For the entirety of the 2 1/2 years that I have been working in my current location, I have eyed the wall to my right that separates my salon from the office suite next door with longing and hope.

I had it all worked out. I would put a doorway in that wall and divide the adjoining room into two separate rooms, perpendicular to my suite. The room that remained open to the corridor would become a storage/back room area, with space for a utility sink and shelving for extra paper towels and such. The room with the windows would be adjoining my current suite, and it would become the pedicure room.

The room has been available several times during my tenure here but I have always talked myself out of renting it — as much as I want to double my space, I really don't want to double my rent.

And then, about two weeks ago, all the pieces fell into place and before I knew it I was sitting here, trying to work with everything torn apart and shoved up against one side of the salon completely covered in red dust...

The Art of Nailz is officially expanding!

Naturally, it started with the next door suite becoming available again. Then, the neighboring massage therapist showed interest in sharing the space for storage. This means that my rent won't double, and I still get the space — I just have to share it. But it all works out and so leases were negotiated, signed, and the landlord/contractor came for a visit to ponder the construction requests.

For reasons I just fail to grasp, the contractor opted to start construction from the empty room yesterday, when I don't work, but finish cutting through the wall into my current suite this morning, when I do work.

It makes no sense to me why he would do it that way, but I keep reminding myself that I am a nail tech, not a contractor, and he has been doing this for a very long time... and owns my building. So maybe it makes sense, or maybe it doesn't need to make sense if it's your building.

Either way, now I have a hole in my wall and a layer of red dust on everything (the walls are made of hollow brick) while I stare into my future pedicure room quietly panicking at the amount of money I am about to spend to remodel and redecorate my salon.

Is it too late to change my mind?