Readers Email Answered

Hi Writing Addict,

I love your hair and I love your blog! My sister decided she wanted to get locks and I was not interested. And, now, I'm on board as well! I have a few questions for you.

1) I noticed that you live in the Las Vegas area. Well, I'm in the high desert - Victorville. I was wondering if you can recommend a few excellent locticians. I would be willing to travel anywhere from Las Vegas to LA to San Diego.

2) I am liking the look of the bigger locks best, I think. But, I want to get a sense for what is considered med and what is considered large. I think I want something in the med range. However do you have any pictures that would be a good example of med and large. Are yours considered small?

This is a link to a video of the exact size that I would like my locks to be. You may have seen her videos already. http://www.youtube.com/user/chescaleigh

I do apologize for being so long winded. However, I am so excited about the decision that I have made to get locks!

Thanks for the inspiration.

Best,
Bridget
-----------------------------

Dear Bridget,

Thank you for the accolades its only because of great people like you, my readers that allow me to have a platform such as this. For that I am truly grateful!

You live out here in this desert heat huh? Well, as you know there isn't much culture out here in Nevada. And well, when it comes to natural haircare, you're better off going to Cali to get a great set of locs put in, or DIY. I am not opposed to DIY, it can turn out just as great! So to answer your question about natural hair salons I must point you to two different directions who can better help you in this area. My fellow natrual hair care and beauty bloggers, Afrobella and the Kinnks Directory the ladies rock when it comes to info.

Now on the size of locs this is what I think:
Large

Medium

Small

Sisterlocs (microlocs)

So as you can see dear you have a lot to choose from! Also, never apologize for seeking information it is the only way to become enlightened! I do hope you join us here at ontheroadtoqueendom.com and become part of our family we would love to have you, and to help you on your journey towards Queendom!


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Photo Shoot

Hey Queens,

I had a photoshoot...thought I'd share with ya! Let me know what you think. I have a few more but umm (clears throat) they're for my hubby! LOL


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Sisterloc Contributer

The beautiful, and extremely talented Sisterlock in training consultant, owner and operator of Tomoka's Twists, Ms. Carmen!

Many of you already know this young entreprenuer because you are probably already wearing one of her fiyah loc creations as we speak! I am in awe of her, and besides that, she is so humble, down to earth, and giving. Seriously, then Queen has never hesitated to reach out her hand to me whenever I needed something. For that I am truly grateful!

Even more so now, that I have her on the Queendom team! I get Sisterloc questions from time to time, and I have traditional locs therefore, I really can't answer them. So, Carmen has decided to step in and help a sister out!

Just look at her work!

So from now on, when you have a Sisterloc question, don't hesitate to email her at carmennc@tomokastwists.com

Also visit her at http://carmennc.blogspot.com/ and http://tomokastwists.com/

Also, she will guest blog when she can...but believe me she is a busy sister just like me. So again welcome her to the Queendom!

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Artist Spotlight

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born in Nigeria in 1977. She is from Abba, in Anambra State, but grew up in the university town of Nsukka where she attended primary and secondary schools and briefly studied Medicine and Pharmacy. She then moved to the United States to attend college, graduating summa cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State with a major in Communication and a minor in Political Science. She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale.

Purple Hibiscus won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It was also short-listed for the Orange Prize and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and long-listed for the Booker Prize. Her short fiction has appeared in Granta, Prospect, and The Iowa Review among other literary journals, and she received an O. Henry Prize in 2003. She was a 2005-2006 Hodder Fellow at Princeton, where she taught Introductory Fiction. She divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.

Her newest novel, Half of a Yellow Sun recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, and the chilling violence that followed.

With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor's beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna's twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and they must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another.

Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all.

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Reader's Emails Answered

Dear Writing Addict,


First, I wanna thank you for answering my first question, I really appreciate it!!!!

Okay, so its been 6 months (yay!) and I've worried about the size for a while but I'm starting to wonder if I should continue with this set. I asked my loctitian for small - medium (I like your size) but the size of my parts are pretty darn big. (I attached two pictures) And, they feel and look pretty loced but not completly.

In your opinion, after looking at the pictures, do you see any need for concern? You think I'll get the size I'm looking for?


Also, my loctitian told me to try a hot oil treatment at home. I did and two of my locs in the front came COMPLETELY undone..... Is that normal at 6 months? the rest of them were fine and didn't become undone at all.


------------

Dear 6 Mos,

Your locs look lovely! They are really coming along beautifully. At the rate they are locing now, I will assume they are going to be a little thick. If you would like them to be smaller I would advise you to get a new set. Seriously, I love them the size they are now. At first, I used to want my locs skinny, but the smaller they are the harder the upkeep! You also have to remember, that over time they do thicken up. So your locs will get bigger as they mature. Hot oil treatments are wonderful during the summer months for loc wearers. But you have to be careful because with hot oil treatments, the oil can get trapped in our locs because the locs are so thick. I like to do deep conditioning treatments, and use leave-in conditioners instead.

