Guess What!?!

The back of my hair ( and coincidentally, my longest length) is now grazing SL!!! I am so excited about this! Now I know the front of my hair is shorter. It goes from just past CL to NL but my hair has always grown like that. But the fact that I'm reaching SL in the back is such a shock for me. I did not expect my hair to grow that fast in not even a year's time!

At this rate, if I keep up with all the DCing and protective styling, I should reach APL by this time next year! :)

Bantu Knot set pics

So I did a bantu knot set yesterday and it didn't come out as nicely as I would have liked. I think this is because I was rushing so some of the ends didn't curl as much. However, I think it looks decent since I am wearing my hair pushed back.

As you can see, this set is a good protective style since it definitely keeps your ends off your shoulders and it is pretty easy to maintain during the week. I will probably be doing a set 2 to 3 times a week (unless I decide to wear some other style).

Enjoy!

P.S.--Please excuse my mean looking face!

Random

As I was talking to my mom yesterday about my hair, I realized something.

When my hair is healthy, it is thicker. I mean noticeably thicker. I went to San Diego a few weeks ago and I saw my sorority sister. One of the first things she said was "Sharday, your hair is really really thick!" It dawned on me then that aside from the length, my hair is healthy when it is thick. Prior to my journey, my hair was very thin and breaking every time air hit it. Now my hair has been restored to its former glory.

Go figure. I wonder how you guys know your hair is healthy......

Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner Review

I tried this conditioner yesterday for the first time (got my mom to buy it) since the Target I was at was clean out of the ORS Replenishing Pak and I had to deep condition.

What it does (per the back of the bottle):

Why We Love It: It's like a trip to the tropics in a bottle

Why You Want It: The luxuriously creamy, foaming, hydrating formula leaves your hair feeling clean, glowing, softly scented, and super soft

What's In It For You: Organic coconut milk and ultra whipped egg white proteins along with weightless coconut oil to hydrate and nourish your hair as gentle cleansers wash away impurities

**Note: This line is also sulfate and paraben free**

Directions:

Shampoo hair

Apply conditioner to hair and leave on for 3-5 minutes. Rinse hair thoroughly.

Price: $6.99+tax (at Target) for 13 fl oz

What I did: After washing my hair, I applied the conditioner to my sectioned hair...concentrating on the ends. I then place a plastic cap on my head and sat under a heat cap for an hour. I then rinsed out the conditioner with lukewarm water.

What I thought: The conditioner definitely smells like a coconut. If you don't like coconut or want to smell like a pina colada...this is not for you! After rinsing it out, my hair felt soft and strong...similar to the way my hair felt after using Aubrey Organics GPB. Since this conditioner has egg whites and coconut oil, this conditioner is definitely a protein conditioner. If your hair is protein sensitive, you may want to follow up this conditioner with a moisturizing conditioner. This line also has a shampoo that I have heard positive reviews about but have yet to try.

Bottom Line: A good protein conditioner, not for those who are protein sensitive or hate the smell of coconuts.

Same Hair+Different Length=Same Lessons?

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I know I did....

Anyway, for the holidays, I went back home to Virginia and I had to change my hair regimen dramatically. As some of you may know, not only did it snow here 2 weeks ago but it is incredibly cold! So now I have to up the moisture ante so to speak for the time being. I'm also realizing that when I depart from my regimen, I don't really get the same results as before.

The first thing I did was start to pre-poo my hair again. I did this at the start of my journey but for some reason I just stopped. So before I washed my hair, I put a mixture of HE Hydralicious Reconditioning Conditioner (in the purple-ish bottle) and EVOO into my hair. I then sat under a heat cap for 30min to an hour. When I rinsed it out, my hair felt so soft! My hair really liked this extra kick of moisture. My hair still felt soft after I washed it too!

Another thing I have to do is up the protein in my hair especially when I straighten it. One thing I constantly did when I first cut my hair was deep condition. I would do a moisture DC mid-week and a protein DC on Saturday or Sunday. My hair thrived off of this and I saw very very minimal breakage despite the barrage of heat I put on my hair. As my hair grew, I got a little lax on the deep conditioning (meaning: I would still DC but only 1x a week). Now that I think of it, I think my hair thrives more with the frequent deep conditioning. It stays moisturized and strong!

Finally, I don't think I will ever air dry then flat iron again! My hair just didn't respond to it at all! My ends were just rough and terrible looking.....a definite difference from how my hair normally responds. I can air dry for anything else but this, for me, is a no go.

Well, that is it. Sorry this was a little long winded but a lot has happened! I guess the main point is: if what you are doing works, stick with it! Don't try to jazz it up or modify it...do what works! Your hair will thank you for it :)

I :HEART: Bantu Knot Sets

For the past couple of days, I have been in a cold sweat trying to figure out how I am going to protective style for the next few months. As you know, the longest part of my hair is now full neck length. My goal for 2010 is to reach full SL. To do that, I know I need to protective style like crazy so that my ends aren't constantly rubbing against my clothing. Here's the problem though: I didn't know what to do! I could do my beloved flexi-rod sets but it is so time consuming! And....I wasn't about to pay someone $60 to do something that I can do for free. I considered getting my hair braided for awhile. However, I still need to find a braider that I trust so that's out for now.

So what's a girl to do? Well I stumbled onto a bantu knot tutorial last night and I decided to try it out. I made about 18 bantu knots on my hair and went to bed. This morning, I unraveled them and lo and behold, I had curls! I wound up separating the curls and put my hair into my wanna-be puff. I love it! I can get my puff in half the time! Yes!

