Monday, June 20, 2011

BOB's (Black Owned Businesses) and RACIST CUSTOMERS

..Should they exercise their right to refuse service when patrons show blatant disrespect?

I'm a military brat (child of two military service members who traveled a lot) and service member myself so I've  been to quite a few different places and have had the opportunity to be exposed to different cultures pretty much all of my life.

Moving to Kentucky was no different for me, until I started hearing stories from my counter parts about the still existing KKK population in surrounding counties, and also about the racist history of the town I now live in. Contrary to what I’ve heard, I seemed to have had nothing but amicable experiences until a few weeks ago.

I started frequenting a small, family owned Soul Food restaurant called ANADAN’S DINER. The food was delicious and the service was good. (im a stickler when it comes to that) However, there were a few things that grabbed my attention. The first thing that struck me was  the sign outside of the restaurant. It had a picture of a Caucasian chef. At first I thought maybe it was just a fair skinned African American, but then… I asked the owner about the history. He told me that it used to be a German restaurant and then they took it over and turned it into a soul food restaurant last year. (I giggled inside) Thinking to myself; “I wonder what people think when they come inside expecting to be greeted by an elderly German couple and see a 40-something attractive black man standing behind the counter?” They probably think; “Ok, he works here”.
Anywho…I digress…

I frequent Anadan’s for lunch now and I’ve noticed a pretty significant amount of Caucasians will step inside, only to be shocked and disappointed when they see an all Black staff greeting them. When asked are they “dining in” or “dining out” they say, “No, just looking for a menu” only to never return again. I asked “Q”,  the co-owner, how he feels about it and he said it doesn’t really bother him, although he knows why they choose not stay. He also said that some people do stay, and some are kind, which is awesome, but some are extremely rude to his staff and sometimes down right racist! Hearing this, I was appalled, because I have never experienced this in all of my 29 ½ years.

He told me one of the customers actually said to his waitress “Oh, so what, you expect a tip because you picked up a couple of plates?”  I was sad that had to happen, but all I could think was… “OOOH THEY GOT THE RIGHT ONE, BECAUSE IF THAT HADDA BEEN ME….”LOL

Anyhow, after learning what they go through on the daily, I asked myself would I refuse service if faced with the same… and the answer my friends is ABSOLUTELY!

People need to understand that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated, in the NORTH or the SOUTH…The majority thinks differently now...or do they? Feel free to share YOUR thoughts 

“Seasons change, mad things rearrange, but it all stays the same…”-Lauryn Hill/Fugees/How Many Mics

Friday, June 17, 2011

Stay Tuned...

(MOJA)#1  Has anyone tried Jamaican Mango and Lime Shea Butter Conditioning Shine?

If so, how come you never told ME about it?!!!  Review to come...






(MBILI) #2 BOB's (Black Owned Businesses) and RACIST CUSTOMERS..Should they exercise their right to refuse service when patrons show blatant disrespect? Thoughts anyone? Please share. I'll be posting my thoughts this weekend.


(TATU) #3 My little sis is my natural hairstyle guinea pig- Here is a pic of her with a frohawk by me :0)


CAROL'S DAUGHTER

If these kinks could talk, today they would tell you to wait for a SALE and then DOO try...

CAROL'S DAUGHTER HAIR MILK...

Unfortunately for me, Carol's Daughter Hair Milk (Lite) "The Curl Booster" did not boost my curls. It did, however live up to the "Lite' portion of the title;  price wise and density wise..he he ( knee slapper). The price was right, weighing in at a mere $9.00 for 10oz,  but I was not pleased with the results it gave to my hair texture (which i would say is a 4b/4c) and my hair length (which is a little longer than your typical twa). I've used about 1/4 of the bottle and I don't plan on using anymore. Some of the ingredients are alluring(it contains things like sweet almond oil and sheabutter), but it didnt give my hair any shine or definition. Boost my curls, it did not.  So,  if you are like me, 4b/4c hair type and trying to "save a buck or two" wait for this product to go on sale, before buying, or contact me and I will send you what I've got left! (smile)

I guess I'll mix what's left with some shea butter and other oils  so my $$ doesnt go to waste.

Hope this helped! Bless Up!

Tyne

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

CAROL'S DAUGHTER

If these kinks could talk, today they would tell you... DOO try...

CAROL'S DAUGHTER "HEALTHY HAIR BUTTER"



Last night, I decided that my hair was long overdue for some "hands-on" maintenance and protection. So, I stayed up, while on the phone with my Boo, twisting my TWA with Carol's Daughter "Healthy Hair Butter". My cousin and I had recently been discussing ways to get some good use out of our Carol's Daughter products. She has so many good products to choose from, so you really have to pace yourself to find out what is best for your hair type. On the instructions, it says to "use a small amount and massage into scalp and hair." You can do that as well, but I actually used a very small amount (less than a "pea" size) and worked it into each individual section that I twisted. (Can't wait to do this when my hair is long enough to do Bantu Knots!)


It left my twists(picture above) looking really shiny and feeling very soft. There was a small bit of buildup at first, which made me a little nervous, but this morning I woke up to shiny soft twists with ZERO buildup. I like to wear a "twist-out" and so I untwisted them. My kinks transformed to coils and had no flakes or dry feeling to them. It was very very soft and shiny and looked great.

The price is a little steep at 10.50 bucks for a 4 oz jar (16.50 for an 8 oz. jar or 29.00 for an "8 oz duo")  but a little goes a long way, so its definitely worth it.  I will probably invest in the 8 oz duo since it is cheaper that way. Althought I do wish they'd come up with one big 16 oz jar! That'd be some fierce competition for Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. (not saying its about the competition or anything though) 

DAY 2!


