Racist Comment on Permed to Natural

Hey Guys,

Some weirdo wrote the below comment in reference to my feature story titled, “Black Owned Beauty Supply Store Reveals the Struggles to Stay in Business.” Click HERE to read it.

The user information on my blog reads: KKK, fuckinlazyporchmonkeys, fuckyallnigs@gmail.com and the computer IP address is 71.224.16.169.

I am going to contact the authorities. This nonsense should be legally documented because who knows what else might happen. But - will the authorities be able to do something about this? Is the comment illegal? What can be done? What else should I do?

I need some advice.

The Comment:

you know what black people are good at doing? blaming others, get the fuck off your backs and asses and do something. And no, i don’t mean go try and kill and steal, i’m talking about hard fuckin work.

MJ

Happy Birthday

Indian Market at Santa Fe

I went to the 90th Annual Indian Market at Santa Fe last weekend. The festival was full of spectacular art made by Native Americans from various tribes. Everything there was so beautiful it was hard to make a selection. Below are a few photos from the event. Check them out.

The Chuck Jones Showroom was a pleasant surprise to see at The Plaza in Santa Fe. It was full of original drawings of the Looney Tunes by Chuck Jones as well as original art from Dr. Seuss and Charles Schultz (The Peanuts). I was not allowed to take pictures inside the gallery but I did learn that Chuck Jones loved New Mexico and incorporated his love for the state in his drawings.

For example, Bugs Bunny always said, “I should have made a left turn at Albuquerque.” I always wondered why he said that. Now I know. The road runner and coyote were popular characters in his work. I see road runners running in the street all of the time and coyotes live in the mountains but sometimes they walk around in the neighborhoods too. In addition, Chuck Jones was a big fan of Santa Fe’s Opera season which is held yearly during the Summer. Because of his love for that genre of music, Bugs Bunny often performed operatic skits. I can’t wait until next year’s Opera season. I’ll be there with bells on.

Old Western looking shops in Santa Fe.

A 10-year-old boy performing a Hola Hoop ritual.

The Plaza

Folklore performers

Dancers

Lil man was doing his thing

These peppers are always hanging someplace

Throw spreads with Native American patterns

Native ritual performer

An antique train at the Santa Fe Rail Yard. I was waiting there for a train back to the  city.

I purchased this piece because the folklore associated with the art reminded me of myself. The Navajo artist had three statues that looked the same in the front but on the back of each statue there was a different pattern that told a different story.

I selected the statue known as “The Changing Woman” because I am going through a change right now  (new city, new job, new life) and felt the folklore was similar (not the same) to my new lifestyle. The folklore in Staci’s short version goes like this:

A baby girl was born. The first day of her birth she was an infant, the second a teenager, the third a young woman, the fourth a middle age woman and on the fifth day she turned into an old woman. After the fifth day she went back to an infant and started changing all over again. Her parents wanted to enjoy her as a child so they performed a ceremony to stop her from growing so fast. The ceremony lasted two days and was complete when she was a teenager. It worked and she began to age in the normal fashion. Today Navajo teen girls everywhere go through the same ceremony as a coming of age, changing into womanhood, celebration.

Angela Simmons

Wow! I had no idea Angela Simmons, daughter of Rev Run from RUN DMC, had that much natural hair. It’s beautiful.

Turkey and Pullet Eggs

I really enjoy shopping at local Farmers’ Markets especially since I moved to New Mexico.

While browsing around a market one  Saturday morning I noticed a farmer had  a bunch of small colorful eggs as well as large eggs with polka dots. I inquired about them because they looked interesting and I wanted to know more.

The farmer told me that the small eggs are known as Pullet eggs and are from young chickens just starting to lay. The large eggs with brown speckles were from local wild Turkeys.

I couldn’t walk away after learning that information. I had to buy them. What a great shampoo, I thought. I purchased six Pullet eggs and six Turkey eggs for $4. What a bargain for eggs coming from free range and drug free poultry.

I offered to cook a Turkey egg for my Mom but she declined. If I ate eggs I would have at least tried it but my vegan diet did not allow me the opportunity to do so.

However, I do use vegan and vegetarian haircare products, and egg shampoos are a perfect vegetarian protein source for the hair that I highly recommend. Check out one of my older posts on using eggs as a shampoo by clicking HERE.

