Lady Mika--The Locs Start HERE. (lol) Leaving the interwebs for a while.

Hello ladies!

It's been a while hasn't it? (A long while is more like it.) I've had some pretty epic goings on, much of it positive. Hence the dropping in and out without really updating. Doesn't mean I don't love you all, because I do! But as things pick up for 2011, I won't be around as much anymore. I'll still come in from time to time of course.

I'm going to make plans to take a year's worth of guitar lessons (they have a new offer and me thinks my student discount may apply). It'll cost me about a grand, but if I can put the money together it'll definitely be worth taking. As for my artwork, I'm going to be working on an series of abstract paintings over the next few months. Pics of that will be posted as they happen.

As many of you have already heard, yes, I AM engaged now.



No, it's not diamonds (I'm really not a fan of diamonds). It's a sterling silver ring of the Egyptian/Kemetian scarab deity "Kheperi". Kheperi is a deity of regeneration, renewal and rebirth. He's also a creation deity. (Also seen with wings.) Amulets and other jewelry carved in Kheperi's image were often worn as a protective amulet by both citizen and nobility alike. The Fiancee' had this ring custom made at a shop where he knows the owner; he understands and respects my interests with Kemetian history, culture and spiritual practice. For wedding bands, HE wants to get us cartouche rings with our names on them. He proposed outside the ring shop on December 10th; I didn't even know that's what he was plotting. I thought we were going to get a ring FOR HIM. Next do you know, he's asking me to marry him. I said "Get off your knee. I already told you I'd marry you!" And the rest tells itself.

My hair is in yarn braids, and has been for the last four weeks. I've rebraided a few, especially around my edges and will rebraid some more as the days wear on. I'm aiming for a full EIGHT WEEKS. At one month, half the battle's been won. Gypsy is growing like a friggin' WEED. I've been consistently using my aloe grow spray mix, and oiling my scalp with a mix of castor oil, sweet almond oil, clary sage, lavender, rosemary, and cinnamon oil. I've also washed my braids twice so far with Giovanni Tea Tree shampoo (which I love). My scalp feels good, and I see no signs of distress with my hair at all. Epic WIN. Come February (or mid January if I make it that far with my yarn braids), I WILL be getting locs. And I WILL pay to have them started by a loctician--but that's it. I'm going to do my own maintenance with aloe vera gel whipped with coconut oil, castor oil, and an essential oil blend of my making. I'm not a fan of the "short phase" of locs, so I purposefully waited until my hair was longer. It's about the same length it was when I chopped it last February (nearly a year); when February comes around again, I imagine it'll be slightly longer. Either way, I'm getting locs and that's the end of it.

The weather sucked, to say the least. Sunday night was rough. By the time I got home, about a foot of snow fell. The train station (which is partially exposed) was covered with a pretty good layer of snow that the MTA FAILED TO SHOVEL?? Outside was worse. It was windy, and the snow in most places was up to my knees. I had to walk in the street on the way home (no worries about getting hit by a car, since there WEREN'T any cars on the streets)--where most of the snow was ankle deep. Getting through the courtyard of our apartment complex sucked ASS. First of all, the snow accumulated on a descending flight of steps (we live on a hill). So I'm sliding down the stairs in what was practically WAIST DEEP SNOW. Then I get into the courtyard proper, to find KNEE DEEP snow at first, and as I approach my own building, the snow is UP TO MY BOOBS. I stagger into my building, and I hug the radiator in the foyer in gratitude that I made it without being lost in a snow drift--IN FRONT OF MY OWN DAMN HOUSE. My fiancee' however, was STUCK AT WORK because the overnight person at his job lives in New Jersey which claimed State of Emergency. So he was trapped at his job for 24 hours--apparently, he's the only person AT his small company who lives IN THE CITY and not in some outlying country. Why that is, I don't know.

*I* ended up CALLING OUT of work the next day, because THE ENTIRE SUBWAY SYSTEM WENT STRAIGHT TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET. The only train in my neighborhood for at least 30 minutes (walking or otherwise) was completely SUSPENDED. No service, NOTHING. The buses were a 30 minute wait before they even showed up. Not even my supervisor was able to get to work. I was like "Look, my courtyard hasn't been shoveled at all. I'm trapped in my building for the moment, and even if they DID clear the paths out, I CAN'T LEAVE QUEENS. I'm calling out." And she didn't even get upset. She just said "Don't even worry about it. I'm trapped in my house too." So if you think we can't get snowed in here in NYC, THINK AGAIN.

But things eventually cleared up transportation-wise, and my fiancee' came home last night, dead tired and CRAZY PAYED. Overtime plus NIGHT SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL? MONEY WUT!? I smell VAY-CAY OUT OF THE COUNTRY next year!

And that's about all that's going on in my world. I will most certainly do a length check after I take these braids down (NOT looking forward to detangling. ), and pics WILL be taken of my locs when they get done.

Until my next update, have a great evening ladies. (I don't know why I put the Pharaoh up, just felt like it. )

CONGRATULATIONS MIKA!! I love the ring as I'm sure you could guess from our recent conversations on FB. Glad your hair is doing well and hell yea on those guitar lessons. I still can't play and my hunny lets me know how long I've had the guitar ever so often so I'm reminded that I STILL CAN'T PLAY lol Gotta love him.

cant wait to see your locs!!! my moms thinking about getting sisterlocs soon

Congrats on your engagement. I love your ring and the meaning behind it.

I cant wait to see your locs. I think I want Sisterlocs at some point in my natural journey.

AfrikanLatina wrote:CONGRATULATIONS MIKA!! I love the ring as I'm sure you could guess from our recent conversations on FB. Glad your hair is doing well and hell yea on those guitar lessons. I still can't play and my hunny lets me know how long I've had the guitar ever so often so I'm reminded that I STILL CAN'T PLAY lol Gotta love him.

Thank you AL! I don't wear rings because my knuckles are HUGE--but this shop owner is AMAZING. He didn't even size my finger before making the ring. He went off a description and the ring has enough "slack" to get over my knuckle and still fit. It's the only ring I've ever worn, really. Girl, when are you gonna start playing that guitar? LOL! I have a beginner's booklet I can mail to you if you want it, just to get started. It was written by the school and it's as good a place to start as any, until you can find lessons in your area.

And if you and your family ever make it up to NYC for one reason or another, I'll be HONORED to take you to the Kemet exhibit I went to. If I can share the epic experience I had (I was actually WEEPING in the museum!) with anyone, then I'm doing my duty to my ancestors.

rayray19 wrote:cant wait to see your locs!!! my moms thinking about getting sisterlocs soon

I LOVE sisterlocs, but I can't afford them (right now). I've already been told by FIVE people--including The Fiancee' to just start them now. If they keep feeding impatience, these braids might not last 6 weeks! LOL!

Hey Mika, haven't stopped by in a while...congrats on your engagement! I've been hearing about all the snow on the east coast and all I can say is thank God I'm in TX. I'm from VA and they are getting lots of it as well....don't miss it at all. Anyway, can't wait to see your locs. I know they are going to look great on you! Have a wonderful day!

jlowman1 wrote:Congrats on your engagement. I love your ring and the meaning behind it.

I cant wait to see your locs. I think I want Sisterlocs at some point in my natural journey.

Thank you! The Fiancee' has been EPIC and I've never been happier. And YES! If you get sisterlocs, DO TAKE PICTURES! I love the way they look!

LaToya28 wrote:Hey Mika, haven't stopped by in a while...congrats on your engagement! I've been hearing about all the snow on the east coast and all I can say is thank God I'm in TX. I'm from VA and they are getting lots of it as well....don't miss it at all. Anyway, can't wait to see your locs. I know they are going to look great on you! Have a wonderful day!

Thanks LaToya! Yeah, this snow was madness. I'm just glad it's over for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Stopping by to say hey. I missed your rockstar lifestyle. Lol. Congrats on the engagement. Can't wait to see the locs.

I am so excited! Congrats! The meaning of the ring..OMgee I almost cried! Honey the snow is no joke! I am so happy it's warming up so it can all go away!

LadyMika wrote:

rayray19 wrote:cant wait to see your locs!!! my moms thinking about getting sisterlocs soon

I LOVE sisterlocs, but I can't afford them (right now). I've already been told by FIVE people--including The Fiancee' to just start them now. If they keep feeding impatience, these braids might not last 6 weeks! LOL!

yea they are expensive i think the lady told me it starts around $300!!! but i can tell you really want your locks!! so im with them HURRY UP AND GET THEM lol ..and if there too short you could always get lock extensions

GReat News!!!! Congrats!

Hey Mika! Although I said so in the general thread- congrats again on your impending nuptials! Sounds so official, doesn't it? Anyway, can't wait to see your locs! I know they will be very nice, awesome, all that!

Juices-n-Berries wrote:Stopping by to say hey. I missed your rockstar lifestyle. Lol. Congrats on the engagement. Can't wait to see the locs.

I'm still a rockstar...I'm just not at the train station for the moment. (too cold out.) Thanks for stopping in!

sweetdrk1 wrote:I am so excited! Congrats! The meaning of the ring..OMgee I almost cried! Honey the snow is no joke! I am so happy it's warming up so it can all go away!

Thank you Sweet! We hit 50 degrees today! It's nice to know that the chances of me busting my behind walking down the street are A LOT lower.

Daughter of the Most High wrote:GReat News!!!! Congrats!

Thank you!

poeticlyspkng wrote:Hey Mika! Although I said so in the general thread- congrats again on your impending nuptials! Sounds so official, doesn't it? Anyway, can't wait to see your locs! I know they will be very nice, awesome, all that!

