Euphoria's Sisterlocks

Happy New Year !!

2012-01-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Blog family! I wont be long but I hope I come
strong, not a lot has been going on with my locks they are growing like rag weeds , almost to the center of my back! I hope everyone made it safely into the new year, & for those that didn't may their souls rest in peace. I really haven't taken a lot of updated pics so I wont have many to post, so I will give you a run down of my hair care regimen & the products that I have been using lately. For the most part I only wash my hair every two weeks, but if I can manage to get in a full week of going to the gym then I wash every week. I still spot wash my alopecia areas with Denerox X-tra strength, so far I really haven't found a conditioner that I buy faithfully so what ever is in the house is what I use. The day before my re-tights I scrub (not literally) my scalp with Organic Root Stimulator Scalp Scrub you mix it with baking soda, it is a part of their Restoration & Therapeutic line basically it is an exfoliant for the scalp. After wards I shampoo with Dax Vegetable oil Shampoo, I was kinda leery about this product drying out my hair because it is a clarifying shampoo, but it didn't while you are shampooing with it it does feel like your hair is going to be hard & dry but once you rinse it out, totally opposite. I am thinking about using this product as my weekly or bi-weekly shampoo, don't know yet as that may then lead to drying out my locks but I do love the way my hair feels (clean), you can definitely feel the build up being applied when I go back to using a regular shampoo, I also grease my scalp with The Hair Fertilizer once a week, & I still get my locks maintained every six weeks, don't know if I mentioned but I switched SLC's I now let Ms. Taffie Adgers maintain my locks, the drive to Dallas, high gas prices & the overbooking issues were becoming to much. In other news my weight loss has hit a MAJOR Plateau but I have managed to loose 40lbs so far but I refuse to give up I will be 40 this year & my misson is to be FAB-U-LOUS at 40! & toot toot I only gained 3lbs over the Holidays, so there is work to be done come Monday Morning. Well to all a good night in Blog Land! And as always:

70's look for my job's Christmas Party

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me!!

I Got Questions? Hope Yall Got Answers!

2011-10-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

***DISCLAIMER THIS POST IS INTENDED FOR MATURE LOCK WEARERS***
if you have been locked less then a year please listen to your SLC regarding product usage on your locks.

Hello Blog World! Sorry I have been gone so long, but I have still been looking & lurking at my fellow bloggers web pages. In my last post I may have mentioned that some of my locks are unraveling at the ends & lately it SEEMS like my roots are slipping, but my SLC is assuring me that it is all new growth.
this is one of many that have unraveled which only seems to be unraveling on my left side, so my questions are (keeping in mind I have been locked 3 yrs):

1. Are the issues I am having just another stage of the locking process & do I need to start the braid & band process again until they seal?

** the products that I use are the Root Stimulator hair regrowth line, & that could be the reason my hair SEEMS to be slipping at the roots or the product is really making my hair grow, so my 2ND question is:

2. Should we be using detangling shampoos & conditioners on our locks? & could that be the reasons for my unraveling?

** last week I had my locks retightened & my SLC says we should not be using conditioner at all no matter what stag our locks are in, do you agree or disagree? She also recommend using baby shampoo, so what are your thoughts on that?

** I hope I get some feed back from you guys especially your more mature lock wearers that may have had some issues that you thought should be a thing of the past, thanks guys now enjoy some recent photos.

Was experimenting with my hair clips and came up with this beautiful up do, funny I cant seem to recreate it though! oh well on to the next one!

I love my updo's especially when I am off to work I hate my hair to be in my face especially during the hot Texas weather & the bottom pics is showcasing my length as well as a fresh wash & braid out, to get a better view click any photo for an up close look! Until then....

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Healing 4 U & Me!!

Happy Be-Lated Lock-versary

2011-06-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

on juneteenth of 2008 my sisterlock's were born, that is a day that is very important to me as well as many blacks especially in the South, it is a day recognized as a US Holiday, a holiday commemorating the day which slaves in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, which granted them freedom. Well It was also a day that I found true natural freedom, a freedom that words cannot express, a freedom that I didn't even feel when I was rocking my Afro. I felt like a million bucks as my hair blew in the wind on my drive home, the confidence I felt as I walked in the church doors with my curled locks feeling like the diva I knew I was, that feeling I never got while rocking my school girl one dimensional ( that don't go with every outfit) Afro, or was it my one dimensional thinking that wouldn't allow me to be more creative in my Afro styling but either way that the facts may lay I am so glad that I discovered sisterlock's, so with that Happy Be-lated 3 yr Lockversary to me!!!!

Hey Blog friends I know this post is like soooo late, but life has been so busy, & frankly didn't want to post, it was my intentions to do a video (we can't let Dewdrop have all the fun can we) but again laziness came in to play.

In my last post I introduced you to my new prosthetic hair piece that I had made, well I was also coloring my hair darker to match my hair piece, well the update is I have tucked away the hair piece & decided to stop coloring my hair for good this time, I have noticed that all the harsh coloring has caused some of my locks to unravel & break off at the ends & I truly want to be 100% natural & when I achieve that then maybe I will pull out the hair piece again or get a hair transplant or something who knows? I hope everyone in Blog world is well for me I have lost 40lbs with the help of weight watchers Jennifer Hudson ain't gone be the only one singing it's a new day, so I hope every one has a happy & safe fourth of July!!

** As Always Pray'n for: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me!!**

A Hair Affair

2011-03-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

SEE ANYTHING DIFFERENT?

well keep a reading

Hey Blog world! I hope everyone is having a good year so far, the Lord has really been overflowing me & my husband with so many blessings that it's hard to keep up with them (thank you Lord). I have declared that this year will be about total restoration, restoring my faith, my health, & my financial responsibilities so pray for me as I journey through 2011.

Enough about my personal life & on to the real purpose of this blog.... my lovely lovely locks! first I want to give some major shout out to Ofo's Sisterlocks, if it had not been for her blog I would have never came across two amazing products.. the first was a product called t444z it claims to regrow hair it is made of all natural products (click on link for more info), I bought one for me & one for my mom, well we haven't noticed any hair growth but it has done a superb job at controlling my mom's severe dandruff problem, if she grows any hair I will update you on that.

***** AND FOR THE BEST NEWS OF ALL*****

I HAVE HAIR!! yeah that's right Ofo's Sisterlocks posted about a hair piece she bought from Ms. Gerry Mayo who owns a salon in Upper Darby PA called Endless Creations, she creates custom hair pieces for people that suffer from Alopecia you can check out her site by clicking the link, any who I got the privilege to meet Ms. Mayo & have my custom hair piece fitted for my balding area, me & two other lady's were also getting their hair issues addressed we had a great time we laughed & talked for hours on end, we did do a video as she was installing my hair piece, but I promised I would not post it because she has yet to do a video so I will only post pics so tell me what you think!

BEFORE & AFTER

THE INSTALLATION

Thanks Ms. Gerry I am loving my new piece I feel like a brand new women & loving my locks on a whole new level!!

*as always: Praying 4: Mental, Physical & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! may you have a blessed & safe Holiday!!!

A little bit of this & that

2010-11-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!! first I want to say Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas ( just in case I don't blog), but since I had some extra time, I thought I would give you guys some updates, plenty of pics & product reviews, sooo what have I been up to lately? NUUTHING!! :).

OK first things first, for you older bloggers who remember me sharing my hair loss story with you, well I wanted to give you an update on how that was coming along, for you newbies or for anyone that just happens to come across my site *** my hair loss is NOT due to my locks*** that's for anyone who thinks that SL'S are damaging to your hair, the pic on the left is what my scalp progressed to over a 5 yr period while trying to find someone that would stop telling me that I had a dandruff problem, the pic on the right is after finally finding a Dermatologist that took my hair loss seriously, as you can see the spot got a little bit bigger, but my hair loss has subsided immensely, even though I have not noticed any hair growth my scalp is visibly clearer and looks much healthier (thanks Dr. Weisberg). After six months of treatment I discontinued my Derm visits the 2 hr drive was starting to be to much, now just waiting on my Heavenly Father to add the finishing touches. *** click photo for closer view***

**************** MOVING ON **************

Since my hair has grown a lot I have a new found love of roller sets, but after it's fallen & has that worn out look to it, so I wondered what could I do to achieve that worn loose curl look & I came up with this: First I parted pie like sections from crown to nape as I rotated around my head, then I take the pie like sections & section off 2 or 3 rows (depending how much hair you want to add to each roller ) then I two strand twist each row secured the ends with end papers and then rolled using my lock loops( this method cut my roll time in half). The pic on the top left is of a roller set using my large lock loops that attempt didn't turn out well 1. my lock loops were to large for my hair length & 2. my two strand twist were to large & my hair didn't dry thoroughly. The pic on the bottom right is my 2ND attempt using smaller pie sections & 2 strand twist & my smaller lock loops I will be sure to post the outcome for you later.

