THROWBACK THURSDAY: THE BIG DAY

September 9, 1990. Two days before I turned 14....

• Cut-off jeans. Check.
• Mac Lipstick. Color "Twig." Check.
• Loose white pocket tee from GAP. Check.
• Crimped hair (with the "big" setting and big bangs.) Check.
• White push down socks. Check.
• Friendship bracelets. Check.
• The first day/time I ever got my period. Check and check.

#TBT

TO MY BANGS... WITH LOVE

Dear Bangs,

While looking through old photos the other day, I found a photo taken of me in 1st Grade... It must have been around Thanksgiving time because half the class is wearing what appears to be Pilgrim hats (made out of construction paper), while the other half dons Indian Chief hats (it was okay to say "Indian" back then. We didn't know).

Anyway, Bangs, this was in 1982.... which means I was 6.... which means we've been together for 27 years. We've grown up together, you and I... And though I never EVER strayed (with the exception of a very long/side swept thing I tried right after college), for all intents and purposes, I have always been loyal. In fact, I stuck with you when no one else did.

Sure... I haven't always been kind: I have teased you. I have sprayed you. I have fried you.

And I have certainly cursed you.

I forgive you for all your little frayed ends, and your twisty little curls that sometimes make me look like I have payis, and all the times you've put me in a bad mood. (Yes, hair can do that).

Bangs, we, me and you... WE are a team. My hair, my look, my daily routine would be incomplete without you. .And no matter how many times you've heard my grandmother say she'd like to see you out of my eyes, I hope you know that I, I am faithfully yours and have no intentions of ending this relationship any time soon.

You've been with me through thick and thin... good times and bad...blood sweat and tears. You've covered my eyebrows when they were a mess and you've let me straighten you when you just wanted to be wild. Oh, Bangs, though I want to tell you how much money I've actually spent trying to give you the best life possible, I won't. I won't. Because that would be rude and this is a love letter. SO, my friend, I just want to thank you and wish you a happy, healthy, stylish, and face slimming anniversary.

With love,

J-Ko

P.S. Going to San Francisco this weekend. Supposed to Rain. PLEASE do your best to behave. I would hate to cheat on you with my other love, The Bandana...

WE STILL GOT CURLY

For months, I have considered taking Baby-Ko for a real "big boy" haircut. I had taken him to get his bangs trimmed a couple of times at Fantastic Sams... But with all due respect to those of you that frequent those drive-thru establishments, ya kind of do get what you pay for and my boy kind of came out rocking what I like to call a "Three Stooges Mullet":

Moe in the front, Larry in the back.

So, despite the fact that the vision of his precious little curls falling to the floor made me want to cry and get a contract in writing from him that he promises to still sit on my lap when he's 24, I decided to bite the bullet and take him for a real haircut...

I braced myself for an all out fit/ crying match as getting a 2 year old to sit still is nearly impossible, but Baby-Ko couldn't have been any cooler.... sitting in a car propped on a barber's stool. Totally brilliant and well worth the 40 dollars plus tip. (Yes. Welcome to LA).

Not sure I'm gonna spend this much on his next haircut, but I will say, I am just thrilled my boy's still got some Curly....

UNTAG ME!

Facebook is my crack.  I know... I admit it...  I used to talk a lot of shit about friends (and husbands) who seemed overly obsessed with status updating, reconnecting with old friends (and flames) and playing silly games like Scrabbulous or throwing monkeys at each other (or some other ridiculous FB application).  But I get it!  I'm addicted too now.  I've got over 200 friends (Tyler Florence included) and I'm feeling pretty good about myself. I think I'm finally cool. :-)

HOWEVER, one thing NOT so "cool" about me and Facebook: the photos that my so-called friends have decided to upload of me!  Sure, it's fun to take a walk down memory lane every now and again, but must I be reminded of the days of my Aquanet-ed bangs, denim shirts (oh yes), and push down socks?  Before I was cool, I was a dork. Do my new, cool, Facebook friends REALLY need to know that? I have an image to uphold! And what's worse, is that I have zero control over what photos go up. My only control is an option to "remove a tag." BUT thanks to the genius of FB, when you remove a tag, EVEEEEEEEEEEERYONE of your friends sees on their little voyeuristic, sick, twisted status update thingy.... which essentially means, if they're having a slow day at work, they can go to the photos and spend time figuring out which one is you and laugh about how hideous you used to look (not that I've done that to any of YOU, of course).

Here are a couple of photos that I have recently been tagged in....  

This one is from High School circa 1993 or 1994. It's me with all the other Drama nerds, excited about nailing a scene in "Pippin" or something... Who knows....

This second one is from like 1989 or 1990... It's me with all my BFFs. 

I'll give you a hint, my tee shirt was from Esprit....

This one was a cabin photo from summer camp (CHK!) in the mid/late 80's. I'm sure I liked one of the boys in the photo and I'm sure they did not like me... 

(It would be another few years until I had my first kiss, which incidentally occurred months after I got felt up. Go figure...)

SO, CAN YOU FIND ME????