Take Me Up To Cloud Nine

Today was so much fun.

This morning, my sister, niece, and great-niece all came up to visit and have a girls day of frivolity and hair. We started off with a visit to the State Beauty Supply in town, lunch at a local restaurant, and back to my house for cutting, coloring, and highlighting all afternoon.

Twas a blast indeed. :-)

To be completely frank, I needed a day to play and do some hair. Finding the right fit in where to work has been more difficult than I imagined it would be. I've spent weeks sending out resumes, interviewing, and am ready to accept a position. However, all of this time away from the chair has put me into a bit of a tailspin.

The questions mount in my mind:

Am I really qualified to work on the public and get paid for it?
Am I ready for the State Board practical exam in Topeka?
Why should someone hire me right out of school?
Did I really get the most out of my schooling?
Why does it still take me so long to complete people's hair?

And on and on it goes.

That's why today was so special. Not only did I get to play hair with my sister and niece, not only did they actually trust me to do a good job, but we just enjoyed each other's company.

And their hair looked great when I was done! I really was proud of the job I did. The whole time I was relaxed and comfortable and never once worried if I was doing something right or not. My foils looked just like puffy little pillows, the way they're supposed to look. The haircuts fell just right and shaped their faces beautifully. Take me up to cloud nine.

So after waking up this morning wondering if I was ever going to really feel like I could make it in this industry, tonight I go to bed knowing I will.

I have my family to thank for that.

Keep It Coming, Lord!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my GOSH!!!!!!!

Do you think I might have something exciting to share tonight?

It's been a long and tiring day. Choir rehearsal was great this evening even though I was thoroughly exhausted because of a very busy and emotional day.

Today was our school's Salon Fair and hair show. All of the floor students (classroom attendees not included) participated with models and/or mannequins to present to the audience. Several students had two and three models and several had a slew of mannequins for the judging. Area salon owners and managers came to the school to view the hair and make-up stylings of the participating students and interview those who will be graduating soon.

It's quite an exhausting process just preparing for it, much less spending time that day preparing ourselves and our models to strut the runway.

Little old me had just one model. I don't really have alot of people in this area I know who are available during the daytime hours. Needless to say, I was thankful for the one.

The last several weeks I've been cutting (yes, the fringe technique previously mentioned), coloring, and playing with make-up and styling ideas with my model. She's been a real trooper and brought in some great examples for costuming and such from her own wardrobe, on which I added my personal "twist". The show was centered around entrants in the categories of the seven deadly sins or seven heavenly virtues.

I chose "Wrath" as my model's image. Had so much fun with it too.

So today as everyone was working, I looked around at the pretty up-do's, hair extensions, and costumes. Then I looked at my exhibit and wondered how I was going to do. See, there was a contest at stake but I wasn't so much worried about that as making a good impression on the salon owners and managers who might consider hiring me after graduation. In thinking about that, I put myself in their shoes and decided that if I was a salon owner going to a hair show that I'd prefer to see what students capabilites were in regard to cutting and coloring and not so much with the fluffy stuff.

So I left the flat iron and curling iron in my locker and pulled only my blow dryer. That way I could really highlight the texture effects of the beyond the fringe technique of the cut I'd accomplished. Plus there was the highlighting and color effects sprinkled throughout the style as well. Figured I'd let the hair speak for itself.

Well I got my wish, in that after the show I had alot of interest from salon owners and managers and have several additional very viable options open to me. One salon with multiple locations even had all of their managers there and two of these managers were "fighting" over me. It was so fun!

Then call me absolutely shocked when the contest winners were announced. My entry won flipping FIRST PLACE in the model category. I was so stunned I yelled - "you're kidding me!" in front of everyone.

I laughed and cried and happily took home my first place certificate and the $25 gift certificate (too bad it wasn't $250 :-) but beggars can't be choosers). I'm still a bit in shock tonight.

Thank you once again, Lord, for the continued confirmation that I'm on the right path You've opened before me.

Standing Amazed

The blessings just keep coming and coming.

Can't remember if I told you about the schooling exactly that I'm currently participating in. I'm attending a cosmetology school with the plan to work for someone else for a couple of years and then open my own salon and day spa. Those plans seem to be getting a big push of late, but I'm not quite ready to share what's happening in that arena yet.

Needless to say, with my anal tendencies (yes, I am able to admit it) I have been working really hard on some European fringe techniques after watching a special video over and over again. One of my fellow students let me practice the technique on her about a month ago and I've been perfecting it ever since, picking up little nuances and incorporating some of my own little specialties with it.

The last two weeks, I've had three clients come in (one a repeat - made me feel so honored) who were game on letting me try the technique on them. They all loved the final result. Yesterday I had a lady from my church come in for an appointment after seeing my hair at church on Sunday. This lady had severely damaged hair and it looked like the last person to touch it had taken a very dull razor to it.

What a mess!

So first of all I proceeded with a special conditioning treatment to rebond the keratin protein in her hair strands. Then I started in on the cut and style. After all was said and done, she absolutely loved it and wore it with pride and glory to the ladies Holiday Pizzazz last night at the church. When she was up on the stage I couldn't help but sit there in the audience just beaming with amazement - she looked so fresh and funky in her new do, and I'd accomplished it. Several people kept commenting throughout the evening and she gave me alot of credit for "saving" her hair.

This morning at school I received a call from a lady who is friends with this particular client. She was so impressed with the cut I'd given that she wanted something similar and also decided it was time to put some fresh color on her hair.

I could hardly contain my excitement - I have just made a name for myself and have clients now who are walking advertisements for my technique.

Lord, your blessings are on a roll. I stand humbled and amazed!