More Post-Birthday Photos

I went out and spent more birthday money yesterday. First for a haircut, which given our local temperatures I should have done a couple of months ago. My neck is much cooler now, thank you.

I hate spending money and time in the hair salon, and I have yet to find a stylist I can stick with. As a result, my hair will look really good for one day - pretty much until I wash it. Plus, I'm impatient about my hair, and I hate taking the time every day or every other day to dry and then style it. It just seems like a waste of time to me.

I've had the same hairstyle for a couple of years now, just so I could get the same look pretty much all the time. I more or less like to have smooth, pretty much straight hair. Last time I went with the hairdresser's suggestion to thin out my hair. Yeah, big mistake. When you have curly hair, don't agree to this! It made my hair wave in really odd places, and I was left feeling like I couldn't do anything with my hair, so I just stuck in in a ponytail and waited for it to grow out and recover from the terrible cut.

This time, I enjoyed myself a bit more. The cut went pretty quickly, and I didn't have to make small talk with a stranger/hairstylist for too long. My hair is still a bit longer than I would have liked - I couldn't convince her I actually wanted to go shorter. Next time I'll be a bit more insistent. Overall, though, I liked how it turned out. A good cut can do a lot for you.

The hairdresser had a nifty tool - a flat iron with ceramic plates. I liked the effect so much that I went out and bought my own. I swear it looks like my hair is glossier now. I've been fighting my hair the last few years with a round brush and curling iron, trying to tame the frizzies. The flat iron was really easy to use, and gave me the straighter hair that I've been aiming for. Totally worth the money.

I don't always like shopping, because it seems like I try on a lot of stuff and come home with very little, but I was actually in the mood to shop! After my haircut I went and spent some more birthday money. I had a gift card from my birthday last year that I needed to spend, so I took advantage of the shopping spree.

splorp! and I cook a lot, and I've been fighting our 8" skillet for a couple of years. It's one of those issues where the Teflon® coating got damaged, and now everything sticks to the pan. Technically, we shouldn't use pans with these coatings when we have a pet bird, because if the coating is damaged and burns it can give off really toxic fumes that can kill the bird. So, I replaced the pan. Voila: my new skillet!

We own a roasting pan and a griddle by the same company, and absolutely love them. The non-stick coating is integrated in the pan, so it's much harder to damage, and cleaning is so much easier. No more toxic fume danger.

And last but best, while I was out spending money, my dad came by with his tools and helped splorp! hang my floating shelves!

My Office Space Now

I told you I was a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! splorp! is the one who kindly arranged my pictures on the shelves. I liked the effect so much that I kept them.

Dad's visit had another effect: I had drywall dust all over my desk (the shelves are supported by screws drilled into the walls). Thus, I had to actually clean my desk, not just declutter. I like it a lot. It makes me feel like a grown up or something. Let's see how long it stays clean!