Tuesday, November 13, 2012

My very own dreadlock magazine, featuring my own dreadlock jewelry sounded and felt like a great idea, and it has crossed my mind since with awesome creativity and imagery. I am curious still, of my work as I venture into the future. I have children and a family, and I love thinking of ways to try to harness the thoughts and dreams that I love to earn me more than hobby. I want to invest into this idea because it is something that leaves me intrigued about the people I may meet and their experiences, filling in the gaps between us and coming together on yet another peaceful bond and expression. I would love to see my magazine come to fruition because it would connect so many people to each other. I feel that there is an untapped potential within our natural community. I think that we are similar because of how we embrace our roots, and that is a good start to any strong foundation. As I have learned from my experiences, you can never stop growing and I think there is a vast amount of knowledge in definition. The strength of our hair can reach the farthest galaxies together. I am a positive, optimistic, spiritually motivated individual. I am currently in school for human resource management and I have been in customer service since the beginning of my career at 16. I feel strongly about love and spiritual leadership. I may be shy, but my courage comes from the understanding and appreciation I have felt for people that I have developed within myself. I feel that talking about the beauty of the loc culture, as an observer and as a witness, I have seen the trend manifest into a dominant generation in our ranks. The loc or dreadlock community I'll describe as Loc Culture 'LoCulture' is strong, unique, vibrant and a vision of our youth staying true to the essence within, not divided by color or country, but together by the most common fruit of our bodies; our hair. 

One thing I know is that LoCulture is more than "hair", it is the experience of the transformation of our essence. We have felt the transition from short to medium to long, or are within the experience range of one of the three. The seasoned naturalist can talk of their tales like ribbons of time etched in their follicles. To see them throughout their journey, the spirit reveals decision, patience, and subliminal signs to keep us on track with our growth. We try things, we learn, and after a while we see the results of our efforts. The healthy, the long, the strong, the full, the shine of proud natural hair. 

So I intend on starting my interviews for the first edition of my LoCulture Magazine in Atlanta, Ga. I want to provide a fresh look at locs and portray the raw beauty of the men and women of this city who are proud to show off their locs. I want to display their style and creativity, and how they maintain their hair. I want to uncover this hidden gem in the LoCulture Community and reveal how beautiful and dynamic it is, within a general parameter that is more than just an online page. I want to get people aware and comfortable in all environments of the individuality within the expression of natural hair and locs in particular. I want to remove the taboos and stop the ignorance and discrimination against people with dreadlocks and locs, and exposing the raw beauty and appeal of each persons uniqueness and style is a way to break down even more barriers. I can't stand the stereotypes and you can't deny true beauty that comes from each unique person with dreadlocks. This is more than what you see depicted in movies. I'll start recording my second loc journey with this blog, and show you better than I can tell you. If you are choosing to get or cut your locs, I will give you a million reasons why locs are not a fad but a lifestyle. I'll expose you to the glamor and the commitment of dreadlocks. With the stories I have heard, it is only right to share the wealth of LoCulture with the proud citizens of this community.

Love and God bless.
GG



If you are interested and would like to share your dreadlock story for the LoCulture Community Magazine, please E-mail me at JossGilchrist12@gmail.com for info. Hope to hear from you.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Showing off my Internet Doll Collection

Yeeeeah it was bound to happen. I have been wanting to collect dolls with my sweet sister for a while. If I started, I know it would probably take a long time to achieve the massive type of collection that would do us justice. These are a few of the dolls that I have seen around that I would definitely play with and have a separate one in a box somewhere. These ladies are exotic and unique and are made very creatively for some neat storytelling. *AWeSoMe!!*
*Ode to my poor Sailor Moon dolls ;\ shniff*

                                                     So yea here they are, my dollies :D



                                                     This one is of Michelle Obama


                                                        Just threw in a couple of hot pics




And there you have it. They are all so unique and pretty, only the most lavish pads are suitable for such princesses. So next, I have to show you my interior design collection of hottest pad pics from across the internet. Thanks to my blog, I have a place to put these cool pics now! Kewl!!

More on Dreadlock shampoo and Conditioning, styling products and more


What do I use to wash and maintain my dreadlocks?

