Fall is my Favorite!

Gary and I spent the weekend in Dallas for his friend, Stephen's wedding. The wedding was nice, and we got to spend some time with his friends, Reid and Stanton. Gary, Reid, Stephen and Stanton have been friends since they were very young.

Today I worked on getting our house decorated for fall! Let me know what you think.

Gary and I ran 5 miles tonight. We beat my goal of 55 minutes. Our time was 52 minutes, 30 seconds! Feeling better about running the half marathon every day!

In other news, Katherine Grant Salon and Spa has a fan page on facebook, and a twitter (KGsalonandspa). We're getting so high tech! We also started demolition on the new location today. Be on the look out for some "before" pictures in the near future.

Winner!

The Arkansas Lottery came to town this week... I had to try it. I bought 5 $1 scratch off cards and I won $3!

On Monday I went and signed the lease for the new location of Katherine Grant Salon and Spa. We will be moving the the space where Park Hill florist use to be, on the corner of JFK and H St. It's a cute little space on the corner, with big front windows, in North Little Rock's historic district of Park Hill. We're excited. We will be remodeling over the next 2 months, moving the salon Thanksgiving weekend, and reopening Dec.1st. It's going to be a lot of work, but I think it will be a great location for us. We will have room for 2 more stylists (so if you know anyone who is looking for a job doing hair, call me) and a larger massage room for our new massage therapist who will also be starting in December.

Tuesday night, Gary and I went to see Dave Matthew's band play at Dickey Stephens Park. It was such a good show. They played 20 songs. It felt amazing outside, it couldn't have been a better night for a concert. I hope there will be more shows at Dickey Stephens in the future, it was a great atmosphere!

Tomorrow we leave early to head to Texas for Gary's friend, Stephen's wedding. I get to see Tate 2 weekends in a row! So fun!

A Wonderful Weekend!

This weekend has been great! I got to spend time with two of my favorite OBU friends, Laura and Tate (although not at the same time). Friday night I went over to Laura and Caleb's house, and Laura and I cooked dinner. We made Mexican for dinner. Then for dessert we made a cheesecake! It all turned out wonderful, we were so proud. We intended to share and copy recipes from each other, but we were having so much fun just relaxing, that we never got around to that.

Saturday after work, Tate came in town! We met up and had dinner at Flying Burrito in the River Market. After dinner, we headed over to the Taylor Swift concert! She put on an amazing show! Tate spent the night and we got Cinnamon rolls from McDonald's like we use to do in college. I miss those days, and that girl so much!

Today I went to church with my mom. Gary and I started visiting New Life church. We love it. I feel like we have found the place God wants us to be. Gary was in Dallas for the weekend visiting his friends for Stephen's Bachelor party weekend and Dad was at his last day of Real Estate school, so mom came to visit too. If you are looking for a church home, I would encourage you to check them out. God is doing some really great things. Tonight we went back for their fall women's event. Priscilla Shirer was the speaker. She is awesome! She spoke on Ephesians 3:20-21 and how we serve a God who can do so much more than we can imagine. I left feeling so encouraged.

Today I ran 5 miles. Well, I say ran... I walked a lot. Gary and I have been running after the sun goes down, when the temps are in the 70s. Today I attempted to run mid afternoon, and it was hot. 91 to be exact. The heat killed me! I was feeling discouraged, but I did manage to finish in right at an hour. Only 5 minutes past my goal of finishing in 55 minutes. I won't be attempting my long runs mid afternoon anymore.

Tomorrow is a big day for me... deep breath.

Blah, blah, blah...

So, I've been slacking on the blog lately. I guess sometimes my life is too boring to blog. However, I did get some exciting news yesterday. We have a new massage therapist lined up to begin work at the salon when we make our big move! He is an excellent therapist, highly trained. AND he will be offering laser hair removal. I'm excited to see our business grow! We will be moved and operating out of our new location Dec.1. I hope to have the lease signed by next week, so be on the look out for the big reveal!

