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Wednesday 28 May 2014

Bohemian or country mouse?

 Thank you all for your kind birthday wishes on my last post.  As I said I was feeling very positive and ready to start on my bonus years and to that end I decided that I would stop trying to be the person I felt everyone expected me to be and instead to do what I liked (as long as it didn't hurt anyone else) and be who I wanted to be and one of the things I did was to take a leaf out of a French friend's book and become a little Bohemian and to hell with what people think.

In my youth I had always shunned bright colours not wishing to be noticed and my colours were mainly subtle greys, olives and mustards.  I never had beige but I think I was a beige person if you know what I mean?!  I lacked the confidence to go for the modern 60's fashions and colours and I lived in Sherborne too which was very conservative with a small "c" as well as a capital one and several years behind London in fashions.

As I have got older I have gained in self confidence and gradually I have chosen more colourful wardrobe as the drab shades of my youth did me no favours at all and after my birthday I had mentioned to a friend that I was thinking of dyeing my hair as some kind of statement and she was all for it and egged me on to buy the purple dye.  So I did dye my hair - not all of it just a section and I was actually quite pleased with the new me.



The colour was meant to last for 6 - 8 shampoos but just a week later when I washed it for the second time this was all that was left of my "statement"!  Here I am my normal mousey colour with only the faintest tint of purple left!  I hadn't realised till I took these selfies just how much grey there now is in my mouse.  So what now?  Shall I go for broke and have a tattoo instead, get it permanently coloured at the hairdresser's or sink back into my country mouse personna? I'm joking about the tattoo as I would never have the courage to have that done - it took me two attempts to get my ears pierced and I am not keen on tattoos let alone on old ladies!

26 comments:

  1. The purple is marvellous. You inspire me!:-)

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  2. happy belated birthday! Loving the purple, I've always fancied pink myself.....

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  3. Belated Happy Birthday Jane. I commented on your birthday post previously using my iPad but couldn't make it work. No worries I've worked it out now.
    Country mouse ? You? Never? Love the purple hair, very brave of you. Even like the washed out version. What did David think?
    Love your attitude about the bonus years, hope you have lots of them. Beautiful bluebell walk. You are right about all those things you listed but you know good health is probably the best of them - for the enjoyment of life anyhow.

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  4. I think you should keep everyone guessing and change the colour every few weeks. Sorry missed your Birthday.
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
    Rosezeeta.

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  5. Looking back I can see that I used to hide in black clothes a lot. I need to take a leaf out of your book I think, well done you!

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  6. I love your hair! You are my inspiration to stop hiding behind boring clothes and start being myself again. In my late teens early twenties I was very comfortable to be who I wanted to be, I need to go back to that! Again, love your hair and I think you should keep it purple!

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  7. Yes, yes, yes! Go purple - that's my stated intention too! It does feel good though when you start to inhabit your own shoes. I shall go to the grave wearing jeans and jumpers (and hopefully with bright purple hair!).

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  8. Happy birthday! I love the flash of purple, and although I can't see your whole face it already looks like it suits you. My next door neighbour is a retired teacher and changes her hair colour so often that I don't know whether she will be a pink, red or purple headed when I go to hang out my washing! I think it's a great idea x

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  9. Jane, when I STOPPED colouring my greying hair I felt I was being a Bohemian! I felt I was being loud and proud and so many people have made very positive comments about my grey, so don't feel that being Bohemian means doing something you are uncomfortable with.Just take a deep breath and have a go of those things you'd secretly like to do, but don't feel constrained to do something that you don't want to.I do wonder about my clothes at times, but I wear what i want and hang the age thing. It's more a size thing with me anyway! But if going purple is your secret dream - DO IT!!!! Lxx

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  10. How fantastic, your post reminded me of the poem by Jenny Joesph!

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  11. Belated birthday greetings!
    I like the purple but, for my *0th birthday, might dye my hair a shocking pink, maybe just a patch at the front like you did or the whole hog!
    I only started wearing bright colours over the last 10yrs or so and have been drawn to olives and lime greens lately but cerise/bright pinks are still my favourites, goes with grey hair well too!

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  12. My bright ginger mop has always stood out and as I write approaching my big birthday soon there doesn't seem to be any evidence of it fading. I have lived with it so long now that I forget about it and since many people dye their hair bright colours these days I am not stared at quite so much as I once was and most people make nice comments unlike when I was a child or teenager! I am all for bright hair colours as it makes me less conspicuous!! Once you and other people get used to it you will forget all about it and then you can move on to a tattoo!!

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  13. Oh How lovely, my hair is alot whiter than yours and I have been itching to but a candy floss pink dye on it (I have visions of looking like Mrs. Slocombe, though my friends kindly say I wouldnt) Your inspiring me to take the plunge.

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  14. Love the bit of purple - go for it! Why is it that we wait so long to live as we want to live?

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  15. I like the purple! Why not dye it a different colour each season with non-permanant dyes? I am controversial in letting my hair go grey and keeping it long - so against all the rules 'for my age!' I think grey hair suits my skin tone even if it is in a dickie davies stripe at the front!!! x

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  16. I love the purple! I have dyed my hair for as long as I can remember ... it's been black, blonde, red and back again!
    Currently red but ready for a change!

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  17. Oh Jane, you are so funny, I love what you have done, and congrats on having the courage to be yourself! I think as we age we gain that confidence to be who God truly made us to be-- a unique person unlike no other. I'd rather wear comfy clothes as opposed to something stylish and I'm looking forward to the day that I will have the confidence to let my hair go whatever shade of gray it might be and grow it long enough to have a braid down my back. I'd really rather go back to my Hippie days. Anxious to see what you will be up to next.

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  18. Fab colour! I've always fancied putting some bright pink in mine but I'm not allowed to for work :-(

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  19. It takes courage for me to get a flu shot, not sure I could handle the pain of a tattoo. I can't really think of anything I'd want to see 'forever.' Plus, I can't get the slogan of an old tattoo shop in College Station, Texas, it read: "Tattoos - Permanent Proof of Temporary Insanity" Still, if you really, really want one - go for it. Since I quit coloring my hair I have this 'sticking it to the hair color company' feeling. I'm not being told how I should look and I find myself feeling pretty smug about that. On the other hand, I have been thinking about pulling a stripe of color - blue or pink or green... maybe purple through my hair, the bit I tuck behind my left ear... Change is good especially when it's your idea. Belated HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You inspire me, Jane. I wish you the best.

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  20. ....can't FORGET the slogan...... not get (honestly, my proofreading is almost non existent!)

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  21. I really should get on with my quilting - my husband's out of the house today so I have even taken the time to read your readers comments. I like the color in your hair - both pictures. And, YES! I haven't put that dash of color in mine because I remember Mrs. Slocombe - but now that I think about it - why not!?!

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  22. Jane, you are a role model for us all! I love the purple and by the sound of all the above comments, so do most of the others. I would love to do something so bold but, if truth be told, can't be bothered with the upkeep. Mind you if it washed out in a few tries I'd be happy with that. The tattoo however is a step too far. Too much pain and too many wrinkles! Glad the birthday was a hit and love the assertiveness of this post. Brava!

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  23. its been a while since i visited, but woo hoo !! that purple is definitely a stand out, love it, go for more and wear one of your purple scarfs to match :)

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  24. Happy belated birthday!! :) I do like how vibrant it is!! I too have just dyed my hair purple/red! Mine stays in as I used a permanent dye (very daunting, but I just thought I could dye it again :) ) , it works quite well!

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  25. Looks good in purple, better that than a tattoo!

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