A Bad Day at The Salon...

With my husband having off for MLK day, I decided it would be a great day to go get my hair cut and highlighted.

When did I make that decision, one might ask? Well, this morning around 10:30AM.

Did I call ahead to see if my normal stylist was there? No.

Did I leave the salon when I found out that she wasn't on the schedule for the day? No.

I looked around and settled on a stylist that had done a deep conditioning treatment on my hair before...a stylist that had never even lifted a pair of scissors to my hair.

Was this a mistake? OH, H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS - YES!!!

As you can see from my photos on the left side of my blog, I have VERY curly hair. I explained this to the stylist several times. I told her that my hair does not like layers. I also told her my hair craves/needs length to help keep the curls from curling up as tight as a poodles. I then went on to tell her that I wanted some more highlights (to cover the grays that keep popping up). I told her to keep it a soft blonde like I already had.

For some reason, when she was cutting my hair after the highlights were complete she had me turned away from the mirror. I have a lot of hair so I just assumed it was so she could get around a bit easier. Yes, I am a fool! She was trying to hide not only the crazy layers she was adding to my hair but the color as well.

When she spun me around, I not only noticed that a lot of my length was gone but that my highlights were that bluish platinum blonde. I seriously had to hold back the tears.

Source: someecards.com via Dana on Pinterest

So, from now until the length and the layers grow out and the color fades...I will be wearing a lot of low cut blouses!

What is your hair nightmare story?

How do you tame frizzy hair?!

It has been raining since Sunday late night in Maryland. I may have to put the girls in their life jackets and the kayak to get them to the bus stop tomorrow morning. It has been the grey, heavy downpour, yucky kind of rain that makes you want to stay under the covers...

The only problem with doing so is my hair! You've seen how curly it is. Rain (moisture of any kind really) is not my hair's best friend. By 6:30AM my hair was taking over my husband's side of the bed just from letting Jamaica outside for a potty break. By noon I couldn't fit down the hallway between the bedrooms. I may have actually left some scratch marks along the walls!

So, just as I was about to throw it up into another ponytail and hide it under a sports headband I decided to try something different...

Self photo...another new trick I am trying to master. I know, I still need a lot of practice :-(

I went for something I have been seeing in all the magazines and actually do to my both of my daughters' hair but have only done on my own hair two times before. Mostly because I am not the most skilled at doing my own hair. So, I went for a french braid down the left side and then ended it with a braided bun on the left side of my neck. It worked out the very first try...WOOHOO!!!

It was a great way to keep the frizzies under control and out of my face (and everyone elses too!).

How do you tame your frizzies?! Ponytail? Baseball hat? A certain product you want to share? I'd love to know.

Rain rain go away...
Kristen wants to let her curls down to sway!  (Pretty please)

The Knot Fairy

Two Christmases ago, my in-laws gave my girls the perfect book. It is called "The Knot Fairy" and is written by Bobbie Hinman and illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman.

She looks cute and all but do not invite this fairy into your home...she is worse than a vampire!

This book has become a regular read in our house. Why?! Because the Knot Fairy visits our house almost every night when our girls are off in dreamland. We have tried to set traps. We have set up motion detectors. We have hired dragons to keep watch during the night. No matter what our attempts to keep the Knot Fairy away she still finds her way into our girls' bedrooms and reeks havoc on their long hair. When my girls get out of bed it looks like they were caught in a windstorm!!


This is Bean this AM. Notice the tangles start at the top...UGH!!!

Ash's hair is a lot easier to tackle. Thank goodness...because she is the one that complains it hurts before the brush even touches her head! I can basically break my way through the knots that Knot Fairy left behind in 3 minutes flat (yes, I've timed it...). Bean's hair is a whole different story. I think the Knot Fairy likes to stay and play a while in Jenna's hair because it looks like gold silk. I honestly believe she neglects other kids on her night's schedule to spend more time tying knots in Bean's hair!! Bean is a trooper though and she loves her long, blonde hair so she puts up with the battle between brush and knots EVERY morning. I have tried leave in conditioner & leave in conditioner spray. I have spent more money on hair products for her hair than I have on my own. (You all have seen my crazy curly hair...if anyone needs expensive hair products...it is DEFINITELY me!!) But truly, my girls love their long hair and refuse to cut it short (I've even bribed them). So, I have searched high & low (price ranges that is) and I finally went back to what I call an "old school" product. Old school because I used to use their products when I was in school and that was a long time ago. I used them until I made enough money to set up an appointment at a fancy hair salon and let them talk me out of over the counter hair products (Yep, you got it...SUCKER is written across my forehead. I'm surprised you didn't notice it on the pictures I have posted.) Anyway, I was desperate and maybe a bit nostalgic when a certain product in purple caught my eye on the shelf at Target. (Sorry Chris, but I was there...again. Don't worry, I got out of the door without spending $100 this time. The total was only $99.99.) So, I took the product off the shelf. Read the ingredients (pretended I knew that they were all miracle knot untying ingredients) and tossed it into my cart with the cute new tunic length top and leggings, a pair of ballet flats, Rio on DVD, a retro t-shirt with the old game "Pitfall" on it in a size small from the men's section (because it is for me not the hubs) and some random bags of candy. (I told you that Knot Fairy was trouble!!! Look how much money I ended up spending at Target because of her!!!)

That night I couldn't wait for the Knot Fairy to show up. I gave the dragons the night off, I turned off the motion detectors and put away all of the traps (not that they were working but I am always hopeful). I was ready to let the Knot Fairy have the night of all nights! Well, you can see in the picture above that my plan worked. I'm surprised the Knot Fairy didn't wake everyone in the neighborhood with the party she had in Bean's hair!!

I was calm and relaxed though because I was armed with this...

The Knot Fairy's nemesis

See, I knew some of you would recognize this product! Oh and the way it smells...I'm starting to think my dog's hair could benefit from it too!! Anyway, I had the brush in one hand and the spray in the other and I was fit for battle. I sprayed lightly on the top and underside of Bean's hair and started with the brush at the bottom and worked my way to the top. Let me just tell you, this stuff is INCREDIBLE!!! The brush slid through with ease and Bean stared at her beautiful, golden locks in the mirror with a smile instead of tears welling up in her eyes. She, like me, either loves a smell or wants to vomit...again, with me, there is no middle ground. She did a twirl and said, "Now we need to do the after picture, right Mommy?". And I said, "We sure do!"

Seriously, Rumpelstiltskin is drooling over this hair!!

Has the Knot Fairy been to your house recently?