My hair had gotten a little out of control, and my eyebrows were beginning to resemble Brook Shields' circa 1981. Money is tight, Christmas is coming and we are about to move.

Sacrifices had to be made and I was willing to sacrifice my hair and, well…my face, to make sure that my children had what they needed.

I kissed my sun-streaked, professionally highlighted hair goodbye when I bought a box of color from the drugstore, which I'm pretty sure was called "Crayola Brown." It wasn't the most attractive look I've ever rocked out, but it did solve the roots problem I was having, which was turning into Cruella Deville meets Suburban Mom.

I was beyond excited when I realized my lady friends next door were having a Steel Magnolia's Day o' Beauty in their garage. I threw on my mommy uniform (an Old Navy velour sweat suit) and rushed next door, with a baby on my hip and a half-dressed preschooler trailing behind me.

All of the kids fooled around in the driveway, riding bikes and playing in empty boxes while I signed up to participate in every beauty treatment available.

(If you'll recall from 101 Dalmatians, Cruella was single and angry and I'm not aiming to go there.) I sent my friend Sara, to pick my oldest child up from school, while Amy channeled Truvy and worked on transforming my Crayola Brown football helmet back into a sun-kissed masterpiece.

I was so excited to be getting myself in some sort of shape after being away from a salon for so many months. Momma was about to make a comeback.

I was getting my holiday hair, my eyebrows waxed and would be ready to take on the world. I would look my very best when we moved to a new town. I would make a great impression with my perfectly coiffed hair and sculpted eyebrows.

Shelby would have been proud to waltz down the aisle with the look I was about to have.

Aubrey walked into the garage just as Amy was applying hot wax to my bushy brows.

"Momma! What are you doing? Does it hurt?"

"It hurts a little bit but it's going to make my eyebrows pretty," I said as Amy ripped the strip of paper off my face taking with it an extra eyebrow.

"See," I said, leaning forward so Aubrey could see the dramatic difference.

"Hmph. You don't look any better."

Oh snap. Looks like we found our Ouiser.

(Robin O'Bryant is a Mount Pleasant resident and mother of three. Read her blog online at www.robinschicks.com or e-mail her, zebandrobin@hotmail.com.)