Hair Style Of The Week: Post-Wedding

Hey peeps. Just wanted to share some pics of the way I wore my hair for the last week and a half.

Ciao bellas!

Some Mid-Week Inspiration...

Hey folks! I realize I have been gone for a little while and I can not wait to post the pics I have of Rockies Big Chop, the protective style I have been rocking the past few days, and a From Nature With Love and AyurNatural Beauty haul. Until then here are some pics I have found recently of women who inspire me to not only continue my natural hair journey but my hair growth journey as well. TTYS.

 : o )



Source




Source




Source




Source



Wedding Edition: Hair Style of the Week

It's wedding season and I have found myself caught smack dab in the middle of it. No, not because I am planning my own but rather I have RSVP'd (and replied yes) to a few invites. Don't get me wrong I love a great wedding, it always reassures me that real love does in fact exist. However, the stress typically comes from deciding what dress will I wear, what gift will I bring, and the most difficult, how will I wear my hair? The dress this time around was simple. After going in a few stores I found the perfect dress in Filene's Basement but my hair proved to be more than a little challenging. The Sunday before the wedding I styled it in my usual combo of twists and flat twists and rocked it pinned up all week. When I untwisted my hair for a twist out on Saturday (the day of the wedding) however my twist out wasn't anything like I had imagined. My hair seemed lifeless, my ends seem ragged (I think I need to get a hair stylist to do a major trim), and the shape (despite various techniques of coaxing) was anything but symmetrical. As a result I took a few bobby pins and pinned it up. Here's the final look:

BFF's--> Through sickness, health, and natural hair!

I feel very fortunate to have had two close friends that have been with me since high school. Sharing the similarities of being of West Indian decent, over protective parents, lovers of Soca music, and for years we’ve done everything together. We are so close that we call ourselves Charlie’s Angels (corny, I know). As we reach each successive milestone in our lives, our friendship (somewhat altered due to our proximity to one another, family, and work commitments) has remained strong.
Throughout my entire natural hair journey, both Rockie and Tee have been very supportive and sometimes in awe of my fro.   Right now, I am so proud to say that they too are on their own natural hair journeys. Tee has completed her first year of wearing her hair natural. Rockie will complete her “big chop” TOMORROW after her yearlong transition as well. I made her appointment at Khamit Kinks myself (stay tuned for pre and post pics and video).!Well ladies, Charlie’s never seen any angels like us.
; o )
I'm blessed to have friends like you two!

Tee and I--Vegas 2006?? (Not sure...lol)


 

Rockie and I--Trinidad 2009



The Angels ; o )--Insomnia Trinidad Carnival 2009



Maracas!



The Angels ; o ) --Orlando Feb-2010 --Notice Tee is rocking her natural hair.

Rockie and Tee--Feb 2010-- This was around the time of Rockie's last relaxer.



Tee and I



Rockie and I Summer 2009--;Can't wait for tomorrow!! Big Chop Day!!

Natural Hair Icon: Solange Knowles

I love this girl and I am constantly impressed with the multiple hats she wears! From being a song writer, a  mother, performance artist, and now a naturalista, she does it all. Solange has rocked many natural looks from the classic twa, to Janet Jackson Poetic Justice braids, twist outs , full on fro's, and turban wraps. Not only does she have a unique versatile style she always looks like she is having so much fun rocking it! I can't wait to see what look she comes up with next!

Cassie, Solange, and Selita Banks:The New Spokeswomen for Carol's Daughter

As I was scouring the Internet for some pictures of Solange Knowles for a long overdue Natural  Hair Icon post I had been working on I came across a few bloggers sounding off about Carol's Daughter. All  over the net  this past weekend has been thoughts, opinions, and comentary about this picture of the new spokeswomen for Carol's Daughters products.

The irony of it all is that these three women were picked because they represent the ethnic diversity of women across America. As I read on singersroom.com, "Steve Stoute, lead investor and chairman of Carol's Daughter, says the brand is simply mirroring the new diverse America,“What we’re doing now is moving into a polyethnic space. We want to be the first beauty brand that truly captures the beauty of the tapestry of skin types in America. When I say polyethnic, I mean women who are made up of several ethnicities. If you ask them what they are, they’re going to use a lot of different words to describe themselves."source  After reading that statement and looking back at the photograph all I could do was laugh. Which one of these young women represent me? How do these represent the diversity I see every day? Why is Solange (the only person with a kink in her hair) in the back? Why aren't they all depicted on the same level? The brand also makes a note of the multi-racial breakdown for each of the women  – Cassie (African American, Mexican and Filipina), Selita (Native American, Irish and African-American), and Solange (African American and French Creole). My guess is this was done in order to further make the point that they truly represent the multi-ethnic woman. I found this alarming because it reminds me of  something I have noticed with the middle school children I work with. I constantly hear them rattle off to eachother the different cultures of their family members as a matter of self defense when anyone refers to them as just black. However when questioned further on their Native American, Hispanic, and European lineage and they are clueless and have no answers.
      In all honesty Lisa Price and her company Carol's Daughter are not the only brand geared towards women with natural hair who has used fairer skinned and/or kink-less women to model their products.  Furthermore, I'd be interested to see the pictures from this months upcoming 2011 World Natural Hair Health and Beauty Showmainly to see who the natural hair companies will use to demonstrate their products. How many will represent me? Just some food for thought. Looking for more? Check out: thesweet7.com and bglhonline.com for some interesting thoughts and comments. Solange post to follow.
: )

Nappy Head: Can you get a comb through that?