We have had a pretty slow week. I have been cleaning out our closets, taking things to Goodwill, and putting random things on ebay. (If you're interested in a Nikon D100 6.1 mega pixel digital camera or some retired beanie babies, you should look up katherinej2004 on ebay!) Work has been really irregular the past few weeks. I guess everyone is still trying to get back in their regular routines now that summer has come to a close. I'm looking forward to things picking back up soon. Gary on the other hand has been a selling machine the past few weeks. He sold $40,000 today alone! I am so proud of him!

Tate is coming in town this weekend! She has invited me to go to the Taylor Swift concert with her and her mom, so I'm really looking forward to the weekend. We haven't seen each other in too long! Lucky for me we get to spend the next 3 weekends together!

So, all the good TV shows are back on! We caught up on Melrose Place, 90210, and Glee tonight. They are all getting so good! But, the show I am looking most forward to this week is Vampire Diaries. It is so addicting. What about you, my loyal followers? What shows are you hooked on this season?

Razorback Let Down.

Tonight we went to Amy and Ryan's for Ryan's birthday party. Check out the super cute cake Amy had made for him! We ate lots, and watched the game. It started out so good, but ended up being a let down in the end. Either way, the company was wonderful.

It rained all week, so we didn't get to run much. We did go for a 4 mile run today after work. When I started this I couldn't even run one mile without stopping, now I can do 4! It feels great!

Tomorrow Krisitn leaves to go back to Delaware. I've enjoyed spending time with her and Meghan the past two weeks. It's gonna be said to see her leave.

Not much more to report. Ready for some sunshine. All this rain and gloom makes me tired.

Rolling on the River.

Today was the Easter Seals "Rolling on the River" 5k. Gary and I both ran the race. I finished in 31 and a half minutes. I am getting so close to being able to do it in 30 minutes. Gary finished in just under 30 minutes! He did so good, especially since he trained for like 2 days. We had a good time and the rain held off, but the humidity did make it tough. Overall I am really proud. My last 5k took me close to 37 minutes. So I am getting better.

After the race, we went to lunch at Chick-fil-a and made a stop at Easy Runner. Gary decided he is going to train for the half marathon with me. So, he needed some good running shoes. The ones he ran in today were awful! They watched him run and matched him up with a good pair. We're looking forward to trying them out a few times next week.

I got a pair of Tom's shoes today. They are burlap and super cute. Plus for every pair sold a pair is donated to a child in need overseas.

By the time we finished shoe shopping we were worn out! We came home and took at 2 and a half hour nap. It felt amazing! I have had 2 Saturdays off in a row. That is rare, but thanks to all Laura's help at the salon I will be able to take off a few here and there. That makes Gary very happy.

Tonight Amy and Ryan came over and we got take out from Wing Stop. I LOVE that place. We ate and watched "Taken". We had all seen it, but it was such a good movie we didn't mind watching it again.

What a wonderful Saturday!

All You Need is Love!

I woke up this morning to footage of the September 11th attacks on TV. It's hard to believe it has been 8 years. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I heard the news on the radio while driving my yellow Mustang to school. I thought it was a joke. Then when I got to my first period class (Drama Tech), Ms. Benson had the footage live on TV. I was shocked! While we watched the footage, the second plane hit... live. I know I will never forget that day. I am remembering the families who lost their loved ones 8 years ago today.

Today my sister brought me a painting she did for the salon. It's really cute! The "V" in Love is a pair of scissors. Cute huh?

Tonight Gary and I played games with my parents, Brooke and Jonathan and Brooke's parents. We had such a good time. It's neat to have friends whose parents are also friends. I hope we can do it again some time.

Tomorrow is the Easter Seals 5k race. I am hoping to finish in under 34 minutes. My last 5k race I finished in 37 minutes. Ideally I would finish in 30, but I have never run 10 minute miles, so we'll see. I hope the rain holds off so there will be a good turn out. Wish me luck!

Locks of Love.

Today Kristin came into the salon to cut 10 inches off of her hair for locks of love. We cut it and gave her a cute little bob. The picture isn't great, but you get the idea. She looks really cute. This is her second donation to locks of love. I'm so proud of her. Her hair is going to make someone very happy.

