Sisterlock Adoration: Finding True Hair Freedom

New Sisterlock Friend!

2011-02-27T20:30:00.013-06:00

Like Oprah, I have a list of favorite things. A few of them include the smell of my almost three-month-old baby boy Syeed, traveling to other countries, and the look of my hubby in a suit. However, one of my other favorite things is the feeling I get everytime I meet fellow sisterlocked women or hear that someone has been newly sisterlocked! As a result, I've made it my mission to introduce as many of these folks as possible on my blog. So it gives me great pleasure to introduce the lovely Ms. Meiah Barlow.

Meiah was sisterlocked on October 7, 2009, in Austin by Greg Day. She was inspired to join the sisterlocks family because of the beauty of sisterlocks. "I love all locs but what attracted me to sisterlocks is the micro size and versatility. I had been completely natural for a year. I had tried almost every braided hair style and wore an afro. My 4b hair is so course and dense that I knew that wearing locs was the best decision. I started out with traditional locs and about 8 months into them, I heard about sisterlocks. I researched and came across the Videolocktician on Youtube & blogs such as yours, Brunsli, Creyole and Blaqkofi to name a few. After a few weeks of reading blogs I got so inspired and excited that I decided to get Sisterlocks," Meiah notes.

Meiah has a twin sister who is also sisterlocked. Awesome! I'm still working on my twin sister :0).

Meiah says for her, the best thing about being a part of the Sisterlock family is the sisterhood. "We are all spiritually connected as we all have embraced our natural hair the way God intended it to be: no combs, no chemicals. To accept who you are as beautifully and wonderfully made by God, that is a spritual thing. So wearing Sisterlocks, one knows the journey and the benefits of this lifestyle of freedom," explains Meiah.

Ya'll give Meiah and her beautiful locks some love.

Rachel's Sisterlock Update

2010-10-18T01:03:00.007-05:00

I just wanted to add a few new photos taken these afternoon. 4 years sisterlocked!

I'm so glad to have something to blog about!

2010-10-14T11:36:00.002-05:00

Sesame Street:Song: I Love My Hair

Okay Ladies,

It's been forever and a day; however, I finally have something worthy of blogging about. I came across this little ditty during a bout of insomnia in the wee hours of this morning. I'm now at 7 months pregnant and prone to emotional outbursts, but this video brought tears of joy and pride.

It's amazing how a little acknowledgement from Mainstream America about such a touchy issue in the sisterhood can make me feel. I've always loved Sesame Street's willingness to address issues of diversity, but this will ensure that Sesame Street and it's home, Public Television, will receive a generous charitable contribution from me this year. If you agree, put your money where your mouth is and help to continue this wonderful programming.

Miss you guys!

Sisterlocks~Natural Awakenings: The True Cost of Sisterlocks ~ A Blaq Perspective

2010-05-05T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sisterlocks~Natural Awakenings: The True Cost of Sisterlocks ~ A Blaq Perspective

I absolutely love Blaq's perspective about the true cost of sisterlocks. Well said indeed!

Sisterlock Event

2010-02-28T00:35:00.008-06:00

Hi Everyone,

I attended the Platinum Grits event with Sisterlock creator, Dr. JoAnne Cornwell yesterday morning. The event was a lecture/book signing hosted by a wonderful grassroots women's network. It was nice to finally meet Dr. Cornwell personally and get to know the Dallas Sisterlock community a little more. The event had a great turnout.

The agenda included a viewing of Dr. Cornwell's response to Chris Rock's Good Hair. Dr. Cornwell completed a short lecture and then opened the floor to Q&A. I was really impressed by the intellect of the sisterlock community. I learned a great deal more about the politization and socialization of black hair.

During the Q&A, I stood up and introduced myself, noting that I'd been sisterlocked for 31/2years and that despite the fact that I love my hair to death, sometimes I found myself in the little bit of a rut, and given how long Dr. Cornwell had had sisterlocks, she'd probably experienced a similiar feeling at points during her journey.

To my dismay, she completely disagreed, saying that she NEVER ever got into a hair rut. She emphatically expressed that she never tires of her hair and didn't feel that the maintenance is cumbersome at all. She also noted that both me and my hair were lovely, and suggested that I look into color, cut or new styles.

I realized that perhaps I didn't effectively communicate what I meant. I guess I was just wanting to feel that it's ok to LOVE your locks but not like everything about the day-to-day maintenenceof the sisterlock lifestyle.

I mean the woman has like 4 feet of hair. That has to be a bit cumbersome to wash and retighten. Otherwise, Dr. Cornwell must have lots more free time than I do, or if not, she needs to at least share her easy hair maintenance secrets...Perhaps she just felt inclined to tow the company line...

What do you think ladies?

Overall, I loved the event and look forward to the start of formalized Sisterlock chapters as mentioned by Dr. Cornwell.

2010-01-20T21:00:00.005-06:00

Hi everyone! Long time no talk! I hope everyone is doing well. My sisterlocks are still the best things since sliced bread. They're getting really long, which is a little bit of a issue for me as I don't really like the idea of having long hair.

I'll take some pictures and post them after my next retightening.

Listen, about a year ago I introduced a new member of the sisterlock family. Her name is Brandy, and a year later her locks look fantastic. She recently started a blog, so I thought I'd let the folks who follow my blog know about it.

Also, I wanted to note that I rarely blog anymore, but I do update my facebook page with photos pretty regularly. Please feel free to request me as a friend. I'm listed under Rachel Roberts-Pickett.

