How's it going? I have been tossing the idea of writing a new blog post for a few days..thinking of what I wanted to say..how I wanted to share what's going on in my little world.
Most days fly by in such a flurry but I have found that I am trying to taking more time for myself. Every afternoon while I am here at the shop, I pause for a moment and just get up and walk around. It helps to clear my head and gives me time to knit/crochet.
Where was I? Oh yes, back to lotion bars. This March I received an email from the editor of the Handmade Magazine asking if I would allow them to feature my lotion bar in their magazine. I remember it clearly as it was a Monday and I was working in my Craft studio. When I received the email it took me a moment to let it all soak in. I was so shocked. The very fist thing I did was put my head in my arms and cry...tears of happiness and just utter disbelief. It felt so surreal, even though to some it was and is such a small thing but to me this is HUGE! Like climbing a very steep hill and reaching the top of one peak. I am humbled and honored. Of course the very next thing I did was call my mom and my hubby. My mom cried with me while the hubster who is my biggest fan and supporter did a fist pump. Gotta love these sweet folks!
The lotion bars are so very near and dear to my heart. Years ago we took my mom to see Alan Jackson, her ultimate favorite artist. She has quite the crush on him. Anyhow we made the trek to Cheyanne Wyoming to see him. While we were waiting to see Alan we wondered around the festival that the town was having. We came across a nice lady that was selling lotion bars. I loved the idea of a portable lotion that was thick and rich. Hers were square and wrapped in wax paper. I loved the idea that so much that I came home and started researching. What exactly is a lotion bar? Is it only for hands/feet? Which oils were the best? What kind of butters would I use? I must say it was a process. My first bars were created with cocoa butter, however I wasn't a huge fan of the cocoa butter smell. While it was a hard bar I didn't feel like it was easy to melt with your hands. The second butter that I tried was Mango Butter...another lovely butter but still not exactly what I was looking for. These are my what my first lotion bars looked like.
I was wrapping them with plastic wrap and had just started listing my products on Etsy. I had sent lotion bars to numerous friends and family and waited on pins and needles for their feedback. Most liked the bars but didn't know how to store them. After they were unwrapped, where could they put them away from dust, little ones or pets? Hmmm it was back to the drawing board. Small tins came to mind. I ordered a few rectangle tins and found that they held the lotion bars perfectly. I soon discovered while the rectangle tins were nice, I wanted something smaller. I stumbled upon the round tins and thought..WOOHOOO! They not only held the lotions bars perfectly but could easily be placed in a purse, briefcase, dresser drawer, or pocket. My lotion bars are the biggest sellers in both my store front and online. Nowadays, folks can choose their favorite fragrance. My list of available fragrances has grown to over 140 different yummy smells. Scents can be combined to create the most unique smells out there while nourishing and hydrating your skin.
And if that didn't just make my heart sore, I was honored to be included in the June Issue of the Handmade Magazine. They featured more of my wonderful lotion bars!
I am happy to say that while I am busier than I have ever been, life is beyond wonderful! Thank you to my wonderful customers, friends and family, your constant encouragement and support is invaluable!
Until next time...
