Happy Birthday Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup!!

The Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup is ONE YEAR old and guess what? I didn't realize it until I got a message from Meetup. I started this group to bring together women who have Sisterlocks and other tool-assisted locks. I wanted an informal way for those researching sisterlocks and long-time sisterlocks wearers to meet, share their journeys, swap products and tips, and also to spread the word for their consultants.
The year has flown by so fast and we now have 153 Lye-free and locked up gals. It's been such a great way to meet other natural sisters. It's amazing how it's come along.

Meetup Jan 31:
We had a wonderful meetup last weekend, but since I had forgotten the anniversary I didn't mention it. We met at Lattetude - a cosy coffee bistro in Decatur. ( Many thanks to my client Ronke, who suggested it). I give the venue a big thumbs up.
A lot of new members turned out and it was informative and fun. Thanks everyone. We missed those who couldn't make it and we must celebrate our anniversary next month. Look at Sophia's blog for extra photos. There are a few more on the Meetup site too, in the photos file. The photos taken on my iphone came out so badly as the light was poor.


On Meetups:
FYI: Meetup is a great way to get people together. For those of you in other cities and states looking for fellowship with like-minded natural sisters and who don't have a group, why don't you start your own? You can start a meetup about everything under the sun.
Here is some info from their website.
"Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Meetup makes it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.
Meetup's mission is to revitalize local community and help people around the world self-organize. Meetup believes that people can change their personal world, or the whole world, by organizing themselves into groups that are powerful enough to make a difference.

A few pictures from Christmas...

Just sharing a few belated photos from the holidays. Soila on the beach early Christmas morning. My niece Kukua turned 2... Isn't she sweet? England was COLD!! My in-law's beautiful farm cottage looked lovely though. In the last photo the children take a walk with grandma in the freezing cold. Her sisterlocks have really grown.(click on the photos to see full size)

 

 

 

 

 

A Must-have New Find For Healthy Hair!!(But maybe you already know about it)

I've recently discovered wonderful hair products by Arbonne, a U.S company with Swiss-formulated products. I think it's the best kept beauty secret in the country. I'm especially in love with their Intelligence Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Thermal Fusion Revitalizer line - a special blend of healing herbs and botanicals that helps guard against long-term hair loss. There's also a conditioner which is excellent, but I don't personally recommend for locked hair since it's a little on the thick side.
The Arbonne line of products is based on pure, safe, beneficial ingredients with no mineral oil, parabens, or artificial fragrances and chemicals. Those of you who like Aveda products, should certainly give these a try.
The tea-tree formulation combats dry, flaky, scalp with tea tree and peppermint oils, licorice, rosemary and sage extracts.(smells heavenly!!!)
The tea-tree botanical blend really helps to control dry scalp and the hair revitalizer, contains saw palmetto, horsetail and yucca extracts among other things.
(I don't even rinse it out, although you are supposed to). Used together they have allegedly amazing restorative properties for early balding and hair loss.
Arbonne products are not retailed in stores, you will need to buy from a consultant or it can be shipped to you directly. Go to www.beautystartswithin.myarbonne.com to find out more or contact me by email for a sample. I find the prices really reasonable for the generous sized bottles.
I'd love to know if there are any other satisfied Arbonne product users out there. Please let me know. Also would like to hear about other hair-restoring products on the market.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

It's been such a blast being back at home. On Dec 20th it was my niece Kukua's 2nd birthday. We had cake, balloons and plenty of fun. Kukua, my sister Ama daughter, is getting Sisterlocks for her birthday. You can see how Ama's locks are growing and all of ours are getting rave reviews - even though we need retightenings badly!!

Back to Africa - On holidays

 

I'm back to Africa tomorrow for Christmas holidays. I'm so excited. I'll be seeing Ama my beloved twin, my mum and other family members in Ghana. Then we are off to London for a frosty few days in the New Year. We'll enjoy a Christmas feast while roasting in the hot sun...I know my sisterlocks won't let me down. I'll keep you updated.

BLOGGING MAKEOVER

Have any of you tried to freshen up your blog? Give it a blog makeover? New hair, new clothes, new lashes? If so, I wonder what the results were. Did it help to attract new readers or re-enthuse existing friends who visit the site often? Did it help to freshen your own enthusiasm for your own site? Or maybe no one even noticed.

As you can see, I'm in the middle of trying to revamp my own site. If truth be told, it's been a bit of a nightmare: long nights in front of the computer screen, wrestling with html code. Nothing I try seems to be working.

But bear with me. I'll get there. Come back soon and you'll find a whole new Amba's Sisterlocks Journey. And in the meantime, if anyone has any tips or helpful hints, please let me know.

Dialogue In The Dark - Are We "Blinded" By Sight?

- The only way to learn is by encounter



This Thanksgiving weekend was made even more special (aside from my sister and her
family's presence) by our visit to an unusual exhibition called Dialogue In the Dark at Atlantic Station in midtown Atlanta.

The hour long experience offers the public "an experience that can change mindsets on disability and diversity, and increase tolerance."

Blind guides lead visitors in small groups through different settings in total darkness where they learn how to interact without sight by using their other senses.

At the beginning of the exhibit - after removing anything that could emit light like watches and cellphones - our small group was taken into a room where we sat on lighted cubes on the floor. We had been given canes and a brief lesson on how to use them. Then the light in the cubes was gradually dimmed until we were left in pitch black and the exhibition began.

We went through a garden where we could hear birdsong, touch grass and plants. We went to a store where we felt bread and coconuts and other produce. During the city scene we heard cars and experienced crossing a street with a cane - it was an unnerving and disorienting experience.

But the amazing thing was that the guides - who were blind - would make sure we were all together and safe. They encouraged us along.

It was as though they could see.

The final room was a bar. We bought drinks in the dark. Before we went in they told us: take only two $1 bills. You hand over the money in the dark and are given change. If we hadn't had the single bills there is no way we could know what money to give.

My mother is blind and it helped me to see that blind people can enjoy themselves. One sense is cut but you have four others. I got a heightened awareness of sound, touch and the other senses. I never knew what the bar looked like but I felt the counter and saw the seats we were sitting on in my mind. If anything, I got a sense of peace.

At the beginning of the exhibition it was frightening, but by the end I felt kinship with the other people in our group and new found respect for the guides.

Even so, being blind is hard.

At the end of the "Dialogue" you go into a transition room where the lights come on gradually. It was good to see the light again. The hour had flown past but it was unforgettable.

Barack And Curtis By Byron Hurt

My husband sent this clip to me and I was fascinated and repelled. Very thought provoking and provocative comparison of two different men. What do you think?
I'm copying and pasting underneath part of the director's comments. His link is Byron

Director's Statement
BARACK & CURTIS: MANHOOD, POWER, AND RESPECT

September 16, 2008

...I am proud to be a part of the Black Masculinity Project, a project of the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). Like many other filmmakers who applied for this, I was required to submit to them three ideas for a short documentary (10 minutes or less) that examined various aspects of black masculinity. Of the three ideas I had, NBPC chose the one that was actually a last minute idea.
...I hope you'll watch Barack & Curtis online and then forward everywhere. Help spread the word by posting it to your blogs, social networking sites, websites, and listservs. Talk about it with your friends, co-workers, and family.
...One final note: Barack & Curtis is in no way intended to create a negative association between Barack Obama and 50 Cent. Anyone who would suggest that mis-understands what my piece is all about. Furthermore, anyone who uses Barack & Curtis to smear Barack Obama in any way, is either ignorant, or morally bankrupt. In no way do I want to damage Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign. In no way am I suggesting that Barack Obama is down with G-Unit or is a gangsta rapper cleverly disguised as a presidential candidate. Neither is Barack & Curtis intended to glorify 50 Cent. Instead, the piece is my attempt to humanize 50 Cent, examine two very different Black men who express their masculinity in two very different ways, and who took two very different paths to achieve manhood, power, and respect.

In the end, I hope Barack & Curtis spreads all over the world over the Internet, igniting a powerful online conversation about Barack Obama, 50 Cent, and the range of black masculinity in between.

God bless,

B. Hurt
www.bhurt.com

We had our November 15 Natural Meet Up - Goodies Galore!!!

This was definitely one of our best meetups ever. We had such a wonderful time and for those who missed it I just have to say - too bad! We met at a AsiaThai restaurant instead of California Pizza Kitchen but that actually worked better.
I went despite raging laryngitis and cough but it was really worth it.
Sophia our wonderful assistant organizer brought along lots of take-away goodie bags that I said it was like being on a mini Oprah show hee hee. The bags had lovely organic and all-natural hair and skin care products. We shared our journeys and also had a talk from Jane Carter Solutions rep Jamese Cox who also gave away plenty of goodies.
To add to the goodie bags, I brought along samples of Arbonne's wonderful plant-based line for hair.
Thanks to Sylvia, Charanor, Diane, Gail, Kevin and Sophia and Jamese.
I'll post some more pics soon.
ps Make sure not to miss the next meetup

NEWSFLASH:My Sisterlocks Client In The Atlanta Journal Constitution

I still haven't come down from the clouds after last week's amazing elections.
Well, I was going through my keepsake copy of the AJC the day after the elections when what do you know? There was a quote from one of my latest client's Lakieshia taken from her at Ebenezer Baptist on election night.
"We want to be here to to see history in the making. I mean being here is much bigger than watching it on TV," she said.
Well I was so excited that I put the paper down, called her up and asked was that you? It sure was!!! Yay!! Wish they had had her photo as well. Check out her blog for her progress. She comes for her first retightening on Friday. And she's loving her Sisterlocks.