I hope you all are doing well.

Finally, don't forget to check out Brandy's page when you can!

www.sisterlockedinsisterlocks.blogspot.com

Burgeoning Sisterlock Consultant

2009-08-12T15:05:00.003-05:00

Here's my 3-year old niece "doing my hair!"

Essence Festival- Sisterlock Meet Up

2009-06-24T20:45:00.002-05:00

Hi All,

Are any of my sisterlocked sistas attending the Essence Festival this year? I'd love to meet up with folks for lunch or dinner. Let me know!

Gretchel's (Gigi) Retirement

2009-06-22T14:17:00.004-05:00

Hi All,

It is with great sadness that I let you all know that my wonderful consultant Gretchel "Gigi" Johnson officially retired from Sisterlock consulting to pursue her executive coaching business full time. I knew that it was in the works earlier this year, but now I'm officially referring all inquiries about Sisterlocks to her son Jimmy. I've yet to have an appointment with him, but if he's anything like his mother, he'll be awesome.

I have referred a few people to him recently and everyone seems to be satisfied, but I will give my own review based on my next retightening---which BTW will be my first professional retightening in over a year. I'm so done with retightening myself! I've come to realize that the money I've saved and the flexibility of not having to find time for an appointment is simply not worth my tired arms and late nights!

Embarassing White Flakes That Won't Wash out

2009-04-05T17:48:00.004-05:00

WHITE FLAKE UPDATE:

Ladies,

Thanks so much! You always come through for me. I didn't think it really looked exactly like dandruff, but I just couldn't figure it out. It is about time for a grooming, since it been about more than 2 1/2 years since I've locked, and I've never had a grooming I'm going to try that. I'll also try the Listerine Ms. Sunshine Sisterlocks. Ms. Detra, thanks for feeling my pain. LOL!

Here's a few of your thoughts that seem to make sense:

Anonymous said...
By looking at the pictures it does not appear to be flakes...it looks more like, I'll call them "hair roots" because I don't know the correct term but I'll try to describe it as best as I can because I experience the same thing. If it is "hair roots" it comes from your hair being retightened and sometimes when my loctitician retighens my hair she pulls hair out from the root and it stays tangled in the hair. What I do to combat this problem if it really starts to annoy me is I will use needle nose tweezers to prcisely grab hold of the "white root" and pull it and it slides right out...

Sunsail said...
Oh! Those aren't flakes. Those are your hair follicles! When you naturally shed hair, instead of falling out when being combed or brushed, the hair is enmeshed in your lock. I've heard that grooming helps. There's also hair dy to cover it up.

ORIGINAL POST:
Hi All-

I love the Sisterlocks community because I always feel comfortable sharing things even if they are really embarassing. I wash my hair once a week (sometimes twice depending on my workout during the week)as recommended by my sisterlock consultant. However, during the winter, I get a horribly dry scalp that results in flakes that I can't wash out of my locks no matter how many times I wash. I've try all kind of dandruff shampoo and even purchased the sisterlock new dry scalp moisture spray. Just to be clear, I wash very vigorously squeezing shampoo through each lock. It does not really help, and I hate the thought of my hair appearing as if it's dirty. I'm attaching some photos taken right after a wash. You have to look close to see the flakes, but you certainly SEE them...

SOMEONE HELP! ANY ADVICE WOULD BE HELPFUL!

Thanks,
Sisterlock Adoration

Still having fun with my Sisterlocks- 2 years 7 months Update

2009-04-05T17:14:00.004-05:00

I wanted to post a few new Sisterlock progress photos. Sorry I've been away so long...

Introducing a New Addition to the Sisterlock Family

2008-12-13T17:30:00.011-06:00

Hi All,

I wanted to take an opportunity to introduce Ms. Brandy, a new addition to our Sisterlock family. She e-mailed me a few months ago as she was contemplating sisterlocks. She currently lives in Washington D.C. but is originally from Austin. Brady will be moving back to Texas soon. She locked November 6, starting with about 6-7 inches of hair on top and in the middle and 3.5 inches of hair in the back. She's 9 months preggers (may have had the baby by now) and has that beautiful pregnancy glow! Aren't her sisterlocks adorable? Show her some love ya'll! Welcome to the Sisterlock Family Ms. Brandy.

Happy Holidays,
Sisterlock Adoration

Middle-Schoolers Give Election 'Rap'-Up With Hip-Hop Flair

2008-11-04T17:38:00.003-06:00

This is the cutest thing ever...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=6165263

Happy Election Day! GO OBAMA/BIDEN!

2008-11-04T17:36:00.000-06:00

Since I travel so much for work, I voted by absentee ballot a couple of weeks ago. Although I would hate standing in line for upwards of 2-5 hours to personally cast a ballot, I must admit that voting by mail certainly takes away the excitement of being a part of the electoral process. There's nothing like standing in line wondering/guessing about the political affiliation of the person standing in front or behind you. I feel particularly slighted given the historic nature of this election. Oh well...Such is life and despite all, my vote still counts, which is more than I can say for those of you who voted for McCain. That's especially for you Landon Densley(LOL)! OBAMA/BIDEN 2008!

FUNNNNNNNNYYYYY!!

2008-10-24T01:19:00.004-05:00

2 Years 1 1/2 Month Update

2008-10-17T22:11:00.012-05:00

I won't even try to apologize for my lengthy hiatus. I'll just post some updated pictures, and keep my mouth shut! This look was achieved with soft spike curlers, and I'm back to full SISTERLOCK ADORATION!

