Sunday, June 30, 2013

Buy Handmade vol 64



We head to Berlin for this week's installment.


Name: Dana Zimmerling
Occupation: Illustrator/Graphic designer
Etsy Shop: danadamki

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am an illustrator and graphic designer from Germany who loves short legged animals with long bodies. I love traveling and living abroad (for about 4.5 years I lived in Japan, Australia and Hongkong), but now I settled in Berlin.

When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy?

I have always created little things, but started to do it much more since I opened my Etsy shop in February 2012.

How did you come up with your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?

When I lived in Japan I wanted to make my own magazine, so I started to work at a printing company. I had designed a little font for the title of the zine, but not all of the letters looked good with my title ideas. Sometimes the spacing didn't properly work, so I gave up on my ideas and just started to arrange letters that looked good as a word. "d-a-m-k-i" looked quite good, so I chose it. After four issues I had moved back to Germany and printing became expensive, so I stopped doing the zine. As I wanted to keep the name and I already had a URL called damki, I called myself danadamki and am using this name ever since for myself as an illustrator and also my shop.
Damki also seems to be a Polish word for bicycle, but that's just a coincidence.



Has your Etsy shop become your full time job? If not, would you like it to be?
My Etsy shop has not become my full time job yet. I am mainly selling small, inexpensive things and it's hard to make a living on that. Also until now I produce in very small editions, so the production is quite expensive and time consuming. 
I'd love my Etsy shop to be my full time job. It would be awesome to create little fun things all day long. Until then I'm also working as an illustrator and graphic designer.

How would you describe your creative process?
I try to think about something I would personally like to have or use and then I do it. It has to be something I'm really into. I need to feel passionate for something to draw it, otherwise it won't look good.
I just grab my pens and sketchbook and start. Sometimes it helps hanging out at a Café to get more ideas, but I need silence at home to finish it.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
From traveling, my friends, films, internet and looking out the window. I can see a busy crossing ( but not many cars) in Berlin-Kreuzberg with tons of interesting people, pets and coffee shops.



Do you also sell your work at craft shows? 
No, I gave up on selling my artwork at craft shows. I find it too tiring to choose what to take with me, go there, set up a booth, sit there all day long … And I'm very bad at selling things face to face.
The last time I took part in a craft show, was at a christmas market in a shop in Berlin. The booth cost me 30 € I think. I earned 15 € within the whole day. I spent some of those "earnings" for the subway and then met this very old lady in the street crying for help. She was carrying a very heavy bag and she said she had just released herself from hospital where she had stayed because she was an alcoholic. It turned out she had lost orientation and walked in the wrong direction for about 3 km with her heavy luggage. As she had no money with her, I called a taxi for her. When I took the last Euros out of my envelope I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. The hug of the old lady with her Jaegermeister breath was worth it (although she probably hopped off the taxi at the next liquor store), but on that day I decided to never take part in a craft market ever again.

What is your most cherished handmade item?
I personally love my shrink plastic brooches most, especially cats on skateboards. Sometimes I don't really want to let them go. Some of them take me up to 1.5 hours to make, so it's quite ridiculous. The buyers love the Twin-Peaks coloring book most.




Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?
I quite like exploring areas I don't know, especially in foreign countries. When I lived in Japan I used to cycle around in industrial or harbor areas and take photos of abandoned objects. I also very much enjoyed finding remote cafés or restaurants and talk to interesting strangers. On my last holiday in Australia I started to draw a travel diary and it was amazing how much more interesting everything became. I think having in mind that I needed to draw something weird or fantastic every single day made me do a lot more things and talk to a lot more people (especially if they seemed a bit weird).
In Berlin I like to hang out at cafés and sometimes art shows. I like to meet old people who tell me their life story. 

Was there ever any other job you dreamed of having growing up?
I wanted to be an author when I was a child and then an archaeologist. I spend hours with my dog under a little garden house, where it was digging holes and I brushed the dust away with a paint brush. I once really found an old coin. Now that I think about it - has my Dad maybe placed it there?! 
Nowadays I could imagine to do a job which is based on craftsmanship, like refurbishing furniture or restoring historical buildings.

