Watching the Oscars Sunday night, I [...]]]> At 51,839 words. Feel like this book has turned into a donkey that I keep beating, trying to get it to submit to my will. But just like a donkey, my novel just sits there, looking at me with vacant eyes as if saying, “Is this all you’ve got?”

Watching the Oscars Sunday night, I was captured by Oscar-nominated star, Gabourey Sidibe. Not for her dress, or for her hair, (I know—shocking right?) but for her courage.

This girl didn’t have half the acting experience as some of her peers. (Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, and George Clooney just to name a few.)

She wasn’t in the business that long when she got discovered, in fact she wasn’t in the business at all.

But the one thing she has that no one can deny, is a god-given talent to act. She belongs on the screen.

I think it takes courage to sit in a room full of people that you used to watch on television—people you might have looked up to—and find yourself not only talking to them, but actually being nominated for an award with them. They are no longer your role models, but your peers.

When I switched gears from being a hairstylist to a writer, I questioned whether or not I belonged. What gave me the right to say that I could write a novel, something I’ve never attempted to do in my life? It took courage to stand in front of people, to watch their face twist in a smirk of doubt as if to say, “Writer? But you’re a hairstylist!”

Wrong. I was a hairstylist. Now, I’m a writer.

Gabourey Sidibe was a student. Now, every time her name is said, people will preface it with, “Academy-Award nominated.” She is an actress.

It takes courage to put yourself out there, to believe in yourself when you have no track record to speak for you. But looking at Gabourey’s face tear up as Oprah talked to her about her role in Precious, it was clear that she belonged.

And I do too.

Her hair extensions!

When Essence.com asked her what’s the one thing she couldn’t live without she said:

This may be very blunt, but I can’t live without my hair extensions! It’s the truth! I don’t want to wear my (real) hair all the time because I want [...]]]> Guess what’s the one thing that Ciara can’t live without?

Her hair extensions!

When Essence.com asked her what’s the one thing she couldn’t live without she said:

This may be very blunt, but I can’t live without my hair extensions! It’s the truth! I don’t want to wear my (real) hair all the time because I want to protect it. What would the world be like without some extra hair? It would be crazy! I need my extensions; I love the drama. I love to be able to have fun with my hair and protect it at the same time.

Aaahh, a women after my own heart.

This confirms the fact that I’ve known all along—that my novel, Unbeweaveable, is timely, and many women can relate to the heartbreak of losing their weave.

To read the entire interview, click here.

As I write this, I am sitting behind a 23 inch monitor on my brand new computer.

I’m not bragging.

Really, I’m not.

I’ve never owned a brand [...]]]> I can’t discuss word count. I have a legitimate reason why I couldn’t write–my husband was setting up my computer. That IS a reason! It’s not? Pretty good excuse though, right?

As I write this, I am sitting behind a 23 inch monitor on my brand new computer.

I’m not bragging.

Really, I’m not.

I’ve never owned a brand new computer. All the computers I’ve ever owned, (in my lifetime there have been two), have been used. Owned by others. In fact, my first computer was so old, when my husband and I met I was still using Windows 3.1. (To give you a little insight we’ve only been married for five years. Windows 3.1 was released in 1992.)

When we got married I updated to my husband’s ten year old laptop. (The saying–Take’s a licking, but keeps on ticking–applied. No matter how bad I treated that laptop it wouldn’t die. I loved and hated that.) I was updated to a newer version of Windows, (Windows XP! Hurray for me!), but the thing was so slow that I would literally have to turn it on, go watch an episode of Top Chef, (love that show), and then get on the computer. Minus a few crashes, and frozen screens, the old guy worked pretty well.

But now.

Now, I’ve seen the light. I’m a PC kind of girl, so my husband and I settled on a sleek, thin HP laptop, with a huge monitor. And, hold your breath, wait for it, wait for it…a wireless mouse. (I know right? Welcome to the 21st century, Katrina Spencer!) Yes, I had to plug in my mouse to my old laptop, which sits sadly on my breakfast table. Did I mention that the thing had no battery life? If you unplugged it from it’s power cord it will give you a 2 second warning and then shut off. Very conducive to writing.

