Two thoughts.
Thought #1: I don’t know. I don’t know why I allowed it to be taken. I don’t know why I kept it. I don’t think I was actually mad at anyone; gee, I hope I can manage my emotions better than that. (Otherwise, what was the point of 3 years of counseling??) In fact, I’m pretty sure my eldest took this photo when she and I were goofing off on vacation. Either that, or I was possessed. You pick.
Thought #2: Those bangs are from the 1990’s. Or the 1980’s. That’s the only explanation for bangs that fluffy. And yet this picture was taken in 2009, proving I can’t be trusted to make my own hair decisions.
I figure that picture scared off all but the bravest of you, which is best because this post is not for the faint of heart.
In fact, this post is a cry for help.
Important help.
Hair help.
The time has come to do something new, and I thought y’all might be willing to give your advice. As you can see from the bangs, making a herd-based hair decision can do me no more harm than I do to myself.
To give you some context, here are some photos of my hair over the past 6 years…
This is a shoulder length flip in 2005 (ish):
I’m the brunette in the orange t-shirt. (I specified in case you had me confused for the adorable blond munchkin in the orange shirt. Don’t you just want to take her home in your back pocket? I keep trying, but my husband says 5 kids are enough, and her mother keeps objecting.)
See the hot blond in the red shirt? That’s my cousin, Erin. Maybe I should do that to my hair. The cut, anyway. I can’t pull off the blond. Besides, being about 6 years behind Erin style-wise is about on par for me.
Here’s a medium length cut in 2008 (the Great Snow Storm!):
Ignore Cael’s expression; we can only seem to get 80% of our kids to look at the camera at any given time. Nothing I do seems to alter that ratio.
My current hair philosophy is to have long, long hair because I never make time to get it cut. I throw in a few layers every 6 months so I can pretend I have a hair style.
Here’s a long hair photo from 2009ish:
Of course, these are the notorious bangs, here in a flatter, less I-want-to-be-Cyndi-Lauper-and-bee-bop-to-Girls-Just-Wanna-Have-Fun way:
All of that takes some serious flattening. I have what I like to call “naturally messy” hair. It would be naturally curly if it, you know, curled. But no. It doesn’t do that.
Exhibit A: Naturally messy hair, circa October 2010. Unnaturally blue (necessary so I could be Thing 1 to Abby’s Thing 2), but the messy part is all me. Try not to be jealous.
Exhibit B: Naturally messy hair from January 2011 pretending to be naturally curly with the help of a diffuser:
Of course, none of these show my many hairtastrophes due to the fact that I had to pick my least fatty photos. Hey – I’m a girl. Sue me.
There are a couple of short-short haircuts in there that are truly horrific. Not bloggable in their horrificality. So short-short is right out.
Alright, fine. You talked me into it, but I don’t have to like it. Here’s short-short horrific hair:
I recolored the photo so you might be distracted by how adorable baby Aden was. Her short-short hair is stunning. As are her button nose and rosebud lips.
So, tell me what you think.
I’m willing to go as short as chin-length. Or just trim up the long, long hair I’ve got and leave well enough alone.
Share your thoughts. Including your thought that I shouldn’t take possessed photos in the future. I agree. Wholeheartedly.
Majority wins!
I’m gonna get my hair cut sometime next week, and I’ll update y’all with the results.
39 responses to “Hair”
[…] the one about my hair and what exactly I should do to […]
so here’s something I’ve been wondering about the 2009ish picture (w/ the long hair): didn’t Greg get the ‘wear blue jeans’ memo? or does he just like to stand out in a crowd? 😉
Gimme a head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming,
Streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama
Everywhere daddy daddy
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it 🙂
So how ’bout it? Have you been yet? Or have you decided to ‘go with the flow’? 😉
😀
Tuesday night!
Despite the fact that I’ve made no decisions about what exactly will happen, I’m terrified!
can’t wait for the result! so exciting 🙂
so have you gotten your hair cut yet?
[…] Yesterday, I posted about my hair. […]
OH! I absolutely love your posts! I swear that we are living parallel lives. I too have 5 kid & just went thru the whole what to do with my hair thing! I did cut it….a bit scary to go chin length but love it now that I did…wonder how I got ready before. Oh that’s right I didnt! Never had time to blow dry my hair unless chasing after kid and pets counts.
As for your hair I think with as much natural wavy & how thick & lovely it looks you would look AMAZING with that new popular triangle cut. You can have it chin length in the back then it angles down near the ears so that you make it any length you like in the front so it won’t seem like such a drastic change?
