#273

It was my night to take dinner to my sister Kalie, since she just had a baby last Sunday. Of course I made my taco soup, not only because it was requested of my, but because its the only thing I can make. (Well almost the only thing...) I picked tonight because Joe and I were going to attend the last concert in Jordan Landing's Summer Concert Series and it was near Kalie's house. I also thought it would be fun to take my nephew Jesse along with us. I knew Jesse would have a blast, plus I knew with the new baby, he might need a little extra attention and Kalie & Jesse might want a night off from entertaining a high strung 5 year old. Well sure enough, we had a blast! The night was perfect - just had a slight cool breeze, but not enough for a jacket. The bad was great, Jesse danced, played with the other kids & completely wore himself out!! The band that played is one we've seen before & posted about. They're called Contagious. My friend Joy's dad plays in it and they are always so good with the kiddies. They have a bubble machine, maracas for them to play & even a dance contest. All the kids loved it, including Jesse. Of course he was sad he didn't win the dance contest...oh well buddy, can't win them all! ;)

Thank you Kalie for letting us take Jess out for a little bit and thank you for letting us eat yummy taco soup with you and snuggle with that cute little baby of yours! I think Joe held Jacob longer than I did....  We had a great time and we are looking forward to the Alpine Slide with you guys & the family on Sunday. I can't wait to take little Jesse!!

My awesome #273 - I LOVE being an Auntie!! Look how cute this kid is? 

#272

Do you have a personal chore that you just hate doing? Like shaving, doing your hair, clipping nails, flossing...etc???  Well the chore I hate most is putting in & taking out my contacts. Ugh. It never seems to go smoothly. I drop them all the time and then I have to spend way to much time trying to find the dang thing. They irritate my eyes almost every morning, so I'll to put them in, then have to take them out, rinse, put them back in...repeat. My eyes end up water all morning and I can't put on my mascara. Then at night, sometimes they are so dry they don't want to come out of my eye, so it stings trying to pry it off my eyeball. I always seem to drip my saline solution everywhere and again I have to worry about dropping them. And of course once they are off, I have to deal with my glasses, which are always dirty and every time I wipe them with my shirt, I only smear whatever dirt was on them in the first place. Ugh! Its a vicious cycle and only one thing could remedy it.. LASIK! Too bad I'm not a candidate for any type of laser they are currently using. Guess I'll have to wait another 20 years for them to invent a laser that is 100% perfect JUST for my eyes...and I'll have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for it. Freals!

Are you surprised I'm so intense about this subject? Well me too. Some evenings are better than others, but I absolutely hate taking out my contacts each night. And when I'm already tired, sore & irritable, the last thing I want to do is fight for custody of my contact. Some nights my eyeballs just won't give in! I know, I know, there are worse things I could be worrying about and I shouldn't be so superficial...but tonight I spent 23 minutes in the bathroom taking out my contacts, wiping up a huge solution spill AND I had to pop my lens back into my glasses after it fell out when I was trying to clean them. Seriously!?!?  Tomorrow night I'm skipping the hassle & I'll just sleep with them in. I'll worry about the pain in the morning.

#272 - Stupid contacts.

#271

Today was fabulous! I finally had a VERY profitable day at my new Studio. After a few depressing days of feeling unemployed rather than self-employed, I was finally able to smile at the end of my day and pat myself on the back. Sure I did work 12 hours, but I loved my clients that came in today and I got quite a few calls to book up a bunch of appointments for NEXT week already! Aw!! I can let out a huge sigh of relief!

Now I know there will be good days as well as bad days. Some more busy days and some extremely slow...but I'm starting to make a profit after almost 3 grueling weeks of losing LOTS of money... :(  As long as I stay organized and focused, I'll still end up successful even on the slower/bad days. I just need to remind myself that every morning. ;) I am severely lucky because I know there are many people out there who have had MANY more bad weeks that just my 3. But it has really made me feel more appreciative for what I have and for the future.

On another note, I came home to an even better present than a profitable day. Joe FINALLY finished my cabinet!!! I asked him to make me a storage cabinet for my salon when I couldn't find one that suited my needs. (Apparently I was being a little picky.) But after 2 FULL weeks of working on it here & there, he finished it tonight and it looks AMAZING!!

