Not only am I trying to get my body lighter for summer, I also decided to let my hair in on the fun. But first, let me just thank all of you for your words of support and great advice on my dead metabolism post. I’m still trying to get back to everyone who emailed, Facebooked and left comments but it feels so nice to know that there are so many of us in the same boat. Granted, we apparently couldn’t all get in a boat together because it would sink, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one at war with her body. So, thank you.

As you might recall, I deflowered my virgin hair in October and dyed it red. I looooooved it. I really did. For all 8 days it lasted. You all weren’t kidding when you said red fades fast. I even gave up shampooing and it still didn’t make a lick of difference. Sure, the greasiness from my unwashed hair sometimes made it look a tad redder (maybe from all the dust sticking to the grease?).

When I dyed it red, the hairdresser was all hot and bothered for me to go blonde. In fact, she claimed my hair was “screaming” to be blonde.

Well, I decided to finally heed its apparent primal urges.

I woke up bright and early today, and here’s how dedicated I am to my craft — I took a make-up free Before Picture just for you fine folks. I hadn’t even had coffee yet! Or found a brush.

I decided to head back to one of my favorites — the Aveda Institute in Winter Park. I’ve gotten my haircut there a few times before, with mixed results. I’ve had haircuts I LOVED and haircuts that kind of sucked. But it’s so cheap, and I figure, it’s only hair. It’s much easier than Groupon salon stalking, and you always meet the most interesting characters at Aveda.

Case in point. Here was my hairdresser today.

SHE.WAS.AWESOME. Her name was Erin and she’s about 6 months into the program. And she could not have been sweeter. Since I was a highlighting virgin, she was very gentle with me. She explained all those confusing words like foil, partial, weaving, hair box, etc. (man, that sounds dirtier when you put it all together than it did in person).

Actually, one of my favorite parts about going to Aveda is that you talk everything over with the student, then their educator comes over to go over everything again. It always reminds me of “Grey’s Anatomy” when the residents have to explain the case. Because, you know, my hair color is as important as a kidney transplant.

Plus, the entire time they’re discussing your hair, the educator is usually playing with your hair and checking existing lengths, split ends, etc. I love it.

After we game up with a game plan, it was time to foil me up.

I’ve decided. I’m getting highlights every weekend. OK, that may be excessive, but it’s the most “me” time I’ve had in weeks, if not months. I basically read “Confessions From a Scary Mommy” from cover to cover (much more on that later). Occasionally someone would offer me tea or water. And then as the color was setting (or whatever the term is), I got a complimentary hand AND shoulder and neck massage. A girl could get used to this.

Finally, it was time for the big reveal:

Well, I think I was hoping/expecting it to be blonder, but I think I like it so far.

I tell you what I did like — the fact that it only cost $36! Hot dang! I even picked up some Aveda hair products since I felt I’d just saved so much money.

I liked the look of it even better outside, except for one tiny section.

Remind you of anyone else?

Hmmm, wonder if the streak comes with her superpowers, too?

Actually, outside I think my hair looks like some of the red still lives on just a wee bit.

Next time, I think I’d like to come out looking more like this girl and have the color be more dramatic. It’s always a tiny bit disappointing when the change isn’t as drastic as you were hoping, even if you are happy with the results.

I do like how it’s pretty lightened up around the face.

Don’t worry if you can’t notice much of a change; you wouldn’t be the only one. When I got home, I asked E. how she liked my hair. Her reply? “It’s good. But my hair is still blonder.” WTF? She’s lucky she’s cute and sick. She’s so sick, she even got an ice-cream dinner tonight.

Just wait, my dear, until you lose that baby blonde hair, too.

Since I failed so miserably at keeping my red hair red, anyone got blonde advice? I already picked up some color shampoo at Aveda and they recommended a hair sunscreen, which I wasn’t able to find at either Sally or Ulta. I knew I should have just bought it there. Lesson learned.

Anything else?

And is it true — do blondes really have more fun? What about “I think I see some blonde streaks in that hair”? That’s got to count for a few laughs, right?