I went to my first company meeting on Monday

On Monday we took a field trip to Phoenix for the yearly company meeting. It was a lot of fun and I got to finally meet our web designer. I've been bothering that poor man about a site he's building for one of my clients and it was great to put a face to a name. He was super nice and friendly and I learned a lot from him. I also got to meet the entire Phoenix office and that was great. They seem like a nice bunch, but I'm happy with my office. They even served food so no one went hungry! We're going to be doing a lot of new things in the new year. I'm most excited about the giving back aspect. Each office is encouraged to go out into the community and volunteer. That is going to be a ton of fun and I hope my vote for the Humane Society gets the nod. It's going to be an exciting year!

Who could resist?

On a more irritating note I just got a letter from the IRS. They're disputing my tax return for 2012 and want $1600. I know I put everything in it correctly from my salon, maybe they're not letting me use the nearly $1000 a month rent as a business expense or something.  I'll have to call them tomorrow and find out. Every time I think I'm past the whole salon issue and have finally put it behind me something comes up. If I owe it I will pay it though. I hope they take payments! Then it will be over I hope! The past really does haunt you!

It's coming for me aahhhhh...

Yesterday Was Funny

Yesterday morning the Salon Lady called demanding to know why I hadn't come in on Saturday. The message I left her had said I was available and for her to call me, not that I was coming in. I explained that and she had me come in yesterday at noon.

When I got there and she was frantically trying to brush out the nastiest manikin in the world. She was going from the top down and using a brush! I tried not to laugh and took over from her. It really was nasty with pink foaming up with every sweep of my comb. Toward the top it turned into a nasty black foam. Ick! 

I did the cuts to the best of my ability as the head foamed with pink and purple dye that stained my hands and combs. The poor combs will never be the same again. It was also a bit slimy feeling. Whoever had colored the head hadn't done a good job of rinsing at all.
The last cut was a short men's cut and I didn't want that crap in my clippers so I did scissors over comb. It took me a bit longer than I would have liked and wasn't as clean on the bottom as it could be, but frankly I was grossed out by the salon. I had been looking around while I waited between cuts and it was gross. There was hair and color and dust everywhere.  

After each cut she looked it over and told me I did a good job and it looked fine. I hate that word, I prefer great. The last cut was the only one she could find real fault with and even that one got an it's ok, not bad but it could have been shorter. I tried not to roll my eyes and ended up taking a long blink. I wasn't happy with the cut either, but I love my clippers and did I mention the head was nasty?

Once I was all done I shocked her by wiping up the station I had used. The least I could do was leave it cleaner than when I got there.
That's when it really got icky. I went to wash my hands in the bathroom and get a broom to sweep up my mess. I think my gasp was heard by everyone in the shopping center. Between the bathroom and the washer was a giant pile of hair just sitting on the floor. It was huge! At least 6 inches high and 3 feet wide huge. At least a weeks worth just hanging out for any client to see on the way to the loo. Totally disgusting. I swear at first I thought it was an animal for a second and took a step back.
I inched around the mass and into the bathroom. Like the rest of the salon it could use a good scrubbing and I decided to wash my hands in a shampoo bowl instead. The shampoo bowl had color on it's knob and hair in its trap so I went back into the bathroom and used a paper towel to turn on the tap. Yes it was so icky looking that I didn't want to touch it with my slimy and stained hands. How can they pee in there? That is what crossed my mind. The Walmart bathroom in Nogales was cleaner.
I grabbed a broom and swept my pile up and that's when I noticed they didn't have any trash cans. The only one I saw was the over flowing one in the bathroom. Sadly, I added my colorful addition to the Hair Beast and went to talk to the Lady.
She was distracted and busy writing up the shops order for lunch, but she did say she had other interviews to do and would let me know soon if I got the job.
Frankly, if the one I'll be working at is anything like this salon she can keep the job and need to spend the money on housekeeping and trash cans. Some professionalism courses for her wouldn't hurt either. While I was there, in front of clients and me she discussed things with her stylists that should have been handled privately. Blech! Although, if she does offer it I'll probably take it anyway so I can make fast money. Tips are great.
Thank goodness I start training for the sales job today!

