Vonnie's Diary of Change

Wash and Go

2012-08-05T10:26:00.001-07:00

I decided to experiment again with the wash and go. My hair still has a really funny shape so I decided to pin it to one side. I really loved it and I got a lot of compliments. Soon it will be one year since I bc'd and I think I have experienced a great amount of growth and my hair is very healthy! Here are a few pics of the wash and go. The next day I decided to try a style I saw on All Things O'Natural's blog. I really enjoyed this style as well. I took a little break from the twist because it takes so long to do them and I haven't really felt up to it. Enjoy the pics!!!

Mini twist

2012-06-24T23:40:00.001-07:00

I am going to start experimenting with mini twist for awhile to gain some growth. I have had these in for almost two weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed them and they have made a great protective style.

Maintaining my mini-twist
• sleeping on a satin pillow case
• spritz daily with leave in condition my Jane Carter
• Seal daily with an oil
• Oil scalp weekly

Next week I will be getting them done gain and getting a trim. So far I am loving this and I am 2 years post relaxer. I still am looking forward to a lot of growth:) check out the pics below!

Been Sooo Long!!!

2012-06-04T21:06:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile, there has been so much going on in my life and now I feel the calm after the storm. I was working in a new school district this year and it was the worst experience of my life. I am so very glad God put me in that situation and took me out of it at the same time. I am praying better things are in store for me and now I can breathe and focus on what's next.

Soooooo as for my curls, I have been spending a lot of time getting to know my hair. I tried a few wash and go's, which I love but I am going to have to get more length. I also been wearing a few low buns and a experimented with a flat iron. I will not be flat ironing again any time soon. I was able to visit the salon again and Alem at Shea Locs, hooked me up with some comb coils which I LOVED!!! It lasted for 5 days. I could have stretched it a lil longer but they started to shrink a lot. I washed my hair and took the time to prepare for a twist out. I am approaching 2 years since my last relaxer in a few days (June 10th). I am also 10 months all natural, I transitioned for 14 months before I chopped. Here a few pics below of my twist, twisted for a twist out and my comb coils by Alem. I will try to do much better to post weekly:) Happy Summer to me and Thank God for all of his blessings:)

Flat iron

2012-03-25T17:27:00.001-07:00

I had a really good flat iron for the first time while being natural. It lasted for over 2 weeks. I really enjoyed it and my hair looked very healthy. I went to my old stylist, Trayon David. She did an excellent job and I loved every minute of my hair being straight. I can't do it often though because I did notice my curl pattern was looser after I washed my hair. Here are pics below of my flat ironed hair....enjoy!

BTW, I am 21 months post relaxer and 7 months all natural!!!!

20 Months Post Relaxer 6 Months all Natural!!!!! My First Wash and Go!!!

2012-02-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today was wash day and I decided that I did not feel like putting all of those twist in my hair to get some curl definition. I know I have a few curls naturally so I decided to bring them out. I decided that I would try my first wash and go. I began searching on YouTube and watching videos that other naturals posted about their wash and go regimens. I viewed the videos while I deep conditioned my hair. I finally decided to get up and rinse the conditioner out and try it. I detangled each section, spritzed each section with water and Jane Carter's leave in conditioner. I then applied to each small section some Kinky Curly Not Today, olive oil and Eco Styler Argon Oil Gel. I fingered through each section to define my curls. I let it dry but I was getting too cold and I am already kinda under the weather so I blow dried it. That made it look a tad bit dry so I applied some Shea Moisture Curling Enhance Smoothie and oil, I rubbed them both and in there I had a cute pattern that I could live with. I then decided to style my hair by pinning up the sides because I do not like the shape of my hair when it is all down. I am waiting for my sides to grow out some more. I think I will try this style all week if I can. I will continue to revisit this style. I love the way it came out and it saved me time without all those twist. If I find a good night time regimen I am sure this will be a staple:)

Enjoy the pics below of the style....

Before it dried

texture after applying all products

after styling

Love the style!!!

Shout Out to Shea Locs Natural Hair Studio

2012-01-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give my stylist, Alem a shout out for all the hard work she has been putting in with my hair. She is very flexible and I appreciate her always working with me and being patient. I just told her that I had a hair blog documenting my hair journey. She blew out my hair and I must say....it is growing. It might not be growing as fast as I'd like it to but it is growing. I wanted to share pics of the blow out and the finished product!!!! Thanks Alem and the ladies of Shea Locs Natural Hair Studio. I enjoy coming to the salon each week. I enjoy the conversation and the laid back environment. I look forward to growing long, natural, beautiful hair with the ladies of Shea Locs!!!!

before

After

Thanks Alem!!! I think I like how my hair hangs better with a blow out but I still wish it was thick:(

Happy New Year!!!!!

