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We all know the stories of waist length divas who swear by low manipulation styles. I, myself, for at least a few months, have been taking measures to style once a week. This is fine and well until it becomes an affair of neglect to stretch to the end of the week. Ashamedly, this has been my story for the past two weeks. The twisted and pinned up picture you saw yesterday was my way of hiding unkempt hair, somewhat tangled at the roots hair at the end of last week. I stretched my style long after it was due to be restyled, and somehow wondered why it was a chore to style my hair over the weekend!
My advice is to assess where your hair is, the style itself and decide if it is worth it to stretch the style to the end of the week. Decide based on the condition of your hair and not your predetermined timetable for a given week! That said, I am conditioning my hair as I write this post, even though I conditioned on Saturday. (I didn’t have to work today  )
At least for me it does. It has been a while since I braided my hair, so I had no idea if my style would last all of last week, or what it would look like after a few days.
For the first couple of days, I rebraided my hair at night. By day 3, I stopped and I also stopped applying any type of conditioner to my hair (butter, leave-in, oils, etc.). What can I say? I got lazy with the nightly restyling! That’s another post, but I have really become used to styling my hair weekly. It is both a good and not-so-good thing!
The nightly reestyling routine kept the waves in my hair for most of the day, even though I was not rewetting. Once I stopped rebraiding before bed, my hair became significantly straighter, and within two days, I had straight hair with a slight wave pattern on the ends (the part that I wrap around itself before tying my hair).
Any of you ladies wear dry braidouts without rebraiding nightly? What is your routine, and what are your typical results?
And as always, how does the new week find you?
By Friday, my hair had to be up. It was getting dry and I had no desire to do it before the weekend!
As promised, here are the pictures from Savvy Brown.Her hair is absolutely gorgeous! Remember to visit her site.
Bringing the Who’s Who Series back, and with a fresh face to the blogosphere: Savvy Brown. I am so glad I came across her site, as I see nothing but success in her future. Enough said, check out her responses and be sure to visit her site and take part in her current giveaway!
I understand you just launched your blog. What prompted you to start blogging? Any challenges so far?
My friends and family were REALLY getting tired of me going on about how
bad half the products in their beauty cabinets, laundry rooms and kitchens
were. And my hubby was REALLY tired of me turning the bathroom into a lab.
So I figured if I turned my little “healthy” obsession into a blog maybe
someone else would listen! LOL!
What is one thing about you that you would love to share with me and other members of the blogosphere?
Just do SOMETHING! Change the way you wash your hair, or your dishes or
your food for that matter! Just change 1 thing in your life for the better,
and you’d be surprised what an impact it can have.
What sets your blog apart from other very talented blogs and communities?
My blog is kind of a guide to being healthy, green and cute for the rest of
us. Most people at this point know that sulfates in your shampoo,
high-fructose corn syrup in your food, and bleach mixed with ammonia are bad for you. But what is missing are affordable alternatives I have friends ask me all the time, “Well if I can’t use bleach, what am I SUPPOSED to use?” “If I don’t use cones in my hair, it won’t look right!”
Most people don’t know what their carbon footprint is, (I know I don’t). But they know exactly how much money they have in their bank account.
I’m just trying to show why and how many of our household products (especially beauty products) are making us sick (asthma, fibroids, cancer, migraines, eczema, etc.) and that there are plenty of healthy, very affordable alternatives. You can take steps to being green and healthy without eating cardboard, wearing funny-looking shoes, or looking like a “Survivor” cast member.
What is in store for Savvy Brown readers in the future?
Well, the more subscribers I get, the more guest bloggers and more
giveaways I’ll be able to provide. I’ll also be doing YouTube how-to videos,
podcasts, and maybe even an eBook!
What is your best hair advice for any woman?
Natural hair is NOT “bad” hair. (So stop calling it that, it can hear you!) I feel so bad when I see posts and message boards with women who say,
“I hate my hair!” There is nothing wrong with your hair. However they may be
something wrong with the way you’ve been TREATING your hair (or your body that affects your hair. You don’t have my hair, or your sister’s, or your
mother’s, or your best friend’s hair. Your hair is unique to YOU. So whether
you’ve been natural for years or are just starting out on your journey, find
a style that you like and then adapt it to work for YOU, not the other way
around.
