Thing of the Week: Pink Hair

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Fable's been asking for pink hair since she first began talking. "Pink hair" might as well have been her first words.  So when I went on my annual pilgrimage to the salon and saw a fishbowl full of colorful balls I got (naturally) excited.

I plucked a pink one from the stack and added it to my tab.

Over the weekend Fable had a horrible allergic reaction to something and her lip swelled four times its size. We were told not to be alarmed, that it would go down on its own but Monday came along and it was still incredibly swollen. She was embarrassed, clearly, but said nothing as she pieced together her day's ensemble, pulling two mismatched socks from her top drawer, leggings to match her dress and a book from the pile by her bed to hold up to (cover) her face.

We had played with the pink hair the week before but I had forgotten to bring it down to San Diego with us so it slipped my mind until Fable reminded me.

"Mama? Can I wear pink hair to school today?"


Of course. 

She covered her face as I drew all over her hair with the chalk-like bubble and watched as she slowly pulled the book away, consulted the mirror, smiled. She didn't care that her lip was swollen anymore. She had pink hair, man! PINK HAIR!
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And it occurred to me, as we sat there together, marveling at her hot pink 'do that more than just the hair color being fun and exciting, pink hair gave her control over her body during a vulnerable time. It empowered her to pull the book from her face and rock that swollen lip no problem. In summary: pink hair gave her confidence. Something (happy! exciting! fun!) to identify with.

How could I not celebrate that? How could I not become the unofficial spokesperson for the magic that is temporary hair color for kids? I'm tempted to return to my salon and stock up on a lifetime's supply of "color bugs"so that I can keep some on standby for every day emergencies. Who needs bandaids when there's hair to streak!?
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Fable's lip went back to normal and her hives were gone by Tuesday but the pink hair has remained all week long. Every morning before school she sits in my lap as I stripe her brown bob with neon. Except this morning. This morning she wanted to do it all. by. herself.
photo-1 photo-3 photo-2 "Do you want to try another color?" I asked her as she happily colored all over her head. "Purple? Blue?"

"Someday," she said. "But right now I want to choose pink because pink is the color that makes me so happy."
IMG_3203  Me too.

You can browse all Color Bug(s) by Kevin Murphy, here and purchase online here. (Color falls out by EOD and washes out no problem. Enjoy!)

GGC

55 comments:

Kim Tracy Prince | 9:36 AM

Oh, this is absolutely precious and makes me want a girl. Thank you for sharing. I think mama needs some pink hair now!

glenda | 9:42 AM

OMG! how precious. Pink makes her happy! Yay Fable!

My daughter was 6 when she wanted highlights hahaha... I bought Sun-In and sprayed throughout the summer and she got the highlights she wanted.

Girls are so much fun! <3

Elan Morgan | 9:45 AM

I kind of want that for ME>

zan | 9:46 AM

Fable just inspired me to get the orange one for the days I could do with a little confidence boost myself. She's a little rock star.

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 9:47 AM

@schmutzie They're FOR adults. They're just amazing for kids, too! DO IT! DO IT!

Kim | 9:47 AM

I love this! Recently, my daughter ( 7) came to me asking about "chalking"...so, it's on my list for this weekend for her birthday. :)
Are these "color bugs" basically a soft pastel chalk?

Megs | 9:49 AM

The pink is awesome!!We have a lip swelling issue at our house. Acidic things set it off, randomly. Especially oranges and tomato, but not all of the time. Not sure why, but it does go away after a couple of days.

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 9:50 AM

@Kim Yes! They're basically chalks for hair. BRILLIANT.

Shelley | 9:51 AM

I love it!! I will be most definitely be purchasing some for my guys. I've done theirs blue and green before, they love it. I also couldn't agree more with you about it being an empowering thing to do in a vulnerable time. When I was in college (and still some now), anytime I was having a rough day, I could be found in the shared bathroom, dying my hair another shade of crazy. <3 this post

Tilly | 9:53 AM

Gosh I love this!

Christina | 9:57 AM

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I want to be like Fable when I grow up. Mismatched socks, pink hair and all.

Janel | 9:57 AM

REBECCA!!!! My daughter (5 years old) has been asking me to dye her hair pink all year. We made deal with her that she could dye her hair in the summertime, when school let out. It's time for me to fulfill my end of the bargain, but if I had known about this temporary hair color, I may have agreed much sooner! THANK YOU!!!

Staci Magnolia | 10:16 AM

You know I am a huge fan of you all, but this take it to a new level. That girl is unbelievable. I am THRILLED Moms and daughters like this exist!!!!! LoveLoveLove

Anonymous | 10:20 AM

Man. This brought me back to when I was 13 or so an my best friend and i realized we could dye our hair with food coloring. I was promptly grounded by my dad even though it washed out. Apparently i still have some unsettled issues with this event in my childhood.

agirlandaboy | 10:21 AM

Um...I'm going to have to get one of those for my son. And his favorite color is pink, so...

