Nappylicious®

The Beauty Within

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:14:00 +0000

As a natural hair wearer, I LOVE this song and video by Dead Prez! It ranks up there with Indie Arie's "I Am Not My Hair"! Check it out!

Vaseline and Natural Hair

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 06:02:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I decided to change up my natural hair care regimen. After 3 years of being natural, I returned to my roots and went against that grain and used Vaseline on my my natural hair. Some members of the natural hair community shuns the use of petroleum products on our hair for fear of clogging the scalp or being too greasy.

I grew up getting my hair pressed with a hot straightening comb and getting my scalp slathered with Vaseline. My mom and grandmother STILL use the product on their hair and both have healthy, natural hair.

After a few weeks of experimentation, I am very pleased with the results. I tried to be light handed because when compared to organic coconut oils or other natural oils, Vaseline can be a bit greasy.

Please check out my results video.

Sesame Street: The I Love My Hair Video

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:17:00 +0000

I cannot say enough about how much I LOVE this video. I don't care about who produced it as much as I care about the positive message it projects. But the fact that Sesame Street brought it to me, is even better. I'm a child of the 70s and grew up on the teachings of Sesame Street. The I Love My Hair video means so much to me because in 2010, I wear my hair natural and it's ok. It is not a political statement; it is not my trying to be defiant against "The Man". I choose to wear my hair without chemical processes. For those who choose to wear relaxed hair, that is their choice too. I do not judge because I have worn relaxed hair in the past, for years and years. But at this point in my life, I don't think I ever will again.

As with all of programming hours of Sesame Street that I watched as a kid, I am happy to still enjoy Sesame Street at 41!

Natural Hair Twists

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:50:00 +0000

I transitioned my Puff À la Curly Fro into some twists. Styling my
natural hair is my greatest challenge. I was very happy with the
twists. I will use anything to hold hair out of the way, including a
clothes pin. Hey, it was handy and it got the job done.

My hair was still very moisturized from the Lisa Akbari products that I used to do her Curly Fro technique but I did mist occasionally with jojoba oil, vegetable glycerine, peppermint oil and water. I was NOT using Carefree Curl Activator, just recycling the bottle.

(If you need to view the video in a larger size, click the video to enlarge.)

Smokin' Hair

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:50:00 +0000

I've been so busy but I had to carve out some time to upload some videos that have been lurking in my camcorder for a few weeks now. I'm such a slacker. LOL.

I uploaded a short "Puff" video on YouTube. I wondered whether to make an annotation or not but I immediately received a comment asking if there was something on fire in my video. I laughed so hard becausejI'm so "Rasta" and I was burning an incense. All of a sudden, the smoke started billowing like crazy and who knew my JVC High Definition camera would pick up translucent SMOKE!

When you view the video, just know that no bathrooms were burned or harmed in the making of this video!

Peace!
~Napp

July 4, 2010 | National Afro Day

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:03:00 +0000

There is a movement to make July 4th "National Afro Day". An online friend, Mook's Hair has designed a logo to commemorate the day. She is allowing us to use her logo to make iron-on t-shirts! Yay! Thanks girl.

I am so happy to have my family visiting on July 4 and to have this National Afro Day on the horizon. I did not want to be all sad thinking about Steve McNair. I will rock my pink Steve McNair jersey and my Afro! Perfect! I will post pictures.

I've made a YouTube video and in the description box, I announce that I will put together an "Afros on the 4th" video tribute. All interested Afro Rockers can email me their photos and their desired screen name.

Oh, here is the link to Mook's Hair Fotki for 2 Afro logos!

Stay tuned!
~Napp

Post Nappiversary 3

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 02:29:00 +0000

I am just one day beyond celebrating Nappiversary #3. I still love my natural hair and this entire journey.

I confess to still being a product junkie who cannot resist browsing down the hair care aisles in every store that I visit. I'm frequently in rehab but I do see some hope on the horizon.

My latest personal challenge is to use up products that I own before buying more. I'll come back to post the photo of the product moutain that is taking over my husband's music room.

I confess, I don't use most of the things in that mountain and they were purchased on a whim. The last straw was buying a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus liquid soap only to find that I already had a full 32 ounce Peppermint bottle "on the mountaintop"!!!

My husband still can't imagine a soap that can be used for the body AND cleaning the house. He's hilarious. I compare it to baking soda and vinegar. They are both also multipurpose.

The good thing is that the soap is so versatile that it will get used up and it was on sale at Kroger for $10.49 as opposed to being $14.99 at Walgreens. I'm not trying to justify my behavior, just acknowledging. The first step to rehab right? My name is Yolanda and I'm a Product Junkie!

