Archives for July 2007

I have a very good reason why I haven’t blogged and / or posted pictures of my haircut and / or responded to the approximately 721 emails in my inbox:

Twitching yet?

Yeah. Me, too.

But considering that I wasn’t fully caught up on laundry when we went to Memphis week before last, and then I still wasn’t caught up when we left for Mississippi last week, and now that we’re home again just about everything we own is in the dirty clothes pile – well, I have a bit of housework to do.

And.

Yesterday I received one of the very best gifts I have ever received in my whole life, and you may not understand why if you didn’t grow up in the South, but the bottom line is that I now have the 1989-1992 Miss Mississippi pageants on DVD.

If you’re a Southern girl, you probably just squealed a little bit. Because you can recognize what a precious treasure I now have in my possession.

So last night, while D. watched some movie about some people trying to capture some killer, I watched four years’ worth of the Miss Mississippi talent competition. And loved every. single. second.

The announcer’s lead-ins were an unexpected source of entertainment for me as I watched, mainly because of the announcer’s obvious resolve to remain! upbeat! even when a contestant’s talent called for a more sober tone.

For example.

AHEM.

“Losing a love can shatter your dreams! And kill all hope of loving again! Here to portray this torment! With her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from the Broadway musical Les Miserables! Is MISS DIXIELAND!”

And then Miss Dixieland took the stage to movingly sing of the plight of Fantine, a French woman who lost her job, suffered a broken heart, and eventually descended into a life of prostitution in order to care for her daughter.

Miss Dixieland opted to wear an evening gown and rhinestone earrings the size of a small (VERY SHINY!) planet in order to add a little verisimilitude to her interpretation of the song.

Because I think we all know that French peasants from the 1800s loved them some crushed velvet. With a halter neckline.

I’m telling y’all: it’s some pure, Southern-fried entertainment gold. That’s exactly what it is. I just HOOTED. Because even in times of tragedy – whether she’s living it or just singing about it in a cramped municipal auditorium – a Southern woman still wants to look her very best. With her hair JUST LIKE SHE LIKES IT. And accessories. Perhaps even formalwear.

I can’t even tell y’all how happy it made me.

But the phrase “deep and abiding joy” definitely comes to mind.

I am delighted to report that the extreme hair makeover was a smashing success.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more pleased with my color / highlights, and the cut is oh-so-fun.

It’s a Hair Miracle!

When I walked in the salon yesterday morning, Liza took one look at me and said, “So I think you want to look more modern, no?”

Yes, Hair Wizard. Yes, more modern. With purpose.

And so she blended and foiled and cut and razored and cut some more. And then she handed me a mirror and gave me a tutorial on how to style the new ‘do – because apparently the way I’ve been using my round brush in the past is WRONG, ALL WRONG, and I’m going to have to re-train myself.

But it’s okay. Because I’m TOTALLY committed, y’all.

The final result? Longer in the front so that it frames my face and curves down to my chin – but shorter in the back – straight across the top of my neck, in fact. So it has a funky element to it, but it’s much more manageable.

Primarily because it’s an actual style now. As opposed to a washed-out mass of split ends held securely in place by a pair of scratched sunglasses.

And I really would post pictures, but I’m at Mama and Daddy’s and have no idea how to edit pictures on their computer. Please remember that I am a Mac person, so if a computer is not equipped with iPhoto, I am completely clueless in terms of the cropping and the exporting and the posting. So you’re going to have to use your imagination – which should be interesting since, well, many of you have no idea what I look like.

Oh, the internet is kicky fun, isn’t it?

Anyway, I am very well pleased. Delighted, in fact.

And Liza is a wonderful wizard indeed.

Y’all know that I am no stranger to the hair drama.

And for the last couple of weeks, I have been secretly mired in a hair crisis.

It’s not that I had a home hair color debacle or anything like that, but I’ve been overcome by my hair’s utter lack of purpose. I’ve been seized by hair doubt. Because at the end of the day, girls, our hair needs to have some clear objectives. We need to know what we want it to achieve.

As I’ve said before, we need hair goals.

And I thought, after I got my last hair drama resolved, that I wanted to let my hair grow out. I’ve had kind of a funky, piece-y hairstyle for the last three or four years, and I thought maybe I should try to go long again – mainly because I was ready for a change.

So I let it grow out for a couple of months, had no idea what to do with it, and went to my regular haircut guy in search of hair purpose. He trimmed it with a razor to give it some texture (Hey. I bet you’re so bored by all of this that your eyes are starting to roll back in your head. But I can’t stop talking about it. Because I could talk about my hair all day long and never get tired of talking about it and still want to talk about it again tomorrow. And it isn’t annoying in real life OR ANYTHING).

About two weeks later I went back to him and said, “Okay, I still don’t know what to do with it because it is so limp and lifeless – so could you razor it really good again?”

And he did.

But my hair continued to sit on my head with all the enthusiasm of a teetotaler at a bartender’s convention. Even when my mood was festive, my hair wouldn’t show up for the party. It was a proverbial bump on a log, staring lifelessly at all who crossed its dull and purposeless path.

But I was determined. I held on to the notion of having long hair again. I kept thinking that if it would just grow another inch, I’d be home free and all would be lustrous and glossy again.

So it grew another inch. And, um, no such luck on the lustrous / glossy thing.

And I knew it was bad when, about a month ago, my mama looked at me and said, “I really, REALLY wish you’d let Liza cut your hair.”

