"...You Look Like A Little Girl"

Friday morning I'm getting into work and I'm riding up to my floor on the elevator. There's two other people in the elevator with me. A male, about 25-29 if I had to guess, tall, dark, and handsome as all get out. He was wearing fitted jeans, a pairof those sneakers that people get killed over, and a quarter sleeve jersey t-shirt. A little too casual for casual Friday's in my (office's) opinion but to each (office) their own. Next is a middle aged woman that I've ridden the elevator with many times. We usually talk about hair since she's going natural too and always compliments me on mine. This morning was no different. Except this time she followed up with

But you know that makes you look like a little girl, right?

After a millisecond of checking myself before I wrecked myself in a corporate setting I just giggled and played along like it didn't phase me. I can take a few blows. No problem. But I wasn't prepared for the 1.2. She continued after a moment of silence (I swear these are the largest floors ever. It seemed like the elevator was crawling.) she continued

I guess it's pretty hard for middle aged, white men to take you seriously when you look like a twelve year old, huh? But I like it.

I'm not sure what my face looked like at that time but by then she had hit her floor and was already out of the elevator by the time I picked my jaw up off the floor.

Now you're probably asking what my hair looked like. If you're expecting pig tails or any other style that is associated with little girls, try again. I was wearing a twist out. A defined, relatively chunky, twist out. See I had my hair in chunky medium sized twists (about 30 on my head) all week and decided to take them out and let me hair free... since it's Friday. Let me say this again. MY HAIR WAS IN TWISTS ALL WEEK. Now I know I look young when I have those twists in. Like, 12 year old young. I usually pin them back into some kind of updo to look less like a child but this week I was giving zero anything about pinning them back. I just needed something to wear that would allow me to work out at lunch without coming back to the office looking like Don King. Plus last week the humidity was relentless so a twist out would have lasted a good 30 seconds before it turned into a poofy 'fro. Not a bad look, just not what I want in the office.

I've never been looked at differently because of the way I dress or wear my hair. And that's because I don't wear big poofy glorious 'fros to work. I keep my hair contained which is what keeps corporate world happy. Frankly, it's easier to deal with in the twists anyway as I don't have to do anything when I wake up in the morning but shake, pin (if I feel like it), and go. Plus, I know how some folks, particularly of the older generation, get distracted at the tiniest things so I don't want my hair to be one of them.

Here's what I would have loved to say to that lady if I hadn't checked myself or had a jaw on the floor.

No ma'am. I'm not sure what you're referring to but I've never had someone not take me seriously because of the way my hair looks. In fact, I get complimented on my appearance regularly. And for those who believe that I look like a little kid, I let the quality of my work speak towards the ignorance and judgements that I may recieve. A quality of work that has always been praised and is easily on or above par in comparison to those who are not only double (and some) my age, but my experience, and pay grade.

*Drops the mic*

The Struggles of Having Natural Hair

As described by Buzzfeed. Pretty damn accurate if I do say so myself. Since you know, I do have natural hair and all. Take a gander and if you ever found yourself committing one of the "Can I touch your hair?" crimes, please stop. Things can, and will, turn ugly if you don't. That's not a threat...just a promise.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/28-exasperating-afro-problems

On a related note, I probably had the best braid out of my life today. I recieved compliments a many and scared myself about 20 times today because my hair kept brushing my back and I thought someone was touching me. Or even worse, my hair was so big/long that when I used my peripheral vision, I thought something was a) crawling on my shirt (nope, just hair practicing it's hang time) or b) there was someone eerily close to me or c) someone was touching me. Side eyes to my hair being long and in the way were a plenty today while I was sitting at my cube, by myself. That is until I went to lunch and was complimented on my hair by a group of ladies. There was a lot of "I want my hair to look like hers." going on.

Trust.  I was blushing on the outside and doing the dougie, electric slide, wobble, and the hammer time all at once inside.

Life is [Naturally] Good.

Until Next Time....

P.S. This bomb ass braid out was later ruined by Shaun T and his cray cray cardio thing that some people refer to as Insanity. Month 2...what up!?

My Worst [Hair] Nightmare

Well, this is probably second to me walking into a public bathroom and find that every single service is covered with multiple strands of random hair. And when I go to leave the bathroom the door knob too is covered with stray hair. THAT would be my worst hair nightmare.

But I digress. This is pretty horrible as well. I'm not sure how she didn't start crying before she stopped filming. I'm also not sure how high the heat was on that and why she was saying to leave it on for 20 seconds? But what I am sure of is that this will brighten your day. Maybe not for anything besides that fact that it didn't happen to you.

Poor girl.

Until next time...

You Own a Busines...and?

Hi, my name is Karla (With a K) and I'm a business owner.

There. I said it. I own my own business. Started it when I was 22 and almost a year later, I haven't failed. So I'm going to call it a success.

Recently, I was contacted from a friend from high school. We'd briefly talked about my business last time I was home and she probably had seen me posting stuff on facebook about it. But she contact me because she wasn't aware that I OWNED a business. Like my own. Mine. Me. All me.

So yes. I'm going to proclaim my business owner status to the entire world. I and a 23 year old MBA student that owns her own business. What's my business? Love-Lea. You may have seen the link to my website at the top of this blog. No? Well go ahead and check it out. I'll wait.

Back? Good. Now let's get down to business (all puns intended). I sell lotions, body butters, lip balms, hair butters, detoxing clay hearts, bath salts (not the turn you into a zombie and eat other people's faces kind), and much more. I do most of my business through craft fairs so you can assume the business is pretty small. And you'd be right. And that's the way I like it right now. Juggling grad school, working nearly full time, softball, working out, and a business is pretty tiring. So for once, small is how I'd like it to be...for now.

Oh. And did I mention that I make everything? Yes. You read that right. I, Karla With a K, makes everything on that site. By hand. So don't get it twisted. This isn't a Mary Kay, Avon, Scentsy sort of thing. I make everything on my own. I am my own boss. And I love it.

But what I'd love even more is to share my lovely Love-Lea concoctions with you all.

So visit the website. Peruse to your hearts desire. Fill a shopping cart. Press OK. And give me your money let me make something special for you and yours.

www.shoplovelea.bigcartel.com 

If bird's the word, spread eagle.

Hey There Curly Hair || Wash n Go and Shameless Selfie

For all you curly haired ladies (and gents) out there you know how hard it is to just get your curly hair to look good in it's natural state.

A little back story. My last relaxer (chemical straightener) was in January of 2008. I transitioned for about 28 months before I was completely natural in mid 2010. I usually do twist outs, braid outs, blow outs, or a puff. Never have I done a wash n go. Why? Because it should be called a wash, rake gel through each clump of curls, let the gel set, fluff and separate curls if need be and pray that you don't smoosh your curls as you get dressed. Then you can go.

Phew. I got tired just writing that. 

But since my hair was in twists for about a month I noticed my curls were poppin like THAT girl at the club. But in a good way. Plus I'm on a no buying spree until I use all of my hair products (post coming soon) and I had a small tub of eco styler gel that I hadn't touched in about 2 years. I figured it was now or never.

The picture below is my second day hair of my wash n go after sleeping on it and making it through a Saturday morning spin class. I used a mixture of eco styler and homemade flax seed gel (50/50).

My thoughts? In.love. Let's just hope it lasts for about 5 days before I have to redo it.