#allthepersonalthings

[crystaljanescissorhands-blog]

I Moved to the City of my Dreams!

There, you saw that very scary and stressful word.

“Moved”… “Moving”… “Help me move.”

And when I found out that my partner’s family had to sell the house he and I (and our roommate at the time) lived in, I felt the anxiety begin.

The scariest part was that I had never had to actually look for a place to live. The second scariest part; neither had my partner. We both laid awake, looking at the ceiling I had become so accustomed to looking at for the last 3 years before I fell asleep, and talked about where we would want to live. Did we want roommates? Did we want to find friends to room with or trust all the strangers out there? What about our cat? What about all of his things from the last 23 or so years of his life that had accumulated in his house? He had never lived anywhere else in his life.

Then one night, when we were talking about shortening my commute that was San Jose to San Francisco, I said that I would be happy to even just cut my commute in half. He looked at me very sternly and said, “Why don’t we just move to the city? You would have next to no commute depending on where we lived.”

“But you would still have to commute!” I protested, knowing what an absolute pain that drive is and how excruciatingly long the train is.

“It’s my turn to do this for a little while.”

It was the best response possible and makes me swoon thinking about it even now. It’s one of the many reasons I love my partner; he always considers me and is usually pretty fair.

We began the terrible process of apartment/studio hunting in San Francisco, California.

Some tips for beginners: the prices are OUTRAGEOUS but become suddenly reasonable when you split it in half. Also, you should think about the things you can and cannot live without. Then there is how competitive things are.

We looked at several places and all of them seemed to be deal breakers; no sinks, no kitchens, no real showers… the list goes on and on. The price would be great, but they would not allow cats. I knew the city a little better, and he would find an apartment that I would have to break the news of it being in a terrible neighborhood. He would look at places while I was at work and he would meet me at the end of the day looking defeated.

We were about to give up. Maybe we could settle for South San Francisco. Or Daly City. Or wherever.

Until one day, we were told about another studio that was owned by the same rental company as one that had gotten rented out from under our feet. I was in the city the day of the open house and went alone to look at it. It was in a neighborhood I was not familiar with at all. I did not really know what to expect.

However, I showed up, walked into the room, and something about it felt,,, special. There was a backyard! They would let us have our cat. We could get permit parking placards and keep our cars. No broken car window glass to be found outside on the street. People were walking their dogs and out with their kids.

I promptly called the manager and told her how interested we were. She told me to call back the next day.

I did. She was skeptical that we could afford the place. I told her about my growing clientele, about how we made a budget. She seemed skeptical still.

My partner came home from work and I told him I did not think we got the place. He looked defeated. I cried a little in frustration. He went to lay down and rest. I sat and watched TV, trying desperately to forget it all. I hated this process. I hated that I felt that I had taken on a full time second job as a craigslist/facebook ad surfer. I hated reading ads and seeing at the very end that they did not take cats or couples or men.

And then… my phone buzzed alerting me of an email. I opened it, expecting a newsletter from Killstar or Spotify. Low and behold, it was from the building manager, offering the studio to us! I could not even finish the email, I ran down the hallway screaming my partner’s name and that we were going to live in San Francisco! We were going to live where I had always dreamed! We had a place to live.

We magically packed all of our things in 2 weeks and moved in at the beginning of November. We did a lot of it in stages, our cat being the last thing we brought from the San Jose house (don’t worry our old roommate looked out for him).

I now enjoy a 20 minute bus ride to work. It takes a total of an hour to clean our entire space. We have a cozy kitchen with a stove AND oven. We live in a safe neighborhood. Parking sucks sometimes but what can you do?

I’m sorry I have been kind of dysfunctional on social media the last few weeks, but I hope you all can forgive me for the sake of MOVING. I am living happily and more rested since we moved here. I am inspired to take care of our little space because it is the first space that is all ours. Going to our favorite clubs and events is now a decision of if we really feel like going out rather than DO WE HAVE THE TIME TO DRIVE FROM SAN JOSE AND BACK? My partner is still tying up some loose ends at the old place, but we believe by the end of this month he will spend every night here with me and our furbaby.

