Spotlight Monday: Malanya

For this lovely Spotlight Monday feature, we'll be meeting Malanya.  She is the girlfriend of a friend who actually suggested that I feature Malanya and her beautiful locs.  Shall we begin..

How long have you been loc'ing your hair?
> I've had my locs since I was around 7 so... about 15 years.

Why did you make the decision to do so?
> My mother made the decision for me when I was young actually haha... The whole family- my mom, my dad and my younger sisters started our locs at around the same time.  I made the decision to keep them when I was in middle school though because, for me, they began to represent commitment, creativity and patience.  I feel like they're a part of me in every way possible.

How did you feel after beginning your journey?
> I felt more aware of the positive and negative connotations associated with locs and more ready and willing to deal with them.

What are your hair goals?
> My goal for them is to keep them happy!  Clean, moisturized, and free to grow.  I've always had A LOT of hair so taking care of it can sometimes be stressful but I'm used it.

Do you try different/creative styles?  If so, what is/are your favorites?
> After I wash and twist them, I'll usually leave them straight or braid them to make them a little curly.  Then I'll put it in a pony tail or let it hang.  Occasionally I'll wear a bun. I've dyed the back of my hair blonde a few times. It's actually past due for another application.  My favorite hairstyle is when I put in bantu knots that look like huge brown roses on my head.  I leave those in for about 24- 36 hours and when I take them out, they're ridiculously curly.  I love that!  It's funny though when I wear the big bantu knots in public, I either get compliments or awkward stares but I just do what makes me feel good.

*Side note: I have occasional fantasies of shaving just the back of my head... but I probably won't ever do it.  I feel like I would cry so much and feel naked (in a bad way) afterward.

How do you feel about your hair today?  
> Right now, I have two new baby locs and I'm really happy about them.  One is awkwardly in the front and the other is hiding at the top among its older sisters.  They're so tiny!  It's exciting when new ones grow.  I'm proud of them.

I absolutely loved Malanya's story.  She was a little nervous, but who would be with locs like that?!

Until next time,
Ashley, xo.

Do you have any questions for Malanya about her lovely locs?  Comment below!

Spotlight Monday: Cheryl

For this week's Spotlight Monday post, I've decided to do a loc edition.  Woo!

The first Loc Edition Spotlight Monday post features my older sister, Cheryl :)  She's done some of the most creative and pretty things with her locs, and I'm glad she was willing to share her story with us all.  Let us begin..

How long have you been loc'ing your hair?

> I've been loc'ing my hair for 7 years.

Why did you make the decision to do so?
> Truthfully, I was tired of combing it!  There was no grand epiphany this wasn't my calling.  I was really tired of perms and braids, and just refused to comb my hair any longer, but I wanted my Locs to be nice, not crazy looking.

How did you feel after beginning your journey?
> At first I was excited because this was something new. It wasn't at all what I expected since the goal was no work or maintenance.  It was actually a lot of work that needed to be done, and several times I started to forgo Locs and go back to a perm.

What are your hair goals?
> I have commitment issues (including an ex husband, lol), so it started by proving to him that I could follow through with something.  The more I saw it annoyed him, the better I felt about them, but with all the complements I've received, and people asking me could I help them, I feel this is the hair for me.  I didn't start from scratch with the close cut knobs, I still had some perm in it and I would just cut the ends every 6 weeks and I began to see the transformation; I love them!  Currently, I'm trying to see how long I want to let them grow so that's my next challenge.  At this point, they are midway down my back, but I want them even, so by this time next year, I will check to see if I'm any closer to where I draw the line and clip them.

Do you try different/creative styles?  If so, what is/are your favorites?
> At first I didn't; I just curled them and was ready to go!  Now that they are longer, I love a Mohawk, or spiral curls.  The Mohawk is my favorite.

How do you feel about your hair today?  
> My hair is like a tree-- I water, nurture it, and watch it grow.  I love being natural and the different scents I can use as well as the shine which let's me know it's healthy.

I love the way my sister colors her locs!  They've been brown, blonde, and I believe some shade of red at a point.  I also love when she curls them with pipe cleaners (very creative I must say)!  She also has 177 locs.  She counts them when she styles 'em! :)

Until next time,
Ashley, xo.