Poodles and Pompadours go to Groom Pro Expo 2015

This weekend I travelled up to Knutsford in Cheshire to attend Groom Pro Expo with my 2 dog grooming buddies, Katie and Kris. Groom Pro Expo (GPE) is a two day industry event for dog groomers. I attended seminars spread out over the two days and got to hear some of the most amazing, world renowned groomers share their knowledge and expertise. Some had even travelled all the way from the USA!

On the Saturday I spent the day listening to seminars on Poodle Grooming, natural grooming products, scissor techniques, Asian fusion grooming and many more. On Saturday night we attended a beautiful gala dinner which was lovely, although I did leave before the end as I was just too tired. My brain was frazzled from all the learning!

On the Sunday I did more seminars on new products and different bits of equipment to help make your grooming better, creative grooming and how to best groom curly coated breeds. I also got to watch a schnauzer grooming seminar by the amazing Colin Taylor.

I learnt so much this weekend and can't wait to put some of my new knowledge into practise.

Scissor expert Jonathon David from the USA giving a seminar on Asian Fusian grooming. Jonathon is a huge TV star and has a celebrity client list that includes Mariah Carey.

Jay Scruggs and Sue Zecco holding a seminar on a poodle trim. I was very excited to see them as I had watched snippets from their well known Super Styling Sessions on YouTube.

I was also super super excited to see Lori Craig do some creative grooming demonstrations. There was also the added bonus as her friend Su Eld-Weaver was there to support her. These two are my creative grooming heroes and it was a pleasure to see them both. I was too nervous and shy to speak to them but hopefully it won't be th last time we meet.

I also watched seminars by the amazing Colin Taylor, Julie Harris and Judy Hudson but didn't get any pictures of these as my phone ran out of battery. The line up was absolutely amazing and the awards that all of these groomers have won would fill a room. Their talent is outstanding and I hope one day to be half as good as they are. That's why I keep going to these events to further my education and improve my grooming.

I had a really fantastic weekend and spent far too much money! I can't wait to try out all of my new products and techniques. I will also be adding to the range creative grooming services that I already offer in the parlour so if you would like to try anything please let me know. The are all temporary treatmets that are completely pet safe and cruelty free so no need to worry about it harming your dog and they will absolutely LOVE the attention.

Hayley. X

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Stall Holders Wanted for Berkshire Pet Event

Stall Holders wanted to exhibit at Berkshire Pet Event.

We are looking for local businesses and animal charities to take part in a new and very exciting event in early 2015.

For more information please email Hayley at woof@poodlesandpompadours.com

Littlewick Show 2014

Yesterday was August Bank Holiday Monday in the UK which means that everyone gets an extra day off work. Yay!

We decided to go to Littlewick Show as despite it being on every year for as long as I can remember, I've never been before.

The weather was absolutely disgusting so it was a real shame as usually it's really warm and sunny but it was just tipping it down with rain all day.

We missed the vintage car show which I was really annoyed about and thought we had missed the dog show but luckily we were just in time to enter.

Despite the weather we weren't the only crazy people there to compete.

We entered Bear into 3 classes. 

- Pedigree Non Sporting Breed

- Pedigree Open and

- Judges Choice (a novelty class)

He came first in his first two classes and 2nd in Judges Choice. He was selected by the Pedigree Judge to enter Pedigree Best in Show which he won reserve (2nd place) for!

Bambi was also entered into 3 classes.

- Pedigree Non Sporting

- Pedigree Open

- Prettiest Bitch (a novelty class)

She placed 3rd in Pedigree Non Sporting and 2nd in Pedigree Open. We missed Prettiest Bitch as it was on at the same time that we were competing in the other ring. 

I'm really proud of both of them. Bambi was a bit naughty as the judging was based on Kennel Club rules which meant that they had to be looked over on a judging table (like you see on TV at Crufts) - she had to have her teen checked which she really hates as she has some dental issues which can make her mouth a bit sore at times, so she wasn't very friendly to the judge and wouldn't show her teeth, other than by growling at her and trying to bite her.

Very embarassing! Haha!

Here we are before we both got absolutely drenched in the competition ring (which was outside in torrential rain!)

I had a great time despite the weather and even picked up a really cute and kitsch little ornament from one of the stalls that was there raising money for a local animal shelter.

