Day of the Dead

Yesterday, we did something special during class that we normally dont get to do as much and we got a chance to have a photoshoot at school. We partnered up, had to make story boards and then complete the look.

It took me forever to think of a good theme to do that wasnt too crazy or weird. Lately I have been planning what Halloween looks I want to do you some upcoming tutorials, but after walking around Micheals Craft store forever, I finally decided to do Dia De Los Muertos AKA Day of the Dead.

Take a look!


My story board for this look! and part of my set up

My model: T'Tielle Before

Her and I after :)




It was so much fun doing this. I have been wanting to recreate this type of look for a while now, and so I couldnt make an excuse not to do it when we had to do this photoshoot.

For anyone interested in how I did this or what products I used, I am going to make a tutorial on it, hopefully I can get it done this weekend in time for anyone wanting to do this.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have a fantabulous day!

Quote of the day:

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.
Leonardo Da Vinci quotes

Surrender to Your Inner Artist

Fantastiliscious

I cant believe it is going to be friday yet again. Where has time gone? I feel like I just posted something yesterday but it has been almost a week! I am laying in bed, in my jammies watching Pirates of The Carribean Dead Man's Chest and attempting to write this (my eyelids are getting so heavy), I just stuffed my face with two Reeses peanut butter cups (pulled fresh from the freezer...sooooo good when they are frozen!) which is my desert from the spaghetti I had earlier.

Few updates: I colored my hair, or I should say my friend Jackie colored my hair and it turned out frickin fantastiliscious! hahahaha

Red, Purple and Blue Hair

Birds eye view

Side view of color madness!


I love this sooo much and it is my fav color of my hair as of RIGHT NOW> until I change it again. hahaha. I was originally going to just redo the red I had before using Hot Topic's Vampire Blood Color, but I still had some of my blue CHI Color and so Jackie wanted to have a lil fun so I gave her the OK to have at it.

The best part is that they are my 3 fave colors and it matches my star tattoo, my Sweet Surrender tattoo and my mermaid tattoo! LOVE!!!

I also completed this floral tattoo design for a friend that she plans on getting a side piece tattoo. I really wish I knew how to tattoo already. Once I graduate from Paul Mitchell, I am on the hunt for an artist who is willing to teach me.

Hibiscus, small flowers, stars and scrolls tattoo design

Then yesterday we had a TORNADO! jeez, first earthquakes, then a hurricane now a tornado. Check out this cool pic of it though that I found online after the tornado had passed


I was down at Micheals Craft store when the tornade came from nowhere and it was crazy. There was lightening every 2 seconds and thunder following swiftly behind. I had screamed a few times while in the car because the thunder was so loud and the lightening seemed like it was right in front of me. I usually dont mind a good thunderstorm, but tornados and hurricanes....NO THANK YOU!

I stocked up on a few supplies at micheals and at the Halloween stores for a few of my halloween makeup tutorials, so I am super excited to show them soon!

Well, I am off to bed to rest up for another hectic day tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by as always!

Quote of the day:
Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone.
Tommy Cooper quotes

Surrender to Your Inner Artist

FREE HUGS & More!

Today was a busy day, almost like everyday but there was just an energy in the air almost electrofying...well, at least to me anyways.  We had our Townhall day yesterday (where we get a day off, but the learning leaders have training-so like a teacher work day haha), but we still get our hours as long as we do our "Homeplay"-they dont like to say "homework" so instead they insert play. We had to come up with a PATRIOTIC updo or theme and we could use accessories, well, I decided to do something different. Check it out!




After lunch, we went and had FREE HUGS DAY! This is an event that ALL Paul Mitchell Schools all over the country go out into the community at the same time and give Free Hugs to people and share our Paul Mitchell "Be Nice or Else" Culture.

Here is a video from our school last year!


I am still editing the video footage that I shot, but in the meantime, here are some images to feast your eyeballs on!




Mr. Rudy himself of Rudy & Kelly Salons out for FREE HUGS!


I love my Ms. Emily!

My carribean loves! Jinaki and Titielle

I really love how these pics came out. I used my SONY BLOGGIE. I am impressed! Outside light looks amazing with this camera...but inside light-not so much. But I still love it!

