The story of how I got proposed to....twice

*The picture above is one of the first pics Josh and I took together once we started dating.

Josh and I are now engaged, although technically we've been engaged for a few months. Ever since we started dating he has been telling me he wants to marry me. He would ask about what type of ring I would want (his first suggestion for an engagement ring was a skull and cross bones ring...... cute but not something I would want to wear for the rest of my life) and dropping hints here and there that he wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together.

Five months later I found out I was pregnant, it freaked us out and made us so happy all at the same time. A few weeks after we found out, Josh and I were in the shower (like we are most mornings) and he asked me if I would marry him. I thought he was kidding, but he was serious. I said yes, of course. Baby or no baby, I love Josh and he's my best friend, I can't think of anyone I would rather spend the rest of my life with. With all the baby stuff going on, we didn't say much about being engaged. At first I was fine with that, I was secure in our relationship and that's all that mattered, but as time went on I started to get insecure, thinking maybe he asked me only because I was pregnant. Then we lost the baby, and we were both devastated. Part of me was scared that we wouldn't make it through this, that maybe it would break us up, but it made us stronger. He was so supportive through every part of the difficult process of the miscarriage, holding my hand when I was scared, letting me cry on his shoulder when I couldn't pretend I was fine anymore, waiting at doctor's offices and hospital waiting rooms with me so I wouldn't be alone.

Once everything was said and done with the loss of the baby, we decided to concentrate on happier things, like planning our wedding. As cute as getting proposed to in the shower was, I wanted to feel engaged, I wanted a ring and a proposal I could tell our future children. After we looked at rings and decided on one, we ordered it online and waited for it to come. Once it did, it sat in the living room waiting for Josh to pop the question. I'm not a patient person, so seeing it sit on the table was driving me crazy! Haha. Today was my day off from work, but I had promised Josh I would cut his hair and finally color it black. So we went into work and I made my handsome boyfriend even more handsome. As I was cleaning up and putting things away, Josh followed me into the break room. I was walking in front of him, going to grab my purse so we could leave and he started to say something about the first proposal not being appropriate, I didn't know what he was talking about so I turned around and there he was, on one knee with the ring, asking me if I would marry him. I was taken by complete surprise but of course I said yes... again.

So now, I feel we can announce to the world! We are engaged and we're getting married this October... at a Halloween themed wedding. :)

"Your the love of a lifetime, to have and to hold..."

How the hell did I get so lucky?! Part of me is still waiting to wake up, but I guess this is not a dream. I found the guy that I have been looking for all along. He was right under my nose the whole time and I was blind to it. He treats me so well, I didn't even think it was possible to have someone love you this way. He makes me feel beautiful and amazing, strong and girly, smart and talented, like I'm the only girl in the world for him. We think a like on so many things, yet think differently on just enough things to make life interesting. I know I can always count on him to be there for me, be the shoulder to cry on, to be the one to make me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. He's my perfect match. He's my other half. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.

Gwen Stefani, L'Oreal and Sugardaddy's

On Monday, James (the owner of the salon I work at, Sugardaddy's) and I, made the trek to Seattle to work back stage at the L.A.M.B / L'Oreal fashion show. It was such a wonderful experience and I walked away shocked by the rave reviews I got from some of the leaders in the industry and incredibly inspired by the work of the platform artists (when's our next photo shoot??? I have ideas I want to try out!!)

We started the day at the salon Marco Two Union Square at 9 in the morning to color the model's hair.



Marco was who James assisted under back when he was starting out. The salon was beautiful! And the staff was helpful and very talented. The model we worked with started off with hair that was washed out, blonde with dreary brown thrown in. Definitely did not compliment her beautiful features. After James and I collaborated with L'Oreal's portfolio artist, we decided to make her a stunning red head. Not only did we drastically change her color, we also decided to add on a good 5 inches to her length. So I tackled the task of coloring the platinum blonde extensions to match her beautiful new red.

This is our girl, prior to her wardrobe change:


Six hours later, all the models were colored, styled and ready for wardrobe! So we piled into the cars and headed to the Sky Church inside the Experience Music Project. That venue is bad ass!



Once we arrived at the venue the models got some last minute hair and making primping and started into wardrobe. During our little bit of a break, Kirsten Magrini who is the head of L'Oreal West Coast had James color her hair to a stunning pale blonde and then asked me to give her a 1940's pin-curl style (talk about nerve racking! This women is the top of the top!) This is Kirsten in her fabulous style, along with Maya Webb who is L'Oreal's head of education.



