My First REAL Job!!!

First off, let me say that God is good! I have officially been hired for my 1st real job since I graduated from college :o). March has been an amazing month for me: 23rd birthday, new job, SL birthday & other financial blessings hehe. I am still in awe, but I dont think  it will truly hit me until I get on the plane to fly to Texas for a week of training. I cant believe I found a REAL job and it actually has something to do with my major just 3 months after graduating. I know so many people who graduated months and a few years before me who has not found a job with the degree they obtained. Even I was getting discouraged because I thought I was going to be in the same boat. I pray all the time for them, but I know that everything happens in God's timing. I was getting so scared because of my loans, I wasnt able to save money because I only worked 25hrs a week {that's what my contract required}. I thank God for the job I had, but it was crazy how those "grown-up bills" started to cave in all at once smh. But anywho, my 1 year SL birthday is approaching {March 27&28} and I dont think I'll be able to post due to me being out of town. So what I will do is post sometime tomorrow or Saturday before I leave. The post wont be too dramatic, but just some Q&A's and of course the before and afters ;o)

Curl Patterns?

Hmmmmm I really dont know alot about curl patterns, but I came across this loc with a "curl" when I was braiding my hair up. Actually, I noticed the last 2 rows in the back of my head has these little coils at the end. I guess that was a cool moment for me because I haven't seen my natural curl pattern in over 10 years or so. I always knew I had a loose wave, but it's different when you can really see it for yourself after all these years. Of course I had that "man I'm ready to get rid of these relaxed ends" moment, but in due time I'll see my babies all natural. I heard/read that you need to do research about curl patterns because it will help you understand your hair when it comes to locking. But then again its not a major concern for me because I know with my hair texture it's gonna take ALOT longer to lock than others.....which I have come to terms with.

{As you can see, my babies are in the fuzzy stage *something I have gotten used to a long time ago lol*}

Trial & Error

Soooooo I know I said that I would post pics for my b-day hair do {and will in this post}, I just want to say that everything you do is trial and error. I realized that up-dos are not for me, or at least all of my hair being put up is not. I wanted to try something different and that's exactly what I got. You know how you read in magazines or fashion/hair articles of the kind of hairstyles that work for your face structure and what doesnt? Well, this one in particular didnt work for my big forehead, round face and big cheeks. My locktician did a wonderful job, but I guess being told all day long that I looked like I was 16 was a no-go. Some people would take that as a compliment, but I didnt at the time because I want to look like I'm truly in my 20's & I want to be taken seriously {20's are young-looking as it is}. Even my boyfriend {who is definitely a sweetheart/gentleman} admitted he wasnt too gung-ho about it. He expressed how he likes my hair to frame my face and that half-up and half-down was sexy..... Ladies, yall know good & well its important to be attractive for your man, and if he isnt feeling a certain look, more than likely its not working for you {as long as he isnt sarcastic and disrespectful about it}

Now, the pipe cleaner curls in the front were very pretty and that's definitely making me want to do that all over my head {graduation more than likely}. In the past when I had relaxed hair and I happened to pull all of my hair back, people told me they were happy to see all of my face but it definitely made me look younger. Im not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed lol. Theres nothing wrong with looking young, cuz that will definitely help when Im older lol. Once again, my locktician did a BEAUTIFUL job, but its a lesson learned that having ALL of my hair up is not poppin for me. Im not just going by everybody else's opinions, but I had my own as well. I even saw in the mirror that I didnt look like "me". I wish I could be a little more daring with my styles, but I guess Im one of those people where "less is more" works better.

                            {Back View}

Cant see the back all that great, but its a fish tail braided up                                                                                                       

                     {Top/Side View}

I had a bang that was rolled up with pipe cleaners, 

   but I pinned it up with the rest of my hair

Happy 23 To Meeeeee!!!!

Nothing to post about SL's or weight loss really, but its my birthday and Im feeling really good. I thought I was going to do another roller set for my b-day, but I chose not to because of workouts and  my re-ti appointment in 2 days {we'll have a special style then}. I'm not officially celebrating until this weekend, so I didn't do anything in particular today, except for workout and wash my locs. Nonetheless I'm very blessed to see 23 years of life :o) Pics coming soon!

Peace. Love & Happiness! 

What The Fuzz?

