Funny How Time Flies ...

I did an early re-tight!
(last re-tight 27 July, current completed 22nd August)  Almost 15 month mark! Time seems to pass swiftly after the 1 year milestone.

Although I have all the time in the world now, I was not in the mood to re-tight myself,  however,  Liz is away and I was not left with much  choice. So I decided not to delay the inevitable. Get on and do it, so I washed it on Thursday as usual and decided that I would just use my Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo ...
About 45 minutes into drying time,  I noticed that my hair looked funny, not as clean and clear as usual. I rinsed again and examined my hair and realized what it was ...

BUILD UP!!! growl!

Well I never! ( .... had build up before!). My locs appeared grayish with bits of white in places, not a lot, but noticeable to me.

Now I don't have ACV (Gasp!  She has EVERYTHING except ACV)
So, head over bath, shower in hand, rinse rinse rinse, GREEN TEA, rinse rinse rinse

It cleared up quite easily, but I need to,

1). Buy some ACV.  2). Recognize that I might need to clarify every 2 weeks. Not sure what I did differently from my normal routine though so will have to be alert.

QUESTION 1. UK loc sisters, do I have to go to a health food store to buy this or simply buy cider vinegar from local supermarket?

QUESTION 2. (anyone ;)) I also hear of bicarbonate of soda being good at removing build up ... which do you prefer? Which is most effective? I hear ACV is smelly ... hmm.

Comparison pics

Compare my progress  six months exactly (19 feb)  and  (22 Aug)

I know that MOST  of my locks have made it to the teenage stage. I do have 5 new locks around but I am cool with that. I know I am locked because my hair has survived my steam/sauna/swim summer activities, and I have not needed to emergency rescue any of my baby locs. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? your opinions are important to me,  (on my hair that is! ) 

this has been my summer, it is almost over, and back to work next week. Have to give thanks for the job .... Just to give thanks also to two of the most important people in my life. God sends people to love us in various forms, it is good to identify those who we KNOW are on assignment (for good!) in our lives. 

My SON  xx :))))

My Neets!

Be Blessed ... Nai ... x

Summer and loving this loc'd life.

I am a little bemused at my lack of blogging. I mean, I didn't  blog everyday anyway, but I have had no time and have just been enjoying my life on holiday with the children and my lovely people.

One of the things I have tried to do regularly is go to  steam at the local swimming pool.  I think I have been doing it bi-weekly for the last 3 weeks. It all began on the retreat weekend, at the Staverton. I woke up early and had the swimming pool Jacuzzi and steam room all to myself! I quickly observed the great effects it had on my skin (all over) but ESPECIALLY my lovely locs.  I had been researching fellow blogs for information, then  blogger Natacha wrote that she was investing in a portable one ...

Hand in tha hair!

While driving home today after church I found myself grabing my hair, from tiredness(?)  Groping a handful of healthy, strong and full loc'd hair. It felt good! I am so grateful for this method of loc'ing, the absolute FREEDOM and natural enhancing of what God has given me, my loc's are as unique as I am. Boy, do I LOVE that fact. As a woman of colour, I am utterly thankful for a system that allows me the freedom to be me, naturally, hence the name.  Yes, I know more about other products to help maintain unlocked hair, but I didn't know then.  This option has definitely turned out the best method for me.

Issues.


Ok, take a look, this, in my opinion, is not a healthy loc. It is thin and weak in some areas and thick in others ;( . What to do?
I don't manipulate my hair a lot. So I have to put it down to soft hair syndrome! (and the minor amount of braid outs I do!)

Yesterday I found 2 other loc's that were ultra fine and instantly married them! Well they needed each other! I two strand twisted them and retightened them as one. I did that before and can no longer identify them anywhere! Good!

I also am finding loose hair in various places and intend to follow Dewdrop's youtube video to guide me on how to fix the issue, think that may be done tomorrow! Lucky enough someone had the same problem on the LIU group and the instruction was to take a pin and push the hair down. Hmm. Again, maybe tomorrow.

Er ... Tomorrow is here (Monday) :)

Yes it has taken me 2 days to write this post, gosh I am loving my lack of focus, and especially the lack of needing to be!!! Yaay me! free to FAFF about! (faff = brainless, mindless, meandering meaninglessness)! Well that's my interpretation anyway.  If you don't like the word faff, Bimbo will suffice! ;)

My routine is simple ... steam room (if I can be asked to get up early enough) then spritz with rose water and glycerin ...  Currently loc washing once a week, but really tempted to do it bi-weekly, because I LOVE my Aubs Org shampers, it (they) smell(s) lush! I have never been a woman to oil my scalp, *cough* lazy * cough*! So quite happy to find I never really needed to. My loc journey didn't really have any scalp issues, apart from when I wanted\needed to wash it. (I was not permitted to wash more than once per month)

So as you can see my style is still free, wild, and unruly ... hmm ;)

Yes, I am very happy to be me!

I must admit though, my fringe may not exist by next retight,  I find I am constantly sweeping it out of my eyes. I found a diary extract the other day written on the 05/05/09 in it I wrote ... 'To loc or not to loc? That is the question! ..." the answer is before you!

New Pic update, 13 and 14 months progress.

Nai got a brand new toy!  I can take better pics on here, so I did a mini shoot! ha ha !

I have a lot of pics but I am not sure how to present them ... so here goes ... (pics taken this afternoon)
Got time to blog today because the weather has chosen to storm, actually I like stormy dark skies on summer days ... love to watch the fat drops of rain ... hmm! also like to hear the kids run into any room they can find their mother because they are terrified of the thunder and lightening! giggle!

I guess nobody noticed ...

I didn't  do a 13 month update! So BUSY was I ... also not much to tell, however my 14 month retight revealed lots of progress and growth :) can you tell?

Oh almost forgot, staple products, JML moisturizer, Aubrey organics green tea (lots of swimming/ steam and water activities) Who said black girls don't swim!!! and the occasional Natures shine oil spray or Healing oil.

One thing though, absolutely nobody thinks my hair is loc'd. Everyone thinks I have twists!?! wHAt is that about! At the wedding though I got 'looks' from 'sisters'  and one brother complimented my 'different' hair ... Sadly, I didn't realise how much we black people were still so 'bound' as in bondage about our own natural hair. But like I said before no one would dare say a bent word in my direction, Plus, the way I walk, they can see I LOVE the natural loc'd me, and really, I do LOVE my lovely locs, every one of them!

Birthday Bridesmaid braid out last Friday.

Hey guys, show me some love, stop by and tell me what you think! :)