Lady Fire Fury

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it”

2011-02-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

I hope that disappearing for a week or two at a time makes you guys all that more excited to see what I have been up to in my absence. I have always believed "absence makes the heart grow fonder", but then again, I am sometimes guilty of "out of sight out of mind", so hopefully you guys are still with me :) After all, I have somethin you just might be interested in.

It should come as no surprise that working six days a week takes a large toll on both the body and the soul. I couldn't even put into words how exhausted I have been these last few weeks. I like to make people feel sorry for me since I feel like my life is just so hard, but for some reason I couldn't muster up the amount of sympathy I wanted. I assume this is because, guess what, life is hard, for everybody and I need to suck it up ;)

Since no one offered to cater to my every want, need and do my laundry, I definitely needed a new plan to come up with in order to maintain some sort of sanity. A friend of mine said she went to this place that offered all these spa services for 80 bucks. Obviously I was super skeptical. She said it was really nice and clean and they gave really great massages. I had to Yelp it because I still didn't believe her. They got rave reviews. There were only one or two low star reviews and I believe that these are the people no one can make happy, (you know the type, I talked about them in my coffee shop post). Not one person mentioned being sold into white slavery upon entering, or being molested in private rooms, so I thought I would give it a go. I called and made an appointment and it went something like this....

"Hi, Kam...Karm re....this is...Karma Relax......ation...Spa...this is Tom, thank you for calling Karma Relaxation Spa" (Mind you, this was accompanied by broken English, but I have been known to answer the phone at one job, greeting someone with the other jobs name, so I was gonna give the guy a break).

I wanted to make an appointment for Sunday afternoon and it was now Saturday evening. I wanted 2pm and he said he could do it if I didn't mind having a male operator. I thought the word operator was a little out dated but agreed because I have never been one for modesty, I have male doctors, so who cares. I opted for the presidents package which included a 60 minute foot massage, body detox, 60 minute body massage, Vichy bath, milk bath and hot towel/sauna, for the price of $80. This was a tall order to fill.

So I showed up at 10 til 2, the front desk waiting area was small, but nice and the receptionist asked me to fill out a form asking if I had any medical issues and which area of my body needed the most attention. I should have just circled the entire person, but I chose my lower back, shoulders and neck and lower legs and feet. Then the receptionist and some other guy started speaking some language I couldn't quite grasp and he asked again if I was ok with a make operator. I said yes and then this guy appeared and introduced himself. I think he said Asher, but I am not very good with details.

We walked into a different room and it felt like a completely different building.

It was perfectly lit (just enough to see where you were going and where things were), was super quiet, smelled really nice and had a bunch of these really comfy looking chairs. I was excited knowing I was going to be able to fall asleep on one of them very soon. He led me to one of the chairs, instructed me to lie down and leave my feet dangling. He then put my feet in a wooden bucket with really warm water and I noticed he was about to plug it in. I was slightly terrified, considering everything thing they say about electricity and water together usually isn't good, but I didn't recall anyone writing about being electrocuted on Yelp, so I let him do his thing, although paying close attention just in case. Much to my surprise, I didn't fry in my own foot water, so I finally relaxed and took comfort in the fact the next to and a half hours were all about me.

I laid there in silence for about 15 minutes and then he worked on my neck, arms and shoulders while I was still "detoxing". I wasnt expecting this so it was a really nice surprise. He then removed my feet and showed me my water "color" which was supposed to let me know where my bodies toxins were being pulled from. Ive heard that this is mostly a scam, but thought my results were interesting enough, so I believed him. But I also believe the kids when they said they will clean the living room. He started on my foot massage. OMG. I know that in both of my jobs I am on my feet, but I had no idea how good it could feel to ave someone who knew what they were doing release all that pressure. At some time in my bliss, half sleep induced haze, two young girls came in and were seated close enough to me to be able to hear "I know, I think she is lame too, I mean its like.....blah blah blah." Obviously these two girls dont have two jobs, work six days a week, have two kids and know that I need this relaxation more than I need both my kidneys. I tried to just tune them out, but when that didnt work, I cleared my throat very loudly (totally reminded me of Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes..."Because Im older and have better insurance", but anyways, moving on). They got the hint and shut up.

When the sixty minute foot massage was over, I was lead into another room for my body massage.

The room was comfortable, clean and totally relaxing. I couldnt wait for this to begin. He totally paid attention to the areas I circled in the pamplet.The lotion that he used was always warm. I hate when it is cold and startling. It was a little rough at first, but when I asked him to lighten up it became the perfect amount of pressure. I could feel all the knots up and down my whole back. It was so crunchy it was unbelievable. I felt bad for him because I could tell he just wanted to get them out, but I was being a baby about too much pressure. I went to another place during the massage. Some place where no one wanted me to do anything for them, no one wanted me to make a decision and no one was asking me to give them money. I could have been there forever. After about 55 minutes, I was asked to put on a robe and follow him once more. We walked into this room that had what looked like a horizontal shower with a detachable shower head. He told me to lay down and cover my lady parts with what can only be described as a hand towel. Like I said, I am not modest at all, but even this was a bit uncomfortable. When he came back in the room he started to wash me down with the hose. I was kinda laughing on the inside, but I couldnt deny how good it felt. It was like what I imagine it would be like to be a quadrapalegic and have someone bath you. I was lathered up and rinsed down with something that smelled amazing. Still feeling funny, but not in a creepy way, so I tried to relax. I found it to be too hilarious to actually be relaxing though, even though it did feel good. Last but not least, I was layered with hot towels and then off to the sauna for fifteen minutes.

(Caution, images in picture are WAY smaller than they appear, but still nice.)

After everything was over I felt like a different person. I felt light, happy, smelled great and was finally calm. I went up to pay and totally overtipped because I was so high on relaxation. Oh well, if you make me feel that good for 80 bucks, you deserve it. I need to do this at least once a month. If I was super wealthy, Id do it everyday. I had never felt better.

That feeling stayed with me alllllllll the way til.......I got a flat tire on the way home. Ha, well it was great while lasted.

xo
ladyfirefury

Villalobos Rescue Center

2011-01-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

For those of you new to my blog or those who weren't paying attention, I went to the Villalobos Rescue Center to volunteer this past Saturday. Villalobos is the biggest pit bull rescue in the world. They house up to 200 abused, stray and/or abandoned pit bulls. They are also the topic of the reality show Pit Bulls and Parolees.

As of right now (they are soon to relocate to Tehachapi) they are located in the Santa Clarita Valley, in the small rural town of Agua Dulce. Google maps said it would take about 3 hours to get there. So my fellow pit rescue friends and I headed out at about 6 am, after one mandatory stop to Starbucks. We stopped once to get gas (and for me to smoke) and once to get water and use the bathroom (and for me to smoke) and we made it up there in just under 3 hours. It was an easy drive, even through LA.
It was a little chaotic when we got there, people just kinda wandering around trying to figure out how it all works. Many of the volunteers had been there before and offered advice on how it all goes down. They explained the simple rules, the time frame for volunteering, where we could and couldn't go on the property, and then started to bring out the dogs. There were about 40 or so volunteers and everyone ended up walking an average of three dogs. All of the dogs I walked were Katrina rescue dogs. It really choked me up to think about what these dogs had been through in order to get where they are now. (If you aren't aware of the hardship the animals endured during Hurricane Katrina, please watch the documentary "Mine", which is currently in the play instantly section of Netflix).

Looking around watching all the hustle and bustle, you see how real the show featuring them is. Tia runs around on the phone, loading dogs into and out of her car, talking to potential adopters and managing the parolees working on the ranch. Nothing seemed to be beefed up for ratings. It just looked like a typical day in the life of someone who devoted her life to these dogs. They all work so hard. I was there for 5 hours and was so exhausted by the time I left, I cant even imagine doing it day in and day out. Dogs don't know it is Easter, or Christmas, or Labor Day. All they know is they need to be fed, walked and cleaned up after. It is really tough work that I find quite admirable.

I am not a huge fan of some of the language used, or messaged portrayed on some of their advertising, but because I respect what they do, I stand behind their goal. I am so glad I was able to get out there and do this for them, and for me! If it is something you think you might want to do, let me know and I will direct you in the right place. But if you live in San Diego, you might wanna get out there soon before they relocate because that drive could be twice as long!

Adventures at Villalobos

No news is good news

2011-01-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

I found a folder on my computer today that contained photos, quotes, post secrets and other various things that caught my eye at different points in my life. I thought that while you are waiting for my next post that actually says something, you could check out a few things that I find interesting, amusing or inspirational. You're welcome ;)

Thanks for being a voyeur, and getting to know my mind a little better!

xo,
Ladyfirefury

Roots

2011-01-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!
Good things are happening in the land of hairdressing. Roots Hair Salon is now open for business. I am so excited to be here and really focus on new things. As you know we are a green salon. This means we are dedicated to only using the most environmentally friendly products. This means, products and hair colors are plant based, vegan and healthy for both hair and the planet.
We had our first color class last night on our color line Nova. I learned some great things about it I would like to share with you. An Australian company, DeLorenzo, developed Nova color. They use plant-based ingredients, mostly indigenous to Australia. They are socially responsible as well. They only use a method of harvesting known as wild harvesting. This means that clearing land and planting seeds do not harvest the crops used in their products. They are picked from where they grow in the wild. DeLorenzo is dedicated to working with aborigines to boost their economy and education.
With out going into too much detail about chemistry, basically this color has been formulated to actually make your hair healthier while using it. You will be amazed at the softness and shine your hair maintains. Your color will last longer, your gray will be covered more, and you get to feel good that you are helping the planet, just by getting your hair done. It doesn’t get better than that!
The colors can only be described as delicious. With series named after chocolates and coffees, you can only imagine the richness it delivers. We will be attending another color class later this month inspired by combinations from different color series within the line. Tiramisu, Chocolate covered strawberry and Smores are all patterns and techniques based on the Chocolate series that they will be teaching us. (These are obviously my kinda people.) I seriously can’t wait. How inspirational and artistic.
We also will be making an order to carry DeLorenzo’s hair care line as well. No matter what your issue with your hair is, there will be a product that will help. There is also a total healthy scalp line as well. Your hair won’t know what hit it!
We also have two product lines that follow up with our vision and the integrity of our planet. We are carrying Tigi’s Love Peace Planet. They use the best ingredients and with combinations such as the Cinnamon Soy Orange straightening balm, and Cherry Almond conditioner, your hair will not only look great, it will smell amazing as well. In addition to the Tigi, we also have the high end line Paratin from Loma. Their main focus is really healthy ingredients to moisturize and nourish the hair. This line is great for all hair types, but it is also awesome for hair that has been previously damaged and needs some reconstructing.