Tell us something about your hair that you don’t often share (good or not so good)?
I need to pay more attention to my scalp. I always read these posts about women who put in twists for like 6 weeks and I cringe. My scalp NEEDS to be washed every 7-10 days, otherwise my head is NOT happy. And it needs lots of water, both inside and out otherwise it’s parched! My hair can knot up pretty quick if I stop paying attention to it.
Shout out: What is your favorite blog next to Savvy Brown? Why?
I can’t pick one so I’ll give you my top three! Ok well Curly Nikki was the first blog that really did it for me. I couldn’t wait to see the different women’s styles that she would feature. I obviously love Texture Playground, (and silently stalked for a while) because I’ve enjoyed following your hair, fashion and fitness journey. I also like tipnut because if you’ve been to my blog, you know I LOVE making stuff!
Feel free to add links below for some of my DIY features:
- Hair Guacamole
- Homemade Body Oil
- Homemade Powder Laundry Detergent
- Savvy
(Check back tomorrow morning for more beautiful styles and pictures from Savvy)
Apparently, my site has been malfunctioning. I have removed the new theme to iron out the kinks, make it hack-proof and all that good stuff. Most of you ladies come here for good reasons, but sadly some visit to inject malware into my blog. I never thought I’d be writing this post… but I am, so I will just make changes accordingly. I apologize to those of you who got redirected to the weirdest sites on the net yesterday. I was at work the entire day and did not know this was going on until well, 8 PM. I was still working on the new look of the site anyway, so it is just added motivation to get it done faster.
I spent the night trying to figure out what is going on, so no hair writing. I’m tired and off to bed, so until tomorrow.
I will speak to you today about our hearts. February is American Heart Month, and this Friday, you can wear wear to support the fight against heart disease. Heart attack is the number one killer in the United States. There are so many diseases and illnesses to be weary of, and this silent killer is often overlooked. I will quote a few facts from the Center from Disease Control and Prevention that I believe we all should take heed to.
 - Every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event.
- In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurring attack.
- Heart disease is the leading cause among older women, ages 65 and older.
- Heart disease is the third leading cause of death among young women, ages 25-44.
- Heart disease is the second leading cause among women between the ages of 45-64.
- Risk factors include high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, tobacco use and second hand smoke.
- Signs of an attack (tightening in the chest, discomfort in the upper body, mild cramps, and shortness of breath) are often overlooked until an attack is under way.
What to do
Protect your heart! This is a message we often preach to keep safe emotionally but it has as much bearing physically, mentally and in so many other areas of life. Protecting your heart from a coronary attack means making lifestyle changes that will give you the best chances at avoiding a heart attack! Make small decisions in your food intake, increase your physical activity, avoid situations that will expose you to smoking and reduce your stress level. Habits are formed, and maintaining them requires a commitment and discipline. It may not be easy at first, but it is certainly worth the effort.
Steps I am taking to protect my heart, among other things:
- Eat better! This may sound simple but healthy requires a commitment, and I am making efforts to keep this commitment going. For recipes, check out ChocolateOrchid, juices that will make you want to try an Epicurean diet, and 101 Cookbooks, tons of recipes and there is absolutely no way you cannot find what you’re looking for on that site.
- I have shared that physical activity is a challenge for me, but I know it is a must. I also can see a significant change in my moods, level of happiness, fitness, looks, etc when I exercise. I just have more energy to get things done. Since this is a challenge for me, I have been making every little bit count. I am back to tracking my steps, using my pedometer. I force myself to keep an exercise buddy. Join challenges when I would rather hide out. I also participate in America on the Move. I have been a member for over two years now, and I just tonight logged in after a long absence. I invite all of you to join me as I am starting a new trail tomorrow morning. My member name is Fleurzty Pierre. If you do decide to join, you can send me a friend request and we can take some trips together around the country, virtually that is
Also, remember to wear Red on Friday, February 5th in support of the fight against heart disease in women.
