Mirrors...

After taking a few days off from the keyboard I am back with a passion. Life can be so overwhelming sometimes that you just can't find the time to even sit down & share your opinion with those not even asking for it. I would gladly take an underwhelming day anytime. With so much going on at the spa & big changes taking place life sometimes feels like it is spinning out of control. Then I am left questioning myself. Am I making good decisions for everyone here at the spa & myself? Am I being a bitch & justifying by saying "It's just a business decision"? How do I take care of everyone else when I can't even find the time to take care of myself? Did I forget about a sale at Nordstrom's or miss out on a good coupon at Macys? Seriously though, with so much to do & feeling like your not in control you start to second guess yourself (did I miss out on the president's day sales?)
Things became crystal clear to me yesterday when I was having a simple chat with one of my girls in the spa. She ask me a very simple question that made a chain of light bulbs go off in my head, "Is pathological lying contagious?" This was a silly question at first but then became very meaningful to us in just a moment of ponder. Why is it that sometimes people take on the qualities of the company they keep? Is it that, or is Proverbs right? Proverbs says that friends are mirrors of one's self. WOW. Very deep when you stop to think about it. So did this person catch the pathological lying flu or did they merely choose a friend that is a mirror of themselves. Either way it let me know that my choices are way better than I give myself credit for.
That evening I took my team leaders out to dinner for our every 8 week meeting & I sat there looking at each one of them with such a sense of pride. I am developing strong leaders, who have risen to the tasks in front of them with ease & grace. I sat at a table with 4 women I would be proud to have mirroring myself.
Doing everything in my life for my business right now, I drove home realizing that to truly reach the spa goals I have set for myself & the spa, I must hire a staff that mirrors myself & my team leaders. This will be some pretty big Manolo's to fill.
Pathological lying was simply a funny question that we could have stood & gossipped about because let's face it there is just soooooo much that could be said, but instead, it set off a much needed chain of thoughts that in turn will only make my spa better. So in some twisted way I should thank the liars of the world for bringing me one step closer to the greatness I know we will achieve. The journey there sure is more interesting with the pathological liars helping me find my way. I realize that I do make good decisions, even when they don't seem like it at the time. One must never forget that if you can't accept losing , you will never win so Windex your mirror & keep looking...

Being Alive

The question I find myself pondering over is should I make it known when I am right & always a step ahead? Hmmmm? What if you really don"t care about the person who you just happen to always be proving wrong, should you tell them & gloat or not even bother because are they even worth the conversation. (but it is so nice to watch those who deserve to squirm - SQUIRM!)
Is it arrogance if you toot your own well deserved horn? This has now become one of life's deep pondering questions. What a truly great place to be if that's something you have to question. If you should decide to share your wisdom with those who fall short, will they even get what you are saying or ever admit that you are right. Is the aggravation around their ignorance worth it? Some of life's deep questions that could keep you up at night,but why ever loose precious sleep over people like that.
Always being a step ahead of what people think you are oblivious to is just one way of smiling to one's self & knowing that at least your alive.

What Year Is It?

This time every year those who are not a part of the significant other crowd usually find themselves somewhat stressed out. There are two types of singles those screaming with desperation & those who are okay with being alone.Valentines day is a stressful holiday weather you are single, married, divorced, desperate, or indifferent. If you just happen to be single & okay with that, one of the very few in the world especially if you are a woman, this is extremely stressful, not for you but the people around you who can not comprehend how that can be. They do however try & project their stress on you . Why is it that people can't understand that you can be truly satisfied alone. Not everyone is a half that needs to be made whole. Not everyone has to buy his & hers matching bath towels. Some people are actually okay with themselves.
What they are not okay with is the looks they get from the couples, & the questions they are ask. "Why aren't you married?" "Don't you want to have children?" (Have these people never picked up an US Weekly & read about Angelina?) "Are you dating?" "What are you doing to find someone?" What would someone do if they(the independents) returned fire with some very rude invasive questions of their own. "What are you doing to get a promotion?" "When are you going to divorce the person you're cheating on?" "When are you going to get a life outside of your children & have a conversation with words that don't have to be whispered or spelled out?" Now that would be wrong of us to be so rude, yet it is perfectly fine for the married or couples to do so. What year is it again? Why are these archaic questions still being asked & why are people being judged by their dating status still. In a time when women can vote, abortion is legal & we have a black president, it is still not okay to be alone on Valentines day - what is that? Why are single people not celebrated for their Independence, & recognized for their accomplishments? Why do married people feel superior?
Funny how these stresses are only put on the people okay with being alone. Somehow the desperate are taken pity on probably because they live in a constant state of stress over their single hood. If they would just embrace it & relax they might just find some love after all. (read the secret or build a vision board or just get a life) These women who struggle with being alone and need to be "had at hello" are the exact ones still keeping us in the 1950's. So regardless if you are a couple, desperate or independent Valentines day is stressful what ever year it is!!!

