{"id":59300,"date":"2015-04-12T20:46:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-12T20:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/?p=59300"},"modified":"2015-04-12T20:46:10","modified_gmt":"2015-04-12T20:46:10","slug":"i-just-shaved-my-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/i-just-shaved-my-head\/","title":{"rendered":"I JUST SHAVED MY HEAD"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just noticed that this is post 1801! Whoa! Seriously!<\/p>\n

THIS<\/a> – was the first blog post here – ever!!<\/p>\n

I cannot tell you how awesome you all are! I’ve never paid attention to the stats – the number of subscribers – the followers – and I think that’s a good thing. For me anyway! Because it doesn’t matter – it’s never mattered.<\/p>\n

Which leads me to share something with you.<\/p>\n

I just shaved my head.<\/p>\n

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This morning. Before church.<\/p>\n

I got my hair cut in February after a long and dramatic journey of trying to grow it out again. And while the stylist that I went to – did exactly what I asked her to – I didn’t love it. So I dyed it back to dark brown and trimmed the top. Easy enough. And then I went to the wig shop at the mall. Be. Still. My. Heart. And I bought 3 of them. And then I found some others on amazon – for $7. Each. So I bought them. And now I might have 12 – maybe. Most likely. A long red one. A long black one. A short black and purple one. A medium lavender one. A brown curly one. A short brown one. You get it. Because it’s fun. And I’ve always wanted long flowing hair. Beautiful hair that would never grow out of my head. So. Why not? I do LOVE my short hair – so I wear whichever hits my mood (and I’m not gonna lie – my outfit) that day!<\/p>\n

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So there I am – with my pixie.<\/p>\n

And then I trimmed my hair yesterday.<\/p>\n

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Yea. No. I didn’t realize that it was the 1\/8 setting. I mean – I realized that it was – but 1\/2 was too long last time. So certainly 1\/8 would be perfect! Listen – I’m really a smart girl – but sometimes – those common sense things – fly past me! So here I was with – this. I tried. Nope – just looked crazy. My hair is crazy thick and coarse. It lays however it wants.<\/p>\n

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This was not cutting it. So – I decided to just start over from scratch. Shave it and start from the base to grow out a pixie cut!<\/p>\n

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So there’s my hair. And there’s the wig I wore to church today.<\/p>\n

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There’s the one I wore Friday night. Seriously. SO MUCH FUN.<\/p>\n

But the more I look at this shaved head – the more I love it.<\/p>\n

And I didn’t do it as a rebellion. I didn’t do it to prove a feminist point. I didn’t do it to empower myself. I didn’t do it because I needed to be brave and let go. I did it because it was already really short – and it would be just as quick and easier to shave it off than try and fix what I had done!<\/p>\n

And everyone says – you’re braver than I am.<\/p>\n

But I have a secret. It’s just hair. Right?<\/p>\n

If you’re needing your hair to make you beautiful – then you need a heart check.<\/p>\n

And not just hair. If you need a wig. Makeup. A certain dress. A certain size. And that’s not to say that I don’t love those things. Like I said – I might have 12 wigs. And I’ve recently fallen in love with bright red lipstick. And that dress in that picture – one of my new favorites! (I’m a sucker for red-lined clearance deals on awesome stuff) I love a sharp dress and cute outfit as much (or more) as the next girl. But none of that makes me beautiful.<\/p>\n

You gotta shine from the inside. Confidence. True Jesus given confidence in who He made you is the key.<\/p>\n

And believe me – I’m NOT saying you need to go shave your head and explore your inner beauty. Not at all. What I’m saying is – it’s not about that. It’s about that confidence that Jesus gave you in Him. God MADE you and wants to walk this journey of being the best you can with you.<\/p>\n

It’s just hair. Walk in the confidence that Jesus made you for a specific purpose.<\/p>\n

And that you are living out that purpose. And that you are beautiful.<\/p>\n

Because you really are.<\/p>\n

I’ll leave you with this –<\/p>\n

In January of 2013 – I wrote these<\/a> words – and they still ring true today. So I’ll copy and paste the whole blog post.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

THANK YOU AUNT LORI<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can\u2019t describe it \u2013 I\u2019ve always had an awesome view of myself.<\/p>\n

HA. Totally turned you off already right?<\/p>\n

Hear me out.<\/p>\n

When I was little I was goofy and awkward \u2013 weren\u2019t we all? But I mean really goofy. I had \u2013 and still have \u2013 a fabulously awful head of hair. It\u2019s thick and curly and unruly. It was usually styled into a lovely feathered bob or a crazy awesome mullet. Trout was a lovely last name to carry around as a middle school girl. Awesome. I was always a little thicker than most girls \u2013 but not fat by any means.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure why I didn\u2019t think I was fat \u2013 when I was definitely bigger than most of my friends. When most of my very thin friends complained about being fat \u2013 when they were not even close. I guess I always knew that this was my body and I was going to be in it for a while \u2013 so I needed to love it for what it was.<\/p>\n

And my Aunt Lori. From a very young age \u2013 she spoke love and encouragement into me. She told me I was beautiful and that I was worth it. She taught me to never let someone else determine my self worth. That Jesus held my heart.<\/p>\n

I was the girl with all the guy friends \u2013 the tall goofy girl. With all the cute skinny friends. The girl that the guys called to say \u2013 hey \u2013 what does Sara think about me? Does Jamie think I\u2019m cute? You are SUCH a good friend Danielle. Really? When was it going to be MY turn?<\/p>\n

