Day 39: A Flair for Hair

I've gone through a lot of hair styles in my 26 years on this planet...

I've had long hair...

circa 2004

Short hair...

circa 2008

(it actually get shorter than this...but thankfully, I didn't bring any of those pictures with me when I moved.  Ha.  Think above the ears ;) lol.)

Short Curly hair...

circa 2005

Long Curly hair...


 

I've had bangs.

circa 1990 (ish)

Some of which were actually straight...

1986? maybe?

Haha...I've had a lot of hairstyles in my day...but the rest might just be too embarassing to share.

circa 1984

But what I've never had is an amazing hairdresser.  Someone whose chair I could just sit in and say "Do whatever you want", and be totally at ease.  Because in the past -- the results have been disastrous.  I've ripped pictures out of magazines, brought in old photos of my own haircuts...even printed things off the internet...and when it came time to spin me around in that chair, I held on for dear life.

Please don't be ugly, please don't be ugly, please don't be ugly.

I went in for a "trim" once, with my shoulder-length hair...and came out with a Dorthy Hammill "bob".

No, seriously. That's what I looked like. At the age of 8.  Worst part? My mom loved the look...so I spent...Oh...the next three or four years of my life being mistaken for a boy.  Again...thankfully all photographic proof of this period of my life is buried away at my parents' house :P

But alas, I have escaped the horrible haircut curse.  And I can now (proudly) say...I have the greatest hairdresser in the world.  She works magic with those scissors of hers...and she's never afraid to jump on board with one of my crazy ideas, or go off on a whim on one of her own.  When I had a mild quarter-life-crisis and decided to ask for heavy side bangs, she didn't bat an eyelash.  And Vanessa?? I love those bangs...they make me sassy.  Ha.

But my appreciation for Vanessa extends far beyond her hairstylin' skills.  I feel like when I go in to get a haircut, I'm going in to see a friend.  Maybe that's the way she is with everyone (I'm sure it is), but she still makes me feel special.  She doesn't listen to what I say, she remembers it...follows up on it, laughs at the funny parts, gets angry at the nasty parts, and gives me sisterly advice.  Like when I came in today for example...she picked right up where we left off about a month ago when I came in for a bang trim...and was bringing up stories I told her MONTHS ago.  My own mother doesn't remember stories I told her a month ago (sorry Mom, haha!).  It blew me away.

She genuinely cares.  She's sweet, nice, funny, and helps to build me up.  She looks out for me.  She's really phenomenal.  I can't exactly put it into words.

All I can say is I'll never have to look like this again...

the awesomeness that was my preschool picture...

...and if you're in the Rochester area and you need a hair dresser...you should go to Rocco's and ask for her.


I have the best hairdresser in the world...with a real Flair for Hair...and I'm thankful for that :)