We are so proud to announce that New Leaf won TWO awards at the Rhode Island Monthly's Best of RI party Wednesday night....

-Readers' Poll Best Salon East Bay (THREE years and counting...Thank you faithful New-Leafers...You rock!)

AND

-Best Salon for Brides

We were all so excited to attend the party. Here's how it went down... Amy received a letter saying that New Leaf has won something. RI Monthly keeps everything else a big secret. Working in a salon, we are very good secret keepers. We hold the key to lots of 'stuff', if you know what I mean. But we still hate secrets, especially when we are on the other end of things. So we closed the salon early, dressed to impress,  and all headed in to the Providence Performing Arts Center (Rhode Islanders...PPAC:)

After some cocktails and apps, we headed in for the presentation of the magazine and for some special awards...

Stacy & Ashley...

Pam & Danielle

Allie, Michelle, Nicole & Amy G

The unveiling of the 2010 cover...

They announce a few featured winners like Frank Coletta (Best TV News Anchor), Siena (Best Restaurant and Best Italian Restaurant) and good ol' Buddy Cianci (toupee-less & winner of Best Radio Personality, emphasis on personality).

Then they send everyone off  for some dancing, drinking and eating and hand out the magazines as we leave the theater.

Here are the girls rifling through the magazine to see what we've won...

Imagine Amy's delight to see the photo and the Bridal Lounge feature on the Best Salon for Brides category. Woo Hoo!

A sneak peek until the magazine hits the shelves...

Readers' Poll....

New Leaf's Bridal Lounge feature...

The stage was packed...the complimentary martinis were luring everyone up on stage. The Love Machine was a New Leaf fav!

The girls...

Courtney & Nicole

Danielle & Allie

Pam and Courtney Anderson, from RI Monthly Magazine who helped with the photo shoot in the issue...

Filming for the Fox's The Rhode Show...to see the full video of the night, click HERE

Pretty neat view from the stage...can you imagine performing in front of all these seats?!? Nerve wraking stuff!

Courtney, New Leaf's Bridal Coordinator & Amy, the proud owner and the brain behind the business;-)

The girls...from left: Michelle, Jennifer, Stacy, Courtney, Amy Silva, Nicole, Amy Gonyea, Ashley, Nikki, Jamie, Jenn, Allie

A few were missing (tear drop sound effect)...Melanie, Stephanie, Mary, Yadira and Cynthia were at the party in spirit. Danielle and Pam were present, but we think were hiding in the martini line;)

A BIG HUGE THANKS to our amazing clients for their loyalty, their support and  for just being the best clientele a salon could ask for. We always say it so special to win the Readers' Poll category (it's the 4th year:) because it means the 'people have spoken' and we love that. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We literally could not do it without you.

Now for the sappy part ...A big thanks to Amy Silva, our fabulous owner and truly, the brains behind the business. We love working for you, you provide us with a fantastic clientele, a great space, a fun environment, and you are always keeping things fresh. It's a great thing to walk into work feeling so proud. We know it's not easy but you take it all in stride and we thank you because you can't ever hear that you are appreciated enough. If she were blogging right now, she'd  be thanking us but we have the keyboard now:o)

If you've been to New Leaf recently, you know of all the exciting visual changes/renovations that are taking place...New Leaf is turning over a New Leaf so stop in anytime to say hello!

Rhode Island Monthly Magazine's 2010 "Best of RI'" coming to newstands soon...Check it out to see even more East Bay favorite spots!

It's that time of year for our annual LOCKS OF LOVE DAY at New Leaf!  Kelley Richardson, a faithful New Leaf-er and Martin MIddle School teacher in East Providence, helped to round up 10, yes 10, brave ladies to donate their long locks for  wigs for kids and women battling cancer.  

 Here are the 10 brave souls who went for the 'cut'...even Kelley and her daughter Maeve went for it (far right).

 The before...whoa! Some of these girls had some H-A-I-R...It takes an average of 6 donated ponytails to make just 1 wig. These 10 ladies probably made at least 2:o)

Another great reason for this particular group of ladies to donate their ponytails? Most of the girls have been 'untouched' by haircolor. Both organizations will accept hair that has been colored, but not bleached. These days, it's very hard to find women who DON'T color their hair!