At least I didn't see one of these!

Some Things I Saw On My Walk Today

I went for a walk in a neighborhood near my old salon. Three times a week I go and tidy up the building before the stylists come in for the day. Sometimes I miss it there, but the rent was more than we could afford and I get to live the dream of being a starving artist/writer! (Not actually starving, just happily scraping by.) 

We can afford what we need, and when I sell paintings or jewelry we can get a little extra. It's actually a great lesson in living within your means and going it frugally. The only bumps we've hit were poor Zelda (who's wounds have healed to 1/2 size now and the one under her tail is fully closed. Yay!), and yesterday's plumbing issue that my husband fixed quite easily with a rental snake. 

The walk was great and I had fun going around a different place. I can't wait to be able to ride my bike there, it's only 8 miles so hopefully in a month or so. I've been increasing mileage with the 10% rule. I think I could go farther, but I don't want to hurt myself.  I'm up to 5 miles on the path and it's driving me crazy. I really need to break out and take a turn off, I just might end up lost though. Maybe I need to get lost.

Anyway, here is a handful of shots from this mornings walk!

Beautiful purple and green prickly pear. That will make a great element in a painting.

I want a gate like this! I love fancy metal work and this is fancy!

Tentacle monster cactus. This gives me an idea for a story...

Dove on a roof, couldn't believe it held still for me. It flew off after I took a few shots of it. Must be getting better at sneaking.

I love the stripes in this rock. If it hadn't been bigger than my head I might have taken it home. I collect random rocks.

Azalea bushes are in full bloom. They smell good, but will make you very sick if you eat them. 

Before There Was Lucy, There Was Zipper

Before there was Lucy there was Zipper. Way back in 1998 I got a job at the hospital. It was great, but I didn't drive and my roller blades were wearing out fast on the 6 mile commute.
My brother and Husband who was then my boyfriend and I went to a bike store to look around. I didn't have the money to get a bike and was just shopping and dreaming. I found the perfect looking one, but it was too tall and the men steered me away from it's blue faded glory toward the shorter bikes.
In the corner I saw a nice green one that I could barely climb on. The slight slope to her top tube was the only reason it worked. They looked skeptical and the shop guy looked a bit worried, but it was the smallest they had and he must have needed a sale. My brother bought me the bike on the grounds that I actually use it. It is a Trek 800 Sport and her name is Zipper.
I rode that bike nearly every day to and from work and at work she had a locker to wait for me in. Most days I loved her and the only trouble I ran into was getting on or off and stopping. I adapted to her large size and I covered her in stickers that I collect; life was good.

I kind of miss the stickers.

One day Husband was painting a motorcycle and I decided I wanted to paint Zipper. We took her apart and carefully taped up where we didn't want paint to go. There was sanding involved and I shed a few tears over the loss of the stickers, but it was worth it. She came out perfect in black with rainbow sparkle over the top. She is so beautiful. I even got her a black front basket to match.

She was the best looking bike at the hospital and I felt safe storing her in her locker so I didn't worry about it. I never rode anywhere but to work and home so I never had to lock her up outside.

A sparkly ninja bike.

Then I went to work for Sears part time. It was brief and early morning, but I had to park her in a room with other bikes. It was fine for a couple of months then one day my seat was gone. It had a quick release and even though I knew to lock both tires and the frame I had never thought to lock my seat. I was shocked that someone had messed with my bike.

I screamed and yelled and cried. I went and got security and made a huge fuss. I was like a toddler who's favorite toy was taken. There was even foot stomping and I carried on for a while. Few things are more terrifying than a 200 lb, 5'1" Betty screaming bloody murder at the world. I think they were afraid I'd hurt myself. I was so small then. I'm bigger and scarier now. Still 5'1" though.

Luckily one of the guards found my seat wedged behind a pillar, scuffed but intact. I was lucky and it was a warning shot I heeded.

I installed a bolt instead of the QR and shortly after I quit Sears and went back to the hospital full time. All was good again for a few years.

Close up of the sparkle on Zipper.

