FunkyHairChic: Cute Bun Style AND Mini Product Review!!!

Hello Curlie Girlies!


I've missed you ladies! I'm back in business! Thank you all for the wonderful well wishes as I took this hiatus. It was an awesome experience over the last month and I'm so thankful for what God is preparing for me in my life! It's interesting how taking yourself out of the equation for a while and focusing totally on Him leads to what He reveals to you. It's all about listening to His voice and being still. I know one thing, I will never be a vegetarian! I was on a vegetarian diet (Daniel fast) for 28 days and going that long with no meat was rough! Red meat and pork, not so much. Chicken and fish is a must. I'm an omnivore!!! 80% carnivore, though! LOL! Anyway, I'm happy to be back with you all. I have so many threads to catch up on CSJ!

Where do I begin???
Hair News:
Soooo, before I took my break, I told you all that I was participating in Moptop Maven's 2011 Challenge. Please keep her prayed up, because she's been gone for a long time. Word on the street is she's been seriously ill. She's always posting new things, but she hasn't posted in a month. I truly hope all is well.

So far my hair is good. I honestly haven't done anything spectacular to my hair in January. It was trimmed before the year began, and I wore mostly twistouts, twists, and puffs. Here are a few pics of my hair and I.

This is one of my best twistouts! Thanks to the Naptural85 twistout method my hair looks so defined and fluffy!







I heart big hair!


Afro Puff


This is how I wore my hair for the month of January. I have a confession, though. I've grown bored with my hair! I started feeling like this about two weeks ago and it hit me more last week when I just wore my hair in a puff all week. I need a change and fast! I don't want to do anything drastic, but my heart is telling me to try the straight look for a little while. I'm curious to see my progress and get a real "dusting" and shaping by a professional. I also want to try the Caruso rollers for a bouncy, fuller roller set! That's the beauty of our hair. We can do ANYTHING to it! Ladies, I've done my research for the last few months, and I've put it off for so long, and I'm ready now. I'm going to invest in a Babyliss Flat Iron recommended by Kai of ManeandChic.com. I read about it some more and I'd like to give a try.

On another note, I did a full strength henna treatment the other night. I only did a henna gloss (July)once before, but I wanted to try the full on henna. I found this recipe on A Grl Can Mac blog. The mix was very simple: 75-100 grams henna (1 box Jamila), 1 can of coconut milk, 1 tsp of raw honey and grapeseed oil. I did not let the mixture sit for more than hour. I did not want the dye release. I don't want a change in my hair color. The mixture took up my entire head of hair. I almost ran out at the end. Looks like 100 grams will be plenty for me. The process was long, but not too long. I prepoo'd and detangled the night before. Cleansed my hair and scalp with my Giovanni TTT shampoo. Immediately following, I applied the henna to damp hair and I left it on for conditioning for about 2.0 hours. The mixture rinsed out pretty well. I, then, went back and shampooed my hair with the same shampoo and buffered with HE Hello Hydration/EVOO and detangled a 2nd time. Finally, I rinsed my hair until the water was clear. Afterwards, I applied only Kinky Curly Knot Today and Jojoba oil; used my Denman to detangle my hair (it clumped beautifully), and plaited my hair in large twists to air dry. I sealed my ends with just jojoba oil and that was it! No shea butter (which is a first). My hair feels and looks wonderful!

I had plans to be extra cute for Superbowl weekend festivities, but the weather is ruining it! We have about 2-3" of snow on top of the ice storm we've had all week. This happened at the exact same time last year during NBA AllStar weekend. Booo for Dallas! Anywho, I plaited my hair in thick braids for yet, another braidout! I'm soooooo bored with my hair! OMG! Does anyone else or has anyone else felt this itch yet? I never thought I'd get to that point, but hey, other curlies seem to know it happens! No, I don't have any desire to relax! AT ALL! I just feel like I've done it all! I may try another BKO or TNC. Better yet, I'll just throw them up in two strand twists for about six weeks and leave it alone for a while. IDK...I'll figure something out!

Skincare:
I've stopped the OCM to cleanse my face. I've discovered my skin is ultra sensitive around my cheeks. I broke out around the holidays and I realized the OCM was the culprit. I used the lightest oils in my blend, but my skin just doesn't like it. It works wonders for many, but I'm not so lucky. I went back to my original tried and true regimen. I use Avalon Organics cleansing gel and moisturize with my cocoa butter lotion. I still get the occassional hormonal blemish around my monthly, but for the most part, my skin has improved in the last 30 days having stopped the OCM.

