Channeling Pippi Longstocking

I love my hair. Love it. Of course, there was drama. This is me, remember ?

For several years, I had been seeing a gal over at Salon Bohemia in Park Slope. She was great - she gave my a wonderfully inspired hair cut my first time out with her that was a big change from my regular cut, and I just loved it. But it seemed that everything afterwards just went downhill from there, though I kept going in the hopes that we could recreate that first sense of magic. The things I hated about her included: a) She was always late. Not just a few minutes late, but often a FULL HOUR late. That is just unacceptable, especially when I caught on and started calling before showing up to see if she was on time and she lied to me every time, saying, yes, sure, come on in its all fine, and I'd STILL have to wait an hour to get my hair done. b) She fucked up a few times. I used to get it cut much shorter than it is now, with lots of rock n' roll style layers. But she would always do it uneven, as in, the left side of my head would have much longer pieces than on the right side of my head. As in, depending on how you looked at me, I had two different haircuts going on at the same time. Not cool, especially for someone as self-conscious as I can be at times. After the 3rd time of going back for her to "fix" it, I decided enough was enough. c) She never quite paid attention. She was always talking to someone else while working on me. Part of the experience of getting your hair done, I think, is the relationshp you have with your girl (or guy). She just wasn't interested in me except for a tip. Eh. I was so done with her.

Which brings me to this wonderfulness. Almost.

My friend Julie recommended her girl, whom she loves. So I started seeing the new girl and I loved her too. But she was a bit awkward with me, and it was not uncomfortable but it wasn't as personal as I would have liked. But she did a great cut and decent color, so it worked. So, I've been seeing the new girl for over a year now. But when it was time to do my roots again, and I called to get an appointment with her, I learned that she broke her knee. Yes, you read that right, she broke her knee. Aparently she was doing some sort of athletic move while playing around in the park and shattered her patella. Ouchies. She won't be back for a while but I still had roots and didn't want to show up at a new job without new hair, you know what I mean? So there's an even newer girl at the same salon and it was love at first sight.

I lurve her. And she made me pretty. Not that you can tell here, but I couldn't wait to show just how amazing the color is. It'll tone down after a few washings, as reds do, but its perfect. She gave me a great cut, and a great blow out, but unfortunately, what you guys get is me, photographing myself with an unwashed face and just a few minutes out of bed. I'll try for a better pick post-gym/shower.



Its redder and little darker than I normally go, but I'm looking forward to that, because in the past its gone a bit too golden after the fading and I think that this will not do the same thing. And, I secured my new new girl for the future - I told her that its nothing personal about the knee girl, but I just loved the way everything came out today and that I'll be seeing her from now on. And I tipped really well, so I'm sure she'll be excited about seeing me again, too. Hooray for great hair!

Eventually I'll be knitting and sewing again, I promise. I just don't have the bug right now, though I do have huge aspirations. We'll see what happens.

Who Does This?

So, this is my week off inbetween jobs. I left my last job on Friday afternoon, and it was so sad and exciting all at once. And now, with this week off, I get to make a true transition. But it makes me wonder - who is out there during the day time? Yesterday I went to the dentist, did a little shopping, got some fake ice cream, and there were all sorts of people around my age just hanging out. Who are you, people of the daytime? They can't all be bartenders, right?

On the way home from the gym this morning, I saw a couple my age walking there dog. In Brooklyn, at around 10:15ish. Just hanging out with their dog and their coffee. On a Tuesday morning. No work? Really?

Walking to Park Slope yesterday to get my Tasti DiLite was the same thing - lots of youngish adults just hanging out. I want their job, I tell you that much!

Today is my special day. I'm going to see my therapist and then I'm getting my hair done. I always feel like an old lady when I say that, but I love it. I love getting my hair done. I'm revamping the color, and I'm totally overdue for a little trim. I think I'm going to keep the layers long this time and really try to grow it out. The color will be a va-va-voom red of the likes you've never seen. I hope. I'm excited!

Of course, as soon as I get over this bout of laziness, pictures of the new hair to follow.

I did it!

Last week, I quit my job. And this Friday is my last day.