2012-01-03T18:50:00.001-08:00

I am so happy excited about 2012! I brought my NY in with some great people and I am looking forward to great things. This yr I do not have any resolutions as usual. I just try to set goals and stick to them. This yr I want to take my test for administration, lose 30lbs and save some money. For the New Year, a few friends and our significant others went to the beach. I straightened my hair and it was not a good idea on the beach. My hair blew up like Nitro as soon as I stepped out of my car. I kept it in a bun and when I got back to GA, I curled it and rolled it. Here is a pic...it is on the grow. I am very proud of my progress. I am looking forward to longer, healthier hair in 2012!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

It was a bitter sweet Christmas without my daddy for the first time. I went to the church where his funeral was held on Christmas for the first time and God knew I was going to break down if we had to go around and shake hands during fellowship because I always walked around and hugged my daddy. I couldn't hardly concentrate the whole service thinking about how I would handle that part. Instead, they did something different and I was glad. After church, we all gathered at the house at 1:00 for Christmas dinner. We all held hands to pray and momma decided she wanted to say a few words. The words she spoke in memory of dad made us all cry, we had to get ourselves together and then we ate, danced and sung. Our rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas was hilarious. I loved my hairstyle on Christmas...I think I will revisit it again real soon. I am getting it flat ironed this week though. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy the pics of my hair on Christmas below.

My hair on Christmas!! flat twisted to one side with individual twist hanging to that side. LOVED IT!!!

My cousins, aunt and momma

Mom being silly as usual!

How's My Hair Doing???

2011-12-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!!!! I am still getting to know my hair. I transitioned for 14 months and I have been completely natural for 4 months. I have been wearing my hair in twist and twist outs lately. I am beginning to get comfortable and I am noticing some growth. I am looking forward to this journey getting better and my hair getting longer. Here is a pic from last week's twist out. I had a Mary Kay consultant make my face up so excuse the make-up. My current regimen is to wash and condition my hair weekly. I seal the ends with some moisturizer and oil. I apply oil to my hair daily, either coconut oil or serum. Everything has been going good and I am enjoying my growth process thus far.

Styles I have been wearing since I've been natural!!!! 6 weeks since the big chop

2011-09-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying being completely natural. I have been going to a salon weekly and after a few days I re-twist or restyle. I can't really flat twist or braid so I have to go to a stylist until it gets longer, then I will be able to style it on my own. Here are a few pics of styles I have been wearing. I missed pictures of a few, I have been busy and I am going to do better. I really want to document this journey right, so I can come back and look at how much my hair has grown and changed.

I Big Chopped!!!

2011-08-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

After going to the salon for a trim they suggested that I just cut off the remainder of the relaxer because the relaxed hair was damaged and shedding pretty bad. So here I am now.....all natural!!!

14 Months Post Relaxer (transitioning)

2011-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! I have been transitioning for 14 months and I really see the difference in the two textures now. It really has me itching to big chop but I want more length so I must wait. I am very excited because I see my curl pattern and I can feel the soft and thickness of my natural hair. It is funny because I said I would wait to transition for two years before I big chopped but now I am saying maybe around 19 to 20 months....I will keep you posted but for now...STAY TUNED FOR MORE!!!

One Year of Transitioning

2011-06-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks one year of transitioning to natural hair for me. I currently have braids and I am enjoying not being bothered with the two textures. I initially got the braids for my trip to Jamaica but I think I am going to get some more once I take these out. I plan on transitioning for at least another seven months to a year. Here is a pic of my braids...probably will keep them all summer if I can.

Hair Update 11 Months of Transitioning to Natural Hair.

2011-05-13T15:47:00.001-07:00

I have mainly been wearing a bun or a twist out. Here is a pic of a twist out that I did and it lasted for about 4 days. I was very proud of the results. Here is a pic!!!!

Hair Update

2011-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

ok, the transitioning process is going............I am in my 10th month and I still trying to find something that works. I think I have found it in flat twist and a bun. I tried cornrows with extensions and hated it. They were too tight, I lost a few edges and I had a lot of breakage from the tangling. So here I am now trying flat twist with a bun....wheww, it sure helps with dealing with my hair. I think I am going to keep low maintenance, protective styles these days. This helps with my patience!!! Take a look at the pics of the flat twist with a bun.

Update on hair and me!!!!

2011-03-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

I just love this nail color... I have enjoyed being obsessed with nail colors and painting my nails frequently. My hair has been in cornrows for the past few weeks. I have gotten spoiled with not having to deal with my hair. I think I will keep them until my natural hair grows out longer.

