8 Month Growth Comparison

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I was just looking through some of my pics and I was reviewing a picture from April to a picture that I took this month. WOW the growth is amazing. Take a look.

Curls Curls and More Curls

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Well my hair has gotten to that length where I need a little extra hold to make my curls last longer. I would try that old just some oil and water routine and my curls would be limp by the end of the day. So I decided to give Jane Carter's Wrap and Roll solution a try. Here are the results .

Dang Nabbit! I've been tagged.

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For the past month I have been reading blogs and just laughing at the folks who have been tagged...Like I am happy I haven't been tagged yet hehehehe. Well, Lovenyalocs got me so I have to follow the rules (somewhat..I think everyone on blogspot has been tagged).

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.....
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share 6 non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself that have not been shared already
4. Tag 6 random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
I've been tagged by: http://locsoflove.blogspot.com/

Non important facts about the kid...

1. I love to workout but I bet you didn't know that I am a huge boxing fan. So much so that I used to work out with a boxing coach when I lived in Ohio. Yeah I had high aspirations of fighting Laila Ali. We were in the same weight class. You never know you may see me on paid per view ;) Did yall know that Roy Jones was preparing to make a come back?

2. I was born and raised in Ohio.

3. I love all types of music...R&B, Neo Soul, Hip Hop, Some rap, a little country, a little rock n roll, soca, calypso, reggae, etc.

4. I have a pet poodle named Puffy, P Diddy, Puff, or Puff Daddy. He answers to them all.

5. I love to cook. I love watching Paula D, Emerald, G Garvin, Patti Labelle, etc. G. Garvin and Paula are my favorites. I can watch something they make and get right and that kitchen and whip it up. The hubby loves it....a little too much.

6. I love PZI Jeans. I have a hard time finding denim jeans to fit me. Small waist and the bubble (most men love it and have called it a booty, buttocks, Gluteus maximus, Apple Bottom, Onion, or whatever other endearing team men have gave it over the years). Well 4 years ago I found PZI jeans and I haven't had good luck with any other jeans after that. I have about 8 to 10 pairs of PZI jeans for every occasions plus as my weight shifts downwards I must be prepared.. www.pzijeans.com

Well, everyone that I could think of tagging have already become victim so....what can a girl do?? *shrugs shoulders*

The Big CHOP.....Gasp

AH HA!!! I got you! You know you thought it was me who cut my hair off. LOL!! No not me but my client Mrs. Cool Runnings gave me the honor of cutting her relaxer off of her Sisterlocks. I was so honored. Above is how she started off. Now here is what she looks like.

I gained :( but I lost :)

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You guys know I have been on this new lifestyle change. I workout 6 to 7 days a week burning on average 3,000 calories. I also strength train twice a week. Well I have been doing this for about a month now and my trainer decided to weigh me last Saturday. DUM DUM DUM....I cringed when I stepped on the scale. Hold up...can I take off my shoes, IPOD, and heartrate monitor. Those have to account for something. To my dismay I gained like 6 pounds. :( Where in the hell is that 6 pounds?? My clothes fit well and I feel great. My trainer was like hold up let me do your body fat measurements again. So she pulls out this contraption that resembles huge tweezers and she begins to pinch places like my stomach, the back of my arm, and right about my knee. She punches in the numbers and she says look at this. What? When I started this thing I was 42.9% body fat and 6 pounds lighter. After she completed this measurement I am 30.3% body fat. Yep I lost 12.5% body fat while picking up 6 pounds of muscle. I bulk really fast so the goal to gain 6 more pounds of muscle has been achieved now I have to drop the pounds. So the game plan is to pick up the cardio to burn an average of 3,500 calories a week. I decided to join the runners club on Saturday and they run 2 miles completing a trip around Discovery Mills. I am also working on my stamina and increasing my intensity of the workouts by remaining in Zone 3 for the majority of my workouts. Zone 3 for me is jogging at 4.2 MPH. On Monday I was able to complete 4 miles in 60 minutes. I was so proud of myself because I did this while traveling. I always make sure I find a hotel with a fitness center. Most of the Marriotts have equipment that is compatible with my heart rate monitor. In my suitcase I always have my gym shoes and a workout outfit. This business trip was awesome because the Area Ops Manager gave me a guest pass to his gym. It was nice but it can't be compared to LifeTime. I did my strength training along with an hour of cardio yesterday and today I am on a break. It is important for me to give my body a break in the middle of the week so I can recuperate. My hamstrings and glutes are screaming at me. They have never worked so hard in their lives, so I have some soreness in my right ham and glutes. Tender enough to impact my run. I have to make certain that I stretch really good even on my off days.

So my reward was a nice pair of shoes. Check these out. I know the quality wasn't that great...I took it with my phone. Very sexy! Now if my leg muscles will stop hurting enough for me to wear them.