After working so hard all day, it was finally time for the show and the party! Everything came out beautiful and even though Gwen was not there, she was there in spirit and getting a glimpse of her Spring 2010 collection was amazing! Here's our model, in her amazing outfit.



And once the fashion show part of the evening was over, James, I and the rest of the Sugardaddy's crew enjoyed our night out and celebrated our hard work.





This was such an amazing experience! I was so happy that James had asked me to be involved and that I was able to meet so many amazing and talented people. Two of my absolute highlights of the evening was first when our model received the loudest cheers and most "wows" out of all the other models (go team Sugardaddy's!) Second was when Marco of Marco Two Union Square came up to me after the show and told me how amazing he thought I did and that I was going to revolutionize the industry. I was floored to have such a wonderful compliment come from such an accomplished stylist in the industry.

I guess I am kinda good at this hair thing after all. ;-)

Things change quickly...

How funny that my last post was me asking the Universe to send me someone to love and poof here he is. Well not poof really, we've been friends for a few years, but were never romantically involved until now. He's such a sweet guy and treats me so well. I'm one lucky girl.

This will be the first time in awhile that I've had a boyfriend during the holiday months. Which means I get to all the cutesy couple stuff again; kissing under the mistletoe, shopping for Christmas gifts together, visiting each other's families for the holidays, cuddling up on the couch and watching a christmas movie. I'm excited. Things feel a little more settled and normal now. I missed that feeling, I missed having a hand to hold.

Less then three

"I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love."

Just putting it out to the Universe. Please bring me someone to love, someone who has passion and desire. Someone meant for me.

Because you're worth it...

When Sugardaddy's became a L'Oreal flagship salon, James wrote a blog about it and what L'Oreal means to us on the salon's blog. One part of that blog really stuck with me, it was L'Oreal's mission statement, "Because you're worth it". Meaning that every woman, regardless of money should be able to feel beautiful about themselves. And growing up in a working class household with a single mom, I know what's it like to stop spending money on luxuries when money is tight.

So, on October 26th I will be doing all services at 50% off. So if you've ever wanted your hair cut or that fabulous new color and you thought you couldn't afford it, then call today to make your appointment with me for the 26th. And to make it convenient for every one to come in, I will extend my hours that day from 10am-9pm.

See ya at the salon! And please, share this with your friends!

Sugardaddy's Salon
834 Bay Street
Port Orchard
360-895-7817

*50% off only applies to services done by me (Tiffany Miner) and space is limited.

Sayonara, again...

A few months ago, I posted this blog:

If you never try, you'll never know

And then a little while later went back onto okcupid thinking maybe I was too harsh to judge, maybe I didn't try hard enough, blah blah blah. So I tried again, with the same results. Now I've deleted my account for the second time and this time for good. No more online dating. Done. Fin. No mas. It doesn't work for me.

IF there is a guy out there for me and right now that's a huge IF, he's not on there. I know it in my heart.

So Mr Right For Me, if you're out there I hope you find me some day. If not, well, then I guess I will be just fine.

Sayonara okcupid!

F**k Cancer!

As most of you know, I am a cancer survivor. When I was 25 I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphona and after 6 months of chemo I was declared in remission and I have stayed in remission for 3 years. I was one of the lucky ones. There are many people out there who have not beat the disease and it has taken their life. Cancer is a horrible disease and almost everyone has been effected by it in some way.

It was because of cancer that I decided to get into doing hair. When I lost all of my hair I realized how much of my identity I lost as well. I didn't look sick until all my hair was gone, only then did I feel like I could no longer hide my disease or pretend everything was fine. I decided, at that moment, that I wanted to go to cosmetology school and eventually help other cancer patients with dealing with hair loss and getting wigs properly fit to flatter them. Anything I can do to help find a cure or help ease the overwhelming discomfort of a cancer battle means a lot to me.

So from now until September 24th, I will donate $5 for every haircut I do to the Light the Night Walk. Light the Night is a walk held on fall evenings in communities across the U.S. and Canada, it is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's walk and fundraising event to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer. Thousands of participants raise funds for vital, lifesaving research and patient services and, on these special nights, they carry illuminated balloons in a show of support from a caring community. On September 25th, Seattle will be holding it's Light the Night Walk at Green Lake and this year I will walk with them. It is very important to me to raise as much money as I can for this cause.

If you cannot make it in for a haircut, I will also be accepting donations at Sugardaddy's salon or through my Light the Night fundraising page (http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL10/TMiner). No donation is too small!!

Please share this with your friends and family. Let's kick cancer's ass, one hair cut at a time!

Matters of the heart...