***************PRODUCT REVIEW ***************

I picked up a few products from my local CVS Pharmacy, it's called plant shampoo for hair loss by Deity Of Hair, it is an all natural plant based product that claims to help prevent hair loss, accelerate hair growth & eliminate alopecia, I also bought the Tibet Tonic Hair growth Restorer & Repairing Essence Daily moisturizing lotion.... WELL!! I have only used this product for 1 month so as far as hair growth ??? but because they are protein based products they left my scalp dry & my locks brittle, so I decided just to spot treat my bald patches, so that's where my next product comes into play. I wanted a product that would put the moisture back in my hair so I went down to my local Sally's Beauty supply & she recommended One N' Only Argan Shampoo, conditioner, Restorative mask, & Argan Oil, Sally's had a gift set that included the shampoo, conditioner & mask for $28.00 & the oil is $9.49, if you can't find the gift pack you can purchase the products separately for $9.49 each. Y'ALL the stuff smells GOOD & it leaves your hair soft & silky feeling & that was before I even conditioned it, this product claims to be free of sulphates, phosphates & parabens it was designed specifically to repair & restore moisture levels in your hair, this is my first time using it & I am sitting under the dryer as I type so I will update you on the Argan line, oh yeah the oil is great!!

(Deity of Hair)

(One N' Only Aragan line)

+++++++++ and as always I will be : ++++++++++

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 me & U!!

Time 4 Change

2010-09-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

hey Blog world, life has been so busy that blogging has been the farthest from my mind & I guess my locks have reached that point where they are not exciting to blog about them any more but I will continue to update you as unusual things occur. lately I have been in a state of mind to change the things that I do have control over in my life, I decided to stop making excuses as to why I don't attend church as often as I use too, or why I am just sitting around just gaining weight, or why I let my debt get out of hand, or let petty things such as the family pet cause constant arguments in my marriage, so I made the conscience decision to make a change. I've joined weight Watchers, as well as started exercising & so far I've lost 10 lbs, got rid of the family pet, taking charge of my financial debt, & is still a work in progress about attending church service on a regular, for once in my life I feel free, I feel like there is hope. Six years ago I made the decision to rid my hair of chemicals but I still abused it with hair color, so guess what blog world I colored my hair back to a darker shade for a less noticeable transition to my natural hair color, & I must say I love the results, my hair looks like it has sheen it feels much softer & the darker shade makes my bald spot less obvious & I love that, so tell me what do you think? In other news I picked up a new product Isoplus wrapping lotion to sum it up HATED IT!!! when I applied it to my hair (as I rolled with my lock loops) I was digging it because I could spray it on my locks & It would not drip down my neck but the down side after sitting under the dryer for 4 hours & air drying for 7 hours & 30 min. of hand held blow drying the next morning, well when I took the rollers out 75% of them were still wet NOT damp but wet so my curls were a flop but I think I still got a good look with my new color.

At my last retight I ran into fellow blogger Penny Locks we both get groomed by Elaine Hill of Dallas, & I must say she is as beautiful in person as she is in web world it was a joy to converse with her very lovely personality, sorry for the so late post Penny!! & when I figure out how to get the pic from my phone to this blog then I will post it.

Praying 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me!!

Happy 2 yr Lockversary 2 me

2010-06-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Hey guys today is my anniversary & I have been locked for 2 years what an amazing journey, I want take up to much time because it's 2:30 Am, so I just wanted to share my anniversary with you as well as a photo slide commemorating my journey, but before I go let me show you what I ordered to promote my locks & provide people with the info they need about my locks

Front & back of card (Vistaprint.com for all your business needs)

Don't forget the video at bottom=)

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical & Spiritual health 4 U & Me

2010-06-19T00:22:00.001-07:00

The Green Tea Challenge

2010-04-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

(week old roller set)

Hey Blog world! I know it's been a while, but I won't lie Face Book has a lot of my attention, you can join me there under (Tamika Jackson-Grant). ANY WHO!!

True Story: I am a city bus driver, & one day a young man from Jamaica was just riding around killing time, when the bus became empty he came up to me & introduced himself, & began to comment on my hair in his best Jamaican accent, of course I am smiling from head to toe, but any who he is the reason that I named this post The Green Tea challenge, he told me that in his country that they used herbal green tea as a rinse on their locks to help them grow long and strong, & he also told me that ACV was not good for the hair & that it only dries the scalp & causes breakage, he also said something that made me realize how neglectful I am to my hair, he said to pamper my locks at all times treat them to a deep condition often, or spritz my roots & ends with pure oils, love them and to stop damaging my hair with color
(got to work on that), I was so busy focusing on the hair that I didn't have, that I forgot to love the hair that I do have.

So I challenge you out there to take the challenge with me to see if the green tea hype is cracked up to what it's suppose to be. Before I posted this I shampooed with extra Strength Denorex (In case your wondering my scalp condition has improved greatly now I can go two weeks before washing) & then I conditioned with a new conditioner called Rasta Jamaican Mango & Lime protein conditioner, days earlier I went to the health food store & bought 100% green tea if you choose to use a blended tea let me know how that worked for you. After shampooing, I rinsed & then applied the green tea (follow instructions on label) to my scalp with an applicator bottle & then applied the conditioner on top, put a plastic cap on my head & let sit while I prepared dinner (15-30 min) rinsed, & before I went to bed lightly massaged my scalp with Vitamin E skin oil moisturizer that you can buy at Wal-Mart.

The Results: my hair was a lot softer, & it smelled of green tea & Mango Lime, so at the moment no complaints, but I will keep you posted.

If you love head bands I found this really great site they have replicas of some of the hottest designers such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Coach, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton & many more so

check it out here : Marilyn Reid Designs

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Healing 4 U & Me!!

The Great Lock Debate!!

2010-01-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas Holiday my cousins (a mother & son ) each posed a question about my locks, before I even get into why I am upset, disturbed, & just plain dumb founded about the questions that they asked me, let me introduce them to you & give you their hair story.

In the photo above from left to right: my cousin Chase who's locks were started from twist,
my cousin Stuart (the cousin in question) has traditional locks, & their step brother whom I don't know has traditional locks & in the bottom photo their father who has traditional locks.

Now the cousin in question has been locked less then a year, and his brother & father have been locked for many years,but for some reason my locks are always the subject of criticism.

Why am I always the one that's told "your head looks a mess", or "you need a perm", or "can you put your fingers through that"!, is it because mines are different & unique?, or is it because I am a women & only men should have the freedom to adorn their natural state, while women remain permed Prima Donna's with damaging chemicals on their heads?

Let me calm down & address the final straw that prompted me to write this post, my cousin Stuart says to me " why don't you get your locks joined together because they are too thin & my Loctician says when they are that small they thin & fall out", now I am thinking to myself what the what!!! then his mother says "have any of yours hit the floor yet"? I responded yes some do get thin & then we join them to another lock & no they haven't hit the floor, now for the ones that keep up with my blog know that I am losing hair & even with that going on I have NEVER lost a lock.

Now am I correct in saying that even traditional locks thin & break off as well? are his exempt from thinning because they are larger then mine? Is his more healthier then mine because he uses wax & gels & mines are tool assisted? I don't know!!!! somebody help me here cause I'm confused & feeling a little like there is some hateration going on amongst lock wearers?

Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me!!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Happy belated New year!! Ihope everybody got what they wanted for Christmas (I did! finally) got a chance to celebrate with my family & I asked for a white Christmas & we got one here in Texas. So far my New Year is good no resolutions just save money, get my house ready for purchase, pay off old & new debts, read my Bible more, & enjoy the me that God made. (Braidout using water, perm rods to curl ends & placed in a pony tail)

In one of my older post I stated that I was seeing a new dermatologist Dr. Eric Weisberg out in Frisco almost a 2 hr drive from me, anyway he did another biopsy (my 3rd one) & this time the diagnosis was not Porokeratosis, but Linchen Planus it is a inflammation of the scalp, (but not limited to the scalp) that causes skin lesions, there are several factors that cause it such as allergic reactions from meds, hair color or any other contributing factor, it is treatable, but not curable, and the hair will re-grow providing you catch it in time before it damages the hair follicle. Y'all I have been on a quest going on 6 yrs trying to get answers & FINALLY the treatment he put me on is responding very well, but there are still some hills to climb, my hair didn't fall out in a day so I am not expecting it to grow back in a day, so y'all pray for me cause I am speaking total healing, I have already envisioned hair regrowth, now I am waiting on the Master to do his thing.
Pray'n 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & me!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hey family, sorry i have been gone so long, but just been busy with the holidays coming up & seems like work don't never end. Not to much has happened in my life, my new dermatologist did another biopsy on my scalp to make sure that my diagnosis of porokeratosis was correct, I go tomorrow to remove the stitch, so stay tuned for an update. (my husband & grand baby :)

My locks are now 15 months & all major slippage is gone, I still re tight every 6 weeks they don't seem to be as puffy as before, I let them do there own thang no fuss from me, of course my hands are still in my hair all the time, I don't pop or separate my locks, I shampoo every week (because of my scalp condition) & I deep condition at every shampoo only because the shampoo I am prescribed is really drying to the hair. So to sum up that one long run on paragraph "I LOVE MY LOCKS"!!!!!

