The girlie thing.
Aug. 5th, 2005 01:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
velvetpageI just had the best pedicure of my life.
My sister (the one who's getting married tomorrow) made an appointment at L.A. Nails, on Kenilworth, a block from Centre Mall. Now, this is not exactly prime real estate. Half the storefronts on Kenilworth are empty, and the other half contain convenience stores, foam supply, taverns - you get the idea. I figured that if she were paying $20 for acrylics, I would pay less than that for a full manicure, and I'd rather have someone do it than try to do it myself. So I made an appointment too, for a manicure.
I know, I know, pedicure. Be patient, I'm getting there.
Well, the place is very east-end. The patrons were wearing shorts and tank tops, one or two of them popped out for a smoke while they were waiting, the window coverings consisted of white slat blinds with forest-green toppers, and the walls were white with discoloured posters in cheap frames on them. The price lists were displayed prominently on one wall, and included lists for permanent make-up, piercings, every imaginable service for nails, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. The only thing they didn't offer in terms of spa treatments were facials and massages. But I suppose the piercings make up for those.
The price for a manicure was $12 - the best price I've ever seen. The price for a pedicure was $25 - ditto. The price for the two together was $35. Even in Hamilton, manicure/pedicures start at about $50 at a spa. So I figured I couldn't lose.
After having my hands prepared for polish quite professionally, and chatting with a very nice lady about the wedding and the joys of a two-year-old flower girl (that's the other thing that marked it as east-end - patrons talked to each other!) I went to the pedicure seat. She painted my fingernails while my feet were soaking, and then turned to the pedicure.
It was worth every last cent. I've been to a couple of very professional, higher-end spas for pedicures now, and this one was the best I'd had. The conversation was friendly, the products and services were excellent, and I can live with an east-end atmosphere - I'm an east-end girl at heart.
I told my sister that in the fall, when I have a bit of money again, I'll treat her to a pedicure there. At that price, I can afford it. Maybe I'll offer to treat Alanna and Heather both, as their birthday gifts from me. (Since we all have birthdays in the summer and none of us have money at the moment, we had planned on going shopping and each buying birthday gifts for the other two, one day in the fall. I think I like this idea better.)
Now I'm going to wait for Elizabeth to wake up, then go over to Grandma's to swim for part of the afternoon. The worst of the heat has broken - or at least, there's no humidity to make it feel ten degrees hotter than it is - so it's a lovely day for a walk, and a swim at the end of it.
My sister (the one who's getting married tomorrow) made an appointment at L.A. Nails, on Kenilworth, a block from Centre Mall. Now, this is not exactly prime real estate. Half the storefronts on Kenilworth are empty, and the other half contain convenience stores, foam supply, taverns - you get the idea. I figured that if she were paying $20 for acrylics, I would pay less than that for a full manicure, and I'd rather have someone do it than try to do it myself. So I made an appointment too, for a manicure.
I know, I know, pedicure. Be patient, I'm getting there.
Well, the place is very east-end. The patrons were wearing shorts and tank tops, one or two of them popped out for a smoke while they were waiting, the window coverings consisted of white slat blinds with forest-green toppers, and the walls were white with discoloured posters in cheap frames on them. The price lists were displayed prominently on one wall, and included lists for permanent make-up, piercings, every imaginable service for nails, manicures, pedicures, and waxing. The only thing they didn't offer in terms of spa treatments were facials and massages. But I suppose the piercings make up for those.
The price for a manicure was $12 - the best price I've ever seen. The price for a pedicure was $25 - ditto. The price for the two together was $35. Even in Hamilton, manicure/pedicures start at about $50 at a spa. So I figured I couldn't lose.
After having my hands prepared for polish quite professionally, and chatting with a very nice lady about the wedding and the joys of a two-year-old flower girl (that's the other thing that marked it as east-end - patrons talked to each other!) I went to the pedicure seat. She painted my fingernails while my feet were soaking, and then turned to the pedicure.
It was worth every last cent. I've been to a couple of very professional, higher-end spas for pedicures now, and this one was the best I'd had. The conversation was friendly, the products and services were excellent, and I can live with an east-end atmosphere - I'm an east-end girl at heart.
I told my sister that in the fall, when I have a bit of money again, I'll treat her to a pedicure there. At that price, I can afford it. Maybe I'll offer to treat Alanna and Heather both, as their birthday gifts from me. (Since we all have birthdays in the summer and none of us have money at the moment, we had planned on going shopping and each buying birthday gifts for the other two, one day in the fall. I think I like this idea better.)
Now I'm going to wait for Elizabeth to wake up, then go over to Grandma's to swim for part of the afternoon. The worst of the heat has broken - or at least, there's no humidity to make it feel ten degrees hotter than it is - so it's a lovely day for a walk, and a swim at the end of it.