Oldies but goodies

(Click to see full images) These are old pictures, but I thought I would post them anyway. This was taken in the beginning of 08. I have pretty much maintained the same length since 2006. Now I am ready to grow it out. My only issue is my edges. They are quite thin. They've always been a little thin, but micros took it to another level. So I am trying to grow my edges in thicker and overall grow my hair out. I am in the process of making lifestyle changes not for the sake of my hair, but for all of me, inside and out.

Reminiscing on my good hair day

Ah! The good ole days! (I know I know- it was just yesterday)
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Photo of bad hair day

I'm obviously not pleased. But hey- gotta show the good AND the bad.
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Bad hair day

I am not pleased with my hair today. And what makes it worse is that I have class today. I don't understand how my bantu knot out came out nice yesterday but looks like crap today.
I'm obviously frustrated. So I put on a hat. Or a net. Or a cap. I don't know what these thins are called but they cover the back of your hair and not the front. I guess its a cap. Anyway, I'm wearing one of those. It's decent looking but it's black and I'm wearing all brown today. I know black matches everything but... This is NOT the look I was going for.
On a brighter note, I'm pleased with my accessories. They're pretty fly. So anyway, I am probably going to put back in my Marley twists or Afro twists. I don't have time to worry about my hair in the morning.
I don't know. I'm gonna co wash my hair tonight and probably flat twist it. Or I may go out on a limb and bantu knot it again. We shall see. I wonder how I would look with comb twists. I kinda want to try some. I like how neat they generally look.
Well, I'm on my way to class. Hope I don't get swine flu in the process of trying to get an education.
I will post bad hair pictures later.
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Philly.com - Jenice Armstrong: Damaging hair battle

Jenice Armstrong: Damaging hair battle
By Jenice Armstrong
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Columnist
Aug 11, 2009

ANY WOMAN with a head full of thick, naturally curly hair knows that a brush in the wrong hands can be a cruel device of torture. We discover this early in life, usually at the hands of a careless hairdresser whose job it is to smooth untamed, virgin curls into some semblance of what can pass as socially acceptable. It shouldn't be this way, though. Hair care should be a pleasant, bonding experience, even if you have the misfortune of being "tender-headed," as they used to call it back in the day.

But, too often, it can be painful and loaded with the kind of damaging negativity that has left many a woman reaching for chemical relaxers and flatirons no matter how badly they damage their hair. It's a case of the psychological scarring manifesting itself on the outside. I'm on this particular rant because over the weekend a friend showed me a disturbing YouTube video of a woman vigorously brushing an African-American child's thick, curly mane as the youngster screams in agony. The woman does it heartlessly, pulling and yanking as the child struggles to break free.

The video, called "nappy a- hair," is difficult to watch. The first time I saw it, I didn't make it all the way through because of all the yelling. The little girl's pain is palpable. She's flailing and struggling.

It's uncertain if the woman in the video is the child's mother, but it is clear she doesn't know how to cope either with the child's voluminous mane or with her own private demons. As the little girl squirms and tries to get away from all the yanking on her hair, the woman imprisons her between her knees. Another time, she leans over the child to trap her as the little girl lies on her back. When the child tries to protect her head, the woman shouts, "move your f------- hand!" You can even see hair lying on the floor. "I hate you!" the child yells.

Perhaps this level of abuse is something the woman experienced as a child and is now passing it onto the next generation. "Move ya hand. You've got a big gigantic, f------ knot - a nap - or whatever the hell you call it!" the woman says. Meanwhile, the videographer can be heard at one point laughing about "America's Funniest Home Videos" and taunting an adorably cute, curly headed boy that he's the next victim.

What happens on this video is disturbing on so many levels, particularly because of the negative message it sends the little girl about her hair: That there's something wrong with it. Somehow, it doesn't measure up. It's "less than." This is an age-old battle, most recently chronicled by Chris Rock 's "Good Hair" documentary, that you'd think the world would have moved past by now.

Also eyebrow-raising is how the video has sparked its own debate about whether or not what happened with the little girl qualifies as child abuse. The vast majority of the comments I scanned yesterday on YouTube or theroot.com, soundly condemned the woman, who, people pointed out, appeared to have covered up her own hair with a wig or extensions.