Whatever happened to asking a girl on a date? I mean a real date, you pick me up, you maybe even bring me a flower (and I said a flower, I'm not expecting a bouquet, you can pick one out of your neighbors yard, it still counts) we go to dinner, you dress in something nicer then beaten up jeans and sneakers and the most you get at the end of the night is a kiss and you're ok with that. Is that asking for too much? I don't think so. And you know what, I'm not settling for less then that. I deserve to have a guy who wants to put forth effort. I deserve a really great first date.

Thank you modern medicine for the state I'm in...

Who would of thought that the pain in my right knee that started four years ago this month would turn into a battle with cancer and a pain that I may have to deal with for the rest of my life. As I type this I am sitting in a recliner in my living room with my right leg elevated, hoping and willing the pain to go away. It's hard to describe it, it almost feels like the inside of bone hurts, like it's cold, like my leg is stiff, like someone took a hammer to my muscles and beat the shit out of me. It's all that wrapped into one leg. The pain doesn't happen every day, I've yet to figure out if it's caused by any certain activity, sometimes it lasts all day, sometimes all night, sometimes just a few hours. All I do know, is it sucks.

I have no pain killers, no tylenol, nothing to take. Not like tylenol ever works anyway. And I think tomorrow, when I see my oncologist for another check up, I'm going to ask for some relief. Something to just make it tolerable. Last time I did that, they shoved a ton of vicodin in my direction and sent me on my way. After 7 months of taking it, I became somewhat dependent on it and when it became time to go off the pills due to an upcoming surgery I was having, I went through full blown withdrawals. That is not something I want to repeat.

All I want, is the pain gone. At least for tonight.

If you never try, you'll never know...

About a year ago I signed up for the online dating site OkCupid.com and about 3 months ago I signed up for eHarmony.com, and I have had zero luck with both websites. I was pretty bummed about it, especially considering a really good friend of mine met her husband on eHarmony and I know a few people who have at the very least scored a couple dates off of both websites, but the more I think about, the more it makes sense. My type of guy is not on those websites. If there is someone out there who is perfect for me, my other half, my soul mate, they are not online looking for love, in fact, they are probably at a local band's show instead.

So I'm throwing in the online dating towel, I tried it and now I know, it's not for me. I would rather get rejected the old fashioned way...in real life. ;-)

I reject your reality and substitute my own...

My life is weird. No really, it's weird. I graduated from high school exactly 10 years ago and if you would have come up to me on my graduation day and explained what my life is like now, to me then, I would have thought you were on something. Seriously, I would not have believed you at all.

I don't talk about a lot of this to anyone besides close friends, because I'm not one to brag or name drop or anything like that. But I thought, it really doesn't matter and no one really reads this anyway, so who cares.

An example on why my life is weird. In the past week I've had 2/3 of my favorite band at my house to sign some of their merch for an auction I am working on for them. Weird. I know them, they know me and I work for them (again, WEIRD!). While I was sitting on the couch this morning, watching tv and enjoying my time off before I go to work at the salon (again, weird, I actually do something I love for a living and I don't hate my job) one of the above mentioned members of the band drops off a box of merch he just finished signing and sends me a text telling me to check my front porch. WEIRD.

How did I get this life? It's way too cool for me! Haha And at the same time, this life of mine has not turned out the way I planned. Ten years ago if you would have asked me to describe my life at 27, almost 28, I would not have said, hair stylist, living in Bremerton, WA, working for MxPx and building a salon and business of my own. Never. Not a chance that I could of even dreamed up this life. I would have said, mother of a few kids, married, living most likely in Orange County, still trying to be an actress but just a stay at home mom who can't get an acting job to save her life.

I believe everything happens for a reason, the choices I made (even the impossibly small choices, like going to my first MxPx show) have lead me down the path to the life I now have before me. All the speed bumps, all the tears, all the heartbreak, all the laughter, all the good times, all the moving boxes, all the crappy temp jobs...all of it...lead me here. I'm so curious to see where my next small decision will lead me. I want to look back at this post in 10 years and think, "man, you had no clue what you were in for or where you will go, life is good".

Here's to turning 38! (In ten years).

Together We'll Ring in the New Year...

That's actually my favorite Motion City Soundtrack song. I was never a real fan of theirs, but that song I like.

Anyway, 2010 is only a few days away, how crazy is that?

It will be 10 years since I graduated high school. I'm so different, yet so the same. Things have changed a lot, but deep down I think I am still the same person, at heart. I still love punk music, still love doing crazy stuff to my hair, still a hopeless romantic, still have big dreams. I don't plan on going to my high school reunion, but just knowing that it's been 10 years, is such a trip.