Whew.

More details to come, but suffice to say that I am done with the corporate world and am returning to my true love, public service. So public that I'll be working for the city. I don't think excited is a big enough word to contain how thrilled I am with this opportunity and all it can bring me, and me to it. Its so perfectly aligned with my Master's degree, which will make it all the more bearable when I consider that I have about 7 semesters left! And I'm happy about it. Its going to be a challenge for me but I am ready for it.

There, I said it out loud. I've been keeping it under wraps for months because of the nature of the hiring process, but its all approved and ready. For me. Me! Doing what I had labelled as a long-term goal! Hooray!

It So Pretty

I finished my dress! For a week, I let the poor dear languish in unfinished limbo. But on Saturday, I strapped on my working hat and set to finishing. I put in the invisible zipper down the back, then added sleeves (my first time making/inserting sleeves!) and hemmed up the bottom.

I swear, each time I do a zipper they come out better and better. I have finally got the hang of the bottom part, where it rests into the regular back seam. Whew.

And sleeves! I love sleeves!



I don't know if you can tell in this photo, but I had to pleat the sleeves. I wound up altering this dress down a few inches (inches!) once I had cut and assembled the main pieces. So, even though I tried to compensate for that by trimming the sleeves, it didn't work out quite as I had envisioned. Hence, the slight pleating/gathering at the shoulder on both sleeves. I actually much like the detail, to be honest. I think it gives a little charm.

See? Full dress:



I have a photo of the back, which is, well, the back. I'll keep you in suspense for that one. The front has angled darts from the nipple area down and out to the waist. Both sides of the back of mid-center darts as well. I love the shaping of this dress. The waist/hip area fits very well, but the shoulders are a wee bit big. I know how to correct for this if I use this pattern again, and intend to do so.



This is a close-up of the front dart shaping. I truly just love it. In fact, I am wearing it today to work. Its that good. Mike left early this morning or I would have asked him to take a photo of me in it. Someday soon, I will share with the blogosphere.

And I cut the fabric for a new dress right after I finished this one. I already altered the pattern down to a size 10 or so, give the issues with fit I had with this finished dress. Seeing a finished product that I actually feel proud of and want to wear is making me want to make even more. I'm so excited that my skills are improving and I am technically proud of what I have accomplished.

Yay!

Its Hot. And Oh, My Hair

Its hot. We all know this. The even worse thing about it being hot is that I can be very vain when it comes to my hair, and oh, the heat and my hair just don't get along very well.

I have very fine, thin hair. I also have very curly hair. But, and I know you know where this is going, the combo of fine hair and curly hair can only lead to one thing: frizz. Fluff. Not nice hair. To control it and feed my hair-vanity, I have a very systematic process that involves spray-on leave-in conditioner/thickening lotion, the perfect amount of gel, and my trusty hair dryer with diffuser.

But its hot. Its so hot that the mere thought of using a hair dryer makes me start sweating profusely. So all summer I've been on the hunt for products that I can throw in there and let dry naturally. It has been quite a struggle. I know this post would be better with pictures, but I'm at work now and no-can-do captain. But I thought I'd at least share my top faves of the moment:


This is MOP Form Foaming Heavy Hold something or other. It looks liquid in that bottle but when you pump it out, it turns into a foamy, sticky cloud. It is EXCELLENT as a thickener but can leave you a little sticky.

Then there's this, ThickenUp by Paul Mitchell. Now, I know people either love or hate PM, but I love this stuff. I love all PM products, really. And this one is good. I could also see using this one as my first step in the diffuser process, not just for drying naturally.

It seems that Blogger doesn't want to load any more photos, so you kids are outta luck and get links only.

The final waste of my money has been this lovely yet strange thing. I initially purchased it almost a year ago as a second-day-curl-enhancer which never quite worked out. It got too sticky and hard and cracked and strange. But its smells delish and I never gave up hope. This morning I used it on wet hair for the first time, and oh, the goodness. Its soft and curly and smells so good I want to eat it.

If anyone has curly hair and has questions, let me know. In my next life, I will definitely be a hairdresser. And now I go to work.