Day 14 ~ I Kicked It Square In Its Layered Behind ~ 8/8/13

Cosmetology Journal ~ Day 14 ~ I Kicked It Square In Its Layered Behind ~ 8/8/13

I'm on Cloud 8 today. and I mean that. Its 8/8 and I'm on Cloud 8.

We started the day with some last minute theory on haircutting and then we took the 4th quiz. I got 9 out of 10 for 90%. There were some thermal styling questions mixed in also and I missed the one on what we use to test the iron on. Choice 1 said tissue paper and choice 2 said fabric. We use the sani strips (neck strips) to test them and I thought I recalled her saying they were some sort of stretchy fabric and I was thinking tissue paper was like the gift kind that would burn easily. So I chose 2 and got it wrong. But that's not something for me to worry about. I know to test it on the sani strip or a paper towel like we did at the old school. The main thing is to test it to see if it burns the paper before you put it on the hair. So I'll take another 90%.
I believe that gives me 90, 90, 80, 90 for the 4 haircutting quizzes and I got 95% on the Nails.

After the quiz Mrs C went and got the stoves, Marcel irons without cords, and pressing combs. And she demo'd it and let the others take a few swipes with the comb. I wasn't in any hurry to touch that comb. In April of 2001 I lightly burned a 9 year old girl twice with one tooth of the comb. So I was working up the Dare to get over it.
So I had my set up with Naomi the textured haired manikin. Mine had some really nice tight curls. Some got theirs shampooed before break but Mrs C told me to Belly Up To The Bar (The dispense area of the salon area) and go get some Wella Brilliance Shampoo & Conditioner for coarse hair and something called HCO detangler that was pink. But by the time I got back it was break time.

I came back from break, shampooed the pretty lady and got to work blow drying her hair like I'd done before on people with the comb attachment. And then It was time. I grabbed that comb and showed Mrs C that I knew how to do it just like she showed. I was going over it and under it. Then I grabbed the tiny marcel iron and bam made my first figure 8 curl in 12 years and I called her over to look at it. She split it and said it was really good. So I did another and then she said to get to work flat ironing them. So for the first time in my life I picked up a flat iron (not counting the one I tried to use on the wig manikin I had) and I went to town. I did a few smooth passes. Then I started making Marcel 6 curls with it. I was feeling it. At our school if we ever have a service to do that we don't feel comfortable doing we have the option to opt out. So if I were confronted again with the possibility of having to use a hot tool on a child I could say no. But today I decided that because I want to do it all I'm not going to let the past fear win. Bring me the challenge. Let me take care of the people others don't want. I'll make mistakes but I'll be ready this time.

So on Lunch I posted to Facebook "Redemption :) Feeling Renewed"
I was feeling pretty good but at the same time I had a haircutting rubric test staring me in the face.
So I listened to my songs Dare and then The Touch

Dare

The Touch

I walked into that room. I followed my set up & sanitation procedures, got Penelope with longer hair wet down at the bowl, and I went to work. She gave us 1 hour. We were allowed to choose any of the cuts we had done except the one length trim unless you combined that with another cut. I decided to go for the one that would leave her hair pretty much still long and I chose the Square Layers that we learned this week where we bring all the hair "Behind" the head and make a virtual square with it. Its a challenge to cut but it was one I had memorized enough to get through as fast as I could. I owned it. I kicked that cut Square In Its Behind and I finished in time and she liked it. As she was checking I only saw a few stray hairs.
Then we sat for a few minutes and talked over some things because she was so proud of our group. We got caught up. Then came break.

Since we were caught up after break it was student services time. The new student who just came back from a leave asked if anyone wanted to cut her shorter graduated bob a bit. At first S was going to do it and I started to blow dry Penelope so I could get a picture. But when I saw that he was working on C I asked if she wanted me to give it a try and she accepted. So I went to work on my client. I sat her in the chair and did my little consultation bit for Mrs C.. A wanted her top area to have a bit less weight and not really a trim on anything else so Mrs C said she'd show me how to use the thinning shears. So I walked A over to the bowl and gave her a shampoo and scalp massage that she said was really good.
Then I got started blow drying but Mrs C came over to show me how to do it better. And I'm ok with her showing me. Then she showed me some parting tricks and sectioning tricks for doing the thinning. Not to spoil her trade secret if she doesn't want me to but she parted off diamond shapes and made little ponytails. She cut a few pieces and then let me give it a try and she walked me through it so I cut at least 80% of the snips with the thinning shears. The hair was still damp so it was time for more blow drying. So she showed me some more and then I noticed that when she was twirling her round brush she was also bouncing it up and down and that was my ah ha moment. As soon as I tried that I was rockin. And then I got to do a little bit of flat ironing. Then it was clean up time. I thanked her for letting me work on her. I haven't quite gotten in with the others in the class. I still have the issue of not having the things to talk about that they do.

Earlier in the day A had asked if anyone could give her a ride and she only needed to go across the street to the mall cuz she got a job there. And I said I would.

As it turns out She also had 300 hours at another school before and she used to work in the deli of a different store of the same chain of grocery stores I worked for. So I capped the day off by talking to her and now I've got a buddy in the classroom. I think now when she goes to take her smoke breaks I'm gonna go with her. :)

No pictures today. I took a picture of what I did with my purple heart bracelet but I didn't have the memory card in so its stuck on the camera until I find the cord. But I'll probably ask A for a pic :)