Mother's Day Hair and Spa Adventures

Mother’s Day is approaching. I’m currently promoting a deal for a Pamper Package for Moms.

http://www.prlog.org/12316537-arizona-sons-and-daughters-can-pamper-mom-for-less-for-mothers-day.html

The same package is available in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida and Texas.

But of course I can’t think of Mother’s Day without thinking about my own mom, Peggy, who died in 2000. My mom had a standing, weekly appointment with her hair stylist for years. I don’t care how sick she was, she went to the appointment because if she didn’t, someone else would get her coveted Saturday time slot.

My hair needs are quite different than my mom’s. She had her hair frosted, teased and sprayed, wore a special satin cap to bed to keep her coiffed style in place while she slept, and she always looked put together. It makes me think of a few lines from one of my favorite movies, Steel Magnolias, where Sally Field’s hairstyle is referred to as a helmet. A hurricane could blow and Sally’s hair would not move out of place.

That is not the case with my stubby locks. My hair ablutions are minimal. I have yet to color my brown hair and I have grey sidewalls. When I wake up in the morning my very short hair sticks up in odd ways. I comb it, but it springs back at strange angles that never cease to amaze me. My hair is very straight (so was mom’s) and I tell people if it wasn’t for my three cowlicks my hair wouldn’t have any style at all. Thank goodness for haircare products and grooming accessories.

Since I work out of my home (a great benefit of being a publicist, screenwriter and author) I sometimes get a little sloppy with my beauty needs.  I can write, conduct business over the phone and no one is the wiser about how I look. But, I think it does take a toll in other ways as this lack of grooming might have a psychological effect toward sloth. And if there is one thing a writer does NOT need is an excuse to be lazy.

However, since one of my favorite clients is a chain of cosmetology schools and a hair care manufacturer, I do learn a bit about hairstyling and I look a great deal better than I used to. They recently launched a new hairspray called Discipline. 

http://www.prlog.org/12301325-new-hair-spray-gives-hold-without-sticky-heaviness.html

This aerosol hair shaping spray is awesome.  It even keeps my hair in place! It’s a shame this product wasn’t around when my mom was alive. She would have loved it. And I’m sure she would have given a can of it to her hairstylist as well. 

For those of you whose moms are still alive, please consider giving her a pamper package and picking up a duo pack of Discipline Shaping Spray. After all those years she tried to keep you in line, it might be fun to give her something so she can keep her hair from misbehaving as well.

To Listen and "Make it So"

I went with my daughter, Alicia, and her family to get haircuts yesterday. My granddaughters are four and six years old and sometimes I tag along to make sure the girls don’t get into any trouble while their mom is getting her hair trimmed.

Also, the cosmetology school where we go, International Academy of Hair Design,

www.beautyschoolrocks.com is one of my public relations clients. I like to visit the school and talk to the students, instructors and customers to see what interesting developments are taking place. Also, the school is located at Fiesta Mall in Mesa, AZ. Right below the school is an indoor playground. This is a favorite spot for the girls to play – especially in the summer time when it is too hot for outdoor fun.

My oldest granddaughter, Rosannah, has long hair. It grows quickly, but occasionally she experiences the typical childhood hair disaster - gum in her goldie locks or a misguided attempt at playing hair stylist without a license. Fortunately, she enjoys going to the award-winning beauty school and often asks me about the staff and students there. She was recently a model for the school when the producer from KPNX asked for a segment on “Creating Princess Hair.” Now Rosannah feels like she is “one of the girls.”

Rosannah is kind and observant. She is generous with her compliments and is the first to notice when I sport a new manicure or pedicure. Due to her love of beauty embellishments I have become a little more adventurous in my taste. Rather than go the traditional route (pinkish polish or French tips) I have the cosmetology students at IAHD add glittery pizzaz to my nails. My only question is why did I wait so long? Life is too short to deny myself some sparkle.

