Texture shots

The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Gotta Use Protection!

Hey all, how's it going?

I have a concern. I've noticed some breakage at the top of my head and also while detangling. I really need to commit to some protective styles. Since early July, I've worn my hair back in a headband. About 3 months later and I'm seeing frazzled short hairs where they weren't before. I would hate to have grown my hair this long and then have it break off!

Since winter is approaching, and wash 'n gos aren't going to do well with the harsh St. Louis cold, I've gotta learn some protective styles. I'm thinking of keeping my hair in a sew-in weave for the next few months, but I haven't decided. Well, my pocketbook has already. Sh!t gets runny when your money is funny, LOL! (My grandma said that once and I thought that was hilarious!). Anyway, I've gotten much better at my flat-twists. I just don't know where to start. Half twists in the front and puff in the back? Flat-twists on one side, twists on the other, bantu knots in the back? A french braid? Afro puffs? My hair is so versatile...

I remember a time when my grandmother took me to a salon that had just opened in our neighborhood. It was run by a middle-aged beautician, and she was a unique individual. I remember her being very talkative and kinda weird. She had these crazy ideas and theories about everything, entertaining if nothing else. I remember her talking with my granny and me about all the things our hair can do. It can be straight one day, in braids the next, curly a flowing, majestic in a 'fro. So thick you can't run a hand through it to slipping through your fingers with the silkiest ease. I never thought of my hair that way. I was glad to have hair that I could do anything with, rather than be stuck with the same old straight hair everyday. Unfortunately, she talked my granny into letting me have a texturizer, which took my versatility away.

I'm off to research some fotki albums, wish me luck!

Two Strand Twists-Reloaded

This is my second attempt at doing two-strands, and, success! Here's
what I did differently. I parted more with my fingers rather than with
my comb. The first time I was spending way too much time trying to get
each section the exact same size. This time, I made horizontal parts to
make rows. Then, I would just use my fingers to section off each twist.
I also made smaller twists. They still puffed up very nicely. I used
Cantu Leave In Conditioning Cream instead of Elasta QP Mango Butter. The
Cantu LICC made the twists just moist enough to work with and very
light. When I used Mango Butter, my twists were weighed down and greasy
(the twistout was the bomb the next morning though!).

I know, I know-the more I practice, the better I'll get. I guess I need
to be patient. :)

The little figure is something one of my clients made for me. She
remembered my favorite color was purple and made a little "me" pencil
topper! That really made my day. She said,"I wanna grow my hair long and
natural just like yours," and I told her she could. I gave her all the
advice she needed, and the next time I saw her, she had already had her
big chop. Yay for her!

Thanx for reading my blog.
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Me and the bird

Awww isn't that cute?

Today's post will be short, as I've been under the weather lately. Just
wanted to share some pics of the bird. More later...

Thanx for reading my blog.
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

The 70s & a Cockatiel

What it is, groovy people?

Sorry, I just came from a 70s-themed fundraiser and I'm still feelin'
out of this world. Today was the first day I wore an afro, and I loved
it. A lot of others wore wigs, hell, everyone did. And I just felt so
proud that my 'fro was all me! Some asked to touch it, some asked if it
was real, some didn't believe me when I said it was, and some were
indifferent. I couldn't help but feel tall and majestic with my curls
lightly towering above my head.

Moving on. Everyone meet Thunderbird, T-Bird for short. He is a
2-year-old cockatiel. He is the inspiration for this blog's name. I've
written a story about how I came up with the name, but I'll have to get
it from my PC and post it (I mainly post from my PDA). He's my sweetie,
and he loves my hair as much as I do.

Thanx for reading my blog, I can dig it.
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Twist quickie before class

The two strands were short lived. :( When I woke up the next morning, they were very flat to my head. I thought these looked too boyish for me. Next time I'll make smaller twists. But, all is not lost, I got this AWESOME twistout. I had to snap some quick pix before I walked into class. I couldn't get many good shots because the lighting in the bathroom was all screwy. More later....... :)
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

1st Two-Strand Twists

Alright, I did it! I did my first set of two strands today! I'm so proud
of myself. I've noticed, while detangling in the shower, that more and
more hair is left behind in my comb. It's time for me to commit to some
protective styles, at least for the winter. A protective style is one
that keeps the hair, er, protected from friction from clothing, daily
combing/brushing, tangles, etc. This can be achieved through twists,
braids, updos, buns, sewn-in weaves, and more. This style would have
taken me about 3 hours, but I took lots of breaks.

I conditioner-washed my hair with Matrix Sleek.look conditioner and
detangled it. I then parted my hair to get the twists to the desired
thickness. I filled my 8 oz. spray bottle with 2/3 water and 1/3 Pantene
R&N conditioner to moisten my hair with periodically. I then proceeded
to twist using Elasta QP Mango Butter. Tonight I'm sleeping in my satin
cap. I can't wait to see how they look tomorrow morning.

Goodnight, all! Thanks for reading!
The Trotter is bright (:Þ)

Afro Pix 9.8.07

The Trotter is bright (:Þ)