ok i lied

Hey fam,

This is not a lengthy installment just thought I'd post some pics of my last attempt at a natural styling. Yeah I lied, I did not keep my hair in a twist out. I attempted bantu knots and this was my "bantu knot out". I think it's really cute, but it looks kinda dry. If I do it again I'll definitely use some kind of moisturizer also. Well that's about it-counting down to Nov 15!!!

Back from B-more

We just got back from our trip home Saturday. It's different having natural hair and I got different reactions from everyone. I would think that guys like girls to have relaxed more tamed hair. But guys in Baltimore City seem to dig the natural hair thing which is surprising to me. I was in the barbershop with my cousin Tiff who now keeps her hair cut close and natural since chopping off her locks. These guys in there were saying how nice my hair looked. My cousin Sonnie was like "I love it," and my cousins wife commented on how good my hair looked natural. Then she started asking me about my haircare routine which made me feel pretty good. Two of my friends really loved it also. My friend Tiffany was like that is really funky. I thought that was funny. Now for the other comments-my uncle made a comment about me looking scared or sticking my finger in a socket or something like that. My best friends mother was like "what you rockin' a bush?" And my mom didn't really say so, but when she really likes my hair she will say something about it and this time she never did which leads me to think she didn't. It's cool tho-you take the good with the bad. Oh also my mother-in-law said "you're hair looks really cute like that," and my grandma was like "is that your natural hair?-it's growing out real nice,"

So overall I got more good comments than bad. And it's getting closer to me joining the wonderful world of locks. I can't wait!!!

I've made up my mind

So that's it y'all. I finally made up my mind to do it. I just emailed my sisterlocks consultant and told her that I'm ready. I will be hopefully getting them installed sometime next month. Wooo!!!! I'm so excited. I guess today I realized that having natural hair doesn't mean low maintenance. I had this cute idea for a hairstyle, but when I tried it I didn't like it so much. So I had to change my idea and two strand twist the back of my hair for a twist out. Hopefully it'll look ok for the weekend. We're driving home tomorrow. I can't wait to see all my family and friends. B-more here I come!!

I finally talked to my cousin Tiff. She called me today and gave me the green light. She was like yeah I think that you should do it. She just said that she wouldn't have the patience for sisterlocks. She said she started hers with braidlocs. She also said she was maintaining her own hair for a while which is very encouraging because I do plan to take the retightening class. I don't know if I would have even have the patience to do it myself, but if it will save money I sure will try. She said that she liked her locks while she had them, but then it just got to be too much. As you can see from the picture her hair grew long. She was like locks are hot in the summertime.
"It feels like you wearin' a wool shawl on your neck,"

I thought that was too funny. Anyway she told me that our cousin Valerie actually has sisterlocks. So I'll probably try to contact her and see what her perspective is. Anyway I guess that's it for now. Wish me luck -

Still thinking...

So I had my sisterlocks consultaion yesterday. When I arrived she was actually starting to retighten a clients hair. It was what I expected I guess. I asked some questions and she answered them. She did a couple test locks and informed me that she would be able to do the locking technique on the entire length of my hair, but it would be stringy-looking on the ends. That's kind of discouraging. It doesn't make me reconsider, just makes me think about maybe doing a big chop and just starting with all my natural hair. The only thing about that is it would be really short for a while. But my hair grows at a nice speed so it probably wouldn't be that bad. UGGHHHH!!! I know I'm being really indecisive, but after all it is permanent.

I talked to my cousin Sophia yesterday also. She has had locks for over a year now. I think locks were the perfect choice for her because unlike me she does not enjoy styling her hair. In fact, she hates it. When we talked, she made me feel better about my indecisiveness. "Remember I went back and forth for a couple years before actually getting it done?" she reminded me. Now she's really happy about it. She says it's the best thing she's ever done for her hair. That's pretty reassuring.