Then I decided to go to cosmetology school and quit my job. There was no way I was parking Zipper outside. She had become too precious and I was paranoid of loosing her, so I mostly caught rides to and fro. Tried the bus and that sucked and even walked it once. It was about 5 miles and that sucked.

Husband and I went to Play it Again Sports to see about getting a beater to ride. It was a lucky day because they actually had one that fit me. Still a bit tall, but not like Zipper and I could dismount easier and safer. It was a Specialized Hard Rock WSD from 1993. Blue with neon pink decals it was perfect for my needs. The man at the store even threw in a rear rack to get us out of there so he could close.

Now Zipper is in storage and rarely comes out except to have a quick wash and lube to keep her in running form. I feel a little guilty about it, and will use her inside on a trainer someday.

The plus and the minus

On the plus side my landlord called me last night. He has someone to take over my salon. My last working day will be October 6 and I'll be moving out on October 7. That's a good thing, but I'm still sad about it. I really tried to make it work. I spent this morning letting all my clients know what was going on and that I could refer them to another stylist if they want me to. That was hard, but I have to make sure they are taken care of.
On the minus side my landlord forgot to tell his wife about our arrangement and I got charged rent today. Now my account is overdrawn and he says there is nothing he can do to fix it. Looks like I get to sell more things to support my salon after all. It sucks, but I can't change it so I'll just have to deal. He swears he won't charge me rent for my final week. If he does what's one more overdraft fee? I'm sure I can get it fixed by next week if I hustle my butt off. It's just funny how things are working out. I'm almost free and then I can work on paying down this new debt along with any others I have incurred. It just means I can't go to the 2 craft shows I was going to sign up for next month. Oh well, I'll get one in November.
I get to go be stuck by my sister-in-law this afternoon. She's studying to be a medical assistant and needs a victim. She pays in cookies so that is definitely a plus. I would let her do it for free, but she doesn't need to know that. Afterwards I get to walk around with some impressive bruises and eat cookies for lunch. Not a bad deal.
All in all it's another day on the roller coaster. Up, down, Up. Cookies are a great way to end it though. Then I'll go home and watch Murder, She Wrote and create more jewelry for my Etsy shop. That will be a great way to end the day. I can't wait!

Nothing much going on here

Sorry I haven't written, there hasn't been anything going on. I'm still searching for someone to take over my studio so I can stop paying rent. Until then it's still a heavy weight on me. I haven't made any Etsy sales yet, but I'm sure I will soon. I do have a custom order to complete though. A client wants a hematite and garnet y necklace. I'm looking forward to that, in my head it looks amazing. My writing has been a bit stalled lately. I feel so pressured from everything else that the blank page is actually kind of soothing and I find myself staring at it in a strange sort of relief. I kind of just stare at the white and feel like I'm floating. It's not normal, but I think my brain needs the rest. The story is still clamoring to get out though so I need to get on with it.
Got to go to Concert Under the Stars on Saturday and that was great. A lady sat next to us with her dogs and the sheltie kept snuggling up to me. It was nice to stare up at the stars with the music washing over me and the furry dog demanding to be petted. Z spent most of the time talking to his friend D. She's nice enough, but I kind of wish I had gone alone. I can't wait until next year when it happens again. It had been a long time since I just watched the sky.
This week I only have 2 clients scheduled so I'll be hitting the parking lot to go fishing. I really hate fishing. It feels a bit like begging or soliciting. Maybe I should wear something a bit more revealing to get more in the mood. That would really bring the people in! Just kidding, I'll just hook them with my big green umbrella and drag them back to my lair. At least I run a catch and release program, they just look better for it. Sorry, I really want seafood right now.
This Sunday Z has some models coming in to shoot. It was going to be to promote my salon, but he still wants to do it. It will be interesting to see how it goes. I've never worked with models before, I get to style their hair. Excited about that.
Life is chugging along and looking up. I just need to work on my perception of it is all.

It's all over but the searching

The meeting with my landlord went better than expected. All I have to do is find someone else to rent my studio and I'll be free. He's even helping by offering the other stylists in the building 2 weeks free to anyone who finds someone to take place. Also I can pay off any rent I accrue by cleaning the building in my off hours. He's being way more kind than I thought he would. I feel really lucky.
So far every client I've told is willing to follow me anywhere I go so I'm really grateful there too. Now I just have to find someone. I hope to do that by the 29th so I can move out on the 30th.

