Do you believe in serendipity?

Do you believe that good things can happen to you when you are aware of what it is you desire to do? Well, after today, I most certainly do!

Do you remember my missed hair appointment yesterday with Sadie? Well, it turns out the lady that offered to do my hair either yesterday at 5:30 p.m. or today at 11 a.m. is the Froi de Veaux Beauty Salon owner! and she is willing to help me achieve my dreams! Why because opening up the Beauty Salon was one of her lifelong dreams and she certainly understands me desiring mine. Let me explain how this all happened.

Yesterday when Sadie hadn't show up to keep her end of the appointment by showing up to do my hair, I was a bit upset, well more disappointed than anything else, but willing to work with the salon to make it right and up to me. I accepted "the ladies" invitation to do my hair when 12 other people got majorly upset and I remained a bit disappointed by calm. I accepted her offer to do my hair today and telephoned her yesterday to allow her to get someone in the 5:30 p.m. time slot. Not realizing at the time the owner, Rita Bosh, was the one offering this for me, I didn't discover this until today when I showed up for my appointment.

Right away, I thanked her for doing this for me as the salon is not normally open on Sunday except by a rare appointment such as mine. Anyways, I talked openly with her regarding my disappointment in a positive way, not by putting Sadie down, but by being open about how I felt and what I thought about it. To my surprise, Rita, agreed with me and said she could tell when she met me that I was a woman of principles and kept my word when I gave. I didn't threaten "not to come back" as 12 other disappointed peopled did; I allowed her the opportunity to make a problem right. We talked about Sadie being younger and how she'd learn the importance of following up with her customers and we did so in a professional manner not a downgrading one. After all we are all human and are subject to making mistakes.

We chatted about everything from fashion, to current styles in clothing, to owning and operating a business. Now normally, I am not by nature a very open person but there was just something about Rita that makes you feel comfortable with her, someone you just know you can open up to and say what you think and feel --- within reason, I'm sure. Anyways, I explain to her my disappointment and why I was in such a hurry to have my hair done. I told her about my hopes and dreams about desiring to one day own my own Rubberstamp store and the steps that I am taking to build a name for myself to assist me in my journey of opening up my studio for classes, crops, get togethers, ect. And she offered to assist me! By allowing me a section of her salon to display and sale my artwork from!!!! Can you believe it? Sight unseen. She said she could just tell by the way I conduct myself, our conversation re: art --- she has Tina Chaden's artwork all over her salon and I mentioned that I had the same artwork in my studio. That was it, enough! Anyways, Rita is willing to allow me to put some of my finished class projects, scrapbook pages, cards, altered books, and bookarts in her store for a small weekly fee along with a description of my paperarts and bookarts classes in a brochure, a few handmade items up for sale, and my business cards!

I couldn't believe my luck!!! and in all honesty I am still shocked. So my plans for establishing the office space in my studio may get put on hold for a bit but who cares? I can get my items ready for the display, create some things for sale, price them and work on consignment. It seems she does this with her sister, who has collected jewelry and has 3 showcases within the salon, and although she footed the bill for the fixtures, she has a woman who does nails there much in the same fashion.

Also, she loved my "altered style" jeans with patches sewn on, embroidered, and appliqued sewn on items. The pair I wore in were purchased by she didn't seem to care. She asked me if I thought I could re-create them and I said a resounding, "Yes!" because not only can I do it, I can teach classes on how to do this!" I talked about my visit to European Papers House of Cards exhibition, what ATC's were, and about my shirt I made to wear. She'd like to display it within her store and a few other examples if I can get them whipped up soon. She said she has a lot of plus sized ladies who would love to have someone be able to make their own jeans like mine and if I'd be interested maybe she could assist me with some clients for doing some of that. I also mentioned the "Sally Jean style" charms that I create and she'd love to see them.

I told her that I'd like to whip up some additional samples and put some items together and I'll be back in touch with her within the next two weeks to discuss all of this further with her. She agreed!

Another bonus, is she owns the building. There is another side that she'd like to re-do, and has plan to put an apartment in the back of the building but will one day have a s[acel {she didn't indicate how much sq. footage} available for another retail space. She mentioned to me that if everything works out between us and if I am interested when it completed we could discuss the possibility of me renting that space.

Now, I've been around the block enough to know not to put all my eggs in one basket, but also know enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth so we'll see how this goes. For now, I am excited about the possibility of it all and plan to work to do this and see how it goes. After all, I am not out anything and I've done a bit of research on this to know to get whatever we decide upon between the two of us in writing first! So, here's to seeing what may yet to be!!!! Whooo-hooo!