Aunt Lori would say to me \u2013 you can have a boyfriend any day of the week Danielle \u2013 you are worth it \u2013 BUT do you want to lower your standards? And while that advice crept out of my head at times \u2013 I usually lived my life by those words. Did I want to give up what I knew I was worth just to have a boyfriend? No way.<\/p>\n

And while I was never the girl that got the guy that was way out of my league (in terms of coolness) \u2013 I was the girl that held my head high. I was the girl that was taller than all the other girls \u2013 and most guys \u2013 and managed to be awesome at it. I was a nerd. I may have been lame \u2013 but I was awesome at being lame. At least \u2013 I was in my own head.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite teachers pulled me aside my senior year and told me what one of our classmates had said about me. He said \u2013 \u201cyou know \u2013 Danielle isn\u2019t like the other girls. She doesn\u2019t take crap from people and doesn\u2019t let it get to her when people put her down. She stands up for what she believes in \u2013 and while I don\u2019t share those beliefs \u2013 I respect her for her that. Cus I don\u2019t know if I could do it.\u201d That meant so much to me. So I WAS making a difference in taking a stand. I was being myself and standing out. Awesome. Now \u2013 that guy is one of the guys that gave me the most crap in high school \u2013 but I never let him get in my head.<\/p>\n

Thankfully \u2013 Jesus was hanging out in there. I truly believe that my Aunt Lori was divinely chosen to be my Aunt. She was chosen to speak life into me and encourage me to be myself.<\/p>\n

My sister and I used to call each other fatty \u2013 for one reason. We were not fat. And we were surrounded by girls that were not fat \u2013 thinking they were fat. Calling themselves fat. Obsessing about being skinny. It was totally foreign to me. You are BEAUTIFUL \u2013 why do you think you\u2019re not?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m reading a book called \u2013 God Loves Ugly by Christa Black \u2013 it\u2019s given me some insight as to why those girls didn\u2019t think they were beautiful. It\u2019s what prompted this post. I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like to be an insecure girl. Until last year \u2013 I got a bad dose of it (which I am now cured of) and I totally didn\u2019t like being in my own head. I couldn\u2019t imagine living my WHOLE life that way.<\/p>\n

I write this to tell you \u2013 YOU are beautiful. God made you with a specific purpose and plan in mind.<\/p>\n

Having a positive self image does wonders. While I don\u2019t think that I am exceptionally beautiful \u2013 I carry myself like I am. While I KNOW that I don\u2019t have a gorgeous head of hair (like my ridiculous sister) \u2013 I do the best with what I have. While I am NOT the skinniest I could be at the moment \u2013 I dress to enhance what I have. My sister has lost over ONE HUNDRED pounds \u2013 and has inspired me. While I don\u2019t need to lose a ton of weight \u2013 25 to 30 pounds would be awesome. Then I would fit in my size 12\u2032s \u2013 and that would be awesome. Not because they are 12\u2032s. It has nothing to do with the number. Not because I would love to be 160 lbs. It has nothing to do with the number. I feel GREAT at 160 and I LOVE my size 12\u2032s. What do I need to do \u2013 not eat like I\u2019m never eating again. Stop drinking soda. Eat the right portions. Have an apple for a snack. Drink lots of water. Have willpower \u2013 when I get low \u2013 I call my sister.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t write this to toot my own horn \u2013 to be conceited. It\u2019s not my intent at all. I write to encourage you. Encourage you to LOVE YOU. I\u2019m not saying I\u2019m perfect. I have faults. LOTS. And I am always working on them \u2013 kind of \u2013 at least trying to \u2013 asking God to show me what I need to work on. Which again \u2013 is A LOT of stuff. I write this to tell you that how YOU feel about yourself makes all the difference in the world.<\/p>\n

Be sure of yourself. Know that God delights in His creation. YOU ARE HIS CREATION. He delights in you. He has placed you in the lives of those around you for a reason \u2013 to be a light. SHINE THAT LIGHT.<\/p>\n

There are LOTS of things I don\u2019t like about myself. My crazy hair. The fact that I wear glasses. My giant feet. How I tower over everyone. My flat butt. My horrid skin. Now \u2013 you\u2019re saying \u2013 those things aren\u2019t true Danielle. But they are what I see is wrong with me \u2013 if I let myself get that far. But the truth is \u2013 I don\u2019t. I don\u2019t dwell on the things that I can\u2019t change. I cannot change anything that I just mentioned. Not one. Why dwell on it. Instead of being sad about the things that I don\u2019t like about myself \u2013 enhance the things I do \u2013 and then the things I don\u2019t \u2013 don\u2019t stick out so much.<\/p>\n

Are you an Aunt Lori in someones life? Strive to be. My aunt wasn\u2019t blessed with daughters \u2013 she has two awesome sons and a fantastic daughter-in-law (and two sweet grandsons) \u2013 but she poured into me like I was her own \u2013 which I was \u2013 in family and in Christ. Did you have an Aunt Lori in your life \u2013 thank her (or him) \u2013 for investing time and love into you. Pay it forward. Encourage and build up.<\/p>\n

It makes all the difference in the world \u2013 I know \u2013 and people will notice your confidence and presence. Not your giant feet. Unless they are shoe shopping with you.<\/p>\n

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I just noticed that this is post 1801! Whoa! Seriously! THIS – was the first blog post here – ever!! I cannot tell you how awesome you all are! I’ve never paid attention to the stats – the number of subscribers – the followers – and I think that’s a good thing. For me anyway! […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,24,30],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59300"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59300"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59310,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59300\/revisions\/59310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bardenphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}