Unfortunately, Briannah, my younger granddaughter, is more skeptical of the whole beauty process. Her hair grows more slowly than her sister’s. She didn’t even need a haircut until this year. When it became necessary to have a hair cut (and not just a little bang trim) she wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect. She suggested skipping the ordeal and spending extra time in the kid’s play area instead. On one occasion she vehemently refused to cooperate. Rather than take a risk, the instructor suggested we not force the issue.

However, this time our trip to the school manifested different results. Briannah was not only willing to get her hair styled and trimmed, she was okay with getting her hair shampooed as well.

Mother and daughters lined up at the shampoo bowls for hair cleansing and a scalp massage.

This got me to wondering, “Why is it women and girls enjoy going to the hair stylist?” Of course there is the obvious, to look better. This is no small thing. When we look better, we feel better. When we feel better we smile more and interact more sociably with those we meet. It creates a happy, harmonious cycle.

But it goes deeper. A good hair stylist (or cosmetology student) listens. Really listens. They pay attention to your vision of how you want to look and they do their best to make your beauty dream a reality.

My 4-year-old grandchild is a case in point.Briannah is a chatty little girl. Her cosmetology student stylist, Rosalinda, asked her preschool patron about her life. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but as I observed from across the room I could see my youngest granddaughter enthralled in a gabfest. I’m sure she told Rosalinda about her Christmas presents, pets and even preschool. As Briannah talked, I could see Rosalinda smile and listen attentively. I’m sure the cosmetology student complimented my favorite four-year-old on her hair and beauty.

Briannah may only be four years old, but she was experiencing something so many of us crave – to be truly listened to. The preschooler came in for a new style, but she came out with more. A true test was in the final product. In addition to the haircut, Briannah had asked for a braid. The child’s hair isn’t long enough for a traditional braid, so Rosalinda created a halo-like braid around the back of Briannah’s head. This was not Alicia’s vision for her daughter (although she wasn’t opposed to the idea) it was Briannah’s idea. Rosalinda listened and like Captain Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek, the Next Generation, she demonstrated she could “make it so” and did. Needless to say, Briannah was absolutely thrilled with the results.

When everyone was coiffed and styled

(including daddy Greg)

the family went to a rock and mineral show at nearby Mesa Community College. I could see both of my grandchildren were satisfied with their new “look” and felt more confident. When they approached one of the rock booths they chatted up one of the vendors. I’m sure the cute little girls were a welcome sight compared to the old codgers like me who generally attend these events. Before we walked away the vendor gave each girl a free baggy full of rocks and explained what each one was.

“I go to preschool and these will be great for show and tell,” Briannah exclaimed.

Her enthusiasm earned her and her sister a couple additional stones. Later, Briannah would tell me that these rocks would be part of her “collection.” Although I can’t prove it, I think Briannah’s trip to International Academy of Hair Design in Fiesta Mall, increased her self esteem. Rosalinda treated her with respect and kindness (as did Digna who took care of Rosannah’s needs) and the cosmetology students who were assigned to Alicia and Greg. Together all of the future cosmetologists created a warm and caring atmosphere, and my daughter’s family was satisfied with the experience.

However, a visit to a cosmetology school may not be for everyone. One drawback (although it can also be perceived as an advantage depending on your perspective) is the cosmetology students take their time. Speed will come with experience, but while they are learning their trade they are motivated by quality, not quantity. That said, they do not operate in a vacuum. All students perform under the supervision of a licensed instructor to ensure quality and safety.

Something I gleaned from my experience was about mutual goals. Customers come in for a service. Whether it’s a trim, hair extension, relaxer, permanent wave, color or nail service, each person has a mental image of how they want to look. The cosmetology student also has a goal and vision. He or she wants to complete their education and launch into a satisfying career where they help people look and feel great. When you combine these dual purposes you have a bonding experience where everyone’s beauty-related wishes can come true. How awesome is that?

So what’s the take-away on this story? It’s not about our hair, it’s about our ears. If we can focus on talking less and learning to listen with an open mind and heart, there is no limit to the beauty we can create in our lives.

IAHD and its sister schools in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Florida are offering 40% off all relaxer services and 50% off all perm services now through Feb. 28, 2014. Prospective cosmetology students can visit www.beautyschoolrocks.com or call and make an appointment with the school’s admissions director.

