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Saturday, December 19, 2009

The blog is fixed!

Sorry to anyone who tried to use it while it was "out of commission!!"

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Cleopatra beads

Well, thats what we call them anyways lol

This has become one of our favorite bead styles lately, and the princess just LOVES it!

Its basically three levels of braids, and on the top level on the crown of her head, we doubled the amount of beads we would normally put in, to give it that "Cleopatra" look i call it.









enjoy!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Simple "part" designs

So, i had a reader who asked about gettin a little fancy with the way you part your childs hair for braids. Its a nice way to make even the simplest style look like you had to really put some effort into it. LOL

There are so many designs you can do. You can make the braid curve, you can do zigzags... have fun and experiment with it!

Here is what we did today.
I did three braids slanting down and to the right on one side, then on the other side, did a few slanting the opposite direction, then switched back once i got to the back of her head. I left the very back out and curly. It only took about 45 minutes, and it was cute!



Ive posted a few other pics before that follow this idea:




Just have fun!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Beads... long overdue!

Sorry to those who have been watching for a how-to on beads. Things have been CRAZY lately, but here it is!

Beads are a colorful and fun addition to hairstyles. My daughter absolutely LOVES beads. They can be worn by both boys and girls, too.

Beads are put on the ends of braids. I suggest keeping the braids relatively small, although you will have to do trial and error because all kids' hair thickness is different.

In order to put beads in your childs hair, you need a few things: elastics for securing at the ends, beads (of course) and a beader. I get my elastics (the thin ones) at any dollar store. They usually run about $1 for anywhere from 500-1000 elastics. Not bad, eh? Beads can be purchased many many places. I personally get mine from the craft section at Wal-Mart or any hobby store. I got a bead kit of 2300 rainbow colors for about $12 and there are individual packages of around 300 beads in various colors for about $3. My beader i got from an ethnic hair shoppe for .99 - beading is pretty cheap! Here are our supplies:


First, braid your section that you want beaded. Here i have already braided and beaded the back of Jissella's hair so you can see what it will look like, and ill show on the last one my steps:
The last braid, to the far left, is the one im doing. Sorry its so dark in the pic, it was 6am!


Load whatever color pattern you want in your childs hair onto your beader (example above in first pic). The bead at the bottom of the beader will be the bead at the bottom of the braid. String the braid through the loop at the top of the beader:


Push the beads up and onto the braid:


Pull the braid all the way through beads and hold onto the braid at the bottom once the beader is through:


Now the beads should be on the braid, and the beader should be empty:


Securing the beads is hard to explain, but i'll try. Basically, fold the braid over the bead at the bottom, then secure with an elastic. I wrap the end of the braid around the braid itself and slide the beads over it to cover it up. Hope that wasnt too confusing. lol

And once thats done, this is what it should look like:


Here is what it looked like once i had finished her whole head. We picked the colors to match her dress:

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Cornrows

Ok, so one of the biggest and most common hairstyles with mixed or AA kids is cornrows. Learning how to cornrow is a GREAT investment in your time. It opens the door to SOOOOOOOOOOO many hair designs and styles, and i will admit that they are the single most lasting hairstyle. Anyone who is the parent of a child with curly hair will tell you that one of the biggest problems they run into with hairstyles is the frizz. Cornrows, when done properly, can cut down on soo much frizz and last quite a while. Some hair holds them longer, some shorter. But even goin a day or two without having to mess a lot with your childs hair is worth it right?? lol

Im not sure there is a right way to teach someone how to cornrow. Especially through words. The best way to learn is through PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Still, i will put up a few pictures to give you the basic idea of the technique. Then through time and practice, you will develop your own style and method. It may take awhile before you are capable of doing cornrows that are public worthy and thats OK!! Take your time and and keep at it and soon you will be a pro. Im not the best at it by any means lol Until recently, i would not have let my child leave the house in my mess of cornrows lol

Basically, a cornrow is an inverted french braid.

The best instructions on the web that i have found are at WikiHow.
http://www.wikihow.com/Braid-Cornrows
They have pretty good diagrams of the basic technique... they have a video as well, but i didnt find it to be much help. However, it is there and if it helps others, thats all that matters!! lol


These are the steps and diagrams from WikiHow:

1. Plan your style. Having in mind what your end goal looks like will help you to form a path for getting there. You can do this in your head, draw a picture, or make some marks on a Styrofoam wig holder. The easiest amount to begin with will probably be four to six sections from the front to the back of the head.

2. Spritz some water, or water mixed with detangler, on the hair. Comb or brush it through to remove all major tangles. The hair should be slightly damp, but not too wet. The reason for this is that you don't want to have to pull the hair a lot to create the tension needed to hold the style together. Hair contracts when it's wet and expands as it dries. Despite what some people say about a tight braid, this is the best way to achieve it - not by pulling the hair hard away from the scalp.

3. Part a section of hair that you would like the cornrow to follow along. put the sides of the hair that you aren't braiding in two pigtails so they don't get in your way. Move other hair out of the way so that you have a clear path to follow. Then take a small section of hair where you want the cornrow to begin. Don't take too much, especially near the hairline, or you will have to pull too hard to continue.


4. Separate that small section into three strands and make a normal braid of about 2 "stitches" to get it started.



5. Holding the two outer strands aside, reach down under this initial braid to add a little hair to the middle strand. Fully merge this new hair to the middle strand so that it becomes a part of it, and you again have 3 strands. Make a braid stitch out of these strands.



