Kate "frogress" M.'s Profile

This place is cheap for a reason.  I brought my winter coat (wool peacoat-style, not a down jacket) here because after being stored all summer it had some creases in it that I couldn't get out with an iron.  Well, I got my coat back and it not only still had wrinkles but wasn't even all that clean.  Really the only way I could tell it had been dry cleaned was that it smelled like a dry cleaner's.  I got a dress cleaned at the same time and it, too, had wrinkles when I got it back.  Glad I only paid $10 for the coat and $8 for the dress, and I won't be back.

Is it bad form to go to a stylist for the first time and ask for a trim?  To say you're happy with your cut, you just moved a couple hundred miles away from your old stylist, it's been 8 weeks, just trim it?  I have to wonder, because I asked for a trim and ended up with a completely new (and not improved) haircut.

My stylist was fun to talk to, interesting guy, and a Yelper to boot.  And I have to say I liked my cut when I was sitting in the salon.  I actually said to him, "it's not what I wanted, but I like it, it's cute."

It wasn't until I got home that I realized what a weird cut I'd gotten.  Some background: I had short hair with bangs.  I now have very short hair (not quite a pixie cut) with bangs.  Anyway.  The first thing I noticed was that the pieces of hair that came down right in front of my ears were really uneven.  Like, one side was about a half inch longer than the other.  Ok, fine, I can snip that off myself.  Then I noticed another random long piece in the back on one side.  Ok, snip snip, it's fine.

I'm going to devote a whole 'nother paragraph to my bangs.  Oh boy, these bangs.  I don't know what he did.  There are, like, 3 different lengths of hair in here.  There's a piece near my hairline that is about 3/4-inch long.  Just the one piece.  Then, depending on how far back from my hairline you comb from, I either have eyebrow-length bangs or half-eyebrow-half-eye-length bangs.  Kind of like reverse layers?  I'm not describing it well, I know, but that's because there's really no right way to describe it.  The bangs are meant to be combed to the side, but I kind of need hairspray to keep them from looking a bit sloppy.

To my stylist's credit, he made it very clear that if I had any problems whatsoever with my cut that I could come back and he'd fix it.  That's an attitude anyone can appreciate from a stylist and I was glad to hear it.  Unfortunately, I think I need to grow my hair out before anything can be fixed.  I have gotten some compliments on my hair since my cut, so I guess my issues with it aren't obvious.  However, it's not so special or unique that another stylist couldn't have done it and done it more carefully for less money.

I just moved up from DC, which supposedly (I've never verified this, but I've heard it repeated so many times that, gosh, it MUST be true!) has the largest Ethiopian population outside of Ethiopia.  So, when my friend here in Philly suggested we go to an Ethiopian place, I was, well, cautiously optimistic.  And I wasn't disappointed!

We split a giant vegetarian combo among the 5 of us.  It was good.  Not quite spicy enough, the injera was a little bland, but we were all full and happy by the time we left.  The cabbage, okra, and eggplant were the standouts.  Two people in the group got smoothies and the one I tried--some kind of fruit combo--was awesome.  Service was ok, I don't think the waitress was too happy with us for rolling in at 8 because they do want you to be done with your meal and out the door by 9.  Kind of odd for a restaurant.  Regardless, I'm glad this place is here and I'm glad that I can get decent Ethiopian food in Philly.

These guys were really great.  The guy I spoke with on the phone, Tom, was really polite and helpful.  The guys who unloaded my UHaul for me were on time and got the truck unloaded quicker than I could have expected with no damages to anything.  I didn't need them to unload the whole truck at my new apartment (some furniture was going into storage), and they secured everything that was left in the truck so that nothing would get broken on the drive to Jersey.  They even assembled my bed frame for me!  I payed them exactly what Tom told me I would owe ($68 an hour, minimum 2 hours, plus tip).  I will absolutely, definitely use these guys the next time I move.

These guys have been pretty good.  The first time I brought my car there it was because the engine light was on.  They checked it and told me not to bother getting it fixed, because the problem I had was no big deal.  The light went off on its own a few days later, so they weren't kidding!  I didn't owe them a penny.  I was impressed that they were honest, so I brought my car back to them when my AC went out.  This time, everything they said they wanted to do checked out with my friend who knows a lot about cars, and they suggested going the cheaper route (which also checked out with my friend) rather than...well, it's complicated.  Anyway, my AC works now and I payed them the price that they quoted me verbally.

