— red wine supernova.

emily lalani berry | 25. call me em. owner of to dye for salon. lady lover. feminist. bearcreek, pa. socials. @emberry

[once-more-with-feeling-glee]

I know, but in my defense, I haven’t lived at home in years. I honestly hadn’t thought about my board until you mentioned wanting to manifest something. For fun of course. You will if you would like one. You’re an amazing woman. Anyone would be lucky fo have you as a partner. Yes, that would be the same Matt. Do you know him?

[berryemily]

I guess that's true, you get a pass there. Do you think you've met all of the goals on there by now? Thanks, Rach. I'm not worried. Oh, sweet. I don't really know him, I've just spoken to him online a couple times. He seems pretty cool. I'm trying to talk him into a tongue piercing, but since he's your unofficial boyfriend, should I give up on that? Kissing someone with a tongue piercing might be weird.

[blamazonwrites]

— private.

I don’t know, I think you’re going to have to prove it to me and you know I’m hard to please.

[berryemily]

— private.

Mm, I don't recall you having any complaints before.

[berryemily]

— private.

Mm, I don't recall you having any complaints before.

[onceawarblerblaine]

Like I said, I really should have, I think I just underestimated how much. It’s going fairly well so far aside from the stress, though, so definitely worth it! Oh, Coda’s a wine bar — we do food and flights, plus beer and cocktails too, and live music on the weekends.

[berryemily]

I want to tell you the stress dies down a bit, but I'm three years into business ownership and I still find it stressful sometimes. You do get into a better rhythm eventually, though. That sounds like a pretty cool place, I'd be down to check out the live music. Who do you have performing this weekend?

[hadleyberry]

I don't know exactly what all you're looking for, since that all sounded way different than how the relationship of Taylor and Travis is going, but either way if you figure out a way to manifest it, I wouldn't say no to finding out what tips and tricks you have! Not that I'm in like some urgency to find a person to have a romance and relationship with, I mean honestly I figure in time it'll happen, but ummm if I could manifest exactly what I'm looking for? Totally would not say no to that! So yeah, sis, if you make it happen for you, maybe help a girl out? I can't trust Dom to be my wingman, he's too big brother, you know? (Love you Dom, if you read this!)

[berryemily]

I'm looking for what I said: a non-commitment, casual fun girl with no strings attached. I know that's not what they have, but if the tactic works the same, then I'll try it. I don't think I'd make a very good matchmaker, but if I figure out the secret, I'll let you in on it. You don't need anybody yet anyway, you just got real independence with your new house, which by the way I will be coming to after I get off work today to raid your fridge and hope you'll feed me.

[accidentalfireworks]

I'll be honest, mostly just like The Office related ones. They don't require much thinking, you know? But I like 'em. I have, and I don't mind them now but it took a while to get used to them. I still prefer to read a book as well, but there's just not as much time for that as I'd like. I get that though, for sure. It's at least nice when they have more than one voice doing it all.

Well if you find the time, we can make it happen. Even just a day trip or somethin'. The guilt would eat you alive, and I'd haunt you. But if you did resort to that, then yeah. At least make it a good story.

[berryemily]

Fair enough. I guess I've never understood the hype with The Office. Then again, it's 2024 and my dads still watch reruns of Friends constantly, so it's probably the same kind of thing. Did you ever read that Twilight book from Edward's perspective? I tried to listen to the audiobook version of that... huge mistake.

Mm, how about a beach day? I could leave the salon in someone else's hands for the beach. You say that like I wouldn't want you to haunt me. If you die first, and you don't haunt me, I'm gonna be pissed.

[adasdsfsdlkgjsldfasf-deactivate]

Hey! I said I wasn't trying to harsh the vibe at the start so that cancels out any that I did.

And in an alternate reality we would kill it at that. I like working with a medium where I can fix things if I mess up though. And would probably also need to actually commit to that half-sleeve I've workshopped with you.

Also kind of weird that our sisters lived with each other when they act like they can't stand each other, but to each their own I guess.

Unrelated - we should get ice cream. Or froyo. Cause, y'know, PinkBerry

[berryemily]

That's like saying "no offense" before saying something highkey offensive. It doesn't count.

Right? Let's hope reincarnation is real, then we'll come back as cooler versions of ourselves and make it happen. Yeah? Do I need to be the devil on your shoulder telling you to do it?

Yeah, that's always been weird to me, too. Maybe they just needed the familiarity of knowing someone out there? I've never moved away, I wouldn't know.

It bugs me that I laughed at that the first time and I'm laughing at it again now. You got it, though. You free now?