“Your hair is thick and nappy! Can you get a comb through it?” This statement was made by a 10 year old girl I happened to be speaking with one day. She also took the liberty to inform me that she had her “Just For Me” perm touch-up done the day before as she preened herself in the mirror.  Even as I type I’m honestly not sure how I feel about the word nappy in the context of describing hair.  If you follow me on twitter you might have witnessed my confused reaction to this statement. At first *blush* I felt as if the word was disparaging and offensive. I wanted to explain to this young lady that my hair wasn’t “nappy,” but instead was what I would like to call “kinky.” As the words for my rebuttal were beginning to formulate in my mind I paused for a moment and wondered: what was the difference? And more importantly, why was I responding to it so negatively?  My response to her was “…I love my hair the way it is…” and she proceeded to draw a picture of me depicting my “nappy” hair.  After she had gone I felt her words still stinging my ego, so I did what anyone self-respecting kinky haired woman would do, I Googled it! Here are a couple of definitions I found for “nappy” that I found:

• Miriam Webster Dictionary : (1)chiefly Scottish: Liquor: Specifically: Ale ; (2) a rimless shallow open serving dish; (3)chiefly British Diaper; (4) Kinky
• The Free Online Dictionary:  (1)Having a nap; fuzzy: a nappy carpet;  (2)Often Offensive Tightly curled or coiled. Used of hair.

The image search proved to be even more interesting with most of the images on page 1 having to do with babies and diapers.  There were, however, about 5 exceptions: an image of Don Imus, an image Lauren Hill and an image of group called Nappy Roots, an image of the book entitled Nappy Hair, and this image:

After I concluded my mini research project, I still cannot say that I fully appreciate the word’s actual connotation. Is it in fact a negative word that us naturals have accepted (like the N-word for  some people of color or perhaps the term “coolie” for some  people of Indian decent). Should I embrace it? Should I defend it? Should I loathe it? Should I correct a person who uses it? I would love to hear from some of my naturals about their thoughts on this… especially those of us in the 4abc category that might be called “nappy-headed” on any given day!

My Portrait ;- )

Show Your Natural Pride



Soap Box Theory --$20--



7Evolution--$23--



Rachel Stewart--$28--



I Love My Fro --20.40--



Natural Chica--$19--



Deanas Jewelry and Things --$12--



7Evolution--$25.00--



Out and About: A Night In Brooklyn The Final Chapter

Having a little fun!

Rachel's Taqueria:

I love Tex-Mex, Mexican Cuisine, Southwestern Cuisine and with that being said Rachel's Taqueria was one of my favorite stops on my Tour de Park Slope. On the outside it is just another low key restaurant on 5th Avenue with the exception of the neon sign that beckons you inside.



Rachel's Taqueria 408 5th Avenue

  On the inside the vibe although still low key and quite cozy it is colorful and has a at home feel to it. What I loved the most was the huge mural on the wall that I found myself constantly staring at as I was mesmerized by the message that it sent.



The Mural




Civil Rights...EQUALITY FOR ALL!!

 The bartender (I sat at the bar) was patient and friendly and the food was DELISH! Besides staring at the mural I also found myself mesmerized by the various types of Tequila that was on display. Call me naive but who knew there was more than Jose Cuervo, Don Julio, and Patron?


The Bar...


In the spirit of randomness lets discuss the bathroom.  I loved it! The walls are covored with bumper stickers, magazines, some graffiti, and other paraphenalia from all over the country. I honestly spent a great deal of time in there just reading the stickers and wondering who placed them there.


The Wall




Being Silly...




Hmmm....



I ordered a surf and turf meal complete with shrimp, steak, rice and beans, and guacomole. I loved every bite of it. I love shrimp and  their grilled shrimp were the best I have had in a great while!

Delish!!

Dessert Run...The Chocolate Room:

The last stop on the tour was a long time favorite The Chocolate Room. If you love dessert, especially chocolate, then this is the place for you. The highlights: (1)This place just serves dessert and beverages so if you like having a basket of bread on the table when your seated don't come here. Instead you get a sample of some decadent dessert that they have created that day.

You see it....Chocolate Beer...created by The Brooklyn Brewery

(2) I love the small, cozy, vintage,  laid back atmosphere of this place, I always feel so at home when I'm here.

Vintage Hersheys

The take home options...

 (3) The Chocolate Fondue. It's one of my favorite things to order. Who can feel guilty about dessert when there is fruit involved? The dish consists of fresh strawberries, banana's, pound cake, and marshmallows, and of course a chocolate dipping sauce.

Not sold on The Chocolate Room? Ask Oprah about it, apparently she raved about this place too!
That concludes the tour...where should I tour next?

The End!