"Natural Chocolate" wrote, "This is why so many women go and relax their hair. This could have all been resolved if people knew how to take care of our natural hair. If the hair was wet, with a little conditioner, this could have been prevented. That girl is going to get a perm as soon as she can and will probably hate her natural hair for the rest of her life. Poor Child . . . " Other commenters blamed the child's behavior for the harsh treatment she got, saying things like, "That little girl is bad or should I say 'strong willed.' "

Kind of like her hair, I suppose? Something that has to be forced into submission.

Give me a break.

Send e-mail to heyjen@phillynews.com . My blog: http://go.philly.com/heyjen .

To get more news, go to www.philly.com or www.phillymobile.com on your mobile phone.

Bantu knot out

Since twist outs haven't been agreeing with me lately I figured I would do this instead. This was one of my favorite styles growing up. I like how it came out.
I just wish it were a little fuller- shrinkage aint no joke! It's all good though. It's my hair, and I love it.
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Photos finally!

I finally figured out how to do this from my phone. Which means I will be blogging even more! Anyway, here are pictures of my hair... I will post more for sure.

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I am trying to find a way...

...to post pictures from my phone to my blog. Hopefully this works cause dammit I want to document my hair journey without having to be at a computer.

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First co-wash and ACV rinse

Here are my thoughts: *i loved the co wash! I liked that my hair didn't go through this stripping and conditioning routine. My scalp and hair still feel clean, and I really enjoyed washing my hair with just conditioner. I will make this a part of my routine. *I'm not so sure how I feel about the ACV rinse. I don't necessarily notice a difference in my hair. I think I may have used too much vinegar. I used about 1/4 cup of vinegar in a little more than 3 cups of water. It seemed to me that the smell lingered after my hair dried. Its not noticeable unless you're all up in my head(is anyone besides my boo is that close they need to back up anyway!). I think that the smell may have stuck a bit cause I treated my hair with Glovers before I co washed.It's probably a combination of Glovers and vinegar. I'm so glad it isn't strong, cause that would be horrible! I won't give up on it yet though. I will try it again. I think it will be particularly good when I put my afro twists back in. *Speaking of afro twists, I read in Naturally Leslie's blog that she had them before. I thought I was the only one who called them afro twists! Lol silly me. I have been wearing them off and on for about 5 years- basically since I went natural. I love them. They are my signature style. *I have decided to try the Crown and Glory technique with my afro twists. I will probably retwist my hair this weekend. My plan was to wear my hair out, but I don't have time to style it every day and I would like to have it in a protective style. Maybe I will just wear it out during holiday breaks. *I tried to post pictures on my blog today but photobucket would not cooperate. So I will try again, probably tomorrow. *I have become a NHJ- natural hair junkie. Its an addiction now. I read about and look at pictures of natural hair all day. That's all for now.

My trusty twist outs can't be trusted anymore

I haven't been happy with my twist outs lately. In the past, I would blow my hair out and then twist it, but since I have been attempting to take better care of my hair I haven't used heat on it. I hate blow drying my hair anyway. Anyway, I decided to do a bantu knot out instead. I will see how I like it when I take it down. I am trying hard to be patient with my hair. Almost every day I think about locking it, but I know that deep down I really want to accomplish this super fro mission. I do still see myself with locs down to my waist one day though. Meghan wants to take me to the barbershop to get a shape up. I'm not opposed to that; actually I kinds want to do that cause I feel like my hair doesn't make a statement and I would really like for it to have a nice shape. But I'm picky about my hair. I'm the only person who does my hair. Plus, I would have to blow out my hair to ensure that it gets cut into the shape I want, but I don't wanna put heat on my hair. We shall see what happens.

