My Hair: A Love-Hate Relationship {CSI Case File No. 61}

Another Case File open for investigation at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. We're celebrating National Women's Month this March!

Here's my page. Clues I used...Evidence: butterflies, plain white background, rub-ons, buttons, gold accents. Testimony: I used the "Try Me" button from the Daydreaming on Paper site. It came up with this prompt: Do you like your hair? Is it straight and sleek? Wild and unruly?

I got this idea to document the things I love and hate about my hair and to split my photo in two. I was going to try to write my journaling on the front with the loves on one side and the hates on the other, but as often happens, I got to piling stuff on and, well, an 8 x 8 page is often limiting, so my journaling wound up on the back.

Here are some details. I was so glad to have the clue to use buttons because I have SO many buttons and never think to use them. On the picture blow, I have a Crate paper button, one by Jenni Bowlin, and a Pebbles button. The stamp below is one I recently got in a Studio Calico stamp set, and I think it's perfect for this story.

I used a bunch of old papers on this page... Chatterbox (yellow), American Crafts (yellow flower label-y things and speech bubbles), My Mind's Eye (gray stripe), SEI (black). Can't remember who made that orange polka dot. That script over the circles is a rub-on. I added the "documented" stamp (Studio Calico) and "story" sticker at the last minute.

Here's a picture of my gold butterfly. I got it at Paper Source. I stamped with gray ink using a Crafter's Workshop template and then outlined with a very fine-tip pen.

I added this speech bubble to indicate my journaling on the back. (journaling below the picture, if you're interested.) So glad to use one of those Jenni Bowlin butterflies I've had forever. The letters are by Lily Bee, and those arrows are some really old rub-ons.

I have a love-hate relationship with my hair. As a kid, I hated having red hair, but when I grew up, I learned to like it. It took a while and many years to get to the point where I actually love my strawberry blonde hair. And now it's starting to turn on me. White, wiry hairs that don't like to cooperate. That's the part I hate. And I'm scared to color it. Especially after Toné put a temporary red glaze on my hair and it turned almost dark brown for a month until it finally washed out after scrubbing my head with harsh dandruff shampoo (the first and only time in my life I ever had colored my hair).

Cooperation just isn't in my hair's vocabulary. I love it when it does cooperate on those rare days--like right after seeing the stylist or the occasional day I get lucky.. Most days, my hair has a mind of its own and just goes an every-which-way kind of crazy.

I do love that I have naturally curly hair. I used perm my hair all the time when I was younger, starting in the 80's when big hair was trendy. After cutting a foot of my hair off a half-dozen years ago (it used to reach past my waist), I learned that all I needed was a little Aveda curl enhancer and I too could be curly. Then there's the hate part, when the curl goes all frizz on me. Which is most of the time.

I love my stylist, Hasan, who first taught me about my curls and gave me a cut that I love and is manageable. But then he went and moved on me, and now I hate that he moved to Virginia. I always get so stressed out driving there after school. I hate that I can't find a stylist nearby and that I keep having to try out different people and still can't find someone who can do what Hasan does to my hair.

I love the way my hair shines in the sunlight. But I hate that it seems dull when the sun's not shining on it. It's because of the curl, they say.

I love my hair when it's big and poofy. But I hate that it doesn't always stay that way. Lots of hair means it gets weighed down. I need lots of poof because of my enormous head. Nobody can understand it, but trust me...you don't want to see me with straightened flat hair.

Yes, it's been a long and painful love affair with this hair of mine. It drives me crazy most of the time, but mostly I do love it. As it grows whiter, I'm not sure this love story will have a happy ending.

We have Sizzix sponsoring us this month, so you'll definitely want to try your hand at solving this beautiful Case file. Come see what the rest of the team and our guest made. Gorgeous stuff!

Thank you for stopping by my blog and reading about my page!