The Temptation

There was a time that I had no problem coloring my hair...especially to match the seasons.  A little lighter for the Summer, a little darker for the Fall.  But leave it to my mom to scare me into not coloring my hair ever again!  Yep, she has a way of saying things and I believe it all....like, my hair will turn more grey if I color it often.  Well, you can do an easy Google search and find oodles of  other people believing this tale (I am avoiding using the term "old wives'") and oodles of hair people saying it's not true....they say that coloring your hair does not lead to more grey hair.

But look at my big sister's hair!

First of all, she is gorgeous!  I love that woman! And secondly, her beautiful, long, jet-black hair right now is untouched by hair color.  So based on the evidence I have provided here, my mom is right!  More hair color means more grey!  Oh, MOM!!!

However, I don't actually hate my grey hair.  I kinda dig it.  It's like natural highlights.  But dude, I watch Ambush Makeover on the 4th hour of the Today Show on Thursdays.  I mean, the right color can take years off someone's look!  So then I start thinking, "maybe I have dull looking hair that needs to be colored?"  But then, I think about the whole growing out stage, and the cycle of coloring that will have to take place over and over again.  Agony, agony, agony!

I also work with a lot of youngens that do fun things with their hair like, pink, red, blue, green and purple!  I was a teenager in the 80's, and if I could have done that, I would have.  Especially the blues and purples....sigh.  It's like mermaid hair!!!  Sooooo tempted....even just a few strands......what am I thinking???  I'm gonna be 50!!!  I can hear my daughter give me the same advice when I asked her about how to do the "whip and nae nae".  "Mom, just don't do it."

So, what do you think about hair color?  And the color rage?  I am "dying" to know....hrrr hrrr hrrr hrrr hrrr (yes, that's my goofy laugh).

Now for your entertainment, check out this vintage video on two-tone color from 1956!!!  (Thank you, Heather!)

American Hair Idol

This was me last year:

That lovely long hair was fake!  Daisy Fuentes' Secret Extensions!  It really was terrific and easy.  My beautiful sister gave it to me since it was the darkest shade they had, but it didn't match her hair color (her hair is naturally jet black).  This extension blended perfectly with my hair color.  It was the bomb diggity.  It stayed on during special events and dance performances, as long as I didn't whip my head around too fast or get into a cat fight.  These Secret Extensions did the trick!

But this is me NOW:

Bam!  That's the real deal Holyfield right there!  Here's another one:

I promise these aren't photoshopped!  That's my real hair!  Besides, if I was going to photoshop, I would have started with that little mom tummy blub.  Hey, it's called bellydancing, not six-pack abs dancing!  

But I still have not met my goal.  When I think of my goal, I think of one gal I know.  Let me tell you a little bit about Tanisha.

When I first met Tanisha at the end of 2010, she was just starting to be a fellow Sohaila Shining Star/bellydance student.

Tanisha before she started dancing.

Tanisha is the second from the left.  Then there is Masami, me, forgot name, Crystal, Karena, and Sohaila.

 Tanisha right before she went on her long hair quest, 2011.  

When Karena and I saw Tanisha for the first time, we were blown away by her talent.  She had shimmies and undulations down and her veil work was beautiful.  This was a student???  I was just starting, but I didn't have that kind of technique!  She had it goin' on!!!  What a great discovery we made (I know it was all Sohaila, but we were there!)

Now, just a few years later, Tanisha is a bona fide pro!

I love it when I'm right ;-)  Not only is Tanisha one of my belly dance idols and dance sisters, she is also my hair idol!  I mean, look at this:

This girl is beautiful, inside and out.  She is so thoughtful, kind, wise, and such a hard worker, too.  It has been so exciting watching her blossom into such a marvelous young woman and a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor!  Sorry guys, she's married, and to a great guy.  Just shows you how smart they both are!!!  We love you, Tanisha!!!

I am hairist! Or I'm a hairist...one or the other.

A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse, 1901

Don't hate me because I judge everyone's hair length!  I admit it.  When I am let out in public, I see someone with long hair, I think to myself, "should I let that lady know I like her hair?"  "should I ask her if I could take her picture for my blog?"  "am I being creepy staring at her hair?"  These thoughts run through my head constantly.  When I see long hair, I usually admire things I don't have, like the length, color, wave, thickness, or youth.  When I am talking to a friend who has long hair, I do listen to them, but I am admiring their hair at the same time  I even can judge hair when it is in an updo or a bun.  Yep, I'm that good....or bad, depending on your perspective.  In fact, the next time I'm talking to you, ask me if I was thinking about your hair.  I will tell you when I was thinking about your hair during the conversation.  Or maybe it's best you don't know.  Yeeeeaaaah.....

  

Now that this is out in the open, I hope that people with short hair won't keep me out of their places of business (especially if it has to do with good food and drink).  It doesn't mean I hate people with short hair or wish them ill.  I just don't think about their hair very much.  If I do, I think "it looks good like that" or "they should grow their hair longer".  That's all.  Being hairist isn't that bad, right?

  

And it starts...

I have to admit that I’m getting a little dramatic about my hair.   I caught myself combing my hair from underneath with my fingers, fluffing out my hair for a couple of minutes after getting out of the passenger seat of my car.