Yeah, customer service is a little weird.  You can't make an appointment which I think is why things take a little long.  It kind of seems like they have a bunch of guys working on a few cars all at the same time.  I'm sure there's a method to the madness, but it's a little disconcerting.  Regardless, the important thing is that the TOTAS guys are honest and do good work, and I wouldn't hesitate to take my car back to them.

This place is exactly what you think of when you think of a great used book shop.  Cluttered, dusty, books piled to the ceiling but somehow you can find what you want at a totally reasonable price.  They've got plenty of classic and contemporary lit and an entire wall of romance novels.  Can't speak to their nonfiction, though.  Their hours run later than pretty much every non-restaurant business on the street, so that's another bonus.  I never see anyone in there, so if you're reading this go support a local business!

I have a love/hate relationship with this Safeway.  Love because it's never crowded (granted, people don't shop here for a reason), is half a block from my house, and is good for frozen meals, beverages, dry pasta, etc.  Anything perishable, eat at your own risk.  You HAVE to check the expiration on any and all dairy or bread products you buy.  Yeah, you should do this at most stores, but at this Safeway you need to be particularly vigilant.

I don't think they've quite decided if and how they want to compete with the Whole Foods 2 blocks away.  They have a small organic section, yes, but the rest of their fruits and veggies can be pretty terrible.  They changed their layout so that you don't enter in the produce section, which kind of confirms my suspicion that they are taking the emphasis off of fresh food and onto the middle aisles.  They remodeled so that the place looks nicer, but I haven't seen any improvement in the food they sell and I especially haven't seen any improvement in the staff, who always seem to be pretty miserable.  This store is suffering and it's not because of how it looks.

This Whole Foods is fine, nothing awful, pretty average for Whole Foods.  They just expanded their hot/salad bar and it's so much better than it used to be.  It's now 4 or 5 bars instead of 2 so there are a lot more options.  Staff are always very friendly and very helpful.  If you look like you're searching for something they will go out of their way help you.  Only downside is that the lines can take a while.  I never go here when I'm in a rush.

Parking is bad because people visiting all of downtown Silver Spring park there.  They think it's free parking for DTSS.  It's not.  There are plenty of public metered lots in SS, USE THEM.  I can't tell you how many times I've driven to WF and ended up having to go to Safeway instead because of lack of parking.  I'm glad to hear they tow and I wish they'd do it more!

Weller's is good.  They've done pants, dresses, and sweaters for me, and I've never had a problem.  No chemical smell, no broken buttons, no lost items.  I find them a little expensive--a simple rayon dress was $11 or $12 simply because it was a dress--but it's worth it since they do a good job.  I *think* they *might* be organic, too.  There's a poster in the window that talks about organic dry cleaning, but I don't know if that means they do all their cleaning organically.  They certainly don't advertise it since that poster is all I've seen about it.

I've also been to Weller's tailor, who was friendly and professional.  He hemmed a long dress and replaced a broken zipper on a pair of jeans.  Both items don't look at all like they've been altered.  I even managed to talk down the price of hemming the dress, so the 2 alterations were something like $36.  I think that's a little much, but he did a good job so I can't complain.  I'd definitely go back to him.

I've been waiting to write my review of Trim because I didn't want it to be any harder to get an appointment with Melissa.  Is that selfish?  Yeah probably, but she's the only stylist I've ever had who can make my hair look good through multiple cuts.  Ever.

I have very fine, thin, oily, and cowlick-y hair.  It is a pain in the neck and most stylists can't handle it.  The first time I went to Melissa I gave her a good idea of what I wanted.  She delivered, so the next time I told her to do whatever *she* thought would look good on me.  She proceeded to give me one of my favorite cuts of all time.  A few months later, after a couple of trims, I let her do what she wanted again.  I actually really didn't like this cut--too short for me (she loves short, edgy hair)--BUT it grew in beautifully.  A month after that cut I started getting tons of compliments on my hair.  The last time I went I just got it trimmed, and again it looks great.  It's longer than a pixie cut but shorter than a bob.  It's appropriate enough for my office job without being boring.  I'm happier with my hair than I've ever been.

My only problem with Trim is that the last couple of times they haven't called to confirm my appointment, and I've had to call them.  If it's a problem with my phone then they should at least leave a message.

As for the price: you get what you pay for.  Your options for cheaper cuts in DC are Bubbles (blech), PR @ Partners (hit or miss), and Bang (mostly miss).  If you want your stylist to take her time, if you want your stylist to remember your name, if you want your stylist to explain how you should style your new cut, you need to pay more.  $70, compared to similar salons in DC, is a good deal.

I'm moving to Philly soon and I'm not looking forward to having to change stylists.  It might be worth it to make the trip down to DC just for a haircut!