Naturally Happy

Cheese:P

  Since going on this journey, I must admit, I am a lot happier and enjoying life. I have received many compliments on my bubbly personality, my positive energy, my silliness, and well-being. I even shocked someone when I became serious and immersed when answering a "serious" philosophical question on why I became natural. Yes, I can be serious.

Well, you know my story, but I think I have tons of new reasons why I have this new found pep in my step and a smirk on my face. Here are my top reasons as to why I am "Naturally Happy" these days.

1. It rained like cats and dogs yesterday and I didn't run inside screaming, "OH, MY HAIR!". Instead, I sashayed and strutted with the best of them. My hair likes water. The natural curl patter defines better when it is wet. I walked in and I looked like the girl from the "Soul Glow" add. 

     I didn't have to worry about my hair developing an odor from chemicals....PU! Wasn't worried about my $50 and up weave, my style getting messed up, or trying to fix it and messing it up even more than it already is. (Been there and done that)

2.  I pay a lot less money. I know there are a lot of natural hair care stuff out there, but I'm interested in just sticking with one thing that will help my hair grow out. Since going to Natural Alternatives (once a month) and just using what Shaha prescribed, I'm not really using anything else. I have a leave in that I was told to keep using, olive oil, and the Doo Grow, but that's it. Nothing else. Don't have to worry about a relaxer and touch ups, don't need a trim anytime soon, and I don't need the latest gizmo to press or curl my hair. Gel is gone, I shampoo less, I add water more (which is free), and the Alaffia is so condensed I still haven't put a dent in it after a month. 

3. I HAVE SO MUCH TIME! I wake up, I wet my hair, add the leave in conditioner and the Alaffia Lotion, and then I'm out the door. I'm not lazy, just busy. I attend school full time, work a lot of hours, study,  work out, stay active, hang out with friends, and so on and so forth. I am in and out. I was complimented two days ago "That look fits you young lady", and it does. I'm not worried about my looks because I feel and look healthy.  

4. I can sleep at night. You know what I'm talking about. I don't have to worry about a crook in my neck from propping my head up. Yeap, you all know what I'm talking about. Enough said.

At work....:-)

5. I feel better about myself. I eat healthy, look healthy, and after a month of eating healthy have "The glow". I have had some break outs from the toxins leaving my body, but as you can see, I have rosy cheeks and a glimmer in my eyes (That's not photoshop). I tend to wear less makeup now.

So, yes I have several good reason for my spirit, my karma, my aura, my whatever you want to call it to be light and free. Less worries. That's what God (or whomever you believe in) meant it to be. 

Peace be with you

The Lost Girl

Just wanted to say....Thank You!

I just wanted to thank everyone for reading, supporting, number 1'ing my post (who ever you or you all are), and following my many ups and downs during this natural hair journey. I know that time is precious and the fact that you (some of you at 4:30 in the morning even) are taking your precious time to read my thoughts means a lot. This has been an awesome therapeutic tool for me that I hope motivate others to challenge themselves to take the leap and be better than they were the day before. A journey of a thousand miles starts with...ONE STEP.

So once again..Thank you and Blessings ( Yes, I wrote this at 1:03 am) for those who pick at me for writing at odd hours:-). Inspiration has no time limit.

Blessings and love.....

The Lost Girl

Meet the Natural Alternatives Salon Stylist- Louisville, KY

The Salon is OPEN....

As you know, I rave all the time about Natural Alternatives Salon. This place is the premier salon in Louisville, KY for natural hair. Yes, there are other salons out there, but nothing compared to the professionalism, class, education, knowledge, and working environment as this place. I love it and will find myself going here often for my natural hair journey.

They are a NATURAL DREAM TEAM of stylist. I mean beautiful, natural, talented, and FIERCE. When I go there, I find myself laughing, learning, making new connections, and meeting new people. Love it love it love it! The team consist of Shaha (My favorite..I'm partial because she's my stylist, knowledgeable about EVERYTHING, and we both like good food YUM!), Regina (Is very elegant, stately, attentive to detail, and classy), Te' (Whoever said intelligence and beauty could not be put in one person needs to be slapped), and Dakota (A master of natural hair, the flat iron, and making you look fierce). The vibe is great among them and this chemistry makes the salon. 

Most importantly, you have the owner Jimmy (no pic provided...but soooo am going to have to get one :D). Jimmy makes sure all services are provided at the pinnacle of  perfection. I get my text and e-mail messages to remind me of my appointment....even after I called a week early because I was excited about my hair appointment. I am reminded to stop taking the business receipt (for the second time in a row) in a nice way, I am asked about how I felt about my appointment and scheduled for upcoming/ future appointments,  and I am treated like family...which means we jest, banter, and I am called silly and goofy (because I am ...silly and goofy).

