St. Patty's Day Locked Love

Just a little picture of the honey and I last weekend for my friend's 25th birthday/St. Patty's celebration. My loctician flat twisted the one side and used pipe cleaners to make curls on the other side. My curls had been slept on twice by the time this picture was taken so they're more waves than anything. I loved the style though and so did everyone else! Look how great Honey's brotherlocks look! He's been locked for 8 months now!

So it has been a very long time since I have blogged. I apologize for that! I honestly have just been far too lazy to take any pictures of my hair. This is my most recent retightening and I am at 17 months as of March 1st! My locks are doing beautifully and I am very happy with the progress they are making! I'm getting them styled on Wednesday so I will update you all with a picture =) I almost never style them myself because that is the beauty of sisterlocks for me--I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO THEM!

As for me, I am doing well! I am still on a break from school and focusing on getting back in and finishing my Master's degree in August. I only have 3 classes and a year of internship left so it is my goal to be finished by the end of 2011.

I have taken up a new hobby in the meantime...roller derby! I honestly have no idea where I got the idea from other than the fact that I am not good at any sports related to having to kick, catch, or throw a ball. A friend of mine is doing it with me and we start the Rookie Program this week! I'll also send you updates on that as well...including my injuries lol.

I will try to get on here more often and update you on my locks and other fun things (and maybe no so fun things) going on in my life. I had another blog that I was trying to keep up with and I think it got too overwhelming so I deleted that blog to return to my first love...you guys and my sisterlocks!

Soft Spikes?

I just finished reading Brunsli's post on her large Soft Spike Curlers and I thought to myself: "Are my locks long enough for the small soft spikes?" The answer, I really don't know--that's where you guys come in. Is there anyone out there in the blogger verse that has any idea how long ones locks should be/need to be before they can use the soft spike curlers? My friend is getting married in 2 weeks and I would love to style my locks for the first time in the almost 10 months since my installation. Another question...does anyone with soft spikes actually use the gel or do you use water or some other kind of setting lotion. Any suggestions/advice would be welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

WTH?!

So when yesterday I decided I wanted to go for a nice jog on the treadmill in my building. I got the key from the front desk, did my jog, and proceeded back to the front desk to retrieve my i.d. and return the key. My favorite security guard was there talking to some girl (as usual...I swear this man must be a mack...there are always women standing at the front desk talking to him). The girl had traditional locks that were dyed a kind of rusty red/orange and they fell just above her eyebrows, at least in the front (she must have had it pinned in the back or something). I wave the treadmill key at the security guard and as he is grabbing my i.d. the conversation with the girl goes like this:

Girl: I like your locks...
Me: Thank you (turns back to security guard)
Girl: How long have you been locking?
Me: Ummm, 9 months
Girl: Oh...(looks puzzled) did they start as nubs?
Me: (trying not to kick her teeth in) No, I have a lot of shrinkage going on, they're longer than they look
Girl: (confused) Oh, I've been locking 8 or 9 months too (clearly said to say her locks are longer than mine)
Me: Well, I don't have traditional locks...these are sisterlocks
Girl: Oh...I figured (smirks)

What the hell is wrong with people???? Did they start as nubs! You can't even start locks from a nub...and what the heck did she mean by nub anyway? Every time I've heard the word nub was when I would hear African Americans say: "Touch me again, you'll draw back a nub!" The whole time she was looking at me so smugly as if her locks were so much better than mine. Hello! We're both natural...we have something in common. Not anymore, we don't. I'm hoping not to ever encounter her again...she is not worthy of having a lock conversation with. Hmph!

Thing I'm Noticing About My Hair

• It's much easier to tame in the morning after having it mashed into a pillow.
• Shrinkage is much less severe!
• The locks in the front are taking much longer to lock.
• There are some big fat out of control locks that I just LOVE to touch.
• Dandruff and itchies have decreased.
• My hair moves when I move my head =)
• I LOVE MY SISTERLOCKS!
  

I don't feel like...

I have locks...if that makes any sense. I'm not sure what I thought it would feel like but I am pretty sure I'm not feeling it. I know these are sisterlocks on my head but when I look at them I don't see locks...I see something else. Don't misinterpret this at all...I absolutely love my sisterlocks...but I just don't feel locked. Maybe once they have grown longer and matured more...

P.S. I'm experiencing some shrinkage. I washed my hair earlier in the week and my hair looked long one minute and was shriveled up the next. I guess it's a good thing because it's part of the process but that does not mean I have to like it! LOL

Hair Update

Ok so on Wednesday (one week after installation) I decided that I would try to braid my hair for that cute crinkly look. It took me an hour to braid my hair and I didn't even braid all of it because the back is too short. When I woke up in the morning and took my hair out it looked pretty much the same as before I braided it. It was maybe a bit fuller...that's about all though. Because it took me so long to braid it I am not looking forward to having to braid and band when I wash it for the first time on Wednesday. Does anyone know of any alternative ways that I can wash my hair without having to braid and band? My hair is just not long enough for this not to be a project. The back is not going to get braided so i am going to have to be very careful so that i can prevent too much slippage. I am still loving my hair though...it is a bit itchy though. I don't think my scalp is used to not having some kind of product on it. I am sure after my first wash that will subside and as i have my SL's for longer that the itching will decrease. I'll post about my first wash some time this week. Wish me luck!

All Locked up!

Yesterday i finally got my sisterlocks installed! it took 10 hours but i was glad that she was able to finish in the first day. Funny story...i broke my camera yesterday as well so there won't be any pics until i get a new camera. that will probably be next week because my birthday is next week so i should be able to get a new camera. i want to be able to take pics of my journey. i don't have too much scalp showing at all because i have a nice thick head of hair. she curled them on perm rods because my hair was sticking up all over the place and i looked like a crazy woman lol.

i absolutely love the low maintenance of my brand new locks. i had a job interview this morning and all i had to worry about was what to wear. i walked in feeling really confident and that was a nice feeling. i think the interview went really well and i hope to hear from them by next week. i actually have a class with one of the people who interviewed me and he hired another girl we have class with last year so i think my chances are good. i think they were impressed with my responses. i am really good at interviewing thanks to my mommy.

i promise pics will be posted as soon as i get a new camera!

I think she had SL's

So last night after class my boyfriend and I decided to go to WaWa for some ice cream. As we're standing in front of the freezer deciding what flavors to get a woman comes and stands next to me, apparently looking for a frozen fix as well. i happened to look over at her and :::gasp::: are those sisterlocks?? they were obviously in their beginning stages but they looked like tiny little braids. i couldn't help but stare at her head and try to figure out what the heck was in her hair. they were gorgeous...so tiny and her hair was so thick and fell just below her ears. i probably should have just asked her but, alas, i did not and i just gave into staring awkwardly as she stood in front of me in line (i made my boyfriend get behind her so i could look at her hair more).

By the way...only 8 more days until my sisterlocks are installed!