A Short Life Choice

Remember 2007 Brittany Spears? The breakdown. The shaved head. That’s me. Well, kinda. I didn’t shave it all off, but I went as close as I’ve ever gone. It happened because Southwest Florida is really freakin hot in the summer. It’s miserable-hot from April to November and less-miserable-hot from December through March.

A couple years ago I cut it pretty short, but got talked out of the full pixie cut I wanted. It ended up looking a little dreadful and weirdly bowl-like for a while. This time I went in to the salon armed with pictures and determination. It was overkill. Jessie, my stylist, was delighted to cut all my hair off. She chattered the entire time, which usually makes me nervous, but I was too focused on the piles of blonde hair that were starting to completely encircling us. I kept telling myself to breathe. It's just hair. It'll grow back. Maybe I can start a wig trend. Breathe. It's just hair.

And here’s the newest me! I love it. Absolutely love it. In fact, I think I might try one of the below pictures next time. My other plan, (and this is just an idea, I’m still a little scared about following through) is to let my roots grow out and in a couple hair cuts, I’ll know what my real hair color is again. I’ve been coloring it since I was 17, so it’s anyone’s guess what the color is and how much has turned gray. I’m thinking the gray is significant since Cayden and Ezra came long. Micah was a pretty good, if loud, kid. His younger brothers seem determined to fight over everything from which identical plate they use for dinner, to who can pour the most water out of the bathtub before mama gets mad. Speaking of the kids, they think I cut my hair all off so that I match the rest of my male household. Eyeroll.

Love Ginnifer's look!

Or maybe a grown up Hermione?

I like the gray-lavenderish color

But back to my hair. If I do end up coloring it, I’m still deciding on the shade. I’m considering a lavender, since the last time my hair was to dark to really appreciate the full purple-ness. Thoughts?

With Love,

Susanne

I Nailed it!

Since Chase is in Orlando picking up his boat with the little boys, yesterday I had a free afternoon to finally get my nails done/declawed/repaired... it’s been a few weeks and they. are. rough. 

 

However, I live in Naples. And it's the middle of season. As if I could just waltz into a salon without an appointment and not have to wait. So when my fav nail place told me it would be an hour till they could fit me in, I decided to find an alternative fav nail place.

I made the decision solely on two facts: alternative salon was right beside my take-out restaurant of choice, and it was $10 cheaper than anywhere else! Which is a lot in nail world, at least for me. I’m all about a good deal and I’ll sacrifice to save money.

And I did. Not a single person in the salon looked happy- they all acted as if they were getting a tooth pulled, which worried me a bit. How could you sit in a massage chair and have Angry Face? Then there were the weird, almost nude gilt frame pictures on the wall. Not really appropriate for the amount of children that seemed to be running free between the chairs. But $10 is $10, right?

I had to be sneaky taking this picture- it was at too awkward an angle for me to play it off like I was taking a selfie

 

Luckily, Ivey did a great job and I’m pleased with the results, even though she forgot about me several times because she was busy scolding her kid.  How did I know her name was Ivey? Because the lady next to me was either trying to impress, or just had a great memory. She called Every staff person by their name- and knew their kids- and their spouses! I don’t know about you, but when I am getting my hair or nails done, it’s me time. I don’t really want to engage in chit chat. The time I get away from work and little people is very limited and I prefer to sit quietly being pampered. 

 (Upon reflection of the above paragraph, it sounds a little snobby. I’m not rude- if they want to talk, I’m friendly. I just don’t initiate the conversation. Better?)

My ring is an heirloom- it was Chase's grandma's wedding ring.

 

I also felt extreme guilt over my former nail polish choice, pink sparkle glitter, as Ivey went about the arduous task of removing said glitter. I don’t blame her for making faces and muttering, what I'm sure were not complimentary, comments about me to her co-worker. What can I say? I heart glitter, even if it is impossible to take off.

Don't judge my life choices

 

So I smile and tip well, and try not to make eye contact with naked wall pictures. All in all, I think I’ll go back. At least it’s not boring.

With Love,

Susanne

What Not to Wear (because it will kill you)

I love history, and what I find the most interesting is how people used to live. What they wore, how they interacted, what they ate, their habits and customs. I'm still listening to the 'Into the Wilderness' book series and it takes place in the early 1800s. When the mortality rate was still incredibly high and death was an accepted part of life.

On that cheery note, I am here today to bring a very throw-back version of What Not to Wear, your great-great-great-great grandmother's edition.

I think we can all agree this entire outfit is a fail. From the peach glasses to the pearl and fringe shirt, complete with shoulder pads.

Mercury was used in the making of men's top hats back in the 1700's, and the haberdashers who employed this method paid dearly for their craft. They were the 'mad hatters' that Lewis Carroll brought to life in Alice in Wonderland. They suffered from tremors, erratic behavior, excessive drooling, kidney disease, and hallucinations. Even though doctors were warning people about the dangers of mercury as early as 1757, the process continued until the 1960's when hats were no longer what the cool kids wore. So in a way, by not wearing a hat, Elvis saved a lot of lives!

I'm sure we've all heard about the ancient Chinese custom of foot binding. This cruel status symbol essentially broke a girl's feet and kept them tightly bound so they were never more than 4 inches long! If they were really lucky, their toes would fall off, so the food could be even smaller! Women could barely walk and had to be carried everywhere- because, of course, they were so wealthy they had servants to do their walking for them. I think the equivalent is today's high heels. Have you ever worn a pair for more than a couple hours- torture!! Oh, and want to know the worst part? This continued up until the 20th century- the last factory making shoes for these women was open until 1999!

Then, of course, there were the ballerinas who danced on stages surrounded by gas lights- more than a few went up in flames when their gauzy outfits swept too close to the fire. Or how about as recently as 1999 when two women were electrocuted because the underwire in their bras acted as a conductor!
Is that Victoria's secret- death by fashion? And I can't forget good old Queen Elizabeth I- she used lead-based powder, which become a fad at court, and killed many of her subjects.

Making my stage debut as the starring character. Don't remember who I played, just that I worked really hard to win that audition and poufy purple dress.

In conclusion, maybe think twice before you paint radium on your nails and teeth because it glows in the dark, or use bleach and ammonia to achieve that platinum hair (ala Jean Harlow). Better to have large feet and brown hair, than fall prey to fashion killers!

PS- check out all the above links. The full stories behind these fashion trends is fascinating. 

Happy Monday!

With Love,
Susanne