The Fro Chronicles-

I haven't been happy with my twist outs lately. In the past, I would blow my hair out and then twist it, but since I have been attempting to take better care of my hair I haven't used heat on it. I hate blow drying my hair anyway. Anyway, I decided to do a bantu knot out instead. I will see how I like it when I take it down. I am trying hard to be patient with my hair. Almost every day I think about locking it, but I know that deep down I really want to accomplish this super fro mission. I do still see myself with locs down to my waist one day though. Meghan wants to take me to the barbershop to get a shape up. I'm not opposed to that; actually I kinds want to do that cause I feel like my hair doesn't make a statement and I would really like for it to have a nice shape. But I'm picky about my hair. I'm the only person who does my hair. Plus, I would have to blow out my hair to ensure that it gets cut into the shape I want, but I don't wanna put heat on my hair. We shall see what happens.

i dont know what to do

My hair is in this weird in between length. I don't know exactly how long it is, but I don't have a TWA. My hair damn sure isn't long, so I don't know what to do. I trimmed it yesterday. It was long overdue. I hadn't had a trim since Feb. 08. Pitiful, I know. Right now my hair is in two strand twists. I don't like wearing my hair out like that cause I have a big head and I feel like I need big and/or full hair to be proportionate to my head. Also, my hair is thicker in the crown and softer and thinner in the back, so I try to keep that in mind when I choose styles. I am trying to keep from putting weave in my hair for a while. As long as I have been natural I never really took out the time to get to know my hair. I haven't worn it out for more than a week in 5 years. I usually keep it braided up, especially since I can do my own hair. I love that my hair is natural. It is WAY more interesting than straight permed hair. I have like 2 or 3 textures on one head. When I wash it, it shrinks so much that no one would know how much hair I have. It has personality. I am going to try to stay positive through this in between stage, I'm going to see what kind of progress my hair makes by Thanksgiving or Christmas break. If I am pleased, I will continue on my quest for the super fro. If I'm not pleased, I will loc it. We shall see what happens. As of now, the quest for the superfro is still on.

Gotta love that coconut oil!

So I'm sitting here eating this lovely toast when I decide I should start writing about the many ways I use coconut oil. We bought the jar on Sunday. We put about one third of the oil in a container for us to use on our hair and body, and the rest is in the kitchen. Since we purchased the coconut oil, here is what I have done with it: *Put it in my hair, and used it as a moisturizer for my skin, either by itself or with Shea butter and/or Aloe *Used it as cooking oil (instead of butter or vegetable oil) *Used it as a massage oil to rub down my boo ;) *Spread it on toast *Put a tablespoon of it in my oatmeal or cereal Today I am making curry vegetables and brown rice, so I'm gonna use the coconut oil as my only oil source. I'm obviously excited about this stuff.

Investing

I am investing in my hair. I am investing in my body. I am investing in my relationship. I am investing in my future. *Hair- I went natural about 5 years ago. Although I no longer perm or dye my hair, having natural hair includes more than that to me now that I'm older. So now, not only is my hair chemical free, I also use 100% natural products on it (coconut oil, Shea butter, Aloe Vera gel, glycerine, essential oils, etc.) *Body- I realize that although I have not permed my hair in years, my transition from relaxed to natural is far from complete. It includes my body. I am no longer relaxed and nonchalant about the things I put into my body. All of me deserves all natural nourishment. If I am what I eat, then what I eat should be clean, healthy, natural, organic, unprocessed and full of nutrients. I want my exterior to be a reflection of my interior. *Relationship- I love my woman in a way that I have never loved another. It is beyond my comprehension. It is overwhelming. It is deeply spiritual; it is passionate; it is intellectual, emotional. And physical. She is a sound investment. And just like with stocks, she comes with risks because no one knows what's to come but God. But I am willing to show her that I have faith in her as well as us. I will invest with her and in her financially, as well as in every other way possible. I will compromise with her for the greater good of our relationship, which in turn will make us better individuals. *Future- I am in college to get one step closer to my goal of becoming a teacher, among other things. I am definitely taking advantage of opportunities that may be beneficial to me professionally, socially, mentally, and/or spiritually. I am not doing these things on my own. All I can do is follow God's plan for me. And I am. I stopped being stubborn and accepted what God had been guiding me to do. I asked for guidance and that is exactly what I got. Be careful what you wish for- cause God will damn sure provide it ;) The combination of these things is the ultimate investment. I'm trusting myself. I am investing in my overall well being.