This is the tutorial I used to make the knots (very simple and easy to do!):

Some notes:

1) I did my set on dry hair! Earlier in my journey, I tried the set on wet hair and all I got was massive tangling and breakage. Do yourself a favor and do it on dry hair. You will still get curls.

2) You can do a knot set on relaxed hair. My hair is relaxed and it came out fine!

3) I put a small amount of Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz on my hair before I made the knot. It gives good hold without making your hair hard

4) I put rubber bands on the knot to hold it in place. If you go this route, be very careful when taking them out. You don't want to rip your hair out!

I'm still working on perfecting my set (there were a few straight pieces--nothing noticeable since my hair is in a puff) so that I can do a set and put it into a mohawk.

BIGGA BREAKFAST | Urban Top3 ۶♫♫♪♫

Wishing you a Bigga-Xmas!

& All the best for 2010

BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW | Urban Top3 ۶♫♫♪♫

The song below represent our 3 most popular songs for this week

#1. Snoop Dogg ft. Brandy & Pharrell - Special [NEW EXCLUSIVE]

New Snoop Dogg ft. Brandy & Pharrell - Special, Download @ http://www.thisishustlin.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezwq2bchHdk

#2. J Lo - Louboutins ( Remix)

J.Lo's new 1st sing Louboutins from her upcoming album LOVE? January 2010. She performed this song this saturday November 21, 2009 at the American Music Awards...

#3. Alicia Keys ft Beyonce - Put It In A Love Song (The Element of Freedom)

Alicia Keys ft Beyonce - Put It In A Love Song (The Element of Freedom)

♫·*'¨'*·♪╔══╦╦╣═╬╦═╗♥╔╣═╣♥╔╗╔╦═╦═╗♪·*'¨'*·♫

♫·*'¨'*·♪║║║║║╠═║║╠╣♥║╠═║♥║╚╣║═╣╩╣♪·*'¨'*·♫

♫·*'¨'*·♪╚╩╩╩═╩═╩╩═╝♥╚╩═╝♥╚═╩╣╔╩═╝♪·*'¨'*·♫

(ALLFM)96.9 | WWW.ALLFM.ORG
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FESTIVE FLYERS

Protective Styling with a Phony Pony

I have been REALLY lazy with my hair lately.

Don't get me wrong. I still wash and DC weekly but after that....I don't really feel like doing much with it. So for the time being, I have decided to phony pony it up for a while. If you have looked at my progress pics, you can see that I definitely have enough hair to gather it into a small ponytail. Since I don't think my hair is long enough to just go outside wearing my little wimpy ponytail, a phony pony will have to do.

Currently, I am using a Hype Hair synthetic phony pony that I got at Walgreens 2 yrs ago. The color is 1B and I believe I paid $10.00+tax for it (sorry I couldn't find a pic for it!). I also use the Goody Ouchless Hair Ties.

Here is what I do daily:

1) Apply a bit of moisturizer to my hair

2) Brush my hair up into a ponytail (gently, course) and put on hair tie as loosely as I can.

3) Put on ponytail

4) Smooth down my edges with IC Fantasia Hair Gel+water and a brush

5) Done!

When I come home for the evening, I make sure to take my ponytail down for a few hours ( to cut down on the stress my hair is going through from being pulled back). At bedtime, I gather my hair loosely with my hair tie and cover it with a scarf.

Well that is really what I do on the day to day with my phony ponys. The great thing is that I change my hair so much that nobody seems to really notice them! :)

BiggaBreakfast | Urban Top3 ۶♫♫♪♫

The songs below represent our 3 most popular songs for this week

   

#1. REWIND ft Anonymous - Prod By Footsteps 2009
#2. Do You Think About Me - 50 Cent
#3. Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Rock

For more goto: ~ HTTP://WWW.ALLFM.ORG

BiggaBreakfast | Urban Top3 ۶♫♫♪♫
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Coming up this week on the BiggaBreakfast..... L DEE and LLOYD FRONTLINE

L DEE & LLOYD FRONTLINE 

Join us @ sunrise...

Let us kickstart your day with our blend of fun and banter.

-------------------------------------------------

This week on the BiggaBreakfast...

* URBAN TOP THREE
* ENTERTAINMENTS: Round Up.
* TRAFFIC & TRAVEL: Updates
* BIGGA BIRTHDAY: Shout-outs
* GET OUT OF BED TRACK.

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Set off your day with ’The freshest flavas under the Urban Umbella’...

R&B // REGGAE // HIP HOP // FUNKY - URBAN HOUSE

Guaranteed to wake you with a 'SMILE'!

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BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW on (allfm)96.6 Tues morning 7.00am - 9.00am

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Check-out the

BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW: Fan Page | Promote your Page too

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Follow BiggaBreakfast on Twitter! http://twitter.com/BiggaBreakfast

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BiggaBreakfast Podcast!: http://biggabreakfast.podomatic.com/



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(Almost) 12 months of growth

Wow you guys....

Sorry for my silence lately. Things here have just been out of this world crazy. Well that, and I don't really have much to talk about. I've been kinda lazy on the hair front and I just had my mom put my hair into 2 french braids and called it a day. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to track my progress from this past year. I cut my hair last January and just took the whole hair growth thing from there. I think that I have an insane amount of growth! My longest layer is neck length now and quickly approaching collarbone (yes!). Think my hair is growing so rapidly because I do protective styling quite a bit and I tend to stick to my regimen. The real challenge will be when my hair hits shoulder length though.

Take a look at my progress from January to now!