I mailed out my entry form, my photos and everything in my packet to the Top Photo Stylist Contest for Paul Mitchell Schools today! I love my photos and the experience I had while doing the photoshoot, but I have bigger aspirations and I see where I can improve. So, I am really eager to do more photoshoots and expand on this aspect of hair and makeup. On  a positive note, I can say that this photoshoot wasnt bad for my first one. There is def more to come!

Here is the video that I edited for our Free Hugs Event! Check it out- there are tons of funny moments!


As always, thanks for stopping by and dont forget I have a giveaway going on for My Memories! Open till friday!

Quote of the day:
I believe anything is possible. Research into quantum physics proves that a system changes simply by someone observing it. Therefore, all you have to do is be awake and aware of your environment, and that enables you to transform everything around you. It sounds like hocus pocus, but scientists are coming to realize that just thinking about something can make it happen. Turns out maybe faith can move mountains.
Christine Anderson quotes


Sweet Surrender Surrender to Your Inner Artist

Bouncy Houses, hot chocolate and scary masks!

Its a sunday afternoon or I should say evening and I am sitting with my two kids and husband finishing up watching Home Alone. This is the first chance I got all day that I can finally sit and rest!



I took the kids to a friend of mine's daughter's 2nd birthday party that she hosted at The Bounce House. If you dont know what a bounce house is, it is those big inflatable things that kids jump on and slide on and just run into things. Many people usually rent them at their homes in their backyards. or if youre kandee johnson, she puts them in her living room! hahaha (youtube it, its funny!) The Bounce House is where they have like 10 of these things set up and kids are just running around amped up on sugar and wreaking havoc. HAHAHAHA

Bella through the screen of a bounce house



Yummy Ariel Cupcake Cake! SOOOO cute and yummy...see the birthday girls lil hand sneakin some icing. hahaha



After the party, we stayed for an extra half hour and let the kids get tuckered out while I chatted with a friend from school about the kiddos aka Mommy talk. hahaha

Then once we picked up Jermie from work, we wanted to go look at whats in the Halloween Stores because its all of ours favorite holiday besides Christmas! I stocked up on cream costume makeup for upcoming Halloween tutorials! I got alot of inspiration and am ready to go!!! Matti and Jermie got a few fake guns to play with and make noise to drive me crazy!!! hahaha Bella was scared walkin in the store, since she didnt get any toys, we treated her to Skinny Dip.

We made a pit stop at Starbucks where I had to recharge with a cinnamon dulce latte while the kids drank Hot Chocolate. Jermie got his white chocolate mocha-which was a nice way to relax on our drive home.

So, that was my day today, now I am going through emails, and organizing everything I need to do within the next week or two including finishing tattoo drawings and planning my next tutorials for halloween!

cinnnnaaaaammmminy lattes and whipped cream, Cecilia

Surrender to Your Inner Artist

Quote of the day:
Starbucks says they are going to start putting religious quotes on cups. The very first one will say, 'Jesus! This cup is expensive!'
Conan O'Brien quotes

Laser TagN

My son's 6th birthday was this past monday, but we celebrated it friday night by taking the kids to play laser tag!

On our way over to the laser tag, we saw a rainbow in the distance, I managed to get a shot of it and it brought smiles to our faces!



They have never been and we wanted to do something different than what they are used to. A few friends joined us and had at it.

The only thing I did not like was that they didnt have any child sized vests and they were a lil heavy for my two kiddos who are pretty thing and short. But they were troopers about it! It was about $9 per person for 20 minutes of play time. We went into a big room and it was all painted in black light and flourescent paint. I loved it! I wish it was in my house! Except I would use it to rollerblade around in! hahaha Could you imagine that??


It started out with all of us running around until the kids couldnt handle the heavy vests, Bella couldnt breathe with the fog machines. After taking a small break, she went back out for battle. Matti ended up ditchin his vest (which I held) and he just shot the laser gun at everybody! That didnt last long because then he just took off  with a vest and I stayed in one spot so they could always find me and had to protect myself against the other players. I prolly got shot like 50 times. hahahaha

After wards, Matti got to pick where to eat and he picked Burger King, so we had to oblige. They got lil BK crowns (nice to know they still do that) and we enjoyed our icecream cones too!