So it’s really up to you. This decision is yours Bella...but you really are a Queen!

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Fulani Earrings

I opened the mailbox and received my big surprise, my Fulani earrings that I ordered! I ordered them from Tribal Baazar, and they are beautiful. Really, the above picture doesn't do them justice.


These traditional West African earrings are created by Fulani craftsmen in Mali. One of the largest groups of nomadic herders in Africa, the Fulani customarily wore their wealth in the form of gold jewelry that they could carry with them at all times. Based on a design that has been worn for centuries. It wasn't uncommon to see women wearing these type of earrings with red rope around the post of the earrings to try and help alleviate the heaviness of pure gold fulani earrings. The women would typically get these earrings as a present on their wedding day, or on another special occassion. I have always admired them, as they are rich in culture and tradition! The above earrings are very lightweight, oh and XL. I love big earrings!


Wanna pair? They come in different sizes here....

Tribal Bazaar

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Artist Spotlight

The fabulous, soulful House Queen, Sun Singleton.

As a side vocalist and songwriter, Sun Singleton has sung with talented and committed musicians from a wide variety of genres, from hip hop and soul (Q-Tip, Nona Hendryx, D'Angelo, N'Dea Davenport, Senjh Lucky, Governor, St. Juste, Blackalicious, Mike Ladd, Alice Smith, Julie Dexter, Chance, Bradd Marquis) to modern rock (Black Gold, Crown of Thorns), jazz and global African (Marc Cary, Angelique Kidjo) to soulful house and broken beat (Ovasoul7, Manchildblack) as well as acting as musical director for the off-Broadway shows of actor/playwright/activist Liza Jessie Peterson.

If this isn't impressive enough for you,in the spring of 2009, London-based luxury label Stilnovo Music UK released a collection of brand new soulful house remixes of her songs, featuring the remix work of rising star DJ Eleanora, acclaimed Swedish house producer Opolopo, and the up-and-coming Canadian duo Version3 now available at TRAXSOURCE.COM.

I just want you to know the song, Ready, is slamming! I am grooving and moving along with this Queen...rock on loc rocker, rock on!

Wanna download this song? Click here!


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Sale Starts Tonight!11:59 P.M.
Sale Ends Thursday 11:59 P.M.
No Returns on Sale

Selected Limited Edition items on sale while supplies last.

*Sample items also available at "Store 518: The General & Fine Merchandise Store" at 518 Court Street in Brooklyn, NY 11231. For directions, please visit www.store518.com*

www.shopbutterbynadia.com | www.butterbynadia.com | www.store518.com






Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Loc'd Beauty of the Week

This beautiful Queen is Julie Mims, her crown is exquisite, and her skin flawless!

The confidence she embodies in her self-portraits shows.

She is a Goddess!

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Solange Bald?

I know I'm late on this but do we love Solange as a baldie? I do...I don't know what the big whooptido is all about because everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon these days. Also, celebs are tweeting about it. People are expressing their distaste for her choice, but I say they need to kick rocks. Solange is a fearless Queen, who still looks beautiful to me. Only thing is I agree with most who say she needs a good shape up. Still, she is naturally beautiful; and you know that is what we embody here!

Go Solange!

Mel B's Baby Haircut

Do we love this? I mean I am all for standing out, and I know I gave my DD a frohawk, by braiding the sides of her hair upward. But a real mohawk, complete with shaving the sides of her head? I'm still on the fence with this one. She is still completely adorable, and I know its just hair but, what do you Queen's think?


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Big Time!

My sister, Kitty Soulflower owner and operator of ILoveMyLocs done went and gone big time on me! She said forget about it, and made an inspiring and beautiful loc magazine of the inspiring loc'd sisters from around the globe! And that ain't the half of it! It's free!

In case you didn't know I'm doing the Happy Dance! LOL

However, if you want a coffee book, hard bound? Then you have to fork over $24.70 at Lulu Marketplace. Still its definitely worth it, if you ask me honey.

The magazine features:

Sepsenahki is SOLACE
Queen Godis
Empress Jeanille
Lenora Jaye
Dear Writing Addict
Czlena
Meela
Nova
Cibelle
Harleigh Blulow
Kumia Lee
Luna Angel
Writing Addict
Nerrisa “Imperial Goddess” Irving
Wahida Fowler
Nasirah Sahar
Nunette
Loc Inspirations
Advertisements
Editor’s Pages

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/i-love-my-locs-magazine/7432890

This is Volume I and another volume will be coming soon!

