From the Bathtub

Product Review drawing results for Awake Morning Facial Moisturizer!

2011-11-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

The first drawing results for the new Blissoma Product Review Program are here!

If your name appears in the list below it means that YOU have been selected to receive a Deluxe 1/2 oz size sample of our updated Awake Morning Facial Moisturizer.

If you see your name then check your email shortly for the full instructions.

No need to claim your sample, it will be mailed to you automatically in just a few days.

If your name appears on the list and for some reason you didn't get the selection email make sure to check your Spam folder, and then contact me at jlongyear@iriestar.com and we'll resend if needed.

Congratulations to the following reviewers!


Kristi	Ackerman
Natalia	Araujo
Silvia	Ardon
Susy	Ardon
Jan	Asher
Joe	Baldwin
Patti	Barscewski
Erica	Blake
Rebecca	Bliss
Cara	Buck
Gina	Carrillo
Yolanda	Ceja
Chia	Cheng
Danielle	Conway
Daron	Cooper
Kayla	Denny
Amanda	Doyle
Glorianne	Garza
Kenya	Guevara Villascan
Elyce	Hackley
Erika	Hokanson
Ifrah	Inshar
Chrystal	Johnson
Catherine	Keeling
Bhini	Khanna
Meagan	Koonce
Katrina	Kruczko
Eva	Lin
Jovi	Macanas
Melissa	McCool
Alicia	Mendes
Shane	Monroe
Ana	Moye
Marie	Nolan
Michelle	Ouderkirk
Judith	Perez
Cara	Phelan
Star	Rong
Anna	Rude
Regan	Samul
Susan	Sherwood
Stacey	Sickler
Gene	Silguero
Anne	Slaughter
Tim	Talbot
Karen	Taylor
Rachel	Vaughn
Tree	Weekley
Nikki	Whyte
Dominque	Young

If you didn't join the Product Review Program yet then make sure and submit your email and postal mail information to us via our Facebook Application Tab so you can participate in next month's review.

Enjoy your samples folks and thanks so much for participating!!

Higher Ground - Our Commitment

2011-10-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

This journey to build and become Blissoma started quite a few years ago. The photo above is from back in 2004 when my hair was short and still brown, I was a brand new mom, and we were located in the basement of a tiny rental house on Mitchell Avenue and still going by Irie Star. What a lot can change!

It has been eight years since I quit my part-time job, quit the extra college courses that would have led to my second Bachelor's degree, and began avidly to pursue this wild idea that I could create my own job.

I was straight out of college, totally fresh. Naive doesn't begin to cover it. I wasn't dumb by any stretch either, but I had never run a business. Therefore the thought that I would leave all other sources of income and employment behind to play with essential oils each day might have seemed a little kooky - maybe even a little dumb. But I was too ignorant to know any better and so I jumped straight in...

Running your own business you find out what kind of metal you're made of, sometimes quickly. My dad made a regular practice of reminding me that most small businesses fail within the first 3 years, and that it was generally 5 years before profitability. He had a right to, as he was my partner in entrepreneurship in the early days.

I love the thrill of making something new and my business gave me that. I also quickly got to know the utter heartbreak of opportunity gone sour, and the extremely real knowledge that the pavement was going to hurt badly if I fell down. This was real life and no one was going to save me, no one was going to do the work for me, and no one was going to toot my horn if I didn't do it first. This knowledge grew even into the tips of my toes and hair as I took on debt to fund expansions of our product line in 2005. Risk was the name of the game, and I was all in.

During those years we went through multiple product incarnations, scrapped many ideas, and had at least a few darn good ones. Most of our soy candle scents were conceived back then, as was our Yoga Mat Cleanser, the bulk votive and tealight collection, and Stress Relief Serum. I worked long, long hours - usually 16 to 18 hours a day. Tru, my daughter, was my cohort in the Port-a-Crib. She's still my helper, seen here stacking items a few years ago. The studio has been her playspace and she has grown up watching me throw myself at life and all its problems with gusto, often tears, and sometimes happy dances.

The entire time I have been in business I have always felt like exceptional products should be accessible to as many people as possible. This to me has always meant keeping our line affordable. I got really good at running a really lean operation. When we needed a bigger space we purchased a building in one of St. Louis' most economically distressed neighborhoods partly because we believe in urban revival, and partly because we needed crazy cheap square footage to keep our costs manageable. We have worked hard to make smart decisions with our budget in so many other ways over the years. It's what you have to do when you're bootstrapping. I started with basically nothing, and to this day the business is my sole real investment of any value.

Some would surely call it crazy. But dreams often are, aren't they? In the midst of an idea you can feel it, smell it, nearly touch it even though no-one else around you has any idea what you are talking about. You have to see the future and decide to head that direction in order to ever get there. I have found that when you display a loving, persistent will and keep your vision in mind the means to construct that new reality come to you. For me that has included the support of so many wonderful customers, friends, neighbors, and family over the years, as each purchase has added up to the ability to reinvest, try new recipes, pay for our space, and keep my family fed. Truly, every person that has ever bought and used a Blissoma product has built this dream with me.

Today I'm writing because we've hit a moment where some adjustments are necessary in order to continue to build the dream that is Blissoma. We've made many adjustments before - added new products, cut old ones (which always hurts a little), changed recipes, changed locations, changed working hours, suppliers and so many other things... but today's adjustment is one our customers might notice a little more than usual, which is why I wanted to explain its necessity.

Over the last 2 years since we introduced our new skincare line the market and sales climate has continued to change and evolve. Really, a lot of the change started back in 2007 when the housing market crashed. The way people buy is always changing, ever more so now with the internet. Traditional retail is experiencing a lot of challenges and in some ways is flailing pretty badly. We had always been sold a lot through the Natural Foods channel which was relatively stable. After all, people need groceries and that is one type of item that it is more difficult to ship, which ensured at least to some degree that people would be in those stores and looking at products. We've worked a lot with Natural Food Co-ops, Independents, and the biggie, Whole Foods Market in the past. I always liked the idea of our products being (hopefully) that easy to find. Our plan was to continue to sell this way when we introduced our skincare line. We were changing the type of product we were selling, but not the way it would reach customers.

Today I know that our sales model will be quite different from what I thought it would be then. Not only that, but many costs have continued to rise. Energy is still way up and will stay that way. Our botanical raw materials often spike in price now driven by climate change and natural disasters which have been on the rise. Our aluminum bottles are up in price by about 25%. Even insurance for our studio building has gone way up (about $700 per year increase from 4 years ago when we purchased), related to natural disasters (tornadoes especially in Missouri) and statewide claims. We're great at being thrifty but we also didn't have a lot of padding to accommodate some of these changes. Most of our ingredients are also Organic, and there is still a much smaller pool of growers and suppliers for those items, meaning costs can be high. For some ingredients I have only one or two trusted suppliers that can actually provide us the quality I expect, and so we pay whatever they must charge with the knowledge that the end result is worth it. What we make is no better than the ingredients in it, so I buy only truly exceptional base ingredients.