The reason? The donated hair has to go through so much processing to make each wig, so bleached hair sometimes disintegrates. Don't fret, you can still donate the hair!  Locks of Love can still sell the 'unusable' hair to help offset the nonprofit organizations overhead costs.

A few of the makeovers from the day...

Before:

After:

Before:

After...Look how LONG it still is!

This was an amazing transformation...Cheryl, a math teacher at Martin Middle School for 25 years, was not planning on joining the girls for Locks of Love Day. Then, a few teachers were going through old yearbooks and she quietly noticed that SHE was the only person whose look had not changed one bit. It was time for a change.

Before:

After:

We wish we could have seen the kids' reactions the next day at school!!

This is little Miss Maeve, Kelley's 3 year old daughter. She wanted in on the fun too.

The before:

After:

Nothing says 'summer' than a beautiful little girl with an adorable bob.

Maeve's practicing her modeling moves...Don't we all love to swing our hair after a great cut?

Before:

After:

Three ponytails were donated from this cut! What a change...we couldn't bump Kelley out of the way to get our paparazzi shot:-)

To recap, the group before...

And AFTER!!!!!!

Kelley says the girls were feeling pretty fine walking into school the next day. We are proud to say, there were some very nervous girls but absolutely NO tears after cutting!

Thanks Kelley for rounding up the ladies to donate their locks. The girls didn't need too much coaxing...once they heard their Martin Middle School classmate was diagnosed with cancer, donating their long hair was the best way to show their support.

To find out how YOU can donate (it's time for your summer cut, right?), click on Locks of Love and Beautiful Lengths. See you soon!

Tune in Sunday evening to the show Platinum Weddings on WeTV 9pm EST. Michelle and John's "Platinum Wedding" was styled by the New Leaf team this past summer at OceanCliff in Newport.

Watch the sneak peak below and make sure to keep your eyes peeled ... you might catch Ashley or Courtney working it in the background!

http://www.wetv.com/video/70079700001/platinum-weddings-raina-the-newport-wedding

You might have heard the buzz at New Leaf but in case you haven't, we are SO excited to fill you in...therapy. boutiques at New Leaf will be opening February 15th...that's next Monday--yipee!!

What is therapy.boutiques? It's a new accessories boutique where you can find all things stylish, fun and affordable...lots of hair accessories, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, handbags, clutches,  and more! 

Where is therapy.? It is located within New Leaf Hair Studio at 18 State Street in Bristol, Rhode Island.

When is therapy. opening? Monday, February 15th!

Who is behind therapy.? Amy SIlva, owner of New Leaf Hair Studio and Courtney Libby (hi!), stylist at New Leaf.

Why therapy.? Well, a woman feels fantastic when she looks good. You are in the right place because when you look good, you feel great.

therapy. was created with this simple philosophy in mind...nothing makes a woman feel better than a little retail therapy. But sometimes, you can feel a little guilty doing it. therapy. makes your retail affliction guilt-free. 

As an admitted accessory junkie (ask my family) and an experienced 'retail rationalizer', here is my thought process...A cute accessory should always be affordable. Whether your wallet is full or lean, picking up a little bauble makes a bad day turn brighter because you didn't overdo it.

A colorful necklace or bracelet livens up a boring outfit. You can wear a black shirt every day but change it up with a different accessory.

Confession alert: I can't even wait until I get home to change my handbag when I buy a new one. I have do it when I get in the car.  Heck, it doesn't even have to be a handbag, I have to touch every accessory I purchase as soon as I can. My husband laughs every time.

Here is a sneak peek of just a little of what is to come at therapy...

France Luxe headbands and scarves (that don't hurt your head!)...

Adorable ponytail holders that were featured in Us Weekly...

Maggie Bags...yes, those are seatbelts! This little handbag diverts usable products from our landfills and saves the resources needed to make new materials. The world wide demand for automobiles has left behind an abundance of surplus man-made materials. Each year millions of yards of seat belt webbing are rejected for the slightest color variation, making the strap useless to the auto maker. Originally designed to be used as the life saving seatbelt in your car, this polyester material is of the highest quality and made to last. Maggie bags give new life to the unwanted fabric by creating a beautiful line of sophisticated handbags. In lime...