Okay so you know residue is a very bad thing and you know to use anything in moderation. You can see how I have had a pretty fun time dying my hair in the gallery. I have colored from deep red to white-blonde and you can understand how I am trying to get my hair and its PH levels back under control. I have to repair breakage and splitting and my ends are unraveling. I know I need to lay off the dyes, so I have been rinsing my hair instead as it is a safer alternative to what I have been doing with the chemicals. I haven't conditioned my hair in about 4 years and when I did after the rinses, I definitely saw what I was missing, practically instantly. I was all about not conditioning since I was reading about build-up and residue and mold. I decided I was going to just grease my scalp really well, and when I did that I tuned away from my olive-oil and started using Pink-oil. It was a very bad switch that made dirt and oils easily trapped in my hair, which I could see when I shampooed. At this point, my hair in the front is so short you would think that I deliberately gave myself bangs, but it is not the case. I actually got my hair ate up from the dye! I know that I need to care for my hair better, so to reverse the process, I have gotten myself some Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner. I have read on the web that it helps keep your hair clean and moisturized and growing long while stopping splitting and breakage.
 This is the Mane and Tail Herbal Gro shampoo and conditioner I bought. I thought it would be a nice opportunity to reclaim my hair and get back well with Olive oil. I can't wait to see the results.
This is the original formulas of Mane and Tail, which I would have got, but the Herbal Gro formula sounded like more of what my hair needs. They are all pretty inexpensive, and at 3 dollars a bottle ($4 for Herbal Gro) it's a pretty good way to keep my hair in check for a while. Again, everything in moderation. The problem with these online retailers is that they are product junkies. You may have the best product in the world for sealing ends like Beeswax but unless you're using it properly then you will have problems. The people online can not advertise to you what really sells, which is the style or texture you are after. They can only make money on the hype of our hair. Isn't that why we get so proud because we don't have to do much to maintain it? When we do, we must take care of our hair and respond accurately to its needs. That way when we ask for it to be manageable and healthy with body and texture and style it, we really get the results we are after. Even with dreadlocks, there are no 'canned' secrets. You have to really work with yourself to do as much as possible with the versatility without damage. Working with a good product over time is helpful, and reading and listening to what others say about it helps as well when making decisions. It is essential to stick with what works and keep up with the growth. You will surely thank yourself in the later years.

 This is the good shtuff right here. This is the Olive Oil that does exactly what it says. It nourishes and conditions dry and thirsty hair. I immediately saw and felt the difference in the texture of my hair and was quite impressed. It also helps hold some nice curls like the ones in the picture below and will keep the style for a week or longer. Olive Oil is a MUST HAVE on sheen and is at the top of the list over Pink Moisturizers that seem to be best at locking in dirt and oil. Olive oil I have found to rinse clean and still leave your hair with a silky texture.
Now this is where I started at. Jamaican Mango and Lime products are a joy because even though you pay a bit more, you get the type of results you want as far as luxurious locs go. Their Lock Gro hair grease is a must and has camphor and menthol in it to stimulate hair follicles and it also makes your hair grow long long loong!! Again, these products should be used in moderation since you are still trying to stay away from build up. I try to taper my edges and my scalp with Lock Gro on my fingertips after I lightly sprayed my hair with the olive oil when I am trying to make my curls last and stay vibrant. I am still working on that technique to keep my curls but I know it is all about what I already know and have learned.

For the curls in the picture above, what works best for me is either wash your hair in warm water or do it without shampooing. But its gotta be good and warm. Soak them up and towel dry. Then I take my curling rods and get to it. I know because of my length that nowadays I will still have to sit under my dryer to make sure they get dry completely. Usually though it was just a night of discomfort from the rollers (and I wasn't a big fan of hair dryers when I had straightened hair either) now I have to dry in the morning as well, for about an hour to make sure. While its drying, I do spray some spritz onto it but not much. I do that by spraying it onto my hands and running it over the curlers. Then when I take the curlers down, my hair is usually in a flexible spiral curl that relaxes throughout the day. By day two, I am livening it back up with olive oil for that lasting shine and bounce that will get me through the week, probably with some more olive oil by Thursday or Friday if I start the process on Sunday. That way on Monday morning, I have a fresh head for the week.

