Set the Wayback Machine to 1977 Sherman

WayBack 1977
When my siblings and I were young, Dad cut our hair.

Yup. My DAD.

And no, he wasn't a barber. But he did have an official "Barber Kit" that held his long sharp scissors, a mirror and a little soft brush to sweep our faces clean of clippings.

For home styling, he actually did decent cuts for my sister, brother and me. I still remember the towel draped over my shoulders, fixed with a big safety pin as I sat obediently on the kitchen chair. He was so careful and never nicked an ear, patiently ensuring everything was even and perfect.

My Silly Putty at work - Yes, I DO still own some!The only time I cried getting my hair cut was after I received Silly Putty for my birthday. I was so amazed at that stuff (pressing it to the comic pages, bouncing it all over the house), I fell asleep with it clasped tightly in my hands.


Well, until some time in the night when I let go.

And awoke the next morning with hair a Silly Putty Mess.

So father got out the Barber Kit once more and gave me a "Pixie Cut" to remove the pink goo from my six year old head.

Boy cut growing out, age 7
When he was done I looked like a boy.

A crying mess of a boy.

I was teased at school and I couldn't wait for it to grow out once more.

From that day forward, I've kept my hair long so I'd never be mistaken for a boy again.



Then came 1977.

I had a job.

I had money.

And I had really long hair.

So I spent $80 for my first professional cut and perm for my flowing locks.

It was also the same time I was dating my future husband on his sheep farm.

Gad. Looking back at this photo I have to wonder...

Seriously.

Who should have been more worried about the Shearer; that little lamb?

Or me?

Hey, it was the 70s...it was Groovy then!



22 People would rather be commenting:

Irene said...

Well, you know, that kind of hair was really 'in' then. Thank goodness those days are over, huh? I am sure you have much better looking hair now, although you've got an adorable face, both as a child and a grown up.

DJ Kirkby said...

I so loved silly putty! I think your hair looks cute short but the frizzy 80's look sure brought back some memories!

Nell said...

I love looking at ex-hairdos and remembering the stage in my life I was at during that hair.

Curly Glamour Girlie said...

My naturally curly hair was:

permed
curled with a curling iron
brushed straight
cut by my mom

Needless to say, my hair was the bane of my existence as a child and a teenager until I figured out how to care for it.

My mom cut my sister's pin straight hair often and once nicked her eyebrow. Needless to say, mom still doesn't live this down.

Kathy said...

Oh, my dear Maureen. I have had a head like that most of my life, though I just learned how to deal with my fro tendencies (gel, and lots of it!)

You look beautiful in that picture, though. You could be a model!

Now, the picture I'm going to post on my blog will not bring anyone joy, only sorrow. It's going to make people cry. It's "fierce." Fiercely ugly. I can't believe I said I would do it, but I'm locked in now. Look for it within a week.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Good thing you didn't marry Pig Pen. He would have damaged that naturally curly hair!

Megan said...

I feel you on the pixie cut. I grew up during the Dorothy Hamel craz. I had a pixie cut for years and I hated every minute of it.

Oh and after the Dorothy Hamel phase, I entered the perm phase. Kind of looked like your perm, but much, much shorter.

Stacey said...

Ha, I love your comments about the professional hair cut.

The kid pic of you is adorable!

(p.s, my husband now cuts my sons hair and will until he's old enough to protest...hell, why spend the extra $)

Janet said...

Ahhh...great hair stories, Maureen! We all have 'em. I actually think that little pixie bob looks pretty cute!

Canadian flake said...

roflmao...this made me chuckle because I used to cut my kids hair all the time...

thanks for the giggles...

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Your dad was just ahead of his time. That pixie cut wouldn't even be noticed these days.

I'm not saying I had it worse, but you be the judge.

Anonymous said...

Ah, the perm. I had one too only it was a spiral. And no you don't get to see pictures - I'm not as brave as you.

Bruce Johnson said...

You look cute in both pictures....hair only compliments or hinders....it does not define beauty.

Jill said...

Awwww!!!! They're both adorable pictures!!!!! I had short hair most of the time I was a kid & everyone says now that I looked like a boy. At the time I don't remember it bothering me, except the one time my mom cut my bangs crooked and my teacher's daughter kept going on about how cute my crooked bangs were.

Ann(ie) said...

I have the curliest, fuzziest, craziest hair and nowadays my flat iron is my BFF. In the 80's it sorta worked.

I love the pic of you when you were little....so cute.

ShannanB said...

I can remember my mom cutting my hair to save money. She once gave me bangs in the back of my head and another time she gave me the worst Mary lou Retton you have ever seen!

Maureen said...

Sweet Irene: Yes, that style WAS in, but it is weird looking at photos nowadays…and thanks for the compliments… *blush*

DJ: Believe it or not, that photo is of the Silly Putty I keep on my desk at work (I have a whole shelf of old toys)… So yes, I STILL love Silly Putty!

Nell: Yeah, sometimes it’s just scary!

Curly Glamour Girlie: Yikes! Mine had some curls and waves, but until I got the perm, it wasn’t frizzy, at least.

Ah, Kathy! Yes, I know by the photos on your blog your hair history! And your picture won’t make us cry… I promise.

VE: This is true.

Megan: Ah, the Dorothy Hamel… luckily that came MUCH later in my life…

Worker Mommy: Heh, heh… unless you hover over it, you’d miss that…and you’re right about saving money!

JP: :) Thanks!

Canadian Flake: Yer welcome… I’m here to entertain (at my own expense, it seems)

Jeff: Okay… I will admit, those were scary. Yes, it could have been worse, I guess. Thank goodness my father never had those shears!!! You poor kid you.

Andi: Aw, come on! Post those pics! You’d be surprised at the comments you’d get! (I am!)

Lotus07: *Blush* Thanks…

Jill: Ah, the things we remember eh? Sometimes words can come rushing back with the glimpse of an old photo…

Ann(ie): A flat iron! Yes… in our day, we used a REAL iron to straighten hair… yup, head on the ironing board, praying your mother wouldn’t burn your neck.

Mommy Bits: Bangs on the BACK of your head? Yikes!!!! Poor you…

Cupcake Blonde said...

Those too pictures are just precious. At least you were a cute little boy and a hot frizz head! :) I think we all have some of those pieces of photographic evidence showing bad hairstyles form over the years.

Caffeine Court said...

I LOVE IT!!! That's exactly what I was talking about...so fashion forward..

Thanks for the memories!

Anonymous said...

My dad used to use the clippers to give us a bowl cut. HATED IT! And he always messed up on our bangs. Instead of a straight line he always had one side shorter than the other, so he kept trying to fix it. Eventually our bangs looked like a 45-year-old man's receding hairline. It sucked.

I can still hear and feel the buzz of the clippers against my forehead. (shudders violently)

But yours looked cute! You know, 30 years later now that you don't have to deal with it.

Anonymous said...

When I was about six, I too had a very short hair cut that I thought made me look like a boy. I lamented it until one day in third grade a cute boy said he liked it and kind of had a crush on me.

Maureen said...

VP: Yeah, I guess we all do. Wouldn't it be a riot to have a sequential series of photos... we didn't take that many pictures back then though. My daughter, however, will have lots of photographic evidence to remember all her styles over the years... whether she wants to or not!

Caffeine Court: Ha! I knew it! Great minds think alike!

Cardiogirl: Thank goodness my dad was artistic... he had a great eye for lines and balance; and never had to resort to using a bowl.

Two Write Hands (Love that monniker!): I don't remember any boys "liking" me at THAT age! Especially when I looked like one of them! ;)

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