We already have great reviews on Yelp (never hurts to have more!) and I am just so thrilled for the new challenge, new environment and new products. Check out some pictures :)

Before:

And After:

As you can see a lot of work went into the transformation and it is still of course a work in progress to get to where we want it to be, but it is an exciting journey. Can"t wait to see you guys there!

Xo,
ladyfirefury

Will work for coffee...

2011-01-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

There was a girl I used to know who was so hopelessly addicted to one of the largest and most recognizable coffee retailers in the world, that she literally could not fathom a morning with out an iced Chai and coffee cake. She would go to any length to make sure this happened. She would scrounge through her change purse; couch cushions and car's trunk. It wasn’t until she was eyeing the kids piggy bank that it dawned on her this might be a problem. With some prodding, she decided to total up her daily habit. She almost fell off the couch when she realized her addiction was adding up to be about the same amount as a car payment. Yikes.

Giving up what was so enjoyable for her was not really appealing, but continuing it seemed ludicrous. So what to do? Then the most obvious solution presented itself to her. If you can’t beat em’, join em’.

And so a barista was born, or I suppose I should say made.

It took a little longer than she had expected to get the hang of it. Man this was kind of hard. There are so many drinks to memorize. Once she had them all straight, she was met with the fact that no one actually orders the drinks the way they are on the menu.There must be a gazillion ways to customize every single drink. As if this wasn’t scary enough, there were regulars that knew she was inexperienced, thus adding on the pressure. The best advice given to her was simply, “What ever you do, don’t cry on the floor”. There were a few days in which she took this advice straight out to her car where she cried throughout her entire lunch break.

She realized the register area was where she really shined. Socializing has always been her forte. (Every single one of her childhood report cards made a statement about how her socializing always seemed to be the top priority for her). So this is where she was planted, every shift, and she couldn’t be happier about it. It wasn’t long before she saw a customer walk in the door and she had their drink waiting for them by the time they got up to pay. She was the customer service extraordinaire. Until this one day…..

These are all actual conversations that took place in ONE day, in ONE shift.

Working for Coffee and Great Benefits Barista: Hi sir, how may I help you today?

Usually Pleasant Older man: I would like I small coffee and an old fashion donut.

WCGBB: Ok, great, I have a tall coffee and a donut, which will be $3.65.

UPOM: I SAID a SMALL coffee and a donut. I will not allow you to bastardize the English language any further.

WCGBB: Ok sir, here is your SMALL coffee and donut. Have a great day.

Wow.

WCGBB: (over hears customer asking co-worker if there is any fruit cups in the back of the store, and him telling her all we have is out on the floor today)

WCGBB: Hi there, what can I help you with today?

Really Wanting a Fruit Cup Lady: Yes, I would like a coffee of the day and can you go check if you have any fruit cups in the back for me?

WCGBB: Oh I am sorry, but everything we have is out on the floor. We must have sold out of the fruit cups already.

RWFCL: Its 8am, isn’t it a little early to be running out of fruit?

WCGBB: Our shipments aren’t always consistent, and we must not have gotten very many fruit cups, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.

RWFCL: Whatever, you are just too “inconvenienced” to go back and look for me. (Walked off in a huff).

Why do people always say these things as they are walking away??

WCGBB: Hi sir, what can I do for you?

Don’t Even Have Words For This Guy: Yes I would like a medium cup of coffee of half regular, half decaf.

WCGBB: You got it. (Turning around to pour his coffee, pulling the regular coffee handle…)

DEHWTG: Ummm, excuse me, I WANTED the DECAF on the bottom of the cup!

Seriously?

WCGBB: HI there, what can I do for you this morning?

Really Confused Lady: What is the difference between a Latte and a Cappuccino?

Co-worker: A latte is espresso, steamed milk and topped of with a little bit of foam. A cappuccino is espresso and very little steamed milk but mostly foam.

RCL: Ok, I want a Cappuccino with a lot of milk and just a little foam.

WCGBB: Ummmm, ok.

Did she listen at all to what was just said?

Lady With Small Child: Hi I would like a vanilla latte and my son wants an….umm…let me see…(looks at menu for a while)…a caramel cappuccino.

WCGBB: Are you sure your son wants a cappuccino? Are you sure it’s not a caramel frappaccino?

LWSC: No, he wants a CAPPUCCINO!!

WCGBB: Ok, well most kids don’t like cappuccinos and I am just trying to ensure you are ordering the right drink for him.

LWSC: (Obviously annoyed at any attempts to prove her 6 yr old does not in fact want a cappuccino) Just give him the cappuccino.

I write the cup and send it over to the bar. Three minutes later there is a 6 yr old complaining that he doesn’t like his drink and its not what he wanted.

Told you.

WCGBB: Hi there, what can I do for you today?

You Can’t Possibly Help Me in Any Way Today: Yes, I would like I gift card.

WCGBB: Ok well, I can definitely do that for you, but unfortunately I don’t have any envelopes for the gift cards.

YCPHMAWT: What? Well what am I supposed to do?

WCGBB: I am really sorry, it is two days after Christmas and we ran out and I am not sure when we will be getting more in.

YCPHMAWT: (Looking around, behind the counter, behind her, everywhere) Well can’t you just improvise? Cant you just make one?

WCGBB: Ummm…not really. I’m sorry.

YCPHMAWT: (Threw the card at me) Well I’m not getting this then!

WCGBB: Ok, Have a good day!

Sure, WWGBB could have just run to the nearest CVS and bought her an envelope, but I am pretty sure that is not in the job description.

Kidding of course, no need to call the authorities.

So these are just some of the outlandish stories I have heard. They are quite amusing to me, and I hope to you as well. Even though she has to deal with these people sometimes, she really loves her job there and is thankful for all the positives that come along with it. For every one of these people there are five more that she looks forward to seeing every morning. She has met some really great people on and off the floor, has amazing benefits, and will never again have to think of breaking open the kids piggy to get at that spare change!!

It makes me think twice about ever being rude or impatient when I am met with my own customer service situations. These people work hard for your coffee, and for theirs!

Xo,

Ladyfirefury

Ringing in the new year, one day at a time

2011-01-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well here we are in 2011. It is of course still in its infancy stage, but so far so good. I myself do not do resolutions, but I am not really opposed to them for other people. I just know myself all to well to know that I will fold when it comes to any kind of will power. I was born with out it. I have ALWAYS and probably always will be more into instant gratification. This has been both a gift and a curse. If you know anything about astrology, you could totally blame it on the fact that I am a Sagittarius, or you could just blame it on my parents, neither who are strangers to doing/eating/getting/buying what they want, when they want it.

I usually kick myself around the time my pants don't fit, or upon realizing that new pair of shoes seem pretty ridiculous now that I can't pay my rent. Yes, I am 33. You think I would have learned these lessons by now. But alas, no.

Although my mother has many amazing skills and talents, budgeting when I was growing up really wasn't one of them. I'll never forget her saying to me..." I never spend outside of my means, I just happen to know I make a lots of means." So this is my new plan. Rather than budgeting, I will just make more money!! Sounds logical to me!

All kidding aside, (I am not actually kidding, but if I didn't say that, my mom would be upset), the future is creeping up along side me faster than I had planned. I have friends who are buying houses, and I have like three bucks in my savings account. The boyfriend asked me the other day if I have a 401k or a retirement account. Ha. I literally lol'd. I don't know exactly how I thought this growing up thing was gonna go down, but I obviously didn't think preparation was part of it. I'm supposed to have a plan? No one told me that! Oh except my mom, about a zillion times. You would think I was a former addict with my one day at a time mentality, but no, just a take it as it comes kinda girl. I have a confession to make though. Its really not working out in my favor. You could tell the boyfriend was a little put off by my cavalier attitude about my (and I suppose his) future. It was the exact same face my mother has been giving me for years. I am only going to be able to say, "yeah, yeah and yeah" for so many more years before its way too late and I am 65 living off social security(if there is even any left by then) and using a shopping cart for my vehicle. Its a frightening dream sequence at best.

I say all this with a sense of humor, but I am sure you can detect my humility in all of it as well. It is not something I am super proud of, or excited about. If I could do things differently, I would like to think I would make some better choices. But I can not turn back time. (However, an important kid in my life said she was going to go to college, get real smart and work on making a teleport time machine.....fingers crossed)!

So I already told you I don't do resolutions, but I suppose I could just make better choices. Im pretty sure it wouldn't kill me. (although if it does, I'm blaming boyfriend and my mom). How hard could it be? So instead of, " I will lose weight", it will become, "I wont eat that 2nd piece of cake". "I will save money" becomes, " I don't really need that black shirt that looks exactly like the other 15 black shirts I have in the closet". Ok, I am getting the hang of this. Its just choices. Not scary at all! Look at me all fearless.....

Now who wants to call my credit card companies?

Happy New Years Everyone.

xo,

Ladyfirefury

Black Swan

2010-12-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Talented actors? Check. Dark, twisted plot line? Check. Fabulous dancing, make-up, costuming? Check. Great movie? Eh.

Knowing that this movie combined many of my favorite aspects of a great film I was super excited to see it. Darren Aronofsky who is known for his gritty, raw and often disturbing movies, had me in the first seconds of the trailer for Black Swan. I'm pretty sure the last movie I saw of his was Requiem For a Dream. I literally didn't speak for hours after seeing it. I felt sick, disturbed and excuse my language, but the only way I can relay the feeling is to say mind-f*ked. It is a movie I am so glad I have seen but will never watch again. Its that kind of rough exposed feeling I was expecting after walking out of Black Swan. It never happened.

For those of you not familiar with this story, it is the story of a ballet dancer, Nina(Natalie Portman) who has been chosen for the lead role of Queen Swan in her company directors version of Swan Lake. She not only has to play the role of the disciplined, structured and naive White Swan but also the more unscrupulous Black Swan. She is forced and coerced into finding that dark place inside herself. A new dancer to the company, Lily (Mila Kunis), seems to have all the qualities of the Black Swan she is lacking. Right about here is where the movie loses me.

