Welcome to the New Year!!

"When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things."
-Positive Thinking Every Day" by Norman Vincent Peale

Hi there 2011!

Welcome to the new year everyone! So far so good out here in Boulder.

We had a nice day full of behind the scenes hockey from HBO, a wonderful hockey game set outdoors and a fantastic meal of pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans. I even got in a little sauerkraut for good luck.

The biggest thing is to keep on going and to keep positive. Look to the good in life and let it into your heart. Think positive, surround yourself with goodness and you'll start to find yourself doing better and feeling better... and doing incredible things in the end.

Here's to make 2011 the best year ever!

End of the year lookback

"Know that there is no death, that all life is indivisible, that the here and the hereafter are one, that time and eternity are inseparable, that this is one unobstructed universe. We are citizens of eternity."

For anyone who knows me, it can be safely said that I have a tendency to get wrapped up in details and have trouble seeing the big picture many times.

Who knows why this last year was so hard? Who knows why our heat keeps breaking or why its so cold in Boulder this week? Who knows why I failed my test or why I just don't seem to be able to get away from my current job situation?

I find that I take solice in the idea that I'm part of a bigger picture. A beautiful addition to the painting... or a crucial, if in my own way, part of the puzzle.

Simple pleasures, such as watching a Hockey game with friends. An occasional beer with dinner. The hug of a loved one. Or even toasting the new year with mini champagne bottles. We actually had fun tonight with our champagne bottles in "mini buckets" (they were actually glasses with ice that we set them in).

Goodbye 2010! You were a good year, in your own way... full of trials and tribulations, but also full of triumphs and successes... questions and answers... and more babies than you can shake a rattle at. I know of about five babies born this last month and two more people that are freshly pregnant.

I guess my point is that there are always ups and downs in this crazy old world. But its okay, really. Things even out in the long run and many times things work out for the best in the end.

Snow, LLCs and the Psychology of Positive

"Take the best into your mind and only that. Nurture it, concentrate on it, visualize it, prayerize it, surround it with faith. Make it your obsession. Spiritually creative mind power aided by god power will produce the best."
-Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Its finally snowing in Boulder. But not just snowing, its been snowing quite heavily for most of the day. Tonight its forecasted to be around 3 degrees below zero. It is really beautiful outside, actually. Its kind of like a frosted paradise.

I'm always struck by the simple beauty of the falling flakes. Downy fluff falling from the heavens to blanket the world with a deep stillness. It feels like nature is breathing deep, on the verge of sleeping for a good long while. A soft, cold sleep til spring.

Unfortunately, until about 14 hours ago, that was not the case. Its been unseasonably warm lately. In fact, the day after Christmas, I actually saw someone swimming in an outdoor pool in town. But its snowing now, and mother nature seems to be trying to make up for time lost. It is gorgeous outside, despite the road conditions. :D

Ah... cue the music and enjoy the snow!
Florence and the Machine: Dog Days are Over!

During a slower time at work today, I was searching around on the internet for possible names for a mobile spa business. I finally stumbled on a good name for my business: Goddess to go, LLC or, on promotional material it will be: Goddess to go! A mobile spa

Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with myself today. Its pretty easy to register an LLC for Colorado online. Exciting stuff, actually. Naturally, I won't launch the actual business until I'm legally able to practice Cosmetology. But at least now I have the business registered and named. Good stuff.

Now, a word on todays positivity. Let in the good! Its working... amazing as it sounds, making sure that you think positive and look to the good in every day that good things start coming out. I actually surprised myself today by complementing something in my life that I generally put down and denigrate.

Actually... I did that twice in the same conversation and before that, I was doing that with a coworker as well. Amazing things are happening to my blood pressure and the knot in my stomach is slowly starting to unwind.

There is a definite change for the better. Its much like a winter in my heart at the moment. Deep, still, quiet and cool. There is potential for great beauty and vibrant, colorful beauty. Its there, under a thick blanket of freshly fallen snow.

But spring is coming... I can feel it in my roots

Uplifting exercise

"Never think down - always think up!"
-Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Last night, after dinner and blogging, I went for a jog. Bundled in two shirts, two light 'workout' jackets, a big scarf, hat and gloves, and with my new sketcher tone-ups; I braved the cold and half ran half jogged all the way to my work and back.

Apparently its a good idea to wear a scarf over your mouth to avoid what my friend Adam calls "bloody lungs". Now, I'm not a doctor, or an athlete really... by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm pretty sure that that is not really what its called. LOL

Today, along with a little bit of a cough from my evening jaunt, I woke with a lovely UP feeling. I credit a combination of positive thinking and working out last night with this uplift.

I think this whole "thinking up" idea is good, actually... because there is an amazing power in the human mind to trick itself into certain behaviors. So, here's to the power of the mind, right? Hurray!

Progress... exciting? Hmm...

"Set aside a few minutes every day to say aloud such words as 'exciting,' 'dynamic,' 'marvelous,' 'fabulous,' 'terrific.'
-December 28th, "Positive Thinking Every Day" by Norman Vincent Peale

The biggest hurdle in changing your mindset has to be the repetition... just the blinding monotony of same thoughts until you really believe the stuff you're saying to yourself.

