Long Live the King!

When I first heard the news that Michael Jackson was in the hospital, I was at a friend's house and 106 was on. We weren't really paying attention, but my ears perked up as soon as I heard. Then they announced the tragic news... I'll be honest... I didn't think much of it, then. I was shocked, but it didn't really sink in, then. I was just ready for the BET awards, thinking, 'Oh, he ain't dead! He probably gon' make a surprise appearance on the BET awards or something...'

As the day went on and over the next few days, it kinda started sinking in... Especially when Janet Jackson got on stage and started speaking... That was when my heart dropped into the bottom of my stomach and my stomach fell into one of my feet. For some reason, it's just hard for me to know that someone as great as him could just die... I easily pictured him still living whenever I got married and had kids, when they graduated, when they eventually came to my funeral... I just couldn't accept the fact that he was gone. It's still hard thinking about it now... I just want so bad to know that he is alive, walking around with us... The tears haven't come out yet, but they are definitely there... Even as I write this.

It's kinda bitter-sweet in a way, I guess... Michael's in a better place now. A much better place. The media has tried to break him down so much, but despite that, he's always had (and always will have) millions of devoted fans (like myself =D) that had his back. This man has made a big impact in so many lives! No matter where he is, Earth or Heaven, MJ will live forever.

This hair style is so fly!

I guess I've decided my transition style before actually deciding it... I've been rocking hair pieces for weeks now. They've all been some form of curly... from loosly curly and long to short and wild. The other day, I bought a curly puff ball and put it on. It was sOoOoOoOoOo FLY!!!! I had already had 3 twists over to the left side at the top of my head from a previous style I had (I'll describe that style later. too cute!). I just pulled back all my loose hair toward the top of my head, wrapped my hair in a scarf for about an hour to lay it down, then put on the puff. I fell in love instantly! I new this would be a style I'd definitely wear when I'm fully natural if I'm able to put my hair up in a puff. I'm wearing the style right now! =D I may co-wash today, though... Not sure....
Oh, and the other style? It was the same, twists to the left side of the top of my head, but with a long drawstring pony that kinda spiraled around into a long sleek tail on the the back-right side of my head.
I didn't really have much to say for this post... Maybe next time...

Rae

Whenever There's an Up, There's Also a Down...

So about two night's ago I cowashed my hair. Except this time, I used an applicator bottle. I made my own little bootlegged bottle, lol! I poured out all the T-Tree oil I no longer used sinced I found out it has a silicone in it. Then I rinsed out that little bottle in case I ever need it again. Then, I found a perfume bottle whose opening was the same size as the T-Tree top. I took another bottle of perfume I hated, poured it out and rinsed the bottle, then poured in the perfume from my soon-to-be-applicator-bottle. Then I rinsed that out, and put in some of my Giovanni SS, some water, some of my ABUHO(Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil), and some melted Shea butter. I actually shampoo'd this time. I think my hair has developed a passionate hate for shampoo now; the few times I shampoo, it always gets tangly and hard to work through. I get that feeling of washing fake hair again...
So after I shampoo'd (no repeat), I conditioned with Giovanni as usual. Then I shook up the applicator bottle to mix up my "Raven's Best Ultimate Smooth as Silk Herbal Giovanni Shea Condish" (ROFL!!!!). I parted my hair in sections and went to town! I worked it in after applying. I was very easy! A lot less breakage! If I had've known that would be the last time I'd wash, I would've rinsed in cold water. But I didn't. I got in my momma's bathroom and got creative. I wanted to try a braid/twist-out. I found out that my hair couldn't hold twists(Idk if it's just my relaxed hair or what...), and I can't braid to the scalp, so I just plaited a lot of it. When I was done (forever and a half later), I put shea butter on the ends of about 3-4 at a time and rolled them on rollers. Then I went to sleep(I hate sleeping with rollers... it's so difficult...).
I took them down yesterday morning after they were dry. And it was a disaster!!!! The back of my head looked like I had gotten rained on... My hair is kinda thin back there, maybe that's why it didn't hold well... But I cured my BHD(bad hair day) before work. I hurried up and pulled it back the best way I could, put a scarf around it until time to go, and put in my ponytail. when I took the scarf off, it was still crazy looking, so I put on two elastic headbands. It was a little messy, but I like a little messy!

Natural Hair Pix!!!!!

I need some inspiration for my transition! So I'm posting these pictures:


I LOVE the natural faux hawk look!!! I'm DEFINITELY gonna try this style when I'm fully natural!:

(Bianca from Cycle 9 of ANTM looking absolutely FIERCE rocking her twa!!!)