Sorry for the lack of pictures in this post. It was grey, wet and disgusting so not really great picture weather.

Until next time,

Hayley 

  

Our Weekend at Maidenhead Festival

We had such a lovely weekend at Maidenhead Festival this year. The weather was absolutely boiling hot so we were having to drink buckets of water to stay hydrated and out doggie icecreams went down a treat with the local fluffy guests.

There was loads of great food stalls, a beach, fairground rides, live music and great activities all day for all the family to enjoy.

We were giving our free doggie biscuits to all the dogs and even had a cool bowl of ice water for them to drink after their walk around the park.

We were selling some of out handmade products and even had a free grooming advice drop in clinic where you could ask us any questions. We had free information sheets to give out about coat care and how to stay flee and tick free this summer and had our magic tools for a brushing demonstration. 

Bear was there to meet his adoring fans dressed as a pirate. He loved all the fuss that was made of him but spent the majority of the day asleep in his shady spot.

He even enjoyed a doggie icecream and a few ice cubes to cool himself down.

Once again we'd like to thank the organisers of the event for including us for a second year running, and also say thank you to all of our supporters who came down to see us during the weekend. It was lovely to see friends, family and customers enjoying themselves at yet another fantastic festival.

See you there next year!

Hayley x

My first time at Crufts!

On Thursday I went with the girls from work to Crufts at Birmingham NEC. I've never been before and was really excited to see what it would be like and see lots of cute doggies. I had a really nice time and there was SO much to see. I could have spent a whole week there looking at all the stalls.

I had registered with the Kennel Club career zone so I got a special badge and was supposed to attend a seminar at 4pm but unfortunately we had to leave early so I couldn't go. Hopefully I can go to one next year though :)

This little 9 month old Chihuahua was at the Discover Dogs stand. The Discover dogs area have stands for all the breeds of dogs you could imagine, with dogs for you to meet who are a great representation for the breed, owners to talk to and loads of information to learn about all the different breeds.

Here's a little fox terrier at the Discover Dogs stand wearing a clown outfit...

It's not all small doggies at Crufts you know. These gorgeous beasts were absolutely huge!

I really enjoyed catching up with the guys from Precious Pets. It's always a pleasure to see them and check out their new products. I can't wait for their new perfumes to come out!

Victoria Stillwell was also there signing copies of her new book.

 

Overall I gad a great day and can't wait to go back again.

X

 

Burlesque at Norden Farm

Ok so this is something I a, really looking forward to. On September 14th, on my 25th birthday, I'll be heading down to Norden Farm with my glad rags on to watch a burlesque show. Yes, you heard me correctly. Burlesque in Maidenhead! I never thought I would see the day!

We used to go when I lived in London, but not very often. In fact I think the last burlesque show I went to was at Bethnal Green's Working Men's Club about 2/3 years ago. I'm in need of a burlesque fix and luckily for me, that's exactly what I'm going to get.

The show is on Saturday 14 September 2013- 20:00 - Courtyard Theatre, Norden Farm. Tickets are £16.00 each an can be purchased here.

If you do decide to come, and i highly recommend that you do, then join me at the bar afterwards for some birthday drinkies!

Hayley xo

"Critically acclaimed burlesque chanteuse, songstress and seasoned compère Lady Beau Peep brings you an unpredictable and fun packed show.

The variety show includes circus, comedy, burlesque and speciality acts. Accompanied by bluesy grooves from Pete Saunders (piano).

Suitable for ages 18+ years."

www.twitter.com/LadyBeauPeep

www.twitter.com/nordenfarm

 

 

Time for Tea: Scones & BFFS

A few days before Lucy went to Australia we had some BFF time and went to check out this really cute little tea room in Cookham.

The shop is new and has a quaint, country vintage feel to it. The owners there were absolutely lovely and I would go back just to talk to them!

The reason that we went there in the first place is because they offer a nice selection of gluten free cakes and both myself and Lucy are gluten intollerant. Actually - most of my friends are which is quite funny. I'll blog more about my new discovery of being gluten intollerant in a different post, as a gluten free diet seems to be quite popular these days (thankfully for me as it means I can get gluten free food more easily!)

Having said that, however, they had run out of gluten free stuff so Lucy and I both decided to risk it and suffer with poorly bellies for the sake of eating a delicious scone. It was so yummy!