Oh one other thing...Go OBAMA/BIDEN 2008!

Responding to Comments about my Blog Posts

2008-05-13T23:28:00.004-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I really don't do a good job of checking comments after my posts (sorry), so I thought I'd make a suggestion. If I don't respond to questions in a timely fashion, please shoot me an e-mail. I always respond to e-mails.

So here a couple of questions and responses.

Nubean Topaz said...
Hi there Imus say I love your locs and am trying to begin my Sister loc journey. I decided to go natural about a month ago and yes Iam anxious to make the transition. I think i will give myself til around Christmas to get sisterlocked.

You mentioned Gigi sl's you. Can you direct me to a website or e mail address. She has been referred more than once.

Thanks and again keep up the good work your locs are beautiful and I loved the post about the first lost loc.(lol) I pictured you on the floor with your loc and TAPS playing.

Sisterlock Adoration response: Nubean Topaz, Thanks for your sweet comments. Please send me an e-mail I'll give you Gigi's contact info offline. Good luck with your process!

SisterlocksMD said...
Your locs are so full...I can't wait until my installation next month. What size are your locs?

Sisterlock Adoration response: Honestly, I don't know. I think I would classify them as standard Sisterlock size,but I'll call my consultant and ask her tomorrow. Sorry I don't have anything more definitive. I know you're locking very soon, maybe tomorrow based on your last post:0) Good luck!

Tired of my hair!

2008-05-13T22:42:00.005-05:00

Okay,

Ya'll know that I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE my sisterlocks. I have been never felt anything short of "Sisterlock Adoration" :0), so don't tell anyone else this, but I'm soooooo tired of my locks! I no longer feel inclined to post pictures of every stage of my growth, and it's been months since I've tried anything new. I'm in a funk. I hate the length right now. It's still too short for a real ponytail and updos look a mess unless I have a bit of a curl. I just don't know what to do with it. Given my penchant for freestyling, most of the time it's just a limp hanging mess. Maybe I'm just lazy, but I'm dying to get some suggestions for fun low maintenance looks. What did you guys do once your hair was shoulder length, but not even all around? My shag is getting on my nerves. Sorry to vent, but I'm feeling particularly irritated tonight! (Maybe it has something to do with Clinton's blowout of Obama in West Virginia...)

So what will it be? Should I color, curl, or what? UGHHHHHH! What fun new products are out there? I need your help. Help a sista out!

PS- Did I say mention how much I hate retightening my hair. It's a 1000% easier with the Nappy Lock tool, but still takes over a week for me to retighten my whole head! (I'm such a whiner. Waaa Waa Waa and all the babies cry!)

My Daily Hair Routine

2008-03-24T14:51:00.003-05:00

Allecia said...
Your hair always looks so cute. What do you do for day to day styling? Also, I loved your hair on your wedding day. How did you achieve that look? I'm going to be in my sister's wedding in July and I'm trying to come up with some ideas.

Thanks for the kind post Allecia. My day-to-day styling is very very minimal. Usually I wake up and go. One thing I must confess is that my hair naturally grows in the shape of a shag. It has always grown like that, even when I had a relaxer. People constantly ask me about my "hair cut", and it's often hard to convince folks that I have never once cut my locks.

I wash my hair once every two weeks, and usually I'll do a loose soft spikes curl (just roll the very ends).

As far as my wedding hair, I actually achieved that look with bantu knots. I wore them for about 24 hours and took them out for my rehearsal dinner. I really loved the result, but I hated walking around with the knots. Some people can wear them as a style, but my pea head looked a hot mess!

TAGGED

2008-03-23T18:01:00.006-05:00

I'm actually altering the tag rules a bit since it seems as if most everyone has been tagged. (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. I was tagged by Amina and Happy, Nappy, & Free To Be Me

Here are 6 random facts about me...
1. I have an identical twin sister who I'm still trying to convince to get sisterlocks.
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2. I love my sisterlocks and prefer them to any other hairstyle I've ever had...
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3. Sometimes I feel very self-conscious around folks who have locked in a more natural or traditional way. I get the feeling that they think I've somehow cheated with sisterlocks (using a tool)...Maybe I'm just paranoid.
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4. I have very little patience in most aspects of my life, and I tend to be a bit of a know-it-all(the first step to change is recognizing our issues:0)
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5. I don't feel satisfied unless I always get the best possible deal for everything from my car oil change to family vacations. It's innate and annoys my DH to no end.
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6. I absolutely love the Sisterlocks network and am so incredibly thankful for a forum to exchange ideas and express my thoughts about everything under the sun.

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7. Bonus- I contracted pink eye from my 2-year-old niece and am typing this post with one eye open and the other underneath a make shift eye patch, because the light from the computer hurts! See how dedicated I am... OH, did I mention I have a flare for the dramatic (see the picture below LOL!)?

Talk to you all later.

Sisterlock Adoration

19 Month Hair Update

2008-03-20T00:14:00.007-05:00

I'm sending my sincerest apologies for being MIA for the last couple of months. My laptop screen was broken, and it took me this long to get it fixed. If it weren't for my husband putting the repair on his make up for doing something wrong list, I guess it'd still be broken. Anyhow, first things first, I just realized that I've been taggedagain. I promise I will respond to the tags in the next couple of days, but for now I'm simply uploading some updated pictures. My hair was looking particularly cute Sunday, so I thought I'd share.

Hope you're all doing well.

IS THAT DREADS IN YO HAIR?