With out giving anything away there is a struggle of sorts between to two dancers, but it is unclear if the struggle is just in Nina's (Natalie Portman) head. Don't get me wrong, she clearly has issues, but are they just or is she just sick?

I took it as a woman so focused on finding her dark side that in the process she killed off the innocence and ethical side of her personality. While I never got that sick to my stomach feeling, I do think this movie is sexy, thrilling and entertaining. Just not what I expected.

Go see it and tell me what you think it is about. Im interested to hear what other people think.

Thats all for this rainy monday morning.

xo,

ladyfirefury

Cause and Effect

2010-12-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

I would like to ask you to please carve out a little bit of time for yourselves before reading this particular post. There are some videos involved and with out watching them, none of this will make sense. Thank you, Ladyfirefury.

Cause

And

Effect

A few days ago I wrote about selflessness vs selfishness, and if you're still with me (take a moment to gather yourself if needed), I would love to write a bit more about it and how this story is a perfect example of how doing something seemingly insignificant to some people can make a world of difference to someone else.

To say that I like dogs is a severe understatement. Its borderline obsessive. I am "that" girl who will stop every person on the street for a chance at giving their dog a pat. Even the smallest interaction with canines can effect my mood for the entire rest of the day. I pretty much watch animal planet more than any other channel and read dog articles and behavior manuals in my spare time just for the information it provides me. I have even been called "the crazy dog girl". ( no offense taken if it was implied). About three years ago I got involved in animal welfare. I have volunteered my time, resources and spoken out about my cause. Due to my ever growing hectic schedule I haven't been able to do near the amount that I would like, so I thought the least I could do was to continue talking about it.

Most of you know I that I am an American Pit Bull Terrier advocate. It is not important how or why I got involved in this particular breed and I am not here to tell the world that they should too. I wrote a post a few months back about my experience with the breed etc. if you would like my thoughts on the matter, but this is not about standing on my soapbox tonight, this is about selflessness and a cause (whatever it may be) worth fighting for. I hope these videos tell the story of why I do what I do and how easy it is for you to do something of your own.

During this time of the year the unfortunate, the desperate, the needy tend to pull on peoples heart strings and this gives them a chance to get into action doing what they can to help. Its sad however that some people still don't understand how this whole giving thing works. I have heard "why just one specific group you donate your time to, why just one breed of dog you devote yourself to"? Somehow my need to support my cause translates into not doing enough for other causes. How does this make sense? Apparently because i have honed in on one cause (animal welfare) it means I don't care about veterans, or the homeless or breast cancer. I am not sure how anyone thinks they have the right to decide which cause is more deserving than the other??. It reminds me of a conversation I had via facebook where someone was upset because I work at Starbucks and therefore contribute to all the evil in the world. (Seriously? Has he never had a Pumpkin Spice Latte?) In his opinion, the only way to make a difference in the world is to be anti-everything. Anti-corporation, anti-government, anti-military, basically just go through life mad at everyone and every thing. I agree that if you sit down and focus on EVERYTHING that is wrong with this world than you will truly be angry, but to me it is smarter to chose the things that mean the most to you and focus on them. There are enough causes in the world to go around, and there are enough people willing to fight for theirs. Being angry at the world all the time doesn't accomplish anything. Ever. You burn out trying to fight every fight and eventually just become jaded. Then even the smallest effort feels pointless. I have already proven how simple it is to do "just one thing" and the amazing effects of it, so it would be a shame to miss out on that opportunity because you have already given up. You also have plenty of time because it doesn't just have to be during the holidays. People (dogs, kids, cancer) needs don't just go away because its January.

Speaking of January, I am going to be gathering some people in rescue to donate our time at the Villalobos Rescue Center. It is the biggest pit bull rescue in the nation. You may of heard of it via Animal Planet and a show called Pit Bulls and Parolees. And if you havent, check it out! We will be doing everything and anything they need. They have 200 dogs there and I am sure they can use all the help we have to offer. I also would like to be able to bring them something other than time or monetary donations. I will be collecting blankets (if you have a pittie you know how fast your ONE dog goes through them) and towels to keep them warm during the winter months. So if you have any laying around you arent sure what to do with, please contact me here or on facebook to arrange a pick up.

Please remember, it just takes one person doing just one thing. This one thing may be life changing.
Pick your cause, do something, and sit back to watch the effects. I promise its worth it every time.

xo,
ladyfirefury

Selfish vs. Selfless

2010-12-14T15:43:00.001-08:00

We are rapidly approaching the biggest "giving" day the US has in its large group of holidays. That's right, Christmas. Its everywhere around us. It is pointed out to us when we go get coffee and the local Starbucks is outfitted with red cups and special holiday drinks. Its right there when we enter the grocery store. Cookies, cakes and even fully cooked holiday meals around every corner. Just in case we had forgotten something or someone on our "list", there are always "last minute" holiday items right there at the register. The gas station experience comes fully equipped with speakers blaring different versions of Jingle Bells, and I'm pretty sure in come in different languages in case English is secondary to you. Does anybody know why we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off (and believe me I know first hand what that looks like, but that's another story), trying to make sure every one of our loved ones has something to open on this special "giving" day? My guess is for most of you, the answer is no.

Ill break it down for you. From what I understand and what research I have done, it all boils down to religion. What the history of Christmas is really just depends on what country you are from and what religion you practice. There are literally hundreds of varying stories on why we celebrate Christmas and why we give people gifts during this time. Some say it is to replica the Three Wise Men who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. Some say it has more to do with giving gifts to celebrate the end of a fruitful year, and then there are those that say that we do it because of a guy named Bishop Nicholas who had a love of children and anonymously dropped coins down peasants chimneys and they just happened to land in stockings that were hung to dry by the fire.

(Disclaimer...In NO way am I trying to diminish any ones beliefs on this matter, or insult any ones faith, please read objectively.)

Ok, so lets just say for the sake of argument that we take religion completely out of the equation of Christmas. Then what? I myself am an atheist, and therefore really have no actual reason for celebrating it other than society and tradition tells me I should. And for the record, I love Christmas. Which either makes or destroys my point and I am not entirely sure whether its the former or latter. Anywho, back to the point. So here we are, we have a holiday where we have removed all religion from. This means that whatever reason you were taught as to why to give gifts has been erased. No tradition, no folklore and no ancestors to look back on. So do we still give gifts ? And if so, why?

Selfish vs. Selfless

Selfish: devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

Selfless: having little concern for one's own interests.

In my opinion neither of these are particularly good definitions. I think most people want to focus on their interests, benefits and welfare and that's not such a bad thing. On the other hand, having little concern for your own interests may be "selfless", but its pretty damn foolish too. Is there a definition for a nice healthy balance between the two? I actually used to think they meant the same thing. In order to be selfless you had to be selfish, there is no truly selfless act because at the very least you are gaining something for doing good for someone else. There is a whole Friends episode about this. Its pretty hilarious. Pheobe keeps trying to convince Joey that she accomplishes selfless acts all the time, while he tries to convince her that its not selfless because she is gaining positive feelings from doing these acts, therefore doing them to feel good about herself. I don't think they ever get to the bottom of it. I mean technically Joey is right, but I was never one for the technicalities ;)

So back to giving gifts because you want to, not because you have to. Are you gaining anything by giving something they need or want for no reason? Are you doing it to make you feel good, to have people think "wow, he's so thoughtful and such a nice person"? Can you honestly say its only for the sake of making another person feel good? Truthfully, for me its a little of both.

I no longer think that selfish and selfless are the same thing, but I also think that most people, like me, operate in the middle. I don't believe there are just selfless people just like I don't believe there are just selfish people. It is certainly not that simple.

If the Christmas gift giving tradition had been left up to people minus religion, I believe the practice would still exist today. I think people enjoy giving, because it makes everyone involved feel good. It wouldnt matter that some wise men had done it years before, or if crops had done particularly well that year, or even if a particularly crafty guy with good aim rewarded children for not being naughty. I think humans would prevail.

xo,

ladyfirefury

Wherever you go, go with all your heart-Confusius

2010-12-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

There are people out there who will tell you that following your heart will only result in heartbreak. I myself have been told this many times. We are supposed to use our heads when making decisions, look for red flags, access the pros and cons, be smart, not foolish in the process. While this is sound advice, I for one have never been very good at it. There is nothing I do better than following my heart, for better or worse. I may have suffered a heartbreak or two, (ok more like 3 or a zillion) but even potential suffering could not discourage me from following my heart. Its what I know, and its who I am.

My heart hasn't always led me in the right direction of course, Ive made many mistakes of the years, but have learned from every single one. I will never be able to look back and say I wasn't true to myself.

So where am I going with all this you ask? Hold tight...I'm getting there.

So as most of you know I have been doing hair in Pacific Beach, Ca for going on seven years. I built my clientele, established myself and kinda thought I would be there forever. About a year ago I followed my heart and moved to Poway. Yes, you heard that right, Poway. I have been commuting for almost a year. I came to the eventual realization that driving to the beach everyday was hard on me and my pocket and that moving to a salon closer to home really just makes more sense. I started to look like this on my drive...

Not a good look for me ;)

So its happening. January 1st, 2011, I will be relocating. This is a really exciting time for me, but also a bit scary. Exciting because I am looking forward to new scenery, meeting new people, and basically just a change of pace. I am also scared because starting over is scary. But I have so much faith in this salon, I have no idea what I could possibly be scared of! It is also slightly bittersweet leaving the beach and everything I have known. Leaving past co-workers, businesses near by I frequent and those few clients that are not as excited about change as I am ;)

So now about the new salon. It is located in Rancho Bernardo and is called Roots Hair Salon. It is an older salon that is now under new ownership. The new owner and staff are dedicated to making Roots as "green" as possible and will only be using and selling the most environmentally friendly products. And yes, we will be recycling ;) The hours are great, the atmosphere is upbeat and professional and it has already been reviewed on Yelp.

So I am inviting all of you to either follow me on my new adventure, or come start a new one of your own. Take care of yourselves and your planet all in one place!

Im really looking forward too seeing my old friends and making lots of new ones!!

xo,
ladyfirefury

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on kittens....