Joe was able to use scrap wood from a crate that delivered an elevator to a job site. The crate was made out of white pine...which, after finding out how much wood costs, I'm grateful this was free! Joe roped the crate to the roof of his work truck and brought it home to take apart and make my cabinet. He customized it just the way I wanted, so it fits me and my needs perfectly! (It even has an open section at the bottom for my mini-fridge!!! Now I'll have plenty of storage space and even a drop down tray to mix color on. (See I WAS picky!)

My picture of the day was going to be of the cabinet as a whole, but when I snapped the photo with my flash on, it really brought out the beauty in the wood. Its just gorgeous! Joe used a Jacobean stain & then lacquered, sanded, lacquered, sanded & then lacquered again twice. (It has 4 coats of lacquer!) Wow, he worked so hard. Not only building it from scratch, but all the staining work too. Here is my #271 - The most beautiful cabinetry I've ever seen. THANKS JOE!! Its going to look SO GREAT in my salon. Wanna see more of the cabinet?? Maybe you should come see me at the salon so you can see it in person! LOL

#270

To be completely honest, I'm not sure when the last time I ate Mac'n Cheese was. Its a classic, cheap & quick meal and it was perfect for tonight. Joe got home from work late, I had many projects on my list for my salon website, so we needed something easy. Of course Joe cooked chicken & corn to go with it...even though it didn't 'go with it.' But it turned out yummy and it was great experiment! At least he didn't cut up hotdogs to put in it...yuck!

#270 - I'm not ashamed of my love for KRAFT Mac'n Cheese. (I need to pull out a box more often!)

#269's

We spent a good amount of the afternoon up at the hospital visiting the new baby, my sister Kalie & family. Luckily my sister Andee, her twins and myself, arrived at the hospital as Kalie's husband and son were there as well. It was a party in that room for a bit! Mostly the adults visited and little Jesse played with the twins. He had to show off his new 'brudder' to the girls. Plus every gadget in that room was fascinated to each of them...especially the 'privacy' curtain by the door. They were having fun running through it and playing hide & go seek! Gotta love cousins and the fun play times they have. I'm sure they had to enforce a noise ordinance as soon as we all left! ;)

Its very rare to get each of them sitting still and in the same place in order to take a picture, but I was able to capture 1-semi good one. All the others of them in this pose, someone was either not looking or they were bouncing around. I just love the look of these cute cousins. They actually look more like siblings...gotta love that 'Snow' gene!

Here is my #269's - COUSINS! Next time we take a cousin picture, baby Jacob will get to be in it. This makes me miss all the wonderful times I had as a kid with my cousins. I have some of the greats cousins and we sure got into a lot of mischief together!! 

**By the way, to help you understand their mischievous ways, this picture was taken of them sitting on the window seal in the hospital room. Like the couch wasn't cool enough, they all had to climb up to the window seal!

Oh and I decided to add this picture as well. When I saw them all sitting up there, I hurried and grabbed my camera to capture the moment. However I forgot to turn the flash on. So this is what happened without the flash. It actually looks pretty cool...especially with those cute piggy-tails!!

#268

Today was a roller coaster. Severe lack of sleep, my nephew was born, tried to sleep but awoke to Joe falling down the stairs & injuring his back farther than it already was and then I spent the rest of today nauseated [hardcore] and dealing with major anxiety...for no reason. Ugh. I'm pretty happy today is over.

I got a call at 3:20 this morning. (I missed the first 2 calls earlier because I was deeply sleeping.) Found out my sister was about to have my nephew & I ran down to the hospital. I even think I ran a red light or two. However I made it and was able to witness my very first delivery. Kalie did amazing and had the little guy in a matter of minutes. Jacob Allen Hansen was here before we knew it and he melted our hearts immediately.

I stayed at the hospital for a few hours, but finally headed home to sleep. (The little sleep I got, was very much appreciated.) I went back up to the hospital later this evening and got to witness the excitement of my little 5 year old nephew. He was SUPER excited about his baby 'brudder.' Each time a nurse came in, he would yell, "Hey! Come meet my brudder!" It just made my heart all warm & fuzzy. Especially when Jesse 'waved' at the baby to say hello, when his eyes would light up each time Jacob slightly opened his & when he made up his own lyrics to a new lullaby. He will make the best big brother, I just know it.

After forgetting my camera for the second visit, I was able to catch this beauty on my cell phone. Not great quality of course, but I actually love how grainy it is.


I'm proud to make this my #268 - "Brudders"

#267's

I took quite a few pictures today. Only one was meant to be the photo of the day, but the other 2 were taken/found and I just had to share. Here are my #267's! 


