Erin Slankard, co-owner with Jeff Noble of Maplewood’s Bouffant Daddy, said 2012 was a "pretty decent" year. They’ve been known as a place to go for curly hair for five years.

We specialize in maximizing naturally textured hair,” Slankard said. “Whether it’s curly or straight or wavy or frizzy or puffy, we are going to be able to show you how to work with your natural texture,” she said.

Ironically, she has stright hair. "My clients trust me by now to do whatever I want to their hair," she said.

The shop participates in two Maplewood Special Business District events a year, Let Them Eat Art and the Christmas Tree Walk. They offer a 30 percent discount on products for both events.

They really have fun with Let Them Eat Art. “We do big over-the-top wigs, and that draws a huge crowd into Bouffant Daddy,” Slankard said.

The shop’s featured product is called Mop Top, a product especially for curly hair. Noble is a national educator for the line.

Slankard lives in Maplewood, and loves it.

“It feels like we have a little bit of everybody here, and our one little main drag, here on Manchester, has so many great places to eat,” she said, “or if you love to cook, there’s Penzey’s or Vom Fass, so you have all your resources, including Schlafly Farmers Market to make a really quality excellent meal just from shopping locally.

“I’m all about supporting the local people that make things here, because I’m a local myself,” Slankard said.