status: employed

so i graduated school a little over a month ago. i decided i wanted to take a little break after i graduated before i found a job. so nick and i had a vacation planned for 8 days a week after i graduated. the perfect break. 

our vacation to kentucky finally came, but went by too fast. (will blog about the vaca next) the number 1 question i got there was "do you know what you want to do now that you're done with school?" that was the last thing i was thinking about while i was on vacation. but i maybe should have thought about it a bit more.

when we got home it was time for me to search for a job. i was always looking on KSL, craigslist, driving around asking who was hiring etc. but when i would start making a list of salons to go look at, i never wanted to go. it didn't feel right. don't get me wrong i love doing hair, but working in a salon didn't appeal to me at all. sometimes doing hair in my kitchen is the best. so one night nick and i were riding our bikes and the salon cookie cutters popped into my head. so we got home and i looked up locations for cookie cutters. there was one in bountiful and salt lake, perfect! 

on tuesday 7/23, i had an interview at a cosmetology school for a receptionist position. i wanted to wait after the interview to go into cookie cutters, but instead i decided to go to cookie cutters first, and i went to the bountiful location. i walked in with my portfolio and resume, there were 2 girls working, so i just walked in and asked if they were hiring by chance. both of their faces lit up and the one girl said "we ARE hiring! as of yesterday!" so i handed her my resume and portfolio and she asked if she could set up an interview with me, so i said sure and she asked if she could interview me right now! so crazy!

so we went into their break room, and i filled out the application and she asked me a few questions, then she asked me about my availability and if i wanted to work full time or part time. so after everything was said and done, she offered me the job right there! and i was starting work the next day! wow! i was so excited, i ran out to my car and called nick, my mom, my dad, everyone! 

everything really does happen for a reason. i was talking to my co worker today, the one i am replacing. and she said she was wondering if she really did do the right thing about taking her new job and quitting cookie cutters. she told me she had prayed all morning that someone would come in and apply for the job... and that person was me! i know i'm supposed to be at cookie cutters. i know there were be some days that are hard, some will be slow, some will be busy, but i know i'm going to love it. 

so since i'm working at a salon that is focused on just for kids, i will still be doing "kitchen hair" too! just ask me for my prices and i would love to still do your hair! or bring in your little ones to cookie cutters and i can do a mommy or daddy cut for you!

we're outta here

after waiting for what seems like forever, it's finally time for nick and i to take off and go on vacation. for 8 days. i can't wait. nick and i haven't had a vacation like this in a long time. and nick can finally meet all of my family that is there. 

so tonight at 12:45 a.m. (yup, we get to take a red eye flight) we are off to kentucky for a week long trip, to hang out with family, drink ale-8's, go frog gigging, have a fish fry and whatever else this trip brings us. 

so see ya'll in 8 days and have a fun 4th of july!

2000 hours later

 well it's official. i have now completed 2000 hours and am a graduate of taylor andrews academy of hair design.

wow.

i never thought this day would come, 2000 hours is a long time! but i did it, and i wouldn't trade those 2000 for anything. 

graduating was so bittersweet. i am definitely going to miss school, i have amazing instructors, amazing. and i'm going to miss them so much. i have learned so many different things from each of them and i love it. i learned different techniques from each of them, and they always made school so much fun. i am so lucky to know them. 

i had so many incredible opportunities at taylor andrews including:

*being able to do hair show twice, modeling for hair show this year as well.

*doing spy games twice.

*having nicholas french's class twice.

*meeting charles marcus

*motivational class from christopher belmont

*hands on classes from redken

*sub for santa and giving presents to a family in need

*classes from larry curtis, the owner

and there is so much more. i seriously went to the best school. i feel incredibly blessed to have gone there. 

so to the staff at taylor andrews, thanks you. thanks for the support, your friendship, sharing your passion for the hair industry, pushing me to reach my dreams. i am forever grateful for each of you. and i will miss you all so very much.

also a shout out to my bestie, shanelle. thank you for being such an amazing friend. thank you for always being there for me, to listen to me, to let me vent, and being such a great example to me. i don't know how i could have done these last few months of hair school without you. 

so TA, its been real. thanks for the memories, i will cherish them forever. :)

first day of school

last day of school

what a week

this week you guys... has been stressful, but yet very rewarding!

this week i took my final tests to be able to get my cosmetology license. i had to do a written and practical test at my school, and a written and practical for the state.

the state tests were absolutely terrifying. especially the practical. i am so glad i had 3 other friends from my school come with me to take the practical, because it is super intimidating!

about 4 hours later taking the practical at the state we got to see our results, getting that piece of paper and seeing that i passed was like winning the miss america pageant. no joke. i started bawling, i was so relieved! all my friends told me to stop crying, but i couldn't! 

yesterday i took my written at the state, that wasn't as terrifying as the practical, but i still had butterflies.
when you finish your test and are ready to submit it, it asks you twice if you are sure you want to end your test, then it takes you to a 10 question survey about the testing center, then asks you about 3 more times if you are ready to submit, asks you to type yes that you are ready then you FINALLY get your score. holy hannah i just want to know my score! after i got my paper saying i had passed that one i was just even more relieved!
no. more. studying. i can just relax for this long holiday weekend! my school is awesome and gave us today off! a saturday off! yes! 
i'm so glad i am done with these tests, i can enjoy the next 3 weeks at school just finishing my hours. i'm so excited to get out there and start my career!