Health:
I started a strict cardio/workout regimen. My friends and I want to run a 5K in the spring. Lately, I've been making myself get out and walk/jog to get my stamina back up. All this healthy eating in January motivated me to get active, too. I'm on the Couch to 5K plan so I'll keep you guys posted on how that's going.

That's about it, ladies. I'm suffering from a little cabin fever right now, because our schools have been shut down since Tuesday and will remain closed tomorrow. My driveway is about 2" of solid ice and I tried to shovel it and failed. But I broke outta here and went to the Taco Bueno, because I was starving like Marvin! I thought I had enough food to hold me down until this passed, but I didn't think it go on this long. This is ridonkulous!!! Now it's snowing and we just added another 3" to the already icy conditions! Thanks Mother Nature!

Have a great weekend, lovelies! I'll be catching up with y'all! Smooches!

great. I love the shots of your hair. I hope you will pass the boredom stage soon.

Hey FHC,

Glad to see you back around with the gorgeous hair! Don't feel bad, I too grow bored with my hair from time to time. Doing something different will help ease the boredom and I'm sure your hair will look gorgeous when you straighten it.

Hey FHC...

The weather in Dallas has been big news this week. I know that you have to be going crazy being stuck in the house since Tuesday!!

Your hair is just beautiful!! I love all of the pictures. I can understand getting bored, and I'm sure you would enjoy being straight for a couple of weeks!

Good luck with your goal for the 5K, and I'll be checking back to see how you are doing. Hopefully this will motivate me to do SOMETHING!! LOL

TTYL

Welcome Back FHC!! I'm so over this weather. It was exciting the first day, maybe the second, but 4...not so much. Us Texans are not equipped to handle this!

I concur with you..chicken and fish is a must! I don't eat beef or pork anyway, so I didn't miss that at all. I did lose 11 pounds though!

Hair is looking gorgeous as usual! Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow and show a glimpse of hope for Saturday night Superbowl festivities. Take care and stay warm!

Love the hair!!! It's getting so BIG!!

As for flat iron, I cosign!! That's the one I have. Wwestndnbeautyy also recommends that one. She flat irons her hair often.

I've done the Daniel fast before and it wasn't so bad but all the complaining my hubby did made me crazy. He is a carnivore. If all I cooked for dinner was meat, he would be happy.

Good luck on your 5k! I loved Couch to 5k!! When the 9 weeks are up, you will be AMAZED at what you can do!! I am doing a 5k in March and April. I recently started training again after taking a break over the holidays.

Welcome back - you look fantastic

Yay! You're back! So glad to see you and your pics and hair are fab! Girl, you know I've had the itch to do something new a couple times and I always do the same thing- go straight for a few days. I'm contemplating that now as a matter of fact. I try to do it once every 3-6 months and that's it. I can't wait to see your hair if/when you do it!

Ok, it seems I did it again! I started another new thread by accident. Have I been gone that long that I forgot how to post to my thread??? WTH! My age must be kicking in now! Oh well, it's a new year, maybe it's for the best! LOL!

kim wrote:great. I love the shots of your hair. I hope you will pass the boredom stage soon.

Thanks Kim! Thanks for stopping by! I'm sure it will pass once I do something new. It comes and goes in phases. This is my phase now.

krazy coils wrote:Hey FHC,

Glad to see you back around with the gorgeous hair! Don't feel bad, I too grow bored with my hair from time to time. Doing something different will help ease the boredom and I'm sure your hair will look gorgeous when you straighten it.

Hey lovely! Thanks so much! I'm glad to be back! It's good to know that I'm not the only one feeling like this. Your hair looks amazing! Loves it! I'm getting it done next weekend so I'm looking forward to the change!

KinkyNappyHappy wrote:Hey FHC...

The weather in Dallas has been big news this week. I know that you have to be going crazy being stuck in the house since Tuesday!!

Your hair is just beautiful!! I love all of the pictures. I can understand getting bored, and I'm sure you would enjoy being straight for a couple of weeks!

Good luck with your goal for the 5K, and I'll be checking back to see how you are doing. Hopefully this will motivate me to do SOMETHING!! LOL

TTYL

Hey KNH! Yes, girl after Day 2 in the house I was ready to bust out of here! We have a little sun out so that's good sign! Thank you, doll! I'm getting it pressed next weekend so I'm excited to see something new! Yes, I'm working on me! This weather has totally jacked with my routine, but I'm still working out at home. I bought a stability ball and a yoga mat and some new running shoes! I'm ready! Get motivated, chica! I was in Houston for the Superbowl! I had a blast! Dallas is sooooo disappointing!

DivaDreamgirl wrote:Welcome Back FHC!! I'm so over this weather. It was exciting the first day, maybe the second, but 4...not so much. Us Texans are not equipped to handle this!

I concur with you..chicken and fish is a must! I don't eat beef or pork anyway, so I didn't miss that at all. I did lose 11 pounds though!

Hair is looking gorgeous as usual! Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow and show a glimpse of hope for Saturday night Superbowl festivities. Take care and stay warm!

Heyyy D! You and me both! We made through our fast! Thank Him!!! The first thing I had was chicken and waffles from Grand Lux and I tore it up!! I lost about 7 lbs and I'm feeling great! Gotta keep the momentum going! You look fabulous, D! Love the avi! You're rocking that natural, sis!

Lynnieluve wrote:Love the hair!!! It's getting so BIG!!

As for flat iron, I cosign!! That's the one I have. Wwestndnbeautyy also recommends that one. She flat irons her hair often.

I've done the Daniel fast before and it wasn't so bad but all the complaining my hubby did made me crazy. He is a carnivore. If all I cooked for dinner was meat, he would be happy.

Good luck on your 5k! I loved Couch to 5k!! When the 9 weeks are up, you will be AMAZED at what you can do!! I am doing a 5k in March and April. I recently started training again after taking a break over the holidays.

Hey LynnieLovely!! Yes, girl I've heard great things about the Babyliss! I'm going to snag one of those. This was my 2nd year on the Daniel fast. It was much easier this year, but last year we did 40 days and I so not mentally prepared for it! It was so hard. I didn't even eliminate all meat last year. This year I did and I had a better experience with it. Definitely motivated me to stay healthy and active. I'm excited about the challenge! I'm shooting for May for my first 5K! We should definitely keep each other motivated!

BlondeByDesire wrote:Welcome back - you look fantastic

Thanks BBD! Glad to be back, lovely!

poeticlyspkng wrote:Yay! You're back! So glad to see you and your pics and hair are fab! Girl, you know I've had the itch to do something new a couple times and I always do the same thing- go straight for a few days. I'm contemplating that now as a matter of fact. I try to do it once every 3-6 months and that's it. I can't wait to see your hair if/when you do it!

Hey PS! I've missed you, doll! I'm glad it's not just me! This will be my first attempt going straight and I'm anxious to see my length! It's been almost two years and I have no idea where my progress is. I just know my hair gets bigger and bigger by the month! LOL! I can't wait to see it, too! Made my appt for next weekend! Pics to come!

Looking FAB as usual! I can't wait to see it straight!

Thanks you Sweet! I'm looking forward to it, too!

Hey Lady!

Lookin' good, as always!

Time to one's self is a wonderful thang, right? ;-)

I've been wondering what was up with Mop Top Maven...I know she said she was sick, but it's a been a minute. Prayers...done!

Don't hit 'em too hard on Super Bowl Sunday...with yo fly self!

Hey lady,
I love the big hair!!
You look great!!

Hey chick...I was so surprised to see your comment in my CSJ! Glad you're back on CN. Your hair looks fabulous, as usual. I can't wait to see Nina straightened.

A few friends have done the fast and it looks interesting. I'm with you, though...chicken and fish would be hard to part with. I only have red meat every 3-4 weeks, but chicken, salmon and tilapia are in regular rotation!

Good Luck with Couch to 5K. I'm doing the Dash Down Greenville next month with a few friends from spin class. I'll probably never consider myself a real runner (cycling is my first love anyway LOL), but I can "wog" with the best of them.

Thanks girls!

I have exciting news! I was playing around with my hair yesterday as I getting ready to go out for some Superbowl festivities and I was curious to do a quick length check. Although I've done them in the past, I do them infrequently and not as often as I should. February is my 20th month natural and I figure I need to start paying close attention to my growth every 3 months.

My exciting news is I think I'm APL now!!!! Whoo-hoooo!! I plan to straighten my hair next weekend for a more accurate comparison. I haven't done a true check since June 2010 (little after my first year). Here I am six months later and I need you guys to be the judge. Is this APL or am I grazing it? Here is a comparison of six months of growth:

Top pics taken in June, bottom pics taken yesterday.


Bangs and Crown:

My crown is the softest part of my whole head. My curls are the loosest in that area. I wish I had a little more texture there sometimes, because it always seems to fall and not stand up like the rest of my hair.