The gluten and wheat free cakes are made by baker, Janet Reeve of The Cake Tin in Bourne End. Hopefully they have some left next time we go as I'd really like to try some.

I would really recommend this place. It's a great spot for a catch up with a friend or even for going to lunch with your Mum and it makes a nice change than going to a cage or coffee shop. If the weather's nice you can even sit in their cute little garden area outside.

As we said goodbye to the ladies and left to go back to the car, we spotted another amazing shop across the road and we mesmerised by the chairs that they had on display outside. We had to go in!

Trade Interiors on Cookham Highstreet is my new favourite shop in the whole world, and if I didn't have my heart set on creating my own pet boutique and grooming parlour, I would want to own a shop like this.

It is a treasure trove of goodies. Imagine if Ariel from The Little Mermiad set up shop with all of the amazing oddities that she had collected and this is what you would get. I absolutely love this shop and everywhere I looked I would let out another squeal of excitement.

I have a few pieces that I have put on my wish list for my birthday, and there is a giant pair of scissors which I would LOVE for when I eventually get my own little grooming room.

Look at this little guy! Isn't he cute?

Tony has a really good eye for this kind of stuff and I'm sure it won't take long for the shop to completely sell out - I just hope it isn't before I get the pieces I want!

Trade Interiors - Something for everyone, even Dave.

www.tradeinteriorsshop.co.uk

Thanks Lucy for a great day out!

Hayley x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poodles and Pompadours Days Out: Maidenhead Festival

This Friday and Saturday we were lucky enough to attend Maidenhead Festival and have a stall there selling our wares. It was a really great weekend and I had so much fun.

There was lots of stalls celebrating local businesses and charities, a popup beach, fairground rides, live music, great food from local people and fireworks.

I had a great time and met some really lovely people. Thank you to everyone who came to our stall to have a chat or to purchase something, and a big thanks to the other stall holders and organisers for making us feel so welcome. It was also lovely to see that some of my friends and family came down to pay me a visit and be supportive.

I am really quite proud of myself for how the weekend went. As you may know, I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder, and generally find it very difficult dealing with strangers and being in unfamiliar surroundings and situations, but when I'm doing this job, I feel like it's just what I'm meant to be doing, even if I did have to get up before 6am on a weekend!

I feel like I actually know what I'm doing and what I'm talking about, and my anxiety levels are lower than usual, probably because I'm doing something that I love, and getting face to face, positive feedback about it.

I managed the whole 48 hours without any problems and I'm really happy with the progress I've made and how far I've come on my road to recovery in the last 6 months.

I got lots of lovey compliments about how pretty our stall was, and also on my dress which is a brand new Hell Bunny one from Sirens and Starlets. I was going to return it when it arrived as I didn't think I could pull it off as it has really thin straps, but when I tried it on with a cardigan I fell in love with it so I decided to keep it. It's a little on the small side, but as I'm losing weight it should be a perfect fit, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Big THANK YOU to Kym and Bear for helping me this weekend. I owe you slushies and dog treats.

Did anyone else go to Maidenhead Festival or do you hav any local events like this where you live? What did you think of it?

Let me know in the comments below.

Hayley xo

Poodles and Pompadours Days Out: Windsor Dog Show

On Friday 28th June, I whacked on some read lippy and popped down the road to Windsor for the Hounds and Toys day at Windsor Championship Dog Show.

I'd actually never been to a dog show before and I was so excited to go.

I had a really nice day. There was loads of different stalls there selling everything from dog food, beds, toys, grooming supplies and pup cakes and I got to meet the lovely Charlotte and Gregory of Precious Pets Ltd who I have blogged about before, and her absolutely gorgeous Bichon, Precious.

Precious really is he best testimonial for the business that they could possibly have. Stroking her was like touching a little fluffy cloud. So soft!

My first stop of the day, however, was fairly obvious to most people who know me. It was the Long Coat Chihuahua judging ring!

There were some absolutely beautiful dogs being shown and I know Bambi and Bear would have loved to have come along and made friends with them all, but unfortunately only show dogs were allowed in the event.

The Kennel Club had a little room at the show too, and you could pop in and ask any questions that you might have and also see if your dog would pass the Good CitizenTest. I don't think Bambi or Bear would pass this to be honest as they aren't very obidient but is certainly something that I would love to do with them. Great for obedience training, stimulation and generally just bonding and spending more quality time with your dog.