These issues alone have been a lot. The changing shopping climate has been a huge one to deal with as well. When massive retailers like Borders are going under, you know things are continuing to change out there. I've seen many of our retail store contacts become ever more rigid, often willing only to purchase whatever was available through large distributors in an effort to save money on shipping or inventory tracking. This limits the variety they have available but they see it as a way to spend less time on orders and data, which in some stores is a huge expenditure of employee time. It also means they miss out on a lot of great options, as not all companies are sold through warehouse distributors. Blissoma distributes our skincare only from our St. Louis, MO studio in an effort to keep inventory as fresh as possible, which means if a store tells us that they only order through distribution we can't work with them.

We are ready to proceed with other routes of reaching people, especially with retailers and sales methods that are a bit more flexible and service-oriented. Expanding our online sales this last year has been amazing as we have grown and gotten to talk to so many of our supporters. Blissoma also finds good success with boutique retailers and with estheticians, both of whom also work closely with us and with their customers.

To expand with the independent retailers that will give our customers the types of experiences and service they deserve we have to make adjustments to how our products are priced. Different industries work at different retail and wholesale levels, and when I priced us several years ago it was for the Natural Foods industry, not for boutique retailers. The important thing about that is that smaller retailers often need a bigger margin in order to pay their operations costs. Quite a few of our smaller retailers already sold our products for more than our Suggested Retail Price in order to be able to make enough money on them. In an age where folks can look up a product on the internet our retailers want to know that our products are not going to be priced at less online than in their store. We have to support their pricing to make it possible for them to carry us.

The pricing adjustments we have made reflect these values:

1. To remain in business so we can continue to serve you and provide a voice and experience of truly natural skincare, which we believe is sorely needed.

2. To purchase only the best quality ingredients we can possibly find so that our products continue to deliver you results. No cutting corners. Period.

3. To make our products available through sales avenues that reflect our values and yours - small businesses especially that are run by people you can trust and who are similarly passionate about why they are in business.

We appreciate your support as much as ever, and I understand as much as anyone what it is like to have to make choices with your resources. We are truly honored whenever you choose our products. I hope we can always deliver you products that heal and help you every day.

To provide you, our friends and fellow builders of our dream, a buffer period I am making a discount code available for you to use through the month of October.

Get 15% off your entire order by using code: OCTOBERGRACE15

All products on our home site besides Gift Certificates and the new Travel Skincare Sets are included without limit so you can order at very nearly our old pricing. The discount expires 10/31/11.

This post started about me, and ended quite a bit more about you, our customer. Blissoma is only possible with both of us. I'm excited and thankful to have made it this far, and thrilled to see what the future holds. Here's hoping you are as well. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, and I'm going to be dreaming up something good. :)

Consult the Herbal Chemist - Teenage Acne Rescue au Natural

2011-09-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Julie,

"For the past year I have been struggling with acne and it has heavily brought down my self confidence. My brother is always teasing me about my acne and makes fun of me for it and it really brings me down. I have tried using drugstore products for my acne and they either have broken me out more, irritated my skin or didn't work at all. I have tried Clean and Clear, Neutrogena, Clearasil, OXY, Boire, Garnier, and a few others which have all wasted my money... School is starting in a few weeks and I want to have clear skin and not have to stress about my skin all the time! School is enough stress already!
Thank you for taking the time to read this,

A."

I have been getting many, many emails like this recently from teens stressed out and frustrated by their acne. It really tugs at my heartstrings. I know how hard it is to go through such an important time with skin problems. There's a lot that you can do, and many of your options are herbal and natural, which you won't hear about in ads or from your dermatologist. They are also some of the most effective ways to deal with acne.

Part of the frustration so many teens experience comes from lack of information about remedies that might be available other than mass market drugstore products. Despite the fact that these brands are the most heavily marketed for acne problems, affordable, and the most widely available products they are absolutely NOT what I would recommend that you turn to. In fact if that is what you have been using, please stop. Using something like this is irritating and disrupting your skin's ability to balance itself. Balance is what you are ultimately seeking.

Benzoyl Peroxide is ultimately one of the worst things to use on a pimple. Just do a quick search for Benzoyl Peroxide side effects and you get: "Dryness; feeling of warmth; irritation; itching; mild peeling, redness, or swelling of the skin." These side effects are very, very common. Ever notice how a pimple gets really dry and the skin peels at the end? This is part of the process when using a Benzoyl Peroxide treatment. By applying it you've further irritated a section of skin that was already in dire straits to begin with. This is just plain wrong.

Acne is a bacterial problem but it is also an inflammation problem. Your skin's natural defenses had to be disrupted and compromised in order for a breakout to ever happen in the first place. What I recommend is a regimen that will restore your skin's ability to protect and heal itself.

- What are the Exterior Triggers for Acne?

1. Blocked pores (from dead skin cells, sebum, makeup)

2. Improper/Basic skin PH (allows acne bacteria to flourish)

3. Too much sebum (feeds acne bacteria)

- What are the Interior Triggers for Acne?

1. Increased androgens (sexual hormones that go way up at puberty)

2. Stress (causes less circulation to the skin and hormone imbalance)

3. Poor diet

Without attention to BOTH of these components your likelihood of success is much lower.

- How to deal with your Acne problem naturally!

1. Eat amazingly healthy, fresh, organic foods.

2. Get adequate sleep and relaxation.

3. Use a gentle, natural cleansing routine daily to exfoliate, balance sebum, kill bacteria, and maintain proper PH.

4. Moisturize and spot treat with something soothing and anti-inflammatory - not drying!!

Surprised to see eating healthy at the top of my list? Eating healthy foods is the best way to get your body to overall health, and that includes skin imbalances. Eating healthy is one of the most mysterious and elusive things in the SAD - or Standard American Diet as it is widely now known.

Being a teen and trying to make the choice to eat organic can be a challenging task. If your experience is like mine was then you are expected to eat with the family generally, which can mean a lack of choice in some situations. School food is generally no picnic either. Most cafeteria attempts at healthy food are a dismal failure for taste, freshness, vitamin content and freedom from additives. You CAN take control of your food, though! I went vegetarian at the age of 15, and have continued to improve my food habits over my life.

Your effort and desire to be healthy is worth a conversation with your parents. I know talking to parents can be difficult, embarrassing, and it seems like they don't understand. (Been there!) If you ask for a moment of their time to very frankly discuss your concerns about your health and how your skin is really stressing you out I think they'll respond. Ask for their help. Parents actually LOVE it when their kids want their help.

