The Everyday Blond

The side view photo you see is that of, the late beautiful Marilyn Monroe. I did this as an art project in one of my many graphic programs. It's fitting in this hub, as I have made the colors changed, to show, not all true blonde's were not really blonde at all!

Ok, some think silly I guess, but I've heard all my life Gentlemen Prefer Blondes! Well, I'm not so sure about that as they're some non-Blonde girls who are absolutely gorgeous! But I feel, one should be who they are, not what they world wants them to be. Apparently in order for Marilyn to become who she was, she had to change her hair color. This obviously does not sit well with me, as a true blonde.

These are a few photos of me growing up from the little girl blonde to the woman I am now!

While some of the men (possibly women) out there like to just view photos over ones aging process, this is about being a blond! Growing up blonde and how I changed over the years in both just blondness and fashionable blonde! As that is another one of my hubs that is on the way!

To the men who care or are going to ask, yes, I have more revealing photos of me but that's not what this hub is about it's about HAIR and personality, and persona's! Throughout most of my life I've had long hair, with a few times it's been short, while it looked ok, I've just always liked it long!

A personal preference, as long hair in itself makes a statement, regardless of what anyone says, a girl chooses long hair for a reason! Whether it be an attention getter or just the ease of whipping it up into a pony tail to be kept out of my face, long hair, does indeed make a statement!

Welp, here I am in different stages of my life, so here's the girl whose behind the writings of these hubs! I realize not many girls want their photos splashed across their hubs, I guess I'm one of the few who don't care, like me or hate me, beauty or not, isn't the focus, it's the HAIR and what we go through to keep it and keep it up for ourselves!

Enjoy (or not lol) - Kathy (a.k.a. Katharella - a take of Cinderella as I've felt that poor girl's pain)lol.

My mother was a beautician by trade. She never used me as a practice subject, but did indeed try to keep my hair nice! I remember she had her own salon in the basement. She had my toys and a chalk board right by the door so she could keep good eye on me. I remember some of the people who came and went. Some who knew me years, as mom only lost customers to aging. I remember this, She had the whole set up. I got to lean back while she washed my hair in a professional manner, then sit in the chair, that I wanted to spin, and ride up and down in! ha, kids huh! Picture day was special! She'd curled me little poofy sides and said smile sweet to the camera, and poof your hair with your hands. My hair was so silky soft, it never held a curl. That was the beginning of "I must be cute in photos."

Ah, while I sat many times waiting on mom with her basement beauty shop, I'd already had it in me for fashion and long hair! I was in LOVE with Ringo Star from the Beatles! I remember looking store to store, my wonderful mother taking me to find this special dress for picture day. Much to my surprise, it even had the necklace come with it. It was mine! I was happy! As the photo shows! As I look back, and remember seeing Woodstock, the first one, the real one, and thinking.. hey those cats are groovy, and why are they all smoking cigarettes that aren't like mom & dad's. Their cigarettes didn't make them dance and sing, and love everyone! I didn't like arguing or the negativity that my elder siblings brought into our home, I wanted peace and love... I wanted "Woodstock" at home! Sure looks like I was on my way!

Since mom had a salon of her own, she of course had many wigs and things. Hair pieces called "Falls" to give girls with short hair just that stream of long hair. Ah, we were going to a fair, and I wanted to test out one of mom's wigs. A short black one! Oh now I wish I had a photo of it, but I guess not really missed as I truly loved my long blond hair!

We'd went to the fair, and there was a man doing these drawings. Oh, I wanted one done, but not with that horrid wig on! Mom rushed me behind a tent, and being prepared as a good hair dresser wood, she had her comb. She took the wig off, and combed out my hair and viola! I was ME again! It wasn't until years after she died that I was going through the things she'd left behind, and I found my senior picture, and I took it out of it's frame, and low and behold, I found this gem, I thought gone forever! I stuck it back in the frame and it's hanging on the wall in my hallway, so every time I pass by, I catch a glimpse of my past, my mom and what she did for me that day. :)

A Beatles loving 60's child, quickly advancing into the early 70's. Here I find myself a teen, with my first real boyfriend! What could make me love it more than he too loved guitars! Oh, and hats! I don't think I ever grew out of loving hats and sunglasses, although my guitar playing days I realized came to a halt when I realized I felt a pinched nerve sort of feeling in one of my fingertips. Sure I learned a bit from this boyfriend, but who am I kidding, was I really paying attention to my boyfriend or this magical instrument I held! I think my expression held it quite to perfection!