The birthday boy eating his cheesey burger

Bella's version of "the claw"
We went to Toys R Us afterwards, which I was shocked to know that it doesnt close until 11 PM on a friday night! We let Matthias pick out a toy and gave him a limit so he can learn about money and budgeting hahaha. He picked out a power ranger, a nerf gun and some other toy I cant even pronounce but apparantly is really cool.

Of course we couldnt leave without the kids riding on one of those mechanical toys that I remember I used to go nuts for when I was young!



We went home only after I had to pry Jermie's fingers off the game with the claw and all the stuffed animals that you try to win. He is actually good at it and won this creepy lookin cat that looks liek a character from the Nightmare Before Christmas movie. hahaha

To laser tags and birthday celebrations, your Sweets, Cecilia


Surrender to Your Inner Artist


Quote of the day:
The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age. The most beautiful thing in life is that our souls remaining over the places where we once enjoyed ourselves
Kahlil Gibran

Winner of My Memories Software!

My Arabella and I!

The giveaway for My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software has offically ended last night. I didnt get a chance last night to even jump on a computer until now. We celebrated Matthias's 6th birthday last night by going and playing Laser tag!

So this will be a quick post, just to announce the winner of the giveaway!

The winner is Jackie Rosales with her comment:

"I completely fell in love with Pink Carnival By Valentina Creation. Its like being in a fantasy world."

Congratulations, Jackie! Please check your email and respond back for your software download code!

Please stay tuned to this blog for more giveaways soon! As always, thanks for reading and being apart of my blog!


Surrender to Your Inner Artist

Quote of the day:

We all dream a lot - some are lucky, some are not. But if you think it, want it, dream it, then it's real. You are what you feel.
Tim Rice quotes

How do you grow your hair out?

Like everyday, today seemed to go by fast. The morning went by in a blur, although I learned some very interesting things about the evolution of makeup, such as Queen Elizabeth used so much powder on her face, and since the powder had alot of mercury in it, started to eat holes in her face. Or during the Renaissance, "eyebrow" wigs were made from mouse hair, and a high forehead meant you were higher society. There was so much more, but I couldnt remember all of them. Some of them outrageous. The things we do for beauty.

courtesy of Google. Queen Elizabeth


I had to do a perm today on an older gal who was just so funny and full of spunk named Carolyn. Thats one perk that I get to enjoy when I have a guest in my chair and that is learning about someone and getting to know them. She once had cancer and was on some powerful medication at one time and her hair has been getting thinner. So now that she is cancer-free, she wanted to get a perm done to give her some volume.  She was so sweet and we laughed about kids, grandkids and whatever else came to mind. Her perm came out great and she was so happy with it! She will be coming in again in 3 weeks and we will do a PM Shines Color application. I cant wait, when she tipped me, she gave me two dollars and whispered to me, I usually only give $1, but youre good so I gave you $2. I hugged her and we laughed so hard about it. She comes from the same generation as my grandparents and from Florida so I felt like she could have been one of my grandmothers friends.

I think the funniest thing she asked me and she said "dont take this the wrong way, but what happens when you want to grow your shaved head part back? Do you just shave the other side too?" So stinkin cute! I laughed and parted my hair a different way and showed her that I could just hide it. She thought it was amazing. hahahah

See? here you cant even tell that one side of my head is shaved. I look almost normal> hahahah
I bet the older generations must think we are all crazy. It makes me wonder when I am that age how the younger generations will be like. I hope I am that one granny with crazy color hair doing cartwheels like Betsey Johnson! hahahaha

To old granny with crazy hair, Cecilia

Surrender to Your Inner Artist


Quote of the day:
I want to grow old without facelifts... I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I've made. Sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you'd never complete your life, would you? You'd never wholly know you.
Marilyn Monroe quotes

David Marc from Advance Academy JPMS

Occasionally, or usually once a month our school gets a special guest who either come from Advanced Academy or from another school or salon and he or she comes and talk about  his or her journey of being a hair stylist and offer advice for all of us up and coming hair stylists.

Advanced Academy Team


Today, David Marc came to our school and I have to say  he is one of the best guest speakers we have had for a while. The last one that was pretty awesome was Taryn Aiken, who is also from the Advanced Academy and Jasmine Brock. Maybe the stylists that come from Advanced Academy have more energy and like to have fun more than some of our normal guest speakers! You can check out other Advanced Academy Team Members here.

