Vacation...yes I said Vacation...

Yes we are totally crazy!!! Not only are we opening a business...and hope to be open by September 4th...ahahahhahahahahah....we are also going on the vacation to the jersey shore for 1 week!!! But hey, the stuff is ordered and the paint is done...the floor will be done the week we are gone and as soon as we get back plumbing can get done, then its just putting stuff together and setting up...hahahah sounds soo easy...oh how optimistic (and crazy) I can be!!!

I/We chose to go through with our vacation..cause I was thinking...the kids, and all of us, will be making major sacrifices this year...I mean, this first year is crucial...I cannot turn down one bit of business, so I will be working alot!!! Plus there are a lot of education and shows that I will attend....and with this new endeavor...I didn't want the first foot of it to be..."Hey kids, we are opening our own business now and it will be great and prosperous...BUT we cannot take the camping trip we planned for one year....I just didn't think it would be a good start to it all...so we will play and play hard and laugh and play some more....AND then we will be a working family:)

Have a great rest of the summer for everyone! I cannot believe these are the last 2 weeks of summer:( time flies!

Things I learned today...

A rubber handle on a paint roller really makes your hands hurt....

Plumbing is VERY expensive...like $5000 expensive!

It is very embarrassing to cry in front of said expensive plumber...this makes plumber very uncomfortable and feel bad...

When you go to Lowe's to get another gallon of Sarsparilla brown and demand that they give you Valspar paint, like the lady yesterday said you were getting, and you huff and puff....you should really call to double check that it is in fact really that brand of paint, BEFORE you make the guy do something he could get in trouble for....Because sometimes you pick out two different swatches and the color brands aren't always the same...and it definately won't match...no matter that the color is the same and that it is eggshell...

NEVER EVER yell at your kid for dripping on the white trim by accident...especially when you accidentally do the same thing...

Make sure the ladder is very steady and not wobbly..this is an important one...or make sure you have pillows on the floor under unsteady ladder...

Don't paint over fresh spackled holes...it's not pretty...

DARK chocolate brown, even if it says on the can that it is more expensive and is a one coat paint....don't believe them, they lie...

Always check the bathroom door when you lock it, when you have those kind of locks that still open even if they are locked...when you shut the door behind you...it will lock the door, so you cannot...

One should not stay up until 2am, go to work for 10 hours, then paint for another 5....to go to bed again after midnight, to wake the next day at 7am and work for another 11 hours, and then paint until the painting is done...things like all the above memo's most likely would not happened, if one could just get some sleep....

Maybe it is a goooood idea to hire professional painters when you want the job done perfectly...that is if the plumbers weren't soo expensive:(

My hands HURTTTTTT!!!!

My garage is totally full of stuff! I have shopped till I dropped!!!! Ikea has come, crate and barrel has delivered goodies, Target has seen me, and Pier one too....I have never shopped so much in my life....I take soo long to make a decision...deliberate, question myself...it's driving me mad!!




Here is the space, as I entered it Wednesday during the day, my friend still had a few things to take out of there!
Seeee how much my hand is hurting???? OUCH...I will chooose a better, more softer grip for the paint roller next time....
The ceilings are really super high...so I only painted where I could reach...I will do the upper part tomorrow...and finish the front tomorrow...
Yes I painted BIJOU...no i did not try to make smiley faces:) Those are parts that I have to spackle....i lost my putty knife, so had to skip the spackle duties, until I get a new putty knife...I didn't let that slow me down!
The color btw, is sarsaparilla...the turquoise is called sea breeze...and the green is chartreuse....don't worry..it will all come together nicely:)
Things are changing...very quickly...it's fun...and scary...all at the same time!!!

I need ideas friends.....music ideas...things I can download for my ipod and docking station:) please give me all your favorite artists that would be good for a salon atmosphere...any language..i want diversity...

ALSO....and ideas for a postcard to be sent out??? I want it to be for my existing clients and new people too...so like an intro card, that is semi personal??? I soo need help with that...I was thinking of somehow mentioning...what bijou means...and then going into....that is the problem....do i say...introducing blablabla...or have you heard a new place is coming??? SIGH, this is harder than shopping:)

WOW!