Five years from now you will be…
… illustrating more silly cute things for money (and not only fun). And have a Welsh Corgi.  I also dream of living in a farmhouse in the countryside one day, but I think I'm not ready for that yet. Maybe in 5 years.



Describe yourself in five words:
Adventurous, animal - loving, sarcastic, sometimes secluded, kitsch-addicted

Carrying on with the five theme, if I were to turn on your iTunes, what five artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?

The last five songs I listened to were: France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles, Deerhunter - Revival, Баллада Военной Машины КлипThurl Ravenscroft - The Headless Horseman, Grieg - Anitra's dance. 
Lastly, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about opening their own shop or participating in craft shows?

Don't expect to get rich (although it could happen). Only produce things you would like to use yourself and only do it, if it's fun. You might not earn a lot of money, but maybe something else will show up, like a job opportunity or interesting people you get introduced to. 
Product photos are very important and should look as professional as possible. Sunlight helps. And be patient :)



I chose to make the collage with all her awesome shrinky-dink brooches and necklaces because there are so many hilarious ones to share, but she also has other great items in her shop - so definitely go check it out!

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Grab Bag Love

My lip balms can now be found in Grab Bag Love!


I was extremely delighted when Jamie (owner of the company) wanted my lip balms to be part of her Original grab bags.

Are you familiar with subscription boxes? 

I actually really didn't know too much about them until one of my friends was raving about a popular online subscription box. I went on a search researching different boxes available and reached out to many. One of the boxes I am currently featured in is Grab Bag Love (and personally one of my favorites) I love that the items are all from smaller start up companies and handcrafted Etsy shops.

Jamie is a real doll to work with as well. She currently offers three different types of bags: Original, Domesticated and Health Nut. 

Original: "Inside the Original Grab Bag (Love) you'll find an assortment of amazing goods, from cosmetics, skincare products, fashion accessories, chic stationary products, gourmet chocolates and more!" - ***This is where you can find The Hive Botanicals lip balms



Domesticated: "Just because some people think cooking and cleaning is work doesn't mean you can't find it fun. Enjoy an assortment of products and projects to keep your home and garden organized, clean and lets face it, awesome!"



Health Nut: Experience the latest health food products, from nutrition bars and organic treats to natural supplements. This bag is a great choice for any Whole Foods lover!
New Bonus: In addition to yummy products we now also include a print out of our favorite healthy recipe we've discovered. "


Here is a little peak inside one of the original bags recently shipped.

So back to my friend that originally spoke to me about this whole new world of grab bags. Because I was telling her about Grab Bag Love, she immediately went out and ordered one. It arrived earlier this week and included one of my cherry lip balms along with many other amazing products. She was so excited and texting me pictures of all the goodies.

So if you are in the market for a grab bag of awesome goodies head on over, which would you pick?!



Friday, June 28, 2013

fff vol 72

Favorite finds from the past week:


Etsy find of the week:


I think these are so cute. I would love to have a little cartoon version of me! You should check out the shop though - she also does more realistic drawings and they are amazing!


Please can I move in?


Such a cool home. Ah..someday I'll live in the middle of the woods!


Get in my belly!


Can you tell I'm craving strawberries lately?!


Tee shirt of the week:


Awesome new Johnny Cupcakes shirt..unfortunately already sold out. 

Guess what I got for my birthday?! Oh yes...


woo-hoo I got my recluse tee-shirt! So excited, the mister got it for me! Yay!


Nothing exciting planned for this weekend, same ol spending my Saturday at the Farmer's Market. I should make some dog soaps - I'm almost out, they have been a big hit at the market. Other than that, play it by ear type of weekend.

What about you? Can you even believe that Monday is July?! How is this possible!?!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

birthday thoughts..


So today I turn 37. I'm not sure entirely how I got to be this old. I still act, look and feel like I'm in my 20's. I see friends and family around me with their children now being teenagers, and we have yet to even have our first (IF we have one at all) 

Sometimes I still think I have all the time in the world to make up my mind on that front..when I know I really don't. Have to really start thinking hard on the subject because recently I've been thinking again that maybe I would want one little human running around. I see my husband with our nieces and nephews and it's almost heartbreaking how amazing he is with children. Everyone sees it and comments on how great of a dad he would be... ah, just rambling thoughts that I have thought many times in the past.