Mesa Fiesta Mall – 480-820-9422
Mill Avenue in Tempe – 480-964-8675
Metro Center Mall in Phoenix – 602-944-0001
Desert Sky Mall in West Phoenix – 623-846-4000

Green Hair and Peeing on the Tidy Bowl Man

I remember the first time I saw someone with green hair. This was decades before punk rock, spikey hair and cell phones. It was the summer of 1968 and I was swimming at Kino Junior High School’s pool in Mesa, Arizona.

It was summertime and this brand new, Olympic-size pool was the city’s newest gem. I spied an athletic, female lifeguard. It seemed she was supposed to have blond hair, but her short, golden locks had a serious shade of emerald running through it.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. I saw a couple other young men and women with jade-infused tresses.

“They can’t be doing that on purpose,” I thought to myself. “Was this part of a sorority or fraternity prank?”

I didn’t think too much about it until school started in the fall. Low and behold, one of the P.E. teachers, Miss Driscoll, had limey locks as well. I asked one of my friends (either brainy Beverly Berres or well-informed Janet Loughrey) and they set me straight. If you bleach your hair and swim a lot in a chlorinated pool it turns your hair green.

Who knew? I was saavy enough to acknowledge that if one urinated in a toilet with Tidy Bowl in it the water would turn green. My friend, Michele Fitzgerald's mom used Tidy Bowl in their commode. After I used their facilities I would exit and sing, "I turned the water green."

Why I felt I needed to sing this little ditty every time I peed on the Tidy Bowl Man, I'm not sure, but it became a tradition I kept up for years. It was much like my odd habit of donning an ugly curler cap even when my hair wasn't in rollers.

But I digress.

Decades have passed since that hot summer day at the pool, but apparently hair color catastrophes continue to be an unwanted experience by thousands of unsuspecting men and women each day.

Consider these true stories of wayward color gone bad.

• A young woman tried to color her hair and didn’t realize until it was too late that she missed a huge spot in the back that was obvious to everyone at the gym when she put her hair back in a ponytail.
• A truck driver let his new girlfriend color his hair but left the color on too long (they were drinking wine and having fun) and an hour later his hair was bright orange. Nothing to do but let it grow out for three weeks and keep on trucking.
• A minister wanted to appear more youthful and let his wife color his white hair. Even prayer didn’t help when his locks turned green.
• Linda Cobb, aka the Queen of Clean and author of numerous books on cleaning says the only safe place to color your own hair is in the backyard. Before focusing on the money you might save by forgoing the salon, consider the value and time of replacing your clothes, bathroom wallpaper and rugs, as well as the time spent scrubbing your sink and skin.

One of favorite clients owns cosmetology schools in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Florida and Texas. I’ve learned a lot about hair while promoting their hair products and beauty schools. Apparently providing hair coloring services is a big chunk of a stylist’s business. Now that my brunette hair is turning grey, I understand why folks would want to use any methods to turn back the clock and restore their locks to their natural color, or experiment with other hues. However, it seemed there were only two alternatives.

1. Pay a bunch of money and have a professional stylist take care of the situation.
2. Buy a box of color and take a chance you won’t make a mess of things.

However, there is a third alternative. International Academy of Hair Design in Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix and West Phoenix is offering a 50% off discount on all color services at their award-winning cosmetology schools. The regular price of color services begin at $24 (long hair is extra.) and the special takes place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through Aug. 31. The same deal applies to ITS Academy of Beauty in Texas and Oklahoma, Olympian University in New Mexico and Hair Benders Academy in Florida.

All the locations, phone numbers, as well as information about services and student enrollment can be found at www.BeautySchoolRocks.com.

Looking back at my childhood memories of swimming and playing in the sun brings a smile to my face. So does the thought of my naiveté regarding chlorine and green hair. I think it’s great that we have so many options available to us for hair color.

However, if you want a change in color and style and don’t want to take a chance of a chromatic catastrophe, why not check out what services (or even career options) are available to you at Beauty School Rocks?

