Friday... Sparkly and Soothing!

...but not at the same time, haha!

Today began with the day long seminar on creative grooming. Angela and Lori touched on topics ranging from Blo-pens, dyes, glitter glue, and braids. It inspired me to pick up a tube of Davis Glitter Glue. Wait until I get back home and get Xavier on the table!

Our friend from the Internet Social, Sharon, joined me in exploring how much fun you can have with dog hair. We ate at Bear's Den for lunch and both spent some money at the trade show! At first, the floor sounded and felt very quiet; as the day went on, things started to get nutty. Gotta love that trade show excitement!

I stopped by the Wahl booth and talked with Lisa Leady for a bit. She says cat grooming is easy money, but you still can't pay me enough to do it. More power to the cat groomers, I say! Somehow we got on the topic of my dog being a couch potato. When I told her that we stay more fit in the winter from running through the snow, all she could say was "You really ARE backwards!" Yep, I revel in it, haha!


"Ooooooo!"

Getting back to the creative seminar, we got to watch as a Chinese Crested was decked out in glitter for the h
olidays, a Schnauzer got rhinestones and a ghost pattern put on her back. The main attraction, however, was the "Poodlington" - a gorgeous standard rocking the Bedlington style. Sophie was the model for a flower and fish on one side, and a pumpkin--with her tail as the stem--on the other.

Flower, fish, and pumpkin-butt!

Dyeing seems like a lot of work, but it's well worth it, especially if the color holds the way you want it to. Hair swatches for each client really is a great idea! The final product was amazing; each shape was carved and penned to real artistic beauty. They even put sparkles on the fish! Ahh, those final touches really make a dog stand out, no? As a treat, someone brought in a longhaired Shih Tzu. Braiding patterns is something I'd definitely like to try. Hopefully the clients will remember to remove them before they get tangled and matted!

After the seminar was over, they were announcing the results of the Poodle competition. After a brief "Hi!" to Judge Joey, I met up with Sunny, Terri, and Debra, who were rooting for Novi. His Poodle looked gorgeous: crisp, curvy... groomed to a T, really. When the judge announced, "I hope I'm not butchering this..." we knew that Novi won the Level 1 Poodle class. Congrats are in order Novi, truly a job well done!

Novi wins!

Before going to my next seminar, I decided to stop at the Cocoa Beanery and get a bagel; Bear's Den was packed. As I reached for it, I heard a familiar voice...
Lisa: That is NOT a good dinner!
Me: Well, hey... I've survived on worse, I went to college! I've survived on Doritos and pop, and look at me! I'm as skinny as stairway railing!
Lisa: Yeah, someone really ought to throw you a sandwich.
Me: Or two.
Lisa: Or three.
Me: Now THAT is crossing the line!
Sorry I almost made you spit your latte all over the place, Lisa :)

On my way back up to the room to drop off some purchases, I ran into Jay Scruggs in the elevator. He's very personable, as we began talking like we've known each other for a while. Sue Zecco is overseas, so sadly they have no booth this year. He was glad that I was enjoying the expo, and chuckled when I told him about the Davis Glitter Glue... somebody is going to get sparkly paw prints when I get home!

The canine massage class was very informative. Lead by former Groomer Has It contestant and fellow Ohioan Sherri Shinsky, we covered the basics of dog anatomy, the do's and don'ts of massage, and introductory touches. I might try these on Xavier before I cover him in bling.

The last class let out early, so I am writing this now; by the time I am done jumping around in costume at the Wild Wild West party, I won't want to write! Stay tuned tomorrow for more details...