Speaking of writing, can you imagine all the writing I’ll be able to get done on this? Her fingers–faster than a speeding bullet, able to trounce adverbs in the blink of an eye, able to delete entire paragraphs in a single click…Oh wait. I could do that before. But anyway, you see my point. I’m going to get some serious writing done on this thing.

Right now.

Now.

Now?

 From the bestselling dynamic duo who gave us What Doesn’t Kill You, comes a story as big as New York City itself. Enter the world of Uptown where you’ll find a prominent New York family strained to the breaking point by the high stakes of Manhattan Real Estate Industry…

After twenty years of Foreign Service abroad, [...]]]>  

 From the bestselling dynamic duo who gave us What Doesn’t Kill You, comes a story as big as New York City itself. Enter the world of Uptown where you’ll find a prominent New York family strained to the breaking point by the high stakes of Manhattan Real Estate Industry…

After twenty years of Foreign Service abroad, Avery Lyons returns to New York when her mother and uncle suffer a serious car accident. The tragedy brings the family together, but Avery is not happy about reuniting with her cousin, Dwight, from whom she has been estranged since the fallout over a college scandal. Avery no longer recognizes the prestigious neighborhood of her childhood but the same old family dynamics and secrets are all too familiar…

Heir to a real estate empire, Dwight is willing to do anything to realize his aging and demanding father’s dream: Dixon Plaza, a luxury high-rise development on Central Park North, the last undeveloped border of the city’s famed emerald park. There’s only one thing in his way: Avery has inherited a share of the property Dwight needs. She’s more than willing to sell until she starts dating a reporter on a mission to uncover the truth behind the rumored shady dealings surrounding the complex.

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant are the bestselling author of several books such as of Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, Far From the Tree, Better Than I Know Myself, Exposures, and the soon to be released, Uptown (in bookstores everywhere this Tuesday, March 2nd!). They have been best friends for more than 25 years and writing/working together for 19 of those years.

What gave you the idea for Uptown?

The real estate boom was the gold rush of the 2000’s. Newer, grander homes and luxury towers went up in places where they had never been built before—including Harlem, but not without controversy. And buyers as well as developers went into mega-debt to get in the game. We wanted to take a look at that phenomenon, and we realized we had the perfect two characters to take us into that world. Dwight Dixon and his irascible father, King Dixon were characters from Better Than I Know Myself that readers loved to hate, and their family business was Harlem real estate. So in Uptown we explore both the family dynamics that weigh on Dwight and his cousin, Avery Lyons who grew up like a sister to him, as well as the pressure to be successful at any cost and the personal toll it takes.

Do you guys feel pressure to make your books racy? How do you stay true to yourself in this “Sex sells” market?

Yes, there is pressure for more sexual content and to be more “urban.” Our answer is that we don’t all have to write the same book. There are readers who like stories with a different focus. The sex in our books has always been about what that moment meant for the characters involved and not about the details of the activity. The same is true in Uptown, even though we explore some very adult situations, like some that are currently in the news where men in public positions, whether political, sports or entertainment are caught behaving stupidly and embarrass their families and themselves. We wanted to know what’s really going on with their wives—what’s happening behind the scenes? We tackle that one head on in Uptown…

Speaking of publishing, the current state of the industry has several authors feeling down. How do you stay positive amid all the negativity?

With great difficulty. We have found our writing career in peril as a result of the state of flux. As a matter of fact, the economic struggle that resulted from our uncertain position was the spark for our last book What Doesn’t Kill You (which is now out in paperback) which was about a woman who loses her long time job and has to re-evaluate everything in her life as a result. Sounds really serious, and some parts are, but our narrator—Thomasina “Tee” Hodges has a way to see the humor even in her challenges. That book was a way to make lemonade out of some very big lemons.

At this point, publishing is about the numbers. Whatever sells the most is what you will see in your bookstores. Gone are the days of nurturing writers, shepherding their developing careers, one book at a time, so we always encourage readers to support the writers they love. Otherwise, you won’t find their books on the shelves any more.

