Where has the time gone?!...

Where has the time gone?..I started working part-time in March and I must admit I had to get myself adjusted to the work environment all over again! But enough of that..it is what it is and I'm more than blessed, so moving on..lol....I've really missed putting my thoughts out there to clear my own head space. My sister-cousin has been nagging (yes I said it!) me to start blogging again. Anytime I'm out and someone asks about my hair, when I tell her about it, her response is always "If you were blogging you could send them to your blog!" Whoever said nagging doesn't yield results does not have a sister-cousin! She was right! (I'm going to regret that statement..:) But in all seriousness. I really needed to focus on how to expand my following since I don't Tweet, Face book, Tumblr or participate on  any of the other social sites. So, I'm sure you're asking as I am, how are you going to do that? My immediate response is...as I shrug my shoulder's is" I dunno!"

Right now I have get back to the business of writing. I know if I do the possible the impossible is already taken care of. I have a lot of interest but my love has always been fashion, hair and decorating. So, what I've challenged myself to do is follow my heart. What does that mean exactly? It means this for me:
I will stop over thinking (second guessing myself) somewhere along the line I lost sight of that.

• Set goals that may seem far fetched (even to myself!)
• Don't share everything (I never do but it needed to be stated)
• Surround yourself with like minded people but don't alienate the opportunity to learn from those that are complete opposite (this makes you a more well rounded person anyway)
• ENJOY EVERY DAY and EVERY MOMENT of that day that you can!

 These a just a few things I want to work on for myself. And I'm on my way since I'm posting today since in forever!  

Keep it Natural and Fierce!

Let's start again!

Hello fierce ones,

I'm so excited! I joined a natural hair meetup and we had our first meeting this past Saturday. It was so enlightening and fun. We shared ALOT of information as far as, products, styling methods , why we decided to start wearing our natural hair. I was asked about the "Hair challenge" and realized that it may be easier to just start again and tailor the challenge to our groups needs. So, here we go......The GOC remix (que the turntables...lol)
The first step to this challenge is going to be establishing a simple (K.I.S...keep it simple, none of us are stupid so let's do without the last S...lol) routine. This should include:
a good cleanser (sulfate free is recommended but you know your hair)
a good conditioner ( moisturizing ingredients are key)
a good styling product (this is really going to depend on your hair type. If your hair is softer it may not respond well to a heavier cream such as Shea moisture and certain oils and vice versa for those with more texture or tighter curls)
styling method (low manipulation is key so try to adopt a staple style to wear over the next 90 days)
I'm not recommending any particular products but getting a consultation with a natural stylist is going to be essential. Especially to those who are still searching for products to start their hair routine. We mentioned a few good stylist at the meeting but here are the few I remember:
Anita at Bamboo salon located  at 8th and Main st
Charlotte at Sabrina's on Blanding Blvd.
Carmen at Next Level salon on Wells rd.
I believe there was  more that I can't think of right now(if you know please leave it in the comment section..thanks)

Remember this is a marathon not a sprint. Allow yourself to learn your hair. Try not to have hair envy (that's a difficult one...lol)  and last Enjoy the the process!  This is about us learning to LOVE our wonderful selves no matter what state we wear our hair.  I hope these tips help to get everyone a good start on their journey. 

Keep it natural and fierce!

Howdy!

Hello fierce ones,

I know it's been a minute since my last post but a lot has happened over these past few weeks. So, let's catch up. I've been out of the work force for over two years and I recently decided to get a part-time job. I was a little leary of how the corporate world would react to my natural hair but funny thing is this whole process was quite interesting. With all of the technology now I only saw one person in Human Resources face to face and that was not the interviewer. The interview was done over the phone and the final offer came via email. So, my slight hesitation was quickly dismissed or at least put on hold until I start training. I'm very confident in the way my hair looks but I haven't received any negative comments and I'm not sure exactly what I might say to someone that gives me one. I guess my response is going to depend on the comment. I might be going through some form of mental paranoia...LOL... who knows but I'll keep you updated. Either way you can best believe I'll be keeping it ....
Natural and fierce!

GOC.....week 1

Hello Fierce ones,

I've started the grow out challenge and revised my hair routine.......

Since starting the challenge as I mentioned before I've been doing Zumba 3 times a week. I can't go around with stinky hair so I'm adding co-washing to my maintenance. I like the product Hair One found at Sally's Beauty Supply. (fyi...working out makes your hair grow)
I drink water, water and more water...I always have.... so this is easy.

I would like to adopt a semi-vegetarian diet so I'm going to get information from my cousin and her fiance' (she's vegetarian and he's vegan) and hopefully get them to do some guest posts to share information with us all. This one is still in the works but I'm still eating healthy...somewhat...

Confession time... I fell off the wagon and had cake ....I told yall this was going to be the most difficult life changer for me...starting over...again...moving on...

