It's been AGES...

...since I last posted on nappyness.com. But, I'm BACK (I think...)!

If you're wondering what inspired my return, I don't have a good answer. I've stumbled upon some great hair products, I always see people with amazing natural looks and think "I should take their picture and post it on Nappyness", I missed talking about natural hair, a bunch of stuff.

The point is - I'm here. :)

If I could I would swim in a vat of shea butter I would

I am in LOVE with shea butter. It is the all time best hair and skin product of all time. If you already knew about it, why didn't you tell me about it before? And if you haven't yet had a shea butter experience, go get yourself some!

Now, I'm not talking about lotion WITH shea butter or hair products WITH shea butter. While those products are good, I'm talking about 100% natural, unrefined shea butter. It's the consistency of hair grease (sort of - that's the best way to describe it) and when you rub it between you palms it melts. You can moisturize your hair and body with it. As someone with dry skin I am amazed by how long this stuff keeps your hair and skin shiny and soft. It works wonders in the winter, but it's not heavy so you won't need to switch moisturizes come the summer months.

I get my shea butter from my hair salon. They have a number of butters infused with essential oils and they all smell FANTASTIC! There's lots of online retailers selling 100% unrefined shea butter, but you can also find it in some beauty supply stores. Happy hunting!

Oh yea... my co worker uses shea butter and offered me this tip, melt some shea butter in the microwave - it makes a great massage oil.

A momentous occasion...

Testing 1, 2, 3 - Is this thing on?? I have something incredibly important to say. Here goes... today I pulled my locs back in a ponytail! Not an 'onytail where the short hair in the front slips out and hangs down in your face, but a REAL ponytail! You may be thinking, "That's nice, but is it it that serious?" Heck yeah it is! My hair has gone from long, to broken off and now (11 years later) back to long.

How did I accomplish this amazing feat? With the help of the amazing locticians at Urban Nature Styles in DC and some fabulous hair products.

I'm not sure how you plan to celebrate this amazing news, but I'm going to treat myself to a chai latte at Starbucks.

This is my president...

...and I'm really happy about it. The End.

My Nappy Journey

So... I found out the other day that me and my nappy hair will be traveling to Denmark on Monday - yes Denmark - for 5 days. I haven't yet been to this part of the world so I am ecstatic, but trying to pack correctly has me stressed. First of all (and most importantly), it is going to cold there. I hate being cold. I am known to sacrifice looking cool to be warm. However, I'm trying to make a good impression on the people of Denmark (because I'm so sure they'll be paying attention to me)so I want to be stylish. My biggest dilemma you ask? What am I going to put on my head?!?! I want something cute that will actually keep my head warm. The added challenge is to find a hat that's not wool, or any similar material, because it will leave lint in my hair. And have have you ever tried pulling little fibers out of locs? Not fun...

So, can anyone tell me where to find this hat?

My own myths... busted

When I went natural, I thought that natural hair would be easier to care for.

Ummm – NO! I had experienced so much hair trauma with relaxers I just knew that when I went natural all those problems would go away. My hair would be strong – almost indestructible, and all I’d have to do is throw some oil on my scalp and keep it movin’. I was so wrong. Whether natural or relaxed, I had a difficult time with breakage and keeping my hair moisturized – and the key to a great looking natural is moisture and shine. Sounds simple to achieve those two things, but it’s not quite that simple and by no means easier than caring for relaxed hair.

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...