LOVE SEX & MAGIC COMPETITION WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

CAROL ANNE MARSDEN

YOUR A WINNERS!!!

YOU'VE WON x 2 TICKETS TO SEE

STEVE SMOOTH SUTHERLAND & MELEKA @ BIJOU MANCHESTER, SAT.05.DEC.09

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

By Answering this Question:

Q. HOW MANY TIMES HAS YA DJ STEVE SMOOTH SUTHERLAND WON A MOBO AWARD FOR BEST RADIO AND CLUB DJ
-------------------------------------------------
Answer: FOUR TIMES

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

This weeks BiggaBreakfast Show. COMPETITION~CELEBCENTRAL~URBANTOP3

This week on the BiggaBreakfast...

WIN TICKETS TO SEE...

STEVE 'SMOOTH' SUTHERLAND & 'MELEKA' @ BIJOU, MANCHESTER, M3 7NJ. SAT 05th DEC, 2009

* ENTERTAINMENTS Round Up.
* GET OUT OF BED TRACK.
* URBAN TOP THREE.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Presented by... L DEE & LLOYD FRONTLINE.

kickstarting your day with the usual blend of fun, banter and the freshest Urban flavas...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CONTACT US BY TEXT//PHONE//EMAIL
OR EVEN MESSAGE US THOUGH FACE BOOK CHAT
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
For request & shout-outs,

Text your favourite ALLFM shows!

With our New! short code TEXT SERVICE! (text cost standard network rate)

Text ALLFM followed by your messsage to: 60300

Or contact... Studio Hotline: 0161 248 6767

Listen online: http://icecast.commedia.org.uk:8000/allfm.mp3.m3u.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW on (allfm)96.6
...Every Tues morning 7 - 9am
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BiggaBreakfast | Urban Top3 ۶♫♫♪♫

The songs below represent our 3 most popular songs for this week 

#1. Rihanna - Rude Boy HQ
#2. Beyonce & Lady Gaga - Video Phone
#3. Kandi - Fly Above NEW SINGLE

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Check-out the
BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW: V.I.P. Page...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BIGGA-BREAKFAST-RADIO-SHOWVIP-Page/110271643155?ref=ts
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Follow BiggaBreakfast on Twitter! http://twitter.com/BiggaBreakfast
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lloydfrontline
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Legendary band The Wailers return to the UK for a short tour and visit Manchester on the 26th November to play at The Ritz.

Legendary band The Wailers return to the UK for a short tour and visit Manchester on the 26th November to play at The Ritz.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Wailers are the most legendary reggae group of all time.
Together with former lead singer Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold
in excess of 250 million albums worldwide. In England alone, they’ve
notched up over twenty chart hits, including seven Top 10 entries.
Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have
also played or performed with international acts like Sting, Kenny
Chesney, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha
Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny
Wailer, and Burning Spear. As the greatest living exponents of
Jamaica’s reggae tradition – still led by original bassist and musical
director Aston “Family Man” Barrett to this day – the Wailers have
completed innumerable tours, playing to an estimated 24 million
people across the globe. They have also been the first reggae band
to tour new territories on many occasions, including Africa and the
Far East.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Their nucleus formed in 1969, when Bob Marley, Bunny “Wailer”
Livingston, and Peter Tosh recruited the Barrett brothers – bassist
Aston “Family Man” and drummer Carly – from producer Lee Perry’s
in-house band, the Upsetters, to play on hits such as “Lively Up
Yourself,” “Trenchtown Rock,” and many more. The Wailers, backed
by the Upsetters, also recorded two groundbreaking albums for
Perry – Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution – for the Trojan label. Of all
Jamaican rhythm sections, it was the Barrett brothers who had
infiltrated Jamaican music into worldwide pop charts with their work
on so many of the records that defined reggae music. So the new
Wailers were born, with the marriage between the island’s toughest
singer/songwriter and the already internationally successful Barrett
brothers’ rhythm section. Inspired by the Rastafarian religion and
driven by their ambitions of reaching an international audience, the
line-up pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records
in 1972.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Livingston and Tosh departed the group in 1974. At this point Bob
Marley reached out to the Barrett brothers to lead the group into their
next phase. In a musical culture in which it was the norm for
vocalists working with various rhythm secions, Marley was very
protective of his band and discouraged them from playing with other
artists. Thus the brothers assumed musical leadership of the
Wailers, backing Marley on the group’s international breakthrough
album, Natty Dread. Under Family Man’s guidance, they then
partnered with Bob Marley on the succession of hit singles and
albums that made him a global icon, including Exodus, named
“Album of the Century” by TIME Magazine in 1999, which contained
“One Love,” deemed “Song of the Millennium” by the BBC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drummer Carlton “Carly” Barrett was murdered in 1987, leaving his
brother as the main beneficiary of the Wailers' mantle. Subsequent
line-ups have revolved around Family Man, who is widely regarded
as one of the world’s all-time greatest bass players, confirmed by a
recent cover feature in Bass Player magazine. Modest and
unassuming, his heartbeat bass was the foundation for all of those
unforgettable performances by Bob Marley & The Wailers from the
seventies. As Marley’s former right-hand man and the musical
director of the group, he is widely acknowledged as the sole living
musician who is credible as the Wailers' bandleader. With Fams at
the helm, they’re one of the last great reggae institutions,. Year after
year, they continue to thrill audiences worldwide, breathing new life
into their universally loved music. The current lineup includes
keyboardist Keith Sterling, guitarist Chizzy, drummer Anthony
Watson, trumpeter Chico Chin, trombonist Everald Gayle and lead
singer
Elan Atias forming the core axis of the band.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wailers recently reaffirmed their continuing relevance and
versatility in modern music with a guest spot on country superstar
Kenny Chesney’s hit single “Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven,” also
appearing in the video for the song, shot in Jamaica. The band is
currently working on an album of all-new original material, due for
release sometime later this year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the meantime, the Wailers continue to perform to packed
audiences around the world, including their international “Exodus”
tour, which saw the band playing the full album of the same name
onstage, selling out crowds around the world. They haven’t foregone
their social consciousness, either: they’ve spearheaded the new
charity I Went Hungry, designed to use funds designated for touring
bands’ lavish “riders” to benefit the World Food Program (WFP) in
conjunction with the United Nations – feeding thousands of starving
children around the globe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legends in their own time, the Wailers continue to be an active force
in today’s music scene, not just with the undeniable influence upon
multiple generations of musicians in all genres, but the ongoing
spread of their message of peace, love and defiance that began
almost forty years ago. Their journey is far from over, and the world
is still waiting to catch the Wailers’ next move.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
---------------------------------------------------------------
L DEE & LLOYDIE ARE GIVING-AWAY TICKETS TO SEE
THE WAILERS BAND IN CONCERT @ THE RITZ M/cr
ON THURDAYS 26th NOVEMBER, 2009
---------------------------------------------------------------
Just answer this question...