David with Andrew, a learning leader from RKA

During FREE HUGS EVENT today!
David Marc Campbell is a texture specialist on the Advanced Academy Team and is based out of Tampa Bay, Florida Paul Mitchell Partner School. He started out the presentation with some clips of him at his school and pictures and a cute commercial like movie that had all of us rolling, falling out seats. There was a short movie clip of Denzel Washington in the movie Malcolm X of him geting a relaxer (which he played to show relaxers since he is a texture specialist)

I tried to find a clip on youtube with it, but no luck. Oh well!

He talked about why he joined the beauty industry and how he became part of the Paul Mitchell family as a learning leader/texture specialist down in Tampa.

I dont want to write everything he talked about in his presentation, because I do not want to spoil the experience with other future professionals! He shared with our school and future professionals what it takes to be an AMAZING STYLIST using his own System of how to get clients, how to manage them and to expand on your client book.

He shared his experiences of guests he has or had in the past and many of them were hilarious. His energy was just bouncing off the walls and I could see that he really does have a passion for what he does and that kind of attitude is highly contagious!

He wrapped up his presentation and I was able to talk to him after. I think I have found another person I look up to and gain inspiration from! He held up my doll during his time on stage to demonstrate how much money a hair stylist can make doing color and that ANYTHING is possible.  I had him sign my doll head and of course took a picture! I was so excited about it, can you tell? So Cheesy I am, I know .

David Marc and I with my Patriotic Baby Doll!
So, I have to share somewhat of a funny story (or at least funny to me) with yall. Some of you may or many not know this, but I spent a few years and most of my summers living with my grandparents in Lakeland Florida and I have been wanting to move back . A few years ago,I was accepted to go to a fashion art school down there but just couldnt at that time. Once my mom retires from the Navy, I think we are all ready for a geographic change and I really want to go to Lakeland, or Tampa.

I have it written in my goals list that after I work in a salon for a few years and we do move down to Florida, that I want to be a learning leader for the Tampa school. I was talking to my husband about it last week and then today we have a guest speaker from that school. I dont know if it was a sign or a coincidence (which I dont believe in) but I felt like I was on the right track of getting to where I want to be.

I want to thank David for being a "Daymaker" and inspiring me to be a better professional hairstylist. I had one of those days that confirmed I am supposed to be doing this and I am loving every minute of it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge, advice and humor with all of us at Rudy & Kelly Paul Mitchell of Virginia Beach, VA!

For all my readers, thank you for stopping by, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my lil ol' blog!

Cecilia


Sweet Surrender Surrender to Your Inner Artist

Voguely Van is having a giveaway too!

I am sharing this giveaway since all of us blogger are doing giveaways! Good luck and dont forget to enter my giveaway as well!


check her blog too here

Voguely Van: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER International Giveaway!: ANOTHER EXCITING GIVEAWAY FOR MY FABULOUS READERS AND FOLLOWERS! Last month, I gave away a satchel , bow tie and a set of bangles to AVA of...

Sweet Surrender

Surrender to Your Inner Artist

My First GIVEAWAY! MY Memories Suite

I am soooo very excited to host my first giveaway. I have been dropping hints all week that I am doing a giveaway, so finally here it goes!

My Memories Free Software Giveaway!


A company called My Memories contacted me to do a giveaway with their Award winning digital scrapbooking software to one of my lucky readers! I have been wanting to do a giveaway for a few weeks now, so this opportunity came at the perfect time.

I was able to check out this amazing  My Memories Suite and I was surprised that it was super easy to use. I downloaded it and just played around seeing different things I can create. If you are a usual reader you know that I do all sorts of artsy-fartsy stuff, so I create a few scrapbook pages to test it out.  Check it out:





I did those in a minute super fast!  you pick a background paper which there are tons to choose from and if you are more of a scrapbooker there are different types of kits to choose from..at the same price or even cheaper than paying for a pack at a scrapbooking store or Micheals. They have romantic themes, sports, holidays and almost anything you can think of. If you like to create your own, you can do that too!

The possibilities are endless and it is soooooooooo easy to share. I dont ever have time to go to the store and buy all the cool paper designs, the stickers, the embellishments, the glitter...I WISH I had the time to do it, but I am so busy as are the rest of my readers I am sure! check out my video below!