*******A comparison from the haircut I received in April '09 to now********

Well the holidays are calling, so you guys have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

QUESTION: Is it wrong to already have my X-Mas tree up?

Praying 4: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual health 4 U & Me!!!!

Thierry Baptiste

2009-10-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

This video was featured on "On The Road to Queendom" I loved for it's creativity, & I hope you will to. ****TURN MY PLAY LIST OFF****

The worst week EVER!!!

2009-10-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a second vacation since our recent trip to Maui really exhausted me, so I wanted some time away from the world. I had my whole week mapped out, I was to cook for my husband 7 days straight compared to my once a week cooking, organize my recipe collection & just do some much needed cleaning & other organizational things, Y'ALL!! this week has been a living HOT nightmare, my vacation started 9-26-09 at 4pm get off work time, I get home & my garage door opener don't work, OK what's up!! $350.00 that's fixed. Now here's where the I be damned kicks in, the NEXT day (Sunday) I'm relaxing in the Queens (that's me) lounge chair & I start to notice DAMN it's hot in here (the A/C unit goes out), I call AHS (home warranty) they don't come out till 3 days later, when they finally do they say it's the fan motor we'll order the part paid my service fee & now I'm waiting, (STILL waiting 13 days later), not the end of my turmoils as I go to work on organizing my recipe collection I find out that my freakin' all-in-one printer is not working won't do NOTHING, and as for cooking & cleaning the heat from no A/C killed that dream, & last but not least due to my Keratosis it caused a really bad skin infection under my right breast with very painful sores (gross huh), anyhoo I had a Dermatologist apt. for Monday but had to reschedule cause I got lost (2 hour drive away) so Tuesday finally made it to the Derm. they faxed my prescription in to my local Walgreen's I figured 2 hrs to drive home my medicine will be ready when I got there 1 prescription was ready they had to order the 2ND one which was an antibiotic for the skin (the 1 I needed bad) so she say come back 2morrow, tomorrow, still NO freakin' pills the lady didn't order the stuff, 3 suffering days later they come in, SO in a nut shell my vacation was a hot horrible tragedy of a mess, now on the flip side I do have these beautiful shell hair pieces to add to my collection, my SLC's daughter Rhea who has beautiful traditional

locks down her back & she is also very creative when it comes to lock styling hopefully she will let me take her picture the next time I get my hair done until then........

Prayin' 4: Mental, Physical & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me.

P.S ,

YALL !!!! before I could even get this posted my Fridge went out :{

Y does love have 2 HURT!!!!

2009-09-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

TRUE STORY:
I am a city bus driver, so a young dude all thugged out comes up & ask are those locks?

ME: Yes,

HIM: I love that

ME: Thanks

HIM: Can I touch 'em

ME: Sure

Now why did I say that, y'all he literally took both his hands and grabbed my hair and wrapped them around his hands I almost DIED from the pain of having my hair pulled, after he let go he had the nerve to ask me for my phone number, I hurried up & got him to his stop, & politely told him sorry boo!! I'm married (marriage is a saviour from all the unwanted advances)

Any who I am now in my 15Th month of lock happiness & what I've noticed is that my hair is much heavier, I say this because my roller sets are no longer tight, the curls fall from the weight of my locks and just bounce from the slightest movement of my head (I love it) my length is really starting to show & my locks take twice as long to dry, now I have to at least sit under the dryer for an hour or so to be dry by morning.

On my quest to find the perfect natural hair care product I have ordered a few products from Adiva Naturals I ordered the Soothing Scalp Healer & Rebuilder for scalp and skin issues, as well as the Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Herbal Rinse & because they jacked up my order she sent a free gift of Coconut Cream and Avocado Conditioning Shampoo. REVIEW: Hated It !!! the shampoo is drying to the hair, the scalp healer made my skin condition flare even more & it did not remove the caked on dry patches as I'd hoped, the clarifying rinse I thought was OK, on the other hand I have been using Africa's Best Organics Olive Oil Growth Lotion you can buy it at Sally's beauty Supply or try your local beauty store. REVIEW: Loved It !!! it absorbs really fast and is non greasy & a little goes a long way & very inexpensive I like to apply it fresh out the shower on damp hair, it gives your hair the added moisture with out the heavy, greasy, my hair feels dirty feel (know what I mean)! I have another product on the back burner that I am dying to try so stay tuned for that.

And last but not least introducing the newest member of the family, my grandson (dang I'm to young to be a granny) born Aug 1, 2009, the same day we returned from vacation what a welcoming gift, meet Jamoriun Charvon my husband has a hard time saying it so he just calls him Jumanji (LOL)!!!

Until next time & I will try not to go so long with out updating my blog but life has been busy our Hawaiian trip set us back plus we are planning another trip for next year so we are trying to get an early start on being better prepared for the trip so work!! work!! work!! we must.

PRAY'N 4:

Spiritual, Mental,
&
Physical

Health 4 U & Me

I'M BAAACCKK!!!

2009-08-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!! Well the surprise was that I colored my hair, the un surprise was you can't tell, so I have decided to let a professional do it for me (when my $ get un funny) if you know what I mean. Me and hubby just got back from Maui so I won't bore you with talk, talk, talk, talk, but before I go, let me say this, before you leave this earth you have got to visit Hawaii!! I was a little nervous to go at first because I have never flown before, & our trip was 8 hours non- stop but I can say that the view from the plane was the most beautiful view that I ever seen in my life & it was worth it to see the clouds and to see God's green earth at a birds eye view, any who on with the show (above pics a week home & fresh re tight).

2009-08-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday 2 me!!!

2009-07-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrate my 37th birthday,and I have
some exciting things about 2 happen 2 my locks, but U will have 2 wait & see,right now me and hubby are off to the sunny beaches of Maui to
celebrate my birthday, our anniversary(4 days),
and a belated honeymoon, so stay tuned.

Happy Lock Day 2 Me !!!!

2009-06-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

R.I.P MICHAEL JACKSON 1958-2009

(having a MJ moment)

Well Blog World I made it to 1 year (6-19-09), WOW! what a journey I have really enjoyed, it's funny people still ask me are those twist or locks, OR your hair has been up in twist a long time when are you going to take them down? Uh never!! I guess I should be happy that my locks stand out from the rest, and that people can't distinguish them from a simple fly by night hair-do. I like when people stare and I really love when they ask me about my "twists" some get disappointed when I tell them they are locks cause they only want a wash & wear 2 week look, then there are those that are really interested about going natural but don't want to do the BC, or don't want traditional dreads, or don't know exactly how they will be perceived by others ( I say who cares!!) so I love being a walking billboard to a naturally unique hair care system. Look how thick my hair is, 2 all you newbies don't sweat them parts they don't last always.

My ends that had unraveled from my cut are finally sealed my hair lays straight now especially after a re tight before it would be every where until I shampooed them, it has more body and movement, next to zero shrinkage, and I decided to wait to color maybe in another 6 or 7 months to make sure my hair is really settled I have yet to experience bunching and I hope I never will, my hair care regimen is still the same, I shampoo once a week, still braid and band to shampoo but I un-band to condition and thoroughly rinse
still use my soft spike curlers on occasions to be truthful I love the feel of my locks so much that for the most part I freestyle.

******POROKERATOSIS******

For those of you that have been following my blog then I know you remember this photo of me and my bald spot, well for years countless Dermatologist and Docs have said I have dandruff well the more aggressive form known as Seborrheic Dermatitis. I have been seeing an African American Derm. named Dr.Raymond Blackburn if you are in the DFW area then you have probably heard of him (Excellent Doc), even though my diagnosis was heart breaking but at least someone actually heard my cry and seriously investigated my situation, "why do people treat you as if you don't know your own body" any who my diagnosis is Hyperplastic Porokeratosis with variants of epidermal Nevus which means:

Hyperplastic: too much growth of cells or tissue in a specific area, by itself, hyperplasia is not cancerous, but when there is a lot of growth or the cells are not like normal cells, the risk of cancer developing is greater.

Porokeratosis: is a clonal disorder of keratinization characterized by 1 or more atrophic patches surrounded by a clinically and histologically distinctive ridge like border called the cornoid lamella.
Epidermal Nevus: congenital skin tumors that do not contain melanocytes, which vary widely in appearance, size and distribution, and which are commonly hyperkeratotic.

Several risk factors for the development of porokeratosis have been identified; these factors include genetic inheritance, ultraviolet radiation, and immunosuppression.

From what I have researched it is a rare condition that causes pre-cancerous lesions, I am very positive that I developed mine from ultraviolet radiation or more commonly known as the sun, so I wear my hat while I am outdoors, there is no cure and it spreads, so my hair loss is permanent per the Doc but I haven't given up on my Heavenly Doc who has the final say, but in the mean time I am going to try my best to find some kind of something to prevent the rest of my hair from falling out, I firmly believe that our bodies are naturally designed to heal them selves, & I know there is some alternative medicine that will help my body do just that. So PLEASE be careful of the sun put your sun blockers on and your hats & shades, cause you never know!!!