The past..well while I'll just say, I've had some pretty low lows. I don't want to share everything on this ol blog for a few reasons. But one main reason is I don't want to come across as this constant complainer, pity me type. We all go through crap in our lives and deal with these things differently. But this past week we have made a pretty large lifestyle change and it's definitely for the best and brings along with it a large stress relief for us. So for that, I am grateful. 

I am looking forward to year 37 on this planet in a positive light, something I haven't been able to see in far too long. All I was seeing was the negative and that is going to change. 

I was going to put together a 37 before 38 list for this post - and I think I still might work on it. I love seeing a list and being able to cross things off. That's always the best feeling in the world.

So here is to a fresh new year. I think 37 is going to be a good year...happy birthday to me....


Okay..I did it! (it's now hours later..)

37 before turning 38 - I've got a year, wish me luck (partial for me, partial for my business)
  1. Grow my business and strive for 500 Etsy sales by the end of the year.
  2. Take certification to become an official NSO for roller derby
  3. Pack up the girls and the mister and head up north to the Adirondacks for a weekend of hiking and adventure
  4. Visit my brother in Brooklyn (he moves there on Sunday) and visit as many museums as I can pack into the trip
  5. Try new veggies from the farmer's market
  6. Finish mulching all the garden beds so they will be ready to plant in next year
  7. start a Permaculture garden in our backyard (more on this to come!)
  8. Participate in the Harvest Festival in September that is put on by the "Fabulous Beekman Boys"
  9. Go to Maine on vacation next spring with the girls (this might be difficult with Polly- but I want to try) It's been far to long since we have been up there, I miss those rocky beaches so much
  10. Get my products in one major store (any suggestions where you think they would work well would be awesome)
  11. Promote my tattoo balm to area tattoo shops in hopes of creating accounts
  12. Lose 10 pounds
  13. Break out of my comfort zone and wear cute dresses just for fun
  14. Get back out into my glass studio and learn to use my kiln
  15. Participate as an NSO in our first bout on August 24th (roller derby)
  16. Finish the renovations to my "soap room" 
  17. Get my products certified organic (this hinges on #16) This would be an amazing step
  18. Get my products on the PETA website - certified animal testing free and vegan (for my soaps) for all the ingredients that get put into the soaps. I obviously don't test on animals - I am going through the process of making sure that the companies I order my oils etc from are also PETA friendly)
  19. Learn to cook (I'm a baker not a cook)
  20. Do not buy any gifts from corporate shops - ONLY handmade, handcrafted
  21. Don't 10 percent of my sales to environmental charities that really make an impact
  22. Give a KIVA loan
  23. Take lots of bike rides
  24. Get ice cream from Skippy the ice cream truck that drives around town this summer
  25. Watch  a movie outside (set up an outdoor movie theater)
  26. Go on random drives to no where in the mister's 54 chevy truck
  27. Start saving for a trip to Ireland
  28. Take a mini road trip just to get something good to eat in some random location far from home - Road Food
  29. Go on a picnic
  30. Have cookouts and sit around a fire relaxing
  31. Paint the house
  32. Go camping (I've never been)
  33. Eat frozen custard with rainbow sprinkles as often as possible this summer
  34. Take the girls on lots of walks and adventures
  35. Go fishing
  36. Hang out with my nieces and nephews more
  37. crochet another large blanket..this time for myself!



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

wiw vol 26 TED Talks


Life Hack - 2012 
Streaming Netflix

This TEDTalks collection reveals simple tricks that can transform your life. Learn how your body language shapes who you are, how to start a movement, the secret to better work and much more.



We are obsessed with TEDTalks in this house. Luckily for us, there are many, many different groupings of TED on Netflix. It's not all we watch, but we watch at least a few each night. This one was one of my favorites I've watched over the past week. 

He also wrote a book called the Happiness Advantage:

"Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe."

One of my favorite talks..check it out.


Monday, June 24, 2013

Plant stands revisited almost a year later

Last year I shared my vintage plant stands and how small all my plants were. I cannot believe it, but it's roughly a year later and they are all alive and thriving. I also have a few new additions too.


