A New Earth

Funny how you can be wanting to do something for such a long tine and suddenly you find yourself doing it...and you realize it is the perfect time to be doing it. Now. I bought Eckhart Tolle's audiobook several years ago....and, I must have listened to disk one and two because two is not in it's spot...
I have been replaying the first 7 sections of the first disk because it is so powerful. It is speaking to me almost as though it is validating the first 50 years of my life and reminding me that what I believe, is exactly what I would always hope for my children.
which leads into why I blog....

Soaps have been flowing again... my favorite is Basil Mint... But there are some great ones.

Sleepy.... and happy.

Eight Days into the New Year!

We are 8 days in to the New Year and so far, it has already been shaping up as an exciting year. My niece Sarah, decided some time ago to set a goal for herself which was to run in the Boston Marathon.... She also decided that she would be running to raise money for Children's Hospital in Boston to support children. A few days ago she circulated a picture of her "Patient Partner" who she has been assigned. Leo is 14 months old, has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and has the best smile. My heart melted when I saw it and I was sad, proud, and excited all at once. Though I had donated, I saw that she had raised 1000 dollars of the 4000 she had hoped. I wanted to give more and since ONE of my NY resolutions was to spread abundance while becoming abundant, I decided that I would donate profits of my soap and jewelry sales in addition to my personal donation. That way, as sales increase, so does Sarah's Fund!!!! Not sure how it will turn out but I am excited about it. She is one very, very lovely young lady.... Her cause is touching. I am so proud of Sarah and hopeful for the research that supports Leo's cause. Sarah is telling all of her friends and I am telling all my customers that if they enter the promotion code of "Go Sarah" during checkout, I will donate a portion of ALL sales that occur between now and April 19th. Entering this code has no impact on any other sale that is going on. You still get your sale. Everyone has to shower and get clean...Now it will support a very good cause.

A New Year is Coming !

With only a few more days in the year, it is a time when we as women (I can only speak for women!) reflect back on the past 12 months, our relationships, our accomplishments, and in some cases, our regrets. Most of us have already considered what goals to strive for in the new year....

This year, unlike many of yours, has been filled with so many changes. My hope is to really reflect on all of those aspects of the year that I want to be sure to carry forward and those things I wish to leave behind. I plan to be very conscious over the next few days and give all of this some "consideration". These ladies pictured here are the four generations of my life path - and one other very important woman. My Mother, my Daughter, my Daughter in Love (Law) and my Granddaughter. (oh, and me!) That gorgeous woman on the left deserves more of my time over the next year... And that is where my thoughts begin.....

I hope you all have had the best year possible. I would love to hear from you. Would love to hear what your plans are for the new year...and not - lose 10 pounds, dont eat fries, be nicer to people...but what those things mean to you.... I would love to hear how you are feeling about those things and why those things deserve your attention...

I'll be back in a bit.... Processing in writing will be good :)

stop and start and stop and start and stop and start and stop.....

The last blog date is May 3rd and since that day, the days have been filled with LIFE!!! Beginning the second week of May, my last child, but only daughter attended her senior prom. She looked glorious! Truly a remarkable young woman. At the end of May, I hosted a baby shower for my daughter in law. My neice and her husband came into town for the weekend and stayed with me. It was a simple, hilarious barbeque with everyone being relaxed and just visiting. The only thing that made it not PERFECT was that my grillmaster, and partner in crime (aka boyfriend) was installing fittings in his Mother's house in Maine - in preparation for her return from a rehab center after breaking her hip the month before.

Jump into June and we began with Graduation. This was yet another significant milestone and a proud, bittersweet moment. Katie got accepted to James Madison University and so we spent more time doing the whole moving/planning thing.

The celebrations were abruptly overshadowed by one insurance claim after another to bring the total for the month of June to 4..... Yes I said 4. First a mechanical breakdown for my car. Picture I am driving a rental...and two days after having it, my daughter calls me in tears. She has been in an accident. Thank the LORD she was ok and was able to make it to dance rehearsals (where she was going) and actually DANCE!! As we concluded her 14 year dancing career on the stage with her dance school, we headed to the beach....with two rental cars.

My 19 year old son joined us for the weekend and on his way home Sunday, he was involved in an accident. Good fortune was ours again as he was not hurt. (yes, we have RACKED up some damage!) but we were not done yet!!!

