Life

Ugh. The longer I put off writing on here... the more I have to write.
So, we're gonna try to fit the last three months into ONE post.

Lets see....
I moved to Roseville, CA to live with Andrea and her mom, Cindy.
Adjusted really fast.
Started Paul Mitchell.
Met some AMAZING people who forever changed my outlook on life.
Those amazing people turned into life long friends. (I just know it)
Went through an intense 6 week classroom course all about cosmetology.
Learned MORE than enough about ALL Paul Mitchell products.
(Became slightly brainwashed and still have a hard time buying hair products that are NOT Paul Mitchell... haha)
Got a part time job at Blockbuster.
Grew to love the people I worked with.
Performed two official hair cuts on live people (all other cuts performed on doll heads..... which I learned to NOT name a girly name because eventually you chop off all their hair to make them boys... then it's just awkward)
Graduated out of the classroom and onto the clinic floor.
Had the title "Protege"
Was on the floor for two weeks.
Realized that my part time job wasn't going to make enough money to support me down there.
Cried about it to Tina and my mom. A lot.
Prayed. A lot. For something to work out so I could stay down there.
Nothing came up.
Had some tearful goodbyes to my Paul Mitchell girls.
Then my family and Tina helped me move back to Redding, CA where I now sit writing this here blog.

Moving back has been hard. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to be back in town and able to see my friends whenever I want. But I miss school. I can't explain how much I was in love with it. Not just all my girls that I got to know but the school in general. The way it's run. The teachers. It was just all so incredible.
At first, I was really angry with God. I felt that He had quite literally put me in Sac at Paul Mitchell. It was the perfect fit. And then all of a sudden it was getting ripped out of my hands. It was not a good feeling.
But I just had to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. And while I don't know what the reason was for me moving out for two months just to move back home, I'm trusting that something great will come out of it.

As of now, I am looking into an apprenticeship program that I will do with Jilee. It will be an amazing experience, however, there are a ton of hoops to jump through. Starting out with having to give the apprenticeship board between $3-5000 before they will even get me the paperwork to START the process of becoming a student.
So, in the mean time, I am going to be working for SCOE again. Just as a substitute but trying to work as much as I can so have some money saved up for bills so whenever the apprenticeship starts I can focus on that and that alone.

I don't think there is anything else new.

Some good music lately?
Sara Bareilles' newest cd.
Particularly tracks "Kaleidoscope Heart" and "Basket Case". Check 'em out.

Much love,
Ashtyn

Essay Time

For the Paul Mitchell application I had to write an essay answering the question, "who are you?"
I put it off for a long time because I didn't know what to write. I mean.... who am I? That is actually a difficult question... then I realized..... who I am... who I TRULY believe I am... is all founded in God. If you were to look at my life, I haven't accomplished much by society's standards; I graduated high school, I did a year and a half of a junior college, then decided to go to cosmetology school. But if you were to see me the way God sees me, you would think I was a princess!
So that's how I wrote the essay. And I'm still fighting against the lies that people will think I'm "weird" or "religious." So prayer for that would be great!
Thanks!
Here it is:
I have been working on getting the Paul Mitchell application and all of its components together this week but for some reason I have been dreading this “essay” and I could not figure out why. But after more contemplation, I think it is because this is the most simple, yet hardest question to answer: Who am I? By “normal” standards, I am seen as a girl, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a co worker. However, none of those are how I see myself. If I only saw myself as those things who would I be when all of that falls away? That is why I choose to find my identity in the most constant thing in the universe, God.
I am His daughter first and foremost and I choose to find my identity in that. He created the entire universe, but He also created me and gave me a destiny and a purpose. He created me in His image and He takes delight in me. He loves me, not for what I have done or because of anything I have accomplished, but because He made me. The simple fact that I exist and breathe is enough for Him to rejoice. He calls me beloved and beautiful one. He pours His love out on me every single day and His love is life changing. It is all-consuming and glorious. It is like nothing else in the world. It covers all sin and proclaims it null and void. His love will never, ever go away and that promise is what I cling to.
The destiny that He has called me to is only beginning to unfold. I know that my purpose is to encourage and love women. God spoke and said that I would “fulfill the needs of their flesh but also their spirits.” That I would make them feel beautiful inside and out by delivering the life-changing words from Him to His daughters while doing their hair, and makeup, and nails. I would help them see who they truly are through God’s eyes and not society’s and I would help them see that they are beautiful creations and meant for so much more!
This is who I am and this is the truth I get to walk into every single day. I live in constant awe and reverence of God and rejoice that every day is a new opportunity to love God with all my being and praise Him.

Paul Mitchell

Last Friday my mom and I went to visit the California Academy (Paul Mitchell) in Sacramento.
After the GPS took us some odd way we finally arrived there.
(Side note.. I must give my mom kudos for going OVER the speed limit to get me there on time for my tour.. she did amazing.)
So, we arrive and see that it is upstairs. It's in the middle of a shopping center place and what is RIGHT downstairs from it?!?!?!?! CHILI'S!!!!!!
(This is so exciting because Chili's is possibly one of my favorite restaurants.... I think it's a God thing....just ONE of the many signs pointing me to go there)
In the shopping center there is a Starbucks, and a Jamba Juice and a Pinkberry and just a bunch of places to try to get a job!
We take the elevator up to the second level and go in.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE! There was loud music playing, there were a TON of stations, there were students with amazing hair, the decor was super modern and very chic with a lot of black and then lime green accents thrown in. There were flat screen tv's up on a wall showing famous hair stylists doing hair, it was young but professional, it smelled like hair products and it was just.......... AMAZING. I don't know how else to describe it.
So we meet our tour guide. She was really nice. She showed us all around. Here's the basics of what I found out.
There are 16 students in each class.
I'll be in the classroom for 6 weeks working on doll heads and other students.
I then have an evaluation and go to the floor doing half days there and the other half back in the classroom.
I'll get my kit within the FIRST WEEK that has EVERYTHING I will need.
They only use Paul Mitchell products.
Their "motto" is "be nice. They try to create a really positive environment and have little "Caught Ya Being Good" papers.
When you're on the floor teachers don't hover. They just walk by.
Before each client you have you sit down with them and a teacher to make sure you understand what they want.
I have to wear all black, all the time. They have dress down days where I can wear jeans and then they have some themed days.
There are these teams that they encourage you to get involved with (which I WILL be doing). One is the design team where they do the hair for fashion shows (WHOOOOO!)
They have a student council that recognizes everyone's birthdays and holidays.

There's a lot more, but this is getting a little long. Basically.... I LOVED it. The start date that I am looking at is October 5th. Which is the DAY before my bday... so that kinda stinks... but it's okay. I'm SO excited. And I get to live with Andrea and her mom which is going to be SO fun!!!!!!
I still have to fill out the FAFSA and see how much financial aid I can get but I am ready to take out loans. I could totally see myself there and I am willing to do whatever so I can go there.