If your parents are not into eating really clean, fresh, organic foods then I'd suggest buying a recipe book or diet book that has information on vegan, raw, or vegetarian eating styles and suggesting trying some of the recipes as a family project.

My mom and I purchased the Horn of the Moon Cookbook when I went vegetarian. My mom was feeling like she couldn't cook for me anymore, which was a problem as she really liked to nurture through food. Getting a veggie alternative cookbook was a good way to help re-establish the family bonds that happen over food. We could experiment and learn together! 18 years later it is still one of my favorite veggie cookbooks and has a place of honor on my recipe shelf. It offers good replacements for many traditional American dishes. It is not a cookbook for gluten-free, raw, or vegan foods, however, so if you are seeking those options you'll need a different book. Thankfully these days there are lots more options out there.

Someplace you can turn online for help and advice with going Vegetarian, Vegan, and organic is The Vegetarian Resource Group. Check out their site for lots of nutrition information, recipes, and even a full page devoted to teen vegetarian nutrition.

Try to eat as many vegetables as possible and cut out most, if not all meat from your diet. Conventional meats are laden with growth hormones, which aren't going to do your androgen levels any favors. Some sources will also recommend that you cut out milk and milk products completely because dairy is essentially a hormonal food, designed to grow babies quickly. I simply recommend you do what you can. Trying to do something too extreme too quickly isn't sustainable, so make small steps that you know you can keep up with. Cutting out or reducing meat is a huge first step for most people. Just do what you can.

The more veggies and fruits you eat. the better. The more raw, unprocessed foods you eat, the better. Stay away from prepackaged foods as much as possible. Food additives can be responsible for a whole host of inflammatory responses including acne, ADD, even rashes. The more fresh, organic, unprocessed plants you can eat the more your skin is going to glow. By eating fresh fruits and vegetables you are not only eliminating harmful additives but dramatically boosting your vitamin and nutrient intake.

Challenge yourself! See if you can do better than 5 fruits and veggies a day by making fresh produce the center of every meal and snack. Achieving that goal can be as simple as eating an apple instead of a pudding cup, or some carrots instead of crackers.

And, repeat after me: Organic, organic, organic.

Organic produce has been now scientifically PROVEN to be higher in nutrient content than their conventionally grown counterparts. You can see that study, published in 9/2010 for the proof.

There are even MORE studies posted on the Organic Trade Association page.

The more produce you eat, the more pesticides you stand to ingest if you are not eating organic. I know the cost can seem high, but when you consider the amount of money that it costs to fix all the problems that poor diet can cause eating well starts to look like a great value overall.

For information from my blog on dealing with acne and how stress causes it check out my previous post, In-depth about stress and skin problems. There's lots of relaxation tips that should help you with your school routine, social stress, and yes, even brothers.

For some great further reading on how food can affect your acne check out these posts on other sites:

Crazy Sexy Wellness: Do Milk and Sugar Cause Acne?

Epic Beauty Guide: 3 "Secrets" to Clear Skin (No More Acne!)

I have also found a lot of helpful info on discussion threads in the Acne.org forums. You can view threads for information even if you don't join.

I'll cover topical treatments in my next post. For now, get out and get yourself some healthy foods. If you want, comment and tell me a fresh food you are going to add to your diet, your new healthy, portable school snack, or a recipe you are trying. I love to hear from you! :)
LOVE,
Julie

Restore Oil Serum - New addition to Blissoma SOLUTIONS skincare

2011-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Giveaway and NEW product!

Nothing excites me more as a formulator than launching a new recipe. Like a chef I love to tinker, to test, and to explore the smell and feel of ingredients. Today we've got something new to share and I'm quite happy.

Our latest addition to the Blissoma SOLUTIONS skincare range is our new Restore Deep Moisture Oil Serum. It rounds out our facial skincare range and offers a great, 100% Vegan moisturizing option as well as a one-two punch to take on extreme dryness, aging skin, hormonal fluctuations, and any irritations. Like many of our products this serum offers intensive benefits while still remaining ideal for all skin types. How do we do it? With a deftly balanced blend of super nutritional seed oils the likes of which you'd normally find in the finest internal supplements. Essential fatty acids? Check! Antioxidants? Check! Natural vitamins and minerals? Check! Skin conditioning, emollient lipids? Check! Will your skin glow like crazy from using it? CHECK! :)

See the full description on our website.

I'll write up more fun information on the amazing individual oils in it later, but today is really about our GIVEAWAY! To celebrate that we finally get to intro this product we are offering FOUR Restore serums up to lucky fans.

You must be a Facebook Fan of Blissoma to participate.

Here's the details:
This is for YOU and a FRIEND. You are our Facebook Fan - right?
Step 1: "Like" us on Facebook if you haven't already.
Step 2: Share Blissoma with your friends.
Step 3: The friend posts to our Facebook page saying you sent them.
Step 4: Your friend's post saying you sent them enters you BOTH to receive Restore.

Entries can be made until Wednesday 8/10 at midnight.

On Thursday 8/11 we'll draw the 2 pairs of friends who win. Each referral friend post is an entry so the more you refer the more chances you have.

Tweet about it and get more referrals! Tweet the following:

New! Blissoma Restore Oil Serum for vegan beauty {Giveaway} Say who sent you and both friends can win! @Blissomagirl http://www.facebook.com/blissoma

Happy Wednesday!

Skincare Questions Answered - Consult the Herbal Chemist at Blissoma! The difference between essential oils and "fragrance" in your skincare.

2011-07-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

As the chemist and founder for Blissoma I often consult with customers to help them find the right products from our line for their skin. I also am frequently asked about our ingredients, one of which being the scents in our products. There is a lot of concern out there about scent in personal care, and rightly so. This article should illuminate some key differences between Blissoma scents and many other scented personal care products.

Almost all of our Blissoma skincare line currently includes some scent in each recipe. Many personal care products available on the market do contain a scent. In fact, visit any average drugstore and you'll have a truly difficult time finding a shampoo, conditioner, lotion or cream that doesn't have aroma. For most of these products the purpose of the scent is to perfume the user, eliminate negative odors, and create an encompassing product experience. Many times customers purchase a particular product partly because they have formed a positive association with how it smells when applied.

For most products the aroma is like a decoration - perhaps pretty, but without function beyond aesthetics. You will see it in the ingredients list as "fragrance" and generally it is a trade secret ingredient. Manufacturers are not required by the FDA to disclose ingredients in their scents, meaning that up to hundreds of individual scent ingredients may be contained under that simple fragrance wording. Regulation is very loose and so truthfully you have no idea what may be in your fragranced bodycare. Some ingredients may include pthalates which have become a focus of great scrutiny as they have been found to disrupt endocrine function in the body, which is a technical way of saying that they interfere with your normal hormone functions. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a page of information on fragrance in personal care that is useful to review.

