How to not grow out a pixie as gracefully as you thought you were

So back in April I did something really drastic and cut off about ten inches of hair, stuck it in a bag, and donated it to people who needed wigs.  I had done this before, but last time I was left with a bob.  This time I went full monty, er... pixie.

Why? I'm still not really sure.  Maybe because I have a girl crush on Emma Watson.

Or maybe it's because I hated my job and felt like my life was out of my control.  I liked food too much to develop an eating disorder, so I cut my hair instead.  It ended up looking like this:

the sacrifice

Cute, right?  At least for awhile it was.  Then it started to grow out, but only in the back.  Yep. I was getting a mullett:

told you, it was BAD

This was actually the first picture I could find between the time I got it cut and late June.  I avoided cameras for like two months.  After I saw this picture, I asked my dad to hack off some of the back.

Then I started to realize that the area around my ears was just refusing to grow.

Mid-June

Mid-July

Early August

 By the time of my sister's wedding, the back was getting a little crazy, so we cut it again.

There was still a strange line though.  At this point, I started to take prenatal vitamins....and the back grew even faster!

Totally unsatisfied with my progress - sometime in September

A couple weeks ago I realized that I was getting to where if I curled my hair under, I could do that 70's pageboy thing.

All I need is a curling iron and some bad bangs to get THIS:

http://shortlonghairstyles.com/03/seventies-hairstyle-getting-back-into-the-past.html

So I finally cut it again.  Now it looks a bit more like a bob:

I'm actually pretty satisfied with how it is now, but every once in awhile I gaze longingly at my engagement photos:

So pretty.... sometimes I miss it

Things I learned:

Let the FRONT grow out first.  This will save you a lot of heartache in the end.  Keep trimming the back and let your bangs grow like this:

http://burstinstyle.blogspot.com/2011/01/michelle-williams-glows-in-marie-claire.html

Clips, barettes, headbands, scarves, etc are your best friends.  They hide weird pieces and make it look more like you planned it

Clips are cute. Butterflies are even cuter.

When in doubt, just cover it all with a bandana

If it's a really bad day, add a toucan as a distractor.

For a possibly more pertinent/logical guide, I recommend this blog post.  I don't really regret cutting it, I just kind of regret how I grew it back.  My advice: if you're thinking about it, do it when you're young and get it out of your system.  Your hair grows faster when you're young and you can pull that kind of thing off.  Here's the thing though, you will never realize how much of your self-confidence is wrapped up in your hair 'till it's gone.  Also, plan to spend more money on clothes and make-up.  There's no better way to look feminine than a cute dress.  If all else fails, buy a killer pair of heels and wear them out for no reason at all.  You'll feel better instantly, promise.  :)