8 months and 12 days....

this has been the most amazing journey - when i first started growing out my gray and i would read the other women say the same thing, and think 'right, not me'. 
it is absolutely worth every moment.
it is so much fun i can't even tell you.

the women said 'people comment on my hair every day'. and once again i would think 'right, not me'.
people comment on my hair every day. 
no less than 4 a day.
all positive, all curious, and i've already had 3 patients follow my lead...

so it started getting fun around the 4-5 month mark - when you could really tell what was happening.

if you're waffling, or if you think you can't do this - you can.

some photos from last weekend...

i skipped over 6 and went straight to 7....

5 months, 5 days.

and once again you're only getting a photo.   still lazy.....

so lots has changed.  the white is a half inch longer than it was the last time you saw me.  this photo doesn't show too much, this i took this morning outside.  when my hair is scrunched, the white comes through from underneath and looks like white streaks. 

i get lots of comments on my hair now.   now it's pretty evident what is happening - although i have had a few people ask me when i decided to go blonde... LOL   but  not a day goes by without a comment from someone.  i come in contact with a lot of people all day long, people that see me every six months. 

i still have moments of feeling extremely dumpy and old and ugly.   at some point before i die (at 105 in my sleep) i would like to NOT have those thoughts....

so the first shot is this morning, scrunched up

this next shot was from last weekend.  it was super hot and humid and we were hosting a house concert.  i had my hair pulled up on top of my head in a ponytail.  which made everything white!

4 months, 15 days...

just a photo this time, no video.  no reason, just lazy.  i'm on vacation, and it's a staycation, and i'm lazy. 

i'm actually starting to really enjoy the transition, now that it's obvious what i'm doing... sometimes i just stare at it in the mirror, trying to picture what i will look like when it's fully grown out...

off now for a weekend filled with MUSIC... tonight at godfrey daniels.  then 2 full days of 'muses in the vineyard'  plus possibly making an appearance at the buck dilly memorial on sunday... enjoy!!

3 months, 17 days, and vagina monologues...

three months today!

no video today... chalk that up to being hellishly tired, makeup half on and half off, dog slobber covered scrubs and chapped lips.  

just a photo... so i'm 3 months in.  jenny has masked the top of my head with some low lites.  but underneath it's snow white...

i tend to forget about it until i look in the mirror or see a picture of myself.  and this weekend i saw a LOT of pics of myself... and video of myself.... and i have quite a stripe!  i know it looks a bit strange, but another couple of months and i think it's going to look cool.

jenny is going to cut a few inches off in a few weeks.  then she'll layer it - shag it... something. 

here you go - 3 months in!

day 64...

day 52.

Almost two months in... definitely in that oh so awkward stage.... jenny put in a few low lights to smudge the 'line'....

a shot of the glowing stripe...

because it does glow, you know.  in the right light... it GLOWS. 

28 days.

the one in which i show you my new root growth....

welcome...

and so it begins.....

hi.  my name is sandi and i am a recovering hair dyer.  ;-)  this blog will follow my journey through growing out my natural hair - which is pretty much pure white (or at least that's what it looks like when my roots grow in a bit.

i started going gray in my 30's.   i had one white streak in my bangs that started when i was a teenager.  at 34 i started dyeing my hair and never looked back.  i used to go to the salon every five weeks, but that five week stretch was just too long... i had an inch of white striping down my part.   so i started doing my own roots every few weeks at home.   and that's been the story of my life for 23 years.

enough.

i dream of looking like emmy lou... or any of the amazing silver foxes.  here's emmy lou:

a few of my friends let the gray flag fly... and i loved the look of it.... and envied their hair care routine.  they didn't have to worry about that stripe.... that always looked so glaring against the rest of my hair.  i've grown tired of the cover ups, the sprays (ICK) and the very expensive powder (less ICK but still...)

i started going to a friend of mine who happens to be a fabulous hair stylist, and she color corrected me (years of abuse and not being adept at my own roots) and then highlighted me.   she knows i want to go gray and said she will help make the process as painless as it can be.

my plan is to post pics of my progress every few weeks, talk about how i'm handling the awkward phase (that may last over a year) and what kind of reactions i'm getting.

here is a starting shot - taken at my last appointment with jenny on 12/31/14.  the streaks are highlights, not gray.    i am 22 days in now, and will take a shot of my stripe in a day or two.