Monday, June 18, 2007
Locks of Love
That's not the greatest picture for our exampe here considering I'd been walking in the sweltering Disney heat for about 13 hours by this point, but you get the picture.
I should say here that while I'm lazy about my hair, I'm also embarassingly vain about it sometimes. It doesn't have the greatest shape (its totally curly in the back and straight as anything in the front) but I do feel blessed with my hair. Its my mom's hair. So while it looks awful when left to its own devices, it holds a nice curl when a fancy date night comes along, and it loves a good straightening iron. And the best part about my hair? Its naturally colored. That's gotten me in a bit of trouble actually. For example:
A few weeks before my wedding I went to my stylist for a 'practice' of my wedding hair. The first thing she said to me was, "Um, don't you think you ought to touch this up before the wedding?" Cause you see, natural blondes' hair is totally affected by the sun. So in the winter I get roots. NATURAL roots. I was so mortified that she thought my color looked horrible that I allowed her to give me a henna treatment to 'even out' the color. Well lets think about this people (thinking: something I was not doing at the time when I was allowing that witch to do anything to my hair just so she'd stop rolling her eyes when I swore up and down that it wasn't died)... Blonde hair + red henna = ???? Come on, anybody? That's right! Pink hair the week before my wedding! I was in complete denial over the situation until my family and my friend Rebecca each held separate interventions and my mom dragged me down to the salon a mere 24 hours before the wedding and yelled until they fixed it.
So the blonde? Awesome in the summer, not so awesome in the winter. But its natural, and I can't believe it hasn't turned (although I fully expect that to happen if I ever have kids. that's what they tell me anyway....)
And also, the length right now is awesome. Despite taking for freaking ever to dry in the morning, I just love the weight of it in a ponytail.
So why the obsessing about the hair lately? Well, I've had a lot of chances to think about hair lately when it comes to my mom. First, I'm blessed to have it at all. I've seen so many women be so brave with their newly bald heads in the hospital. And my mom, ever fearless, has no quams about whipping off whatever hat she's got on to try on another in a store. I've spent a lot of time in the last 6 months feeling guilty about my hair. In fact, almost every time I went to the hospital I would remember to throw it up in a bun before I hit the cancer ward.
My other hang-up about the hair is the fact that lately I've figured out that some people think I'm on the fast track at work. I've always sort of felt like management took an interest in me, but that's natural considering I'm female and younger then most of the people in my aging company. I haven't paid much attention to it though because I feel like a child, I look like a child, and I spend my weekends acting like a child. Then a few weeks ago I realized there was going to have to be a point where I decided that I really wanted to do something big at my company. My boss sat me down and evidently he's got a big vision for my future, bigger than I ever had.
My biggest problem? I look so young. I still get carded every time I buy alcohol, and someone in my group actually thought last year was my 21st birthday. Um, hi, 30 next year thank you. And I think the biggest problem I have (besides also getting my mom's awesome young-looking genes) is my hair. Its too girly. Too unstyled. Too unsophisticated.
So I've decided I need a hair goal. I'm too chicken just to cut it. In fact my hair lady jokes every time I go in there that she told herself that if I asked for it to be chopped she'd talk me out of it because she knew I'd regret it.
So here's my goal: I'm going to make a donation to Locks of Love. I've always thought about doing it, but my hair has never been long enough. But finally I think we're close. I had Ryan measure it last night, and at the moment 10 inches would take me just under the chin. I'm not ready for that. So I'm giving myself one last summer with my long hair, then its gone. Off to a better place with someone who will probably appreciate it even more than I do....
I should say here that while I'm lazy about my hair, I'm also embarassingly vain about it sometimes. It doesn't have the greatest shape (its totally curly in the back and straight as anything in the front) but I do feel blessed with my hair. Its my mom's hair. So while it looks awful when left to its own devices, it holds a nice curl when a fancy date night comes along, and it loves a good straightening iron. And the best part about my hair? Its naturally colored. That's gotten me in a bit of trouble actually. For example:
A few weeks before my wedding I went to my stylist for a 'practice' of my wedding hair. The first thing she said to me was, "Um, don't you think you ought to touch this up before the wedding?" Cause you see, natural blondes' hair is totally affected by the sun. So in the winter I get roots. NATURAL roots. I was so mortified that she thought my color looked horrible that I allowed her to give me a henna treatment to 'even out' the color. Well lets think about this people (thinking: something I was not doing at the time when I was allowing that witch to do anything to my hair just so she'd stop rolling her eyes when I swore up and down that it wasn't died)... Blonde hair + red henna = ???? Come on, anybody? That's right! Pink hair the week before my wedding! I was in complete denial over the situation until my family and my friend Rebecca each held separate interventions and my mom dragged me down to the salon a mere 24 hours before the wedding and yelled until they fixed it.
