In which I get a haircut and a new name

You might ask me, "Fancy Pants", for that is what you call me, I know - "Fancy Pants," you might say, "why the hell haven't you updated in forever?"  

And I might say, "oh, shut up." 

Or, you might ask me "Fancy Pants, how is it you are able to maintain your fanciness when you are broke?  Broke-ity broke broke!"  

And I might say, "Well, dear reader, I am quite creative.  Par example, I saved $80 on a haircut this weekend."

Impressive, no?  I'm verah clevah.

I went to my usual New York walk-in salon at noon on Sunday and was told that they could take me at 3:00 pm.  It's not a walk-in salon, I think, when you have to make an appointment to, er, walk-in.   So I went to the barber shop by my apartment.  Yes, I said BARBER SHOP.  I stepped in, expecting to see Andy Griffith and his wacky gang of Mayberry friends, but the shop was empty.  I called out and a gentleman appeared from the back.  "Can you trim my hair?" I asked.  He nodded.  "You pick chair," he said.  So I sat.

"What you like?"  he asked.  "Um, trim it, " I replied.  My hair is short anyway - pixie-ish - like a boy's, so I figured he could do it.  

"Where you live?"  he asked.

"Right next door." 

"Oh! You neighbor! Good.  I am from Russia. You look Russian." 

"No.  Part of my family is Czech, though," I offered.

"Oh! Czech!  Close enough," he replied.

He was a sweetie.  By the end of my trim, he had taught me an Uzbekistani history lesson, assured me I would find love and given me a fairly decent haircut.  For 15 bucks.  

Who says rich and fancy has to be expensive?

In which I budget

It is hard to be rich and fancy on a budget.  I have been having some trouble making ends meet, what with all the money I spend on fancy stuff.  So this weekend I got tough with myself and got rid of cable and Netflix and downgraded my internet.  I still have to blog, you know.  Can't let my readers down.

One of my problems is cosmetics and hair products.  Now, I am out of foundation and am just doing without.  Luckily I have lots of eyeshadows in lots of colors.  What?  I bought them BEFORE the market went sour.  Thanks to me, the government will not have to spend millions to bail out MAC.  See?  I contribute to society.  You're welcome.

But the hair.  I am afraid that in LA I developed an addiction to spa quality hair products.  From Italy.  Yeah.  And now I am out of the shampoo and conditioner.  

I'm sure you just think I like to spend money (it's true, I do), but the reason I really like these products is that they don't aggravate my eczema and they don't make my scalp break out.   The drugstore brands irritate my poor little head.  Really.  Also, I think there might be a pea under my mattress.  Could someone be a love and come remove it for me?  Thanks ever so.

Luckily, one of my friends works at a major fashion magazine and is very generous with the freebies she gets.  If she can't use them, she passes them along to her friends.  She gave me a few products recently, so I used them to make tonight a spa night for myself.

Firstly, conditioner:

Nice.  My hair is very soft, and no hint of a breakout.

Next I addressed my need of a mani/pedi.  I miss getting one in the salon, but I can do it just as well at home.  My friend gave me OPI Miami Beet, which is supposed to be really hot for this season.

So I did my toes up with it.

How do they look?

Maybe not salon quality, but FREE!

Now, what to do about shampoo?  Shall I try to make my own?