Home Hair Color Gone Wrong

This is a phrase I am quite familiar with. As a hair stylist now for 15 years, I have several long time clients that originally were referred to me by another client because they had a home hair "oops" and were in need of a color correction. They have since been clients for life. The following story is about a dear friend and client that I have had the privilege of doing her hair for over 8 years now. I was recently on vacation, and while I was gone, she (who at her request will remain anonymous), had a cocktail party and decided her roots (new growth) needed to be done. She then went to Sally's Beauty Supply and asked the clerk to help her match her color so that she could color it herself. Her thought in all of this, was that she didn't want to bother me. She is afterall very sweet.

Well, she went home and applied said hair color formula that the Sally's clerk had recommended. Her hair is normally a very chocolate brown. It turned out BLACK. As in she now had a black stripe at her roots and the rest of her hair was brown! She had to go back to Sally's to get more of the same color so that all of her hair would match. Why she didn't give in and call me at this point, I still don't know. LOL So, she then returned home and applied the hair color to the rest of her gorgeous chocolate brown hair. Did I mention that she has been growing her hair out? So, due to some personal schedule changes, she had to reschedule her early January appointment with me. I think she was trying to let it fade and sneak it past me. ;)

When she walked in for her appointment last week, I immediately cocked my head and looked at her funny. I couldn't help it. I said "Why does your hair look so dark?" Her response "Well, I've got some xplainin' to do". She then told me the story above. I love her, and couldn't contain my laughter. The funniest part, is that her teenage daughter told her immediately "Amber is going to be so mad at you". Ok, so she wanted her beautiful chocolate brown color with slight natural light highlights back. Here is what her home hair oops cost her in the long run.

*First, I had to decolorize her hair TWICE. (Process of removing the black color while making sure not to damage her hair anymore)
*Then, Replenish the hair with a Redken personalized Chemistry Treatment to reassure that her hair would not continue to be damaged.
*Blow dry hair
*Apply desired shade and gloss.
*Deep conditioning treatment to seal her hair and again reassure that her hair would end in a soft, conditioned look.
*Cut off damage that remained from the original color oops. I was able to save a lot of the length, but her layers had to be shaped a lot.
*Blow dry and style new shiny, chocolate brown, long layered style.

Cost:
Original product purchase (twice) at Sally's $25
My services breakdown:
Decolorize-$65(2)
Chemistry Treatment $20
Desired shade application $65
Deep Treatment-$15
Cut and Style $50

TOTAL=$305

I personally love all of my clients, and would never ever be upset if they texted or called me while on vacation. If this ever happens to you, please know that I will either refer you to one of my esteemed colleagues, or walk you through something to tide you over till I get back. If you are considering that $5-$12 purchase of haircolor at the store, please think about the time and cost it may result in.

I Got Your Hair!!!

After going back and forth on if I wanted to jump on the hair extension bandwagon the last couple of years, and researching companies, I finally jumped on! I am now offering Babe's brand hair extensions. I will be offering 2 different types and techniques. The least time consuming and economical are the tape-in extensions. These are fabulous! Pure genius! Wish I had thought of that! In this post, I will answer as many questions as I can think of, and then feel free to ask me more! :)

My friend Jennifer was so sweet to be my guinea pig as my first "extension client". See before and afters below.

The initial investment will vary from client to client. What will happen first, is we will set up a consultation to determine what length, volume, and style you are wanting. Then, you will buy your hair (this secures that you come back to claim your hair LOL). I will order it that day, and we will set up your next appointment to come in and get your new hair. The hair starts at $150, typical amount of hair needed for pictures below would be around $250. Application fee will also vary depending on how much hair we are putting in. This will all be discussed and finalized in your original consultation. Application for pictures below, $130. This will include your take home kit for at home hair care to help guarantee the life of your extensions.

Home Care information: Yes, you can shampoo, dry, and style your hair like normal! Pony tails, updo's, straight, curly, the options are endless.

Maintenance: This is going to depend on your hair and your lifestyle. The hair will need to be "moved up" anywhere from every 4-10 weeks. This fee will also vary due to amount of hair and extensions we have chosen. Typical would be $75.

Please feel free to comment, or call/text me for more info or an appointment! 817-658-8532 Would love to see your before and afters! ;)

Hello Pot...This is Kettle

Yep, That's me!

Why is it that I know that God has redeemed me, changed me, forgiven me; but when it comes to other people I knew back in the day, my immediate thought is "no way-there's no way they could have changed"? Why? Does anyone else do this? Or is it just me? ;)

I was hit with this thought the other day, pretty sure it was the Holy Spirit reminding me to check myself. And I must admit that I am ashamed that I have not just done this on occasion, but it happens a lot. I will see someone on Facebook, or someone will mention somebody, and I will think "Oh my goodness, so-and-so was always up to no good, they were a mess!" Hmmmm....let's check this situation....So basically, I shout it from the rooftops of what miracles God has done in my life, but I don't think that He could do the same with others? WOW! Talk about hypocritical! I have always thought of myself as someone who truly sees the good in people, which has sometimes also been a double edged sword for me. Apparently this is not always the case. Oops!

