Gratitude.

Having been in the fashion industry in the Midwest for a good five years now, I've been awarded many different types of friendships that have blossomed because of this mutual interest or hobby. Some of those friendships have been fleeting, some long lasting, and some incredibly toxic. By far one of the most important and fulfilling types however, are the friendships that I've gained with my clients.

(Image courtesy of Brittany Powers)

Now for those of you just tuning in, I own a hair artistry company here in Ohio called Synthetic Rebellion, and I style hair for all sorts of things: Photo shoots, weddings, proms, runway shows, films, hot dates- you name it, I style for it. Every Sunday I work at Laura Dark's studio styling hair for her many, many clients, and it's there that I have been able to gain the aforementioned friends. Not only do I get to work alongside my best friends who also work at the studio (i.e: Team Dark!), but I get to hang out with and pamper women of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds for their photo shoots with Laura. It really is a dream, because nearly everyone who walks through our doors is just amazing. Their attitudes are amazing, their humor and perspective is amazing, and their investment in us as a company and as individuals is amazing!

(Image courtesy of Joan Nakamoto)

We're really fortunate to have so many repeat clients who come back to us non-stop, and who after every visit becomes more and more of a friend. It's refreshing how many people come in as strangers, and in just a few short hours leave us feeling as though our studio family just got a little bit bigger.

(Team Dark Pose Coach, Jackie Steinert, with model Anastasia Corpus)

For us, our Sundays at the studio are a chance to really exercise our creative muscles and think of new ways to bring someone else's vision to life. More than that though, our Sundays are a chance to build up our client's self-esteem, smother them with compliments, give them all of our attention and praise, and help them to realize that they are beautiful. They're beautiful without the makeup and the hair, and they're beautiful without the costumes, and the allure of Photoshop. To us, our clients are stunning from top to bottom, and we get the privilege of helping them see that for themselves.

(One of our regulars, Tracy Gantt and myself in Chicago!)

It's that part of our job that makes a blossoming friendship with our clients so special. We become bonded and supportive almost right off the bat, and there's a strong sense of genuine admiration for each other, be it for our creative talents, our personalities, or for our inner and outer beauty. It's a really wonderful thing to have!

(Me and my prom girl, Josie right before she got dressed for her big night!)

Some of our clients drive two or more hours one way just to see a show we're in, or to go to an event we're hosting. Some fly in from out of the country and hang out with us outside of the studio, and bring thoughtful gifts for our birthdays and/or holidays. Some clients show up to the studio when they're not shooting just to sit and chill for a few hours and catch up with everyone. It's just incredible. I feel so honored and lucky to have such a large group of people who have become really good friends, all because of the studio and what we do there.

(My best friend and partner in art, Jackie Steinert and myself during a studio day)

This whole experience has really taught me to invest even more in new faces, and to put myself out there as a friend from the get-go. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but I still have a lovely time getting to know someone I didn't know all that well before, and we still have a fun time working together. Other times it works out REALLY well, and we all gain another person we just can't seem to live without! This experience has also given me the chance to grow stronger bonds with those that I'm already friends with, and share my passions with them on a more one on one level. I could never be grateful enough to have so much opportunity to meet so many incredible people!

With that said, to all of those clients turned friends out there (and friends turned clients!), thank you. Thank you for making me feel so full and wealthy with your friendships. Thank you for supporting everything that I do, and for recommending me to your friends and family. More than anything though, thank you for the chance to get to know you! You really are amazing, and I hope that we remind you of that every single day.

Kelley's Island

I can't believe that it's already July, and that it's been over a month since my last update. In the time between then and now life has gone from bad, to good, to great- and it's just kept going. Every day has felt like a gift, and the people that I've been able to share those days with have made me feel more loved and excited about life than I've ever felt before.

