Terry McMillian

She is one of my FAVORITE authors (not to mention one of my favorite naturals). I love her hair, the color is what I have been trying for (although I only achieved this on my new growth). She has been a true inspiration to me, not only through her writings, but through her personal story. Now, I don't know Terry personally, but when you are famous a lot of your personal life gets exposed through the media. I saw her on Oprah today and she discussed her book and her divorce. I truly respected how she has carried herself through all the turmoil in her life. She is a very strong woman. I laughed and admired how she reacted on the Opera show. Her new book is called Getting to Happy, which is the sequel to Waiting to Exhale, was released August 26th, 2010. Terry McMillian has always stood out to me as a very strong, confident, realistic woman. Through her books she's not going to tell you what you want to hear...she's going to tell you what you need to hear.

Terry Lynn McMillan is the oldest of 5 children. She was born to Madeline Washington and Edward McMillan in Port Huron Michigan October 18, 1951.

Her work includes; Mama, Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African American Fiction, Disappearing Acts, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, A Day Late and A Dollar Short, It's Okay If You're Clueless, The Interruption Of Everything, and Getting to Happy.

For more information on Terry McMillian and her work, please check out http://www.terrymcmillian.com/

Protective Styling

With the weather changing, now is the time to consider your protective style for the months ahead. Many women with long hair insist that keeping their hair's ends up and out of sight helps them to retain precious length. Protective styles don't make your hair grow, but they do make it possible to prevent breakage since your hair may be breaking off faster than it grows. What protective styles do is keep your ends "protected." Try any of these protective styles and see if you experience more hair retention. Just make sure, no matter which way you wear your hair, that your ends are put away.

1. Bun: This is a simple style that works for any occasion, especially dressy or formal ones. All you need are hairpins and a covered elastic band. Buns work on relaxed and natural hair with a relative amount of ease. You can part your hair down the center or on one side if you prefer.

2.Two Strand Twist: Twist work best on natural hair. They work for children and for adults. You can fashion twists in various ways while still protecting your delicate ends.

3. Braids: You can braid your natural hair or you can opt for braid extensions. Whether your braids are all yours or created with enhancements, you still need to care for your hair and scalp while you're wearing them.

4. Weaves: How many of us have them? Well how many times have you heard a woman say that she got a weave and her hair just grew like weeds? The reason this seems to be so is because a properly cared for weave is a great protective style. If your hair is braided completely beneath it, it's not subject to sun, wind, rain or other weather. For maximum hair growth, it's still important to care for the hair (your hair) underneath the weave.

5. Flat twist: Similar to cornrows, are created with two sections of hair instead of three. Flat twists offer more versatility because unlike two-strand twists, flat twists work equally well on relaxed or natural hair. If your hair extends past the nape of your neck, you can gather the ends of flat twists and fashion them into a ponytail or bun.

It is also very important to maintain moisture during the cold months. During winter the air can be very dry, so deep conditioning is a must. Also, if you do not have a satin/silk scarf, bonnet, or pillowcase...now is the time to invest in one.

Looking for ART?

So I came across this site a few days ago and I am in love with it...Redbubble.com. I am not sure if any of you have heard about it before but they have some very creative items on this site. I was looking for some black art, but not your typical black art, but that "Oh my gosh, where did you get this from?" type of art. Well...I'll just show you some of the things I found.


Artist: S. Dot Slaughter

Artist: TabithaBianca
Artist: MirsDesigns

These are just a few of the pieces I found on this site. I encourage you to check it out and look around. http://www.redbubble.com/

-There was an artists that had dreadlocks artwork, but for some reason I couldn't upload every one's art work. Check them out; Shakira Rivers.

Sophie Okonedo

~Sophie Okonedo, born January 1, 1969 in London, England, UK., may be known to some as
Tatiana Rusesabagina from the movie Hotel Rwanda (2004) or as May Boatwright from the movie Secret Life of Bees (2008). The actress made her big screen debut in 1991 in a film called Young Soul Rebels.











Today, we will also add "fierce natural" to her list of names. She is not just another pretty face, but she is making her mark in the movie industry. Her gorgeous hair makes a statement in itself to never be forgotten, but once you have seen her on screen...you will anticipate what she has coming up next.


I personally thought she did an amazing job as May Boatwright. She had so much emotion and she made you experience her pain through her acting. I won't tell y'all that this movie made me cry (I'm sure you did too) but I can say that the actresses and actors did a great job of making you "feel" this movie.

