Afraid of salons

Hi everyone. I am looking for some helpful advice. All my life I wanted long hair. I had to fight most of my childhood to keep it at a medium length. My mom wanted it short. But now I am older and I can have it the way I want, and she doesnt really say anything to me about it anymore. It is about BSL right now.
Here's my story:
Last June, I decided to get some highlights in my hair (yes, I wanted the Jennifer Aniston color), and I went to a stylist that had cut my hair 2 times prior to that. The salon seemed really upscale, and the stylist seemed good. I liked the haircuts she gave. Well, the stylist started putting on the bleach starting on the front of my hair. I was actually coughing because the smell was so strong. It was overpowering. As it turned out, my front highlights were very damaged, and broke off. Now, my hair which had once been all one length with a few long layers at the bottom, was now one length with ugly short broken strands right at my face! The color of the highlights was no where near J.A.'s color, it was the color of a skunk! The real kicker about this is that I paid over $100 for the pleasure of this experience, and the salon owner wouldnt give me my money back. She was such a witch! She gave me a bottle of Redken's heat treat, and told me it was my fault because I used a flat iron!!!! This is not the case at all. My hair was so healthy!
Anyway, now it is November, and I feel like i should get a trim. I really dont know how to go about doing this. My husband said he'd do it, but he's never done anything like that before. I really dont have a friend who I feel comfortable doing this. And there are no "long hair" salons that I know of in Michigan. I just want like half an inch trimmed, but I am afraid they'll screw it up and take more.

I would say that most of my hair in general is in pretty good condition, and it is not necessary to chop it all off, although it could use a trim. I use deep conditioners all the time, and never blow dry. I have since colored over the bad highlights, and now my hair is a nice medium brown. I only use a flat iron on work days. I have been using the search and destroy method of cutting off damaged ends. But the short pieces in front are getting on my nerves! I could cut bangs, and it would all be taken care of, but I'm not sure I want to do this beacuse it took me so long to grow them out! Plus I have a small cowlick right there, and with bangs, this really acts up! Should I just keep trying to blend them in like I have been doing? Also, how do I get a trim without being scared to death? I really do not like going to salons-and never have.

Any helpful advice would be really appreciated. I am so glad I found this board!