Shaha & Regina

Te' & Dakota

Since starting my journey, I have tried a lot of things and strange methods to get my hair to grow. My phenomenal stylist Shaha (pictured below) squashed all that quickly and put me on an Alaffia hair regimen. Since going to this awesome salon, my hair has been GROWING, is healthy, and feels good.

I had my appointment today and my excitement was apparent after Shaha acknowledge her pride in my hair growth and thickness. That's what happens when you listen to a professional RIGHT:P. My hair, as you already know, has been itching. I was concerned because I didn't know if it was the ole folks "your hair is itching because it's growing" or something worse. I prayed it wasn't worse.

"When your hair is itching...it is growing." Sorry scientist...for some this is true! 

Don't be mad.

Well, the consensus is in. The reason why my scalp was itching so badly was because ...........(THE OLE FOLKS WERE RIGHT)....ITS GROWING. Shaha explained that there are two types of dandruff. There is the product dandruff and growth dandruff. Product dandruff is not healthy and not good for your scalp. It is thick, chalky, and white. This is due to not washing well. With natural hair, you have to make sure to wash your hair thoroughly. My hair is very dense, so I was told to wash my hair longer to make sure the product washes out. The second type of dandruff, natural dandruff, is due to growth. This dandruff is about the color of your skin tone and means that your hair is growing.  So, My hair is growing.

I am going to continue to learn and grow with Natural Alternatives Hair Salon. I think this is a positive start to my natural hair journey. I am ( THIS IS FOR YOU JIMMY) very serious about my growth and take it to heart. As I said earlier the vibe will only attract the people and things that you put out. If you put out a negative vibe, you will get negativity. For a long time, my confusion only brought me negativity. Since starting this journey and finding an awesome support group (Derby City Naturals (Haley Rhine), a litany of Facebook natural friends, You Tube, bloggers, books, my family, and the Natural Alternatives Salon) I am doing well.

Blessings

The Lost Girl

Natural Attraction- Do men like women with natural hair?

So, I am a single girl sporting a TWA..and I am wondering....

Are there men out and about in the world who don't mind a woman sporting a TWA (teeny weeny afro), big chop, or any other assorted natural hair style? I sometimes wonder what the men folk think when their woman walks up to them, hand on hip, and says, "I want to go natural?".  I just wonder what goes through their mind? Is it, "Oh no, I can't handle a bald girl on my arm" or " I can't run my hands through it" and " NAPS....uhm baby..no". Or is it, "Oh, wow I can't wait to see this", "I love you no matter what you look like." or " Go head my Nubian Queen..THROW, GROW, and SHOW your FRO!" Anyway, I know my imagination is really bad, but I can only wonder what goes on in the male psyche .

Which me would you date?

Lace Wig Me

Relaxed Me

Natural Me

                                              

So, do men prefer fake over real? Does it matter?

When I wore wigs and weaves, I wore them because I was told that I was more attractive with longer hair. Also, society has ingrained that long hair is feminine and short hair was masculine. But I hated wearing them. I hated the odor, the itchiness, the glue, the fact that it could pull out your hair, the waste of money....and yet I did it. And though I was considered attractive, I knew at times it wasn't attractive. The fact that it wasn't "real" wasn't attractive. The fact that I could take it off  wasn't attractive.  

Please, don't hate on me...I am not putting down wigs or extensions. If you can flaunt and rock them, then do it. I use to and will probably be using synthetic hair to get my hair braided once it is long enough. But what I am trying to relay is...is all that we are doing to our hair....is it even attractive? Is it appealing? Is it worth it? 

I do see a lot of natural love out there. Black men and women who have found natural peace with each other and supporting each other through this journey. Inter-racial natural relationship that have bloomed, been accepting, and grown beautifully. And don't forget my LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender) naturals who are rocking the naturalness all over and being proud of their love.

But I guess...and hope that maybe someone can look at me for me. Like me for me. Not look at old pics of me or have an idea of what I should look like and say I should reconsider that look. Nope, don't want that. Been there, done that. I hope to be blessed with someone that can embrace the growing, changing, healthy, in-tuned balanced person that I am developing into each and everyday. The new me. The blooming me. The natural me. Someone who is comfortable with little ole 5ft 4in me the way that I am as I am with myself.

Lost Girl...Out...