2008-01-18T14:05:00.000-06:00

This is the question that the girl at the McDonald's (yes, one of my many bad habits)drive thru window asked me as I collected my lunch this afternoon. Okay, so putting the bad grammar and all else aside, I now ponder how I should have answered. Let's take a look at the options:

1. I could have launched into a long spiel about Sisterlocks and my personal journey right there in the drive thru line, despite the 5 cars behind me. I mean it's not like we all weren't on one hour lunch breaks anyway. What's a few extra minutes?

2. I could have given her the index finger(meaning just a second or in some cases, "Excuse me for walking through the santuary in the middle of the prayer/sermon at church"-LOL,I just felt the need to be extra thorough in my definition here) and pulled into a parking spot, gone into the restaurant and proceeded to give her and all the Sistas and Brothas working and dining there (plus any one else interested, since I try not to discriminate) a 30 minute overview of the merits of Sisterlocks and natural hair all together. This could have included an opportunity for all the FRESHLY gloved folks ONLY, particularly the woman with the 10 inch long purple weave I noticed standing by the fry machine, to actually touch my hair and ask questions about it. Wait, I think the board of health might have a problem with the whole food and unnetted hair thing. But I disgress....

3. I could have said "yes, actually, they're Sisterlocks" and drove off without any further explanantion, leaving me to ponder for the rest of the afternoon if I'd done the right thing...

So, what did I do? Number 3 unfortunately, and the result is this foolish post that you are so graciously reading right now (thanks:0)!

And as pointless as you've probably realized this post is, I wonder whether there is indeed a social or societal obligation to give as much information as possible whenever somebody asks about our hair. I mean isn't it our collective responsibility to try to save every fried, dyed and laid to the side haired Sista or Brotha from that awful fate? Just wondering...

Presidential Primaries- Barack vs Hillary...

2008-01-09T11:47:00.001-06:00

I confess. I am a self proclaimed political junkie. I have been staying up all hours of the night following the Presidential primary news coverage.

My personal political views are fairly liberal, and while I'm a registered Democrat, Pre-Barack, I was leaning heavily towards the Independents.

Anyhow, I'm so fascinated by the Barack and Hillary dilemma. As a African American woman, the choice is really tough. Who do you pick, Hillary or Barack, sex or race, status quo or change..?

Drum rolls please...

I support:

Barack Obama because he represents hope and substance in the cesspool that is 'AKA' the “political system” of this Country. I look forward to diversity in the White House, so that kids who look like Barack and me can know that anything is possible.

I actually sent the aforementioned statement to a political website to get a free Barack Obama bumper sticker. LOL!

I was so pleased with the Iowa Caucus results and had such high hopes for New Hampshire. Clearly, Hillary's emotional diatribe got the best of the New Hampshire voters, which is quite unfortunate given the contrived nature of it...I think I threw up in my mouth a couple of times watching, especially when the camera panned to Bill, and he just HAPPENED to be wiping a single tear out of the corner of his eye. LOL! They both needed Oscar nominations...

Anyway, back to Obama...As African Americans, can we stop the madness? Quit forwarding and spreading the foolish propaganda provided by the Clinton machine about Obama being a part of some Islamic terrorist organization.

Also, old Black leadership needs to stop hating as in Andrew Young's remarks about Barack Obama being too young and inexperienced to be President. Last time I checked, our "forefathers" (I say that with a chuckle of course), established the qualifications for President as follows:

"No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

Therefore, that certainly qualifies Barack, the same it did JFK(43), Teddy Roosevelt (42) and BILL CLINTON (46)(Governor of Arkansas at 32, talking about inexperience!). In the case of Clinton, since when does Governorship completely usurp National Legislative experience?

I mean come on folks, I enjoy a good urban legend/conspiracy theory and debate about the issues just like most people; however, there are just too many gullible folks who might actually end up believing the worst of this stuff for us to actually engage in the spreading of such foolishness. And that's my word for the day...

Sisterlock Adoration

FIRST LOST LOC!!!!!!!!

2008-01-04T17:13:00.000-06:00

All,
Tragedy has struck... In my last post, I talked about the difficulty I was having retightening my own hair. Well, since then I've been practicing and getting much better. For the most part, I've been using my fingers rather than a tool, since it's much easier and faster. The only problem is that you can't get the loc as tight as you can with the tool. So in order to get one lock super tight, I was using one of the Sisterlock tools (won't say which one, but it's certainly not hard to figure out!) Next thing you know, I accidently knotted the loc. I tried everything possible to undo the knot. Before I knew it, the knot had doubled in size. I thought to myself maybe if I cut a few strands of the hair I could loosen the knot enough to slip it out. The next thing I remember is the lock falling to the floor and me falling to my knees with it. Even though this sounds super dramatic, I was almost in tears! LOL! Now that it's been a few days, obviously, I can look back and laugh about "my first lost loc." Anybody care to share lost loc stories to make me feel better?

Also, I've decided to order the nappy loc tool. What size should I get?

Happy New Year!
Sisterlock Adoration

Retightening Class

2007-12-09T21:33:00.001-06:00

On last Saturday, Dec. 1, I took my Sisterlock tightening class after being locked for 15 months. I have to admit, I can't imagine getting to the point where I can actually retighten my whole head. I think it took 15-20min for me to tighten my first lock. YIKES! I'd like to hear from you all about your own retightening courses and how long it took before you felt comfortable retightening. Although the latch on or clip on tool is pretty easy to use, the thought of reclipping for each of my 400 locks is laughable. After reading everyone's opinion about the nappy lock tool, I'm considering ordering it. Let me know your thoughts, please! The photo above is picture from my cell phone of the lock I retightened. Sorry, it's bad, but my camera batteries are dead, so it's the best I can do.

