Happy National Dance Day

If you like to cry

happy tears, of course! I find a good cry pretty cleansing so here's your fix if you need one ;)

1. This video of a student choir singing for their cancer-stricken teacher
2. This sweet and powerful blog post about losing an infant
3. The most perfect song and video about Andrew McMahon's daughter
4. This adoption story
5. This letter to her child 11 months after his passing

        Maybe I'm crazy but I find such power and peace through these amazing people who have gone through so much. It makes me feel like maybe I can make it through all the hard things that life (inevitably) has to offer. I am grateful for strong humans and shared stories.

5 Things

1. I love these babies.

2. I love this video. (Especially 7:25)

3. Pretty important:

4. I'm painting some furniture this weekend and getting all kinds of inspired on Pinterest.

5. I can't stop watching Friends. (I had no idea how great this show is!!)

Summer Photoshoot

        For this shoot we were inspired by vintage, pastel colors & summer! I'm obsessed with how it turned out! Thanks again to our beautiful models -- Allison, Aspen, Bri, Kate and Tyresha!

Hair: Larken & me
Make up: Larken
Swimsuits: Buzz Swimwear
Photography: Alizabeth Rinner Wheatley

5 Things I'd Tell Someone Starting a Business

        I was really flattered to be apart of Madeline Gray's project on female entrepreneurs and I think she did a great job with her article and this video. It really made me think about how much it meant to make this change in my life and I wanted to share some more of my thoughts here.

        Now that I'm a small business owner (it still sounds weird to say) I have gotten asked about how I started, what advice I'd give and what I wish I'd known. So here are my tidbits of advice that I have to give from my 1 year (woo!) of business experience.

1. Have so much confidence it's almost obnoxious. I say almost because you don't want to actually annoy people ;) Believe that what you're doing is worthwhile and that people will be stoked about it. That can be hard, especially at first when you're nervous! Confidence cannot replace skill but it can sure be the thing that keeps people coming back for more!

2. Be (and stay) organized. It's reeeeeally easy to let things slip, not write things down, etc. One of the best things about having your own business is the flexibility but it comes with a price! Discipline. I am lucky enough to have a baller husband who made me a program to track formulas, pricing, client information and scheduling -- so that has helped out immensely. Find your thing and stick to it!

3. Be okay with failure. Sometimes things just FLOP and it's totally okay. For me, sometimes a color doesn't take, I run behind schedule or I spray water from the shampoo bowl everywhere. In the beginning I had some sloooooow weeks. I had every version of "I'm not good enough to do this" and "what was I thinking going out on my own" go through my head. Punch those voices in the face. Get back up, go back out there. You got this. Now? I'm like "myphoneneverstopsbuzzingwithtextsfromclients" and it's the best ever. I worked so hard for it!

4. Be flexible. I initially thought that this adventure would give me tons of flexibility with my schedule (and it for sure does in some ways, helloooo Washington for the holidays) but you really never stop working. I am constantly texting/calling clients, picking stuff up for the salon, doing laundry, brainstorming color formulas and oh yeah, actually doing hair! I'll do a client at a weird hour of the day, or go pick up drinks/trail mix at 7am to make sure people are happy. They're my boss!

5. Have courage and be kind (to quote the -- IMHO -- best version of Cinderella). But seriously. They definitely hit on something important there. Courage helps you do things that are really hard and potentially risky. Kindness makes the road a little more enjoyable for every person that crosses yours. Starting a business is not easy but it is very rewarding. If you take the risk, work really hard and are nice to those around you it's impossible to fail. If I can do it, you can do it!!