hair

Today I got the most expensive haircut that I've paid for. I know that the salon I went to sometimes growing up cost more, but it didn't come out of my money, so I don't count my Annette haircuts. How much did I pay? Including tip it was just $23. Since we moved here I've been taking advantage of the coupons on the back of my grocery receipts... a new Great Clips opened up right by the grocery store and at first they were $4.99 haircuts. Then it was $6.99. Last time I used one they were up to $9.99. But I was ready for something different. My hair needed some change. Pretty hardcore change.

A friend in my ward is a stylist. Until she got pregnant last year she was working at a salon, and after she started not feeling so great she decided to just do cuts out of her home. Chris has gotten his hair cut by her a few times and we've LOVED what she has done for his hair. She took the time to actually look through his hair and not mess up the spot that sticks up a little funny in the back.

I decided it was time to get her to cut my hair. I had to wait for her to start working again, since she stopped for about 2 months after giving birth. I was her last haircut before she goes out of town tomorrow for Christmas. And holy crap, I LOVE what she did. When I got ther she asked what I had in mind, I explained the general idea of what I wanted but then asked her for some advice. I knew I wanted about chin length hair, that's all I knew. Was it better to make it all one length? Or to have the back a little shorter? Or just what? And at that length are layers even a smart option? She took the time to look through my hair to see my growth patterns and to figure out where I already have layers and such. She explained to me what she thought was best, and it explained it well enough that I could make my own decision! So... My hair is chin length, with the back a little shorter, and a few soft layers. She even took the time to dry it with a blow dryer and round brush so it's styled and looks like it got straightened. PLUS we actually had all sorts of things we could talk about while she cut it, no small talk like you get at the hairdresser.

It's my favorite haircut I think I've ever gotten. The one time I've walked out of a haircut and immediately liked it.

After she cut it we talked color. Growing up I colored my hair occasionally (always at sleepovers with my friends) and I only stopped because I was broke in college and that $10 needed to go towards groceries instead of my hair. Since  she had her baby she hasn't started doing coloring yet, but said that after they get back in town she'll see how her little guy is doing and see if she is ready to start doing color yet. She said she could order me some professional dye, but I wouldn't get it til she got back, so beginning of January. I decided to just go to Walmart and pick a box myself. I used to be pretty good at picking color, and after reading some of the boxes I figured out what type I wanted. I was even able to find the color that eventually fades over time, since I wasn't sure I was really ready to commit to the maintenance of coloring your hair with permanent dye. Chris is excited about this (I wouldn't have done it if he wasn't into the idea) but we'll see what he thinks when my hair is a different color. I think depending on how this goes I'll at least have her order me color next time... although it would be cool to get my hair pro-colored sometime too.

Chris is going to help me color my hair sometime this week, then I'll post a picture. It will be a lot better to get a picture when someone else can take the picture. I'm excited.