I was riding home from the beach directly to work. Left at 4 am and drove safely to the exit that I take and a sheet of metal was launched into the air by the car in front of me and struck my rental. Oh yeah, we are having really big fun.
The last weekend of June was now time to really let loose as I turned 50. With some grouping of our kids, we trekked out to Assateague and had a magnificent weekend ~ And it ended with our friends taking us by boat to Seacrets....for grown up time.

We had a wonderful 4th of July on the beach...

my honey and I by the fire looking out at the ocean !!!----------------->>

But what came after the 4th of July was yet another milestone...lets count

them, daughter/prom, daughter (last child) graduated/turned 50, so there

we were....4 hours away and one week away from the "planned" date....attending orientation and my phone rings at 1 am. Phones dont ring at my age at 1 am without a REASON! My son called to tell me that they were on their way to the hospital and so my daughter and I spent the next 4 hours in the hotel room (she drifted, I paced)...until I got my first picture of Aubrey. She is a lovely grandaughter and everything a mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, you name it, could wish for.

And so, I have stopped and started my blog so many many times ~ But what I knew was right for me was to experience the time, rather than blog. And that we are doing.

In 8 days, I pack the car up ~ and deliver my youngest child, into the hands of this wonderful college, and pray that the same dignity she has led her life with thusfar, will follow her to college.

I sure hope you all are having a great summer. I tried to shorten it up...there is more...but c'mon! Doesn't this make you tired just to read the abbreviated version?

Some days the soap energy just flows right through me!

There are days that the soap energy just flows through me like electricity. I mentioned Under The Tuscan Sun, and it sure is wonderful. It is really, really delicate and romantic smelling. What I may not have told you about was the Raspberry Biscotti. OH MY STARS! It smells just like....RASPBERRY BISCOTTI!!! It is so good... well...I could not wait a full month to try it and yesterday I took a sliver in the shower. WOW OH WOW. It has lather that is just to die for and the smell is just perfect.


Today, I created three more batches. Two are repeats of big sellers. Rosemilk Clay and Luna Latte. These have been around for years.....but my new one is Cinnamon Dulce. It's scent is light, but creamy, warm, and rich. The ingredients for this bar are TOP SECRET! but I will say that the butters and oils smelled great before I ever added the scents. All three soaps today were milk soaps which will make some nice, creamy bars....

Another rainy, successful, simply soapy day :)

Under The Tuscan Sun

Under The Tuscan Sun really had been bubbling up since I saw the movie years ago. The scenery, the courage she had, and just the images I created in my mind when I watched the movie left me wanting to create something that honored that beauty. About a month ago, I received a new scent in the mail that seemed to fit. It is a complex, but light scent. Not floral, not fruity, nice... Crisp orange and olive leaf infused with a green grass accord and fresh ozone. A hint of lily and muguet intermingles with a base of musk, sandalwood, and oakmoss for a warm, long-lasting finish. anyway....here it is...in all its splendor!

The Secret!

Over the past few weeks, the Celestial Embrace wheels have been turning out a whole new look, a few new products, and a whole lotta positive energy !

My new collaboration mate, Suz, is now awaiting the shipment of her sales gear and she is teaming with enthusiasm. We have had more than a few moments of synchronicity that have given me goosebumps long distance, but mostly we have had a collaboration of spirits that have manifested in gorgeous new labels and a great look for the products I have made for 11 years that always looked rather homemade. Now, I wanted them to grow up if you will and I believe they have.

With this 'growing up' in mind, I turned to my native heritage by searching Italian, Tuscan, Romantic, but Celestial ideas...and I found Suz! If you see her work, you discover her artistic roots in the architecture of the Roman Catholic Church but her creativity reaches the heavens when she creates !

So, this weekend was all about re-labeling, making up sample kits, and preparing a sales kit - all in the name of reaching California by Wednesday. And, it happened. At the end of the evening, last night, it was three perfectly packaged boxes, ready to go. Now it is up to the mail gods to deliver it safely!

