It's the most wonderful time of the year!

By now, we've all probably had our fill of hot, sticky and hazy weather. Soon, though, the days of skimpy clothing and carefree loose outerwear will turn to more fashionable clothing and hair as the weather gets cooler. It's too hot to fuss with our hair using curls, irons and blowdryers, waiting for our hair to dry. Enough of pulling the hair up and back off our faces. I've seen more swept-up ponytails than ever before! They have always been an old stand-by, but that's about to change.

Fall will be upon us soon! We've all taken care of our hair, keeping it healthy, shiny and not bleached out...right? Ha! Not from my guests that are now asking how to take care of it, and what they need to do to change their style.

Maybe you've let your hair go a little longer than normal, or attempted to do your own colour with a friend's help. Perhaps you weren't happy with your friend's ability to colour or cut it. See what a hairstylist can do about your colour and cut that you don't like!

Is your hair too dark? Found out that a lighter colour just doesn't work? Are your roots lighter? Ends darker? Bleached out too much? Without getting into great depth, all those details can be fixed, but it's not easy! There are no quick fixes. It may be a bit costly, but it depends on how much you've coloured or damaged your hair, and how much time and patience you have. I don't give suggestions or prescriptions over the phone, but I always do consultations. You may not like what you hear, but as they say, “the truth hurts”.

Now is the time to indulge in those classic fashion styles, cuts and colours, which will make your hair warmer, darker, smoother and healthier. Get a colour to go with that wonderful tan you worked on all summer! Get rid of all those sundried, stressed ends! There's always time for those treatments.

Take a look at who's having their hair cut. Perhaps your favorite star or singer has an interesting style. The more voluptuous, classic, chic and sophisticated it looks, the better. Make it match with your colour and clothing choices for fall and winter. Remember – all this must suit you, be it colour or a cut and style! Don't forget to have your hair treated with masks as well.

In the cooler evenings, you can enjoy wearing your new fashions with flare – so look great! Why not? Run your fingers through your hair, or let someone special do it for you. Remember, you're not hot and sticky anymore. Just imagine a great tan, wonderful clothing and great, smooth, silky, shiny, bouncy and glowing hair – suited to you!

We have all taken care of our hair. How about tanning and making your skin glow as well? Let Esthetics by Iris get rid of dry, rough, dull, dead or lined skin cells. Iris can prescribe how to look after your skin and give you the care you need.

Once you're ready and comfortable, get started and move back into the swing of things.You'll feel glowing and fresh when you're done.

Let Salon Sarracini and Esthetics by Iris give you the prescription and consultation you need. Make sure you're ready to look and feel great for fall!

As always, let me know about your experience with your hair or send me your helpful hints by e-mailing me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Salon Sarracini is located at 83 Lakeshore Rd. E., on the southwest corner of Lakeshore and Elizabeth Rd. (two blocks west of Hurontario St.) in Port Credit. Hours are all day from 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and all day from 8 a.m. on Saturday. Call 905-271-8328 (Sarracini) or 416-278-3367 (Iris).

The Grand and Player Grand Piano Sale is now on at Forte Music!

New grand pianos are now on sale from $7,500, and new player grands are on sale from $11,900 (available in 4' 8"; 5', 5' 4", 5' 7" and 6" 1" sizes). Get a free upgrade to orchestrated background with built-in sound system!

Your new Samick Grand Piano will come meticulously fitted with a state-of-the-art digital player system that will transform it into a 21st century player piano, an entertainment Centre and a valuable resource for music education. Traditional player systems operate by receiving a signal from CD-media. This latest technology – The iQ Intelligent Player System – can be operated from your choice of external devices, including popular music delivery devices like the iPod and any MP3 player.

With iQ, you can play and enjoy tunes from PianoDisc's extensive libraries on your beautiful acoustic grand piano, with the artist's authentic expressiveness captured on it. You can control the piano from any compatible music player while the industry-leading SilentDrive system delivers a beautiful, fully expressive piano performance – even at whisper-soft levels.

This fascinating technology blends reliability, mechanical durability and the robust and rich tone of a Samick grand piano with a cutting-edge patented technology by the leader – PianoDisc Corporation.

PianoDisc's revolutionary iQ acts as a bridge between today's latest music playback technology, PianoDisc's elegant SilentDrive reproducing piano system and the sophistication and beauty of an acoustic grand piano – affordably!

Visit Forte Music at 2359 Royal Windsor Drive (1 km west of Southdown Road). Call 905-855-1030 or visit us on-line at www.pianoteam.com.