Daily Archives: May 1, 2009

Kara’s Salon to open in former JC Stylists space

hair

Kara Shanks is taking the former JC Stylists space at 120 N. West St. for her new Kara’s Salon.

Shanks has been with Eric Fisher Salon for seven years.

She says she wants her own salon “just to make myself money . . . instead of making someone else money.”

Shanks, who opens her salon Monday, says she’ll offer affordable hair styling, face waxing and teeth whitening. She has seven chairs for other stylists, though she’s not hired all her employees yet.

Earlier this year, JC Stylists moved to the former De-Al Salon space on Tyler near 21st Street. And De-Al consolidated into one location at 2225 N. Woodlawn, where the salon has been for 15 years.

Nut-things strikes an all-around nutty deal

nuts

Sweet Nut-things, a gift shop that Angie Hall and Shelley Riggins opened in September at Siena Plaza at 37th and Rock, now has an arrangement with the Wichita Wingnuts to sell peanuts and other treats at their games.

“We are providing all their nuts,” Hall says. She and Riggins will also sell caramel popcorn and what Hall calls other “game friendly items.”

She says the deal came about because a Wingnuts employee who gets her hair cut at Sola Salon, which is also at Sienna, learned about Nut-things and suggested an arrangement.

Hall says being at the ballpark will be great advertising for the store, “especially hitting the west side and south side of Wichita.”

There’s an exhibition game Tuesday and Hall and Riggins have to stuff 700 bags of nuts to be ready.

“Yeah,” Hall says. “What are you doing this weekend?”

You don’t say

“The Kansas Wheat Institute? Whoa. You know the kind of power they wield.”

– “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno’s comment this week to a guest who is a finalist in the National Festival of Breads competition that will be held in Wichita June 15 to 17

Borders Books makes adjustments

borders

The two Borders Books and Music stores in Wichita have adjusted their hours and slashed prices on certain merchandise, but a company representative says, “That’s not an indication of anything.”

The struggling Ann Arbor, Mich.-based chain has stores at NewMarket Square and at 1715 N. Rock Road.

The stores have significantly reduced prices on CDs and DVDs. Borders spokeswoman Anne Roman says the chain is reducing the sale of multimedia products at a number of stores nationally.

Seventy stores will sell only 100 titles or fewer. Other stores will carry more but still have a reduced selection. And some stores will continue full multimedia sales. Roman won’t address Wichita’s stores specifically, but it looks like there will be some reduction here.

There’s a change in store hours nationally, too. Some hours are decreasing and others are increasing. In Wichita, the east-side store will be open noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays instead of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The west-side store’s hours aren’t changing.

“We have always adjusted store hours at various locations commensurate with store traffic,” Roman says.

Though Roman says the changes don’t indicate anything bigger, such as the stores are closing, Roman won’t say if the stores are at risk. She says whenever Borders closes stores, employees are always the first to know.

Greeting card company launches

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After 15 months of planning, Forget You Not Greetings is now ready for business.

Sue Ellen Trout, who was a freelance writer while also working in aviation for 24 years, started the greeting card business. The company has two specialty lines.

The Big House line is designed for people who have incarcerated family members.

“It’s aptly named and fondly described in recognition of an underserved population who are away from home,” Trout says. “Our message is that family love and core values does not stop when a loved one is incarcerated.”

Trout has two sons who are police officers in Missouri, and their work inspired her to start the line of cards.

The Adams Mill line is more general, such as holiday greetings, but it particularly focuses on cards for people in the military and people in business.

“We are committed to the importance of personal communications,” Trout says.

Three hundred cards are in the works, and 150 are ready to sell. Trout says her company can custom make cards for businesses, too.

Cards are $2.99 each, and delivery is free for 10 cards or more.

“Our cards are a little bit different from a lot of the ones you see,” Trout says. “They’re very positive.”