There were literally hundreds of different dog breeds to look at and admire and I loved looking at the differences between them all. Seeing a chihuahua standing next to and wolf hound was really quite amusing.

I also fell in love with the Italina Greyhounds. They are absolutely adorable and I really want one!

I can't wait to go again next year!

Hopefully I might even have a stall :)

Hayley x

 

Alpacas, and Donkeys and Sheep! Oh My! BCA (Berkshire College of Agriculture) Lambing Weekend and Open Day 2013

I've been meaning to blog about this for absolutely ages, but somehow this just got forgotten about.

On Sunday 28th April we went along to the BCA Lambing Weekend which is held every year at the Berkshire College of Agriculture. They have a college open day for prospective new students but also a full weekend full of different events such a dog shows, horse shows, feeding the lambs, sheep racing, a food market and lots more.

It's the first time I've been since I was a small chld but I'd definitely go again. I had a great time and met some really love people.

They had a food market and craft market with lots and lots of lovely looking and scummy things. They also had a Dog Show which Bambi & Bear entered.

You could go and stroke and feed the Alpacas, and there was even a stall there selling items knitted and crouched from Alpaca wool. It's so soft!

There was so many things to do with the dogs there. They had the Siberiam Husky Association, Fly Ball, Sheep Dog Training, Agility and of course the dog show which was judged by the students. The fly ball was so amazing. For £1 you could have a go with your dog, but I was a bit too nervous to try. It's definitely made me want to do more of that sort of training with Bear and Bambi though.

They even had little ducks and chickens for sale. How cute! I really wanted to buy them but I wasn't allowed :( When I have my own house I can't wait to have all the animals I can possibly cram in. There'll be ducks and chickens and pigs and god knows what else.

The sign from one of the food stalls really made me laugh. Everyone was stopping to take pictures of it and laughing. Great but of business marketing too ;)

I had a really great time and I think they have another event on during the summer holidays so if you have a chance to attend you should.

For more information about the college and what they do there you can visit their website at http://www.bca.ac.uk/

 

Lovely Weather for Ducks! Maidenhead Duck Derby 2013

So the weather held off last weekend and we headed off to the annual Maidenhead Duck Derby for some family fun.

It was a lovely day with the dogs. There was lots of stalls, entertainment and activities and the day ended with a duck race of over 3000 yellow plastic ducks down the River Thames.

The Duck Derby is held every year at Ray Mill Island, Boulters Lock in Maidenhead. It's a family fun day held to raise money for lots of different local charities.

You buy a ticket that corresponds with a number on a yellow duck. At the end of the day they set all of the ducks off down the river Thames and the first ones to cross the finish line win prizes.

It's great fun!

My favourite stall of the day was Buttontastic! I have actually met the owners before at the BCA Lambing Weekend and got myself a really cute pair of mint green button earrings so I was happy to see them again.

Buttontastic is run by Conor Musson and his Mum (who is very lovely!). Conor hand-makes all of the jewellery out of vintage or reclaimed buttons and is selling them to raise funds for his trip to Kenya next year to do volunteer work. Good luck, Conor!

Ray Mill Island or Monkey Island as it's sometimes referred to by locals (no idea why!) is a really lovely place and I've been coming here since I was a kid. There is a weir and a little animal section where you can see rabbits and Guinea pigs and lots and lots of cute little birds. Be careful not to get attack by the squirrels though! One peed on me once but that's another story...

I had a lovely time and really enjoyed the walk along the river home, even though my duck didn't win.

Have you ever been to a duck derby? Better yet, have you ever won one!?

Until next time,

Hayley xo

 

Dog Sitting Adventures

So for the past 10 days I've been dog sitting for one of my regular clients, Bam Bam (a Chihuahua mix) & Pebbles (a long hair chihuahua), but this time was a little bit different as they came with their new little brother, Hamilton.

They were a joy to have, and are always a pleasure to look after, but as you can imagine having 5 dogs in the house was a bit of a handful at times!Hamilton is a 5 month old Airedale Terrier and is literally so cute.

Here they are doing a wonderful job at modelling some Poodles and Pompadours handmade bandanas. Don't they look cute?