A natural dish: Summery Stuffed Potato

Summery Stuffed Potato

I was asked to share some of my dishes on here. I tend to eat only veggies and seafood, no meats (as some of you may know) Since changing my diet, I have noticed that my skin is clearer, I'm not as sleepy and heavy feeling, and I have a lot more energy.

Here is what you will need....

Potatoes (I used Idaho Potato but if you have enough moolah for organic..even better)
Yellow and Green Jalapeno Peppers (pre-cut)
Black Olives (pre-cut)
White and Red Onions
Fresh Mushrooms (Pre-cut)
Sour Creme (All natural..sold at Krogers)
Parsley
Cheese (Shedding Cheddar and Mozzarella)
Salt
Pepper
Green Pepper
Olive oil
Broccoli (1 head)
Cauliflower (1 head)
Butter
Bacon Bits ( For those who eat meat)

1st Step

Pre-heat your oven 360 degrees

1 Step- Take and chop your mushrooms, cauliflower, red and white pepper, green pepper, and broccoli. Take you pan and add two table spoons of olive oil and turn the stove on low heat. In the pan, place the chopped veggies into the skillet and let simmer for 1 minute. You only want to lightly cook the veggies to retain the nutrients. Add a PINCH of salt, pepper, and parsley. To maintain moisture, use your skillet top or pan cover.

After a minute remove and place to the side to cool.

2nd Step- The Potato

2 Step- Take your potatoes, place them on a flat baking pan after a thorough washing. Cut a small slice in the middle of the potato at the top half. Do not cut it all the way open. This will help it cook. Place the potatoes in the oven for about 15 minutes. Make sure to periodically butter your potato to keep it from burning.

3rd Step- FLAVOR!! YUM

3 Step- (Optional but awesome) To add a little zing, I added yellow and green jalapenos to add a spicy and sweet tangy flavor. I also added black olives.

 4th Step-

4 Step- When your potatoes are done, take and slice open the baked potato. Place your shredded cheese in first so that it can melt. Then place in the all natural sour cream. Next, place in your mixed veggies, your jalapenos and black olives. You can add bacon bits (if you have people who eat meat) and parsley for added flavor.

I hope you enjoy. Its such a fun and summery dish to try. It beats meat and heavy meals.

Happy Burning!

The Lost Girl

Itchy Scalp

 

Back in the olden days,

The old folks use to say, "If you had dandruff or itchy scalp, it meant your hair was growing". The remedy was to have your head scratched, washed, greased applied, and you were sent on your merry way. Now, I did some research on this old saying to see if this was trued.

 Basically, this came about because my hair has been itching like crazy. It has been growing but if itching meant growth, my hair would be down to my tush. Statistically, hair grows roughly 1.25 centimeters or 0.5 inches per month. So, even though I wrote this in several of my articles that I think my scalp is itching  because my hair is growing, I am learning that this may not be true this time around.

I have a hair appointment this Tuesday to see what could be the issue. There are several things that could be causing this. One, I have combination skin (oily in the T zones/ dry outside of the T zone area). My scalp irritation could be due to my body producing more oil due to the change in weather and diet. I am no longer eating meat, just sea food/ fish, water, tea, and veggies. Secondly, there is seborrheic dermatitis, which is a form of skin inflammation caused by oily skin, hair products, stress, acne, and other environmental factors. Third, I could be allergic to the shampoo, conditioner, and lotion now. And lastly, the older generation is right and I just need to walk around patting my head with my hand all day when it starts itching. The latter, I wish not to do.

To be honest, I felt like I was back in high school. Awkward skin problems, acne, and oily skin. Just put the braces back on me and WAHLAHHHH- Nerd Central. Anyway, I have had this problem in the past but what was used then won't probably be healthy for my hair now. I remember, after getting a relaxer, the beautician felt that it would be beneficial to put "witch hazel" on my scalp. Yes, hmmmmm...you get the picture. It BURNED! At that time it cleared my scalp, but it returned rather quickly. I did medications, Neutrogena, lemon mask, Retin-A, and everything else you could think of...but it took "good ole fashion" growing up to get rid of the acne and itchy scalp. Sigh.

Now, as you know, I have been sticking with the less is more modicum. I have only been using what the beautician provided me and so far, my hair has grown out, thick, and healthy. I am hoping to find the cause. Maybe my regimen needs a bit of tweaking. I don't know.

Wish me blessings,....

The Lost Girl

Twist Styles

In commemoration of my new growth and now having the ability to twist my natural hair, I thought it would be awesome to put up some different twist styles that are both beautiful and sassy. These styles are very professional, graceful, versatile, daring, and bring out our hair's natural beauty.

Blessings and Happy Twisting

The Lost Girl























 

 

 

 

 
 

Update Pictures: Progress

This is a wash and go pic. I have some shrinkage.

So, I thought I would put a 2 1/2 week update pic since my hair appointment at the beginning of the month. I went to Natural Alternatives Salon for the mist treatment, trim, and hair education. I have only been using the Alaffia Hair Products and Doo Grow to lock in moisture.

I had a huge trim, but now it has grown back a lot and itching like crazy. Itching for me means growth. A lot has to do with the spring/ summer weather, the natural hair products, and staying on top of a time friendly regimen. Here are some updated pics. 

Enjoy:

The Lost Girl

Looks at me striking a pose. I quick twisted so you can see the thickness.

                                                               Its TWISTED & EVEN

 Length Check---This was uneven two weeks ago.

Its thick. Should I consider a color for the summer?

. 

What it looks like- damp Wet & Go

Blooming

 

As you all know,

I am striving to be a better, healthier, stress less (not free), and natural person. I am learning to love myself, take care of myself, lose weight, improve my mind, and understand how my body works. This was only suppose to be a "natural" hair blog, but it ended up turning into something more. Instead of  being just place to vent my feelings over my hair, this blog has become an agent of change for myself. It such a short time I have been motivated to do so many things.

Starting this natural hair journey has taught me many things about myself. It has taught me that I am beautiful, that I have the ability to become healthy and lose weight, that I can be my own person, to over come anxiety, and more. For so long I have tried to fit in a specified mold of what I was to look like, act like, and feel like that I became lost.

But now, I feel so at peace with myself. Since starting this journey, which took me 29 1/2 years to finally make, I have come to learn that people do not define me, my beauty, my personality, the feelings that I feel, and more......I define me. The pieces that make me into the person that I am are personal...both inside and out. It is not for others to determine or define. Being different makes me and everyone else who has the power to try..... beautiful.

 

I have made huge changes. I am sticking with one style, which was the purpose of this blog in the first place, and not changing my look chaotically like I was doing. This has taught me to be patient and control the need to fit a certain mold and other's expectations.


I am no longer beating myself up because I have tried to be natural before. Instead, I am praising myself for making the effort again and sticking to it.

I am speaking more in public again, being mindful of what I say by speaking slowly, and thinking about what I say before I say it. Since taking the time to work on this issue I have increased my participation in giving  in chapel services where I attend.  I also participated in karaoke, which is something I would not have ever thought of doing The anxiety that I once felt  that was so debilitating...I have learned to control and work through.

I took a vacation for myself. I didn't push it aside or make some excuse as to why I shouldn't go...I just went, on my own, treated myself, and had a good time. I knew that I needed it and deserved it. In this short time, I had made many awesome achievements and I needed a reward. And so, I took a trip, and loved every minute of it. I didn't have to go with a significant other or with family, I just went for myself.

My spiritual self has developed and grown. I am a religious person, but I needed to work on my spiritual side. I was so stressed out, tired, unhappy, overworked, and so on and so forth. That's what lead to the multiple hair styles, anxiety, and not letting the real me develop. Since beginning this journey, I have become more conscious about the vibes that I take in and put out. I have learned that it is my responsibility to keep myself in balance, and taking care of my soul and emotional well being is the key to maintaining a sound spiritual self.

 

So, in short I love being natural. Being natural has been a life altering experience. Even though it has been rough at times, it has taught me so much and given me the ability to see what I am capable of doing and achieving at  such a short time.

Whenever I think about this change that I am undertaking, I see myself ( and other naturals who have been through this), as a flower. In order for a flower to bloom, it has to be nurtured, taken care of, tended, water, loved, and more. Without such care, it will wither and die. When it is cared for, it will grow, bloom, and return better and better each year.

Blessings..The Lost Girl

Hair-spiration:

                                                                                                   
Its that time again......

Time for some hair-spiration to get us naturals a little bit of gumption and strength to get through the rough and tough stage. I am enjoying my TWA. Especially during this spring heat wave. Although I hated getting it cut, it is healthier and thicker since changing my regimen. Also, my hair is growing like a weed since the weather has become more humid (A plus for natural hair).

It has been three weeks since my last natural hair appointment. I will return this Tuesday at 11...with BELLS ON for my wash, protein mist treatment, and trim (maybe). Here are some of the styles that I can't wait to try when my hair grows out.

Enjoy
The Lost Girl