Q. WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE FORMER LEAD SINGER OF THE WAILERS...

Was it...

A. Bobby Brown & The Wailers
B. Barrack Obamah & The Wailers
C. Bob Marley & The Wailers

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ALSO 2 PAIRS OF TICKETS F anOR COCOA-BLUSH:
BLACK TIE VS HEELZ & SKIRTZ @ BIJOU M/cr
ON FRIDAY 27th NOV 2009, ...Up for grabs!

Question to be asked live on air, so make you tune in!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CONTACT US BY TEXT//PHONE//EMAIL
OR EVEN MESSAGE US THOUGH FACE BOOK CHAT
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
For competions, request & shout-outs,

Text your favourite ALLFM shows!

With our New! short code TEXT SERVICE! (text cost standard network rate)

Text ALLFM followed by your messsage to: 60300

Or contact... Studio Hotline: 0161 248 6767

Listen online: http://icecast.commedia.org.uk:8000/allfm.mp3.m3u.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BIGGA BREAKFAST on (allfm)96.6 ...Every Tues morning 7 - 9am
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE WAILERS BAND @ THE RITZ WHITWORTH ST WEST, MANCHESTER,

M1 5NQ | THURS 26th NOV, 2009

Tickets info goto:~
http://www.glasswerk.co.uk or
http://www.ticketwerk.co.uk

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Since Starting My Journey

I have been on my hair journey for a while now (a year and a half to be exact) and I have noticed something. I am so leery of hairstylists now. It's gotten progressively worse for me. Let me give you some examples

* I won't get my hair braided

Why? The last time I got my hair kinky twisted, they were pulling my hair so tight, braiding so hard, and ripping a rattail comb through my hair--even when I asked them to stop. I kept mentally apologizing to my hair, praying that it wouldn't break off. I haven't had my hair braided since.

*I don't think I'm going back to my stylist

Why? Last time I got my hair relaxed there, the relaxer began to burn. When I brought it to their attention, they asked if I wanted to keep it on longer. Uh hello? I just said that this chemical you put on my hair is starting to burn! Wash it out!

What about you? Have you become more leery of stylists since starting your journey?

Why Didn't Y'all Tell Me??

Yesterday I caved.

After 14 weeks and 2 days of stretching, I could not take it anymore. I relaxed. I figured since I did a protein treatment last week, my hair should be good for relaxing. I went to Sally's and purchased the Silk Elements Relaxer, Mild Strength. Now before I continue on, I should say that I have self-relaxed in the past.....but back then I didn't really know what I was doing. Back then, I would leave the relaxer on for as long as 30 min in the name of getting it straight (I did this every 4 weeks back then too....yeah I know, yikes!). But now I know better. I have been enlightened. Anyway, relaxer purchased, I went home and parted my hair into 4 sections and applied grease to my scalp. I then went on to apply it. Around 18minutes in, my scalp started to tingle so I washed it out. I noticed immediately that I texlaxed my hair. I can definitely tell that the curl was loosened but my hair wasn't bone straight either. I was so happy because this is what I wanted! Yay!!

Anyway, I did all the conditioning, neutralizing, and more conditioning (yes, in that order) and went on to blow dry and flat iron my hair. I could see the difference in my hair immediately. My hair feels thicker.....fuller even. I love it! I can't believe I didn't do this sooner.....well actually I have but I didn't like it then (this was before I knew better). Why didn't you guys tell me that my hair would feel this amazing!?

I can't post pictures now because I am at work but as soon as I get home I will post some!

Cross Wrapping=Fail

I attempted to cross wrap the other day.

I have been on my hair journey for a while now and I have heard how regular wrapping puts so much stress on your hair and blah blah blah. So, I decided to cross wrap. Now my hair isn't insanely long.....I mean the longest part of my hair is neck length....and my hair is layered. Either way I thought it would be enough to work with.

Anyway, before I got ready for bed one night, I parted my hair right down the middle (like I was making ponytails). I grabbed one side and began clipping it back. I did the same thing with the other side. I then covered my hair with my mesh wrap thing, removed the clips, and put my bonnet on. When I woke up the next morning......my hair was the flattest thing you have ever seen!! I wound up having to pull out the flat iron just to get some "bump" in my hair! Ooooo! I was so mad!