After work I did some planning for our salon move at the end of the year. If you haven't heard, Kroger is expanding into a "Super Kroger". One of only 12 in the nation. Therefore we have to move at the end of the year. It's kind of bittersweet. This has been a great location, but it will be exciting to expand our salon. We have been doing a lot of research and we are about to make our decision. I can't say too much yet, but stay tuned for updates in the near future!

Now it's off to catch up on the dvr recordings we have saved. I'm so glad all of "our shows" are back! We are currently keeping up with 90210, Melrose Place, Project Runway, Glee, The Office, and Vampire Diaries. That's a lot huh? I guess that's what you do when you're a grown up... work all day, come home and watch TV, go to bed, wake up and repeat. Exciting huh?

3/4 of "The Order" Reunited!

I had a slow day at work today, so I was able to sneak away and meet Meghan and Kristin for lunch. Kristin is in town from Delaware for 2 weeks. This is the first time since February we have had more than 2 of the 4 Order members together, and it felt wonderful! Lauren was the only missing link, but we did get to talk to her on the phone all the way from Korea.

Today after work, Gary and I ran 4 miles at the Big Dam Bridge. This was my first time to run 4 miles, so I was proud of myself. I did it in 43 minutes and 30 seconds. I'm slowly working my way up to 13. I also went all day today with out a Diet Coke or coffee. That's huge! I drank lots of water and I am hoping that helps with my endurance while training.

After we ran, Kristin and Meghan came over. We laughed and joked about some of the things we did in high school. It's amazing that has been 6 years ago! I love those girls. They are some of my longest friends! I'm looking forward to reuniting with Lauren in February.

Lazy Lake Day.

We spent the day at the lake today. We slept in, went out on the boat for a little while, took a nap, watched a lot of TV, read, and ate. It felt so nice to just be lazy. After our dove dinner tonight (which by the way was not too bad), we went to a little "filling station" not far from our condo for dessert.

It's the last weekend for us to be able to use the condo my family rented for the summer. We went and looked at a house on the lake that will be auctioned off in a few days. I'm hoping my parents will end up getting a little place here before too much longer. We all love being able to come down to the lake and relax and spend time together. It reminds me of all the summers we spent coming to the lake with the whole Jenkins crew as a child. My dad's side of the family had a lake house that we would all come to on the weekends. We made a lot of good memories there with our cousins. I hope my kids will get to have some of those same lake memories some day.

The first day here is already over. Why does the weekend have to go so fast?

Dove for Dinner?

This morning Gary got up and headed out for his first Dove hunt with my Dad and brother. They reported a good time. Gary killed 4 doves and Dad and John Allen killed several more. We are on our way out the door, headed to the lake for the holiday weekend. When we arrive in Hot Springs we're going to grill the doves Gary and John Allen cleaned this afternoon and eat them for dinner. Crazy huh? I have never had Dove, so it will be interesting to see if we like it or not. We'll keep you posted. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

The Finished Front Yard!

This was our yard before...

This is our yard after Gary dug up our flower beds, monkey grass jungle, and sad excuse for grass and put in new sod and plants...

He did such a good job! The grass still has to grow together and the bushes need to fill out a little, but it is a much needed improvement!

Tonight we had dinner at Gadwalls, got ice cream at Shakey's, picked up Gary's hunting license, and played Guitar Hero on the couch. A low key Friday night at the Grant house. Gotta get to bed early, because Gary is headed out at 6am tomorrow to go Dove hunting.

Lola's New Toy.

I came home from work tonight stressed. You know, one of those days where you let yourself think of all the little "what ifs" until you are all worked up? I talked to my mom, talked to Gary, talked to my dad. But I finally let it go when I saw Lola carrying my bra through the house in her mouth, plop down on the floor in front of me, and claim it as her new chew toy. She's so care free, content to chew on a bra instead of the $20 "Kong Ultra" toy we got for her a few months ago. Oh the things we can learn from animals.