Stereotypical Language in an Article about Riley Ann Sawyers AKA "Baby Grace"

2007-11-27T17:13:00.002-06:00

The following is a terribly stereotypical passage from the article linked above…(I know it may seem trivial to focus on something like this, given that fact an innocent little girl was murdered; however, I was annoyed beyond reason by this.) How are you just going to generalize whole races of people? It's ridiculous...

A trained artist can look at a skull and immediately tell the race and gender of a corpse. And that's the beginning of giving a name to the unknown."If you turn the skull of a white male sideways, it's almost like a truck hit it. It's just straight up and down flat," said Marla Lawson, a renowned forensic artist who works for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. "The forehead protrudes very little and the chin sinks in. But for African-Americans, they slightly slope at the forehead and they protrude slightly at the mandible and they have these great cheekbones. Their skulls weigh more than white people's skulls, and their teeth will be whiter and brighter usually."
An Asian person's skull will have a wider facial area, Lawson said, but people of Hispanic descent are more challenging because the structures are nearly identical to Caucasians.

Photos Copied on a Sisterlock Website Without Permission

2007-11-15T16:01:00.001-06:00

All,

Much to my surprise during a search for Sisterlock updos last week, I came across photos from Blaqkofis, Creyole's and my blogs. While the site's owner clearly had good intentions (showcasing different Sisterlock looks), I was shocked and dismayed that I wasn't given as least a courtesy e-mail to ask my permission to use the photos. My e-mail is listed on my blog, so there is no reason why this simple courtesy could not have been given. I noticed that some folks have notes on their blogs that ask that photos not be used without permission, but I always thought that was understood. Obviously not...I'm not really upset, but I just feel a bit disappointed. Any thoughts on how this can be judiciously handled.

Friendships

2007-11-15T14:45:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

Most of you know that I'm a public sector consultant who spends most of time on the road. My life consists of many long work weeks, lots of hotel rooms, plus countless nameless faces. The thing that keeps me going having a great support system. Outside of my family, my biggest support system at the moment are two wonderful women who work for the same firm I work. We have tons in common but at the same time have distinctively different backgrounds and interests.

Anyway, I love friendships that are sincere and not rife with jealousy and cattiness. So this post is dedicated to Chi-town Ruth-Ann and LA Diva #1(obviously not their actual names).

I'm a little sad today because LA Diva #1 is leaving to go on to a new exciting project. Such is life in the consultancy world; however,I'm still very sad :0(.

PS. The pic attached is from a Girl's Bachelorette weekend hosted by the ladies in honor of my wedding (which included a Spa visit.) It was awesome!

More Wedding Photos...

2007-10-10T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

I'm sharing more wedding photos. Just click on the title (More Wedding Photos) above and it'll take you right to them. The next post will be from the rehearsal dinner and reception.

R&S Wedding Sept 15, 2007

2007-10-06T22:59:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

I thought I'd post a few pictures from the wedding. My MDH and I were married Sept, 15,2007 in Dallas at the African American Museum. It was truly a lovely event. More pictures to come!

New Pictures

2007-08-21T23:39:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted pictures in a while, so I decided it was time. Hope all is well everyone. My one year sister lock anniversary is next Friday. YEA!!!!!!!!!!

BTW- I'm really sad to have missed the latest DFW Sisterlock Gathering! I look forward to having a break from work related travel during the honeymoon.

Sisterlocks - Keeping it Natural Not Nappy Headed

2007-07-17T20:55:00.000-05:00

Hi All:

I found the following article by Priscilla Parham and loved it. It left me, as usual, feeling extra proud of my sisterlock status.

Sisterlocks - Keeping it Natural Not Nappy HeadedBy: Priscilla Parham
Hairstyles come and go. Over the decades we have seen big hair, flat hair and moussed hair. Our hairstyles have been fried, dyed and slicked to the side. What does it take for an African American women to go completely natural? Contrary to popular belief, going natural does not mean going nappy.Going natural for most means a lifestyle change and not simply a short-term hairdo. With the societal brainwashing of straight hair being best; even worse the negative stereotypes of kinky hair being "bad hair," often times black women are raised not knowing how to properly care for their own natural hair. There are a number of natural hairstyles one can choose, from afros to cornrows, twists or dredlocs just to name a few, but Sisterlocks is the best at offering freedom and versatility. Sisterlocks use a special locking technique with natural hair. In appearance, they look similar to what could be called very neat micro-dreadlocks.Listed below are 5 distinct characteristics normally found in women eager to go natural. Women willing to side step commonly accepted views of beauty as reported by U.S. media markets and sometimes even black society itself.

Characteristic 1 - TrailBlazer. She often blazes new pathways, loves to initiate and to do. This self-starter is frequently the one to get something off the ground.

Characteristic 2 - Honest. She tends to be direct and honest with people. If you really don't want to know the answer, then don't ask this audacious woman.

Characteristic 3 - Fearless. When the world is telling her, "You are too thick, too ugly, too dark, too outspoken and nappy-headed, she completely ignores them and continues forward. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. She defines her own beauty.