2010-05-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

So JUST after I told everyone about May Gray and all that, the sun decided to come out and stay for a bit. Don't I feel a bit silly ;p
But since its here, Im going to take advantage of one of my most favorite things about summer...Frozen Yogurt. I have a pretty heated debate going on with Miss Steph about which shop has the more tasty delights. She is for Yog-Art, and I am a fan of the spoon. The Golden Spoon that is. Us regulars just say the spoon. Now unlike the healthier of the two of us, I like to substitute my ice cream with frozen yogurt. This means, I want it to be rich, creamy, chocolaty, and toppings that usually involve peanut butter. She likes it to be fruity with fresh mochi. You can see our vast differences. Although, I think i have found a truce in our battle....

Yogurt on the Rocks or YotR...as their regulars call it.

I had the most amazing frozen yogurt flavor I have ever had in my life: Red Velvet Cake. Ok so now your going to combine TWO of my favorite things? Wow...heavenly. I am going to take Steph her for a food date next Wednsday. I will let you know her findings. I am hoping she will be impressed because she my friends is a true, inspirational foodie ;)

So in other news...ummm....ya....I did it. What do you ask...this:

I couldnt help myself...it was calling my name. The lady at Ikea asked if I was a baker or a chef...I chuckled and just said "Nope, I do hair" and left her there with a puzzled look as I walked out, cupcake apron in hand ;)

So on the hair front, I got my most astounding compliment to date last Saturday. It still has me reeling. I have a client who used to live in PB. She has now moved onto Orange County, but in the last two years still travels to San Diego to get her hair done (as if that is not compliment enough). I have known for some time that she has a hair stylist friend closer to where she lives who often offers to do her hair up there, but she is loyal to me and really enjoys the way i do her hair. Again, a compliment in itself. So Saturday she made her six weekly trek and we were having a good time catching up. I dont remember how we got on the subject, but her hair stylist friend came up in conversation. And then she told me who it was, and I was completely speechless and almost passed out.

Do you remember a post I did a while ago about a contestant on the show Shear Genius? About how she should have won but came in second place? And how she was so talented and inspiring? How she motivated me to try new things and expand my portfolio?? Janine Jarman?? Um ya....THAT is her hair stylist friend who always offers to do her hair. Thinking about it now leaves me at loss for words to type. So I am just going to say, it made me cry and I have never felt more honored. So thank you.

If you missed the post on her, and you would like to check her out, here she is....

Janine Jarman

It's a new month, which means a new promotion, and since we were already talking about Gray....might as well have May Gray be something to look forward to. This month I am offering ten dollars off on all over color services. This means just one color all over. Usually people do this when they are trying to cover gray. So let May Gray begin :) For appts, questions or if you just think I'm cool and you want to talk to me....call the number in the About Me section. Ok fine...I know you dont want to scroll back up, so here it is: 619-384-2012 :)

xo,
case

I spy with my little eye...

2010-04-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

.......Something that is black.

Oh right, that's my new coffee table from Ikea. Twenty bucks is a very low price to pay for something to actually match in my living room. So thanks Ikea for saving my sanity. Next is curtains, bed linens, throw pillow, and whatever else they will make and sell in mass production so I can make my house a little more "homey".

I have been a little mia lately. I know. I'm sorry. This happens every year at this time. All of a sudden i feel a little...hmmm...ho hum i guess. Now I don't want to say depressed because then people get all worried, everyone calls and asks you to "go on walks" with them, and try to do anything to get you out of your funk. I'm OK, I promise. No need to commit me just yet. Its more like being just a little blah. I wanna sleep a little longer, eat a little more, and watch a lot of TV. It occurred to me today what this phenomenon is...May Gray, and June Gloom. It only took me seven years of living in San Diego to make this connection. Hey, I never claimed to be the most observant of people. This is what it looks like on a daily basis for two months:

So some tips on avoiding what I like to call San Diego's spring blues. Upbeat music is key. Try wearing brighter colors, even if its just silly socks. Hug the people you love. Get a pet. Watch comedies. And as Ikea can thank me later for, shop!! I think I'm gonna buy these:

And maybe this:

Everyone needs a cupcake apron, dontcha think?

While googling, i came across this and I thought it would be rude of me not to share:
Funny Shopping Bags

Speaking of shopping, I just got a new phone (dude, nothing beats retail therapy). This phone is awesome. It does so many things, i don't think i even have a need for friends anymore. (kidding, relax) But in all seriousness, it is a Samsung Moment, on the sprint network (I'm gonna be in contract with sprint til about 2057, so I might as well get a good phone out of it). It uses the Android system so i have been having a blast downloading all kinds of apps. I have an app that will look up every dog breed there is and give me photos, bios, history, if I could get it to wag its tail and lick my face, I wouldn't need to ever get a dog! I also have an app that when i am in a place I am not familiar with, it will locate every Starbucks in a near by radius. Since i am an official junkie of Starbucks Chai, this will come in quite handy. I can use the phone as a metal detector, bar code scanner, map, music player, star finder (the kind in the sky, not the glittery Hollywood ones, although I am sure there is an app for that too), diet tool, compass, oh and I can even use to it make calls too. See what I mean...

I have never been a purse girl, or a shoe girl. I have always been a phone girl. It mystifies most people in my life. I suppose it is a little strange that I get more excited over a new phone than just about anything else, but i cant help it. The even stranger thing is that I'm not really even that much of a techie. I don't even know how to do most of the stuff that the phones can do. Unless its super obvious (remember, I'm not very observant), i probably will never know how to do it. That's why this one is so great. Click here, the phone does this. Click there, the phone does that. Perfect.

I have one fish in a very large fish tank in my living room. Seems kinda like this fish is living in what would be the equivalent to a single person living in a twenty bedroom house. But he seems happy in there. Well he did until my cat discovered there was actually something in there. She sits in front of it all day, batting at the poor fish. I don't know who I feel worse for. The fish who is being batted behind glass, or the cat that hasn't figured out that she will never be able to get in there to actually get the fish. Ive tried to tell her its a lost cause, but she apparently is a masochist.

I tried to take a photo of this for you, but they are both being uncooperative. Sorry.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I am planning on getting some little paw prints tattooed somewhere on my body in the near future. I'm thinking the foot. I will post pics when I end up doing it. Plus I think there is a girls brunch at a good restaurant in my future. All well be documented for your voyeuristic pleasure :)

Oh, April is almost over. Last chance to get a free conditioning treatment with highlights. May is approaching, and I am cooking up ideas for promotions. Check back.

xo,
case

2010-04-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

This was me a few years ago:

And this is me now:

What do we like better?

I can't decide. A lot of people say I look so grown-up and sophisticated now. Soft and pretty. But the previous image seems so fun. There must be something in between? What do i want to do with my own hair? This is a question I rarely think about. Its not my job to worry about my own hair. I am supposed to be thinking about what to do to your hair. But Im at a loss and I need something new!!

Suggestions gladly accepted!!

xo,
case

POKE Me....

2010-04-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of attending the First Annual Poke Festival at Bali Hai with my friend and photographer extroirdinaire, Stephanie. For those who dont know, Poke is a traditionally Japanese or Hawaiian dish. It is made mainly of raw Ahi tuna, spices, green onions and seaweed. Every where you go, they do it a little different. So this festival was to celebrate Poke, but also a compitition for who had the best. I ate so much fish, I thought i might sprout gills. It was amazing and delicious and everything you would hope a Hawaiian festival to be.

They didnt just have raw fish. They had lots of other traditional Hawaiin foods such as Spam Bruschetta. Yes you heard tht right. Spam. It was one of the most amazing things I have tasted. They had pulled pork, slow roasted pork, musubi (rice patties, with seasonings and sometimes toppings such as spam, egg, or chicken. They had guava cake, dessert Poke made with mango, papaya and coconut. They had Primo beer, which was a first for me and really good. They had rices, sliders, fish tacos. I really didnt need to ever eat again.

Here is a photo montage of all the goodness.

WARNING to my vegetarian/animal rights friends: There are photos of a roasted pig. It is not my intention to offend, or disgist any of you. I am sorry if you find it offensive, but it is in true Hawaiian fashion and thus documented.

Make you hungry?? If you have never experienced Poke and want to, some of my favorites came from

Zenbu Sushi

Banbu Sushi Bar and Grill

Seau's Raw Mana

So in the hair world, I dont want you to forget that we are more than half way through April and the free conditioning treatment with all highlight services is still going on. Get that hair healthy in time for summer!!

And if April is your birthday month, you will receive 20% off your service! Just for being born. Woohoo!!

And the best of all......send me three of your friends/co-workers, neighbors, people on the street....and receive a FREE haircut. Thats super easy!!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

xo,
case

You win some, You lose some..

2010-04-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Im gonna keep this kinda short today...

Well unfortunately there were no winners in the game. I guess i made my answers too hard :/ But as promised I will give you the answers so you guys can see which ones you guys right and which ones you got wrong. Here it goes:

1. My favorite isle at Target, is the camping isle. Now I know this doesnt make sense to you since i admitted my inexperience with such things, buuuuut....have you seen how cute those miniature tents and sleeping bags are ;)

2. My (other) dream job is to be a professional cake tester. Now I know this one wasnt really fair, since most guessed it had something to do with animals, however, i did say "dream" job. Haha.

3. If I couldnt have a pitbull, my second choice of dog would be the papilion. Dont judge me!

4. I am obsessed with all things japanese. Including japan. SO that would be the one and only place I would give up all other travels for.

5. I am so happy that all of you got this one right. If you hadnt I would be seriously worried.

6. I am from Santa Cruz, Ca

7. I have always, no matter what, preferred the rain to anything else.

8. I am not afraid of large cats. The just look like big kitties to me. My boyfriend is sure this is what will kill me.

9. 90120. Past, present and future ;)

10. Brianna. But Brianna Ferrara sounded ridiculous.

So there ya have it. Im not so exciting am I? Haha.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. ( I am really into using the word "fantastic" right now so you may see it repeatedly, I will try to keep in at a minimum).

Possible raw fish excursion tomorrow...Keep posted.

xo,
case

Game On...

2010-04-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

When I was a teenager I worked at Deli. I didn't just come out of the womb doing hair ya know. There was a whole point of self discovery involved in my early twenties that led me down the Cosmetology path. So before that, I slung ham and cheese and turkey on rye. I had a certain amount of control there. I was young, but responsible, pretty reliable and I could make a mean sandwich. Every once in a while I used that control to benefit myself.

You know when you are trying to think of something, but no matter what you do, it doesn't come to mind? Its the most annoying feelings in the world. You know you know who sang "The rhythm is gonna get you", but for the life of you, you cant remember. These occurrences often abound during some sort of bet. The stakes are high, and your brain is out drinking a mai tai on the beach. This would constantly happen to me at work. (mind you, there was no Internet, no iPhone in those days). So I would do what anyone would do with Deli control would do in my position. The first person to answer my question got a free sandwich. I got my answer, and they got free lunch. Harmless, well I guess not to the person doing inventory, but MY problem was solved and I could go on thinking about something else ;p

Fifteen years later and I still like to play games, and I still like to give away free stuff to the people who can answer my questions. So how does any of this relate to you? Do you like free hair services or product? Do you like to brag about how well you know the people in your life? Well now is your chance to do both: Game On....

I'm going to ask ten questions about myself (ranging from pretty easy to downright challenging). The first person who gets all ten right, will receive a free service of their choice. Since I am doubting anyone will be able to accomplish this, I am going to give fifty percent off of a service of your choice to the first person who can get a fifty percent or higher. ( I encourage all of you to play, even if you don't know me that well, you never know...) Not a client of mine? Don't worry, if you win, I will send you twenty dollars worth of salon quality product of your choice. Are you ready?? GO...

1. What is my favorite isle in Target?
2. What is my (other) dream job?
3. If I couldn't have a pit bull, what would be my second choice of dog?
4. If I can only travel to one place in my life, where would it be?
5. What job did I do as a teenager? (ya know how on the SAT's where they ask a question about what you just read to see if you were paying attention?)
6. Where am I from?
7. What is my favorite weather?
8. What group of animals am I not scared of, but should be?
9. What is my guilty pleasure TV show?
10. What was the other option for my name, if I weren't named Casey?

So there ya go. You have 5 days to complete this and send me your answers to Crzyluck@Hotmail.com or my Facebook inbox.
I will announce the winner Monday afternoon as well as the answers. Good Luck :)

xo,
case

It's dog's world, we're just along for the ride

2010-04-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

I had such an eventful weekend. I am exhausted and my house is in disarray, but it was totally worth it. On my agenda was Woofstock 2010, Buju's 1st Birthday party, and an awesome girls brunch at the Naked Cafe in Solana Beach. Here is my photo diary of how it all unfolded.

Woofstock 2010. A festival with a 60's theme, full of vendors, food, agility events and some great dog (and I guess people too) socialization. Take a look...

Buju's 1st Birthday Party In Ocean Beach. I am sure you guys remember her from my post on Mum's Tattoo. Hers is not a face you would soon forget. Well she turned one year old yesterday and I felt honored to be invited to her birthday party. She had so much fun and is such an ambassador for Pit Bulls. Her human parents (Briana and Adam) have done such a wonderful job of training and socializing her, that where ever they take her, they can show off their hard work. She truly is a special girl. (note her fancy pink collar, only pretty princess birthday girls get to wear them). All she wanted for her birthday was a football, and eventually she got her wish. There are also pictures of all of her doggie friends invited to her birthday bash."Whiskey", the four month old Australian Shepard, who was enjoying her first time to the beach. And Lucy, a fellow pit bull, sharing in all the fun. See for yourself...

The Naked Cafe Breakfast in Solana Beach. All I can say is, YUM! This place is amazing. They have a very similar menu to the Mission Cafe, due to a past partnership. They focus on healthy, mostly vegetarian, (with vegan options as well) hearty food for people with a sophisticated palette. I ordered soy chorizo burrito with egg whites and avocado, garnished with black beans and tomatoes. Man I wish I hadn't forgot my box of leftovers on the table, because I would love to revisit this meal again. My breakfast partners ordered the Ying Yang (egg whites, avocado, jalapenos, black beans, sour cream, potatoes, cheese and salsa) and the Green Transcendence Wrap, with a giant side of quinoa. Oh and lets not forget the Blackberry and Banana pancake for dessert. Enjoy for yourselves.....

Well that pretty much rounds out my weekend. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

xo
case

to you, live from my living room...

2010-04-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am currently on what you would call a "stay-cation". Is it a beachfront cottage in Jamaica? Is it a villa in Italy? Is it an action packed Vegas trip? Well, no. Its my living room, right here in Poway, California, but it is relaxing nonetheless. When it comes to vacation, beggars cant be choosers. So I am catching up on my neglected dvr, organizing my closet and napping when ever I feel fit. It is amazing how content I can be doing absolutely nothing. So many people would become restless, or even go stir crazy, but nope, not me. As long as I have Starbucks and Netflix, I'm good.

Speaking of catching up on shows, I just watched the finale of Shear Genius. For those of you not familiar, it is a reality show about hair dressers. It is on Bravo and has the same concept as Top Chef, only its about hair. I was seriously underwhelmed with the winner. I mean in all honesty, you have to be immensely talented to even get on that show, so of course they are all way qualified to be the winner, but I felt some outshone others. But it is reality TV, and they do want ratings, so I am sure that was their motivation. It was just disappointing. This is who would have been my pick

Janine

So inspiring!!

Well I have some exciting things going on this weekend, so be on the lookout for posts including : Woofstock 2010, A girls Brunch (restaurant review), and the good, bad and ugly on bangs!!

Bye for now...

xo
case

thirty something

2010-04-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

This will probably be my most personal post to date. If you would not like to know me on a deeper level, feel free to skip this. But people are natural voyeurs, so I am assuming most people will carry on ;)

I turned thirty a couple of years ago. When the date was approaching, I didn't get antsy, or nervous, or scared. I was actually pretty excited. I had heard that your thirties were soooo much better than your twenties. All the "what am I doing with my life, who am I really, how do I want people to perceive me?" kinda just all falls into line as you cross into the new statistical bracket of 29-35. So I was ready. I wasn't exactly what you would call stable in my twenties. I floated from city to city, job to job, apartment to apartment, and bad relationship to bad relationship. So yes, I was ready to leave all that behind. I went into my thirties with a pretty good sense of myself. I wasn't exactly a grown up ( I did have pink hair and multiple facial piercings) but people seemed to respect me a bit more since no longer being a "kid".

Fast forward two years, incorporate a stable job, a long term living situation, solid relationship and the suburbs and you are looking at my life. There is one thing that when people who told me about their thirties forgot to mention. (Disclaimer: if you are not quite into your thirties yet, you might wanna skip ahead, it is scary and you may not be ready to hear this yet). Something happens that I never saw coming and lately its thrown me for a loop. They forgot to tell me I was going to grow up!! I wasn't prepared for this, no one told me this was going to happen. An when exactly did it happen? I'm so confused ;p

Yesterday the boyfriend was removing a sticker he had on the back of his truck. It was a Misfits sticker ( its a band, for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about). He has had this sticker on his truck for ten years. When I asked him why, he just looked at me and said "Its time". So it got me thinking about my own relationship to growing up and how it is effecting me. I no longer have spiky pink hair, I no longer have multiple facial piercings and I'm thinking about purchasing a more family accommodating car. What?? Who is this person?? Me, buying and SUV and living in the suburbs? This is something that never in my wildest imagination could I comprehend happening to me.

Some of you know and some of you don't that my life has changed a lot since I met my boyfriend. He has two little girls. Eight and seven. I never wanted kids (and still don't want my own), and now I find myself making decisions about things that may or may not effect my family. Now for some this is very normal. You get in your thirties and you start a family. I never expected it to happen to me and it still sounds weird when I say "my family" out loud. Don't get me wrong, I love being part of a family, it is just a little different from my past with go-nowhere relationships and drive thru meals. Now, I think about what fruits and vegetables to incorporate into dinner and how much sugar is appropriate for children. (However, if it was up to me, I would still have frozen yogurt for dinner)!!

I would never give up what I have with my boyfriend and kids for nights of bars, the dating scene and frozen yogurt dinners. I feel so lucky to have met someone who truly completes me. I just feel insecure going into this stage of my life. I question whether my lifestyle change is part of the growing up process, or if I am somehow resistant to it out of fear of change or some pre-conceived notion of how I thought things would end up. I feel like myself on the inside. I just look different on the outside. One of my biggest fears in life was to be the stereo typical mini-driving soccer mom. I have no idea why, but it terrified me. ( for the record, I have nothing against mini-van driving soccer moms, I'm just sharing an irrational fear) Luckily our kids do gymnastics and karate ;) And why do I abhor mini vans? Why is there such a stigma to them? They are practical when you have a family. But I still loath them. And people still make fun of them. (PS, the boyfriend has one, and it really does make things easier) Maybe its just our generation that fears "growing up"? I have no idea, but I know it is happening to me, and it feels slightly awkward.

With all that said, I am happy. I am stable, more responsible and in love. Which are four things that don't come so easily, so I'm taking it and running with it.

I still listen to music that would make my parents ears bleed, have an affinity for tattoos and spiked belts (even though they are in the closet), and make some pretty irresponsible financial choices. There is hope yet....

Here's to our forties!!

xo
case

The zombie is shaking things up...

2010-04-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

In 1989 there was this little thing called the Loma Prieta earthquake. You may have heard of it. It struck the San Francisco Bay area at 5:04pm and measured 7.1 on the richter scale. And I was in it. I was 11. It is something that I will never forget. If you were also in this earthquake, then you know what I am talking about. Its kinda like 911 in that way, where you knew exactly where you were when it happened. ( I am not comparing the devastation of 911 to the Loma Prieta earthquake, just the similarity of the way memories work).

Strangely that earthquake didnt scar me. In fact I am not sure if phased me at all. Due to the recent earthquakes in San Diego, there have been a lot of talk about them lately. I watched people freak out, run under doorways, get under desks, ya know, do all the things you are supposed to do in an eathquake. ( I am not saying that you shouldnt do those things, and I totally understand why people are afraid of them). But I never even got off the couch. I just think thats funny, and may say a thing or two about me.

EASTER EGGS HAVE MONEY IN THEM?? SWEET!!

