Situation: #hairproblems

Upon moving to New York City, I realized just how overly excited I was about living in one of the greatest cities in the world.  From New York bagels to Bleecker Street shopping to avant-garde fashion to Baked by Melissa cupcakes.  All the while pretending that I'm still a Boston University student "just in the city for the summer" and trying to get student discounts on anything I can.  Why?  Because I am and will always be a Recessionista.

One part of NYC-living I totally forgot about until I looked in the mirror and saw how badly I needed a hair cut and color (holy hell it's bad) is the Bumble and bumble. University Model Project my sister used to participate in when she went to NYU for undergrad.  When you hear something like this program at a reputable salon and phrases like "FREE HAIRCUT" and "FREE COLOR" are thrown around like it's nothing, you become a bit skeptical.  Nothing's actually FREE free, right?  So wrong.  So very, very wrong.

This is accurate.  Usually worse, though.

The Bumble and bumble. University program is a two-day class in which professional hairdressers from across the country come and learn new cut and color techniques and sharpen their hairstylist skills under supervision of Bumble and bumble.'s most experienced stylists and educators.  But, of course, in order to learn something new, practice makes perfect.  They need real hair to practice on, and who better than desperate college students or poor young adults looking for a new look?!  Literally the most perfect opportunity for hairdresser and desperate girl.  AKA, me.

I applied online and went in for a hair consultation last Monday.  Totally easy.  They assess basically how easy your hair is to work with and what it looks like you could benefit from.  (Bb professional to me: "You could definitely benefit from some darker colors to give your hair more depth, and maybe you should go back to that Razor Bob you say you used to have." Me to Bb professional in small, pathetic voice: "Fix me, please.")

After the consultation, you make your appointments for cut, color, or style (or two out of the three, or all three, whatever), which could range from the next day until October.  I lucked out with a color appointment the NEXT DAY and a haircut next Tuesday.

Oh haiiii.

My color "class" yesterday was simple.  You go in, get looked at by a ton of hairdressers who determine what color, technique, etc. would look the best on you with your eyes, complexion, etc. and then the stylists get to work with the approval of the educators.  My hairdresser was this little cutie-patootie from Kansas City who threw around terms like "feathering" and "hair depth" and did something amazing to my sun-streaked mousey-brown hair that hasn't seen a professional dye job in years.  They actually discourage tipping because it is a classroom setting, so literally all you're paying for is your transportation to and from the salon.  So like, $5 on the subway for an amazing color and blowout.

I am SO excited for my haircut next week, and then I'll be back in a few months to do it all over again as soon as I'm allowed.  For cheap girls looking for an exciting new look, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU.  You also get a say in what you want, although if it's something that the stylists know is stupid or outdated, they'll pretty much let you know and make you change your mind.  After all, they have more experience with hair trends than you do.

What do you think about the program?  New Yorkers, would you be willing to give up your rights and let a hairdresser go to town on your locks?  Comment away!

Cheap S%$T Pick of the Week: Etsy.com

Just a shameless plug to begin...

Congratulations to the Boston University Dance Team as they competed at NDA Camp last week and managed to do WERK on home court - First Place in Team Dance, Best All Around award, Most Collegiate award, best Game Day Hip-Hop routine, and a gold bid to NDA Nationals next April!  As I'm no longer a member of the BU Dance Team (graduating will do that to a girl...), I will take on full responsibility for promoting them as often as I can in real life and on my blog.  These beautiful girls perform at all men's and women's basketball games as well as events and competitions on- and off-campus, including the aforementioned NDA Nationals in April down in Daytona Beach, Florida.  Go watch them perform when you get a chance!

SO.  Etsy.  It's nothing new.  I can't count how many Etsy photos I've seen on Pinterest, and I'm not on the website often, but it's A LOT.  People (well, mostly girls and feminine boys) LOVE Etsy because it's literally everything your little heart could imagine.  The people who sell on Etsy are from all over the world, so your options (and markets) really are endless.  One of my favorite things about Etsy - besides its meticulous categorizing of gizmos and gadgets - is its "Buy Handmade" mission.  Each designer/craftsperson/artist's post for an item lets you, the buyer, observe just how perfectly crafted that item is, and new products are posted every day so there are always new items to look at.  One of the downsides of Etsy is the time it takes to ship an item, but I've heard from my friends' experiences that the wait is always worth it.

Annie Georgia Greenberg's "Best of Etsy: 50 Cool Finds Made in NYC" article on Refinery29 is a fantastic guide to buying local NYC products on Etsy.  The website can be a bit overwhelming with the amount of products being sold on it, but besides this article, there are many others that involve writers' favorite Etsy picks.

Also, the Weddings page on Etsy is just to die for.  Where else can you buy a wedding dress, engagement ring, bridesmaids gift and decor for your wedding on ONE website?!  As Etsy is obviously targeted mostly for women, the Wedding page is a dream come true for girls like me who could spend hours planning her own wedding that isn't likely to happen for years.  But... you never know.

As a "Cheap S%$T Pick of the Week," Etsy can be fairly cheap, but many products are also a bit pricy.  My opinion: everything on Etsy is totally worth the cost for product originality.  Make sure you watch where the seller is located and the shipping cost - many products on Etsy are similar among different sellers, so you might be able to catch a better deal if you look around the site more.

ON A SIDE NOTE, I'll be moving to New York City this Saturday, so please be prepared for my posts to target the NYC crowd more so than usual.  My apologies, Bostonians!

What are your thoughts on Etsy?  Too overwhelming?  Can't ever find what you're looking for?  Or are you in love with the creative marketplace?  Comment away!