Characteristic 4 - Earthy Mother. She is usually juggling three or four balls in the air and not dropping a one. You will find her raising her children or someone elses' kids; taking good care of her household; she is middle or upper management at the office; and of course there is a business or hobby on the side. Where does she find time for herself? Her hair is the least of her worries, she requires it to be healthy, neat, clean, and stylish.

Characteristic 5 - Decisive. She knows what she wants. Sisterlocks are a permanent hairstyle not a fad. They require nurturing, a skilled stylist and patience to get started. This woman is committed and in it for the long haul.African American women are the luckiest when it comes to the availability of hairstyles, because of their unique hair type and texture there is a veritable buffet of choices. You can go to sisterlocks.com for more information on the history of sisterlocks or to find a stylist near you.Rejoice in your uniqueness and beauty, You Go Girl!

Copyright (c) 2007 Priscilla Parham

Article Source: ABC Article Directory
For more thought provoking and informative articles and audios by Priscilla Parham visit freeiq.com/priscillaparham . Priscilla coaches on awareness and goal setting for your health, your business and your relationships, motivating others to rebuild from the inside-out.

I've been TAGGED!

2007-06-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Okay Everyone,

I am soooo ashamed that I haven't posted for so long. My excuses are multiple, and since I've been tagged by Cashana, I'll make my excuses part of the 7 things about myself.

According to Cashana, the "Tagged"rules are as follows:

You have to choose 7 things to share about yourself. Then choose 7 people to tag. Now don't forget to post a comment on their blog informing the person that he/she has been tagged, so that they can join in on the fun.

Seven things about Rachel

1. Excuse #1 -Since November of 2006, I have been working on a long term consulting project in Louisiana. This project requires me to spend approximately 95% of my time on site. Therefore, I am only home (Dallas) approximately 5 days a month. It really leaves my very little time for anything else.

2. Excuse #2- I am getting married Sept. 15 of this year. With less than three months to go, I am busy with the coordination efforts. I am fretting about how I will wear my hair. I have been locked for 10 months now, but I'm not quite sure that my hair will be long enough for an updo. I know for sure that I want to do a flower, but I'm definitely open for suggestions! Let me know if any of you have any ideas.

3. Excuse #3-My fiancé and I purchased a new home in March, but given my travel schedule and that fact the my fiancé hasn't sold his townhome, we still haven't moved yet! However, whoever, I'm home, I'm either packing things up for the move or working in the new yard.

4. I'm the oldest of six siblings. My parents are divorced. My identical sister and I are the only kids my parents have together. My mom has two boys, and my dad has a girl and a boy. I am the only sibling without children (but that could change one of these days). I have 11 nieces (7) and nephews (4).

5. I love to travel and explore the world. Particularly, I'm inextricably connected (by heart, soul and (unknown) ancestry to the continent of Africa. I've visited East Africa and Southern Africa and hope to visit West Africa sometime next year.

6. I love to read. Unlike Cashana, I don't get to read 10 books a month---only one or two, but if I could, I'd read for a living. I belong to two book clubs (though I haven't been to one for months).

7. I love my sisterlocks. They're the best hair "thing" to ever happen to me. I wish is that everyone could find a hair "lifestyle" that left them feeling confident and carefree. I've yet to find a person who wasn't absolutely in love with her sisterlocks. My hair is beautiful. I'm still freestyling because I think it looks best that way. BTW-The last time I was home, I left my camera, so I won't be able to post updated photos until I go home at the end of the month.

So that's me. Here's my list of ladies who I'm tagging:

Brenda
Detra
AllyH20

Ladies, I hope that you haven't been tagged before. My apologies if you have. Thanks.

Sisterlock Adoration :0)

Self Hatred or Dreaded Dreads

2007-03-05T22:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was having breakfast with my fiance and his son in Cafe Brazil. As I was getting coffee, an older African American lady came up to me. She exclaimed, " I really like your hair. At first I thought it was a natural, and then I saw it was different. I'm just glad it's not those awful dreads. Some of those are (wrinkling her nose) just not nice at all."

As I looked at the down the middle of her back mess of a wig, all kinds of naughty things crossed my mind :0). Instead, I simply smiled and explained that my head full of locks where not quite dreads (locks formed by allowing the natural hair to lock over time without manipulation) but a spin off called "Sisterlocks" (locks formed by using a tool similar to a crochet needle to assist with the locking process). I launched into my standard Sisterlock spiel and abruptly stopped when I noticed her eyes glazing over. I thanked her for the (backhanded) compliment and walked away. (I decided not to even go there as it relates to "locks versus dread locks discussion." It would have been way too much.)

Recounting the incident to my fiance, we initially laughed about it, but then he noted how powerful self hatred is. This got me to thinking, is this lady's response to dreads about self hatred or simply the standard run of the mill ignorance about dread-locks. What do you guys think?

5 Month Update

2007-01-28T22:02:00.000-06:00

Jan 31, 2006 will be my five month anniversary; but since I will likely be too tired to post the 31st, I'm posting today. I can tell that I may be starting to lock just by looking at the difference between my photos a few months ago and now.

BTW- I'm so sad that I'm going to miss the Sisterlock gathering in Waco. Much to my disappointment, I haven't met anyone who's Sisterlocked in Baton Rouge yet. I'm really missing the family!

However, I get questions about my hair all the time. Does anyone know of any consultants in the Baton Rouge area? There's only one consultant listed in Louisiana, and she's in Northern LA (Monroe). Let me know. I'd love to provide some referrals as well as meet some of the LA sisterlock family.

