Blessings

Blessings

This past year has been so full of change for me. I truly do believe that every hardship I’ve had has been a blessing in my life. I have been able to move out of my parent’s home and in doing so I have been able to see them, my family, my teenager years and my choices in a new perspective. I have so much in my life to be grateful for. So I am going to share a few of those with you (in no particular order).

11- My Parents

Lord knows we didn’t always get along, we still don’t, but I was born of goodly parents. I know this because no matter how many mistakes they made they tried their best. And through all of our fights and problems they love me. I know they will always love me. My parents taught me to work hard for what I have and to think for myself. They taught me how to respect (even though I didn’t always respect them!) and how to laugh at myself.

22- My Family
I know my parents are part of my family, but they are like a subsection of my family, and I felt they deserved their own number. My sisters are my best friends. They have done so much for me, even when they are just listening to my boy problems (and there are A LOT of them!) or giving me a hug when I am down. They are my support system and my SWAT team. Anytime I am down I can count on my sisters to listen with open hearts, give me ice cream and then a laugh.  I love my sisters and my brother so much. They are the best.

33- My School
Education is so important to me, and I love my school. I love getting to know new clients, building my clientele, learning new techniques, using new product and growing my knowledge. The longer I am in school, the more I know what I am doing and the more I love what I am doing too.  My school is the best one out there, with small class sizes, teachers who care, a lenient dress code and some of the best education around I can’t complain.

44- My Job
Arby’s is by no mean a glamorous place to work, but I have had several jobs in the last few years and I have never enjoyed going to work until Arby’s. I have some great bosses and coworkers. There have been times when I have laughed so hard at work that I am literally on the floor. We are a family there. I love my employees and coworkers and it’s great to be someplace where you feel worth something and part of a team. I won’t be there forever, but it’s a great place to be until I finish school.

55- My Self Esteem
It has taken a long time for me to love myself. But I do. Some days I love myself more than others, some days less. But I know that some people spend their whole lives never loving who they are inside. I love myself. I love myself because I work hard to be the best I can be every single day. Even when I mess up I get back up and try.

66- God
My relationship with God and Jesus Christ has grown immensely in the last year. In the last two weeks it’s grown even more. I stand in amazement as I think about all that the lord has done for me, and all he continues to do for me even though I have not always given him the respect and the glory he deserves. I am still growing that relationship and I know that it will continue to grow until the day I die.

Final Words <3 Be thankful for everything in your life. 

Swear Words

 Dictionary definition of swearing (yes I only posted the definition that is relevant):

To use profane or offensive language

          The way I see it is there are some words that world has deemed profane and offensive. When you look into the history of some of these words they really aren’t that bad, and there modern meanings aren’t too far off from what they used to. Ship High In Transit was written on bags of manure when being shipped overseas. If the dry pellets were on the floor they’d get wet and soggy and smell like…. Well shit ;) haha. Fornication Under Consent of the King. Prostitution was illegal without a license. And the only women who were licensed were those who were seeing the king himself. It was like calling someone a hooker, a prostitute, well back then you called them a fuck. It all has to do with the same thing right?

            I don’t mind swear words as long as they aren't overused. Once in a while I’ll get a little high on life and use one or two more than usual, and sometimes I am just really angry and I use a couple extra. But I hate those losers who say things like “Then mother flipping flippers need to get the flip out of my flippin neighborhood!” (I censored that just for you ;] ) All I can think is, “Excuse me have you ever heard of a dictionary? When people say “Go F’ yourself” I want to say “You do realize you just told me to masturbate right? Just think about that.” But all in all I don’t mind swearing. But there are some words that I find offensive. I do not like using them. Every time I think about saying them around someone else I am immediately on the defense and you can believe that there is a train wreck of emotions happening inside of my head.

11-      The “F” word

Whenever some says feelings, I know it’s no good. These things seem to get in the way of a lot of things in my life. I don’t like them.