That said, I’d like to close with a quote from Frank Gelett .

“I never saw a purple cow; I never hope to see one; but I can tell you, anyhow, I'd rather see than be one.”

Father's Day Tribute to My Nutty Dad

I’ve been thinking about my dad lately. Father’s Day is here and even though my pop died more than 17 years, I still think about what kind of gift he might like to have for Father’s Day.

Dad had a weird sense of humor and wasn’t particularly helpful when we asked him for gift suggestions. Each year it was the same.

Me: “Dad, what do you want for Father’s Day?”

Dad: “A new butt. Mine’s cracked.”

This was the same response for Christmas, birthdays and other gift-giving occasions. I don’t know which was sillier, his corny response or the fact that my siblings and I continued to ask the same question.

That is not to say that we didn’t come up with some good gifts over the years. My brothers Terry and Dennis took him to ball games, my older sister , Diane, bought tickets so he and mom could go out to a show, my sister, Tina’s fiancé bought him a new television and VCR (back when the technology was new.) My sister-in-law, Joannie, always bought him a new pair of slippers. Dad wore slippers all the time so he needed replacements on a regular basis.

However, the gift that I think he enjoyed the most was a nutcracker my spouse, John, and I bought him. It wasn’t any ole nutcracker. This little marvel held the nut in place and a weight (released from a rubber-band-type launcher) cracked the pecans perfectly in half.

My dad loved nuts and we had three pecan trees in the yard. Having grown up in the heart of Chicago but probably being a country boy at heart, my dad loved it that he could go outside, gather nuts and pick fruit (especially citrus) and make something from scratch. Even during his years of dementia he never tired of making fresh squeezed lemonade or cracking a bowl full of pecans.

What made this gift special is it was directly related to his passion. Now cracking nuts is not MY passion, but it was something my dad loved to do. So rather than buy him Old Spice or another useless tie, we hit the mark with the nut cracker that year.

But now that my dad is gone, I still think of how I might have done things differently. What my father (and I think most fathers) want is to spend quality time with their children. As we get older we have the money to purchase bigger and better things, but finding the time to spend the day with dad is sometimes more difficult than cracking a nut without a nut cracker. It makes me think of the Harry Chapin song, “Cats in the Cradle” song chronicling the busy life of a father and son.

However, I found a simple answer while promoting my clients, International Academy of Hair Design, ITS Academy of Beauty, Hair Benders and Olympian University. They have a father/son special for TWO haircuts for $10. The regular price is $8 each. Here is a link to the Arizona press release, but the same deal is in effect at all their schools in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Florida.

http://www.prlog.org/12150439-double-duty-savings-for-fathers-day-at-international-academy-of-hair-design.html

You can also visit their website www.BeautySchoolRocks.com.

It can be difficult to find the time to spend an entire evening or afternoon with dad, but we all need to have our hair cut. Why not ask dad to come and join you for a simple errand? It could be a trip to the post office, a walk to the store, or you could even ask your pop to ride shot gun while you pick up the kids from school. The added bonus to the haircut idea is it shows dad that you know how to manage your money wisely. I don’t know about your father, but my dad would have been very pleased to see that I knew a good deal when I saw one.

I miss my dad, but when I think of the corny things he used to say, it still makes me smile. I remember an anecdote last year. I was helping my granddaughter with her toilet training. She goes to preschool and she is obsessed with naming things. She pointed to her butt and said, “What’s my butt’s name?” I told her “Briannah’s butt.” If she would have said “I want a new one, mine’s cracked” I would know that my dad had reincarnated back into our lives again. Even still, it’s nice to know the little nut didn’t fall far from the tree.

Beauty School Rocks!

I enjoy highlighting positive things folks are doing and wanted to share the news with you.



Students and employees from ITS Academy of Beauty schools in the Fort Worth area, as well as its sister school in New Mexico, Olympian University, raised $1,200 from a recent 5 K run/walk to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research.



