And the winner is...

Me!

Since my father-in-law and I were the only entrants in the Tell Matt how to wear his facial hair for a good cause drawing, it was pretty much a coin-flip. I went all twenty-first century and used a random number generating website, and it turned out that one of my entries was the winner.

Once I discovered I won my own contest, I had to decide what to do. Which of the many interesting and somewhat humorous options should I choose as my winnings? I actually decided to select several, and have some fun along the way.

I started off looking like I've looked for almost a decade.

Next I did a tribute to my friend Eric, who sports a version of the Chester Arthur:

Then I did a kind of early 2000s boy band look, complete with every man-bander's "I'm trying to be sexy but really I just look like I've got digestive issues" face:

Then I went with the Errol Flynn, which in the 1930s was cool, but in 2011 might be interpreted otherwise...

Next came McDreamy-esque stubble, alas without Patrick Dempsey's wavy hair, strong chin, or sensitive eyes

Finally, I put down the trimmer and grabbed the razor, recalling what's been under there all this time:

I've haven't been clean shaven since before I met Jessica, and her first words upon seeing this were, "you're naked! Your face, I mean..." Here's my impression of her reaction:

I'll be really curious to see how Kate reacts in the morning, since Daddy's had a beard for her entire life.

I'll post soon with my first reflections on Julian of Norwich's revelation soon. I'll be at a friend's farm for a few days, so my internet access may not be all that great, but I'll be recording my daily meditations regardless. It's just a question of when they'll end up here.

You can still donate to One Day's Wages partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects in Ethiopia, and every dollar will help plant ten trees and create jobs in a part of the world that really needs them. Thanks!