So the blonde? Awesome in the summer, not so awesome in the winter. But its natural, and I can't believe it hasn't turned (although I fully expect that to happen if I ever have kids. that's what they tell me anyway....)
And also, the length right now is awesome. Despite taking for freaking ever to dry in the morning, I just love the weight of it in a ponytail.
So why the obsessing about the hair lately? Well, I've had a lot of chances to think about hair lately when it comes to my mom. First, I'm blessed to have it at all. I've seen so many women be so brave with their newly bald heads in the hospital. And my mom, ever fearless, has no quams about whipping off whatever hat she's got on to try on another in a store. I've spent a lot of time in the last 6 months feeling guilty about my hair. In fact, almost every time I went to the hospital I would remember to throw it up in a bun before I hit the cancer ward.
My other hang-up about the hair is the fact that lately I've figured out that some people think I'm on the fast track at work. I've always sort of felt like management took an interest in me, but that's natural considering I'm female and younger then most of the people in my aging company. I haven't paid much attention to it though because I feel like a child, I look like a child, and I spend my weekends acting like a child. Then a few weeks ago I realized there was going to have to be a point where I decided that I really wanted to do something big at my company. My boss sat me down and evidently he's got a big vision for my future, bigger than I ever had.
My biggest problem? I look so young. I still get carded every time I buy alcohol, and someone in my group actually thought last year was my 21st birthday. Um, hi, 30 next year thank you. And I think the biggest problem I have (besides also getting my mom's awesome young-looking genes) is my hair. Its too girly. Too unstyled. Too unsophisticated.
So I've decided I need a hair goal. I'm too chicken just to cut it. In fact my hair lady jokes every time I go in there that she told herself that if I asked for it to be chopped she'd talk me out of it because she knew I'd regret it.
So here's my goal: I'm going to make a donation to Locks of Love. I've always thought about doing it, but my hair has never been long enough. But finally I think we're close. I had Ryan measure it last night, and at the moment 10 inches would take me just under the chin. I'm not ready for that. So I'm giving myself one last summer with my long hair, then its gone. Off to a better place with someone who will probably appreciate it even more than I do....
posted by atpanda at 7:55 PM
about me
About Me
- Name: atpanda
- Location: Mesa, Arizona, United States
I'm Amanda. I'm an engineer in an industry full of men, a professional wedding and family portrait photographer, a firefighter's wife, a traveler, and a dogMa.
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8 Comments:
I think that is a fantastic idea! I am so proud of you!
I also think that it is a wonderful idea.
way to go!
ps. i have the young problem too. i'll be carded til i'm 50. & people have thought my actual id is a fake.
yeah! I think thats a great idea!! I can't seem to get myself to grow mine long again in the first place.. but I really really miss it.. maybe I'll be too busy after this baby is born to get a haircut for awhile..hehe. Good luck!
YAY! I think those are all great reasons to cut your hair. And I've always thought that you'd look adorable - in a grown up sophisticated way - with a long bob. Can't wait to see it! And though we'll never see the look on your donor recipients face, I'm sure that your blone locks will look stunning on her as well :)
Fantastic way to honor your mama and spice things up! Your hair is beautiful. You'll make someone very happy.
that is awesome! i actually have this very goal on my 101 in 1001 list. i am letting it get longer first because i don't look good with super short hair, but i am almost to the point where 10 inches won't be a problem.
i love that when you do this it will honor your mom. just wonderful.
Hey A! Do what I did the first time I decided to cut it off... Go out and buy a short wig in a style you are thinking of, and wear it around for a while.
In my case, it was a pink bob... And, can you believe people were actually shocked when I told them I hadn't cut my hair and dyed it pink??!
I still love the pink wig look on me, and I haven't gone that short, but I always get compliments when I wear it.
Great to see you are doing something worthwhile when you do cut it!
:)
Here's me in my pink wig:
http://netchick.ca/images/me&m.jpg
And, me getting a seriously crazy haircut:
http://netchick.ca/images/traumacut.jpg
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