catnip and coffee

Okay, I really need to talk about my hair again today. Superficial yes, but I don’t care. I’ve already told you a little of my coloring woes, but this is more about stylists.

Here’s the background. I have curly hair. Not super duper curly like one of my sisters, nor just slightly wavy like the other. It’s somewhere in between. I usually encourage the curl instead of fighting it. When I fight it, it just gets fuzzy. Please don’t tell me to use anti-frizz products - I’ve tried them all. Products tend to make my hair flat and greasy. As much hair as I have, the individual strands are very fine and my scalp is oily so I have to wash it every day. I rarely blow dry it, but when I do, I use a diffuser and fluff up the curls.

I have a hard time finding a stylist that understands how to cut my hair. I always have layers in it to combat “the tent” look, you know what I’m talking about. But long layers so I don’t have helmet head either. The thing about layers though, is that I hate it when you can see them, a la, “the shelf”. I like them to blend. It’s a rare stylist that knows how to do invisible layers, and when I find one, I stick with her.

Bless you if you’re still with me, but I went through this whole looong story to say I finally found a great stylist this week after living here for over 2 years. I really love the cut. However. Why, why, oh why must every stylist I’ve ever had attempt to blow my hair out straight??!! Seriously, she just gave me a cut specifically to make it curly nicely, and I’d like to see how that worked out!

Please, someone enlighten me about this. Is it that they glimpse a head of curly hair and see a challenge? Are they taking pity on me because I tell them I usually air dry? Do they think I don’t have the knowledge to blow it out so they’re going to show me how? Are my curls actually ugly and they’re trying to give me a hint? Is it that they’re just trying to be nice and pamper me in their weird way? Do they think they’ve combed out all the curl during the cutting process and they don’t want to re-wet it and start over?

Isn’t curly hair finally back in style? So what’s up with the straightening? Someone out there, if you know the answer, please tell me!! I really want to know.

It’s official. She is the funniest blogger on the planet. I got nothin’ today, so go read her instead. I’ll just be here refreshing tomorrow’s forecast.

I really have to do some work today, but want to share something with you first. It’s kinda hairy. Literally. Disclaimer: if you’re a boy and you don’t want your rosy vision of girls lives to be ruined, look away now please.

Okay, now that they’re gone….

I have a confession. I have a few stray hairs in some odd places. Like the one next to my bellybutton. That’s the one that doesn’t hurt like hell when I pluck it anymore, since my c-section cut off all the nerve endings in my lower abdomen. Pants too tight? Can’t feel it! Cell phone vibrating in my front pocket? Can’t feel it! Pluck that hair? Not a twinge! Hey, if you guys are still here, it’s just your own fault.

Ahem. Okay, there’s also the solitary hair under my chin. Let’s just say I know I inherited that one from my mother. And I should expect more as I get older.

I will also confess to having a mono brow that I pluck regularly, but that’s nothing compared to having to use my cuticle scissors to clip my nose hairs once in awhile lest I get a moustache growing of of there. Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about!

I suppose it’s to be expected to have nose hairs in my nose. But here’s the real horror people: what about one on your nose? Yes indeed, I was inspecting my face on Saturday morning (you all do that don’t you?) and I found what I at first thought was a teeny tiny blackhead. But it wasn’t. I had to pull it with the tweezers, and dang it really smarted. It was, in fact, a little tiny hair growing out the TOP of my nose. Tiny, but a hair nonetheless, and it was dead center. I am officially old.

My parents reminded me of a an anniversary today. Twenty two years ago my father had a heart attack. It was Mother’s Day. I was in eighth grade. I had forgotten. Not that he had a heart attack, but that it was on Mother’s Day. It was good I came here this weekend. It was good to spend time with them both.

I’d rather have a little India Arie stuck in my head all day:

I’ve always wanted to try making risotto, but it sounds so intimidating doesn’t it? Well when I saw this version of it on Pioneer Woman Cooks I couldn’t help but think it was actually doable. I pretty much followed her recipe to the letter. My only changes were to run the onions and garlic in the food processor - I didn’t want chunks. I also discovered grating real parmigiano reggiano will only make your knuckles bleed - take my advice and run that through the processor too!

Apparently, the most important thing about making risotto is: you must stand at the stove and stir stir stir, every few minutes. For about 40 minutes. So if you want a make it and walk away recipe, stay away from this. BUT if you want a truly glorious food experience, go, try it right now! It is so worth the effort.

Oh and by the way, it was great this morning too, when I ate it cold for breakfast!

When the color on the box is nothing like the color it turns out on your hair.

<deep sigh>

I naturally have very (? it’s hard to remember!) dark hair, but with a few bright white bits of fishing line hairs thrown in. I typically just do highlights to distract you from blend the gray. I’ve did some crazy highlights over the winter so when I started to see roots I thought that this time I thought I’d just do an all over color, lighter than my natural shade, but slightly darker than my highlights. I also wanted it a little more red. Doesn’t “medium auburn” sound about right? It did to me. But, no. It might as well have been labeled dark blah.

On a different note - I have something fun coming up later this week! Here’s a hint.

Everyone, I’d like to introduce my nephew Nate, a newly graduated Airman in the Air Force! I’d post one of his super freaking cute baby pictures but he probably learned how to kill with his pinky finger, or something like that, while he was in basic, and I’m just not willing to risk it. No really, it’s because I don’t have any of him that don’t also include me and there’s NO WAY I’m posting evidence of my big 80’s 90’s hair. (Okay, I still have big hair, but whatever.)

Anyway, he just moved to Pensacola but doesn’t have off base privileges yet and so he’s been bored all week, waiting for his next round of classes to start. He’s so bored he’s shopping online on his cellphone because he doesn’t even have his computer yet. Yesterday his ennui was soooo bad I risked my secret identity and sent him my blog to read. Heh. You just know a 20 year old man (dang - just saying that makes me feel really old) is just going love reading about his auntie’s life of motherhood and gardening. I haven’t heard from him since this message last night: “LOL your blog lolol.” I’m pretty sure he’s laughing at me not with me, eh Nate? Hmm, I may have sent him into a glassy eyed stupor with my writing.

So now, everyone wave hi, and leave a comment for Nate! I’ll make sure he comes back to read them!!!

I have a great day today! I neglected everything all day in order for my boy and I to have a playdate with my sister and her boy! I just love days like that, unplanned and just perfect. (Thank you dear, for coming to visit us!) Not only that, but she brought me plants! And helped me plant them! What could be better

I’ve spent this evening working on my other website, the one for work. Meh. It’s hard. I want it to be perfect and I want to fuss with it, but, because of the platform it’s on there are a number of things I don’t know how to do myself. It’s a bit frustrating. DH, aka my own personal technogeek, will have time this weekend to work on it, but in the meantime, dang….I just want to get it done!! Sorry honey! Mostly it’s because I’m excited about it, and I think it’s really starting to come together the way I envisioned. It promise to reveal it here first just as soon as it’s ready to launch!

ps. I finished a book last night! I won’t, however, tell you what it was, cause I’m embarrassed, but I did finish it! Now I’ll start on something a little more worthy. heh. (if you believe that….)

I just tried to write a post about why I don’t read as many books as I used to. The basic premise was that I just don’t have the same attention span since I’ve been a mother as I did when I was younger. Problem is, I got bored writing it. See? Lack of focus! <Sigh.> Anyway. I’ve really been trying hard to read more books. (As opposed to all the other brainless crap I do.) I’ve got a stack waiting for me to dive it. Let’s just see if I can unplug more often so I can.

Maybe that’ll be my Earth Day pledge. Turn off the TV, put the computer to sleep, and pick up a novel.