Channeling Tia Carrere in True Lies

Yes, my hair is getting long.  I have not hit my goal (like Tia’s length above), but it’s crossed the line from meh to long in the last few months. 

How do I know?  Mainly from family and friends’ reactions.  My daughter just came back from her semester of European college studies and kept playing with my hair, saying that my hair grew long while she was away.  Then there’s my hubby.  And there have been various other people who I have run into that have told me that my hair has gotten longer.  And without me asking either!  Bless you all, my people!!!

So, it looks like I am finally on the fast track with The Long Hair Quest!  It is ON!   

Where my long hair blonde sisters at?

Have you noticed that famous blonde ladies are chopping off their hair?

Jennifer Lawrence....

Kaley Cuoco...

Scarlett Johansson...

I am not saying they don't look cute anymore but....I....uh....well....uh....okay!!!  I confess....I can't take it anymore.  I can't stand it.  WHYYYYY???  Yeah yeah yeah, they have pretty faces and all that....but WHYYYYY????  If I was a blonde, I would absolutely love myself and my long blonde hair.  People would hate me because I would walk around IN LOVE with myself and my hair all day, every day.  I would be all "What?  Flowers again from a stranger?  What?  Oh, you want me to be in your movie?  What?  Where did all these paychecks come from?"  Okay, so maybe that doesn't happen to every beautiful blonde lady.  But I can't deny that golden hair is so lovely with it's multi-faceted color and natural thickness and waves...it hypnotizes people to do things they never thought possible.  There's a reason they came up with the term "blondes have more fun" and the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.  So, what's up with all the chopping?    

Long hair story #2 - How To Be A Rockstar

Me and my rockstar purse at the Ghostbar in Vegas...not related to this story at all

I’ve been told that being a rockstar is 50% talent and 50% hair.  So, I would say there were times I was 75% there...I had the hair, and I have been known to do a mean karaoke (typical Filipino skill).  But one of the times I really felt like a total rockstar was in Beverly Hills, and it had nothing to do with talent, and everything to do with my hair.

About 18 years ago, I was in Beverly Hills because I had bought a $20 coupon for an up-and-coming spa that just opened.  For my appointment, I was feeling a bit hippy-ish and decided to wear my tie-dye top, bell-bottomed jeans, platform shoes, and John Lennon blue-round-lens sunglasses.  As I stood on the corner near Rodeo and Wilshire, I noticed expensive cars slowing down to look at me.  They were looking at me as if they were trying to recognize me.  The platform shoes must have made me look super tall.  And I was in jeans in a place where women normally were in top name brands, make-up, hair-did, jewelry, etc.  And there I was, walking around as if Saks Fifth Avenue prices didn’t make me laugh.  In the middle of a weekday morning, I was just like the people who lived, worked, or shopped there.  I didn’t pull down my sunglasses for a second.  I held my head up, swung my long hair as I sauntered quite effortlessly in my platform stilts until I decided to walk to my little, tinted Mercury Tracer hatchback for my secret getaway.

So, what's your rockstar story?  I wanna know!

Long Hair Throwback Thursday!

What a difference two years makes

As we approach Lent this year, I am reminded that it was two Lents ago that I donated my hair to Locks of Love (that story here).  And I have had a lot of fun with shorter hair.

Aw, I miss that college-aged daughter of mine

In fact, many people have told me that I look better with short hair.  However, if you are one of those people, I have to apologize to you now, because my hair is finally getting LONG and that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it, uh-huh, uh-huh :-)

That's me collecting MyVegas coins from my casinos

From the top of my head to the bottom of the longest bit of hair down the middle of my back, I am measuring 19 1/2 inches.  People who know of my blogging have remarked that my hair is getting long.  Yes!!!  The Long Hair Quest is paying off!  Perhaps next year, I will really be in ideal bellydancer/mermaid/islander girl territory.  It's important to set goals :-)


          

Enough about me, check out one of my long hair sistahs!

Channel Islands High School Class of '86, hollah!  That's right, we graduated right in the middle of that colorful, tacky, totally awesome decade!  Everyone had a can of Aqua Net.  And everyone cut and colored their hair to try to be like the following:

Oooohhhmmaaaagaaaaaaahd!!!!

So for us long hair types, it was a challenge to be counter culture.  But we were there, and are still here...and one in particular embodies the beauty of islander long hair to this day!  Meet my fellow high school sister, Eden!

Now, I could have posted some high school picture of her, but why...look at her NOW (okay, this was a couple of months ago).  I mean, wow!  She looks fantastic!  And she's living the long hair dream....she lives in Hawaii and does all things Hawaiian, like hula dancing and making lilikoi butter and ti leaf necklaces like the one she gave me.  Not only that, she's a wonderful wife and mama of two awesome boys.  

But what prompted me to write this blog was this picture of her.  

The beauty, the drama, the long hair!!!  I love this picture!!!  And everyone loves Eden.  She has always been one of those girls that was genuinely kind.  She couldn't be pinned down to a clique because she was just totally cool with everyone.  Like totally rad.  Like totally choice.  To the max.  Later, dude!