Warp speed!!

Holy crap!! I know I wrote about this earlier but man have I been B U S Y!! It's wonderful really. I'm don't wan to complain. But damn!! Tomorrow is a JAM PACKED day. I'm doing a wedding party and I'm starting an hour earlier than most days. Then three more clients after that one jammed into the other. I think about where I was six years ago and it amazes me how far I've come.

I consider myself very dedicated to my job. I study, research, learn from mistakes, learn other techniques, update myself, change my views. I know I still have things to learn. In this industry you always do. But there are something that I struggle to learn. I have not yet figured out how to accept certain things. When a client leaves and goes somewhere else, I hate that a part of me feels hurt. I have always said and I truly always believe that I'm not everyones taste. I'm not perfect in any way, shape or form. But I sit back and wonder ... more so drive myself crazy, trying to figure out what I did to make them want to leave. Was it my personality? Was it the way I did their hair? Was it the actual salon they didn't like? What? I should just let it go. Accept it and move on, but a part of me can't. When I see a former client out and about I almost want to say, "What gives?" Now don't get me wrong, I never would. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. But a part of me really wants to know. Mainly because if I did something or said something wrong I want to fix it. Did I say something offensive? Did I truly jack up their hair? Is it even me? It's the wondering that makes me crazy.

Now to counter that, I have MANY MANY wonderful amazing clients who are highly dedicated and come to me faithful. I am in no way under playing what these clients mean to me. I cannot express in words how I feel about these people. It's not about the money, although I am happy that I have a job I love that pays the bills. It's about the fact that I have made some amazing connections with people in my time doing hair. I have seem women change the way they see themselves. People open up about things they never would. And I've grown too. This job has allowed me to express myself and grow my confidence in not only my abilities, but myself as well. I'm so happy that I get to do this every day :)

Wowwy wow wow

Holy crap am I BUSY!!! As I said before Amy is gone now at work. It's just Neil and I. We are so so busy. Yes this is a very good thing and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but it's a hard balance. It's hard to keep everyone happy. There are the clients who book their appointments way in advance and get everything set. Then there are the clients that wait until the last minute to get in. Either way, if I have the space open on my book it's all yours. The hard thing is that I've always been able to squeeze people in, and yes occasionally I still can. But for the most part my clients have got to start booking their appointments in advance if they are specific about when they want to get in.

The work outs are going well. Chad KILLED me this past Monday, which is good but it's almost three days later and my calves are still on fire!! I got on the treadmill tonight to work them out a little more and that helped. Of course it hasn't stopped me from wearing my heels. I mean come on! But I'm thinking of caving in and taking a zumba class at the fitness center. I miss dancing so much and I know at 28 there is nothing I can do with dancing so zumba just seems like fun. I do dance kinect at home and that's great but I need to DANCE. I wish there were places to dance in Terre Haute besides the Bally. But alas there is not. I have thought about making a trip to Indy with my friend Lori to the Vogue simply so I can dance. I'm one of the few women who like to go out to dance not to get attention but to simply cut lose!!!

Liam seems to be leveling out a little on his tantrums (knock on wood) I understand he is two and he is going to be moody. Totally understandable but sometimes he is down right hateful! But they don't know how to vocalize frustration so they just scream instead. The night terrors appear to be somewhat dwindling. We had three nights of uninterrupted sleep and that was glorious. Here is hoping.

I'm so completely elated that spring is in full effect. The sunshine is much needed and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I want to be outside every day. I love taking Liam to the park and breathing in the fresh air. Josh is enjoying having his motorcycle out again. He loves it. I always feel like it's a new beginning.

Catching Up

Hello all. Things are going pretty well for the Andreas family right now. Josh is still trying to adjust to his new schedule at work. The overnight shifts are particularly tough on him, as well as us. Liam doesn't like going to bed without giving daddy goodnight kisses. But it's a good step in the right direction with his job. Liam is still waking up in the middle of the night crying. I think this is the hardest thing we have ever dealt with. He usually doesn't give us any trouble outside of typical two year old stuff. But this waking up four or five times a night is really getting old. I know it's (hopefully) a phase and we will look back on this and think it was no big deal, but it's so frustrating. I get so upset because I know if he could get a full nights sleep that he would feel so much better and be in a better mood throughout the day. Some nights he will only get up once around an hour after he goes to bed and he is in such a good mood the next day. But most nights he's up at least four three times and he's grumpy the next morning. Sigh ... this too shall pass.

