Life After I "Dew"

Tomorrow is my birthday {YAY!} and to treat myself I'm getting my hair cut and highlighted for the first time in about 6 months.  Blondes should never go 6 months between highlights.  I'm rocking my own sort of ombre over here except it doesn't look pretty like ombre.  Seeing my natural hair color is kind of fun {I forgot what it was, to be honest} but it's just this mousy light brownish color and it's not flattering, it washes me out.

I was looking at pictures on Pinterest and Kendall saw and asked who these ladies were.  I told her I was going to see Holly {my friend and hairstylist who has a daughter Kendall's age that we play with often} and she got excited, thinking she was coming with.  I told her that Miss Holly was going to be cutting mommy's hair and making it blonde, just like her {Kendall}.

And what she said to me, I'll never forget.

"But mommy your hair is beautiful!  I like it like that!  It doesn't look bad!".   All said while giving me the saddest puppy dog eyes and her head tilted.

Sweet, sweet girl. She doesn't see my overgrown roots.  She doesn't see my lifeless locks and split ends.  She just sees me and she loves me just the way I am.  Hair and makeup and nice clothes mean nothing to her.  She doesn't care if I'm makeup-less and wearing mismatched sweats all day.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all see ourselves that way?  The way God sees us.  Perfect, just the way we are.

I think of all the women out there who go to great lengths to make themselves look beautiful, in their eyes.  Plastic surgery, eating disorders, teeth whitening, etc all for the sake of beauty.  It's sad, really.  We were all created by the same Creator and He made us just the way we are, perfect. But not many of us, myself included, see it that way.  We look in the mirror and see wrinkles, grey hair, blemishes, cellulite, whatever and think we are imperfect.  We all have imperfections, things we could work on, but we are all perfect in His eyes.

Hearing Kendall say those words to me made me realize just that.

And besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?  So who deems what is beautiful anyway?  The media?  Our peers?  Celebrities?

It was just what I needed, what we needed.  Yesterday I had a day to myself and after the week from hell it was just what the doctor ordered.  My mother-in-law will never know how much I appreciate the gift she gave me.  The gift of sanity.
It's no joke that we are struggling around here.  Financially, emotionally, mentally we are spent.  Jimmy has been working 60+ hours a week since we got back from vacation and I have been dealing with The Terrible Twos and a sick dog and I just needed a break.  That break came in the form of a day to get my hair cut, go to the mall, drink Starbucks and catch up with my best friend.  Perfect day in my book.
I know what you're thinking, "wow that sounds like an expensive day!".  Well, my friends, I didn't spend a dime.  I have earned, yes earned, so many "stars" via my Starbucks app to qualify me for a free drink {for inquiring minds I tried a PSL again and didn't hate it as much but I still prefer my SCM}.  Score!  I had something that needed returned to H&M and came home with some {f}Uggs for Kendall in exchange.  Score!  I got a gift card for the salon for my birthday that still had money left on it, just enough for a cut.  Score!  The only downside of this day was the "wine headache" I had from the night before.
I got to snuggle a sweet 3-month-old while giving her mama a break to eat lunch.  That may have been the highlight of my day.  Yes it was either that or the fact that I had 2 hours of friend conversations that weren't interrupted by "Kendall don't touch that", "I love you, you love me", or "be gentle with baby Norah".  Yes, I think the conversation won the day for me. It was so refreshing to sit with my friend, outside, on a gorgeous fall afternoon and shoot the breeze.  I don't know if she knows how badly I needed that.
On my way home I drove in silence. Why?  Because it's not often that I'm in my car where I get to chose the sound.  {For the past week I've been driving to Choo-Choo-Soul on repeat, if I hear "I like chocolate sauce on chocolate ice cream" one more time I may need a 12 step program.}  It was glorious.  The sun was shining and it was as if God was telling me, "it'll be alright".  And it will.
God doesn't give us more than we can handle, I truly believe that.  The thing is I needed this "break" to remember that.  He knew I needed that break and He sent my mother-in-law in to rescue me.
As I was driving home I felt refreshed.  I felt rejuvenated.  I felt like I could be a good mom and happy wife again, two things I feel like I've been failing at this past week.  Jimmy has come home to a over-stressed wife and Kendall has heard me yell more times than acceptable but after my MDO {mom's day out} I feel like I'm back in business.
Truth be told my problems aren't worth it.  At the end of the day God has provided for us and he will take care of us.  I don't know how but that's not for me to know, He knows.  I need to remember that, trust in Him and know that we will be taken care of.
I'm thankful for yesterday. Thankful to my mother-in-law for keeping Kendall.  Thankful to my stylist for giving me a relaxing morning.  Thankful for the weather for being so damn gorgeous.  Thankful to my best friend for inviting me over to chat.  Thankful.  I am thankful.

Last Monday when I posted my MMM vlog I got tons of comments on my hair, believe it or not.  I was just as shocked as you because I had my hair in a sad excuse for a messy bun and was in serious need of a dye job and bang trim.  But alas, I like to give you what you want, I'm an enabler.

So there you have it.  That's how to get The Shannon {not to be confused with The Rachel}.
So see, it's pretty simple.  The blog I'm referring to, The Small Things, is amazing.  I have to give credit where credit is due and that girl knows how to do hair.  I must start incorporating more of her tips and tricks into my everyday life.
Also, while we're talking about hair I gave dry shampoo a whirl last Friday.  I have been wanting to try it but have feared the results.  I figured the day I got my hair done was the perfect opportunity because I don't normally wash my hair before I go anyway.  Two word review, SHIT SANDWICH.

Maybe my hair is just too greasy for this nonsense.  I followed the directions to a T and it still looked greasy {and wet} after.  No gracias.
As for that blonde hair update?  Well you knew I couldn't hold out on you and make you wait for another post {see, enabler}.

I love it so much!  It feels so good to be back to my "roots".  And the best part?  I match my girl now!