We went on lots of walks and even took them to Dorney to walk around the Olympic lake which they really enjoyed. Thank goodness for the lovely weather we've been having!

I got out the paddling pool for them to have a splash around in and cool down at the weekend, although they weren't that interested in it, and just used it as an oversized drinking bowl.

I've sent them back to Mummy and Daddy with a CD full of images so that they can see how they got on, on their holiday. Only the best for our clients!

Now I've got to de-fluff my house and do a day of housework, as you can imagine, 5 dogs can get rather messy, but it's all worth it in the end.

Hope you've all been enjoying the sunshine!

Hayley xo

If you would like to enquire about or dog sitting services in the Maidenhead and Cookham area of Berkshire, please contact us using the relevant form on our website.

www.poodlesandpompadours.com

 

Do you believe in Magic? My Disneyland Paris Trip

Hello everyone!

Last time we spoke I was telling you all how excited I was to go to Disneyland Paris to celebrate my 5 year anniversary with my partner. I'm back now and have been meaning to blog about it for ages but I came straight back to a dog sitting job and I haven't really had time to sit still for long enough to write this, what with 5 dogs running around like crazy, and having to make new products to upload to the shop.

The dogs have all settled in now though so I can take my eyes off them for 5 minutes to sit down and write this.

We went to Disneyland for 5 days from 6 - 10 April and were lucky enough to coincidentally book in correlation with the first week of their extended 20th anniversary celebrations. 2 anniversaries in one holiday!

We spent the first day in Walt Disney Studios which has all the scary rides like Rockin' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. I skipped out on Tower of Terror as I was too chicken, and my anxiety did not thank me one little bit for going on Rockin' Rollercoaster. I was so horrible! We spent the rest of our first day here looking around (we got there at 3pm so only had a half day really) but as this is the small of the two parks we got everything done that we wanted to do that day and headed off to dinner at The Rainforest Cafe, after looking around the Toy Story bit and posing with Buzz of course!

The next 3 days were spent in Disneyland Park, although we did go back to Walt Disney Studios on the last day to catch the Stars and Cars parade that we missed on the first day. Thanks to my control freak nature, I had planned our whole route around the park, along with times for each day, which meant that we were super prepared and got front row seats for everything. It also meant that we planned to go on the busiest rides whilst everyone else was eating lunch or dinner, and I think the longest wait time we had for any ride was 45 minutes on BIg Thunder Mountain, and that wasn't bad at all. There was so much to do and see (and so much to buy!)

We were front row for the Disney Dreams light show which is a light show and fireworks that is projected onto Sleeping Beauty's Castle as well as big water fountains at the front. I can honestly say that it's the most magical thing I have ever seen - and there were a lot of watery eyes in the crowd that night!

We also got front row seats for all the parades, including the Celebration Train which goes down Main Street during the day, and the big Disney Magic parade that takes place at 5pm.

It meant we got some amazing videos and pictures. My partner and I joked that I was like a Boy Scout for the whole holiday as I was prepared for anything!

It's true what they say, Disneyland really is the most magical place on earth! My cheeks hurt at night from walking around all day with a stupid grin on my face.

And let's not mention my feet - bloody hell were they sore! If we were to go again I would definitely go for longer and plan it so that you have one day in the park and another day just chilling out, purely so that our feet can recover from all the walking. I couldn't walk for more Han 10 minutes without stopping by the end, and my feet were so swollen.

I was so amazed at the weather we had. One of he days was like a summer day, and it only rained once for about 5 minutes. We were so lucky!

I tried to meet as many characters as possible. I gave up on the Disney Princesses as the queue was about 5 hours long and you didn't know which Princess you would get when you got to the front as they change every 20 minutes or so, and I was only interested in Snow White anyway. I think you all know about my obsession with her by now!

I met Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck (but didn't get a picture) and Duffy the Bear who is a new character. They have introduced him as Mickey's toy teddy bear. Minnie gives it to him before he goes off on a sailing trip and he comes to life. How cute!

I also found my twin in the Disney Studios park! Haha! I love Monsters Inc!

It was honestly the best holiday I've had as an adult, and I can't wait to go back again. Hopefully sometime soon!

Have any of you ever been? I really want to go back to Disney World in Florida next time. Never say never!

Or as Disney would say...

"When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true."

Hayley xxx

 

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