Welcome, 2013

Hooray for a new year! I always find it refreshing, invigorating, exciting, etc. to start a new year. This year is different for me in many ways, but one of the biggest differences is that I am a mother this year. Right from the very start. It has changed me in a lot of ways and taught me many things.

I am excited to start another year. Sometimes I look back on the passing year and think, "Wow, what a fun, amazing year". This year, I'm thinking there were some amazing things that happened, but also a lot of difficult things. 2012 kind of feels like the year I became an adult (and aged 5 years). Dealing with illnesses, injuries, and deaths last year, on top of having a brand new baby and my husband graduating law school, preparing for & taking the bar exam... It was a heavy year.

Welcome, 2013. Let's see what you've got.

Cozies

I grew up in a place that didn't have much in the way of changing seasons. Then I went to college in the mountain west and then got married and moved around a bit within the rocky mountain states. My mother, bless her heart, doesn't really know much about winter weather, having grown up in southern California and then never spent much time in snowy climes. I had to learn about winter living on my own.

So, for a long time I HATED winter. I dreaded the snow and I didn't know why anyone would choose to live somewhere that had a snowy winter. I have changed a bit since. I learned how to deal with winter. Then I started to think it wasn't so bad for a month or so. Now, I wouldn't say I love winter, but you know what? I kind of like it. I sort of like when we get a huge snow storm and the day before, everyone is at the grocery store stocking up on essentials. And then, when the storm comes, dropping something like 8 inches overnight, it's kind of fun to just hunker down and watch The Office reruns and eat creamy, cheesy soups.

Anyway, I have a few things I'd love to have for the coming coldy days and nights.

1/2/3/4/5

Hair, 2

OK, so the hair. I did it. I got it cut. I like it very much, but to be truthful, I kind of wish I had gone shorter. Maybe. Let's hope I don't go 7 months without a cut next time. Or ever again. Anyway, here it is:

I have only done it once myself since Saturday when it was cut. I'm excited to see the other things I can do with it.

Also, that day that I was taking pictures of it, I decided I really need to start using night treatment creams. Ergh...

Change of Hair

Well, hello there. I'm getting my hair cut on Saturday afternoon and I can't wait. The last time I got my hair cut was March 7. No trims or anything since then. Ugh. It is way overdue. I'd blame it on being a mom, but let's face it - I haven't been good about regular hair cuts since my mom was making the appointments (and paying for them).

Oh yeah, I'm a mom. My son is about 5.5 months old. Get this - I was having a text-convo with my mom several weeks ago and I mentioned that I saw some cute stuff at BabyGap and she responded with, "next thing I know, you'll be cutting your hair and wearing mom jeans!" Um, thanks.
I don't think she understands Baby Gap. Whatever.

Anyway, I'm tired of looking like Robert Plant. I'm ready for a big change. It's not that I think long curly hair is bad. I think it can be pretty if it is well taken care of and a regular trim schedule is maintained. I haven't been doing that, though, so mine is not healthy, soft, or shiny. The layers are all grown out weird and it just has no life.
 If my hair looked like this when long (with minimal effort), maybe I'd be happy to have it long:


via

One thing I've realized is that it is hard to Google image search for curly hairstyle ideas because there are so few out there that are natural! There are tons of articles and slideshows out there for easy, beachy waves or curly styles to embrace your natural texture but it is obvious that many of them require just as much styling effort (or more) as it would be to just straighten the whole thing out.

I have found some inspiration by way of a new-ish Gap model.

This is the more styled, relaxed curl version

This one is the more natural curl style (although, I'm sure it took some effort). I'm guessing this girl has a different ethnicity than I have and that her hair is, in fact, chemically relaxed. Also, her hair seems coarser and perhaps thicker than mine.

I'll have to discuss it with my stylist, but I hope I come out looking chic and young rather than frumpy and mom-ish. Whatever that means. I always say that there is nothing inherently more feminine or more youthful (or less frumpy) about long hair as opposed to short hair. Long or short hair can look bad. It's all in the care you give it and the cut. If it flatters you, go with it. It bugs me when some women cling to their long hair like a security blanket but it obviously has damaged, scraggly ends.

Whatever happens, I'll be excited to say goodbye to this janky mess: