On the road and meeting friends !
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
First Rapture Ready Riders: Part 2 "The Ride Begings"
Rapture Ready Ryderz Motorcycle Ministry of Solid Rock Church of God, New Windsor, NY.
Monday, August 3, 2009
My Locs Do Not Like Condish!
My locs do not like conditioner, Everytime I use it, a few of my locs soften and unravel at the tips. I have three locs that are in the baby and teenage stage after 20 months! I use Black Earth conditioner. I dilute it in 8oz of water and I leave it on my locs for one minute. I use to condition every two weeks. I figured this is too much and I started using conditioner after a color, once a every six to eight weeks.
I discovered some comments on the internet and on youtube about Oyin Handmade products. Based on the good reviews, I decided to order some products: Frank Juice, Grand poo shampoo bar, and Shine and Define. I was not impressed. My locs did not soften with the Frank juice. I did not experience the softness everyone raved about! The smell was to be desired! Frank juice left my locs feeling tacky and sticky.
The grand poo shampoo bar did not do anything for my locs. It produced very little suds even after the second wash. My locs did not seem to absorb the water. I did not get the feeling of cleanliness with this product. I did not get that softening effect with the grandpoo that I received with Black Earth shampoo and Knotty Boy dread shampoo bar.After nil results with the Oyin shampoo bar, I grabbed the Rosemary mint shampoo bar by Chagrin valley soap.com. This shampoo is all natural. it produced creamy suds, leaving my hair feeling clean and moisturized without stripping the color from my locs. I bought the sample size. I will be adding this product to my hair regime!
After I shampooed, I used some Zum oil on my locs. I found this great oil mix in the health food store. The fragrance of Frankincense and Myrrh was a big factor for my purchase. The scent was so sensual! I scanned the ingredients and I was so happy to discover that it had all the ingredients that I mixed with my raw shea butter to make my body butter. Zum oil leaves my hair soft and moisturized. I mix this with vegetable glycerin, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil.
Zum oil ingredients: Sweet almond oil, shea butter oil, meadowfoam oil, organic sunflower oil, avocado oil, fractionated coconut oil, hemp oil, essential oils, fragrance oil, vitamin E, and rosemary extract.
Zum oil ingredients: Sweet almond oil, shea butter oil, meadowfoam oil, organic sunflower oil, avocado oil, fractionated coconut oil, hemp oil, essential oils, fragrance oil, vitamin E, and rosemary extract.
Oyin Shine and Define gentle styling serum is a winner! I applied this to my damp locs before I rolled my locs with soft spikes curlers. When my hair dried, I had some moisture rich and soft curls!
I decided to use conditioner sparingly and use natural vegetable and fruit oil.
Natural Moisturizers and Conditioners: SWEET ALMOND: Has excellent moisture retaining properties similar to sebum.It is an emollient. It is best known for softening and conditioning. It has vitamin E, essential fatty acids, zinc, copper and protein. APRICOT OIL is similar to sweet almond oil. it is more suitable for sensitive and premature aged skin.
AVOCADO OIL: Stimulates hair growth, softens and moisturizes It contains Vitamins A, D, E and potassium, sulfur, chlorine, fatty acids and amino acids.it is recommended to people with sensitive skin, problem skin, such as eczema and psoriasis.
COCONUT OIL: Moisturizes and conditions.
JOJOBA OIL: Is similar to sebum and is a liquid wax not an oil. It contains amino acids, silica, B complex, Vitamin E, chromium, iodine, copper and zinc.
HEMP SEED OIL: Has anti-inflammatory, healing, regenerative and anti-aging properties.It is an emoillent and a moisturizer.
SHEA OIL: Is a light oil. It protects, moisturizes and soften hair and skin. Raw SHEA BUTTER is known for its healing properties. It stimulates cellular activity, fights aging nd repairs rough dry skin.
MEADOW FOAM OIL: Moisturizes, and rejuvinates skin and hair.
REMEMBER! When locs are healthy and clean, they will exhibit a beautiful luster and sheen! Locs will not shine when we were permed or wore our hair loose! Your locs will absorb oils that they need.Applying large amounts of oils will only attract dirt and lint! When caring for your locs, less is always best!
