Baby It's Cold Outside

Well, it looks like winter has officially arrived. I really do like the snow. I think it's beautiful. It also helps me get in the Christmas spirit. It's much easier to decorate for Christmas and listen to Christmas music when it's snowing outside. It's just my 45 minute commute to work that makes me not like the snow as much. I'm excited for Christmas because Dad & Linda will be home from Egypt for a few days, and Joe & Kate will be here!!! I love when family comes home for the holidays! It will also be Joe's first experience with snow, so that should be entertaining. Well, that's all for now.

Singing

Maddie and Jake singing! Enjoy!

Hallooooween!

Jake getting his hair cut (unrelated to post)

This year Alli was a ladybug, Madison was a bumble bee, Jacob was a garden gnome, and Marcy was the gardener. Super cute!

Fun with Photoshop

It's way past my bedtime...but I was messing around with photoshop...here's what happened.

All Things Hair

I thought it would be fun to post some pictures of my hair creations. I'm really bad at taking "before and after" pictures, so I'm trying to be better. This is a picture of an up-do I did the other day at school. Yes, it's on a mannequin. Thoughts? Would you wear this?

Bear Lake, Mt. Spokane, and fun!

View from on top of Mt. Spokane

Another view

Miss Madison playing on the toys

Jakers coming down the slide

Maddie and Jake trying to find the chipmunk

Self portrait with the sun in our eyes

I took this picture not knowing she was behind me...haha

Alli, Jake, and Maddie @ Bear Lake

Lots of pictures!!!

I love the crisp fall air! There's something really refreshing about it. I've really been trying to take advantage of the good weather while it lasts, so just about every day I pack up Madison and Jake and we go down to Bear Lake. It's great because it's only about 10 minutes away, and it's never crowded, and I get my exercise in. It has a paved trail around the entire lake, and each lap is 1.2 miles, so I usually try to walk 3 laps, and hey...that's 3.6 miles! The kids usually stay entertained by each other, and after I've gotten my exercise in, there's a great playground they love to play on. I've sorta kicked myself for not going down there more this summer when it was actually really warm. Oh well, there's always next year.

My sister Martonne was in town for about a week so we decided to take the kids to Mt. Spokane. Both of us couldn't remember the last time we had been up there. The drive up is a little sketchy (no guardrails at times) and if it freaks me out a little on dry pavement, I can't imagine driving up there to ski. It was a beautiful day so we packed a lunch and explored.

School is going great! I am getting more and more confident every day. I have such great Learning Leaders and fellow Future Professionals! It really is a great school.

Elk

There are some things that are just better when you're in Elk on a warm summer night:

1) croquet

2) warm apple pie

3) wild kittens

4) sunsets

5) Farkle

Doesn't get much better than this.

Bridal showers, weddings, and class reunion

Hey all! This summer has flown by for for me! There have been a lot of big things that have happened. My sister Kate got married, I had my 10 year high school reunion, and my cousin Aubri got married. Doesn't it seem like everyone gets married in the summer? Both weddings were wonderful. Kate got married in Mesa, Arizona in 108 degree weather, and Aubri got married in Seattle, Washington in 65 degree weather! Both brides looks absolutely gorgeous and I'm glad I got to be there for both! I was also able to attend my 10 year high school reunion, which I was torn about, but my friend Lateshia persuaded me to go, and it was fun to see many familiar faces and tons of little kids running around. Another big piece of news is that my dad and his wife Linda moved to Cairo, Egypt to teach at the American International School for 2 years. They get to come home for Christmas and summer...so it'll be fun to see them. I'm excited for their adventures, and look forward to hearing all their news. So that's it in a nutshell. Oh, I'm also heading to Utah in a couple weeks to watch my nephew Luke and niece Mila for a few days. Looking forward to seeing them and seeing my friends down there! Enjoy the pics!

Don't Hate Me

I know it's been ages since I last wrote, and the few of you who actually follow my blog might have noticed. Things have been a little hectic as the end of the school year came to a close and things at school (for me) have picked up quite a bit.