Basically, I am writing this tonight not to condemn myself, but to encourage others that may be doing the same thing (without realizing it of course) to stop and pray for that person. Pray that if God hasn't worked in their life, that He would break down any barriers they have up (probably thanks to hypocrites like me). Pray that they would get to know our sweet heavenly Father like I do. Pray that they would no longer believe the lies that they can't change, or that God couldn't possibly love them. And most of all, pray that we would all be able to stop seeing things through blurry judgemental glasses. I truly wish I could see everybody through God's glasses!

I love something our Pastor said about hypocrites this weekend, he said not hypocrites, but sinful humans. Yes, that is it for sure! Even though I am a child of God, changed forever, I am still a sinful human! And now, that I have been shown this weakness that I have, I will try harder tomorrow to change my thoughts on people that I don't even know anymore. And those that I still do know.

Hippie Life

No, I'm not traveling back in the 70's, nor am I parting my hair straight down the middle. ;) But, I have decided for my family, that we are trying a more natural approach in the medicines department. As you may know, Dalton, my 10 yr old, has ADHD, along with several emotional issues. We have tried different prescription medications over the past 4 years, and while they did help him concentrate and focus at school, the side effects at home were unbearable. We never used meds on the weekends or during breaks and summer. So, after witnessing my friend's son's transformation with Essential Oils, I decided to jump on the Oil Bandwagon!

What a difference we have seen! Dalton is normally very emotional, and when he has an outburst, he is unable to calm himself. Especially with the changes we have had in our household lately, his emotions have definitely been heightened. After just a few days on a regimen of oils, he has been a different kid! One example, is normally he doesn't like his food to touch (not even a little bit). Well, one morning at the motocross races Jason ordered breakfast for the boys. Dalton ordered something called mototrash, which consisted of biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs and cheese. However, what they did not know was that it was all mixed together! Oh-no!!! Jason calmly told Dalton before he showed him the dish, Dalton had "the look" (the one we usually see before his head spins around), and then took a breath and said "I'll try it". Tried it and loved it! Like wants me to make it at home, he loved it so much!

I truly believe this improvement is a result of the oils! I did a lot of research on my own between a few companies that carry essential oils, and finally decided on Young Living. And because I knew that I was going "all in", I signed up to become a distributor. Mainly to get the discount. Over the past two weeks, I have gone back and forth on whether or not I would actually promote and sell these oils. But, because we have seen such improvements in our house in only 2 weeks, I feel like I would be doing my friends an injustice if I didn't tell everyone about them. I have met (personally) people that have seen children with seizures become seizure free with oils, children with severe allergy and asthma issues have less issues. I just feel that maybe there is something to going back "old school" before prescriptions were written like popping a tic tac. Don't misunderstand me, I do believe that there are certain things that need prescriptions, and Essential Oils do not claim to take over medically necessary needs. But I also believe that there is something to the natural movement and getting to the root of a problem, not just treating the symptoms.

If you are interested in learning more about the oils, or would like to visit a class with me, please feel free to contact me. We can meet for coffee, or I can put you in contact with one of our fabulous women that are super knowledgeable about the oils!

Amour Boutique Giveaway

If you know me, you know that I LOVE boutiques! I don't always love boutique prices, but hey a gal's gotta look cute! My friend Jennifer is having a giveaway to this cute little online boutique. Just go to Jennifer's blog here and follow her instructions! Easy Peasy!

Grace Abundant

18 years ago I was 20 years old, about to be 21. Working in bars as a waitress and sometimes bartender. Barely making it day to day. I was single. I had turned from God and his path for me. I was sexually active. I was pregnant. I had an abortion. Some of you probably already know my story. The abortion was something I chose to do. I am to blame for my final choices. But, with all the stuff in the news lately, and how everyone is picking a side, pro-life or pro-choice, I feel as though this post is long overdue. I miss my baby. I regret my choices. Everyday. I have since dealt with this with God, I know I am forgiven. I know that every time I feel guilt and hear voices reminding me that I am a murderer, I fully know now that this is Satan. The author of lies.

Thankfully, I came back to God several years after this. Looking back, he has saved me and my life over and over. There are so many times that I have done so many stupid things, that it is truly a miracle I am still alive or not in jail. I heard today that in the last 13 years, there have been over one million abortions in Texas alone. This makes me so sad, sad for all the babies that didn't get to take a breath here on Earth. Even more so, I am sad for all the women/girls that are having to live with their choices EVERYDAY. Because, just as I was lied to, I am sure they were too.

