Don't be getting snippy just yet. The Ceanothus is a rather tender shrub so unless you live in a frost free zone any pruning in early spring could be fatal. I've made this mistake with this same shrub myself. Treat it like you would a hardy fuchsia and don't prune until you see lots of new growth in late spring. I would be cautious and just remove one third of the branches so prune it much like a rose. One more thing to know is that these are not long-lived shrubs and after a decade or so it is best to start with a fresh young plant or you'll be cutting back to thick old wood that is resistant to resprout. For the longest life ceanothus can just be left unpruned in a natural state. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti