12 1/2 months

This picture was taken at Imani's shop after a good retightening. I was now experiencing a lot of dryness from the dye. Some of my locks up front were getting weak, but I think that may have been actually from me perming the edges so often when I'd get my hair braided so my front roots wouldn't be so nappy and they'd match that "other people's hair". I am still suffering with my locks around the front to this day because of that. I think it was more from perm damage than dye, since I don't have that problem in any other part of my hair. Go figure.

Imani did put some really nice smelling Sisterlock conditioner all over my hair because I was whining about the dryness. I love her! You can still see the conditioner in my hair.
"Lockitup post"

Hey everybody! I wanted to wait until Jen made her year as well to post
pictures. Everything is going just fine for both of us. Jen's hair is really
thick and much longer than the pictures reveal. My hair has really grown, too.
I kind of like the two toned look. Imani, my consultant said my hair has
"dropped". Jen is jealous cause her locks have not yet. This group has been a
great help and support. For those of you waiting to get your Sisterlocks, I
wish you well! It is a wonderful thing!!!

I Need a Retightening

Believe it or not this picture was taken 10 days before my retightening session. I shampoo'd it and was checking out the length and new growth since I had my Sisterlocks one whole year!

11 1/2 months

These pictures were taken two weeks prior to my 1 year anniversary right after a nice braid and band shampoo. I loved the squiggly locks. You can see half new growth/half originally dyed hair.

11 Months Sisterlocks and Still Lovin' It!

Posted in Lockitup:

See, I am just loving this journey. What can I say, but thank you
Lord for Sisterlocks! Thank you Lord, for Dr. Cornwell, Pat Hunley's
website, and LockitUP! OH, and thank you Lord for Imani Nash-Bey, my
consultant! This has truly been a blessing learning so
much about my hair, myself, and meeting on line and in person so many
strong and beautiful women and men of color. You have been the
best!

I saw this lady at a church in Temecula, Ca last weekend who had
blondish color Sisterlocks and they were slammin'. She was dancing
and praising the Lord, with her locks mesmerizing all who looked on.
She said was in year number 2. I'm looking forward to coloring my hair,
but I have gotten used to the two-toned look. My sister Jen is
enjoying her locks as well. Take care!

Maryee

Should I color or lock my hair first?

Posted in Lockitup:

I got my hair colored 2 days before my locking session. My consultant
told me that if I wanted it colored, to get it done before. She also
told me that if I want to "re-color" it, I'd have to wait a year. I
guess it makes sense, seeing how it slows the locking process down.
I love my two-toned hair, but am looking forward to my "option" to re-
color it after next month (1year!!!) Hope this helps.

34th Birthday at my Cousin's Wedding in Virginia

My birthday was spent at my cousin Jamita's wedding in Norfolk, Va. Jen and I flew up and as a gift we videotaped and took candid digital shots at the the wedding and reception. It was both our first time in Virginia and we had a wonderful time. The wedding was beautiful and those youngings were adorable. The top left picture is my Uncle Paul, me and Jen. The nuptials, Jamita and Myles top right. The newlyweds! Me at the bottom of course posing for the camera, and my cousin (Jamita's sister Rhashida) and her son "Aid".

Note: They will be expecting their first born January 2006

At the Beach in Orange County

I'm still braiding and banding from time to time because I like the crinkly look. It was windy on the beach today so my hair was standing up. I thought it was cute. We had a youth beach day. I'm posting with my good friend Melissa, another youth worker.

Maryee's at 8 months! Jen Close behind

Posted In Lockitup:


I've been lurking on the group for the past few months and totally
enjoying the "spoilage" of having Sisterlocks. "Bad hair days"?
Only if I agree or submit to the idea. Rainy day today? I say,
Yippiee!!





Since getting mine 11-28-03, my sister has some (she'll make 7
months on Friday), and a friend of mine from church got hers on
Memorial Day! Needless to say, we're the "buzz" around church I
suspect. Anyway, I wanted to send the link with some updated pics.
I will send another one a little later with my sister's locks. I
swear her hair is outgrowing mine, but you can judge for yourself
when you see her pictures compared to mine. But I won't hate, I'll
congratulate! :-)

Family Ambush

Posted in Lockitup as a response to another member sharing with us about how her family ambushed her concerning her locks in a negative way. Here's my take on the matter:

Re: Family Ambush! (long)-Maryee

Michelle,

When I went home to Houston over the holidays I only had my locks in
about a month. So you know it was during the baby stage where
there's really no controlling the locks.

A close girlfriend of mine kept looking up side my head as to want
to "straighten" the "wild" pieces. She held out as long as she could
and finally blurted out, "Are you going to put that in place?"
(meaning my hair). I politely smiled at her and said, "It is in
place and exactly where it's supposed to be. They are my wild
teenagers and there's no controlling them at this point."

Not so sure my reply satisfied her need to "shape and correct" my
mini lock fro, but I guess it sufficed. All she's known in her 50
years is perm, perm, perm. She meant no harm, it was just "different"
seeing me like that up close and personal.

In Texas, it's a lil' hard in some areas where "permed" hair gives
over the allusion that you are cleaner, smarter, and prettier, and
that to have locks or natural hair means otherwise. It's like this
hidden shame.

My 74 year old aunt shouted at me back in April when I went to visit
in Houston also, "I don't like those dredlocks!" I told
her, "Auntie, this is the same hair from the picture I sent you in
the mail in January where you said I looked beautiful. These are not
Dredlocks, they are called Sisterlocks". Not so sure if trying to
explain the difference helped any or mattered one way or another
to her. She already had her opinions (deep rooted) about nappy hair.
I guess the picture didn't depict my locks and when she got a "close-up"
she decided to change her mind. The picture I'm talking about is in my
photo link with the pink background. It does look like unlocked hair in the
picture, so I guess she just assumed otherwise. She too, forgot she saw me in
December as well.