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Congratulations!

Moosiko is this weeks' Giveaway of the Reign, Smashbox lipgloss giveaway!

Thanks to all the Queens who entered...

Moosiko, please email me your mailing address and information within 48 hours to claim your prize to compulsivewriting@yahoo.com.

Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Readers Email Answered

Greetings,

Hello, my name is **** and I saw your blog on blogger and love it. I was browsing through other people's blogs in search for information that will help me, and since you offer to assist others, I thought why not shoot you an e-mail.

I just started my locing process 3 days ago, and to be honest, I have no idea how to maintain them. I have very fine borderline curly hair and I used Organic lock and gel. However, at least 5 of them has already unraveled. Thus I have no idea what product to use in order to keep them firmly locked, also my hair is considered as baby locs right now and when I wake up in the morning I have a few locs just sticking out all over the place. I don't know, I'm willing to commit myself to this new hairstyle, but I didn't educate myself enough of how to manage them throughout the initial stages. With that said... can you provide me some information of how to maintain them please lol? I'm in desperate need for help

Thank you

New 2 Locing

******************
Hi New 2 Locing,

Thank you for your kind words Queen! No worries lets get right to it. Many of your concerns have been addressed here at OTRTQ, and if you click on the "How To" link you can find many remedies to questions you may have. However, I will address your concerns below:

You described your hair as borderline curly. What you have is what I like to call, "baby doll hair!" LOL take no offense please, its too cute. Okay moving along, usually I like for my readers with questions to send me a pic of their hair, but I think I know what type it is, you must have 3b-4a. Therefore, can use a lighter product. But if you want, use a heavier pomade to lock your hair. Once the hair is loc'd you will be able to go back to the lighter products like, organic loc and gel. 100% Shea butter & Ampro protein gel mixed together will work great. This will aide in the locing process, but will not be as sticky and gross as beeswax.

Also, it is imperative that at night you wear a silk scarf to hold the baby locs in place; or my old tried and true method...some cut off thin stockings to allow the scalp to breathe at night. Please wear this as well when you are lounging in your own place. When my locs were babies I wore all kinds of cute scarfs, and Rasta hats. This helped train my babies, keep them in place, and prevent dust, dirt, and lint.

Remember your hair will itch, but to help with this all you have to do is get some cotton balls and Sea breeze to cleanse the scalp. For more in depth info on how to loc go here!

Also, I went to your blog, it is so nice and esthetically pleasing to the eye. I have been through what you are experiencing now at work, loc envy. Just relax, remember when other races are exposed to sisters who haven't been wearing their hair natural before; they get confused, and wonder aloud (although, this is rude). Don't leave out our own sisters, they do the same thing. So what is needed from you right now, at this very moment is CONFIDENCE. You are not there to put them at ease, or make them accept you. You are you period. You are in your God given natural state and you make no apologies, nor must you try to make them feel comfortable about your decision to be "yourself."

Remember, no one is going to accept you if you don't accept you. You have not changed, you are not your hair, you have simply become comfortable in your own beautiful skin. You are on the road to Queendom (you like my shameless plug?lol), and to be a Queen you must act regal, hold your head up, look fierce, be confident, love yourself and ROCK those LOCS!


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!

Artist Spotlight

This beautiful, eclectic Hip-Hop, Poetic, Smoothed out songstress is not only beautiful; but a natural phenomenon. Kena Sage states, "I am inspired by the music, the melody moves me and tells me what to write"

This Chicago born artist entered into the music industry by being a member of the group Phajja.

She has toured with many hit recording artists such as: Brian McKnight, Eric Benet, Musique Soul Child and Usher.

Kena has developed a reputation as a great performer and choreographer. At the same time she has maintained her passion as a songwriter, working with great artists such as Truth Hurts, Mario Winans, Montell Jordan, Devine Evans and (Mizchief).

Her music is a tasty mix of jazz, hip-hop, rock, soul, pop, R&B, all of it resides within in and one genre should not be above the other. Just listen to this fantastic album and you will be convinced that Kena Sage is the next rising star.

This earth Godess is indeed inspired by the goddess of love and beauty therefore, she created Cowrie Flower products to bring the spirit to a place of bliss. The scented oils are hand blended and accented with special herbs that stimulates the senses. Great care is placed in each item; right down to the hand decorated bags the oils and Incense are stored in; waiting to help you on your day’s journey. You can find this exceptional Queen on her MySpace page, and choose from a wide variety of items on her Cowrie Flower page as well!



This is definitely a Queen you need to know!

http://www.myspace.com/kenasage

http://www.myspace.com/cowrieflower


Stay Blessed & Happy Locing!