Awaiting the rain.

North Little Rock will look and feel like Forks, WA before too much longer. Rain is in the forecast for the next 7 days! Although things outside have been perfect for several days now, I happen to love rain, so I am actually looking forward to it.

Work has been slow the past week. I guess everyone is trying to readjust to their normal routines now that school is back in session. Slow business makes for a slow day. I am ready for our normal slammed schedule to pick back up!

After dinner, Gary and I went to The Big Dam Bridge to run. It was a beautiful evening for a run. We got there just as the sun was setting, and there was a perfect breeze off of the river. We ran 3.1 miles in 33 minutes and 40 seconds. Gary kept up with me without even training. I'm super impressed! I think he has decided to run the Easter Seals 5k with me next weekend. Maybe I can even talk him into training for the half!

These are my new running shoes I got at The Easy Runner. They watched me run and picked them out for me. I love them, but I'm still having a lot of pain in my left calf when I near the end of my run. Gonna have to figure that out before December.

We're in for the evening. Gonna pop some popcorn and watch Weeds.

Taco Tuesday.

I am writing to you from the comfort of my bed, heating pad on low, and a glass of wine in hand. We have been go,go, go the past few days and it all caught up with me tonight. I'm exhausted, and I have a headache from you know where. I am looking forward to the weekend already! I am taking Saturday off work and Gary will be off on Monday, so we have 3 full days together. That hasn't happened in a while!

After work we made tacos and Mexican rice for dinner. After dinner, I met with some people at the salon about some exciting new developments in the growth of our business. Can't say too much yet, but stay tuned for updates!

Haven't run much the past few days. Hoping for the energy to get in a 5k tomorrow...

Some things getting me through to the weekend:

-The Dead Weather album, "Horehound"

-Weeds, season 3 on dvd

-Crystal Light lemonade mixed with Crystal Light Tea!

At long last! We have a shower door!

Our bathroom has been remodeled for a few weeks now, however, we haven't been able to shower in it due to the lack a shower door. After much research, we ordered a frameless, sliding, glass door. It took FOREVER to come in, but it's here now, and it's perfect! Our bathroom is complete and we couldn't be more pleased.

Today I ran around town gathering the last of the things we needed to finish our front yard. We worked this evening laying the last few pieces of sod and digging out the weeds in the final flower bed. All that's left is to plant the last flower bed. It is going to feel so good to be done with that little project.

I also worked on updating the salon website today. Check it out!

Running My Little Tail Off!

So much for trying to update my blog more often huh? Well, here's an update...

After registering to run the St. Jude's Memphis half marathon, I have finally gotten serious about my training. I went and bought a Nike+ to run with, and that has really helped. It clips on my shoe, and the other part plugs into my iPod. While I run it tells me how far I have gone, and what my time is. I have been running 4 days a week, and strength training on the other days. I also purchased a new pair of running shoes at the Easy Runner store. I am up to 3 miles in about 34 minutes. I would like to shave off about 4 minutes, so I can run my next 5k in 30 minutes. I am registered to run the Easter Seals Walk With Me 5k on Sept. 12th. If you would like to support me in my run and help the children at Easter Seals who are living with disabilities you can donate on my Easter Seals webpage.

In other news, Laura started at the salon this week. She is doing a great job and providing me a lot of help keeping the salon clean, answering phones, and making appointments. I feel so lucky to have her and Kate as my co-workers. I can already tell she will fit right in!

After several weekends of digging up monkey grass and dead bushes on our flower beds, Gary and several other guys got started tilling our yard and laying sod yesterday. They worked from 7am till 8pm! 4 pallets of sod, 2 tillers, and 2 boxes of pizza later, it looks amazing! Today we got supplies for the flower beds, and got 2 of the 3 planted. We are almost done, come tomorrow evening, everything will be finished! All their hard work has paid off, it makes our home look so nice. I am so proud of all the weeks of hard work he put in to finishing this project. Maybe I will have some good before and after pictures to post soon!

Memphis here I come...

I am going to try and be better about updating my blog. 2 in a row, that's a start huh?