Work is sooooo busy!!! Amy is gone and now it's just Neil and I. It's hard trying to accommodate all of your own clients and taking on Amy's clients. I have better luck getting clients in during the day but most people work during the day. It's hard to convince people that they should book their next four or five appointments but really it's for their own benefit. I'm not in a position anymore to squeeze people in here and there. As much as I would love to, what's there is what's there. I have a very hard time saying no, but I'm learning that I have to.

I'm starting to get spring cleaning fever really bad. I going to try to pick a project a week to work on. Go through the house room by room, really clean, organize and de-clutter everything. I desperately want to repaint Liam's room, the bathroom and our back living room. I hope by the time my vacation comes up in June I can save up enough to paint them and get some other accessories. All I can say is yay for yard sale season :)

I'm having my makeup and hair parties at the beginning of May and I'm really looking forward to them :) I'm excited to having some of my clients over and teach them new things. But I generally just like throwing a party. I am trying to put a small menu together and drinks but mainly I have to get my house organized. I hope everyone that's coming will have a great time!

Escape

This weekend my best friend Amy and I are going to Indy to have a girls weekend. No husbands, no kids, no agenda and it couldn't come at a better time. No nothing is tragically wrong, but I just really need to get away. With Liam being in the midst of the night terrors, whining fits and temper tantrums I need some adult time to where I can get away and worry about nothing for two days.

On an unrelated note, I'm evaluating how I deal with certain situations and people. I'm really starting to question my approach in certain ways. With Liam going through this weird transition I find myself getting very frustrated. Sometimes I really just want to scream (I don't by the way) but that's the feeling I get and I hate it. I know every parent gets irritated with their kids or moreso their behaviors. I know it shall pass blah blah blah but I hate the affect it has on my mood. And adults can do the same thing. I feel like I ALWAYS have to watch what I say. I know with my job that's expected but damn. Sometimes you can so easily offend someone, or say something and they interpret it the wrong way. Which is why I NEVER talk religion and politics. Too much of a grey area. And I'm ok with that. I've lost friends but they "don't know how to take me" Well I've always thought of myself as a pretty straight forward person. I use to be a lot more blunt than I am, but I was constantly being scolded for how 'harsh' or 'mean' I was. I just think most people can't handle hearing the truth. I'm the kind of person to where I like to deal with an issue right when it happens. I think most people hang on to stuff for way too long and it builds until you flat out don't like someone because of something they said or did that may not even have been meant that way.

How do you train yourself to not be so emotional? Half the time when I say or do something that rub people the wrong way is because I care so much about it or I'm confused by it. Sometimes I care way too much about people and what they think. It's funny because if someone doesn't like me for a reason that I feel like is justified I really couldn't care less, but if someone doesn't like me because of something that isn't so, it really honks me off. My mom has always said I have a big heart and I completely wear it on my sleeve. True. And I have no issues with this. I would rather lay all my feelings out there than hide them. But I just can't figure out how to turn them down.

I guess when it comes right down to it, this is me and that's it. I don't like changing FOR people, but I do feel like relationships are give and take, compromise. And if I'm constantly bothering people by my overwhelming emotion, maybe it deserves a closer analysis. What are your thoughts?

Make-up and Hair

So as most of you know I'm incredibly dedicated to what I do. I'm so extremely lucky to have found my passion in life and even luckier that I've had pretty good success doing it. It's funny how at first when I got into this industry I had to do anything and everything to build up my book. Now that I'm over 6 years in I'm in a position where I have a little more say in what I do. And I like that.

I have never made a secret that my main passion with hair is styling and all that it entails. Weddings, proms, parties whatever. In doing hair for these type of events, or just playing around on a regular day, I hear more and more clients saying "I wish I knew some tricks to do my hair/make-up like you" ... LIGHT BULB!!! So it hit me. Why can't I teach my clients/friends some tricks to helping them out!! I've always told my clients ... my goal in doing hair/make-up is to give you something that YOU can do on a daily basis. I'm all about staying inside peoples comfort zone. So here is what I'm going to do ...

I'm going to have two make-up parties and two hair parties at my house. No more than 10 people per party (so everyone can get some individual attention) With the make-up party I will teach everyone about their facial features and color, what colors to use and not use, application techniques, and recommend some products. At the hair party I will be teaching about products to use, tools to use, how to use bobby pins, and three different styling looks. At each party I will give everyone written instructions and a small goody bag. Plus I will have snacks, wine and other drinks. It will be $20 per person per class. I'm asking people who are seriously interested to write me either on facebook or email me at dannarhea@yahoo.com so I can get an accurate head count. I would like to hold these classes on a Sunday afternoon or a Saturday evening. Please let me know your preference. Once I get everyone opinion I will release dates on the classes. Most likely the end of April/beginning of May.

