As I mentioned in my Vision post a few days ago, I want to share my love for other businesses that I support. I see this taking shape as blog & product reviews, recommendations, and the like. My primary motivation is simply that I think it’s the right thing to do – if I find something I like, I want to tell people about it, because I want good people and good businesses to succeed. Most of these reviews I’ll do because I want to spread the word, but if I do have an affiliate relationship that results in financial gain, I will say so.

You’ll see on the right side of my page that I’ve added a link to Mountain Rose Herbs. I get some of my soap & body ingredients from them, and as I begin developing my [spoiler alert!] 100% organic line of soaps later this year, I’m sure I will rely heavily on their array of organic essential oils. I’ve referred people to them who are looking for unusual essential oils, because they have some that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

I’ve also tried their products for personal use, all of which were amazing – hello, raw cacao powder! They carry some cool salts and peppers – I’ve tried their big chunks of yummy pink rose salt (on sale in February!), black lava salt, and smoked black peppercorns – all of which made a really unique culinary gift for my husband’s birthday. Next on my list is to try a few of their teas. 

So tell me in the comments below… what do you want to try from Mountain Rose?

[I have an affiliate relationship with Mountain Rose Herbs, which means that if you click on the links within my blog that lead to Mountain Rose, I will receive a small commission on purchases you make there (thank you!!!). The price you pay will be the same as if you go directly to mountainroseherbs.com.]

I started drafting a blog post about all the things that have come from my month-long focus on planning the coming year… and the draft got so long that I realized each bullet point was actually its own full blog post. So I’ll start this one with a quick list, with a promise to expand each of these in the coming week or so.

Introducing Thrive’s vision statement for 2013!

• More blogging, less Facebook. I’m not pleased with Facebook’s ever-changing rules about who can see what, and particularly that people who’ve already “liked” my page have to work to get my posts, or I have to pay to get the message to them. 
• Expand my product line. So far I’ve been a little timid in my choices as I’ve gotten more comfortable with running a business, making soap, balancing work/life, etc… this year I’ll be weeding out some products and adding others.
• Shift some of my profit to charitable giving, and invest in carbon neutrality.
• Wholesale over retail. I am 6 months pregnant, so I won’t be doing any craft shows or festivals for the first half of this year! I have a wish list of cities where I would like to explore health food stores, boutiques, nurseries, and similar locally-invested small businesses where Thrive could be sold.
• More connection with customers. This business is rooted in love for self, family, the natural environment, and sustainable local economies. All of these are very personal – but I’ve resisted personalizing my communications, talking about my story, and showing the connection between me:Susan and me:Thrive. There is a whole beautiful family behind the distant “we” that I’ve blogged with so far… this year will bring more sharing of ME and US and (hopefully) YOU TOO in 2013.
• More collaboration with other small businesses. I will begin highlighting my favorite businesses and products so we can share in their awesomeness! Some of them I have affiliate links with – I will only endorse or share a product if I legitimately think it’s worthy, and if I also have a financial gain in you buying it, the post will include full disclosure.

This is going to be a really exciting year. I’m so thrilled to be continuing to grow this wonderful business and my beautiful family, and I look forward to sharing it with you. I enthusiastically encourage you to engage here – leave comments! send emails! tell me your ideas and thoughts – I want to hear it!

Gratefully yours,

Susan

We are up at the crack of dawn preparing for GLAM! Soaps, shea butters, lotion bars, and sugar scrubs are being loaded in the car this very moment… we can’t wait to see you there!

GLAM will be held from 11-3 today, December 2, at the historic Mustang Hangar at the Gainesville Regional airport. Here is a link to a map of how to get there… just head out Waldo Road, cross over 39th Avenue, and look for the signs. If you have any trouble finding it, send me an email or post on my Facebook page and (assuming I’m not too busy to check) I will try to help you.

Please note that there is a $3 entry fee… mention this post when you make a purchase of $30 or more at my booth, and I’ll give you a $3 discount!!!

Shea Butter is amazing stuff. At room temperature it’s solid and a little crumbly, but as soon as it touches the warmth of your body it liquifies and glides across your skin. You only need the tiniest bit to see its benefit for personal use or as a lube for massage therapy.

It’s like a perfect, one-ingredient hand lotion and cuticle butter. We also hear it’s good for stretch marks, so it makes a good belly butter for new and expecting moms. And ours is certified organic!

We whip our Shea Butter so it’s light and fluffy and looks like whipped cream. We also offer it blended with jojoba oil, which is a deluxe improvement on something that’s pretty amazing! Jojoba is  the plant oil that most resembles the naturally-occurring sebum in your skin, which means that it absorbs easily and doesn’t leave an oily feeling on your skin.

We’ll have both these products at the GLAM Craft Show, and they’ll be at retailers next week – just in time for the holidays!

Here at Thrive, we want to use the minimum number of ingredients to make our gorgeous products – which means making products that need no preservatives. This is why we don’t make creamy lotions with water – we make solid lotion bars made of pure oils, butters, and beeswax.

And today is lotion bar day!!! Here’s what we’re making:

• Lavender-Rosemary
• Lavender-Grapefruit-Lime
• Orange-Grapefruit-Ylang Ylang
• Lemongrass
• Lemongrass-Mint
• Unscented

These bars are perfect for hands, feet, cuticles, and even lips. At a generous 2 ounces, they’ll really last! And they come in a reusable tin.

If you see a scent above that doesn’t tickle your fancy, ask us – we will make you a custom lotion bar!

I used to think sugar scrubs were – I don’t know – kinda weird, and reserved for ladies who visit the spa on their way to the polo club or something. Then… I tried them. Now I’m addicted! They make my skin feel like I’ve been to that posh spa, EVERY DAY. How does it get any better than that?!

Thrive Handcrafts scrubs exfoliate gently, rinse easily, and leave your skin soft as a baby’s bottom. I use a blend of white sugar and sea salt, add organic shea butter and sweet almond oil to nourish and moisturize your skin, then scent them with essential oils. They are a wonderful indulgence or a special gift to tell someone you love, “take a moment… take care of yourself.”

Here is a list of the yummy scrubs I’m making:

• French Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Grapefruit – Lime
• Patchouli & Ylang Ylang
• Coffee
• HELP ME DECIDE… patchouli blended with lavender? Or how about grapefruit-lime-ylang ylang? Comment below to place your vote!

Scrubs will be available at the GLAM Indie Craft show this weekend, and at our retailers next week.

If you’ve visited our Etsy shop lately, it’s pretty obvious that we haven’t exactly kept it up… well today is the day!!! Not only do we have some brand new soaps and other products to list, we also have glowing, fabulous new photos!

My apologies for not updating for so long – it’s been a low-energy couple of months for me, but I am back in action for Fall! Loving the weather, excited about the holidays, and having fun meeting new people!

Some updates…

1. The biggest news is that I’m teaching a soap making class at the Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention in just a few short weeks! It’s going to be awesome! There are two ways to learn more: go to my Facebook page and look under the Events section, or go to the Cade Museum website (choose Programs, then Book a Class, then page forward to November 2012 – you can choose from two sessions, Sunday 11/4 or Thursday 11/8), You will learn the history and science of cold process soap, participate as we make a  batch of soap, and take home a hand made wooden soap mold full of soap you made yourself – it will make about 8 bars that will be cured and ready in time for holiday gift-giving!
2. I applied to be a vendor at Gainesville’s annual GLAM Craft Show in December… still waiting to hear if I will be accepted…
3. I am really kicking the soap production in high gear with the holidays coming! As you may know, this is Slow Soap we’re making… it takes around 4 weeks for a batch of soap to get made, cut, cured, and packaged. So if you are even THINKING about doing your holiday shopping with me, or if you have a custom soap you’d like me to make – NOW IS THE TIME! Drop me a line so we can chat!

Many blessings…