Today was my second time using my lockin' up liquid dreadlock shampoo and the verdict is in. I LOVE IT! Seriously I'm already noticing my dread babies getting tighter and just 2 shampoo's with it. So that is exciting.

In other news, I went to my nephews baseball game this evening with my sister, mom, and son. Yes that's right I said my MOM! I drove, so we all rode together and while in the car I started laughing out of no where. My mom asked what I was laughing about. I said "you can't even look at me it grosses you out that much" and then to my surprise she laughed and said "No I have to keep looking away because you keep making faces at me" HAHA I didn't even realize it but I really was making crazy face at her. Then we all just kept laughing. I then threw my dreads in her face and said "smell... they smell awesome don't they?" I think I have finally found a way to get over this issue with her and that way is just to laugh about it with her. Laughter really is the best medicine, and if that's what it takes to get her used to the whole thing, then I'm down for some laughs. I even made her touch my favorite dread, she made a cringy face that was probably the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

She did tell me she thinks I've become obsessed with them. I wouldn't doubt that she is right. I might be mildly obsessed.

That is exactly how many dreads are on my head. I find it truly hilarious that I once heard Johnny Clean claim that a person should have around 100 dreads on their head. My dreads are all smaller then a pencil (except for a few big ones which are my fav's) and there is no way I could have fit 100. Anyway I thought it was funny...

In other news: I am officially finished dreading! I TnR'd my whole head, not including my bangs which are still too short. I am so happy! In a way though I'm mad at myself for having layers put in my head 2 months before I made up my mind to dread. Now my whole top layer is short and I feel like I have a dreadie mullet. Maybe I just need to get my beads back in. Who knows?

I used my dreadlocks shampoo today! I ordered the liquid in dragon's blood and the bar in tea tree rosemary. I was worried that I wouldn't like the dragon's blood because the scent seems so strong, but once it's on and lathered it smells really nice. My dreads smell so good still! I used my tea tree bar on my root and scalp area, and my scalp didn't itch for the first time since I started my dreads. I still used conditioner in my bangs to smooth them down. They wont be long enough to dread for a while anyway.

I did notice that my dreads look less frizzy, and my son felt them while sitting by me and sad my hair was soft. Also, I just walked into my bathroom since showering about 4 hours ago and is still smells awesome in there! Vicki sent me a sample of the locking gel. I haven't tried it in my dreads, but I did put some on my fingers and it left no residue behind so that is great news. Has anyone tried the gel?

Oh also, I colored my hair back to my natural color. That way I don't have to deal with having color differences when my hair grows out. I had highlights before this and they has already grown out and the new growth was driving me crazy. I have noticed though, that going from that light back to my natural dark (which I haven't been in SO long) is kind of shocking too. Maybe a little depressing.

I went in to work today only having 1 haircut scheduled. I was kind of bummed about having such a slow day, but ended up getting 3 walk in's and did a co-workers hair too. The second walk in I had was the first person to really complement my dreads.

As of last night almost my entire head is dreaded, except for a small portion at the top that I was just too tired to mess with last night. I pulled the top portion op out of my face and went to work with my crazy wet dreads lol! They had completely dried by the time this guy came in and were super frizzy. So we started talking about hair and the subject of my dreads came up. I said "I'm in the process of dreading and I still have a portion at the top left to do, sorry it looks kind of crazy right now." He said "I was waiting for you to bring the fact that you have dreadlocks up". This confused me, I asked him why, and he said "Because they are the coolest things I've ever seen". He had never seen dreadlocks in person before mine. It's pretty cool to me to know I broke someone's dreadlock visual cherry HAHA! Anyway, He asked about washing and pretty much every other question that's ever been asked. Then I told him that my family wasn't to happy about it and his response is was, "why on earth would your family care about the way you wear your hair?". That's when it hit me! I am the only person that has to like my dreads. If no one else does, then so be it. I am truly okay with my mom not liking the fact that I decided to dread, and the fact that it's my husbands favorite thing in the world. I'm still me, only better . I am happy with my choice, and that's all that matters.

It's amazing how having a conversation with a stranger can change our lives in a second.

As of yesterday Some of my dreads are now 2 weeks old. I also finished the whole bottom portion, so some are just a day old. I should have just gone with a full head 2 weeks ago instead of messing around with this partial nonsense, but what can you do? Because of my lack of sectioning (which doesn't totally bother me), It is very difficult to TnR the rest of my head. So, hopefully I'll be able to finish them sometime today. Some of my dreads are VERY small because that is all the hair that I had to work with in those sections. I like the the different sizes, I'm just curious to see how the little baby ones progress. I do have a favorite though! It's one that is 2 weeks old. He has lots of little bumps and loots like so much fun already.