As always pray'n for Mental, Physical, & Spiritual health 4 U & me!!!!

What A waste

2009-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Y'all guess what! In my last post I so cheerfully told you about my DIY experience, well can you guess how many days that lasted? marinate on it while I give you the low low. I had a Dermatologist appointment on 5/12, my original SLC appointment was 5/13, I knew my Derm. was going to either do a biopsy or shoot my scalp up with steroid injections, thinking my scalp would be too sore to let my SLC play in it I cancelled my appointment with her & decided to DIY before my Derm appointment, OK check this out I shampooed on 5/2 & started my DIY on that day as well, Derm on 5/12 which he instructed me to shampoo every week so I shampooed 5/13 only because I had dried blood from the biopsy and the grease he gave me made all the dry caked on flakes slough from my scalp (nasty)!! I kid you not my DIY work slide right down the drain it was like I had never had my hair done at all, several locks were all tangled around each other A HOT MESS!! I was calling my SLC on 5/14 & she got me in on 5/23, so my DIY lasted what 12 days. From now on no one touches my head but Elaine.

My girl Chinue & Ofo's Sisterlocks nominated me for the Creative Blogger award ( I am so honored) so I am to list 7 things I love and then nominate 7 other fellow bloggers so here goes:

I Love my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with out him life is impossible, (Galatians 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I love my husband we have been together for 3 years married for 2 years, my family who are truly The Addam's Family if you don't know them google it .

I love Mexican food I can eat it all day every day to bad it don't love me I gain 20lbs just looking at it my husband says I should have married a Mexican man, probably so NOT!!

I Love my life every good & bad thing that has occurred in my life I am thankful that God has allowed me to walk his earth for 36 years all the trials & tribulations that He has allowed me to endure to teach me and mold me for his will, He could have allowed the devil to destroy me when I was out there doing foolishness but He kept me in spite of.

I love fashion & all things that go "BLING" I love to shop, but unfortunately the top designers think plus size people don't want to wear there clothes, I like Michael Kors, DKNY, D&G, Coach, and such.

I love being the Master of this big ship, I feel so empowered to see women doing men's work as well as driving big rigs and motorcycles and working construction

" U go Ladies".

And last but not least I love my sister locks from day one till now I have watched my babies go from good to bad and back to good.

So I nominate:

Nappy By Nature

Natural hair journal/ Sisterlocks

Penny's Locks

Loving The Only Me I will Ever know

Teach An Ol' Dog New Tricks...

Sereni-t's Spot

Locks Revisted

Praying 4 Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Health 4 U & Me!!

All In A 4 Day's Work :{

2009-05-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

I am just shy of my 11 month anniversary
(12 more days) YEAH!! I have had my ups, downs but through it all I have truly enjoyed it.
Now if I can get my scalp to fall in sync with my locks I would be sooo happy. If you remember in my last post I had my locks trimmed if you decide to do so in the early stage make sure your locks are completely settled if you don't you will have unraveling and or frayed ends like me.

MY DIY EXPERIENCE:

well I finally tried my hand at doing my own locks, and I must say my locks go off to my SLC Elaine Hill, and any other do it your self er. Amerika!! It took me 4 long days and I don't know how many hours to do my big ol' head, I took every last one of those pills in that medicine cabinet, I had pains in my arms, shoulders, neck, I am surprised that my hands didn't go numb they do at every thing else, I know my biceps grew 12 inch's, I swear fo God they did!! One lock that was not settled before I cut my hair came unraveled and I couldn't get the tutorial Kalia- Dewdrop gave on how to repair a lock so I just three strand braided it, so I guess I have Sisterlocks, Nappy locks, & Braid locks, if you must DIY be careful of the mini locks (hated them) they have a tendency to latch very quickly I just said what the hell and married a whole lot of them I will let my consult deal with it at next re-tight.

Work Station:

I put together a list of must haves to complete the task at hand,

1. you must have a radio if you ol' school a boom box, so you can jam and work.

2. scissors, clips, and some sort of a locking tool, gels, lock cream (4 da non tool assisted locks) my tool of choice is the nappy locks tool, I absolutely loved it was easy to use and very comfortable and it didn't grab at my locks like the SL tool.

3. you need a two way mirror, I was fortunate to have a medicine cabinet that has a pull out mirror that pivots in all directions. And last but not least a chair to sit in I picked up this handy stool at Wimex Beauty it is called a Saddle stool & if you are a hair stylist then you know these things are not cheap but I searched the web and found this beauty for $89.95 & you can custom order it for a higher price, very comfortable and a wide seat for that wide load, and it fits between your legs like a saddle, and the back is removable and adjustable.

Before I started I shampooed & conditioned with Dr. Linda Amersons Hair & Scalp essentials

then I rinsed with an ACV (apple cider vinegar) that I picked up from the health food store this stuff is great it really made my hair really soft my hair feels like expensive yarn, now this is raw unfiltered vinegar so it is really dark and has stuff floating around in it called cobweb or "mother", and it smells really bad.

This particular brand has a book on the uses of raw vinegar it costs around $8.00, it claims to kill bottle bacillus, great for dandruff and helps to restore your scalp back to it's natural PH level.

THE END RESULTS:

Its good to know that if I needed to I could do it (did I tell U I accidentally cut off one of my locks)but DIY is not my friend and I will continue to let Elaine pamper me in 3 hours, I don't feel like it was worth my time and energy to do it every 6wks. WHAT DO YA THINK!!

IN UN-RELATED NEWS:

I bought these cute little bobby pins at the local drug store per watching this young lady on You Tube talk about them, well needles to say THEY AIN'T for locks, when I tell you that thang got stuck in my head I almost died, so If you choose to use these be careful, if you have locks and used these and had no problems then tell me what I did wrong so I can get my 4 dollars worth.

Recently I decided to put my old worn out cell phone to rest and up-graded to the Blackberry Curve 8330 and I must say I love it , when I had my old phone I was going to invest in a PDA to keep track of my personal and email addresses and now I don't have to this phone holds so much personal info and now I get all my emails while I am away from the computer, any who what I really wanted to show you are these really cool skins that you can purchase for your phone for $19.99 Best Buy let me sample mines for free for buying the phone.You can purchase your very own for any type of phone that you own at skinit. Great theft deterrent huh!!

To all my mother's:

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

******* *****************AS ALWAYS***********************

Praying for good Mental, Physical,& Spiritual health 4 U & Me

A Cut Above The Rest

2009-04-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I put 2gether a few collages to showcase a few styles that I wore before I did .............. U have 2 wait & see!!

I tried my hand at A lock Hawk I think I did OK but could use some more practice

& of course U know I looooove my updo's

A few Hair ties that I ordered from Naturally Sophia (link on side bar)

DIY'R ? Who knows but I ordered my nappy locks tool just in case a sistah got 2 do what a sistah got 2 do!! (size small)

Did I tell U my nutty step-kid is making me a granny at the young tender age of 36 SAY IT AIN'T SO (I don't even have gray hair yet)!!

*******DRUM ROLL PLEASE*******

April 1st I had my umpteenth re-tight with Elaine that women uses some damn good shampoo or her hands are made of butter cause my locks are so soft, shinny, and full of moisture when she's done (don't feel like that when I shampoo, what could be the problem!!!!)

Any who I had Elaine even out my locks for me, what I was expecting was not what I got but when I got home and reworked some things I can say I am happy now. My curly Q's are gone and now I can better monitor my growth, and I can start my locks with a fresh new color, & best of all it's EVEN!!

PRAYING FOR GOOD MENTAL, PHYSICAL, & SPIRITUAL HEALTH

4 U & ME!!

Still knot grown @ 9 months

2009-03-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

I have reached my 9 month mark & I really don't have much to blog about so I will just entertain you with photos (don't mind my torn dress that's my lounge & clean the house dress). A few things that I have noticed is that i still have a lot of shrinkage in areas I figured that out while trying to curl my hair some don't fit around my soft spikes anymore, my locks are definitely in the teenage stage, very unruly, and lately more bad hair days then good. It just hit me that back in DEC. of 08 I took some photos of some really ugly locks that I was concerned about well 3 months later see how they have progressed :

and here ( I hope i grabbed the right locks if not these beastly locks are no more that's for sure)

So if you have those don't worry they will seal and did you notice the length it has really grown, when I do a strand by strand analysis I can see the growth but when I see the big picture i don't see the growth. A few things that I don't like about my locks are that I have micro locks in the front and they are so tiny I think they need to be combined & they unravel like mad crazy but I guess GiGi knew best since my hair is thinner at the top then the back. Speaking of back is where I have noticed more maturity and less to none slippage. As far as my grooming I have started to wash every week to see If I could combat some of the flaking and itching, I know I have about three different shampoos and conditioners that I have added to my collection haven't found the winner quite yet. Thanks to Kalia Dewdrop and her tutorial on how to DIY I will be ordering the Nappy locks tool as soon as my check comes and see if I can keep that hairline in shape and just maybe if I get really good cut out that consultant fee all together. Y'all stay blessed and continual prayers for good mental, spiritual, and physical health 4 me & U.

