After 11 years at XEX, Keara will be moving to Arizona in June. Join us at XEX on Friday, June 7, from 6-9 pm to wish her the best on her new journey. Drinks and appetizers will be served. Here’s a note from Keara:
Dear friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I’m writing to share with you all the unfortunate news of my 11-year journey with XEX Hair Gallery coming to an end on June 11, 2019. I’ve been able to tell a few of you in person, but for those I haven’t seen in recent weeks, I apologize that you have to hear it through email as this decision happened rather quickly for the following reason. My husband has been offered an amazing job position in Arizona and together, we’ve decided to embark on this new opportunity to see where it leads us and our family.
Words cannot express my gratitude for each and every one of you, as you all have made a lasting impression on my heart and mind throughout the past 11 years. I am incredibly sad to depart ways with XEX Hair Gallery (and my hometown of Chicago as a whole), but also excited to see where this new chapter will take my family and I.
As much as I would love to give each of you one last service before departing, if it’s not possible to do so, I’d like to invite you to stop by XEX salon on Friday evening, June 7, from 6pm-9pm for drinks, refreshments, and the chance to hang out and say farewell. If I do not have the pleasure of seeing you one last time, I would like to simply say thank you. Thank you for not only letting me be your hair dresser, but also allowing me the privilege of getting to know you personally and become your friend. The knowledge I’ve gained about each one of you throughout our time together has brought me so much joy and has made me a better person and stylist all around.
Moving forward, please reach out to me with any questions or just to say hello. It would be a great joy to stay in contact with as many of you as I can 🙂 Regarding your hair services, David, Charles, and I will be available to help assist with stylist recommendations for your future visits at XEX.
Once again, thank you so much for sharing a part of your life with me over the past 11 years. I will miss you greatly and hope to see you on or before Friday, June 11.
With all my love,
Keara Duchene-Rusak
kearaduchene@gmail.com
Update 12/20/17 – Thank you to everyone who helped to make our holiday benefit on December 7 a huge success! We had over 250 attendees and were able to help raise $7,500 for Blessons!
Join us Thursday, December 7 for our 2017 Holiday Benefit! This year’s event will be held at the Hard Rock Cafe, 63 W Ontario, and is a benefit for Blessons’ efforts to empower women through education.
The event will kick off at 6:30 and will feature live music by Dina Bach, Pia Easley & Allied Forces. There will be a fashion show with clothing and style by Belmont Army and hair and makeup by the XEX team. Hannah Stanley from WGN Radio will emcee the event!
Tickets are available at XEX for $10. They will also be available at the event for $15. Looking forward to seeing you!
Learn more about Blessons at blessons.org
XEX’s 12th Annual Holiday Benefit is Friday, December 9 at XEX. Join us for a festive day of giving! We’ll have a giving tree with great items from Chicago businesses. Plus, 100% of the proceeds from hair services will be donated to The Anti-Cruelty Society!
We encourage you to schedule your appointment for December 9 to help us donate as much money as possible. Click here to book your appointment online.
Looking forward to seeing you!
The XEX Family
As dog and cat lovers, we have always appreciated the efforts of The Anti-Cruelty Society. Some of us have even adopted our best furry friends from this great organization.
We are thrilled to announce that we have established a relationship with The Anti-Cruelty Society and will begin making charitable contributions to assist in their efforts to help Chicago animals in need.
We will continue to support Feeding America as much as possible. We’re proud to have donated over 1,000,000 meals to those in need through our contributions to Feeding America.
Learn more about The Anti-Cruelty Society at www.anticruelty.org.
Summer is undoubtable one of the most exciting times to be in Chicago. From watching baseball games to the neighborhood fests, it’s almost impossible to be bored. One of the most exciting events to come to the city’s Grant Park every year is Lollapalooza. This year, there are around 170 bands playing the event. Here are some tips to make sure you have the best time.
At a festival where thousands of people attend every year, you don’t want to get stuck in the back where you can’t see anything. Set your alarm early to give yourself enough time to eat, pack and get there before everyone else does. This way, you can beat the crowd and find yourself a good spot to camp out.
As hot as Chicago gets in the summertime, there’s no doubt that you’ll be around some interesting smells as the day goes on- yourself included. Make sure you shower every day and wear deodorant. You can bring deodorant with you to the event, but let’s face it; everyone is going to get sweaty no matter what they do. Just make sure you apply it before you leave and you’ll be fine. The more measures you take to help fight your body odor, the less you’ll regret it at the end of the night when all you want to do is sleep.
Drinking may seem like a lot of fun when you’re surrounded by great music and amazing people, but when the sun is beating down hard on you, it’s probably not the best time to slam back alcohol. The main reason you see so many people passed out before the sun goes down is that they’re starting to drink too early and allowing the sun to help drain them even more. Don’t overdo it when the sun is still blazing over you- wait until the day starts to cool off before you party.
There’s no need to be completely intoxicated. If you are old enough to drink: pace yourself, go easy and know your limits. Like previously stated, wait until the sun begins to set before you get into party mode.
It doesn’t matter how much sleep you got the night before, you are going to be outside in the heat, sweating and exerting a ton of energy. It can take a toll on anyone. Getting a good night rest will help you stay energized throughout the weekend and have you ready for real life once Lolla is over. Even though you may seem awfully tired at the end of each day, your body is going to feel a lot better than it would if you didn’t get enough sleep during the fest.
Rain or severe heat can happen, no matter what the weather channel tells you. Be prepared. Pack yourself a poncho, sun screen, bug spray and anything else you want to bring to make sure you’re protected from the elements. Also, make sure to bring comfortable shoes. You’re going to be walking around for hours every day, so flip flops are probably not the best choice in footwear. Also, don’t forget to make sure you have a backup, portable charger for your electronics. All those pictures are going to drain your battery and you want to make sure you find everyone at the end of the night.
In the grand scheme of things, have fun and stay safe. Go with some friends, make a game plan and get the most out of the events. Be sure to check online at lollapalooza.com for information about the event. Make sure to check out what items are allowed in the festival and what the dress code might be.