22-      The “M” word

Waking up is one of the worst things in the world. And until I meet someone wonderful who will share this misery with me and make it a little less awful, Morning is right out of my ‘okay-words list’

33-      The “B” word

When has the word break ever been a good thing? Break means to stop, end, or destroy something. You can break a bone, break up, break a promise, take a break (even at work I seriously don’t like taking a break). Except for when you are breaking a leg on stage the word break is one that I prefer not to hear.

Those are the three big ones. I am so sorry that all of you had to be subjected to such language, but you knew what this was about when you began didn’t you?

Final Words <3 What’s your personal swear word?  

The Big Secret

Well actually it’s not that big of a secret. I have told a lot of my friends and three of my family members what I've been up to. The ones that I didn't tell have guessed what I've been doing. Yes my friends I have been taking LDS missionary lessons. Well not really lessons, I already know all of the stories. It’s been more of a Q&A. I say “this is what I don’t believe” and they say “this is why it is the way it is.”

Throughout this last month and a half of these lessons I have come to realize one thing. I am not Mormon. I found that with almost every single aspect of it I was telling myself I could just believe it and have faith even though it didn't make any sense at all. And I can do that in religion with a thing or two, but I simply can’t do it for all aspects. I would pray and cry asking God to just tell me it was all true. But he didn't  I didn't feel peace or light or happiness, I felt confusion and pressure and sickness.

Then I went on a little walk around the Provo River. I saw orange leaves and moving grass and ducks. It was stunning. Then I prayed. And I felt so much power and peace when I prayed and instead of asking “is this true?” I asked “Where do I belong? Where do you want me to be so that I can learn what I need from this life? Was I already there before this LDS endeavor?” And I felt a warm peace in my heart and I opened my eyes and I saw three butterflies.

I don’t know why God wants me to be a Nature Based Wiccan. I don’t know why he can’t give me a testimony of the Mormon Church but I do know that he wants me where I am. Whether it be because I can’t handle the whole truth, or because I need this religion to learn what I need to for this life, or because maybe I actually have the true religion. I don’t care what his reasoning is, this is where he wants me to be and this is where I am.

Final Words <3 : Accept people from all religions, and love them, and trust that God has a plan for them even if you don’t understand it.

I Want to Turn it All Off

Life is a struggle sometimes. I know it's cliche to say that my heart and my head disagree sometimes, but they do. But sometimes I am in a situation where my heart and my head agree and I still don't listen. Where everything inside of me is telling me to do something and I say no, because it's scary. I was recently in a situation where I realized that I had a choice, end something or wait for it to be ended by someone else. I knew things would never last. I told myself to end it, but every time the opportunity arose I retreated. I don't like endings. Then it was ended for me, and it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. I knew it was coming, I even told a few friends it was coming and i could feel it, but as prepared as I was the feeling of inadequacy really stung.

It's times like these that I need to remember three important sayings, they help me through almost everything, and I guess I'll share them now.

1: I'm just a Caterpillar
I know you all know by now I am obsessed with butterflies. I wont go into a ton of detail here because you've heard my analogy one million times on this blog. But essentially I am a caterpillar and I am going through hurt and pain and lessons so that one day I can become a butterfly. It's not easy but I'm going to get there.

2: They Build Buildings so Tall These Days
This saying is my background on my computer, it was my facebook cover for half a year, and it's a poster on my wall. The core meaning of this phrase is that people build expectations of life, marriage, love, and happiness so tall. They make everything out to be big and grand and sometime life just sucks. And sometime happiness, love, and marriage are really really hard. But you stay. You stay and you love and you give and you hope and you dream and you try to become better. Because reality is not as grand as those buildings.

3: I'm Prefect not Ideal
I had a good friend once who is a poet. One of my favorites he ever wrote talked about how perfection means something is as good as it can possibly get. Ideal on the other hand is as good as you can imagine something to be. Humans are by nature flawed. But we can imagine a flawless person, that person is ideal. But since humans can not possibly be flawless our true potential is one where we are constantly learning and growing and searching and working to become more than what we are. And I am doing that. I am working. So I am perfect. I am not ideal, I am not flawless, but I am the best I can possibly be at this time, and that is perfect.


