As many of you know, N.I.C.E. has new t-shirts! The original N.I.C.E. T-shirt was lavender and yellow. This time the shirt is White and Black. Although the shirts are for sale with a portion of sales to be given to homeless shelters and food banks, there is also a give-away, for N.I.C.E. members. So, here is how to win a FREE Natural Is Cool Enough T-Shirt.
1. Become a member of N.I.C.E. if you are not a member already! For all current members, you are so appreciated. You must be a member to enter the t-shirt contest.
2. Share your natural hair journey with N.I.C.E.! Write your story by commenting on this post with your story. Make it as detailed as space will allow... the more detail, the better.
3. Send a photograph of yourself, after you have been chosen as a winner, showing your beautiful natural hair. Your photograph and hair story will be highlighted as a featured post, along with your natural hair story.
4. All submissions must be in by Sunday, April 20, 2014! Looking forward to your stories!
5. The winner will be contacted for detail about where to send your N.I.C.E. T-shirt! T-shirts will only be sent to locations in the continental United States.
1. Become a member of N.I.C.E. if you are not a member already! For all current members, you are so appreciated. You must be a member to enter the t-shirt contest.
2. Share your natural hair journey with N.I.C.E.! Write your story by commenting on this post with your story. Make it as detailed as space will allow... the more detail, the better.
3. Send a photograph of yourself, after you have been chosen as a winner, showing your beautiful natural hair. Your photograph and hair story will be highlighted as a featured post, along with your natural hair story.
4. All submissions must be in by Sunday, April 20, 2014! Looking forward to your stories!
5. The winner will be contacted for detail about where to send your N.I.C.E. T-shirt! T-shirts will only be sent to locations in the continental United States.
Good luck!
2 comments:
Hello N.I.C.E Community,
My natural hair journey began as I was finishing up my bachelor's degree. I had always been a strong believer in relaxers but slowing started watching close friends around me give them up one by one. This really intrigued me and thus the natural seed was planted. I really loved seeing the freedom and versatility my newly natural friends had. And I myself had been experiencing a lot of breakage at that time, with my relaxed hair, so I was looking for a change. After I decided to enroll in a public health master's program, I decided that I really wanted to become a healthier person inside and out. I knew that relaxing was not healthy due to the chemicals and decided to give them up. For such a seemingly huge decision, it was very organic for me. I literally woke up one morning after graduating from my undergraduate institution and decided that I would not relax my hair any longer and that was it. Rather than doing the 'big chop" I decided to transition. I transitioned for about 15 months. During those 15 months, I had great hair days, good hair days, and rough hair days. Some days I felt really sad about my hair because I could't wear it down and I always wore my relaxed hair down. So wearing my hair up all the time due to the different textures really made me feel like a different person. I eventually began watching natural hair videos on YouTube and that helped a lot. I received a lot of great tips and advice on transitioning from the natural hair community on YouTube. But after 15 months I had enough. My initial plan was to transition for 24 months but I could not take it any longer. I wanted to be free of my relaxed hair for once and for all. So I went to a natural hairdresser near me and cut my hair. It was awesome and weird at the same time, also a little shocking. To give myself some time to get over the shock, I got twists put into my hair and wore them for a few weeks. I had planned on wearing them for a few months but I've never really enjoyed weaves so I promptly removed those as well. Since debuting my natural locks I have received so many compliments and so much support from close family and friends as well as strangers. It has been almost two years since I cut my hair and almost three years since my last relaxer. However, I'm still on a journey to learn how to take care of my hair and style it. I have my good days and my bad days, but I am so glad I decided to go natural. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I can honestly say that I will never get a relaxer again.
Life is a journey. One that comes in many forms. The most unique journey I have ever had thus far in my life is my natural hair journey. My natural hair care journey started one year ago last month. And, I am so excited to continue to learn and grow on the path of self-love and discovery. I love being a naturalista.
When I as a baby I had a little patch of hair in the middle of my head. It wasn't much, but my mother say that somehow this would mean I'd have a lot of hair in the future. And, actually she was right. Growing up I had what we call, "a head full of hair." My hair was course, thick, and a shiny black texture. I loved my hair. My Mom would always comb it in cute styles and I loved getting it done. But, when I was six years old I got my first perm. I never understood why my mother decided it would have been okay to get a perm this young, until I got older and started doing my hair for myself.
On March 17th, 2013, after much thought, prayer, and new found courage I decided to cut my hair. For my "big chop" I went to my childhood hairstyle (Auntie Yvette). She was excited to hear that I decided to transition and she was honored to be getting me there. She is the only hairstyle that really understand my hair texture and she knows how to manage it well. So many thoughts were running through my mind as she began to cut patches of my hair. "Would I like it?" "How will I look?" When I took the first glance in the mirror to see myself, I feel in love. I couldn’t believe how good I felt! I looked like an African Queen. I was so amazed to see the results. I could touch it, see it, feel it, everything! I knew at that moment that I never wanted to go back perms again.
Now that I am natural I feel like my life as a new beginning. Even though in the beginning it was hard because my hair wasn’t at a comfortable length for me to wear out. The first months of my natural hair transition was spent hiding under tracks of weaves and wigs. I knew I loved my new hair, but I wasn’t sure how other people would like it or feel about me. I was afraid of what other people would think. This left me paralyzed until one day I decided it didn’t matter anymore. One Sunday morning I just decided that I wasn’t going to hide my hair anymore and I walked out the house without it. Being that it was a Sunday I was afraid of what the church people would say. But, to my surprise everyone loved it and supported me.
Ever since then I’ve been on the track of taking care of my tresses! I am so thankful for YouTube videos on natural hair and the young ladies who have the knowledge to share. I feel like going natural was one of the best decisions that I have made thus far. Every time someone says, “Stephanie your hair is so pretty! When will you get a perm? ” My response is always “NEVER! Or maybe not till I’m in my 30s.” I love how fast it is growing! I FINALLY know how to take care of my hair on my own and I’m not looking to perm my hair any time soon. Natural Is Cool Enough!
Stephanie Magene
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