Can you believe how insane my geranium is?! It's too big and heavy for the plant stand so I am currently trying to find it a home, for now the chair works. 


I love succulents. I am bad with names (as always) But the little grouping of four in the right - all i can think of are elephant feet for some reason. like someone buried an elephant upside down with his feet sticking in the air. These are all new. I think we got them just a couple weeks ago so nothing too exciting going on with them right now.



Most have just gotten so big that they are too big for the stand so Kevin put some on top of my yarn cabinet (it's a mess- don't look in there! hah you can see the reflection of my super awesome bike) My jade plant has been transplanted I think three times now. It's loving its now large pot. 

Now for the biggest change...


For lack of room, Kevin has moved his plants up here. He is growing aquarium plants and will be launching a new business very soon.

Here is just one example of what he will be selling. They are so cool, I can't wait for him to launch his shop. I'll keep you all posted:


Do you have lots of plants? I honestly cannot believe these are all still alive. It's probably a lot because of the mister and him keeping up on them though too! 

In the fall we are hoping to get a jump start and get back working on the renovations in the house. Once the house starts to get completed, room by room, more plants will be added. I keep finding all these amazing planters and just want to buy them all!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

We have a winner!




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Congratulations Jennifer!!

Friday, June 21, 2013

fff vol 71

Favorite finds from the past week:


Etsy find of the week:



I don't have any miniature humans, but if I did this would be mine. I almost want to buy it, just to have in my house because it's so darn cool.


Please can I move in?


Yes, I'll even take the furry creature on the front stoop. 


Get in my belly!



Oh My Goodness! I don't think I need to say anything else.




Tee shirt of the week:



This shop has some pretty funny tee-shirts. I like the mens better then womens though because it looks like your boobs would be falling out of the womens shirts. hahah


Weekend plans?

Me..same ol' same ol - farmers market on Saturday. I had a great weekend last week. Fingers crossed for hopefully another great weekend. 

Not too much else on the agenda. Get out in the gardens. Things are getting wild out there. I also still need to create my labels for my deodorants. need to get those in the shop because I have perfected the recipe and am super impressed with them!

Your plans?

Thursday, June 20, 2013

roller derby..


I have had a long time love affair with roller derby. I remember watching it when I was little thinking how awesome and cool those women were. How amazing it would be to one day play.

Unfortunately for me I lack two things you need to play... good knees and aggression. My mom joked with me that even if I had good knees and the ability to play, I would be out there skating and if I ran into anyone I'd be apologizing and asking them if they were okay. Which is so true. But hey, I can pretend that I would be this amazing aggressive player. 


When I was little I used to roller skate in our kitchen. Round and round I would go around the kitchen island. My mother HATED that I did this. Most of the time the wooden spoon came out and I got the look of death shot at me. But sometimes I got away with it, man it was so much fun. 

But two knee surgeries later, and an impending third one, has left me without having full range of motion in my left knee as well as the inability to put any weight on it..So something like this...


would be completely out of the question. Seeing you need full mobility of your knees..me and playing roller derby will never happen. 

But what I can do is be an NSO (non skating official) which is what I am now for our local team. Right now I'm in charge of the penalty box, but could also be put into the center rink and be in change of timing the jammers. I'm hoping they will put me as head nso.

So because I am a nerd when it comes to anything new. I have been studying and reading up on all the rules etc. I'm super excited about this little venture. Getting to be part of a team without the potential for injury always sounds good to me! 

You can find out lots more info here about flat track roller derby. Check out your local chapter and become involved. It's a lot of fun!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

wiw vol 25- Chasing Ice


75 minutes - PG-13 - Documentary
Streaming Netflix

Storyline

'National Geographic' photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. In 'Chasing Ice,' we follow Balog across the Arctic as he deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. Balog's hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Traveling with a young team of adventurers by helicopter, canoe and dog sled across three continents, Balog risks his career and his well-being in pursuit of the biggest story in human history. As the debate polarizes America and the intensity of natural disasters ramp up around the world, 'Chasing Ice' depicts a heroic photojournalist on a mission to gather evidence and deliver hope to our carbon-powered planet


I know most of the documentaries I post, I say they are "must watches" for various reasons. But this one..this one takes your breath away. This one makes you want to scream and put an end to the nonsense of us killing our planet. When are we going to learn? What is it going to take to make people understand how truly ignorant we have been and continue to be? It makes me just want to scream and shake someone. 

