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Hey, Dont Bug Me!

Over ten years ago we launched a solid lotion called “Don’t Bug Me!!”  Its a lotion bar scented with a blend of essential oils that are clean smelling and yet work well to keep from being mosquito bitten.   Ideal product for the active outdoor lovers… campers, hikers, picnic goers, ball game attenders and players…. and so on.  We do a lot of research, and when Steve developed the lotion bar we…

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So whats up with Personality Typing?

Introvert, Extrovert, emotional, thinker, quiet, loud, soulful, clever…. the list is endless, and it seems that humanity loves to find ways of pigeon holing each of us into a tidy box.  So what box have you found yourself put into?  Have you ever taken a personality test and resonated with the findings?  Or bristled that the findings amplified qualities about your personality that you are not…

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Failure?

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Failure is something we have been trained to believe is evil and bad. But the truth is life has a learning curve and sometimes the greatest lessons come thru what looks like failure. One of the greatest lessons of failure was my naive lack of knowledge of people , especially shop keepers. We put our soap and silk scarves in a…

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Walk in the Woods

There is something special about a walk through a lush forest – fresh scents of the pines, and the green leaves… energizing and restorative to the soul. Inspired by this experience we created a soap of that name which offers a fresh and clean scent, rich lather and gentle cleaning…. Our cold processed soap has the added benefit of shea butter to add moisturizing to the luxurious lather. We also…

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Opening line of my autobiography-

If I knew then what I know now how differently life would have been. It’s quite odd how as we look back over the past some things seemed so incredibly obvious… but in the real time that was not visible. I think we can all say we made decisions with the best intel of the time. I can also say the combination of emotion and peer pressure played a role. That said I have no intention of writing my…

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Telling your story

As a small business owner I have learned that the story that brought me to the place to start a business is as important as the products we make.  Our story is unique, and the value it adds to our products carries beyond what we really understand. About 18 years ago I bought a couple books on making soap.  I love handcrafted soap, and when I spent $9 on a bar of lavender soap I realized I needed…

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Save the date

One of the sure signs that spring is arriving is the one day garden event at Sailorway Middle School in Vermilion on Saturday April 26th. We have participated in this event since 2012 and just love the blend of nurseries with lovely plants – herbs, perennials, annuals. And artists and creative makers. The watercolor society of Vermilion is there in force with beautiful paintings and greeting…

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Do you ever just get drained by people?

I am a self described introvert, but truthfully I love people, and delight in good conversations.  People can inspire me, spark creativity, or even compel me to push beyond my capacity to just see if it can be done.  But I think we all have someone that has crossed our path who consumes our energy, leaving us with a bad headache, and no energy to continue, right? A lot of the literature call…

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Teenage advise

What advice would you give to your teenage self? -1. Go to trade school instead of college- people will always need carpenters, plumbers and electricians 2. Put on blinders and hold on to your dream by not as plowing anyone to derail you. 3. Keep your faith strong. Read your Bible daily, pray and trust god. 4. Save as much as you can,even if it means sacrifice now. Long term it’s worth it.

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BRRRR! Baby the soaps cold in here

Living in Ohio in February is guaranteed to have everyone bundling up, and trying to find ways to stay warm.  But I bet you never thought about the impact temperature has on the soapmaking process!   Well, more technically, it is the soap curing process that is impacted significantly.  Let me explain: Soap making begins by combining the lye water solution with the oil blend, both held at the same…

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Focus on essential oils - Litsea Cubeba

Recently we discovered a new essential oil, Litsea Cubeba.  Its a mysterious name, with almost as mysterious a fragrance.  The common name for the plant is May Change, an evergreen tree that is in the Lauracea family (Mountain laurels).  May Change is native to China and much of Southeast Asia, where is is called “mountain pepper” (山胡椒) in Mandarin and maqaw (馬告) by the Atayal aborigines in…

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Happy Birthday!

Today is Steve’s birthday and I am so thankful for my husband, his loving, giving and kind heart, and his passion for people. Happy birthday Steve!!! Steve is enjoying retirement from the corporate world, and full time working at our studio business. Soap making is a passion, as is cooking.

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Lots of learning opportunities

We are so excited to offer some interesting classes and workshops in the next few weeks. We hope you find something that you would like to come out and learn.

Winter is a great time to take a workshop, or participate in a play day, or learn something new. We love to keep on experimenting, growing and increasing our knowledge, and we think you might like that too. Here are the fun things planned in our studio: Cold Processed Soap Making Workshop – Learn the basics of making soap, the science behind it, and a discussion on essential oil, ingredients…

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Happy Valentines Day

Ah the day of love… the time to remember your sweetheart with chocolate, flowers, and perhaps a lovely dinner. This year marks the 47th year that Steve and I call each other Valentine. It seems surprising that time has gone so fast. I am blessed with a wonderful husband of almost 45 years (that comes up in May). Whatever it is that you are doing, be blessed and cherish your sweetheart. Life is…

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I lost a friend

I lost a friends Sunday. No, she didn’t die, but she cancelled me from her life. We have been friends for a number of years, with a shared passion for gardening and art. In fact I always said when I grow up I want to be like her. We have always known that we have differing views on politics, faith and life, but I can say I valued the person more than some of their thoughts. That “agree to…

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Pink Himalayan Salt Soap

Pink Himalayan Salt is such an interesting ingredient. It is the star of our wonderful Pink Himalayan Salt Soap.  Yes, a very gentle vegan soap that incorporates the salt.  Before i talk about the soap i wanted to tell you a little more about Pink Himalayan Salt: Himalayan Pink Salt offers an intriguing glimpse at mineral packed crystals which formed naturally within the earth. The many hues of…

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Deciding ahead of the need

This start up entrepreneurial spirit is a wonderful thing, however sometimes it defies the logic of my business education.  In my masters education experience everything was so neatly planned, scheduled, organized….. budgets, planning, and all the day to day business operations were ordered easily.  Business, such as hospital management, is for the most part a set routine, predictable experience.…