I began my career in herbals working with essential oils and aromatherapy, so I do have an affinity for scent. However, I work with a very strict palette of 100% botanically sourced essential oils.

There is a great difference between an artificial, lab-produced fragrance ingredient and an essential oil that is coming directly from a plant. One of the key differences is that an essential oil has inherent medicinal action on the body whereas a fragrance compound is at best inert and if you fall into the purist camp it is seen as a source of toxin load for your body as it is bringing you in contact with potentially irritating and unknown ingredients that may aggravate allergies and build up in the body over time.

The essential oils in our products are indeed part of the total wholistic action of Blissoma products. They provide actions that detox, clear pores, soothe, and cleanse. So the inclusion of them goes far beyond an aesthetic experience and works with the total herbal effect of each product.

You may also notice that we disclose all of the individual essential oils used in each formula. This is so you can identify any ingredients to which you may be sensitive and make educated decisions about which of our products will be right for your skin.

As an example look at our Peace Evening Facial Créme

The ingredients list consists of:

Infusion of Rhodymenia palmata* (dulse seaweed), Porphyra umbilicalis* (nori seaweed), Plantago major* (plantain), Taraxacum officinale* (dandelion), Lavendula angustifolia*, Water, Butyrospermum parkii (shea) Butter*, Glyceryl Stearate and Cetearyl Alcohol and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) Seed Oil*, Cocos nucifera (coconut) Oil*, Extracts of Symphytum officinale* (comfrey) and Ginkgo Biloba*, Soy Lecithin*, Cannabis sativa (hemp) Seed Oil*, Retinyl Palmitate/Carrot Polypeptides, Ascorbic Acid/Citrus Polypeptides, Tocopherol/Wheat Polypeptides, Euterpe oleracea (acai) Oil, Essential Oils of Lavandula angustifolia, Cymbopogon martinii (palmarosa), Canarium luzonicum (elemi), Boswellia carterii (frankincense), Vetiveria zizandoides (vetiver), and Achillea millefolia* (blue yarrow), Matricaria chamomilla (german chamomile) CO2 Extract, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, Chlorophyllin, Grain Alcohol*, Glucose, Glucose Oxidase and Lactoperoxidase, linalool**, geraniol**, limonene**

*from Certified Organic Agriculture

**natural components of essential oils

Each essential oil is declared so you know exactly what you are using. The oils in this formula contribute directly towards the calming effect of the product. German Chamomile and Blue Yarrow are filled with Chamazulene and Matricin which are potent anti-inflammatory constituents. The product has a deep, honey-like smell which is a great deal due to the German Chamomile.

As long as none of these plants is an allergen for you then you should be able to use this product without trouble. Even people who normally have a sensitivity to "fragranced" skincare generally do well with our products. Only if you are sensitive to a specific herb or essential oil should any of our products be proactively avoided due to scent ingredients.

There are individuals who react to even essential oils. For you we hope to create a collection of products someday that will specifically exclude all aromatic/essential oil ingredients.

Do you have a question you'd like me to answer about our products or about natural skincare in general? Write me at jlongyear@iriestar.com and ask away! I'm happy to help you find answers that will be truly beneficial for your total health and beauty routines.

Inspiration - sprouting something beautiful....

2011-07-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I walked out to water our garden, as is my daily task in the intense summer St. Louis heat. As I was fussing over my plants, checking them and crushing bugs my daughter said "What's that??" and pointed to the corner of the plot.

Something had sprouted - and it wasn't a plant!

This was what we saw:

Without prior announcement an almost life-size painting of me had appeared to embellish the garden. I was tickled to my very core. The neighbors have certainly taken note but this was one of the first big additions made by another household to the space.

It was created by my neighbor Nancy Dylewski who has been a resident of Hyde Park for approximately 30 years, going back to the initial push for historic restoration in the late 1970s. She and her husband Don are familiar with the challenges of remediating a city lot. After the house next to hers burned down the city leveled that lot and sprayed it with defoliant (brilliant, right?). After a few years they began to try and grow things on the land with very frustrating results at first. Everything died due to the defoliant. They brought in professional help a few times to work on the dirt and after many tries have turned what was just barren land into a park-like setting with hostas, trees, and now their own vegetables growing some from seed I shared with them.

Nancy's artwork was one of the nicest surprises I've ever received. It was inspired straight from the heart. The gift bolsters my enthusiasm and energy for continuing to remodel our plot.

So now you can see "me" in the garden all day and all night. Now if only I looked this cute while actually working out there. ;)

Blissoma Organic Community Garden Updates and Photos

2011-06-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Beautiful friends,

As you now know Blissoma is sponsoring the start of a community garden in our urban neighborhood in St. Louis, MO. This community garden is redeveloping a vacant lot that otherwise was a neighborhood problem - a haven for scattered trash and weeds.

We are pleased to show you some of our progress to date on our garden plot. You are our supporters on this journey and without the involvement of our customer base this endeavor would not be possible.

To date this spring your purchases have directly supported more than $400 in cash garden investments including:

- over $100 in organic and heirloom seeds purchased entirely from independent, Monsanto-free seed suppliers

- new hoses to supply water to the garden

- stakes to support the green bean and tomato crops

- manure and other organic soil amendments for the crops

- composting supplies for garden waste so that we can generate organic, nutrient-rich soil through outdoor composting and vermicomposting

Your support has also enabled me to donate more than 360 service hours to the garden from just April to today alone. This does not include the initial plowing and care we did for the starting plot last fall (which would easily drive the total to 500+ hours). While I am out working the garden Frank has been dutifully serving your orders, making products, and answering emails and calls.

The soil was difficult to work due to piles of buried bricks and concrete. Just to break ground for the new 20' x 40' strip that became the tomato rows and melon/pumpkin patch took approximately 2 1/2 weeks of hand digging. The soil is clay and filled with construction rubble so we trucked in and spread more than 5 dump trucks worth of fresh dirt and 3 pickup loads of manure to build freeform raised beds.

So far we have been visited by numerous neighborhood residents as we work. Neighbor children have planted seeds with me and the Envisioning Hyde Park photography project stopped by with about 10 local youth to learn about what we are doing. We plan to launch a local awareness campaign to build involvement as the summer progresses and the "fruits" of our labor become more evident.