… for this week! I stumbled upon this braidout actually. I, in fact, had no elaborate plans for my hair this week. On Friday, I wore my hair in a twistout ponytail, and headed out to shop for accessories at Target. If you recall, last week I mentioned needing to invest in some more accessories. Well, I ran into one of my readers at the store , can you believe it? I loved every second of it! We had a good conversation about hair of course, more specifically hair accessories. She shared with me that Ann Taylor Loft had some beautiful pieces, so naturally there I went! I am not a big fan of elaborate accessories! I never think they look good on me, but that’s another post. On the accessories table, there laid a beautiful, flexible blue headband with an ivory flower on the side. I could not stop staring at it! I tried to convince myself that it was too expensive ($18.99) but I lost the fight!
Once I got home, I played around with different style ideas to wear it. This is the story of the dry braidout. I tried a small section and it looked fine, so I figured I would give it a go and hopefully after setting for an entire day (it snowed on Saturday), it would look ravishing in time for Sunday’s do.
I was quite pleased today! I liked it so much that I could not settle on a few pictures. So, enjoy the picture galore! For an assortment of headbands similar to the one I purchased, you can stop by Ann Taylor or visit Boutique de Bandeaux. Her Etsy shop has a lot of headband accessories. I will place an order with her next, and will have a review on her product next.The prices are the same. Her products range from $14-$20.
I have to admit that I was not a headband fan because they are usually tight behind my ears resulting in a headache, but the small, soft band from Ann Taylor did not cause this.
Before the pics, How does the new week find YOU?
Dry Braidout embellished with floral headband from Ann Taylor Loft.
 Picture is blurry, but my hair stands out  This flower band can easily be dressed up or down!  I think I am losing weight, but I have to stick to my plan to see consistent results!
 Back view! The small middle braid in the back eliminate any separation marks!
Maintaining the style at night:
- Apply hair butter.
- Braid dry hair. I apply a few drops of water to the ends to freshen and make braiding the ends easier.
- Wear a satin scarf.
I have finally begun my exercise routine. It is the third week of the fitness challenge and just this week, I finally felt as though I gave it a real effort. Granted, I had valid reasons for slacking off previously.
I was browsing my exercise picture folder, when I realized that I have begun some form of exercise regimen every year since 2006. In other words, it has been three years since I have begun exercising, do it for a little while and take a break. I was not happy to see that!
My husband has always shared with me that it is better to exercise daily or at least 3-4 times a week, even if it is only for 10-15 minutes until I build the enthusiasm for exercise rather than starting and stopping as frequently as I do. I have always taken his advice to mean that it is more difficult in the long run because of the frequent gaps. Well, there is definitely more to it! I took it upon myself to research the effects of yo-yo exercising in the long run. Going into it, I expected there to be some evidence that this isn’t good practice. However, I was not expecting it to be so devastating to the efforts made while exercising. A study conducted by the Life Sciences Division of Berkeley Lab revealed that it is possible to regain the entire weight lost while exercising on a hiatus. It is also more difficult to shed the pounds gained during an exercise break once a person returns to exercising regularly. Furthermore, the weight gained while on hiatus does not seem to respond to low or moderate intensity once a person returns to exercising. In other words, after a break you need to work even harder to shed the pounds that were gained during said break.
Well, this definitely explains a lot of the fluctuation that I have noticed in my weight, and is a strong motivator to stick to an exercise routine longer than 2-3 months.
What are you doing to stay active? Are you a yoyo exerciser?
ChrsLvsBks!!! Congratulations! I will contact you via email for mailing information.
Again, I would love to see the style on you! Thanks to everyone who participated!
…because I am there! I did an interview with Sasha Shae, and now you get a chance to see me answer the some personal hair questions. Check it out here.
While you’re at it, you can also check out my interview for CurlyNikki back in 08. I can’t believe it’s been that long already!
What is all the real deal with steam treatments?