Its a rainy day with nothing to do but watch tv, exercise or play with my hair. My birthday is in 2 days and I was just playing around with what I can do with my locs that's simple and wont mess up from my workouts. I know my hair is soft and fuzzy, but this has been interesting to me for a while: 

 This fuzz I got going on at my hairline is very interesting. When I have my re-ti, they're nice and neat, but in between, this fuzz has a mind of its own. {I obviously need a re-ti here, but that will be taken care of at the end of this week}

 

For the most part, I dont have my hair pulled back for my fuzz to be exposed, but its getting longer and longer. It lays flat & gives the impression I'm balding, but that is so NOT the case. I dont know if this part of my hair is going to be long enough to turn into a SL eventually, but my locktician seems to do a good job to get it back into my locs when i get my re-ti.  Having really soft hair is definitely a challenge & one of the many reasons why i prefer to have my locs frame my face instead of pulling them back.....I guess this comes with the territory of being natural haha

Color Inspiration

Happy Friday! :o)

Today is sooooooo chill at work and there's barely anyone here, so I took some time to find colors that I would like to explore with my locs. I am nowhere near being able to add color {tear}, so the only thing I can do right now is to dream until my time comes. I'm not usually into dramatic colors and jet black is my ultimate favorite. But once I am able to add color, I would love to explore RED. Even though I love jet black, I have been told repeatedly that I look great with bright & warm colors. My hair is naturally a dark reddish brown but I rinsed my hair with jet black for 3 years and the color sort of "stuck" to my hair. Brown doesnt work on me for some reason and it makes my hair look dry and frizzy. I even tried some brown rinses to "enhance" my natural color and it was just too dull on me and it made me look so young {I already have a young face}. Once I started jet black, it made me look a little more mature and added that "oomph" and sleekness. But anywho, here are a few pics of some reds that I thought was nice:

{I'll admit that the 1st and 2nd pics are my favorite, but notice how all of these women are not completely dyed red and has a hint of a darker colored mixed in. Im not that bold to go completely red! Lol. I know the last pic may seem a little hypocritical because it looks like a spicy brown, but it looks reddish to me :o) Dreaming is the only thing that I can do right now, but its nice to look instead of touch sometimes haha. But seriously, which color do you think would work for me???}

****If any of these photos happen to be yours and you want credit or need it to be taken down, please let me know immediately by leaving a comment below

 

Weigh In ~ Re-evaluation

*sighs* I just want to throw something because my weight is driving me crazy. Im trying to understand why in the world or how do I lose weight throughout the month and gain it back when its time for my weigh in O_o.
Then, I re-evaluated myself again for possible reasons:

1. Not enough water {just drinking 1 bottle of water with every meal......not enough at all}

2. Not getting no more than 6 hours of sleep {crazy, I know}

3. Going out to eat on friday and saturday nights {probably not making the best choices that I think I am while out}

4. Working out 4x's a week {I'll admit that Im allowing things to get in my way of workout time...My doctor  says I should be working out 5-7 days a week in order to lose weight}

5. Probably not enough fruit. I can munch on vegetables all day long, but fruit is something I dont have a taste for on a regular basis.

Looking at these errors are overwhelming. I'm really trying, but I guess it's not enough. I guess Im getting a little discouraged because my best friend has lost a tremendous amount already, but on the other hand I think she's losing too much in such a short period {about 40 lbs in 2 months}. I have this fear of losing too fast only to gain it back when I decide to eat something I completely deprived myself of. At least Im maintaining my weight, but Lord knows that's not going to cut it.

For the past 3 days I have been drinking 3 liters of water {101.4 oz} a day to make sure Im cleansing my system. So far, I have recognized a change in appetite {eating less} and my stomach does not feel as bloated/heavy. I did some reseach of how much water you need to drink in order to lose weight, and everything I have come across all says that it is based on your weight. Since I weigh 262lbs, I should be drinking 135 oz or 4.1 Liters of water everyday. Honestly, I dont think that it's too difficult. Im already at 3 liters a day.....1 more wouldnt hurt. So that's 2 months so far that I have not reached my goal. Im 20lbs behind on schedule now :'o( . Maybe I need to set a smaller goal....I dont mean as in settling, but is 10lbs a month too much to try to acheive?