Beauty--it's a full-time job!

Kellie and I had a good time doing the "Pam makeover" on Saturday. My hair ended up being shorter than anticipated, but the cut and color are amazing and it will grow. I don't know why hairdressers insist on blow-drying and "styling" me, when I tell them I am a total wash-and-wear type. I don't own a blow-dryer, I'm more of the shake-like-a-wet-dog kind of gal.



I also never know what to say when they ask me "Did you cut your own bangs?" I suspect that this is a rhetorical question--of course they already know the answer is YES, AND WHAT OF IT? Perhaps it is a question designed to attempt to shame me out of my evil self-trimming ways. Fat chance.


Here is a picture of Kellie and me, in the immediate post-game wrap-up at the hairdresser's house:




I had niece Bonnie take a few pictures the next day, after I had done my wash-and-fluff normal thing, a little more of a natural look. Unfortunately, they were so up close, it was like looking up my nose. My pores were the size of potholes, and the whole effect was just plain frightening. You'll have to wait for the wedding pictures to see the improved, but real me.

After we did the hair thing, we had Mexican lunch and margaritas, all the better to face the next stop on our "Total Day of Beauty," the defoliation of my impressive eyebrow forest. We went to the Tuscan Spa, where we were given fragrant tea to sip while gazing at Italian landscapes and racks full of strange (to me) exotic products like "lifter," "face foam," and "lip plumper." How could I have made it through life thus far without such products? It was like being plopped on an alien planet.

The tech was very nice and set about her chore with determination and no explanations, (and thankfully, no rhetorical questions about "Did you just let these grow any which way they wanted to?)" At a couple of points, I may have squeaked "Ow!" I'm not sure, I was in a zone of meditation on the sensations of warm wax and ripping linen. Ow, indeed. The final effect was still me, just more refined. It was a unique experience, but one that I may not necessarily repeat anytime soon.

Yesterday, we went wedding-clothes shopping. The dresses I brought from TN were, on re-examination, too somber for the purpose, not to mention velvet and hotter than hell itself. I began to fear that I would self-immolate during the ceremony and subsequent cooking for the reception. Bonnie also needed a dress, so we braved the mall. A mere 45 minutes later, we had two acceptable dresses, a burgundy shirt for Bill, and all at 20% the already marked-down clearance prices. Awesome.

So that's done, thank heavens. In the downtimes this week, I've been knitting. I finished a baby blanket and baby hat for my latest favorite doctor, Dr. Anderson. She's having a baby in January, and is totally freaked out about it, knowing "too much" as an OB/Gyn, she says. Maybe owning a tiny hat will make her coo a little, and make it a little more fun to anticipate.

Today is Monday busy-ness, the usual--chiropractor, auction-packing and post office. Three weeks to go until the wedding, and I think we're on top of things at the moment. Now, we just have to get Bill off the ship, and it should all work out as planned.