In other news, I'm so tired today. I'm so glad I have the day off to relax! I hope everyone enjoys their day!

Today I am just drained and mentally exhausted. My brain has so many jumbled up thoughts, that I don't even know where to start this blog at. I apologize ahead of time if this makes no sense. It could quite possibly just end up being a crazy rant of sorts.

I thought my mom would have no problem with my dreads. My whole life she's known what a creative spirit I am. She has always been my biggest supporter, and never let me down. So I didn't think to ask her if she mined if I gave myself dreads. I am 26, a grown women with a husband and a 4 year old son. I have a great job, manage to pay all my bills on time, take care of my family and pets. Basically, I have my stuff together. It wasn't always this way for me, I had a rough childhood and some pretty wild teenage years. My Mom was by my side through all of the hell I put her through, and she always had my back no matter what. Anyway, The night after I did my partial TnR's, I was at work, on a smoke break. My phone started ringing and it was my mom. While chatting a bit about nothing in particular, I mentioned to her that I finally gave myself some dreads, after wanting them for SO long. The other end of the phone became immediately silent. I asked what was wrong, and she said, "you have never disappointed me with anything you've done ever, until now." I felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart (I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but really that's how it felt). She then went on to say that she couldn't believe that I would ruin my "beautiful" hair like that. Out of our family my brother and I got the "good" hair, and he shaves his bald. How could I tie mine up in knot's? Anyway, A few days later I asked her to come out to dinner with my son and I. When she saw my dreads, I asked her what she thought. She said they looked okay the way they are, and told me to never dread my whole head. She wanted me to just leave them the way they were with my other hair still not dreaded. Today I went to her house to visit and help out in her yard for a while. I said, I'm going to dread the rest of my head, please understand that this means a lot to me. She basically made me feel like shit. I wont go into any of the details of the words she used because it's really unnecessary, but she ended with, "I will disown you if someone in public asks if you're my daughter". Another stab in the heart, and I was fighting back the tears. Once she realized that I was getting really upset she said "you do what you want, I just don't like them".

I never thought I would be so changed by my dreadlocks. I mean sure, I was expecting to change physically from them, but I never in a million years thought my dreads would change me on the inside. This was something I never could have prepared for. It's like I found myself, who I was always meant to be. I feel so truly happy for once in my life and I can't share that happiness with anyone, because everywhere I turn I havecondescending attitudes and judgmental opinions.

My husband doesn'tnecessarily like my decision to dread, but he would never tell me not to. I know he would rather me not dread my hair, but he wont say the things my mom said. Whether he thinks the same way or not.

I wont take my dreads out just because people I love don't like them. I just wish there was some way to make my mom see past the dreads, and realize that my hair does not make me who I am. I wish she would take a minute to see how truly happy I am, and how comfortable I feel in my own skin now.

The only support I get is from a few girls at work. I just wish more people were open minded.

If anyone has been through something similar, and has any suggestions on how to deal with this, please help me. I love my mom dearly. I don't want to lose her over this, but at this point I can't go back to who I was before, for the sake of myself.

I'm so glad I finally decided to dread. My hair rats so easily. If I would flatiron it and leave it straight, or curl it and let it be free, it didn't matter. After 2 hours it would be one big rat ball anyway. I really do not miss trying to brush out that mess all day everyday. It's so nice to not worry if people can see the rats nest that is forming at the nape of my neck. Instead I have no worries, and get compliments on my little rat snakes now haha I love my dread babies. I will never miss my brush.

While in the shower today, I woke up. Not just in the literal sense, but in the "my eyes have opened to the world" kind of way. I now know that I was meant to be a Cosmetology Educator. I have decided that in July I will go back to school to get my instructing license. I want to educate future hairstylists' the proper, and more updated ways of "doing hair". I want to inspire them, and have them see my passion that I have for this industry. I remember all of my instructors, and only one of them stands out to me as someone who truly was passionate about what she was doing. She inspires me still to this day, and I've not seen her since 2006. I want to be that person, even if for only one student. If I can invoke that kind of passion and love for this business for just one student, then I feel my job would have been worth it.

I went into this career knowing that one day I'd want to teach, but I kept putting it off. I think because of insecurities and what not. Having the experience that I do now, I think I am better educated myself then I was 6 years ago. I am more capable of teaching, and I have more knowledge to share then I ever would've back then.

It's amazing to me how life never takes us the way we think it will. I'm more then happy to roll with it though, and I know whatever happens was because I went into it with a purpose and direction.

Today I just feel like sitting on my couch and taking my teasing comb with the little metal tangs and scratching my scalp. LOL I call it my scratchy comb. Before my dread babies I never really combed my hair that often anyway, but now that I know I can't I think my scalp knows it too.