Color, color and MORE color!!!

Last year when I first became natural it took me a little over a month to get hella bored with my gorgeous TWA. I attempted to color my hair twice last summer to no avail. I came to conclusion that my stubborn locks wouldn't be altering it's black color without bleach. The entire fall and winter I researched hair bleaching techniques and prayed over my luscious growing fro. Then April seventh I stepped out on faith and did....

THIS!!!!

I was so proud of all it's hotness, but it didn't go well with my employer (*tear drop*) so shortly after it became a demure chocolate brown in order to pay the bills.

 I am happy to say I have been able to keep my hair just as healthy as it was before and I have yet to experience any setback in my natural journey. Now that three months has passed since my initial bleach and toning job I had to reluctantly go back in and handle those back to back roots. For whatever reason I was almost as frightened as I was for the first go around. 

Ehhhh, I hope to do better next time. In the meantime I'm concerned about Vanessa's health. What's a pretty red afro if it's breakage city in that bia???

Typing about....typing

I have a love hate relationship with my hair. Not my hair per'se, but describing it. Well it's thick, coarse, dry, wiry, and tightly coiled. Seems like enough on the example spectrum right? Wrong. Then came this whole number letter crap. I then fell in the 4 a/b/c pit never to be heard from again. Now here's another hair typing chart (like we need another).

Though this one is smarter and based on strand thickness it doesn't have all the answers either. Remain natural or texturize??? And why do thick stranded ladies such as myself don't get the options of twists as a style choice? I live in two strand twists. Are you trying to tell me my twists will eventually lead to a life of bald headed-ness??? Or you have no logical reason or rationale for that suggestion? Don't get me wrong, it does have it's high points. My hair does require butters and thicker oils, moisturizing DC's are ten times more important than protein (even before I went natural), but outside of that 0_o. What do you ladies think? 

HHJ

the drama of that inbetween stage

I am currently in month 8 of natural....dom.  

My baby Vanessa has grown by leaps and bounds but just not enough for my impatient ass. Why am I unhappy with my growth you ask? Because I have set unrealistic expectations on what my beautiful coif can do. I was dumb un-bright enough to think that by 4/29/13 (my 1 year naturalversary) my hair would look like this.....

This is the fabulous CharyJay and my adoration of her hair knows NO limits

As you can guess that is NOT the case. The inbetween stage is where you get restless. I can see why this is where some revert back to relaxers. I just really hoped my hair would bloom from TWA to Angela Davis in a year. Ain't enough co-washing, protective styling, biotin and Jamaican Black Castor Oil in the world to make that happen. So rather than be all pissy about what has NOT happened I have to applaud what has and what I have learned on this road to natural hair......

1. My hair loves conditioner. I have actually only used ONE conditioner while natural that my hair didn't approve of, Suave Naturals Almond and Shea Butter. My new love is Silicon Mix with Bambu 

2. My 1st day natural I threw some Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing smoothie, and Eco Styler with Olive Oil gel in my hair....the end result. A head full of white ish....nothing else. So I began to reluctantly accept that my 4c hair had no curls....until recently.....

when these cute little coils began to show up after my clay washing sessions.  They don't stick around on dry hair but it lets me know the longer Vanessa gets the more of them will come around. Which shows me that A) I'm probably not a 4c and B) that hair typing shyt is SERIOUSLY for the birds. 

3) Vanessa doesn't like commercial shampoos (sulfate-free or not) they all leave her feeling a bit stripped so I decided to cowash and do bentonite clay washes in lieu of regular shampoo. She loves it which is a plus. And it's less chemicals on my hair. Which is a plus PLUS an upside down split and trick on the stripper pole.  ;)

4)The greenhouse effect (Real Queens Regimen) has been a lifesaver to my hair. Especially when this Wisconsin winter kicked it. I've been doing the GHE everynight since embarking on this new natural life. I alternate between my many natural oils or my whipped shea butter, but for sure me and the plastic bag meet up erry' (yes I typed erry) night. I think it has been a huge factor in my moisture levels and growth. 

5) Due to this cold area I live in I went on a protective style challenge in the fall. I will not be letting my boo bear out until the spring. (April)  which means I'm doing what I do best.....

WIGGIN' IT!!!! (with 2 strand twists underneath) In this meantime I'm just lovin' on my hair....in a way I have never done in my life. It's all new to me, but I love this feeling. And I don't ever want to go back. Vanessa will give me what Valecia puts into it.