As far as social media goes, you guys are everywhere! Twitter, FaceBook, blogging—how do you find the time to write? Which of them do you enjoy the best and which do you feel has had an impact on your readership?

VDB: In today’s marketplace—and that’s how we must think of the contemporary literary world, unless you are long established, like Toni Morrison who to my knowledge does not even have a website much less any social media, you have to be on the grid. And for us this is where we have a division of labor—I am our online monitor, because I enjoy the new technology and all the social interaction, Donna—let’s just say it’s not her cup of java. I actually find the online conversations a welcome respite when we’re writing. They give me a break, a chance to think about something other than the story. My Twitter & FB breaks while we were writing Uptown were like little dishes of sorbet between courses to cleanse the palate. We find that at this point, our blog is mostly followed by readers who have been fans of our work for years, and to some extent the same is true for Facebook and Twitter, but with those communities we have made hundreds of new friends and widened our readership to include many who only heard of us because we were involved in a particular online community. I believe this kind of public relations and marketing on the part of authors is here to stay.

DG: While we are writing in particular I find it very difficult to pull myself out of the story and get into the social media. Hey, I find it difficult to talk to people in person when our characters and their dilemmas are living in my head. It’s definitely one of the differences in our personalities, but from the beginning, when we put our first reader letter in Tryin’ and began to get direct reader response (at that point it was mostly actual letters that we’d pick up from our Post Office box), I was amazed and thankful that so many people took the time to reach out to us, and now that we’re solidly in the electronic era I’m glad they still do.

As a writer what’s the hardest thing for you to tackle? Plot? Dialogue? What’s the easiest?

Getting the points of a plot to line up in a way that keeps readers needing to turn the pages can be challenging. Just when you think you have the timeline figured out, something doesn’t fit.

Dialogue, while not easy, is pretty natural to both of us. We keep in mind who is speaking. How would they say it? Each character has a different way they express themselves, particular words or phrases they use. Once we can feel that, we just let them talk and try to keep it as natural as possible—just like you’re having a conversation.

As a newbie, I find myself looking up to the both of you as something to aspire to. I’m sure many other authors feel the same way. What is the biggest myth about being a bestselling author?

Hmm. Maybe it’s that it gets easier as you go along and that at some point you’ve got it made. Ha! We have found that however many books you write (and Uptown is our seventh) you’re never sure that anyone will want to read it or find it entertaining and worth their time. We’re always anxious about the reader response and we don’t think that will change, no matter how many books we write.

What’s one thing you wished you knew as a debut author?

It would have been helpful to know more about the business of publishing, which doesn’t have anything to do with what we love of about writing. Being really aware of what an extraordinary position the response to Tryin’ to Sleep in the Bed You Made, had put us in would have allowed us to capitalize more on that success and might have made our journey smoother in the long run. For those of us who dream about writing novels, the business is not usually part of the picture, but understanding how the publishing business model works—and being aware of how it changes because of trends, technology or the economy, can be enormously beneficial to a new writer starting out.

What writing project are you working on now?

We have plotted out a book that we can’t wait to get on the page. It’s too early for specifics, but like Uptown it is about a timely topic and how it affects all of us on a daily basis. We’re looking to have some fun writing it and hope it will keep readers talking.

We can’t skip the hair here at Curl Up and Write! Virginia, how do you maintain your beautiful blonde hair?

Believe it or not, I do my own color. I worked my way to blonde after my best friend in the whole world, looked at me across a lunch table and said, “You know, your hair makes you look like a middle aged colored woman.” I was stunned, but I looked at myself and she was right. The next day I had cut my shoulder length dark brown hair to my chin and dyed it auburn. I wanted blonde but wasn’t ready yet—that took about another 6 weeks. And what a disaster that first blonding experience was! My hair turned out “school bus” yellow and once again, my best friend Donna said “Maybe it’ll look OK with a lot of make up and big earrings?”

