hairy situations

I’m all done with surgery, and it went… well, not so hot. The nurse hit a valve in each hand trying to get an IV in, so I ended up in an extreme amount of pain squirting blood on her and fainting as a result. UGH. I’ve had terrible luck with needles this past month or so, eh?

The procedure went well, but the anesthesia made me throw up in the parking lot when I left. I’m sure they were just happy to have me leave hopefully taking my apparent bad luck with me. 

So, now I’m home with my wrist constantly elevated and a frozen bag of peas keeping the swelling down! Its a fabulous look, I assure you.

Typing one handed is wearing me out, but I promise to update sooner than later!

-Suzy

So, in exactly one week from today, I will be removing Gertrude from my life forever (hopefully). I have kind of run myself ragged with working 6 days in a row and only having one off for 2 weeks straight. I simply can’t help it; I know that I am going to feel bad for every client who calls in just to discover I’m not able to help them. Thankfully, I work with some incredibly talented stylists who will pick up where I left off (hopefully x 2)! It is so unreal to work with so many women and have little to no drama; I do have to credit the people I work with for “keepin’ it real, yo”. We all know there’s more important things to do then spend time not getting along… I mean, we spend more time together than we do with our own families, we BETTER like each other!

So, tomorrow I work 9am to 9pm. Wednesday morning I am going to clean the crap out of my room. Literally. Every time my life gets demanding, my room gets put on the back burner. It goes from a clean haven to a changing room- take of clothes, throw in corner, go through basket of clean clothes, leave. I wish I was one of those people who had cleaning up after myself engrained in my memory, but unfortunately I have never been that person in my entire life and probably never will be! C’est la vie…

I am SO excited for Thanksgiving! Turkey, stuffing, spanikopita, mashed tatoes, etc.! It’s going to be Brett, Steve, Mom and me all hanging out and hopefully playing a LOT of Zelda Skyward Sword! I have instantly fallen in love with the game, and I’ve only just begun playing it! I decided to give myself a one day break from my no bread/no pasta diet, and ONE DAY ONLY (if it’s bold, I’m more likely to stick with it, right?)!

OK, time for bed. I need plenty of rest before my 12 hour day!

-Suzy

Hanging out with Jacob, Cole the cat, and my boyfriend.

watching football and online shopping for NYC (which I think should be tax deductible, right??), and I can’t decide what shoes I “need” more…

OR

I’ve never had red shoes, but I feel like I might get more use out of the black ones. I ALWAYS have black shoes, and I like the fact that they’re not fuede (fake suede) which will inevitably get salt marks all over them from the impending snow (which is set to come to Minnesota in a mere 3 days). 

Any input would be much appreciated!

Alright, now I’ve been informed that I need to get off the internet so that they boys can play video games. Everyone have a fabulous lazy Sunday!

-Suzy 

I’m in the middle of my weekend off, and I’m lucky enough to be celebrating it with many of my friends. Everyone has congratulated me on my finalist status, which still feels incredibly surreal to me. The only thing I’ve EVER won was a turkey at Turkey Bingo in 5th grade at Weaver Lake Elementary (I screamed almost as loud as I did when I got the call from Matrix… almost). Not winning anything since 1995 makes me feel like this is even MORE surreal, like I almost don’t deserve it.

But I do.

I can with all honesty say that winning the trip to NYC is the culmination of every bit of hard work I have put into the career I so passionately have loved for the past 2 years. I did everything humanly possible to put every bit of my soul into hairdressing, and this is the incredible pay-off. I have tried to be humble, and I have tried to deny that this is an earned win, like I am going to New York by complete chance. The fine people of Matrix have seen my passion, and the listened to my message. The best part is, they have heard me loud and clear.

There are very few moments in my life that I’ve reveled in my fortune, but this is one time that I’m allowing myself to.

I. Earned. This.

I am worthy of the trip, the hotel, the time to speak to people I admire, and everything else that comes with this opportunity, and it IS an opportunity. It’s an honor that I do not take lightly. I plan to enjoy every minute of being so close to the opportunity of a lifetime, because I know that on December 16th it could all end. On December 16th, I could watch 6 other people get the opportunity of a lifetime… watch 6 other people be chosen to travel the country in my place.

But for now, I’ll just keep my hopes up. Either way, I’m going to New York, and I am so very thankful for that.

Thank you EVERY SINGLE PERSON who has supported me through this entire contest.

-Suzy

I am one step closer to winning the contest of my dreams, and I can’t even begin to express how much it means to me. I have gone through my adult life hoping that eventually the pieces would fit together; eventually, every experience… every trial and tribulation would lead to something great.

And I’ve found my something great.

I cannot think of an opportunity more perfectly tailored for me. If I could create the perfect person to win this contest, I can honestly say I’d create myself. I know that sounds terribly self-important. I’m trying my best to stay modest, but it’s hard to know when to toot my own horn and when to, well, wait for others to toot it?

OK, that sounds kind of disgusting.

So… here are the details: December 13th, I get on a plane to NYC to meet executives and high-ups at Matrix New York. I do my best to show them what I’m made of, tell them how much I want this and how perfect I am… and hope they agree. They might not, and that scares the heck out of me.

BUT- I was scared I wouldn’t make it past the first round… and I did.

I was scared I wouldn’t make it past the semi-finalist round… and I did.

Even if I don’t win, I have the validation of knowing that they believed in me enough to pay for a plane ride, a hotel, and $300 of expenses for a woman they don’t even know.

That’s pretty freaking awesome.