1st - This was the actual 'planned' photo for today. My mom takes my sisters & I out every year around this time to shop for Halloween decorations. We go to Tai-Pan trading, which has great options at a cheap price! Its usually a great evening, filled with laughs & sarcasm. However the only issue I have with this outing, is the fact that I boycott decorating for any holiday other than Christmas. My sisters & my mother are completely opposite. They decorate, not only for every holiday, but for every season as well! So basically everyone else BUT me actually 'gets' something out of this get together. My mom usually treats for dinner & buys a 1 decoration for each of us. Since they all know I'm not shopping for decorations, my mom let's me look around for jewelry, purses or cool dishes.  As much fun as it is shopping for things I don't need, its always great when I'm with people who support my lack of enthusiasm for constantly moving around the trinkets in my house every month or so. This year I found a wonderful little necklace that I'm super happy to own. I have an obsession with pocket watches & charm clocks lately. I have about 6 necklaces that are a clock in one form or another. Ranging from a teapot clock, a robot, an owl to a bicycle clock. I LOVE THEM! And now I get to add this giant, gorgeous piece to my collection. Thanks MOM!

2nd - In taking a photo of my new necklace/pocket watch, I had my camera at the ready. I ran upstairs to say goodnight to my twin nieces and in snapping a few pictures of Avie showing me her "cheesy" face, I caught this beauty! Look at all those teeth this little 17th month old has!! Plus those blue eyes melt my heart every time...and those girls know it!

And finally the 3rd picture for the day. Irony. I hate it. I misplaced something in my car today and instead of grabbing a flash light and searching in the dark of the night, I just used my hand and felt for it underneath the drivers seat...I did NOT find the stupid battery I lost...but low & behold I found this beauty...

That's right, I found my lost/stolen wallet! Apparently it has been in my car this entire time. (It was wedged between the side of my seat and the middle consul. Literally not within eye view. I PROMISE!)  Each headache I got from cancelling cards, sitting at the DMV for a new ID, the stress of losing it on a weekend and not being able to do anything until the next business day WAS ALL FOR NO REASON! Yup that's right...I had to put my life & identity on hold for 3 days for absolutely no reason.

Wow.

This 'Cheers' wallet has now graced my 365-day photo challenge THREE times!  Joe is pretty irritated with me. He claims I didn't look hard enough. Yeah, I just wanted to ruin a weekend & live with no access to funds & sit in the stinky DMV for over an hour just because I wanted to. Right...

#266

You know, I didn't notice yesterday but I just posted #265 last night - meaning I only have 100 days left!!!!! What exciting news! I've made it so far, I can't believe I'm so close to being done. Whats even scarier is that there is only 100 days left of the year! Wow...I'm surprised I posted without even noticing.

However here my post #266 - JERSEY'S ARE HERE!!!

Kinda bummed my Clay Matthews jersey doesn't fit. Apparently the 'woman's' sizes are for toddlers. LOL. I'm going to order another one and hopefully it'll be here before the season is over! Joe got his Jahvid Best (Detroit Lions) jersey. Plus he ordered a MBL one for some guy on the Detriot Tigers. I don't know why he loves that city so much. He's lame...he doesn't even watch baseball. Besides he already owns a Calvin Johnson NFL jersery...why he needs 2 Lions jersey's I'll never know. Apparently he enjoys being laughed at.

Alright peeps - only 99 pictures to go! Let the countdown begin!!!!

#265

I'm not going to lie, its been a rough week. Business isn't as 'busy' as I would like it to be. Of course my studio has only been open a week, but its hard when you have no idea if money will be coming in. I've pretty much been booking appointments the day before or the day of so far. Its hard to prepare for anything, because I never know what the next few days will hold. I guess that's another wonderful thing to learn about being self-employed! :)  (Even though sometimes I feel as if I'm unemployed instead! lol)

But after a huge motivational push from my very understanding & supporting husband, I've been doing a lot better. I went into a vinyl sign store & ordered some vinyl letting for my studio door. Unfortunately the complimentary sign the landlord supposedly ordered, still has NOT arrived. So I thought I would pay for a little advertising myself. (Plus the installation charge was minimal and I was grateful I didn't have to put it up. My OCD would have overwhelmed me and it would have ended up crooked & with bubbles.) Thank you to Richard at this awesome store in the mall. (Believe it or not, I don't think I caught the name of the places...oops!) He did a great job guiding me through the design process. Do you know how many different fonts are out there??? Holy crap it took me almost 30 minutes to pick the 2 I used. Ugh, it was hard!

I do feel much better about things. Even the small things, like vinyl lettering, can make me feel more reassured and excited again.  Thank you Joe and to all my supporters - I love you guys and I'm very grateful for the 'pushes.' I sure needed them.

My #264 -A sign that makes my studio look more 'official!' (And sorry I blocked out my phone number for this 'ever-so-public' blog.)

#264

IT'S BACK!! #263 - GLEE!

(great 'slushee' moment!!)

*Okay technically it started yesterday the 20th, but I was unable to watch my recording until just tonight. It was a great episode (Not the best) but a great way to start off a new season. I LOVE Kurt & Blaine together in the same high school. I'm excited Sue Sylvester is back to her old vicious ways and Mr. Shue & Emma together??? Heck yes!  I should be a great season!

**Also I'm not a huge fan of the 'stretching the envelope' episodes. Where they push political agendas, homosexuality, teen angst & rebellion... I don't like when they throw that in your face. Like they are trying to prove a point...but I do love a good comedic musical! Plus the show last night [tonight] brought back a lot of great 80's songs and I LOVE the 80's!!!

If you haven't watched Glee or gotten into the show...um well, you should! So, get on it!!

#263

Yummy yummy yummy! FRO.GURT!

Its the small things in life...or the medium sized cups...that make me happy. The samples, the choices, the 35cents and ounce. Aw...heaven!

If you ask anyone in my close circle, I'm extremely passionate about FRO.GURT. I've actually only been 5 times since I first found out about this place back in April, (Honestly, only 5 times) but I could live there. So many yummy combinations! I try to get something different every time.

Joe and I treated my Dad & Nancy to FRO.GURT tonight and it was faaaabuuulous!

#263 - My wall of choices...

#262

I got my Square reader!!

I signed up for the Square app on my phone so I can take credit cards from my customers. I looked into many different 'merchant' providers and even though Square charges a higher percentages with each swipe, in the long run, its still cheaper.  I did download the app awhile ago and was able to just key in a credit card number, but I know it will make it easier to just swipe, plus it looks more legit than just keying in their number.

#262 - One more step in owning my own business!

#261

Today was everything I thought it could be. If you read my last post, you would know I had planned to spend Football Sunday, watching football and nothing else. Well I did just that! My Green Bay Packers even pulled out another win for me! ;)  However my Fantasy Football team didn't do so hot up against my friend Dan who dominated everyone last week. He kicked my trash this week as well. So now I'm 0-2.

I sure did enjoy my day with Joe and our puppies. We stayed in our pajamas all day, sat in 'our spots,' napped here and there, played sudoku, watched a bit of the Emmy's and ate EVERY LAST bit of the Taco Soup I prepped last night.  My first Football Sunday and it was absolutely fabulous. Just what I needed.

#261 - My personal heater that never left my side. (I think he enjoyed the laziness of today just as much as I did.) I love my Lucas.

**And a quick shout out to my stepdad Kelly; today is his birthday. Happy Birthday Kel! I hope you had a great one - see you tomorrow!

#260

I picked the best time of year to quit my job and start my own business. I now have the power to create my own schedule and I couldn't have planned it better. Never working a Sunday again and starting at the beginning FOOTBALL SEASON!  Even though the regular season started last week, I'm still excited I'll be able to enjoy Football Sundays with Joe from now on. There is something about the lazy day, staying in comfy clothes and your team jersey all day long, veggin' on yummy food and falling in and out of sleep. Aw, tomorrow is going to be heaven.

And to celebrate my first Football Sunday, I made my infamous Taco Soup. (Its truly the only thing I can make perfectly. I seem to ruin everything else...just ask my family.) But anyway, I came home from work tonight and prepared it to sit in the crockpot over night. My house already smells fabulous and I'm anxiously awaiting my first bowl for lunch tomorrow. I doubled the recipe, so I'm sure Joe and I will be munching on it all day long. Yummy!! (And we're making it Downward-style, with sour cream & cheese. Thank you to my brother-in-law Cory for introducing that to me.)

#260 - Taco Soup cheers to Football Sunday!!!

#259

#259 - The original Mary Poppins. What a classic!