So I did something I hadn’t done in years—maybe eight or ten—I called a hairdresser. For the first 3 years, I ended up with regular appointments—my hair was so short at that time, I needed color and cut every 3-4 weeks. The problem was that not one hairdresser I went to got the color right. I didn’t want that brassy blonde, one tone color that a lot of “us” end up with. I was after a softer, multi-tonal blonde that was more ash and wheat than–yellow. And I was getting fed up with spending between $200 and $300 every month for hair that wasn’t what I wanted.

Then I remembered an old friend from our modeling days had gone from being a bookkeeper to being a hairdresser—in Beverly Hills no less. I met up with him when he came to NY, he saw my dilemma and three hours later it was fixed. Just like that! We pretty much trashed his hotel room, but the results were exactly what I’d been after all along. Yes he was/is white. Not only did he get the right color, he showed me how to do it myself—which I’ve now been doing for about the past seven years! I can do it whenever I want—I can always get an appointment. The whole deal takes about 90 minutes and the price—about $15 per coloring. I haven’t had a relaxer since I started the blonde thing—I knew I could have one or the other and I made my choice—and got my fair share of blonde jokes in my inbox. My hair is very soft and fine and I’ve been blow drying and either using a flat or curling iron for styling. My hair got really dry, broke off and let’s not even talk about what humidity and sweating from workouts did to it, but I was putting heat in my hair sometimes twice a day.

BUT… back in December I had the most amazing treatment—and this is a commercial announcement. My same friend, Derek, who got the color right, came to NY and did a Brazilian Silk keratin treatment on my hair. I’m even on the “Results” page of his website. Derek had been telling me about his product for 2 years “It’s the answer to your prayers honey! Yes, it’s safe on African American hair, and relaxed hair and colored treated hair and…” so I let him do what he wanted to. AMAZING! FABULOUS! FIERCE! I love what this stuff has done for my hair—it stays “unfrizzed,” it’s growing and not breaking off. I just need him to come back to NY—it only lasts 3-4 months and my time is almost up! Sadly, this one thing I can’t do myself. I turned my sister on to the treatment —she has recently given up relaxers and gone blonde too- so now we look like “family” again! Derek trained her hairdresser in Buffalo on the Brazilian Silk procedure. And yes—blondes—at least this one is having more fun!

I’ve heard of the Brazilian Silk treatment, but now I have to convince my husband that it’s worth the price tag! What products do you use to protect your color-treated hair?

All products I use are for color treated hair I’ve been using Kenra’s phosphate free shampoo and a keratin conditioner—but now I use the after care products for the Brazilian Silk treatment. I usually use a serum for shine and manageability during the day—and a thermal spray before using the flat iron. At night I rub a few drops of Philip B Rejuvenating Oil on my hair and scalp before I go to bed. I’m not a tie up my head kinda girl but I do use a satin pillowcase.

Now Donna, I’m loving your length! What tips would you have for another woman that is trying to grow out her hair?

My hair is pretty tough which was helpful back in my modeling days—when it was brushed, teased, curled and generally abused on a regular basis. I learned that a little TLC goes a long way. So, my stylist is careful and doesn’t expose me to chemical abuse. And whether I am natural or relaxed I always condition. My current favorite discovery (OK, I discovered it in the shower at Virginia’s house, but I have some at home now too) is conditioner that has keratin. It helps strengthen the hair and prevent breakage. ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor works amazingly well for me. I can feel the difference in the shower. I also try not to get crazy with the flat iron.

Now this question is for both of you. I’m sure you’ve heard of the debate going on from our natural beauties and relaxed honeys. What’s your take on the debate?

DG: There is nothing you MUST do to be beautiful, other than be a kind person who treats others with respect. You can have hair down to your butt, but a nasty, selfish attitude makes you ugly. There is no kind of hair that is good or bad. There is none that makes us better than somebody else. It’s just hair! The way each of us chooses to look is about personal expression and I enjoy the variety—natural, dreadlocks, smooth, dyed—make a choice that makes you happy, and that fits in the budget. Then get on with the truly important things in life, like taking care of our families, and making our communities and the world a better place.

