Tag Archives: silver

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Twenty-two months, no color: Aug 8, 2015

Going Silver: Line of demarcation

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For the people out there who still think I look blonde – here is a picture that shows the line of demarcation!! This was not an easy picture to take – kudos to the photographer! This pic really shows my progress. I love it! I’ve been through a lot to get here. And, as you can see from the pix below … I’m enjoying my journey down Silver Linings Lane.

This past week I was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond picking up some household necessities. I was standing in the checkout line when a slightly-turning-silver woman behind me said,

“Excuse me, I came in here to buy some hair color to touch up my roots. I had decided to let my hair go naturally grey, but because of some not-so-nice comments, I’m having second thoughts. What do you think?”

I’ll never know if she noticed my silver streaks, I didn’t think to ask. I responded with a resounding, “Do what feels right for you. Look at what I’m doing!” And, with that, I pulled out my pony tail and showed her my resplendent shades of silver. We had a short exchange on authenticity, I wish it could have been longer. She was a delightful woman. Since I was ahead of her in line, I do not know if she bought the hair color, or not. I love that she had the courage to speak to me. And, I love providing affirmations, when needed. We’re in this together!

This past week, I read a witty article by Sarah Hampson titled, “I’m fed up with the age-defiance game, so my ‘granny’ hair is staying” … what a great sense of “humor”. Her experience resonated with me. Love these thoughts she shared,

“Women of a certain age like to say how wonderful it is to discover that they don’t care what others think any more. And that’s true. We can spend our lives worrying about how others perceive us as mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, career women, etc. etc. And you reach an age, post 40, where you finally have more confidence in who you are and what you have accomplished.

We believe we’re becoming authentic but that’s the very point when we’re encouraged to cover up what is really happening with our bodies.”

So, for those who are fed-up with covering up, join those of us who are letting our hair down, or as my cover pic displays – shaking things up and having a ball doing it! 🙂 I invite you to subscribe to my blog and join in the conversation. I would love to hear from you. Remember … we’re in this together! Whether you color or not, we’re going silver. That’s the plain and simple truth! Accept it and rock it! 🙂

 


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Twenty-one months, no color: July 28, 2015

Going Silver: Shades of Silver and Gold

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I’m closing in on the two-year, no-color mark … and, I am psyched! So far, I’ve resisted the urge to follow the crowd and continue the high- and low-light game. It’s taken a lot of soul-searching and struggling with who I am. I have a lot of questions. Why do we throw away our youth … and then struggle to hold onto it? Why are we so caught up in thought … that we miss the present moment? Think less, live more! I’m trying to veer away from that incessant voice in my head telling me I’m not good enough. I’m trying to accept myself just the way I am. And that means living in the moment with gratitude and grace while embracing the real me.

This period of reflection has brought me back in touch with my youth. For example, when I was young, I used to love to swim. I would go underwater and then stand up with my hair in front of my face and marvel at the many colors of hair in the sunlight. Well, I am doing the same thing now, minus the swimming part. 🙂 I look at my hair in different lighting and see so many awesome colors. I love it! Each angle provides a different type of color. I’m blessed. This transition was easier than I thought it would be, but (IMHO) that is because I have chosen to accept the changes of aging. It is, what it is …

Speaking of changing colors … check out the photos below … they were taken minutes apart. Three inside, three outside. The outside pix show my hair color in a whole new light! I just love the silver streaking through … I think it will be magnificent when all my hair is silver. Until then, I’ll treasure the silver streaks! If you are thinking of naturally going silver … please sign up for my blog, share your thoughts (dark or light – my new way of highlighting and lowlighting – ha), and let’s help each other along the way! Until next month … all the best!


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Mom and Glenda (2011)

Going Silver: How Mom Motivated Me

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In my first post on going silver, I mentioned that I did not come to this realization on my own. That I was inspired by people like Cindy Joseph (Boom by Cindy Joseph). Cindy made me start thinking and reflecting on how gracefully my Mother went from red hair to almost a blondish look and now silver. Interestingly, when Mom and I are out-and-about, people who do not know us would ask if we are sisters. I know, it isn’t exactly a compliment for how I am handling the aging phase, but it is a huge compliment for my Mother. And, she’s done this without coloring her hair, by staying true to who she is, by not hiding from reality. Check out the picture of us above – it was taken the summer of 2011. Please note, that I have only high/low lighted my hair, so I’ve always let the silver shine a bit. I did that purposely and honestly, I think gray roots are nasty looking, so I never wanted to be in the position of having to worry about a solid line of them. Enough about that, doesn’t my Mom look great?!

Here’s the progression for my Mom starting with her 50th bday in 1993:

Mom's 50th Bday (1993)

Mom’s 50th Bday (1993)

This picture shows how red her hair really was:

Mom's 50th Bday

Mom’s 50th Bday

And, this picture was taken ten years later:

Mom and Glenda (Nov 2003)

Mom and Glenda (Nov 2003)\

I find it fascinating to look back and see the shades of grey as both my Mom and I have aged and I hope you do, too! We need to celebrate aging … just think about how many people would jump out of their graves if they had the chance to live longer. Just sayin’!

Interestingly, my Mom has had hairdressers tell her – DO NOT COLOR YOUR HAIR. There are women who PAY to get the color you have right now. Hm. That really made me pause and think. Also, as we age, our skin color changes along with our hair and I really think it looks better when the two match or compliment each other. Of course, that’s my opinion. But, think about that when you see someone who is older and colors their hair. Really study their face and how the hair frames it. Is it harsh? Does it look natural? Once I started looking at silver hair with a new perspective, I started realizing that I wanted to try it. And now I’m a year into my new look. I will start sharing some photos of that conversion process in my next few posts. Stay tuned! 🙂


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Going Silver: Highlight, Lowlight, Nolight

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This picture was taken on November 5, 2013. I had high-and-low-lighted my hair on October 1st. If you look close, you can see silver strands peaking out here and there. Most people just thought it was blonde, but I knew the truth! There seemed to be more silver than blonde those days.

IMG_2820 - Version 2

The woman who used to do my high-and-lowlights was excellent when it came to her trade and she did a great job with my hair. So, you can imagine her surprise when I went in six months later for a trim ONLY and explained my intention to go natural – to let the silver shine! She warned that sooner than later, I’d be back in her chair.

Well, it’s been a year without any high-and-lowlights. Granted, there are days when I think, “Who the hell is that?” But, more often than not, I look in the mirror and think, “Wow, you look awesome!” Yes, the good days definitely outweigh the bad. And, that is what made me think that I should share my thoughts along the way. To encourage others to try it. To buck the trend or the social norms that encourage us to cover up who we really are and to not accept aging. It’s about time we recognize aging for what it is – a gift from God, the Universe, our Higher Power! So, join me as I share pictures and thoughts as I gracefully grow into gray, I mean silver.

By the way, I did not come to this revelation on my own. Cindy Joseph of Boom by Cindy Joseph inspired me with her Pro-Age Revolution. I encourage you to follow Cindy Joseph and prepare to be enlightened, here’s a glimpse of what you’ll get:

To that end, I hope you enjoy my pictorial story and written ramblings along the way. Please feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, and encouragement. I think it is vital to seek support when bucking trends! Further, a supportive community that makes their voices heard may inspire others to go silver. Let’s be trendsetters. What is it Cindy says? Silver is the new blonde. Love it! Let’s join the Pro-Age Revolution and live a life built on truth and look for silver linings!

SPECIAL NOTE: The title of my blog post was inspired by a dear friend, Tes Neal. Thank you for the inspiration, Tes!


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