Retrospective -Self-Portrait

I started this a few weeks ago, sometime in September during the time of my last journal entry, same time I did this

I've worked on it on and off, it was initially just a sketch thing, because I was frustrated with my drawing abilities, rather what I thought was a lack of. Something people had suggested to me in the past was to just draw whatever, as it came, without much thought or intention. So I've been doing that as of late and I was originally going to scan in one of those drawings, when I came across this and decided to "finish" it.

I haven't drawn anything in pencil other than basic sketches to be later filled out with other mediums, or simple doodles, in years. The last time I was either in high school or college. I realize some artists might consider this a doodle but for me it was an awakening.

That said, medium: Pencil.
The background bothers me. I want to re-do it but it was so hard to get the tones right once I had scanned it in, the scanner just ate away the details and soft shades. Not really wanting to repeat all that though I suppose I can come up with something...
Hair: My hair is lighter in the bangs and front while the rest of my hair is fairly dark brown, I tried capturing this but not sure I was very successful.
The pose is stiff, I'm noticing, because I was drawing myself using a mirror. The hands and feet are awkward because my eyesight is not the best so I couldn't make out details and I just don't draw hands and feet very well <.< but I'm practicing!

Sorry about the tl;dr-ness.