Blissology
No, this isn't a real update. I promise to update only if people buy my SOAP!
That's right, I'm making soap with my mom. You can see it and buy it here: http://www.blissology.etsy.com
And I guess I'll tell you a little about how it all started. (I just had this all written out and somehow managed to go "back" and lost it all)
About 7? years ago my mom wanted to know how her grandmother made soap. She was a 3rd grade teacher at the time and they were doing a section on "pioneering." She did some research, made the tallow (out of animal fat -- yuck! our new soaps have no animal stuff in them), mixed the lye, and made soap! Then she researched some more and found out that soap-making was kinda a big emerging hobby at the time. So she bought some oils and some fragrances and made wonderful soap.
Then other people found out. And they bought it from her. And wanted more. And more. They loved the scents and the way their skin felt afterwards. Soaps you buy from the store are actually detergents. They remove the glycerin (so they can sell it to other companies for a profit) which is so good for your skin. Her soaps were creamy, lathered well, and smelled so good. And they did great things for their skin!
Then she started making other stuff too. Lotions, bath salts, facial creams, shaving "creams", lip balms... And people bought those up too! She loved making people happy with her products, and people loved having them.
But then a horrible thing happend. My mom and sisters were hit by a drunk driver. We are so lucky that she lived. But she could not walk, had only one usable hand, and certainly soap was the last thing on her mind or anyone else's. It took a long time before she could move normally again. Lots of pain, physical therapy, and of course, time. Lots of time. And even though she could finally do things she used to do BtA (Before the Accident), she still didn't want to think about the soap. That was a reminder of her past life, and a reminder of the accident.
People still wanted her soaps though. They begged her to make it again. Some offered to pay her hundreds of dollars to start again. But she just couldn't quite face it.
That's where I come in!
She had a room dedicated to her soaping supplies. It was piled high with junk and stuff. I knew if I could just organize it all... make it workable... she would be inspired to start her business again. So I did. And she did. WE did.
After we made our first batch, there was no going back. She wanted to change the name so that it was part of her NEW life, not her old one. So Mountain Homestead soaps became "Blissology". That's "the science of bliss." Soap making really is a science. And our soaps really are blissful.
Mom and I are partners now. 50-50. And we want to share our bliss with you.