Trust your hairstylist, yourself & have fun!! Look forward to seeing the new pictures soon!
Yay! A testimonial from Someone Who Knows.
Thanks, Missie! (And… HA!… loved the way you “blow dry.”)
You’re, like, the 4th or 5th person in my sis-in-law’s chin length, shorter in the back camp… good company!
Thanks for posting!
Okay, you look crazy beautiful in all those pictures…. except maybe the first one. That one did scare me a little. Even the messy looks good. I’m not sure what to do with you, but I’m thinking about calling AJ’s stylist.
Aw! Thanks, Erinn! I’m sure you meant… except the first AND THE LAST one, right?? (At least, I hope!) 🙂
I better get on the phone quick!
Fun! I LOVE stuff like this! Ok, here’s my two cents. I love your hair long! It looks so shiny and healthy, and I love it curled. What if you left it long, but did something new and different with your bangs? I found a couple pics of girls that have similar hair to yours and they both have that side swept bangs look. So cute!
http://goodlifeforless.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-outfit-duh.html
http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-sophisticated.html
I love Kendieveryday! So funny to ‘see’ her on here! Is she famous in the US? I accidentally stumbled upon her blog (via another one) and love to take a peek at her cute outfits once in a while 🙂 (knowing I could never ever ever ever pull those off…)
If ONLY I could look that cute! They’re adorable!
Beth with your beautiful eyes you could get away with any look, but please do not shave. I vote for the long look. What does the hubby think?
I’m totally with Richard on the eyes and was also wondering what Greg thinks! So? Does he dare to voice his opinion (my husband’s often scared to, cause he says he’ll never be able to say the right thing and that I don’t listen to him anyways! I guess he’s kinda right about that 😉 )
Thanks, you two!
And special thanks to Richard for not going with Jeff! Any friend of his who votes for me is my hero.
As for Greg, I believe I can speak for him when I say he only cares that he doesn’t get in trouble for not noticing. 😉 He’s not a hair guy, really. I’ve cut a foot off before without him noticing… finally told him after a week. That was fun! (For me. Not really for him. I don’t do that anymore.)
I think you could get away with a sassy angled-bob. Higher in the back, angled down towards your chin (or longer!)
Happy fun tool that wastes many minutes of my life when I am trying to choose a hairstyle:
http://www.1001-hairstyles.com/makeover.htm
That’s *exactly* what my sis-in-law of peer pressure prowess is advocating. Did she get her hands on you?
Then again, my sis-in-law is younger, hipper, thinner (even 7 months pregnant) and taller, so I should probably take her advice.
I’ve got (another) off-topic question: does putting a word in between those starry-thingies (= *) mean that you’re actually underlining the word? (I know, completely silly question and not helpful at all, but I feel I need to know just to try to keep up with you guys 😉 )
ps: how’s the decision making on the hair going? Guess what? I went to see the musical Hair yesterday! How’s that for appropriate? Grow it, show it and all that! Peace, love & hair y’all 🙂
*YES!* 🙂
And on the hair… oh, dear, what a project! I *meant* to get it done this week, but it turns out that good hairdressers who work in salons book weeks and weeks out. And they don’t return calls from people who say “any chance you can get me in this week??” 😉 *Fortunately,* there’s a good hairdresser who works out of her home, can accommodate my weird schedule, and is happy to fit me in… as soon as she’s back in town. I’m 3 days away from *new hair.* Yikes!
I don’t think I should be allowed to vote at all, since my hair style has been ‘let it grow, let it grow, let it grow’ for many years… But since I just can’t help myself (you know me) I’m gonna say ‘2009-ish-silly-picture-style’, love your hair in that picture! 🙂
ps: and listening to your hair stylist is also a definitive ‘YES’! I mean, hey, they’re supposed to know what they’re talking about, right? And of course I’m always, always, always, completely for shoveling off responsibilities on the appropriate person, I say ‘yay’ to that! 😉
Everyone who’s not voting for head-shaving gets a say. 😉
Beth: I’m frightened to say I might need to share some wisdom with you (and normally I’m gleaning it from you: so this might be way off).
You have five kids. A husband. Extended family. A job. A big house. Food prep, homework, cleaning (or going away so your husband can clean), church duties, etc. Why would you want to be responsible for one more thing, especially your hair?!! Hello: shovel that off on the appropriate person, a.k.a. hair stylist.