PASS! PASS! PASS! :)

3 years

this post is a little overdue, but better late than never.

last week on the 15th, nick and i celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary. it's so crazy how fast time flies. i still remember our wedding day as if it  were yesterday. i remember waiting to go into the sealing room with nick, we were just sitting there admiring the temple and how pretty it was and then nick leans over to me and says "i helped build this temple" definitely something nick would say to me, haha! i still remember how i felt on our wedding day. i still get butterflies just thinking about it. it was an incredible day. a long day too.

the night before a wedding nick posted on my old blog without me knowing, when we came home from our honeymoon i found it, and i just recently read it again:

HEY GUYS!! just to warn you first and foremost, this is nick typing without denise's knowing :) 

so here i sit, on the night before the big day, and i just am soaking in the moment. my wonderful fiance is making the final touches to my groom's cake, (which i cant look at yet) while i am putting together a playlist for background music to the reception. things are just good.

i cannot explain how grateful i am for the last eight months of my life where i have gotten to know my soon-be-wife, dated her, asked her to marry me, and just gotten to love her like no other girl i have ever known. she is just downright AMAZING and i simply cannot and will not imagine my life without her. we are taking a huge step tomorrow and may not know what exactly the future will hold for the two of us, but i know-and trust me on this one- i KNOW, that with her by my side, we can do anything. 

tomorrow i will be sealed to the love of my life in the draper, utah temple. she is my best friend, my one and only. she is the half that makes me whole. 

i cannot wait to spend eternity with her.

(i love you honey!!)

i remember being so excited to say fiance, but i absolutely love calling him my hubby. we sometimes joke to each other still and will say "hey, guess what? we're married!" i love it :)

this year for our anniversary we didn't do much, and that's ok. we are both so busy, and nick had to work that night of our anniversary. he called me when he was off work and i told him i had presents here waiting for him and he quietly said "yours isn't wrapped yet..." but when he got home, he had been so clever to wrap my gift in a mcdonald's bag with napkins as the tissue paper, totally a nick thing to do :)

we opened our gifts and then went and got slurpee's and went on a drive and talked. my favorite thing to do with him. it's so nice and relaxing. 

i have loved these past 3 years, we have had our ups and downs, we have had many adventures and i can't wait to see what the rest of eternity brings us. i wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else. :)

#usetheinternetforgood {my story} part 2

 about a month ago i posted a blog about a trial that nick and i went through with church. if you haven't read it, you can read it here. and to those of you that have read it, shared it on facebook. thank you. i do appreciate it, more than you know. 

tonight i had the amazing opportunity to go to one of al fox's firesides. and i got to go with my friend shanelle, the one who introduced to me al's blog. to finally hear her tell her story in person was amazing. she has such an amazing personality, and an incredible testimony of the gospel. 

when she first arrived shanelle and i were able to go up and talk to her. i was able to thank her for writing me back and giving me some advice, she grabbed me and gave me the biggest hug and was so excited that shanelle and i came. she is such a sweet girl.

in her fireside tonight she said a few things that stuck out to me, one was:

"trials never go away, but neither does Christ."

Christ will never go away. he is there for us, he is there for us to help us, to answer our prayers. we have to listen. Christ can, and will help us. all we have to do is ask.

when she was telling us about moving here to utah, she really had no idea why she needed to move to utah. and there were so many times she wanted to give up and to move back home. but she had a choice, to give in... or to keep going. to not stop.

i, personally know i need to keep going. i cannot, and will not stop going to church. i will not let satan tempt me again. the church gives me happiness. i know it's where i'm supposed to be.

i know nick and i got called to teach the sunbeams in primary for a reason. i know those little kids will teach me something that i need to know, as long as i keep going and don't stop.

Christ is real. the church is true. and i know the church gives me happiness. 

and i know all of you can feel that happiness too.

i don't ever want that happiness to go away, i've been down that road and don't want to go down it again.

i will keep going. i will not stop.

ah, i am back.

finally have internet. i've missed blogging. so stay tuned for some upcoming blog posts.

:)