In case you're wondering, I'm trying to change my attitude toward my life. I'm excited about this, actually. Its a terrific idea and I'm feeling marvelous... LOL Well, I'm trying...

Today I rescheduled my test for January 11th in Aurora. So that should be interesting. Could be fabulous, right? It has the potential to be dynamically marvelous in a terrific way, actually. :D

The only hitch in this amazing and wonderful and (this time) life-changing experience is that I have to re-learn a lot of criteria and re-do my kit. *shrugs* such is life.

I think the biggest thing that I really need to keep in mind is that no matter what happens. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS...

my friends and family will still love me.

They don't care if I'm super successful or stuck in a dead-end job. Its all going to be alright. Maybe I won't do what I had set out to do in the first place... but you know what? I'm going to be alright. One way or the other.

Perspective on Failing (first attempt)

"Never react emotionally to what happens but always look for and find in every circumstance the good that's surely present there."

Wow... wish I had known that earlier today. I feel that I handled myself very well, all things considered.

Granted, I was failed on my first attempt at taking my Colorado State Boards Practical examination.

Yes, I was failed on a technicality. Officially, the reason given was that my "sections were uneven".

Literally, any item on the test not fulfilled is grounds for automatic failure of the test.

Okay, I'll admit that I'm not happy in the least about the situation. Most likely I'll have to either

A: beg, borrow, steal and whatever else to get a test date before the end of the year(I'm not holding my breath on that one.*grins*)

or B: Relearn all of the criteria so that I can take the test using the all-new rules for 2011(which also means that I'll have to redo my kit before testing as well, and possibly go in for some training at school for it.)

Either way, I'm trying to look to the positive side. Ya know, it could be that this is all for the best. As someone quite wise told me today, "who knows, you might just look back when you're seventy and realize that it was all for a reason.". Jill, I sure hope you're right!

In the meantime,
...it was good that I tested in Greeley because I got to reminisce for a while before the test of when I went to school at UNCO.

...it was good that I had a chance to see how the test worked and what the facilities are like. (Including the heating and air conditioning. That room was quite warm... then again, I was really nervous too.)

...it was good that after the test, I got to hang out with Megan, who I rarely get to see. We had a lovely dinner and then proceeded to eat every sugary thing we could think of... it was wonderful.

...it was amazingly good to see how truely blessed with people who care about me that I am! So many people have called or emailed or texted or a combination therof about my attempt today that I was almost brought to tears of joy. How great is it to know that even in the darkest hour, you still have so many people who care?

Sunday Update...

The fun part of working and going to school is that there is an amazing variety of experiences every week.

This week at work, we were informed that it was almost official that our store's manager's bosses boss was going to be visiting and inspecting the store. Needless to say, we were put to work in getting the store up to snuff.

Unfortunately, by the end of the day on Monday we hadn't quite finished up some key elements like cleaning the restrooms and stocking all of the paper that we'd just had delivered. I took it on myself to do those couple of things that I could after my shift was supposed to end and ended up staying about two and a half hours late.

We didn't end up getting our inspection, but for a few days the store looked quite nice, which was fun. The bad part was that I ended up starting the week on a bad foot: I was exhausted at the start... :P

Tuesday night at school was quiet and relaxed, but with all of the stress at work, I was having some trouble concentrating and ended up pacing between bouts of bookwork. We also received our progress reports for our hours and I'm happy to report that I'm officially at 1352 hours, which means that in two weeks I'll be able to start our baby boards program at Longs Peak Academy.

"Baby Boards" is a training that we have for our Colorado State Board Licensure practical testing. I already have quite a few of the elements, and my friend's have already given me some tips on how to put the kit together that make it easier and a little less expensive.

Wednesday was fun... busybusybusy fun... LOL I had three color services(one was my Mom, one was a regular who had never had color from me before, and one was a color correction), a Salt Glow body treatment, and a Microdermabrasion(3 areas: face, neck and decollete). Having those last three Microderms means that I've officially finished up my requirements for my Microdermabrasion certification, so upon graduation I can do them at any facility that offers them. Hurray!

Actually, here's a lovely before and after of my regular customer:
Before:

and After:


Thursday at work was exhausting, both mentally and physically. We had a "surprise" visit from our manager's boss that involved lots of walking around the store and "trying to give the customer the BEST experience possible" and many other similarly "enthusiastic" and "helpful" suggestions. By the end of the day, I was too tired to think, let alone be "enthusiastic" about work.

School went well, quiet but well... which was good, considering my state of mind and body. That night, after school, I was so wiped out that I decided to call out sick to recuperate. It turned into a lovely day: restful, nourishing to the soul and productive. A wonderful day off on all counts.

Saturday was the busiest that I've had in some time, but it turned out very well on all accounts. Four haircuts, a Salt Glow, two shampoo sets, and I tweezed the dark hairs from a lovely older lady's chin.

Here is another lovely color job from a few weeks ago: