3 Years Locked

Wow...Can't believe it has been a whole 3 years since I locked my hair. I never thought I would make it this far. As I told you all in my last post that with three years comes change for me. The change took a lot of thought because I have become very attached to my hair over the past three years....but.....I decided it was time to do away with the sister locks so they are now gone:( I thought I would miss them but I believe this change is for the best as my hair was starting to thin in the crown. For a girl who already has thin hair, this was hard to look at everyday. This area has always been a problem and stress area for me as a child and as an adult with a perm. I hope you all aren't too disappointed but it had to be done. I will however continue blogging about my new and exciting hair journey and I hope that you all will continue to follow and support. I took pictures of the thinning area. I think that the sisterlocks simply put too much tension on this weak area over time and I was tired of continuously trying to cover it up.


I will post pictures soon of the changed me, although I love it, I am still trying to get used to it.

Lock on wit yo bad self!
HN

Chang Is Comin

Hello All,

So my 3 year anniversary with locks is quickly (June 20) approching and I am planning a BIG change for the occassion. The past three years have been wonderful and I am so glad that I made the decission to not only go natural but to lock my hair. This has become the new me for sure. Still loving my locks but I think its time to spice it up a bit. Stay tuned to see the big surprise. I'm soooo excited!!!! I hope you all are too.

Until next time,
Lock on wit yo bad self!

Yes...I am Still Alive!

Hello Blog Family,

Where have I been you asked?....well, where do I start? My family and I have moved across country from Honolulu, HI to Garner (just outside of Raleigh), NC. BIG CHANGE! We had a house built, I started a new job (not in my field because I couldn't find one), and have also started school again at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill campus preparing for the accelerated nursing program hopefully to start in January to add to the Masters degree that I obtained last year....and that is just the short version of the story! But all is well!

As for my hair, it is coming along nicely. It seems to be growing slowly but surely. I have not been doing much with it as I have been too too busy but I still love it. I wash weekly and now condition with Pantene curly dry to moisture conditioner, Love, Love, Love that conditioner. Not only does it soften my hair but it leaves it feeling moisturized while its still wet with a fresh smell. It also doesn't unravel the locks like some other conditioners have that I've tried in the but after it dries the softness leaves also so I made some changes to my everyday routine. My nightly routine has been to sleep on a satin pillow case and spritz in the mornings with water, a few drops of lavender essential oil, and some jojoba oil mixed in a spray bottle. I follow up the spritz with a moisturizing product I found at target and tried simply because I couldn't find a whole foods store to get my usual products; Lavish Curls Moisturizer. This product quickly became a must have as it s made with certified organic ingredients. It eliminates the crunchy bed head and keeps my hair and scalp feeling hydrated all day while giving my locks life and body. Give it a try if you don't already have a favorite.

Well that's all for now, just wanted to share a quick update. I promise to be around a little more now that I am getting settled in. Plus blogging has been a good stress reliever in the past and Lord knows I could use some relief from stress :)

Lock on wit yo bad self!

Help Me Update

Blog family,
I am looking for suggestions on ways to update and modernize my blog. Now, I am not very computer savvy so I have no idea how to do all the fancy stuff. I could really use suggestions or instruction on a few things in the following areas:

Where to find new free blog templates
How to upload pictures and place them where I want them
How to create slide shows
How to link YouTube videos
How to create and post my own videos

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)


Lock on wit yo bad self!
HN

2 Years With Locks

Hello again so soon!

I am coming up on my 2 year mark with locks! Wow! The actual date isn't until June 20th but I though I would get this post in early. My locks have really come a long way. They have thickened, puffed, and are finally starting to grow longer. I have absolutely no regrets about locking my hair, only that I didn't do it long ago. I know that everyone says that but it is soo true.

I used to faithfully tighten my locks every 4 weeks for the first year until I became a DIY'er. Now, I just re-tighten when I feel like it. That is usually between 6 and 10 weeks. 10 weeks!!! I know that sounds like a long time but my hair is very slow growing and I really enjoy the new growth. I love to put my hands in my hair and feel the soft fluffy roots. I also don't really like the scalppy look of a freshly tightened head although I love the way it feels when the water runs over my scalp after a fresh retigh. I am also happy to report that I have never lost a lock! Yay! I have however, combined and added a few new ones in areas where there used to be no hair but it has now started to grow in.When I say the words 2 years, it seems like a long time, but when I think back over my journey, it went by so quickly. I look forward to each year to come.

The pictures that I have included are of the first day after install, the first year (shown with my lovely hubby), and today, 4 days before my 2 year lock anniversary. I tried to put these pictures in order from beginning to now but blogger changed them when I published the post so just bare with me please:)

***Feel free to click on the pictures for an enlarged view to see better detail. ***

Until next time,
Lock on wit yo bad self!

HN

Introducing the Graduate

So.....Introducing...Hibiscus Niki who now holds a Master's Degree in Health Care Administration...YAY! This is the reason for my absence as of late. I have been busting my butt to finish my work so that I could participate in the commencement ceremony on June 13, 2010. My family is also in the middle of a big transition as we move from one Army duty station to the next. I look forward to posting more regularly again now that some of the stress has been relieved.

Lock on wit yo bad self!

HN

The Birth of Two Baby Locks

Hello Blog Fam,

I have been MIA because my family is in the middle of a move from Honolulu, HI to Raleigh, NC :( I am currently on a long stay with my parents in Cleveland, OH for the summer while we look for a home to purchase in North Carolina.

As far as my hair goes, everything is still the same. I was getting tired of my locks for a while and thinking of starting over until I completed my re-ti this evening. Now my scalp is feeling refreshed and I am back in love with my locks. Although I love my fuzzies and the way my hair looks when it needs to be tightened, there is no feeling better than having a freshly tightened head and letting the water run over my scalp. Love...love...love i t! Better yet, I was able to start two new locks on my hair line. My mother, my sister, and I all have a thinning hair lines. I was a bit bumbed about that but then the fuzzies started growing in and Yay, two new locks are born. I am now thinking that the thinning had less to do with genetics and more to do with the danaging affects of a relaxer, LOL! Starting the new locks coupled with all the many compliments that I have received since being in town is giving me reason to continue to have patience and to continue on this journey that I so love....I just get side tracked sometimes (hee hee!)

My hair line still has some growing to do but it is looking much less stressed with the addition of the baby locks. Now my followers know that I have been thinking of combining for a while. I secretly combined quite a few of my locks in the front and in the back of my head just to get a feel for combining because this is where the locks were very tiny (This was done months ago). Although I like the bigger locks, combining in the front reduced my density because my hair is very thin and fine there. If I had it to do all over again, I would not have combined at the hair line but rather more in the middle of my head.....it's a learning journey as well. The good news is that the roots of the tiny locks that I combined seem to be much stronger, so that's always good right!

Until next time,

Lock on wit yo bad self!
HN