VDB: I think hair is like fashion—it’s a very individual choice and one you make for your own reasons and sense of style, adventure. There is no right or wrong here. Now I’m not saying that everyone makes a choice that actually looks good-suits them, but that’s not the point. Hair is about choice—so natural or relaxed or bald–it’s a means of self expression that doesn’t hurt a soul.

Last question ladies, I’m a Weavy Wonder and love the versatility it affords. What’s your take on women who wear weave? Have you two ever had a weave? Share!

DG: I am not good at adding extra anything from acrylic nails to additional hair—just don’t have the patience. My one hair experience—It was July, and we had been writing for months, working on Better Than I Know Myself, I think. I was feeling scruffy and bored with the way I looked. I needed a change, so I decided to get braids, something I had never done before. I took my laptop with me to the African braiding shop so I could keep working, picked out a pile of hair and a style—simple and a bit past my shoulders. Six hours later I had my new ‘do. That’s when I discovered hair is HOT!!! I had sweat dripping down my face, rolling down my back. Virginia had the chance to take one picture, but three hours after I got back I couldn’t stand it any more, so I started unbraiding. I was still at the desk, with a bag next to me and I would write a little and unbraid a little. I took my bag to bed with me and when I’d wake up in the night I’d unbraid a few more. By the next afternoon my hands ached, but I was completely unbraided and haven’t tried any additions since. So, whether I cut it into a teeny weeny Afro, which I wore for several years, or let it grow out, where I am now, I pretty much deal with whatever is on my head.

VDB: I’ve never had a weave—I’ve thought about it, but haven’t tried one…actually I can’t imagine not being able to get “down to my scalp” for weeks at a time. Now don’t get me wrong– I do have a couple of wigs and clip in ponytails that can take a bad hair day from disaster to divine in a heartbeat. And when we’re on the road for book tour they definitely come in handy.

I can’t tell you how excited I am that you both agreed to stop by Curl Up and Write! Thank you, and I wish you and Uptown much success!

Never in a million years would I think that Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant would be stopping by my blog this Friday. Lately, I’ve added author interviews to some of my blog topics and I enjoy doing them. I like getting [...]]]> Reached 49,266 words. Don’t know what spurned writing, but Church’s chicken probably didn’t hurt.

Never in a million years would I think that Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant would be stopping by my blog this Friday. Lately, I’ve added author interviews to some of my blog topics and I enjoy doing them. I like getting into author’s heads, finding out how their road to publication happened and learn something from the writing advice most of them share. And of course I love it when I see how different authors take care of their hair. Remember, this is Curl Up and Write—we can’t forget about the hair.

But with interviews you always wonder how far can you go. Can I really just email a bestselling author and expect them to: 1) reply back, and 2) say yes? Everyone is so busy, and it can be hard for authors to find the time to fill out a questionnaire. But surprisingly, in my experience I have found the bigger the name, the more gracious the authors are. (Mind you, this is in my experience. Not everyone will agree.)

When I went looking for authors to blurb Six O’clock, Essence bestselling author Mari Walker was gracious enough to reply with a winning blurb. The same went for Unbeweaveable, Essence bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray, loved my book. Both of these women probably would have never heard from me if I hadn’t made contact.

The lesson? Stop assuming that the authors (this really goes with any profession) with the big awards, the New York Times bestseller behind their name will be rude, snobbish and insensitive. Most of them remember when they too were new authors and they have empathy for us newbie’s—especially in this challenging market.

Like Mama always said, it never hurts to ask.

Bribe: anything given or promised to induce a person to do something against his or her wishes.

I bet if I my desk was made of Butterfinger’s, I would be sitting there all day, writing. Write, [...]]]> I did write today. But the word count was so pitiful I couldn’t share it. Just trust me, it was bad.

Bribe: anything given or promised to induce a person to do something against his or her wishes.

I bet if I my desk was made of Butterfinger’s, I would be sitting there all day, writing. Write, nibble. Write, nibble. Yep, it’s getting that bad. I have to bribe myself to sit my butt down and write. But since I started Weight Watchers, I can’t use food. (Bye, bye Butterfinger…)

Here are a few of the things I plan to give myself if I push past the middle of my WIP:

A manicure and pedicure. Nothing like sitting your hands and feet in bubbly scented water to make you want to write.