What I like best about it is that I can be creative and put together something really cute and fast and it is so easy to share, I can load it to my blog, can email it to my family that are all over the place. And theres more than just scrapbooking, you can make greeting cards, calenders or just jazz up a photo. Its like having a easier version of photoshop or something like that to edit photos!


As a special for all of my readers,you have your very own Share the Memories code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbooksoftware and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!) Just use this code when you check out! STMMMS94666.







Ok, ok, so on to the rules for this giveaway!

The Giveaway PRIZE:

Free My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbook Software ($39.95 Value!)


OFFICIAL RULES:

1. You must be a subscriber to my blog: www.sweetsurrenderart.com

2. Go onto MyMemories.com and choose your favorite layout and post a comment on my blog below telling which one you love the most!

3. You can enter as many times as you like, the more you comment, the better your chances of winning are!

The contest is open from NOW until midnight (Eastern time) Friday, September 23rd.

Good luck to everyone! I cant wait to see who wins!!!!



Sweet Surrender Art. Beauty. Fashion.

3rd week of September

It is going on 2:15 am and I am really sleepy but not ready to go to bed just yet. This week, no month I should say is going by so fast. School has been really busy, new people coming in, others graduating and leaving.  I have ended up decorating alot of "yearbook" posters for everyone to sign. :) Alot if birthdays have been this month too, so lots of parties, and BBQ's and get-togethers and lets not even forget the weird earthquake and hurricane that rolled up on us. man....but I really cant complain.

I have had a guest or two every day this week in my chair by request most of them, which is awesome! It keeps me busy during the day and I would much rather have a guest than to work on my "babydoll head"

Here are just a few pics from the past week or two. I have more pictures of course but for now thats all I can do because I am ready to crash! Tomorrow will be busy day again! Going to take the kids to a birthday party, (picking out a birthday gift for my son too, he is turning 6!), going out to a comedy club later that night, and finding time to do a video, edit and post for my giveaway!



At A friends Birthday Party/BBQ

My friends who have graduated! Soon that will be me!!!

Funny faces with Bella and I!

Matti and I..see our matching wrist tattoos? lol his is temporary of coarse!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:

It (destiny) is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.

 Paulo Coelho quotes



Sweet Surrender Art. Beauty. Fashion.



almost friday

Today was, well, I cant say completely exhausted, but it was a very productive day. Went to school, worked on getting as much work as possible done on my worksheet (a list of things to do hair related on a guest or dollhead, such as cutting, blowdrying, color, perm, etc).


This past week, I have had a client in my chair everyday which is pretty cool. Its nice to know that networking really does work and that it is not an urban myth. LOL. A girl that works with my husband also shaved half her head so when we saw each other, we just clicked-because not too many people in this area sport that look and I gave her my card months ago. She came in to trim up her shaved part and to add steps (or lines shaved), also to even out the section that is shaved.  I also cut her bangs so it could be a lil more manageable for her. I really enjoyed it.

My half shaved head-but my guest had her other side shaved and she has long blonde curly hair!


Everyone at the school thought she had got the shaved head part because of me, and I had to explain that she had already done it before me and her even knew each other. I thought it was awesome she came to me when her whole family goes to another salon. :)

It just goes to show, making friends and networking and just being yourself can help your business or clientele grow.


I also gave a haircut at my house as well which was fun to do because my guest has extra curly hair and she has had issues in the past with hair stylists not knowing how to cut that kind of hair texture. With extra curly hair, it is best to cut the hair dry to damp because you dont want to stretch the hair out too much by combing out the curl. :)

random pic from a BBQ this past sunday. I just love the way the sun is setting- just wanted to share that with you!



I didnt have time to take any pictures. :( I need a smart phone or something. lol) I never have my camera ready when I need it!

I got all the signatures I needed for my release forms for the photo contest, so now just gotta print the images and burn them onto a disk and FEDEX that baby out to California!

Well, It is nearly 1230am, and I need to go to bed, I have a test to take in the morning and dont wanna be like a zombie ....so off to nighty night

Thanks for stooping by...I mean stopping by....see I am starting to fall asleep!

Quote of the day:

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

 Harriet Beecher Stowe quotes

Sweet Surrender Art. Beauty. Fashion.