And it wouldn't be my blog if I didn't finish with the song that I am in love with right now and may or may not be on repeat as i type this post haha.
This would be Everyone's Waiting by Missy Higgins from her newest album The Ol' Razzle Dazzle. This song just talks about someone who is at a turning point in their life. They are trying to make some big choices and there is so much pressure on them they feel like breaking. I am feeling like that right now, but my pressure is internal. A lot of people don;t know what I'm doing but I know what they want me to do, what they want me to become and sometimes that pressure is just to much for me handle. It's the pressure to gain acceptance from almost every single person I know by making one single choice. I'm sure most of us have or will experience this feeling of pressure in our lifetime. My favorite part of this song is when she says "all of those painful lessons you've had to learn, you gotta use them now or never. 'Cause everyone's waiting, but's getting harder to hear what my heart keeps saying, Turn it off I want to turn it all off..."

Final Words <3 Turn off all the noise in  you head, follow your heart and remember that you are just a caterpillar  so just do your best and you'll be fine. 

Things I Should Have Appreciated More While I was at Home

So I live on my own now, and while I am loving it (like a ton!) I am also realizing that there are A LOT of things my mommy used to do for me that i am supposed to do for myself now... So this is an 18-years late thanks to my mom! These are the things I miss the most about living at home.

1- Having Little Things Bought for Me

did you know that cleaning supplies are REALLY expensive? I mean bleach here and windex there isn't so bad but when you have to get it all at once that stuff adds up! Same with toilet paper! Sheesh! I'm sorry I used so much of it when I lived at home. I am now someone who is counting my sheets to make sure I only use a few squares so I can conserve what I have! And I have sworn off paper towels! Those things are always gone! I just bought a roll but no, it's gone like thirty seconds later!

2- Having a Taxi Cab

I never knew how much you drove me around until I didn't have you to drive me around anymore. I am one tired and calloused Angela after all of the walking I do to get places! I know you always told me that you were sick of driving us around so often but I always thought you were whiny and irritating... you were irritating and whiny but it was justified! And I still use you whenever I can! You come out and take me one place and I try to get you to take me all over so I can get anything I might possibly need ever! haha! Thanks for being such a good sport!

3- DINNER! 
Oh man, you have no idea how many times I have not eaten dinner at all because I just don't want to make it! I didn't think making dinner could be such a drag. But it is! And mine never taste as good....

4- Having a Listener

I know that when we talked it often resulted in an argument but I miss those! I miss human contact! I have work and school and roommates who live in their rooms and I have no sisters and mom to talk to about my day all of the time! I have no mom-micking! I miss your crazy and wicked ways!

5- Amenities of Living at Home

I miss having a DVR, a comfy couch that doesn't smell funny, more things to cook with, three bathrooms, my old room, a washing machine at home, it was like anything I needed (glue, tape, bobby pins, crafting stuff, ect.) was somewhere in the house and all I had to do was find it... now I have to buy it.... yuck...


There you all go. I love living on my own! I really do! I have more freedom, I love the responsibility, I love being able to walk places, I love being able to stay out as late as I want and being able to make (most of) my own rules. I love it a lot. But I want to say thanks to my mom for all she used to do for me that I never realized she did (or at least not to the extent!)! And all that she does for me now even though I may not realize it!

♥Final Words: I love you mommy!

Saying Goodbye

This summer a lot of incredible and young people have lost or taken their lives. I know a lot of my friends have been having a hard time. The count simply keeps rising and I am loosing track. A lot of these people I know but I was never close to them. So I guess I have been a little numb to their loss. But there are two who have really hit me hard. Two with completely different lives and attitudes who have made me feel a little emptier. So I want to say Goodbye.

