REAL PEOPLE REAL ANSWERS EDITION 4

A DAY IN THE LIFE

“Living Naturally You”

Real People Real Answers

1. What’s your name?  Sesily S. Coleman

2. How old are you?  36 years young :-)

3. Where are you from? I'm a proud native of New Orleans, LA, but I'm a ten year resident of Atlanta, GA

4. What is your occupation?  I'm the founder of The TechEd Consultant, a educational technology company that provides professional development training to both school systems across the country.

5. How would you describe yourself? I'm a hurdler because I can jump over any obstacle that's set in my race...

6. When did you first decide to become natural?  I was a natural all through college, but decided to BC again last year (May 2010).  It's been 1 year of growth (for my hair and for my spirit).

7. If there was one word to describe your style what would it be?   ECLECTIC

8. Who are some people that inspire you the most?  My husband (who will forever be my rock), my children, my very supportive parents, and my very encouraging siblings.

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?  Seeing that I'm 37, I think I'm pretty grown up already!  lol!  I'm actually living my dream of being a devoted mommie and a black female business owner :-)

10. What advice would you give to others who wanted to go natural or live a more natural based lifestyle?  

The best advice I can offer is to be true to yourself, no matter what trends or fads the world manages to produce and present to you.  Embrace God's blessings for you life and continue to look to other positive people for inspiration in your life.  Always find the time to pamper yourself because we all deserve that moment of comfort.  God blessed black women with the type of hair that can be manipulated to make us always stand out in ANY crowd...embrace that!

11. What’s your favorite quote?   "Whatever it is...let it be".  - Jill Scott

Umm yeah did I mention this was some serious HAIR ENVY!!!!

Braiding Methods Part Two : Adding on the Add on

Braiding Methods Part 2: Adding on the Add on

Now that you have mastered the art of basic braiding ...We can move along the some fun protective styling with adding on the add on. There are many variations of these basic ideas but today I am going to go over a few of my favorite basic add on braiding techniques: Rope braiding with add on and French Braiding with add on. Of course there are so many more methods of using basic braiding techniques that go beyond the scope of this article. Look forward to my future postings to have in depth explanations of even more braiding techniques.

Rope Braiding with Add on

First pick your favorite add on synthetic or human hair and separate it into several equal chunks, each about one half of the size of the full size braid you would like to have . You will need u to two packs of human hair and up to five packs of synthetic depending on the variation of your client's head. Now part the client's scalp with your desired method about the size of the braid you want to have in the end and take the hair and spit into two. Take two of the pre separated pieces of human hair or synthetic hair and cross over like an "X". Attach at the base of the scalp with three fingers in a space of the "X" you made and the part you made int the client's scalp. Now split the hair into three sections. Hold two sections in your right hand ad the last section in your left. Cross the right section over the top of the middle section( while stile keeping a grip on the middle section with your right hand) and this will become your new left end . Repeat this process for the left end ( cross over to the right as this will become your new right piece). Keep crossing over the side pieces towards the middle until you reach the end of your newly created braid. Repeat this process over the entire head.

Special note 1: To end your braids for micros you may glue the hair( Human or synthetic) at the end of the braid that you made and have the rest of the hair free flowing..or you can tie a small knot with the hair itself.

Special note 2: To end box braids or pixie braids(braids in which you continue down to the very end) you can burn the ends  or dip them in scalding hot water( if you have used synthetic hair)

French Braiding( Corn rowing) with Add On

The only difference between french braiding with add on and corn rowing with add on is the amount of parts you have. To start a basic french braid with add on first part the front of your natural hair into three parts and make 3 rotations of the basic french braid. Hold your fingers in this place and grab your human or synthetic hair chunk in an "x" again, stretching the hair before you begin the braid ( the amount of hair needed will vary from head to head but a good start is about two packs for human or synthetic)and gradually  feed the fake hair into the clients real hair while french braiding talking a small amount of hair at first and adding a little more as you com down the braid.

This same concept is used for corn rows . Do the exact same thing as you did for a large french braid and just scale it down to the size of the smaller parts you have created for this style. You would still start by braiding slightly the clients own hair first and feeding in the fake hair until you get to the end. Don't forget to strech the hair before you add it in and you're set to go.

These are only some fundamental braiding concepts. In my future series I will go into detail about using cornrowing methods to begin protective styles such as sew ins, and advanced rope braiding techniques of tree braiding to help everyone out there who want to understand the methods of these styles . I hope you have enjoyed my braiding series thus far. NOW GO AND BRAID AWAY!;)

By M Kyles of Kyles Natural

How to Impove Self Esteem

 How to Improve your Self Esteem in 7 Ways

Stop Blaming Your Past
Many low self esteem issues begin in childhood, often because of someone important in their life: a parent, relative, or peer may have evaluated them harshly.
It really doesn’t matter who planted the seeds of your low self-esteem;  you must take control of your destiny as a adult to recreate your self esteem future.

  Your Life Your Destiny
Find a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and say, “I am responsible for everything in my life. And only I have the power to make my life better.”
This is not an affirmation – it’s a reality check. And despite the fact that these words may seem self-defeating,

Improve Your Trouble Areas
Do you have one or two areas that send you into spirals of despair? If so, fix those areas.
Example: If you doubt your intelligence, accomplish something intellectual; if you doubt your social skills, accomplish something social; and if you doubt your physical abilities, accomplish something physical. None of these things are easy but requires constant work. The rewards in this methods reaps tremendous benefits for every inch earned in success.


Embrace Failure

Failure is your friend! As long as your failures are moving you closer to your goals, you are on the right track just don't quit.
When you fail, figure out why and be determined to learn from it. What can you do to improve your chances of success next time? Find someone who has accomplished what you are trying to do and ask for her advice.

Finish what You Start


By learning to finish what you start,  you can learn  the most important lesson of all: that you are capable.
Sometimes walking away from a problem is the smartest thing you can do, but any decision to quit must come from logic, not fear. Instead of walking away from challenges, meet them head on. Finish what you start on a consistent basis, and you will soon learn to trust yourself.

Join a Club

Find something productive that you love to do (writing, dancing, acting, programming, or whatever) and then find a group of like-minded people who are interested in learning this activity with you.
The group is your support structure and your growth foundation.

Increase Your Positive Relationships

 Does a person logically appear to be a good influence? If not, consider moving on to a new relationship.
If you surround yourself with positive, supportive people instead of deadbeats and abusers –  then you are well on your way to a better  track and having a higher self esteem.