I don't know have all the answers, but I am trying my small bit that I can. I'm afraid it is already too late and irreversible what we have done in such a short period of time.

If you really want to educate yourself on this topic - there are also tons of discussions on TED talks for streaming Netflix right now too. Watch them, educate yourself, try to make a difference before we really do get to the point of no turning back.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Hive updates ..

Wanna a taste of what's new and exciting over at The Hive? Check out the blog for some updates!


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Buy Handmade vol 63 and GIVEAWAY!

This week we head to Woodbridge, VA



Name:  Ashley McKannon
Age:  26
Occupation:  Private Tutor / Sometime Confectioner
Etsy Shop:  SweetDiscourseBakery


When did you start creating and how long have you been on Etsy?

I've only been on Etsy for since February, but I have been baking on a serious level for several years now.

How did you come up with your business name, is there any special meaning behind it?
It took a long time to come up with a name.  I wanted it to be unique (something I could build into a brand if I decided to), and cute but not overly silly.  "Sweet Discourse" was a phrase my best friend found in several Renaissance-era English writings.  It meant pleasant conversation, and I like to think of my treats as conversations between the ingredients, me, and the person eating them.

Has your Etsy shop become your full time job? If not, would you like it to be?
The shop has started to cover its own expenses and fund new materials, which is a huge start!  If I decided to take it full-time, I would probably open up a physical location (my dream is a bakery and tea-parlor), rather than build a huge Etsy store.



How would you describe your creative process?
It usually starts with seeing someone else's recipe, a particular method or combination of flavors.  I then start to think of all the other things I could do to build off of that.  For example - my brother loves spiced chocolate (often called Mayan-style).  I started by incorporating those flavors (cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper) into a chocolate cake.  Just recently, when caramels became a focus of the Etsy store, I found a way to use cinnamon and clove oils, coupled with a pepper-infused salt, to make a Mayan version of my chocolate caramels.  Mostly I just play with things until they taste right!  I use organic, natural ingredients because they taste better, not just because they are better for you.  So many of the baked goods we have access to are highly processed and full  of preservatives at every level, and you can taste the difference.  A lot of my motivations and inspirations are actually reactions to this - I wanted to give the people around me something better than anything they'd had.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Love, as trite as that sounds.  Love of the art form itself, as food (and, I believe, pastry and candy especially), is one of the few arts that plays to all the senses at the same time.  It can be beautiful to look at, pleasing to touch, invigorating to smell, fun to listen to, and of course, delicious to taste.  My inspiration also comes from love of the people around me.  I adore the look of wonder on someone's face when I present them with something special I have made just for them, and the sense of care and belonging that you can convey with something as simple as a cookie.

What is your most cherished handmade item?
I have a framed embroidery that my mother made when I was a baby, of the lullaby she used to sing to me.  I'm keeping it to put up in my own nursery one day.


Apart from creating things, what do you like to do?
I like to play video games, garden, and read.  I also love to learn about and experiment with different types of food and with cocktails.  Making things that are more than the sum of their parts (even aside from baking) is one of my primary joys in life.

Was there ever any other job you dreamed of having growing up?
I wanted to be an archaeologist, then a molecular biologist, and then at the end join the State Department.  I got my degrees in Middle Eastern Studies, so who knows on that last one!

Five years from now you will be…
Possible opening up that bakery/ tea parlor.  I'd love to have a place of my own!

Describe yourself in five words:
Intelligent
Creative
Resourceful
Whimsical
Generous


Carrying on with the five theme, if I were to turn on your <insert whatever type of music player you use here>, what five artists/songs would I see on your recently played list?
Foo Fighters
Silversun Pickups
The Lumineers
Mumford & Son
H.I.M

Lastly, do you have any advice for anyone thinking about opening their own shop or participating in craft shows?
You have to find something that you can sell - some things, like many knitted/crocheted items - just often can't be sold for a high enough price to cover materials and labor, much less a profit.  Try to find a niche and the right balance between cost to produce and expected revenue.  Otherwise, you will end up with a very expensive hobby rather than a business!  That said, it doesn't cost much to try.  Photos are everything in an online store - invest in not only a decent camera, but learn how to use it!