(Too bad I couldn't rock it like her... these pix almost make me wanna BC!)

Teyana Taylor: My hair idol. I want hair just like hers!(though I'll still love my hair if I don't) This would be my grandmother's worst fear. However, it's my biggest dream, lol! I love her style AND her hair!

A beautiful Natural-haired woman:

Alicia Keys:

Erykah Badu:

Kimberly Elise(Don't know if she's natural or not, but I love her hair!):

Hmmm....

Hmmm...
I was on NC.com a few days ago(and am currently on there now, hehe!) reading through things and asking questions. I was thinking about using my Aphogee protein treatment to see if it helps with breakage. But the 1st (and last) time I used it (which was way early this year), it made my hair very VERY hard (while it was in), and it was very sticky. And it burned to (kinda like a relaxer burns)! So it was suggested that I use the Keratin Reconstructor since it's more gentle than the PT (I believe I have a sensitive scalp). But I looked at the back of the KR, and I saw it had silicones in it. I yahoo'd Curlynikki, and she said I may be protein sensitive like she is. But the majority of the NC community says maybe I should try some type of protein. The conditioners I use both have proteins in them, though.
I'm hearing some good things about Nexxus Emergencee. I might purchase it and see how my hair reacts. Or I might just try some condishes with little or no protein in them and see how my hair reacts. This is all very confusing...
I'm also thinking of trying henna. I heard cassia is good to try to, but I'm gonna take a chance and just jump to full on BAQ henna. I'm still in love with red hair, so hopefully it gives me the color/tint and conditioning and strengthening effects I'm looking for. I wasn't sure at first, but I think henna-ing it through my transition will be good for my hair. I surely hope so.

And in other non-hair related news... My weekend was ruined... =,( There's a fair that comes down here every summer for about a week (but mostly everyone just waits for the last three days and go Saturday night). Well, my p.t. job that I hate (the job that still doesn't give me that many hours even after I asked for some for the summer) had me working until midnight(closing) Friday AND Saturday. And I was only working during the fair. I've never had to work until closing. So you shoud already know that I didn't get to go... And Sunday, the fair was getting ready to close and hardly no one is there. and wristband time was over with at 5-the time I got off Sunday (I was supposed to have 3 hrs yesterday, and they sent me home at 4! that's 2 hrs!) >=( Well, that's the work world I guess. Everywhere I go to look for a job is only accepting applications... or not even doing that...
But here's the other bad part of my weekend. Sunday: I got off a little after 4. My best friend, Tim, was coming down here from Memphis 2 c me yesterday! (Yes, I have a guy as my best friend) I was so happy, that was the only thing that could lighten up this bad weekend....
So soon as I got home, I took a shower to wash away my troubles, and when I was getting dressed, my mom came to the back and told me that my little brother wanted me to take him up to the fair. I was thinking, 'WHAT!' And Tim and his brother were arriving around 5 (and they WOULD pick that day 2 arrive when they say they will), and it was getting 5 then.
So I went 2 my g-ma's house to pick up my brother. Soon as I got in, my little bro was on the phone and Tim was beeping in saying he was on his way 2 my g-ma's house. Damn Damn Damn! So I asked him if he wanted 2 go up by the fair (that was closing), and he said yea. When we all got up there, of course, they were taking things down and there was barely anyone up there. We were all ready to go, but my brother was just dead set on thinking that some of his friends were up there. So we were all leaving, and I decided to stay a little longer with him (I had my car) since he was acting so mad and upset and spoiled about it, and I told Tim that I'd meet them at the Waffle House in a little bit. We walked around a little bit, and saw a few folks we knew that were his age, but none of his friends that he thought were up there were there. So he spent $8 on a pellet gun with no pellets and $10 on some fake earrings (fair earrings) and we left.
I had parked in a different spot that when we had first gotten up there, so I was trying to be careful not to hit anyone or get hit when I was backing out b/c I couldn't see around the bit truck beside me. So when I had pulled all the way out, my brother said, "I think you hit that car. I saw it rocking..." I told him I didn't b/c we woulda heard it and felt it." I mean, we would've, right???
So I was getting ready 2 leave, but this sheriff lady that was standing outside motioned for me 2 pull over. She went and looked at the other car and came back and told me I put a small scratch in the car. Then she made us wait for the people who owned the car to get there and see what they wanted to do. We were out there for about a good half-hour... Then, this family was walking down the road leaving the fair. The husband stopped to talk to a friend. The woman and some little kids started to get in the car (they couldn't even see the scratch). That's when ms. sheriff lady hurried across the street and told husband about the scratch and pointed it out to him and wifey. They decided not to do anything. It couldn't have been bad if me and my brother didn't feel it, and they didn't even see it.
Basically, I was stuck on the lake for about an hour and a half for no good reason. And when I was on my way 2 my house, Tim, his "brother", and there friend, were outside waiting. By the time we even got in the house, we had, what, 20 minutes to hang and chill... His brother wanted to leave at 830. So, yea... that was my weekend... And I am definitely not looking forward to going home and seeing my mom... I haven't seen here since she left for work (she works at a hospital from 7p-7a). She's off today... She is gonna eat me up for this one...

