Couples' Night is now an Open Spa Night for all!

Due to suggestion, feedback and an edict from on high, I am changing the Couple's Spa Nights to just Spa Night. Nothing is changing about the evening other than if your sweetie can't come with you the 2nd or 4th Sunday of the month, you don't have to deny yourself a trip to the Little Red Day Spa! Reservations are encouraged, but not required.

Spa Night at the Little Red Day Spa
2nd and 4th Sundays
Drop in 7-10 pm • Cost: $20/person

This is a catered evening for couples and singles of all genders to pamper themselves or just lounge in the Little Red Studio’s spa. There will be massage tables set up, a body mud station, salt scrubs and watsu in the hot tub. A practitioner will be on hand to facilitate use of the equipment and help you feel at home in the spa. Short massages or watsu will be available for an additional fee. Clothing optional.

1506 Franklin Ave. E. • Seattle
For more information, call (206) 963-0772 or email Sophia at HengstStudio.com

Hmmmmm... Soap

I travel up to Bellingham a few times a month, and I have been buying soap from a woman named Suzanne, who has a booth in the Saturday market, for well over a year now. They are delicious smelling and the texture is amazing. The first time I purchased soap, Suzanne made to to tell me to let it cure for another day or two by leaving it on a shelf. She said the longer I left it out in the air, the longer the bar would last once I began using it. I took her advice and was pleased that as I made my way through the small stack of bars, doing foot baths and foot massages, the longer each one lasted.

I finally took the plunge and ordered a whole log of soap, which amounts to 26 inches in length! I picked the Good Karma Soap and the Sparklin' Spearmint Soap. I also got a sample of the Put Me In The Zoo Soap. How could I resist this:

Everything's in this bar but the kitchen sink! Big chunks of all our soaps are put through a meat grinder and come out as soap noodles. These noodles are put in a huge bowl and fresh soap scented with Orange, Mandarin, Litsea, Tangerine and Peppermint botanical oils and a generous amount of Clay Beads is poured over it. We thoroughly mix the soap, slam it in molds and cure it for 4 loooong weeks. The resulting soap smells great and it feels crazy good on the skin.

If you would rather have a bar of Spearmint soap instead of the liquid body wash in the shower, just let me know! It's a real treat!

Odd combination?

Last night I got to sit in on the LRS Erotic Haunted House: The Dreaming dress rehearsal. Even though there was the occasional "oops" it was so much fun! Not too scary, but definitely very creepy and weird. The sound guy was still fine tuning the music and sound effects so I am excited to see what changes end up being made.

I liked how much like a dream the whole show was. Somehow, even when it was unsettling, the surreal nature kept me grounded. I know that must sound strange, but trust me, when you see it, I bet you will understand what I mean.

As a fun addition, if you come to this Sunday's Couples' Night or Monday's Ladies' Night, you will get $5 off your Erotic Haunted House ticket when you pay for both events. There is a 9:30pm during the run, so it's perfect timing to come to the spa and soak and relax and then take the 5 minute drive over to 750 Harrison St. to see the show. I won't be able to leave on Sunday night, but on Monday I'll be leading anyone who wants to follow me over to the show.

It's going to be so much fun!

Couples' Spa Night - 2nd and 4th Sundays!
7- 10pm
Cost: $40 per couple


Ladies' Spa Night - Every Monday!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $15

Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

Be a part of SEAF 2009!

Seattle Erotic Art Festival 2009 Call for Art now open!

Please go to the Artist's Portal and submit your art! The deadline for submissions is January 30, 2009.

The seventh annual Festival will be held May 1 through May 3, 2009 in the Exhibition Hall of the Seattle Center, an internationally acclaimed center for visual and performance art (and home to the famous Space Needle). SEAF 2009 will feature a juried art exhibition, a festival store, interactive installations, performances, workshops, lectures, an invitation-only artist reception (on April 30th) and more.

For more info go to SEAF's main web site or to volunteer email: seafinfo@gmail.com

As the Lead Docent on the organizing committee, I'll be posting a call for Docents once we get a bit closer to the event.

Last day to RSVP for Sensual Repast

On Saturday, October 25th, the Little Red studio is hosting a Sensual Repast at the Little Red Day Spa.


This is a very special dinner event that will include will include classic Halloween Tales, partner massage and a trip to the Little Red Studio for the Erotic Haunted House: The Dreaming. At the completion of the show, you will be returned to the Spa to share in dessert and hot tubbing.