Cory Cloward was a friend of mine at Mapleton Jr. High. He was bold, rude, and funny. He didn’t care about anything, but he had a big heart and under his hard exterior was someone who cared about everyone who was close to him. We had some tender moments Cory and I. He was a pretty good friend of mine. He did give me a few pep talks and he also hooked me up with a few people when I was down. Haha he was my wingman and my chauffeur. I remember smoking cigarettes at the park with him after parties laughing as hard as we could about almost nothing. I remember spirit club in jr. high and all of the good times we had together there. Once we hit high school, we parted. But for most of Sophomore Year he and I attended every single choir concert from our old jr. high and after every single one of them we would drive around for hours talking and having a good time.

I was at school when my friend Shania called me to tell me he had left us by his own choice. At first I thought it was a joke, I thought I had heard wrong. Then I got angry. He was an asshole all the way up until his death. Then I realized how much I loved that asshole and how I would never see him again. The truth of the matter was I hadn’t seen him for about a year at that point and I would probably never see him again anyways, but I couldn’t now. And there was a hole. And I had to work for the funeral, and I didn’t get to say goodbye or mourn with my old friends who were there for each other. And I felt alone and empty. So one day I went there alone and I cried for barely any time at all and then I felt a little peace. Cory is not gone. He is just going onto the next thing.

Sometimes I forget he’s gone. I really feel like he is just waiting around the corner to jump out and say “Got you!” haha he was that kind of guy, always having the last laugh, and always laughing. He will be missed. Rest in peace Cory, I will see you again.

The second person that I really must say goodbye to is Mike Creviston. I met Mike my sophomore year of high school in Spanish. I dropped out of Spanish half way through the year, but mike is the only reason I didn’t fail the first two terms. He was always thinking of me and trying to help me out and make sure I understood. And I am far too prideful to ask for help but Mike noticed I was struggling and so he extended a hand to help me. And although we didn’t have a single class together for the rest of my high school career he would say high to me in the halls all the time. We had several mutual friends so we often saw each other and every time we did he’d give me a hug and say something like “Hey Angie! I haven’t seen you in a long time, what’s been going on?” And he was so genuine. He really cared about everyone and how they were doing.

Then on Sunday he decided he needed to leave us. And now many of us feel like our ray of sunshine is missing. I have yet to meet someone who saw it coming, but all of us feel like we should have known. Mike was always asking how you are, is everything okay, can I help? Well Mike I wish you’d told us you weren’t okay and how we could have helped because there were so many of us who wanted to. Rest in Peace Mike. I know that you too are going on to the next big thing. I will see you again.

Goodbyes can be hard but my mom has always told me that when people die they aren’t gone. They are just moving on. They are still in our hearts and our minds and they may even be here guiding us towards something better. But they are somewhere else; moving on to do whatever it is God needs of them. And one day we will see these two great spirits again. So it’s not really goodbye is it?

<3 Final Words: Until we meet again, I will always have you in my heart Cory and Mike

Cory Cloward                                Mike Creviston

   

MOVING! AHHHHH!

Yes that’s right folks, this girl right here has moved! I have taken a giant leap all the way for Springville to Provo Utah! ;) I am now living down the road from my school and work. It has been…. an experience and it’s only been three days! First of all I have three roommates. One of them is super Mormon, one is super not, and one is super friendly but she seems like a good medium. Jenna (the medium) shares a bathroom with me and I love it because she actually wanted a system. She makes plans to make sure that the next year runs smoothly. I am a fan!

I just feel all adult and grown up! I live on my own (sort of), with my own dishes, my own comforter, and my own pans, and my own food, and rent! I pay rent! I can’t do that I’m still a baby! Haha. Time is flying so fast! And it's true what they say, Provo is a meat market! I have been asked on three dates in the three days I've been here! The whole time I just wanted to say “I’m sorry but you’re to Mormon for me.” Hahaha just kidding! Two of them seemed like very nice guys.