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 10:22 AM

@hideyourbreakables YES! I used to color my hair with kool aid but it never worked! At least not for more than a day or two. Sigh.

Jen | 10:24 AM

I am a school counselor and a HUGE supporter of my students who have crazy clothes and crazy hair colors! When my teens are at a time in their life that everything feels all whopperjawed (yes, I typed that out!) they can control how they show themselves to the world. So what if they have purple streaks in their hair, black eyeliner circling their eyes, and mismatched Chucks? Rock on Fable...you inspire us all!

Arnebya | 10:30 AM

My girls keep asking for streaks. Now I can finally say yes without a real commitment to the color (and it beats going to Claire's again for those damn clip-on things whose clipper keeps breaking).

Fable makes me smile.

Shelley | 10:48 AM

"When my teens are at a time in their life that everything feels all whopperjawed (yes, I typed that out!) they can control how they show themselves to the world"

- Jen, LOVE this.

GIRL'S GONE CHILD | 10:50 AM

@Jen @Shelley YES!

Linda | 11:00 AM

Love it! I'm going to get some of these for my grandaughter, Ella. She is going to be in heaven.

Off subject-when are you going to do the drawing for that cool towel and pillow?

The Gandhi Life | 11:04 AM

You are such a great Mom!

Kim | 11:08 AM

Awesomeness indeed! In fact, I am going to give them to the girls as party favors *hee hee*

Alt-Mama | 11:11 AM

OMIGOD that is awesomely cute. And just straight- up awesome. Glad Fable's okay re: allergic reaction. Way to save the self-image day, mama! That little girl is a rock star.

Unknown | 11:13 AM

What a wonderful idea. She is such a cutie and who wouldn't pink hair make happy?

Unknown | 11:21 AM

This is amazing. I never had the guts to do anything more than "glints" on my hair in high school and now that I have a grown up job I can't. I'm (not so) secretly looking forward to the time when my kids want to dye their hair, because you're right its more than just a fashion statement.

Anonymous | 11:27 AM

I immediately clicked and bought. I have two little girls who LOVE purple and will go apeshit when I bust this out while we're on vacation next week. Thank you, thank you!

Lara | 11:38 AM

Oh my, she is so darn cute!!

Connie T. | 11:40 AM

It looks fun and cute. Get these, they come in 9 colors.
http://www.hairflairs.com/content/buy-color-rub

Sara Laverty | 11:44 AM

What a fun week y'all have had with pink hair! Love it and love how empowering it has become for Fable. She is a true jewel, as are you! This is one of my most favorite blogs you've ever shared! :)

EvilCleopatra | 12:46 PM

Fable is the coolest/sweetest kid ever. I always love your writing, but tears welled up in my eyes when you mentioned her not mentioning being embarrassed but trying to cover up her lip with a book.

I hope she continues to go through life handling awkward situations with that kind of grace and rad-ness.

Mia | 1:33 PM

Aww, she looks so cute. I want pink hair!

Jess | 1:39 PM

I'm 9 months pregnant and need to a boost thanks to my swollen nose/face/legs/belly body. Turns out I can't hide all of it behind a book! Off to buy some pink streaks!!

ray | 1:48 PM

Fable Luella: I love you (hope that doesn't sound weird in my writing that...but it's true). And I love your mama.

I love how you let your children be their own people, Rebecca. It ensures that they gain confidence. Which can clearly be seem through Fable.

I've been so out of the loop lately with your blog (totally my fault). It's great to finally catch up on how the girls have grown and with Archer. (My condolences on his Best Friend's loss. That must have been a very hard conversation with Archer).

Thank you for great entries such as, "Thirteen," "On (Finally) Accepting Feminism," and "Magic." You always know how to strike a cord. ;o)

Käthe | 3:00 PM

My baby has been asking for "a blue haircut" since she could talk. I never put two and two together until now. She's a bit young, but next year, she can have blue hair. Thank you both for the ah-ha/inspiration.

shirl | 4:12 PM

I found the cutest website with magnet necklaces for mom and daughter. I just bought a set for daughter Becky and me to wear on mom’s day! That will be fun. They have these red hearts with plastic ladybugs glued on them. They are held to the necklace with magnets. Loved the designs. Well, happy mother’s day to all the moms. www.britebuttonz.com
Shirl Hinkle

Amber | 4:55 PM

Adorable!

