Summer in full swing

 It’s July...

The doors to The Union Knot are open and full of brides, as well as their families and friends. We couldn’t be happier. We love this! We love the space we have created, we love the energy, we love the people, we love the love. Weddings can be a nightmare to deal with, yes, but they can also be a magical time. It’s all about how you embrace that situation. We have met some really incredible people and have been allowed to share in what some would call the “best day” of their lives. That’s a pretty spectacular honor and we consider ourselves lucky.

In the midst of the hustle upstairs, the Cannon Beach Salon has been bustling downstairs. As owners of both The Union Knot and the Cannon Beach Salon, Brigitte and I have had our hands full. In the last month and a half we have opened our doors to The Union Knot where we hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony/open house, we have gone to Las Vegas for the International Hair and Beauty Show, we have gathered ourselves and our people and and showed our love for our town as we walked beside our hand decorated vehicle full of kids throwing candy in our small town parade, and we attended a cutting class in Portland where we received one on one time with an incredibly humble and talented educator in our field. I can’t speak for Brigitte, or even the rest of our crew, but I will say this on behalf of myself: I am tired. I am wore out. I am all sorts of scatterbrained. I am a little nervous and, if truth be told, a bit scared of the present. But I will say this as well: I feel fueled. I feel inspired. I have an amazing business partner and I trust 100% that she has my back. I am not alone. I may be nervous and I may be scared but I am also excited for what I already see on the horizon.

We have a summer full of weddings ahead of us, as well as our everyday cut/color/waxing/lash clients of downstairs and we couldn’t be happier about that. Our calendar keeps expanding as we receive phone calls and emails of events for next year and that makes us excited. We may be tired but we live for this! So...when conducting your search, whether that be for your upcoming event such as a wedding or family reunion, or simply finding the right stylist for your cut and color, remember these things:

Be patient with us, we are doing the very best that we can. And also: we really do love what we do.

The 

Union Knot

Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting 

Vegas 2018

International Hair and Beauty Show 

We open the doors tomorrow!!

Here we are.

The doors open tomorrow.

Last night we put art on the wall, stocked the fridge and checked the temperature, filled our cabinets, arranged furniture, cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more. We ate, we drank, we toasted to our progress and to our vision. We reflected on how far we have come in such a short time and we choked down that lump in our throat to shed a tear.

I recently attended a workshop in which we were supposed to sum up our business as if it were a “Twitter” headline. Meaning, if you were to have a split second to shake someone’s hand and introduce your business, what would you say in only one breath? Basically a one liner; the opening act to an elevator pitch. You know...if you were stuck in an elevator with someone for a short ride up a few floors, what would you say to make them remember you even after they stepped out and you stayed in? I didn’t like this exercise. It made me uncomfortable. Not really uncomfortable I guess…that may be the wrong word. Unsettled? Some sort of disarray? Realistically it’s probably more like a vexation. For some reason, it irritated me.

It’s like being asked to sum up your child in a sentence. There’s just no way.

As my mind filled with words I wanted to pour onto the page like and overflowing cup of coffee, under the title “THE UNION KNOT” I somehow found my pencil writing the words “bringing out the special moments in life”. I thought it summed up what we do perfectly. It seemed to bring down and anchor all the words in my head about being in the very heart of one of the most precious, unforgettable moments of a complete strangers life. If this was school and I was being graded, I probably would have got a “D” because, even though I showed up and was participating, I somehow missed the mark according to my teacher (uhhhh, I mean the presenter). The room was left confused and still wondering what is is that we do. It wasn’t descriptive enough I guess. But you know what? Here’s a little tid bit about me: That IS me!! I am that girl who, while in the elevator, I actually say that “one liner” that’s a little blurry. The one that has you confused. And while I’m shaking your hand and looking you straight in the eyes, I flash that smirky little smile that makes you remember me. Even if you can’t remember what is is that I said I do, you remember ME. Guaranteed that when someone starts talking about getting married or about finding a salon to host a class, your subconscious will remember that girl in the elevator and say “you know...I think I may know someone…” Now, don’t get me wrong here; I’m not sitting on my high horse saying that I’m an amazingly unforgettable rock star and I’m the best in all the land. No. Not by a long shot. What I AM saying is simply this: there are some things in life that you will come across that are more than what meets the eye. The socks with a mission, the shoes with purpose, the toothbrush with an objective, the jewelry with a passion. The socks may be just ok but you buy them to help the homeless and the people who are pounding the street to make a difference. The jewelry may not be super fancy or your typical style but you buy it supporting the lady who walks the sideline of the ocean every single day,  picking up trash by the truck full and turning it into something beautiful. Ask those people for a “Twitter line”.

As we open the doors, remember these things:

We are the people behind the name.

The ones who are behind the awkward,  questionable one liner.

We are the people who are “bringing out the special moments in life”.

We are The Union Knot.

Summer is coming...

Summer comes to us late, here on the coast. We are still in full swing of “spring” but summer is definitely on the horizon.  All the flowers are starting to bloom, the sun is (kinda) making its appearance and soon the smells of cold damp mist of the sea will change to fresh cut grass and sunscreen. I love this time of year! People become happy and blissful.

We have a tendency, here on the coast of the great Pacific Northwest, to become crazy raving lunatics in the winter. Maybe it’s the lack of vitamin D, maybe it’s the endorphins and the nestalgia of all the summer smells have disappeared, maybe it’s because we can’t go outside without becoming soaking wet from head to toe. Regardless...we get kinda excited for summer. At least I do. It might have to do with the warmth (I’m ALWAYS cold!!). Or maybe it’s the smells: even though I was anointed with the lovely gift of seasonal allergies at birth,I absolutely bask in the smells of summer. My love for summer here on the coast could also be due to the fact that my hair will stay (somewhat) put and that good ol’ mother nature doesn’t feel the need to wash the makeup right off my face OR it could just be the simple fact that we start to see people. Real life people. Now, yes, these are the same “real life” people who make us roll our eyes and sigh. The same “real life people” that fill our lives with very fun stories to be remembered till the end of time. They are the same “real life people” that we see every June, July, August and September. But you know what? As much as we may grumble about “tourists” it’s my belief that we secretly love them. Do we get annoyed hearing, multiple times a day, such things as: “Where’s the beach?” and “Why can’t I get any cell service here!!”  “Where’s the gas station?” “Do you have a bathroom I could use?” “Where’s Haystack Rock?” Sure, we get tired of hearing that...absolutely! But we also appreciate hearing the little things such as “Your town is just so cute!” “Omg, you guys have the BEST beach!” “You’re so lucky you get to live here. I wish I could stay here forever.” “Thank you so much!” By the end of summer we are happy the tourist’s have gone home but it’s a double edge sword: yes, summer ending allows us to sit down for more than just a hot second and actually take a breathe, but it also means that for the next six months (give or take) we are all stuck with nothing but each other. Let me tell ya...there’s not that many of us here. (((insert eye roll followed by sideways cheeky grin)))

So....as those flowers are adding color all around town, the birds are chirping like crazy, the air is buzzing with leaf blowers and lawn mowers, windows are open and people are sitting outside on the deck of the restaurants...we, here on the coast, are putting on our big girl/boy pants. Spring break is officially over and Memorial weekend is just around the corner which means one thing: tourist season is upon us.

Bring it! We’re ready.

Summer here we come...