Reservations are required for this dinner - seating is limited to 16 people and we have a few openings left, as of this writing. The cost is $100 per person, payable in advance at time of reservation, which includes dinner, beverages, admission to and transportation to and from the Haunted House. Gratuity is not included in the price. The evening will begin at 7pm. If you're interested in joining us, please call Kerry at the office - 206-328-4758.

CTS study reults

I found an article on the Massage Therapy Foundation's site about a Carpel Tunnel Syndrome study.

In the study they compared general massage with a focused treatment regime. To my mind, it was a boring and predictable study, but I am very excited that there were statistically relevant results. I have long held the opinion that massage therapists are health care professionals, not just someone who rubs you and makes you feel good. (Though compassionate touch is a very important thing. Sometimes more important to receive than therapeutic techniques.) There are many states in America that have little or no requirements when it comes to massage therapy. Which sometimes leads people to eschew attending a school such as the UCMT Massage Therapy School* because they don't legally have to in order to obtain a license to practice massage.

Studies like this highlight the importance of a strong anatomy and physiology based education so that massage therapists can thoughtfully prepare treatment plans for people who come to see them with physical ailments or difficulties.

*The UMTC has schools in states with lax schooling requirements. I have no affiliation with them other than auditing 2 of their schools in Colorado and Arizona. During those audits, I was highly impressed with their educational curriculum. I also am impressed that they choose to have schools in the states they do because it gives their graduates an incredible advantage over graduates of other massage schools in those states.

Ladies' Night is going to be smelly!

Well, not is a bad way. I am working on an art installation utilizing aromas. I am hoping that while I work on making different blends, I can get feedback about each one. I also want to try out a system for delivering the scent so that only the person doing the smelling gets a whiff. I am hoping that I can keep the "smell noise" down to a minimum so that it can be used in public where chemical or smell sensitive people can be in the same room as the installation.

Ladies' Spa Night - Every Monday!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $15
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

Please leave the parking spots in the lot for those with mobility difficulties. Thank you!

Go to LRS Tonight!

Massage Therapist Cheri, of the Little Red Day Spa, will be hosting the bodywork tent where you can sample my fresh made Pear Salt Scrub.

Little Red Studio
The Saffron Show
Saturday, October 18th @ 9PM

Scheherazade, herself, would love what the Little Red Studio has cooked up now: An evening of all things Middle Eastern and Persian. Come celebrate in this festive, free flow of interactive, erotic art-making. Join us as we create a mystical, sensual, magical world of myths, legend and divinity.

This is a unique show in that the studio will be set up like a bazaar with various tent areas, wandering gypsies, and awesome stage shows concerning the human struggle between their human nature and their essential divinity. There will be story tellers, aerialists, poets, fortune tellers, belly dancers, dramatic pieces, musicians, and female vocalist, Mary Lydia Ryan.

Please arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 at our offices and gallery at 406 Dexter Ave. N. and we will escort you over to the main space as we prepare to begin the evening.

Where: 750 Harrison Street
How Much: $30

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Brown Paper Tickets or reserved by calling (206) 328-4758

LRS Halloween Bash Shenanigans!

One of the nice things about working within the Little Red Studio is that I often get to hear about decisions before they are announced. Jeff just told me that he is bringing back the carnival booths to our Halloween Bash.

If you didn't have the chance to attend any of the big parties at the Franklin Studio in the past, then you simply must make it out to the party on the 31st! What we are going to do is have tickets for purchase that can be used at various booths throughout the evening. There are talks of a photo booth, tarot card readings, a booth were you can be hand fed a sexy treat, or tied in a gorgeous rope body harness, and even a spanking booth!

We will also be having a raffle. Jeff hasn't decided whether to raffle off a season's pass to LRS or some art. I'll let you know as soon as he decides. We will be selling raffle tickets one for a dollar or your inseam measurement for $10. I recently learned how to do an inseam measurement so make sure to look for me!

For those of you who aren't interested in joining a large party, the Spa will be open regular hours that Friday. Just give me a call at (206)963-0772 or email Sophia at HengstStudio.com.

Sensual Repast Oct. 25th

Once again, the Little Red Day Spa is hosting Chef Kim and his Sensual Repasts.


On Saturday, October 25th, we're again offering a very special dinner event, The Sensual Repast. Some of the things we have in store will include body painting, classic Halloween Tales, partner massage and some live music to add just the right ambiance. After the main course you will be whisked away to our Erotic Haunted House: The Dreaming. At the completion of the show, you will be returned to the Spa to share in dessert and hot tubbing.