Nappiversary Contest: The Heads Up!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:36:00 +0000

As promised, here's the heads up on my Nappiversary contest. My Nappylicious followers will have a few hours all alone to enter my contest!

Good luck and thanks for your support!

^^^^^^^^^
My Nappiversary contest was a success. I gave away 3 fabulous shower curtains from Bed Bath and Beyond and my fashionista, Poochie, added a vintage purse and scarf duo.

Stay Tuned!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:11:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

School is finally out and I will be able to get back to blogging on a regular basis! Yay! It was a rough school year for your girl but it's over and not a minute too soon cuz I was about to quit! But not in this economy so I held on and now. . .I'm ready to kick back!!!

I will be celebrating my Nappiversary on June 11 and will be having my very first contest! I think the prizes are fantastic. I will be giving my Nappylicious readers & Fotki fam a heads up before I release to the general public on YouTube!

The video is almost ready as I'm doing some post production work as I wait for my Fashionista Poochie of Poochie's Closet to finish a few photos.

Until then. . .stay tuned!

~Napp

The Rainbow Lady sitting in for The Creative Lady

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:40:00 +0000

I'm Baaack!!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:53:00 +0000

Lent

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:10:00 +0000

February's Best Days To Trim Hair

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:14:00 +0000

My Ends!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

I think it is time for another aggressive trim. My puff is very thick and soft but the ends are looking very random if you know what I mean. Kinda like they need to be patted into shape.

I've felt a couple of hair knots on a few strands too.

I double checked my farmer's almanac for January's Best Days and today is a good day to trim ends for growth!

I've posted a few new videos on YouTube. In one video, I give away my secret for maintaining my long eyelashes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBIFuVis0Uk

Yes, they are naturally long but I use an oil mixture to maintain them. I felt compelled to make this video because more often than ever, ladies are asking me if my lashes are real!??? I did not understand why but as I watch tv, there are commercials for Latisse and other lash enhancements, lashes are fashionable. I was blessed to have naturally long lashes. Yay!

Another video that I recently posted is a mixtress recipe that rivals Kinky Curly Curling Custard and Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdDsPpe0Qrg

I got the recipe from a fellow YouTuber InspiredCoils. My hair really loved the mixture as it gave me a chance to use up some good oils such as Castor oil, Olive oil and Grapeseed oil and my Eco Styler Olive Oil gel. It was a winner.

While you're on my YouTube channel, please remember to rate and subscribe to my channel. This lets YouTube know that you like seeing natural hair videos and that perhaps we can begin to make the front page of YouTube also.

Thanks and Be Blessed!
~napp

What's Going On?

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:28:00 +0000

24 days into a new decade and I am wondering, "What's Going On?" The devastating earthquake in Haiti and the death of Teddy Pendergrass. I really thought that 2009 was rough with the passing of sooo many celebrities and regular people too but 2010 has blown in like a lion.

Hairwise, I've been just chillin'. In other words, being super lazy. I still wear my staple puff. I threaten to twist my hair every weekend but never do. My hair is healthy though.

I deep condition regulary and still sleep on my satin pillowcase.

I've managed to post a few new videos on YouTube so I've not been a complete slacker. Plans are in the works to really crank out some top notch videos in the MMX!

Check out my Scrabble Tile Pendants @ http://www.thecreativelady.etsy.com/
They are totally customizable if you email me your photo.

Check me out on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/thecreativelady.

Check me out on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/thecreativelady

There is a wonderful Twitter hair chat every Sunday night. I think it's @ 10 PM Central but I've been late for the past couple of weeks. Use the following hashtag to join in: #naturalhair I love it.

Stay Tuned!

January MMX Best Days To Trim Hair

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:36:00 +0000

For MMX, I've decided to start every month with a post of "Best Days" to trim hair. Whether your goal is to trim hair for growth or to decrease growth, I will post the dates here on the first of every month.

If you've followed my posts, you know that I grew up with grandparents who followed the moon to live by. My Big Mama is 90 and healthy and still gets her crops to flourish by following the moon.

Best Days To Trim Hair To Increase Growth:
15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 29

Best Days To Trim Hair To Decrease Growth:
3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 13, 30

Disclaimer: Following moon phases has worked for me and are my experiences.

Happy MMX!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:26:00 +0000

I had to come on to wish all my followers a Happy 2010!

I love the Roman Numeral version of 2010: MMX!

May all of your hair dreams come true!

Share Your Thoughts!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:14:00 +0000

Hello Bloggers!