As a former product junkie, it was hard not to try out different products. What keep me from products is I fear buildup in my locs! Twenty months locked and I have never had a lint issue!
BLESSINGS!
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" Psalm 46:1
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Apollo` s Memorial For Michael Jackson.
I live in the suburbs of NYC and if you want certain things, you have to drive to the city to get it! I had a quarter size of my shea butter mixture left. I have not used commercial lotion on my skin since I made a decision to lock my hair. After discovering the ingredients used to make hair and skin products, I decided to make my own body butters and purchase my shampoos and conditioners from the health food store or from my fellow locked sistahs that make natural hair products.
It was my turn to chaperoned my son and his girl friend. I needed raw African Shea butter to make my body butter. The best place to get it is in Harlem, at 125th st! My friend and I decided to kill two birds with one stone and visit Michael Jackson`s Memorial in front of the famous Apollo theater!
There were vendors selling Michael Jackson t-shirts, CD`s, buttons, and pictures. There was a makeshift memorial, as well as a signatures filled fence with pens available so you can write a thought.
What attracted me to this wall was this image that a fan had added to this wall. This was from the smooth criminal video. One of my favorite videos!
This image appears large, but as you can see from the photo below, it was quite small!
My son and his girl friend
We all had a great time! We bought a few t-shirts and buttons. I saw some friends and ex- co workers. ( I worked in The Harlem community for 13 years! ) I bought a large tub of raw African Shea butter and Nubian Heritage mango butter soap with Shea and cocoa butters. These soaps are great! I purchased this for $3. If you purchase two, it`s $5. The Nubian Heritage products are all natural.
MJ, you will be missed!
We all had a great time! We bought a few t-shirts and buttons. I saw some friends and ex- co workers. ( I worked in The Harlem community for 13 years! ) I bought a large tub of raw African Shea butter and Nubian Heritage mango butter soap with Shea and cocoa butters. These soaps are great! I purchased this for $3. If you purchase two, it`s $5. The Nubian Heritage products are all natural.
MJ, you will be missed!
Monday, June 29, 2009
RIP: MICHAEL JACKSON
I was driving, listening to Michael Baisden, on 98.7 Kiss, when they had received news that Michael Jackson had suffered a massive heart attack. By then, everyone was scrambling to get confirmation that he had passed away. I was in shock! I prayed at that point, that he would be alright.
Thirty minutes later, It was official! Michael Jackson was gone! Immediately, my son, and mother had called to inform me of the news. I received text messages from friends. I felt as if I had lost my brother all over again. I felt so empty and helpless. When I arrived home to confirm the news for myself, I turned on the news and went on the net. Sadly, he was gone forever. But his music and my memories for him live on.
For my 14th birthday, my mom surprised me with three front seat tickets to Radio City Music Hall to see the Jackson Five. My mother` s friend was a tailor at Bloomingdale's. He had made me a pink tuxedo as a birthday gift like the one the Jackson five have in the picture below.
Like other young girls, I was crazy in love with first African American teen idols of my time. Mike and his brothers were one of the fore fathers of music that would cross racial boundaries and truly make their music a universal language! Michael had humanly touched the world. He paved the way for other entertainers . As quiet as it is kept, he has helped more people than any other entertainer!
Michael had issues like any other person. Unfortunately, when it comes to our people, the media never fails to emphasize the negative points.
Michael is the King of Pop. No one will ever replace him. He is our Elvis and the Jackson Five is our Beetles. I will always remember the effect his music has on me and the rest of mankind!
Monday, June 22, 2009
My First Loc Up Do
I`am getting very bored with my locs. When I was creamy crack addict and became bored or unhappy with my hair, You better watch out! No one knew how I was going to look when I came to work the next day. If I saw a fly hair style in a book, I found a stylist that could give me that look.
One day at a new job, I saw a woman with a fierce short hair cut. I told the woman, she had a beautiful hair style and in the same breath, I asked her, who did her hair? She gave me Virginia`s card and that Saturday, I went from hair that surpassed my bra to a Halley Berry short cut. I wore my hair short for three years. When I wanted long hair, I would add hair. That was not the same as having naturally long hair, so I began to grow it back. That's when my problems began and one of the reasons why I` am locked!