Please take a look at Kim's menu:

~Assorted Brushetta

~Dungeness Crab Cakes with Citrus Marsala sauce

~Spiced Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

~Braised Lamb Shanks with Parsnip Mashed Potatoes & Warm Rosemary Pesto

~Spicy Mexican Hot Drinking Chocolate with Fresh Orange Zest Biscotti


This will be held at our Spa, located at 1506 Franklin Ave E., in the Eastlake neighborhood. Reservations are required for this dinner - seating is limited to 16 people and we still have some openings. The cost is $100 per person, payable in advance at time of reservation, which includes dinner, beverages, admission to and transportation to and from the Haunted House. Gratuity is not included in the price. The evening will begin at 7pm. If you're interested in joining us, please call Kerry at the office - 206-328-4758.


A quick reminder that there are no appointments available after 3:30pm on the day of a Sensual Repast.

LRS update

There is a truism that can be neatly applied to the Studio: The only constant is change.

Last Friday, during the Little Red Studio Gold show, Jeff encouraged the troupe to support a new vision of an old theme of LRS. The idea that LRS give people a place to transform or transition. Art in all it's forms, painting, dance, song, etc... have the capability to awaken and enlighten us. Jeff wanted to create more breaks in the show so that people could assimilate, interact and engage in interesting and often creative activities, such as body painting, tarot readings, costuming, or receiving a hand washing.

There was suddenly so much more time where I was able to connect with more people. My conversations weren't all cut short because of the next act starting. Jeff gave a talk about the large altar style painting,"suffering Change," sparking other conversations later in the night. All the performances were rich and satisfying because we could talk and connect in between them during the night.

Jeff charged me with setting up a "bodywork tent" so that I could provide people with a taste of what we offer at the Spa. As a first go round, I think we were able to achieve that. On a small scale, of course. We gave people salt scrubs on their hands and had a "massage couch" with many massage toys for people to play and experiment with. It ended up being a comfy place to have a quiet moment or have a conversation with the ruse of physical contact.

It worked really well. If you haven't been to the Studio in a while or perhaps thought it was overwhelming the last time you were there, you should come to a Gold or a Saffron show for a new taste of LRS. (The Obsidian show is going to be a horse of another color.)

I'm happy now.

During a quiet Ladies' Night yesterday, I made a new batch of salt scrub. I adjusted the amount of Lemon Juice down 1/10th of what I used in the first batch. Now I needed to keep the Lemon because without the citric acid, the pears would oxidize and turn brown. While that would not have changed their smell or texture, it was unacceptable aesthetically.

It has been thoroughly tested by Ladies' Night regulars and been given the thumbs up. I am using a finer grade of sea salt that provides for a more pleasing consistency, too. Schedule an Autumn Colors Spa Session and try it out!

Ladies' Spa Night tonight!

Ladies' Spa Night - Every Monday!
Drop In: 6-9pm
Cost: $15
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

These nights are designed to be a casual and social evening. I will be present to welcome you and facilitate your use of the spa's equipment. There will be areas set up for scented clay, Pomegranate salt scrubs and massage for you and your friends to pamper each other. For an extra fee, one can get a short massage during the evening from our massage therapist on staff.

As a side note, there is still some of the Pear Lemon Salt Scrub left. Both that and the Pomegranate Tangerine will be available and your feedback comparing and contrasting the two recipes would be most appreciated. Yay for product testing!

Please note that the entry fee has gone up to $15 per person.

Remember to leave the parking spaces in the lot for those with mobility difficulties.

I changed my mind.

The Pear and Lemon salt scrub I made a few weeks ago no longer holds the same charm. It seems that the pear was too delicate a flavor compared to the lemon, as the scrub has very little pear smell to it now. That's very disappointing.

Another aspect of this recipe that I have noticed is that the citric acid is a bit irritating to the skin if one rubs the salt scrub a bit too vigorously. Or at least irritating to my skin. No one else has said anything to back up my experience. I for one adore the scratchiness of a salt scrub and the idea of being overly gentle is not appealing. The whole point is to recreate that intense back-scratch-over-the-whole-body feeling.

So, I have moved ahead a season and made the Pomegranate Tangerine Salt Scrub recipe again. In the mean time, I will experiment and see if I can bring the pear back in some way.

RSVP for Couple's Spa Night!

I will be hosting this Sunday, so come visit me on Sunday the 12th from 7pm until 10pm.

Couples' Spa Night - 2nd and 4th Sundays!
Reservations Required by 5pm that day (206) 963-0772

7- 10pm
Cost: $40 per couple
Little Red Day Spa
1506 Franklin Ave. E. Seattle

These nights are designed to be a casual and social evening. There will be a practitioner present to make you feel welcome and facilitate use of the spa's equipment. There will be areas set up for clay, salt scrubs and massage for you and your sweetie to pamper each other.