This week, I am going to bask in the sense of completeness. It was a huge emotional rush and now it is time to get in to the heart of creating again. In running my hands over the new labels, I had surges of ideas for new scents and this is good because we have an idea for a whole new product line. That part is a secret for now...but for now "The Secret" is to remain focused on creating the life I want to live. I have known for about 11 years that my "purpose" is to help people understand and experience happier skin through the use of skin care products that improve the quality of their life either from the scents they love or the feeling they get using my products.

Please help me think positive thoughts for Suz as she treks along the West Coast, and hope for a great future in our collaborating!

Have a wonderful day :)

lori

Wild Wild West

So, this trip was different than my previous trips out west. It was really about introducing my kids to the land of Arizona and all its grand'ness'. Geoff and I had been there before but we had not gone with the kids. They climbed Cathedral Rock. I went as far as I could without interfering with their exploring. At some point, it was too much to watch them and not panic so I stopped and let them go the rest of the way on their own. :) And, guess what? They LOVED IT!

If you have been to the Grand Canyon - then you know the vastness and the whole magesticness of it all. It is more spectacular than words are able to describe. We climbed a few "rocks" while there and we explored along the way. A coyote walked right in front of us, running up the mountain out of sight. We saw hummingbirds galore and no trip there is complete without seeing a snake. I just don't know why boys need to get so close to snakes....

The last thing I want to mention is Jerome. Jerome is "a ghost town" that was once a thriving copper mining town. We stayed in the most magical place called "The Surgeon's House". It once belonged to the Chief Surgeon of Jerome's Hospital but today, it is owned by Andrea Prince. Andrea has created a place that feeds the soul. Beginning with the great "bones" of this house, she has washed it in a soft color palette that is whimsical and soothing. Everywhere you look there is art. At first glance, it draws you in and no nook or cranny exists without something creative tucked in. For example, a powder room so tiny, not all may fit. There is no spot for a sink yet this does not stop one from washing their hands for on the tank lid, a dentist type bowl receives the incoming water before it fills the tank and you wash your hands with that water. No wasted water!!! And in the Maids Quarter's, where my daughter slept, the entire bathroom is a shower! It must be seen to truly be appreciated and if you care to visit her site, its www.surgeonshouse.com.

Saving the most ---ummm----unique for last ~ I snapped this photo of a woman driving past us in traffic. She had her two dogs in the car and WHO KNEW that dogs would wear goggles????

So, we had fun. It was a busy week and it flew by. As always, there was much I wanted to do but did not get time. I will go back. There is nothing quite like sitting on those Red Rocks, hearing only the sound of the wind....

Spring Break ???

So, not sure I would classify this as an Easter "Break" but it was a break from routine! In a day or two once I have caught up on sleep and developed some photos, I will take the time to capture a few marvelous highlights of our "pilgrammage" to the West. Viva Las Vegas, Sedona, The Grand Canyon, Montezuma's Well,V Bar V, and Jerome, Arizona. It was a whirlwind of a week and now I am back in the proverbial "soap saddle" ready to go!

I look forward to posting more on this!

Paying It Forward

I have heard the phrase "Pay It Forward" tossed around a bit lately and though I thought I knew what it meant, I believe I didn't fully understand. I have decided to gather all my miscellaneous soaps and sell them for the price of shipping (and packaging). What I am hoping is that people who know places that need soap will buy them and donate. I have donated some of it, but I have LOTS. The only thing about these soaps is that they didnt come out smelling strong enough so I don't want to sell for full price. I have about 100 bars. Right now, I have them on Etsy for .20 cents (that's as low as I was able to go) and the cost of shipping. If anyone knows ANYONE who needs them, they are here for the taking.

Have a wonderful day ! http://www.soaplady1.etsy.com/

Infusion Joy :)

Over the weekend a new creme was born and ohhhhh what a creme it is :) I got some herbs last month and if you remember a few blogs ago, I began infusing them in oils that were chosen for their various properties. So, with a bit of free time on my hand Sunday, I began with the first and for me, most important :) It is an anti-aging creme that is 95 percent where I had wanted it to be! I have used it 3 times since yesterday, and already my face feels different. I gave some to one of my top customers and asked her to be my little guinea pig to which she cheerfully replied - YES!! I always want to be your guinea pig?!?!?!?!? (she doesnt even get paid!) So, she just emailed and told me her skin feels "dewey". She is thrilled. There are two alterations I will make for my next batch but I used to buy Lancome and Clinique and other than just stepping out from full facial, this is the best thing I have ever felt... Very excited. There was something glorious about using herbs that have been proclaimed for their anti-aging and hydrating purposes, rather than chemicals I cannot pronounce, and now that it has been born, it's very exciting! It's name? Twenty Nine and Holding. Coming to my site soon !!!!!

