Curly Nikki | Natural Hair Styles and Curly Hair Care

Ioannis says Greeks are too damn cool to 'ring' in the new year, they simply 'change' the year, and usually together as a family with good food and fellowship. Then, after midnight, they take to the streets to shut ish down with friends.

Hubby and I plan to 'change the year' in our condo and then head downtown to Athen's annual Hilton Loft Party. This posh, MTV hosted soiree, brings out the best DJs to inspire what in my case will be terrible dancing and responsible alcohol consumption.

So if I'm limping tomorrow, it's because I not only partied my face off, I danced my legs off.

My hubby has always been supportive of me and my natural hair. When I first told him that I wanted to go natural and the possible bogusness that could ensue during my transition, he was understanding. When I first big chopped and awoke up with a make-shift high top fade because my sides were smashed in, he was gracious.

There’s one thing that my husband has absolutely NO tolerance for, and that is a frohawk. He detests them. If a frohawk was a person, he’d probably burn him or her at the stake. Ok, maybe he doesn’t dislike them THAT much. He doesn’t hate fro hawks in general, but he doesn’t care for how they look on me. Over the last 3+ years of my natural journey, I’ve worn frohawks many times. I had no idea how much he disliked them until a couple of months ago. O__o

I, on the other hand, LOVE frohawks. Its my favorite style in the whole wide world. If a frohawk was a person, it would be my best friend. We’d dress alike and EVERYTHING. Seriously. What about you?

Hola chicas!

It's that time again! The images below are of CN readers at their flyyest...at work, on the town, and with the fam. Showing us all that natural hair is not a fad, it's a way of life...an extension of our beauty! Click on the images to enlarge them--

Most of you know me as CurlyNikki - natural hair advocate and Gia’s slave mom. But if you couldn’t tell from the ‘on the couch’ theme, I’m also The Licensed Psychotherapist Formerly known as Alicia (my gub’ment name). And as inspired by Prince, I'm working on a symbol... hmm, maybe a fro. But I digress.

I work primarily with women struggling with issues related to interpersonal relationships, anxiety, depression, body image disorders and PTSD. When the Hubs and I finally pick a city and stay put, I have plans to open my own practice. Psychology is my first love and no matter where this fantabulous CurlyNikki ride takes me, I will always be a therapist.

With that, I can’t tell you how many emails I’ve received from excited high school seniors and college students that are interested in becoming counselors. The email is usually very reminiscent of 21 questions and my response is always the same- ‘let’s jump on a call’. I love talking to and encouraging ‘the future’ and hope that sharing my experiences- the good and the bad- can help make their journey smoother.

So to continue in that vein, I thought it only necessary to create a scholarship for all the aspiring helpy helpertons out there… the soon to be therapists and social workers of the world. Curly Caregivers, if you will. And if you’re anything like I was, you’re an amazing, hardworking student… but only when it comes to paper deadlines and surprise reading quizzes… less so when it comes to the daunting challenge of identifying and applying for much needed college funds. With all the transcript gathering, recommendation requesting and essay composing, I thought it’d be fun to create a scholarship that I would’ve been willing to apply for!

My issue every semester was finding the cash to purchase the ridiculously overpriced textbooks, edition 1 for the first half of class, edition 2 for the latter, and the $100 flash cards all written by (surprise surprise) my professor. So to save you at least that headache, my friends at Qhemet Biologics and I present... CurlyNikki’s Curly Caregivers Book Scholarship!

Two, One-Thousand dollar scholarships donated by Qhemet Biologics will be awarded to students enrolled full-time in any year of their college career (undergraduate or graduate) in a field related to psychology.

Interested students will email video submissions to contests@curlynikki.com.

The video should include-

(1) the reason you chose psychology or a related field of study
(2) where you see yourself in 5 years, and
(3) why the CurlyNikki community should choose YOU!