So here are a few highlights that have happened since my last post:

1) My mom's fabulous 60th birthday party
2) End of school for my mom, dad, sister, and niece
3) I got a 98% on my written cosmetology exam, and a 94% on my practical exam
4) I can now take guests at my school and actually do their hair
5) My little sister Kate gets married in less than a month
6) My cousin Aubri is getting married August 6th
7) THE SUN FINALLY CAME OUT
8) I'm going down to Utah at the end of August
9) I got called to be a Sunday school teacher
10) There's actually a hot guy in my ward

I think that's it. So just a few things. ;)

My sister Marcy and I are trying a "cleanse" called the Master Cleanse. You can do it anywhere from 3-10 days and during those days you can't eat any food, you can only drink things. But not just anything...you can google "Master Cleanse" to find out more. I'm on day 4, and I think it can only get easier. My brother in law lost 20 lbs in 10 days. I just want to feel good and look better because of all the fun things coming up this summer.

So I titled this post "Don't Hate Me" because of an experience I had at school last night. It's been quite interesting as I've started taking guests at school. It's a SCHOOL people! Hence the word school.

So anyway, this lady comes in to get an all over color, highlights, and a cut. Ok, now for someone like me who just started taking guests like a week ago, this is a daunting task. Usually I can get a highlight or a cut done in one night, not multiple things. There's not really anything I can do to get out of it, so I just fake a smile to try and hide my nerves and get to work. About an hour into the service, she asks, "How long have you been in school?" I reply, "About three months." Then she gets this concerned look on her face and says, "Oh...do you think you can handle doing my hair?" What am I supposed to say? No? So I just smile and reply, "Oh yeah, it should be fine." So anyway, to make a long story short, she hated her hair. She complained about pretty much everything she could. Complained that she wasn't able to get her hair cut, complained that our sinks weren't comfortable, complained about how long it took me to blow dry her hair, etc. My teacher reassured me that it wasn't anything that I did, and that I shouldn't even worry about her. She rebooked with a more "experienced" student, and I opened the door and thanked her for coming. Ironically, she gave me a five dollar tip.

Apparently I'm learning fast that people won't always be happy with their hair, and also, people don't get what the name Paul Mitchell the school Spokane really means.

Ok, I'm off my soap box. Just had to vent.

Getting Dressed

Who knew that getting a 2-year-old dressed would be a 20 minute process? Jake has recently decided that he wants to pick out his own clothes. He seems to be drawn to orange and blue. Those are about the only two colors he picks out. So we put on orange shirt number one. Well, two seconds later he says, "Too big." So then we take it off, and he picks out orange shirt number two. I think everything is going fine, until he says to me, "This one too big." So then he proceeds to pick out blue shirt number one. Finally I say to him, "Ok, this is the last one. The last one!" We put it on, and then I have to convince him why this shirt is the best choice. Luckily, he could care less about what pants he's wearing.

Grateful

Today's one of those day's where I just feel grateful for so many things. I got some wonderful news...and so I was in an awesome mood! It just helped me realize that when things get rough, there's always something brighter around the corner. Sometimes I have little pity parties for myself, and then realize that things could always be worse. I really don't have anything to complain about. I have an amazing job, which I don't even consider a "job." I have good health. I live by my wonderful family. I have great friends, even if they live far away. And I'm going to school for a career I've always wanted to do but never had the time or means to. The list could go on. Today just helped remind me that even though life sucks at times, it's really an awesome ride.

Perms

Did you know there are 19 steps to a perm? 19! I couldn't believe it either! We learned the steps to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." It's actually pretty cool because I can remember lyrics to songs for years after they come out, so I'm thinking I'll never forget the steps to a perm for the rest of my life! They say perms are coming back in style...so make your appointment now! You know you want a spiral perm...doesn't everyone?


I've been frustrated this week because I did something to my lower back. I'm not sure if it's my sciatic nerve or what. All I know is it hurts! So I haven't been exercising. I've been doing stretches, icing it, etc. I haven't really ever done anything to my back before or had this kind of pain, so I'm not sure how long I should try to fix it myself before going to a doctor. So any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

Slacking

First off, I want to apologize for being a slacker!! I didn't realize it had been a few weeks since my last post.

I am loving beauty school! We have been learning about color and will continue to do so for another week. We have practiced doing block color (all-over color), block color touch up, and last night we did our first weave. I enjoy foiling. It's kind of relaxing. Tonight we'll do slicing which is different than weaving. Slicing creates a more "chunky" effect, whereas weaving creates a more natural look. My Dansko shoes have honestly saved my life because we stand on concrete floors for about 4 hours a night. I'll have to invest in a few more pairs!