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I had a nice time with my families. Yes, families. I have three. But my absolute favorite moment of the day went something like this:

Nephew: I love Easter, so much candy.
Me: Well, that is not really what Easter is about.
Nephew: Uh-huh.
Me: No, it is about Jesus, and his resurrection.
Nephew: Explain...
Me: Well, after Jesus died, he was reborn again today.
Nephew: So what you are saying is....Jesus is a zombie?

Ha. Yes. Exactly. This will be my new reason for celebrating Easter. All kidding aside, I hope everyone had a nice day, regardless of your religious beliefs.

Don't forget about the on-going promotions at the salon. If April is your birth month, come on in for 20% off your service.
And...dont forget if you send me 3 friends (neighbors, co-workers, random people off the street) you will recieve a free haircut! Woohoo!

See you soon!

xo
Case

Unconditional Love

2010-04-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Most of you know me pretty well by now. You know what my interests are at least. But there is one thing that I have wrestled with talking about here because it tends to be a controversial topic. Well at least for some. Ultimately I decided that I am who I am and with out this huge part of my life something would be missing, and so I decided to share it with you.

I am an animal advocate. Specifically dogs. More specifically Pit Bulls. And here is where I feel like I need to defend that. But I am not going to. I am not going to throw a bunch of facts at you. I am not going to tell you how the media plays into this, and I am not even going to tell you about all the injustices these dogs are facing. I am going to tell you that they were just banned on the military bases and now craigslist and then shelters are scrambling with people being forced to give up their family pets. And also I am going to share a story with you. This is a story written (very well I might add) by a fellow animal advocate. Her name is Kim Leary Smith and she is a huge source of inspiration for me. I know that there are a lot of parts to this story, but no matter what your opinion is on these dogs, I URGE you to read this. If not for them, then for me.

Journey to Rescue- Installment 1

Journey to Rescue-The Stay in San Diego

Journey to Rescue-The Trip to Indiana

Journey to Rescue - Looking to the Future

Journey to Rescue- Home!

Ok assuming you made it through all of those, I just want you to think about it. This is just ONE dogs story. I refuse to be all self righteous on my blog, so like I said, I'm not going to bombard you with it. But I would like to ask you how you would feel if Nico's new parents lived on a military base and were forced with the decision to move or give him up. And if they were forced to give him up, back to a shelter, do you think he would get a "second, second chance"? And now I would just like to leave you with MY experience with this breed.

Thank you for taking the time to look at these. I am not a drug dealer. I am not an ex-con. I am not in need of protection. I do not live in a seedy neighborhood. I am just a girl who fell in love with a dog, or two.

xo,
case

2010-03-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

At last April is here! Spring! Or in San Diego terms, slightly warmer than the warm of our winter. But it does mean that the sun is out more and people are starting to think summer. The socks are put away, the flip flops are out and the hem lines are just a tad shorter. This is also when the requests for highlights start. People are wanting to feel lighter, and what better way to do that (with out the gym of course) is to lighten up their hair.

This is my favorite time of year because I get to transform people from darker shades, to brighter and bolder color. As I mentioned before, highlights do not necessarily mean blonde. In fact, they say for the most natural looking color, you should stay within 2 shades of your natural color. However this IS southern California, so we break that rule A LOT! But for those of you who think highlights=blonde, there is a way to add definition with out becoming a slave to bleach.

Speaking of bleach, there is one thing that honestly helps when you are highlighting you hair. It is possible to have healthy and color treated hair. Taking care of it is how this is achieved. I told you guys in my post about rainy weather hair, that deep conditioning treatments are a great way to revitalize unhealthy hair. Well you guys are in luck. Aprils promotion is all about healthy hair. I am giving away a free conditioning treatment will all color services in April.

You guys are going to be coloring your hair anyways, so this is a great way to introduce you to a service that will help your color last longer and your hair look and feel smoother. I am excited to see all the new colors that spring is going to bring. I am thinking caramels, auburn, butters, warm chocolates. Hmmm...now Im hungry...haha.

We will both benefit from this free service, you, well one because its free ;), and two because your hair will look and feel healthier for longer, and me because when you feel good about your hair, you feel good about your stylist ;)

So I hope to see all of you soon, for the new improved "lighter" you....and you don't even have to diet!!

xo,
case

Letting go...

2010-03-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Life has been hectic this week.

I like how on Monday, I was like..."boo...Im bored, seems too slow, whine whine whine..." and now Im wishing I had even the tiniest amount of time to sit down and write. I've been super busy at work, which is awesome for my business, but wrecks havoc on my social life. (and by social life I really mean its preventing me from watching my trashy DVR'd television shows! I mean, if im not there to watch 90210, they might cancel it, and then what would I do??) So ya, Im just kinda short on free time. But the upside of all this, is I have done some really fun hair stuff this week, which always makes me so motivated to do more! I love when I have days where the cuts just work, the color is spot on, the styling fits the person and the energy just flows.

And here is where I get metamorphic-al on ya....

I thought "Letting Go" was an appropriate title for this blog. In case you haven't figured this out about me by now, I tend to find parallels between what is going on in my personal life and what is going on in my work life. This week is no exception. As you know, the "big cut" was this week. (which I will get to, I promise) What I didn't know was that I had another client booked yesterday who also decided to cut off most of her hair. Two people in the same day that were "Letting go" of their hair. Their reasons were very different, but the emotions of shedding their security were very much the same. And the interesting thing was, after they both made drastic changes, and let go of their hair, they both exuded confidence. The both naturally owned their new look, as if it was how it was meant to be. As if all that hair was somehow weighing down who they were 'supposed' to be. I know that sounds really strange, I know you are thinking, "Its just hair Casey, its not that deep", but I swear, I saw it with my own eyes, and it was really an unbelievable transformation. Wanna see??

I was recently in contact with someone that I knew years ago, in another place, in another time, who brought something to my attention. I was told that I was happy. Just calmly, naturally, happy. Something I really never had been before, and I just seemed content. Hmmm...I too have noticed this, but I never really thought about the reasoning behind it. Then I realized something that I now do that I was never able to do before. I let go. I let go of past resentment, heartaches, hurts, betrayals. I let go of the things I cannot control, or the things I bear no responsibility for. I freed up all of this space inside me to let the good in, and now I am the person I was truly meant to be. Its an amazing feeling when you meet someone who opens up your eyes and makes you see the good there is in life and the benefits of letting go. I am truly lucky.

One of my clients donated her hair to Locks Of Love . Just click on their name and see what an inspiration they were to her, and how you too can make a difference in someone else's life. Are you ready or willing to Let Go?

xo,
case

Insert Witty Title Here....

2010-03-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Compared to the events of last week, this week had seemed kind of mundane. Well I guess that is not really fair to say since it is only monday, and my life is not really ever mundane, but I guess everything just seems to be moving at a molasses pace. I don't know if it was the excitement of the reporters, or the extremely nice weather, but for some reason last week I felt like my energy was endless. Cramming more words than usual into my sentences, buzzing around a little faster, and doing it all with a huge smile on my face. Sometime around Saturday that faded. Not to say I am not smiling, or working hard, its just that this week it seems a little tougher. I suppose it is normal that life catches up with you sometimes right?? I am still waiting for my robot parts ;)

There are a lot of cool things going on this week however. For one, it is the boyfriends birthday! He is pretty low key when it comes to his birthday. He goes on his annual boys snowboarding trip and then usually comes home, eats some food and passes out. Oh how different we are! If there is not cake involved in my birthday, its a big problem, for everyone! Ha! I managed to get him a pretty cool tumbler for his birthday though. Shopping for him is either really hard or really easy depending on how you look at it. You cant just go get him something you think he will like, because he wont. So that part is hard. But on the other hand he will tell you exactly what he wants, where to get it and usually send you the link on the computer too. Easy. Just no fun!

On the hair front, we have the "big cut" on Thursday. I am not sure who is more excited, me or the girl cutting all her hair off!! But i think it is me ;) I also have a few clients coming in that I haven't seen in ages, so I am looking forward to catching up with them. This actually brings me to something I have been meaning to talk about. Bear with me, we are veering way off track.

It is one of the cardinal rules of hair dressing that you do not talk much about yourself to your clients. (other big time no-no's include anything having to do with politics, religion or sex, just in case you were wondering). I have even received this advice as recent as two weeks ago. Always put the focus on them. They don't need to know much about you. What is your boyfriends name? Do you have kids? What did your weekend consist of. These are all questions we have been taught to side step when dealing with our clients. Now here is my problem: Have you MET me?? I would tell a random guy on a bus my life story if he asked me. (ummm can we say blog?) Now I know there is a time and a place of course, but Im wondering, are the rules are changing, or have I been misinterpreting my clients interest? I would consider almost all of my clients as friends also. They really seem genuinely interested in my life and the contents within. So Im kinda stuck. Do I continue to be myself and own that my clients like this part of me and obviously come to me because we mesh well? Or do I stop talking about myself and risk them thinking I am no longer engaging with them? What do you guys think? I think first and foremost you need to be true to who you are, or you will look like you are faking it ;)

Ok so with out going into too much detail, April's promotion is just around the corner. Ill give you a hint...It involves highlights. San Diego kinda goes from winter to summer, and we all want highlights in the summer! Don't think highlights=blonde. To me it means, softening, dimension, changing the color you like rocking best!! So be on the lookout :)

xo,
Case

Ps. I didn't quit smoking. If you'd like to donate quitting aids ie; gums, patches, lobotomies, whatever...Please drop off at
1950 Balboa Ave
San Diego, Ca
92109

Celebrity Scandal, Reality TV and How it Relates to me...

2010-03-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

What a bizarre last few days...

So by now pretty much everybody has heard about the "alleged" affair Jesse James had with a tattoo model. Well unless of course you live under a rock, or abhor celebrity gossip. So what does any of this have to do with me? Well nothing...well nothing really anyways.

San Diego has a lot of sub cultures. Hair and tattoos are two of them. Remember when I told you that hair dressers and the tattoo are very closely related? Well this is just another example of this. This tattoo model lives in San Diego and is a former hair dresser. Guess what salon she used to own? Yup. CherryBomb Salon.