This is with the same process, but with bantu knots. This was a popular way when my dreads were shorter to curl my hair without rollers. Since my hair has gotten longer, I have sampled with the rollers in the picture, particularly with the blue colored rollers. Can you imagine what it's like sleeping with bantus through the night? My goodness!

Now I think I'm going to talk about interlocking next.
Me.
GG

Gallery of Queen GG photos, dreadlock hairstyles and trends






























All In video feat King Memphis and Queen GG compilation of videos by Jay-Z, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Mya, and TI

This is "All In" with me and King Memphis. This video I made using Windows earlier this summer was a compilation of videos by Jay-Z, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Mya, and TI. It was a cool and creative way for me to see my video editing skills at work. It took me about a day to make and I thought I did a pretty good job. I wanted to share this with you because it was really fun to do and it also has scenes from HBO's True Blood in it (FAN!!) So I am probably going to make another video for this winter with another song from Heat Rock. I know I have a few songs I would love to write and finish up to make a video for. I hope you like it, and again, the music is from King Memphis album 'Heat Rock vol 1'. I did not create the copyrighted portions of this video or have any rights to it, it is a fan vid, done just for fun. I just want to see how far my creativity can develop with my skills and see where it takes me. So, enjoy, and let me know if you like it.

I was thinking about who I should put into the next song like Drake and Aaliyah or something. ;p (Secretly, I'm not even a real fan of artists, but of music:)

www.myheatrock.com
King Memphis
Queen GG
Heat Rock Music 2011-2012

  



 

How I cared for babylocs

I know I look kinda homely in this video with my short baby locs:).
When I had just started my locs, a gentleman barber noticed my efforts and suggested to me to twist my hair into little balls. He carefully showed me with beeswax how to twist up my hair into a pretty decoration and then cover it with a stocking cap overnight. That stocking cap had tuned into silk wraps to protect my hair from breakage and losing moisture from cotton pillowcases. I loved how my little buds were developing. When I took my hair down from the twists in the morning, I could style them and let them be for a while without re twisting and having my fingers all in my hair. I could put a wrap in the front to lay down the ends and go from professional to casual with ease. It was great. Later after reading a bit on the internet, I found out the method I was using was called "comb coils" and you can do it with a comb or with your fingers to twist up dreadlocks into a cute, manageable 'do'. Above is a video with my hair in Comb Coils. I made a few videos before trying to explain my techniques and methods but again, I have a pretty big family with 8 of us and more extended, I just never got around to combining my videos with actual dialog to reference back to. Though I have had thousands of views, I feel like I didn't really get into what I was intending to convey and I missed the mark in trying to get a well thought out journal of my ideas based upon my loc journey. I will do my best now to elaborate on some of those ideas as well as making new ones to update my progress since I made them. Time has just flown by over the years :D

Comb Coils are a great way to keep baby locs maintained because it keeps the scalp clean and baby dreads separated. It showed me great patience while I was learning how to twist and seeing the texture of my hair respond the the beeswax I was putting in it with moderation. I really miss those days because every style I created with my coils was different every day. I was able to experiment with some products like Jamaican Loc and Twist and was pleased with the way my hair was growing fuller and softer. I used the Loc-Gro and the Medicating Shampoo and liked the clean feeling it left behind. I only washed my hair once every two weeks to make sure I wasn't washing out fresh twisting. I was appreciating what my hair was doing for me, of course without the relaxers, the weaves and the wigs I was still producing lasting looks with my hair that tuned heads and made people ask me all sorts of questions. At that point, the internet became my haven for all things dreadlocks. I looked up how they are styled, and what eccentric styles people were coming up with. I was amazed at my findings and inspired to try new things. I decided to make this starter video on how to wash, coil and style locs with a seashell method I came up with. I had these pretty shells in my hair one summer and many people wondered how I got them in. I told them that I had bought them from a local beauty supply and painted them and then took some small gold clasps and clamped them in my hair. That was how I got shells in my dreadlocks. It was pretty cool. I got to show my hair before washing and afterward showing how I comb coiled my hair to the results you see in the video at the top. As I kept up with my coils, I also got interested in making jewelry for them without having to buy some. I decided to get crafty and bought some wire and started to make my own dreadlock jewelry. I got really creative with the designed and even though I wanted to sell my creations, I thought with my schedule it would be impossible to keep up with the demand.  So I put up my crafts and supplies until I really got into beading and making wire jewelry, which is another passion I now have based off of dreadlocks.