But my HAIR, my locks, again I was caught up in the stream of peer pressure and had it trimmed up, but a bit farther than I cared for. I remember this day quite clearly. Dad had electricity ran to the garage, so we could go out and practice and play. He taught me my first chords, and although I already knew piano, I caught on to the jist of it quite quick. By then, to a teen the Beatles stage was gone for me. (Never completely, that's incomprehensible! After all they ARE the Beatles)

I had moved on, I was in Kmart (do they exist anymore) when I was thumbing through something I don't really recall, a vague memory of toys, as I was only a young teen and back in those days kids stayed kids quite longer than now, but I heard Deep Purple. I didn't know the bands name, but I followed the music to the electronics department. There it was, a stereo with Deep Purple's album "Made In Japan" playing. I looked around, no one was watching so I stopped it to get the name off of it! I found mom, and told her I liked this band Deep Purple, and, strangely enough, my favorite color! lol! It didn't make me like the band's music any more or anything, I just felt a feeling I'd never felt through what other music went through my house. That of siblings, I was used to their music of the 50's & early 60's. I found ROCK! METAL! I found MY music! No longer was I going to be held to them, but on my way to being ME.

Deep Purple "Made In Japan" was under the Christmas Tree that year. I played that vinyl over and over and loved every song! Today they hold a special "coming of age" place in my heart. Little did I realize, they were by far beyond their time in music.

My next favorite, was that of Aerosmith! That's what I first learned on this guitar. Dream On, and I graduated to Train Kept' a Rollin! I just couldn't get past that pain in my fingertip.

Ah, I didn't realize it at the time, but I had a "friend" or what I thought was my best friend. She was jealous of my hair, so one day in class, we struck up conversation about my hair. Hers was a dirty blonde, she could have went blonder had she known or asked my mother for help, but I guess kids don't think that way, she just wanted to rid me of my long hair, and that she did!

While I had a very inattentive teacher, who gave you an A if you just showed up, we sat in the back of the class, and the "friend" was just going to "give me a trim." Sure, I let her give me a trim on my almost waist length hair. When I came home, my mother was quite upset, she never liked the girl, but the girls mother was quite over protective or demanding of her to do housework for the family. So she never really got to come over much.

Mom ended up having to trim it up, and get it to the point where it looked ok, and good enough for my Senior photograph. I didn't then, nor never did like turtleneck's, but mom wanted me to have contrast of my blonde hair, and there you have it. My short and flat hair, with my navy turtleneck sweater on. To this day I'll never know why I didn't change that, since my favorite color was purple, and I found the first purple shirt I ever owned in my things as well after my mom passed away, and I had it... puffy end sleeves, pointy collar and all. I could have worn it, but ah, we cannot change what's been done now can we! Just accept and go on.

If any teens are out there reading, PLEASE do not give into peer pressure, be who you are, as you see, looking back, I regret the jealousy of my friend stealing my long locks, and not having them in the photograph that meant SCHOOLS OUT!

In actuality School's Out by Alice Cooper (who I was not allowed to have in my home, like KISS, I had to keep my love of them hidden from my over protective parents) lol, but the meaning of Schools out, is much like that of "Stoopid." Schools out dummies, BE YOURSELF! Not what others want you to be! Again, we cannot change the past, only do the best we can with what we've learned and go onto the future with that knowledge!

I believe I was 17 years old in this photo. I loved Farrah and her beautiful smile and her beautiful HAIR! Oh, how I wish I had got to be HER. Kids! Well, although my parents had let me go to a short bit of modeling school, I learned how to do some make up, and walk quite differently than the models of Milan do now! There was NO bounce to the walk then as there is now! Long perfect strides, a kick of the foot to do that turn! It came rather easy to me, as I had ice skating lessons as well.

My posture and walk, I practiced everyday. If I couldn't be that rock star with the aching fingertip, then I was going to be a model. Well, love took both away from me, as I married this boy, who was the schools heart throb. ALL the girls wanted to date him, and I really didn't see what the fuss was. Then one day I was driving down the road and saw him hitchhiking, since I knew him from school, I was ok to pick him up. It wasn't like picking up a stranger, as I promised dad I would never do. But that day I picked him up, and we were quite inseparable for about 2 years. Long enough to bring a child into the world that he wouldn't take responsibility of, and long enough to kill any dream I had of being a model, as I no longer had the body of a model! But we did indeed want this child, that we had no concept of how much it cost to raise a child, we used to say "we'll be great parents because we'll be sort of growing up with our child." I guess he only meant that until other girls turned his head, and he left for them, Never to be seen or heard from again, other than the fact he lived right up the road. But I let my hair grow and grow, until I had my beautiful long locks back again!

Unfortunately, by then, I had begged mom for CURLS, real curls, and LONG curls. Into the early - mid 80's when all the other girls had high poofy hair and bangs, I had waist length hair with waist length hair! Sadly, someone broke into my first apartment and stole my camera which held a photo of me that my friend (who is still a friend ;) took of me.. standing in front of her car, with yet another hat on, with my long curly locks that must have been quite beautiful, because I actually had boys coming up to me asking could they just touch my hair. It was the disco era, the colors, the hair, the silky dresses & polyester clothing... all which long hair slid across and brought more attention to. Sorry, those also were long gone in my stolen camera!