The bank actually calls you when you shop alot!! (well alot more than normal, that is)

My bank called, very concerned saying that on my business account I had some abnormal activity and when I asked what?! She said that on sunday over $2600 was spent....at first I panicked...then I thought...OMG, that was all me:)

So, when you shop alot...which apparently I never do...they call you! Interesting:)

Bijou Bijou Bijou Bijou Bijou

Bijou (noun: small jewel, adj.: small and elegant) is a small, yet quaint full-service beauty oasis dedicated to consistently offering high customer satisfaction by providing excellent service, quality products, and an enjoyable atmosphere at an acceptable price/value. We will also maintain a friendly, fair, and creative work environment, which respects ideas and hard work.

Well it is official...I am starting my own business!!! The full service salon I have dreamed about for ages and ages....The frog and I will be partners!! He is very good with money...I am very good with people and hair:)

I have officially spent in one afternoon $2367. (only a smidgen of what I NEED to spend) I've had the money for 2 weeks now...it's almost paralyzed me...It's a lot, but not a lot...does that make sense??? It's sooo much money to me...to just spend...but I feel like it will go very quickly!!

I've always dreamed about this...and 5 years ago...I would have just spent and spent and spent...now it's a lot harder for me...I am hemming and hawing...over very small things....I used to think I was very frivolous (well come on, I used to buy Guess jeans for over $100, and that was almost 20 years ago!!!!!) It appears I am not that frivolous!! This past week, many times the frog has asked me..."Have you spent any money today??" "Have you bought anything yet?"...The first week, I bough two waiting room chairs...for $99 each...total $215...I felt the money slipping away...So I waited...and just planned and scoured the internet...I keep hearing..."You have got to start spending money...you must start shopping, and I mean now!!!" I should probably record those words...I don't think, they will be heard again for a very long time!!! :):)

On Sunday...after an exhausting day with my dear dear dear friend from Drooz studio,
we almost finished the reception area...almost finished the dispensary, purchased the silver mirrors...finished the retail area...and the 4 huge decorative grass thingies...that remind me of chia pets..if I could just put eyes and a nose and mouth on the pot:) I love them though and will tie in a little lime green into the place.....Don't worry, I will post photos:) As soon as I get in there!!! Speaking of which..that itself will be a crazy time...so, if anyone at all is still reading this non existent blog:) I will not be posting at all:) Sorry:)

Here is how it will go down....I gave my notice on the 1st, I will be done with my old place on the 1st of September...I cannot get into the new place until August 15th...where we will paint the walls...CHOCOLATE BROWN!!!...All of the other equipment will also be chocolate brown and silver...the mirrors are silver and other accents of turquoise and lime will be added...very little of lime...just the grass, I think:) With me, anything goes...So I have to leave the decorating to my friend Shelly...she is the expert...the walls will be adorned with her painting...in white...here is an example....
So today I have to order the pedicure chairs...the shampoo station and the chairs...that will take up over 10k..gulp..it's okay it's okay...i'll be okay...

I need to finalize retail decisions...any advice would be appreciated...like what kind of products do you enjoy??? Oh yes, and any advice at all is greatly appreciated...what type of touches do you like at the salon....MUSIC...what type of music do you like...nice relaxing music...i will need to upload plenty of things...I think the best way to go is to get an ipod and a docking station with cordless speakers....anyone know much about that stuff????? ayayyaya...crazy...i'm gonna be crazy this month...

okay, I'm allover the place here...but back to my schedule for the month...just to make you laugh:) August 15th...space available...need to paint...that week...+work...+get ready for camping trip...yes, you heard right...I wish to be in the space by the 1st of September and from the 19 - 23, we will be camping at the jersey shore!!!! It's not the best timing...but I know...that owning my own business will take a lot from my kids time with me...I mean, I will be there...they can walk to the shop after school some days and I will be there for them...but they will, just like me...need to step it up a bit more...a lot of work is ahead of us...so I want to do the camping trip...hey we knocked it down from 10 days...to like 4, it was a compromise...and during that time..i will have the floors done and the walls built and hopefully the plumbing started...when we get back...we have 6 full days to work work at putting things together...

But now...I must go spend more money...sigh....not as fun as I imagined it:)