Month: December 2012

Behind the Scenes With Alloy Ash

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Alloy Ash, Steve Ragland, and I collaborated for a photoshoot last Sunday.  Steve had some very beutiful ideas, and I had this cute sweater I really wanted to shoot.  Ash has a Doc Martens collection spanning from the 90’s, so we had fun with that too!

Alloy Ash in Grateful Dreads the night before the photo shoot.
Alloy Ash in Grateful Dreads the night before the photo shoot.

I took these pics with my phone while they worked.

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Setting the lighting and exposure times.
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Steve uses a live stream for his photos that goes right to his iPad! Ash is wearing a beautiful silk robe from Thailand.
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A shot of Steve’s iPad. The beauty of this photo speaks for itself! Dress by Fotoula Lambros Design.
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Hippy Chic
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I love these oxblood Docs with the navy Polo golf sweater!

This was a fun shoot!  Everyone was very professional and we worked fast.  I got to play with some more alternative looks than usual, and that’s always fun.  Alloy Ash you are truly amazing!  I could go on and on.  I keep thinking about your cool pink shoes!

Cool Clients of Grateful Dreads with Gorgeous Hair!

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I love the people who come to Grateful Dreads!  I’m really happy with these pics.  For anyone who follows this blog, you can see the progress of Josh’s and Cam’s hair.  You will also recognize Nicole from previous posts.

Xiao Hui Fan
It’s been two months since I first cut Cam’s hair.  He’s growing it out, and it’s looking so good!.  You can click here to see his first cut at Grateful Dreads.

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Gorgeous haircut!
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You can see Cam’s natural wave coming out now that his hair has some length. It was his idea to part it on the side with the straight part. I love it! Classic smooth styles are really where it’s at right now!
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I threaded Cam’s brows too.
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I love Cam’s smile!

Josh has had his dreads for 10 months!  We put them in around Easter time.  Click here to view Josh’s dreads freshly done, and click here to see them after 10 weeks!

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Lookin’ good Josh!
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Look at those dreads!
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My fabulous jet-setter friend Nicole blew through town and spent the day with me at the salon. I gave her a pretty roller set and did her make up!

Emily is an Ann Arbor townie and a U of M student.  She’s also a nanny, and she’s really nice!

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She came to the salon for a trim and a little shaping.
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Her hair is like Rapunzel’s!
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I gave her bangs and some shaping around her face and took off a few inches. Still long!! I dried it to be curly!
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Alloy Ash came to the salon late night to get ready for our shoot the next day. 

I touched up her roots and put in some icey Carribean blue! She’s had her dreads for around 6 years and has previously maintained them herself or in California where she does a lot of modeling work.

How lucky am I to have so many amazing clients visit me in just one week!  Thank you so much to all of you for being so cool and loving good hair!

Cheers!

Vis A Vis

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I offer threading at Vis A Vis every Wednesday.  I’ve become their patron as well.  This is a very nice skin care and massage salon.  The people there are so fun and friendly, and the decor is smart and cute!

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The reception area
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Vis a Vis sells a lot of natural high-quality skin care products including make up and application tools. There is also a Vis a Vis skin care line!
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One of the massage rooms. Notice the bars on the ceiling. Mellissa uses them for Ashiatsu massage.

There are other equally beautiful and comfortable rooms for massage and full body waxing, but they’re usually full, so it’s difficult getting a picture!

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This is the Brow Bar where I do the threading. They use this room for facial waxing and make up application.
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I like the art in the Brow Bar!
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These cute little figurines are for sale!

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Sitting Room
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Guests get to drink premium loose teas from Tea Haus which is located about a block away from Grateful Dreads!

These are some of my favorite pieces of art hanging in the salon.

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Something I’ve noticed about the people here is they study what they do constantly. They also study their client’s files, so they know the details of each job. Vis a Vis is really into details and personalized skin care.
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Yummy treats at the check out area. These girls don’t mess around!
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Brady 🙂

Vis a Vis is top notch!  If you’re looking for a place for massage, make up, facials, waxing, or threading I very strongly recommend.  My experience there has been completely positive every time!

Many New Faces, The Holidays Are Here!

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Christmas is just around the corner!  I love seeing all the lights around Kerrytown, and the shop is really cute for the holidays!  I’ve met a lot of new people who found Grateful Dreads and needed a last minute haircut for an event.  I was really busy this Saturday and fit everyone in!  So glad, and they loved their hair too!

Farrida came for a cut and wanted somethng new but not too short. When we were done she said she's never seen it so curly! So I put it up in a cute ponytail.
Harene came for a cut and wanted somethng new but not too short. When we were done she said she’s never seen it so curly! So I put it up in a cute ponytail.
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Michael is really cool! He’s growing his hair out from a fade and now loving his curls.
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He had a black-tie event that night. Picture his hair with a tux!!
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Michael’s a bouncer among many other cool things. Nice to meet you!!
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Lauren came for a small trim and had a holiday party afterwards. Nothing too fancy, so I curled her hair and left it down because it looked so beautiful as it was!
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I love seeing people smile about their hair!

Thank you everyone for checking out the new salon!  I hope you continue to love your hair, and it’s easy for you to style.  See you in 2013!