Seeing the Broadway platy earlier this week made me want to watch the original movie. As I put it in I already started singing the songs!! Such great memories as a child and this scene (above), when they've jumped into the painting, was my favorite part as a kid. I love when Bert dances with the penguins. Aw it just makes me happy. All the live action with cartoons just amazed me as a kid!! Good quality, old fashioned family entertainment. (Plus I'm a sucker for any English drama/family flick.)

Its a jolly holiday with Mary; no wonder that its Mary that we love!!

Man, I love this movie. You all should pull it out and watch it. It makes my heart happy!  Thank you Disney!!

#258

I feel bad for the people I'm friends with on Facebook. This will all be a repeat for them, if they paid any attention to my updates & pictures from today. Sorry people!!

But yes today was my OPENING DAY! My Hair Lady is open for business and today was a huge success. Not only did all my clients find the new place with ease, they all showed up 15+ minutes early to their appointment. I did have 1 person cancel at the last minute, but her reason was totally understandable. But other than that - SUCCESS! I just hope I have more days like today. I scheduled my appointments perfectly and stayed ahead of schedule throughout the day. I got to meet a few more people in the building and they were very nice & welcoming. I did notice through the course of the day, all the things I need to change. Where I stored things and what I've purchased. I had an hour in between appointments this afternoon, so I ran to the beauty supply store and got a few things that would make it easier. I guess as time goes on, I'll find better & more convenient things to use...and store. My biggest issues were, my broom. Its too short and requires me to lean over to sweep, which after the first client my back couldn't handle much more. Fridge. I need a fridge. Most of my clients are used to getting a complimentary beverage with their service and it was hard to not be able to offer that service. I also need more STORAGE space! Hence the cabinet I'm having Joe make me this weekend. But other than that, I just had minor issues that were fixed easily.

I really think I'm going to like this new venture. It was fun being on my own today and feeling so independent. I did however miss the excitement and chaos of Smart Style. Since I'm now in my own room, its very quiet and calm. Perfect for my clients, but definitely a different atmosphere for me. OH! Which reminds me...I need music in there. Another issue I noticed today. If me or my client wasn't talking...it was SUPER quiet in there. You hear crickets...or a pin drop...whatever UGH! It was an uncomfortable silence. Andee, you mentioned something about your ipod docking station. Does yours have speakers or just a charger? That will be my next purchase. Gotta get that ipod charged and some good tunes downloaded!

Okay, so enough about my first day...I'm sure most people are tired of hearing about it! HA!

Here is my #258 - Cutting the ribbon. (Or in my case 'blue' painting tape.) Today was such a great day and I will always remember the wonderful feeling I had all day as a new business owner. It was absolutely incredible.

#257

#257 - MARY POPPINS!!

We scored some extra tickets from my dad to go see the Broadway play. They did an amazing job, especially with the set and props. It had Joe and I baffled on how they put together the big set pieces and their special effects.

I wasn't too impressed with their adaptation of the Mary Poppins Disney story, but that could just be because I love the original so much. They only used maybe 2 or 3 songs from the original movie and the songs they created for this play weren't the best in my opinion. Plus they veered off the original storyline so much, I was almost confused a few times.

Overall they did do a great job and had some talented cast members. Their Mary Poppins was spot on Julie Andrews original and she had an amazing voice. A little more snooty & precocious than Julie Andrews' Mary, but none the less very entertaining. 

Thanks Dad & Nancy for thinking of us when you came up with 2 extra tickets. Joe and I had a great time!!

#256

I finally found one I'm happy with. Not 100%, but for now it works. I might have to look online for more options, but I have purchased an appointment book!! I can now schedule appointments well in advance and have my hourly schedule planned out. My first day of business is the day after tomorrow, so I'm happy I've found something that will help me get organized. I have a day-planner already, but its only for 'monthly' use. (As in, it only has month-to-month calendars in it) I need something that helps me organize on a 'daily' basis. My friend Elizabeth suggested a book with 15 minute intervals. Well I couldn't find a 15 minute one, but I found a 30 minute one that makes me happy!

#256 - My first appointment book!

#255

I have discovered a doughnut shop next to my new salon. This may or may not be a good thing. I'm sure it isn't a good thing right now...because I now want to go there everyday. But there is a possibility I will get sick of these doughnuts and won't want to eat them ever again. See...it could be a good thing...or it could be so bad!! We'll have to see how much will-power I actually have.

