Being 40 + and Natural

Me with 2 of my blogging buddies from
Fro Fashion Week Spring 2012
The Fashionista Next Door and Hair Gurl

I am OVER 40 years old and PROUD of it.  I look good AND I feel good. I decided to return to my natural roots when I was in my late 30's. I think its really cool to see younger naturals of today accepting their beauty now instead of waiting until they get older. In fact, my network Our Natural Kids was created to reach out to moms and kids.  However, as a 40 plus natural in Atlanta I find that we are rarely represented or showcased and that's why I am proud to represent this niche in the natural hair community.  40+ naturals have a different set of issues to deal with when it comes to natural hair styling health and maintenance. Here are a few examples of the things that I have to deal with due to my age...

Gray Hair - Some people gray early.  I started seeing a few gray hairs here and there starting in my late 30's.  Now they are EVERYwhere!  Gray hairs do not behave the same as my other hair.  They are wiry and ornery.

Thinning Hair - My hair is sort fine or thin to begin with.  I have been dealing with additional thinning hair for awhile.  

Age appropriate styling - Do you really want to see me in 2 Afro puffs?  I am not saying that I can't rock them in an appropriate situation.  I just like to keep things mild for my tastes.  My Choice.

Retaining Moisture - The older I get the dryer my hair seems to get.

Finding chicks in the natural hair community that are in my age group! Pleease don't get me wrong I looove my young chicas that allow me to hang with them at events, meet ups, shows etc.  They accept me, they compliment me and they inspire me.  But sometimes I feel like the older Auntee that's still trying to hang!! LOL But seriously...

There are many more that I deal with and I will get into some of my solutions to these issues in a later post.  The bottom line is this.  Ain't Nooobody getting younger.  One day YOU will be over 40 years old.  I am here to tell you that I don't think that I truly began to live life until I turned 40.  I've never felt more alive and vibrant.  I feel beautiful and I love myself.  Don't fight aging.  Be that Fine Wine.  Go with the flow and enjoy life. I know I am and I intend to show you just how much!  It's never too late to live your dreams!!

40+ naturals Talk to Me!!  What are some of your natural hair issues that you feel you may be experiencing because of your age?

Happy Holidays & Welcome to My Blog!!

It's Christmas Time! I can't think of a better time to start a blog! In order to be PC, I say, "Happy Holidays to you all!" Whatever it is that you celebrate, I hope you have a good one. I sure did and still am. I went completely festive this year. Perfectly trimmed artificial tree, full of all of the things that my children have crafted throughout the years. I'm sorry, but i despise a color coordinated Christmas tree. It seems so cold and impersonal to me. We go crazy on our tree and i let the kids put what they made on it, this way we can we can remember each year. lol, my husband called our tree a "Kwanzaa Tree". It is very colorful and i arranged a piece of beautiful fabric at the base of the tree. The fabric has a very distinct African textile motif to it and was very complimentary to the tree. OK please don't hate on the fact that my tree is artificial. It is. Real trees are just too much work as far as I am concerned. Consider it me, being green... By not killing a tree every year am I not helping the environment? I had lovely candles throughout the house with scents like apple Cinnamon and cranberry. We hung stockings over the fireplace, much to my daughters delight. I hosted 15 for dinner on Christmas Night. It was like a black version of a Norman Rockwell Painting over here! For real! I stayed up all night on Christmas Eve and prepared what I consider to be a traditional African American Christmas Dinner. It consisted of: Turkey, Ham, Greens, Macaroni & Cheese, CornBread Dressing, Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Several Pies and Cakes, and Dinner Rolls. Leave your diets at the door! Our guests consisted of family and friends. Everyone that came, brought a dish or a bottle. I believe that is a cultural thing as well: To bring something for the host when invited to a party. I don't know. It's how I was raised, and how we all did things in my generation, so... Give me some feedback on that, as to whether its an etiquette thing or a cultural thing. 15 in all, we greeted, caught up with each other, introductions made where necessary, a prayer circle where everyone told of their blessings, a blessing over the food, and then the feast. Traditional for us is: All food is set up in the kitchen buffet style, every pan or dish holds a different treasure. People help themselves. Tables and chairs are set up in other rooms. Most are at the large table, kids at another table. We are working class folk and that's how we do it. As we eat, we laugh, talk loud, tell stories, sing songs. Christmas music plays in the background as we enjoy each other on this Christmas Holiday. I look around the room, panning, I see, My mother, my daughter, my husband, my son, my aunt, my sister, my stepdad, my good friend, a new friend, an old friend, etc. All smiling. All happy. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas.

For New Years Eve, I will be hosting another gathering.

Menu: Gumbo, Cornbread, Corn, Greens, Black Eyed Peas, & Rice

Guests: Family & Friends

Stay Tuned!!