The Pixie Posts: My Pros and Cons

 {Corresponding lists written before I got the cut; notes in italics are edits from after I actually lived with the haircut for a couple of days.}

Source

Pros

1. Less style time and effort
2. Less heat on the neck
3. Doesn’t weigh me down
4. Dries a lot (LOT) faster, therefore not as cold for the first half of the winter day {okay so I ended up having to blowdry every day to keep my naturally-super-straight from going all flat and zero-volume on me...}
5. Can use more barrettes and little clips
6. Can use scarves! {and the momma got me an adorable one for the Big Day ^.^ }
7. Can also use more hats
8. Very fun and daring step
9. Hair won’t be ruined by the weather
10. Will make my Look more stylish and bold
11. Shows off the face more
12. Goes well with natural/unwaxed brows {seriously I looove the way my eyebrows look just under the bang tips}
13. Grows insanely fast (in case I don’t like it)
14. Um. I already do that anyway. Duh. {and less conditioning required! I used to use it to prevent mega tangles; now I just use it occasionally to combat heat damage}
15. If my haircut dictates a guy’s interest, I’m not interested. {but everyone loves it anyway :) }
16. But they’ve okay-ed it, and it’ll grow back
17. Good for bold hair colors, like red {my hair looks less red and more just... fun... I don't really know what this color would be... auburn? no it's lighter than that... caramel? yeah I'll go with strawberry... caramel... or something}
18. Grabs attention and makes a statement
19. Short hair shows off the healthier roots rather than damaged ends
20. ...Well, it can always grow back. {to be re-cut and donated, naturally}
21. From our limited knowledge of face shapes, a pixie is right for this face shape {I was right! win!}
22. ...They’ll grow out too...
23. It gives me a good reason to work on my budding knowledge and experience with makeup. Plus, with less hair-styling time, I’ll have the time to do said makeup on weekdays.
24. Who wants to hide? {yes I am an adorable kickbutt ex-nun-turned-fairy!}
25. It’s a good thing my style has recently taken a specific form, then.
26. They also judge teenagers, Christians, homeschoolers, military folks, opinionated people, authors, missionaries, and a whole lotta other people. Get over it.
27. There’s also a lot of beauty and allure in a strong personality, confidence, one’s eyes and facial expression, one’s neck and shoulders... should I continue? {so. much. truth.}
28. Earrings and necklaces are really shown off and visible
29. People don’t play with or do my hair very much anyway, and half of those that do are kids who get toy wrenches or hairbrushes stuck in my hair

Cons

1. Fewer style choices {although I've discovered great new products, whereas previously products in general were kind of not-my-thing}
2. Could be cold in winter {but not with scarves! which I apparently never knew I love, because I never actually used them before}
3. Could feel kind of naked/exposed {try elegant and classy!}
4. ...Okay, got me there. {Mwahaha HEAT DAMAGE blargh}
5. Can’t do curling, braiding, hair ties, etc. {so far, don't miss it. I get to ruffle and fluff and run my hands through my hair!}
6. Don’t own or know how to use scarves... {sooo much easier than I expected and ohmyword all the adorable options!}
7. ...Oh.
8. Possibly very dangerous and risky step
9. ...I got nothing.
10. Will make my Look less girly/soft/sweet {...um yeah nope just gotta know how to work it right}
11. Makes blemishes/imperfections more noticeable {what blemishes? all I see are my awesome FRECKLES :D }
12. ...Got nothing for that one either.
13. Grows insanely fast (if I do want to stick with it)
14. Have to wash it every day or every other day {TRUTH}
15. Guys generally prefer long hair {but I don't!}
16. Parents definitely won’t like it {also truth}
17. I think they mean more like fake, Crayola-style bold colors
18. I don’t want to make the wrong statement... {it's actually very easy to still look soft and feminine - a lot easier than I expected}
19. ...This is not going well for me. {haha nope!}
20. Bad hair days or no wash days can’t be hidden by buns/ponytails or even clippies
21. But we’re only like 50% sure here, based off a few things online, a couple friends, and one hairdresser.
22. If there are any cowlicks hiding, this is when they’ll decide to show up {looks like I'm still the lucky child in the family. no cowlicks present}
23. Without makeup, a pixie definitely looks masculine. {lie! lie lie lie! just looks older/more mature, but not in a bad way either}
24. There’s nothing to hide behind - whether we’re talking face, body, shape, weight, personality, whatever - with a pixie.
25. It doesn’t look right with a confused or undefined style
26. People judge pixies.
27. There’s a lot of beauty and allure in long hair
28. My bigger jewelry might look too big or clunky {haven't tried this yet... will probably find out about that soon}
29. People can’t play with or do my hair {first: they still can, like, touch it and stuff. not like I'm bald or anything. second: I really don't mind not having people fingering my hair. it's kind of nice sometimes to have that not be an option}

Pixie Posts: The Reveal

Before

(I took an insane number of selfies before the cut. I kid you not: I have more selfies than senior photos, I think. Let's just say I went a little shutter-happy?)

Yeah, the lighting's better in some than others... but I'm working with an absolutely awful cell phone camera.  That's about as good as they get.  Anyway...

AFTER!

So what do you think?

