Keeping Busy

Oh my goodness, July has been insane! 

Probably one of the most important things I've learned about myself this month is that I can sew.  And sew lots.  And sew wearable items, even.  Sometimes sewing is the only way to achieve the look you want.  There have been several big occasions this month and I've had ambitions for each of them.  Whether I achieve hairlessness or not, I have been resolved to go for the looks that I want (and in some cases have fantasized about wearing for years).  And I feel I succeeded in them.

 I mean, take a look at this hair!  I did that myself, and I learned it from an amazing site called CuteGirlsHairstyles, which you should check out if you've ever wondered how to do some elusive braid you've seen on Pinterest or tumblr.  I never ever used to do anything with my hair, ever.  I wanted it to be around my face to hide me, and on the rare occasion that I wanted it done up, it always seemed too hard to do.  I started practicing braiding my hair while I was bedridden in May, and was able to accomplish that by July.  (Girly admission: the hair was merely a foundation for the plumerias, which I've wanted to wear in my hair since my transformative holiday in Hawaii.  It's a silly dream, but it's been mine for ages, and why put it off any longer?  No time like the present to make yourself feel as beautiful as you've ever imagined you could be.)

Of more interest to you ladies, though, is that I have been keeping up with the challenge to shave as little as possible without planning ahead for the days I need to leave the house.  I have left the house several times now without shaving, including going to the dentist, something you long-time readers will know I dread because they work so closely with my face.  Laser hair removal has reduced my beard enough that the regrowth is much more subtle, much more bearable.  I look forward to experiencing camping like this.  And speaking of which, I am getting ready to leave, so I'll report on how it went when I get back. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and keeping busy with good things.

A First in July

Yesterday, I did something crazy.  Something I didn’t believe I’d ever do again.

Or maybe you could say I didn’t do something crazy.

Yesterday, I woke up to the local country music station (and let me tell you, if I have to hear that woman wondering why he doesn’t take her downtown anymore one more time, I’m going back to the classic rock station and let AC/DC wake me up instead).  I hit snooze a time or two, then finally got out of bed, went to the washroom, then got some tea with milk and sugar.  I shuffled back upstairs to bed, turned on the local news, took my Spiro with my tea and sewed up the hem of a suit I’m making.  Since my plans for the day involved shopping with my mom and my step-sister, when I heard them moving I washed my face, brushed my usual SPF 30 foundation and concealer over my face, swiped some deodorant under my arms and got dressed.  Then we went out.

What was different?  I didn’t shave.  And you know what?  The act of washing my face without digging out the razor felt just plain wrong.  It took a lot of concentration to stop myself.  But my chin still felt smooth from the morning before, though the hair follicles looked more prominent in the mirror.  Why would I put my face through shaving if I didn’t have to?  And since we were only going out shopping and would be amongst total strangers, I figured this would be a good day to try it.

And while I was out, when I remembered I hadn’t shaved that morning, it wasn’t with a surge of embarrassment or worry.  It was with a sense of thrill.  'Dude, I didn't shave this morning!' I kept telling myself like it was a dirty little secret.  'Maybe I'll only have to shave every other day, now...' 

By afternoon, I could brush the back of my hand under my chin and feel a prickle, but no worse than it felt immediately after shaving sometimes when my skin was really dry or in the phase after laser but before the hair starts shedding.  And by the time I went to bed, the make-up was still well in place, but I was definitely more prickly--but no worse than the five o’clock shadow I used to get before medications began to work. I think a thing to remember is that a lot of the hairs left on my chin are coarse, but blond, and not as easily noticeable.  Even if I did let them poke out of the skin a little, would anyone be able to tell at a casual glance?

It was the kind of morning I’ve dreamed of having for so long.  And you know what?  It wasn’t that different from any other morning up until now.  That could be because first the medication, and now the laser, have reduced my facial hair to a point where shaving and make-up is much less likely to be a tearful battle in front of the mirror anyway.  But really, I didn’t do anything else different.  But I sure felt excited.