This place is called Beyond Glaze (Not sure if this is the only location in UT or not) But they take just regular glazed doughnuts and fashion them with deliciously flavored frostings and turn them into their own phenomenon. And at $2 a doughnut, an expensive phenomenon they are!

Elizabeth and I decided to get a little afternoon treat and once I walked in a saw over 20 different flavors, I chose to get a dozen to bring home for everyone to taste. I tried to pick the most interesting sounding ones and the ones the baker highly recommended.  They ranged from the most popular 'Maple Bacon' to 'Gourmet S'more' to 'Jalapeno Cream Cheese.'

Once home, I cut the doughnuts into 4 pieces and me, Joe, my sister Andee & her husband Kelly had a taste testing. (We didn't get through all the doughnuts...that's a lot to eat, but we tried the unique ones first.) Maple bacon was actually good. Takes like bacon with maple syrup poured on it. I would definitely recommend that as a breakfast doughnut. Kelly & Joe agreed. However ALL of us were totally grossed out with the Jalapeno Cream Cheese. It just wasn't right for a doughnut. YUCK! The S'mores & Pumpkin Chocolate were my faves. Andee likes the Grasshopper and Kelly like the Peach Cobbler. I'm not sure which one Joe really liked. He got heartburn after the Jalapeno mess and couldn't each much more. LOL!!!  They sure looked yummy..but some were a little questionable!!

#255 - Beyond Glaze, beyond my normal calorie intake for the day, beyond delicious AND beyond weird.

#254

I don't want to overdue this post. I've written before that I'm quitting my job and starting a new adventure on my own. Today was my last day at Smart Style Family Hair Salon. I sent out my "goodbye" notes, cleaned out my station and turned in my key. The day has finally come for me to walk away from my first job in my hair stylist career. It has been a huge part of my life and has helped me progress in many areas of my life. I will always remember the people, the friends and the memories.

#254 - I shut the gate on my Smart Style career. Next up, owning my own business...eek!

#253

Tonight is bittersweet. Tomorrow is my last day at Smart Style. Unfortunately since its a Sunday, many of my stylists have it off, so I had to say my 'goodbyes' at the end of my shift today. My last day really snuck up on me, so I didn't feel like my goodbye hugs were enough. I decided to buy each of them a card and express my appreciation for each of them on a more personal level.

I truly am lucky to have had the best group of stylists ANYONE could ever ask for. Each of them are very motivated, determined and supportive of each other, myself and the salon as a whole. I'm so proud of each of them and what they have done for my career as manager and making my life easier, not to mention the talent and zest for their own careers & success! How lucky was I that each of them walked into my store to apply OR actually called me personally wanting a job? As a manager I went through many stylists but I finally came across my perfect group. Jordan, Brianna, Candice, Mary Ellen and Kaitlyn. Knowing that I won't see them everyday has been really hard for me to grasp. Jordan and Brianna have been with me for almost my whole managing career. We've become close friends as well as colleagues. Plus Jordan might take over my position and be my successor.  How can I not be proud of that? They are amazing girls.

I have made a lifetime of memories and good moments with these girls and I know they are the main reasons why my salon was so successful and will continue to be so. (Even with Mary Ellen quitting as well!)

Thank you ladies for being the best stylists, employees and friends. We laughed so much, waxed many noses, shared many lunches and took care of each other. I'm grateful I got to be apart of this team. Love you girls - thank you for everything you have done for me and helping me be a better manager and friend. I'll miss you all so very much!!!

#253 - My 'goodbye' notes. (Hold it together Erica, hold it together!)

#252

Today was a fun filled day off! I went down to Utah County to take pictures of my newest niece Adyson. She is 10 days old and super, super cute! Gotta love the smell of a newborn, their soft skin and heart-aching cry. They are so fun to snuggle! I was lucky enough to not only take her pictures, but I got to hold her and soothe her afterwards.

I have many photos to edit and go through, but I was very impressed, I only too 120 pictures. My sister Kalie's maternity shoot I did last week, I took almost 500! And going through the 120 I still don't feel like I got enough! Adyson did a great job though and put up with me consistently agitating her peaceful nap.