I have big plans for 2010, big plans. There is so much I am going to do and so much I want to experience. 2009 was such a crazy, fun year, I hope 2010 is equally as crazy and fun. So much in me and around me has changed since I have moved to Washington, I am so excited to see where I will be at the end of 2010.

July 2010 will make three years that I have been in remission from cancer. Two more years and I can be declared cancer free. That is truly exciting. One of the biggest fears I have is my cancer coming back and not winning the battle a second time. Every time I have a strange pain or I think I feel a swollen lymph node, I have a minor freak out and hope that it's not what I fear it is. So far, it hasn't been, but unfortunately that is a fear I will have to deal with for many years to come and maybe even for the rest of my life. I don't think my cancer will ever return though.

In February I will finally be done with cosmetology school. Woo hoo!! It has felt like I have been in school forever, even though that's obviously not true. It will be so nice to be finished. Next month I take the last of my state licensing exams and then I just need to finish the remaining 200 hours and I will be done done done! Now the next obstacle will be, where do I work? I do want to open my own salon, but I am in no way ready for that. I need money, a clientele, possibly a partner, staff, a location, advertising...whew! My head hurts just thinking about it. Bad Hair Day will open eventually, but I do not think it will be 2010.

Sometime this coming year (maybe summer or fall) I will finally be going to Japan. I am beyond excited for this and nothing, no money problems, no bills, no car problems, nothing short of a natural disaster, will keep me from this trip. I have wanted to go to Japan since I was a child and I cannot believe I will finally get to go. I am pretty scared to go alone (still hoping I can tag along with someone who is already supposed to be going to Japan next year) but even if I go alone, I will make this a trip of a lifetime. It was also mark the very first time I have left the country. Ah! So excited!

2010 is going to be a good year. I can feel it. Cheers!

Love Actually

With any luck, by next year
I'll be going out with one of these guys







But for now let me say
Without hope or agenda
Just because it's Christmas
(And at Christmas you tell the truth)
To me, you are perfect
And my wasted heart will love you
Until you look like this



Merry Christmas

I'm starting to think I made you up inside my head...

Just finished watching the movie 500 Days of Summer with my roommate. It was a really cute movie and I really liked it. When it was over my roommate said it gave her hope, but for me, it left me with questions.

Throughout the movie Summer says how she doesn't believe love is real and that marriages just end in divorce anyway so why bother. Meanwhile Tom is a total believer in love and destiny and he thinks he has found his soulmate in Summer. At the end of the movie (this a spoiler, so if you haven't watched it and don't want me to ruin it, skip to the next paragraph) Summer ends up marrying someone she just met and Tom is saying he doesn't believe in love or fate (although he changes his mind when he meets Autumn while waiting for a job interview). My question is, was Summer right all along? Is love real? And if it is real, does it happen for everyone?

I've been in what I thought was love before and he said he was in love too, but what happened? Did we fall out of love as quickly as we fell in love? Were we even in love to begin with? Can you really fall out of love with someone?

Ever since my divorce I've had no luck meeting a new guy. Maybe I'm picky, maybe I'm not. Or maybe I'm not meant for love. Who's to say everyone is meant to find a soulmate, fall in love and live happily ever after? If fate is real, then wouldn't it be some people's fate to be alone? Not everyone can have a shiny, happy, lovey relationship, right? Is that why nothing has worked out with any of the guys I've been with?

And before you say, "well you just haven't met the right one yet", how do I know there is a right one out there for me? Is it love that I'm looking for or is love really just someone else who is willing to put up with all the good and all the bad we are made of?

Those are my questions. And I really hope someone comes along to prove me wrong. I hope that one day I will wake up and the love of my life will be next to me and everything will be right side up in my world. The last thing I really want is to be right about any of this.

everything is gonna be just fine

Hidden Track by Chase Long Beach

"you've got your problems
oh boy well get in line
hey little sister
what's on your mind
we've all got questions
and the answers are hard to find
but if you let us play a song for you
everything is gonna be alright

chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
we can't give you no money
and none of us can give you a ride
but if you let us play a song for you
everything is gonna be just fine

no worries baby
about your life
we've all got troubles and burdens and bills and heartache and strife
we're all in this together
so relax and let the good times ride
come on let us play a song for you and everything is gonna be alright

chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
we can't give you no money
and none of us can give you a ride
but if you let us play a song for you everything is gonna be just fine

rised up this morning
smiled with the rising sun
three little birds
sit by my door step
singing sweet songs
oh melodies pure and true
singing this is my message to you, you, you

chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
chase long beach is your friend
chase long beach is your friend til the bitter end
we cant give you no money (cause we're broke!)
and none of us is good to drive (cause we're drunk!)
but if you let us play a song for you everything is gonna be just fine"

Summer of '09... so far

This summer so far, has been an amazing summer!