Yeah it does! Thanks for stopping in--I don't think these braids will last much longer.

rayray19 wrote:

LadyMika wrote:

rayray19 wrote:cant wait to see your locs!!! my moms thinking about getting sisterlocs soon

I LOVE sisterlocs, but I can't afford them (right now). I've already been told by FIVE people--including The Fiancee' to just start them now. If they keep feeding impatience, these braids might not last 6 weeks! LOL!

yea they are expensive i think the lady told me it starts around $300!!! but i can tell you really want your locks!! so im with them HURRY UP AND GET THEM lol ..and if there too short you could always get lock extensions

Oh see now, that's just peer pressure! And YOU TOOK OUT YOUR BRAIDS! Aww! They looked so cute on you too! Who's gonna keep me company now?

lol im just laying out some options for you lol and well i think ebbz still has hers in..

I love the ring! Congrats! And good luck with your locs. I want to loc up, but like you I don't like the short loc phase so I am going to wait a while...maybe. lol.

Hey LadyM....

Congratulations again!! Your ring is beautiful as well as the meaning. I've missed you much here on CS, but I've been MIA as well.

So you are thinking about locs? Well...I think that is a perfect style for you. The beginning stage is a bit awkward, but I like the look of locs once there is length as well.

I know that your guitar and art is your passion, and I wish you the best on both endeavors!!

soooooo i stop pass to visit AL and see her big news and find out YOUR engaged too i loooove it!! congrats and i love the non-traditional ring which means much more to u than diamonds. i cant wait to see yall weddin pics. im guessin...no babies soon? i love how u can refer to him as fiance instead of bf...i aint mad at cha'! there are some wonderful things sparkin for 2011 already. i seen the trashy madness n piles of trash left after the snowstorm...horrible!

i really love u guys! and PLEAAAAASE smile in ur weddin photos

congrats on the engagement and the ring is beautiful!

jaybella wrote:I love the ring! Congrats! And good luck with your locs. I want to loc up, but like you I don't like the short loc phase so I am going to wait a while...maybe. lol.

I'm on the verge of sucking it up and just going through it. It's a journey, after all.

KinkyNappyHappy wrote:Hey LadyM....

Congratulations again!! Your ring is beautiful as well as the meaning. I've missed you much here on CS, but I've been MIA as well.

So you are thinking about locs? Well...I think that is a perfect style for you. The beginning stage is a bit awkward, but I like the look of locs once there is length as well.

I know that your guitar and art is your passion, and I wish you the best on both endeavors!!

Hey KNH! It's been busy for both of us! No worries--busy is good! Being idle/inactive SUCKS! I'm still doing my homework on locs, but I'm pretty much ready for them. I love my kinky/curly hair, but I need something MORE. Besides, I'm pretty much stuck on the aloe-gro mix I've been using (and STILL use) and the oil mix I've made. I've had A LOT of growth since I put in my braids a month ago, so the short phase will be pretty....SHORT! Thank you so much for the well wishes!

NubieNatty wrote:soooooo i stop pass to visit AL and see her big news and find out YOUR engaged too i loooove it!! congrats and i love the non-traditional ring which means much more to u than diamonds. i cant wait to see yall weddin pics. im guessin...no babies soon? i love how u can refer to him as fiance instead of bf...i aint mad at cha'! there are some wonderful things sparkin for 2011 already. i seen the trashy madness n piles of trash left after the snowstorm...horrible!

i really love u guys! and PLEAAAAASE smile in ur weddin photos

Hey Nubie! No, no babies. At least, not anytime soon. We're both still sorting out this thing called life, and it'd be dead wrong to push those "growing pains" off on the children. We're happy with our cat, and that cat is a HANDFUL as it is! Yeah, snow in NYC doesn't stay white for very long. 2011 is shaping up to be a pretty good year isn't it? And yes, I'll smile in the wedding pics. Of course! I'm not THAT bad!

mizcreativelyme wrote:congrats on the engagement and the ring is beautiful!

Thank you! I'll have to pass by your thread (if you have one). Thanks for stopping by!

LadyMika, will you be adding your locs journey to your blog? When I first BC your tips helped a great deal. I still refer to it for recipes.

Happy New Year Lady Mika!

Congrats on the engagement! Your fiancee did a great job with the jeweler and the ring. So excited for you! 2011 is shaping up to a be a good year so far! I'm also excited to see your locs when you get them. My GF has been loc'd for 7 years, my brother for 4, and my cousin has been wearing her locs so long I forget what she looked like with loose hair! I may loc at some point but I love wearing a fro.

Congrats on your your engagement, the year of guitar lessons (sweet), and doing your artwork! Creativity, gotta love it!

Hi Mika!

Congrats on your engagement! Love that the fiancee got you a great ring. I hope my dude is getting my loud hints that I need to have an EMERALD on my engagement ring and definitely NO DIAMONDS! (i hate 'em)

I think you'd look great in locks and I think you should get them sooner rather than later. You remind me (face shape) of a friend of mine and her locks were so adorable when they were cheek/earlobe length. Hers are big and puffy rather than pencil-sized like you want them but I still think short locks would totally suit you and your cheekbones!