Now for a few thoughts on my favorite topic, MUSIC! I have found a few songs that I feel I must share with you! One of these is Merry Happy, by Kate Nash. This song talks about being in a relationship that you love with someone that makes you ‘merry happy’ and then it ends. The reason I love this song is that Kate doesn’t talk about the world crashing down with the relationship. Instead she says “So I learnt from you.” Another part I love is when she says “I can be alone, I can watch the sunset on my own.” I love that. I can watch the sunset on my own and feel its warmth and beauty and be happy all on my own. I love it! Plus I always love unique voices, and I love Kate Nash’s!

The second song I must share with you all is one I have known and loved for a long time now but I am falling in love with it again. This would be the song Sugarcane, by the amazing Aussie, Missy Higgins! I swear I will sing this song to my child if I ever have kids. The song begins by singing to a child. She says that the baby is safe for now, but she is just beginning a game that will change her forever. Then she sings “So grow tall sugarcane, eat that soil and drink the rain. But know they’ll chase you if you play their little games, so run, run fast sugarcane.” The second verse is the all time best part. Missy sings about herself, and how she has found a way to love her and not care about others, but the ballerina has not found that yet.

And for the last song I have a radio hit that you’ve all probably heard, I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz. My favorite lines of this song (which are most people’s favorite lines) are “Even the stars they burn, some even fall to the earth, we’ve got a lot to learn and God knows we’re worth it,” and I also love the part where he says “Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the gifts and tolls we’ve got yeah we’ve got a lot at stake” and then “We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in. I had to learn what I’ve got, and what I’m not, and who I am.” The biggest reason that I love this song is because I feel like it is interchangeable. The song is geared towards a typical dating/marriage relationship. But when I hear this song I don’t think of me and a guy. I think of the three most important relationships in my life. My family and I, God and I, and myself and I. These are the three relationships that have taken the most work and were the most painful. These are the people who I will be with for my whole life and never stop working to be closer to. Accepting, getting to know, and loving my family, God and myself have been the biggest challenges ever but I am so much stronger for it and I will continue to become stronger for it.

And of course I have posted a little playlist of those three songs for you to listen to if you’d like. 

♥Final Words: Life is an adventure, so take it and make the best you possibly can of everything that is thrown your way! 

Three Major Problems with Relationships and Dating

I hate dating. I have been in a relationship for the last few years, and I haven’t really been in the game at all through high school but now I am, and I hate dating. There are three major problems with relationships in my opinion. All of which I overcome because as you all know I am perfect ;] haha. So I am going to talk about the three things anyone and everyone in or looking for a relationship should think about.

#1 – The Most Important Kind of Love

Everyone is looking for their other half, or their missing piece. But the most important kind of love a person can have is self respect. Love you. But in order to love you, you have to get to know yourself a little bit. One of my favorite examples of this is the movie Runaway Bride. Julia Roberts stars in this movie as Maggie, the girl who has run away at the altar FIVE times! Why? Richard Greer (her charming costar) interviews the ex-grooms to find out. It’s because she didn’t know her. She conformed to the person she loved. And she did love these men, she just didn’t love herself. And how could she? She didn’t know herself so that she could love herself. Take that time, find you, love you, be you, and commit.

#2 – Alone Time

I am a needy person. I’ll be the first to admit that I like spending all of my time with the person I care for. But my sister once said a very wise thing (as she often does). She said “In a healthy relationship there needs to be a you, a me, and an us together.” That is SO true. Let him have guy time, and friend’s time. Make sure YOU have you time and girl time as well. If you don’t you’ll lose you in the togetherness and you will feel trapped. And then if anything goes south and your relationship is over, people who kept themselves will not feel as inclined or desperate to go find a new man to be together with again. They will be content with just themselves.

