Tuesday, January 30, 2007

21 Months


21 of the Most Wonderful Months...

Happy New Year Everyone! I call this shot "diamonds" because of the sparkling effect that bounces off of my necklace. You may not be able to see it in the pics, but my eyes are scarlet red (irritation from navy blue eyeliner). Since my last post so many things have happened. I finally finished my Masters in Counseling and have started the Ph.D program in Psychology; however, after attending school for the last six years straight, I've discovered that I am truly burned out and need to take a "Monica Break". I've acclimated myself so much into the collegiate environment that my personal social skills have weakened, and thus, I'm off to rediscovering me and spending quality time with my four children.

On to my hair....most of it is fully locked, but still the crown remains stubborn for the most part. Overall, I haven't had much slippage in the past several months. My scalp is extremely dry and still flakes, which is expected during these colder months. However, I'm beginning to wonder if my setting lotion is a contributory factor to this condition. I've tried a variety of setting lotion products, but I still end up with "frosted flakes". I've noticed that curling my hair with solar rollers aids in the locking process because I don't play in my hair as often, it keeps the ends from frizzing, and the curls generally last 1-2 weeks if I take special care in tying my hair up at night. So if you see me walking down the street, don't be surprised to see me sporting curls as opposed to flat twists or a straight style.

News flash: This month I am finally able to pull the top half of my hair completely into a pony tail! This is cause for celebration because over time Elaine (my consultant) cut my hair into layers and it proved to be very difficult to pull all the locks together. I can hardly wait for the day when I can pull ALL of my locks into one beautiful pony tail! I would imagine that won't be for another year or so (smile). Oh, I almost forgot, Elaine hot curled my hair during my last retightening. She curled it towards my face, and because it's been cut into layers the hair style created a beautiful silhouette of my face! Unfortunately, it was extremely rainy that day, so the style didn't last too long. I must admit, it's been so long since I've used a curling iron on my hair, I was a little uncomfortable and concerned about potential damage on my natural hair.

Not much else has changed. I'm still doing the single parent thing, as my husband has decided to work another year in Iraq (that's a whole other blog in and of itself). I still religiously take the Super Biotin daily, and occasionally when I remember; women's multivitamin. As part of rediscovering me, I've started exercising--something I've neglected since starting college. I am soooooo out of shape it's pathetic. Those late nights doing homework made it very difficult to get up in the morning to exercise. So, everyone, until next time; thank you for reading, sending me your comments, and sharing this wonderful journey of a lifetime with me!

5 comments:

Abena Abena said...

Hi Monica,

Your hair is looking nice and it is great to have you posting again. Congratulations on the completion of your degree!

Stay encouraged!

Creyole said...

Just stunning! You need to pose for the SL magazine! Congrats on your Master and blessings to you on the PhD.

Thanks for updating us!

Creyole said...

Simply Mel tagged me and I'm supposed to share five things my blog readers don't know about me.

Now, lets see..I'll tag my blog buddies below because I've never met them in person:

Chi-Chi in Chi-Town - Chicago
Luvi - Houston
Monica - Killene

BlaqKofi said...

You and your locks are stunning as always. We locked one month apart and like you, I've loved every moment of it. And Big Props on getting your Masters. Hopefully, we'll see you at one of the DFW Sisterlocks gatherings now that you're taking a break.

Anonymous said...

Hey there! You and your hair are looking just beautiful. I must say I hadn't heard of anyone using a curling iron on there locks so I am glad to hear that you didn't see any damage. Have you tried caruso curls yet? They are awesome and I have been using them pretty regularly but haven't take pics yet.