Elliston Vineyards | Sunol, California

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"All I knew at that time is that we were basically sisters. We spent most of our summers in the swimming pool pretending to be mermaids- we always fought over who got to be Ariel. We would catch crawdads, sneak into the drive-in movie theater, spend lots of our days at the flea market, and our diets typically consisted of Taco Bell, McDonald's, and Stromboli from Tony DiMaggio's - if you haven't had the Stromboli, do yourself a favor and go get some.   After learning how to rollerblade we would act like we were Disney on Ice - most of the time the theme was Lion King and we thought we were the hottest kids to hit the neighborhood..."

That was a portion of my speech for my best friend/sister's wedding (we have known each other since birth), and let me tell you that she married a W O N D E R F U L Man! Surrounded by a vineyard and a mansion, Alisha and Andrew's wedding was an absolute fairytale. Romance, love, laughter and happy tears filled the air that day at Elliston Vineyards in Sunol, California, and I can honestly say that we would all be so lucky to experience a love like theirs.

Congratulations to my dear friend, Alisha and her husband, Andrew! I love you!

To view the full album, visit Alisha and Andrew's wedding album.

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Photography :: A Tale Ahead Photography || Venue :: Elliston Vineyards

Balayage

Balayage is becoming the most requested color service in salons all over the world. Remember those beautiful sun-kissed highlights you had as a child? This technique allows for that natural softness without the obvious grow out. It has been around since the 1970s and it's been making its way to the top ever since. Balayage is a french word that means "to sweep" or "to paint", which is exactly how stylist achieve this look. It is done by freehand painting the surface of the hair, lightly saturating between the root and the mid-shaft of the section and completely saturating as you move down the strand by the time you get to the ends or "tips" of the hair. This allows for natural dimension and contrast from root to end. Each stylist has their own techniques, so the results will always vary.

What's the difference between traditional foil highlights and balayage, you ask? Foil is more precise and the grow out is more noticeable, unlike balayage which is freely placed and scattered all over the head or just in certain sections with no noticeable starting point. Both techniques have their own place in the hair world. It's all about what fits your head of hair and how much maintenance you would like to do. Maintenance is very low with balayage. You can touch it up as much or as little as you like. Typically, when my clients reach their desired balayage color, they will come in anywhere from 8-10 weeks to refresh it. Using a professional color safe shampoo and conditioner will help protect the color in between appointments, helping it not to lose its luster and healthiness.

Balayage is one of favorite services I offer in the salon. I have endless techniques and methods, making this a completely customizable color. No two clients look the same and I love that. Being able to personalize someone's color, no matter if they are light or dark and emphasizing their best features with a very soft look is what makes me fall in love with this service each time I do it.

Whose ready for some balayage highlights?