Nothing to do With Sewing! Thank you, Locks of Love!

This post has nothing to do with sewing!  I did something on the spur of the moment yesterday that I want to share with all of you.

I have had very thick, coarse and heavy hair all of my life.  Many times I've said, "I just wish I could give some of this hair away to somebody who needs it!"  So many people would say to me, "You should be glad you have a lot of hair!"  But, no one seemed to understand how hard it is to manage.

Well, I found out about Locks of Love, an organization that takes donated hair for use in making wigs, hair pieces, etc. from human hair.  So, after much thought, I decided that's what I would do with my hair!  Since Locks of Love requires hair to be at least 10" long, in a ponytail, I let it grow for almost two years, since my last full cut.  It was already at the base of my neck at that time.  It was a real challenge for me these two years to deal with how to fix my hair; should I always wear it "put up," and how can I manage that?

I think I've broken three hair clips, even the heavy-duty version!  But, my hair finally got long enough to just double it over with a covered ponytail rubber band.  Yesterday, October 1, 2012, after putting my hair in its usual up-do, and experiencing pain in my left thumb joint, I declared, "I'm ready to get my hair cut!"

I had found out that Great Clips cuts hair for donation to Locks of Love for free, so I made a call to verify that and off we went to the salon!  Great Clips not only cut my hair free, but they will take care of packaging it and mailing it in.

Here is what my hair looked like before leaving home to go to the salon.  I had Lee take photos of what it looked like before, during and after.

I didn't know how this whole thing would work out.  I didn't know by going into the salon as a walk-in, whether there'd be a hairdresser there who can handle my type of hair, so I knew I was probably taking a chance.  There were two hairdressers on duty, one was busy and the other took me without hesitation. 

She was amazing!  She took charge of my hair as if she had been cutting it for years!  She wasn't in the least intimidated!  Here, she had parted the back of my hair into two ponytails and was cutting above the rubber bands.  (Hair has to be banded before cutting so it will stay together while it's being sent in.)

 I guess I'd better not say, "I changed my mind!"

Now, the hair is ready to be sent in.  Wow! What a mop!

Now for my huge surprise!  I had curls under all that hair and didn't even know it!  My hairdresser said, "Your hair is curling in the back!"  What?!!!!  I haven't had curls since I was a toddler.  Another thing I've always said is that I'd love to have curly hair!  Well, God does answer in ways that are sometimes surprising!

So, about one-third of the way through the cutting process, I said that I already felt lighter.  At the end, I said I must have lost half a pound.  So, this morning when I got on the scales, sure enough, I had lost half a pound since yesterday!  (I've been wanting to lose some weight!)

My hairdresser suggested a "bob" cut, even though I had taken in a picture of a cut I had four years ago that I liked.  I told her that I had actually thought about that kind of cut and style, so let's go for it.  She worked some kind of magic in the way she cut it and the tools she used to bring back my childhood curls!  I'm happy!

No more curling iron, no more extensive blow drying, and no need to get a perm now!  Blessings do come in batches!  I think I'm going to love this new way of gaining back some of my time.