Today marks a dream come true for Lindsey Reeves, owner of Utopia Salon and Spa, formerly Salon Utopia, as the new store opens for business.
Reeves said the project to open the new store has been in the works for nearly a year. It is located on S. Three Notch Street between Dr. Robert Bowen’s Office and Touch of Country.
“Our old location had about 1,200 square foot,” she said. “But our new location has 2,400 square feet. I was also renting the other location and this one I own.”
“We’ve added an esthetician and a tanning bed,” Reeves said. “Before we only had hair and nails.”
Additionally, Reeves said there will be room for a permanent makeup artist who comes every few months.
The new location features four hairdressers, who each have their own room, a shampoo and drier room, tanning bed, two nail technicians, a spa waiting room, massage room and a esthetician.”
Joining Reeves will be cosmetologists Tara Dreading Bulger, Julie Geohagan and Vicki Thornton; nail techs Melanie Dreading and Danah Spicer; massage tech Angie Scott; esthetician Lynsey DuBose and manager Suzanne Lunsford.
“I’m very excited,” Reeves said. “My husband and I did a lot of the work. I’m only 28, but this has always been a dream of mine.”
Reeves said she changed the name because they now have a entire hall of spa services.
“It’s more inviting and more of a spa atmosphere,” she said. “One of my clients came in the other day and told me it looked like something you would see in Birmingham and not Andalusia, which was really a compliment to me.
“We really tried to think outside the box,” she said. “Blake Barton has been our designer, and he’s done an excellent job. I’d also like to give a special thanks to my friends and family for their support.”
Hours of operation will be Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and Monday and Saturday by appointment only.
For more information, call 222-8774.
Booming gas sales and the need for expansion mean Covington County will soon have a new Gitty-Up-Go, owner Chris Mohon said Monday.
The store, which will mark the company’s 10th location in the county, will be located on U.S. Hwy. 29 South at the old Mike Flackler Exxon site, and its construction is expected to generate three new jobs, Mohon said.
“We’re trying to get a little pressure off the location across from Tractor Supply,” he said. “It’s too busy there, and the cost was too much to put in new (gas) equipment. We thought this new location would be a perfect fit for our need and to help the neighborhood out over there.”
Mohon said site prep is under way, and he hopes the store will be ready to open in September or October. He said the overall look of the store will be similar to the other locations, but that won’t be the case inside.
“Actually, we’re trying to make this a green location,” he said. “We’re going with geothermal air conditioners, foam insulation in the whole building, LED lights and reduced water usage as far as toilets and sinks go,” he said. “It’s an experiment, too. If it works, we’ll modify our other locations.”
Mohon said the site will feature four gas pumps with a satellite diesel pump, which will allow drivers to fill both tanks on an 18-wheeler.
He said his company has been lucky during these economic times.
“People need gas, there’s no denying that,” he said. “When you add the convenience of shopping and being able to get what you need and get out, you can tell that our customers really appreciate it. It helps us keep our prices low, and it helps us to take care of our customers.
“More than anything, we’re very excited the community has give us the opportunity to grow since 1994,” he said.
N early 20 vendors attended the Tuesday growers meeting at the Andalusia PowerPlant Marketplace. On Wednesday, the area officially opened for the 2012 season. Neal Dansby, manager, said there will be a host of summer vegetables, including peas, available on Saturday. Hours of operation are from 7 a.m. until noon Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Top: Mavene Nichols buys peaches from Ron Brooks.
There’s nothing like a pretty container garden to set off a certain spot on the front porch, or to give an element of design for any area of one’s yard.
Anyone can make a great container garden. From simple to elaborate, the possibilities are limitless. Most gardeners recommend looking at pictures or even the pots around the Court Square to get ideas for plant combinations, color schemes and interesting containers.
For starters:
Pick a container: Almost any vessel can be used as a planter, as long as it has holes for drainage and will last one growing season, but take time to decide what type would best suit your design — and your plants.
When choosing a pot, remember that large containers hold more soil and water, and therefore dry out more slowly than small planters. So, if you can tend to your pots only a couple of times a week, avoid small terra-cotta pots will need watering up to twice a day in summer. Also think about the shape of the pot. If you plant a shrub in an urn-like container with a slim neck, as the roots spread within the pot, the plant effectively becomes locked in. When the shrub needs repotting, you will almost certainly have to break the pot.
Pick a spot: The location of your container garden will dictate what kind of plants need. Areas in the full sun require plants that won’t wilt and die during the summer blaze. The same can be said for those that need shade. Of course, don’t forget those areas that get both sun and shade – there’s a plant for that, too.
Plant a pretty: A nice mix of annuals and perennials is a good place to start. Examples include lavender, petunias (which come is a host of colors), salvia and geraniums. Pick flowering plants to give the pot a wide color scheme. Also remember to add plants with a variety of heights to give your container garden depth. Examples include ornamental millet, wind dancer grass and even “elephant ears,” or colocasia. Helichrysum and dichondra make a nice cascade. Coleuses, with their variegated leaves, give both depth and color to any container.
Andalusia Star News
Want to make a “scene” at a local business?
The Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce is asking locals to do just that Thursday night.
The first ever “Cash Mob” will be held Thurs., May 31, at Hilltop Meat Co., from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.
“A cash mob is like a flash mob,” said Chamber executive vice president Ashley Eiland. “It’s just the economic or chamber of commerce version of it.
“It’s to spur the local economy by inundating one local business at a time,” she said. “We’re asking that everyone spend $20. They’ll be a part of history, as it’s the first one we’ve done.”
Cash mobs are “in fashion” throughout the country, and serve as the people’s stimulus package to help small businesses.
“The mayor started seeing it on the Internet, and he wanted the chamber to try it,” Eiland said.
“We need to focus on our small businesses,” Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said. “And this will shine a spotlight on buying local. Every little bit helps, and it’s a way to draw attention to the local economy in a fun way.”
“It’s a great thing to do in a group aspect and make it a party atmosphere,” Eiland said. “We’re going to do this once a month. We have enough businesses signed up that we think we can do it throughout the year. It’s for chamber members only. We’re also hoping it will grow the chamber.”
Cash mobs throughout the country have reported anything from doubling Saturday afternoon sales to seeing 600 percent increases over the previous weekend.
Dinner and drink will follow at Hilltop Seafood and Restaurant, but it’s Dutch treat, Eiland said.