Post Turkey Day Sale

pumpkin spice, chai tea and ginger orange peel soap

I tend to be a last minute Holiday shopper but in an effort to mend my ways and help others I am having a Post Turkey Day Sale. Everything in my shop will be 15% off November 26 – 29. Plus, if you spend $35 in product you get free US shipping. If you happen to be a newsletter subscriber you get an additional 15% off – sign up here. Happy Shopping!

p.s. my fellow SF Etsian’s are also having a sale – check out the shops that are offering discounts here.

Update

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green sand beach in Hawaii

Wow, it has been a while since I’ve blogged. A lot has happened both personally and businesswise in the last few months, so I figure I should give everyone a little update. Since my last major post in July, I’ve signed a few new wholesale accounts (more about those later), gotten a great blog mention (here is the link in case you missed it), debuted a new product, been on a mad soaping mission, went on an amazing trip to Hawaii and got myself engaged.

the beach where we got engaged

I am excited about all the changes in my life and a little nervous too (not about the marriage part, I swear). I get nervous that things are moving too fast, or not fast enough, that I’m not doing enough, that I I need to delegate more, etc. A friend of mine put things into perspective for me the other day when he mentioned how proud and amazed he is at how far I’ve come. It really made me think.

contemplative moment in Kona

I rarely take time to reflect on how much I’ve accomplished, I’m almost always focused on what needs to be done or what I haven’t done yet. I am not saying that I should be constantly looking back but I think it would help put things in perspective if I did a little check in once in a while. I think one of the best ways to accomplish this is to get back on track with my blog. It will give me the opportunity to see how far I’ve come. Please help me keep up with my new vow, I need your support!

one of the feral horses in the waipio valley

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a great day with lots of treats!

p.s. we had our very first trick-or-treaters tonight after 6 years in the city with nothing and had no candy for them...figures

(Etta + Billie) + (Fig + Sage) = Love

Over a year ago I set up a Google news feed for Etta + Billie, after months of getting links to posts about Billie Holiday and Etta James, yesterday I finally received something amazing...a real live amazing blog post about Etta + Billie on one of my favorite blogs Fig + Sage. I was so excited I'm pretty sure I squealed and completely freaked out my co-worker. Fig + Sage is all about organic and eco-finds so its right up my alley. She found me completely randomly from Facebook and Twitter (social media does work!) from a mutual friend clicking like on my Facebook Page. I am ecstatic about the review and am thankful for the exposure from the lovely ladies at Fig + Sage, special thanks goes to Stancie - you totally rock!

Check out the post here

I just got another google alert for a re-post over at Wellsphere here

Happy Fourth!!

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend with friends and family, lots of BBQ and a few beers. I wanted to share a great recipe that my Mister and I made a few weeks ago. Its a perfect easy to make 4th of July dessert that sounds fancy - Strawberry Blueberry Shortcakes with Brown Sugar Biscuits and Balsamic Black Pepper Syrup.

The original recipe is here (thank you Bon Apetite),we made the following changes: Substituted all the regular sugar for brown sugar to create our brown sugar biscuits; used a mix of fresh strawberries and blueberries and plenty of whip cream (red, white and blue!); Mister used star shaped cookie cutters to make the biscuits extra special. Enjoy!! Happy Fourth of July!

Farmers Market Skin Care: Cucumber Lemon Mint Facial

picture from Foodmomiac

The Cucumber Lemon Mint Facial is great for oily skin. Summer can be especially taxing on oilier complexions. The combination of sun exposure, sunscreen and increased heat can cause oily skin to go a little nuts, this combo will help soothe, cleanse and tone the skin. Mint naturally helps brighten dull skin and it's cooling properties are perfect for acne prone skin. Cucumber is high in skin soothing Vitamin C (more info here) and has astringent (pore tightening) qualities that make it a natural skin toner. Lemon peel adds Vitamin C and a bright uplifting scent with mild exfoliating properties. Lemon is also said to help rid skin of blackheads.

Grate 1 tsp. of fresh lemon peel add to a blender with 2 tsp. fresh mint with 1/2 peeled de-seeded cucumber. Apply and gently massage onto clean skin. Leave on for 15 mins, rinsing with cool/room temperature water. Apply witch hazel toner and a light moisturizer.

Use extra mint and lemon in ice water to create a refreshing beverage.

Farmers Market Skin Care: Strawberry Watermelon Facial

picture from Make it Do

A few weeks ago I saw a query for Farmers Market inspired facials in the media lead section of the IBN (Indie Beauty Network) site. I missed the deadline to respond but I was inspired to come up easy recipes anyone can do at home with a few farm fresh ingredients. More facials to come!