Liza is Mama’s Hometown Hair Wizard. She also cuts and colors my cousin Paige’s hair, and she always does a beautiful job. But I’ve always balked at the notion of traveling to get my hair done because, hello? I live in a city with a large array of salons from which to choose, and I am terribly, fiercely devoted to the person who has done my hair for the last seven years.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I considered that I might need to shake up my usual routine. I decided that it might be fun to see what a new stylist wanted to do with the ‘do, and so, after four weeks of careful deliberations, I told Mama that yes, I wanted to let Liza work her magic.

And no kidding: I could actually see the relief in Mama’s eyes. Because there was no doubt that she thought my hair, in its current state, had officially crossed over from “growing-out-phase” to “just-plain-tacky.”

Mama offered to schedule the appointment for me since she has a history with Liza The Hair Wizard. However, because Liza is so wizard-like, she is booked solid for the next sweet forever. And because I was in one of those hair places where I wanted to HAVE IT CUT RIGHT NOW, PLEASE, I was terribly disappointed. I even whined just a little bit to a couple of my friends, who I’m sure were TERRIBLY concerned by my horrific hair plight but pretended to care nonetheless. And that is but one reason why I love them.

After an appropriate time of mourning my Hair Wizard Could-Have-Beens, I called my regular salon and made an appointment. And I was fine with that. They always do a good job, and while I might not get the Big Change I was looking for, I’d no doubt get my funky ‘do back again. I rested in the peace of knowing that the Lord has plans to prosper my hair and not to harm it, to give my hair a hope and a future, and while that might not be an exact quotation of Jeremiah 29:11, it did offer me a certain degree of comfort in those dark, I-guess-I-won’t-be-off-to-see-The-Wizard-after-all hours.

But then.

Mama called yesterday afternoon and said The Wizard had a cancellation. For this morning at 9. With enough time to do cut and highlights.

Now come on, everybody. Go ahead and pump it up for Jesus right where you’re sitting because the Lord is faithful and worthy to be praised. He heard my cries, and He’s going to heal my hair. Somebody PREACH IT ONE TIME.

OH I kid because I’m desperate for hair with purpose.

Anyway, after all the appointment details were squared away, I packed some bags, loaded Alex into the car, and the two of us hit the road. In search of better hair days and blonder highlights.

Just like the pioneers. Of yore.

And it looks like I’ll be off to see The Wizard after all.

There are three or four CDs that I’ve listened to a ton for the last month or so.

And yes, “ton” is the absolute most accurate unit of measurement for all the listening I’ve done. All 2,000 pounds of the listening.

I keep thinking that I’ll blog about CDs individually, but I’m not much of a music critic, so I’d just end up saying stuff like, “The third track is catchy” or “The sixth song is fun” or “This song reminds me of the time my friend Liz got a Jetta when we were seniors in high school and we used to ride around listening to Amy Grant:The Collection” – a description that I’m sure would provide extraordinary insight into the lyrics and composition of the song.

So I’ve spared you. Because I care.

But the more I listen to these CDs, the more I want other people to hear them.

And so, I give you The First Official BooMama List-O-Music You Need To Hear.

(Sidenote: I may tinker with the name of the list in months to come. Seeing as how it’s, you know, COMPLETELY LAME.)

In no particular order:

Bethany Dillon – “Waking Up”

SWEET MERCY she’s a brilliant singer / songwriter – obviously wise beyond her years (all 18 of them). This CD is solid throughout, with lyrics that stay with you long after you’ve put down your iPod or turned off your CD player or unplugged the 8-track, whatever the case may be.

Furthermore, it’s absolutely refreshing – in light of all the garbage that litters our musical landscape – to listen to a young artist whose perspective is smart, challenging and inspiring. I can’t wait to see what great things God has in store for her.

You have to hear: “Come Find Me,” “Tell Me,” “Are You Sure?”

Nichole Nordeman – “Recollection: The Best of Nichole Nordeman”

I’m a huge fan of my pretend-BFF Nichole (don’t worry, Christy Nockels – there’s still room for you to be my pretend-BFF, too; I have lots of pretend-BFF love to share), so my first reaction when I saw this greatest hits CD was something along the lines of “WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?”

Her lyrics cover the full spectrum of the Christian life, and there’s not a hint of self-righteousness in her songs – just honest, open lyrics written by a woman who’s doing her best to live out her faith, one imperfect step at a time.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, she’s my pretend-BFF, and what kind of pretend-BFF would I be if I didn’t TOTALLY love my pretend-BFF’s greatest hits CD?

You have to hear: “Every Season,” “Sunrise,” “Who You Are”

“The Best of Passion (So Far)”

Let’s see. David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, pretend-BFF Christy Nockels, Matt Redman, and Charlie Hall – among others – on one CD.

That’ll work.

Simply put, it’s my favorite CD. Ever.

And if I could only own one praise and worship CD, this one would be it.

You have to hear: “His Renown,” “No One Like You,” “Marvelous Light” and anything Chris Tomlin sings because Chris Tomlin is PURE MUSICAL GOLD.

And finally:

Monk & Neagle – “The Twenty-First Time” (will be released September 18th – you can pre-order here)

I’m telling y’all: this CD is incredible.

And if the fact that they write beautiful songs for Jesus isn’t enough, these two guys also write beautiful songs FOR THEIR WIVES (oh, sweet romance, thou maketh me swooneth).

In fact, you can see (and hear) for yourself. Because You Tube, it is handy.

Click here. A song called “Into Orbit” starts around the two-minute mark, and it’ll change your life just a little bit. Yeah it will.

SEE? I TOLD YOU!

And stay tuned, internets, for details about a big ole Monk & Neagle Summer Giveaway Extravaganza.

It involves one hundred (ONE HUNDRED!) free CDs. Especially for the bloggy people.

It’s just a terribly exciting time.