Make-up. Particularly blush. I love blush.

Perfume. Because who doesn’t want to smell nice?

Now these rewards don’t come easy. It’s only after I add 5,000 words to my novel. Then, I get a treat day. Hopefully this works. If not—Hello Butterfinger!

In other news…

I have BIG, BIG, BIG news to share! This Friday, superstar authors Virginia Deberry and Donna Grant are stopping by Curl Up and Write! We dish about their new book Uptown, the publishing business, and of course, hair. Tomorrow, I’ll share how I got the opportunity to interview them. (Does not include any of the following: begging, arm-twisting, hair-pulling. Well, maybe a little bit of begging…)

So tell all your friends/writing buddies and stay tuned this week!

I’m losing it. I was there [...]]]> 47,819 words. I know. I know that number hasn’t changed since my last post. Things are getting…rough. That word that I hate is starting to creep up my spine, telling me that I can’t finish, that I won’t finish, that I shouldn’t finish. Doubt. I am beginning to doubt myself…

I’m losing it. I was there guys, I swear. I was in the zone. The perfect writing zone where you can see yourself finishing your book in a couple of weeks. Sure, you have a mountain of revisions, but you’re close to the end…so close that your fingers keep wanting to type, THE END, at the end of each chapter.

But now I’ve lost it. I’ve lost some of my joy—for the past couple of days writing has felt like torture.

I hate that word. Torture. I use to roll my eyes at my Writer’s Digest when I read about a famous author’s writing angst.

“It’s not brain surgery,” I use to think to myself. “There are real people out there suffering and they’re complaining about writing? Shame on them!”

And now, shame on me. I look at my calendar, my word goal scribbled in a black Sharpie, and my heart feels with dread. So I cover papers over it—my daughter’s latest Crayola creation, a Victoria’s Secret catalogue, a Weight Watchers magazine—anything that will block out the promises I made that I would write that day.

So when I straightened my desk this morning and I see the total word count I had for the end of this month, my stomach plunges. I’m nowhere near that. What happened?

I didn’t feel like writing on those days. And now, I’m kicking myself for not making myself write. I’m a newbie, but with two books under my belt I do know this—the more you write, the more you feel like writing. Writing everyday kept my characters fresh in my head. I was excited to know what they were going to do that day. But now, since I haven’t written anything in awhile, I’ve lost touch with them. It’s sort of like when you’ve haven’t called a good friend in a long time. You’re next phone call is spent just catching up. But if they’re a good friend, you find that when you do catch up, you don’t miss a beat—it’s like you talked to them yesterday. So that’s what I plan to do with my WIP—get back in the groove with my characters and treat them like a good friend. Like I talked to them yesterday.

After reading Kathryn’s Stockett’s, The Help, I really wanted to be in a book club. I had an opinion, and I wanted to [...]]]> I know that many writers visit book clubs, but how many of us are in a book club? (If we were in a classroom, I bet we wouldn’t see many hands go up.)

After reading Kathryn’s Stockett’s, The Help, I really wanted to be in a book club. I had an opinion, and I wanted to share it with other readers.

I’m on Shelfari, but that doesn’t do it for me. (One of the reasons could be that I don’t visit the site often enough. I can’t remember the last time I updated my bookshelf…) I want to talk to people, not type what I thought of a particular novel.

I say all that to say that I’m seriously thinking of starting my own book club. Nothing big, just five or so members. Yes, we would eat and laugh, but mostly we would discuss the book that we’ve read that month.

Anybody else in a book club? What do you enjoy about it?

How funny is it that the girl who wrote Six O’clock, the girl who was told that the she could hoola-hoop through a Cheerio, the girl who was told that she would have to marry a [...]]]> At 47,819 on my WIP. Haven’t written much in the past week, will try to stick to my schedule.

How funny is it that the girl who wrote Six O’clock, the girl who was told that the she could hoola-hoop through a Cheerio, the girl who was told that she would have to marry a white man because she lacked curves, (truly an ignorant statement made by an immature high school boy. Well ha, I married a black man! Well…half-black. Does that still count?), who knew that I would one day join Weight Watchers?