I would love to do these parties, not only because I love throwing a party, but because I love to educate people on what I do. I would appreciate any questions, feedback or suggestions you all might have. I look forward to hearing from you all!!

Bluh ... Bleck ... Blah

This evening I have had a case of the blahs. I hate nights like that. I have just felt off. I know every day can't be a good day.

First of all Liam is being ... two. I know it's a phase ... I know it's his age ... I know this too shall pass. But dammit while you're in the midst of it, it's down right miserable. It would be fine if we got a break, but he is pretty relentless. He has his small shining moments. A smile and giggle here and there, but he is testing testing testing. Again, I know that's his age. I know in a few months I will laugh about this, but I'm not now. I'm trying a different approach. I'm trying to be more calm about my approach with him. I'm trying to let go of the little things and keep structure with the big things. I will not tolerate him smacking me or screaming at the top of his lungs. One of the things that gets me the most upset is the "nnnnnoooooooo" with whining to follow. Hopefully this really is just a phase and will be over soon. Sigh.

The other issue I've had this evening is my stomach is so upset. We met friends for dinner and I ordered fish and chips. Fried of course and I know that why I feel like crap. I'm so over it. I keep telling myself that I still deserve to have certain foods. And there are a few that despite how fattening it is I will still eat from time to time, but in general I'm so done. Eating out in general ... done. I don't have an issue with running to Baesler's on my lunch and getting the salad bar. But Wendy's, McDonald's, Taco Bell ... done done done. I'm killing myself at the gym and with my trainer and it's like it's going to waist. I have made a lot of changes in my diet, but I need to shift it into overdrive. I think part of the reason I feel so bad is because I've been eating better and now it's like my stomach can't handle the fried food. I've been choosing baked potatoes over fries and grilled over fried chicken, but it's time to get rid of it!! Let it be gone!!

I wear a bracelet that my friend Anne got me that says POSITIVITY on it and I love to wear it daily to remind me of just that. It really is a state of mind. And much like my blog last night about Pay It Forward it's a way of life. I try to remember that when dealing with Liam's tantrums and dealing with my weakness with food. I have so many amazing people backing me up and encouraging me. People who follow what I write, clients who care for me, family who never let me down, friends who are always beside me and that's what pulls me through. I'm feeling better already :)

Influence

Does anyone else find that when you watch certain movies, your influence on things can be altered? Not to say I'm going to watch a show on meth and start doing it. Last night for about the fifth time I watched "Pay It Forward" Each time I watch that movie I pick up a different aspect of it's influence or meaning. I walk away with a different feeling every time. After watching it this time I felt completely different about it. Of course the obvious meaning is to do good things for people and it can start a spiral effect. But this time I walked away with feelings about how things that happen to you as a child can greatly effect how the rest of your life pans out.

It's something I have struggled with for a long time. Josh has a difficult past. I won't go into it but it's something I know he struggles with daily. I think it's something that has built a slight wall between us for years. Not in an overly bad way it's just something that we will always struggle to see eye to eye on.

He comes from a past that makes him question things and people because he was always let down. I come from a past that I always had people there for me. If I was let down it's because I let someone else down. It's something I simply can't relate to. I remember saying to him several time "What's in the past is in the past, just let it go" But it's not that simple.

I, like everyone else in the world, of course had bad things happen to me, but in hindsight I realize that everything that went wrong was essentially cause and effect. We are responsible for our own decisions. We can't expect anything to change unless we make it. But it can leave scars. So how do you deal? Or how do you deal with someone who has those scars. I can recall three bad things happening to me in my life. (Yes more than three things have happened but there are three big ones that pop into my head that had a big effect on me) Each one of those three things was caused by something that I in some way did. Yes other people may have added to the stress or drama of that situation but it's because of the choices I made that lead me to it.

I learned from these mistakes, and yes I will continue to learn from poor choices that I make. But how much is choosing to let go and how much is the past not letting you let go? One of lifes little questions. I will never, thankfully, understand what it's like to have a horrible childhood. I was raised with wonderful parents and friends. I never went without or was abused. And now because of that I will make sure Liam never will either. I don't pity people who have bad pasts. I believe that the paths we take in life lead us to where we are today. Everything happens for a reason. Just an observation.