Come over to my YouTube channel and voice your thoughts. I've uploaded a question to fellow naturals regarding how they react when someone wants to touch their natural hair! It's been quite a popular topic of discussion. Join in! View, Rate and Subscribe too!

Thanks!
~Napp

Your Natural Hair | Can I Touch It?

November's Best Days To Trim Hair

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000

I'm from the country and my grandparents bought an almanac at the start of every new year. They used it to farm by. It must have worked because we were never hungry!

Almanacs follow the moon's position to determine the best days to perform certain tasks for certain outcomes.

Trim hair to increase growth:
November 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 30

Trim Hair to decrease growth:
November 2, 5, 6, 9, 14, 15

I've followed almanacs all my life and I've been pleased with the results. I'm sure that if a person cuts his/her hair on the wrong phase, all will be fine but as I try to walk in sync with nature, I love being in balance with nature.

If you decide to use the dates, let me know if you feel it was successful!

Disclaimer: Following moon phases has worked for me and are my experiences.

(click photo to enlarge)

~Napp

Banner Test

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Enjoying this lazy Saturday watching the Sanford & Son marathon on TV Land and creating banners! After working all week for someone else, it feels great to just have some personal downtime! I'm equally as excited about the end of Daylight Savings Time! I will put the extra hour to good use.

Although I put together some random elements, what do you think of the banners? How does it look? Be honest! Please share in the comments section!

~Napp

I Maxiglided My Nappyliciousness!

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:58:00 +0000

We wore hats to work today for "Hats On" against cancer. Since being natural, I've not liked to wear hats because I totally look like a goober! I decided to Maxiglide my hair.

It took about 20 minutes. I instantly missed my nappyliciousness but I was happy with the results. It gave me a chance to see how much my hair has grown and how deceiving shrinkage is. See the complete process on my YouTube channel. (While you're there, please comment and rate the video.)

When I walked into the building, one of the secretaries blurted out: "Pimp". I wanted to yell back "B" "K.M.A.!!! This woman still wears a freakin' pineapple wave!!! Yes. A freaking shellacked pinned up 1985 pineapple wave. Thank God I was able to bridle my tongue because I was about to let her have it. I had just walked in from a massive down pour and my whole self and clothing were drenched! I may have looked like a wet pimp but when I go home, I can shower and wash my nappyliciousness back but she would still be a jackass!

Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Hair is topic of the moment. Thanks Chris Rock! I have been thinking about my own hair and how I've arrived in this natural state: purely by accident!

Spring Break 2004, a group of my co-workers and even family members, took a 7 day cruise on the Carnival Conquest out of New Orleans. It was so much fun.

My hair was up in micro-braids that were on their last leg. I decided not to endure the take down process and sit another 8 hours to get them re-done for the cruise. The braids made it through. When I got home, I decided to take them down. Somewhere along the way, I got impatient. I had the grandiose idea in mid-takedown, to wash my hair with Creme of Nature shampoo. It always makes hair glide through right? Wrong. I had all kinds of tangles and matted hair and countless braids still in tact. The un-detangled hair became totally matted! Oh boy! Not even Creme of Nature was melting those tangles and snarls. I was very frustrated and desperate. There was only one thing to do. Cut it off! I had a male friend help me. Of course, he was not a willing participant as he did not want my mother to crack open his dome. But I was having a moment like Bernadine in Waiting to Exhale: either you do it or I'm going to do it myself. He did. I was brave yet terrified! I had been seeing the little waves of hair underneath those braids and wondered what my own hair looked like but I was also anticipating my next relaxer.

When he finished, I looked like a scared boy. I had hair but it was just very short and had permed ends. I looked crazy! I tied my hair up and threw on a baseball cap and ran to the nearest beauty supply store to buy a wig. I wore that wig and another one for fun, from March until November. I was almost natural underneath but no one knew. I got tired of the two textures and had it relaxed in November 2004. I wasn't ready for natural hair.

Being ready for natural hair requires mental preparation and thick skin. People will hurl all kinds of rude questions and comments about your hair. If you have the slightest concern about what someone may say to you, YOU ARE NOT READY!

I had no idea that on August 8, 2006, I would receive my last chemical relaxer. I got my hair braided in November for our Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas and so my transition began. I ended up transitioning for 8 months and on June 11, 2007, I did the big chop! This time I was ready and have loved this journey since!

Pre-Poo Process

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Since becoming natural, I have maintained healthy hair. I have not noticed hair breakage or any other hair issues. I am a confessed product junkie but I do have certain hair regimen that remain unchanged: the Pre-Poo Process.

Pre Poo is short for pre-shampoo. I like to pre-poo if I've used various products on my hair that may have contained silicones which can cause build-up on the hair shaft. If I don't use a natural cleanser like baking soda or bentonite clay to cleanse my hair, I will use a regular shampoo that may contain SLS (sodium laurel sulfates). In attempt to combat any drying effects of the SLS shampoo, I like to coat my hair with an oil such as Amla oil or EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). I heat the oil in a microwaveable dish for a few seconds and transfer it into a small bottle which allows me to pour easily.

Once the oil is applied and is coated over my strands, I will apply a layer or two of plastic wrap to hold in the heat. I then apply a thick towel on top of that in order to hold in heat. You could use a heat cap or hooded dryer to speed up the process but I like to use this time to do household chores or read a few pages of a book or magazine.

When the time has passed and it is time to rinse, it is important to add the shampoo to your hair BEFORE adding water. Oil and water do not mix. Adding the shampoo first breaks down the oil on the hair shaft before the water is added. I like to apply the shampoo once or twice; it just depends on what my hair feels like. I follow up with a conditioner and voila! I'm ready for styling. I don't do a deep conditioner at this point but I suppose you could if your hair needs it.

Until later. . .

~Nappylicious

Censorship or Selected Cities?

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:21:00 +0000

I decided that I would go see "Good Hair" this weekend. When I checked the internet for show times, I could not find a theater showing the movie! Since I was using my telephone, I figured I needed to breakout the laptop and really do a thorough search. No luck. I thought Chris Rock was releasing the movie in cities "where black folks are". My mirror hasn't lied to me or the other people I know. No movie! Is this city a victim of censorship or selected cities? I don't do bootleg so I guess I'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD. Dang!

Chris Rock's Movie "Good Hair"

noreply@blogger.com (The Creative Lady) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:48:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

Doesn't it seem like hair is on everyone's minds these days? I am very excited about that. I have always been obsessed about hair. Back in high school, my friend Pam and I could spend hours on the phone talking about hair, hair products and how to use them. The makings of a product junkie!

I am excited about Chris Rock's new movie, "Good Hair" that arrived in theaters this weekend. I was hesitant about seeing it as I've heard mixed reviews. I did not want to be upset leaving the movie. I was probably the only person in the world who missed Chris Rock's first appearance on Oprah promoting the movie. So I really had no idea what to expect. Knowing Chris Rock and how crazy he is, it could go either way.

Two things happened that swayed my decision to see the movie: Seeing Chris Rock on Oprah yesterday and hearing Dr. Maya Angelou on XM 156 talk about hair. Now if you know Dr. Maya, she is a no nonsense woman. If it were foolishness, I don't think she would embrace and endorse the movie as she has. When I saw Chris Rock's second appearance on Oprah yesterday promoting the movie, the negative feedback and its justification was, in my opinion, unwarranted and downright foolish! I understand not wanting to be the butt of a joke but the belief that mainstream America would now ridicule since secret hair routines of African Americans were revealed is absurd! Or the comment from "Shirley" that was read on the Oprah show that said white women's silky hair gave them an advantage over us and that's why our men wanted them? WTF? There is no secret to black hair. Chris summed it up by saying "secrets rot the soul"!

As a natural haired woman in America, I have other African Americans asking me questions like "how'd you get your hair like that?" or "is that a straw set?" or "can you comb your hair" or students asking if I'm African. Last time I checked, I was born in the USA. Heaven forbid that someone think I'm gay just because I'm natural. To each his/her own, but I've always been "strictly. . . you know! The most offensive comment/gesture ever made to me about my hair came from a relative who offered to give me money to get my hair done. I blamed it on the alcohol but I came close to using all the cuss words I knew and I know how to string them together and hurt your feelings, believe that! But I refrained and just stared at him with daggers in my eyes.

I think the big hoopla about this movie, though I haven't seen it yet, runs deeper than the movie. It's struck a nerve with black folks because we've rarely embraced our hair, especially in it's natural state. We were often put down and made to feel bad because of our kinky hair. We thought straight or silky hair would make us more likable. I know some real jack asses with straight hair.

What I hope for this movie is to open dialogue about hair, with other races and within our own homes. There are members of my own family who still don't like my decision to wear natural hair. But that is my choice. I have more freedom because I'm not sitting up in somebody's beauty shop all day to get my "hair done". I have more money because I don't have to pay someone to "do my hair'. However I do spend money on hair products so maybe I don't have more money! LOL. But seriously, we should take this movie as a one about acceptance. Live and let live.

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie and I will come back with my review.

Until then. . .

~Nappylicious & Proud