On 4th March we celebrate World Book Day and we were delighted to work with Melissa Verplank on a guest blog post about the bestselling Notes from the Grooming Table. This month this bestseller has 10% off.
Notes From the Grooming Table has become an industry staple in most grooming salons. My guess is you have at least one copy tucked somewhere in your shop. Others have it right out in the open. The pages are stained, worn, and tattered.
I love seeing books that look like that!
The original Notes was released in 2004. It took three years to create the book. Lisa Vansweden did an amazing job illustrating the entire thing. It was a massive undertaking. There were times I questioned if we would ever complete it. At that time, I was questioning my sanity...
Thanks to all those copies tucked away in grooming salons and on bookshelves around the world, Notes From the Grooming Table became one of the most popular grooming books ever written. I don't question my sanity anymore.
Fast forward 10 years. The AKC was adding recognized breeds at a record pace. New grooming tools were being added to our tool kits. Coat types we had not seen before were walking into everyday pet salons. Styling trends were changing on a number of breeds. I knew it was time to think about updating Notes.
Like everyone else, I had a lot on my plate. When I first created Notes in the early 2000s, I only had one business, The Paragon School of Pet Grooming. Today I oversee four different companies, each with additional sub-companies. It was a lot easier for me to focus solely on writing the book on the first go around. Even then, there was an ongoing joke within my team. They all swore my husband Marc locked me in my home office and threw food under the door. In all honesty, they were not far off - especially in the last 6-8 months. Seven days a week with typical days running between 10-16 hours each.
What's inside? Here's a preview of what has been added to the Second Edition of Notes From the Grooming Table. Check it out.
- THERE'S MORE! We've added 145 more pages.
- 2 NEW Bathing & Drying sections - including Hairless and Rustic Coats.
- We've added tools and products that did not exist or were not commonly used in pet grooming during the first edition.
- Trim style trends on many of the breeds have been updated - including pattern lines and profiles.
- NEW! What each dog group was designed to do.
- Replaced the art on a number of illustrations to better showcase the breed.
- Changed the terminology of comb attachments to reflect the diverse brands in use today.
- Additional illustrations to add clarity to grooming instructions.
- Grooming directions for 51 new breeds added to the AKC since Notes was first released.
- FINALLY! A complete index for easy reference.
- Added the Miscellaneous Group section.
The art and diagrams as well as the easy to follow directions continue to be the hallmark of the book. Every bit of this book was created in the USA - from conception, to creation, to printing, to distribution.
How to use Notes From the Grooming Table
I'm super excited to share this with all of you. Notes From the Grooming Table is something every groomer and salon needs to have!
Happy Trimming!
~ Melissa
Book Reviews
"Can’t wait for my updated grooming ‘bible’. I am, and always will be, grateful for what you’ve done for the professional groomer. Congratulations for this book and for all your contributions to our industry.” - Carol
“This book is absolutely incredible! It has every piece of information you could possibly need as a groomer. It goes into breed specifics and anatomy as well as tools and skills. I am very happy with this purchase!” – Tabi
“Great updated edition. Step by step guides that are easy to follow with diagrams and illustrations. Can’t put this down! Helps to build confidence as I want the best possible groom for the doggies. It’s a got to have for any groomer.” - Saunders