I read somewhere (can’t recall the source) that a steamer is like having a sauna for your scalp and hair. That sounds absolutely relaxing and beneficial. Steam treatments help with better circulation on the scalp, deeper absorption of products, smooths and softens your hair, and strengthen your hair. All of these individual benefits can literally translate into healthy, stronger, faster growing hair. Isn’t that what we all want?
In addition, steam treatments can be absolutely relaxing. Paired with scalp massages, these treatments must be absolutely amazing!
Steamers
There are various steamers and the prices range from $100-$500. It depends on the product you want. Obviously the settings are a little bit different from steamer to steamer. Most products recommend 20-30 minute treatment sessions. There is no downfall to using them much longer though. Many of the ladies on NaturallyCurly.com are putting these guidelines to the test. There are also more affordable tabletop steamers and bonnets that cost no more than $100 on the web or at beauty supply stores. Most hooded dryers have a low setting, so if you already own one of these chances are that you can use it for steam treatments with very decent results. the problem oftentimes with bonnets are that they sometimes are too bulky or too loud. I for one would not recommend the one I own (Carel Soft bonnet ionic dryer, $53). It can wake up a small child… it overheats relatively fast. I also feel that the air leaks out when I use it!
Rather than purchasing the latter, if your budget does not allow for a better product, you can try to create a sauna atmosphere in your bathroom and steam that way. Fill up your tub with hot water, feel free to add a few drops of essential oils to the water for a calm, relaxing fragrance. Peppermint and lavender oils are awesome choices. Sit alongside the tub and relax. Choose to do nothing, massage your scalp, listen to relaxing music, sip on some tea or read a book; whichever activities are relaxing to you. You obviously won’t get the full benefits of using a machine in the same length of time, but for a free treatment, this is really good.
Another more intensive home-based method is to wet a towel with warm water, place it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave’s setting. Cover your hair with a plastic cap and place the towel over it. I have used the towel method in conjunction with the filled tub in the past with great results.
How was it growing up in Haiti you ask! I’ll do my best to give you a clear picture yet keep it under 2000 words lol. We all have a story, and mine is a FULL book!
Family Life
I was born and raised in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where most of the devastation from the earthquake took place. I was born on a Tuesday in the middle of the night. There was no way I would make it easy on my mother. Not to worry, Ty was the perfect payback!!! I lived in one home my entire childhood until I moved to the U.S. at the age of 16. It was a relatively big, three-story home with a basement and garage. My grandfather built the home we lived in. At the time, he and my grandmother married, he set out to build a home that his family could have for generations to come… and that he did! My father had seven siblings, now six. His eldest sister died of complications from sickle cell anemia when she was just 19. My father and all his siblings helped build that home, and of course they grew up there. After they had their own families, some chose to stay in the home while others left; my dad stayed the longest and my siblings and I still call this place home.
 My house after the earthquake  Don’t get it twisted? I wasn’t one of those kids born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I am grateful that there was some initiative in my family to build a home. My grandfather definitely had vision. At the time, he purchased the land; it wasn’t so expensive to do so. It was a really good, residential area as well at the time (that would have changed by the time I was growing up).
I grew up in a single parent home; my father was the single parent. Unusual, but some men do a fine job at single parenting too. I was maybe seven when my parents divorced. Their divorce would prove to be a turning point for our family; from doing OK to barely making it! My father got laid off his job shortly after becoming a single father because he began to miss too many days at work. Things happen when you have four children, somebody is always sick, or running late for school (usually was me ). From then, we were living off savings, aunts and uncles’ generosity, and the house that my grandfather built. My father rented two floors, and used that income to match his saving in order to provide for us.
Life was by no means easy. Food is not affordably priced in Haiti, and because of the lack of electricity, you really can’t cook for two or three days at a time. That meant, cooking three meals a day, and any leftovers were discarded. I was usually the one with leftovers Problem child I tell you! My father worked learned the art of pinching pennies. He became the best negotiator at the open market, and knew the best merchants by first name, and they knew him as well. Most of the time, he went alone, and I believe it was to keep us kids as long as possible! On rare occasions, we would wake up and not see any food on the table, and if that was the case, we couldn’t find my father either. He would be most assuredly, in his room or some other quiet place in the house praying for our daily bread literally. We always said he must have a very strong faith because not long after he prays a door would always open. I kid you not! Things change instantaneously when my father prays about them! It was kind of scary and prideful at the same time when we were kids! Now, we just ask him to pray for us always!