Now this does not mean I worked with her. She abandoned the business two years before we ever even got involved with it. We are renting the spot that her salon was in. We changed the name from CherryBomb Salon, to CherryBomb Hair Studio. Since her name is still attached to the location, we have had reporters all over us the last few days. Every huge gossip news mag stepped into our place and/or called our individual cell numbers. My phone has never blown up so much. But we were not friends or anything. Now, with that said, I do know who she is. I have met her, but I wouldn't say I know her. But I do have friends that do. I have seen her at shows, tattoo conventions, around town, etc. You also know that I know ALOT of people in the tattoo industry and have a majority of friends that are covered head to toe in them. So by default, I am in both the hair AND tattoo sub culture. So to make a long story short...I never thought in any way I would some how be connected to celebrity gossip. Damn, its a small world we live in.

Speaking of which....Does anyone recognize either of the people in this photo?

This is Liz and her brand new Fiance Andy. Not sure which one you are supposed to recognize? Ill give you a tiny hint, It's Liz ;) Liz was a character/personality on Vh1's show Tough Love 2. She is also a faithful client of mine. When it came time to do her hair on the show, she whined and moaned because she didn't want ANYONE touching it except me. Gotta love her. Well she didn't find love on the show, but she managed to snag her adorable fiance shortly after filming TL 2. I had the pleasure of both meeting him and doing his hair yesterday. They truly are a great match. The energy of their meshing personalities is infectious. They are going to be auditioning for a new reality show for TLC where wedding planners vie for the chance to plan an $80, 000 wedding of the couples dreams! Lets all wish them luck, because I heard the details of their "dream" wedding and I promise you, this is something we are all gonna wanna see!!

Ok, last but not least, I have been telling you about a hair cut I am doing next week that I am so excited about. This is the cut Im doing..

As I mentioned before, the person I am doing it on has very long hair! So this is going to be so fun! As for the donation part of my last post, my client will be donating all the hair that we cut to Locks of Love, which makes wigs for kids with cancer. When I do the cut next week and post all the photos, I will give you all the contact info for Locks of Love and incorporate their mission statement, how to donate and more!

I am so looking forward to this weekend. I think Im going to try to sleep in tomorrow! But then I have to hit the salon. I must remind you, the end of march is nearing, and that Anniversary special will expire April 1st, so please book soon if you wanna take advantage!

xo,
Case

Villains

2010-03-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the phrase “your mouth wrote a check that you’re a** cant cash”? Well, if you haven’t it goes something like this……

Boyfriend: Im going to quit smoking.
Me: Uh, Ok. I've heard that a million times.
BF: No seriously, I am actually going to do it this time.
Me: You have been saying that for months, and every weekend you try to quit and every Monday you start up again.
BF: You’ll see. You’re gonna have to eat your words.
Me: Ok whatever (eyes rolling), if you can make it a month without one cigarette, I’ll quit smoking.

And that is what you call your mouth writing a check that you’re a** cant cash.
So today marks the one month mark. However "somebody" (ahem...him) smoked all weekend while camping. So in fairness (because I'm a stickler for fairness), I told him I got to add three days onto my quit date for the days he cheated. Seems logical to me. Even though, really it is just prolonging the inevitable. Ugh. Now those of you that know and love me are thinking "this is great news! yay for quitting smoking!". But the ones who REALLY know and love me, know that when I attempt to quit smoking, their lives are made miserable with my insane demands, crying fits, and over all brattiness. Wish me and all those around me luck ;)

In other news, one of my rad hairdresser friends came to town last night. Her and I worked together at Chain Salon X (the horrid place from past posts) and when I went to work at the first salon in Pacific Beach, I persuaded her to leave the insanity and come with me. Little did either of us know an entire different type of insanity was about to take place, but thats another story. All in all we have worked together for about three years. Unfortunately she moved back to her home town a few years back. People always say they will keep in touch, or we will still talk all the time, but everyone knows it never really happens like that. Luckily for us we are those special type of friends where you cannot see someone for three years, get together, and pick up exactly where you left off.

We planned a girls dinner last night at Mama Mia's (the ridiculously amazing italian restaurant next to CherryBomb). It was all the OG (original) girls at that first salon in Pacific Beach. Minus one huge part of the group who is living in Reno and couldn't make it down for this visit (but was totally there in spirit since we talked about her frequently). I was in need of some good conversation, good friends and of course chocolate. It was such a touching night. One of those nights where you think "god, I am so lucky to have these people in my life", and also "wow....you still remember that one night we swore we would never talk about again?" ;) We all have had some intense things happen to us since we had last seen each other, so there were a lot of tears, but thankfully followed by a ton of laughter.

One thing I do want to share with you though is the history of my name LadyFireFury. When we all went to work at the start up salon, we had a lot of time on our hands. We thought of all kinds of clever things to attract new clients, like hula hooping out front, creating essentially a living room on our front patio, lounging in the sun, etc. Someone brought us a book called "How to be a Villain". Upon going through it they had a page with three columns on it. The point was to choose a name from each column and that was your villain name. So of course immediately we all wanted to pick ours! Column 1...well, I'm more of a lady than a countess, so we will go with Lady. Column 2... Im a fire sign, so naturally I'm gonna pick Fire. Column 3....Hmmm, this is a tough one...Heart? No, that doesn't sound right, Hammer? No, that is all wrong. Fury, Yes thats is, LadyFireFury! And hence my alter ego was born.

Here is all of us on Halloween.

May we all continue to grow in our own directions, but always know that no matter what, we will all still love and support each other, no matter what, even if we are acting like "villains".

That was a lot more long winded than I had intended. I have some really cool stuff to talk about regarding a hair cut I am doing next week, but I know you guys have lives so Ill wait until tomorrow. But....Lets just say, there is going to be more than 10' of donated hair involved in this hair cut. OMG, I cant wait!!

xo
case

Camping is "in-tents"

2010-03-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

Ahh....Home sweet home. Its been a long weekend out in the wilderness, and I must admit, I'm happy to be plugged in again!
Although getting away for the weekend with my boyfriend was something I had been pressing for a while, and although I did agree to go camping, I have to let you in on a little secret. I, my friends, am not exactly what you would call the outdoorsy type.
I am not really a princess or anything. I dont mind getting dirty, or not showering for a few days, but a camper, I am not. I should mention that my boyfriend is a rock hound. Dont know what that is? I dont blame you. Basically it is someone who goes out to sites that are documented as having specific rocks and minerals indigenous to that area. Fascinating, I know. He is no stranger to these trips, but it was my first. So what is involved in these trips are long hikes out to remote (even more remote than the "campsite") areas, lots of hiking up canyons in the middle of nowhere, miles upon miles of what looks exactly the same to me. Wait....this is what camping is? I thought it was just S'mores, hot chocolate and hot dogs at night, and lots of sleep and leisure during the day? Apparently not ;)

Our accommodations

Night one

When we read the weather report to make sure it wasnt going to rain, we didnt bother to look at the wind...oopsy. It was FREEZING cold and my sleeping bag broke. It was a rough night to say the least. The morning wasnt a whole lot better. It was still freezing, the wind is now up to 70 miles and hour, no sleep, no coffee and the campers next to us decided 7 am was a fine time to start shooting. But off we went to search for rocks. I am pretty much less than enthused by this point. I decided that looking for rocks in this weather was not for me, so I stayed in the truck, which was wind free, or so I thought, til the back of the truck blew off. This day is not getting better. Eventually after the boys figured out the truck situation, we decided to go into town to get me a new sleeping bag. Ive seen a lot of crappy towns across California, but the winner by far is....Barstow. Dear god, Im sorry for the inhabitants of that place. Anywho, carrying on..We decided to try another campsite up the road about 30 miles. It was like heaven opened up and right in the middle was the Afton Canyons.

The rest of the weekend ended up being amazing. We were standing in the most amazing desert scenery I have ever seen. They call it the Grand Canyon of the Mojave Desert. The wind died down, which made the temperature bearable and we grilled chicken, had hot dogs and beans, hot chocolate and S'mores. Now thats what I'm talking about. This is camping! I was super toasty in my tent this time, which made for a pretty good nights sleep. The next morning it was warm enough for a tank top and we headed up to the site to find some rocks. I dont think I have to mention again that rocks arent really my thing, but Im a hell of a girlfriend! Half way into our four mile hike, I found something shiny on the ground. I picked it up and realized it was the most beautiful cluster of crystals. If they would have told me I could find shiny things( I mean after all, dont boys know that girls LOVE shiny things??), I might have actually looked all those times before. Now it was on. After about four hours of hiking and back, I now have in my collection some beautiful pieces I had no idea you could just find on the ground.

All in all, I had a really good time, and I am excited to do again. There is just one thing I would do differently this time....COFFEE!!

xo
case

New and Improved

2010-03-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

This last week I have been lucky enough to have a few clients who want to do something different with their looks. Maybe its the sun peeking out, or the settling in of the new year, who knows, but either way, Ive been able to think outside of the box!

I love when a client comes to me with a vague idea, and leaves the creativity up to me. When someone has no restrictions amazing things can happen!! I thought today I would just leave you with photos of the results of this last week. I hope you enjoy!!

I know there wasnt a whole lot of writing today, Ive been really busy working and getting ready to go camping this weekend. First time camping in years!! Im so excited. Dont worry, I'll take lots of photos, and start posting again on Monday. Have a fabulous weekend!!

xo,
case

Raindrops are fallin on my head...

2010-03-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like San Diego has seen more rain in the last few months than its seen in the last few years. I, nonetheless am not complaining. I am a what you would call a tratior to our cities weather. There is nothing I love more to waking up to the rain. The sound it makes, the smell it surrounds you with, the fashionable scarves and jackets. Not to mention, it is a perfect excuse to drink hot chocolate and eat cake. It is a really good thing I don't live in Seattle. It's really only reasonable to eat just so much cake. There is however one thing that does not love the rain ( well, one thing besides the entire city of San Diego). And that my friends is called Hair.

Because we see the rain so infrequently, when we do a lot of us ponytail it, throw a hat on or just leave the house with it wet. Its gonna get wet right? Why blow dry it? It may be a wives tale that you will catch a cold with wet hair, but what you may catch is frizz....Im not entirely sure which is worse! So in lieu of all this rain and cold (ok, it is still San Diego, so I will say cold-ish) weather I'd like to give you a few tips on caring for your hair until Spring.

