Taliah Waajid's World Natural Hair Show

Words can not begin to express the true emotions I experienced while attending the Atlanta Natural Hair Show. I can only compare it to what Malcom X must have experienced during his "mecca" experience. I felt like I had arrived in natural hair heaven. When I crossed the threshold into the expo hall the first day, goosebumps popped up all over my body and tears flooded my eyes. My senses immediately became overloaded because the biblical understanding of one's hair being their glory was manifest and personified in the flesh. There were so many sisters and brothers walking around regally as kings and queens. I know to some (and maybe even to me) it sounds like the whole "black power thing". BUT, my experience is was a positive power. Not a negative thing as in "reverse racism". There were brothers and sisters who were models of self confidence, self love and empowerment. I quickly realized that I would have to soak up every molecule of this two day experience. And I did! Hats off to Taliah for providing us naturals a wonderful expo that was pulled off with great order and professionalism! The classes were phenonmenal and I'll post later about them. Here Taliah is hard at work behind the registration desk on the first day. I met sooooooo many wonderful people who also expressed their individual "mecca-like" experience at the show. My natural hair experience has pointed me toward the wholistic basis of who I am: Mind, Body and Spirit. It's been a surprise of how organic it is, but how deep it is. I'm soooo blessed to have come full circle, yet still a work in progress!

Finally, Rockin the Locs

Here are a few pics of my babies the first week. The 1st pic is of my first braid out. The 2nd and 3rd pics are wash and go photos with a clip as you see to keep the sides tucked.

The Big Day

These pics are from the day my locs were born September 10, 2007! I am a die-hard do-it-yourselfer so I did my own 3 day install of my braidlocs. 3 days sounds like a long time, but I have so many responsibilities that consumed that time. I didn't record how much time I used over that period to actually braid. I enjoy braiding. It relaxes me so it was no big deal.

My daughter helped me with my parting and it was meticulous. Just the way I wanted them.

I studied and lurked on sites for the longest gleaning all the info I could. I educated myself with a little-bit-from here and there. Braidlocs was the better choice for me for several reasons. I could control the size of my loc. I could immediately wash my locs if I wanted to (and I did). I could maintain the locs myself (I interlock)thereby save $. I could have all the versatility of other methods of microlocs.

I locked my DH 2 years ago with the same method and have enjoyed creating some amazing locs for him that are now past his shoulders.

Now I'm married to 430 babies and I love each one of them! I struggled with maintaining my hair loose because of the tight curl pattern I have (4C). However, locs have liberated me and given me freedom that I never imagined possible!

My Journey Begins With the Fro

Okay, Here I am with the fro 7 months ago that I never wore out in public. Don't ask me why not. Now that I look back at these pics, I wished I had rocked it, but I didn't. I was a slave to braid extensions, and other "help" as I called it. My mind was locked up in the hair department, but my hair wasn't. Thank GOD I'm finally free!

I started my journey with about 4-5 inches of natural hair. I went natural the first time in 2000 when I found a bald spot in my head that I attribute to stress. I new then that relaxers were not my friend. I never wore my natural hair out though. No twist, fros, braidouts, twistouts, nothing! Odd right? I always wore a press and curl or braids or other "help". Then in 2005, I permed again. The chemicals again were too much and I cut it all off after that one relaxer. Back to the braids until I grew it out to what you see in these pics.

On this very day I began my lock journey.

Twins Locked Up!

Meet twin sisters Miss L. and Miss D. These beautiful, vivacious girls are 10 years old and mature enough to know what they want. They were ready to loc their hair and enjoy their natural beauty. They both were started with braidlocs which took approximately 4 hours to install on each of them. They will be maintained by using the interlocking method.

The girls had perm on their ends which was cut off. They had been wearing braid extensions for several months in order to achieve about 3 to 4 inches of new growth. The girls are blessed with a mother Mrs. D. who wants them to have a strong hair-i-tage by teaching them to grow and maintain their God given tresses.

Help me congratulate Miss L and Miss D on starting their journey. We'll keep you posted on their evolution.

I'm Here

Anybody glad to be here? I am as I bless the name of the Creator for allowing me to see another year! Our health and strength are all a direct, unquestionable blessing from God. Here's a treat to remind you of the mercy and grace He bestows on us without measure!

Be proud to be the best of who God created you to be. Saaaang our testimony, Fantasia!

Tired of Perms

Meet Shayla. She did the big chop about three months ago. Look at all of her natural beauty that was hidden under a perm. She's absolutely gorgeous and NATURAL. She's sure to be an inspiration to many.

This is Lexi. She's been locked since 1999. She too had enough of perming and decided to wear her hair naturally.

One lady says that she'll wear her loose hair natural and the other has been locked for 11 years and committed to locking for life. With all this freedom and versatility why don't we take Whitney's advice that crack (creamy crack that is) is whack. Preach, Whitney... http://youtube.com/watch?v=ytJpZguSy2U. ;-)

Locs and What They Mean to You

Bilal is a part of the Nappiology meetup group and granted Hannah Ranay an interview about his locs.

OC is in the 2nd video and shares some info about his locs with us.

In their videos, they mentioned that this is both their second set of locs and why they cut their old locs and why they started over. That leads me to this question. What do your locs mean to you? Do they represent patience and devotion? Are they tied to a specific relationship or life situation? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.

Hannah Ranay As Featured on Creyole's Blog

I haven't posted any pics of myself to this blog until now, because I'm having camera drama. I'll download some pics shortly of the beginning of my journey. Unil then, check out Creyole's blog http://creyole.blogspot.com/2007/12/another-sda-sister-locked-up.html to get the 411 on my hair journey.

I will give you the jest. This pic was taken circa 4 months braidlocked. I am a die-hard do-it-yourselfer. I've been doing hair seems like since I was born so I decided to do my own install. I have approximately 430 babies on my head. This style was a braid out bang and bun updo.

I wish I had locked 20 years ago. I love my hair and the evolution it brings not only in and of itself, but IN me!

Ever Had A Dream?

Oh my, Gosh! The word dream is so powerful to me. It is uncontainable! It has no boundaries or limits except: Y-O-U. We limit and stifle ourselves by thinking small, being small and yes dreaming small! I am blessed to have the gift to dream big and the passion to bring my dreams to the realm we exist. What are my dreams? I dream of freedom to live my passion. I dream of my children being forerunners for their generation and being even bigger dreamers than me. I dream of my family being givers and not takers. Leaving this world better than we found it. My dreams aren't built around accumulating great wealth in the monetary sense because I know that I can have that if I want it and it will come in due time. Instead, I find greater satisfaction in living a life of order and dreaming about building character and being better, wiser and stronger.

I dreamt my hair free before it ever became my reality! Here is Goapele in an awesome video where the lyrics are contagious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkRSMaCjCjw You'll be singing this song all day and hopefully it will help propel you closer to your dream; whatever they are. By the way, she's rocking some fierce locs!

INSANITY

Insanity has been said to be defined as "doing the same thing expecting different results". Whether you are in the cycle of perming, shedding, breaking and cutting like I was. Or you are in an abusive relationship that you think you deserve... be inspired by this great video from Oprah's Gospel Brunch were celebrities spontaneously sing "Changed"! Hold on to your seat if you've never seen it before or better yet, let your seat go and shout the victory. Be Changed! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC4qVQA4Qrg