Best of 2014

2014 was definitely a good year for my hair. I hit my length goal (twice), gained so much thickness, and found some products & tools that my hair loves. These are things I want to make sure I keep up in 2015. As I was looking over last year's posts and pics, I came up with the top four things I loved about my hair care and the top 10 posts you loved in 2014.


Protective Styling: I made a serious commitment to long-term protective styling last year. I never thought I would like protective styling on a long-term basis, and by long-term, I mean 4-6 weeks. But, I was wrong. Not only did I start to truly enjoy it, but it was very beneficial to my hair. I tried crochet braids for the first time and they worked so well with my hair, I ended up installing them three times! I did crochet braids with braiding haircrochet braids with box braids, and crochet braids with senagalese twists. I also installed another set of box braids and even tried out faux locs for the first time. It spoiled me, ladies. After all that, I did not want to keep up with my hair daily. It makes life so much easier! I understand why some ladies live in protective styles now.

Flexi-rods: I tried flexi-rods for the first time (on wet hair) last year. The first time I tried to flexi-rod my hair, it did not turn out like I wanted. But the first time I had a successful rod set, I was hooked. At this point, I can achieve pretty consistent results. I am proud of that, too, because I never thought I would be good at any kind of roller set. The only thing that I do not like is sleeping in them. Yea... that's horrible.

Henna: This one is an oldie, but a goodie nonetheless. I just can't speak highly enough about my hair's relationship with henna. It's all love. Henna can be messy and I don't like the smell, but it's worth alllll of that and more for the results. New growth getting unruly, but not ready to relax? Henna. Detangling sessions getting out of hand? Henna. Want to strengthen my hair, but don't want to use hard protein? Yep, henna. It smooths my hair, loosens my new growth, and gives it great shine. Certified that it's something I can't go without in 2014.

Caruso Steam Rollers: Gaaah!! These things are Ah-Mazing. Like I'm not sure why I didn't make an effort to try them sooner. They can be my best friend, especially when I'm feeling lazy. Because they're so easy to use, too. If I've done nothing to my hair, I can throw them in an hour before I have to leave and achieve curl perfection. Without direct heat. Annnnd they always make my hair feel SO soft because of the steam. I got one of my sisters hooked, too :)

When I was figuring out which posts you all liked the most, I couldn't help but notice that about half of my most popular posts were about about protective styling. I'm so glad you ladies enjoy these posts since those styles have become such a significant part of my regimen. I can guarantee there will be more of those types of posts this year, as I am already planning my next protective style.

Here are my top 10 most popular posts of 2014:

{10} Wash Day | Henna & Flat Iron

{9} How I Took My Box Braids Out

{8} Wash Day | 21 Weeks Post

{7} Length & Nape Check - 2 Year Update

{6} Twisted Back Updo | Tutorial

{5} Crochet Braids #2 - Box Braids

{4} Wash Day | 20 Weeks Post

{3} How I Wash My Crochet Braids

{2} Best Products for Protective Styling

{1} My Crochet Braids

Holiday Celebrations | 52 Weeks of Gratitude

Happy New Year!!

I LOVE the holidays!! Christmas is my favorite. With all the hustle, bustle & sheer enjoyment of them, I have completely slacked on my gratitude posts along with blogging overall. I have to take the time to thank all of you lovely ladies for your kind words and the stories you shared with my on my last gratitude post about my father. I truly appreciated it all!

This week, I found myself reflecting on how grateful I am for the way that the holidays bring all of my loved ones together for a significant period of time. I repeat, I LOVE it!

Christmas was always my favorite time of the year growing up. My family always had big parties. I loved putting up decorations. I usually played some kind of dramatic role in the Christmas play at church every year. I'd make a plethora of cookies with my mom. There was so much yummy food every where. And, of course, there was the presents. Lol what kid wasn't excited about the presents y'all? New Year's celebrating is more relaxed: watch night service at church, followed by a chill day of food and family. No better way to end one year and begin another than with Jesus. It's hands down my favorite time of the year.



It's like the holidays give all of us a chance to put the everyday demands of life on pause and just enjoy time spent with loved ones. I am certain I've taken this for granted in the past. Growing up, I didn't recognize that this is not necessarily the norm for everyone just because it was the norm for me. 

This year, it seemed my entire family was on the same page: grateful for each other and the opportunity to spend this time together. Creating memories with my family is something I greatly cherish, especially the little ones. I know it is a blessing and a privilege to be able to do so. Therefore, I am very thankful to God for each of these opportunities. 


I hope that everyone has been enjoying their time with loved ones, as well!
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