 Bip ti cheri Food and Cooking
Haiti is home to a lot of good food! Our diet was rich in starch, namely rice, potatoes and plantains. Meat is very expensive, so it was a luxury reserved for special occasions and times when we just had a little extra (this is specific to my family). Instead, most of the protein in our diet was from beans and peanuts. We had beans (black, red, kidney, white, peas, etc.) every day! I still love and cook bean sauce very often. We also ate a lot of coconut. Grated coconut and coconut milk were frequent additions to our meals. We also used a lot of spices, namely garlic, parsley, maggi (absolutely tasty and unhealthy). Legumes were very popular in our home. We actually have this popular vegetable mean known as “legumes” that is made of eggplant, cabbage, carrots, spinach and green beans as the main ingredients. Writing this is making me hungry for some home cooked meals.
While we had a stove, it was really a piece of furniture for us since a lot of time there was no electricity. So, my dad bought a small stove-like equipment known as ‘bip ti cheri’ to use. Now, there were two problems with this one. The thing was so small, it could not handle the weight of a large pot (remember 4 kids) and secondly, the cost to refill the little propane tank was ridiculous. We could not afford the gas for it most of the time. Solution! We used charcoal, yes that is correct! We used charcoal on a foyer to cook. The food did not smell or taste like bar-b-q every day either Oh, the memories! I am smiling and shaking my head in disbelief at the same time.
 Laundry and Ironing
Growing up in Haiti also meant that there were no dishwasher or laundry machines. I hope you guessed it! A lot of doing our own laundry! Those who can afford it hire maids or neighborhood kids on the hustle to do their laundry. My father did our laundry until we were old enough to get our clothes clean. My sisters and I began doing our own laundry when were about 9-10 years of age. It was not something we looked forward to doing. Laundry required time, patience, and strength…lots of strength. It definitely builds your arm muscles. Being the youngest got me out of a lot of chores. I never really graduated to having to do laundry for the entire household. The thought alone makes my head spin! Then, there is air drying the clothes. We had a terrace at our home with a lot of clothing lines, and it takes time to hang the clothes. The sun is out 99 percent of the times, so on Saturdays we always got an unwelcome tan. The one good thing about doing laundry was clean clothes…absolutely nothing else.
As if laundry was not a daunting task itself, we had to iron our clothes all at once. You heard me!!! If we did three loads of laundry, we had to iron them all. It was so because we cannot plan on having electricity when we want to wear something. So, if we had electricity for three hours on a set date, we had to hurry and iron our clothes before the power was out… that is unless we wanted to use the charcoal iron that my dad would threaten us he’d make us use if our clothes weren’t ironed when we had to go out! If you have never seen a charcoal iron, you have not missed much! They are bulky, heavy and you really have to make sure it is closed really well to avoid any spilling!
Schooling
I know that the statistics are that eighty percent of Haitians dwelling in Haiti are illiterate. I am not disputing them; however I am fortunate that everyone I have ever known in Haiti went to school. My siblings and I went to private schools most of our formative years. The tuition was unaffordable, but education was more important for my father than us having clothes, a car, TV or anything other than food really. Most of the public schools were not teaching at grade level, and the few good ones are really difficult to get into. I went to an all-girl catholic school for primary school (elementary school here), and a co-ed Episcopal school when I reached the secondary level (middle and high school).