Thank you to Carol's Daughter for this BETTA  "Healthy Hair Butter" :O)

Monday, May 9, 2011

6 MONTH'S CLEAN...

Hello Beloved!

Today I am 6 months Clean. I was addicted to the "creamy crack" all the way up until October 26th 2010. 

I've always had the desire to go Natural, this is not my first attempt. The first time I BC'd was in 2006. It lasted for about 4 months and then I slapped some box relaxer in it and vowed to never look back. Then I had my precious little girl, Nailah. Her birth changed everything. Once her hair started coming in, I realized that I would never want to relax it. But then I would think to myself, "she is two years old now, what happends when she is five or six and she sees Yeye (Mommy) slapping this gooey white paste in her hair to make it straight, what will I tell her?" I teetered and tottered, but just couldn't see giving up my length (which by the way, I acquired mostly while pregnant with SHE).

Then I got even more pulled to put the crack back when I watched "Good Hair" by Chris Rock-A funny documentary about the amount of money and time African  American women spend trying to make their hair look like someone else's.

I decided to go "cold turkey" and leave the creamy crack alone once and for all while riding to Makeda on Florida Ave in D.C. with my Nafe. He asked me "Love, are you going to wrap your hair before we go out to dinner tonight?" I said, "Uggghhhh, I really want to find a hair salon that can style it out here, but I dont know anyone from the area, and the only beautician I trust is all the way in Jersey, I am so sick of being afraid of who I can trust with my hair!!!" He looked at me crazy and then I said, "ok, just take me to that barber shop around the corner from your house, Im going to shave it off, are you ok with that?" My man looked and me and said "you are beautiful  with hair and I am sure you will look even more beautiful without it, it dont matter to me Love"

With that reassurance, and the blessing of confidence from THE MOST HIGH. I walked into the barber shop and asked for the barber who had previously given my tapered edges a "shape up" the week before. He was happy to see his returning customer, and asked me what I was going to have done. I said, "just shave it all off please." He looked at me again and said "we can start cutting it a little low and leave your length on the top and front so you can have something until your natural hair starts growing out if you want". I then said, "no please just shave it off." I swear the barber must've been afraid of how I was going to react once I saw my low cut, because he just wouldnt get to shavin! He then proceeded to shave alittle bit off at a time and show me in the mirror. I was like, oh my goodness, will this man just shave my hair!

Finally, he asked me if he could give me a "high caesar", with a wash and condition, which would leave me with a little wave on the top and sides. I said "sure". All the while my sidekick Nafe was sitting in the waiting area watching the game, no sweat at all. He looked at me once or twice jokingly and said "Alright Love, this is it!" It calmed my nerves, because honestly, when the razor hit my head for the first time, i felt the biggest lump in my throat, I thought I was going to burst out into tears right in the man's chair!

But I was strong and sat seriously through the whole thing with no emotional outbursts! The final result was actually not bad! I felt so FREE.  More pics posted below




Immediately AFTER the BC!



5 months and counting...after a CO WASH


CO-WASHING


CO-WASHING(washing with conditioner in between your regularly scheduled SHAMPOO)-Produces amazing results.  I am going to try to get some before and after shots to show those of you who have never tried it before. I use Treseme "Moisture Rich" conditioner when I CO-WASH and my hair comes out looking so shiny and curly!  I am very happy with the results and will probably "beef" up my regimen to 3 co-washes a week. Its good for my hair type which is 4c. (this i learned after going to curlynikki.com's blog and being directed to naturallycurly.com where i found a hair classification system) VERY GOOD INFO!! Thank you Ladies!

CURLY PUDDING

DO TRY...

MISS JESSIE'S CURLY PUDDING




This CURLY PUDDING is truly the "Best Darn Curl Creme" I have tried thus far.... "PERIOD"

#1 (MOJA). The scent is amazing! -I've tried to stay away from natural hair care products that are too "per fumy" Buuuut during my search for reliable products to use for my hair regimen, I have found that a pleasant scent is definitely a PLUS and doesn't necessarily mean that you don't get the same amount of "goodies" when it comes to great ingredients for your hair.

# 2(MBILI). Consistency- This product has a great consistency. It leaves your hair feeling very moisturized. However, DONT put this creme in your hair if you are in a rush and just want to do a WASH N GO. The creme is very thick and has a very light (almost white) lavender color to it. So when you apply it to your hair, leave yourself a couple of hours before heading out. Once it absorbs, it definitely leaves your luscious locks looking shiny and well hydrated.

#3(TATU). Price-wahh wahh wahhhhhhhhh too expensive. This 16 oz jar of "pudding" cost me 36.00 BIG ONEZ at TARGET! Now, while they claim that you need "look no further" if you are "sick and tired of mixing 3-4 products to get the perfect performance potion", they should also take note that the price is about triple what you would pay to mix your own homemade concoction to suit your hair needs. And depending on your hair type and length, you can easily go through about half a jar in one sitting. That was a no no for me.

ANOTHER  NEGATIVE...So sad to say it, but this product does have one negative aspect to it when it comes to longevity. If left longer than a day in your hair...IT FLAKES! I applied it to my hair and wore a curly look for a day . I thought that if I let the shower steam refresh it, it would produce similar results the next day, only to find that once my hair dried, I had small white flakes all over my head. Not a good thing.

I'd recommend using this curly pudding when you want a fresh look for a day and plan to shampoo that evening. I would not use this if you plan on washing your hair with conditioner...which I've learned is a called a "Co-Wash" after reading the "terminology" section on  KCURLY's blog NEWLYNATURAL . (Washing with conditioner after using this product causes a small bit of build up. Which is not cute) BIG HELP! Thanks KCURLY! Your blog has been a great reference tool for me and has inspired me to reach out to others through sharing my opinions/experiences as well!

Hope someone found this useful!

BLESS UP!
NAT GI