You are directly supporting organic awareness and empowerment to a community that was previously a fresh food desert. You are supporting positive action in a place that was known for gang violence, drugs, and decomposing architecture. You are helping us show a largely forgotten community in St. Louis that real change is possible with a dream and hard work. Each time you support Blissoma you support positive values and healthy evolution. You can feel good about your purchase in every way.

We will continue to share progress with you as we "grow". Thank you for all you do. Enjoy the pictures of our beautiful plants! :)

rows in the sunset

leeks about to flower and baby romaine

red cabbage

carrot flower buds

bok choy in bloom

The Path to Natural Perfume - an Uncorked! Blog event story for the 5th Anniversary of the Natural Perfumer's Guild

2011-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Natural scent has been a long love of mine.

For more than a decade scent has hurried my days and haunted my nights, kept me up late, annointed poignant moments as well as those that are more mundane, and defined my career and my life's path through my business, Blissoma by Irie Star. Today I share with you a bit about how I came to stock the dozens and perhaps several hundred essential oils that I now keep on hand in my cabinet, or, as I like to think of it, an entire olfactory world in a small wooden box. From Morocco, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Bulgaria, Egypt, Australia, Somalia and more they come to reside with me, keeping stories of spring rains, winds both sharp and sweet, shifting sun, and the crush of rich earth locked up in their molecules until the moment the bottle is opened and the aroma soars.

Few things in life to me have held as much joy as opening a new bottle or sample of essential oil and taking a long deep whiff. The longer and deeper the better which is not proper technique at all, but I can be a bit of a greedy gourmand when it comes to wrapping myself around a new aroma. The discovery, the moments after the initial sharpness wear off and the aroma begins to bloom deeper in my throat are things that I hunger for in part because it is so transitory.

There is no duplication of how a scent burgeons in one's head. You cannot see it, you cannot even touch this experience and yet it is there. Even food which has great aroma component to it lacks the ethereal quality of a scent experience because you can chew it and feel it going down your throat. Not so with a scent. It may make your heart leap and your head whirl but you cannot hold it. It resides strictly in the realm of the soul, the memory, and emotion. It comes and then is gone like time itself, like the cycles of nature, like life and I am left chasing it down again to fill my nostrils once more. There is the empty and the full and they each lead to one another.

My foray into essential oils began in great earnest in my early twenties. Prior to that I can say that I had an attraction to scents but that I had not been ensnared by it just yet. I do remember that every time we would be in the grocery store there were barrels full of bulk coffee and I would linger at these each time. I grew up the child of a gardener, cook, and homemaker which are all domains of scented life but I also grew up in the days of Glade Plugins, Pinesol, and Apple Pie scented Yankee Candles. My mom was not huge on perfumes or beauty products and I spent a great deal more time with cans of hairspray working on my bangs than I did thinking about how I smelled. My father got a container of Elizabeth Taylor Passion for my mother as a gift one year and my reaction to it was very ho-hum. I had more interest in her hippie boots and vintage jewelry than in perfume at that point. Synthetic scent was everywhere and none of it struck a chord.

After graduating from college I moved back home to St. Louis to try and decide what to do with myself for "real life". I was a ceramics major and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to pursue that field as an actual career which left a lot of open ended questions about what path to take. I was supposed to be trying to save money for when I moved out. What happened was I spent it all.

Every dime that I earned during that time got spent on my first bottles of essential oils that I procured from Wild Oats. I had enjoyed occasionally burning incense during my days at college and always loved the lingering smell of Nag Champa in an otherwise rank dorm room. My father has a very sensitive nose and couldn't stand incense so when I moved back the easiest way for me to enjoy some scent in my environment without aggravating his allergies was with something smokeless. Candles were my chosen method of dispersal and essential oils became my aromas.

I began making candles with an old Crock Pot and a coffee can for a double boiler. I set up on an old desk and measured oils by drops into a pound or two of wax. In those days all my recipes were written in drops. That was the fall of 2000. By January I had moved out into my first St. Louis city apartment and allotted an entire bedroom to my creative activities.

Those who know me know that I really don't do things halfway. I'm either in or I'm out and once I'm in I pursue my endeavors with a constant passion. I followed my scented path in just such a way, ordering essential oils as often as I could even though my fiance and I were eating peanut butter and jelly and oatmeal to get by on our own. I put us into several thousand dollars worth of debt purchasing oils. I expanded my repertoire, ordered larger sizes, and sold my blended candles at whatever sales events I could. The return was modest but that didn't stop me. I loved the feeling I got when I was standing over a pot of liquid, scented wax.... warm, floaty, buzzed and altogether better about life. I wanted more. Lots more.

I still didn't begin to get into scent as wearable art until years into my journey. Even when I started crafting body products my concern was largely aromatherapeutic rather than perfumery oriented. I looked for topical effects and benefits to skin rather than just scent alone. Ever the scientist as well as artist the multipronged approach pleased me most.

My small collection of BLENDS perfume oils launched just in 2008. I created strict parameters for myself in attempting to create a final recipe that would be pleasing and yet over 80% total organic content. The market for organic essential oils is a volatile and unsure arena. Some oils are grown and distilled by only one supplier worldwide, making sourcing an interesting challenge. Still, I was able to put together a palette of 6 different creations representing a variety of moods. I played with oils I had been dying to buy and experiment with for years; the most expensive, unique, and pure I could find. The range is most definitely unique. I wanted scents that were balanced, lasting, and rich but at the same time completely different from the department store concept of "perfume". I never wanted to wear those scents. I had no idea I could enjoy perfume so much until I started making it.

I love the terroir of natural scent, the origin and story and the fact that it came from life. The chef and chemist in me loves the process of blending and the meld of science and art that must happen to understand the materials and their application. Like splashing paint on a canvas, each drop of oil into a test vial creates change and explores an unknown. It is that mystery that keeps me on my aromatic journey much the same as I have been on many others even simultaneously.

I create primarily for myself. I sell because I must and because I enjoy sharing an experience with others. But I am happy alone in my studio with my nose buried in a new blend. I am happy, just me and my plants; me and my aromatic reverie. Fame and power mean little to me as none of that matters in the moments when one is counting drops. In those moments I am of one mind and that mind is full of perfume.

Happy 5th Birthday Natural Perfumer's Guild!

Please visit the blogs written by these other participating members of the Guild as part of Uncorked! which is today's blog event sharing how each of us have come to natural perfumery.

Absolute Trygve

Anu Essentials Blog

Anya's Garden Perfumes

Aromatherapy Contessa

Aromatics International

Being Led by the Nose

Blossoming Tree Bodycare

Ca Fleure Bon

DSH Notebook

Ellenoire

From the Bathtub

I'm Just Saying

Les Parfums d'Isabelle

Lord's Jester Inc.

