You can't put a price on a great haircut.

Okay, maybe you can. But you shouldn't. And I have to. I first met Kelly my freshman year at BYU. He had previously cut two of my sisters hair during their duration at school, and when I mentioned I was looking for someone, they both suggested Kelly. I called but he wasn't accepting new clients...until I mentioned my sisters, then he gladly took me in. I had to wait over 2 months for his next available appointment, and the haircut alone was $40 (in 1998). I wasn't brave enough to try color until the next year. I can honestly tell you my hair never looked better than it did in the 5 or 6 years I went to Kelly. I followed him to 3 different salons, the last one in Sugar House (and I still lived in Provo!). When I started doing color I was paying $100 per haircut...then I started buying products he suggested (all of them) and was paying upwards of $150 per haircut. But man was I cute. I finally had to stop going when I lost my job in 2003. I saw him once at the pool (he lives in my parents neighborhood with his partner) and was so embarrassed at the state of my hair. I'm not trying to insult anybody who does hair, but I'm telling you, this guy is the best. The absolute best. I can't figure out why he's not famous yet. He has a client that flies him to San Francisco to do his and his wife's hair. Several times a year. He's fun to talk to, he always has fun hair himself...like I'd go once and it was purple, once it was bleach blond, then brown with highlights....oh I miss Kelly. The best part is he always knew what to do. He'd ask what I wanted and I'd say "something cute" and he would go to town! And my hair would look amazing! He would tell me I had really great hair and he loved doing it...maybe he said that to everybody, but I loved hearing it. For the past year or two I've gone to a girl in my brother's neighborhood who works out of her house. She's cheap (cut and color for only $50), fast, and she's pretty good. The problem is it's in her house, and her kids are there, and she's talking on the phone, and helping her kids get lunch, and it's the furthest thing from relaxing possible. I like going to a salon and feeling pampered for a few hours...the head massage, the drinks, the good magazines, the fun conversations. Mostly I miss my hair looking like it used to. Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that I now have lots of gray hair and it's impossible to make it like it used to be when it's frizzy and wirey. But I have decided that when I do eventually cut my hair short again, I will be going to Kelly one last time. He's the best with short hair and I miss him like crazy. Below are some pictures of my better hair days...

the first two are from Homecoming at BYU 1998, the first day Kelly ever cut my hair...then my sister's wedding in 2000 and for some reason a picture in my bedroom Junior year. MUCH better hair.