The irony here is overwhelming. I try not to mention to anyone that I’m on Weight Watchers. When it does slip out, (thanks Mama), everyone’s eyes bugs out of their heads and they say, “What are you trying to lose? Your mind?”

I’ve never really lost the weight that I gained after having my daughter. And as she gets older, I can’t keep blaming her for the tire around my stomach. This isn’t baby weight that I have—this is Mommy weight!

I’m doing the plan online, I don’t think I could take going to the meetings. Counting points fits my Type A personality, and besides wanting to gnaw off my arm at night because of the hunger—I’m doing well.

Anybody else out there tried Weight Watchers? How did the plan work for you?

Please give some background information about yourself. 

I’m a hairstylist and fashion student. I am a tender, but mature 21 year old Houston native, who [...]]]> Thanks to everyone who has submitted their weave experiences! This topic hit home for a lot of you, so keep coming back for more interviews. And with that, here is Ashley’s story.

Please give some background information about yourself. 

I’m a hairstylist and fashion student. I am a tender, but mature 21 year old Houston native, who enjoys everything fashion and beauty has to offer.

How do you wear your weave?

I wear my hair extensions in many different ways. I think that being a hairstylist is an art form, so I express my personality and creativity through my hair.

Why do you wear weave?

Weave is the modern day “IT” accessory. I can change up my look as much as I want. When I get a new weave I feel like a new character. With hair extensions, “I am every woman.”

Well said Ashley! Are you embarrassed to wear weave?

No, I’m not embarrassed about wearing a weave. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and people are beginning to embrace it more. Plus, I have beautiful hair underneath my weave (healthy hair comes first), so if I were in a room full of people and were asked to take my weave out, without any shame, I would unveil.

How do you feel about women that pretend that their weave is their natural hair?

I tell my clients all the time, “Stop frontin’. You have a great stylist that makes your weave believable, but embrace the weave—don’t lie to yourself.”

So I gather that you are open and honest about the fact that you wear weave?

Of course! It’s not a secret, and it shouldn’t be treated like one. I will wear my short, natural hair one day, then have tresses down my back the next. I’m happy to let others know I am weavalicious!

Have you ever had someone try to root you? (When someone feels your scalp/hair for tracks.)

I don’t let those haters touch my hair!

What is your friends/family reaction to your hair?

They absolutely love it! They marvel at the fact that I’m constantly re-inventing myself.

Okay, well how does your husband feel about your weave?

Now, that’s a whole other topic! He hates my weave. And it doesn’t matter what kind—he hates any kind of weave. He says he likes my natural hair better.

Name which celebrity, (black or white), whose weave you admire.

Tough question. I admire many celebrity weaves but my favorite would have to be Beyoncé. I  know it’s totally cliché, but she definitely sets trends with her diva do’s!

Being a hairstylist, what styling tips would you give to help women maintain their weave?

There are so many, but a few are: Protect it at night—wrap it or wear a satin bonnet to prevent the frizzies. Shampoo gently—so your weave won’t tangle. And last but not least, don’t be heavy-handed with styling products! Too much product will make your weave look stiff—not a good look.

What advice would you give women considering wearing a weave?

Ladies, if you want something low-maintenance, fun and fabulous, then weave is for you!

Some women feel that women who choose to wear a weave want to be “white” or are denying their heritage by adopting long locks. What is your thoughts on this?

This is one of the reasons I wanted to participate in this, and I’m really glad I get an opportunity to answer this question. Most of us are NOT trying to make our hair look like our white counterparts. We are just exploring the many options that we have with our versatile hair. Black women have many different textures of hair, and they are ALL beautiful—kinky to straight.

I want to thank Ashley for her funny, engaging take on her weave experience!

Unbeweaveable is a term I’ve coined that describes a woman who loves her weave. Do you love your weave? Addicted to your weave? Love the versatility that your weave provides? Contact me and share your Unbeweaveable story. Have questions? Feel free to share your thoughts and views in the comments section.