Where do the 'God-Fearing" ladies fit in?

First, let me say that EVERYONE is welcome to this blog. I am not that type of Christian that hates anyone. It's your life you live it the way you want to and no matter what I will still love you in theway that Christ modeled love over and over again. I am NOT perfect and I have no room to judge and no right to condemn. Today I just want to do something for a particular group of commenters on the blog.

Sometimes on these natural hair blogs, vlogs, and forums I feel kind of outcast. I'm not bothered by it because I understand that by choosing not to conform to the things of this world that I am not always up-to-date on the "cool" stuff. But the purpose of this post is not to preach, it's to refer- you know the good stuff, more websites to stalk :)

So many of you leave words of appreciation on the Sunday Post that I wanted to point you in the direction of some other sites/blogs that you may be interested in.

Daily Word Reading on YouTube by naturalhairful
-She reads from the Bible, she doesn't interpret or give her personal opinion

Sunday Morning by Sunny-Side Up
-Finally some fashion posts that covers the day that really matters to me - SUNDAY :)

Island Potpourri by Ruth
-Situations and scenarios that make you think about your own Christian Journey

Women of the Word Celeb Profiles by HerBestHair (me)
-A place to see natural hair in someplace other than secular music

Trendy Tee'z by Dymesha
-Scriptural & Spiritual clothing (I've actually ordered a few)

Protecting Your Crown and Glory - DPrincess28
-Natural hair and a natural world, it's a win-win combination

We can have us a "good ol time in the Lord" if we all come together and support one another. If you have/know of a blog that would fit in perfectly with this list, please leave the link in the comment box below.

Be blessed not stressed!

*I will check all links before publishing the comments

Top 10 Worst Fashion Trends

Fashion is fearless but some of these trends are just ridiculous! Check out the Top 10 Worst Fashion Trends!

Do Natural Hair Guru's Really Exist?

Dictionary.com defines a guru as...

I read a rant over on Lipstix Natural Chica and it got me thinking... Click here to read the rant ---> Natural Hair Rant: Oh So Now You're A Guru

So what exactly makes a "natural hair guru"? I am NOT saying that there are not any natural hair gurus out there but I do wonder if we throw that title around too loosely.  Being a guru and being knowledgeable about how to care for your own hair are very different.

There are a few that label themselves "gurus" while others have been granted that title by those that admire them and their knowledge. Are there individuals that I consider gurus? Yes. They have a vast amount of knowledge and for the things they don't know, they have established an army of resources. Being able to use what you have but admit that you don't know it all is an admirable trait, in my opinion.

What I hate seeing the most is individuals that have suffered a setback in their healthy hair journey because they followed the advice of someone that labeled themselves a "guru." For example, check out this post on BGLH about bad hair advice ---> Bad Hair Advice Worse Than The Perm

I have also suffered my own setbacks due to taking advice from an online personality that we well-versed in their own hair care but not the care of other's hair. That was my own fault but at the time I did not know any better. Also, who's to say that the guru is really telling you the COMPLETE story behind their hair health and length? I have always wondered pondered that very question.

Discussing this topic is almost like beating a dead horse. If you do a search, see that the "guru" topic is one that has been addressed on youtube, blogs, and numerous hair forums. One of my favorite posts on this topic was by CurlyNikki and it is because she stated "be your own guru." That is the best advice I can give anyone embarking on a natural hair journey.

Dynamic Views

Flipcard View

This morning I read about blogger's new viewing features on How About Orange. This new feature is called Dynamic Views, click the link to check it out. The views available are Flipcard, Mosaic, Sidebar, Snapshot, and Timeslide. I think I like this feature.

See Her Best Hair in the timeslide (my fav) format ~> Her Best Hair

Natural Hair Search Engine

A few months ago I did a post about a natural hair search engine...I went looking for it and it was gone! UGH!

So I decided to take a few minutes of my time create another search engine that would pull from some of the wonderful natural hair blogs out there. Please feel free to utilize the search engine at the top of this page for some of your natural hair inquires.

There's more...
I need your help. If you know of a great resource for natural hair/healthy hair care information, please let me know so that I can add that to the link database.