April Showers brings May Flowers

I took inspiration from Spring itself when I was sitting there with a pile of beads and the colors popped out at me. The aqua blue reminded me of rain and the pale green of the triangle glass beads reminded me of all that grows and turns green in spring. As soon as it was finished I knew it needed earrings so I ordered more of the aqua in a smaller size for just that reason. It is so charming in person. This picture doesn't necessarily capture the true green-ness of it!

Have a wonderful Spring Day...we are getting the rain today. Perfect for the plants!

I had other inspirations if you care to look. www.celestialembrace.com in the jewelry section!

Always another Sun Necklace :)

As a collector of Suns, Moons, and all things Celestial, there is always another Sun 'thing' to be made!! This weekend, I had these lovely aqua colored recycled glass beads and it just seemed that they needed to be mixed with pearls for clouds, and that the pale aquaish blue beads were the blue sky behind the airy white clouds. I loved the end look of these..... Since everyone at the open house really wanted matching earrings for their necklaces, I just went ahead and made them for this necklace..

Love the end look.

Speaking of suns, it is a beeeeueatiful Spring Day here and the sun is shining, (no clouds) birds are chirping, and flowers are in bloom EVERY where.

Have a fantastic Monday!

Infuse a little somethin somethin!

Over the weekend I finally got to put together three ideas that have been rolling around "up there" for a few months. Three jars of herbs and oil are now happily on my windowsill taking in the afternoon sun, doing what they do best. Infusing. Destination for these delicacies? Three herbal products coming next month. They already have names and they have been alive in my dreams since January but it is time! These are not actually my jars as I did not yet snap a pic but they are, in fact, what mine look like. The shipment of organic herbs arrived late January and each of these concoctions have a specific intention. Twenty Nine and Holding will become a wonderful facial creme, a bath candy and a soap. Between The Sheets will be an all over creme, bath candy, and soap. Delicate is going to be an all over creme and a soap of some sort. Each of these infusions have a minimum of 4 herbs steeping into carefully selected oils that support the intentions. It is exciting. And, a reminder of why I began making skin care products 11 years ago.

Three weeks from today we embark on our annual pilgrammage out west to Arizona. It is exciting each and every time. I am thrilled to meet our Innkeeper in Jerome Arizona who owns the "Surgeon's House" that sits atop Jerome, overlooking the town. She has restored the gardens of the home and we have already discussed me bringing her herbal soaps. Sedona and Arizona in general, have a way of renewing the human spirit like no place on this Earth. What I love most is really everything but there are more places there that take your breath away, where it is okay to just be quiet and still and take it all in..... This photo is what we looked at from our bedroom last time were were there. This time, we are staying in the place we stayed the first time and we have a private outdoor hot-tub outside our bedroom door. The night we arrive is a full moon. Perfection.

So, whether you infuse your oils or infuse your spirit, remember to take it all in...and let it all out!

Three days until SPRING !

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Tho' I am not Irish ~ I will never pass up a chance to celebrate ! Today, I decided to put a little green back in your pocket by offering 25% off all jewelry in my shop. All you do is enter "Green" in the promotion code during check out. Most pieces are one of a kind so once you buy it, there will not be another in it's place! Have a fantastic day if you observe the green !

http://www.celestialembrace.com/

Yay for new 'stuff'

*********NEW STUFF***

Yesterday my daughter was home sick from school with a wicked cold and my son had a migraine from running into a wire (the kind that holds trees steady) while sledding the day before so I played nurse for the day. When I wasn't running for this or that, I got the urge to do something new...(imagine that!) and I created Doccia Mousse. For you Italian experts, no need to tell you it means Shower Whip. It is very fun stuff. Great for shaving! So, that was good.

I am also posting a necklace I finished last week. I am a bit embarrassed because I see I posted it already but I cannot remove it now that it's there.. (duh) Haven't been at the jewelry as much in the past two months but my soaps have exploded ! The creative 'lull' that I was in during January is definately gone. I think maybe January will be the month I know not to expect much creatively next year! It is a good time for introspection.

