Guys, I have a confession to make.

It has officially been over a year since I had a haircut.

I know, it’s mortifying. But living on an island doesn’t make this exactly easy. You see, I’ve exclusively been seeing my friend Ryan (currently at Wicked Salon and Spa) for the last twelve years to handle my various shades of golden locks, and that’s a relationship built on friendship, trust, and complete and utter (sometimes brutal) honesty.

And that is a bond that cannot be broken, not even with an ocean trying to keep you apart. I read somewhere that people care more about having a hairstylist they trust than a primary care position. I mean, doctors come and go, but a good colorist? That’s forever.

Ryan and I met sophomore year of high school in Intro to Journalism class. I knew we were meant to be friends when he chose “Christina vs. Britney” as his editorial assignment. It took some persistence on my part, but we finally bonded, and even ended up as prom dates. Needless to say, between the two of us, we’ve had more than a few looks over the years:

And of course, he created my most important look of all:

(And if that weren’t enough, he also did every single one of my bridesmaids hair and makeup. Did I mention he’s amazing?)

So even though I moved to Nantucket over two years ago, my hair has not been touched by any hands but his. I take that back – I have had regular demineralizing treatments due to the fact that island water turns my hair green. But cut and color? I only have strands for Ryan.

Believe it or not, prices on Nantucket are so outrageous, that I’m convinced it is still cheaper for me to take a boat back to America, drive to N.H., and get my hair cut and colored. Plus it gives me a chance to catch up with one of my oldest friends, and let’s be honest – that’s priceless.

But now, the time has come. I’m on my way up to another wedding (shocker!) in Vermont, so the salon is the perfect inbetween stop to break up the trip.

So because it has been over a full calendar year since a pair of shears have touched my hair, it’s safe to say I am in full-on crazy research mode. I have been scouring Pinterest, looking for the perfect cut and color to get me through potentially another hair drought.

Here are some of my favorite inspiration photos for today’s hair event (yes, that is what it has become).

(Note: The ladies on the top are cut inspiration only, not color.)

I’m looking for something a little shorter and lighter (in weight). Since it’s been so long, there is a split-end party happening south of my shoulders, so I’m thinking a bunch of that needs to come off. I’m hoping to work a bit more with my natural hair texture (slightly wavy, but not really) and have a little more bounce and volume.

I’m still debating on color, and probably will do so all the way up to New Hampshire. I’ve never been a fan of my natural color (it’s a bit dull), but since I’ve let almost all of it grow out, I’m shocked at how many compliments I’ve gotten on my real hair color, which is kind of a inbetween-ish “bronde.”

My ultimate favorie inspo photo is this:

See? Just a hint of highlight, but with a slightly more “lived-in” color (at least, that’s what it’s called on Pinterest. Apparently that’s in, in addition to balayage, tortoise shell, and a bunch of other words that don’t translate to any color in my eyes).

At this point, it doesn’t really matter what I do. Because anything is an improvement of this:

#Iwokeuplikethis (literally – that’s me this morning)

So if you guys need me, this is where I’ll be for the next three hours. Follow me on Instagram and now Snapchat (!!!) at @legallylinz, where I’m sure I’ll be documenting the process.

Straggly yours,

~L

Update: Multiple people have asked me for an update now that The Cut has happened, so I wanted to share a quick photo of the finished product:

Obviously, the look isn’t complete without ginormous sunnies.

I thought Ryan was going to encourage me not to go so short, but he saw my post before I even got the salon and told me he thought my favorite inspiration photo was perfect and that we should do it. Before I even had a chance to process (plus I was a little under the influence from the ginormous glass of white zinfandel I was offered as I walked in the door) I felt the first cut at the back of my neck. We also decided to do a little bit lighter towards the ends, but keep my natural root color and just slightly blend it all together, which Ryan did perfectly with this new hair color that was so new he hadn’t tried it on anyone else (which I only found out after we were finished).

I am beyond thrilled with how it all came out – I haven’t had hair this short in years and I can’t believe how much I love it. If you’re in the southern New Hampshire area (and even if you’re not, trust me, it’s worth the drive/boat ride), go see Ryan at Wicked Salon & Spa in Goffstown. I’m hoping to do some upcoming posts more at length in the future some short-hair stylings (maybe another vlog is in our future!), but for now, let’s all just back in the glow of freshly-done hair and thank the Lord for our stylists and their miracle fingers.