Share this search engine with others:
Natural Hair Search Engine
Post it on your blog, link in your side bar, or share it on your favorite forum.

Happy Searching!!

Could your sunglasses be destroying your hairline?

This morning I had to switch my sunglasses twice because the frames kept snagging the hair behind my ears. I  started freaking out because I immediately started thinking about this guy I know that has little to no hair behind his ears because of wearing sunglasses all the time.

I wear my sunglasses year-round but a lot more in the summer. So this is the time of year that I really start to notice any problems with my sunglasses. Sunglasses with frames similar to the ones below have a tendency to crack and peel over time. Some take longer than others before this starts to happen. I believe my problem started and worsened due to me leaving the shades in a hot car for hours at a time. Plastic melts.

To be on the safe side you may want to invest in a quality pair of sunglasses with frames similar to the ones below. Those frames are a lot smoother and typically made with a hard plastic substance that is less likely to crack and peel like the frames above.

There are quite a few places where you can obtain sunglasses that are affordable:
Aldo
Retro City Sunglasses
6pm.com
If you prefer a pair that is more high end, check out:
Saks
Nordstrom
Overstock

Happy sunglasses shopping! I know that is what I will be doing this weekend :)

30 Day Blog Challenge

I came across this 30 day blog challenge on Flawless Mistake and it sounds like fun so I plan to participate.

If you plan to play along please let me know. I would love to see/comment on your posts.

Does your hair goal match your hair reality?

Does this comment sound familiar or maybe you have made that comment yourself? I know I have. You can go on almost any hair forum and find a question similar to the one above. Sometimes a tweak with the style technique or with a hair care regimen can result in a closer desired look for the person asking the question. Other times, someone has to break the news to an individual and tell them "you don't have the texture of the person in that picture/video/magazine etc to achieve the identical look."

If a person has corkscrew curls, it's likely that they will have some difficulty achieving a twist-out similar to a person that has loose spiral-like curls.

When many ladies take that first step into the natural hair world they look at tons of photos of other naturals for encouragement. Having a visual goal in mind is a great way to stay motivated but unfortunately that can also work against an individual by delivering a false sense of hope for what their textured future holds.

So if we were to use hair typing...an individual with type 3 hair would find themselves constantly frustrated if there were to follow the regimen and seek the same product results of an individual with type 4 hair. All products will not work the same for all people. All styles will will not the same on all natural hair/transitioning individuals.

If you can't get an identical style look that your admire on someone else, it's okay. That is the opportunity to make the style your own. If their regimen doesn't work, change it. Seek YOUR BEST HAIR.

I admire the curls of Kelis but I know that I could never achieve the exactly curly look that she has been known to wear. The thing that I admire the most about her hair is the versatility and the boldness. There is nothing wrong with admiring the curls of other individuals but when you try to make their curls your own - that can cause unnecessary stress.

Do you have an hair idol/inspiration? How does their texture compare to yours?

I got bored....

with the green background.

Atlanta, GA....

Later this week I will be taking a much needed mini-vacation and visiting ATL with some friends. While there the plans are to attend the Curly Girls Rock event and the World Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show 2011. If you are going and you see be please don't hesitate to speak - I won't bite, I promise :).

25 Question Tag

I saw this on YT and thought it was innocent enough to have fun with so I brought it over to the blog world.

1. Do you have any pets?
One dog - 4yr old male pit - Tyson
2. Name 3 things that are physically close to you.
Cell phone, remote control, newspaper
3. What's the weather like right now?
Chilly
4. Do you drive? If so have you crashed?
Yes & never. Praise God!!
5. What time did you wake up this morning?
6:45am
6. When was the last time you showered?
This morning
7. What was the last movie you saw?
Vampires Suck and it was hilarious
8. What does your last text message say?
Umm - it's my bank acct balance (I won't say, lol)
9. What's your ringtone?
"Blow the Whistle" (instrumental)
10. Have you ever been to a different country?
Yes, Jamaica
11. Do you like sushi?
I LOVE sushi
12. Where do you buy your groceries?
Kroger
13. Have you ever taken medication to help you fall asleep faster?
Yes - Simply Sleep
14. How many siblings do you have?
5. 3 brothers, 2 sisters
15. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
Both but I am donating one this week so now only a laptop
16. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
O_o Really? Ugh....30
17. Do you wear contacts or glasses?
Neither
18. Do you color your hair?
Yes
19. Tell me something you are planning to do today.
Clean the bathroom
20. When was the last time you cried?
February 12, 2011 - my grandmother died
21. What is your perfect pizza topping?
Ham & Pineapple
22. Which do you prefer-hamburgers or cheeseburgers?
Cheeseburgers
23. Have you ever had an all-nighter?
Yes, too many
24. What is your eye color?
Dark Brown
25. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?
Somewhat. Pepsi makes my teeth squeak and Coke does not. I don't really like either of them.