Forty members laced up to form the school’s team, “Beauty School Rocks,” including Margie Wisniski, chief of operations of ITS Academy of Beauty and its affiliate schools throughout the U.S. Thirty men and women from the schools operated two booths at the race, one in the main expo and another in the kid’s area, and provided thousands of bags with free samples of shampoo and conditioner, coupons and a list of services at the award-winning cosmetology school.



“This race was very personal to us,” said Wisniski. “We were honoring Deborah Marie Chambers , a dedicated nurse who passed away from breast cancer in 2007. However, she is just one of 39,620 women who have died from breast cancer and we are doing our part to see that this tragic statistic declines.”



Additional statistics from 2013 from the American Cancer Society include: 64,640 new cases of carcinoma in situ will be found (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer) and 39,620 deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.

Our “Beauty School Rocks” team is one of many ways ITS Academy of Beauty and our affiliate schools are championing causes that matter in our communities. We teach our students about outward beauty, but we encourage kind acts to develop inner beauty as well.”

ITS Academy of Beauty provides students with a distinguished environment that mirrors many of the upscale salons that will employ the cosmetology students after they graduate and earn their cosmetology license.

According to a U.S. News and World Report hairdresser is cited as one of the best jobs of 2012. In a March 21, 2012 article in USA Today, beauty salon sales grew 5.4 %.4 in the last two years vs. a 2.3% sales increase in 2009. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections of 15.7% employment growth expected by 2020, the future of hair salons and the future of hair stylists should continue to grow.
In addition to the award-winning cosmetology school in Fort Worth, the company owns and operates ITS Academy of Beauty schools throughout Texas and Lawton, OK, Olympian University in New Mexico, Hair Benders Academy in Florida and International Academy of Hair Design in Arizona.

For more information visit www.beautyschoolrocks.com or call 1-877-275-4442 to be connected to a school in your area.

Who Says You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too?

Cosmetology students at Olympian University, 4501 N. Main St. in Roswell proved you can “have your cake and win it two, three times and more” when the school brought home the 2nd and 3rd place awards at a recent Educational Forum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Sweet Surprise was the theme for the second place winning entry and Queen of the Wild captured third place, both in the team category.

Cosmetology students Maritza Perez, Deja Riddle, Daniela Loya and model Heather Satterfield (also an Olympian University student) had 55 minutes in the arena to construct the hair and make up for their entry.



Satterfield, clad in a zebra-colored outfit, appeared to spring from a festively decorated three-layer birthday cake. But the crowning glory was in the model’s neon-colored tresses. Perez, Riddle and Loya fashioned gift boxes, party favors and other celebratory objects and covered them in hair so they appeared to be a part of the model’s tresses.

The third place entry featured a Queen of the Wild theme that incorporated elements from Aztec and Voodoo cultures in bewitching earth tones. Jessie Cadena, Crystal Gage and Debbie Lara also used body paint to design bones and other fetish designs on Yasmin Estrada’s exotic headdress.

Lara also competed in the bridal mannequin competition and placed fifth. Her entry featured an elegant and clean updo accompanied by soft and sophisticated makeup that would be the envy of today’s stylish brides.
“All of our students did an excellent job and demonstrated they could not only create an awesome project, but that they could be graceful under pressure,” said Kristi Eaton, an instructor at Olympian University who helped oversee the students at the Education Forum. “Our school in Roswell has a reputation for winning big at the Forum and we are proud of all of them.”

The contestants in all the competitions, three-person team, fantasy hair and bridal hair, were encouraged to pull out the stops on their themed entry and create a project that would wow the judges, spectators and fellow students. Each entry was judged based on creativity, originality, innovation, color and theme.

The three-person team category was performed on a live model and included a larger backdrop. The fantasy hair and bridal hair categories were performed on a mannequin. Another challenge of the three-person team event is the students must work cooperatively as a team.

Olympian University in Roswell is a cosmetology school that provides students with a distinguished environment that mirrors many of the upscale salons that will employ the students after they graduate and earn their cosmetology license.
For more information visit www.olympianuniversity.com or call the Roswell school at 575-623-6331.