Merry Christmas!!

Last Friday was Aussie mix day - I groomed this handsome boy - doesn't that black dog shampoo make the coat just gleam?  He is only 7 months old, and already a sweety.  I did a second Aussie mix that day, a red and white version.

On Saturday, Chris and I groomed a chocolate colored Cocker named Kashi.  No pics, unfortunately.  This is a Brittany Spaniel named Seamus - a recommendation from Kelly T.  Thanks Kelly!!
On Sunday, I also bathed Jack in preparation for our family Christmas visit. This is him all wet.
I was supposed to have the day off on Monday, but Chris got busy, so I went in for a while. Here's a great story:  When I worked for Cornell Plantations, I met a wonderful woman who made a donation for a bench in the Arboretum in memory of a deceased son of hers.  We became friends during this process. I had not spoken to her since I had left Plantations.  She saw our card at the vet that Chris uses, said to herself  "I know Nancy, I bet she's a good groomer.  I need to take my dogs there".  And so she did.  Saturday, we groomed her two Shih Tzu's, Cherub and Annie.  Both sweeties.  We also had another walk in Shih Tzu, a rescue, and a recently rescued cat too.  Chris also did a Husky later in the afternoon.  So that was a 5 pet day for us - great!

Today I had another Samoyed named Rain, a doodle puppy, and Cal W. brought Rince in for a bath, too.  Rain's mom made another appointment on the spot. Great!  We also had calls from two other returnees for holiday baths for Chris tomorrow.  GREAT.  Is there a theme here?  you bet.

Tomorrow, I am off to the family for the holiday.  I will be back in the shop on Monday the 29th.  Chris will be ably manning it by himself for the weekend.  Thanks Chris, for a long weekend with the family. Merry Christmas, all!!

Dogs and more Dogs

So here are some of the dogs we have done in the last few days.  This is the cutest little dog named Lulu.  She was really more active than this, and very cute.  I did her today, along with another Samoyed, an Aussie Shep and a tiny Maltese.

This is Casper, Joy W's little poodle.  This is after.
This is before. He was tired when I was done!
And this is Otto, a shepherd/collie mix.  I groomed him on Monday.  Chris had a Bernese Mountain dog and a Shih Tzu mix on Tuesday. So we are still into big and hairy, but are getting some small dogs, too.
We have a couple on Friday, a couple on Saturday, and a couple each day next week before the holiday starts.  I enjoy getting up and going there, and I am having FUN each day.  So nice to have a job that is enjoyable!!!!

This week was good.

Hi friends.  Been a few days since my last post.  As I mentioned, Chris and I are working one day on, one day off.  So this week I had Mon/Wed/Fri off.  Three days in one week - haven't had that many days since I started attending grooming school in July.  I am catching up on my home chores, which have been woefully neglected.  And, we actually have had appointments this week - at least one dog each day.  I had an appointment cancel on me, but then had a walk in, so that was fine. The phone is ringing, and even sales people are stopping by - people are finding out about us!  This is Nagel, a Samoyed I groomed on Thursday. He had knee replacement surgery a few months ago, and had not been in for a groom since prior to that.  Boy, did he have a LOT of hair to lose.  This is before. Notice the dread-type hunks of hair in his chest just waiting to be blown out of him.  I blew him out before the bath - hunks of hair went flying.

This is after. I blew him after the bath. More flying hair.  And while the change in him is impressive...
The condition of the shop was even MORE impressive!  There was not one surface that was not covered in white hair.  It looked like it snowed in there. This customer has three Samoyeds,will be bringing us the other two, and found us on Craigslist. I love that free advertising!
Chris has added some more comfy furniture to the shop, used both by the dogs (ours and customers) and us.  Notice Jack fast asleep in the chair.  The sofa cover he found makes it look just like the sofa in our logo...
And as promised in the last post:  Our Logo:
The text says: Lovingly Grooming Pets of all Sizes.  The full tag line is Lovingly Grooming Dogs of ALL sizes...and Cats, too!  This sign is located out at the corner, next to Village Take Out's sign (they graciously agreed to let us leave it there - they are great guys in that shop - and make good pizza, too!)

Tomorrow, we have appointments for 5 dogs, and a bunch for next week, as well.  For only our second month in business, I'll take it.

Still slow and steady...

Well, after our busy day the day before Thanksgiving, we had several DEAD days that made both of us very nervous.  We had no customers on Saturday, Sunday, Monday after Thanksgiving.  One on Tuesday, none on Wednesday.  But then, things began to pick up again. I had two dogs on Thursday, Chris had two on Friday, we had three on Saturday and two yesterday.  And, we have at least one appointment each day this week except Thursday and Friday. So, things are picking up. Thanks again to all of you who send people our way. Relying on word of mouth as we are, that is such a HUGE help.

I have pics to post of the sign I made of our logo, that will go out on the corner of State and Seneca streets.  But, I have not downloaded them.  So, they will have to wait for later today.  Gives you something to look forward to?

A little Side Job

It has been very quiet at the shop since our busy day before Thanksgiving.  I was there alone on Saturday and Sunday with nary a customer.  And no customers on Monday.  Chris got back into town late Sunday, and took Monday off, so I was on my own for a few days.  

I volunteer for Ithaca's State Theatre mostly as an usher, getting to see shows that I want without having to purchase tickets.  But, because I enjoy it and because I have the theatre background to do it, I help them out with other projects, too.  The theater is celebrating it's 80th Birthday on Saturday.  They wanted this bar spruced up - it was painted black like the image on the bottom. One side:

I created a fuax facade that I attached directly to the old black luan surface.  That way I was able to most of the creating in the comfort of my very own basement, and only needed to do the installation on-site.  It looks good, if I do say so myself!  Both sides.

And this is how they looked before.  These are the concession bar units in the lobby (because I forgot to take before pics of the actual bar...). But they do look a LOT better, no?  Think they'll ask me to do these next???

Tomorrow I am back in the shop.  Thanks to Chris for minding the store while I was playing with wood these last two days.