Before and after

Amelia has been sporting a new hairdo for a little more than a month. It had always been my intention to let her hair grow long, and I was well on my way to seeing that come to fruition until she took to her hair with a pair of sewing scissors one day when she was supposed to be taking a nap.

The incident with the scissors happened almost a year ago. Fortunately, she neither cut her hair to the scalp nor did she cut hair from the middle of her forehead (as her daddy did when he was a little boy). Instead, she cut the hair on each side of her head above each ear. Our wonderful stylist, Jennifer Brandon at Exclusive Salon in Albertville (check her out sometime), did the best she could considering what she had to work with, but Amelia's hair never looked "right" to me after that.

Convincing Amelia to cut her hair at first was impossible. She has wanted long hair since she came to understand what having long hair meant. However, it wasn't the fact her hair seemed "off" after she cut it that made her decide to go for a short style, but rather she'd grown weary of mommy wrestling her to the ground everyday in order to run a comb through it.

Amelia has inherited my hair which has always had a "wild" spot (as my momma always called it) in the back. This spot tangles easily and terribly on both of us. I most often sleep with my hair twisted up to keep the tangles to a minimum, but Amelia wouldn't tolerate having her hair twirled up in a scrunchie every night; therefore she woke up most mornings looking as if she'd spent the night running the top of her head across the carpet from dusk to daylight.

I suggested to her that she might want to consider getting a haircut, but I was quickly shot down. I mentioned that she could get her hair cut like one of her best friend's Jillian, who wears her hair in a precious bob. Amelia would not entertain this notion at all - that is until a few days after my initial suggestion when she'd spent several minutes crying after I'd chased her down, sprayed her head with "No More Tangles," which I think should be renamed "Just Slightly Less Tangles," and brushed a few times before snagging a tangle the pain from which elicited a scream that sent dogs in the next county into howling fits.

"Momma, I think I want my hair like Jillian's," she said through sniffles and whimpers.

That's all I needed to hear. I called Jennifer ASAP and booked an appointment for the next day. Jennifer was thrilled to get to give Amelia her first "real" hairstyle, and Amelia loved the special treatment she received at the salon. She especially liked getting her hair washed like a grown up lady.

I am so pleased with Amelia's chic new style. She looks like a tiny Coco Chanel to me. She loves the ease with which we're able to style her hair now, and I love that she has a truly wash and wear hairdo.