Years later, I had loved all the attention that my long hair brought me, that I got more perms. Mom didn't like it, and she wanted me to have salon quality products, she said would be easier on my hair but to me, the cheap store ones held longer, and at the time it was just easier and better for me. I didn't realize they would burn my hair off and make me look horrible! lol

I ended up getting much of it cut off, as I would wake in the morning like a long haired cat, with matted hairballs on the back of my head! lol ;> no more perms after this day, my rock n' roll roots were back and this photo above was taken at a Black Sabbath concert. We had ground tickets, and a friend was going around snapping all of our photos, so I handed my camera so I could have one of myself for me. This is how it turned out. The sun was setting as we were waiting on the show, so it actually turned out to not only show off a fluffy perm, but my blonde as well!

I really wasn't even into the pose, but maybe the "Sultry blonde" was kicking in from my teen modeling days! I don't know, I just wanted the photo done, and on with the concert! Considering no effects were on cameras then, it turned out pretty cool!

Ah, I will NEVER forget this day! I had my best friends purse, under my arm, clutches were the thing! We both had an attachment to that purse, that we switched it back n' forth all the time! So many times it actually got so worn out it was a goner!

But that hair was beginning to calm down! Still way more frizz than I wanted, but it did look kinda cute if I can toot my own horn here! Every time another friend tried to get us in this picture, she would dart away, I remember that's what I was pointing to, her running away. I've never been camera shy! A cousin once told me, if someone had a camera, there I was hamming it up! She's actually the wife of my cousin, but I loved her as a cousin, she might as well have been.

Well, seeing this blonde frizz actually makes me wonder if I'll ever do it again. Who knows, I'm getting older, but I've learned hanging my head upside down and blow-drying it gives me that bit of fluff I like without the damage of a perm!

I was at the park with my two girlfriends, we were drinking white wine (Asti Spumanti -Martini & Rossi) NOTHING but the best for us! A bottle even back then got us each two full glasses of wine at $11.00 a bottle, which strangely enough is about what it's still priced. I don't really like wine, maybe a bit of Champagne now and again but that's about it for my drinking days, but it was bubbly and it made us quite bubbly too, and as you can see, my perms had calmed a bit. A few small trims by mom here and there, got me evened up, and my hair was a bit of fluff, and wave, so I went from flat to frizz to a road back to long locks!

Those of you who recognized it have been few! But yep, its James Dean. This was one of the first digital camera photos of me! I was getting those long blonde locks BACK! Finally those small trims by mom were paying off the damage those cheap perms had given me! 

The sarcasm was to the cameraman, as he stated he was bad at taking photographs, and I'd just gotten my new little black dress, so I really wanted to get my photo taken in it! It was nearing my birthday, and I had two choices, I mean, with long blonde hair, the only color I was wearing was black, but would it be the black dress or the black Mini! Decisions Decisions!

What's a poor blonde gonna do! ... Let's see... I must get a full shot to see what this dress does for me. I was on my way going to a concert.. yes, yet again. This time to see a heavy metal band, I don't hear a lot of now days, Neurosis. They are TIGHT! I had to be perfect, and while men think us women take a long time to get ready, if you've read this far, you know, we have to make sure (especially if we've done the whole modeling thing lol) that what we wear, fits us - our persona or where we're going!

There's no doubt some of you who have read this far, and my little ramblings are going to think "poser" you can't like Madonna AND Neurosis! Pick one, it's got to be one or the other!

Well, I say to you, you go through life with your head in the sand, but I'm going about my life looking around. I'm not going to walk into walls or be labeled as anything other than what I am (besides mixed up lol) ;P

My normal day to day attire is that of jeans & a tshirt! I've gone to the doctors office dressed as such, I've gone dressed as if "I'm going to the Dr."  I have to admit I do have a bit of a demented since of humor when it comes to dressing. Am I entitled because I'm blonde to have ambivalence to how I dress or what I'm waring when? I think not! I'm going to dress how I feel, when it suits me (pun intended most definitely) ha. Yes, I have a t-shirt that says "I hear voices and they don't like you." I also wear sunglasses most of the time. Fashion statement, that helps with the fact that my eyes are sensitive to lights. Especially fluorescent lights.

I've heard too, and I'm not sure about it, but the fact that people with blue eyes are more prone to have light sensitivity! I don't know if that's true, but I have noted my friends with brown eyes don't seem to squint when we enter a store that is blinding to me.

