Kurly Café Workshop in Pictures!

I am beyond thrilled to share that my first natural hair workshop - Kurly Café - went great!! Chyvonne Shackelford and Tomika Branch graciously hosted the event at their beautiful spa, 3rd Element Spa & Salon in Philadelphia. We had a wonderful group of ladies come out for an evening of laughter, sharing, eating (of course, haha ;)) and learning. I felt so blessed to be in the presence of such beautiful women, both inside and out. I led the workshop on density and thickness, two hair characteristics that are helpful to know when it comes to learning how to care for your natural hair. The information I shared seemed to be well-received and generated a great discussion. 

Tomika, Chyvonne and I look forward to hosting our second Kurly Café this summer, so stay tuned!!!

My awesome hubby, Alex, took pictures for us! Isn't he amazing?!

Click pic above for slideshow!

When Life Hits

The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need. 
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name. 
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
~Psalm 23:1-4

In this fallen world, there is so much uncertainty that when something bad happens - death, a tragic event, etc. -  it is easy for the nonbeliever to turn to the believer and balk, "So where was God when that happened?" The answer is simple. God was right there. He is always right there. He tells us throughout His Word that He is right there beside us, especially in our darkest hours. 

Then comes the inevitable, "Well, if God is so good and mighty, then why would he let something bad like that happen?" The fact is, God didn't make the world to be this way, full of pain and suffering. Man accomplished that with original sin. When Adam and Eve fell, they took the whole human race with them. God's intentions for mankind have always been good and just. He created us to have a deep and intimate relationship with Him. But after the Fall, that became impossible - until Jesus Christ came.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them...For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so we could be made right with God through Christ. ~2 Corinthians 5:19;21

God never once promises in His Word that we will lead a life without suffering. Jesus Himself said it's inevitable that in this life we will experience grief and pain:

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33

Although we don't know what pains or joys tomorrow will bring, when we walk with Jesus Christ we can be confident that one thing in this world is and always will be constant: God's unfailing love.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
~Psalm 23:6

Stretching, Parting & Qoileez!

I was really tickled by how well I did Puuddy's hair this past weekend! You see, I never thought I'd be able to pull of a style like this, let alone on my busy 2-year-old, lol. But lo' and behold, I did it! :) Since my flat rope twisting skills are improving, I think her Qoileez! look even better! This little awesome hair accessory is quickly becoming my favorite for Puuddy's protective styles. I love how the Qoileez! stay in place without harming her hair while staying out of the way of her busy toddler activities!

This styling session was different in that I realized Puuddy's hair is now long enough that it needs to be stretched prior to installing a protective style. The three pictures above on the left capture how I stretched her hair using the banding technique. The middle picture shows how I protected her ends by tucking them in the elastic (these are Goody elastics that have no metal band - I think they're called "ouchless" - they're gentle on natural hair). The bottom picture is night 2 of banding because neither of us felt like styling her hair on day 1, lol.

I did the two front twists on the first day. At first I was nervous because this was my first time parting this way and without the other twists in, the parts looked off. So I was thrilled when I was almost done and discovered that I'd done an awesome job parting! This styling session definitely made me realize the importance of parting; it can certainly make or break a protective style.

What new style have you tried on your daughter's natural hair?

Hair Accessory Must-Have!

Recently I was introduced to these neat hair accessories called Qoileez! 

Qoileez! unique and flexible design allows for a firm yet comfortable hold that won't pull the hair tightly. They come in a variety of colors and patterns to match any outfit or mood. The wonderful people at Qoileez! sent me a free pack to try out - the "pinkalicious surprise mix!", pictured below. I couldn't wait to play with them! 

After shampooing, conditioning and moisturizing Puuddy's hair, I began two-strand flat rope twists (or "sister twists") and incorporated the Qoileez! as I went. I immediately loved how they accented her hair style without getting in the way of her daily toddler activities (or her busy toddler fingers!).* And what's more, I can leave them in at night and they'll stay in place!

Interested in trying out Qoileez! for you or your daughter? 

I have a giveaway coming up, so stay tuned! ;)

*Qoileez! are only intended for fashionistas ages 3+. Puuddy is 2 1/2 but I felt comfortable with letting her wear them since they were secured within her two-strand flat rope twists.