Human "WHAT U SAY" ?

2009-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Human Demodex Mites !!

In a previous post titled a journey to remember you may recall that I shared with you my hair loss secret, well while receiving hair treatments from a Trichcologist she explained to me that I suffered from Seborrheic Dermatitis which was the cause of my hair loss, but that diagnoses never sat well with me as well as the countless other times the Dermatologist called it Dandruff, Why? for one my bald spot burns and itches and it is painful to the touch, for 2 I get extreme acne and flaking , as well as headaches in that area and I always feel like something is crawling in my head. This is just a theory (or I'm in serious denial) but the problem occurred while wearing hair extension could it be possible that the hair may have contained some type of hair mite ???? And has been living in my hair follicles all these years, HMMM!! While searching the web for shampoos that kill bacteria I came across this website Demodex Solutions and here's a tad bit of info I wanted to share click the link to get more info.

1. What are Demodex mites?

Demodex Mites, also known as face mites, are not so well known by the public. They are parasites which live on the face and in the hair follicles of humans. They can badly damage the facial skin of humans, usually starting at middle age when the immune system is weakened and their population has increased.
There are two existing types: the longer kind, Demodex folliculorum, which live in the hair follicles and the short ones, Demodex brevis, which live in the sebaceous glands.

2. Where do Demodex live?

The mites can live on all body parts wherever there are hair roots and sebaceous glands however, they are most prevalent in the facial area, especially the nose, forehead, chin, and cheeks. These areas have the most favorable living and breeding conditions and provide an optimum temperature for them to thrive.

The Demodex folliculorum mite can also live in the eye lash roots and can be the reason for blepharitis, itching and infections. The hair follicles from the scalp are also often infected with itching as a result.

The mouth of these mites is like a very sharp needle that can directly sting into the cells to absorb nutrition. They like a wet and warm environment and become the most active in the dark. There are five stages in the life cycle. After mating on the surface of the skin, they go back into it and lay eggs, taking bacteria with them and excreting wastes and secretions, laying eggs and dying within its layers. After death, their corpses become liquid and decompose inside the skin.

3. What do Demodex mites look like?

Demdex Brevis mite

Demodex Folliculorum mite

4. Are Demodex Mites contagious?

Yes, demodex mites are very contagious. They are acquired through physical contact with infected persons; for example through kissing, hugging, using the same towels etc. However, not everyone who is infected has problems with them. It is a fact that the majority of infected people, show no signs of any disease, from the infected people, only around 10% are getting skin problems. This may be due to a healthier immune system and/or because of numerous other reasons which are not so well known for the moment.Infected people with no visible signs can also transmit the mites to other people.Once infected, it can take months or even years before the signs of infection become visible.

The Parasite:

Demodex mites live inside the sebaceous glands and hair follicles, sucking nutrients from the hair roots and damaging the cell walls. After mating they burrow into the skin, laying eggs, introducing bacteria and infection to the skin. Throughout the five phases of their life cycle, these mites destroy the skin by excreting wastes and secretions, laying eggs and dying within its layers. After death, their corpses become liquid and decompose inside the skin.

Research indicates that human demodex is a conditional-pathogenic parasite. The disorder occurs as the result of a large infestation of demodex mites on the skin, combined with a weakened immune system. The physical, chemical and mechanical stimulation of the skin from the mites can cause the immune system to react in extreme ways. Local allergic inflammation, erythema, papules and pustules are all reactions by the immune system.

5. What are the most obvious signs from demodex activity?

There are numerous different signs of demodex activity. This is not a complete list, rather it contains some of the most common cases.

One of the most obvious signs of the condition is a itching, crawling sensation on the face or (and) in the scalp. Often, the pores on the nose, forehead, chin and cheeks, become visibly larger. At a further stage, acne can develop, after some time, the facial skin can become red in places (rosacea) enlarging and damaging the capillaries, thickening the nose (brandy nose),widened pores. etc.

*Tickling sensation on the face & scalp, especially in the evening and night. This is the highest period of activity, usually when they mate.

*Hair loss. In some cases, premature hair loss can be linked with extended demodex folliculorum activity.

*Acne. Forms include pimples, pustules, papules, popular eruption etc.

*Itching eye lashes. Many times the eyelashes are thinning and falling out.

*Itching eye brows.

*Excess facial oils.

*Demodedic rosacea.

**NOTE THIS LIST HAS BEEN SHORTENED & COMPILED**

6. Is there treatment?

Yes, there is treatment for the mites go to Demodex Solutions to view available products.

Because I am all for finding a solution to my hair loss at any cost, I purchased what they call DS lotion a shampoo is also available.

& just in case after all it is Seborrheic Derm. I also ordered from Ensibo the shampoo is called Follicleanse and it claims to be all natural it comes with a conditioner and scalp lotion, you can also check out Healthy Hair Plus for other bacteria fighting products or any other hair & scalp conditions you may be experiencing.

Customer Appreciation luncheon 2009

2009-02-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Where did I spend my Valentine's Day at? Gigi's Customer Appreciation luncheon of course, it was hosted by Tafi Adgers who works along side GiGi, Tafi is now a certified SL but they still have her listed as a trainee, Tafi updated us on the new additions and services that she and GiGi added to their shop, as well as what's new at Sisterlocks headquarters all I will say is they are going to start their own line Of SL hair color so look out for that. Blaqkofi informed us that she will start her Sl training so show her some love on that and Gigi has an upcoming Re-tight class if anyone is interested I know I am!! That's the word on the streets of DFW now I will entertain u with photo's of some beautiful locks and make sure you check out the star attraction at the very end U go Ma!!

2009-02-15T09:09:00.001-08:00

A Journey 2 Remember

2009-02-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Sisterlocks a natural hair care system that allows you the freedom and flex ability of a relaxer but with out the harmful effects of heat and chemicals:

Well I am locking my way into my 8 month anniversary & I wanted to kinda give you a glimpse from where I started to where I am now. It all started with my perm which I have had for most of my life then the unthinkable happened while wearing cornrows something kept burning my scalp in one little spot thinking the sun was just cooking the grease I had on my scalp, but much to my surprise when I took the braids out this is what i found of course it didn't start out that big this is 3yrs of loosing hair. I have been to 3 Doctors, 3 Dermatologists,1 Trichcologist & they all tell me its dandruff ( I have never had dandruff in my life)or Seborrheic Dermatitis & this is the only area that it has affected my scalp.There are no flakes and if you look at the pic closely you can see white granules that grow out of my hair follicles and surrounds the hair shaft, they use to come out with shampooing but now that I have locks they have no way of sliding along the hair shaft. In the process of loosing my hair I made the conscience decision to stop perming not knowing if that was playing a part in my hair loss so on Feb 10,2006 I B/C'dI loved the freedom of having no chemicals and the maintenance was next to zero, but the bigger my fro got the more time consuming combing and detangling my hair became and it got to the point of where do I go from here? back to a perm (hell no!!) do I lock (yes) traditional that is, I wore them for seven months, not wanting to get married in dreads (due to lack of styling options) I picked them out (photo shows 7 months of new growth) and got micro braids (hated it!!), so now what!! surfing the net one day and I came across sisterlocks, humm looks good! sounds good! that's the natural hair care system for me, on June 19, 2008 my locks were born GiGi did my initial install we did a one day sitting, here are some comparison photos from day one & 5 months laternotice that the spacing is gone it's fuller and there are curly Q's or open end locks. The two photo's below are at 6 (on top) and 7 (on bottom) months I also wanted to show you exactly what a closed lock looks like compared to an open end lock.

CLOSED on top OPEN on bottom.

What am i still doing as far as grooming and maintenance I am still doing my or went back to my braid and banding and still using my Dread Head HQ shampoo.

No matter what locking option you choose know that it is a long up hill process, know that no two heads are alike and your locks wont look like mines and vice versa, God created us uniquely and divinely different, so be patient, be good to your hair as well as your spiritual, mental and physical well being.

44Th President Barack Hussein Obama

2009-01-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

Today is an Historic day, as I write Barack Hussein Obama is being sworn in as our 44Th FIRST African American President. I am overwhelmed with tears of joy as I think about all the pain and suffering our Ancestors have endured, Thank God, Thank God we have finally overcome, let us pray for our new President as he guides us for the next 4 years. OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!!
OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!!
OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!!!

OBAMA!!
OBAMA!

LOCK ALREADY !!!!!!

