And now for something completely different...

So a few years ago, I cut off all my hair. I mean, pixie cut. It was a huuuuge mistake, and I knew it right away. I've been growing it out since then with no real long-term plans. After pulling it back in a bun every day this summer, I was ready for a change. I knew I didn't want to go quite as short as last time, but with my recent weight loss and the fact that I now wear earrings and dresses and skirts, not just jeans everyday, I thought perhaps I could pull off a shorter 'do now.

Now, I usually just go to Super Cuts or some such place as I am incredibly cheap, but a friend recommended I try the Paul Mitchell cosmetology school nearby. Instead of paying a little and getting a basic cut from someone who just graduated, you can pay even less ($12!) for someone who is about to graduate and has an instructor watching their every move and available to fix any mistakes they make. Plus, I love having my hair played with, and since the students are still learning, they take their sweet time with it. Normally, they allot 2 hours for a "Cut & Style", but I have a ton of hair, which took a lot of thinning and layering to reduce its volume, so I got 3 full hours of hair play tonight (yeah, hair play, I said it). Anyway, I can't believe I'd never gone there before, and I will absolutely go back. I really love the results!

Disclaimer: In the photo on the right, my hair was styled at the salon.
So there's a pretty good chance this is the best it will ever look.

9/8/12: Edited to add a photo the next day of how it looks when not styled by a soon-to-be-professional. My waves really come out when they don't have 2.5 tons of hair weighing them down.