I told mine, “I’m thinking of layers. But I don’t know what.” “That’d be great!” And she gave me awesome layers. I told mine, “I dunno: do something fun.” And she did something fun. I facebooked her (cause she’s that cool): “Could I pull off short hair?” “Of course you can!” she replied (it’s good to have a realistic yet positive hair stylist – a hard combo to pull off). Wham, bam, thank you ma’am (and David Bowie … come to think of it … my hair might resemble his … but not quite as … Bowie), I have shorn locks that require prep of goo and a quick run through the fingers and yet receive many many compliments. Which I accept: because I had *nothing* to do with it.
And so I have gladly for seven years given my stylist the responsibility of my hair. When it doesn’t work, I turn to her and say, “It’s broken”, and she fixes it. I have little to no expectations, she knows my hair better than I do, and in the end, it’s not me but everyone else who has to look at it.
Be free. 🙂 (And I can give you the name of my hair person, who does some of the celebrity stylings of Linsey M, Angela C, Marta S, among others).
Oh, AJ…. yes!
Can I just say “this friend speaks my mind”? 🙂
AJ, your hair is fabulous.
And you were born wiser than me.
Just so you know, people are backing you up. For example, received this message via Facebook… “Listen to AJ, she is is smart.”
🙂
So, despite the fact that I feel like I should go all Great Clips with this (because, hello, I’m cheap and when did I get too good for Great Clips??), I’m afraid I may have to defer to wiser women than me.
Going to a high-end stylist bothers me on an almost fundamental level.
I can’t shop thrift stores because I suck at shopping, and you have to be a really, really ridiculously good shopper (who’s willing to look *under* stuff… a perpetual barrier to getting my house clean) to find the awesome stuff at thrift stores.
I don’t take time to be a champion coupon-clipper, like my friends who can get 6 full-size bags of chips, 4 containers of cleaning products, 2 chocolate bars and a package of adult diapers (which they hopefully don’t need but can always donate) for $0.09.
So I save money in other ways. Not by going to Great Clips. By never, ever getting my hair cut. 🙂
But I hear you saying that I may need to break into my penny jar.
I’m not sure I’m ready to start dating hair dressers again. But I’m willing to consider one blind date to see where things go. 😉
I like this game Jeff. On behalf of all younger brothers, Beth should totally shave it off! Vote for the shave!
Wow Beth – I think you just threw yourself under the bus!!! AND your brother is driving!! I *thought* I said you two were going to be best friends when you grew up. I vote for shoulder length or longer. And, or course, you’re both *always* winners!!!! Love you. Mom
Hate to disappoint Jeff by not voting for the shaved head look, but I LOVE the long hair with layers on you. So pretty!
That’s the difference between a sister and a sister-in-law. I LOVE disappointing Jeff. 😉
Thanks, Katie! You’re fab!
Gonna say go mohawk or shave it off. Your brother had NO influence on my reply either ; )
Ha!
No matter what kind of day I have had you always – ALWAYS bring a smile to my face and actually get me to laugh out loud while reading a blog – that is true real humor my friend!
Me, I am short haired too, and sometimes the cut gets really short, like my last one last week, but I have become immune to that – I know it will grow back much to fast. I used to be scared others would think I am a lesbian (not that there is anything wrong with that) but……oh well. My hair is short and I agree with Judy, less to dry, color, put product on, drip when you get out of the shower – all kinds of benefits! I am especially lucky because I have a hubby that loves my hair and is not caught up in the whole “a girls gotta have long hair” thing.
I would agree that maybe the shoulder length would be nice – and hey, sporty! I mean, lots of half-marathoners have shoulder length! 🙂
I LOVE your profile pic. You can completely pull off the short-short hair.
Never thought about having half-marathoner hair. Think I can use that with a stylist? “I’d like a half-marathon cut.” I’m sure she’d get right on that.
I had a similar moment last month and my dear friend Evie posted a public plea on facebook for me to NOT cut my hair.ever. I think we have a similar hair type/style right now Beth. And I’m going to steal your matra. I have “naturally messy” hair. Do you know it actually looks better if I *don’t* brush it? Who knew?
That brush thing… amazing! I only discovered that one in my 30’s.
Now I have a girl with actually curly hair, and I feel like it’s opposite day all the time. “Brush your hair ONLY BEFORE you get in the shower!”
Well, of course, I’m a short-hair gal myself, (more bounce, less drying time, less weight, less to color), so I vote for chin-length. But having seen all these lengths in person, I have to admit you look good in shoulder length, too.
Aw! Thanks!