Social Outing

Ladies, we have finally decided on our next social outing. We will be meeting Friday, September 24th, 2010 @ Hiro 88 Sushi in the Old Market. 1308 Jackson St, Omaha, NE 68102 @ 10:00pm for reverse Happy Hour...and I am sure we will be happy ;-) You are welcomed and encouraged to bring friends and family, especially those considering starting their natural journey. We look forward to seeing you for good food, good drinks, and great company.

-P.S. If you are attending, please shoot me an email so I can know how many are coming in order to reserve a table. Thanks Kinkygirlsomaha@yahoo.com

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be June 6th, 2010 at Ontario Place Clubhouse 7325 Ontario St, Omaha, NE 68124. We will be hosting a product swap, so all those products in your drawer, cabinet, and closet...pull them out and bring them to the meeting. Bottles or jars must have a decent amount of product still left. You can bring as much as you would like...or you can purchase something to bring if you would like. The meeting will be from 4:00pm-5:30pm. If you have any questions either post a comment or email me at KinkyGirlsOmaha@yahoo.com. Thanks and I look forward to seeing you ladies there =) Toodles

Meet The Kinky Girls

Name

>Angela

Nickname

>Natural Bombshell

Why did you decide to go natural?

>There wasn't one particular reason I decided to go natural, there were many. After years of hair woes in which I attained good length only to lose it to my ill management. My little sisters courageous decision to cut her long hair and start over natural with locks. The money I was spending on relaxers that were burning my scalp, thinning and damaging my hair. I also realized I new nothing about the natural state of my hair. I was relaxed before I could remember what it looked like prior and I wanted to see what my hair was in its natural state!

What was some of the feedback you got once you informed friends/family about your decision to go natural?

>Surprisingly everyone has been real positive, except for a few knuckleheads. My father a few months ago, who never notices anything the women in the family do with their hair, said something to me so touching I carry it with me always:Papa: "Is that a wig on your head?" refering to my TWAMe: "NO PAPA! Thats my hair!"Papa: "Oh I was just wondering.....I like it. Its you....you remind me of your mother long ago."If you knew anything about my father you would know how big a deal that is. I think on that conversation a lot and it only fuels my hair growing fire.

What do you love most about being or going natural?

>It may not be that serious for some but I feel like a completely new person. I have fallen in love with my hair and I love washing my hair and conditioning and experimenting with new products that may or may not work for me. I feel unique.

What are your favorite products for your natural hair?

>I try to keep it simple but my fellow Kinky Girls are bringing out the product junkie in me. I've been trying to go completely organic with my hair but that requires a level of dedication I do not have yet. But what works for me simply is:Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo & ConditionerGiovanni Nutrafix Hair ReconstructorSuave Tropical Coconut ConditionerSuave Professionals Humectant (thanks Coiled Cutie)Giovanni Leave In Hair TreatmentInfusium 23Burts Bee's Baby Shampooand the beloved Shea Butter/Organic Coconut Oil mix.

Fake it until you Make it!

Want that long & full head of natural hair now? Well we have the next best thing...a kinky wig!

______________________________

"FAITH" Wig Hair

Length: 10 in

$250 USD

Hair Color: #1B

Hair Texture: Kinky Curl

Whether you are in the process of going natural after hair trauma, or you want the natural look but without letting go of your relaxer...this wig is a beautiful choice

https://www.trinitylacewigs.com/Stock_Wigs_4.html

How to Make - Flower Hair Accessory

Curlicious Beauty found this on another wonderful site www.CurlyNikki.com and it is also found on www.youtube.com. I just wanted to bring it to you good folks here. This is a creative way to make your very own hair flowers. Check it out and if you like, subscribe to her youtube page "bambiix2" thanks =)

Natural Hair Washing and Detangling

This video is from BeautifulBrwnBayDol on youtube. She is AMAZING! I tried this last night and I am in heaven right now. I always had problems detangling my hair, but with a few modifications...it was a breeze. Enjoy!

That relaxer is NOT your friend!

Ms. Twisted Vixen is no longer a fan of the relaxer, she is in love with her natural look and we can see why ;-)

The question is do you have any regrets about being/going natural? Have you thrown out all things relaxer related? Let us know how you feel when it comes to those products. The journey to chemical free hair isn't always easy, but once you get there...you will feel relief. Love, peace, and no more hair grease!