Ahh, the power of social media. Mike Nunez, owner of Suluta Affiliate Management and part owner of Adore de Salon started chatting with me about salon services in Orlando recently. Then he invited me to come in for free services to see how I like it (and share with you guys). Free really motivates me, especially when it comes to costly hair stuff.

So I go for a cut and color. Now, let me just say that I am super picky when it comes to stylists. Sure, most can get my hair right, but I often feel awkward in the whole conversation thing. I don’t like just pouring out my life to a perfect stranger (and yes, I get the irony of me saying that on my blog).

But then I met Lisa. She’s the owner, Mike’s girlfriend, and one heck of a stylist and person. She was so warm and friendly, all my concerns about chatting vanished as we talked about virtually everything.

And then she worked her magic. My mom said she was like an artist, and it’s true. I told her I wanted brown with a kick, and she found the perfect shade that had copper and reds in it. Love, love, love it.

Here’s a before video. Boy I hate seeing my hair from up above. Ick.

And here’s my after photo. Much better.

Lisa is offering 50% off your first visit for a limited time, so give her a call or follow her on Twitter.

We women always hear that we’ll turn into our mothers. (Do men have this equivalent? Do they turn into their fathers??). So it’s inevitable. But the more I hang out with my mom (who’s here this week), the more I see our similarities.

From a very early age, I rejected the idea that we could be the same. I strove for individuality. When people commented that my horribly cruel boy haircut cute pixie cut made me look just like my mom, since we both had black hair, I’d growl, “My hair is brown, not black.” A small difference, but to a stubborn 5-year-old, I had to cling to my identity.

Mom cherishes a story from college, where I called her mock crying, “I’m turning in to you! I have sticky notes everywhere!” I don’t recall this, but I likely banished it to the dark place in my brain.

I’ll now tell the hub something about her that gets on my nerves (her desire to share her entire life story with checkout clerks, her magpie constant chatter, her silliness) and he just raises an eyebrow at me and says,  “Oh really?”

Which translates to, “Oh that gets on your nerves about your mom? Because that same exact quality in YOU is what gets on MY nerves!”

I know how to read him. I slink away in shame.

I hope that I won’t end up wearing muumuus, like my mom (and her mom) does. But there are some great things I’m glad to be like my mom in:

• Very caring to other people. We’ll take you under our wings in a second.
• Love of travel. She and my dad used to travel all over the country. I’m working on the world.
• Love of books. We both are devourers of literature.
• Wine lovers. Enough said. We bought 6 bottles last night and I’m embarrassed to say how many are left.

So Mom, I’m proud to be turning into my mother. Just don’t buy me a muumuu.

Sorry for the crickets, but what with my mom here and me speaking at the Hispanic Business Expo tomorrow (can you say a little nervous??) I don’t have time to blog. And I hate people who post “I don’t have time to blog.” But suck it. I’m a little high strung. Get over it. I’ll be back.