Things I don't understand part one

Here are some things I don't understand: *body stockings *crotchless underwear *crotchless anything *grown women wearing hair bows *College Hill *Baldwin Hills *BET movies *BET in general *getting drunk on purpose *people who actually like being drunk *Pride being Halloween weekend *whole milk *white bread *Bourgeois people *Hurricane Chris wearing beads *songs that are popular today *music videos that are totally unrelated to the song *parents who are afraid of their children(I really don't understand that shit!)

Places I Love: Vitamin Shoppe

Fuck GNC. That's right I said it. Cause the shop with two P's and an E is one of my new favorite places. We weren't even supposed to be going in there. Then we remembered seeing online that they had coconut oil, so we decided to stop by. Oh they had coconut oil alright. 100% Extra virgin unrefined coconut oil. We got a 29oz.jar for about $16. They also had other things we had been looking for: Hemp seeds(I'll blog about those later), essential oils, multivitamins, Burt's Bees products(and they're cheaper than they were in any other place I looked!), the list goes on. Meghan bought some aloe juice/gel, as well as multivitamins. We are transitioning. We are on a mission to eliminate processed things and replace them with more natural products. Its better for our health as well as the environment. I'm excited about being healthier inside and out.

Fro Chronicles 2 and other shit

So I finally got the Glovers but I haven't used it yet. I also have Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner, Dr. Miracle's deep conditioning treatment, and Shea butter. I don't know if I have ever been this excited about washing my hair! I am looking forward to wearing it out on a much more regular basis. I spent about $30 on hair care products. That's a lot for me considering the fact that I only bought 3 or 4 products. *You wanna know what really grinds my gears? It costs more money to have less stuff in my product. Say for instance if I order a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. It costs extra to add stuff to it but if I say I don't want the sausage do you think they will lower the price? Hell no! In terms of my hair, I can get moisturizer with Shea butter for $2, but pure Shea butter is $7! * Anyway, I will keep you guys posted on my hair progress. Today, all I did was put Shea butter, coconut oil and glycerin on it. Which leads me to my next post...

it's the 'Fro Chronicles

I want an obnoxiously large 'fro. Like block people's view at the movie theatre large. So I am on a mission to make my hair grow. My edges have been damaged since I had micros a couple years ago, and my mom recommended that I use Glover's mange to get my hair to grow. She warned me that it stinks. At this point I really don't care about that. I just want my hair to be healthy. So my plan is to buy some and use it on my hair and scalp at least once a week, then grease my scalp with Sulfur 8. I am hoping that this will help my hair to grow as well as combat my dry scalp and dandruff. As soon as I get the stuff, I'm gonna take me twists out and put the Glover's on my hair at least 1 hour before I wash it. I've read reviews on it and supposedly it works. My mom used it before and highly recommends it, so I am gonna take her word for it. Stay tuned. I may even dare to post pictures.

clean

There is nothing like being enveloped in freshly laundered linen. I just climbed into bed. I'm tired, and its quite pleasing to be laying on clean sheets. I think clean things are underrated. I love clean clothes, clean towels and wash cloths, clean countertops... I particularly enjoy a clean bathroom and kitchen. Hell, I like a clean house. It makes the space seem less chaotic and more inviting. My mom is a bit of a neat freak, so she stayed on me and my sister's case about cleaning up. I didn't get the big deal then, but as an adult I appreciate a clean home a lot more. My mother's meticulousness in part comes from her military background. But for the most part, its genetic. My grandfather is a neat freak as well. He grew up in a pretty gross environment and that caused him to go in the completely opposite direction. I don't blame him. I'm not a neat freak, but I don't like to be in a dirty environment. When things are clean, it makes them more appealing. That goes for people as well. Someone well cleansed would appeal to me more than someone who appeared to be filthy, whether it be externally or internally. I think we all can stand to do a little physical, emotional, mental. And spiritual spring cleaning from time to time. I try to clean up in some way on a regular basis. I know I will never be completely clean, but I can strive to get as close as I can. After all, cleanliness is next to godliness, and I'm all for being next to God.