The New First Family!!!

An Election Night To Be Remembered
I'll never forget the anticipation and the exhilaration of this memorable election night. I wish President Obama many prosperous and fulfilling years ahead and what a wonderful family to be moving into the White House. Yay!!!!

Miss A -progress 3 months

Well Miss A and her lovely niece dropped by last Friday. I was so pleased that we had to have an instant photo shoot. She moved away from our area just after we had her installation so I have only seen her once and she's been going to another consultant. You can see the growth already. The photos speak for themselves -lovely. Soila got in on the photos too.

Michelle - A Woman Who Inspires...

 

Sorry bloggers for being so abysmal about updating. My hands have been soooo busy with many new clients. (God is so good to me :)
My husband just got back from the Democratic National Convention and of course I asked him what he'd brought me. My favorite among the huge bag of goodies was this t-shirt of Michelle Obama - a lady of class, distinction, intelligence and beauty. What a lovely first-lady she'd make I think. I'm not American, but can't help being caught up in this most unique election.
Meanwhile - still loving my Sisterlocks after 5 Years this month!!! This photo is definitely not a glam shot - taken early in the am on the front steps, no make-up, totally freestyle. Will post update pics after I wash and set. I also had a color touch-up last month to cover the ever-intruding gray.

Aaah The Beach...

We just got back from a wonderful week in the sun in Florida at Grayton beach. The kids made sandcastles, swam, fished, kayaked and generally had a wonderful time. My Sisterlocks went through a massive assault of chlorine, sand and seawater but seem to be holding up. Wish you were here...

Contemplating Short Sisterlocks

 

For a while I've been contemplating cutting my Sisterlocks short or even starting again. Why? A bit of frustration with its current length and general dissatisfaction with the way its responding to color and self retightenings. Seeing recently-installed clients Miss A (pictured with me in the top photo) and Jabreka(bottom photos) rocking their short Sisterlocks with pride, gives me added incentive. Jabreka actually got herself a fade cut in between her follow-up retightening and first retightening. Hey presto! I was like...wait a minute? You've shaved off hours of my careful work? However her new look is fierce although we needed a 7 hr session to reinstall all the unravelling.
Hmm....check back and see what I decide to do.
Psst: Our next Atlanta Sisterlocks Meetup is on coloring Sisterlocks. Don't miss it.

 

 

Meetup 4 -La Madeleine

Here we are at our fourth meetup June 28th which was a summer brunch. We really had a great time. There were plenty of Sisterlocks in all stages of development from new, new born babies(4 days old Sisterlocks) to 4 plus years. There were also a number of ladies interested in Sisterlocks in attendance so we had a lot of questions and first-hand sharing. Thanks for all who made it. A big thanks to Sophia and Aajiliah for all their help. Looking forward to the next one soon. Check Ayo's blog and Sophia's blog for more photos. We had about 15 ladies attending in all.

 

 

 

 

On splitting Sisterlocks, thin hair and locking

I've been so busy over the past few weeks with my phone ringing regularly and my appointment book getting almost full. I thank God so much for my wonderful clients and transfer clients.
Did you know that Sisterlocks that are too large can be split? It's a long process but I am doing that for one client of mine. When we are done, her already abundant head of locks will be even more so. But well worth it. But it'll back to bundling and banding for a while.
Sometimes for one reason or another Sisterlocks are made too large and then splitting comes in. I'm even in the process of splitting quite a number of my daughter Soila's locks. Because she had her Sisterlocks put in when she was only 3 and a half and her head and scalp surface are still growing, some of her sisterlocks(which were medium and large) to start with, have become thick and bulky. (She's 5 now). It's for this reason some consultants suggest putting micros(the smallest size locks) for kids. But I am totally against that- It's way too much torture for them to sit down even if it's spread over many sessions.
I'll be posting photos of a few of my new clients in my album soon.
One of them, whom I'll call Miss A, has had issues with thinning hair caused by repeated coloring of her traditional locks she had for many years. She also went through months of tight braids and weaves prior to gettting her Sisterlocks.
Here she is 

Many women with this problem wonder whether Sisterlocks would work for them. Blogs by sisters like Helga and Funmi are sure proof that when we stop messing around with our hair and leave it alone, we will be surprised at the new growth and thickness we can achieve. Hooray for Sisterlocks!!

Finished! Tele's Locked Up

 

At last!! After a week or so of working a bit here and a bit there, Tele's got his brotherlocks. "Yipee" was all he could say with a grin and a big yawn. The locked siblings then got together for a little portrait---sweet. You can see more of Tele's photos below and in my Fotki album. One thing I can say: Sisterlocks(and Brotherlocks) is great for kids!!!

 

Finsished pics