what to do with my hair?!

I have only tried a few different kinds of hairstyles.

In 7th grade EVERYONE had either the big curled-under bangs or very blunt, straight across the forehead bangs.

In 8th grade I was into butterfly clips to hold back my growing-out bangs.

In high school my hair stayed the same most of the way through. Long-ish with layers and shorter pieces near my face.


But... the night before graduation I decided I needed a change and cut it up to my shoulders.


Then I let it grow back out when I got to UNC-W...


And in 2007 I cut it again (and dyed it a SUPER red), as seen in this precious pic of me & the Mac Daddy


And since the bob-incident of 2007, I have been letting it grow with only a few changes (like the cool-bangs incidents of 2008 & 2010).


My hair is very fine, dry and thin, and therefore being super long isn't a good look. I need to get the dead-ends cut off since it is growing SO fast. But I don't know what I want to do.

Every time I cut it short I hate it, because when you have really short hair you have no choice but to style it, whereas long hair allows for just throwing it up into a polished messy bun or a semi-professional looking ponytail.

Maybe cutting it JUST long enough for a little pony tail?
Like it was here:


Or a little shorter like this:


Suggestions?