I'm too at peace to be bothered with other folks not feeling me and
my Sisterlocks. My dad hates em' on me and my sister. Oh well! My
mom just goes along with whatever my and Jen come up with. Jen had
traditional locks some years back, so this shouldn't be that much of
a surprise to family and friends. They're just sweet ole' country
folks. :-)

I'm sooo thrilled to have Sisterlocks I could just shout! God bless
America, and God bless Dr. Cornwell.

I could write (and I just may do that one day) a book on all of my
haircare dramas alone over the past 25 years and I'm only 33. It's
been just that deep. Well, just wanted to share a blurb on my family
ambush.

Still debating on heading down to San Diego on Saturday for the reunion. If so, I'll
see ya folks there. Take care!

Maryee
Sisterlocked almost 8 months! :-)

Note:
My aunt Gustine I am speaking about has since gone on to be with the Lord on 9-1-05. May she continually rest in peace.

Month 6

These pics were taken around this time.

Customer Appreciation Day April 2004

OK folks, since I have figured out this cool function on Picasa2 by Google, I will be posting collages of various grouped pictures. It's fast and fun as you see. These pictures were taken in Ponona, Ca at my California consultant's shop. We had fun, fun, fun. Here's the skinny on what we did:

There were almost 50 women and a few locked brothers who showed up so this picture collage is far from extensive. I videotaped most of it. It was potluck and the two consultants , Imani and Meka who hosted it provided the drinks and main spread and everyone else bought stuff to snack on.

We had a guy come in and take "glamor shots" for later purchase and other sistas there who set up booths to sell their stuff, like hair jewelry, head wraps, Mary Kay and whatever. We had testimony time when each woman got up and told their "Sisterlock" journey story. It was wonderful!

Me and a few other ladies, including my consultant did some spoken word. We had a lady give a short talk on self empowerment. We took group pictures and then the consultants had a "wrap" session, teaching us how to do head wraps. My sister and I bought a friend who wanted Sisterlocks but had "questions". She ended up getting sisterlocks a month later. After hearing all the testimonies she was sold. Especially seeing all the different ladies hair. It was too inspiring. We had a blast. Enjoy the pictures. Thanks Imani for your wonderful idea.

I'd recommend any consultant to organize an appreciation or "get together". It is a great customer recruiting tool and fabulous sisterhood fellowship time. It reminded me of my old Mary Kay days, trying to get women to the breakfast or function so they could hear the top director testimonies or hear NSDs Christine Peterson or Jo Ann Barnes. Very contagious.

Maryee and Jen's Sisterlock Journey

posted in Lockitup:

I made 3 months on Feb. 28th. Yippee!!!!

It's so interesting how SLs look on different people even folks
related to each other.

My hair for the most part is straight all over. They look more like
small braids rather than locks to most folks. I'm kind when folks
start "reaching" for my hair to "touch" it. When you check out my
pics in the links section with my hair "standing at attention" as my
sister says, that's how they look until I spray em' with Tea Tree
water to help them lay down. (at ease soldiers!) Since they are
growing, I don't roll em' up that much. Pretty much only for church or
a special event, for the sake of "volume". I'll probably dig the free
flow a little better when I get more length. My hair is locking more
in the back than anywhere else. And yes, I always have my hands in
my hair.

My sister Jen's sisterlocks on the other hand are tight, thick and
curly. They don't even look as long as they appear until you grab
and pull on a lock and go whoa! It's pretty long! She has a very
very tight curl pattern. Her locks are thicker, because she wanted
her locks to be as close to BLs as possible, so they are larger than
mine. Her only problem is her top. She got "ingin" in her blood, so
the top is just as straight and comes loose almost all the time,
shortly after her retightening. It's something she anticipated
anyway. She's grown her own dreads in the past and her hair was past
her shoulders. As a matter of fact, her hair is locking faster than
mine because she was SLd on Dec 13th.

Can you believe I'm sort of jealous of her locks? If I can get her
to sit still long enough I will take some pictures of her hair. It
was too dark in the room when she was locked, so the pics don't show
her "hair" too well.

Also, I colored my hair 2 days before getting SLd. Jen, on the other
hand has dark, dark, dark brown (ok-black) hair. It's cool when
folks see us together. They don't believe we both have SLs. OK
enough morning babble. Just thought I'd catch ya'll up on
me and my sister's "natural hair affair". Blessings!


The picture below was taken in January for our Church directory. I know I was looking cute with my Sisterlocks!

Braid and Band

These are a few pics of my hair after I braid and band for shampooing with the Starter Shampoo. I love the smell of the shampoo and the results I get. My hair seems shiny after I shampoo it. I love the sgiggly locks afterwards. I guess you can say I get a little "volume". Look how tiny the locks are.

Maryee's locks at 6wks

Posted in Lockitup:

Hey folks! Just thought I'd send an update about my SL Journey. I
am at 6 weeks! Yippee!!! I have had one re-tightening and of course
have new growth. I will say that I am glad I dyed my hair prior to
getting my SLs so I can see the growth. My hair is so shiny and
looks very healthy. I think the healthiest it's ever been.

Since my sister has had her SL's put in she says she wants to dye her
hair blond. Now her hair is darker than mine, but I am sure my color
specialist Cyrus will be able to help her out later down the line. I
will also post her pics after she has her first retightening.
There's a bizarre kind of freedom and courage one gets after they've
been SL'd. So, here are my pics if you want to see a few updated
pics.

Peace,

Maryee