I hope everyone was able to get the GOC information but here are the links again just in case:
naturallycurly.com/kimcolesgrowout and curlynikki.com  and kimcoles.tv

Keep it natural and fierce!

To be or Not to be.....cont'd.....

I kept seeing these beautiful heads of natural hair everywhere. And I knew that I wanted big full hair. I told my husband and he simply said "OK" and I went for it. I got my last relaxer January 2010 and started my transition. On July 4th, 2010 I went all in...I had about 3 inches of new growth and chopped off the relaxed ends. It was a total drama scene....LOL....moving on....What I've learned about myself through this process is that I'm really not my hair!!!...my life is not going to be turned upside down if my hair isn't perfectly coiffed. Actually, being natural has released me... to be me and that feels wonderful! We are individuals, so why was I trying to fit into a box that was considered excepted by "society" standards. That's a question for another day but you get the point.

My husband can't keep his hands out of my hair now. I asked him why is he always playing in my hair and he said"because I can touch it now and I couldn't before"...that made me take pause because it's so true. I'm so glad I decided "To Be".


Keep it natural and fierce!

To Be or Not to Be.....

That is the question.

When I decided to grow out my relaxer and wear my hair natural, it was strictly because I wanted to. That's right, it's that simple.  Now, I did go through what some naturals go through, as far as....tired of being in the salon for 4 hours at least (every 2 weeks), realizing that those chemicals have wreaked havoc on my natural curls over the 15 plus years and getting to the point where enough was enough!

Let's go back back for a moment.....,

I can remember being 6 years old and sitting on a pillow on the floor, in between my mom's legs and she's drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette ( her nerve calming combo, to be able to do the task at hand) and she's fussing that my hair is just too thick and it doesn't help that I'm tender headed (yep...still today!) So, at the ripe old age of 7 maybe 8 , I got my very first "Just for me" relaxer (maybe its a texturizer, not sure) and my " creamy crack" journey began. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't blame my mom, she was only doing what she knew to do at the time. Her hair texture is soft and fine like cotton.  My hair was just like Rudy Huxtable, so needless to say this posed quite a challenge.  I must admit that I really liked the fact that those routine Sunday night hair rituals became less intense for both my mom and myself. I wasn't getting hit in the head with the comb (did I mention I'm tender headed...lol) and my hair was long and I liked it.  This is where the addiction comes into play....

Going through the teen and yearly adult years, I did everything wrong to my hair ( now.. I know) and even though I always made sure it looked good , it was so unhealthy but it looked good so what did I care ( oh.. the wisdom of youth). I got my relaxers and made sure that there wasn't any sign of a kink anywhere. I realized, I love short hair and so I kept it short. I've had all of the trendy haircuts...The Anita Baker (Sweet Love), The Halle Berry (Boomerang) The asymmetrical (Salt-n-Pepa) and right before my big chop, The Spiked Halle Berry. I wasn't trying to look like those ladies, I just loved those cuts and I rocked them to a tee. But, honey don't let that "kitchen" get kinky. I was at the salon like clock work to make sure that my hair was laying as it should. I kept my comb nearby at all times. I could finish my hair and spritz it down and get in the car and pull the mirror down to make sure my hair was still in place (how sad is that). I became a slave to my hair. It kept me from living( no swimming,no working out too hard...you get the point). My husband, who's the most patient man, would get so frustrated with me and my hair. But, funny enough I was getting frustrated with me and my hair! And here's where the change begins....

Life's a challenge

I discovered this hair challenge on curlynikki.com and since I'm on the journey to a healthier body, why not include a healthier head of hair. It all goes hand in hand, right? After my follow up on my Dr's appointment last month, which was not as bad as I had thought(yay!!) I could be doing  a better job of taking care of my health. So, I've started doing Zumba(3 times a week)!! I love this exercise! and this has turned my boring gym workout, which consisted of 45 minutes on the treadmill or the elliptical, into a workout that I enjoy and look forward to doing. If you haven't tried Zumba you must give it a try!

 Back to the hair challenge......while checking my favorite blog sites I came across this hair challenge. It's a 6 month challenge that runs from Feb 1st through July 31st. For the challenge details go to either curlynikki.com or naturallycurly.com/kimcolesgrowout.
This is also a great challenge for all hair types (i.e natural, relaxed, loc'd..etc) because we all need to have healthy hair no matter what style we choose to wear.

 I'm also doing a personal food challenge to restrain from refined sugar until Feb 14th.
This is a biggie for me because I'm a sugar addict(as I stand in the front of the group hand raised..lol) but so far so good(started this Jan 24th). I have to do this last challenge in increments because it's the most difficult for me(to thine own self be true:) 

I'm implementing these changes into my life so I can be the best me I can. There's nothing better than setting goals and taking the steps to achieve those goals and getting the victory in the end.  I'll be posting about this journey and update my hair routine because I want to simplify some things, so stay tuned. Here's to victory!

Keep it natural and fierce!