I'm pretty darn pleased, because I guess I'm on track with my growth plan. I'm not quite 2 years natural, but it looks like my hair is growing on the average .5" per month. I'm not into measuring for inches, that's too much trouble. Pics are worth a 1000 words. So what do you think ladies?

Finally, I can't leave you without a photo montage of my hair yesterday. It was big like I like it and I got a lot of stares last night. Funny story, I was at Razzoos for dinner with friends last night, and I walked into the restaurant on the phone. As I sat down to remove my coat, still chatting away, this man came over to me and helped me take off my coat in the booth. My friends and I were like, WOW!, That was nice of you. I guess he saw me struggling to get comfortable. Random act of chivalry and it was sweet! He wasn't cute, though, but I was appreciative!



Happy Superbowl Sunday! Peaces!

I love your hair. As usual. I can't wait until mine catches up.

BEAUTIFUL GROWTH RETENTION AND
HOTTTTTT AVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I dont know if its APL, but i do know it looks great! Keep up the good work honey.

Love the new avi! Your longest layer in the back appears to be APL, you will definitely be able to tell once you flatiron.

WELCOME BACK BEAUTIFUL!!

I love the hair. Glad your Daniel fast yeilded in great results (as if there could be bad results lol) I was wondering about the OCM but my current skin reggie is working and I dont want to mess it up. I'm about to do a henna treatment now.

Keep up the good work.

Hey Chic!

Great to see you back. I've done the Daniel's Fast for 40 days a couple of times and it does call for mental preparedness, cause those hunger headaches and increased smelling sense are no joke. I get bored with my hair all the time. Right now it is straight, but i am ready to twist it up. I hope the weather out there is improving...i would send you some of our 70 degree weather if i could.

Fierce avi!!! Love the hair and you are always looking super fly! BTW- that looks apl to me!

Your hair is so awesome! Do you still have a fotki? I've recently BC'd (1/15/11) and I wanted to get some hair ideas and I couldn't find you . Actually I found you but it said Member not available.

Juices-n-Berries wrote:I love your hair. As usual. I can't wait until mine catches up.

Thanks JnB!

Intelligentbeauty wrote:BEAUTIFUL GROWTH RETENTION AND
HOTTTTTT AVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Thanks TWINNIE!!! I'm excited to see it straight!

CrissyQ wrote:I dont know if its APL, but i do know it looks great! Keep up the good work honey.

Thanks CrissyQ! Girl, look at all that growth on you! Check you out! Are you still thinking about locking?

krazy coils wrote:Love the new avi! Your longest layer in the back appears to be APL, you will definitely be able to tell once you flatiron.

Hey KC! Thanks so much! I'm looking forward to the straight look. I'm eager to see how far I've come.

SheeTacular wrote:WELCOME BACK BEAUTIFUL!!

I love the hair. Glad your Daniel fast yeilded in great results (as if there could be bad results lol) I was wondering about the OCM but my current skin reggie is working and I dont want to mess it up. I'm about to do a henna treatment now.

Keep up the good work.

Hey Sheeeeeee! I'm glad to be back! Yes, the DF was a great experience. I recommend it to any believer! Yea, don't rock the boat if aint' broke. I'm back to my original and it's working for me without OCM.

Nikcoils wrote:Hey Chic!

Great to see you back. I've done the Daniel's Fast for 40 days a couple of times and it does call for mental preparedness, cause those hunger headaches and increased smelling sense are no joke. I get bored with my hair all the time. Right now it is straight, but i am ready to twist it up. I hope the weather out there is improving...i would send you some of our 70 degree weather if i could.

poeticlyspkng wrote:Fierce avi!!! Love the hair and you are always looking super fly! BTW- that looks apl to me!

Hey Nik! Thanks and good to be back! I did the the DF 40 days in 2010 and struggled so much with it. This year was for 28 and it was much easier to do. Your hair is friggin' RIDIC! I want to be like you when I grow up! Meanwhile, another round of wintry storms are hitting us tomorrow! UGH!! Please send it, because I can't take this anymore!

Mom2KurlyT wrote:Your hair is so awesome! Do you still have a fotki? I've recently BC'd (1/15/11) and I wanted to get some hair ideas and I couldn't find you . Actually I found you but it said Member not available.

Thank you M2KT! So sweet! I do have a fotki and it's the CurlyBeauty. I have to pay my subscription, so I haven't updated in a while. You'll see the first 18 months. Let me know if you still can't find it.

poeticlyspkng wrote:Fierce avi!!! Love the hair and you are always looking super fly! BTW- that looks apl to me!

Thanks PS! I was feeling my sexy this weekend! LOL! I'm excited to see it straight to get a better idea!