I am incredibly inspired by work and the city. Expect great things and growth here in the next few months. I have big plans and drive being here. Looking forward to much more content, expression, and growth in the New Year.

xxx

Crystal Jane

[crystaljanescissorhands-blog]

Top 10 Guilty Pleasures

We rarely see people we think we know most outside of work, public circles, and even the internet. In these spaces, they probably seem mostly put together and maybe even an awesome archetype of their projected style. You could not even imagine them liking something that would truly surprise you, or see them stepping outside the routine you witness them in.

This is where most hidden, guilty pleasures come into play. Do not even act like there is a television show you like to watch that you would rather no one knew you liked or that food habit you only partake in alone.

But because I’m letting you all get to know me a little better, I’ll share some of mine that I think are actually pretty funny. Some are circumstantial, but most happen on my days off that I choose to spend at home.

So here they are, my Top 10 Guilty Pleasures:

1. Trashy, girly TV shows. I.E. “Sex and the City”, “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”, “Jane the Virgin”

2. I love listening to most of the music put out by the RuPaul’s Drag Race Queens

3. I still shop at Hot Topic. I do not care if it was crap then, now, or in the future. They have great pants and I like their TShirt and accessory selection.

4. I sometimes listen to Top 40 music. Catchy beats by Pitbull and Niki Minaj can sometimes be hard to escape.

5. I drive a cherry red Prius. That itself is not a guilty pleasure, but relishing the color of my car might be.

6. Listening to a new song until I beat it to death with sound of its own bass line.

7. I enjoy celebrity gossip magazines and articles. It's nice to escape to a place where the biggest beef is Taylor Swift’s new song.

8. Eating a whole container of Salmon Dip from Trader Joe’s in one sitting.

9. Shopping online, filling up my cart with $100+ of things, and immediately closing the window, losing it all.

10. Reading the labels on wine bottles and trying to figure out what the notes of the bottle will be just by the name. I've gotten quite good.

[crystaljanescissorhands-blog]

20 Random Facts About Me

So, I promised all you lovely people that you would get to know me a little better beyond the scissor slinging, hair artist that I mostly present online. To best start this out, I thought I would bring back an internet oldie but goodie: “20 Random Facts About Me.”

I’ve scoured the world wide interwebz to find some fun facts to present with and here are my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

1. My Zodiac Sign As an avid studying witchy person, I am sort of a believer in zodiac signs. I am a virgo and quite proud of it. I am a perfectionist, hate being disorganized, and I am extremely sensitive when someone points out the flaws I am working on. Everyone loves me in a work environment because of the organized part, but sometimes my critical attitudes of myself and other makes making friends tough.

2. So if I’m a Virgo, when is my birthday? My birthday is September 20th. (Mark your calendars)

3. Favorite Band I love music and have currently been getting back into it. My favorite band changes from time to time depending on my mood and what is going on in my life. My all time favorite band is My Chemical Romance, but currently I am super partial to William Control and Lay Your Ghost.

4. Favorite Incense I love burning sage, scented candles, and incense. I rarely like to be without something scented burning, especially when I am outside. My favorite incense is “Fire” by Elemense. It is Philippine mango, clove, and benzoin.

5. Where I am From I grew up in the Bay Area of California, about an hour (without traffic) from San Francisco everywhere I have lived.

6. Favorite Movie Hands down SLC PUNK!

7. Shoe Size I’m the average 7.5

8. Personal Aesthetic I work at a pretty Goth salon, go to goth clubs, listen to goth music, and wear a lot of goth clothes. However, I will always be an Emo Kid at heart and emo music is where I always turn when I need the comfort of something familiar. I love wearing skinny jeans, band shirts that I cut up, studded belts, and dark makeup. I am definitely more “boyish” but if you are lucky you have seen me in my rare dresses and skirts.