3 Month Update (End of Nov.)

2007-01-28T21:43:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry that I've been away so long. I've been on a consulting project in Baton Rouge, LA for the past 2 months, and frankly I haven't been motivated to blog. However, I finally got an opportunity to check in on Sister Lock blog world this evening, and I realized that I really needed to put together an update.

Despite not blogging in two months, I actually did take photos of my progress. Check it out the 3 month progress.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T00:58:00.001-06:00

Today is the day designated for Thanksgiving. Most of us give thanks via a turkey and dressing family-featured dinner. I love the food, but for me the ideals behind the holiday are truly special given the fact the I have so much for which to be thankful. First, I thank God for my health and strength. I'm thankful for my family and friends. Also, I'm thankful for my beautiful Sisterlocks and my wonderful new Sisterlock family.

I pray for safe travels and and warm reunions on this special day. Most of all I hope that Thanksgiving Day 2006 is not simply one day of thanksgiving, but a catalyst for self reflection and gratitude throughout the entire year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Warmest regards,

Sisterlock Adoration XOXO

DALLAS HARAMBEE FESTIVAL- LOVELY LOCS!

2006-11-21T23:06:00.000-06:00

About three weeks ago, I attended the Dallas Harambee Festival at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center. I love cultural events, so I was excited about attending. Upon arrival, I saw so many folks with locs that I immediately asked my fiance, a local television reporter during the week (but whose true talents lie in photography) to take photos for me. I introduced myself to most of the folks we took photos of and collected names and e-mails, promising to e-mail the photos. Unfortunately, somewhere between the event and uploading the photos, I lost the piece of paper with the names and e-mail addresses. For the last few weeks I've been debating whether or not to still post the pics given my inability to e-mail copies to all these wonderfully dreaded folks. Finally after an internal struggle, I decided to post and explain everything here. I ask that if anyone recognizes my dread heads, they contact me. Thanks so much, and I send my sincerest apologies to the lovely locked I promised photos to! Prepare to be WOWED!

I Cannot Even Express How Wonderful the DFW SL Gathering Was on Sunday!

2006-10-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

I had the most awesome time ever on Sunday at the Sisterlock brunch held at the Cheesecake Factory! Finally, I was able to meet all the SL'ed women from the DFW area, and let me just say they did not disappoint. Everyone was just as beautiful and elegant as I thought they'd be. And the glorious locs... It was truly something to behold! I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't even really take photos. Therefore, I'm going to rely on Ms. Maryee to represent with her images because she took a billion photos (click on her name to go to her blog).

Speaking of Ms. Maryee. During the course of the brunch, she interviewed each lady about her SL experience. When she asked to interview me, I gladly accepted. So I'm standing there and she's standing there holding this tiny camera. I'm smiling waiting for her to snap a photo (cheesing EXTRA hard). Finally she says with a smirk that I can start talking any time. LOL! Why was that tiny camera a camcorder as well? I was totally clueless and totally embarassed! All that time I'd been standing there cheesing like a cheshire cat (or chessie cat as my Grandma would say), she was recording! LOL! LOL! The wonderment of new technology...I really need to get a clue!

But I digress. As if the brunch wasn't fab enough, afterwards we went over to NorthPark MAll for an impromptu photoshoot. Let me just tell you, we were beyond divaish (yes I made up that word). Everyone was stopping to figure out who we were. I believe our witty, soon to be attorney, Brunsli told one gentleman we were a group of black female Republicans, while our designated photographer(LaChanda's cute young niece with lots of Louisiana flava) told folks we were with Oprah. I have to say I cringed at both... but nevertheless it was TONS of FUN! I hated to leave at 3:00 p.m., even though the brunch had started at 11 a.m.

Sisterlock Adoration Update- 3 week anniversary!

2006-09-21T10:51:00.000-05:00

Today is my three week lock anniversary. I still adore my sisterlocks, although it almost killed me to wait three weeks to wash my hair(but I made it Gigi!) . I decided to take a few photos of my freshly washed hair since my baby sisterlocks were looking particularly grown up to me. I completely forget to take a photo of my hair braided and banded. I'll have to do that next time.

Still Trying to Kick the Kink:The debate about the future of African American hairstyles is flaring up again

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

My fiance sent me this article which piggybacks on a post that AllyH20 wrote back in February or so about the ban of "black hairdos" such as braids, or dreads at black institutions/corporations such as Hampton University (business program) or Black Enterprise. It's a good read. Should we be planning a protest or better yet a boycott of some type?!!!! This is crazy.

See an abstract from the article below...

July 12 2006
WHEN I WAS young, one of the first things I learned about myself was that I had "good" hair. It was curly and close enough to the texture of a white person's hair to not need pressing, hot-combing, greasing or some other method of straightening that extremely curly black hair — also known as kinky or "bad" hair — needed before it could venture out in public. Yet even my hair was not quite good enough. The complete article can be viewed at:http://www.latimes.com/news/columnists/la-oe-kaplan12jul12,1,672823.column?coll=la-news-columns Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Remembering 9/11- 5th year Anniversary

2006-09-11T12:34:00.002-05:00

Today is Sept. 11, 2006- five years after the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history. Like most Americans, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on that ill-fated day. I also remember how America was affected the weeks and months following the attacks. As I commemorate this day, I send my thoughts and prayers out to all those who lost loved ones in the attacks, to the leadership of our country and to the troops who are forced to fight a war where there can be no true victory. The day also gives me cause to pause and reflect on my life since that day as well as the present state of America. 9/11 was a life changing event for most. From that day forward, I vowed I was going to be a better person. I also decided to no longer put off my life goals because life truly is way too short...As the reasons behind the 9/11 tragedy unfolded, I started looking at the way other countries viewed the U.S. Suddenly I conceived the reality that plights such as poverty, oppression and lack of education or fundamentalism (of any kind) could embitter a people enough to encourage other attacks similar to these we’d recently experienced.