Secondary school was where I made most of my friends, and began actually learning about my surroundings. I was no longer in school with my siblings, and had to make friends. This is also where I learned a great deal about what other families were like, and Haitian culture as a whole. I had literature classes, and had to read Haitian and French dissertations, draw parallels between the two, etc. Soon it became more than school assignments, and I began expressing interest in Haitian music, poetry, films, etc. I took cultural classes whenever I could, and even took a Haitian painting course. I can’t recall if I dropped out of the class or if I was asked to leave. This girl cannot draw to save her life
Vacation
You will rarely hear someone talk of growing up in Haiti without an account of their summers. Summertime was an absolute blast every year. We did not take vacations to Disney obviously, but we maybe had just as much fun. While other kids often visited with family still living in other cities or on the countryside, my siblings and I had no relatives living any further than the next block. So, summer meant finding things to do. We spent a lot of time hanging out with friends around the neighborhood, something that is not really done during the school year because of homework and early bedtime (9PM even in high school, deep sigh). We also spent a lot of time together! I knew my sisters like the palm of my hand! We talked a lot, and sang together and did each other’s hair, etc. What else do you do when there is no TV? It is so funny though how all of this relates to electricity. We would sit outside on the patio just having a good ol’ time, the power cuts back on, and we stop in mid-sentence to go watch TV.
Summertime, we also had day camps at the church I attended, basket ball and volley ball neighborhood teams, and excursions. These were my favorite. We would plan our own trips around the neighborhood and spend the day sight seeing, and mountain climbing. These were fun until you were at the top of the mountain and wondering just how you’ll make it back down. We went to a lot of sites around the capital! We also planned beach tournaments and picnics. As I said, summers were just a blast!
 Actually at a Haitian restaurant in Miami! Haitian public transportation! I’ve seen sadness and concern in people’s faces when I say I am from Haiti, well before the earthquake. I understand it is warranted given the political unrest, poverty and many other challenges that plaque the nation. It took me a while actually to understand why people reacted so strongly to my being Haitian. It even was upsetting before I understood that it was concern, curiosity, disbelief and at times mere shock because I do not satisfy the stereotype. Now, I just smile because I know and I can share that you can be happy living on less than a dollar a day! In a few words, my childhood was both remarkable and challenging, in part due to where I grew up, but also due to my family and who I am. 1940 words
These souvenirs and so many more sadden me for the kids who are hurting now. If you haven’t already donated and are able to, please do so!
Now, how in the world do I not have enough time with all the gadgets that I have in my house to save me time? Deep Sigh! 1998 words
If you are wondering about my hair and the conditioning process after the long-lasting style of these past weeks, you will just have to watch the video. I cannot put the events of Saturday into a post. I am so glad I caught it all on tape.
That said, I am still wearing twists, significantly bigger ones though. I like how they turned out, but I realized that my style is lacking. Not the hairstyle itself, but… I could not find any accessories to embellish these twists. I searched my drawers, and I maybe have three pieces of hair jewelry (and that includes the two EZ Combs I’ve had for nearly a year). I’ve always known that I am not a huge accessory gal, but this is just unbelievable! Shame! Shame! Shame!
I will make this right! Not all at once, but I am thinking one item every couple of weeks or once a month (baby steps ) should get me somewhat accessorized. At least by next year, I will be doing a lot better than I am now .
In other news, a few ladies have written in letting me know that they have either tried the rod set recently, or are planning on doing one soon. I definitely send nothing but encouragement your way. Rod sets are a beautiful style, whether done on twists or loose hair.
Styling Giveaway
In that spirit, I am giving away my 3 packs of purple rods that I have not used. I purchased way too many and at first kept them just in case I decided to try the style with more rods in the future. After trying the style twice, I am more than happy with the size of the curls that I get now, and cannot imagine using any more rods.
To enter this giveaway:
- you have to be a subscribed reader of the site. It is only fair to those who come here daily and show their love!
- Add a comment to this post.
I would also love to see pictures of your rod set, but that is not a requirement to enter.
You have until Thursday to enter. The winner will be randomly selected using Random.org. The winner will be announced Friday morning and contacted for their mailing information the same day.
The time has come to say good by to this style! You can see the initial twists here. I twisted my hair either on the 2nd or 3rd of Janurary, roller setted the twists after an amla treatment on the 9th, wore the resulting twistouts from the 19th-22nd, and wore a ponytail and bun for the past 2 days. I have definitely achieved my low manipulation goal for this month.
Here are a few pictures I took today, as a send off to this style. Tomorrow starts a new days, and I will begin with a hot oil treatment. Check back in Monday morning for results!
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