For those of you who have known me or my parents since back in the day you are very familiar with the fact that I was born ten pounds and bald. Literally, like E.T. It's my parents favorite story to tell, they had me, they looked at each other and said what have we done?! (Also, every time my Dad tells this story he ends it with, "But you turned out just fine" and hugs me). They pierced my ears right away so people would know I was a girl, which I am forever thankful for because I feel that has lead to my path for the need to accessorize. I've been doing it since birth! I didn't grow hair until I was four. Allow for a visual reference. OH! And there are not any baby pictures of me to include in this because they DIDN'T TAKE ANY! That's what happens when you're the second child.
I am not sure how old I am in this picture or if I have the ability to fully communicate but I definitely feel like in the store I looked at my mom and said, "THESE PINK CONVERSE HIGH TOPS WOULD BE THE SHIT WITH MY OSH-KOSH OVERALLS." So thank you, Donna.
Eventually I grew thick blonde curly hair, which is kind of my thing. I am so thankful for it, but God made us wait a hot minute on that one. Worth the wait.
So last month my dear friend, Mindy was getting married. I had the honor of being her matron of honor. (So much honor in that little sentence.) Like many ladies know, I NEEDED MY HAIR TO BE ON POINT. We'll be taking pictures, lots of pictures, and my duty was the pull the sweet little ones down the aisle in a wagon. Very presh. At this point let me give you a reference of what my hair looked like 2 days before I went into the salon for a touch-up. (The picture is from Beth's EP release so I was in full glam mode, with the lion's mane out to roar, which means I had in my extensions. The extensions were dyed to match my hair color by my usual stylist.)
The Wednesday before the wedding I went into my salon with my stylist who has done my hair for quite some time now. Any picture on this website she has done my blonde color for me. And I have always been pleased. She put the color in my hair shampooed me, brought me back to the chair pulled the towel off my head and I GASPED. Oh my god! My hair is gray. She reassured me no no, it's fine it's just the lighting in here. I said ok, took a chill pill and reminded her I was in my bff's wedding and I couldn't be pulling a wagon of sweet adorable children looking like Anderson Cooper. She blew it dry, still looking 50 shades of gray. I voiced my concern several times. Each time she said it was fine, it was blonde. I paid, tipped 20% (Sometimes I do more because I appreciate my stylist, you treat me good and I'll be good to you.) Got home in my own lighting where I know how my hair is supposed to look, put on Mindy's bridesmaid dress because it was purple and just wanted to see if it was picking up any weird gray/purple tones.
BETCH, THIS SHIT IS GRAY AND PURPLE!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL?????????? HELEN KELLER CAN SEE THIS IS NOT BLONDE! (Holding up my halo extensions for reference.) Ok I took a deep breathe, everyone has a bad day. Sent these pics to my stylist and said, "hey lady this is not right AT ALL. We need to fix this ASAP". She responded, come tomorrow at lunch and bring your extensions. Ok great, we have a resolution in place. But I have to be honest with you guys, at this point I really lost respect for her as a stylist that she just shoved me out the door after my many voiced concerns. For as many times as she's done my hair she knew this wasn't right. However, everyone has a bad day, I get it, we are going to fix it. Chris and I joked that night I was as old as him. (He's 40 and I'm 30. He doesn't look his age at all though. Damn you men and your sexy man genes!! And for the record I do not think 40 is old, just poking fun with my boo.) So I came up with some disguises for a worst case scenario to walk down the aisle.
SHIT. Maybe I'll just carry Otis down the aisle. Alright, so I went in the next day to fix it, and took my extensions for reference. Went through the process, she was blowing my hair dry and it still was not blonde. It was like a strawberry-ash blonde. I said AGAIN, are we finished because this still isn't my usual color. And she said yes, it's fine, it's blonde. We held up my extensions. Not even close. At this point, I walked out of the salon got in my car and drove around the block to settle down. Took a picture of the "fixed" color next to my extensions and sent it to Chris.
I'm hiding my face because I was in full ugly cry face mode. I called Chris balling my eyes out and told him to come meet me because I was about to LOSE IT. I realize there are way more important things going on in the world and in each of your lives than messed up hair. I am purely sharing this experience for fun. My best friend was getting married and I just wanted to look like myself.
I went back in the salon pulled the owner over, and shared with her what was going on, and I said my best friend is getting married and I am leaving town tomorrow. I just want to look like me. So she and some other stylists got together and they fixed my hair to the best of their ability and they were apologetic. At this point I thought my hair might fall out from all of the chemicals being put in it over the past 48 hrs but they were great and got me back to blonde hair. This is me and my boo Mindy at her rehearsal.
And I successfully pulled the babies down the aisle!
So will I go back to this salon? No. For these reasons. My stylist never took ownership or apologized. She just kept saying it was fine, trying to shove me out the door to get to her next appointment. And if you don't have enough respect for me and your end result; which ultimately is what I walk around with on my head for the world to see everyday, then I don't need to be your client. This is a business relationship and it just it what it is at this point. The owner was fantastic in resolving the situation however, it took me reaching out to her to get what I wanted and for anyone to even recognize that my hair wasn't right, that it wasn't "fine".
More importantly, the wedding was SO fun!! Mindy is an amazing friend, who has always inspired me to go after life versus waiting around for it to happen for you. She makes me a better person and that was why her day was so important to me.
Lastly, we cannot leave out husband who was on his game this night!! MVP!! He made specialty cocktails and shots out of the back of our SUV and successfully lit 20 sparklers with one hand and then immediately dropping them on the ground when he almost burnt his hand off. You make life an adventure. I don't tell you enough how much I appreciate that.
Until next time friends. No matter what color your hair is, push your shoulders back and chin up because being you rocks.
-LYV.ROX.STYLE