New Shampoo and Conditioner

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My hair has really been suffering since I returned from our vacation. It really felt crunchy and not itself. Add to that equation the fact that I need to wash my hair 3 to 4 times a week because of my workout routine and you have straw hair. Well during my business trip to Florence, SC I went to the local Wal Mart and decided to buy some shampoo and conditioner. There was no way I was using the hotel shampoo and conditioner. I picked up Fructis Sleek and Shine with the conditioner. To my pleasant surprise my hair LOVED IT!! The shampoo is clear with a very slight tint of green but it really delivers moisture which my hair needed. It feels absolutely wonderful as well as smells lovely. No more straw hair. I also used the shine drops while my hair was wet and did a quick blow dry and my hair was really bouncy. I couldn't believe for $2.46 for the shampoo and conditioner these products delivered these results. The shine drops were $4.37 and I like those as well. To think I have been forking over so much money to Aveda and Fructis has been right in Wal-Mart. Sorry Aveda...I have to let you go. HELLLO FRUCTIS!!

Sorry for the horrible pic I am still on my business trip

Transformation

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I am really excited! Locks 4 Life - Atlanta's studio is going through a transformation. My contractor came yesterday and started laying the tile and I must say I was very pleased when I arrived home from my business trip just an hour ago. He is doing the darn thang. He also told me the plans for the shampoo bowl. He even did a sketch on the floor of where it would lay. Take a look at the closet area on the floor area. He will be making the door to that closet wider so the shampoo bowl can fit right in and I can go to either side to wash the hair. He is really professional. Take a look at the what the studio looked like before compared to right now. It is not finished and of course I will share the completed pictures. The tile makes the room look much bigger and more open as opposed to the carpet, even though the carpet was very plush and my customers and I loved it. :) He is also doing the bathroom right next to the studion in the same tile. COORDINATE!! Gotta love that! Plus we have enough tile for him to come and do the other two bathrooms in our home. My hubby picked out the tile...what do you think of his selection. I think he did a wonderful job!

So you guys know I have been chatting up my new gym and the knowledge that I have recently got my hands on concerning my metabolism and heart rate. Well to my surprise when I stepped on the scale today just to see what was going on from last week I discovered I had lost 3 pounds. That is with clothes on! I decided to leave my clothes on because that is how I weighed in. More food, cardio in my fat burning zone and strength training equals more weight lost faster. What a great surprise!! I am so sure my trainer won't let my body go into a plateau as I am training with her for 4 months.

If you guys don't have a heart rate monitor...I highly recommend one. This little sucker was on my behind this morning. As I went out of my zone that thing started beeping so loud and angrily until I submitted and slowed my heart rate down. Dang! It is worse than my trainer.

Hair in face...it can be annoying

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I started my new workout at my new gym last week and with 2 years of growth I am finding that I am now wearing two headbands just to keep my hair from slanging sweat in my eyes or on other people YUCK!! So today after a quick wash in the shower this morning I braided the hair out of my face while wet for a quick solution. Remind me never to do that again. When it drys I am looking rather slanted eyes and it gets pretty tight...even if you didn't braid too tight. So when I got home this evening I was just playing around and practicing my braiding skills on my own hair (it is a beast braiding your own hair) and I came up with a great solution. It is a braided semi pony. It keeps the hair out of my face and I can just use one band to lift the hair off of my neck. I am giggling just saying that. I have hair that touches my neck.

Locks 4 Life - Atlanta Styling and Profiling

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I have a new client Ms J with beautiful traditional locks. I washed, retwisted and styled her locks. Here is what I came up with. I love the curls on her hair.

So I changed up a bit

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During the summer months I have been a bit lazy and I free styled my hair almost the entire summer. With the ATL heat who wouldn't? So last night I decide to rod my hair with my soft spikes and just hit work like. Wrong! I took the soft spikes out and I finger combed it to ride to work. Then I got irritated by the curls in my face and I half way braided the front out of my face. Then when I got home and was preparing to go see the nutritionist I just say forget it and came up with this. Yall know I love me some flowers in my hair so don't ride my back too hard about always putting a flower in my hair trying to look like a fly Mamacita..Fuego (Like T Pain says).

Speaking of Nutritionist I must tell you guys about my transition. I just joined Lifetime Fitness (which I love) and I am doing a total make over. I have 35 pounds to lose. You may say where but please believe it is all in my hips. The nutritionist even said that she couldn't believe how much much my body fat was and that I carried it well. If that is supposed to be a compliment... no thanks I don't want it. I discovered that I wasn't eating enough calories (Thanks Weight Watches). My body at rest is burning 1,683 calories and by the WW standard I was only eating 1,200. My body was in starvation mode so no matter how much exercise or how many days in the gym I was spending I wasn't losing anything. I am now on a 1,900 calorie plan eating 7 small meals a day with 2 strength training days and the rest cardio. I invested in a heart rate monitor and a new attitude :) I have to do so something to get this extra weight off of me. We had a little too much fun in St. Kitts. I brought back a nice tan and an extra 5 to 7 pounds. Dammit!

I also purchased a new compact powder. For those who don't know I have had the hardest time finding a compact powder to compliment my complex skin tone. In the summer my red tones are more pronounce but the golds and yellows are still a factor. Any other time my red tones are a little less pronounce. I was in Toronto and went into Sears ( I know I tripped out too. Buying makeup in Sears) and the lady referred to Iman. I tried this Luminous powder number 4....Baby let me tell you, that I love it! It gave me a nice glow without that bronzer look. It is great!! I was in the salon in Lifetime fitness and the lady behind the counter was like you skin is beautiful. Thank you!! Now you know it is good when the ladies at the Spa compliment your skin. Thanks Iman. Here are some before Iman and after Iman shots.