I had a busy day at work today. The weekends end too quick! Came home and cooked dinner. I got to use a lot of my new Pampered Chef stuff, so that was fun! After dinner I met Lyndsey and Brooke for coffee. Got to hear all about Lyndsey's honeymoon and new job. I'm so happy for her!

When I got back, Gary and I went to the gym. I haven't run in 3 weeks. I ran on the treadmill, not as good as running outside, but I did use incline. I did 3 miles, but my time was no where near where I would like it to be. To motivate myself, when I came home I went ahead and registered for the the St. Jude's Memphis Half-Marathon on Dec. 5th. Now it's real, so I have to train, right?

Our new bathroom!

Our bathroom it pretty much finished. We are just waiting on our shower door to come in and then it will be complete! We love it, it is SO much better! What do you think?

We found out the Kroger in the shopping center where the salon is will be expanding soon. Therefore, we have to find a new location. We went to check out a space this morning in Park Hill. I love the location, but it will be a lot of work and money getting set up. I have mixed emotions, part of me is excited, but part of me is disappointed. After all the work on the location we are at now, all the money we just paid back, we are back at square one. Oh well, I know it will all work out. Laura takes her state boards tomorrow, so she will be working full time very soon. I am really excited about that.

Went to yoga tonight with Meghan and my mom. We did 20 different back bends. I have a feeling I am going to be very sore tomorrow. Gotta get serious about my half marathon training soon!

My new hair!

So tonight I did something I have been wanting to do for a while now. I got my hair all chopped off, and it feels so good. I thought I wanted to grow it out again, but let's face it people, I am a short hair girl! What do you think?

My Exciting July!

Last week Gary and I spent 4 days in San Antonio with his parents. I had never been to San Antonio before, so I really enjoyed seeing all the sights. We shopped at the outlet malls in San Marcos, ate Mexican food on the Riverwalk, toured the Alamo, ate breakfast at The Menger Hotel, layed out by the pool at the Westin, took a cruise down the river, spent a full day at Schlitterbahn (the world's largest water park), and had brunch at the Guenther House. We enjoyed getting to spend time with the Grants. San Antonio is a neat place, if you have never been, check it out! More pictures of our trip are up on facebook.

When we arrived home in North Little Rock, we found our bathroom different than we had left it. The remodel process has finally begun! Everything had to be ripped out. Now the new frame is in place and ready for tile. We will have a bigger shower and a new floor. It will be so nice to have a little update on our tiny bathroom that we use every day!

This week was super busy at work. I was playing catch up after missing a few days for the trip. So I was ready for the weekend! Friday night our friend Hunter came in town for dinner. We ate at Acadia in the Heights. It was really good! I got the Pork Chop and Gary got Salmon.

Saturday night was the Idols Live tour! Brooke and I had tickets on the floor. We ate dinner at The Starving Artist Cafe in Argenta before the show. (Excellent!) All of the Idols performed and they did a fantastic job. Kris was amazing, he made Arkansas proud. After the show we met up with Justin, Kirt, Bekah and Whitney and waited by the buses for the Idols to come out. After a about an hour we got to meet, all of the guys! So much fun! IHOP followed, I got home at 2:15am. I have been drained every since! I decided I am getting to old to stay up past midnight. Sad huh?

Yesterday, after church and a baby shower at US Pizza, Gary and I worked in the yard. We dug up a huge dead plant in front of our house. It looks so much better, but man am I sore today!

Cleaning for my Pampered Chef Party tonight. Looking forward to trying a Mexican Pizza and Margarita Pie!

My first 5k.

It's been a busy few weeks for us. After a fun 4th of July weekend at the lake with Caleb and Laura, Gary spent the last week in Houston , TX working. He has had his hands full trying to get the company's name out to the Texas Walmarts. I spent the week getting ready for my first 5k. The race was last night at the Big Dam Bridge. It was so exciting running with all those people around you. I finished in 36minutes and 50 seconds. I would love to have done it in 30 minutes, but considering I only trained for about 2 weeks, I was pleased. The race really got me excited about training for the half marathon. After the race, Gary, Brooke, Jonathan, Rachel, and I went out for pizza downtown to celebrate.

