Reading Update

The last time I wrote a book review post was in April when quarantine was only a month in. I never could predicted that at my next book review post things would look so different. Quarantine is still in full swing 4 months later and the content in which I’m reading has completely changed, for the better.

At the end of May when George Floyd was killed a significant shift was made. If you follow me on IG (which I highly recommend you should because it is where I am most detailed and up to date click here) you have seen that this event has shaken me to my core and opened my eyes to the work that I need to do as an individual who happened to be born into a body that offers me great privilege. #BLACKLIVESMATTER

While I’ve donated to countless organizations and will continue to do so, I have vowed to do the work. I will be purchasing from more BIPOC small business owners, supporting causes that further the dismantling of the white privilege surrounding us, using my vote to support those who will create change, and much more. I wanted to take a hard look at my daily actions that I could change to support this very important cause, the first being my library.

Originally, I vowed to purchase one hard copy book from a BIPOC author every month for as long as I’m physically able, to add to my library. I’m very blessed to be in love with a man who values the importance of a library in our home and also wants to be surrounded by good books. What I realized however, is that in my love for secondhand living and reducing waste, I’ve relied mostly on borrowing books from my local library or purchasing secondhand through various methods of thrifting. While both of these options are still great, I realized that this was limiting what was permanently housed in our library and would affect the books that our future children were also surrounded by. I want so many voices to live in that library. I want my future children to hear from perspectives that I can’t possibly give them. I want them to be well rounded and educated so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their world.

That being said, when a friend reached out to encourage me to join her reading challenge, I said yes immediately, because it seemed challenging. She shared that a small group of friends would be taking a vow to only read books written by BIPOC authors from June 19th 2020 (Juneteenth) to the end of June 2021. I knew this was the perfect way to listen, learn, and educate myself on perspectives completely different from my own. It would give me a way to fill my library with voices that need to be read and heard.

Currently I am almost two months into this challenge, have read 7 books, and learned so much. I know this is only one tiny piece of the puzzle, but I am sharing this to encourage you to look at what you are reading, especially if you are an avid reader who values surrounding yourself with good books.

An update on what I have been recently reading will be coming soon, so stay tuned.

Thank you for being here,

Andrea

Update: New Studio Reveal

I am so excited to finally be sharing my new studio with you. After almost three years in my apartment, it was time to move out and create a new space. I am so grateful that my boyfriend Mikey welcomed me into this space in his home. I am so in love with it and I can’t wait to welcome my clients into this new space for makeup and consultations. It will also serve as an office for me. This means I will be filming more blog content in this space as well. If you’re interested in seeing how I created the DIY clothing rack to use for my thrifting content, be sure to comment below.

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I am so in love with this doormat that I had custom made by a sweet soul named Meredith from Tiny Bits of Happiness. This is one of the few things I purchased for the new space.

I know you might be thinking, did Andrea move in with Mikey? The answer is no. Haha I am excited to share that I will be moving in with one of my favorite families ever. I was the nanny for an amazing family for the past 5 years and now that the boys will both be in school full time, I am no longer going to be watching the boys day to day. However, I will moving into their basement guest room. They have some amazing travel plans of their own for the next school year and needed someone to watch over their home when they are away. This lead to the perfect opportunity for me to move in with them for the next school year and still see the boys.

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This gallery wall was really important for me to nail because I wanted to have inspiration to look at while working at my desk. It’s also what clients face when I’m doing their makeup, so I wanted them to have fun things to look at. It includes an old photo of my favorite Italian singer Louis Prima, a vintage postcard of the hospital I was born at, a map of Brazil, an homage to my favorite foods bagels and pasta, the only framed picture I have of Mikey and I (lol), and so much more.

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Having a cozy seating area was really important for me because I wanted my clients to feel welcome to sit for a moment and chat with me. This studio will be used mostly for makeup consultations so I wanted my brides and their entourage to feel comfortable. Since I no longer need all of my furniture to complete an entire home, I was excited to just bring my favorite pieces into this studio space. I feel so productive in the two weeks I’ve been here because I’m just happy to be surrounded by so many pieces that bring me such joy.

