Jessie, Age 26

I tend to get bored with my hair.  Every 4-5 months or so I decide I want to switch it up.  Since I don't dye my hair (except for that one time .. which won't happen again), my usual outlet involves scissors.  It's usually the same pattern: grow it long, chop it off, grow it long, chop it off.  My hair grows pretty quickly so this cycle can happen every 1.5-2 years.  That's just how I roll.

Usually my changes involve layers or sweepy bangs.  This time around I decided to do something I have never done as an adult .. I got full-blown bangs.  Now I realize in the grand scheme of things .. this is trivial.  But for all my girls out there that have any sort of relationship with their hair .. you totally understand this is drastic.

Another thing I am known for doing is making drastic hair choices and then completely regretting it the next day (once again, thank goodness my hair grows fast).  My most recent example was when I chopped 12 inches of hair off to above my chin.  It was awesome Day One .. Day Five? Not so much.  Well this time around I took my time. I looked up tons of pictures and built up my confidence and decided thick bangs were my "thing" for this go 'round.  Off to the salon I went...

As a side note: If you live near Columbia, SC .. I am totally going to take a sec and plug Cline's Salon in the Vista.  LOVE. THEM.   I especially love my girl Kristen.  PLEASE go see her and let her work her magic.  You will not regret it.  Tell her I sent you. (and no .. I don't get any comps for that .. I genuinely just love her.) Moving on ..

So yesterday I showed up and revealed my inspiration pic to Kristen.  We first both gushed over the gorgeousness that is the model and then Kristen got to work.  The bangs turned out great although the rest of my hair needs to grow out a lot more (note the "Hair Amputation of 2011" mentioned above).  I left beaming.

On the way home I kept looking in the mirror and messing with my new hair.  Here's another tidbit of info:  My hair has a life of it's own .. and I don't argue.  It flips it's own way and, although it can be tamed, it looks stifled when it is.  I generally enjoy my hair's personality so I don't fight it.  When getting one's hair cut, I think most people try to preserve the blow-out as long as possible.  Me?  I can't wait to mess it up.  I spent the whole ride home trying to make it flip and "settle" and all it wanted to do was look perfectly-coiffed. Booo.

I walked in the door and Mark came to meet me and see my hair. He smiled, told me he really liked it and said I reminded him of someone.  He then proceeded to follow me around the house and stare at me trying to figure it out.  After a few minutes he said "You look like Erin from The Office" and that made me happy.

Meet Erin.

The above picture is the closest thing I could find to what I actually looked like when I got home.  The bangs were straight across and everything.  Although I intend to wear them straight down (and thus wanted them cut this way) the majority of the time I will probably just push them to the side.  Since they were blown straight into submission ... I didn't have a choice .. straight down it was.

My plan was to take a shower immediately after dinner and play around with the new cut.  As I was cooking dinner I realized another shower would mean my hair would be washed three times in one day and I couldn't do it.  Too much.  So I stayed on the couch and then went to bed.

I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and almost freaked out.  Instead of the slightly more mature, slightly edgy hair of yesterday .. I looked like a child.  I was totally discouraged and whipped out the brush as fast as I could manage.


I wish I could read these books again and not be looked at funny for it.

 I was channeling some serious Ramona Quimby hair .. and I looked 8, too!  After much coaxing the situation improved.  I pulled my hair half back and headed to work.  Everyone complimented the cut (although, seriously, who would be like "wow, you ruined your hair!") and several people said I looked "cute".  uh oh.  Cute was not what I was going for.

Any way .. long story short .. I still LOVE my hair but a restyling is much needed.  The first order of business, before we go out tonight, is a shower.  I will let you know my reaction once I get my hands on it and get to play with it some.  It usually falls "just right" and I am hoping this time will be no exception.

On an even happier note, it's officially Halloween weekend!!!!! Woo hoo!  As I mentioned here, Mark and I are HUGE Halloween fans.  This year we are going to a White Trash Bash and I couldn't be more excited.  Mark's costume is pretty epic and mine is fairly good, too.  No doubt I will be posting about it next week.  Until then, Happy Halloween!!