[maeveflynnabrams]

I've heard bits of Midnights and a bit more of her newer one. Fair. as for rugby, I was born in Ireland, also went to uni there. With the gap being spent here in Bearcreek angry at the world. Then my lack of knowledge of Taylor Swift is probably more to blame on being in the Navy and mostly listening to the same handful of musicians I've been listening to since I was a moody teenager. I'm also more a gamer than someone who keeps up with celebrities.

[berryemily]

Yeah, I like both of those. It took Midnights a minute to grow on me, but I like most of the songs on it now, and I'm getting there with Tortured Poets too. Damn, so you've done a lot of traveling then? What games do you play? I'd love to play more games, I just find that I don't have a lot of time, so outside of the Dark Pictures games, I'm kind of a virgin.

[berryemily]

@matt-schue (continued from here.) Exactly. Work places are starting to be more lenient with body mods in general, I think. I don't have a tongue piercing, but I understand, I think the tooth clicking might bug me too. I'm not a tattoo artist, I just have a couple tattoos and a bunch of piercings. I'm a hair stylist, I own To Dye For, it's an alternative hair salon. Thank you, that's how I'm looking at it too.

[berryemily]

Exactly. Work places are starting to be more lenient with body mods in general, I think. I don't have a tongue piercing, but I understand, I think the tooth clicking might bug me too. I'm not a tattoo artist, I just have a couple tattoos and a bunch of piercings. I'm a hair stylist, I own To Dye For, it's an alternative hair salon.

Thank you, that's how I'm looking at it too.

[berryemily]

Exactly. Work places are starting to be more lenient with body mods in general, I think. I don't have a tongue piercing, but I understand, I think the tooth clicking might bug me too. I'm not a tattoo artist, I just have a couple tattoos and a bunch of piercings. I'm a hair stylist, I own To Dye For, it's an alternative hair salon.

Thank you, that's how I'm looking at it too.

[once-more-with-feeling-glee]

I believe it would be fun. I haven’t looked at mine in years. It is definitely in need of a refresh. A business vision board sounds perfect for you. You are quite the entrepreneur. Okay! As I said, I apologize if I misunderstood. Although I do have to say, are you sure this isn’t a case of dost thou protest too much? You can trust me. I am actually seeing someone. It’s new and we haven’t exacfly gone public, but his name is Matt and I will freely admit that I am smitten.

[berryemily]

Isn't the point in a vision board to keep it somewhere in plain sight so you always have your eye on the prize? You're slacking, Rach. No, it's definitely not a case of that. I don't think I'll ever have a girlfriend, and I'm actually okay with that as long as I can still have fun. Really? How new? That's awesome, I'm stoked for you. Matt as in Matt Schuester? Or a different Matt? I guess it's a pretty common name.

[mackfabray]

Nah, they're too much hassle, having to keep them attached or find a place to stop where I can set one up.

[berryemily]

Yeah, I guess that would be a pain. Your life sounds cool, though. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous.

[san-lopez-deactivated20240808]

Oh of course, that's a great way to look at it. You don't have to share DNA to be family, or at least that's the Lopez motto. You are sweet though. My siblings and I tend to go the tough love route, so it's nice to see someone be like this with their support. Rachel's annoying, but I guess she is talented, compared to some of the voices we had to endure in glee. But I do have to say that I bow down to every last member of your family. I have no idea how we handled living together in New York without hurting each other. It's truly a miracle. Everyone's not a public performer so I get why you never joined glee.

Are you talking about Bree? I haven't had a chance to check out her club yet, but if she allows the cage dancers to show some skin, we probably could see girl nip there. Or if all else fails, I'll just get on a mic and ask everyone to show me their tits like it's Mardi Gras and someone will be bound to have the piercing. When you explain it like that, I now see why some of those celebrity hairstylists I see on Instagram can make their clients pull off any and every style possible while local stylists can't even do a proper bob. Listen, the razor blade thing was just a scare tactic! I can't really put razors in these locks. But I really might let you take an inch or two off, and we can maybe start with some highlights or something before I let you dye my entire head.

[berryemily]

Exactly, we know better than anyone. Tough love or not, you're still supportive of each other. I don't think I ever really went around telling Rachel how amazing she was, it was just a quiet support thing. I'm the same with all of my siblings, I think they're all cool, I just don't really say it much. I still don't understand how you and Rachel lived together, you really don't seem like you even like each other, let alone want to exist in the same living space... I think if all five of us had been singers it would've given my dads too much power, they'd have made their own little Von Trapp family singing group.

