Shangri-La Boutique & Salon

---

When the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails!!                   

When Jeanne LaMon-Ehmer started her first day as a cosmetologist on October 28, 1968, she says the journey began “by default”. As a youngster, Jeanne took an interest in Architecture; while attending High School in Arizona, she was the first female allowed to enroll in the Architectural/Drafting program. Her senior year, the school offered 3 students the chance to attend college while still in high school- and she jumped at the opportunity! When filling out her applications for college scholarships in the Architectural Engineering and Drafting fields, she was advised by her counselor NOT to specify her gender; “I had perfect attendance and excellent grades so what difference should my gender make? I was ultimately offered scholarships from 3 different companies in Arizona." Unfortunately, due to her gender, all 3 revoked their offers when they discovered she was female. Understandably upset, she went back to her school counselor to be told the only scholarship still available was for beauty school, so she applied, and got accepted. “Thus, by default, I have spent the last 55 years being a designer of hair instead of buildings".

After graduating beauty school, Jeanne married and worked in a large salon in Mesa Arizona. Being "just a hairdresser" was not enough of a challenge for her, so she began competing in-and winning-hair competitions, from the Novice to the Masters level! Having seen Jeanne succeed in these elite competitions, her prior beauty school owner called asking her to get her Teacher’s License! Jeanne taught there 5 years, but life had more in store for her; she got divorced, and, “as life's journey evolved”, she got licensed in 6 other states.

She ended up in Prineville, OR where she opened up her own hair salon at the local mall. Simultaneously, a 3^rd generation hardware store in the area, that happened to carry gift items, was closing. The hardware store owner encouraged Jeanne to carry some gift/home decor type items in her salon.  “A lot of salons carry a little bit of clothing or jewelry but I never wanted to be just another salon, so adding gifts and home decor was a natural fit."  Jeanne learned how to buy wholesale and, little by little, the inventory grew.  People would ask her "do you carry any windchimes, any placemats, any statues?" When enough people had requested something, she searched those items out while trying to find them at price people could afford. And that is how Shangri-La became the wonderful eclectic mix of quality items it is today!

Eventually Jeanne met George, her husband of nearly 20 years, and they decided to relocate her here to Milton-Freewater. They loaded up U-Hauls, horse trailers, pickup trucks, and had a caravan of rigs full of inventory.  Jeanne leased what once was the Milton-Freewater Public Library, which had sat empty for at least 6 years. It was in major disrepair with lime green carpet, and the outside window planters had leaked through the walls thus rotting parts of the floor. They spent months pulling out carpet and staples, rewiring, replumbing, and painting.  After 4 months of labor-intensive renovations and almost $50,000 in expenses, Shangri-La Boutique & Salon opened up shop on March 8, 2005, with a warm Grand Opening thanks to the Chamber Ambassadors.

Today, 18 years later, Jeanne has themed sections inside Shangri-La that resonate with her customers: Western, Lodge, Country and Coastal themes, wine decor, sun catchers, wind chimes and more.  During the Holidays, over 5000 ornaments are hung, transforming the Boutique into a Holiday wonderland! When she’s not rearranging the Boutique area, Jeanne’s favorite thing to do is pedicures (just $38!). Jeanne believes in giving back to the community and has donated over $120,000 worth of products to dozens of non-profits and other causes in the area! Jeanne's navigated the downturned economy in 2012, survived the Covid pandemic, endured supply chain issues (" inventory was stuck out in the ocean someplace”), current inflation challenges, and now, as she says, "trying to survive the dang road construction". I like small town life here, I feel privileged, honored, when people share and trust me with what is going on in their lives".

Jeanne's words to live by are "What if today, all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?” Today, we thank God for the continuation of South Main Street’s Crown Jewels: Shangri-La Boutique & Salon and Jeanne LaMon-Ehmer.

 

Originally posted by Milton-Freewater Chamber Downtown Alliance via Locable