So lesson learned. At this length, I can't cross wrap. It just doesn't work for me. Maybe when my hair begins to touch shoulder length I will try it again.

I Was Supposed to Relax this Weekend But.....

....I forgot......

I mean I genuinely forgot. I didn't realize this until I had just rinsed my DC out of my hair. SMH. I can be so scatter brained sometimes. So I am now 13 weeks and some odd days post. I don't plan to relax this weekend either. I might as well just relax at 16 weeks and call it a day.

Anyway.....

I am loving the Thermasmooth line! I think that is what is making this stretch a lot bearable for me. I found that I really have to make sure I target my roots but other than that, I flat iron on my wash day and I am done for the week! I love it! I have been using it for the past 2 weeks but I think this weekend I will give the heat a break and rock the flexirod set. I might get slightly larger rods since my hair is longer but we shall see!

The Best I Ever Had.....

I AM IN LOVE!!!!

Yesterday I purchased the Mizani ThermaSmooth line because I had heard so many good things about it.

OH MY FREAKIN' GOODNESS!

I don't know why I didn't try this line before but it made my 12 weeks post hair look like it had a fresh relaxer! There are 4 parts to this system but I had only purchased 3 since Ulta didn't have the 4th part.

I purchased and used:

ThermaSmooth Shampoo (Cost: $14 @ Ulta)

The shampoo is really creamy and smells very good! I lathered up one time since the shampoo has sulfates. However, I found the shampoo to be very moisturizing and non-stripping.

ThermaSmooth Conditioner (Cost: $18 @ Ulta)

The conditioner is creamy as well and smells as good as the shampoo. However, the instructions on the bottle say to leave it on for 3-5min (the instructions on the Mizani website say to leave it on 7-10 min with heat). Therefore, I deep conditioned with AOHSR for 15min prior to using this conditioner. I wanted to make sure my hair had enough moisture.

ThermaSmooth Smooth Guard Straightening Serum (Cost: $25 @ Ulta)

The serum is chock full o' -cones but this is the key to the entire line! Once I had blow-dried my hair, I sectioned my hair out and applied the serum to each section (only 1 squirt...a little goes a long way with this serum). I then flat ironed using my Sedu (set at 320 degrees). All I can say is WOW!! My hair straightened in one pass and my roots didn't revert. Shoot my roots still haven't reverted!!!

My thoughts

I think this line might be the key in helping me stretch longer. After my last relaxer, I'm a little hesitant to get a relaxer (since I want to be confident enough to try self relaxing). This line is a little price-y, however, it is well worth the $. However, if you still want to try the line but money is a little tight, purchase the serum.....that is the key to the entire line!

Here check out my hair.........

(ALLFM)96.9 & LEVENSHULME FESTIVAL 2009: Special Tribute Night In Memory of 'The Late STEVIE FLY - R.I.P.

(ALLFM)96.9 & LEVENSHULME FESTIVAL 2009: Special Tribute Night In Memory of 'The Late STEVIE FLY - R.I.P.

ALL FM Radio and Levenshulme Festival 2009 are organising

A Special Tribute Night In Memory of 'The Late' STEVIE FLY

who sadly passed away on Wed 14th October 2009.

Stevie presented allfm's popular 'Caribbean Connection Show'

which went out every week on a Saturday afternoon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His funeral was be held on:
Thursday 29th October, 2009. from 11.30am
at the Church of God of Prophecy,
Moss Lane East, Manchester, M14 4SS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The special Caribbean Carnival themed tribute to Stevie

Took place on the following THURSDAY - 5 NOVEMBER

@ m19 bar 847 Stockport Road Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3PW

from 8.00pm, everyone was welcome.

The night celebrated Stevie's life,

features a Caribbean Club
night with DJ Terry Brandy from

ALL FM's Cariibean Culture show,

plus guest DJ's also surprise guests, some Salsa Dancing and free Craibbean food

For more information visit;

http://www.allfm.org or http://www.levenshulmefest..ival.co.uk

Stretching It Out

Lord have mercy it has been awhile! Things have been pretty hectic over here with school (grad school is not a joke) so my hair has been pretty blah: wig, bun, bun, bun,bun, bun, bun, blowout, bun, bun,bun. Anyway, since the weather has cooled some down here, I'm rocking a blowout (didn't know I could do that huh?). My blowout is pretty simple and I do a "quick" blowout. Basically, I don't rollerset and I have to use a LOT of heat protectant and DC with protein based conditioners before I do it. Thus far, I love it! I think I might stretch longer. Apparently, I'm 11 weeks post-relaxer ( I totally forgot and really had to think about that) and I'm not due to relax until the beginning of November. I think I might be able to push it further than that. I'm loving the body my hair has when it's straight and I don't want to forfeit that right now

:whatelsewhatelsewhatelse:

Oh and I'm using my beloved Fantasia IC heat protectant! Thank goodness! I tried to like Beyond the Zone, I really did. I even used up the whole bottle but I could not stand it!!! I guess that's just the nature of trying stuff out.

This Girl Gives Awesome Tutorials

I found this awesome channel (via LHCF) on Youtube: SalonCabelo. It gives such awesome styling and hair care tips from a stylist! I felt that I had to share this with you guys!

Who's Down For a Challenge?

So...I am in week 8 of a 13/14 week stretch and quite frankly my hair is getting on my nerves.

I guess it decided to do some rampant growing and didn't pass the memo onto me. Thus, straightening it with heat is just not a desirable option right now. So what do I do now? I'm laying off the heat for the next 5 to 6 weeks. This weekend I did a flexirod set and put my hair into a puff. That should last about a week. Next week I'm going to attempt I twistout (since I have enough hair to grab). Hmm...maybe I should post pics on that.....anyway, I'm challenging myself to lay off direct heat so why don't you guys give it a shot?? It doesn't have to be for as long as I'm doing it but the point is to give your hair a break from all of the heat.

So....who's down?

MOBO AWARDS 2009

Awards | MOBO Awards
Wednesday 30th September 2009 @ The SECC, Glasgow, Scotland

Broadcast live on BBC 3 from 9pm – Wednesday 30.09.09
Edited highlights on BBC 1 at 10.35pm – Friday 02.10.09
Hosted by – Reggie  Yates

Announced Performers/Talent - (confirmed)
JLS ~ N-Dubz ~ Diversity ~ Chipmunk ~ Tinchy Stryder ~ Ironik ~ Jermaine Jackson ~
Shaheen Jafargholi ~ Bashy ~ Amelle Berrabah (Sugababes) ~ Flawless ~ Emelie Sande ~

WHO’S NOMINATED THIS YEAR

::FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS::

BEST UK ACT

Alesha Dixon
Bashy
Beverly Knight
Chipmunk
Dizzee Rascal
DJ Ironik
Donae’o
Mr. Hudson
N-Dubz
Tinchy Stryder

BEST UK NEWCOMER
Alexandra Burke
Jade Ewen
JLS
Laura Izibor
Master Shortie

BEST R'n'B / SOUL ACT
Beverly Knight
Ciara
Jeremih
Keri Hilson
Lemar

BEST HIP HOP ACT
Chipmunk
Dizzee Rascal
Drake
Eminem
Kanye West

BEST VIDEO
'Bonkers' - Dizzee Rascal
'Boy Does Nothing' - Alesha Dixon
'Diamond Rings' - Chipmunk ft. Emeli Sande
'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)' – Beyonce
'Supernova' - Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Akon
Beyonce
Ciara
Drake
Eminem
Jay Z
Kanye West
Keri Hilson
Lady Gaga
Mariah Carey

BEST SONG
'Beat Again' – JLS
'Diamond Rings' - Chipmunk ft. Emeli Sande
'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' - K.I.G. Family
'Number One' - Tinchy Stryder Ft. N-Dubz
'Strong Again' - N-Dubz

BEST ALBUM
'808s and Heartbreaks' - Kanye West
'Catch 22' - Tinchy Stryder
'Catch Me If You Can' – Bashy
'I Am… Sasha Fierce' - Beyonce
'Uncle B' - N-Dubz

BEST DJ
Manny Norte
Masterstepz
Mistajam
Ras Kwame
Rickie & Melvin
Sarah Love
Semtex
Shortee Blitz
Steve Sutherland
DJ Target
Tim Westwood
Trevor Nelson

BEST REGGAE
Movado
Sean Paul
Serani
Tarrus Riley
Vybz Kartel

BEST JAZZ ACT
Diana Krall
Herbie Hancock
Madeleine Peyroux
Melody Gardot
Yolanda Brown

BEST AFRICAN ACT – SHORTLISTED BY PUBLIC VOTE
Eidee
Mujava
Nneka
Oumou Sangare
Salif Kelta

BEST GOSPEL ACT
Desire to Worship God
Kiki Sheard
Mary Mary
New Direction
Victizzle

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Don't Mess With A Good Thing...

Hey everyone! So I know it has been awhile since I last wrote something but things have been crazy lately! This is just an update on what I've been doing to my hair lately.

1) I really need to be consistent with the porosity control.

For the past 3 weeks or so, I've been skipping on the PC. I hadn't been deep conditioning with heat so I figured that my hair would be ok. WRONG! So wrong! My hair felt so crappy. It felt dry and would barely hold a curl. At first I thought I needed to clarify since I use products that have cones in them. I figured it might be a product build up issue. Well, I did that and no change. I washed my hair today and used porosity control--my hair went back to normal. My hair felt all moisturized and is holding curl for days! Lesson learned: don't mess with a good thing!

2) Finding an all natural shampoo is more difficult than I thought it would be.

As you know, I'm trying to incorporate more all natural products into my regimen. However, the search for a good all natural shampoo is proving to be somewhat difficult. I tried the Giovanni shampoos but wasn't all too impressed with them. Currently, I'm trying Kinky Curly Come Clean shampoo. At first I wasn't all too impressed with it. My hair felt like it was stripped as I was washing it out. However, once I was finished washing it out, it felt moisturized and it was very easy to run a comb through it. I want to give this shampoo a couple of more tries before I post a review on it.

Well that is really it for this past week. I think I might post some pics of my hair....I'm 7 weeks post now and the body has returned to my hair (which I'm happy about). I'm still considering self texlaxing my hair but I definitely have to do some more research about that.

BBC NEWS | England | Manchester | Police probe Arsenal celebration

BBC NEWS | England | Manchester | Police probe Arsenal celebration

Police have received a complaint over the behaviour of Arsenal striker Robin van Persie after he scored during Saturday's game with Manchester City.

It is alleged the striker celebrated in front of home fans at Eastlands and mouthed a swear word towards the City supporters in the stands.

Greater Manchester Police said they would speak to the fan who complained before deciding whether to investigate.

