Such simple words, and yet they hit me like a ton of bricks. Oh friends, I'm in for a big fight with myself hahahaha
Alright let me back track a bit and tell you how this came about. And then I'm going to give you photos of my hair and show you what's happening.
I had my hair appointment this morning. My hair is super thick, and very unmanageable if it's not cut, layered and given some texture. It has been 3 months since my last cut and I was struggling with the unruly mop of a mess on my head.
I went to my hairdresser (who is amazing by the way) and she gave me just what I needed. She knows my hair so well and knows what to cut, where to cut and how to cut it. After lots of texturizing, layering, point cutting and snips here and there, I was feeling great.
Then I said to her "Hey Tara, I have a lot of grays coming in and I just hate that I have to color every 3 weeks, it's a bit annoying, wish I could do something about it.".
So she tells me that we should try some lowlights. Here's the thing, I have been coloring my own hair for years, mainly because I don't have the money to go and get it done professionally, it's too much money. Curt keeps pushing me to go and do it, but I just don't.
But I was thinking, you know my birthday is coming up in August and maybe that would be a gift to myself. So I made the appointment with her, and she is always booked up so her next available isn't until August 23rd.......mind you my birthday is the 10th, BUT it's fine, still my birthday month right?
She then challenges me NOT to color my hair until then, to just let it go natural, let the grays come out and then we'll do a nice color when I see her in a few weeks.
HELP ME!!!! According to her I'm 75% gray already. Again, HELP ME!!! hahahah
So I told her I would do my best to not reach for the dye bottle and try very very hard to leave it as is. I know it's best and it will be nice to do a proper color but I'm not sure how I'll feel through this challenge. Think I can do it?
There is no denying that I'm getting older, my wrinkles around the eyes certainly don't try to hide that fact.
I think I need to just embrace the changes and remind myself on a daily basis, that some others are not as blessed or lucky to make it to my age. It's all about being thankful for what we have and where we are.
Doesn't make it easy though does it? But I am going to try super duper hard to make it through this challenge. I will let you know how I'm getting on, and I may even keep sharing pictures of my hair as the weeks go. It will be interesting to see how much gray I really do have and how it will look after the color is done.
I guess you could say today was a me day. Usually I start my morning on the computer, but today I kept it shut off. After Curt had left for work, I grabbed my cup of coffee and my cereal, sat on the couch, pulled the blanket over my legs and sat and read from 7am to 10am.
3 hours of quiet, uninterrupted reading time, and wow did that feel good. I'm not halfway through the book and already wishing it never to end.
After my hair appointment, I met up with Curt for lunch at the pizza place a few doors down from the salon and then made my way home.
Did a bit of cleaning, some dishes, played with Marley, talked to Nick for about an hour, and then made a cup of coffee and once again sat on the couch with my book for another hour.
I would never do this, because I feel so guilty just sitting and reading, but it did me a world of good and put me in such a good mood to be able to indulge in something I thoroughly enjoy, without worrying, without interruptions, and without feeling like I was doing something wrong.
Sometimes that's all we need as moms and homemakers, to sit down and indulge ourselves.
Dinner tonight was a simple Alfredo pasta with broccoli and mushrooms. I've decided that I'm going to do a meatless meal every week. It will give us a break from meat heavy dishes and it will be a little cheaper too with the prices of meat having gone up so much lately.
I'll share the recipe on the blog tomorrow, as I made the pasta in my pressure cooker.
Ok, Mister Marley is giving me the cute eyes beckoning for me to get into bed. He is ready to go to sleep but likes to have someone to snuggle with.
I better oblige him. Have a blessed night everyone :)
Not coloring your hair is a hard thing I know. But around the age of 50 I got tired of coloring my hair and feeling the 'cooking' sensation on my head, having to keep up with it every month. So, I just quit. Menopause was happening at the same time. :-) My hair is long and it took awhile to grow out but I am happy with it and I'm now 68. Pinterest has given me some wonderful inspiration with photos of older women with long silver, white, gray hair. There are also fantastic photos of short hair in this color scheme. Some of younger women also. For years we've been told older women should NOT have long hair and color makes us look younger. Times have changed and women are embracing their age. These women are stunning, they are free, they are enjoying life. (I'm not saying that women who color their hair aren't stunning, free or enjoying Life, that's definitely not so.)
ReplyDeleteI colored my hair for many, many years and I totally understand wanting to do so. I just got tired of it. Hang in there, you can do this challenge. You've something to look forward to during your birthday month. Having highlights can be of help in transitioning from color to natural white, silver, gray. Don't stress, enjoy each day you are blessed with.
Reading is so relaxing. Meatless meals are great.
Happy Summer ~ FlowerLady
I consider myself very fortunate that as a redhead whose hair is a very light red, the grey is coming in more of a silver shade so I've got a gold and silver color going on. My cousin had the same shade of hair and she had the same gold and silver which eventually turned into a whiter grey and looks amazing. I hope my hair ends up like hers. Embrace the grey, Sandra, and see where it takes you. You may not want that color appointment on August 23rd.
ReplyDeleteSounds beautiful and I bet stunning!
Delete"It's all about being thankful for what we have and where we are." Sandra, you said that beautifully. A few years ago I had a shock right to my soul, that left me slowly balding. So slowly at first I didn't notice it until my eyebrows went missing. Not thinning mind you, but gone. That's when I noticed there was more hair in my comb and brush. The dermatologist told me everything was in place for my hair to grow but with the shock I had, it may not. Ten years later, the hair on top and sides is gone. Picture a male baldness pattern. So, my daughter and I have been wig shopping. I want something that looks natural not "wiggy" if you know what I mean. So embrace your hair and I might add the gray. As Lorraine and Pamela both mentioned, gray, silver, white, long or short, it's beautiful. My MIL has a head of white hair that she wears in a pixie cut like Audrey Hepburn and looks outstanding! Sandra, you might like the new you but hang in there, you will b beautiful no matter what you decide.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I'm with you, I'm 52 have been coloring my hair for years, I wish I could go gray, but I can't....I'm a red head, auburn, and I don't like gray, gray don't like me....my daughter is a beautician, so she has taught me how to color with salon color, high lights and lo lights, I do lo lights....high lights fade out too quick I don't look good in light hair colors...so that being said, I will die a red head, yes old and red head lol...so I give you credit accepting the challenge, woo whew it would be hard for me.....good luck....no matter, you're still beautiful....
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Rhonda
I hear you! I'm 56 and have been coloring my hair for a while. My hubby says he is fine with me letting go gray, but I'm not! Right now my gray is mostly in the temple area, but I'm starting to see it on the top of my head a little too. I do get sick of the hassle and the cost though!
ReplyDeleteMy hair is grey and I'm about a month younger than you are. I stopped dying my hair a couple years ago. The last time I colored it I actually dyed it purple. My hair like the rest of me shows the story of me. I'm older, I'm wiser and I have survived through some really bad times and some really good times. I refuse to bow down to society's viewpoint of female beauty and chase being younger. No matter what I do it's not going to happen. Instead I embrace myself-as the mature woman I am. I hope you find peace within yourself to be comfortable with letting your hair do what it is going to do until you can go to the salon.
ReplyDelete