1. The most important thins is to start off with a really good shampoo and conditioner. Enjoy has two that I would recommend for the winter. The Hydrating line, and the Luxury line. Both are sulfate free which basically means, without boring you with chemical breakdowns, no bad hair stripping agents. I would recommend the Hydrating line for all hair types, and the Luxury line for thicker, coarser hair. Both will help replenish any moisture that the weather has stripped.

2. If you color, heat style or otherwise chemically treat your hair, I would recommend a once a week deep conditioning treatment. There are two ways to do this. One is an in salon treatment which consists of applying the treatment, relaxing under heat for twenty minutes, rinsing and blowing out. I like to accompany this service with a hair cut. The other way is to buy a deep conditioning product, such as the Enjoy Hair Mask, and perform the treatment at home. The conditioning will not be as intense as an in salon service, but this is a really great way to be proactive in the matinence of your hair health. The most important thing I can say about deep conditioning treatments done at home is, read the directions! One of the most common things i see and hear is people leaving on a treatment, WAY longer than it should. In theory it makes sense. The longer I leave my conditioner on, the more conditioned it will be. Unfortunately, this is false. It can actually have the opposite effect. It can end up pulling the moisture from you hair, leaving it overly dry and brittle. Counter-productive at its finest. But if no one is there to tell you this, how are you going to know? Well now you have me ;)

3. A really great leave in will also help to insure your hair is not getting dried out. Enjoy has two types, one is a spray and the other is in a bottle. It just depends on your preference. I personally like the spray for when i get out of the shower, but some like to comb it in, in which case the bottle might be better.

4. If you have time in the morning, you should try to have your hair be as dry as possible before going out into the cold. Some people are afraid of blow drying because they think it is so bad for your hair. Well, it can be if you are over processing, not cutting, not conditioning, or basically just ignoring the fact that there is hair coming from the top of your head. But if you take care of your hair, there is no reason blow drying has to be forbidden. Apply a small amount of a smoothing serum on your hair, from the ears down, and blow dry and style as usual. If you absolutely refuse to blow dry your hair, try washing it at night so that it will be mostly dry in the morning. Again, apply a small amount of serum before heading out the door.

Does that sound like a lot? Lets recap.
1. Wash/Cond. hair ( most people already do this :) )
2. Once a week deep conditioner at home, or once every hair cut in salon treatment
3. Spray in/ comb through leave in conditioner ( I mean, you are already in the shower, right?)
4. Apply smoothing serum, either blow dry, or start with dry hair.
5. Buy an umbrella....just seein if you are paying attention

Sounds pretty easy! Great! Now you and I have a fool proof plan for getting your through those looong, cold winter months of San Diego...ok, sarcasm, but in all seriousness, this regimen is great for the rain, or the snow, or *gasp* the sun!

Or you could just buy a hat. But, consider yourself warned, hat hair is so not this season ;)

And here is a little teaser of tomorrows post on Jasmine at Mum's Custom Tattoos's fun new hair!!!

xo,
Case

Sierra Colt's Domino Effect

2010-03-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Aaaahhhh mondays....
Normally mondays are the days I scramble around, getting everything in order for the upcoming week. Luckily for me I had a nice relaxing weekend. I was also able to accomplish the necessities of life, which now leaves me feeling happy and calm going into my Tuesday. I wont bore you with the tedious details, but I will tell you that I organized and cleaned house. Not just actually, but metaphorically as well. While going through this process, I started to think about the last six years I've spent in San Diego. How far I've come since I first rolled up, not knowing a soul, not having a plan, and having no idea how I was going to get to where I knew I wanted to be. (I know, most people call this their "20's", but I have a feeling there is more to it!) Ya know that whole "everything happens for a reason" thing? I believe it's what got me to where I am at, and Im calling that reason Sierra Colt.

I moved here, knowing not one person. I was working at a pretty awful place that we will call Chain Salon X. I was lonely, hating my job and knew there was more my life and career could offer not only me but others as well. As fate would have it (everything happens for a reason) I wanted a tattoo. I was kinda in the scene back home, but had no idea where to go out here. Rather than ask around, ya know, the whole 3 people I knew from Chain Salon X, I just started walking. I wandered into a place downtown and started talking to a guy named Sierra. Yes, you heard me right, a guy named Sierra. I instantly felt at home. We started off small with a few stars behind my ears. We became friends pretty instantly. I would stop by the shop just to say hi now and then. (no, i wasn't stalking him, give me a break, he was my ONLY friend) Eventually we developed a meaningful friendship AND a plan for a much larger tattoo on my back ;) This meant a lot more shop time. During one of my appointments, I mentioned that there was an unfortunate incident at Chain Salon X and I would now need to find another job. (don't worry, it had nothing to do with my ability to do hair, just some corporate nonsense) Sierra mentioned that his boss was opening a Salon in Pacific Beach and I should go check it out, he was sure they'd hire me. Great I thought, what an opportunity! Now if I can only figure out where Pacific Beach is....

To make a very long story short, I found Pacific Beach, found the salon and landed the job. This job and the people I met there, shaped everything thing leading up to where I am now. I met a best friend (who I ended up opening CherryBomb with). I made long lasting friendships, with people who i feel lucky to have in my life today. I met amazing clients, most who are still with me now. I met dating partners, debate partners, drinking partners and even ended up meeting my amazing boyfriend, who is now my life partner. If it were not for the "luck" (everything happens for a reason) of me walking into that particular tattoo shop, the kindness and comfort I encountered there, the domino effects that followed, or for a man named Sierra Colt, my life could have ended up very differently.

He may have no idea how much he has supported me, pushed me, promoted me, inspired me, or even if he just was at the right place at the right time. I have no idea where or what my life would be like today if I had walked into another shop. But I do know one thing....

Everything happens for a reason ;)

xo,
Case

ps. if you too want some "lucky, life changing" tattoos go to Sierra

Mum's Custom Tattoo

2010-03-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

This is Buju! Look at that face!! She has two eyes I swear. She just wanted to wink for the camera. This girl is 10 months old and just a little thing. Her mommy trained her so well. She can sit, come, lie down and LOVES to chew on footballs. I heard she stole one from somebody at the park :) She loves people and is always down for someone to scratch behind the ears!

So wait, the title of this blog is a tattoo shop right? So why am I talking about a dog? There is a connection, I promise. I just see a little pibble face and I get off track!

Mum's Custom Tattoos shop just opened in Pacific Beach right around the corner from CherryBomb, and this Buju is the shop mascot. This little girl will be there to greet you when you walk in the door. What more of an incentive could you ask for to go in? Ok, Ok, I will try to control myself. In all seriousness, the people that work there are a great group of artists. When you walk in, after you pet Buju of course, all the artists have their portfolios on the table. This way depending on what you are looking for, you can decide which artist speaks to you artistically. I am not sure if you are aware of how similar the hair dressing world is to the tattoo world. When you find one, the other is usually close by. Because of this, I know each of these artists through different areas of my life over the years, so I can honestly tell you these guys are my friends.

Eric who is the owner assembled a talented bunch here. Brianna, Jim, Brent, Jasmine and of course, Eric, all do custom work. And its all good. If you are in the market for a new tattoo, I suggest you check these guys out. (there is a link under other things i like, aren't I nice to make it so easy for you?) The shop is really cool too! Its big and open, most importantly clean, and has so much awesome artwork on the walls. Its gotta chill vibe too. Ya know how when you walk into some tattoo shops and they have all this big attitude? I hate that. Yes I want a tattoo, yes I want a butterfly, and yes I want it on my hip...why are you making fun of me?? Well its not like that at all. They are nice to people who come to them. Ya know, the way it should be??
Here are some photos I took of the shop and some of the artists i took yesterday.

the new shop

Brent drawing

Brianna tattooing

People waiting to get a tattoo

Jim smiling for the camera

Jasmine being camera shy ;)

I had a really good time hanging out with these guys yesterday. I even have my new tattoo in the works...You will have to stay tuned to see what its going to be! But in the mean time, go see these guys. You wont be disappointed.

Oh, and it wouldn't really be "me" if I didn't leave you with one final photo of Buju...

I know, I'm in love too :)

xo
Case

CherryBomb Celebrates Our 3rd Year in March!!

2010-03-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!!

Well Ive got a lot to cover in my first blog, so bear with me.....

First of all, CherryBomb Hair Studio is celebrating our 3rd year this month!! I still cant believe it. It may seem cliche to say this, but I swear it feels like it was just yesterday that we were painting, and plumbing and tearing up tiles.. I love getting to tell my clients Ive known them for years! Most of them have followed me from my previous salon and they still trip out when we say we have been at our new location for three years.

I am excited to tell you about some changes that are taking place. We are getting a mini face lift. Ok its really more of like a deep chemical peel, but you get the idea. We are putting more art up on the wall, getting some cool retro furniture and doing some painting. You will want to come check it out. Its gonna be great.

Now onto the good stuff. Its time I say a BIG THANK YOU to all of my clients. Three years is quite the achievement, and i certainly couldn't have done it with out you. So I have developed some pretty cool promotions to show my gratitude.....

1. During the month of March (our anniversary month) I am offering a free haircut with all color services. Wow...that's pretty cool. But its only for this month, so get to it!!

2. Wanna tell people about me? If so you can earn yourself a free haircut (in any month), just for sending me 3 of your friends. You know people are askin you anyways!

And ONE last cool promotion for you,

3. Send me your birthdays, and receive 20% off your service in your birthday month. Gotta look good for all those parties right??

Oh, and be on the lookout for a pretty fantastic service Ill be offering in April...

Ok, so now that's outta the way, I wanna talk about a product we just starting carrying. Its the ENJOY Hair and Skin Treatment Oil (see photo above). This stuff is amazing. If you want shine in your hair, but dont want to have that "oily" look and feel, this stuff is for you. It makes the hair so soft, and healthy looking and smells sooooo amazing. I love putting in it my hair, and then rubbing the rest on my hands and skin. It absorbs instantly. I cant get enough of it, I swear.

Ok I think thats enough for you guys to have to read through tonight, but check back tomorrow because I will be talking about Mum's Tattoo in Pacific Beach. They just opened and have some GREAT people working there. And the house doggie is a fantastic bully puppy named Buju, so naturally I automatically love them!!

Until tomorrow (or more realistically, sometime this weekend)....

Xo,

Case