The most important part about this studio is that it has reminded me how much I love my business and my clients. The support I receive on a daily basis never goes unnoticed and I am grateful to welcome you all to this new space.

What is your favorite part of the new studio? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

11 Things With Andrea

This is by no means my idea. I admit to have stolen this from one of my favorite blogs to read "The Middle Edit”. I absolutely love Allison and Shannon and if you don’t follow their blog and IG, you NEED to! They are what I’d consider a true lifestyle blog because they cover everything from health & fitness, to money, food, & more! Every month they share 11 things that are currently going on in their lives and I love this idea, because it allows you to learn a little bit more about them and read about certain topics that might not need a whole blog post devoted to them! So here I am stealing this idea from them because I LOVE it!

11 Things with Andrea:

  1. I recently got back into running after a 6 week break due to a really bad tailbone injury. I was so scared to get back on the treadmill because I didn’t want to face all of the progress I’ve lost, but I’m happy to say I wasn’t as slow as I thought I’d be. It felt like a ripping off a huge Band-aid, but I’m so happy to have had that first run and be back on track. If there’s something in your life that you need to rip the band-aid off for, DO IT! It’s scary, but worth it.

  2. I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety in my day to day life and I’m working on making some changes and getting back into my routine. I’ll keep you updated on how things go, but let me know if you want to see a post devoted to this.

  3. I don’t normally read crime books but this month’s book club pick is in this genre and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I don’t think I’ll be reading too many in this category at once, because they still spook me a little bit, but it’s nice to be reminded to switch things up and get out of your comfort zone with even things like reading!

  4. Today’s my dad’s birthday and I’m feeling really grateful to have such a source of support and inspiration in my life. He’s always one phone call away and never misses a moment to teach me something useful. My blog and business wouldn’t be anywhere near where they are today without him.

  5. Bridal season is booking up! I am over halfway booked for the year, so if you or something you know needs a bridal makeup artist, make sure you contact me ASAP to get on my books!

  6. I watched ‘You’ on Netflix, but never really gave an update as to what I thought about it. I think I’m in a small category of people that didn’t end up liking it. I think they went too far with it and I just felt icky when I’d finish an episode. I just ended up feeling like I could have been doing something more enjoyable with my time, so I don’t think I’ll end up watching the second season.

  7. I’m getting a massage at the end of the month and I’m so excited for it. If you don’t know, I really struggle with relaxation and learning when to stop and take care of myself. I’m excited to incorporate this into my life every other month or so.

  8. Did you know my name is actually pronounced, ON-DRAY-UH? Don’t fret if you’ve called me 'ANN-DREE-UH’, I really don’t care. Haha, I just find a lot of people don’t know how it’s pronounced so I figured I’d teach you.

  9. I’m co-hosting an event in Jackson, MI on the evening of February 25th that I’m super excited about. I am in a monthly women’s mastermind group that I adore and this event is going to be a little taste into what we do and how to cultivate a community of entrepreneurs in your life that you can look to for support and guidance. If you or someone you know is a female entrepreneur in the Jackson or Lansing, MI areas, PLEASE visit this link to learn more and join us!

  10. I’m thinking about learning to make my own sourdough bread, starter and all because it seems to be the only gluten I can tolerate. Any amazing bread makers out there reading this and know a great recipe or cookbook to reference? Let me know!

  11. I know I kind of bashed the idea of goal setting for January but I decided I do have one change I want to make for 2019 (Thanks to Chelsea for asking this question in my IG stories post). I decided that this year I’m only going to say yes to things that ripple down positively into multiple areas of my life. If something can benefit more than just one category ( i.e. my business, my mental health, my physical health, my relationships, etc…) then it is worth my time. If something only strengthens one area but takes a lot of work, it’s not worth my time. This is all about my journey to finding a healthy work/life balance that works well for me.