Natural Perfumes

Olfactory Rescue Service

Olive and Oud

Perfume Journal

Providence Perfume

The Western Cape Perfumery Blog

We Are the Doers of Deeds

2011-05-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt

"Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Sprouting a Monsanto-Free (and nearly entirely free) Garden in St. Louis and Beyond

2011-05-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

St. Louis is a great place to be gardening. There are many community resources that a budding plant enthusiast can take advantage of if you know where to look.

One of my goals in homesteading and growing as much of my own food as possible has been to take my family as far off the Monsanto and GMO food chain as I can. With the right planning it can be easier than you think to grow your own corporate-free food. Ironically Monsanto has corporate headquarters in St. Louis. I wonder if they know what is sprouting in their own backyard as an effort to fight against their policies? :)

Supplies for gardening don't have to be complicated. I've been able to acquire many of the things I need for free or nearly free. To spread efforts in our city and beyond I'm going to list the resources I've used. There may be comparable opportunities in your city as well if you just look them up.

Things I have gotten for free:

1. Dirt

The City of St. Louis Forestry Dept. has a composting division where city residents can call for community dropoffs of city compost and mulch. It may not be the most nutritious compost but it makes a good basic dirt to which you can add more nutritive elements. I used city compost in my raised bed, all my pots last year, and on the Farm on the vacant lot. This year we got 3 loads delivered so far. All you have to do is call! This picture is of many of the pots on my parking pad that I filled with city dirt last year.

There are also designated drop spots and they will tell you where you can find piles that they refresh regularly if you just want a little bit. The pile at the Bell Garden at Bell and Vandeventer is almost always stocked because that is the main Gateway Greening headquarters garden. For the Compost division call: 314-613-7200. Mulch is also available.

2. Seeds and plants

I happen to have a mom that is a super gardener. Each year I've gone out and dug up some of her hardy perennials to landscape my yard. It takes some patience as they look a little rough the first year, but they are FREE for goodness sake! It doesn't really hurt her plantings if I dig judiciously. By year 2 everything looks smashing. I have gotten ground covers, ferns, Solomon Seal, grasses, and daffodils this way.

Neighbors have also given me free Irises and other items when they are dividing their plantings. If you are reasonably friendly with someone that has hardy perennials you could offer them something nice of yours in exchange for dividing some of their plants. Baked goods? Help mowing the lawn? Whatever you feel like you can do.

I purchased some seeds last year and then from what I grew I saved as many as I could. This means a one time investment and then every year following you have free seeds. I will probably never have to pay for a pepper seed or green bean seed ever again! The main thing you have to do is just keep your varietals a bit separate and make sure you sort and save in an organized fashion so you know what you are planting the following year.

If you do have to purchase seeds please don't buy them at a big box retailer. Skip the Burpee and head straight for heirloom, open pollinated seeds. Often your locally run garden center may have a selection of independent seeds rather than the GMO varieties you'll find at Lowe's and Home Depot.

Seed Suppliers I have used include:
Botanical Interests (I am a sucker for the beautiful illustrations on their packets!)
Seeds of Change (a little pricey, but very good plants so far)
St. Clare Heirloom Seeds (cheap, basic, totally indie and has lots of cool varieties! I got a lot from them this year and so far am pleased with how they are all doing)
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeeds (a MO based company, has lots of unique plants, AND is sold at my local food Co-op where you can even get seeds using your EBT!)

Looking for more? Check out this forum post listing lots more seed supplier options.

All these companies are MONSANTO FREE. The plants will generate seeds that can be used again next year, meaning you can help preserve heirloom, non GMO strains of plants and support biodiversity and sound ecology.

3. Pots, cellpacks, and trays

Every year the MO Botanical Gardens has a pot recycling program where people can bring their plastic pots that might not be able to be recycled in the normal local plastic recycling programs. The dropoff location is in the parking lot of the Monsanto Center just west of Vandeventer. They start accepting pots during the first week of May.

Most people drop off pots, but I TAKE pots! :) The people working the recycling stream don't care at all if you cart off as many as you can use. Many of them are in great condition and you can get everything from pots big enough to hold a small tree to cell packs suitable for starting your seedlings. You can go and scavenge for pots anytime from about 9-5 and the parking lot is generally open. They may not be the worlds most beautiful decorator pots, but it is a great way to get started planting if you don't have the cash to fork out $50 a pot for the designer ones at the garden stores.

Again, ironically this program is run by the Monsanto Center which controls a lot of the research and plant cataloging activities that happen there. I find a small amount of justice in the fact that the recycling program has provided me with many of the items I need to get myself off their food system.

The cellpacks have been awesome for starting my own seedlings. So far both last year and this year I have not bought a single live plant for food production. Just seeds. The amount of money this has saved has been tremendous! If live plant costs $3 to $5 and a pack of seeds costs just $2 or $3.... well I can get a whole row of plants for less than the cost that some folks are spending on just 1 plant. Or if I saved the seeds then that row is free.

If you don't have a pot recycling program nearby you can use the plastic fruit containers that are used for packaging strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and grapes at the grocery store. Instead of trashing or recycling them wash them out and save them all year. They make perfect little greenhouses as they are ventilated and drained. At least half my seedlings are done this way.

4. Compost

You can make your own compost which could save you the cost of having to buy it. Compost and Manure are my number one fertilizers and this year I'm not planning to use anything else. I generate a lot of herb, coffee, and veggie scraps and they all turn into soil-nourishing compost. If you don't cook as much from home you could contact a restaurant nearby you and see if they will save their cooking scraps for you. You might have to pickup frequently to get them to do this for you but the payoff is the free plant food!

5. Tools to use

Gateway Greening here in St. Louis has a tool lending program for members and community gardens. Everything from shovels to rakes to tillers can be borrowed.

The Bell Demonstration Garden is the biggest tool lending hub. Check out their webpage and get in touch if you need to use something. In Old North St. Louis the 13th St. Community Garden also has tools to lend, and so do other gardens designated as lending hubs.

6. LAND to garden

In St. Louis if a vacant lot is owned by the city LRA department you can get an official garden lease to use the lot. Ok, so this may cost you $1 for the lease or something silly like that, but it is basically free. As long as you are willing to work many of the city neighborhoods will be quite happy to have you contributing to the neighborhood in such a positive fashion. It is a good idea to talk to your alderperson as well and let them know what you are doing.

7. Grants for supplies

Gateway Greening in St. Louis also provides garden grants to community garden groups that are starting up. The applications are due in the fall. Admittedly the application is 30 pages long, which stopped me from applying last fall. But it won't stop me this year. They supply financing for hardscape materials, seeds and seedlings. Contact Gateway Greening for more information.