It started off with a trip to CA to help my new roomie, Lindsay, move from Temecula, CA to Bremerton, WA. The trip was super fast, we made it here in record time in our "SUV".



As you can see an Outback Suburaru is not an SUV...it's basically a glorified station wagon. But we made it in one piece and she has been the best roommate I have ever had and is my new partner in crime.



Next, me, Andi and Lindsay drove all the way to Vancouver, WA (pretty much Portland) to meet up with Jen and her new husband Brett. Even though I attended Jen's wedding (obviously, I did a lot of hair and makeup for it) I never really met Brett. Needless to say I was curious to find out what he was like. I figured if Jen loved him, he must be ok. ;-) So after donuts at Voodoo donut in Portland and getting lost trying to go to dinner, we headed back over the stateline to Vancouver to see Tumbledown play. We all felt kind of awkward at the show at first, it was in a industrial complex and it looked as if we were crashing someone's office picnic. But once Tumbledown started we all had a blast. Brett is super funny and seems like a real good guy. The show was the best Tumbledown show I have seen to date and I was very glad I got to hang out with Jen and Brett before they left for a year to Boise, ID (booooo!)







Then the Fourth of July rolled around. I had been super busy with summer school and working full time, that by the time the Fourth rolled around I found myself with no plans at all. My friend Nicole then invited me and Lindsay to a mutual friend's lake house for food, fireworks and fun. It was such a fun Fourth and I ended up seeing a lot of other friends that day too. I also rode a jet ski for the FIRST TIME! So much fun. We topped off the night with fireworks over the lake and all agreed that this had been by far one of the best Fourth's ever.









Next up was Whaling Days. Whaling Days is basically a street fair/carnival and it's always full of good food, beer, rides and live music. This year in addition to the other live bands playing there, Tumbledown played as well. It was hot as hell that day, but me, my mom, my aunt and Andi braved the heat to enjoy the food and music.









So, that's been the summer so far. It's been amazing and so much fun and it's only half way through! Next month there's camping, Warped Tour, BBQ party, and much more. I cannot wait to see how the rest of the summer turns out. I hope everyone else is having as much fun as I am!

I don't care...

I don't care what car you drive, where you live,
If you know someone who knows someone who knows someone,
If your clothes are this years cutting edge,
If your trust fund is unlimited,
If your A-List, B-List or never heard of you list,
I only care about the words that flutter from your mind,
They are the only thing you truly own,
The only thing I will remember you by,
I will not fall in love with your bones and skin,
I will not fall in love with the places you're been,
I will not fall in love with anything but the words that flutter from your extraordinary mind...

[Your heart is all that matters to me, you should let your guard down more often]

"Runaway with me and don't look back..."

My head is spinning with so many thoughts right now I don't know which end is up. I feel like I'm losing my mind, like I'm trying so hard to keep everything together just to have everything fall apart. I'm lonely, I feel like I don't have anyone sometimes even though I know that's not true. I'm just so tired of trying to figure things out on my own. I'm resisting the urge to pick up and run, to do something incredibly irresponsible and just take off for a while. i feel like if I do that then maybe they will learn how to live like adults and on their own again, but at the same time, if I pick up and leave I will destroy everything I have. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of being alone. I'm tired of it all.

I just needed to release these thoughts from my head and put it out to the world, even if no one reads it.

Your wish is my command....

If a genie (yeah I said genie, this is not a logical/ realistic blog ok? ;-) ) came to me right now and said what do you want? What wishes do you want granted? This is what I would say:

1. Pay off all my debt (no more living from paycheck to paycheck!)

2. Get my mom and aunt a job (so I don't have to support them anymore)

3. Buy a house (I would really like to buy the one I currently live in)

4. Finish my cosmetology license (I'm so damn close it's killing me!)

5. Open my salon (I have such great ideas, it would kick ass!)

6. Take a trip to Japan (I'm fascinated by Japan and I must go there someday)

7. Fall in love and get married (and have it last this time)

8. Start a family (Just me, my husband, a few kids and a few dogs)

That's it. I don't want or need anything else. I don't want a million dollars (although if you add up how much all those things would cost, it might have been easier to just ask for a few million dollars haha), I don't want a fancy sports car, I don't want to marry Brad Pitt, I don't want to be a size 0, I don't want to live in a fancy house on the beach will 100 servants and all the fabulous luxuries in the world. I just want those things. Sounds pretty simple right? Then why does it feel like it might take me a lifetime to get any of those things?

Sigh. Back to real life.