#3 – Work

Relationships are work. That’s all there is to it. Sometimes a VERY lucky person meets someone who they never argue with and they get along with %97 of the time, but that hardly ever happens. Don’t be bent on being one of the few who hardly ever have to work. Good relationships are based on trust, communication, compromise, and all of those things take WORK! If things aren’t easy don’t quit! Work on it! Fight for it! Otherwise you will never find “the one”. (in my opinion there is no the one anyways. Any two people who love each other and have the same values and goals in life can be together IF they are willing to work of coarse :] )

<3 Final Words: Make sure that you love, work for, and find yourself always :] 

Love is a Four Way Street

It's no secret that I love musicals, and Rent is one of my favorites. This musical has a lot of great messages and music, but today I am going to focus on Roger and Mimi's story. Roger has had a lot of heart ache and break in his life, and is no longer open to love or to who he is. Mimi is a sexy, fun, outgoing girl who lives life on the edge from minute to minute. There comes a point where Mimi is hurt that Roger wont be with her, they care for each other and she gave their relationship her all and he just didn't seem to care. He says to her "You're words are nice Mimi but love is not a three way street, You'll never share real love until you learn to love yourself, I should know." I love that line. Love is often thought of as a two way street, you love me I love you. In Roger and Mimi's case love was a three way street, she loved him, her loved her, and she loved herself. True love IS a four way street. I love me, you love you, you love me, I love you. That's how it needs to be.

Nowadays people are to focused on relationships. When a young girl gets into high school one of her main goals is to date a senior, or to find a guy to hold hands down the hall with. Everyone spends so much time trying to find another person that they don't find themselves. Music is an obvious inspiration in my life. But in this case I am disappointed. All of the songs on the radio talk about finding your 'soul mate', your 'other half', saying that someone has 'a little piece of you', or that your 'life would incomplete' or 'over' without this other person. It's just stupid. Why don't we teach young people to find themselves, their values, their standards, their interests, and what they are and aren't good at and passionate about. Then when they are pleased with themselves they can find another person who is pleased with them self and they can be together. People will always change, that's natural. People change, they grow, but you have to have a core before you can grow with someone else in a healthy relationship. Haven't you seen Runaway Bride? (I love Julia Roberts!!!) 

Final Words <3 Who are you?

Here's the Clip from Rent as this group of friends falls apart after the death of Angel, one of the brightest and most inspiring of them all. I watched this four times and I seriously cried. I am watching Rent tonight. 

Inspiration in Nature

Do you know why I love nature so much? Because I can tell that my heavenly father and mother love me because of the beauty in this earth. Sometimes I notice things happening in the plants, trees and animals around me and I can't help but feel like he made things like that just for me, just so I could know he loves me and wants me to be strong. Here are some of the beautiful things I have seen in nature lately that inspire me.

1: Tulips

There are a few tulips in my yard and lately they have been in bloom! There is one that grows kind of behind a bush that is right next to our front porch. Every time I walk in and out of the house I look at that tulip. It began to grow and I watched it get taller. Then it bloomed out it's beautiful petals and the weather changed and it snowed. After it became warm again the petals didn't open for a while, but slowly they did peak open, until snow came again. They closed and it took a long while once again for the tulip to unfold but it did and when the cold came it stood open and strong.

It reminds me of us on earth, how we go through hard times and shut down, go through trials and we fall, we stumble and break. But eventually we find the courage to open up again, and we still get hurt. Until one day all of that pain can come together and become strength. Then we can stand up through pain, hurt, and betrayal.

2: Birds

When a baby bird hatches the mother feeds it, keeps it safe and warm, until one day that baby bird is strong. Then does she teach it to fly with lessons? Does she tell it step by step what to do to keep itself healthy and safe for the rest of it's life? Does she help it go build a nest of it's own? No, she pushes it out of the nest to go and learn all it needs to. Often baby birds die within a few days of being pushed out of their nest. But some don't, they take the challenge and they learn to fly. And one day they have baby birds of their own that they push out of their nest, because they know that is what is best for them.

I kind of feel pushed out of the nest sometimes. I mean God didn't send me here with a map, or a few tips and tricks. He sent me here cold turkey, putting me through a veil so I couldn't remember him. He put me here to try to learn and grow and find him through faith in my own way. He did this knowing that some of his children wouldn't find their way, they wouldn't make it, but it's what is best for them.

