ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Hello dolls,
Well I wanted to start this topic because many of us had a friend, relative, coworker, or someone that inspired us to dig a little deeper in to this natural hair love. Which eventually lead us to transition or BC. I think it is time to give credit and thanks to those that helped you to start your journery to the curly side, got you over to the curly side via BC, or is helping you maintain your beautiful curls/locs.

I would like to start by giving much love and thanks to my dear friend KINKYKURLYKLASSIC. She was the only successful natural I knew in my permed days and when I was ready she told me where to go for the info I needed to be on my way. And she continues to help me maintain by answering my questions and reviewing my pics.
From there, I want to thank CurlyNikki for providing me with great info and curlfriends, such as Sweet, Lynn, Tiashuntee, Dajewel, Blond by Desire, SheeTacular, ChrsLvsBks, TravelJunkie, Mahogany Curls, KinkyNAppyHappy, and a host of others. There encouragement, advice, and curlylove has been felt. It is that care and concern that helped push me through to the curly side and maintain.
I so appreciate all these women and thank them for being so selfless in sharing their secrets to their success on the CURLY SIDE!!!
SINCERE THANKS

IB,

great thread! I am blessed to have found you all and grateful to Nikki for starting this forum. I don't know what I would do without you ladies!! For all the encouragement, advice, motivation, support and laughs. I mean it when I say you all are my friends.

Now on to my Best Friend MEEKS to you all. I swear I am going to get her on here more often, LOL! She was my inspiration to go natural. She has always had and still has a beautiful head of hair!! When she decided to go natural I was at first like WOW that really looks nice. I could never do that but because of our relationship. I was able to ask questions that I wouldn't ask of a stranger. Every time I went to her house and got in her bathroom. OMG a PJ's heaven. I was like Stink (that is what we call each other) I think I can do this and of course like a true friend she was in my corner and has been every minute since. So this thread made me realize that I have never properly thanked her. Love you Stink!!

To my Curlfriends, Love you guys, Mean it!!

Good Morning IB,

Great topic. I must say I have to thank the internet - really. I stumbled across another well known site for hair care back in 2007 and was amazed at all of beautiful heads of hair relaxed and natural. From that point on I was in awe - reading thread upon thread on how to properly take care of your hair. So that site of course led to other sites that led me to CN.com and so on. I never knew there was a whole network out there dedicated to healthy hair habits. In 2008 I started seeing or noticing a lot of naturals rocking what God gave them and I was totally impressed with it. So in Oct. 2008 I said I can do this, started off as a long stretch then turn into my journey as a long transition to natural.

I must give credit to all of the wonderful women I've come to know over the last 2.5 years. Each person has given me a little of this and a little of that. When I discovered CN in early 2009 - I was branded for life. When she started this forum, all I can say is that I'm in love - love this site, love the women, the inspiration, the how to's, the do's and dont's, the advice, everything is just fabulous. No two heads are alike, but yet we come together as a family and share our stories.

I just want to say thank you to everyone - all of my CurlSisterFriends.

First, I have to give credit to the natural hair gurus on YouTube: DPrincess28, Richeau, Rustic Beauty (who got me into using shea butter for my hair!), CoilsKinksCurls, Kimmaytube, and a whole host of others. If I hadn't found them in the beginning, I would've ended my transition and gone back to the relaxer.

I have to give credit to my boyfriend, who talked me out of either going for the buzz cut or the relaxer while I was transitioning. Thanks to him, I had some hair to work with when I BC'd.

Last but not least, all the ladies on CurlyNikki. I learn something new from all of you every single day and the positivity and support is TREMENDOUS. Hopefully I can finally make it to a meetup this year and meet the NYC naturals and shamelessly ask to grope their hair. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Dick Gregory. Yeah, a bit crazy I know but I heard the brother speak on natural hair one day and made the decision to go natural right then and there. Never looked back.

Ok, this might sound strange, but.....

On a trip to visit some relatives, I was walking around Times Square in May with my grandfather, and bumped into what I thought was the FLYEST girl I've ever seen!!! She had on a gorgeous orange sundress, rich chocolate skin, and a curly fro the size of Africa. If I ever find her, I want to thank her for giving my 14 year old self the motivation and confidence to stay natural. Keeping that confidence in 2001 in the south as a freshman in high school wasn't easy!

Also, CN!!!! Thanks to all of you for your tips, know-how, and just constant encouragement on my healthy hair journey!

I give honor to God and His son Jesus and the power of the Holy Ghost!!

I give honor to my mother and father that supported me before I fully decided to go natural.

I thank my big sister for supporting me and deciding to go natural as well.

I thank the dermatologist that mentioned it as a way to repair the damage and re-grow my hair. I didn’t listen at that time but it prompted me to Google natural African American hair and hair styles. That search led me to Nappturality.com, Going-Natural.com, and YouTube. I thank the first round of natural ladies that I subscribed to HerFlyness79, BlackOnyx77, KimmayTube and NappyChronicles. I thank all the ladies that I am now subscribed to CoilsKinksCurls, InspiredCoils, Summyr1988, PrettyDimples01, and many, many more.

I thank CurlyNikki.com I have been a follower of the blog since the Fall of 2009. I have learned so much from the blog and from the participants of the Butters and Bars Challenge. I thank you all for the support and encouragement and the challenges that cause us to grow. I thank ChrsLvsBks, Sweetdark1, DaJewel, curly+kinky+fierce, IntelligentBeauty, NubbieNatty, NaturalChica, VMichelle, Notthecoolmom, AfrikanLatina, JamaicaCurl, Tiashauntee, and a host of others.

I thank others that aren’t in the challenge Dricka and Raina.

I definitely thank Sadie Smith for starting the Our Natural Hair Care Journey group on Facebook and having the protective style challenge at the first of the year. She encouraged me to stick with it and test my limits.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Smooches.

Sniff sniff, I knew the stories would be beautiful! I love ladies..be back later. Crazy day ahead of me!

I have to thank my BFF for my accidental transition. We were some weave queens and when she said well since we're getting these full sew-ins what's the point of getting touch ups? I agreed. Who knew 10 months later I would BC and one month after that she would?

I also have to "thank" the sew-in lady for giving me a reason to keep transitioning. I had these micro braids, but they looked extra scalpy so I ended up in the weave shop wanting a fly hairdo for Howard Homecoming (Go Bison!). Well as she was taking down the braids she cut about 3 inches of my relaxed ends off. When I looked in the mirror before she started braiding my hair up for the sew-in, my face went [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]. She tried to convince me that she hadn't cut any of my hair. Please lady. I know what my hair looked like. It didn't matter much because I was getting a weave anyway.

Next I would like to thank Visa and Mastercard for sending me high ass credit card bills so that I could no longer afford to get that next weave and prompting me to go ahead and BC.

Thanks are in order to the natural community on Youtube that got me on curl definition and introduced me to natural products. To my CN fam, thank you for all your wonderful tips, product reviews, styling suggestions, and sisterhood! Love y'all.

Great Thread!!!

My journey to embracing my curls would not have started when it did if it wasn't for my husband.

I want to thank......for.....

CurlyNikki - creating a hostile free site and having a blog with useful information
oooop2 - explaining to me about washing in sections
dajewel - helping me understand how to look at and compare product ingredients
NikG - giving me advice regarding how to approach my sis-n-law about my niece's hair
IB - documenting transitioning so well that I learned what is involved in the process
TerraD - being my sister from another mother
LL - being a bully and making folks (including) me get it together
ChrsLvsBks - having such a sweet loving soul
SheeTacular_Napps - bringing the spiritual side to the forum
Every single CN.com member I have interacted with - being such beautiful souls and making my day everyday. Because of all of you I am addicted to this site. So everyone on this list: Click Here

These are just a few and I know I will be back with more. Since I am at work I can't type the novel that I really want to type up

I am giving thanks to all of you. My first time around was not a good experience, this time around has been great, I have learned sooo much in such a little time, and it is pressing me to continue my journey.

Let me acknowledge and thank my Lord, Jesus Christ. It is because of Him that I was able to find self-esteem and let go of the sterotypes that kinky hair is "bad" and long permed hair is "good".

Thanks to my 14-yr old daughter who daily inspires. She has been natural since birth and chose to stay natural when all of her 8th grade-friends got perms/weave. I gave her the choice and she chose well! She now does her own hair and my other daughter's natural hair. She is an excellent little stylist.

