Less Locks For Lex: Time for a Haircut

For the past couple of months I have been ready for a change. A big one. I had been thinking about it, weighing my options, doing some research. It was time. Past time, really.

(see above photo for evidence. I look a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. I took it right before I left for the salon in our terribly dirty bathroom. Ick.)

Time for a new look. A new style.

Until yesterday it had been about 6 months since my last good haircut. My hair was all the way down my back the way it has been for a good ten years. And really, it wasn’t all bad. I have nice hair. It’s thick, naturally wavy and gets blonde when I sit in the sun. I would get complements when I’d spend some time fixing my hair. I loved the feel of having long hair. It made me feel — girly.

Until I was over it. And I mean, couldn’t get to the salon fast enough, completely over it. Over taking 25 minutes to dry my long hair. Over having it then look awful the next day because it would get tangled and puffy in my sleep. Over the amazing split ends that looked like tiny trees taking over the lengths of my hair and making everything look dry and tired. SO over it.

So yesterday I loaded some example photos onto my ipod touch (because I’m not cool enough to have an iphone yet) to show my stylist and headed to the salon, excited but nervous. I showed her the photos. “Are you sure?” she asked. “Really sure?”

I gulped. “Yep. Let’s do it.”

The last time I dramatically cut inches off my hair was in 2000. I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy, and wanted to have a Sabrina moment when I returned to the states. Remember that movie? The driver’s awkward daughter goes to live in Paris for a year and returns home almost unrecognizable with her short, stylist hair and her new grown-up look. As a student in Italy returning home at Christmas time, I hoped for that kind of reaction. Sadly, that isn’t what I got. After getting my shorter than anticipated Italian haircut I cried a bit… then had to have my stylist back in the states fix it when I got home. I was hoping not to repeat that memory.

But back to yesterday’s haircut…

8 inches later… and not a tear was shed. I LOVE my new hair! It feels healthy and thick. I feel like a new woman! She cut about an inch or so less off than I had originally asked for, which was probably a good thing to get me used to having mid-length hair again. And get this…I feel just as girly as I did with my hair all the way down my back! What Not To Wear would be oh so proud.

In other news (and things I still need to blog about):

– I made an amazing crock pot chicken with a balsamic glaze based on something I saw on Pinterest. It may or may not have changed my world. Recipe (sans photo) to come

– We leave for the ends of the earth (Patagonia) in less than a month!! Eeee! Can’t wait for my new beanie to arrive to try it out with my new hair. Check it THIS amazing book store that I am looking forward to wandering through in Buenos Aires, considered one of the most beautiful in the world (and really, can you imagine a more beautiful book store? It’s breathtaking!)