3: Butterflies

I went to visit my sister JoAnn and her family in Alabama for a week, and while I was there she shared this analogy with me and I just love it! Caterpillars, they have to eat, and eat, and eat. They are small and weak yet they have to protect themselves from people and animals all the while eating and eating and eating. Once they have stored enough energy they create a cocoon. While they are in this cocoon they go through immense pain. Their body is literally being torn apart and transformed into something new. Some caterpillars freeze in their cocoons and don't make it. But some do. And one day that cocoon opens up and a beautiful butterfly comes out.

We are caterpillars, we are eating and eating, storing faith, wisdom, knowledge and experience to help us get through a painful long process that some people can't handle. But one day we will become beautiful, free, and happy butterflies. I am just a caterpillar trying to become a butterfly. Every time I see a butterfly I think of this and I am well a touch obsessed with butterflies now.

I know these are all pretty dorky and repetitive, but it's just another reason I know that there is someone out there who loves me. Another reminder that I am not alone in a world so big that can seem so lonely.

Final Words♥: Inspiration was put on this Earth for everyone, to remind us of our Heavenly Mother and Father's love for us, to remind us that they are always here.

Cosmetology School

On March 5th, 2012 I went to my very first day of school at Renaissance Acadmie of Hair Design in Provo, Utah. Yes my friend (if you didn't already know) cosmetology school. It took a while to find the right school, I considered MATC's program (due to the low cost) but I was warned by managers of high end salons, and Great Clips that MATC students didn't often get hired because the education the were given was poor. So that MATC out of the running. Still I checked out Aveda, Taylor Andrews, and Renaissance. (Paul Mitchell is too expensive, and all you are paying for is a brand!)

Aveda and Taylor Andrews had some huge issues. When I walked in I felt like I was in a high school gym. mirror, chair, mirror, chair, lined the walls. I swear students were packed on the floor like sardines! The cost of learning to do "advanced makeup" was $2,000! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? The class sizes had several students with only one instructor, and at Taylor Andrews the school was so new that you couldn't get any government aid at it, but they'd discount tuition to $8,000 (which is insanely cheap for school).

My experience at Renaissance was a something entirely different. I toured the small school (it's on a strip mall in between a UPS store and a tanning salon! =] ) When I walked in it looked and felt like a real salon. There was space between the booths! Another HUGE bonus, I didn't feel like I was in a funeral home! The students aren't required to wear all black. The dress code rules here are the loosest I've seen at ANY school. You can wear pretty much anything except no shorts above the knee, no tube, tank, or halter tops, nothing with holes in it that looks old and ratty and no blue jeans. And that's only BLUE jeans, you can wear red, purple, teal, green (ect.) jeans! I LOVED IT! You can get your tuition paid for by the Gov with Pell Grants and FAFSA money, AND on top of that they had those extra classes! Eyelash Extensions (you learn AND receive them) for only $30! Compared to the $150-$300 other places! Makeup Classes were only $50! That is a FAR cry from $2,000! They have other specialty classes as well!

So far I have been in the Core Class (Month and a half long full time classes where you just learn the basics) and I graduated on FRIDAY! So now I can be out on floor! As I learn to do new services I will post them on Facebook so any of you can come in and get one! It is usually a TON less than a professional salon, and don't worry, the students are heavily supervised by an instructor! Right now I can do hair cuts and colors. I can also do a deep conditioning treatment and a scalp treatment. For prices, location, or more info on the school's program itself, go to www.hairschoolonline.com

So far I love what I am doing, and I hope that this can be a real career for me in the future!

Final Words♥: If want to do something GO FOR IT! I had tons of people tell me that I was 'to smart' or that I would be 'wasting my time' in hair school. BUT I LOVE IT! I am so glad I stuck to my guns and got into school! Now I am doing something that I love and makes me happy!