In the email, include-

(1) your full name
(2) year in school
(3) institution
(4) GPA
(5) major Field of Study

You have to read the next part in that really fast, slightly hushed, 'fine print' announcer voice:

To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, be currently enrolled in a degree seeking program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Winners will be asked to verify all of the above. Curly men are invited to apply as well!

The application process is open from today, December 21, 2011 through December 30, 2011 at 5pm EST. At that time, a team of reviewers will select five curlies to advance to the final round. The five videos will be showcased on CurlyNikki.com from January 2nd- January 6th for a democratic voting process by the community. The two curlies with the most votes, after a short verification process, will each receive a check for $1000 made out to their respective colleges.

Be creative, genuine… go H.A.M.!

God Speed!
Nik

About- Qhemet Biologics is a line of high perfomance hair care products for conscientious naturals and anyone who desires healthy hair and a healthy scalp. We seek to promote a natural beauty aesthetic, encourage self-acceptance and foster pride in one's ancestry. Our motto is: embrace your hair, embrace your heritage!

Hola Chicas!

Today, after yet another jet-lag induced sleepless night, we involuntarily lounged in bed until 4pm. I wanted to get up, honest I did... but I was paralyzed. Paralyzed from all the walking, up hill both ways. Paralyzed from the cheap but quality wines and spirits. Paralyzed by all the rich, amazingly fresh and decadent foods, also known as the 'itis... which on occasion, unfortunately, has resulted in the bubble guts.

So we finally got up and hit the town, but this time, without our dear Ioannis. With no one to translate or ask questions for us, things got very interesting, very quickly. While I relied on charades, Hubby, for reasons still unknown, turned to his terribly rusty and disjointed French and Spanish skills to communicate... this ish ain't Latin based boo boo! At one point, he asked a cashier a question in English in what sounded like his best Greek accent, to which she responded, in a very American accent, 'huh?' Nice. We have a few survival phrases memorized, that I'm sure we botch to high hell, but things get a bit murky when we're attempting to navigate the grocery store or a restaurant menu...


We're brand new, but it's good. It's an amazing adventure and we're enjoying every gyro filled second of it!

Luckily, we managed to take in a few of the sites (still not jaded yet) before the sun went down and then headed STRAIGHT for the bar.

How many of you have been blessed with the experience of having an imperfect life? Whether your family life was a little less than normal, your personal decisions cost you in the end or you’re simply in transition and trying to live out your purpose, it can be easy to allow your past regrets, pains and shame to become lingering distractions in the way you are currently working to live your life.

I’ve certainly been guilty of not being able to focus on the blessings God has given me, crying about everything I don’t have, didn’t have, wanted and still desire. But this morning I woke up with a spirit of thanks. Thanks that, in the words of Kanye West, “Everything I’m not made me everything I am”.

Here’s my list of things that I can focus on right now to enjoy living in the present. What’s on your list?

• My health! A few years ago I was battling PCOS and although it wasn’t a major condition it affected me so much with worry and anxiety that there were days I simply couldn’t function. Today I am blessed to continue to have good health, the ability to walk, breathe and excite in life.

• My friends! My friends have really become a major support system in my life. This past year my friends kept me lifted by praying for me, helping me with a few projects and simply being there to make me laugh.

• New opportunities! Everyday brings something new. Whether it’s taking a Samba class in Venice, California, working with beauty brands to develop effective marketing strategies or simply enjoying the opportunity to re-connect with long lost relatives, it is a true blessing to share the joy, skills, talents and zest of life with others.

1 1/2 pounds Spinach leaves-washed
2 tablespoons Garlic-minced
1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes-thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Butter
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon of H2O (water)

Let’s get Started.

Wait...Please, Wash your Hands.

Okay, now we are ready to start!

Now, let’s make something Pretty and Delicious. Let’s start with the sauté of it all. Place a large sauté pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Place the oil and butter into the pan. Add in garlic and cook until soft. Add in Sun-dried tomatoes, Spinach add water. Let cook for 3-5 minutes until spinach starts to wilt. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Taste add more salt if needed. Remove from stove and serve while hot. Now all you have to do Enjoy!