I'll take some time in the next week to recap some of the things that have been going on since I last posted, but for now I wanted to share some of the images from our first camping trip of the year. Initially we were supposed to go during the first week of June, but an unexpected surgery left us pushing the dates to the end of the month instead. What started out as a 12 person expedition shifted to a couple's retreat with two of our very best (and very engaged) friends, who also happen to be my favorite adventure partners on the planet.

We had decided to go out to Kelley's Island and camp for the weekend. We hopped onto a privately owned boat and charted across Lake Eerie at nine in the morning with one too many bags in tow. Once we got there we spent nearly every second exploring, sight-seeing, and going on mini double dates. I'll leave you with my favorite images of the island, all of which seem to scream summer. Enjoy! 

Skipping rocks has become one of Dan and I's favorite things to do together. Being able to skip perfect rocks with our best friends was just the best thing ever.

We had such a blast throughout our entire stay. Between the delicious food, our courteous camp neighbors, the extreme bonding and cathartic company, and the glorious scenery, it definitely made itself into one of my favorite trips ever. I can't wait to go back. 

Surprise! It's A Birthday Party.

Last Saturday I took some time out of my crazy hair sculpting to throw Dan a surprise birthday party, and it was a blast! I'd been planning it since the end of January, and despite all of the insanity of the last few months (friends passing away, getting bronchitis, getting ready for the show, and adopting May), I somehow managed to throw a very smooth affair (with the help of our beautiful friends of course).

Since Dan makes every day feel incredibly special for me, it was only fitting that I did my best to give him at least one day where he felt extra special, too. After days of searching, I found an online seller who would custom make an edible Delorean cake topper, and 2 dozen hand painted Back to the Future cupcake toppers, since that's one of Dan's favorite movies ever. The seller, Tutu Cute Cakes, went all out on making my order as detailed as possible. The Delorean was made of Rice Krispy treats and fondant, and weighed a good 3 pounds. The topper was placed on a custom gluten-free fudge cake, with chocolate fudge icing in between a double layer of deliciousness.  

The appetizer spread was pretty basic, but ended up being a crowd pleaser. I ordered two of Dan's favorite Chipotle bowls and made it into a dip, which was eaten up so fast I didn't even see it go! This paired with a never ending veggie and cheese tray did well to tide everyone over.

But, because I like to spoil Dan and all of his incredibly awesome friends, we also made steak and chicken kabob appetizers. Victoria did a special marinade for both meats, and then she sauteed peppers and onions and we made little bites for everyone to enjoy. I had purchased these lovely party picks from The Pretty Paper Shop and used those to skewer the kabobs. They were such a hit that I didn't even get to take pictures of them before they were inhaled!

We spent a good chunk of Saturday morning decorating the downstairs area of my apartment. In my rush to make sure everything was perfect, I neglected to get pictures in the front room, but it ended up being ridiculously festive. By the start of the evening (before guests arrived), Victoria and I finished the hanging of the 100th balloon, took a step back, and just started squealing. It was almost time! It was almost happening! 

I was so proud of our secret keeping and hard work (obviously, I mean, look at the mom face I'm making in that picture.) In all seriousness though, we have such a great group of friends that it was impossible to not be elated all night by the abundance of good company. My face never once stopped making a goofy smile, and by the end of the night, my cheeks were sore from the amount of laughing done. I feel stupidly blessed to have had all of these faces under my roof!

^^^ Look at that face!

Annnnd like a silly person, I also neglected to get pictures of the actual surprise portion of the party. I was just too excited to even think about it. Initially, I had told Dan that I had a shoot at the Wilds with zebras and that I wanted him to come with me. He agreed and took the night off of work, having absolutely no idea that I was scheming to throw him a 27th birthday party. There were times when his best friend and I thought he was onto us, but then I'd play it cool and change the subject off of birthday parties, and eventually he'd forget about it. When he walked in the door to be greeted by 16 of his good friends, he turned bright red and laughed louder than I've ever heard him laugh before. The highlight of my night, from start to end, was that moment right there.

Happy birthday, Dan!