_________________

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swearing is offensive, if I'm at a match with my 4 year old son I dont want a grown man swearing F-off his in his face

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Manchester City’s Ready For Derby Clash

Manchester City News
by Mubeen

Manchester City’s midfielder, Nigel De Jong, has promised the City fans that his team would do all they could to maintain their 100% win record when they face Manchester United at Old Trafford this Sunday. De Jong has said that the result of the Manchester City’s flawless start to the season was due to the hard work they they have put on during training. The Holland player said: “We have a 100 per cent record and we want to keep it. We are in great form but we have to work our backsides off every day to maintain that form, otherwise you can slip. With the form we are in it’s going to be a good game to watch. The big changes here mean there is not just one big club in Manchester. We have come alongside, everybody has seen that. I hope the city is starting to get more and more blue-ish!”

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Emmanuel Adebayor to miss Manchester derby after accepting three-match ban - Telegraph

Emmanuel Adebayor to miss Manchester derby after accepting three-match ban - Telegraph

Emmanuel Adebayor will miss Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford

By Mark Ogden

Emmanuel Adebayor pleaded guilty to a charge of violent conduct
Photo: REUTERS

Adebayor, 25, has accepted a three-match suspension, which will commence with
the United game this weekend, after pleading guilty to the violent conduct
charge brought as a result of his foul on Robin van Persie, which left the
Dutch forward with facial injuries, during City's 4-2 Eastlands victory last
Saturday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Man City   4 - 2   Arsenal Adebayor ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal's fans By Phil McNulty Chief football writer at Eastlands Emmanuel Adebayor silenced the taunts of Arsenal fans as he inspired Manchester City to a fourth successive Premier League victory - but sparked fury among his former supporters inside Eastlands with a provocative solo goal celebration. Adebayor caused chaotic scenes in the Arsenal section of support when he raced the length of the pitch to slide on his knees in front of the visiting fans after heading City's crucial third goal to wrap up the win. Posted using ShareThis

VMAs: The Winners | VMAs | News | MTV UK

VMAs: The Winners | VMAs | News | MTV UK

A full list of this year’s gong grabbers…

08:02, Monday, 14 September 2009

 

Who went home with a gong at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards?
Behold the full list of lucky winners.

And the winners are…

Video of the Year – Beyoncé (Single Ladies)

Best New Artist - Lady Gaga (Poker Face)

Best Male Video - T.I. (Live Your Life)

Best Female Video - Taylor Swift (You Belong With Me)

Best Hip-Hop Video – Eminem (We Made You)

Best Pop Video - Britney Spears (Womanizer)

Best Rock Video - Green Day (21 Guns)

Breakthrough Video - Matt and Kim (Lessons Learned)

Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman) - Beastie Boys (Sabotage)

Best Choreography – Beyoncé (Single Ladies

Best Direction - Green Day (21 Guns)

Best Editing – Beyoncé (Single Ladies)

Best Special Effects - Lady Gaga (Paparazzi)

Best Cinematography - Green Day (21 Guns)

Art Direction - Lady Gaga (Paparazzi)

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DJ PLAY (Official) Video on YouTube - Perempay and Dee ft Shola Ama

PEREMPAY & DEE

follow up their debut smasher

‘In the Air’ with ‘DJ PLAY’

featuring RnB, Brit Award Winner

SHOLA AMA.

Accumulating 17 years of music production and DJ-ing between them, Perempay & Dee are building an outstanding reputation and achieving great success on the UK Funky House scene.

Shola Ama is making her return to music, laying her smooth vocals on ‘DJ Play’

Perempay & Dee are offering up another infectiously feet-stomping club track with the velvety vocals of Shola Ama

YouTube - Perempay & Dee feat Shola Ama DJ Play

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Feeling Like a "Natural" Woman (Product Review)

Well I finally tried 2 new natural products and thought I'd review them so you guys can know what I thought about it!

Aubrey Organics GPB (Glycogen Protein Balancing) Conditioner

Price: $10.29+tax (at Whole Foods)

Consistency/ Smell: Very thick and greenish in tint!! A little bit of this stuff definitely goes a long way! It smelled like something minty...at least that's what I thought.

In Action: I applied the conditioner to my hair right after I had washed it. I deep conditioned with it for about an hour. When I rinsed it out, my hair felt so soft but yet it felt like it was strong. This feeling remained even after my hair was dry!

Final Thoughts: I was skeptical about any other conditioner replacing my ORS Replenishing Conditioner. However, this conditioner has made my hair feel so good, so soft, and so strong. I never had that feeling before! I think this conditioner is my mild protein conditioner staple!

The Verdict: Loves it! If you haven't tried it, go pick some up today!

Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo

Price: $7.97+tax (at Wal-Mart)

Consistency/Smell: The shampoo itself is white and not runny at all. The shampoo has a citrus-y smell to it which was absolutely delightful (but I like citrus smell).

In Action: This shampoo got my scalp pretty clean. However, even though it left most of my hair mositurized, some areas didn't feel moisturized enough. I found that this feeling goes away if you follow up the shampoo with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

Final Thoughts: I have been itching to try this shampoo since my hair absolutely adored the Smooth as Silk conditioner. It's a decent sulfate-free shampoo but I'm not sure I would make it my staple. I think there may be better shampoos out there. Another thing to keep in mind about this shampoo is that it is a protein shampoo. I think that if you use this shampoo enough, you may encounter setback city if you don't follow it up with a moisturizing deep conditioner.

The Verdict: It's a'ight. I wouldn't make it a staple.

Looks like I'm still on the hunt for the perfect sulfate free shampoo that can replace my Elasta QP Creme Conditioning shampoo.....

Working It Out....

Hey everyone!!

I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!

