Weddingbee Blog

…Or how laziness will get you a full mane of hair, Pretzel style.

Last week I was feeling a little saucy, so I did something crazy. I wore my hair down.

I even rocked my Pretzel “knot” when he proposed

No joke, you see my hair is almost perpetually in a messy bun (from hence dubbed “Pretzel Knot”) and I wore it down, styled even. It freaked people out. Nobody had realized how long it had gotten, and I admit I hadn’t noticed either. I think it is, perhaps, the longest it has ever been. I proudly announced this fact and Mr Pretzel looked at me and asked, “Really? Are you sure?” I took that as a challenge and dug out all the old photos in my possession. After a humorous walk down memory lane I came to a conclusion. When it comes to hair I am lazy.

Let’s rewind about 22 years.

1987- I’m 10 and I got the dreaded Dorothy Hammel cut. This marks the end of my mom having control over my hair. Sure, there was an ill-advised perm along the way but eventually I started to make good hair choices. This also marks my first experience with the ease of short hair – something which will resurface later.

1992: I finally get to have long hair! After a gum-in-hair incident followed by Vaseline-in-hair incident my mom decided at age 3 that I couldn’t have long hair until I was more responsible, which apparently was when I was in Jr. High.

1994: *Sigh* my hair develops natural wave/curl- just enough to be annoying and frizzy. But look—it’s still long.

1995: Freshman year of college I decide to try “the Rachel” (think Jennifer Aniston first season of Friends) and I’ve discovered hair dye.

1996-1997: I get bold and try being a redhead. Boy was there was a lot of red and it continued into 1997 when it got longer. That was one interesting football game I was watching there.

1998: Nothing like a the end of a relationship to make a girl chop her locks off. I loved my liberating short hair, especially when visiting Miss Nachos DW location in St Thomas.

1999-2000: I started to grow out my short hair but wavy hair doesn’t really like the “in between stage” so I resorted to hair twists and bandannas.

2001: Growing it out was too much of a hassle so I chopped it off again.

2002: I had the patience to get it to a chin length bob by grad school graduation—much to my mother’s delight.

2003-2005: They cycle of grow it out, chop it continues. A monumental occasion in 2005—I see my natural hair color for the first time since 1996.

2006-2009: I’ve settled in to a ‘do that works for me, the bob, sometimes sleek, sometimes naturally curly, but always chin length.

And then my friends, Pretzel’s laziness sets in. In 2008 I have found Mr Pretzel and life has changed. In fact, that last photo of me and my dad was taken in August 2008, just after I introduced him to Mr Pretzel. Just weeks before I had gotten my hair cut. That would be the last hair cut I would get for 13 months. No joke. I took 2 inches off in September 2009 and that’s it.

Was I planning to grow my hair out for the wedding? Nope. Was I purposely growing it? No sir. I was just plain lazy. In August 2008 I had it cut in a chin length bob and now it’s halfway down my back. Wanna see?

Yep, that’s my hair in all its glory. Though most of the time it’s twisted in a Pretzel Knot. My theory on my recent subconscious hair growth?

Mama Pretzel. August 2008 is when I knew that Mr Pretzel would be the man I would marry and the last real haircut I’ve had. Mama Pretzel had the longest, most beautiful hair on her wedding day and I think in the back of my mind I wanted to try to have hair as long as hers. I don’t have plans to cut it before the wedding, and truth be told, I have no idea how I want to wear it. *sigh* But, you can bet I’ll be a candidate for a Post Wedding Chop (PWC) especially after looking at all these pictures of me with super short hair!

What is your hair strategy? Are you growing it out or keeping it short?