Korinthia Klein | 7:31 PM

So cute! But I think my favorite part is the mismatched socks. My ten year old does that, too.

nchandler | 7:37 PM

I have pink hair. and I love it. Im a recent college graduate, and while my current job (working as a shelver at my local library) allows me to have pink hair, I get more and more upset at the possibility of having to change it because of what people deem as "normal" when I get a big girl job. When you surround yourself with something you love, you get more confidence. I don't have pink hair because of attention (its actually kind of annoying the ridiculous comments I get), but because it makes me feel GOOD. More importantly, I get a lot of compliments. And not from young kids, but from adults, senior citizens, and parents. Pant suit wearing business women who tell me "I had a pink mohawk when I was your age!" or others who wish they had the confidence to rock a wild color. The color of my hair no way reflects my ability to do my job, though an argument could be made that because it makes me a happier and more self confident person, I do a BETTER job. Who says being "professional" means I have to have "normal" hair? Super lame! Im holding on to the pink as long as I can!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/156572_286634061428090_100002444957767_634500_202228487_n.jpg

Alicia | 3:06 AM

This is so cool and she rocks it well! My mom called me up outraged the other day over a story on the local news about a 5th grader being sent home from a public school for having pink hair. The father made a deal with the daughter that if she brought her grades up a certain amount that she could die her hair. When he refused to make her take it out, there was a big fuss. I'm happy to hear that your daughters school didn't mind, and I think I'll send my mom a link to this post! Shell enjoy it. :-)

Oh, also, my 12 yr old learned recently that she can color the tips of her blonde hair with washable marker and it comes right out in the shower -- AND my white towel! lol

Mama Smith | 4:08 AM

Awesome. I had permanent blue and then red hair in my teens and I think maybe it did give me a sense of confidence during that vulnerable time... she is seriously such a spunky little girl! Thank you for sharing her :)

Sophia | 12:06 AM

you are a sweet mom.

Unknown | 1:05 PM

I have to go get this for my 2-year-old little girl, who is obsessed with pink. The funny thing is, I really tried not to push any of the 'girl' stereotypes on her, she just gravitated toward pink all by herself. (It was one of her first words!)

I'm teaching her colors now and when I say "what color is that?" she says "Ummmm... Hmmmmm... NOT pink."

She'll be bananas for pink hair.

Thanks so much for sharing!

Chelsea | 1:07 PM

her hair is so cute!!!!!

Michelle | 5:32 PM
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Michelle | 5:38 PM

Hi all Colour bug is great and for adults as well.
Hot Tip 1# add some sticky hair product to hair first then apply. The colour will last longer and not get all over cloths and skin. Seal with abit of hair spray.
Hot tip 2# if it gets dropped and broken stir powder into said stick product and then apply.
My prefered product is Night Rider by Kevin Murphy. I'm not bias at all just stock his full range in my salon. Thanks for your great pics.

Barnicles | 7:12 AM

Loving it :) you should be the ambassador. at school we werent allowed coloured hair, till college when i went pink, purple and blonde and then blue. i miss it lots. people say it's for attention but fable got it right.. colour makes me happy.

I dont care if im feeling ugly if there is colour to distract me and make me smile :)

Barnicles

Anonymous | 8:00 AM

LOVE IT! I have tried these in various colors and they are so much fun! The purple and orange show up great in dark hair too! Use a little hairspray to make it last longer :) KEVIN.MURPHY ROCKS!

Amelia | 9:43 AM

I am of the my-so-called-life generation and thus, the only color that I ever dyed my hair was RED RED RED. Bangs, bob, angst, red.

However, when we were younger, my best friend was a guy with thick blonde hair down to his butt and when he told his mom that we wished it was purple, she agreed to take him to the salon to get it done professionally. He kept it up through most of middle school, and I don't recall ever once thinking that it was strange. Some people are meant to show their true colors on their head. Kudos to you for knowing your daughter(s) so well!! xo

Erin | 12:53 PM

@Girl's Gone Child: I dyed my hair with koolaid in high school...and it never washed out. It had to grow out. Red-turned-pink streaks for over three years until it grew out.

It was awful.

Anonymous | 2:20 PM

I bought some today for my 16 year old daughter!!

She is going to flip!!

You have one stylish little girl...I LOVE her haircut!!!!

She looks like her mama :)

Anonymous | 2:22 PM

Wow, Sorry for all my spaces...I'll blame it on the rain!! ;)

stacy | 3:01 PM

Fable is just the brightest ray of sunshine. Hooray for raising strong, confident and loved little girls. xx

The Bedraggled Mom | 2:28 PM

I loved this post and I loved that you had the foresight to offer the pink hair color on this day. You have such a sweet relationship with your children.

Liz | 1:46 PM

I want pink hair!! I just called my hairdresser and asked her to order some pink extensions - I'm so doing this! Thanks Fable, for the inspiration!