a little bit about me

Thank you for checking out my website!  I have been doing hair since I was little, always cutting my barbies hair, my friends, and my brave family.  I was all prepared to go to Aveda in October of 1987 but was sidetracked by the University of MN calling my name.  I thought I would be better suited for the business world.  I tried my hand at college for a couple of years and decided it wasn't for me.  I started working at First Minnesota Bank part time and really liked the numbers game!  I took a short leave of absence to head to Spain to try living abroad- turns out I wasn't the European type so I headed back home and back to the work force.  By this time First MN had been acquired by Norwest Bank, I moved on down to the big city- downtown Minneapolis.  I loved the bank even more.  I moved up and on in the banking world, again to be taken over by another larger bank- Wells Fargo where I stayed until 2004.  I loved numbers and the logistics of the banking world but needed something more.  I decided on a whim to quit my career of 16 years,  finally heading to Aveda to pursue my true love of hair dressing.  I completed my studies at Aveda in March of 2005.  I  worked for two years at a wonderful Aveda Salon in St. Paul, learning amazing styles and growing lasting friendships but again, felt it was time to go.  Something wasn't working for me.  I took a week off to assess my situation- I walked into my house, checked out my surroundings and realized I had the best possible place I could work, EVER!!!  Right here at home.  I opened my salon in my house on March 12,  2007, and couldn't be happier.  This was the best decision I could have ever made.  Some things are presented to you for a reason, this was definitely presented at the right time for the right reasons.  I will never work again a day in my life.  I love what I do and I hope I can bring this to my clients everyday.   

I strive to keep my education up so in October 2012 I headed to Italy for a two week tour with my mother.  I was able to take a tour of Artego, the color I currently use.  In October 2013, I headed to New York to check out the fashions there.  As much as I loved the true big city, I realized I am a Northeast girl at heart.  I love it here at home.  Maybe some day, but not today.  The travel bug had bit once again- on May 26, 2015, Taite and I headed on a once in a lifetime trip!  It is always under the guise of checking out hair and and the latest fashions but really, who am I kidding??  This time it was purely leisure!  Taite and I headed off on a plane and started out our much anticipated, much planned, much talked and over talked about, much needed, and much beyond excited about adventure!  We went on a 23 day excursion- 4 days in Paris, where we checked out the French Open.  (Where else would all these tennis lesson hours lead to?), the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre-Coeur, the Seine, and of course,  Notre Dame.  From there, we celebrated Taite's 18th birthday on a plane leaving Paris, headed for Barcelona, Spain.  We spent 2 days there, sightseeing.  I couldn't wait to see La Sagrada Familia and Las Ramblas, again....it had been far too long.  Antonio Gaudi, I longed to see your architecture!  Hasta Luego, Barcelona, Buongiorno, Milan!!!!  We spent the next 16 or so days in Italy.  Where we saw The Last Supper in Milan, visited St. Mark's Square in Venice, said hello to Michelangelo's David in Florence-where Taite had the best a graduation ceremony amongst the pigeons of a piazza instead of her classmates-, went on to Naples to eat the best pizza known to man, checked out the museums about Pompeii, drove along the cliff roads of the Amalfi Coast, saw the rocks of Capri, headed back up to Rome to walk the Appian Way, walked amongst the ruins of the Coliseum and the Forum, took the trek up the Spanish Steps, made our wish in Trevi Fountain,(our wish to return again), visited the amazing Pantheon, spent a lovely morning at the Vatican, took a day trip to see that tower that leans? Pisa is it?, and then headed up to Cinque Terre to hike the 5 towns...another flight back to Paris for a night, a day in Iceland to check out the natural blue lagoons and then I returned to reality...........a girl's gotta work!!! 

I am the proud  mother of a wonderful daughter who is an avid tennis player.  In December 2018, she graduated early from Southwest University in Georgetown, Texas, where she was playing tennis and is majoring in Environmental Studies and Business. She has made me proud time and time again with her accomplishments, on and off the court.  You may notice the Texas theme around the salon, that is why....  

I am always in the process of planning my next big escape, who knows where it will be next? I am guessing Europe will call me back sooner than later.   

If you are reading this, you guessed it....Europe did call me back.  Taite and I decided to head back there in the summer of 2018.  Taite did a semester abroad in Lugano, Switzwerland which made a great excuse for me to join her at the end of her program.  With 18 days to explore, we met up in Zurich, which is about as lovely as you can imagine!!! (I think Switzerland spoiled me and I can't wait to go back to explore the rest of the country.) From there we headed to Prague, Vienna, Krakow, Berlin, Brussels, and finally Amsterdam.  It was all beautiful.....I enjoyed every minute of it.  I love having a job that allows me to take the time to smell the roses.  I have the best clients around.  

2019 has proved to be another year of traveling so anytime you find me absent, most likely that's where I am, escaping somewhere warm or exciting! 

2020 (let's just let this one pass)

2021 - here we are!!! I hope to be on the road soon!!! But until things are copacetic in the world, I am here working......

2021 continued!!!!!....We resumed travel again!!! May/June allowed us a long weekend to Boston for a birthday celebration, July/August sent me to the west coast to San Francisco to see all it had to off and now into the fall, heading to Germany and Paris for a couple of weeks.  Traveling during COVID is a bit different but I will take it any way I can get it!!!!!

2022 sent me to Europe- my daughter has moved there so I had to send her off!! Being able to spend 3 weeks in London, Lugano, Rome, Monopoli, Berlin, and Limburg was a dream and worth the long days of work!

2023- I am off again- I will be leaving in September to visit Portugal, Greece and then meet up with my daughter in Germany. The salon will be closed 9/6-9/25. 

Maybe I should call this a travel blog??   2024 was a hard year.  Shortly after arriving home from my travels in 2023 I lost my brother, Brian tragically.  I wasn't prepared to lose a sibling and it seems my way is to book a trip. 

I decided to head to the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples, Italy then to Procida and back to Rome.  It was the break I needed.  

I am also heading to Sicily October 17 and to Germany October 24 for a wedding she the salon will be closed for a little more R&R.........

See you at the end of October!

Thank you all for staying along for the ride and keeping us all healthy.

I am also the owner of Soy What!? hand poured soy candles along with my mother, Karen. (She is my super silent partner) I love spending time with my family, watching tennis, exercising, meditating, seeing good movies, eating good food, spending time with good friends, and I am a self proclaimed trivia buff.  Thank you for taking the time to read about me and I am looking forward to meeting you.......