A few days ago my three year old told me he wanted his hair like mine. Hearing this made my heart soar. Just thinking about being able to share something so special and natural with my son would be amazing. Later on in the day I shared what my son had told me with my husband, who simply stated that the schools more than likely wouldn't allow him to attend school. With the schools in the U.S. pressing down on how the students hair is to be groomed, cut and styled, down to the color. The realizition hit and makes me sad to think that he may have to wait until he is 18 and completely out of school to even think about dreading. We are not particularily religous with our love for locks, and don't want to submit false pretenses for those that dread for that reason. But are there any ways that he could attend school dreaded?

My first set of locks were an epic fail whale. My first mistake was not to research a little longer, so I jumped the gun after seeing the dreadheadhq site. yeah, I know a lot of you are tutt-tutting and shaking your head. Used the shampoo and the dread wax, double no no!! In the begining i wasn't too thrilled with the wax it weighed my hair down and left me feeling icking. After the second attempt I gave up and went wax free. Took a good couple of months just to get the 2 uses of wax out. After the horibble sponginess of the wax was gone I decided to try and speed things up like any other newbie yet again adding to the epic fail. My dreads being only roughly 6 inches long and three months old I decide to add extentsions. Being a stylist I did all the work myself, the three days to add 12 inch fake extentsions felt amazing to begin with, All the beuatiful colors, the lentgh I could do anything. But as I stumbled upon the dreadlocksite I realized I was missing out. My locks weren't a part of me like real timely locks were. Mine were heavy, stiff, and lifeless. I'd mised the journey of descovering, loops and knotts and watching as my babies grew and matured. The fake hair was not a part of me, They weren't me. I was fake.Ashamed of my locks I ripped out the extentsions, combed out my dreads and started again. Two days from today, will be my 7 months dreading bypassing my first set of fake6months locs. My journey so farhas had a few bumps, a couple of dirty hippie has been thrown around. But I'm Happy. I feel free to be myself. My locks are every bit a part of me as the air in my lungs, they are my super power to see the world in a new way. Me in a new light. I don't have to be like everyone else always changing trying to keep up with the new fade. More confident, ambivilent, all together Happy.

I come from a artistic family. Both my parents love anything and everything related to art, drawing, painting, crafts, woodworking, morbid, body painting, etc. So is it any wonder thatI would also catch the artitsic bug, no not really. I've played around with art and I'm pretty decent at it, Did the whole drama and Chior thing in high school. Finished Beauty School, loving everything I've ever done. I've cut and styled my own hair, Played with color, and overdramatized make-up. Did the whole goth, scene looks they've all been fun and apart of me. Expressing me without having to let the shy, bashful, petite, lil ole me have to say anything about who I was as a person. If I ever got bored there was always something new to try. Of course there are those annoying people that judge and belittle anyone that wants to be themselves who are incapable of thinking outside of the box. Thinking back I now realize I was just trying to find myself, the make-up and the hair colors not only were an outlet but a mask to pretend that I was outgoing. Since high school I've wanted dreads. A book my bestie let me borrow had the lead characterwith dreads. Of course at the time there wasn't too much information out there for dreads so it got put on hold. Finally deciding to go for it I started my baby dreads. First time I tried I was constantly fussing with my locks and little procress was ever made. Having to take my dreads out because my husband had been laid off, and needing an income was the hardest thing. Immediatly after I posted a picture of having taken my locks out and a comment was posted on my Facebook, that I looked normal, even prettier. Of course this upset me to no end. THis last october I decided to have a second go at it. Instead of the constant palmrolling, and the struggle to speed up the timely process of dreads I've found I'm more at peace and fully enjoying my "bambinos" locks as I call them. As my husband and I were discussing the other day I finally feel as though I've begun to understand and feel comfortable being myslef. I feel sexy and outgoing with my locks. There's no moreofthat need to constantly dye my hair because of boredom. I don't need color and make-up to speak for me. I'm comfortable in my own, very natural skin. Instead of bold clothes, earthtone colors and natural fabrics are my fancy. It took a while and a lot of explaning to friends and family on the lifestlye, but they've been my backbone when I've doubted and several times almost brought a comb to my locks. Yes there are those glances of OMG Watch out for the hippie, or the ignorant people that believe dreads are for hobos. I smile back and hold my head high. I have dreads! Their sexy and completely me!