Today after church, we enjoyed resting all afternoon. Then, we went and saw "Bruno" together. It was out of control, but I gotta admit it had me laughing a lot. Tonight we grilled chicken, played with Lola and caught up on some TV. In less than an hour we will be going to pick up my parents and brother from their youth choir mission trip to New York, DC, and Philadelphia. It feels like they have been gone forever and I am looking forward to hearing all about their trip.

Wind In Your Hair. Summer Hair Trend.

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When people ask you about your stylist you can tell them that this summer the wind is your hair dresser. Everything you need for fashionable hair setting are well-groomed hair and warm air stream from your hairdryer.

But don't forget that hot wind and sun can overdry your hair. Soft shampoo and mask are summer must-haves. And let the wind be your stylist this summer.

1. Shampoo Dramatic Moisture Shampoo, Clinique Hair Care.
2. Conditioner Dramatic Moisture Conditioner, Clinique Hair Care.
3. Shampoo after sun UV Rescue, Redken.
4. Mask Hair Sensation, Lancôme.

Summer is flying by!

Wow, I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of June! The summer is going by so fast at the Grant home. We have been busy every weekend, we haven't even made it to church in over a month.

This past week Michael Jackson died. It was a shock to everyone and the news coverage is still going on! He was so talented, but he was a troubled person. I hope he has now found some peace.

This past weekend Gary and I went to Hot Springs for his family's annual "Grant Getaway." This sign welcomed us when we arrived at the condos. We spent the weekend chatting with the family, and hanging by the pool. The girls even went and got manicures and pedicures. It was good to see the whole Grant clan.

Last night when we got back we went to dinner and a movie with some friends. We saw "The Proposal" with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. It was so funny! Loved it!

Today I spent the day cleaning and doing laundry. Being a "grown-up" stinks sometimes. I am realizing paying bills, working, cleaning house and cooking dinner can wear on a person real quick! But, it's life. However, one thing I do enjoy about having our own place is decorating it! This is a painting Kate did for our bedroom recently. It adds so much color to the room!

I registered for my first 5k online tonight. It is on July 11th at the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock. Brooke and I are preparing for our first half marathon in Memphis, TN in December! A 5k is 10 miles shorter than the 13 mile half marathon, but it is a good start. I am looking forward to pushing myself in a way I never have before.

This is a short week since the salon will be closed Sat. for the 4th of July. I am looking forward to our 3rd weekend in a row in Hot Springs. It has been nice to have a few Saturdays with Gary for a change. This time we will be at my parents condo with Laura and Caleb. It should be a great time! Now I just have to make through the next 4 days...

Father's Day weekend.

Gary spent all last week in Austin, TX working. It was a pretty uneventful week for me. I did a lot of researching for our upcoming trip to Europe in April, watched HGTV, went to the Trav's game with Kate, and spent the night with Lyndsey in White Hall.

This weekend, we went to the lake with my family for Father's Day. We did a lot of laying out by the pool (I have a good start on my summer tan now), rode on the boat (I even got on the tube with John Allen... but I only lasted about 2 minutes before I was thrown off), played cards, cooked out, and went to Pirate's Cove for a round of mini golf (I came in 2nd to Dad with only 6 over par!). It was a good time, lots of relaxing!

Gary took off work today since he was gone all last week, and we hung out. We came back from the lake around 1, and spent the afternoon reading and watching TV together. It's back to work tomorrow... it gets harder every week to drag myself out of bed on Tuesday mornings, and I am sure tomorrow will be no exception.

Weekend? What weekend?

Gary and I have been very busy the past few weeks. I have had to work on location weddings 3 weekends in a row. Weddings are fun, but it's a lot of work loading and unloading all of your stuff. We have enjoyed sitting on our back porch, eating dinner, and having a glass of wine a few times this week. I even got inspired at a pampered chef party last Sunday night to make a homemade pizza this week! It turned out wonderful!

