Maybe don't try this at home

Maybe don't drink your dinner then go home and cut your own hair. I've had years of practice.
The first time I gave myself a drastic haircut was in the 5th grade.

Lotsa times my hair gets thick and round and I just cut it myself. Here's my result from last night's affair.

I had a life-long hair-dresser in Arkansas. When I moved to North Carolina I didn't know who was going to cut my hair, so my Arkansas hair-lady told me to buy a razor like this - It was less than $5 at Sally Beauty Supply. 

I've had this one razor for about 10 years.

Last night I felt a final straw moment with this hairball.

I definitely look more put-together. 

I didn't even see these results until this morning (after a fresh wash & blow-dry) because I passed-the-heck out last night and just slept on wet hair. It looked amazing this morning when I walked The Bonnie Dog at 6:30am. Gorgeous, I tell ya! I'm quite embarrassed about my dog-walking looks which occur at that early hour on week-days. Sometimes I'm smart enough to cover-up with sunglasses. All these maintenance dudes and construction workers see me walking Bonnie-dog, then I re-emerge later and no one recognizes me. 

I don't know if I will ever grow out of this asymmetrical cut if I just keep repeating it. I'm OK with that. Who needs symmetric hair anyway?

The saddest part about cutting my hair is knowing that I'm cutting off $$$ in haircolors. Yes, $$$. 

*I'm in no way encouraging anyone to cut their own hair. If anyone jacks themselves up, I never told anyone to cut their own hair. I'm just telling you about how I do it. Probably don't cut your own hair. Don't do it. 

Pale Girl Dark Roots

I'm on gradual self-tanner, I swear.
I got in on that dirty-dark roots and bleached out ends craze and that process looked like this:



I like it! My real roots are going to bust into these new, fake roots. It's totally dark in the back.


Getting to work today looked like this- Target dress. Threw the detachable straps in the trash - Big mistake. Bow belt from H&M. Charlotte Russe flip-flops that are on their last... breath... Kate Spade bow necklace. 


All of my stuff has a bow on it right now so I need to take a break from them and get back to hearts. 

Super-Girly Bicycle Visibility Tactics

It's still cold. This morning the CNN Clock told me it was 21º Boo!!!
This hair was crushed and ruined after bicycle helmet-


And though it was that cold, the most uncomfortable part of riding was my ear-warmer/head-band thing pressing these rhinestone earrings' backs into my skull.


I'm still extremely pleased with myself for purchasing this Roxy Briiight Piiink Puffer Coat. It's excellent for Bicycle Visibility. This was the most clever aspect of my outfit today- Polka Dots with Metallic Silver/Black stripe belt. J Brand cigarette leg jeans. God, these gloves are miserable to see here.


Neeeeew Yooork!






Here's my ingenius idea to use a Lady Gaga concert glow braclet for bicycle safety. I think it'll be better when I don't have to dress like the Goodyear Blimp. I'm still totally in-love and high on Lady Gaga today. I read the Vogue article. A little surprised she eats meat...


After work and totally un-bicycle or fashion related - Bonnie and I were photographed outside of Sotheby's on our evening walk by an Associated Press reporter. I hope the pics get used somewhere!
She asked me to spell both of our names and she verified Bonnie's sex and breed.

They were/are installing the sphere that carried the first dog ever to go into space. Laika was her name. I think we were snapped as we walked in between the building and the sphere as it was being un-crated and brought in through the front doors. I hope Bonnie gets her picture in the news!

...Even though now I've read that that ball that carried Laika was really her tomb. Sad! Dogs don't like airports and they don't give a hell about space!

Heck Yeah Girls With Short Hair!

If you found my blog looking for cute short hair I have a wonderful source of inspiration and encouragement. I found that a photo of me is on this cute tumblr - Fuck Yeah Girls With Short Hair.

High and Mighty! (hair!)

Gwynne, my hair dresser, wants me to wear my hair back like this. I did a good shampoo and soaked my hair in Kerastase for about 20 minutes, then blow-dried. It turned out really cooperative and shiny so the full pompadour was worn. High and Mighty!




Yeah, I felt really cute.

Sweater is a sample from work.
Brooch gifted by husband's family.
Joe's Jeans that I've loved for 3 years and luckily wide legs are back!
Forever 21 brown boots that you can't see.
Charlotte Russe heart-shaped earrings.

This brooch was a gift from Matt's grandmother/great-grandmother's costume jewelry collection.
Here I am using it as the fanciest safety pin ever known, because I was missing the top button.


Since it's Saturday, I had time to do perty eye makeup.


This is how I looked setting out for the subway to head downtown.

Sunglasses imperative when rocking such strong eye-shadow mid-day on the subway.
Got to cover it up or people will lose control.

At my first event - at a thrift shop event where a cute friend was going to perform - I saw it snowing outside. I ran into Duane Reade across the street and got this bonnet and wore it proudly.


My pompadour lasted until after dinner. I was too self-conscious that it was falling, so I put a headband on it. It was still pretty big and tall, but the head-band gave me security.

And I want to note, for understanding, that at this thrift shop I visited overalls were $150.00. These are $5 in Arkansas. This is why I go absolutely insane for Arkansas thrift shopping and I'm pretty anti-thrift shopping in NYC all together. This is why I don't even go there. Ever.

My Brand New, Red, Short-but-Thick Hair.

Here's what happened. I started out the day in a headband-


Gwynne did my cut and color today. I rarely get them both in the same day because of cost, but it's been a season and a half since I've been to the salon for either. I've written a review on Yelp about how yes, this salon is expensive, but if you plan accordingly, you can have a slice of the fancy salon pie.