Anyway, recently I decided to start working out more after watching "Half Ton Dad" on TLC this weekend. So now my evenings will be spent at the gym. For that reason, there will be a couple of entries about working out and how to maintain your hair when you are working out. I know for a lot of women (myself included), the potential to mess up the hair deters them from working out. Please do not let a hairstyle keep you from taking care of yourself. Yes it sucks to have to take time out to do your hair but ultimately you will benefit from it (:steps off soapbox:). Anyway, be on the lookout for that!

Gracious K - Migraine Skank!!! Check-out (Official Video) on YouTube

Gracious K

(Dizzee Rascal's cousin)

has roped in Chipmunk, DJ Ironik and Britain's Got Talent dance troupes Diversity and Flawless to dance in his video.

N-Dubz, DJ Trevor Nelson and Big Brother contestant Cairon Austin-Hill are also featured doing Migraine Skank's title dance move.

The budding musician has also taught Ciara how to do the move.

YouTube - Gracious K - Migraine Skank (Official Video)

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Memorial Van Damme, Brussels, Belgium

Memorial Van Damme, Brussels, Belgium

Amazing - the man is - and defines joy!

The crowd roared for Bolt - and he pounded his chest in appreciation of the love. He won the 200 after the first 125m - then jogged to a stadium record of 19.57 followed by Spearmon in 20.19 and Guliyev in 20.47.

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Bolt and Vybz Kartel

Bolt and Vybz Kartel

Mouthing “Gaza Mi Seh” to television cameras during his usual pre-race antics, Bolt hailed his favorite Dancehall deejay moments before shattering another 100-meter world record. Ace lyricist and leader of the ‘Gaza’-based Portmore Empire Vybz Kartel celebrates Bolt’s victory with ‘Lightening Bolt’ a clever tribute to Bolt’s outstanding world championship triumph.

Kartel heads the Portmore Empire, situated in an area of Portmore known as ‘Gaza’ in Jamaica’s parish of St. Catherine.

LIGHTNING BOLT - VYBZ KARTEL [USAIN BOLT] AUG 2009



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EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS!?! Chris Brown: "Nobody Taught Rihanna and Me How to Love Each Other"

BIGGA BREAKFAST RADIO SHOW::V.I.P. Page

Fallen R&B star tells Larry King he's still in love with his ex, wishes that he "could have changed that night" in an interview that aired wednesday night on Larry King Live. "It's a night I wish I could just take back

"I've said countless times how sorry I am—to Rihanna," Brown said last week in an interview that aired tonight on Larry King Live.

"It's a night I wish I could just take back...I feel totally ashamed of what I did "The repentant R&B star emphasized that he wants to put his best foot forward from now on—something he might be able to do now that he's established that "of course" he remembers attacking Rihanna in the wee hours of Feb. 8.

Chris Brown: Nobody Taught Rihanna & Me "How to Love Each Other" Source: uk.eonline.com

"Our relationship was pretty good," Brown said of their life together leading up to the incident. "We had a pretty sturdy and great relationship." However, Brown repeatedly refused to discuss the particulars of that night and why he treated Rihanna the way he did. It's one of those things I wish I could have relived to make it totally different," he said simply. At least Brown's mother, who says she loves Rihanna like a daughter, and his lawyer appear fully confident the "Run It" purveyor is not the irredeemable abuser some might consider him to be.

"One of the things that's interesting about Chris is, he wanted to take responsibility immediately," said defense attorney Mark Geragos. "He did not want to deny this...That's not usual in my line of work," he quipped.

"He was forthright, he felt guilty, he felt a great deal of remorse," Geragos continued, adding that it was only because of his lawyerly advice that Brown didn't immediately start apologizing in every direction.

 >>> Read more <<<

Yesterday at 04:37 · Comment · Like / Unlike · Share · Report

Russell Mckay

Den a suh im seh??..haha..

Him did learn how fi tump har up tho!!

Yesterday at 09:02 · Delete

Ravi Sethi

She needs a good beating. She probably deserved it

Yesterday at 10:41 · Delete

Rose Channce

WHAT???? Ravi Sethi would you say the same thing if it was your mother, sister or someone else close to you?

Yesterday at 11:06 · Delete

Darren Sewell

Jeeeezz!

Yesterday at 11:15 · Delete

Ravi Sethi

No but they not famous. Lots of famous people are weird. Drug addicts depressed etc. She probably had an affair with his dad or something!

Yesterday at 12:29 · Delete

Ravi Sethi

Most people get beat up for a reason. He should tell people the reason and let the public vote whether it deserved a beating or not!

Yesterday at 12:30 · Delete

Darren Sewell

Have you seen the film about Tina Turner?

Yesterday at 12:33 · Delete

Rachael Gore

My Mum made me watch that Tina Turner film when I was a kid. I'll never forget it.

Yesterday at 13:39 · Delete

Ravi Sethi

No what happened to her?

Yesterday at 13:46 · Delete

Gareth Hulin

You cannot condone violence from a man to a woman , get a grip mate.

Yesterday at 19:59 · Delete

Ravi Sethi

Its equal opportunities now. Men women lesbian gay. Beating a woman no different to beating a man. She got enough money should have hired a body guard

2 hours ago · Delete

Darren Sewell

What would you do if she was your sister?

2 hours ago · Delete

Gareth Hulin

Ravi.your arse and your mouth seem to be in conflict.

about an hour ago · Delete

Darren Sewell

Well said Gareth. Glad he ain't on my friends list.

about an hour ago · Delete

Gareth Hulin

I'm a lover not a fighter baby.

about an hour ago · Delete