Kreativ Blogger Award Recipient

Wow! Can you imagine my surprise and pleasure at opening my email today and finding a note from Enchantress telling me that she had passed the Kreativ Blogger Award on to me. I'm very flattered and I humbly accept!

Check out Enchantress' blog here.

Recipients of the Kreativ Blogger Award should do the following:
~Post the award on your blog

~link to the person who gave you the award.

~List seven things you love

~List seven blogs you love and

~Let those people know you’ve given them the award.

7 Things I luv

Sharp Cheddar Cheese on Ritz Crackers

Phyllis, the Video Loctician

Paul Lawrence Dunbar's Poetry

Massage Envy

TruTV

The Afrikan Village

Triple Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte

___________________________

Drum roll please...

I hereby bestow the Kreativ Blogger Award upon:

Chosen Vessel (Abena)

Chocolata

3girlsmomma

Reet

Dr. Locs

Sarahfina

Queen Nat

Swine Flu: Things you can do

Back from Spring Break 2009

I don't post much during the summer, so I thought I would do a 'mega photo post' to hold you over 'til Labor Day.

Psyche. I'll probably post a photo or two in a couple of days, after my retightening this Sunday.

Since my last post the boys have each had two tooth extractions and their annual check-ups. Everything was A-OK.

My big boy had a birth-day sleepover and laser tag party. Boys only - almost. Sydney came.

High school students who were the winners of the Festival's Student Film Competition

Again, this year, I attended the final night of my dad's film festival the week before school let out for the boys. Then we all went back to Florida 1 week later for spring break.

The boys went to the local water park about four times during the week and just hung out in the backyard. No Disney this year - trying to conserve my pennies.

I saw this brother with the longest uncultivated locs I have ever seen unfurled.

I did little more than sleep, eat, swim, feed the ducks and hang out on "The Afrikan Village Online Ning Site."

We went out with my dad and the aunts to World Famous Restaurant and Nightclub. Even though my dad closed his bookstore a year ago now, his photo is still up on one of the many banners with photos of business owners in the Northwood area.

Grandpa & Daniel Diop under the banner on Northwood Road

Dad is still affectionately called, "The Mayor of Northwood Road."

Will likely post again next week!

Free Sisterlock / Brotherlock Installation Services in New York City

Check it out!

Patricia is an Official Sisterlocks Trainee living in the New York area. She is presently offering a free installation service of sisterlocks and brotherlocks for the first 4 inches of hair.



For those of you who don't know, an Official Sisterlocks Trainee has successfully completed the Sisterlocks training course and is in the process of collecting photographs of her high quality work to submit to the home office to become an Official Sisterlocks Consultant.

Patricia also offer retightening services for a reasonable price.

If you live anywhere along the Eastern Seaboard and are considering sisterlocks or brotherlocks, contact Patricia at 347 743 1007 or niikili@hotmail.com.

Pass it on!

World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show

It's time, once again for Talia Waajid's World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show.

In fact, April's Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup will be held at the show on Saturday, April 4rth. Find the Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup Group logo link in the sidebar to join the group and to RSVP.

If you have any hesitancy - don't! Amba, with assistance from Sophia, organizes meetings that are fun, informal and open to one and all. At the meetings you will meet women who are contemplating going natural, natural and contemplating sisterlocks, women with hair locked by other tooled locking techniques, sisterlocked newbies, and consultants.

If you are contemplating going natural or getting locs or sisterlocks, the World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Show is a great place to learn all you can about the process.

(See last year's post here)

How I Shampoo My Sisterlocks at 14 Months

I love it! I love it! I love it! ----- Texture!

I washed my hair tonight.

Notice where I bind each section of my hair.

The secret to reducing bunching at your ends, if you still have permed ends, is to bind your hair just above and just below the transition between your permed ends and your loc'd roots.

1 Month

14 Months

It seems that my ends are taking care of themselves. You can see how much of the weak ends have fallen by the wayside in this comparison shot. When I decide to go ahead with the big chop, it may not be as big a chop as I thought it would be!

16 sections to be braided for a braid-out after washing

I bound my hair into more sections that I usually do. Six sections would be typical for me at this point, but tonight I decided to bind my hair into the sections that I would braid for a braid-out.

The sisterlocks kit comes with several of these elastic hair ties which you can find in any drug store. They are ideal for binding because they are small, don't damage your hair, have a lot of 'give' but can still be snapped in case I have a hard time removing them from my ends.

Follow this link to see some of the products I'm using now

My locs have thickened up and are taking a little longer to dry, especially when braided and rolled on flex rods. I've found that I can braid them when they are a little dryer that I have in the past, with the same results as long as they are very dry when I remove the rods.

Love my hair dryer. I use one of those bonnets that attaches to the end of a pistol shaped blow dryer. It travels well - compact and light weight.

The Finished Product

After I braid, roll, and dry, I will lose a little of my texture. The combination of the braiding and heat smooths the cuticle.

To keep more texture, you can free style or, for move waves and if you have the length, you can make Nubian knots and let them air dry without heat.

Tight curls just after the set and braid-out

The curls are really tight, but they will fall over the course of the next several days. I can help it along by spraying some water on my roots to make it fall faster. This set will last 2 to 3 weeks or more. All I do at night to maintain this style is to make a loose ponytail high on my head and put on my dreadsock.

When it falls it will look a lot like this...

Looser curls after 2 weeks

Wisdom from the Husia

I felt moved to affirm for peace and reconciliation today. But, sadly, when reconciliation is not possible and peace remains elusive, 'truce' may be the best we can hope for.

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'Those who are blameless in matters of conduct, no words can prevail against them. And those who are self-mastered, the harsh are kinder to them than their own mothers, and all people become their servants. Let your name go forth, while you yourself are silent and you will be recognized and respected. '

'If you are a powerful person, gain respect through knowledge and gentleness of speech and conduct; Give commands only where necessary and fitting. Those who abuse their authority provoke resistance. And those who place themselves above others are brought low. Be not silent when it is your duty to speak. But be cautious in your speech lest you offend. When you answer the angry, show self control. For the angry heart speaks fiery words, but those who walk gently, their path is already paved. '

'If you are angered by a wrong done you by another, lean not toward remembering it, but toward righteousness. Pass over it quickly and do not hold it in your heart after the first day it happens.'

- from The Book of Ptah-Hotep, The Husia [Selected and Re-translated by Dr. Maulana Karenga]

Sisterlocks Style Gallery II

Oh how wonderful it feels to have a newly retightened head of sisterlocks!

After my 6am appointment today, Julia started playing with styles. She declared that my hair was long enough to be braided into a fish bone braid.

I was doubtful, but she was right! Here are a few photos of my first fish bone braid.

Julia took hair from the sides of my head, starting in the front, and covered a central strip of hair running down the middle of my scalp to create this braid.

I asked Julia whether I could use a deep conditioner, but she says not yet. Apparently, I still have a little slippage in my kitchen. I'm not quite loc'd in the very back of my head, from my nape to my ears. But she guestimates that in 6 months or so deep conditioning will be a go!

(See Sisterlocks Style Gallery I here)