We did get to go to the lake for the day last Saturday. My parents rented a condo for the summer on Lake Hamilton, so we are looking forward to heading out there several more times before the end of summer. I decided since I have been working weddings on Sundays, to just close up shop. It was so nice to be out on the water. However, I did come home looking like a lobster. SPF 50 is in order for our next trip!

Last night I threw my friend, Lyndsey, a bachelorette party at our house. We were picked up by a limo, taken to dinner at Lulav (downtown), and taken back home in the limo. The food was amazing, but I paid for all the mussels and sea scallops when I got home... When we got back, we had dessert, played some games, Lyndsey opened her gifts and we watched "Just Married". 3 of the girls spent the night, so Gary got booted out to the couch. It was a great time, good to see some friends for out of town and celebrate Lyndsey and Bert's upcoming marriage.

Gary got up early this morning at started packing to head to Austin, TX for a week. Jenkins Enterprises got licensed to sell University of Texas, Longhorns items, so he is going to 3 major cities in Texas on 3 separate weeks this summer to get things going. As for me, I think the bed and a good book sound really good for today.

Katherine Grant Salon and Spa turns 1!

A year ago today was the first day in the salon! My how time has flown!! Last May when I decided to jump in head first and open my own salon, I think Gary thought I was nuts. I had only been doing hair in a salon for 4 months and had little to no clientele. But, he was a patient and supportive husband and let me take money out of our savings and borrow more from my family to pursue my dream.

When I look back over the past year, I am amazed by how blessed we have been. My clientele has tripled. I went from having 3 and 4 hours of dead time a day to having almost no dead time each day. We have been able to support our lifestyle and completely pay back all the debt. I wrote the last check to my parents today. Oh happy day!

Tonight when I got home Gary had a card for me on the kitchen counter congratulating me on my first year as an entrepreneur. On the back of the card was a multiple choice question: "Pick one of the following: a. bathroom package, b. kitchen package, or c. landscaping/back porch expansion package." These are three areas I have been dying to update on our house. I am thrilled to have a new project! After much consideration, I think I am gonna go with the bathroom package. This will include new toilets in both bathrooms (ours don't flush properly and continue to run after every flush... very annoying!), new floors in both bathrooms (no more 1960s tile), and a new shower in our bathroom (goodbye peach shower!). What a sweet husband I have.

After dinner we went to my parents and had a champagne toast to the future of our business. In the next year my goals are:

a. fill the third chair with a responsible stylist

b. find a new massage therapist to rent our open room

c. double our retail sales

d. be able to hire a cleaning crew so Gary and I don't have to spend our weekend cleaning the salon.

All this to say, I am so thankful for my supportive family, my amazing co-worker (Kate), and my faithful clientele. Thanks for making Katherine Grant Salon and Spa the success it has been in its first year.

Weekend Update.

We had an eventful weekend. So I was pretty worn out today. Here are the highlights:

Friday:

We went to Meghan and Andrew's apartment. Meghan and I got to video chat with Lauren and Kristin, who are all the way in Korea! Kristin is visiting Lauren for 3 weeks. It was awesome to all four be able to see and hear each other. We got to talk for about an hour. It sounds like Lauren is having a lot of fun living and working in Seoul.

Afterwards we played an intense game of Taboo. Girls vs. Boys. Girls won!

Saturday:

After work Gary and I headed out to the country for our Sunday school class party. A couple in our class have a beautiful home in the woods on 15 acres of land. We had dinner and the girls had fun playing with all the babies, while the guys shot skeet. Gary finally got to shoot the shotgun he got for his birthday, and he was pretty dang good too!

Sunday:

Sunday was a long day for me. I left to head to Mt. Magazine in Paris, AR to work at a wedding at 7:30am. I got there around 10, started on the first bridesmaid's hair at 11, and 9 bridesmaids later finished right before the ceremony at 5:15! The ceremony was beautiful! The view was amazing! I got to see a lot of OBU alumni. After the wedding and reception I left and headed home. I pulled in the driveway at 11. I was pooped, plugged in the heating pad and went straight to bed.