First, I shampooed my hair using Beautiful Curls and afterwards I shampooed with the eggs. Below is what the eggs looked like.

Pullet eggs. They are really small. I like the blue one.

Turkey eggs.

The blue Pullet egg.

This is the Turkey egg. The yolk looks just like a Chicken egg to me.

Side by side. Look at the difference.

Both eggs mixed together.

The eggs in my hair. It lathered rather nicely. After I rinsed out the eggs my hair was literally squeaking clean. Seriously.

Meet Frances

Frances, a popular beauty blogger, shares her experience on going natural.

What inspired you to go natural? 

My initial desire to wear my hair natural started on a journey of discovering who I was as a young woman. It honestly had nothing to really do with the condition of my hair. I loved wearing a relaxer and weaves. I’ve always been somewhat adventurous with my hair. I was never afraid to cut or color it. I was the girl who at the beginning of summer you saw wearing braids and by the time it was over, I was rocking a burgundy short cut with pencil curls. So, I must say that my inspiration for going natural has more to do with me growing into my sense of womanhood.

Did you transition, are you currently transitioning, or did you do the Big Chop? Why did you choose to do your selected method? 

In my most recent transition, I grew out my relaxer for a few months and just cut my hair. I really didn’t put a lot of thought into it. I decided that I wanted to return to natural hair and I knew I wanted to wear it short, I just didn’t know how short. I cut it to about an inch or so and after a few weeks, I shaved my head.

 Was this your first attempt going from permed to natural hair? If not, how many times have you tried? What made you go back to permed hair and what made you decide to go natural again? 

This is my second time as a natural diva! I returned to wearing my hair relaxed because it had grown and I didn’t know what to do with it. Now that I look back - my mistake was just studying to transition – not educating myself on maintaining natural hair. After my hair grew out to my lower neck (with shrinkage) I went to a texturizer. I wore the texturizer for around nine months, grew it out for another four to five months and returned to the relaxer. Whenever I share my experience, I always tell people that education is very important. To be sitting at home with a big afro that is manageable, but not knowing how to make it manageable brings stress and that stress led me back to a relaxer.

During your transition (no matter how long), which hairstyle(s) worked for you?

I grew my hair out for a few months, wearing a bob. I used the flat-iron method to keep it straight and did the BC once I had enough new growth to work with.

What is your favorite hairstyle(s)?

My favorite style just depends on how I’m feeling. My biggest love for wanting to wear a fade came about because I was simply learning to love myself and growing into being beautiful from the inside out. This journey allowed me to love who I was and apart of it meant that no matter how I wore my hair, I was a walking revelation of beauty.

Which products do you like to use?

I am not a huge product girl. I typically stick with what works and will try something new every now and then. I am looking forward to using some products from Shea Moisture and Miss Jessie’s Curls. I’m letting my hair grow now and I want to experiment with my curls for a while

What is your hair care ritual? Do you do it yourself or do you go to a salon?

I like caring for my own hair. I have always had a desire to “learn the ropes” so to speak, even when I wore a relaxer. While relaxed, the salon and all of its glory was my best friend. I did however learn to relax, color and weave my own hair. I enjoy learning about at home natural hair care products and using all natural oils. I do believe in getting advice from licensed hair care professionals because the final result is to always be healthy at whatever state I’m wearing my hair. Currently, I’m on my 3^rd week into growth since my last hair cut. The length is very manageable just with the normal shampoo, condition and my Jojoba Cream Hairdress, then brush.

Why do you think natural hair is popular right now? Do you think it is a fad?

I think natural hair is popular now simply because everywhere you go it is possible to see a man or woman wearing natural hair. I know that it is rare in some demographics, and I have experienced this first hand because there aren’t many naturals in my area. I have also talked with many women who were drawn to a least think about the journey after seeing Chris Rock’s “Good Hair.” I didn’t see it so I personally can’t attest to the reasoning.

I also would venture to say that for some it is a fad. Men and women look at ESSENCE Magazine and become inspired to go natural. We see business professionals realizing they too can still succeed in the marketplace and in business all while wearing their natural hair. We’ve watched the industry produce major hair and beauty shows geared towards the natural hair movement, so it is easy to feel the pull to take part in the journey.