2009-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

Wow!! so much Growth

Sorry I have been gone so long, but I have been working extra hours to help pay for our upcoming Birthday/ Honeymoon/ Anniversary trip to Hawaii. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year, as for me all is well except my locks, I am sad to say that I made the decision to go back to braid and banding if you recall my consult gave the OK to stop, and I went shampoo crazy and so did some serious slippage mainly in the front area, at my last re tight we were in there for 5 hours and my scalp was in so much pain, maybe on my lockversary I will try the no braid and band again. To you lock wearers that like your headbands be careful of the ones with the teeth on the underside of the headband because they too can unravel your locks in areas as well, I just showed you a few strands but it was literally the whole front portion of my head. I am nearing my 7 month lockversary (3 more days!!!!:) and I want to color so bad, my girl Ezme colored her hair while it was braided and banded and she is no where near 7 months & has had major slipping problems (U GO GIRL), I am working up the courage to do it, but for sure before I fly off to Maui.

Laquisha needs help!!!!

2008-12-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey blog family, I have a fellow natural wearer who has a dilemma and I am asking you to help me help her, her name is Laquisha and she left a comment on my blog, and I quite don't know how to help her so I want y'all to give her some suggestions, support, or good ole' advice, so we can keep her naturally free!! She writes:

Hi! Euphoria I have a question for you.

I came across your blog as I was looking at sisterlock photos online, and I noticed that you had on a military uniform. I'm about to begin training with the Army JAG Corps and I was wondering if you had any recommendations for women with natural hair in the military. I have been natural for about 3 years now, and I'm trying to figure out what I am going to do with my hair while I'm in the Army. My mother has had Sisterlock's for about 4 years now and my sister just got them. My natural hair is thick and about 2 inches past my shoulders. Do you have any suggestions? And do you have any problems at work with your Sisterlock's and any hair requirements? I know my hair will not be allowed to touch my collar and I will be wearing a beret daily.

Thanks!!

Laquisha D.

My heart went out to this young lady, because my uniform is not military and I don't feel as if my response was adequate enough, so if there is any one that has military background or can help this young lady out please comment.

Happily Nappily at 6 months

2008-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

So what are my locks doing? Any and everything , I have finally reached my 6 month mark, and so far the journey has been great,no major slipping, my locks reached the teenage stage fairly quick, and none have thinned out (so far). At my last re tight my consult gave me the OK to stop braiding and banding, and I must say the first time I shampooed my hair it was freeing and exhilarating, I could actually get an hands on experience of what my locks feel like (if that makes sense) strand by strand, and it felt great. I posted a few pics to show some of the things that are going on: I am excited that my hair is a work in progress, I want to thank all the Blogger's that took the time out to share their hair stories, so I am blessed for that for without it I would be in a state of Lock Ignorance or still thinking that Traditional locks was the only locking method available, with that said I love my Sisterlocks!! To everyone that's looking*** HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!***

Something New part II

2008-12-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Due to the on & off cold weather in TX, my freestyle was looking kinda bad so I started curling my hair, & I must say since I started curling I have been getting tons of compliments from young & old and some just stare :), & for the ones that ask me about my hair I give them all the info they need plus optional locking methods that are far less expensive then SL's, my mission is to convert as many perm heads as possible be it SL's, micro locks,dread locks, or any other form of locks. This look was achieved using perm rods,& as I said in one of my earlier post I don't like my curls tight so here's a styling tip: run your hands through water shake off the excess and run your hands through your hair, repeat until desired looseness is achieved. The downfall of the perm rods are they are not good for sleeping in, so I ordered some Soft Spike curlers you get 60 for $24.50, I ordered the small in black, & it took me about an hour & 1/2 to curl I put about 10 to 15 locks on a roller to avoid a tight curl, unfortunately it still came out extremely tight, but they are comfortable to sleep in, next payday maybe I will order the large and see what results I get from that.
My girl Amber updated her hair ties and of course I couldn't resist I just had to have two more this up do ( I love my up do's) was curled with perm rods and adorned with one of Amber's designs this one is called White Buffalo Turquoise , and of course a fresh re tight by my new consult, boy I tell you my hair has really done a 360 for the better, my new consult gotz skillzs!!

Something old & Something new

2008-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Consultants, that is! I am sad to say that I have departed ways with my old consultant GiGi , for the record not due to poor service GiGi is fabulous, the down fall was she only works one weekend a month :(. With that said I have a new consultant Elaine Hill , she is da bomb!! she shampoo's & condition's your locks before your retight, and she has a reclining chair that is like heaven when she is tightening the front of your head, my locks felt like butter when she was done & for a fraction of the cost. ON 2 more new & exciting news I GRADUATED FROM BRAID & BANDING!!! & I can start conditioning my moisture thirsty locks :) even my cat thought they were pretty thirsty. Blog world I ain't through yet, I got more news look what I done bought, now I know there are a lot of Brunsli fans that want them hair ties (including me),well I found some that are just as beautiful, my girl Amber from LA supplied me with these gorgeous ties, check out her store on Etsy or her blog design your life.
Last but not least if my credit card couldn't be used one my time, I also picked up these beautiful pieces from my girl at Thalia's Creations they just slide on to your locks unfortunately my locks have not swelled enough to wear them but at $5.oo dollars a whoop couldn't pass that up & if you buy 5 you get one free, & both ladies ship within three days.

Thankful for my 5 month mark

2008-11-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

Well the holiday seasons are among us and mighty fast I might add, my locks are 5 months old and every body keeps telling me how much my locks have grown but I don't see it, all I see is shrinkage and more shrinkage. Texas is getting it's bout of cold weather and I must get with my girl Blaqkofi and ask how her hair (***click photo 2 get greater detail of locks in bloom***) survived the cold, cause my hair looks and feels like a dried out mop all puffed out around my head,my hair could use some serious conditioner,other then that no major change has occurred to my locks,I am excited to see how my extended family will react to my hair because no one outside of my immediate family has had the opportunity to lay eyes on my locks so I must make sure that my hair is extra fabulous cause I will be trying to encourage napturality all up and through the place.To my fav's Angel Locs, Nubian 1, Ezme1, Blaqkofi, Brunsli, kalia-Dewdrop, and any one else that's looking HAVE A HAPPY & SAFE THANKSGIVING.

P.S.A

2008-11-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

I was surfing You Tube to check out what's going on with my natural and Sl sistah's and I ran across this video about the damaging effects of relaxing your hair so I thought I would post it. It was interesting and uplifting for me because I am battling hair loss in certain spots from chemicals and other heat sources, and what a liberating feeling to finally have healthy hair that's free of chemicals, weaves, to tight braids.****MUTE MY PLAY LIST TO HEAR VIDEO***

Happy Birthday Goody

2008-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

yesterday was my husbands 44th birthday, so I decided to decorate the house and just have a romantic dinner with a lil' Halloween flare to it, so I wanted to share the video I put together to commemorate the special occasion, you can also view it on You Tube if it does'nt play here.
******(MUTE PLAY LIST & PUSH PLAY)******

Oprah Winfrey Presents...

2008-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Guess what E did over the weekend? That's right we went to see Big Tex at the State Fair Of Texas, Tex was looking kinda sexy in them big ol' pants as he thanked us for having to sit in miles of traffic directed by incompetent police, paying $10.00 dollars to park sooo far from the fair grounds that we had to ride a trolley to get there, and walking from the back of the fair ground aaaallllllll the way to the front to see him, well I guess not just him what we really went to see was...

which happened to be next to Big Tex, I am so glad that Fort Worth got to experience a Broadway show, you only hear of such things in New York , where my husband got a chance to see it and he got to see my girl Fantasia do her thang as Celie, due to the traffic and far away parking we missed about 30min. of the show, we laughed and I just had an absolute great time, if it comes to your town go see it!!

Y I LUUVV!! MY SISTERLOCKS

2008-10-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

CLICK ON THAT THANG 2 ENLARGE!!!

I don't know how y'all wake up in the morning, but this is my ugly Betty photo's, I posted these because i wanted to show how easy it is to transform packed to your head locks to a beautiful head of hair all with the aid of a steam shower or a plain ole' wipe the dirt from yo behind shower!! (WARNING: IF YOUR HAIR IS PERMED WATER AIN'T YO FRIEND (LOL!!)I can't begin to tell ya how freeing my hair is, had I still had my perm it would have been all over the bathroom sink trying to comb and flat iron out this tangled mess and no Afro pick could have survived a jungle of a fro not with out tears of pain in my eyes. Any who, just a little Halloween humor, well I am 9 days away from my 4 month anniversary (I feel a shopping spree coming on!!), and earlier I had my 3rd re tight for some reason I had a lot of slippage in my front area Taffie (Gigi's protege)said I have some pillow lint and that I need to sleep with a scarf, but I will wait to Gigi comes back into town and let her tell me about my hair.