What do you guys think about this kind of update? I like it so much and I hope you did to. Thanks again to Allison and Shannon for creating this fun way for me to brain dump the things I want to tell you, neatly in one post that makes more sense! Seriously check them out if you haven’t already!

Have a great day,

Andrea

Huge Announcement

Dear family, friends, clients, readers, and all,

I'm here to share my very exciting announcement I mentioned in my last post. After much consideration I have decided to step down as Spa Director and Lead Esthetician at Remedi Spa & Wellness and pursue this; Andrea Fontana Beauty! While I will miss seeing all of my people on a regular basis I am so excited for what is to come. So let me explain what brought me here to this decision and what I will be doing. 

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Let me start off by saying Thank you to everyone reading this who might have been a guest of mine. It truly is an honor to make you feel beautiful. Don't worry though, our fun doesn't have to stop!

While I have always treasured the creativity that the world of cosmetics and esthetics has given to me, I have found myself struggling with the superficiality that can come along with it. I have two little nieces looking up to me and I have to be careful with the example I am setting for them. The only way for me to grow as a service provider is to sell more services and products which is not where my heart is. I've realized that I needed to focus more on making women feel amazing on the inside and out and eliminate the pressure of selling things to women. I needed to own my own business so that I could create whatever I wanted. No brand to represent but my own. Unfortunately as a spa director my plate had become too full and I found myself not being able to give 100% to my guests and it ultimately started to make me feel uncomfortable. I realized how many women came to me for advice, recommendations and even just to open up to about whatever was going on in their world, and that I needed to put them first and spend more time educating and helping them. 

To be honest this idea was born out of conversations with so many of you. So many times I'd hear "I wish you could come to my house and teach me this..." Or "I love the blog post where you shared this..." And so much more! The truth was that I just didn't have enough time in my day to continue at the pace I was, while still taking care of my people. I was brain storming how I could shift my focus to helping more women, when it dawned on me. If I owned my own beauty business I could help women in whatever capacity I wanted, while having complete creative control to create whatever I wanted! If there's anything I treasure most about my career it is the relationships I form with women on a daily basis. Helping you feel beautiful and confident, educating you about your skin, and helping you learn new techniques is truly what drives me. 

Now for the fun part! What will I be doing? The possibilities are honestly endless! Here is a list of some exciting things to come, but know that this business is for you! If you have ideas of what you'd like to see me do, do not hesitate to send me them!

1. Freelance makeup for weddings, special events, and more: this one is a no brainer because I've been doing weddings for 4 years now! One of my absolute favorite things about being a makeup artist is making a woman feel beautiful on her wedding day. It is truly an honor. I am booking for 2018 now, so please let me know if you or someone you know wants more info on wedding or special event pricing!

2. This blog: I will finally be putting so much energy into this creative space. I love trying new products, teaching new techniques and educating you on skincare topics and I will finally be able to commit to being consistent here and growing my blog. 

3. Parties: I love teaching the everyday woman techniques on how to feel confident in doing her own makeup on a daily basis. So gather your friends, open some bottles of wine, and let's get to playing with makeup! I want to create a fun environment for you to ask questions and learn techniques!

4. Consulting with skincare and makeup: have no idea where to start when it comes to developing a makeup or skincare routine? No fear! I will come to your house and help you figure it out! Need helping finding a new shade of lipstick but feel overwhelmed the second you step into Ulta? No fear! I'll meet you there and we'll figure it out together! 

Incase you haven't noticed a theme, I want you to feel like you are paying for my honest opinion and time, rather than the brand name I work under. I want to create a space for you to say "Hey, can I have an hour of your time to help me do this.." I love so many brands that I don't want to be confined to recommending only certain ones. 

There's so many more ideas I have in store so please stay tuned! I will always introduce things first on this website so follow along for more updates! If you haven't already liked my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/andreafontanabeauty) please do or follow me on Instagram (@andreafontanabeauty)!!! 

 

Thank you for taking the time for reading this and supporting me along the way! I'm so excited for what the future holds and I hope you will join me! 

 

Love,  

Andrea Fontana Beauty!