Yeah, that's her. It's a cool club, especially because I feel like most of the gay bars and clubs around here are specifically tailored more towards gay men, which is awesome for them, but a lesbian club is cool. I don't know if you're joking or not, but I think if you did that people really would just whip their shirts off. It's a pretty classy place, but people are also fun there, too. See, I knew the razor blade thing wasn't real, but I always liked to imagine it was. I mean, how cool would that be? I think you're gonna be the tamest restyle my salon has ever seen, but I'm still happy to do it. You just let me know when and I'll book you in... as long as you take the razorblades out first.

[onceawarblerblaine]

I feel like I’ve been running around non-stop for the past few weeks – but in a good way! No one ever warned me that opening your own business would be simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating, but I probably should have expected as much. At any rate, the doors have been officially open at Coda for three weeks now, and I can finally breathe a little easier. Even if I could probably use a nap.

(In related news, if anyone saw me nodding off over my morning coffee at CC yesterday, no you didn’t. Must’ve been some other poor sleep deprived soul.)

[berryemily]

You didn't kind of assume that much anyway..? Businesses take a lot of work, but you're over the first major hurdle by actually opening it, so congrats. What's Coda, then?

[maeveflynnabrams]

Her newer stuff is honestly a bit more my speed, but even then I haven't delved too deep. As for him, I think I'm actually more familiar with his brother than him, but in either case, no, I don't keep up with such. I'm not much of a sports person and when I do it's almost always rugby. My knowledge is more from friends and such who do.

[berryemily]

Yeah, mine too. I don't really know her older stuff, I only started listening somewhere around Lover which isn't my kind of thing, but her new album is dope. Any knowledge I have of him or his brother comes from him dating her. Rugby? I know nothing about that. Where are you from that rugby's a big thing and Taylor Swift isn't?

[once-more-with-feeling-glee]

Don’t be absurd. Everyone needs a vision board. Not only are they an excellent way of ascertaining one’s true goals, but they can also be quite therapeutic. Not to mention building one would provide us with an opportunity to bond. Well, your post did indicate there was a special someone you were interested in. I apologize if I misread or misunderstood.

[berryemily]

I mean, if you really want to? I don't need one for finding someone to...fill my time with, though. But I'll take a business vision board, sure. Gross, I'm definitely not. Speaking of special someones, though, anything on that front with you?

[dreamalittlcdream]

I'm with you there. For a long time I didn't even like getting massages for that reason. Everyone needs to get by somehow, I guess. Well I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time since you seem eager. You're welcome!

Thank you, Em. It's lovely to meet you too. Have you always lived here?

[berryemily]

I've never actually had a massage before, at least not a professional one, so I wouldn't know, but I get it. I'd probably keep apologizing for how gross and greasy the oil made my skin. I also don't get how it doesn't hurt their fingers? I've given massages before—again, not professionally—and after a couple minutes it starts to fuck with my thumbs.

Yeah, I have. It's...got it's charms, I guess? But if I didn't have my family and my business here, I wouldn't be opposed to getting out and exploring somewhere different. Where'd you say you were from?

[adasdsfsdlkgjsldfasf-deactivate]

Ooh you know what, it would be even better if they just said "credit to the artist," actually.

Not trying to harsh the vibe because you know I want to support you in what you do, but can you do that? - the adding it to your salon part. Just because I haven't seen a combination of the two, doesn't me it doesn't exist somewhere. But if you're not trying to be like a Claire's counter there are a bunch of regulations you need to follow to make sure that things are safe, so, maybe you should do some serious research into it if it's really something you want to do.

Besides, we've talked about this, Bears. I am perfectly content with the amount of extra holes I have in my body already, thank you very much. And if I was ever going to get into the body mod thing it would be with tattoos. Def would have too much anxiety about doing either on another person though, when I freaked out enough the time I gave myself an accidental third hole on one of my lobes.

Wait like, Santana my sister? She going through something I don't know about? ... That's a joke mostly. But kind of hard to believe about the person who wouldn't let us draw on her with washable markers as kids.

[berryemily]

Perfect, even easier for them.

No, I know, I get it, and I'm still deciding what I want to do and how I need to go about making it legit and above board. I'm for sure gonna do the course and get that under my belt, though. I'm sure there are other salons out there offering the same service, but I feel like with my place being kind of different, it makes sense to add it in. I'll look into all of that at a later date, and since you're boring and desperate to harsh my vibe, you can help me.

Kind of kidding.

Imagine how unstoppable we'd be if you did learn to ink, though? We could open a whole new business, you'd do the tats, I'd do the piercings, and we'd still be able to do our other stuff on the side.

Mhm. Weird, right? She seems more chill these days. Maybe the big city did her some good.