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QCC Blog
On The Job With Ashlee
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Posted on Monday, December 12, 2011 9:25 PM
 Art, design, five-star service; it’s all about the details. At Queen City Concierge, I really enjoy my detail-oriented work. I realize, however, that as much as I care for details, I will never be perfect. As my mother would say, “I am perfectly imperfect.” Because of this, I am thankful that I can count on others to make me look good when I need a little help. Art is everywhere, and I appreciate the emotion it brings when I see it, but I do not consider myself an “Art-y.” My go-to guy for such matters is Jon Piper at Piper Custom Framing & Fine Art; if you have ever met him, you would know why. Jon is a down-to-Earth guy, and knowing him for five minutes will make you feel like you have been friends for years. In addition, his great selection of frames and his ability to create a real piece of art out of any child’s doodle, a family photo, or an exquisite piece you just had to have,a ssures that you’ll enjoy the final product.  I was fortunate enough to have spent a day with Jon recently. After parking in the lot located behind the store and heading in through the back entrance, I had the feeling of walking into someone’s workshop–probably because I did. As I was looking around, Jon greeted me with agreat big smile. He was eager to give me a tour and I was eager to take it! However, it was early and ridiculously cold outside, so we decided to enjoy some coffee to warm up first. While we sat and chatted, I couldn’t help but stare at the frame moldings that cover the entire wall behind the counter. How he keeps track of them I will never know. When I’ve brought items to Jon for framing in the past, I have imagined him as Ollivander from the wand shop int he Harry Potter movies, and it makes me smile. After coffee, we headed down to the lower level where the uncut moldings are stored and sized. I received a little education on the types of wood, how molding is constructed, and got a sneak peek at some really unique pieces. My favorite was a molding covered in tobacco leaves–the texture created was really something.  We then headed back up to the workroom so Jon could show off cool tools like the Eclipse. The Eclipse uses measurements entered into its system to make an incision into the mattes used for framing projects. Jon has teased me saying he will rename it after me so that Ashlee is always there, but I think he wants to rename it after me because, like the Eclipse, I am awesome! After joking around a little more, we moved on to the best part–the gallery. Every time I make a trip to Piper’s I love to stroll through the gallery and see the new pieces, but this time I had a tour guide and got some background on my favorite ones. I’ll spare you the details of my favorites and let you choose your own, for art is unique because of its ability to evoke a different emotion and spark a different memory in all of us. So I invite you to stop by Piper’s to enjoy the beautiful blown glass of Thomas Maras, to encounter the unbelievable wooden bowls of Drake Wood, to get lost in the dream-like world Eyob Mergia creates in his paintings, to experience a new perspective of South Dakota life through Greg Latza’s lens, and to support the amazing talents of our other local artists. Thank you to Piper Custom Framing & Fine Art for a great day! |
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Posted on Saturday, October 22, 2011 10:52 AM
  Anyone who knows me knows my wicked love for 80’s music and the whole vibe the decade had, so I was totally stoked when Big John Small invited me to join him and his wife Heidi on their morning show at 92.1 Sunny Radio – where it’s always in the 80’s. While getting ready for my visit I wanted to make sure I fit in and was spazzing on what to wear. Once I found the perfect ensemble, I was out the door!   Upon entering the station, visitors can’t miss the giant “Sunny” behind the reception desk, the pleather couch with accompanying Rubik’s cube coffee table, and all the radical 80’s memorabilia placed throughout. I was spinning round, round like a record baby with excitement! John and Heidi took me on a quick tour. We started out at John’s office, which is filled with even more awesome memorabilia from the 80’s and his radio career. John is one cool dude, and anyone can tell he is passionate about what he does. Not only does John host the morning show with Heidi, but he is also very hands on with the advertising side of things. (Yes, I know you think the ads are like totally bogus, but they are essential for the station so they can keep bringing you more tubular music!) I was lucky enough to sit in during a consultation John had with one of his clients, and I could see the wheels turning as he worked with her to write an ad, brainstorm ideas for products, consider website domains and layouts, her company name and branding strategies, where to place her product, and so much more. Did he have to do this? No… He did it because one, he really cared; and two, he wanted her business to get the most out of its advertising budget. Together they fashioned a plan that I believe will benefit both, and who knows? Maybe someday soon she will invite me to spend the day at her business!  