Guess what I got.....

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After washing a client's hair who had major build up in her locks in my kitchen sink I said NO MORE. I went out and got this baby....

That's right...Locks 4 Life-Atlanta will be offering shampoo and conditioning services as well as styling so come and get you some. Notice the extra wide bowl for those with long hair and short hair alike. I have my contractor scheduled for Sept 6th. I can't wait!! I will not wash anyone's hair in my sink EVER AGAIN. The build up that I saw last week was TOO MUCH to handle.

On to another topic...after all of that fun in the sun and salt water I had to come home and get busy conditioning my locks. I noticed my locks were a little dry from the sun so I did a deep conditioner on my locks and they feel much better. I also noticed I have some bunched ends that I will be snipping today. Check it out....Yall like my tan?? I am also trying to work on my retightening but I am so busy...

I still have the grays in the front and I don't think I am going to mess with them for a little bit. The rinse only lasts maybe 3 weeks but since I was in the salt water I am guessing maybe 2 weeks at the most. Did you guys notice I still have some two headed dragons that I haven't snipped yet?

I also purchased some new art for my studio. This guy by the name of David Patterson created some wonderful works of art. They are exactly what I needed! One is called evolution and the other nubian locs.

I'M BAAACKKK

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I know I have been ghost for a moment but now I am back. My hubby and I spent out 7 year wedding anniversary in St. Kitts (my father's birthplace). It was a very relaxing 7 days. I needed that!! I have been working so hard that I almost forgot how to relax. I just switched jobs and I have been working my business Locks 4 Life-Atlanta so I haven't had much time for relaxing. Check us out in St. Kitts!

My Salon Visit

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I have been craving some what of a change with my hair for a little while now. I even contemplated whacking at my locks and starting over with comb coils. I get like this every couble of years so I had to think of something quick before I chopped at my hair. So I thought I would treat myself to a salon visit for Demi color and style right. Demi is a semi permanent hair color that covers gray and provides a nice rich coating right. So I called this morning and surprisingly enough the receptionist says that the loctician has a 3:30 PM availability. Wow this must be faith especially with a opening on a Saturday at such short notice. Okay so I get there and I am in the parking lot talking to my hubby.

Me - Ah hell this is a regular permie salon. I am so hoping she is not going to have me waiting.

Hubby - Well just go in and see what the deal is and I will wait.

Me - You know I am not down for waiting on a stylist especially when I have an appointment.

Hubby - Well babe just go and see what's up

Me - Ok

So I go in and I speak with the receptionist. Who is unaware of who I am and my appointment and she quickly calls another stylist who comes up walking like yeah you are the 3:30 PM for so and so. Yes I am, I replied. They ask me to take a seat and I wave my husband to leave because I assume my stylist will be right out since I had the attention of the receptionist and another stylist. So the loctician comes and greets me and we chat about what I am looking for. I tell her I don't want to lift my hair color because my hair has become so soft that I am so sure it will unravel at the slightest sign of chemical. She agrees and we decide on a semi permanent hair color. She then says today has been kind of crazy so if you don't mind waiting I will be with you in a second. Then she says if you want to go and get you something to drink or eat from the restaurants down the walk you are more than welcome to do so. COME ON NOW!! That is the secret shop code for girl you better find something to do until I finish this head. Why in the hell did I look at her chair and she was just blow drying this woman out with a brush?? Ah Helll! Then I start reading a magazine and mind you this is 3:50 PM my appointment was at 3:30 PM. I look up again at 4:00 and she was just pulling out some flat irons and straighting the lady. Now we all know that is about another hour on her head until she gets to me. At this point I am furious. I am not accustomed to waiting in anyone's salon and I am a loctician myself so I expect MORE. So what did I kindly do?? I texted my husband and told him the deal. Then I politely got up and walked out. That's right! I walked my behind down the walk like I was going for something to drink and phoned my husband and told him to pick me up. He arrived about 7 minutes later and I was out of that bad boy. I didn't tell her anything. Nothing! Her site states that she is professional and that she expects a call if you will be more than 20 minutes late. Well hell what about me? I am sitting in your salon waiting area for more than 30 minutes and you don't even have me in the chair yet. I don't think so. I can't stand that type of service. That is why my clients can expect to get right in my chair as soon as they cross my threshold. I bring them to the chair and I ask them if they would like anything to drink. I fulfill their drink order and I get started. No if ands buts about it.

So what did I decide to do? Well I high tailed it to one of the neighboring beauty supply stores. I purchased some gloves, some plastic caps, and some semi permanent hair color. Here is the bottle.

I got home and washed my hair and proceeded to put the semi permanent color in myself. Yup that is right I am under the dryer as I type this post. I just don't have patience for the typical salon experience anymore. I really wanted to treat myself but hey I expect to be serviced upon my appointment time not an hour later. That is one of the reasons I decided to go natural anyway.