Hair Raising

I had my hair cut yesterday and I feel so much better. Not that I ever feel really bad about my hair. I'm lucky to have thick, easy to style hair, but it does grow quickly and I know how important it is to get a good haircut. See the advice of Michele Benza, MNBF (my new best friend, in case you forgot), "Never Underestimate the Value of a Great Haircut."

My hair has been cut in some variation of "short" for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I recall having my "pixie" cut and styled (what's to style?) by the local barber, Mr. Christie. My mother, of course, went to the beauty shop. Never heard of a salon back then. She went twice a week--on Saturdays to have it "done" and on Wednesdays for a "comb-out." Can you imagine not washing your hair for a week!

I had long hair for a brief time in the late 60's when I was in college (that's not a photo of me) and ponytails adorned with scarves were popular. I managed to get enough growth by Christmas to have something my long-haired friends called a "paintbrush." The only thing that mattered to me was that I could tie a scarf around it. By the end of the school year, my hair was about to my shoulders. It was so heavy that I had to constantly move it around to allow the sweat to evaporate from my neck. I soon opted for a "shag" that everyone thought it was a wig!

Except for Mr. Christie, I can't remember the names of any of the barbers/hairdressers who cut my hair, until Dana. I met Dana in a dance class in Boston. He was in front of me and kept turning around and pointing to my head. Bad dancer, I thought. After class he told me he had a haircut for me. He did, and I loved it. New thought--good hairdresser. After a few visits to the salon where he worked, I went to his apartment to get it cut. Not to worry. I always ran into his friends there--drag queens who seemed to find me as interesting as I found them to be. I took it as a compliment.

So now I live in Fort Worth and Erin cuts my hair at CUT on 8th Avenue. My hair is short, and edgy in a soft way. Short hair is a personal preference for me, but Erin agrees that longer lengths can work for women at any age. And she tells her clients that, especially the women who think age 50 is synonymous with short hair.

Need a fresh cut for Fall? Call Erin at CUT. She has some great offers for new clients. MENTION MY BLOG and Erin will give you a deal you can't refuse. Does a free haircut sound good? Call her at 817.923.8886 for an appointment.

Photos: Bing Images

It's All About Me and My New Best Friend

My new best friend is Michele Benza. She doesn't know me, but if she lived in Fort Worth, we might be friends. She lives near San Francisco. I lived in L. A. and enjoyed visiting San Francisco. She was executive for an upscale Belgian chocolate company. I eat chocolate! Her bio leads me to believe she has 2 sons. I have 2 sons. And when her children went away to school, she decided it was time for a change. Ditto!

I am currently working through my change. Not that change. That's long gone. I'm into the "what am I going to do with the rest of my life," change. Again. But now that my second son starts college at the end of the month, and son #1 graduates from college at the end of the month, it is time for me to do something new. Even my husband is exploring some new ventures. He's mostly doing the same things he has always done. Men should probably not get too far out of their comfort zone.

Back to Michele. I googled my blog, "after 50 with style," to see what others think about the issues that concern me. Couldn't find my blog but luckily found http://www.50fabulous.com/ and "Are You Ready to Step Away From Boring?," comments from Michele about her consultation with her 50-something client. It was a start.

It was better than a start. It led me to her other articles: "Over 50: Less is Best, "Never Underestimate the Impact Value of a Great Haircut," and "Can Women Over 50 Slow Down the Aging Process? You Bet!."

The last article is a list of Michele's anti-aging rules. I keep it next to my bed so I can remind myself of simple ways to make me feel good. I don't want to look young...I just don't want to look old. There is a difference. I can follow her rules rather easily. Rule#8 is "Smile." I can do that. Rule #6, "Groom Your Eyebrows." I've been working on that, but it may be time for professional help. It's hard to "groom" wearing glasses! Rule #1, "Good Posture" reminds me of that annoying but long-term helpful finger-poking from my ballet teacher. No big deal. No bruises. Just good posture.

I'll let you know if Michele ever visits Fort Worth. Not sure when I can get back to San Francisco, so for now we'll just be virtual BFFs. I know she'd like my friend and personal make-up consultant, Jo, who is about to launch her own make-up line. More about that later.

Read more about Michele at http://www.michelebenza.com/ Did I mention she speaks French?