Thanks to my transition team (lol) stylist Karron, who flat irons like nobody's business, and Javonne, who did my big chop and first natural style (coil-out) Ladies, you are all that!

I also want to thank CurlyNikki, and all the wonderful natural ladies on the internet who have videos, blogs, pics. The advice, styles, and sisterliness has been incredible. The natural hair community is unlike any other--just awesome! I am happy to be a part of it.

These stories are BEAUTIFUL!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

TIA, I like that list you gave of all the users of CN [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] .
I would like to add them too as well as my Lord and Master, the One, The ONLY, NO NEED FOR AN INTRODUCTION, THE BIG JC
(I am sorry I got carried away) Jesus Christ..................FOR WE ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE; AND HE MAKES NO MISTAKES.... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

KEEP IT COMIN CURLIES!!!

Look at Lynn being the top person posting! Go head Ms lynn, the Curly Police!

I love you ladies

I'm thanking Jesus Christ because through him, I finally looked into myself and realized that I need to accept all of me, not parts. Through him, ALL things are possible

I would also like to thank each and every one of you. I'm currently transitioning. There were days when I thought I would go back to the "crack" but every time I log on, I gain more courage to keep trucking. It's because of everyone on this site that I know I can and will have strong healthy NATURAL hair.

If it weren't for the internet and GOOD HAIR, I would probably have permed lifeless thinning hair right now.

Really there isn't one person that contributed to my decision to go natural.

However, I can say that every stylist that I've gone to in the last 6 years did. I like to thank them for every perm that has thinned out my hair; for over 400 billion hours (it felt like it) I spent in the salon waiting to get my hair fried, dyed and laid to the side; then I would go home and re-style to my liking. I would like to thank them for charging me from $25 (when I first started going to the salon in 1980) to $65 (which was the last amount I paid on May 14, 2009) Which comes up to about 2,989 days I spent in a salon to the tune of $15,355 dollars. Now these totals may be a bit exaggerated!!

I stopped and took a look at myself and decided that I wanted to have healthy hair...and a lot of it when I got old. (not sure what the definition of old is as I get closer to 50) [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I made the decision to go natural after noticing this lady's hair at church. I asked her how long had she been natural and at the time she told me 3 years. She wasn't very approachable so I didn't ask anymore questions. I didn't know anything about YouTube or CN (which would have been a big help during my transitional stage) so I made the decision to just go for it. I figured it couldn't hurt. A co-worker expressed an interest in going natural, and she suggested that we do it together. That was interesting!!!

I can say that I finally found YouTube after I BC'd in October 2009. From there a young lady PM me and suggested that I look at CN...for that I HAVE to thank envezion (not sure of the spelling) for send me the link to CN where my thanks and acknowlegements really begins!!!

I would like to thank every CurlySisterFriend that gave me encourgment when I knew my twists were a HOT MESS...I look back on that week, and I'm thankful the positive and encouraging words like "they look okay." [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

That is what I love about everyone on this site...thank you for encourging me. I'm 48 years old and will be 49 in June. My mother thought I was going through the change when I cut off all my hair. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You know it kinda scared me too! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I thought "WHAT HAVE I DONE!! Am I too old for this?" But as I type this with tears in my eyes...I must say that healthy hair has no age!!!

Thank you Nikki for starting this forum, and thank you to everyone on CN for your knowledge and words of encouragement!!!

KNH

KinkyNappyHappy wrote:
That is what I love about everyone on this site...thank you for encourging me. I'm 48 years old and will be 49 in June. My mother thought I was going through the change when I cut off all my hair. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You know it kinda scared me too! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I thought "WHAT HAVE I DONE!! Am I too old for this?" But as I type this with tears in my eyes...I must say that healthy hair has no age!!!

Thank you Nikki for starting this forum, and thank you to everyone on CN for your knowledge and words of encouragement!!!

KNH

Lub you sis!!

sweetdrk1 wrote:

KinkyNappyHappy wrote:
That is what I love about everyone on this site...thank you for encourging me. I'm 48 years old and will be 49 in June. My mother thought I was going through the change when I cut off all my hair. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You know it kinda scared me too! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I thought "WHAT HAVE I DONE!! Am I too old for this?" But as I type this with tears in my eyes...I must say that healthy hair has no age!!!

