual growth and development, don't think that if I were to cut them off at some point (which I don't plan to do) I would lose this "feeling"--this type of strength is not tied to my hair; rather, my hair is just one way of manifesting this strength. Remember Helen Reddy's song "I am WOMAN, hear me ROAR"? Well Baby--I'm roaring! I AM a GODDESS and I AM a DIVA--I AM a strong LOC'D WOMAN! God bless me and all of you reading these lines. May all of you on this journey called life, whether loc'd or unloc'd, find your strength and your truth and may you all discover your eternal flame. Be blessed, hugs and peace, janel

My First Loc Blog Entry!

2008-06-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I've just created a new blog--this one will be loc related. I'll post here about my loc journey, my feelings, perceptions and views on locing, inspirational pictures, and anything else that I feel relate to my loc journey. Hope you all enjoy reading--this will sorta be like an online loc diary. Feel free to leave comments, questions, opposing viewpoints, etc., but please make sure to be respectful of my page and me and keep it clean!

Now for my big news--IT'S MY SIX MONTH NAPPAVERSARY!! Well, technically it's on July 4th, but hey--what's a couple of days? I am so excited--I posted new pictures in a new fotki album: http://public.fotki.com/jp6275; album name is the loc journey continues--month 6! Time seems to have gone by so fast and I just can't believe the progress that I've made. My hair is almost 6 inches long (starting from about 1/2 inch on January 4th!) The coils no longer look like coils so much and my hair has thickened up and you can hardly see any scalp when I retwist my hair. It's just been absolutely amazing. I'm still loving the journey!

Speaking of retwisting, I washed my hair on Friday (my off day) and I decided not to twist the roots this time, to try to begin lengthening the time in between my retwists. Don't want those roots to get stressed and start thinning! It's kind of a new feeling for me because of course my locs don't looked quite as polished but guess what? It doesn't seem that anyone noticed anything horribly amiss at work--they just commented on the fact that my hair seems to be getting thicker and fuller! I guess that it just looks a little more messy to me; guess I'm really a little more anal about the way my locs look and the neatness factor than I thought (smile). I think I'll be all right though, once I get used to it.

Just an aside, my Youtube videos are gaining more subscribers! This is just amazing to me since I just posted the first couple of videos so that my family could share in my journey. I have now at last count 20 subscribers and my videos range in topic from loc care/maintenance to makeup to responses to others on philosophical topics. If ya wanna see my videos, the link is http://www.youtube.com/janelporter; this will take you to my channel and from there you can see a listing of all my videos thus far. Who knew that I would gain a following?!?

Guess I need to wrap this up for now. I haven't eaten anything all day and I guess it's about time. By the way, if you want to read my other blog (which I guess is more a beauty blog) the link is http://divaqueenjanel.blogspot.com/. Yep, I've got two of them now to keep up with and I will try my best to do just that! Just don't shoot me if I don't add to each one on a daily basis. I hope this is entertaining for you at the very least, and perhaps even a little education, in a fun sort of way. Be blessed, hugs and peace to all of you! janel