Colorful, preppy bracelets from Fornash...

Rachelle D, a jewelry maker from Texas, creates these amazing pieces...

Whimsical beauty...

Founded in 2009 in New York City, Silent Gypsy is a reflection of the optimistic roots of a New England born designer. The materials are handpicked and collected worldwide then carefully assembled by hand. Her pieces have been featured on the Fashion segments on the Today show. We met Silent Gypsy's designer at the NYC Accessory Show in January...

A sampling of her designs...LOVE her pieces!

Some FANTASTIC animal-friendly, super-soft leather-free clutches from Shiraleah....just $22! Guilt-free, remember?

Two young Canadian women founded Foxy Originals on this belief and create unique and playful jewelry pieces that help women everywhere find their own way to sparkle and shine - without breaking the bank. Perfect!

These reversible necklaces are in modern color combos that we love...

Paris Hilton has been spotted wearing Foxy headbands...

Perfect amount of bling...

You may have seen these in Saks, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and now these necklaces have landed in Bristol! These sterling silver necklaces are the perfect gift. Each one comes with it's own theme and concept. This is the popular karma necklace featured in magazines everywhere!

More sassy handbags by Jane Marvel...

For a night out on the town...

Beauty, shopping and chocolate...they all go hand in hand, really. If you could refrain from attacking this delicious chocolate, these Bloomsberry Chocolate Co. bars make adorable gifts..Here is just one of the designs...

Amen...I couldn't have said it any better. I have already admitted one addiction, might as well come clean with the other--I am a choco-holic. I do not discriminate--milk, dark, with or without nuts, you name it, if it begins with choc- and ends with -late, I love it.

We are so excited to bring therapy. to you! Please come check us out next week or next time you are getting pampered at New Leaf...

And remember, when shopping at therapy. you won't have to use the line, "What, this old thing? I bought this last year, don't you remember?" when you get home again! Trust me, I know (and have used) the lines:o)

See you soon!

You may have been hearing the buzz about New Leaf's 1st Style 101 Event.

It went something like this...

This is what 99.9% of women look like in the bathroom while trying to recreate the salon blow out.

Well...maybe minus the platinum blonde hair, perfectly tan skin and pouty lips. But, hey, we all sense her frustration, right?

Anyways, clients always tell us they can NEVER make their hair look as fantastic as it does when they leave New Leaf. On a positive note, hairstylists can stay busy. On the negative side of things, who wants a style they can never recreate again?

Our clients are New Leaf's business cards, so what good is it if you look great when you leave the salon and it never looks like that again?

Enter STYLE 101 EVENT.

Clients reserved their 30 minute private lesson with me (Courtney) for $25, all of which went towards styling products at the end of the session. So the class was pretty much free:o)

The best part? Clients got to CHOOSE what they wanted to learn!

We had 10 clients join us on their day off from work, and here is what we worked on:
...fun updos
...the proper blow out
...curling techniques (for short and super long hair)
...converting frizzy curls into sexy Sarah Jessica Parker Boticelli ringlets

And we had some serious FUN!

We had styling products, hairdryers, diffusers (for those curly girls out there), salon quality curling irons, flat irons, brushes, teasing combs, and pretty much anything else you could think of to make styling much more enjoyable.

The $25 went towards the tools/products she needed at home to achieve the look...clever!

Also, each client went home with a personalized note (like a sticky post-it) listing the products and tools that were needed and a step-by-step guide on how to recreate the style.

You know how we always brag about Snap! Photography? Well, Mariah (a Snap! girl) has a beautiful 7 year old daughter named Vianne that loves all things hair related. She can even braid--remember, she's 7! I see a future New Leaf-ette in the making...

Mariah brought Vianne so I could teach her a few of our fun updo tricks.
Here is Mariah honing her skills...

And making fun of the 'serious' hairdresser face in the mirror..which was hard to do because we were laughing so hard.
She looks like a hairdresser, not a photographer, right?

In celebration of lists (because I am a crazy list-maker...thanks, Dad!), here are the top 5 'tips' clients took home on Monday that I thought needed to be shared:

1. Backcombing (or teasing) is a lost art. A little backcombing in the crown area (with a rat tail comb) makes a boring ponytail party ready. If your fine hair looks great after a blow out for 1 hour, then falls flat...backcomb!