The "Global War on Terror" has brought a level of consciousness to our country that our previous isolationist attitudes allowed us to suppress. Unlike tragedies such as starvation in Ethiopia/ Somalia and genocide in Rwanda, all of a sudden after 9/11, the world outside the U.S. actually held significance for the average American. Because we had a relative fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq or we were concerned about the next possible terrorists attacks, this situation affected us in ways that starvation and genocide somewhere in Africa couldn't. This HATE against America was/is a threat to the American way of life.

I wish I could take the passion that most Americans feel about 9/11 and apply to the apathy that we feel as we let millions be murdered in Darfur, even after the United Nations embattled war cry of "Never Again!" BUT, I digress... My point is simply that our lesson from 9/11 should be that we Americans must work to right our country's global and domestic wrongs and strive to be better neighbors in the global community. Then I believe that we'll actually be able to shift the tide of hatred for our country towards love (or at least tolerance), and we may actually be able to achieve the goal of changing "hearts and minds" across the Middle East and world.

My Hair Prior to Sisterlocks

2006-09-09T01:37:00.000-05:00

I've been asked what my hair looked prior to Sisterlocks, so I thought I show you all the transitions my hair has gone through over the last few years. It's amazing how different I look in the various styles. I have to scan long hair pics, so I'll add those tomorrow.

Haiti's Poverty

2006-09-08T00:02:00.000-05:00

Many of my friends know that for me the biggest tragedy about the mass kidnapping, murder, and enslavement of millions of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade is the lost identities of millions of African-Americans. Specifically, I can trace my roots about as far east as North Carolina. Therefore, I have long adopted the nickname of "An African with no home." Some years ago, I decided that rather than lament my lack of history, I'd rediscover it in my heart through a lifetime of travels thoughout the African continent and African Diaspora. Since then, I've traveled to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Haiti and Jamaica. During my most recent trips to Haiti and Jamaica, I was both pleased and saddened by the unbelievable parallels of Motherland and her Caribbean diaspora. I was fascinated by the inextricably linked cultures and disgusted by the overwhelming poverty in lands so beautiful and rich with natural resources that continue to be raped and pillaged by those who neither add value or have a rightful claim.

I was invited to visit Haiti for 2 weeks in early August with my graduate school roommate Janouska whose family is Haitian. Her family is from a very small town called Tiburon, located on the Southern coast of Haiti about 8-10 hours from the capital Port-Au-Prince (due to the awful road conditions). During a visit to another town near Tiburon, I caught a glimpse of something that broke my heart. It was a cute little boy dragging along his truck. However, take a second look at the truck in the pictures posted. It's actually a homemade truck made from one of those cans in which the US sends international food aid. I took these pictures initially to show my nieces and nephews how fortunate they are. However, when Janouska and I talked about it later, she had a totally different take on the situation. She expressed pride in the ingenuity of a kid who didn't have the luxury of store bought toys. How creative must this kid be to make this truck. Should we be looking at taking our kids "back to the basics" like this? What do you guys think? Creative kid of whom we should all be proud or outrage about the type of poverty that necessitates homemade toys????

Photos of Locks

2006-09-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

Photo 1. Tights curls
Photo 2. Loose freestyle
Photo 3. View from above

August 31, 2006 My Sisterlock Birthday

2006-09-02T23:02:00.000-05:00

Day 1 Photos
IT FINALLY HAPPENED! I did it. After waiting for two months for my appointment, I am sisterlocked! I can't stop looking at my hair. I can't stop running my fingers though it. Perhaps I'm being a little overzealous (given my fiance's non-enthusiastic response to the locks); however I don't care. I'm really excited, and I can't wait to share my excitement with some folks who will be equally excited for me. That may be my mother (who is natural and thinking about locks) or my identical twin sister who still needs to be converted to the natural world. Please stay tuned for the play-by-play on my locks as they mature. I plan on sharing my experiences, my lessons, and my exploration through this cool new Sisterlock community.

Sister-in-Locks Inspiration- July 2006

2006-09-02T17:18:00.000-05:00

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was in the Banana Republic outlet store in Allen, TX a few days before July 4 th brousing through the clearance racks when something or actually someone caught my eye. It was a set of the most gorgeous locks I'd ever seen on the head of a beautiful women I've since come to know as Sister-in-lock. I shyly stared from afar trying to get a better look at the lovely locks. Soon, I realized that wasn't gonna do it, so I boldly approached the woman. First, I complimented her hair and then asked who did it. She immediately launched into a spiel about Sisterlocks, inviting me to visit her blog. She gave me her card and encouraged me to stay in touch. That evening, I spent several hours reading through her blog laughing and learning all about the Sisterlock system as well as the spirited community of women who had all embraced Sisterlocks. I e-mailed her that very evening to let her know that I'd decided to be Sisterlocked, and she immediately e-mailed me back with the most positive and encouraging message. She also recommended Gigi my wonderful certified Sisterlock consultant, whom I adore! I dedicate this post to Sister-in-Lock because it was her radiant beauty and warm spirit that inspired me to move forward with my Sisterlocks.