comfort zone and a "little" updo.

I've been thinking a lot about comfort zones lately and have come to the conclusion that mine is decidedly not very comfortable anymore.  In fact, it's down right making me nauseous.  So I'm kickin' it to the curb.  With that in mind I decided to switch it up Wednesday night when we went out to dinner for my mother in law's birthday. I've recently discovered Beth Jones (a fellow resident of OC) at B. Jones Style.  She's got these fun "hair tutorials" where she videotapes* herself showing off her cheapest accessory--a cute hair style.  These are styles that I wouldn't normally consider for one or more of the following reasons--A) I'm too old.  B) I'm not stylish enough.  C) My ears and/or head are too big.  D) My hair is too fine/straight/fuzzy/damaged.  E) Who am I trying to kid?  No way I can pull that off.  

Well, when your comfort zone is speaking such negative smack to you it's time to put some duct tape over its mouth and just go for it.  So I watched this and did.

P.S. *Is "videotape" even the right term anymore????  (Child of the 80's much?)

P.P.S.  I've been eating too much and spending far too much time in the kitchen doing dishes so I decided that we were all eating cereal for dinner this week (not really) but here are some yummy recipes from the fabulous ladies participating in Pretty Mommy's Fall Recipe Exchange.  Have a fun filled Halloween weekend!

Oct 25th - Tina - Bull In A China Shop 

Oct 26th - Kim - Lighter and Local 
Oct 27th - Elaine- Mama Seasonings
Oct 28th - Jess - Shades of Sunshine
Oct 29th - Michelle - Studio Surface, The Blog 

hair today, gone tomorrow.

In the last year I've gone from this--

to this--

Quite a change for me, my friends.  There were a few colors in between.  Some carefully placed caramel highlights.  A not so carefully applied home dye job (which I highly do not recommend!)  Finally, I got the courage to do what I've been wanting to do for the last 10 years--become a brunette.  Why did it take me so long?  Why did I allow a hair color to define who I was for almost 20 years? (Yep, I started coloring my hair at eight. =)

The truth?  I AM a blonde.  A dirty dishwater blonde.  A color that seems to work well on so many other women. But not me.  When I was a child, well, I looked like this--

And I think I've spent the last decade and a half of my life trying to somehow find a way back to that hair color. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective,) that hair color doesn't exist in a bottle, it only exists in my memory and in my parents' photo albums.  So I decided to lovingly leave it there and try something new. I'm not sure if the new venture has been successful.  And honestly, I don't really care.  I am simply happy that I moved out of my comfort zone and evolved.