Last Monday we had our Bowl-A-Thon for charity at my school. I got $80 in sponsors, so that wasn't bad. Thanks to those of you who sponsored me!

Last week it was really nice weather, so I decided to take Maddie & Jake to the park. We had been there for about an hour, then decided to have a picnic because of how nice it was. So we got packed up and headed to Wendy's to get lunch. As we picked up our food, the guy working asked me if I'd like one of those drink holders, and I said sure. So I put the drinks on the console. Now I'm driving with one hand, while the other hand is securing the drinks. I'm thinking I have everything under control. Not so much. We get all the way back to the park, and as I'm parallel parking, somehow, the drinks come crashing down and my diet coke dumps out all over the passenger seat and floor! Somehow I managed to finish parking and save the other two drinks. Needless to say, I had to drink Hi-C with my lunch. This has taught me to use all cup holders in the car. Ha ha!

Oh, and some exciting news:

KATIE AND JOE ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!

I can't wait to have him as a bro-in-law! He's awesome!

Lots of Pictures!

HAPPY EASTER!!


The beautiful pictures below are all courtesy of Marcy. These are her centerpieces and place settings for Easter dinner. Isn't she AMAZING?! I think she's going to be the next Martha Stewart. I had to take pictures!

The pictures below are from an assignment where I had to incorporate different types of braids in an updo. The braids in the front are called rope braids, and on the sides of her head below her ears are two regular braids twisted together. This is my first updo, and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. Oh, and I need to come up with a name for my lovely mannequin head...any suggestions??

Lastly, these pictures are from when Kate and Joe came to visit. We took Maddie and Jake to Riverfront Park. There's a huge Radio Flyer slide that the kids love going down. And Jake was copying everything Joe did, it was pretty cute.

I got to class at about 4:55, and as soon as I walked in, it's complete silence. My mind automatically starts thinking, "Were they talking about me? Why'd they just stop talking?" But as soon as I get situated, they start talking again. Then out of nowhere, the subject of Mormons gets brought up. Mind you, one of the owners of the school is Mormon, and the admissions leader is also Mormon, so I know I have some "big" people on my side. So I'm just sitting there listening, and then finally I pipe up and say, "Well, I'm Mormon too, just FYI." The girls just kind of look at me, and then one of them says, "Oh yeah, there are lots of Mormons here." I just think it's funny how often the subject of "Mormons" get brought up. At least they all know now. The cat's out of the bag.

I also got to learn how to do a 5 min. mini scalp massage, and properly shampoo hair. It's harder than it looks! It's tricky learning how to use the "shampoo sinks" as they're called. Finding the right water pressure and temperature is key. Oh, and not giving guests a shower.

We also are having a Bowl-A-Thon, and all money is going to charity. So if you'd like to sponsor me, that would be awesome! Don't worry, I'm not a good bowler, so even like $.10 per pin would be cool. Let me know!!

Survived Day One

Well I survived day one. Actually, I survived night one. There are only six girls in my core class. We'll be spending the next eight to ten weeks together. We get to practice giving each other manicures, pedicures, facials, shampoos, etc. I'm the oldest one in our group...sad, and my Learning Leader is only 24. There are a couple girls that are 19, one is 22, and the other is 24. Last night was a little overwhelming, I'm not going to lie. SO MUCH information!! I know it will all make sense down the road, but getting so much information at once is always overwhelming. We also got our "kits" as they call them. These "kits" contain everything we will ever need while we're in school. Capes, combs, brushes, mirror, curling iron, blow dryer, flat iron, scissors, razors, clippers, etc. Now I have to think of a clever way to label all my stuff so that it doesn't get mixed up with other people's. Everyone at the school is some level of crazy I think...which is kind of hilarious! I'm sure I'll get there too.

I don't have to nanny this week since it's Marcy's spring break, so that's been nice! Yay for teacher's schedules!!

New to the blogging world

Tomorrow is my first day of cosmetology school at Paul Mitchell. I will be taking night classes Mon-Thur from 5-10 pm. I will also continue to nanny for my sister Marcy. My life is about to get very busy (which I'm excited for since I really don't have a life anyway). So, in an attempt to keep my friends and family up to date with my life, I've created this blog. My sister Haley came up with the title "Tresses & Tantrums." I thought it fit well, since my life consists of watching kids, and now beauty school. I hope to post as often as possible, so check back periodically for new stuff.