**Chef Huda Healthy Tip: Spinach and other leafy greens are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, iron and calcium which your hair and body needs to stay healthy.

I hate to admit it but I have really fallen off when it comes to exercising on a regular basis. I have fits and starts where I'll get motivated and go for a jog or do an exercise DVD at home. But overall, I've been very inconsistent and I'm always making excuses (to myself) as to why I "don't have time" to exercise.

Excuse #1

I do my hair pretty much every Sunday, so the last thing I want to do is sweat it out. I have natural hair, so one would think that this would give me more flexibility. I guess it depends on how I'm wearing it. The most ideal hairstyle (for me) to wear when I'm working out is a bun or some type of protective style. That way I don't have to worry about tangles or having to re-straighten or re-twist. So, what's the problem then? The problem comes back to my priorities. If I were making my health a priority (over my hairstyle) then I'd make sure that my hairstyle did not inhibit my work out. It's very simple. But I make it hard.

Excuse #2

I belong to a gym at my job and most of my coworkers go to the gym or go outside to run during lunch at least 3-4 times a week. So, I have the facilities, I have the encouragement of my peers, and I still don't go. If I'm not going out to lunch, then I'm typically at my desk writing during my lunch hour. With my full-time night job of mom to three, I rarely have time to write at home during the week. While writing is definitely a worthwhile priority, I realize that my health is still more important. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I should be able to alternate how I spend my lunch time so that I'm able to accommodate both of these positive outlets.

Excuse #3

Finally, I know I've had a hard time getting started because I'm afraid that I won't stick with it (again). I truly want to be toned and in shape and have more energy, but I don't want to do the work to make it happen. I remember there was a time when missing a day at the gym was torture! I was so into it and I looked forward to working out everyday. To go from that, to where I am now is pretty discouraging. How do I know that I won't fall off again? I guess I don't. But I know that if I don't try, I'll continue to feel that I'm not taking the best care of myself that I can which is not good for my peace of mind.

Hola Chicas,

It's Thursday which means we've officially taken over Essence for the day!

¡Viva la Revolución!

Check out my latest installment, where I share my favorite products of 2011! Go over there, check it out, 'like it', share it and comment! Also, leave questions of your own for the next article!

Thanks divas!

Later Gators,
Nik

I work hard and play hard(er). Lately though, it's been much more of the former and in an attempt to save my last damn nerve, Hubby and I decided to head for Greece to reboot. But seeing as how I have a difficult time putting down my computer and he's preparing for next semester, it doesn't really count as a 'real' vacation. Instead, we thought we'd switch up the pace and change the scenery... work a little, play a lot, and enjoy each other's company... without Gia. *GASP* I know, right?! But don't fret, she's safe and partying it up in STL with Momma (I cried like a baby), who didn't hesitate to remind us that all that 'reconnecting' is how we ended up with Boogie #1.

Today, accompanied by our host, translator, unofficial tour guide and new friend, Ioannis, we took a world wind tour. Met up at 11am and spent much of the next 6 hours sight seeing... on foot.

Today, among many, many other things, I-

1. Messed with one of those 'stand still' guards you're not supposed to mess with.
2. Saw the museum that my cousin, master architect and #successfulblackman Chris Lee helped design. What?!
3. Climbed and conquered Lycabettus Hill-- 912 feet of madness... steep as hell but totally worth losing that lung for the view.

4. Picked olives, oranges, and smelled wild Rosemary in the Presidential Garden.
5. Picked lemons from the front yard of our condo for a recipe...

6. Tried Ouzu and nearly lost my damn liver. Think black jelly beans + the kick of corn liquor... Got damn. Never again.




Our fab host and new friend, Ioannis... dispelling myths, translating ish and generally providing an amazing service!