Anyway back to the subject, no, this dress is for another occasion, and not my metal band! Is my hair right.. nah, I don't think it's right either. Here it's just in it's normal state as if I'd never had a perm in my life. But I needed and wanted my hair to match. While I will wear things that no one considers a match, I will wear my matches occasionally. For a quick instance. I went recently to meet my friend (who we switched out our beloved clutch purse) that I hadn't seen in years. Silly us, we let others (the men in our lives) control our friendship. Well, for me that's not going to happen again. She's kinda still stuck at the moment. But it was a biker rally, and I know it's not HER. He's dressing her down and stealing her beauty. It angered and annoyed me. So, while they donned their biker clothing, I wore my very simple blue tie-dyed shirt one of the very last things given to me from my mother before she died. I may not wear it a lot, but I certainly take it with me. It has the sleeves cut off and neck.. but that is what mom would know I would wear as comfort. I never liked itchy or uncomfortable clothing. It's main color is a pale blue. I had black shorts. I didn't want to "fit in." I do own a biker vest, and a closet full of black clothing, but I wasn't going to a fashion show now was I? I was going simply to see my long lost friend who I still love dearly, and miss her everyday. While we loved each other dearly, and still do, we are direct opposites as I mentioned. I am blonde hair, blue eyes, white, and her dark skinned and brown eyes and of course, dark, nearly black hair! As young girls we envied each other... not enough to go to the extremes kids to do today, we might have, had we been born in today's era, but during our time apart she sees how she would have looked had she been blonde. She had a beautiful daughter, with her beautiful eyes and smile. The image of her, in blonde. We laughed about it. For her it's like looking into a mirror and seeing herself as a blonde.

Let's get back to me, and how I ended up looking as I went to the concert in my Heavy Metal attire... let's bring out that black mini and that heavy metal hair! \m/  (to those not aware, the forward slash then m and slash, are the typographical symbol to the heavy metal symbol, most deem the Satanic symbol 666 -I have to mention I find it quite funny that they use this symbol as a symbol of being Atheist when in fact, if you use 666, then you are using what the Bible would refer to as the mark of the beast, so when they do that they are contradicting themselves, although I'd love feed back on that one if others think otherwise!)

I get a kick out of this photo because it is sooooooo much BAD GIRL! I have the "let's rock this bitch" face! My leather, my studded collar, the "come have your way with me" stockings, but watch it. I'm also a black belt! HA.. Just kidding I am not a black belt, I do have one though LOL and that of chains!

But focus is BLOND HAIR! I'd let the frizz come, thus the fluff, and still had my hint of my favorite color purple to come with! I will say, I certainly did have fun at that concert! I couldn't find a friend to go with me, but one, and he stood back, as men do, and watched that I didn't get gobbled up by the crowd!  This blond can be anything and everything and I refuse to be put into a category! Don't want to be labeled anything but TRUE TO LIFE. True to myself, and true to others! Honest to a fault, nice to a fault, even when inside I'm screaming. The point is, I like to live and let live as long as you're not hurting anyone, and when you see someone fall. Pick them up. It does your heart good. Luckily this blondie left the concert in tact, and with many beers that I think I just passed them out because I wasn't going to spend my ride home throwing up! LOL (it's so unbecoming of a girl isn't it) haha! :)

This is sort of a quick snap! I just wanted to make sure we didn't get the "dumb blonde' thing going. Sure I went to concerts, hung out with friends, but I also was in college, and I spent much of my time with my nose in the books!

While I love my mother, she was old school, and growing up, I'd asked her to help me fund myself going to college. After all she worked hard, she put herself through school to be a beautician, had her own salon.. so what was it about her that made me think I didn't need it?

I pondered that thought for a very long time. When I asked her if I could go to college, she said "you're a pretty blonde, you're going to grow up and a nice man will marry you and take care of you." Aw, mom meant well, and she boosted my ego with being a pretty young girl.. but her day was not my day. While sure, my dad could have afforded to care for all of us, she chose to put herself through school. She worked hard so we could have just a tad bit better, and we lived beneath our means as to have means of things we needed! There was always a good dinner on the table, always a treat, and my daddy's lunchbox always held a candy bar for his little one after work! Of course not before that big hug and kiss on his scratchy 5 o'clock shadow!

To here, I hope you've enjoyed my growing up! As in any family there were good times and bad, ups and downs, but all in all I had great parents and was well taken care of. They were always there for me even when I was a bad girl! :) I guess deep down they still knew I was caught up in a bad time, and I wasn't really grown up when I thought I was. I'll forever be in dept to my parents for being there when I needed them most. I miss them both dearly, and I thank them both for my blonde hair! It comes from both sides. My mothers photos as a baby, she was blonde, and my dad's photos as a young boy, blonde. I took more after dad, and still do!

Rest In Peace Mom: Nov 9, 2002
Rest In Peace Dad: Nov 14, 2009