Introducing Adyson Kristeen Pew, my #252. Congrats to Jarron & Robyn!! She's a cute little girl and I know she'll be a total princess! I witnessed a little high maintenance persona already! LOL

#251

Lunch... My soon-to-be ex-supervisor asked me out to lunch. I was a little nervous because we haven't had much contact since I put in my 2 week notice last week. Plus I called her earlier yesterday and asked her to make this coming Sunday my last day. (Which is 4 days shy of 2 full weeks.) Going into this lunch, I must say my palms were sweating a bit. Can we say awkward much?  However I was pleasantly surprised when it turned into a very personal lunch. Not only talking work and the future of the salon I'm leaving behind, but intimately talking about each others lives outside of work - just like good friends do. Oh I can't tell you how relieved I was. It was such a great lunch and I'm very grateful my boss is being so cool & supportive about everything. It has definitely made this transition much easier. Which for my anxiety and nerves...I couldn't as for anything more.

And while on our lunch date, to our favorite place 'Fortune Cookie,' I got the best 'omen!' At the end of our meal, as we were saying our good-byes, I opened up my fortune cookie and here is what it said...

#251 - Fate anyone? I'm thinkin' so!

I had to blush because it was just perfect for the situation AND I opened it in front of my soon-to-be ex-supervisor. She asked me to read it aloud after seeing me blush and instead of being sad I was leaving or making me feel bad for the load of work I'm giving to her, she said, "See, its fate!"  Thank you Shari, for all you have done for me. I'm going to miss Smart Style and the life I created there. But I'm super excited to move on and try something new.

Yay for FATE!

#250

Joe and I headed out to my new salon tonight. We were supposed to rip up the existing floors on Monday (Labor Day) but it just didn't work out. Why you ask am I ripping up the floors? Its not that there is anything wrong with them. They are vinyl/laminate 'hardwood' floors and they are in good shape...I'm just being anal. I don't like the color or the wood grain and whoever laid this current floor, did it in a hurry. There are bumps, rough edges and spaces where there shouldn't be. Even if I liked the floors, I'd still want to replace them because they were so lazily put down.  I found a great new vinyl/laminate 'stone' look to replace it. Sure its cheap and easy, but that's exactly what I need right now. Something that is a quick fix AND cheap!

We were lucky that the existing floor came up in about 5 minutes. Like I said, it was so lazily put down, the people didn't actually 'glue' it to the floor. It was like the glue all the pieces together and set it down whole. But that was better for us, because it literally came up with 1 tug.

The one bad thing about lifting the floor up is discovering what was underneath. The tile underneath is more of an industrial style and was clearly stained with many hair coloring drips AND there is a spot next to my station that has water damage....and black mold! That's right, black mold! :(

I called the owner and someone is going to come look at it tomorrow. But unfortunately we can't lay my new floor until its dried up and fixed. Joe suggested we still put the flooring down and just leave the section with the damage uncovered until it can be fixed. We'll see how things pan out over the next few days. Baseboards & crown molding go up on Sunday, so I'm hoping it will all be cleared up by then.

#250 - The unveiling wasn't too exciting....

#249

Somebody loves me!! I swear the saying 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach' rings truth for me as well. You make me food, I will love you for life!! ;)

My friend Lynda had an awful day today. Just awful. She came in to see me at work so I could fix her haircut & give her a little TLC. Even in her sad/frustrated state, she found time to make me a HUGE container of FROG-EYE SALAD this afternoon! One of my favorites. This container is seriously huge, she must have doubled the recipe and gave me everything! Its like a 13x9 tupperware piece, chuck FULL of delicious salad, just for me!

The best remedy for a bad day, is to make someone else feel good. Which in turn, makes you feel good! My #249 - LyLo spoils me! Thank you Lynda for harnessing your energy and making me this yummy treat! I ate some at work AND when I got home tonight. (And I'm sure I'll be eating this gigantic bowl all week!) I love you and appreciate the thought! You're the bestest!!

#248

Best find in a long time!  I didn't want to post anything about my new salon today, but I just can't help but be excited.

