Matt Perkins and the gang at Second Hand Rose are looking for your worst dishware, cookware or other household items as part of their “Desperate Housewares” campaign.

“We’re encouraging people to send photos of their most harried housewares — your most tried and true old skillets,” Perkins said last week, explaining eligible items could be anything from old cookers to dishware and china with an ugly pattern or chips. “Maybe you have too many dishes from a wedding set.”

The owner of the most “desperate” item used at their home will win a $50 gift card. Perkins said the contest is a quirky way of marketing and raising brand awareness for the Second Hand Rose stores at 2284 Carter Ave. and 3205 13th St. in Ashland.

Entries can be submitted and viewed at the shops’ Web site www.mysecondhandrose.com and the contest is being promoted through friends of the store’s Facebook page. Perkins said inspiration for the contest came from the items commonly brought to their shop, often illustrating the old expression about one person’s trash being treasure to another.

If you’ve driven along 13th Street and glanced at the Second Hand Rose Furniture store in recent weeks, you likely noticed a large archway from the former Dragon Palace restaurant in Ashland stored at the side of the shop. Perkins said the highly ornamental structure was recently purchased by a customer who planned to use it as part of a garden landscape.

Second Hand Rose stores are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, log onto their Web site or call (606) 325-3287 or 324-0387.

Seeking teens

Males and females between 14 and 21 years old are being encouraged to submit applications for the Studio 21 Salon & Spa Teen Board for 2010.

Members of the advisory board receive a variety of complimentary spa and salon services in addition to a discount for family members. Teen board members participate in fashion shows, hair exhibitions, professional photo shoots and community events.

Pictures and videos will be used in the salon, television commercials, spa Web sites and national publications as well as for social networking sites including MySpace and Facebook.

Applications will be accepted through Jan. 25. For more information, stop by the salon and spa at 2048 Winchester Ave. in Ashland or call Gary or Lisa Donalson at (606) 325-0001.

Now open

Veronica (Wireman) Turner recently opened her new business ABC Tax & Bookkeeping Services at the corner of Holt and 29th streets, across from Jack’s South Ashland Market.

A graduate of Boyd County High School, Turner said her family relocated back to the area after 13 years in Florida.

“I have 15-plus years of experience in tax preparation and bookkeeping with Quickbooks. I managed a tax office in Florida for three years,” Turner said.

The new business also serves as a pay station for most of the utility services in the area as well as vendors, including VISA and Wells Fargo.

Turner is offering a coupon for a $20 discount on tax preparation services, and has extended the discount to anyone who mentions reading about her business in this column. During tax season, ABC Tax & Bookkeeping Services will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, call (606) 325-0222.

Free workshops

A pair of free workshops for professionals is being offered by the Morehead State University/Ashland Small Business Development Center, Ashland Alliance and Ashland Community & Technical College.

The first will be “Stress & Time Management for Business Professionals” from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 27. The next will be “Self-esteem Building & Assertiveness Training for Business Professionals” from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., also on Jan. 27.

Both sessions will take place at the Jesse Stuart Foundation at the corner of 17th Street and Winchester in Ashland. Debbie Smith of Community Hospice will be the featured speaker for both workshops. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Those interested can register at www.kysbdc.ecenterdirect.com or call (606) 329-8011.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.