I think you have to go to a salon and ask for "Two-process" color. The first process is taking the brown away, the second is giving it the blonde color you want. $150US minimum, probably.

I'm looking for DIY

Don't even think about DIY. You'll end up with straw, trying to go from dark brown plus existing dyes to platinum. At worst, you'll end up with green straw.

If money's a problem, and you're in a city, ask at one of the big hairdressing chains if you can be a model at their training school. The trainees'll be supervised every step of the way and if you're going dark+colour to light, you'll be a prime example of what the trainees are likely to encounter in the salon, so they will probably jump at the chance to use you for a training session.

ok, well then I'm in St. Loser Louis, so if anyone has any references, it would be appreciated.

I agree that DIY would look like a train wreck. Just use your yellow pages to find a cosmetology school or beauty school. Another possibility would be to look at community colleges and vocational schools, since they may have those sorts of programs, too.

Use good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner on it also. I haven't colored my hair but I've had it permed. My hair doesn't take a perm unless the solution is extremely strong, so it was pretty dry afterwards! What I used to wash it made a big difference. I'd recommend spending ten to fifteen dollars on each. Good luck!