When I last posted I showcased my hair in Bantu Knots. After I finished, I searched for Bantu Knots in blogs and the net in general. Some suggested that the hair should be two strand twisted or plaited before wrapping the hair around itself. Guess what? I didn't do this. I just wrapped the hair ,after washing, and put a rubber band at the base to keep them in place. I slept in them all nite and this morning before finger fluffing, I put some Sheajoba on my hands to give my hair a little moisture cuz as I've said b4 my hair leans toward the dry side Maybe next time I'll follow what was suggested to see if I get a different look. Well I can say the Bantu Knot set is similar to the look I get when I leave my hair braided and banded and let it air dry. But, I think this look is a little more fluffier than the braid out. BTW, my hair seems a whole lot longer. It could be that the hair was stretched as it was wrapped around itself. Or maybe it really has grown to this length. It has reached the base of my neck which makes me smile from ear to ear. Who coulda thunk that leavin the hair be could produce growth and length. I'm also noticing that my ends are changing too. Those of you who have Sisterlocks know what the ends are like in the initial stages. Many of my ends appear to be rounding off and they have less of that loose scraggly look that are common to Sisterlocks whether you start completely natural or with permed ends. This lets me know that I'm on the right road to lockdom. Additionally, I love the fact that with this Bantu Do and with natural hair I don't have to use a lot of products and particularly heat to achieve fantastic styles. I'm also gonna try to attempt an updo with these worlds of curls and I've got it in my mind to try the Soft Spike curlers or the Caruso curlers next. You know my hair is feelin and lookin more lockish everyday. I suspect that I may be completely locked within the next 6 months.

It's been about 3 weeks since my last wash & retightnin and I decided to try a few new things. Someone had posted on the Lockitup group that it was beneficial to put the Sisterlocks shampoo on your hair and let it stay for 5 minutes. I did this cuz as I've said before, I have some slight build up in the back of my head and I want to get rid of this. I will eventually try an Apple Cidar rinse but, as I keep saying I'm waiting for the one year mark and then I'm gone be BUSTIN LOOSE and tryin a lot of things. There is no written rule or commandment that I wait till one year but it's just a personal commitment that I've made to self and to my locks. I've also seen other sistas doin Bantu Knots on their hair and lettin 'em loose after they dry. Well as of this postin I've haven't taken 'em out. I'll repost to let y'all know if any of these new (to me) technineeks had any + or - effects. Oooooh one thing I can tell ya is that I love havin a clean head of locks. After I rinsed reeeeal good and squeezed out the excess water my locks really look long. I'll be glad when my after wash length becomes my real length and so on and so on and Shooby dooby, dooby.

11 MONTHS DOWN AND ONE TO GO! These have been some of the best months for my hair in my life. Everyday my locks get better. I've had absolutely no slippage issues with my Sisterlocks. Since the day they were put in they've stayed put; except for one little shorty that's growin on the right side. I've come to learn that this lock has a different texture than the rest of my locks. I can feel BUDS in about 90% of my locks. The percentage may be higher but, when you have a whole lot of locks it's hard to tell if I'm feelin the same ones over and over agin. I love them so much cuz when I move my head they move with it. They're lite weight but, as you know natural hair for those of African descent can be somewhat dry. To combat this, I've listed some of the products I've used in a previous post. I'm not the type who washes daily or weekly. I usually do it every 2-3 weeks. I've never used conditioner or done hot oil treatments. I'm waitin until they're at least 90% locked until I do somethin like that. I don't feel the need for the conditioner but the hot oil treatment I'll probably do. I still use the Sisterlock shampoo and I've only used a different kind once. I spritz more now than I did at the beginning. Of course my spritz always includes distilled water and an essential oil. And, I've seen no adverse/negative effects from doing this. I'm still braidin & bandin but, I plan to stop at the one year mark. I don't take any products internally to help my locks grow. I just let 'em do what they do. HEY, I've recently discovered a new product that I let melt in my hands and apply to my locks for dryness. I've got three words for this product. FAB-U-LOUS! The smell is heavenly and it gives my locks a lite sheen. I have some on my hair in the pictures below. The product is called Sheajoba. I bought it at an Adventist health food store in Silver Spring Maryland. It's made by and for people of color by a company named Pretty Natural Inc. They also have a website: www.prettynatural-inc.com. The jar says it's for braids, locks and natural hair. I like this product and my locks do too. As you can see, I've posted 11 month pictures to letcha see what's happenin wid my locks. For you newbies, I've tried to post 2 pictures of 2 different locks that have BUDS. Can you see them in the lock? How do you know if it's a bud? Well, when you feel down the lock a bud will feel like a small bump or pea that is distinctive from the rest of the lock. Also if you want to know what your hair will feel like when it's locked or almost locked, take a lock between 2 fingers, starting at the base or scalp. Begin to slowly feel from base to tip. If it is locked or almost locked it will have a firm feel to it. I have this feelin of firmness in locks that do and don't have buds. The firmsness is in some degree in all of my locks and it as I said it starts and the base and stops right before those curly ends. And if you want to know how many locks I have, huuum, let me see. I really don't know cuz I've yet to count them; maybe I'll do that for my 1 year mark. If you're reading this post hit me up with a guess of how many you think I have. When I find out I'll let the best guesser know they were right. You know I've often wondered if I would be fully locked if I had used another locking method? I have coworkers with traditional locks who say they were fully locked at 6 months. Well, I guess I'll never know. I don't have any regrets about the method I chose. b I chose it because of it's minimal, product usage requirement, I'm able to wash when I want, and I know as I get more length I'll have more styling options that I wouldn't have with thicker traditional locks. Oh I almost forget to remind ya, I LOVE my Sisterlocks.

Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

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I've Been Tagged! These are 5 Things I care to share

1. I would love to be able to play no FUNK a bass guitar, Rock a piano and Soothe my soul and others with the violin. But I can't do any of these things.

2. I'm the proud MOM of a 22 year old young man named Courtney who attends Chicago State University. He is my only child but I wish I'd had more.

3. I've only lived in two states in my life. Texas and Maryland. I want to add more to this list. I may add a new one this year.

4. I have two Master's degrees. I work at a Middle school but I'm not in the classroom. It's ironic that I didn't start out as a good reader but I've made my living for the last 14 years teaching others to do what I wasn't good at.

5. In 2000 I sang background for Bernard Wright at a Juneteenth celebration. If you don't know who he is (I didn't either b4 I met him) he had an 80's song titled Who do you love?

Well, if ya didn't know, now ya know!

Ok. Praline
Kalia
GIgirl
You've been tagged! Now you have to share 5 things about yourself on your blog and tag another blogger. Isn't this fun?