I am not my Hair!

I love natural hair. I have been natural about 8 years this go round. While I am not an expert at natural hair, I love my hair most days. In fact SewFly by CarolRenee and this blog came about because of the many questions women (and some men) have asked me about natural hair, foods and exercise. Hold on, I need my glasses. I can't see a thing! Okay. I am back. Like I was saying: natural hair is the bomb!

Do not get me messed up, I am not one of these anti perm, crap talking women who think that women who chemically straighten their hair are traitors. Do you! Cause Umma do me? Did I really just quote a song my 14 year old loves?! OMG! Don't get it twisted unless it is two strand or kinky twists! I love music! Anyway, if a woman or Al Sharpton wants to perm their hair, so what? I am so sick of those in the natural world dissing perms. If they want to subject themselves to the creamy crack, let them. Now is a perm for me? Nope. I can't imagine myself with straight hair. I love how my hair is strong and curly and soft (most days).

I love that my hair has the ability to be straight on Tuesday and fro'ed up on Wednesday. I am writing this as I listen to the wig and weave queen herself- The Boss! I love Diana Ross! Let me talk about the history of MY hair. My hair was born the same time as me- 1981 (yeah, I am about to be 30 and I STILL look good!). I got my first perm in the third grade. I am not sure if I wanted one, but having a perm was like a right of passage into semi adult hood. It was along the same lines as a training bra and getting a period (if I only knew). Perhaps I wanted a perm because I wanted my hair to be like the white girls in my MA elementary school- long, scraight, blowing in the wind.

Everyone around me had a perm or god forbid a jheri curl. I will now admit I wanted one! yes, even in the early 1990s when I should have been shot for wanting such an awful thing. I thought jheri curls were cute because it was shiny. OMG! I am cracking up over here. Was I that ignorant?! I will let my Soul Glo another way!

So anyway, I did these crochet braids for the first time yesterday. Took me forever. As you know stay home moms do not have as much time as people may think. Between menu planning, being taxi, working out, shopping and cooking and beginning this blog and all the daily living, I finally got them in. And guess what, y'all? I love them! I am thinking about doing youtube videos with reviews, recipes and all that jazz. Until then, this is what I did.

I used three packs of Freetress Water Wave synthetic hair in 1B and in 1B/33 mix. Note: No one seemed to mention to me that there is little to no 33 in the mixed hair. It is better to just buy the 33 all by its lonesome. They were super easy to do and the way I braided my own hair underneath makes them flexible to wear in different styles unlike with a sew in weave! YES!

I braided 12 straightbacks to about the top of my ear and then braided them all together to become one giant, continous snake braid. I then pinned the tail. I took one piece of water wave hair and split it. I then stuck the crochet needle thingie through the braid. I began in the back at the nape of my naps! LOL So I stuck the needle through, hooked the hair on, pulled the whole thing through and tied it in two knots. This hair gets big quickly! So there is no need to do the braids close together unless you want Chaka Khan big hair.

Hopefully, I can upload some photos of the process sooon. I can't find my stupid USB cord. I am so bad with technology!

Stayed tuned. Stay fierce.fabulous.funky!