Something you may be able to get for nearly free:

Manure!!! If there are horse boarding facilities near your house you may be able to get them to give you manure for free or nearly free. A stable near me will let you come shovel your own for $3 or for $10 they'll dump it in your open bed pickup for you. You may have to rot it yourself but it's one of the best ways to feed your plants.

Feeling inspired yet about what you can do for FREE in your garden? I sure am! :)

Hopefully I'll have time to share more soon. For right now I have to go transplant some things while this gorgeous weather lasts. (In St. Louis that won't be long!)

Love and happy gardening!

Blissoma is Urban Homesteading in St. Louis

2011-04-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today I am proud to share with you that Blissoma and my family are participating avidly in the Urban Homesteading movement.

We are announcing this today, but truly our path began 4 years ago when we began searching for a building to purchase. Our budget was very limited and we needed a great deal of square footage. We were unable to consider real estate in some of the more trendy, populated areas of St. Louis because of these practical restrictions.

Eventually our building search led us to North St. Louis City where we found our current base of operations. Old North St. Louis and Hyde Park have an array of large buildings that were priced within reach for us because the area has largely been considered a dangerous urban ghetto by locals. The attrition of population and decaying architecture has left vast vacant lots interspersed between the remaining buildings.

Some might think of North City as a strange place and often I am commended by casual visitors for my bravery in purchasing property here. I respond that bravery had little to do with it, really, as the area is not nearly as dangerous as people think and had all the resources we desired. The moment that I saw all the empty land I instantaneously envisioned massive gardens on all of them. A blank canvas has delightful appeal to someone that loves to create, and this neighborhood was just that. It was and has been poised for reinvention and many residents have been at work behind the facades of what looks aged and decaying. We are restructuring, refinishing, and recreating.

The first few years here were spent on interior building improvements. I have spearheaded the improvements to the house myself with a marginal amount of outside help and construction work can be all-consuming. The building is essentially a very slow gut rehab with every surface and system in the house needing at least some work and some needing complete replacement.

Last year I reached a juncture where it made sense to take the work outside. So, without official announcement, I decided it was time to begin gardening - finally!

I saw Fresh and Food Inc. last spring and it lit quite a fire. Rather than just being disgusted with our current food infrastructure I decided it was time to do something, and that it was indeed within my power to take action towards change. I am sharing our projects in the hope that others that may be teetering on the edge of action will also be heartened and empowered to act as well. I am a busy entrepreneur, mother, and rehabber, and now organic food gardener. There are sacrifices that I have had to make but the rewards are tremendous and I enjoy the activity as well. It is providing a platform for my daughter to learn about plants, worms, science, and sustainability and furnishing as much delectable produce as we can consume as well as some for the neighbors.

I was working on a very, very tight budget last year, but financial restrictions did not stop me. I salvaged much of what I needed and the small investments of our limited money came back to us completely in food.

I am going to do my best to detail and share our activities this year. Given limited time and a choice between planting and blog posting I'll probably be planting, but updates will come as often as I am able.

This last week I seeded our raised bed that we built last spring. The photo above is from last June when we planted it after completion. By fall it was overflowing with plants. I definitely got things too close together but I have problems disposing of seedlings - so hard to get rid of beautiful little live plants just because room is limited! I am told that this year the growth and results should be exponentially better because the soil will have had time to establish the proper ecosystem of micronutrients and flora.

I often hear people say that home gardening is so expensive compared to the yield. My answer is well, yes, it is if you are purchasing all your plants at $4 and $5 each from a big box garden center. Every plant we grew last year I sprouted from seed, making the cost to yield ratio really work in our favor. I am no sprouting expert but I was able to get a successful system down. This enabled us to spend very little, grow an immense variety of plants, try again and again if something happened to a first batch (caterpillars, storms, disease), and choose organic and heirloom varieties that yielded seed for this year, making my seed investment for this year even smaller. I'll probably never have to buy a bell pepper seed again and I've had enough to give to others as well so they can sprout and grow freely.

Our yard is actually quite small, so I have maximized the space by trellising plants up fences, creating a hanging garden on the porch, and putting pots on every square inch of available patio. If you think you don't have enough room for food production you might want to think again, as there are many ways to maximize space and garden creatively.

By contrast we now also have what we call "The Farm" or "The Hundred Acre Farm" in a loving tribute to A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood. The Farm is a massive vacant lot across the alley from our backyard. It used to look like this:
Row houses from approximately 1900 stood decaying when we first moved into our house. Then they were torn down....
This picture is a night shot of the bricks stacked in pallets for reuse, and the final building of the 4 yet standing. Here is another view from our backyard of the final building on the day it was knocked down.
It was sad to see these valuable pieces of architectural history disappear. The land sat vacant for the last 2 years with mostly weeds and scattered trash adorning it. My latent ambitions grew and grew. Finally after maximizing my backyard and chattering about my guerrilla farming dreams for months we tilled a patch of the lot last August for fall planting.
We began with just simple crops of spinach, bok choy, kale, and anything we could manage to grow in the limited few months before the cold set in. The soil is mostly clay, new dirt brought in to fill the stone basement foundations of the prior buildings. We brought in several truckloads of compost and manure and laid down approximately 4" in which to grow our first round of crops. We'll be adding more, I'm sure. Everything grew beautifully and we harvested as much as we could eat. Here is a picture of the last bits of produce on the land before we froze hard last fall:
Today I begin preparing the same plot for our early spring crops. I've got many of the same items as last fall to go out as well as new varietals. Beautiful red cabbages, Red Core Chantenay carrots, miniature Romaine lettuce, lots of greens, and the leeks that actually survived the winter and are already growing. I'm excited to start planting so I'll save further news and pictures for another day! The sun will only last so long and there's a lot to do.

I have lots of schemes in my head for flowers, paths, fruit trees, berry bushes and more for this piece of land. I'll be excited to share our progress with you. For now it is time to get growing on our homestead. Have a blessed and beautiful Saturday and we hope you'll get out there and grow something!!

In-depth about stress and skin problems

2011-02-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Stress is a culprit for all kinds of problems and in today's society is rampant in our everyday lives. Our stress systems were really not designed to be used on such a constant basis. Even as recently as just a century ago people might have more commonly felt their emergency reserves kick into action in situations where life and limb were truly threatened. A bear attack, a bad fall, or perhaps combat situations would have all been legitimate times to activate extra resources and take emergency action.

With the fast pace of the modern world people encounter stress situations on an almost constant basis. They may not be as extreme but they produce a lower level, ongoing response in our bodies. Battling traffic to get to work on time, getting an email from your boss about a deadline, and filling out paperwork for your child's school applications are all things that can pop us into emergency gear and activate our stress responses. We are busier than ever and everything from the daily news to our personal lives is responsible for the onslaught.

