OUR LAGUNA:New salon is a beauty

The secret is out.

More than 5,000 invitations were extended to the grand opening Saturday night of Rumors, the swanky new hair salon and day spa in North Laguna

“Every woman within a three-mile radius of the salon was invited to the opening,” said Dave Sanford, president of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, business associate and close friend of the salon owners, Sheila and Chad Conley.

“She did all the girlie stuff and I did the construction,” said Chad Conley, who founded CCA Builders in 1998 in Laguna. “It took about six weeks.”

The salon is on the upper level at Pavilions Shopping Center in Boat Canyon.

“[My husband,] Mike, and I don’t go out much because it is tax season, but Chad and Sheila are long-time friends and clients and it is important for people to understand this spa is different,” said Kathy Conway, owner of Conway Financial Services and former chamber treasurer.

One difference is the quality of the staff, Conway said. Another difference, apparent at the opening, is the available parking in Pavilions’ spacious lot, Sanford said.

How does Sanford know the Conleys? Let us count the ways. He is business manager of Conley’s construction firm. Sanford knew Sheila first — she was just 18 when they met. He introduced the couple to one another and was best man at their wedding. Sheila cuts Sanford’s hair.

“The north end of town really needed a high-end salon,” said Sanford, in chamber mode.

Rumors has 10 stations, two beds in the spa room, a steam shower and sauna. Sebastian, Wella, Bella Bella, Trucco, Jaqua and epicurean products are used and sold.

Services include facials, eyelash tinting and extensions, eyebrow tinting, permanent makeup, microdermabrasion, massages, body treatments, waxing, and of course, hair styling. Gift certificates are available.

Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays. (The “closing hours” indicate the time the last appointment will be scheduled.)

“Color and extensions are my favorites,” said petite, blond Sheila, clad in a gold, silk sheath to showcase her specialties for the opening.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Schneider cut the ribbon for the grand opening celebration. Maggie Hempen’s Such a Good Party catered the affair, which featured pink drinks, pink balloons and flattering pink lighting.

Laguna Board of Realtors show organizer Patricia Truman enjoyed watching somebody else do the work, catching her breath after a hectic couple of weeks.

“I organized the reception for Color It Orange for the 20th year and the Only In Laguna fashion show,” Truman said. “The Mayor [Toni Iseman] never looked lovelier.”

Truman has been involved with the Laguna College of Art & Design, where Color it Orange is exhibited since Designing Women was its only support group and classes were taken for fun, not for credits toward a degree

Festival of Arts board member John Hoover was also on the guest list, which included Sande and Richard Schwarzstein). He is on the board of the Laguna Art Museum, after retiring from Orange County Philharmonic Society board, on which he served for 28 years.

Among the guests: Steve Dotoratos, Ryen and Anne Caenn, president of Village Laguna; Bonnie MacMillan, chamber board member; Sheila’s dad, Jerry Kurbatoff and his wife, Lauren; Lance Polster, architect and member of the Design Review Task Force; Peter Hands, attorney; Connie Burlin, Ernie Schneider, former county CEO; Rose Hancock, chamber executive director; and Max, the Conley’s 21-month old son, who made an early departure.

For more information about the spa, visit web site www.salonrumors.com or call (949) 715-5111.

HAMMING IT UP

Bobbi Cox hosted about 60 people Saturday at her annual New Jersey Easter-time ham dinner.

“I used to have it on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s Day,” Cox said. “The invitations went out with my cards, but in 1993 after the fire we were all so busy getting clothes and housing for people, I didn’t send cards and the hams stayed in the freezer.”

Valentine’s Day came and went and ham didn’t seem right to Cox for St. Patrick’s Day, but then Easter rolled around. Voila!

“More people came than ever before and I have had it at Easter ever since,” Cox said. “Saturday night, we ate two 20-pounds hams right down to the bone.”

The hams come from a Morristown, N.J. butcher shop, owned by the Hoeffner family for three generations. They grow their own hogs, butcher and cure them — everything but cook them.

“It’s different than anything you have ever had,” Cox said.

Among the guests Saturday: artists Patricia Turnier, Patricia Whiteside Phillips and Julita Jones; Jones’ husband, Leonard; Arts Commissioner Emerita Doris Shields and former Commissioner Ken Anderson and his wife, Bette; Susan and Jerry Immel; Janet Pressman and Gunther and former Bank of America manager Clara Frantz, who is active with Cox in the Community Art Project.

“Lots of interesting people who were interested in talking to one another,” said Cox of the eclectic guest list which included friends, neighbors, clients, artists, art supporters, past and present members of the Arts Commission, on which Cox served.

A love for the arts prompted Cox to become a patron of many local support groups, according to a profile written by Anne Johnson in the March/April Grapevine, the newsletter of The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach.

BITS AND PIECES

The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach has invited leaders of 60 non-profit groups in Laguna to help define the needs of women in town. The club’s first Leadership Summit is set for 7-9 p.m., Thursday. Information gleaned at the meeting will be included in grant proposals club leaders plan to submit. For more information, or to confirm attendance, call (949) 497-1200.

Village Laguna members had a sticky March meeting. The agenda included applying address labels on mailers to announce the Charm House tour, set for May 20. Although not an official event in the city’s Heritage Month activities, the annual tour is a good fit.