Our next stop was to the studio, where I spent some time on air with the Breakfast Club (John and Heidi). I was uber-nervous to be on the radio and was afraid I would be totally heinous on-air (I am pretty sure I put the deodorant companies in the black that morning), but after a little chit chat I was able to relax and we had a killer time! We even stayed in the studio after the show to record some voicespots for the Great Spot Company (Another business of John’s). The Great Spot Company specializes in voice spots for radio and TV, jingles, phone recordings, and much more. They even produced the winning jingles from an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice! So far the Great Spot Company has worked in 49 states and Canada. Not bad, eh?  As we were headed out of the studio, Mac from the mid-day show was on his way in and I was totally geeking out. I am a major Mac fan, and if you’ve listened to the show I bet you are, too. We got to say a quick hello before he had to duck into the studio while I sat outside taking pictures like a maniac. I wanted to stick around to see if I could get a picture with Vinny, but I had to wrap things up. (A girl’s gotta work, you know.) To all at SunnyRadio, thank you for the bodacious time! |
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Posted on Sunday, October 09, 2011 8:14 PM
Tires,Tires, Tires… Oh my! Living in Sioux Falls and heading down Minnesota Avenue, it is impossible to miss the “Tireman.” He stands there proud, waving at all the drivers that pass by and welcoming all those that come to visit. Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend the day with him and the crew at Tires TiresTires. Ben Steventon was my guide there to show me around the shop, introduce me to the team, and teach me a few tricks. Our day started off at the oil change bays where we went through the inspection checklist, which included checking fluid levels and visual inspections of wiring, belts, hoses, and various other parts of the vehicle (pretty standard stuff). However, one thing Tires Tires Tires offers which others in the area don’t is checking tire pressure and filling as needed with oxygen or nitrogen. It’s pretty cool how the different types of oil as well as the nitrogen are readily available at every bay in hoses that hang down from the ceiling like vines in a jungle. As I imagined myself as “Jane” and Ben as “George of the Jungle,”something else caught my eye. Across the garage was a car with satellites on the tires. I asked Ben if they were making the car into a time machine like the DeLorean in Back to the Future, and he took me over for a closer look. The “satellites” on the tires were actually reflectors that sent back signals to a radar and computer system to check alignment. Who knew checking alignment was so technical? Ok, here’s my plug: Receive a free alignment check at Tires Tires Tires with the purchase of four tires.  Next up on my tour was what the guys call “Tireland.” Tireland includes the last three bays of the garage as well as another full garage connected to the back,and yes, it is filled floor to ceiling with tires! It is truly the land of tires! I suggested they set the tires up in a maze and charge $3 per person to go through it. I don’t think they were too keen on the idea, but if it happens you know whose idea it was. In Tireland, there is also a great big trophy (well, not really a trophy as much as a really cool machine) that balances tires. This past year, Tires Tires Tires was awarded the title of Best Independent Tire Company in the Nation, and received the superior piece of machinery as their reward. Way to go, Tires times three!  After such an exhausting day, I took a nice break in the waiting area. I checked my email, watched a little bit of “The View” (that Whoopi just cracks me up!), helped myself to a cup of gourmet coffee, and enjoyed a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie or three—What? They’re delicious! With the service, friendliness, and care of a small garage and the comforts and expertise of a dealership, Tires Tires Tires truly offers the best of both worlds. Thanks for letting me ride shotgun, guys! |
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Posted on Friday, September 30, 2011 9:01 AM
