My Life of What Ifs

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Being girly

I have never deemed myself a girly-girl.  I have always been more comfortable in jeans than in a dress.  When I do dress up, people comment.  Not in a bad way, but in a way that says "you look great, not that you usually look bad, but you normally don't look like that."

As I have mentioned a few times lately, I haven't been taking very good care of myself.  In the last year I just haven't made "me" a priority.  As Mother Nature has teased us with Spring I have felt the winter blahs subside (and then come back again- damn freezing rain) but the glimpse of sun and warmth has been enough to get my brain working.  "Hey!  You!  Take care of yourself.  Get off your ass!  Treat yourself!"  So, that is what I did.


I have a dear friend and her name is Alicia.  Our friendship comes easy.  We enjoy each other's company.  We love each other's kids.  Our husband's like to golf, grill and enjoy a beer.

We may not see each other weekly or even monthly, but it doesn't matter.  She gets me and I get her.  And she forces me to be "girly".

Alicia is a "cosmetician".  A "haircutteress" as Cory once called her.  Actually now her business card says "Master Designer/Educator".  She is the real deal.  Without Alicia my hair would be mousy brown.  Without Alicia my hair would have been flat on my wedding day.  Without Alicia I would never have discovered the joy of a pedicure.  And without Alicia I would not be typing this post with bronzed hands, and a healthy body glow to match.  Yes, my friends- I have been spray tanned.

I texted Alicia because my winter low lights had run their course and I needed to lighten up for Spring.  Plus, due to a new vitamin regimen my hair was A LOT longer after the usual amount of time and the pony tail was getting old.

But a haircut and high/low lights was not all that was in store for me this glorious Wednesday.  Alicia is an educator and her educatee needed pedicure practice, and Alicia needed models (and I use that term loosely) to practice her spray tan application- would I be interested? Umm, yes.  Yes, I would.

So I drive to Jackson trying to find comfort in wearing my bathing suit in March in front of only Alicia.  I arrive late, as usual, and the magic begins.  I tell her my hair is too long and she does the rest.  And that's OK, because I ALWAYS love my hair after she does anything to it.  I may question what the hell it is she's doing to me, but it always looks fantastic.  Me and my tired dawgs thoroughly enjoyed the pedicure.  I couldn't have much leg massaging because the lotions would have messed with the next step in my mini-vacation but it was lovely to sit there, soak my feet, drink my latte, and return emails on my phone.  Do I know how to relax or what?

After my pedi, my hair was rinsed, toned, cut and dried and then I entered a small room and put on my bathing suit. Ugh.

But let's not dwell on what can not be changed over night.  Let's think about how a simple spray gun gave me in a half hour what I normally would need a week in Hawaii to receive.  Golden bliss.  And then some.

You see, spray tan is pigment that reacts naturally with your skin.  But the pigment has to stay on for 8 - 10 hours to realize the full effect.  It also gets darker the longer it's on.  So, while driving home I looked pretty good (minus the messed up new hair and no makeup, etc.)...


...by late evening I looked like an Oompa Loompa and was really glad I had no where to go.  As I watched television I could feel my girls "look" at me, and then I would look at them and they would laugh.  "You just look so different."  Ya think?

Truthfully I scared myself come bedtime.  I wasn't orange but I was dark.  To say the least.  So I showered and watched the pigment go down the drain fully expecting to look like my normal booty-ass white self when I emerged from the steam.  But I didn't.  I looked healthy.

So this morning I showered again.  Moisturized generously, per my Master Designer's instructions, and Ta-Da!!  Not bad.  Not bad at all.


It was hard to get a good shot of my leg.  But I think you can get the idea.  Of course due to the camera angle it looks like I have a wee little foot, and a calf the size of a tree trunk.

I'm not dolled up by any means.  And you may have no idea how pasty I was before, but at least I look alive, and my hair looks good.

I never really thought I would ever go for the "spray tan".  But once again, Alicia introduced me to something I would have otherwise been too chicken to try.  Will I do it again?  It depends.  Ask me next winter when the "blahs" are in full force.

All in all, I feel better.  I feel kinda pretty.  I feel inspired to wait until it's warm outside and then really get out there and exercise.  (It's sunny today but cold as crap out there.) It was fun to be pampered for a day.  Maybe next week I'll book a facial and a massage.  And maybe next week a magic gnome will bring me loads of money to pay for said facial and said massage.  You know a little magic in the name of girly-ness?  Come on, it could happen.
Stacy

2 comments:

Pixelcat13 said...

I am waiting for that same gnome. :) But I'm glad you got to treat yourself. Feels good sometimes, huh?! Love your hair!

Unknown said...

I am I glad I can help melt away the winter blues. Love You!!
Alicia
Master Stylist/Educator