The Pinterest Report: Curling Wand Tutorial

Week Fifteen: Curling Wand Tutorial

{all photos linked to source}

The Pin:

how to use a clipless curling wand

The Link:

Elle Sees: How To: Use a Clipless Curling Wand

The Test:

What you'll need: curling wand, heat glove (optional), heat protection spray (optional)

What to do: This time I'll just let you follow the link.  It's pretty awesome :)

My results:

The Grade:

I love this one! :D Best curls I've ever gotten from any method!

The Pinterest Report: No-Heat Hair Curling

Week Fourteen: No-Heat Hair Curling

{all photos linked to source}

The Pin:

no-heat wavy hair tutorial

The Link:

Pinned by Dani: Get Wavy Hair Using NO Heat. Awesome Tip!

The Test:

What you'll need: Wet hair and time.

What to do:  Separate your hair like into pieces, like you would to curl it with an iron.   Then twist each piece completely, like this:

Then let it dry naturally, making sure it stays twisted up.  It should curl beautifully.... according to the original link, anyway.

These are my results:

immediately after taking out the dry twists

a short while later

The Grade:

As you can see above, it did not work.  At.  All.

The Pinterest Report: Sock Bun Hair Curling

Week Nine: Sock Bun Hair Curling

{all photos linked to source}

(Sorry this is late!  I suppose moving, even when it's just a virtual move, still messes life up a bit.  This was scheduled to go up today but then was switched to draft during the move yesterday.)

The Pin:

sock bun hair

The Link:

A Spotted Pony: How to Use a Sock to Get Beautiful Curly Hair Without Heat

The Test:

You'll Need: long sock without a mate, scissors, hair band, brush or comb, water spray bottle (if your hair is dry), blow dryer (if your hair is wet), hair net and bobby pins (optional - if you need these to keep regular buns in place, you'll need them here)

What to do:  First, cut off the toe of the sock.

Then, roll the sock into itself completely - the way you roll together a pair of socks when you're folding laundry.  Just keep rolling until there's nothing left to roll and it looks like a plush donut.

Now, pull your hair into a ponytail.  If it's wet, you'll need to dry it until it's just a bit damp.  If it's dry, you'll need to spritz it just a little to dampen - not wet! - it.

Then the hard part: put the sock-donut around the ends of your ponytail and roll it down the ponytail, wrapping your hair around it.  I tried this a few times... and then my mom tried to help me a few times... and my dad finally got it on his second try.  The video makes it look a lot easier.  Maybe it is for different hair types - my hair is super-thin and sort-of-layered and I have a lot of it.

Mine before sleep:

Use your hair net and/or bobby pins if necessary.  Now just sleep on it! :)

After sleep:

In the morning, when you take out your bun, you should have natural-looking curls.  My results weren't quite as good as some of the pinners and the original lady, but it did give my hair some body and volume for Sunday morning church service.

After taking out and styling:

The Grade:

I probably won't do this again, not because it didn't work, but because it's not the best option for my hair type.

The Pinterest Report: DIY Painted Bobby Pins

 

Week Six: DIY Painted Bobby Pins

{all photos linked to source}

 

The Pin:

 

 

Nail polish bobby pins

 

 The Link:

 

Lines Across: Nail Polish Bobby Pins

The Test:

You'll need: Plain metal bobby pins, nail polish, index card or cardstock

What to do: Slide the bobby pins onto the index card or cardstock.  Make sure to space them out. 

Paint them with any nail polish you like - basic colors, glitter polish, it doesn't matter.  Some colors may need a second coat.

Let them dry and carefully slide them off the index card or cardstock.  It's that simple!
 





 

I put mine on a clean index card for storage.  You can also make a matching or complementing set and slide them onto a small piece of scrapbook paper, a pretty card, or a decorated index card and give it as a gift.

 

I've already used mine several times, and I haven't had any problems with chipping polish, which was a concern my mom mentioned.  I love mine!

 

The Grade:

 

 

30 Day Challenge: Day 27 - A Physical Feature You Love

{via}

Hair.

And not just mine, either - although that is, in my opinion, my best feature.  (I wrote a blog post about my hair, once, and talked about donating hair to making wigs for sick kids going bald.)  Hair is generally the first thing I notice about a person, whether it's my first time meeting them or we're best friends.  I don't know why.  My eyes are just drawn to hair. :P

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For laughs. ;)
{via}

1 Corinthians 11:15

My (mostly)strawberry-(just slightly)blond hair is my favorite feature.  I would say it's my best, but there are people reading this who would disagree.  So we'll stick with "favorite."

I recently received a postcard in the mail.  That in itself is not exactly a big deal... except this was my Locks of Love donor recognition postcard!

Actually, it was my second LOL postcard.  I have donated hair on two occasions - once right before I moved to Oki, when I donated 13 inches.  (People, that is a crazy lot of hair.  I had what was left turned into a layered bob that was *so* not right for my face shape.)  This time, I donated 12 inches - still a ton of hair - and had much better results.  For one, I grew it out longer beforehand so I would have more to work with after the cut.  Also, I did a lot of internet surfing to find the perfect cut for my hair type and color, face shape, and morning styling time.

Before:

After:

Now I guess I'll just let it keep growing until I donate again!  I mean, I've been "growing it out" practically all my life - why stop now?  Besides, my hair is a really unique color that a ton of women pay hundreds of dollars to get with color treatments.  (Or so my hairdressers have told me.)  Since I'm blessed enough to have it naturally, I figure the hairpiece recipients at LOL would be happy to have it too.

Have you ever donated something unique - like hair! - to a charity?