Sweet heat

Sweat beads careen along my body like wet diamonds
It's getting hard to distinguish these clothes from my skin
I imagine myself melting
Staining 90 degree concrete with chocolate puddles of my being
The Georgia heat weighing me down like unconfessed sins and grudges held too long
I am still struggling to master the art of forgiveness and
Apparently this heat is much like me cause it is facing the same dilemma

But the heat does forgive.
It is forced to surrender to the cool that night brings just as I surrender to the serenity granted by God
And yet I still melt. Cause although the sun is gone I am still in the presence of heat.

Her.

Sweet heat like spicy barbecue or candied Mexican chiles
She simmers and Draws me in like flowers attract bees with the desire to pollinate

I told her:
I want something sweet that won't leave me wanting something else.

She said:
Have me.

I wonder if I sink my teeth into her would she burst in my mouth like ripe green grapes Overwhelming my taste buds with her sweetness
Or would she burst into flames
Causing me to spontaneously combust

She leaves trails on my skin
Luring me to touch a stove that I know is hot
Willing to get burned if that's what it takes to get close

Its getting hard to distinguish her skin from mine
Her sweat from mine
But her sweetness is unmistakable
I wish I could inject her into my veins like insulin but if I could I'd probably overheat
Cause her sweet and her heat are a package deal
This fire emanates off of her turning my chocolate self into hot cocoa
And we blend into some concoction not offered at Starbucks.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

impromptu poem for Meghan

I want you so bad I crave you And no quick fix will do I want to feel you coursing through my veins Cause your presence is as essential as oxygen in my bloodstream... (To be continued some other time)

about Tuesday- going to the DMV and shit

I am a crayon in a Crayola box filled with different shades of the same color I see this rainbow of brown and wonder where the pot of gold is. Then I think about colors blending, creating new and sometimes unexpected hues Mi amor I look forward to creating new hues with you I'm trying to decide if I like the process of blending more than the end result There I go again drifting off into dream land I realize there is more glaze on my fingers than on the pretzel I'm eating I should have chosen the Jamaican patty anyway I glance at this thing I ventured out so far for Proof of my existence Permission to do legally what I had been doing for years And that was my day. Traveling in hot humidity just to wait anxiously for a card with my picture on it. I realized that the last thing on my list was not accomplished. Damn.

i want to give a shout out to

...my straight wife! Yep, she is an honorary lesbian. Moon aka PHG, thanks for reading and commenting on my blog! I am a little tired. Just exercised. Now I'm about to take a shower. *Sol Azul tequila is great. *Ballpark smoked turkey got dogs are tasty *Old Stock Ale-one of the best beers I ever had. I'm still hungry. I'm about to go take my vitamin then take a shower.

make some noise if you wanna be my replacement...

...ID. That's why I was at the damn mall so long. I waited in line at the DMV for over an hour just to get a number and wait for them to call me. Ugh. I didn't know I had to take a new picture for a replacement ID. I look fucking horrible. Like no one loves me. Its a hot ass mess. I'm hungry. And thirsty. But at least I can go places now that I have my damn ID again. It feels good on this train. I should be writing poetry instead of this. I need to step my game up. I am about to attempt to write a poem.

After work T&C

Intoxicated by your distinctive taste So bitter that sweet can't help but to chase Dark, rich, creamy and smooth Yet in your elegance you remain subdued Dance on my taste buds, you delicate sins Not sure where one flavor starts and another ends Aesthetic pleasures I dare to indulge You seduce me with secrets you divulge Deep brown ness so similar to mine Filling me with warmth while sending chills down my spine We simultaneously melt until we're both gone I can finally relax cause you've welcomed me home. Tequila & Chocolate

8.1.09

I have been doing a lot of research lately. Yesterday, I looked up information about adoption and I continued that this morning, I also refreshed my memory on what states and countries perform and/or recognize same sex marriage. Then I tried to find out some info on Title 1 schools, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. I also looked up this Japanese exchange program my advisor told me about. I'm excited about the future, so I'm doing my homework.