just do it

one thing my dad has unconsciously instilled in me is the idea that, why should you pay for something when you can make or do it yourself? granted, sometimes it's worthwhile to pay for convenience, but overall it's a waste of money. it also helps a great deal if you are competent at fixing or making said things! that's why dad is doing all the work himself to remodel my parents' bathroom and replace all the flooring in our house (eventually); because he's a handy type of guy. me on the other hand, i stick to the more artsy and creative projects--knitted pillow covers and scarves, hand-sewn skirts, etc...the "project" that inspired this little blurb was something as simple, and complex, as a haircut.

it may seem relatively insignificant and unimportant to most people, but my hair and i have had a love/hate relationship for 20+ years now. a lot of the fight was due to my daily dips into a chlorine-infested pool, which stripped the natural oils and conditioners out of my unruly curls. you know what they say about college, and how that's the time of life when you discover a lot of things about yourself? it's true! my "aha!" moment came when i got my locks cut at bliss! salon in forest grove, or. the stylist told me that curly hair is notoriously dry, so shampooing every day was more hurtful than beneficial. conditioning on a daily basis with only intermittent shampoos, plus leave-in conditioners and taking it easy on the straightener, would restore manageability to my 'do. sure enough, she was right! even during swim season i began to love my hair and wore it down on a near daily basis, instead of the usual pony tail/bun that had been routine to keep the frizz down.

but i digress...a few haircuts ago, i asked for fringe bangs to deviate from the normal side-sweep. it was ridiculously simple, but i'm not one to make major changes to my hair without a professional doing it first! they were a tad annoying to maintain so i eventually ended up going back to the side-sweep, but the other night i decided that 1) i need a trim and 2) i wanted something different to break from growing out the drastic cut i got a year ago. so, bring on the bangs! an hour later this morning, i am rocking the fringe and, to tie things back to my starting point, i saved myself a good $45 by NOT going to the salon and taking matters into my own hands. add to that the drilling and screwing and hanging of curtains that i did earlier this week, i'm feeling quite handy and proud of myself! thanks for the lesson, dad.