Hair Update

2011-03-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am currently in my eight month of transitioning, it will be nine months in a few days. My hair stylist has been out for a family emergency so I have twisted my hair twice for a twist out. Both times it did not last for more than 3 days. Clearly I am doing something wrong so I decided to rock the pony tail until she returns. I will go tomorrow so she can hook me up. I loved wearing the pony tail though, they are so convenient and don't take up much time at all. I wish I could wear them everyday but I know that is a lot of stress on my edges as well as the pressure from the scrunchie can be damaging. I think I will start wearing one more often though because this hair is growing pretty fast now. I think about chopping all the time but I can't....I can't deal with the short hair. That is the only thing that keeps me from chopping because I know that would be easier to deal with and my hair would be easier to manage and style. I guess I will keep pushing until June 2012. The countdown to natural will continue!!!

Weigh in Wednesday!!!

2011-03-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

This Morning I weighed myself and I was at 158.7. I was not mad because this past weekend when my girls and I went to Orange Beach and ate everything I wanted to eat. I had so many drinks that I wasn't supposed to have, so this makes me happy that I didn't put on at least five extra pounds. I was so out of control and enjoyed eating out all day for three days with my girls. we had breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday where were there, with snacks in between. I had a wonderful time and hope we can go back soon....maybe this summer when it is warm. I truly enjoyed myself, thanks Terasha for the invite!!!

Hair update

2011-02-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

Nothing new has really been going on with my hair. It is growing and I haven't tried any new styles lately. I am still rocking the twist and curl and I getting quite bored with it. I flat ironed it last week to get a trim. I enjoyed having it straight because there wasn't much to do with it. I am thinking about getting some cornrows for a while. I am not sure what I want to do, I just know I am getting really bored with my hair. I think about BCing because I know this will be easier but I don't want short hair. I will continue to try to grow it out and focus on it less. I am still taking my vitamins and using the coconut oil daily to moisturize. I am not having much breakage but my relaxed hair is so fine that the twist out is starting to look a little rough to me. I guess the only thing to do is be patient and continue to grow my hair the best way I can. Here is a pic that prevents me from doing the BC. Even though I love my hair texture, I can't deal with the short hair.

Weigh in Wednesday!!!

2011-02-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Today I weighed myself and I am 159.2, I did eat some things last week that I shouldn't have eaten. I was stressed and had a lot going on. I will try to do better and since it is warming up, I plan to go walking and running. I need to do better....I have to lose at least 15 pounds by June 1, I hope I reach my goal so stay tuned!!!!

Weigh in!!!!!!

2011-02-17T10:35:00.001-08:00

I weighed myself yesterday but I forgot to post a blog. I weighed myself on 2-16-11 and I weighed 158.4. I am slowly losing. I will continue my diet so hopefully by June, I will be where I need to be for Jamaica!!!!

Weigh in Wednesday Gone Wrong!

2011-02-10T17:22:00.001-08:00

I weighed myself yesterday fully dressed for work. I know I had to have lost some weight so I tried again this morning as soon as I woke up. I weighed 159.4. This made me feel a little better I lost 2 pounds:)

This Weeks Hair!

2011-02-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

This week I didn't post pics of my hair because it was the exact same way as last week. I wore the twist and curl and on the 6th and 7th day I wore a pony tail with the twist and curl out in the back. I plan on flat ironing this week and getting a trim. I am eight months into my transition and I can only wish it would grow faster. I am still taking my hairfinity vitamins and will not post an update on that until I have taken them an entire month. I think I am making good progress and I am not experiencing any breakage. My only challenge is styling at this point, It gets really hard to think of styles. If anyone has any ideas on styles, please let me know!

Weigh in Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am a little disappointed this week because I gained two pounds. I think I did really well this week. I ate right and I stuck to my points. I am sure the wings I had over the weekend didn't add two pounds on but maybe it did. I will do much better this week. My weight this week was back to 163.4.....I must do better. I need to lose 20 pounds by June!!!! I think I might need to break out some tough enforcement:)

Style Update

2011-02-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed my twist and curl this week but sadly it rained Tuesday and that was the end of my curls. So.....instead of trying to roll the ends again I decided to try and bun. I enjoyed wearing the bun and I got a few compliments on it. Here a few pics of the style. I wore the style for two days and I would spritz it daily to add moisture. I slicked the edges back with fantasia Ic sparkling gel and Hicks edges. I will revisit this style as well. I consider this a great in between style. I re twisted to today and rolled the ends. I will post pics soon.