9. Relationship Status I have the most wonderful partner that I have been with for almost 3 years. I do not post a lot about him as he is not keen on being on social media, but he’s here, supportive, adorable, and pretty awesome.

10. Body Modification I do plan on making a post dedicated to this, but I am a huge fan of body modification. I have a collection of tattoos, piercings, my tongue split, and have participated in human flesh suspension.

11. A Childhood Memory When I was in middle school, I wanted short hair very badly. However, my hair was down to my waist, thick, and wavy. My mom, for whatever reason, would not let me cut it. So, when she was gone one night, I pulled it all back into a pony tail and cut my hair. My mom was less than thrilled when she came home, and I think she still has the ponytail somewhere. However, I have had short hair since then.

12. Favorite Place to Travel My favorite vacation would have to be when I went to New York with my aunt. I have not been back since, but it was so magical to me. I love cities and New York really took me by storm. I loved seeing Time Square, Broadway (because I love theater), and all of the architecture in the neighborhood. One day I will go back for sure.

13. Favorite Social Media I LOVE INSTAGRAM. So you can usually find me there -> @crystaljanescissorhands 14. Story Behind my Blog Title I chose “Scissor Fetish” because I felt it covered some of my bases. I am a cutting specialist, I am very kink and subculture friendly, and also fetishes can make you feel alive which is what I want to do for my clients. The snip of scissors is so satisfying to me sometimes it sends a delightful shiver down my spine. Also I thought it sounded kind of spooky. Feedback is welcome. 15. Something that Scares Me Instability.

16. Men or Female Haircuts? So, I do believe gender is a construct. I believe it is kind of dying too. I prefer doing more traditionally “masculine” haircuts because of the fine details, the ability to help care for male identifying individuals who are told caring for themselves is too sissy, and I see short-haired clients more so I get to bond more. Also I am a nerd for working with head shapes and hair growth. I love my ladies and long-haired individuals too of course. I just find short hair more inspiring most days. 17. Favorite Goth Club Currently it is the Cat Club on Folsom Street in San Francisco. I like going to Dark Shadows there. The DNA Lounge will also always have a special place in my heart. A lot of milestones and life events have happened there. 18. Coffee I love my morning coffee. However, I cannot drink it black. I always buy Trader Joe’s Vanilla Roast, add some sugar, and more vanilla creamer.

19. Do I Like Scary Movies? Honestly, I do, however I do get nightmares easily because of an over active imagination. I honestly much prefer a thriller or a romcom believe it or not. 20. What would I be if I was not a hairstylist? I considered a career in theater lighting and design for awhile. I also dabbled in photography and still enjoy it very much. But nothing quite made my heart sing like cutting peoples’ hair and making them feel their best.

[crystaljanescissorhands-blog]

What Happened to Crystal Jane?

Who am I?

A little over a year ago I was pretty active on social media. I was even publishing a blog on here called “Shear Success”. However, life got in the way. Things got stressful. I held a job at a place that was not a good fit for me, forcing me to be anything but myself, and drained me of energy I might have had.

So what’s changed?

I decided to return to my original place, Hairetics Salon, in San Francisco. My commute is back (San Jose to San Francisco) and I am starting from scratch, but I am much happier. I am surrounded by amazing women, clientele, and an environment that inspires me to be my best self as a stylist.

I am finding more energy to come back to the things I love. These include my music, learning more about hair, my sense of style, and my home life. I am also coming back to social media, and I have noticed that as much fun as posting pictures of my work is, you all out there have no idea who I am as a person, and I would like to share that with you!

Since it is my birthday month, it seems appropriate that for the month of September I will be writing a blog a week based on some of my favorite blog challenges I see floating around!

So sit down, power up that device, and let’s get to know each other!