My Etsy shop now has 25 items in it and I'm sure I'll get a sale soon. I'm really enjoying the jewelry making and can't wait to get more things up. I'm pacing myself so I don't owe them a lot before I even sell any thing.

On my walk this morning 2 hawks were screaming after a dove and they were loud! It happened so fast I didn't get a pic but the dove flew past me and the hawks just gave up. They all moved so fast it was over before I could react. It was really neat to see wild hawks that close, but I'm glad the dove got away. I did get a good pic of a spider though. They don't move as fast.

I just want it done already!

Today hasn't been good. If I could I would just take my stick and walk away from it all. A half hour in the morning isn't enough and I always end up back where I started.
My only client for the day didn't show so now I'm short $50 for the rent this week and I'll have to sell more personal things to make it up.
My landlord for the salon will meet me on Monday to discuss me getting out of my lease and I'm worried he's going to be difficult about it. I really hope he won't be. I have nothing left to sell but my car and my desk. Those will barely bring enough for one more month and I'm not doing it.
I've learned a lot from this experience,. I'm just done. It wasn't all bad I did meet a lot of interesting people.
Wish me luck on Monday. It will all work out somehow.

My husband's a sweetie

Z is taking pics of all the jewelry I've put on Etsy so far because my photos suck. He's so nice about it, he only laughed at mine a little bit. He also showed me how to adjust my photos so I can hopefully do it myself. They still won't be as good as his though.
I'm lucky I have a photographer for a husband.
Tomorrow I will add more items and update the ones he's shot. I've had a lot of lookers and this will turn them into buyers. (fingers crossed)
The salon is still super slow and Z is making noises about me staying he to write. He's even offering to help set up a mini salon for my regulars here. It's so tempting, but I don't want to be a failure. It's a lot to think about.
He has a point, but it's weird to have people in my house. It would save a lot of money though and I'm a bit sick of rice and potatoes.
It's been 6 months and I'm still not turning a profit so I don't know.
Don't you hate it when someone is offering you a dream when your working on a goal.

Slivers Salon is 6 months old!

Today is my 6 month anniversary of opening my salon. It's a big milestone for me and I am very happy I haven't gone under yet. It's been rough, but worth it. I have big hopes for the future, it can only go up from here.
Now that I have made it this long I have a new goal. To make it to the nine month mark. I hope I can do it and will keep trying my hardest. Hopefully etsy will be a big help with that. 3 months from now I want to be self sufficient and able to help pay the bills at home. Failure is not an option!

Life is Funny!

I went to the salon today so I could post what I made to etsy in peace. The cats hate the computer or love it. So I'm taking photos and people keep coming in to see what I'm doing which is fine, but so far only 2 things have gone up. What's funny though is I've had my creations here for a while but as soon as they know I'm posting them for sale they want to buy.
So far I've sold a necklace and a pair of earrings. I also have 3 things to hold until Friday. That's 5 things in one day! Usually I'm lucky to sell that many here in a week and I have to spend my day off running around town selling it for way less.
I may not have made an etsy sale yet but it sure is helping already!
Cloudy this morning too so another great walk! This day is great!

No clients so I'm taking the day for Etsy

I have no clients scheduled at the salon so I'm taking the day to work on my etsy shop SliversofMagick . My goal is to have at least 15 items posted by the end of the day.
I figure if I pick one day a week where I have no one coming in to take off then I can make enough items to post for that week. It's funny how a hobby that I do to stay awake watching TV may end up saving my salon. I have to keep aiming high.
My plan is to make enough on etsy to not have to go out in the parking lot and fish. That would free up at least 2 hours a day more to write. Which in turn would lead to faster publication (fingers numb from crossing!) and me making money doing what I love.
It's a solid plan and since I didn't have anyone scheduled I can start it today. Maybe soon I can take 2 days off and use one to clean house. =)
I figured out how to link to the shop on my sidebar. I added a page that goes straight to it. This is so cool! It only took me how many days?
Life is great!!!