Nothing else is very 'new' today. No new music (though there is new music, the time came to stop sharing according to the "producer" guy. I do appreciate the outpouring of support !!! Got some nice emails!

have a creative and warm day!

Creative Chaos

The past two weekends have been spent (get this) multi-tasking! Since my business has been on the steady incline, I have products to make...and I have so much in terms of jewelry supplies that did not get finished pre-holidays that I keep trying to sit down and create BUT..... I also have this burning need to get organized. My room has been over-taken by beads, my dining room and kitchen are over-run with packaging, and my office and guest room are packed with finished products in boxes and on shelves. The room I have downstairs become non-functional about three years ago when I decided to take a break and stacked EVERYTHING in there....so. Here I am. Trying to put everything in one spot. Claim my space AND produce. It's not simple.

If anyone has any suggestions on getting organized, share share share!

In the midst of this, I did get a new necklace finished that I started but needed to restring because it was not long enough. I also got a new version of Lavender Ice made that I like better. It appears to have cubes of ice in it. It has started off as a great seller. I love it. Its cooling on your skin and it smells soothing. The other one I made today is Mango Tea. The background needs to be a bit more mango colored but the embedded green came out great. The soap smells fantastic. I have a friend (doesnt care for soap) but she cannot get enough of the Mango Tea fragrance in all my other products. Particularly my whipped creme. So, here are the posts of the pics !!

That's about it from me today. I don't think anyone cares if I feel successful that I matched 30 pair of socks that had been in a basket for the past 8 months. I feel pretty successful at completing two loaves of soap, spray painting baskets, getting the order ready for consignment at an art store in Midlothian Va, and finishing a necklace....OH, and lunch with my mom, dad, and my son and daughter.. Home Depot, then prom dress shopping. No wonder I am finished for the day!!! Until next creative surge.... enjoy yourselves!

Inhale

This past weekend I had to 'birth' another soap. In my head, I had a vision of this Pink Grapefruit Soap and I fulfilled most of what was in my mind's eye. My nose was elated by the INTENSITY of the scent. I absolutely LOVE grapefruit and in the middle of a dull winter, it could not be any more rejuvenating.

So, having done that, I have completed the last minute details on the fundraiser for my daughters Dance Company and this Thursday that will launch and run for the next month. I have never done a fundraiser before so it will be fascinating as to how that works out. After making soap for 11 years, I have made a commitment to myself to enter in three huge craft fairs this year and see where that takes me. I am nervous. Though I am completely confident about my soapmaking skills, I am just NERVOUS :)

That is all for today. Keepin it simple! Have a great FAT Tuesday!

New Movie - New Products - New Addictions :)

I am reminded by the little daffodil heads sticking out of the ground in my garden that spring is just around the corner which really is the time of year that inspiration usually comes at me in LEAPS and BOUNDS! This year, the business is taking off and opportunities are presenting themselves when all I seem to be doing is focusing on being creative! It's fun!

So, for the second week, rather than write about them all and squeeze in pictures, I did another movie which is over to your right --- and I put it all to my son's first song. Its really my favorite. First song recorded ever.

Thank you for reading! Have an inspirational day!

Bath Candy

Last night I made Bath Candy to fulfill an order and I had a few 'goofs' left on the table at the end of it all. So, this morning, I was up very early, and I filled the bath with hot water and dropped one of the bath candies in. This one was a special order that goes along with one of my soaps, called Good Earth. Good Earth is a bit complex....with Sandalwood, Orange, Cinnamon..and a few other oils. The aroma wafting out while I made my daughters lunch was AMAZING. So, when I went it to hop into this amazing bath, it had drained :( Determined, I went back, got another bath candy and started again. WOW am I glad I did. I can now smell the lingering scent (3 hours later) on my skin AND the best part, I didn't need any moisturizer as this had several oils but one new to me. Macademia Nut Oil. Another WOW!
I had an email from a local magazine last night who wants to feature my products in their Spring Bath and Beauty Edition. That Etsy is really working for me! Who knew ??? I am really grateful because making bath products that make people happy long after the bath is over, makes me HAPPY!!!
Have a great day !!!