Here are some videos I made on washing my hair and styling it with comb coils. Again, it will make the type of style located at the top of this post.


This is the video I made on making Dreadlock Jewelry

More to come on this soon.
Me
GG

Well lets talk more on Dreadlocks, and how I've managed to take care of my Lovely Locs..Seemingly part 1 of many.



As I said, I have been growing mine for about 7 years. This is one of the first videos I made when my locs were younger. I am so proud of what I have learned through my growth. I have learned so much about myself and my hair along the way. I have learned what makes my hair grow fastest and what times of year my hair needs extra moisture. May I share my secrets about dreadlocks with you?

I'm Jocelyn, Queen GG, also known as Jocie-LadyJaydah-Awesome-PrincessJoyzmine (pronounced just like that)   I am a 29 year old married mother of 4 in Atlanta, Georgia. I have many creative hobbies such as reading, writing, making music and crafting, and I spend a lot of time with my growing family. I'm also an online student looking forward to my bachelors degree in a few years in Human Resources. I have a son who has special needs and I am always looking for ways to make the environment comfortable and peaceful for all those who share it based on my patience and understanding from many challenges of life's many lessons. I need things that make a difference in a positive, lasting way. This is why I chose to loc my hair. I started growing them when my children were infants to have a visual keepsake of their growth through me. What I have learned, I have added with this hairstyle a timeline of memories in it's growth. That's why I don't want to cut them, but rather trim them into the good branches of a fruitful tree. I will let my hair grow and mature in strength as I learn how to care for it, while managing my role in my whole family's growth and well-being. Lot's of times the growth radiates from within from what we obtain our energy from. My husband and I promote a more natural living and would like to rely on more natural resources than we do, so we have many kinds of ideas to implement in the future, as we plan for the growth ahead. There are many things I would love to learn more about based on my hobbies like with my jewelry making and with my lotions and baths that I wanted to start simple and not overwhelm myself.

I am a cuspian. I dabble in many things, and have a colorful memory with a very vivid imagination. As a gemini I am a communicator and and adventurer (lol miss scatterbrain :), while my cancarian is more reserved, graceful and motivated by chi.
I like to think of my locs as a real contributor to my added creativity, as now I have something to really unleash about in my privacy while I work on my other projects. When I started, I had no idea it would be the way it is. I sometimes thought that if I looked at pictures of people who had the length I wanted I would start to grow faster, and before I knew it my milestones were being overcome by time. I watched as my hair went past my ears and to my neck, on my shoulders, and now I'm just waiting for them to reach my elbows. I already feel them by my bra line in the back. My styles have changed since I started on my birthday 7 years ago and I am just now getting back to the way I was supposed to be taking care of my hair. I had a "dye" problem. I was interested in trying out different colors on my locs since it was so long and I had so many options in coloring my dreadlocks that I went a bit overboard, and now I have to make up for the damage I started in my locs. I know I have thinner than most locs without them being sister-locs and I can see that the advantages and versatility is at its max with my hair (I need someone who braids well in Atlanta so...) anyways I would like to try still so many styles with my type of hair.

So as I said I've been kinda speed writing this just so I can highlight some points to expound on later. Like
  • What made my hair grow fast when I had babylocs,
  • What I do in the winter to get the most out of moisturizing
  • How I shampoo and condition my locs and how often
  • What I have done to maximize my growth and keep the base of my hair loc tight without twisting
  • The benefits of interlocking dreadlocks
  • What loc products I use and the craziness with internet dreadlock products
There are other things I would like to write about as I said I am entering a new phase with the length of my locs and I would like to share these experiences here on my blog. If you have any ideas or topics that may be of interest to the discussions please let me know and I can add my thoughts to it in the coming days. More to come. 
Me
GG