Please call 206-963-0772 or e-mail Sophia@hengststudio.com for more information.

New Fall Spa session!

The rains are here and the leaves are turning colors and falling. It's time to change out our seasonal spa offering.

Autumn Colors Spa Session

Feel yourself uplifted by the scent of Basil essential oil while getting your feet washed and rubbed in a warm foot bath. Be delighted by the textures of a Roman Body Brushing, dried leaves and silk cloth in a brief ritual that honors the changing of the seasons. A quick shower prepares you to be floated into oblivion in our spacious hot tub. All your worries and stress will be drained away by the swirling water and your attentive practitioner. After being deposited back on dry land, you'll enjoy a hot oil body treatment, accented with Rosewood, Lavender and Cypress natural essential oils. Fresh Pear Sea Salt scrub will enliven your skin, which you will shower off in our custom shower, emerging refreshed and rejuvenated. Singles or Couples: 90 minutes - $150. 120 minutes - $200.

Fun stuff to put on your calendar

The Little Red Studio is hosting a Haunted House as well as our annual Halloween Bash!

The official title is "An Erotic Haunted House: The Dreaming"

Step quietly inside a young woman's dream and experience the erotic through her eyes. Seductive and surprising, sweet and terrifying, The Dreaming is Halloween as only Little Red Studio can offer. Join us for one week only at Seattle's first Erotic Haunted House!

There will be 2 shows per night (7:30 and 9:30pm) every night from Oct. 25th thru Nov. 1st. (There will only be one show at 7:30PM on Friday, October 31st)

Admission: $20 ($5 off if you show up in costume!)
There will be no advance ticket sales or reservations for this event.
Where: 750 Harrison Street
Ages 18 and over only

Halloween Bash! Friday, October 31st

Immediately following the 7:30 performance of The Dreaming, we'll open things up for one of our biggest parties of the year! The Nasty Habits will rock us out again and we'll have many other sexy, scary surprises to thrill and excite you.

Admission: $20
Advance tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets or reserved by calling 206-328-4758. (Anyone who attends The Dreaming will receive a $5 off coupon for the Halloween Bash!)

Also keep your eyes open for another Sensual Repast announcement for the date of the next Spa hosted dinner.

Happy Birthday to me!

Years ago, I realized I was a grown up when I had to work on my birthday. That is the one day of the year you should be able to do whatever you want. I used to resent it when I didn't have the day off, but I realize now I just needed a different job. One I really liked going to any day of the year.

I love autumn, and not just because my birthday is in October. I took a walk yesterday along the east side of Lake Union, just wandered really. Picked up leaves and marveled at all the colours. Reveled in the gentle breeze and the rosemary scent that seems to hang in that neighbourhood.

Today, after I have finished with my chores, I think I will treat myself to another rambling walk. I have been so busy lately that is was so nice just to saunter. Here's hoping you take time to soak in the sights, smells and textures of autumn, too.

Psst! Go look at the Spa's web site. Phase 1 of the web redesign is complete.

Web redesign & Art Shows

Instead of writing blog entries, I have been working on the Spa's web site. We're reorganizing it so that, rather than just two pages, all the information about the Little Red Day Spa and our offerings will be spread out over 6 pages. Hopefully, this will make the site a little easier to navigate. We're still adding and editing to it, so make sure to check back periodically to see the changes. There will be information about catered spa sessions, new possible sessions that will correspond with the themed Little Red Studio performances, and a page of testimonials. (If you would like to add your story to the testimonial page, just send an email to me, Sophia at HengstStudio.com)

The other thing I am excited about right now is the Whatcom Artists Studio Tour. This weekend, while all the gentlemen are enjoying Men's Spa Night with Richard Jessup, I will be helping Jim Duvall in Bellingham, WA with his open studio, as part of the Whatcom Artists Studio Tour. From his press release:

This a juried studio tour of several artists studios in Whatcom County. I have been selected to be included. I am pretty honored as there are only 4 photographers allowed in this year. The dates are Oct 4,5 and Oct 11,12 from 10-5 pm. The tour is all over the county but if you are coming to my studio the address is 1208 bay St # 103 Bellingham, WA 98225. The entrance is in the alley.

You have two weekends to see his and many other wonderful artist's work being shown in the place it was created.

If you are planning on being in Seattle, this weekend, then consider the opening of Little Red Studio's newest show, The Saffron Show.
When: Saturday, October 4th @ 9PM
Where: 750 Harrison Street
How Much: $30
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Brown Paper Tickets or reserved by calling (206) 328-4758