Monday:

I got to sleep in today, and it was oh so nice! Gary and I went to the dentist. We left with a good report, no cavities! So, we went and celebrated and got ice cream. Is that bad?

Tonight Gary and I grilled out. We made shish-ka-bobs and grilled corn. So good!

After dinner, Meghan came over and brought Tillie to play with Lola. They didn't get as crazy as they did on their last play date, but I think the had fun. Lola also got a bath. She smells so good!

It has been a busy weekend, but a fun one. Not ready for work again tomorrow.

The Most Popular Hair Cosmetics.

Spring is the time to attend to your hair! It is tired of the cold and hats and begging for your help! To be more exact it is begging for effective cosmetics. This is Top 6 of spring cosmetics for your hair:

1. WELLA SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL Repair Mask.
Instantly repairs hair up to 100%. It fills in damaged areas and replicates missing protective layers, provides your hair with the healthy resistance it needs against future damage. Price: $15.95
2. PAUL MITCHELL Tea Tree Hair and Scalp Treatment. Moisturizes and conditions hair. For all hair types. Helps to soothe and treat scalp. Cool and refreshing. Specially formulated with Australian Tea Tree Oil, the finest ingredients and activated blends. Price: $12.19

3. MARLIES MÖLLER Pashmisilk Delight Scalp Energizer. Luxurious, invigorating and anti-oxidant care sensation. An exclusive blend of Champagne, Grape leaf and Cassis extracts combined with the unique Pashmina Silk Complex plus caffeine. Instant revitalizing and protecting scalp serum.
4. MATRIX Biolage Strengthening Shampoo. It gives medium-to-coarse damaged or chemically-treated hair the inner strength it needs to bounce back and withstand future breakage. Gently cleanses & strengthens damaged or chemically-treated hair. Helps restore hair's vitality & elasticity. Everyday shampoo. Price: $15.99

5. J.F. LAZARTIGUE Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioner. Highly concentrated in Shea Butter, moisturizing and sheen-restoring agents, this leave-in spray conditioner spectacularly detangles and nourishes unruly hair without weighing it down. Hair becomes shiny, healthy and delicately perfumed. Price: $24.00
6. JOHN FRIEDA Frizz-Ease. Blocks frizz all day. Instantly and dramatically transforms dry, frizzy, or chemically-treated hair into incredibly smoother, glossier, stronger hair. Protects and prolongs the life of color treated hair. An exceptional blend of silicones immediately smoothes texture while delivering a layer of crystal-clear gloss for perfectly polished, frizz-resistant styles. Repels humidity to help prevent weather-related frizz. Contains sunscreen. Price: $8.02

What Hairstyles Are In Fashion Today. Celebrities Hairstyles Gallery.

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VINTAGE WAVES
Claire Danes and Reese Witherspoon channel style icon Grace Kelly with side-parts and softly swept waves.


ONE-SIDED BRAID
Lauren Conrad and Isla Fisher like the plait trend halfway, adding a stylish braid to just one side of their hair.


BOUFFANT BUNS
Kate Beckinsale and Jennifer Lopez show off the latest embodiment of this season's bulky updo, piling their crowns high into a chic chignons.


SIDE KNOTS
Twisting their locks into side knots, Audrina Patridge and Karina Smirnoff show us a fun alternative to the ordinary updo.


CURLS WITH BANGS
What about fringe fashion! Leighton Meester and Kim Kardashian add long, straight bangs to their loosely curled locks.


DOUBLE-WRAP HEADBAND
It's a double-header as 90210's Katherine Heigl and AnnaLynne McCord fasten their swept-back updos with double-wrap elastic bands.


MAKE-BELIEVE BOB
Who says that having commitment issues is a bad thing? Rosario Dawson and Lauren Conrad tucked under their long hair into chic, curly bobs just for one night.


GENIE PONYTAILS
Make a wish! Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian put a new spin on the ponytail, pulling their hair back into a high, wrapped fall.