Mark and I have been together more than 18 years now. He knows EVERYTHING about me, remembers every moment and crazy story I’ve shared.
He used to cut Husband’s hair as well, but Husband stopped seeing him about the same time he stopped (really) seeing me.
Our salon chit-chat followed the usual pitter-patter until Husband left in February. Then our relationship took a really lovely turn. We started talking about stuff that mattered. And I loved him all the more for it.
He was thrilled when I walked into the salon yesterday looking so happy. Then he got worried and started questioning how many Diet Cokes I’d skulled. I was only on my first half a can.
I’m just a bit high on life at the moment (tinged with being a bit high on anxiety about almost buying a house every day then not, coupled with not having a place to live from August 1, deeeeeeeeeeeep breaths).
My lovely Mark gave me the most brilliant haircut. He’s trying extra hard with my hair because he wants me to feel really good about myself. Bless him.
If you need a great cut, give him a try. He works with an equally awesome colourist called Kathy. (That’s Mark and Kathy above with Tabatha Coffey, the host of Bravo’s Tabatha Takes Over.) Kathy tricks everyone into thinking I haven’t actually gone grey. They’re at Crown Hair, in Crown Street, Darlinghurst. Click here to visit their website.
I have no idea how I’ll afford them now I’m a single mum looking down the barrel of an enormous mortgage, but I’ve decided they’re a luxury I’m keeping. The cleaners can go and I’ll eat two-minute noodles for the rest of my life, but Mark and Kathy MUST stay. There may also need to be an allowance for waxing … Being single and keeping up appearances is an expensive business.
Do you love your hairdresser?
PS And here’s a TERRIBLE selfie of the haircut that I’ve been cajoled to add by my sister-in-law … Far out I need plastic surgery.
Song of the day: Haircut 100 “Love plus one”
housegoeshome 
Mark sounds divine and WHERE is a pic of your new hairdo, Alana?! I was reading a piece on Miranda Otto recently and was struck by her resemblance to you.
Good luck with the house-hunting…I’m traumatised at the mere thought. 🙂
Ah, sadly I don’t look much like Miranda in real life, more like the chick who played Nene King in Mag Wars. She’s also the face of an insurance ad.
Haha…well I’,m impressed,you’re on TV…twice. 🙂
Yes, I do love my hairdresser. No one cuts hair like him.
From your pic, I agree!
I will pass that on to him!
I love my hairdresser Mario, he cuts and colours beautifully – but sometimes I have trouble affording him. I made the mistake of going to a cheap chain salon once (did the colour myself) and then had to go to Mario anyway to get him to correct my bad hairdo! He was very gracious about my “cheating” on him. So I do recommend this particular luxury of keeping your hairdresser – I find that when my hair is good, it’s part of my armour in facing the world with confidence!
Oooh, Mario is a lovely name for a hairdresser.
I know. He’s Italian. Very stylish, very fabulous. He’s a good listener too!
I need to go to the hairdresser more frequently. If I lived in Sydney I’d follow your recommendation Alana. Where is the photo?
Hi Pinky, I finally took a terrible selfie that’s in the blog now.
Kathy has been cutting and colouring my hair for over 17 years. I followed her when she moved salons. When we lived in Singleton I would spend drive for almost an hour each way so she could still colour my hair. I won’t let anyone else touch it!
When I lived in Singapore I would try and hang out for visits to Australia for Mark, but as I had virtually a buzz cut at the time, it was a bit tricky.
I wish you would stop stealing my blog post ideas. You wrote about your sadness of starting a new job with no husband to go home to debrief to at the same time I was crying in my car ’cause I’d done a day’s work at the ABC and my husband wasn’t to be going to be there to here about how it had gone, and hadn’t been listening to the show the way he usually did when I produce, frankly the teenagers couldn’t give two hoots about what I did for the day. Now you have written this one the day after I’ve been to the hairdresser and got the most wonderful cut/colour done (I literally went grey overnight when he died). My lovely hairdresser even came to the funeral and yesterday worked extra hard to getting me to look presentable as he asked about the girls and how we are coping. Hairdressers rock.
Oh Shambles, I feel terrible for stealing your blog ideas. And a fraud when your thoughts would be so much deeper than my silly raving. I’m so glad you have such wonderful people taking care of you (and your hair)
From a boy’s perspective, yes, I too love my hairdresser, Tracy! A No. 3 all over, $15, job’s done and” I feel gooood”! Colouring for a 57 year old bloke is just not going to happen, methinks! 😉
However, I do commend those who can make a difference to people’s lives by working their hairdressing magic.
Nah, grey is TOTALLY in, Geoff. I swear – it’s become a hot trend. God, I sound like I’m joking but I’m not.
Really? Well for once I’m “on trend” then! 😉
Here you go Geoff this will make you feel SUPER on trend http://www.buzzfeed.com/juliegerstein/21-stupidly-hot-silver-foxes-thatll-make-you-fall-in-love-wi
Good hairdressers are worth their weight in gold. Mine has hair the colour of Ariel down past her hips and tattoos up her arm about her family. This mermaid may as well have a PhD in how to cut wavy hair and artfully hide grey hairs. And I agree, it’s amazing what you discuss together, and how fond of each other you grow—funny relationship. Then again, I’ve also grown fond of my dentist over 35 years….
Really, your dentist? I had an awesome one many years ago who was very generous with the gas (and good-looking) but these days I just take whoever at the NIB clinic.
You wouldn’t take whoever NIB suggests in Canberra. That’s why I stick to my Sydney dentist, and yes, the gas is a drawcard, legitimate drugs!