Coffee Shop Hop: Driftwood, Tampa- with Chelsea

I met up with hair stylist and creative, Chelsea from Saturn Salon Seminole location.

When I first met Chelsea, I was immediately drawn to her cool, funky style, and the way she just shows up in the world- it intrigued me. After finding out she loves a good coffee as much as I do, I knew I had to bring her onto the Coffee Shop Hop. When I asked her about joining me, she was in and already had a place for us to check out (her go to cafe)!

When we met up, we made it a day and started at Driftwood, followed by her house so I could check out her litte coffee making area. She ended up making me her daily iced coffee drink and was able to show me around her house. I got to see a lot of the things she ended up mentioning in the interview, which brought it all full circle.

Pour up a cup, and let's get to know Chelsea, a hairstylist who's been at Saturn Salons for a year now.

How it started

I’d love to take you down memory lane and walk you through Chelseas hair stylist journey. For her, it started simply as an elective in high school. Chelsea took it just to take it but quickly realized there was so much more to learn than what one class could give her. Eventually, she realized that she wanted to continue learning about hair and needed a real foundation before stepping into the world with it, so she went to cosmetology school after graduation to actually build it from the ground up.

She graduated high school in 2017 and started cosmetology school three months later, working by nineteen. Hair just clicked for her in a way nothing else had.

“I'm actually really good at this.”

She followed what worked for her ~

Raised by creatives

Chelsea was an only child, right brained, into science and arts and crafts as a kid. Her parents accepted her creativity fully, which I believe is exactly what let her grow into someone who’s unapologetically herself. Her parents are hippies who wanted nothing short of happiness for her, and creativity was just always in the house. Her “mom can make anything.” While her dad worked as a handyman and mechanic. He also would weld and they'd make art out of trash - turn nothing into something, together, just for fun.

Her dad fixed everything growing up, and he'd teach her while he did it. This led Chelsea into being able to fix, make, and create all sorts of things.

Her safe spaces

I love being inspired by someone, like Chelsea, and getting to know the ins and the outs. Not just how they grew up but what places make them feel safe, seen, and heard. When I asked Chelsea about her safe spaces, she responded enthusiastically with “the beach, especially at night.” And her childhood park with the lake, three little trees tucked in a corner that felt like a fairy portal when she was small. That's still where she goes when she needs to reset. She painted a picture of the space for me and I felt lit up just from what she told me. It truly sounds magical and I love that she’s aware of where she can go to breathe, pause, and connect with peace.

the sign, still hanging on her door from when she had an in-home salon

Hair as an art form

Chelease is multi-faceted, but hair is what she does as a career. However, she’s taken her career and started to see things unfold even more beautifully. Lately, Chelsea's been leaning into hair showcases, moving past the everyday maintenance side of the work and into something that feels like pure art. Her own words on her approach:

“I specialize in not specializing in anything.”

She loves the everyday styles, but what really lights her up is getting extra creative, letting hair become its own art form. One of her recent favorites was working on her high school friend Veronica, who lets Chelsea do absolutely anything to her hair (dream client amiright?). Together they did a vivid hair look for an award, a rainbow inspired piece she called the hurricane Doppler. I love how her work has expanded into something even deeper ~

The career, chair by chair

After cosmetology school, she took an assistant job and quit on the spot the moment she realized it wasn't in alignment. She knew the clients she wanted to serve didn't deserve to sit in that negative misaligned energy, so she drew the line. This, of course, made me more amazed by her. Style is one thing but morals and accepting individualism? Even more important. From there she freelanced for a while, then moved to Orlando and worked at a privately owned dry bar, which is how she found her way into bridal work. The company had and RV they used for on location at weddings- how cool?!

She eventually moved back into her grandma's house during COVID and set up a full salon right there at home. After that came Ulta, and now she rents a booth out of Saturn Salons in St. Pete, which is exactly where our paths crossed.

one of the many spots in Chelseas home that filled with sentimental trinkets

Creativity beyond the chair

At home, Chelsea builds little wooden houses, bakes, does DIY decor, all her inner child stuff. Growing up, money was tight, and making things herself came out of necessity, not just hobby. She was clear about that when we talked. But that necessity built a skill she still carries, the ability to design a world around her that fits her unique style.

She keeps most of it private, on purpose. You won't see her posting the baking or the DIY projects, just the hair work for her business. She wants the rest to stay joyful, fun, and hers. What she loves most is how her creativity starts conversations without even trying, someone compliments a shirt, she says, “thanks, I made it,” and suddenly they’re talking and having a whole conversation. She learned to sew from her mom and her grandma, who Chelsea says has that exact same creative streak.

She's noticed alternative people tend to flock to her, which tracks. When your whole life is built this intentionally around making things your own way, people looking for that same permission find you.

her grandmas recipes are framed and hung all throughout the house ~ the very house passed down to her, from her grandma ~ the one who taught her how to bake

The soundtrack

Chelsea's deep into R&B these days, Leon Thomas, Anderson. Paak, and Erykah Badu are all on heavy rotation.

We met at Driftwood, one of Chelsea's regular spots, and I've got footage from that afternoon headed to Instagram soon. Her go to order there is an iced americano with honey (and we loooove honey over here). After Driftwood, we stopped by her house where I got try her daily coffee. Recipe below:

An Iced Cortado

*save for later because I promise you, it’s so good*

2 shots cafe bustelo espresso

Oatmilk

Coconut sugar

And of course, honey

Chelsea, thank you for the coffee, the crib tour, and for showing me what it looks like to just fully be yourself out loud.