2. Section your hair in 3 parts when blow drying. The extra 30 seconds it takes to section actually saves time and the blow dry comes out smoother.

3. To make beachy (not prom) waves in your hair, use a 1 inch Hot Tools curling iron and leave the ends out of the iron. You want your hair to look haphazard, like you weren't even trying.

4. For naturally curly girls, never, NEVER wrap your hair in a towel after the shower. After using DevaCurl's Low Poo and One Condition, squeeze out the excess water with your hands and apply Deva Curl's AnGel while hair is still wet. Scrunch with a microfiber towel. Why? As soon as your curls start to dry without product, that's when frizz forms. Product needs to be applied as SOON as you get out of the shower.

5. Professional styling products please. This is not for hairdresser's health, it's for our sanity. Women invest quite a bit of their hard earned paychecks on their highlights, color, glazes and then wash it right down the drain with drugstore shampoos (I shall not name names...except that we recommend drugstore shampoo when the color is too dark...coincidence? I think not.)

When you think about salon products as insurance to protect your color investment, the cost is not that much. PLEASE invest in a great shampoo and conditioner. Ask your stylist for advice.

This day was not just about the clients learning things. I learned why my photos (I am a closet wanna-be photographer, but stink at taking photos) look awful. LIGHTING! Mariah taught me a little trick that I MUST share with you...

Here is Vianne's braided bun 'do WITHOUT PROPER LIGHTING & TOO MUCH FLASH...

...and WITH PROPER LIGHTING WITHOUT FLASH.

Secret photographer trick: Turn off your flash. Stand with your back against the natural light, so your subject is facing into the light.
Snap away (bad pun.)

This was Mariah's handy work with our camera...quite different from mine but I get it now!

Thanks to everyone who joined in on the fun for our 1st Style 101 Event! Everyone was asking if we are going to do it again, so we'll be hosting another one...date to be determined. We'll keep you posted!

We'd like to say thank you for making our first New Leaf Clothing Drive a smashing success!
Around the holidays, it's easy to get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas. The New Leaf-'ettes' (my newly coined nickname for our staff) wanted to remember those a little less fortunate.

We are proud to say that we have the most charitable clients this side of the Bay...well, it might be that AND they love to shop and it had been a while since they cleaned out their closets!

We collected over FIFTY, yes 5-0, bags of clothes! We donated the fantastic goods to Big Sisters (and Brothers) of Rhode Island.

Take a peek at the night...

Does our model look familiar? It's our very own Leah!
It's truly amazing how the right hair products and make-up can transform you...

Our holiday angels came dressed and ready for the clothing drive...

Love that winter wonderland feeling...

Our signature drink of the evening was a 'Blue Hawaii' and boy, was it a hit (even though it was more green-ish than blue-ish)! Pineapple, blue curacao, coconut rum and vodka...dangerously delicious!

Our hostess with the most-est, Danielle. Who wouldn't want to taste a cocktail when it's being served by her?

Clients loved the mini cupcakes by Nancy's Fancies on Federal Hill in Providence. The flavors were certainly fancy--S'mores, Coconut Cloud, mmmmmm....

They attracted quite a crowd...

This year, we have a fabulous 'beauty boutique'. Can't think of ideas for those pesky stocking stuffers? Come on in because, really....who doesn't love products??

Jo Jo has landed in Bristol! Jo Jo is a 26 year old jewelry designer out of Boston who creates fantastically fun finds.

Our accessory tree....

Feeling Smitten Bath Bomb Cupcakes were just featured in People magazine...

For $10, you won't know whether to eat it or use it! You just drop them in your bath tub to soften your water, moisturize your skin and add bubbles. Plus, they smell yumm-erific!

A few of Santa's reindeers stopped by to help out--Jenn, as Blitzen & little Jamie, as Vixen!

Melanie and Yadira, Bristol's best esthetician, posing for a picture...

Ashley, Leah, Amy G, and Jenn...errr, I mean Blitzen.

Vixen modeling her Jo Jo necklace...

The New Leaf-ettes!

Thanks for making our Holiday Preview such a success...
we hope you had as much fun as we did!