 There are few things in this world better than spending a few hours relaxing and receiving a little hard-earned pampering. So when Eileen Donely, owner of Southeastern Hair Design and Day Spa, invited me to join in the experience of what it’s like to be a team member at the salon, I about fainted with all the self indulging ideas of what I could do (but mostly of what I could have done to me) and eagerly waited for my day to come!From the time I walked into the front door at Southeastern, I was ready to SPA-rty! I was greeted by Christie, the salon manager, who escorted me to the waiting area for the spa. When I sat down, I was almost immediately relaxed by the warmth of the fireplace and the soothing music that played throughout the area. I had a short wait before Paige King, massage therapist, showed me to my massage therapy room. That’s right... I was going to get a massage... from Paige! Boo-yah! I won’t go into too much detail--it’s kind of private, if you know what I mean--but let me assure you she knows what she is doing!  After emerging a little delirious from my massage, Alyssa Springman, stylist, was on hand to take my picture before I was to receive my haircut and color. Once we had our consultation, I followed Alyssa to another back room. You know, the room that the stylists disappear to for 5 or 10 minutes while you flip through the magazine and laugh to yourself about all the other gals that look so silly with all that foil in their hair, like they are trying to contact Mars or something, until your stylist re-emerges with the foils, color, and whatever else she needs to get the job done, and now it’s just a matter of time before you are the one looking silly. Anyhow, in the back room (which I have dubbed The Laboratory) there is a wall of tubes... tubes of color. Alyssa methodically chose a select few and mixed them in a small bowl with such focus she reminded me of a mad scientist--all that was missing was the evil laugh (which we did practice later). After a little gossip the finished product emerged and I will let you decide on how it turned out.  When all that good stuff was finished, I received one more surprise. I got to meet make-up genius Emilee Barnes, Bare Minerals expert and cosmetologist. She taught me tons of new tricks, like applying foundation with a brush using small, upward circular motions, which helps with even application and exfoliates dead skin, too. Ahhhh! By the time I left, I felt (and looked) like a new person. Thank you to everyone at Southeastern Hair Design and Day Spa for an amazing day and for teaching me so much about what it takes to run the best salon and spa in Sioux Falls!I would also like to extend a special thanks to my glamour team: Emilee Barnes, Alyssa Springman, and Paige King! |
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Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2011 2:32 PM
 One of the things I pride myself on as owner of Queen City Concierge is education. The journey we take will teach us so much as long as we are open to learning the life lessons that are thrown our way daily. So when Mike Haggar and his staff at Cleaver's Meat Market invited me to come learn a thing or two, I jumped at the chance. From the time I arrived at Cleaver's I was welcomed with warm smiles and happy hello's. Mike threw me an offical Cleaver's apron and showed me where the magic happens. Sure, anyone can peek in the window and see the butchers in action, but I got into the room and wore my own apron. How many people get to say that? Boom!
As I watched Mike slice up some tenderloin steaks and listened to him describe the different kinds of cuts, I couldn't help but visualize Mike as a Jedi. I swear he didn't even look down at the meat as he trimmed off the fat, wrapped the perfectly-proportioned cuts with bacon, and told me the appropriate time for aging cuts of meat. No, he didn't cut the meat with his mind or anything, but it was still pretty amazing. I guess that's what 40 years of experience can do. Next up, I got a tour of the fridge. As expected, it was big and filled with cold items, but none were more cherished than the homemade bleu cheese dressing that is made in house. I also spent some time standing in awe of the spectacular wine selection Cleaver's Meat Market has to offer. Did you know they serve by the glass and have an outdoor balcony in the back of the store? I've been there over a dozen times this year and never noticed that, but now we all know so give me a call when you want to meet there to unwind for a bit. After all was said and done, I truly enjoyed my time at Cleaver's and can't wait for my next visit. The most important thing is that I can always count on the "Meat Guys" to make me look good! Thank you, Mike Haggar and the Cleaver's Staff! |
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