3 Months & countin'

2008-09-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

(CLICK ANY PHOTO 2 ENLARGE)

well I hit that 3 month mark and I have noticed that my hair has shrunk a great deal so much that I don't even curl my hair any more, it has a natural crinkle all on its own. I have some bunching on some and lots of balls on the ends of some. my loctician said that its a good sign. I also noticed that a lot of them are starting to thin out at the roots ( I hope that's normal). Can you see how my hair is swelling and my partings are all covered, I recently had my 2ND re tight & I must say I was not a happy camper, my regular consultant was away so her consultant in training did my re tight, for 1 it hurt like hell as she was doing my hair and she locked my hair so tight my scalp was swollen and bumpy, 2ndly she joined a lot of my locks together with out my knowledge and seeing that she is not my regular consultant I felt she should not have done so, & last but not least I love my consultant to death but she has two businesses and her Sl schedule is very cramped and she mentioned that she was going to down size her client list and I felt like I was one that she was going to pawn off on her trainee, any hoo!! hopefully I am wrong about my feelings.

I decided to see if my hair was long enough for a pony tail well I call it my phony tail it's amazing what shoestrings can do. I was going to wear my hair like this to work but the side view of my big head and small tail I said ooh noo. Last but not least I found these little babies at my local beauty supply place I replaced these with my rubber bands that I was using for my braid and band wash. The last time I used the rubber bands I had to cut them out of my hair ( a tangled mess!!) these just slide off, but they do leave behind lint balls so make sure you check for that.

I've Been Tagged!!!

2008-09-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged, my life is rather boring but I will try to come up with 6 things that I haven't told you already. There are a few rules to the tag that I have to post so here goes!!!

Link to the person that tagged you. Ofoslocs

Post the rules on your blog

Share 6 non-important/ habits/ quirks about yourself

Tag 6 random people by posting links to their blogs

*I am a 70's baby & I love music from the 70's & 80's and I strongly believe that 75% of today's music is garbage.

* I am a self centered, attention loving, shop-a-holic, spoiled, but friendly, easy going, non- aggressive, couldn't be happier, no best friend havin', the sexiest & most down to earth LEO that you would ever meet.

* I attend a Seventh Day Adventist church, but I am not quite the Vegan that I should be & every now and then I indulge in the porkly flesh (shhhhh!! don't tell nobody).

* I am a stickler for time, I hate lateness, even on my off days when I have to run errands I put my self on a time schedule so I can be home in time to watch Hawaii 5-0, or Bonanza on the weekends. And it IRKS me when my husband uses the microwave & leaves un-used minutes displayed on the microwave, clear that mess out so I can see "what time it is". There is a clock in every room!!

*My husband & I suffered a miscarriage 01-07-2008, I was 2 months & 8 days along, I am saddened, and excited at the same time because I thought I was unable to conceive, & I prayed years even before I met my husband for God to open my womb and he did just that, so I know He will bless us again in due season.

*I am a Licensed cosmetologist that hates doing hair, & a CDL toting driver that hates to drive. Who figure!! One of these days I am going to figure out what I have a passion for.

Product Review & Recycling

2008-09-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have been really busy the other day I was fall cleaning and ran across some more perm days items and accessories to donate to some lonely soul with curlin' iron burns on the backs of there necks, check out what I found!!

I also purchased a pair of sheets and if you ever noticed that they come in this really cool vinyl bag with a zipper enclosure, well while I was under the bathroom sink I had a lot of loose rollers just rolling all in my husbands way (let him tell it), & a idea hit me why not put them in this bag that I usually just throw away (did I ever tell y'all i am not 2 bright) so here's my recycling tip of the day =================}

PRODUCT REVIEW:

in my last post I told you that I ordered some locking shampoo from DreadHead HQ, well I must say it is quite the bomb (as in good) it did not leave my scalp dry and itchy but at the same time it did dry my hair out, there was a major difference between the dread shampoo then my dandruff shampoo. so I am a keeper of the dread head.

2 months, 3 days

2008-08-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well my 2 month anniversary has came & gone and while I am playing in my hair I noticed that some of my lovely locks are puffing up on the ends & along the strands so I hope that's a good sign that my locks will lock quickly. I noticed that my CC combined one of my locks around my hair line & since I had no slippage (yeah) I can wash my hair more frequently, the most time consuming chore is popping my locks, so while I am at work I kinda go through my hair and pop my locks so when I find time to actually pop them one by one It doesn't take as long, so now I am waiting for the NO MORE BANDING!! words to fall gracefully from my CC's lips.

The beauty of being a women is that there are endless possibilities of accessories & styling tools that we can use to achieve a glamorous looks, for me I love my head bands, & I plan to expand my collections with Tomoka Twists , Brunsli Hair ties & If you like adding flowers to your hair then check these out Ododo Originals. My styling tools are my flex rods, perm rods & Caruso curlers, the beauty of sisterlocks is you can curl them with water for an x-tra light hold, or with lotto body or foaming wrap lotion for a firmer hold.

Check this out!! I was cleaning out my accessory drawer and ran across a few items that I was glad to throw away, no more combs, Afro picks, vegetable oil to moisturize my fro, no more huge jar of Queen Helene's conditioner to soften my unruly hair AHHHH!! the FREEDOM of my SISTERLOCKS!! Famous words (with a twist) from Envoge " FREE your HAIR, & the REST will FOLLOW!! HaHaHa

In several of my post I stated that I was not a big fan of the Sl shampoo so I ordered a locking shampoo from Dread Head HQ , now there poo is supposed to be residue free, non- irritating, & un-scented but you can add your own scented essential oils to it if you choose, the bottle says it is specially designed to tighten dreads, while leaving no residue behind to prohibit your hair from locking in a expedient fashion. I haven't tried it yet but stay tuned for the product review!!

1st Retightning

2008-08-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

WOW!! WHAT A DIFFERENCE

I am so excited as well as long over do for my first retightning, last night braided and banded my hair & then shampoo'd & I am sorry but I can't do the
Sl shampoo it makes my hair feel dirty & gooey, it doesn't lather at all!!! so I am hear by officially throwing it in the trash can, I had some medicated shampoo that I had been using for my

(SIDE VIEW)

scalp condition and I will be using that until I find a better locking shampoo, I am considering ordering from the Dread HQ www.dreadheadhq.com. I thought I would post some close up shots of before and after and what you should expect your roots to look like before your retightning.

(FRONT VIEW)

It's our 1yr Anniversary!!

2008-07-27T11:58:00.000-07:00

IN LOVING MEMORY OF NEDRA JACKSON- WOODS

my sister passed away exactly one month before my wedding date, her memory will forever be in my heart, I am blessed because the last thing she did for me before she died was pick out my wedding dress. I love you may you rest in peace.

Today Goody & I celebrate our 1 Yr anniversary, & I must say I have experienced fun, sadness, frustrations, and love more then any time in my life. I am blessed that we made it & I pray many more years to come, there are days that I wake up & ask my self WHY! did I get married, & there are days I want to scratch his eyes out, but I know that God sent him to me & must rely on God to see us through the good and the bad. If you have been married for more then a year I would be open to suggestions and ideas on how to preserve and nourish the love I have for my husband & how to maintain a healthy relationship that will withstand the tests of time. My wedding day was beautiful and if I had to do over

it would have been even bigger and better then before, the down side we did not have a honeymoon but we have planned a trip to Hawaii for the 2009 season, and if I can give you ladies who are engaged to be married a tid bit of advice, if you can afford it, hire a wedding planner, if not GET HELP from somebody!!

I did mine all by myself & I was so tired we didn't even consummate the marriage until the next day, and

God for bides that your cake server doesn't butcher your anniversary cake like they did mine.

20 Things 2 Remember

2008-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Faith is the ability to not panic.
If you worry, you didn't pray. If you prayed, don't worry.
As a child of God, prayer is kinda like calling home every day.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
Do the math. Count your blessings.
God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.
Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.
Laugh everyday- it's like inner jogging.
The most important things in your home are the people.
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional. (preach it!).
There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. Come on in.
A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.
He who dies with the most toys is still dead.
We do not remember days but moments. Life moves too fast so enjoy your precious moments.
Nothing is real to you until you experience it; otherwise it's just hearsay.
It's alright to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.
Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk taking. Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out it's neck.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting. Leave gentle finger prints on the soul of another for the angels to read. I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.

-with Love from The Seventh-Day Adventist Church

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

2008-07-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today I celebrate my 36th birthday, when I woke up this morning my darling husband (Goody) had a card on the dresser waiting for me, & as I made my way to the living room there was a card on the couch, & when i went to eat breakfast there was a card on the kitchen table :). Later that evening we celebrated at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament www.me dievaltimes.com (if you haven't been u should go at least once), at dinner he surprised me with a beautiful diamond necklace, then Goody got beside himself cause our server called him my Lord all during dinner & he says that's what I need to start calling him hehehehe!! what a laugh that was. You see what I had to do 2 him when he started talking all that crazy stuff. But in the end I bowed down and let my man be King

(all because he had a really sharp weapon) hehehehe!!!

1 Month Anniversary

2008-07-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Today, my locks are 1 month old & I love them even more then I did the first day. Everybody loves my hair & they ask is it braided? "No", Well are they twisted? "No". Sl'd ladies how would you describe them? I usually tell them they are locks created with a sisterlocks tool. Then they say are they braided? "No", well are they twisted? "NO". So if y'all can help me come up with a good descriptive I would so appreciate it!!. Also when asked do you tell people what you paid for your Sl's? I don't like to answer, not because I think it was expensive, but I want everyone to experience the beauty of Sl's & I don't want them to be turned off by the price. I am always asked that question because no one knows about Sl's & they too want to free themselves from years of chemical abuse. So HELP me educate my public with the right choice of words.

2 celebrate my anniversary I set them with my flex
rods
that can be purchased at Sally's or any local beauty supply place, they
come in
different sizes I chose purple (large) gray (mediums), &
orange
(small)
which I did not use cause I hate a tight curl. I like the
outcome of
the flex
rods as compared to the perm rods, the flex rods
gave my locks more
volume,
bounce, and a softer set. My camera does not
take as clear photos as
I desire or
I am one terrible photographer. My
brother gave me a digital
camera but I had to
order a USB cable so as
soon as it comes in I can down
load pictures a lot
faster.
& hopefully a lot clearer.

perm rods

2008-07-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

I normally use my perm rods when I curl my hair I like to just curl the ends so I can keep some length, below are a few pics that i took, I bought some flex rods & when I curl my hair the next time I will post them. (curls will last about a week)

By the end of the week you get a really loose curl & that's how I like it when It's old and worn.

Funny Story

2008-07-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Y'all would not believe what happened to me, I have a daily routine that I do every morning before I go to work, on this particular morning I go to take a shower and when I get out of the shower, dry off and do my womanly things, I go to open the door and it doesn't open. Y'all all the parts inside the door knob broke, the handle would turn but that's it, but that's not all I was locked in there for 10hrs YES butt- naked, freezing, and mad as hell . I looked for all sorts of things to assist me nothing!! y'all it was like I was in jail no communication with the outside world, no food, and I missed a day of work :( I thought I would share my humiliation with you guys.

YouTube - Bill O'Reilly on Jesse Jackson slurs on Obama

2008-07-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

YouTube - Bill O'Reilly on Jesse Jackson slurs on Obama: ""

Can't we all get along!!

2008-07-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's a sad day when we as Americans have an opportunity to make history as having the first black president, why is it always one of our own that has to say something negative. I think Jesse was wrong and if he felt that way he should have kept his opinion to himself, all races of men need to step up to the plate and take care of their families. Obama spoke the truth more African Americans need to be men, and take care of what they help bring into the world. I just had to post this because I am shocked and appalled that someone calling themselves a Reverand would stoop so low and say he wanted to "cut off someones balls", to me he degraded the black race cause that only shows what white folks been saying about us for years that us "N****rs" can't get along and support our own race.

How to Shampoo your newly locked hair

2008-07-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

First: Bundle sections, for x-tra protection braid each section, then tuck end and secure with rubber band. Because I have Seborrheic Dermatitis I bundled really small sections so that I could get as much build up off my scalp as possible.

Second: Wet hair thoroughly; moderate to low water pressure. My consultant recommended not to wash my hair under the full force of the shower to prevent slippage

Third: Apply Sisterlocks Starter Shampoo directly to scalp around and through each bundle. Now I must say the shampoo does not lather and it did not make my scalp feel clean, Gigi says it's not the lather that cleans but the ingredients in the shampoo. Because of my scalp condition I followed up with a medicated shampoo, but it left my locks feeling harsh but my scalp was clean!!

Fourth:Gentle washing motion is in one direction only (scalp to tip).

Fifth: Rinse, (re-suds if necessary), towel dry, undo bundles. SEPARATE LOCKS! You should also what we call pop your locks which means your locks have a tendency to want to attach it's self to a neighboring lock so you have to separate them, pop them as often as needed.

After my shampooing, the next day I met with Gigi she made sure I had washed properly and she re tightened my edges, she instructed me not to wash my hair again until the day before my first re-tightning, which is about 4 wks (I hope I can go that long).

My locks at week 1 & 2

2008-07-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, my locks are finally two weeks old, and I must say it has been the best two weeks of my life. The day after my locks were installed I roller set them on medium sized perm rods and used Proclaim with Aloe and Natural Oils foaming wrap lotion, whatever you choose to use make sure it has no alcohol in it, and you only need to use a little . Since I had good length and I wasn't looking for a tight curl I two strand twist about 8 to 10 locks and just curled the ends with my perm rods. The outcome was a crinkly look and a semi loose curl on the end (real pretty), that roller set would have lasted a week, but I thought by braiding my hair at night that it would preserve the crinkle and curl, WRONG!!! it only takes the crinkle and curl away (lesson learned). So the next week since I had already used setting lotion the week before, I just spritzed it with water and curled all the way to the base of the lock, didn't like it as much the curl was really tight so to loosen it up I rubbed a little water in my hands and ran it through my locks until I got the desired looseness, at night I go to bed with no head covering, and in the morning run my hands through and go. I have yet to freestyle because some of my ends are really straight due to a beauty operator who burned my hair really bad from a curling iron, but when they mature a lot more then I will see.

My Locks were born

2008-06-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2008 , I am so excited I have waited 2 long months for this day, and what better way to celebrate June teenth!! Well I met with Gretchel "Gigi" Johnson at 10AM, we actually didn't get started until 11AM, my hair freshly washed and NO conditioner, the kinkier the better. We decided to do a one day locking session that started from 11AM-4PM and then from 8PM where she and a trainee worked on my head until 3AM, for a grand total of 12 hours, I have 443 locks installed, I am a reverse 4, with a type 4 curl pattern. :) Needless to say when I was done I was to tired to enjoy my locks, but the next day it was on and popping, I cannot describe in detail of what sisterlocks feel like, but I can say, this is the reason I named my blog Euphoria which means a feeling of well being and that's how my locks make me feel. To wake up in the morning and just run my fingers (couldn't do that with the fro)through my silky, soft hair, and here's the killer part I can rest my head against my headrest with out worrying about mashing my do and if it does mash I just run my fingers through my hair, Y'all just don't know I had the stiff neck trying not to damage my fro. I LOVE MY SISTERLOCKS!!!!

R Sisterlocks Expensive?

2008-06-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Yes & No, if your hair has been relaxed for several years or sported any type of braided hair do's then you can visualize along with me about what I have to say. Sistah's, I won't even go into all the money & wasted time that I spent on 12 yrs of relaxers , bags of weave, products, hair color (which is not an issue cause I have 2 have my colour), instead I want to focus more on the money that I spent braiding my hair over the years, OK let's take a look, I have had micro braids twice, the first time was $300.00 hair provided by stylist, the second time I had tree micro braids $300.00 but she gave me $100.00 off cause I was getting married & was short of cash, but the hair was $50.00($250 total). I also sported the kinky twist which I loved & was 1/2 the reason I went natural, I was charged $250.00 + $50.00 for human hair($300 total), not including the countless times I have had my hair corn-rowed which ranged from $55.00-$85.00. Now as I look back, I sat hours to get the services done, paid good money for a temporary hairdo and at the end of day the money I spent on hair (good hair) went into the trash can. All the money I spent to enhance what I THOUGHT was beautifying me I never complained about it, never gave it a second thought, until we are faced with the thought of spending a few hundred to NATURALLY beautify ourselves, with no added extensions, no gels, glue, over processed hair, over booked beauty shop appointments, and it's a style that we can sport permanently!!

Locking Consultation

2008-06-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong I love my fro, but after getting married and getting older there were situations that were arising in my life that were not fro friendly, and the longer it got the more I had trouble combing it, so I searched the net and one night I came across sisterlocks, I had never heard of them before so I started reading peoples blogs and looking in awe at there photos, and I knew that was the next step for me. I checked out the Sisterlocks website http://www.sisterlocks.com/ and read as much information as I could, as well as the consultants list. It was hard to choose at first weather or not to go with a certified or a non certified consultant, so I hit the blogs again getting info on there consultants and there were two that kept coming up in my area and that was Gretchel Johnson and Elaine Hill. Gretchel was closer to me so I called her (she is so sweet) and set up a consult, April 23, 2008 we meet and she put in 4 test locks, I so wanted to pay my deposit right then, but I was taken back by the price, so I went home talked with hubby and of course he was like no 2 da hell no, but as always in the end he was on my side. By the next week my deposit was paid :) now we WAIT for June 19,2008, I'm so excited!!!!

Ode to my Transition

2008-06-22T17:56:00.001-07:00

photos from my perm days to my natural days

My Permed Days

2008-06-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

This was me back in the day, when I thought it was cool to be permed. I mistreated my hair and scalp for years with a product that I thought was helping my hair, it wasn't until Dec. 18, 2005 when I realized that I had more hair in the bathroom sink then I had on my head, that day was the turning point in my life, so I wore braids for a while until I was sick of wearing extensions, finally on Feb. 10, 2006 I rid myself of my perm and I have been NATURAL every since, AND LOVING IT!!!! click 2 enlarge photo