In the past weeks, I have been having traditional loc envy. I really love the smoothness and cylindrical look of traditional locs. I hate the idea of keeping the interlocking pattern of my locs. Every one who I saw who had Sisterlocks had not lost their pattern unless they had a very kinky hair type. I latched by son`s traditional locs. He has a tightly coiled texture. After six months, I could tell the difference between the palm roll technique and the interlocking technique. (2pt rotation) I really did not like the look. So I will resume palm rolling his hair. As for me I`am tittering on whether I`am going to take down my SL and begin a new loc journey with palm rolling in December.
I began to re-ti my hair using the 3pt rotation, because it is a loose pattern compared to pt4 and it is suppose to yield a loc that has more volume. I`am noticing that the 3pt re-ti looks more like locs compared to the 4pt re-ti, at the ends of my locs. I presume that the shedded hair can settle naturally, without being choked up in the loc.
A friend of mine suggested that I take two locs and begin palm rolling them together. If I like the results, I could combine the rest of my locs and begin my new loc journey with palm rolling. I thought that was a great idea. So, as soon as I get some new growth, I will begin palm rolling and posting my results!
To prevent me from doing something, stupid like taking down my locs, I had to color my hair with Natural instincts:20B, Cinnamon Stick ( medium warm brown) and Kumina`s Gray Magic.
After, I dried my hair under a cool dryer, I began to experiment a little. My locs have different lengths so I`am still limited in what I can do to style my locs. I began playing with the locs in the back and this is what I came up with.
I spritzed the rest of my locs with water, then I rolled them with soft spikes. This is the end result!
Well, I accomplished my first loc style! Maybe that will give me some incentive to discover new loc styles. I want long locs, but I need to work with what I have. People with long locs had to begin from some where too! After all, I have to do my time too!
Blessings!
One day at a new job, I saw a woman with a fierce short hair cut. I told the woman, she had a beautiful hair style and in the same breath, I asked her, who did her hair? She gave me Virginia`s card and that Saturday, I went from hair that surpassed my bra to a Halley Berry short cut. I wore my hair short for three years. When I wanted long hair, I would add hair. That was not the same as having naturally long hair, so I began to grow it back. That's when my problems began and one of the reasons why I` am locked!
In the past weeks, I have been having traditional loc envy. I really love the smoothness and cylindrical look of traditional locs. I hate the idea of keeping the interlocking pattern of my locs. Every one who I saw who had Sisterlocks had not lost their pattern unless they had a very kinky hair type. I latched by son`s traditional locs. He has a tightly coiled texture. After six months, I could tell the difference between the palm roll technique and the interlocking technique. (2pt rotation) I really did not like the look. So I will resume palm rolling his hair. As for me I`am tittering on whether I`am going to take down my SL and begin a new loc journey with palm rolling in December.
I began to re-ti my hair using the 3pt rotation, because it is a loose pattern compared to pt4 and it is suppose to yield a loc that has more volume. I`am noticing that the 3pt re-ti looks more like locs compared to the 4pt re-ti, at the ends of my locs. I presume that the shedded hair can settle naturally, without being choked up in the loc.
A friend of mine suggested that I take two locs and begin palm rolling them together. If I like the results, I could combine the rest of my locs and begin my new loc journey with palm rolling. I thought that was a great idea. So, as soon as I get some new growth, I will begin palm rolling and posting my results!
To prevent me from doing something, stupid like taking down my locs, I had to color my hair with Natural instincts:20B, Cinnamon Stick ( medium warm brown) and Kumina`s Gray Magic.
After, I dried my hair under a cool dryer, I began to experiment a little. My locs have different lengths so I`am still limited in what I can do to style my locs. I began playing with the locs in the back and this is what I came up with.
I spritzed the rest of my locs with water, then I rolled them with soft spikes. This is the end result!
Well, I accomplished my first loc style! Maybe that will give me some incentive to discover new loc styles. I want long locs, but I need to work with what I have. People with long locs had to begin from some where too! After all, I have to do my time too!
Blessings!
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