Eating Cake & Loving it!!!

What is a birthday without the birthday cake? Cake in general has always been a symbol of something good. Cake for dessert, cake for retirements, promotions, 1/2 dressed women jumping out cakes for men, most people don't view cake as a bad thing. It doesn't hold the same stigma as pie in the eye or a pie in the face. Dr Phil would think more than one piece of cake at a time could be a sign of a deeper problem but for the most part cake is a good thing. Why then, is there such a negative connotation when people say, " have your cake & it too"?
I don't know anyone who would have cake & not want to eat it too. Knowing that the cake is just a symbol for what they are really talking about, where do people get off judging someone elses cake? I think it's jealousy. Maybe they don't have any cake or are left with only the melted ice cream on the plate or maybe they've never tasted the corner piece with the huge icing rose (my favorite piece). Once you have tasted that how can you go back to no cake or worse just pie? I am often annoyed by how onlookers of life are the first to cast their opinion on those who have the biggest piece. Have they ever stopped to think how you got the biggest piece or how long & hard it has taken you to bake that whole cake? Well I say if you have worked hard & earned that cake then eat it, have another piece & enjoy every scrumptious bite. Feel sorry for the people telling you, "have your cake & eat it too" because their plate is empty I'm sure! And if they ever get some eat theirs too!!!

The Power of Pink

I have loved the color pink since before I can remember. Every different shade of pink is fine with me from the hot pink of Barbies corvette to the soft shade of Essie's Mademoiselle polish (classic shade). I never realized how one color can truly affect one's life. Growing up I had every shade of pink walls throughout the years. I know I was loved because my papa hates to paint but I never went with out the newest shade of that precious color. When it came to building a spa there was no question of what color it would be- Pink ! What shade was the biggest question at hand. The pressure was too much so why choose just one. "Less is more" does not apply here. I might admit now to being just a tad O.C.D.. I actually know the printing code # for all of my printing needs & I may or may not have spent hours recreating that color in the custom color font section in Word (I have the formula saved in my Blackberry & on my Rolodex - you never know when you will need it).



It wasn't until recently that I realized just how much pink has an effect on me. A few months back I let go of a very heavy burden I had been carrying with me for a while. I had always prayed for God to give me the strength to stop hating a certain someone because I was tired of carrying it on my back everywhere I went. I wanted free of it, but couldn't let it go for what seemed like forever (I call those the dark ages). Finally one day I realized that this very non pink person had no affect on me. Strange, it was like something was missing or I was lighter somehow ( maybe that bloat is gone after losing the water weight feeling). I didn't care at all about them. I guess it is true what they say - indifference is the opposite of love. I was experiencing indifference & I was loving it. All of a sudden good things started happening to me. A new door opened in my career, I built my first home, & a Nordstrom opened in my city, along with a list of other daily successes! Life was getting better all the time & I wasn't even trying. Then a pink elephant shows up in my spa (metaphorically speaking of course) & I was really ok with it. I would have preferred for it to not be there but ok none the less, a complete 180 from what I would have been like in the dark ages. However, now the elephant has left the building & it's like Christmas. I am getting everything I have wanted for sooooooo long. It's crazy really but I almost feel guilty for being so gitty. There is this giant pink snowball effect happening & the one person who is bothered most by my success is the one that has freed me of the monkey on my back & opened me up to a world of glistening Glinda like pink happiness! Funny how things come full circle.