Well, I have to g2 work at 130. I work from 130-5. So I guess I'm gonna go...

Rae

Goals and Things to Do..

1. Purchase another digital cam. Mine was stolen...
2. Stay inspired. Through my transition and in other aspects of life as well. It's good to be inspired/motivated.
3. Do not settle. You can always have better. And if you believe so, you will find it.
4. Learn to save my money. It is not good when you have a job, live with your mom, have no dependencies, and BROKE!
5. Transition fully from relaxed to natural. I want a head full of big, thick, long, curly, HEALTHY hair.
6. Lose weight. I'm not the biggest person out there, but A little weight loss wouldn't hurt at all.

This list is subject to change!

Rae

Return!

I was very not impressed with Jason's Tea Trea Scalp Normalizing Condish. It was not for me. Again, I felt like I was washing fake hair. And to add to my frustration, it felt like the conditioner was just sitting on my hair, like the YesTo and Mane n Tail Condish. So... I exchanged it. I just stuck to what I know. I restocked on some of my Gio SSDM and I also got a Cosmopolitan Mag with the Walgreens card from my last exchange! And to add to my day of "freebies" my Seventeen Mag FINALLY came in the mail!!! Yayness!

Breakage, Breakage, Breakage....

.... The title is self explanatory... When I first started my transition journey, I got a lot of breakage... I didn't really pay attention to whether I saw any white bulbs or not, but whenever I did examine the shed hairs, I saw quite a few white bulbs. Then the shedding slacked up some. But now I'm starting to get lots of breakage again... breakage is all on my ponytail holders when I take down my bun... all over my hands when I wash and detangle... I don't see any bald spots or anywhere that looks like it's about to be a bs, though. That's what keeps me from panicking as much. My hair is getting so thick and packed at the roots. It's hard dealing with the two textures. I think about perms from time to time, but I'm never tempted to get another. It might be easier to deal with my hair then, but I hate how flat and straight my hair looks... Like I said, I've developed an affinity for big, thick, curly hair...

I don't wash every day anymore... it's too hard on my wallet. (an eleventh grader with a part-time job at mickey d's that barely gets enough hours can't be buying conditioner and hair products all the time)

The other day I was at walgreens and bought some "Yes To Cucumbers" shampoo and conditioner... This was the first time I was going to shampoo since my journey started. I glanced at the back at the ingredient's to make sure I didn't see the words, 'sulphate,' 'paraben,' '-cone,' '-xane,' or anything else I recognized that is not so good for hair.... I would notice the word sulphate on the back of the shampoo when I got home later on... But since I bought it, I tried it anyway. I'm trying to find what works for my hair. I was not impressed. When I used the the products, it reminded me of when I used Mane and Tail. Mane and Tail did not impress me. Have you ever tried to wash a barbie doll's hair when you were younger??? it gets all tangly and hard to detangle and stuff. Well that's what I felt when I shampoo'd. I only shampoo'd once b/c I didn't feel I needed a second time (nor did I like the shampoo). So this little experience has renewed my motivation not to shampoo. I wasn't really impressed with the conditioner, either. It wasn't nearly as great as my Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner. And I'm more impressed with my Escencia Hydrating Conditioner than I was with this. Yes, I returned "Yes To Cucumbers" yesterday and I could only exchange since receipt had disappeared. So I got Jason's Tea Trea Scalp Normalizing Conditioner, Dickinson's Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner, and a gift card with about $4 and something on it... I haven't used the conditioner yet, since I washed with the YesTO the night before. But I can't wait to use it and see what it's like! I used the Toner (100% natural!) last night and this morning right after my Burt's Bee's Orange Essence Facial Cleanser (100% natural!). I am very impressed with my new natural facial regimen. These are my new staples!
If I'm impressed with Jason, I may just replace my Escencia with it. I love Giovanni! For now, he isn't up for replacement!