Strawberry Watermelon Facial

This facial was created with normal skin in mind but would definitely be lovely for oily, combination or even dry skin (for dry skin you may want to add half/half, jojoba or olive oil). Strawberries are filled with Vitamin C and fruit acids that gently exfoliate the skin. Vitamin C plays a vital roll in your skins production of collagen and it helps combat free radicals that can damage and age skin. Watermelon has a high water content so its great for re-hydrating skin. It also contains A, B and C vitamins. Our skin needs Vitamin A to maintain a healthy moisture balance and repair itself. Topically Vitamin A has been shown to reduce signs of aging. While B vitamins have been shown to tone skin and give it an instant glow. Plus the two make great summer snacks. :)

Recipe: Gently mash 2 strawberries with about 1/4 cup of watermelon. If mixture is too watery add 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. of honey to help bind together. Apply mixture to clean damp skin and leave on for 10-15 min. Rinse with lukewarm water, follow with lavender flower water and light moisturizer.

The Soap Studio Part 1

A few weeks ago, I let everyone know about my exciting new soap studio and posted a few of my studio inspirations here. I would love to say that the soap room is looking as amazing as these studio spaces but I haven't quite completed my soap room project. I have basically gone from this:

to this:


which isn't horrible but it definitely needs some work. Here is the plan: Mister is going to build some extra shelving into the closet area, then I can re-organize a bit, reassessing the space to see if I need more organizational devices, I'll sew curtains to cover the closet (I haven't touched a sewing machine since I was 13, so that will be interesting), put up my bulletin board, then some art and I'll be much closer to my Etta + Billie soap studio vision. In the meantime, I am dealing with the semi-organized chaos. :)

Etta + Billie at Maker Faire This Weekend!

Maker Faire
San Mateo County Fair Grounds
Saturday, May 22 (10am - 8pm) and Sunday, May 23 (10am - 6pm)

Please come say hi if you are around (there will be a rocket ship), especially Sunday when you will receive extra fancy soap samples and get the chance to wish me a Happy Birthday :).

Here is a pic of the new craft booth sign I did yesterday, I am actually impressed with how it turned out (even though my perfectionist side is having trouble with the slightly wonky letters - check out the e!). I used the printable iron on sheets by Avery on a white sheet I got at the Thrift store for $3 - super high tech. :)

HSMG Conference 2010

It's been just over a week since I got back from the 2010 HSMG (Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild) Conference in Denver, CO and I am still adjusting to my 'normal' life (moving doesn’t help ease the transition)! I looooved my time at the conference. It is a great opportunity for crazy soapmakers to meet each other, share and learn. It's wonderful to find a group of people who are as passionate as you are about the same things – it kind of feels like summer camp for adults!

soapers showcase entries, can you spy my geranium patchouli? hint: its next to a showcase winner

There were wonderful presentations ranging from Liquid Soap Making (Soap Queen Anne-Marie Faiola) to Branding (fellow bay area girl Alison Covarrubias) to The Nature of Chemistry (Dr. Cindy Jones). I really enjoyed Kayla Fioravanti's (Essential Wholesale co-mastermind, fabulous mom and all around awesome lady) presentation on formulating your dream business; Donna-Maria Coles Johnson's (Social Media guru and Indie Biz Champion) simple breakdown of social media strategies; Jamilla White's (E-Commerce Diva and all around kick ass lady) energetic E-Commerce talk; Kevin Dunn's (soapy mad scientist - I won his latest book Scientific Soapmaking and got him to sign it) hilarious breakdown of Trace; Robert Tisserand's (Aromatherapy Icon) insightful discussion of essential oils and fragrance oils (I was ready to move to Ojai so I could become his apprentice)

me grinning like a fool next to Josh Onysko

and Joshua Onysko's story of Pangea Organics (I got chills while the man was talking! His passion was completely infectious and his values hit so close to home…I considered packing everything up and camping outside the Pangea facility until the man hired me). The whole conference was filled with amazingingly energetic successful woman (and men) who generously shared their stories and support, which makes the conference a wonderful uplifting informational experience.

When I wasn’t filling my head with business info, I got the chance to meet some new folks and spend some time with people I met last year like my fabulous award winning (HSMG Soapers Showcase Best Melt and Pour Scent) roomie Jenn Hardaway from KLEAN SPA (photo below is Jen with her certificate) and the hilarious incredibly successful Lela Barker of Belle Lucce.

There were parties (Wild Wild West extravaganza sponsored by Kayla and Dennis Fioravanti), networking meet ups (where my table really got loud and I met some fab ladies like super funny Amy Kalinchuk – the Old Crone herself :), Kristen Bowen and Rose Cunfer) and had a few drinks at the Spotted Dog with Debbie Chialtas (Melt and Pour soap star), Erin Pikor (amazing cold process soap artist with killer arms), Bill and Val from super lovely Piper Tate and my pal Lori Nova (super bath and body teacher and creator of The Nova Studio).

I had a great time and can't wait till next year's conference in Miami (I swear I am starting my workout and savings plan now).