This is Beth. Mandi is one of my favorite people. Last year she cut off her long flowing locks, a fairly dramatic change.
Before:
After:
She is, of course, still beautiful. Inside and out!
Coming soon: a series of posts featuring other spectacular hair transformations.
This is Beth. And it’s March.
1. The Do—It’s Up and Accessory month.
Inspired by celebrity updos (several examples from the Academy Awards, thanks Jilly):
The very dark continues (so, not a new brunette, but I like the song).
2. Music (what was playing at the salon during the doing of the do)—Note: While I do get to pick the blog post title song, I don’t get to pick what plays at Bang. Often the salon is noisy, I only hear a few songs. This time: Don’t You Forget About Me—Simple Minds (the fourth time the song [or The Breakfast Club] has come up in as many days), I Wanna Dance With Somebody—Whitney Houston, and TIme After Time—Cyndi Lauper. Seriously ’80s.
3. Drink (what I sipped at the salon during the doing of the do)—Note: I do get to choose the do-appropriate drink. This time, a recipe from my Northampton friend—Jeff’s Bellini Martini.
Vodka, peach schnapps, prosecco (or champagne). The drink is fancy, like some of the updos I’ll attempt. It requires a shaker and special glass. All totally worth it.
4. The Theories—Two ends of a spectrum: super fancy party-ready undo or (and) super casual throw it in a ponytail.
From eHow.com Style by Marianne Moro: “An updo hairstyle involves pinning the hair on the top or sides of the head in a formal fashion. Usually reserved for special occasions like parties, weddings and funerals, the style can be adapted into a loose version for everyday wear. The most common “updo” stereotype is of a librarian with a tight bun of hair pinned on top of her head. But in the modern day updos are commonly used by teen girls at prom time, by actresses during award shows, and by everyday women who want a new look.”
By the way, I know lots of librarians and none of them wear buns. None fit a traditional “librarian” stereotype in any way, really.
5. Reactions—Although I just saw Monica at Bang, I started wearing the do up/with accessories (simple styles) the first of the month. So far not much of a reaction. Gotta admit, I’m glad Liz made a big splash with a dramatic, fun March do.
Monica spent some time time showing many ways to do updos, I hope to remember even half of them!
P.S. Title song: Billy Bragg from Talking With the Taxman About Poetry (“Whoops, there goes another year [whoops, there goes another pint of beer]”).
This is Beth. Last month friends and coworkers expressed some disappointment when the new do didn’t appear on the first of the month. Liz and I promise to debut new dos within the first week [JJ].
Meanwhile, I’ll continue the February theme by sharing pics of dark-haired good guys – female characters – brainstormed at the bar:
I plan to see Monica at Bang next week (within the first week of the month). At that time I’ll share the “five elements” of the monthly do. However, I’m revealing the plan for March now – it’s Up & Accessory month for me. That started today:
Thanks to Bill (of the facial hair series), I have a hair planning tool that will come in very handy:
P.S. Some of you [JJ] may be disappointed in me this month. Perhaps up & accessories seems boring, lame, a bit of a cop out. I’ll try to keep it interesting; I hope I can make it up to you later in the year; I think Liz might reveal a more dramatic March do (!).
This is Beth. Reporting on February Dark.
It was dramatic enough to elicit several “I didn’t recognize you”s. That’s as mysterious as I got.
I also heard, “You look like a different person” more than once. It made me think of Billy Joel’s The Stranger.
“They’re the faces [hair] of the stranger but we love to try them on.”
The “You remind me of”s amused me: Charlie’s Angels, Jersey Girl, Bono’s Sister (if he had one), and Madonna in Like a Prayer.
Friends sent me examples of dark hair:
Jewish celebrities (apparently a “type” some find attractive).
And:
Inexplicable.
P.S. Thanks to fabulous February guest bloggers
and baby
P.P.S. Random comb-on-the-street shot for February:
This is Beth. The little hair/blog project has spurred more-than-usual self reflection. A recent article about the “end of history illusion” further fueled my thoughts.
It says, basically, that most of us have a pretty good idea of how we’ve changed from who we were in the past into the person we are today. However, most folks don’t have much of a concept of how much we’ll continue to change in the future.
I’m 44.