If you have a blog and  you do this tag, let me know and I will a shout out in the credits of my next YT vid. 

☮

Edit: 04.11.2011

The video has been made and all shout-outs have been added. No more shout-outs will be added at this point.

In the Sunday Comics

I can relate! LOL
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Apr 4 marks the 43rd anniversary of King's death.

On April 3, 1968 Martin L. King addressed a rally and delivered his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" address at the world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ.


At 6:01 p.m., April 4, 1968, a shot rang out as King stood on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The bullet entered through his right cheek, smashed his jaw, and then traveled down his spinal cord before eventually lodging in his shoulder.


President Lyndon B. Johnson declared April 7 a national day of mourning for the civil rights leader.


Dr. Martin Luther King Assassination Investigation
Citizen King
Commemorating Martin Luther King Jr

Length Retention or a facade?

Facade: a superficial appearance or illusion of something: They managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.(1)


They are so many "gurus" out there in the natural hair world and it can be easy to get swept up into the mesmerizing curls/kinks of the bloggers and vloggers of the natural hair world. During my first year reading the blogs, natural hair forums, and watching YouTube videos I found myself drowning in information. However, there was one thing in particular that contributed to a setback in the very beginning of my journey.


Most of us have that person (or persons) that we consider hair idols because they have reached that goal that we have in mind. So in the beginning of my journey I had my eyes set on the hair of an individual that appeared to have the hair care game down to a T. In actuality, that person's hair care practices dramatically impacted length retention and hair health. It took me a whole year of watching and following this person to realize that my hair did not appear to be getting longer and their hair also stayed at the same length. 


The first thing I did was ask this individual if they were cutting their hair to stay that length. No response to that question - or to any others that asked about cutting/trimming. After I started putting together my own regimen and techniques (learned from trial and error) I finally started getting the results I desired. To this day this individual is still very close to still being at the same length - it has been 3 yrs. Now, there is a chance that some hair cuts have occurred over this time period, I stopped watching. I am not assuming to know everything about this person's hair care practices. (I will not name this individual).


One of my favorite quotes is "you can't make all the mistakes yourself, so learn from someone else's." I am not sharing this to bash - but in hopes that it helps someone avoid the same setback I encountered.


When searching for a regimen that will work for you:
1. Examine the progress of the person raving about the regimen
2. Ask questions - if they go unanswered or don't sound quite right, think about your next move carefully.
3. Are all the comparison pics a fair comparison (pose, photoshop, same section measured, etc)?
4. Is this person paid to plug products or services?
5. Are hair care methods and alternative thoroughly explained and supported?


MANY individuals are using their precious time to offer help to others on their healthy hair journey - while some see this as an opportunity to cash in .  I started blogging for friends and people in my social circle that had questions. I couldn't keep so I had to put all the info in one place - I do this for the sole purpose of helping others. (I wish it could be my full-time job, lol).


1. Dictionary.com

Got something to add? Please comment below.

Challenges in March

Pretty Girls Rock Dresses

I was introduced this challenge by a cyber buddy as well as introduced to the website. The challenge is to wear a dress at least three times a week. Check out the site: Pretty Girls Rock Dresses

Proverbs: 31 Chapters in 31 Days

This morning another one of my cyber buddies turned me on to a Bible reading challenge this month in which I am going to participate. I felt that is was such a good challenge that it was worth sharing.


Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, divided into 31 chapters.  It covers sugjects of pride, knowledge, personal relationships, marriage, buisness, and emotions. [citation]

PJ-ism, a growing epidemic?

Epidemic
1. (esp of a disease) attacking or affecting many persons simultaneously in a community or area
2. a widespread occurrence of a disease: an influenza epidemic
3. a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, espsomething unpleasant: an epidemic of strikes


Product bandwagons and growth aid fads are some aspects of the natural/healthy hair journey hair world that never sat right with me. This feeling primarily came from some bad experiences with some regimen fads and money wasted on products that did not yield desirable results. There is nothing worse in your hair care journey than the feeling of a major setback. I fell victim to a few fades and feared that all my time and effort toward healthy hair was ruined. Thankfully, none of the perceived damage was permanent.

Recently, I read a post on Natural Urbanista that perfectly put my feelings about these trends into words. In my opinion it's an interesting read, check it out here:
Are Bloggers and Hair Sites Contributing to Your Growing PJ-ism?

I do feel that in a way PJ-ism is an epidemic in the natural/healthy healthy hair journey world. Some days you can bounce from blog-to-blog and site-to-site and see the same products or tools raved about (or bashed). This has even rolled over onto YouTube and it is not outside of the norm to see vloggers reviewing and posting tutorials about the same products within a close time period.

Do you think blogs/vlogs/sites are contributing to PJ-ism? What are your thoughts on this?

How Thoughtful! Thank you!

Earlier this week I was passed the Stylish and Versatile Blog award from Ruth at Island Potppouri and I am finally getting around passing on the award to others. First things first, THANKS for the award. I am truly flattered.

Let's get to it, here are the seven random things about me that I am sharing:

1. I LOVE shoes. I have over 100 pairs stashed in various places around the house and I wear them all. I had to stop buying shoes because I ran out of room to store them.

2. I used to wish I was 2 inches taller so that I could audition for ANTM (LOL). I was stopped by scouts twice while I was in college and that was a real confidence booster - but I decided to focus on school and but that "dream" on the back burner.

3. At this point in my life there are only two foods that I have encountered that I do not like - squash and chitterlings (gag).

4. On my bucket list I have: Visit all 50 U.S. states

5. I am fortunate to have members in my family on both sides that have traced our lineage and found out that our people (dad's side) are from Ghana and on the other side (mom's side) trace back to an Irish man and a Cherokee woman. I think that's pretty cool.

6. My hubby and I married on 08/08/08 but not for the "luck" myth - we got engaged on 08/08/07, I wanted to keep the date significant for us. Our wedding colors were our birth stone colors - Aquamarine and Sapphire.

7. I am undefeated in Wii boxing. ::waves hand in front of face:: you can't see me! :)


So now I pass the Stylish and Versatile Blog on to:
Curly Film Chick at Diary of a Quirky Curly Film Chick
Karli at Curly Hairdo Ideas
Tia at NaturallyTia
Shones at Curly Sweet Life

So that they may share seven things about themselves to their readers. Have fun!

Unashamed Tour 2010 Raleigh, NC

For my North Carolina folks:

Will I see you there?

I am in need of a new hairdo...

Any suggestions?

Kohls is only the beginning...

A comment I read regarding Kohls and that wig prompted me to Google "ghetto fab wig" and what I discovered was not shocking at all - it was a SMH moment. 

Image Search

On the left side of the screenshot please note all the stores that also sell this product that made some of us so upset with Kohls:

Product Search

Quite a few people (including myself) were not happy with the wig on the Kohls site but the thing to keep in mind is that Kohls did not make this product, they were only a vendor. For years, people of many ethnicities have fought stereotypes and we all know that history has the tendency to repeat itself. We shouldn't be overly shocked when things like this happen but I also feel that we should not let things like this slide just because we know that they will and are going to happen. Let's take moments like this to educate ourselves and others - I bet every customer service employee at Kohls now knows the true definition of the word "ghetto" LOL.


Ghetto 
1: a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live
2: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure
3a : an isolated group b : a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity
[Source: Merriam-Webster]

Thoughts?