I have never been one for the new age, earthy, granola-ish type of living ( I do love granola though, especially on those McDonald's yogurt parfaits & only if it is nut free. I'm allergic) however, I think I am living the "Secret" & didn't even know it. I am a believer for sure now. Just think of what will happen this year when I start using a vision board. Look out world (& Nordstroms)!


I guess the color pink is my signature color (kinda like "blush & bashful" from Steel Magnolias) except for when it comes to lipstick. I look much better in red!!!

The Dark Side of Weddings...

Sunday is usually the day of rest & relaxation, but today was just another day of work. This time the spa was filled with veils, headpieces, wedding gowns, a bridesmaid & let us not forget the flower girl who is so damn cute you can't even get upset as she spills her trail mix all over the floor. I especially can not judge the shoveling of food since I also share in her passion for the m&m's in the mix.

Today was work but relaxed because it was just make believe for a photo shoot. I got to spend the day playing dress up with my friends who just happen to be very photogenic & didn't have to put up with annoying anorexic models who would definately not be ok with the m&m's. Of course no m&m's is why they look like they do. However we are shooting for hair & makeup not the Victorias Secret fashion show so I will be just fine with the friends.

As we primp, polish, & pamper the brides & more I started to feel like I was missing something. Why not step out of the common bridal box & go edgy & extreme? It is rare that I am attracted to anything common. The hair got bigger, liner got darker, & bridezilla went goth - I love it! When you really examine the world of weddings it often brings out the darker side of people. Thus the term bridezilla. We just went darker in a different way which looked really hot! Thank God for my friends who let me do anything to them. A Sunday at the spa was actually fun for a change.

Speaking of change, shouldn't there be some type of warning when the tolls go up on the highway? What if you don't easy pass & you don't throw your change in the cup holder, & you debit everything? What do you do if you are changeless at a toll booth? I think there should be an over flow cup, like the ones at a register that say "have a penny, leave a penny, need a penny, take a penny". This is brought to mind because as "friend" drove in to do amazing hair for the shoot she fell change short! As people are blaring their horns, she rummages through the bottom of her purse & finally finds the balance needed in the crease of the passanger seat. Thank God. What if her lack of change had caused her to miss the shoot & I was short a stylst all because there was no warning of the inflated tolls? I don't think the people at pendot realize just how much they can effect peoples lives. I would have missed out on huge curls gone goth & the perfect wandoozeled bridal shot. Luckily I was saved by some random change from a prior purse spill. Amazing how things can change on a dime...

Where are my fish tacos?

On what would seem like any normal Sat. to the clients enjoying the spa, there is a crazied frenzy behind the scenes. Everything looks & sounds relaxing out front but little does anyone know behind the "employee only" door chaos is building. Between the laundry, the disappearing glasses, (7 lately could it be the dropsies?) & now the hotstone roaster that is mysteriously bent the kitchen is hechtic to say the least. This room should be labeled the catch all because I'd like to say it has everything but the kitchen sink but it even has that!!! This is the room where everyone eats, complains, cries, laughs, learns, fights, & grows together. It is the hub of the spa. Today for some odd reason it was out of control. There was more laundry, more dishes, more laughter & more yelling than normal, which is particularly strange considering everyone was extremely busy & had no time to even eat their lunch. The chaos seemed to escalate all day when it finally erupted with"Where are my fish tacos?"

At the end of a Saturday, which is crazy in itself, taco loving girl rushes wildly through the hall looking for the culprit who threw away her lunch. As she is on the war path for who she assumes did the deed, who usually is the one who is always wrong, she finds out it is the new girl, who has been on an accidental breaking streak since she started, & tries to contain her self so she doesn't make her feel any worse than she already does.

I just smile to myself & know that even in the midst of missing fish tacos there is kindness. This team of women care about each other even more than their lunch. Who could ask for more than that? After all the chaos & frenzy of a bustling Sat. when you question why you ever started this never ending job, it is worth it to know that because of this spa I created, these women are friends. I watch these friendships grow & constantly change as they evolve & that makes it all worth while. So I smile to myself & am glad the fish tacos went missing at least for now...