I have been red for the past 15 years. My natural color is dark ash blonde. Red is the hardest color to maintain. Two hours in the sun and it starts to fade to pink or orange! It was not easy, but I hated the idea of being "dishwater blonde"- too greyish against my face.
A year ago I noticed I was getting a LOT of silver hair mixed in. That's when I decided to let it all go natural again. Now my dark ashe blonde looks GOOD with gleaming silver streaks mixed throughout, and I love it! It actually is more golden now too it seems, because of the sun I've gotten outdoors all summer.

The haircut is the easy part to keep maintained- once you get a person you liike and can count on. It's the coloring chore that I have always hated....but now I'm free from that. I LOVE having short hair- been 20 years in the "joan of Arc meets Mia Farrow" look.