OK, I need to now create a list of 50 things I hope to get out of this journey.

I could probably write 500…

Goodnight,

Suzy

Hello, lovely tumblr followers! I have recently been selected as one of the semi-finalists in Matrix’s Spread the Love 2012 contest. They sent me 10 questions and asked me to answer as many as possible between a two minute video and one blog entry. Seeing as I only got through 4 questions on my video, I thought I would answer another five in my blog. I hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about me and my passion! 

I am currently 26 years old and reside in the small town of St. Michael, MN. I attended the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis graduating in March of 2010. While at Aveda, I was student council president and made many efforts to make sure that the student body was participating in fund raisers and benefits. I am currently working at Artisan Salon and Spa in the neighboring town of Albertville, MN (who’s only claim to fame is an outlet mall). I knew from the moment I picked up my first pair of shears that I was meant to do hair; I had changed my hair to every color imaginable in my early years, but had never really considered hair school until I had a few years to mature. In my free time, I love to play video games (Zelda is my favorite!), read fashion blogs, hang out with my incredible boyfriend Brett, and go shopping with my mom! My mother is my best friend; she has kept such a great attitude through every terrible curve ball life has thrown at her. My brother lives closer to the big city of Minneapolis, and I try to see him at least once a week for a meal or two. I love traveling, and would love to get a few more passport stamps under my belt before I settle down and start a family!

1.Who is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration would have to be my older brother, Steven. He and I are less than two years apart, and have become very close the older we’ve gotten. Steve has been pursuing a career in music for over a decade now, despite any financial hardships. My brother is incredibly intelligent; it would take him little to no effort to get a “normal” job, and lead a “normal” life. I have often times asked him why he doesn’t cave in to the pressures of society (which puts all too much emphasis on financial gain), and every time he reminds me that his heart is in music. So few people have the courage to follow a dream through thick and thin, and my brother is one of them. I consider it a complete honor to be his sister, and have learned from him what it is to be undyingly passionate about a career. 

2.When do you feel most creative?

I feel creative most all of the time, but I have to say seems to take the most creativity to complete a successful corrective color. Since the first time I had someone sit in my chair with a head of black box-dyed hair asking for me to instantly make it blonde, I’ve made it my goal to take on as many challenging appointments as possible. During my days at beauty school, the educators KNEW to give me the difficult appointments, as I would always make even the craziest of crazies and the pickiest of picky people happy. I wish that I had more opportunities to have truly creative hair cuts or colors, but St. Michael, MN is somewhat of a small town with not too many people who are daring enough to try something completely out of the ordinary. 

3. Where do you look to for inspiration?

Ahhh, how I love to be inspired! I think that most stylists like to flip through a fashion magazine from time to time between appointments, for we all like to see what trends the celebrities are sporting. It’s most commonly a picture of a celebrity my client will bring in for the inspiration of their next cut or color, but I find myself to be much more interested and stimulated looking at street fashion blogs, or even the people I see when I walk down the streets of Minneapolis. It is easy to style beautiful celebrities and/or models, but I think it is much more interesting to see how people style themselves. I love how people express themselves through fashion when left to their own device. We are all saying something to the world through our clothes, make-up, and most importantly hair! When someone is able to put unique looks together, or even wear their hair in a unique way, I find that truly inspiring. It pushes me to help all of my clients do the same.

4.What is your favorite classic hair style and why?

(pictured above is Tracy Palmer with her bridal up-do I did!)

I have always been a sucker for a very well done pin-curl. I have tried to incorporate pin-curls into many brides up-do’s, because I feel like it makes even a slightly casual one seem a little more elegant and put together. Now, if only I could do them on myself…

5.If you could have dinner with industry celebrity or icon, who would it be, and why?

This is a VERY difficult question for me, for there are too many people I would be honored to meet and share a meal with. If I had to narrow it down to one, I currently would pick Tabitha Coffey. She is the perfect example of how you can take lemons (losing on Shear Genius) and turn them into lemonade (her incredibly successful empire). I would have to say that she is one of the more recognizable professionals in the industry, and I had the opportunity to learn even more about her eclectic life when I read her book, “It’s Not Really About the Hair”. Tabitha has taught me many valuable lessons, but most all of them have little to do about an actual technique and more to do with how to treat my clients and my career. Cosmetology school taught me how to cut, and Tabitha helped teach me how to begin to thrive in this industry. I have so much to learn still, and I think that sitting down for a meal with her would definitely change my life. 

6. What would your best friend say about you?

My best friend would say I’m the type of person who will always go out of my way to take care of the ones I love. I’m the type of person who would give away .99 cents if I had only $1.00. I’m dedicated, and I’m loyal and strong. My best friend would also say that I will always lighten up a situation by making people laugh! I think that sometimes a smile and a chuckle will lighten up any situation. He would probably also say something about how good looking I am, but that’s because he’s my boyfriend! He would also say that I am a fabulous stylist, as I’ve been doing his hair for almost a year now. I’m lucky enough to be dating my best friend, and he is so incredibly encouraging of me and my dreams. He is very excited for my possible journey with Matrix, and I know he will be my cheerleader through all of life’s trials and tribulations.

Wow, I have to say that completing these questions has really made me put on my thinking cap! I have always prided myself on being truly honest, and I hope that anyone who reads this knows how incredibly honored I am to have had the opportunity to be considered as a finalist in Spread the Love 2012. 

XOXO

Suzy

Dear reduced fat wheat thins,

Be mine forever.

Love, Suzy and her stomach