Monday Musings: Birds, Bobs, and a Television I Can Tolerate
We’ve been in Vancouver for a week now, and it’s been exactly the kind of break I needed. My daughter and I escaped to the forest one day, and I soaked up every minute of it. There’s something about being among the trees that settles me almost immediately, and whenever I’m up here, I try to get as much of that as I can. We breathed in the cool air, listened to the birds, and used the Merlin app to figure out which birds were making all the noise.
I also got my hair cut into a bob. Which I haven’t worn since probably my late forties or early fifties.
My hairdresser here in Vancouver is very careful and precise, which is important because when your hair is thinning, every strand matters. A few careless snips can take months to recover from so I can’t go to someone who’s casual about that.
We talked through all of it…my face shape, hair texture, the thinning, and what might actually help, instead of just sounding promising in the chair. At one point, I told him I didn’t want to look like Little Lord Fauntleroy. He looked vaguely confused, and that’s when I realized the reference may have expired with my generation.
For years, I’ve added layers in hopes of creating more volume. This time, we did the opposite. He cut it blunt, straight across, so you don’t see through the ends as much. He only took off about two inches, but it feels like a completely different approach. I’m still playing with it, but I think I love it. Or at the very least, I’m not standing in front of the mirror feeling like my hair looks straggly. We briefly chatted about going even shorter but I chickened…maybe next time.
We also did something this week that I don’t think we’ve done in more than 24 years. We bought a television.
I realize that sounds completely unremarkable, but it felt strangely significant to me.
I grew up in a house where the TV was broken for a long stretch. The screen didn’t work, so I remember sitting on the floor as a little girl listening to Bewitched and trying to figure out what that funny little sound was. I knew Samantha was twitching her nose, but I couldn’t actually see it. Eventually, the television got fixed, and we’d watch Star Trek together as a family on Sunday nights, but that was about it. My parents read. I read. Television was never the center of our home.
The TV we have in California was handed down to us by our son about 15 years ago, when he upgraded and realized we didn’t even own a smart TV. That tells you pretty much everything.
So walking into a store and actually choosing one together felt deeply out of character. I cared less about the technology than I did about how it would look on the wall. I didn’t want a giant black rectangle looming over the room like a modern monument to poor decorating choices, so we chose a Frame TV. I suspect I’ll appreciate it even more once I can make it pretend to be art.
Which is apparently what happens when your design preferences finally overpower your lifelong indifference to television.
My daughter and I also spent some time browsing the Sephora sale in person. I don’t know if this is universal, but every Sephora I walk into has the same overpowering smell. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t enjoy being sold products I already know I don’t want, which is why I usually prefer shopping online. But it was more fun with my daughter because she has a much higher tolerance for retail chaos than I do. The place was packed, and I was reminded very quickly why I like to click “add to cart” from the privacy of my own home. Still, I did manage to replace a few things. You can see my other favorites in this post.
So that’s been my week: forest air, a new haircut, and discovering I apparently do have opinions about televisions after all.
Your new bob is very becoming on you, Jennifer!
Thanks
I love your new haircut
It is very flattering on you
I love your new haircut. It’s good to make a change every now and then. Keeps your look fresh.
I got stuck in a hair rut!
I love your new hairdo. It makes you look 10 years younger! It’s probably much easier to style, too. Definitely a keeper.
That’s a keeper! Thanks
I like your new bob haircut. At 55, I have thin hair as well and went with a bob a few years back when layers no longer worked for me either. The bob seems to make my hair look fuller and having a good hairdresser is key. A shoulder length or slightly shorter bob needs to be very even all the way around. My trick to this is to cut it once in the chair, then stand up and make sure it is still even. Often it isn’t due to the way I stand or how my hair hangs and my hairdresser cuts some more.
Good Morning Jennifer. Love love love your hair. And glad you chickened on shorter. It looks perfect.
Thanks Lee Ann.
So fun to read. Agree with all of the above!!!!
I love your hair! Very chic!! I laughed out loud at your “Little Lord Fauntleroy” comment. I used the exact same reference with my hairdresser and I had the same result as you did. So funny!!
LOL!
I really like your new hair cut. Very sharp and chic. As for a new tellie, I dread the day we have to replace ours as one needs a degree in technology or something just to turn the wretched thing on.
That’s what I’m worried about. Hopefully I can make the artwork show 🤣
Love love your new haircut! It looks fresh and modern!
I love your new haircut!
I love your new hair style! Mine is in a bob and goes up and down in length and layers. She wants to grow to my collarbone but mine is thick and it gets to a point where it looks bushy and heavy. I do wish they changed styles more like they did long ago. I like that yours looks light and airy, perfect for Spring!
I really like your new haircut! I think it makes your hair look fuller with more body. Looks great on you!
That was my hope. Thank you
Your blunt-cut bob has a nice swing to it! A versatile type of haircut. Mine is layered and texturized because my hair is thick and wavy. One interesting aspect was the razor cut near the nape of my neck so the cowlick would behave.
Absolutely love the Bob! Love when a simple haircut just gives our entire style a lift! My hair was getting a little too pixie and in the process of growing and trimming to see what style evolves. Hair is just so essential to our style and the way we feel, don’t you think?
I totally agree
Love the new blunt bob. I’m going to have my almost shoulder length silver hair cut back into a bob next week. I wore one for years, my signature haircut, until chemo left me bald. Then I started growing my hair out, apparently to show I could. Anyway, I’m tired of it and want my bob back!
I like the frame tv sets- no excuse to buy one as I have a small one behind double cabinet doors. The big one is in the den, where just my husband and I watch sports and stuff.
I love your new haircut! And it looks like it would be easier to take care of. Glad you enjoyed your forest time. I just took our birdfeeder out. The deer will eat it all if we leave it out at night. There there were so many birds chirping that I got my Merlin app and there are 7 birds telling us good morning. Love that app. Have a great day!
Love the new bob haircut, especially the side bang !
Great haircut and length. See how it holds up until your next haircut and judge if it stays good or needs a bit shorter.
Love your new haircut! And I agree, stores with Sephora in them permeate perfume out into the store and makes for a horrible experience for me. I can hardly set foot into the Sephora area. Why???
Love your new cut! It’s still you, but you look so polished👍