Where else can we find you on the World Wide Web?

You can find me sharing my journey via by blog at www.RevealingBeaute.com, on Twitter.com/RevealingBeaute and on Facebook.com/RevealingBeaute.

What do you want Permed to Natural readers to take with them after reading your story?

I want the readers of Permed to Natural to simply know that no matter your journey, you can be beautiful.

No matter what stage you’re in with your hair, always let your true light from within out-shine what the world deems to be beautiful.

Our outward appearance can change at the drop of a dime, but what makes us authentic and pure is our ability to shine from within. Keep those coils lovely and keep your heart ever-growing.

Homemade Rosemary and Thyme Oils

Okay. Making my own Lavender oil inspired me to make other oils from herbs I love to use.  I put Lavender Essential Oil in all of my homemade products and I also must use Rosemary and Thyme Essential Oils because they are great ingredients for the hair and skin!

After discovering the Lavender farm I searched really hard to find an exclusive Rosemary and/or Thyme farm someplace within the Albuquerque area but was unsuccessful. However, local farmers here grow the herbs, and then sell them exclusively at various farmers’ markets. So off I went to a farmers’ market super excited to buy fresh Rosemary and Thyme straight from the ground. But by the time I arrived they were sold out.

Then I remembered Rosemary and Thyme are also sold at the local supermarket. So off I went to the market and purchased three small plastic containers of fresh organic Rosemary and Thyme. 

I plan to use the Rosemary and Thyme oils on my hair and skin as well as in my food! For the hair and skin, I will add several drops of Rosemary and Thyme Essential Oils in the proper bottles to enhance its use.

The recipes are so simple its ridiculous. Check out what I did below.

Rosemary leaves.

Thyme leaves.

I love to use glass bottles for everything. Glass maintains nutrients in recipes better than plastic. Organic Safflower or Sunflower Oil is wonderful to utilize. These oils are mild and won’t compete with the flavor of the herb. I am using Safflower Oil.

Thyme stems after pulling off the leaves.

Rosemary in a bottle.

Thyme in a bottle – get it – Jim Croce.

Marinating for two weeks or maybe more. I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Homemade Lavender Oil

I like that New Mexico has a lot of local farms and farmer’s markets that sell a variety of organic produce and other foods within an hour or less from where I live.

One morning while driving on Rio Grande at 25 miles an hour (this is the speed limit on this strip and they are very serious about not going any faster than that for at least a mile or so) I discovered a farm that grows and sells all things Lavender.

Since Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils, (I use it in all of my home made stuff) I became excited when I saw the farm and decided to stop and take a look around.

With all of the fresh organic Lavender for sale (I missed the harvest in June) I purchased a bunch for $10 to make my own oil along with the strongest organic Lavender essential oil I’ve ever experienced. That was the best $15 I spent to date.

Below are photos of the farm and how I made my verison of Lavender oil. This was my first attempt at doing this. It’s a very simple recipe. Check it out.

Los Poblanos Farm House.

Lavender fields

My bunch of Lavender

A goat grazing.

Lavender after I pulled all of the flowers off of each stem.

I placed the flowers in a glass bottle.

I saturated the Lavender flowers with organic Safflower oil.

I added seven drops of organic Lavender essential oil to the bottle

And I was done.

I poured enough Safflower oil into the bottle of Lavender to cover the flowers only.

I plan to let the mixture sit in a dark cool place for two weeks before I strain it and use the Lavender oil on my hair and skin. 

I will post an update about the oil in about two weeks or so.

I Am Featured on Onyx Rose

 Check it Out!

http://onyxroseonline.blogspot.com/2011/08/featured-natural-staci.html#more

Featured Onyx Rose: Staci

Sandia Mountain

Last weekend I spent the morning hiking throughout Sandia Mountain. New Mexico is a dry looking place, but despite the dryness, Sandia is still beautiful and I enjoyed my experience.

I have to get to the other side. It is supposed to be greener. However it’s been said that the bears and mountain lions make their home on that side as well. But all of that does not bother me. I ain’t scared. 

Check out the pictures below.

With the fam – I don’t know what my fro was doing that day but it felt soft.