new hair!

As the weather starts to warm up, I always get the itch to add some color back to my hair.  But with our budget as it stands I just couldn't bite the bullet for highlights knowing the upkeep they take.  So I was telling this to my sister and she suggested getting the ombre.  The what you ask?  A little help from our friend Google will turn up all kinds of hits like http://ombrehair.org/ and a few of my inspiration pictures:

So basically, it's color from the bottom up.  No roots to worry about?  Sign me up.  I made an appointment with Tasia, my gal at John George Salon here in Savoy.  She's not my sister, but she's the next best thing.  Little did I know that this process would take 3.5 hours from start to finish.  Poor William wasn't anticipating that when I left for my "hair cut." :)  Here were the steps.

 

First we talked about how much I wanted cut.  Then we talked color.  I wanted it noticeable, but not super blonde.  Then she went and mixed my color.

 

Then came a long step.  She took small sections and ratted my hair.  I mean took a comb and teased the life out of the section.  This was so there wouldn't be a line where the color started.  Then she put the color on the small part that was left and foiled it.

 

Next we had to figure out how to get all that hair under the dryer.  She pinned it up and shoved it all inside a shower cap.  Then under the heat I went for another 40 minutes.  I don't think I have sat still for 40 minutes since having babies.  But I could do nothing else.  So I read People and sipped my Diet Coke and just relished in the few minutes to myself. :)

 

Then came the not-so-fun part.  Even after several washes, we learned that my hair holds tease really well.  If 80's hair came back, I would be set to go.  So armed with a bottle of conditioner, leave in conditioner, and detangler Tasia set to work on getting all the rats out that she had purposefully put in.  At one point, another gal came over to help because it was taking so long.  All I can say is ouch.  Who knew I should have taken advil before a hair appointment?  But 45 minutes later, everything was finally combed out.  She washed it a couple more times and we were finally ready for the cut and style.  She wasn't going to let me out of there without the final step of curling it.  And I'm glad she made me. . because it was gorgeous. I am so so happy with the final product.  Now if only my at home curls looked this good.