Bronwen Mellissa

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Bron went back to Chicago.  I knew she was going to leave, but it came up so fast!  It was really nice having her in the salon.

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So long Bron!  I miss you already!!

Many New Faces, Lots of Dreads!

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I’ve had two very busy weeks at Grateful Dreads.  I did a lot of dreads maintenance and some color and cuts too.  So many people are finding the salon lately which is exciting!  The salon is really producing some beautiful hair on all different hair types!  Again I didn’t get pictures of everyone, and there was some very beautiful color that I didn’t snap up, but there are plenty of great pics here to cap off the week!

Pride loves his hair!
Pride loves his hair!
Nice smooth locks with clean parts
Nice smooth locks with clean parts
Yeun, the wild child from LA! We really got into some 90s techno during her haircut. I love when people dance in the chair!
Yeun, the wild child from LA! We really got into some 90s techno during her haircut. I love when people dance in the chair!
Karen
Karen

Karen is so cool!  She came in with her ends burned off from bleach, so we did some color and intense repair treatments.  It’s only been a couple weeks, and you wouldn’t believe how good her hair looks!  We put color on it a second time, and it’s really staying and looks very natural and soft.  Her hair grows fast too!

Karen brought in her locked friend Tony for some tightening.

Tony "Before"
Tony “Before”
I palm rolled his new growth, and he sat under the dryer while the work set.
I palm rolled his new growth, and he sat under the dryer while it set.
Tony Strat from P Fumk in the house!
Tony Strat from P Fumk in the house!

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Jake's hair is very straight and gets messy at his new growth.
Jake’s in a punk band.  His hair is very straight and gets messy at his new growth.
I tightened up his new growth and weaved in all the loose hairs.
I tightened up his new growth and weaved in all the loose hairs.
Finished look. All tightened up! I like to use the Knotty Boy Tightening Gel for freshly tightened dreads.
Finished look. All tightened up! I like to use the Knotty Boy Tightening Gel for freshly tightened dreads.
A good picture of his parts. It's important to keep them very neat.
A good picture of his parts. It’s important to keep them very neat.
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Ciarra came in for just a trim on her ends. I did some light shaping and left her hair as long as possible. We did some deep conditioners and a color mousse to richen what she already had.
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Ciarra is the director of the Noir fashion group at U of M. She keeps busy between school and coordinating fashion!
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This is what fabulous looks like!
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I set her hair using Original Moxie Shape Shifter and Hair Bling then Ciarra sat under the dryer. We pulled the curls out to make it bouncy and big!
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She pulled her hair up herself. I love the tousely look, and I totally love this 90’s retro sweater with her curls!

Thank you so much to everyone who came in this week and to all of you who have referred these nice people to the salon.  I’m really loving it!

Grace’s Cheer Competition

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Her mom, Genevieve, brought a hair piece to attach.

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At first her ponytail was too tight.
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I added some red extensions to match her team colors.
Go Grace Go!!
Go Grace Go!!

Congratulations Grace!!  You are a star!

Grateful Dreads at Kindlefest 2012

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Kindlefest is an annual event for Kerrytown.  We all set up booths in the Farmers’ Market area, and people came from all over to celebrte the start of the holiday season.  There were lots of vendors with hand made goods and yummy food and drnks fotr everyone.  The fire pit and roasted chestnuts smelled really nice, and there were horns playing Christmas music.  There were so many shoppers!!

Greg, Camellia, and I were at the booth talking to people about Grateful Dreads.

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Grateful Dreads’ booth
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It was really cold out!
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I had these fliers printed for the event and to pass out for the season!
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And these posters!

Many Visitors at Grateful Dreads!

| Shikote

This was a fun week at the salon. There’s a lot of great hair happening here! It’s funny how some of the people I see regularly, I still have not snapped a picture!

Kindlefest was this weekend, and the salon has been busier than ever! I’ve had a lot of long-time clients and many new faces come through. Here are the pics!!

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Heather’s new shape
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We did pink underneath!
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Mulugeta is a new regular. He has a really cool look!
Mulu likes his hair long on top. I really love his hair cut!
Mulu likes his hair long on top. I really love his hair cut!
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Megan is an OG! She drove out from the eastside!
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Black with icy purple and blue
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Purple ombré bangs with bright green eyes! Megan I love your new glasses!!
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Theresa’s cute curly new do. We really nourished her hair!  Theresa is an experienced massage thereapist in Ann Arbor.
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Amber’s hair is amazing!! She’s a local entrepreneur and a mommy!
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Look at this gorgeous hair!! Her curl is all natural.
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That’s me!
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Camellia and her sister Zoe!
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Zoe
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Zoe and Greg. Cute!
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I love Courtney’s bright red hair with her bright turquiose Moog shirt!! She has some fat dreads under all that red hair!!
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Moog Fest + bright red hair!
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I put up some lights for the holidays. I love how the salon looks after a job well done!

The holiday season is here!!  Kerrytown is bursting with activities!  The trees all have lights and there is Christmas music playing at the Kerrytown Concert House.  The Farmers’ Market is full of wreaths and trees and shoppers!  It’s so special to see all the families and to be there with my own family especially during this time!