It's a beautiful cloudy day

I have a client in at 8 this morning so stick and I went walking in my work neighborhood. It's so nice out that I didn't want to come back. The clouds are big gray piles in the sky and I really hope it rains today.
All the dogs I saw were on leashes and I even got to pet one named Sophie. I forgot to get her owners name. Oops! She was such a sweet dog, a Rhodesian ridgeback. She is huge but so gentle. She has a lump to be removed tomorrow and they were out enjoying a walk before she's out of commission for a week. I gave the owner my card and hope she'll call and let me know how it goes.
There were a lot of other walkers out and they all waved and smiled. I wish my home neighborhood was this friendly. I'm going to have to schedule early clients more often.
The roads here are hillier than I'm used to and stick came in handy there. I really like its longer length. There's no more hunching to go down hill and I get to enjoy the scenery more. I saw a neat eucalyptus tree that looks like it's been through a few storms and is ready for more. All in all it was a great way to start my day.
I hope yours goes great too!

Another day at Slivers Salon...

(Warning: Shameless Whining and Self Promotion Ahead)

      Today is another slow day at the salon. I'm grateful to have the time to write until my hand cramps and my thumb falls asleep, but I need more clients to come in. On the plus side I'm way ahead of schedule on the first draft and need to figure out how to install word on a computer with no disk drive. I wonder if any place rents them. I love writing long hand, but I'll be glad when I can start typing it up and changing things a bit.

  I'm such a whiner. I'm living the life of my dreams and acting like a full-time writer. It's exactly what I asked for when I told my husband I wanted to quit my job at the hospital and stay home to write. He said no so I went to cosmetology school. The only job I could get after school was part-time at CC and I was grateful until the corporate crap chased me off. Now I'm living the dream I've always had and I'm still not satisfied . Of course in my version there was no $237 a week rent to wrangle up.

   

My desk rocks!

All I need is five clients a day and I will be set. So if you know anyone in Tucson who needs a cut, color, or facial wax send them my way and I promise to be nice. 

www.styleseat.com/sliverssalon

Now I need a butt in my chair please!

Last Week Was HARD!

I haven't blogged because I've been trying to get my weekly rent for my salon studio together. For the first time since I opened I have failed. I failed by a lousy $20. I had to ask my landlord to postpone my rent and charge me double the next week. He said he would and I'll know if he did tomorrow. If he forgot and charged me I will have the joy of an overdraft, not going to be sleeping much tonight.
   My week started falling apart on Thursday, most of my scheduled clients needed to reschedule and no one I called could come in. The train wreck kept up through Sunday. My only client on that day, the one that would have given me what I needed didn't even bother to show up. So I did what I could and took a day off. On the flip side next week will be busy, so that's a plus. I never want this to happen again, it's a horrible feeling.  So I did what I could and took the day off.  
   This will be a better week!

A Day for Thinking.

You'll probably have days like today yourself. I got up excited to go to the salon and do some hair. I was happy to be going to work. Then I get to work and my first client is late. She calls and I tell her it's ok, because it is really. I don't mind waiting the five minutes it takes her to get here.
   The cut goes great and she loves it. That makes me happy, as does the fact that she gets to go start her new job today. It's an exciting time in her life and I'm grateful to be a part of it. She gives me a hug as she leaves. I turn to clean the studio in preparation for the next client.
    This client is also late, but seeing as she's the only other one I have today I give her a while. I'm still in a good mood from the other lady. Finally I call her. Even though she had been sent a reminder by text and by email she had forgotten and couldn't make it anyway. I felt my day sliding downhill from its great start and grabbed hold to keep it on track. I rescheduled this lady for next week and hung up shaking my head.
     Sometimes people confuse me, maybe the second lady really had forgotten. I thought about it for a while then realized that it doesn't matter. In the grand scheme of things her missed appointment didn't matter. I got a lot of things done that I wouldn't have had time for if she came in and still managed to make what I would have made if she had come in by selling a necklace. It all worked out in the end.
   It made me think about how often I let another persons actions affect my mood. I have no control over her so why did I let it bother me? I need to not let others affect my mood and get back to enjoying my ride.
 I suggest you do the same.