Current mood:

happy

The Washington Update
I am now settled in Washington and getting back into the henna swing of things. For those who wish to read my more personal LJ, it's "katefruit" and if you have an LJ account, I'll add you (assuming I don't think you're a stalker). For those who don't mind the abbreviated version, I have a more public personal blog at blogspot. As it says in the title, it's set up specifically for keeping in touch with friends and family and I'm updating it more often now that there are more people to keep in touch with.

Yesterday, I applied for my WA driver's license and registered the vehicle. D made me keep "Aksham" as my license plate. :) Yesterday and today have been beautifully sunny and while Michigan was floundering in four feet of snow, the first crocuses of spring were blooming here. What a marvelous place. I feel more at peace already.

I registered Aksham Henna with Thurston county and placed an order with Henna Caravan for Jamila and with Essential7 for essential oils. I also ordered notecards, letterhead, return address stickers, business cards and postcards from Vista. As soon as I get my business license, I'll open a checking account at Key and I should be ready to go. I should also restock Yemeni, Indian and Moroccan henna. Who has the best wholesale prices stateside? Last time, I ordered from HennaBoy.

The plan is to send out postcards to salons and tattoo shops in the Olympia/Tumwater/Lacey area and hopefully generate some weekly business that way. As I learned in MI, I prefer to stick close to home and don't plan to venture far afield for festivals and whatnot. Hopefully, this way I can conserve my resources and avoid stepping on the toes of already established aritsts out here.

In honor of Aksham Henna's second birthday as a registered business, I planned to post my advertising banner on HP since they have that two year waiting period. And now, the price is $250 to advertise with them. Pardon my acronym, but wtf?! It was $25 a year ago, right? Or did I just misread something? I hope HT hasn't upped their prices, too. :/ This being a public/professional LJ, I'll keep most of my opinions to myself, but.. Grrr!

Anyway.. my little fridge lives out in the storage shed now and I sold my Caravan canopy before we moved. If I buy another tent, it'll just be a simple, cheap EZ-Up. Jess is touring with her theatre company and has been spreading henna goodness across the US. She secured a job in Whitefish for the summer and is hoping to round of some henna clientele there. I'm thrilled for her and excited that she's enjoying henna so much since she seemed skeptical at first. And now.. all our visits can be tax deductible. ;)

Unfortunately, I missed the PNW henna gathering in February and was a little too slow on the uptake to get into my SCA barony's 1001.5 Arabian Nights feast/event, but hopefully there will be more henna opportunities in the near future.