My my mom wanted to take me shopping for some decor/furniture for the shop. I wasn't too thrilled at first because the room isn't even close to being finished and I just can't envision what it will look like to even picture what decorations I should buy. Anyway, I decided to go just to see what was out there and may be get inspired.  Well we went to Pier 1 Imports...which is a little expensive for my taste. As we were browsing my eyes kept going to the wicker chairs. I was picturing 2 wicker chairs as my 'waiting' chairs. And of course each one I thought would look great was over $100 a chair. Eek! However after much browsing I found a chair I liked A LOT and it was only $80, which was the cheapest I found. Then I found its companion but it was marked on sale at 50% off. We asked the salesperson and turns out both chairs were 50% off. So that's $80 for both! Yet I have even better news. When we were fiddling around with the chair and finding cushions for it, we noticed on one of the legs, the 'wicker' is unraveling. Oh just wonderful! We grabbed another salesperson and found out that this chair was in the clearance/AS IS section and was only $14.99. Um hello! I could hot glue gun that sucker for $14.99!!! I was stoked. I decided to only get the one because the companion was still in the 50% off section and I couldn't spend $40 on a second chair. One would just have to suffice. Once I got up to the counter a third salesperson rang me up and proceeded to tell me what an awesome deal I was getting and said she couldn't believe I wasn't getting the companion chair to go with it. She told me it was also $14.99.  I was confused at first, but after talking for a bit, we found out the other chair also had an unraveling leg but she had temporarily fixed the wicker and none of the other sales people had noticed. And neither did I! (I'm thinking these employees need to get on the same fricken' page here!!) So yes LONG story short, I got 2 $80 chairs for only $30!!!! (I saved $130! - INCREDIBLE!) Sure the wicker needs to be fixed, but like I said, nothing a hot glue gun can't fix. Plus they are both on the back legs, so I don't think anyone would notice even if I cut the wicker completely off the leg.

I'm just now hoping the chairs look good and fit well in the salon, because since they were both 'AS IS' they are not returnable. Cross your fingers for me!!

#248 - The best Pier 1 Imports find EVER!

#247

Okay people. I had 4 hours of sleep last night. Its a long story, but I had to get up the early to paint my new salon!!! Thank you to my family for coming to help. We were able to accomplish quite a bit in such a short time. AWESOMENESS!!

#247 - The first area painted!

I am keeping it short and simple again tonight. I'm freakin' tired and I'm headed to bed. To read more and see other photos, check out my personal blog @ The Black Spot for my most recent post.

#246

One of the best things about this time of year is the yummy vegetables!!! I didn't plant my own garden, but I get spoiled by everyone else! And I'm enjoying EVERY minute of it!!

ZUCCHINI & SQUASH! #246 - Yumm-O!

#245

Tonight was so much fun!! My pregnant sister Kalie asked me to take her 'maternity photos' tonight. She came into my salon and we pampered her up right before. She got her nails done, hair color AND make-up! I didn't do the nails...but I did the hair, make-up....and the photos of course! (I'm the WHOLE package! lol)

Kalie wanted to do a very non-traditional shoot. Maternity photos are always so innocent, delicate and sweet. She wanted lots of make-up, glammed up hair, daring poses and lots of accessories!! Well...she knew the right person to ask!!! ;)  (See more of the album on my facebook...Joy, get a facebook already!!)

In her vision of these photos, she wanted a great silhouette shot of her protruding belling in front of a sunset. Here in Utah, what better place for a wide open sunset, than the salt flats? We drove out to the Saltair and walked out onto the Great Salt Lake beach for some PERFECT silhouette shots. Plus my younger sister Andee and her twins tagged along!! We had great fun 'posing' Kalie and picking out different accessories. I swear I brought my entire jewelry box.

I think we got some great pictures and I hope I made Kalie happy! They were a little different than the 'norm' but that's Kalie to a T. Always a stand out! Thank you Kalie for letting me doll you up AND take the pictures. I love playing around with my camera, getting down on the ground for a good shot and uploading them for all to see. Tonight was freakin' awesome!!

#245 - Kalie and baby Hansen, due October 2011!

#244

Alright ya'll. I'm breaking the news! I have decided to quit my job and start fresh elsewhere! I've been with Smart Style for over 5 years and a salon manager for almost 3 years. I swear its been a huge part of my life for so long. It'll be fun to try something new, but I will miss the memories & people I've met.  But with my new place I'll be occupying, it definitely has the opportunity for improvements. They are letting me take the reins and do 'whatever' I want.....Soooooo what does that mean? PROJECT!!!

I took my family to see the place tonight and bounced ideas off of them. After debating on colors, floors and decor, I finally begged my sister Kalie to go to Home Depot with me. (I'm so very indecisive!) Well... $250 later!!! I'm super pumped for this weekend and all the painting we're going to do!

#244 - The first of MANY purchases. I'm excited for all the things to come!! (Some before & after pictures?? Hahaha, I thought you'd never ask! Stay tuned!!)

**Oh and by the way for all my customers who read this blog - I'll still be at Smart Style until the middle of September. So get in, see me and get my number!!