For Real Hair Store Lady? For Real?

I have been on the hunt for about 3 months now. What am I looking for, you ask? A freaking hair-pin. That's right! A hair pin. You know, the long (often decorative) stick that holds up your hair.

Yeah, that. Now not only did I find out they no longer exist in any shape or form, but apparently (according to a "hair store" owner) they are no longer even cool or relevant. Personally, I don't agree. I was wearing one while she snarkily laughed that nobody wears them anymore.

Actually it wasn't a hair pin that I was wearing. It was a pen pen, of the black ink variety LOL. Since then, I have found other stick like objects to pin my hair up with.

If you look closely, in this picture you'll see that I am holding my hair up with a makeup brush, lol.

Can anyone say desperate?

I think I'm just going to buy some chopsticks when I get a chance. And if you're curious about how and why I need a hair pin to create this updo, here's what I do (and then why I do it) . . .

- I gather a bunch of hair from the back of my head and hold it up (according to where I want it to be.)

- Next, I take a ponytail holder and stretch it across that portion of hair that I am still holding up.

- Finally, I take a stick and push it all the way through the hair so that it is looped on both sides by the ponytail holder.

Voila! Your hair is being held up by stick and string. I find this style easy and convenient to do because my hair is too thick for the plastic hair claws that I used to use. Also, I use way too many bobby pins trying to keep this full head of hair on top of my head. This is just quick, easy and low maintenance.

So there it is!

What's new?

Hey everybody! I know it's been a while, but I have been busy with some things. For example...

I just finished reading this ...

Hair Story, a book by Ayana Bird and Lori Tharps. You should read it too! This is a book about Black people and their hair. From our beginnings in Africa (as far as hair maintenance rituals) to the hair cair industry today.

Anywho...I have been twisting and washing, retwisting and washing some more.

<------Trying to do a model pose...lol.

These are pictures of me on several occasions of doing my new favorite thing to do (NOT!) retwisting my hmmm...locks(?) I guess they are still twists. They are in between so I guess I will call them tweenies :-).

This is my "You show is ugly" Color Purple picture

Okay, enough foolishness...I have officially found my new favorite way to condition my hair before washing. It's a mixture of two different homemade conditioners that I found on Motowngirl.com. Here's what I do...

I mix 1/3 cup honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil, four drops of rosemary oil, and two eggs. Mix the ingredients and pour all over my head. Next I cover my head with a plastic bag covered by a warm towel and blow dry or don't blow dry (doesn't matter, as long as it's sitting there seeping into your scalp and pouring down the back of your neck, yuck!). After about twenty minutes, I wash the concoction out of my hair and I shampoo. Sometimes, after shampooing, I'll use a clarifying rinse like apple cider vinegar and water.

This is my favorite conditioner because it leaves my hair feeling really soft and moisturized. Also, the ingredients blend well and stimulate the scalp...it's just all around nice. Warning: make sure to check through your hair a little, sometimes you may have to pick a piece of egg yolk out here and there. But it's worth it, trust me.

You know what? I really want to try the warm water, honey, lemon clarifying rinse but I'm skerred that I will just end up pouring sticky honey water into my hair. Does that sound crazy? (Don't answer that).

So that's been it, thus far. I don't see any changes in length, but everybody else says they do. And that's all that matters, right? (Don't answer that). I can fit my hair into a ponytail now. But I've never been into the teeny weeny pony tail, so I just sweep it up like this...

I think the braids in the back are cute and in a way, I get to showcase all of the hard work I put into retwisting my hair every week/week and a half.

So that's what's new. Oh, oh, oh...wait! I forgot to mention that I experimented with latch hooking. I will write about that tomorrow. I am actually thinking about trying some wax too. Don't know yet. I will write about that later too.

Until then...here's some randomness...

My dog just graduated from puppy school.

Flashback

Reflections of a hair diva...

Okay, this is the big week. (For those of you just joining...I am making the transition to locks). As usually is the case at the end of the year, I feel it necessary to reflect on the different directions I have taken when it comes to my hair.

My Different Looks...

Straight

Every once in a while, I like to go for the sleek, straight look. I think it fits me...what do you think?

Curly

Curly is fun...cute...springy. Right?

Natural...(braids, twists, afro)

These are my all time favorite standbys...braids, twists and the occasional afro. These styles are quick and easy.

...And why dreads?

At this point in my life I have noticed a pattern. I always resort back to braids or twists. So I figured that I'd just lock it up (my hair, that is) and be done with it. Braids, twists and locks are in the same family, right? No more worrying about who will braid my hair next or how I will twist the hair at the nape of my neck. Also, I have a secret.

Lean in closer, will ya...

Shhh...okay, here's the secret...don't tell anyone, but I absolutely HATE going into Korean hair supply stores. They are usually located throughout the inner cities and frequented by a sea of humanity of Black women who rely on them to supply us with our beauty regimen. It's sad. Sometimes I can feel the resentment from one culture to the other. The language gap. The distrust. It drives me absolutely bonkers. I don't plan on going back to that any time soon, so here I am. Time to hold onto the money that I so willingly throw away on hair that I could just grow myself.

I hope to impact other Black women. Maybe one day we will take back the hair care industry. That would be nice. (Sigh!) One day...