Thank you Nikki for starting this forum, and thank you to everyone on CN for your knowledge and words of encouragement!!!

KNH

Lub you sis!!

Love you too Sweet!!! I knew I should have stayed out of this thread...I've been crying since I posted!!! ((hugs))

sometimes purging is good, not matter what kick starts it!

*sniff sniff* I love these stories!!

I give honor and glory to God for everything in my life, ESPECIALLY my hair because He's the one that made it!!!!!!! And he makes no mistakes

My decision to go natural really started with my addiction to youtube and the amazing tutorials and encouragement that have been posted by the gorgeous naturals there: RusticBeauty, ItsMsHeatherNicole, PrettyDimples01, KinkyKurlyQueen, xGOLDn, kimmaytube, FreeWorshipFreeWors, sexiisugarshelley, taren916, chisellecouture, NikkiMae2003, MsButtahfly and literally hundreds of others!

I was on youtube for at least 2 hours a day over the summer, looking at transitioning information and being encouraged and finding style ideas I never knew existed for me!

And then I found fotki and I was in awe of how many women were able to grow HEALTHY, gorgeous, long, and luscious natural hair!!!

But nothing compares to the love and gratitude I have for CurlyNikki.com!!! I seriously love you guys! The support I get from you all is absolutely unheard of and I'm so appreciative for you guys

Every single person that I have come in contact with, especially my sisters from Butters-N-Bars challenge (you guys are the best!!) has been such a help in this journey!

THIS IS THE BEST SITE EVER!!!

ok I am not reading another word. You all are tugging at my heart strings! LOL!

sweetdrk1 wrote:sometimes purging is good, not matter what kick starts it!

that's soo true...I feel much better now!!

awww bholmes..I thought I was getting better now I'm tearing up again. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] I don't know what's going on with me today. I guess I better to buy something that will help for sure!!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Cool Idea!!

- I want to thank the almighty himself...this is the first thing (learning about my hair and how to take care of it) that I've stuck with for a long time! The way I'm taking care of my head is turning into taking better care of my health (lost 15 lbs and 2 dress sizes BTW )
My mama, and co-worker Shay and other friends inspired me to go natural. They were behind me, giving me so many tips and I appreciate it so much!
All of You ladies have helped me in more ways in one! Even though I don't post much I enjoy reading all of the comments made. Esp the vets and my big sisters (you know who you are...thanks for everything!) who have stressed about DC, trial and error and patience. I'm glad to have stumbled onto this site.

Special shoutout to other website, the good, bad and the ugly!!! I embrace my hair more because of all of YOU

IB,
This is an awesome topic.

I want to thank my former stylist. I was a weave head and becuase she encouraged not relaxing your hair I started transition under a weave last summer.

Thanks to my job. Because of a layoff last fall I started looking at ways to cut expenses and the weave would free up about $450+ every 2 months in my budget. This got me to thinking how I could maintain my hair without spending so much. So, I started braiding and from there I started researching on how to care for my hair. I found....

the Anti Hair Slave blog. Thanks to her site. From there I found Newly Natural, and from NN to NaturallyCurly and ....CURLYNIKKI.com, where I feel so @ home. I have learned so much about natural hair and met so many wonderful people, some virtually like Lynnie, Sweet, KinkyNappyHappy, and Nubie, and others in person via the meetup like Jcanlena, Tra04, ChrsLvsBks, and Curliana.

This is my second time natural and I wish I had as much info back in 1995 as I do now. It woud have saved me from the traumatic and humiliating experience of walking home from The Hair Cuttery with dripping wet hair because after washing my hair and asking me why I didn't want a perm, they tell me they didn't have the tools to do my hair (which was natural and about 8-10 in. long). Remember that like yesterday.

Anyway, thanks to everyone on here who provides tips, words of encouragement, and support. To those who break down the science (DaJewel) so we REALLY understand what's in the products we use on our hair.

MUCH LOVE to Mrs. Curly Nikki herself....without you having the vision and creating this forum where would we be.

MWAH!!! Love u guys....my curlfriends.