Now because I have you drooling over your monitors..we thought we would "sweeten" the deal - One lucky reader will win ONE POUND of her Fleur de Sel Caramels!!! Your choice of original or chocolate!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, June 15, 2013

iPad Mini Giveaway!

Andrea, aka. Andie over at Mostly Happenstance graduated nursing school on June 15th. To celebrate she pooled together 23 bloggers to giveaway an iPad mini!

I am proud to be one of the 23 to help her with this quest. Also, how cool is it that because I'm not the host of the giveaway I get to enter just like all of you?! That was an added bonus!

All the entries are SUPER simple! Everyone only provided 2-3 links, which were GFC/Bloglovin, Twitter, and Facebook. No instagram, pinterest, 'click on this site and favorite this'. Just plain and simple entries which = more chances to win in a shorter amount of time.

Here are the lovlies that pulled this altogether:

Now get clicking and earn all the entries you can so you can have the best shot at winning the iPad mini!!

Here is where you can enter:
{Please read the Terms and Conditions}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, June 14, 2013

fff vol 70

Favorite finds from the past week:


Etsy find of the week:


I am completely in love with these clocks.

Please can I move in?


This cabin is amazing. It is exactly what we want for a house. Maybe someday we'll finally be able to live and build our own little cabin in the woods.


Get in my belly!



Yes, please!



Tee shirt of the week:



I NEED this tee-shirt, my birthday is in 2 weeks (hint, hint any relatives reading this!) I think this is going to be my roller derby name..thoughts? (hahah I still need to share about roller derby!)


I can't believe vacation is over, back to work on Monday - booooo. It rained all but one day my entire week off. Insane how much rain we have been getting here. Saturday is supposed to be nice, but Sunday rain again. So I'm hoping we finally have a good day at the market. 

Sunday is a cookout at my parents for Father's Day - I will need to make him some whoopie pies, they are his favorite. 

Anyone doing anything exciting for father's day? 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

the truths behind the long words...

Lately I have been having a lot of doubts and stress about my business. How difficult things can be when you get down and begin to worry about every little thing and allow the stress to wash over your entire being.


I started noticing myself becoming envious of other businesses having success and beginning to take off. I started to question, "What's wrong with me? What am I doing wrong?"

I was so excited to share many different opportunities that were expressed to me, but then just simply fell through. One of which was Anthropologie. They reached out to me in January, I was simply shocked and amazed. I didn't want to share anything because I didn't want to jinx the potential. But I guess it didn't matter because it fell through anyway. I honestly cannot tell you why, or what happened. The woman that reached out to me, simply just never got back to me after I sent her over 100$ worth of products. I tried reaching back out to her...but silence. This has happened on a few different business ventures that I was really looking forward to. Each time it happened, I just kept my chin up saying, "Something better must be coming along"

I think there is only so much rejection you can take before it starts to really affect your outlook. I noticed my attitude started to seem very negative due to the stress. Mind you, the stress is not only business related - there are personal issues going on as well. It just became overwhelming. I look at my business and think, I want to make this work - I need to make this work, why isn't it working?! 

One of my biggest concerns is with the consumers. Business owners slap labels on their products like "Vegan", "Green" and "low impact" so it has the consumer feel as though they are buying this amazing eco-friendly product. All the while they still use ingredients such as "triethanolamine lauryl sulfate" and "cocamide DEA" in their products - both of which are known carcinogens. 

I am not here to preach to you all about what to use on your skin, lips and hair. But I know why I started my company. That was to create products with truly all natural, fair trade and organic ingredients. My message to you is read ALL ingredients before purchasing any product. If there are words you cannot pronounce or that someone needs to explain to you why they are putting it in their products- more than likely they are evil chemicals that you should not be putting anywhere near your skin. 

So while my business may be slower than I would like right now, I know it's just because the right opportunity has not come along. But I can still hold my head up high at the end of the day and know that the products I am putting out into the marketplace are completely safe and good for your skin and body. And that alone, will allow me to sleep at night. Here's to a positive attitude and outlook on what is in store for us.