Monday 10 May 2010

My Auntie Beehive


Every week my Auntie Beehive went to the hairdressers to have her hair washed, hennaed and styled. She always wore it up in a beehive. Always. Long after that style's popularity had faded among lesser mortals, Auntie Beehive maintained "her" look.

Auntie Beehive told me once how she kept her hairdo looking nice between visits to the hair salon. While sleeping, she wore a hairnet to protect it. More importantly, she trained herself to sleep on her back, without moving, for the entire night. This minimized any disruption to her hair.

If her head got itchy, she could never just scratch it with her fingers because that would mess up the 'do. So she used a special knitting needle for that purpose, carefully inserting it under her pile of hair to scratch her scalp. The knitting needle did double duty as a bookmark in the huge ornate Bible located on her living room coffee table.

16 comments:

mxtodis123 said...

I do remember those hairstyles. Matter of fact I had one myself. I don't know how we stood it with all that teasing and spray. It's a wonder any of us have any hair left. Just try combing it out. LOL!!!
Mary

Celestite said...

I remember that too. A friend of mine is a hairstylist and she says those people were gold. Once a week, every week, like clockwork.

turquoisemoon said...

ha ha ha...too funny! Brings back memories of my "Auntie". She would wrap hers in toilet paper, then sleep on her back, without moving. Fun...

Paul C said...

And whose features were complemented by the beehive? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Great illustration.

Wendy said...

The Beehive is a wickedly cool hairstyle if it's not using one of those stupid "bumps" they sell right next to snugli's ; ) My fave. fictional character from the original star trek series was Uhura and her beehive is awesome. Love the knitting needles. Next time I have an up do I'll get a pair just for that and use them as a back scratcher too!

Sarah Sullivan said...

LOL hon...I love that! I imediately started thinking about the B-52s. Of course as I was reading your post pictures started drawing themselves in my head...LOL...like a witch with a beehive and a knitting needle..or maybe a fashionable fairy LOL! Wonderful post..I can just see your Aunt!! Giggle
Hugs and love, Sarah

Sarah Sullivan said...

BTW..I adore wooly worms..wonderful suggestion. Your package should be off to you today hon! Hugs, Sarah

Ambermoggie, a fragrant soul said...

so thats what knitting needles are for;)

Blueberry said...

I looove that monkey!

Beehive maintenance was insane. So was what I used to do - sleeping in hard curlers, from small to the size of a soda can, with either pointy sticks holding them on, or maybe bobby pins or scratchy velcro-like hooks. Then take them out in the morning, tease tangles into the hair, and spray.

yellowdoggranny said...

waaaaaaaaay back in the sixties I had my hair done and had always just wore it down or in a pony tail..this hairdresser couldnt wait to put it 'up'...I thought what the hell, go ahead..holy shit..i looked like i was from outer space..my hair being down to my waist there was a lot of hair to put 'up' she put it in big huge curls and then piled it on top of my hair..i burst out laughing and made her take it down before someone saw it..

C said...

Oh ive never had a beehive but i do remember when the hairstyles were dead straight, i would cellotape my hair to my face before bed lol

Dancing With Fey said...

Did people seriously used to wear their hair like that? Wow.

I've done henna on my hair before. Unfortunately it didn't do much to color my hair because it's so dark it's almost black. Oh well. But at least my hair was nicely conditioned after the henna. :)

Little Messy Missy said...

My mom wore a beehive in high school and she used to wear a little homemade paper and cloth bumble bee right in the middle of it.

Irmata said...

The knitting needle is classic, like something out of an old TV show! :D One of those Egyptian or geisha "pillows" would probably work well, though I can't imagine the training process - migraine city! Lazy, messy, low maintenance 2010 is where it's at :)

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure I could train myself to sleep a certain way to prevent messing my hair... but the knitting needle is ingenious - I don't have a beehive but I really want a knitting needle now!

Snap said...

Catching up on your Auntie Beehive posts .. quite a lady and btw, I usually have a knitting needle or crochet hook in my hand ... great to calm an itchy scalp! :D :D