I know I’m a very different person than I was at 24. I was… shy. Now I’m much more of a geek. The kind of geek defined here by Simon Pegg, reposted from George Takei by a friend on Facebook:
Evidence – the little hair/blog project.
Who will I be at 64? Will I keep changing in the same direction? Or revert back to quiet and private? And what will my hair look like?!?
P.S. The loves of my life are my babes (happy birthday!). I probably wouldn’t have predicted them when I was 24. When I’m 64 they’ll turn 27. I do know of the future that I’ll still love them, other family, and good friends. Some of those friends have been around since well before my 24th birthday, others appeared more recently. What newer friends will I have by the time I’m 64? And about the elusive life partner…? Isn’t that what The Beatles song is really about?
P.P.S. Link to the song. And a version with ukulele and dog.
Hola! Karen MacMeekin, new guest blogger, writing from La Peñita de Jaltemba, Mexico. A little background for those of you who don’t know me. My husband and I have been traveling, pretty much continuously, since July, 2011. We spent 2 months in Canada, one year in southern South America, four months on the back roads of the US, and we are now traveling through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala for the next 3.5 months. Oh yeah, and all in the relative comfort of our camper, named “La Casa.”
Our “campground” in Cuzco, Peru – complete with llamas.
Beth and I have been friends for 20 years – we met at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, then Natural History, in 1993. When she and Liz started this blog, I have to admit, my first reaction was jealousy! I have always spent time and money on my hair and have been with the same stylist, Kim Muehle of Le Petit Salon in Boulder, for over 20 years.
Me, or at least my hair, after a visit to Kim. Notice the subtle hints of auburn highlights which complement the sassy, swinging haircut.
However, during the past 18 months or so, I have had two – yes two – haircuts; one in Cuzco, Peru (Christmas 2011) and one in Sucre, Bolivia (June 2012). My head has gone from being stylish and well-coiffed to a big hot mess of dark mousy brown with what I call sprigs of gray. Yuk. And here is Miss Beth and Liz going to the salon at least once a month, if not more. God, I hate them.
Traveling has done nothing for my hair. Or, really…I have done nothing to maintain my style. I pretty much wear it in a ponytail. EVERY DAY. Somedays, I’ll mix it up:
A messy bun…just messy, right?
The Babushka look is always a popular choice
The low sidepony is, according to the Top 10 Easy Travel Hairstyles on dailymakeover.com, an elegant choice when you can’t wash or blow-dry your hair. Not exactly…
Hell, whenever in doubt, just cover it up with a cap – just make sure you have penguins in the photo so people don’t focus on the hair!
So, there you have it. My testimonial that your stylist is indeed your god. Seriously, would I have given up a month of traveling (close to what my visits to the salon would have cost…) for better hair. Perhaps. No, not really. Maybe. Ok, definitively, no. But I cannot wait to get back to the states, get a job, and then go visit Kim for a day of luxury.
Like Michelle, here is a bonus pic of when I was a young girl – quite blond with no additional chemicals needed.
This is Beth. And this is a little friend who has lots of dark hair.
Her mom told me that when she was born instead of saying, “It’s a girl,” they said, “Look at all that hair!”
She had her first haircut recently.
Did Angel cry? Nope, she loved the attention. Quite the diva said Mama (who also didn’t cry as anticipated).
P.S. The professional kid haircutter recommended no bangs – little-girl bangs tend to grow out into little-girl mullets in a few months. Mama agreed, dodged one there. I may not be so lucky in a few months.
This is Beth. I once went curly on demand. For a guy. I was young. It was so long ago, in fact, that the straight do I had been doing was the Rachel. The relationship didn’t last, although a friendship did. The curly hair still comes and goes.
I think of it because a friend recently embraced her curls with the support and encouragement of her partner. She said, “he is pleased that in the past year he’s gotten me over my fear of my naturally curly hair. You may recall it used to be pin-straight all the time. I used to spend waaaaay too long on that! Now straight is an option, not a must.” He calls this her best hair year ever.
It’s a love story, with a hair component!
Happy Day.
P.S. Thanks Kate and Troy.
P.P.S. Happy Birthday Liz!
This is Beth. As promised, February features friends with dark hair. First up, Kate and Kate—both work at a neighboring museum, both like beverages.
Cheers!
Changing the Locks 