Happy birthday to you...

happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear nappy, happy birthday to you!  One year ago I finally got the guts to lock my hair and I am loving it.  Not everyday... not on the days when my locs decide to stick out in every possible direction, but those days are few in number compared to the days when I look in the mirror and think "This is me".

So, happy first birthday locs.  And many more...

My hair story

Going natural was an accident. It all began with what I refer to as the Hair Debacle of 1994. A family friend relaxed her own hair and her daughter's. She offered to do my hair at her home and my mom agreed. I sat in this woman's kitchen on a Saturday afternoon and 1 do-it-yourself relaxer later my hair was gone. I noticed a lot of hair in her sink that day, a few days later I realized a lot of hair was falling out each time I ran my fingers though it. The end result - bald spots around my edges that could only be hidden with a horrible mushroom hairstyle. Needless to say, my school photos from that year are the bane of my existence. After that relaxer my hair was never the same. No matter what miracle product I used my hair wouldn't grow - it was thin and continued to break off. By senior year of high school I was completely frustrated with my hair. My solution was to put braids in my hair - for about 3 years. While in school (and away from my parents wallets) my braids were starting to look kind of crazy. They needed to be taken out, but I didn't have money to get my hair done again. I was seeing more natural styles in magazines and one of my friends had done the "big chop" and was sporting an afro, so I figured that'd I take my braids out and work with whatever was underneath. I rocked a curly afro puff and headband the following day and got a ton of compliments. I couldn't believe it. For the first time in a long time I felt confident about my hair. The hardest part about going natural for me - the night a friend made me an official nappy girl by cutting off all the relaxed hair. That was five years ago now, and last year I decided to lock my hair (that's an entirely different story). I've never been happier with my hair, or felt more confident than I have being nappy.

I'm here now...

It took some encouragement from friends, but I am here in this big bad world of blogging.  I'm a little anxious, but mostly excited.  Excited to share my natural hair journey, things I've learned and products I love.  And hopefully I will hear from you!  So, deep breath, ready or not, here I come!