Alot of my uncertainty comes from the difference in the way peoples hair looks. I see some women who have beautiful sisterlocks and I think I want my hair like that. But then I see some women who's hair looks a fuzzy mess and can't help but wonder, "what happened there?" I guess in the end I am terrified of becoming one of these women. And as Paulette(the SL consultant) reminded me yesterday, no one can guarantee how your hair will come out. It will do what it wants to do and you just have to wait and see. I would really hate to invest all this time and money into my hair only to have it come out looking a mess and wind up wanting to cut it again. That would suck!!

With all that said, I am still very much leaning towards getting sisterlocks. I told my husband about my consultation yesterday and he was like "I think you should get them,"
I was like really? He was like, "yeah so what if you wind up not liking it, just cut it off and start over-you only live once right?" Typical male response, I guess hair isn't as important to a man. But overall he's right. I should stop being a wimp and just do it. I will talk to my other cousin Tiff who had locks for years. I mean they were down her back. I use the past tense because she just recently chopped them off. But they were so pretty. It would be interesting to get her perspective. I'll post later-pray for me y'all.

Starting Off

Hello all. My name is Terrace but most people can never seem to pronounce it right. Throughout the years I have affectionately been referred to as "Tee" by some, hence the name of this blog. Anyway I should start by giving a little backround. I am 30 years old and like alot of african american women started using relaxers in my hair at a young age. I don't know how or when but somewhere along the way I was made to think that chemically straightening my hair was the only way to manage it. Now I see so many sisters rockin' their natural hair in many beautiful forms and know that is not the case.

Let me just say that I didn't have some big epiphany and decide to go "au naturel". It kind of happened on accident. I have an auto-immune disease called Lupus. For those who don't know in short it's a disease in which your immune system goes haywire and attacks different organs in your body. So far, it's attacked my heart, a lung, kidneys, and skin/scalp. There are a bunch of little symptoms too like joint pain, fatigue, rashes, etc. Anyway, back to the hair thing. In the winter of '06 it attacked my skin/scalp. My hair started thinning to the point that I could only wear a ponytail. And when that didn't work anymore I decided to get my hair microbraided. HUGE MISTAKE!!! I was thinking that the braids would give my hair a rest and maybe allow it to grow. They did just the opposite. It should have been a sign when the braider pulled some of my hair out trying to braid it cause she was gripping so damn tight. I only had them in for almost three weeks when I decided to take them out. Some of the braids would come out when I tryed to pull up in a ponytail or just running my fingers through it. Plus my scalp was itching and burning like crazy. That was from the lupus rash though. Anyway once I took them out a lot of hair came with it and what I was left with was patches of hair on my head. It was a really difficult time emotionally for me. And it happened at X-mas...imagine that. The time when you're supposed to be joyous and happy.

I was told by a dermatologist that my hair would probably never grow back. I can remember the visit like it was yesterday. I removed my headwrap and asked, "will my hair ever grow back?"

"No probably not," was her response. She spit the words out without emotion or empathy. Those words resounded in my head for months. In fact, I couldn't shake them until a few months later when I started to notice the beginnings of stubble where my head was bald. OMG Y'all-I've never been so excited to see stubble in my life. Needless to say I was very grateful when my hair started growing in. I've only had one real haircut since I've been growing my hair natural. It was cut into a style mostly so there are still some relaxed ends where I still had patches of hair.

I have been trying to figure out what to do with my hair now that it's growing more. I can clearly see the difference in my natural texture and where the relaxed ends are. I came across a site about sisterlocks and fell in love with the idea of them. I like the look of locked hair and I am thrilled about the styling versatility that sisterlocks offers. I've been going back and forth because after all...it is permanent. But I finally got up enough courage to email the consultant from the first site I looked at. She emailed me back yesterday and actually called today. We set up a consultation for Friday. Wish me luck.

p.s. Whether I decide to get sisterlocks or not, I don't think I will ever go back to relaxers. So this blog will be about natural hair and should be interesting to say the least. I'll post an update after my consultation.