When I say "lied to", I mean in the omission sense. When I went to Planned Parenthood, and then the abortion center, no one ever told me that I would have regrets later. No one ever told me that I would go through post-partum and have crazy hormone issues months later. No one really went over my other options with me. No one told me I was killing my baby. My first child. No one told me that even 18 years later, I would grieve for a child I had never met. I'm not trying to place blame on others, I just think about all the other women that have been and will be in my position. And I grieve for them. I pray for them. I pray that God will put someone in their life that will show them they are still loved. God still loves them. They can be accepted and redeemed.

This year, my child would be 17. This year, my child would be starting their senior year in high school. We could be touring colleges together. Planning for all the "lasts" and "firsts" of their life. Picking out clothes for senior pictures. Starting to date. Planning for prom night. Thank you Jesus for being with my baby all these years that I have not.

I pray that if you are reading this and you have had an abortion, that you will know that you too can be forgiven. God loves you and wants you to come to Him. To lay it at His feet. Over the past several years, I have been lead by some amazing women of God through healing and deliverance from this bondage that I have carried with me for so many years. God knows how much we can handle at a time. He allowed me to weed through my bondage at different times. Giving me insights to the next step. About a little over a year ago, He encouraged me to name my baby, to fully grieve for the human she was. Now, you may think "that's weird", cause I sure did! But, in time God kept leading me to this step in my healing. I prayed that He would give me the name meant for my baby.

I can't wait for the day that I will get to meet my precious Grace. Until then, I know that she is with her heavenly Father who loves her more than I ever could. And more than I could ever understand.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need to talk. Or if you are in a situation where you need help. Or if you would just like prayer. I understand, and I will pray for you. Not only will I pray for you, but I know several women who will storm the gates of hell for you! I encourage your comments.

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:13-24

Different Perspective

With all the debate crazyness, and political talk, I feel this post needs to be written. The other day Jason was at the gas station, and in line in front of him was a woman that in his opinion was most likely wearing hand me down clothes or thrift store purchases that didn't quite fit her (no judging here, just laying groundwork for the story). She bought a coke, a pack of cigarettes, $20 in lottery tickets, and $9 in gas. Now, I don't know about you, but I do know that this is not the 90's and $9 in gas is NOT going to get her very far! As an ex-smoker, I do remember putting cigarettes as a higher priority then gas, but lottery tickets.....Seriously???? And it looked as if she didn't win anything either.


You see, Obama is not the problem, Romney is not the fix, our fellow Americans need to be educated! If this is the typical way of spending of a good amount of our population, (which I believe it is) then of course our nation is going to be in debt. Of course people are going to need help. What really bothers me about all of this, is that a lot of people don't see anything wrong with this! We have seen people first hand that eat out constantly, yet complain about how they can't pay bills or talk about how they just don't have any money, but yet they may have a brand new big screen or top of the line appliances or cars that they really can't afford. Don't get me wrong, we have been guilty of this ourselves, and still sometimes slip here and there and have to reign ourselves back in. But it seems to me, that if more of America were educated on how to spend and save money, and were taught budgeting then maybe, just maybe we wouldn't see the scenario that Jason saw the other day.

Another thing I have witnessed people not put as a priority, is health insurance. In this area, there are a lot of self-employed people. So, group insurance is not an option. Therefore, it seems like the theory of most is "I can't afford health insurance-it's too expensive". I feel that health insurance is another one of those things that you can't afford not to have. What if you or someone in your family has a serious injury? Or gets cancer? Or has some crazy blood disease, or internal disorder? By the time one of these happens, it's too late...You are un-insurable. Check into individual or independent health plans, you can even do it on your own without an agent. Sometimes going directly to the insurance websites, will save you money on your monthly premiums. If you have never checked into individual plans, they are a lot cheaper than you probably think they are. Most of us have had group insurance through a company at one time or another, and it's pretty expensive, so that's the amount we have in our minds. When we had group at one time, it would have been $1600 a month for our family of 4 out of pocket. We now have individual health insurance for under $500 a month for all of us. Big difference right? Of course the coverage is different, but at least it's a safety net for when something does happen.

As far as the reason I started writing this post in the first place, overspending by the average American. I wonder how many Americans have a budget, or even know how to evaluate their spending. I would like to share a challenge, if you don't already have a budget, or if you have possibly gotten away from it, then starting this week, keep track of every cent you spend. Keep all receipts, and divide them into categories at the end of every week. This way you will be able to see where your money is going. You will also be able to see any unnecessary spending that may be happening in your family. This is a good exercise to do at least once a year. And trust me when I say we sometimes get off track too! :) If only there were a way to educate all Americans to do this, then we might be able to get ourselves out of some of this mess.