23. Our year in a Nutshell at The Studio Upstairs…
Much like everyone in the Hair Industry, we have had a rollercoaster of a year at The Studio Upstairs… We would LOVE to take this opportunity to say the biggest THANK-YOU to our clients, our friends and families, our suppliers, and local businesses that we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with. This year wouldn’t have been the same without you.
2021 has been a barrel of laughs and it's only fair that we share a recap of our memorable moments with you starting with our Second Birthday… in January we celebrated turning 2 this year in style. Off we went to The Tropic in Burleigh to cheers with our nearest and dearest to a successful 2 years of The Studio Upstairs.
It was time to knuckle down and get back to business in February, Jess and Torie hosted the first Education Day of the year with the always talented Michael Kelly & In true studio style we planned two more Education Days (in fear that they may have to be cancelled or rescheduled). Planning and prepping commenced for the second and third Education Days for the year, The wonderful Sara Brisco form Roca Verde joined us June and In September Renee Saville from Frais completed our education days for the year. Its the curation of community over competition that drives us to continuously host Education Days, the best feeling is knowing that you’re not only furthering and perfecting your skill, but you’re meeting like minded creatives who become your support system. We are especially looking forward to Education Days in 2022! We would also love to mention our sponsors, without them the education days wouldn’t be as successful as they are. WE LOVE YOU! (You can find a full list of sponsors in our Education Day Blog)
Our queen of Blondes, master of effortless chic and all round legend Elly rejoined us February! After a wee time away, Elly returned to The Studio Upstairs and it was as though she’d never left… Welcome back Elly! The celebrations continued for a whole year of our Canadian Pocket Rocket Corey the month after, we are SO proud of Corey, she continues to create effortlessly and her clients love her as much as we do. Corey also became our Salon Manager this year, her attention to detail is second to none and The Studio feels like home when she’s there. Heres to many more March anniversaries at The Studio Upstairs, Corey!
June and July welcomed a time of monumental birthdays. Jess and Michael both turned Dirty Thirty and I know you’ve seen the pictures… Leaving the country wasn’t an option so Jess brought Burning Man to the valley, dancing the night away underneath the stars. Michael partied hard. A 70’s party that could rival any Old Hollywood Soirée… drinks were drunk, good times were had, and dance moves were pulled out that we didn’t know existed. Thirty, Flirty and THRIVING is an understatement for these two gems.
The most recent part of the year had us farewelling old faithfuls and welcoming new members of staff… Our lovely Caity (who had been with us forever) left to pursue her dream role, we miss seeing Caity in the office on the daily! We then in turn had Lacie join the team, you’ll usually see her about the studio with her camera in tow. Hair Cutting extraordinaire Danae joined us in October (you can read a whole blog about her a bit further down) and has been a perfect addition to The Studio Upstairs, her calm demeanour adds a sense of tranquil to the studio. We are constantly in awe of her talent, wondering on the daily how did we get so lucky to have her as part of our team?
We celebrated Christmas a little early, our party was a HOOT! A long lunch, a slip & slide, Glamping tents and a jumping castle at the Acute Abode was just what we needed for a weekend of R&R before silly season officially kicked off… laughing hard like the children we are, singing and dancing until our heart was content eating the most delicious food made by Jess (she’s quite the chef you know!)
All in all, although it may have been a year of uncertainty, it's really been a year of positivity, inclusiveness and community. These core values of The Studio Upstairs will carry on into 2022 & we hope that we can continue to be a support system to our clients, a good neighbour to our local businesses and sincere members of our lovely hair community. Heres to The Studio Upstairs always being a safe space for all walks of life, we’ve got you now & always (not just in 2022).