6. Continue braiding, each time adding a little more hair to the middle strand, and repeat this until you've run out of hair to add. If you've reach the end and there is still hair left over, then continue with a regular 3 strand braid...



7. Secure the cornrow with a snap bead, hair clip, end bar, barrette, bolo tie tip, or whatever you like, just so long as you will be able to easily remove it later. Uncovered rubber bands (elastics) are not recommended unless they are the kind made specifically for hair. The ones made for office use will break off the hair.



Cornrows do take a lot of time. On my own daughter, if we do small cornrows it can take an hour, larger cornrows only 20 minutes. Of course, adding beads or barrettes adds to the time. But its worth it. Here are a few pics of my oldest daughter with cornrows in:

before-


after-



Tuesday, May 26, 2009

All About The Hair !!!

The Hair Afficionados: See Advice Below;)






So I have tons of Hair Accessories and have already started my daughter's collection;) They are an awesome investment!! Some I have had for years and still use them! They last a long time with normal use and are mix and match;)







These are Jaley's bows so far. (shes 3 months old) We love to match bows with outfits, they really dress up onesies and anything your child has on!



First of all, thanks Tashena, for inviting me to contribute to your blog;) I have a lot of interest because I too am the mother of "mixed" or "biracial" children who all 3 have very different hair types. Throw mine and Daddy's hair in the mix and we have quite the variety. I will be sharing tips on hair and scalp care, designs--including different types of braiding, twists, curls--and something Tashena also knows alot about......"dressing it up with bows"!! I will also include information on how I care for all my children's hair as well as my own and even my Fiance' who has a variety of tips to care for his own. Please feel free to contact either of us with questions and/or comments.




***Above are some everyday items we use for hair care on a daily basis in my home. 1) My fiance' uses the "Sportin Waves" on clean, dry/damp hair. Get a small amount on a few fingertips and brush or comb through hair. Cover with a "Wave Cap" to help encourage waving. Note: this is recommended for short semi-dry hair only. I also have quite an assortment of hair "doo-dadds" as I call them. I have already started my daughter's collection too!! 2) For coarse or thick hair use a "hard bristle" brush, preferably with flat wooden handle. These bristles brush through hair easily and smooths when done consistently. 3) You can use baby oil or an oil based lotion like the one above to put in hair that is dry and/or coarse and thick. This moisturizes the scalp and hair shaft, leaving hair healthier and shinier. I use the "Baby Magic" on my 3 month old twins who have a little cradle-cap and pealing. It is helping alot!!

Style suggestions!!

If you would like to suggest a style you have been looking for instructions on, feel free to email me. If i can, i will post the instructions in my next blog!!

Mommy2Jersella@yahoo.com

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Box Braids & Barrettes

I wasnt sure what design i should start this off with, so Jissella picked! Box Braids it is!

Box braids are very simple and dont require a whole lot of skill. They can be done on anyone any age... from babies on up to adults!

Its best to start with a fresh washed head of hair (in my experience).


Then i comb her hair out... I spritz her hair with water if it starts to dry. You dont want it dripping wet, just damp enough to make it easier to work with.


Plan out the design you want before you start braiding. Im doing just a basic brick box design... put an elastic at the base of the hair section.


Seperate into three sections and braid...


When you get to the bottom you have several options on how to end your braid. If your child has really tight curls, you can get a bit of gel on your fingertip, and just twist around your finger a few times. It will curl and hold itself naturally. HOWEVER, my daughters hair doesnt do this. So, i either end the braids with beads or barrette clips:


Barrettes are much faster to put in, but beads last longer... Jissella can wear beads for up to 4 or 5 days, but clippies only a few hours. I dont recommend letting your child sleep with clips in, unless losing one or two (or all) is okay with you lol For this post im doing clippies... i will do another post on beads though, so take heart if that is what you are trying to learn!

Wrap the end of the hair around the clip a few times, then snap it closed...



Continue on up your childs head. You can do the whole head in box braids or put a pony at the top... I have a particularly active kiddo, so i like to leave the top in a pony so her hair isnt in her face...


Seperate the pony into a few small braids and put clippies on the end just like with the box braids...


The finished product:


Happy Braiding!!

-Tashena

Where do you start??

So, if you are the parent of a mixed child and have no experience doing hair, especially hair different from your own, you may be a bit overwhelmed and not know where to start.

No hair is the same. Whether a person is mixed or not. So, firstly... what kind of hair are you workin with? In just my own home, i have three children all with different hair types. My son has course, tight curls, like his dad. My oldest daughter has soft textured hair, but inherited medium tight curls. It looks like my hair with a perm. The baby, welllllll... she hasnt gotten her hair yet. She still has baby fine hair. I cant wait to see if she gets tight curls like her brother or medium curls like her sister.

For my son we use coconut oil jelly to keep his scalp and hair moisturized and soft. We keep his hair pretty short because the poor kiddo is tender headed like his daddy.

For my daughter, we use coconut oil jelly every once in a while... but it can weigh her hair down if we use it a lot, so i just use it once a week or as i need to. It really helps keep her scalp soft. Especially since we do her hair everyday.

Here is a picture of my daughters hair... :o)
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And here is a picture of my sons hair... :o)
Photobucket


As my children are still young, i try not to use chemicals in their hair. I dont perm, press, relax - nothing... I prefer the natural look and feel. I also do not want to burn them or cause hair loss. There are so many things you can do with natural hair that i see no reason to use harsh chemicals.