Gwynne saw my hair pulled back in the headband and decided on the spot that I needed to wear my hair back. We discussed baby bangs, but she reminded me that she's been wishing I would let the top be thick and grow long for like 3 years. I was feeling completely behind her ideas on whatever - so I said "go with it."

The color discussion brought this idea - I like dark hair, but I feel like if my hair is too dark, I over-compensate with tons of dark make-up, so my hair color can't be darker than my eyes' lightness. She completely understood.

I wore it home like this - up and back.

But it's fun like this too!


It's kind of great that I got this new color, because I'm being more conscious of makeup lately and I have 2 fun makeup events this week. This bright red lipstick is my new best friend MAC Lady Danger. I swear 10 people at the salon asked me what this color is. Red-Orange is the future.

I'm not going to wash my hair for at least five days. I got an all-over color, highlights, a conditioning treatment with scalp massage, then a glaze. Five days is fine.

I got a new pot of Kerastase Conditioner. It's just so great. The shampoo came from Gwynne's recommendation. She knows I am on board to preserve my color the best I can.


This was after the all-over color and before I put on my makeup and got the highlights.

I'm Rachel Maddow again!

Today was one of those I really love my New York City life days. Like, savoring these moments because one day I'll have a kid and won't be able to put myself first and be outrageously self-indulgent at the fancy salon. Maybe I'll maintain a fancy salon life, but probably not like this from A to Z - getting dressed, buying snacks at the deli, taking a cab, etc. In the cab downtown to the appointment and I was thinking about my tremendously sad & depressed childhood in Arkansas. I'm here and in my current life because I've made good choices. One of those choices was getting together with Matt, who became my husband, who is my awesome partner in life- who is why we are able to live here. Together we work our respective jobs, and I can tear it up like this. My Mom would be so impressed and proud.

I'm Keeping My Baby!

Here's what my hair is doing TODAY.


My hair hasn't been colored in forever to the point that the FedEx guy asked if I changed it (because it's so faded & stale.) But I turned out some cute plain make-up today with a quickness!


In 2010 my hair photos on Flickr were popular like wildfires. That's why I created my "Julie's Hair History" set of photos showing that my hair has been so many different lengths & colors. (With brief installments of fake hair too!)


It's too cold and my outerwear is repetitive, so I just took some strategy photos. (My overall outfit today was kind-of wacky.)

Exhibit A. New headband/ear-warmer. I'm not sure.


Exhibit B. Works like magic under the helmet! Looks super-cute too!


I was riding East on 72nd street and felt something fall off my bicycle. Fuck. Never good. I realized it was a pedal piece. By the next stoplight more stuff fell off. Then by the time I was at 3rd Avenue, my whole freaking pedal was almost all gone.


Luckily, my mid-high-heeled booties hooked onto the "peg" that was left-over.

I got these at Forever 21 last night. 


And when I realized my freaking pedal came off and I could have crashed, I was panicking that this is what I get for riding such a bargain-bin bicycle.

My husband lectured me (briefly) for not ever checking my bicycle to make sure my stuff is staying together.

I'm going to take this to the shop first thing Saturday, or maybe even tomorrow night after I use public transportation to get to and fro work- and get this puppy fixed and tuned-up and keep riding her! I don't need some crazy fancy bicycle! We've come this far together- I'm keeping my baby!

BUST Craftacular- What did I buy?

I'm happy to say that I can't show everything I got because some things are gifts for others- Others who may read this blog! Secrets!  

I'm also happy that a fair portion of the money I spent was on things for my cute husband. 


New do-rag with fancy gold buttons.

Yes, that's a nightgown. Ultra-vintage burn-out from being burned-the-hell out with oldness.
In Arkansas I've got my eye out for cute, large vintage sleep-shirts.



I overslept really bad and Emily "meditated" so deeply on the train she missed the stop, so we barely made the goodie-bag cut. It's kind of not even about the insides of the goodie bag, but the awesome Blue Q brand tote bag that they give you. I love and still very often carry the Blue Q shopping tote we got last year. Bonnie is checking my stuff out.


I was paralyzed and enchanted by the cuteness of this necklace.

It's my most favorite purchase for Cute at a Low Price.

Big Surprise! An adorable asian girl made this hat.

It was on Sale, still kind-of pricey, but it's built like a fucking tank. I am walking around in my life right now looking for hats that aren't beanies. I am also trying to grow out enough hair to peek out of these hats.

The 2 shirts on the right are for Matt. The bunnies are for me - I think I can wear them to work under a vest or sweater or sweatervest.

This booth let me down because there weren't any or many new styles from last year and their booth was little and their little kids selection was really weak. I didn't find the goldmine of t-shirts I was looking for this year.

There were repetitive: Tiny harmonica necklaces and jewelry with teeth and necklaces made out of old watch parts.

I also can't show any paper goods purchased, in case I might mail one to you someday. I've had a penpal for 25 years, you know.

Amy Sedaris Loot:

She and her helper agreed that I picked all the best stuff. Jesus pill case, lighters, bonnet, "Kick 'Em Donks" pencil.

I wear a shower cap several times a week in part with my minimalist hair-washing schedule and this bonnet will be cute in my rotation.

Wednesday Me and Emily will be seeing her for the 5th and final time of her Simple Times book tour. I'm a little sad it's over and I hope she doesn't think I'm trouble.

Simple Times Bonnet for Shut Ins.





I have the means to find out who made all of these items if anyone is in need of something specific. I could whisper it in  your email ear...