Wild Hair Wednesday - Goodbye Dreads

Yep! I finally did it. I cut off all my dreads! All 37 inches of it.

I had been dreaming of this day for over a year now and was soooo ready to do it. I imagined gathering up a big group of friends and heading to the lake. While sitting around the camp fire, I would surprise everyone with the idea of chopping them off right then. Everyone would have a chance to participate. We would throw them all in the fire and afterwords would all jump in the lake. Oh to feel the cool water on my scalp.

This daydream didn't manifest after all, but what did manifest was beautiful. I ended up only inviting a handful of friends over. We did a little soft yoga and meditation outside. I shared my dread story, and we made a fire.

I cut the first dread, and then one by one, each of my friends cut a lock too.

We each threw a dreadlock in the fire and watched it disappear.

Then I went to town cutting the rest of them off.

Interestingly enough, I looked pretty much the same at this point, like I just had them pulled back.

It became a little realer when the razor came out.

Right down the middle, I buzzed the first line.

Bozo. Yes, we had a lot of laughs. My cheeks were hurting by the end of it all.

One friend helped with buzzing it and then my Sweetheart finished it up.

My scalp was pretty nasty like I knew it would be, so my Sweety gave me a scalp scrub. Aw, he is amazing!

So come to find out, I have a decent shaped head AND no crazy moles. The funky grid pattern was interesting though.

And something I already knew....I have some pretty amazing friends who not only shared this experience with me, but enriched it beyond measure.

Music Monday: Katie Herzig

Years ago, I used to post custom playlists created on Grooveshark (a streaming music website that has since been shutdown...along with all the custom playlists I and millions of others had created =/ which means all those posts have broken links now). Since then, I've been using Spotify to stream, create playlists, and even discover new musicians.

My newest favorite discovery is Katie Herzig. I'm not a big fan of listening to songs or albums over and over, but I've been enjoying hers so much that I have been doing just that.

Find her whole discography --> here.



My favorite albums of hers are The Waking Sleep and Apple Tree.

Here's a little fun to get you movin'. Happy Monday!!

Wild Hair Wednesday: 6 Year Dreadiversary

Friday marked 6 years of having dreads so of course I had to snap a few photos.

I was having a bad hair day. (YES! That happens to dread heads, too.) Plus it was wintery enough out that I just wanted to keep my big fuzzy hat on. That was helping to put me in a foul-ish mood.

Good thing I have a special someone who puts things back into perspective.

5 Year Dreadiversary

Today marks 5 years of having dreads.

My Sweetheart was kind enough to do a little photoshoot with me and we totally lucked out on the weather. Sunshine and blue skies.

We biked around downtown until we found this cool wall....

and had a little fun.

Random list of Dread bits from the past year:

• Still using the same washing technique and recipe.
• I bought some Argan oil and tried putting it on my dreads to make them softer. I liked the way it made them feel. Although I only did it a handful of times, I think it helped a bit and if I had kept doing it, it would have made a bigger difference. 
• I don't recall any breaking off this year.  
• To combat the criss-cross and grow together tendency, I would separate them and then use a felting needle on the stray hairs.

• They were the inspiration for this years Halloween custom again. 
• I would really love to do some fun and crazy things with them more often...because I can and mind as well take advantage while I have them.
• I still receive lots of compliments and questions from strangers.
• I still day dream about cutting them off and scrubbing my bald head.
• I am sooo ready to be done with them, mostly because they are super long and always seem to be in the way. 

If I make it another year, it will be a miracle.
The top 2 reasons for not chopping them off as soon as it gets warmer:
1. My boyfriend likes them. (He thinks I should keep them until after I get married. No, we are not engaged.;) )
2. I plan to travel overseas next year and something about having dreads gives me ...comfort? (for lack of a better word), strength?, peace of mind? perhaps.

Hmmm, I think I'm in need of dread-do inspiration. Like the kind I was filled with when dreads were still just a wee glimmer in my eye.

How they've changed through the years....
4 Year Dreadiversary
3 Year Dreadiversary
2 Year Dreadiversary
1 Year Dreadiversary
And at the end of this post, are baby dreads. 30 Years of hairdos