Simple Revelation

I just realized that we are entering a new decade. I have been so caught up in the thought of a New Year that I didn't even stop to think we are moving into more than a year but a decade too. This has me really stopping to evaluate where I am and where I want to be in my life. That and the prospect of babies creeping on the horizon. But anyway, I am a big believer in resolutions...I make them for the new year as well as for my birthdays. Maybe I am more of a believer in starting new. So here I am at the beginning of several crossroads and really forced (by me and what I interpret as the invisible hand of changing times) to examine where I want to go. I am leaving for my hometown tomorrow (yeah!) and will be there about 10 days...I think that is where I will step back from everything I have going on and decide: what next?

What are you going to decide?

Out of my hands

The Universe made a choice for me. Basically, it told me to chill out and rest. What I am saying is, my supplies didn't arrive in time for me to make it to Saturday's show. I am slightly bummed because I am greedy and want to get my business off the ground and I heard the show was "bustling" with people. BUT then I remind myself it was out of my hands -- I couldn't go. What was I to do -- set-up a table of pictures of my products? Not cool.

Speaking of products, I tried my hand at dog paw salve this evening -- which my dog is proceeding to lick off his paws as I write this. I noticed today that his paws are pretty cracked from running through snow and I thought -- damn, that can't be good. Basically, I used Shea butter, mango butter, vitamin e, and beeswax. I want to buy carnuba flakes so I can tout the vegan angle...seriously, my dog can go vegan with his "beauty" products too.

Well...that is all for today. I am off to go knit a hat for my fiance. I don't know what I am doing and have to make a stitch -- how do I do that???

Preparing for Saturday

Right now I am covered in powder -- baking soda, to be exact. I have two...well, three shows this weekend and I was busy making bath bombs for all three. I am bit worried that I won't be able to make it to my Saturday show. I am waiting for my supplies to arrive -- basically vitamin e and wheat germ oil. Both products are not only good for the skin allowing it to heal faster and providing a layer of protection in this cold weather but also natural preservatives. I am kinda anal about the quality of my ingredients and can't just go to the local store and buy the ingredients as much as it would be a stress relief to do so. If the products don't come tomorrow I will just have to bow out of Saturday's show. It is times like this that I have to rely on my strong belief that everything happens for a reason. Which brings me to my nerdy side: I don't have cable and therefore don't have access to basic television -- my life has been this way for a few years now. Recently, my fiance brought out, from his closet, a DVD collection that includes the first five seasons of Smallville. I had never seen the show and now seem to always have it in the background of all I do -- truth be told -- I am already on season four. The worst part is I am starting find inspirational sayings from the show and apply it to my business. Things such as "big risk, big reward" and not to let a bump in the road keep you from your dream. As much as I hate to admit it, it seems I am getting some sort of motivation from Smallville to push forward with this business -- especially when things get a bit tricky (like supplies not here 2 days before 3 craft shows). It is the message not the source that counts, right??

I have got to get some different background noise for when I work.

For all you knitters, I have discovered an up and coming yarn store in Fort Collins, Colorado -- My Daily Fiber. Isn't that name the greatest??? Do you ever just ponder great store names? There is a local waxing studio titled The Screamin' Peach -- now that is just genius. Anyway, back to the yarn store, the owner has her own Llamas and Alpacas where she gets her wool. It is so soft! She doesn't spin it all herself, but I think it is great to support a local gal and her yarn is pretty amazing. I have yet to find her Web site but keep it in mind -- My Daily Fiber.

Intros all around

Hi

First off what is Marin Natural Beauty? Marin Natural Beauty is a home based business that specializes in hand-crafted, small batch, all natural, vegan, body care products. I use only the highest quality vegetable and fruit-derived products to ensure the products you put on your skin are of suburb standards to soothe both your skin and your spirit. Our main product is lotion -- most of my ingredients are edible in the form that I use them. For example, I use vitamin E, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil, vegetable glycerin -- all edible ingredients. Also, I only use essential oils -- nothing synthetic, nothing artificial. I always say -- if you can't eat it, why put it on your skin????

I started Marin Natural Beauty because I have such sensitive skin and break out in weird skin maladies using most mainstream products. I can't even count how many times I have sat in a doctor's office due to some strange rash. When I was thirteen, a dermatologist recommended I try Lubriderm. Lubriderm is a great lotion, but over the years I have developed a desire to incorporate "natural" into my routine. I am a big believer that nature provides all we need to stay healthy and looking beautiful. I eat well, I exercise, why should my beauty routine be subjected to chemicals? Isn't our skin permeable? These were questions I begun to ask myself and over the years have developed a lotion that doesn't irritate my skin; isn't greasy but rather absorbs into the skin and leaves it soft; doesn't test on animals, nor uses any animal by-products for that matter. Now, I am not a vegan nor a vegetarian but I don't see why we should be using animal by-products in beauty products. That doesn't make sense to me. Hmmmm -- interesting -- I just realized that I contradict myself. I ask, if you won't eat, why put it on your skin -- well if I won't put animal products on my skin, why do I eat it? Hmmmm.... I will have think about that.