You may know some of the physiological effects of stress. One is increased heart rate and blood pressure. Many people are living life with both of these much higher than normal levels on a constant basis. Another part of the stress response is the release of a myriad of hormones including a steroid class called glucocorticoids.

The steroid type compounds released during the stress response have a function in activating and shutting down various activities in the immune system so that the body theoretically has the right white blood cells available to defend against potential infections. One of the effects of these compounds according to research done by Dr. Peter Elias of the University of San Francisco is that they decrease the skin's permeability barrier, which is what keeps needed skin components in and the exterior world out. It also increases inflammation in the under layers of tissue. What is the long term effect of this? Acne in some and eczema and dermatitis in others, depending on to which conditions your individual body is most susceptible.

With the permeability function of the skin compromised the acne bacteria have a much easier time replicating. Add to that increased sweating due to the stress response, and pores that may already be blocked or partially obscured become an immediate site for trouble. Part of the skin's natural defense is the acid mantle. If this breaks down and a more alkaline environment occurs on the skin the acne bacteria are also more prone to grow.

Topical treatments alone may not be your best bet to deal with this problem, which could be one reason that acne and other skin issues are difficult to remedy for some people - they may not be treating the root cause. Dr. Elias found in his study with mice that changing their physical environment helped alleviate the stress. The alternative was to administer tranquilizers, which calmed the stress and the skin's aggravated responses.

So what can YOU do?

Change your physical response to your environment.

Stretching and deep breathing are tremendous tools. Even 15 to 30 minutes of yoga combined with yogic breathing can lower blood pressure, stimulate circulation, and flush toxins from the body. This can short circuit the stress response and keep the flareup from getting worse. I personally take yoga breaks in the afternoon to help work out the kinks from sitting at my computer all day. I come back to the desk refreshed and ready to refocus. I am not an advanced yogi but the benefits come even with the simplest poses as long as you really put yourself into the activity.

You can drink herbal tea to help with your stress level.

Teas are easy to prepare and available at any health store. They are vastly preferrable to sugary sodas and instead of increasing the unhealthful load on your body they will actually help your body heal and cope.

Chamomile is, of course, the standby for calming especially at nighttime. Another herb that would be helpful in your teas is Rhodiola. It is an adaptogenic herb and helps the body adjust to periods of stress. Additionally it will not make you sleepy and has actually been shown to increase cognitive function, an added benefit for busy people.

There are more potent relaxative herbs out there such as Kava Kava and Valerian.

These may be best taken as a capsule. (Valerian is pretty stinky in its raw herb form) Kava relaxes the muscles in the body without giving a lot of brain fog and for most people small amounts can be taken for a short period with no problems. Valerian is a sedative and helpful for restful sleep. If you have questions about how these herbs might work with your current medications I always recommend checking in with a naturopath to talk about your individual situation as some herbs do have contraindications. These would be safe for many people though, and are very effective at what they do.

Aromatherapy is a great, noninvasive way to combat stress as well.

My company Blissoma makes a Stress Relief Serum that is very helpful as a topical aid: http://www.iriestar.com/stress_relief_serum.html

A bath filled with an herb tea and 20 or so drops of essential oil would be great. Soaking helps moderate blood pressure.

For topical treatments you can incorporate a clay product for intensive, on-the-spot help.

Clays can be a great, nonirritating way to clear pores and remineralize the skin as well. Because a mask is applied and left on the skin for a prolonged period of time it has a chance to work on the skin intensively. Blissoma also makes a clay mask that is wonderful for this purpose, our Refine Clay Renewal Treatment. http://iriestar.com/refine_clay_renewal_treatment.html

This can be applied to facial and body acne. It is gentle and yet very active at what it does. It contains Willowbark which is a known source of natural salicins, which combat acne.

All these are lifestyle changes that can help you address your acne problems thinking of the total cause-effect cycle. Working on your overall stress level will have many other health benefits as well. Once your "fight or flight" response is deactivated the steriod hormones associated with the stress response decrease rapidly, meaning you can see results quickly and prevent further problems. Clearer skin and a clearer mind await.

Did you know stress causes acne? YES. Herbal tips on how to deal with it.

2011-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

I was recruited to provide a primer for brides on stress related acne for WoW! Glowing Bride in 30 Days because of my expertise in natural skincare. I've been living a wholistic lifestyle for many years and as with many things your skin's condition is very related to the rest of your well-being. Check out the advice given and benefit.

photo © Lanak | Dreamstime.com

Ok, in a nutshell, how does stress affect the skin?

One of the immediate effects of stress is that the body moves circulation away from the skin to support the heart and muscle tissues. This affects nutrient delivery and the overall complexion.

Digestion is also compromised so that the body is not going to be getting the hydration, toxin flushing, and nutrition delivery it needs if the stress period is prolonged – this then shows on the skin.

So how can brides implement stress moderation? Easier said than done, right?

I recommend that brides implement a stress moderation plan in their daily lives to help prevent what flareups they can ahead of the wedding.

Stretching and deep breathing are tremendous tools - even 15 to 30 minutes of yoga combined with...

Vote for Blissoma skincare in the Reader's Choice Beauty Awards and you could win too!

2011-02-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Now you get to play Editor! If you've always wanted to be the expert now is your chance to Vote for Blissoma and show you know about something new in skincare with the Whole Living Body+Soul Reader's Choice beauty awards.

You can fill out their super fast (2 minutes at most!) survey on the Whole Living website.

Start the survey now.

You can win a $150 Spafinder gift certificate for your time, which can be used at over 5000 spas around the world for massages, facials and more. Now that is the kind of treatment an editor expects.

Here is how we voted:

Favorite Facial Cleanser: Blissoma Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser

Favorite Facial Moisturizer: Blissoma Awake, Smooth, Peace or Lift

Favorite Body Cleanser: Blissoma Clean Smooth & Sensitive bar or Mature Moisture bar

Favorite Body Moisturizer: Blissoma Amend Antioxidant Sprayable Lotion

We appreciate your vote. It really counts in our mission to share healthy skin with as many people as possible.
All votes must be in by 2/25 so don't wait. Vote now!

Funding for Public Broadcasting is a smart investment in the intelligence of America.

2011-02-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Right now Republicans are proposing a budget that would rescind public funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the rest of the year and take away millions in funds still after that.

Here is today's ABC article on the topic: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/budget-debates-begin-republicans-put-npr-pbs-chopping/story?id=12915626

If you would like to sign a petition to help stop this action please sign here:

http://pol.moveon.org/nprpbs/?rc=fb.taf.alt.5

I support funding for public media because it is an invaluable educational resource the likes of which does not exist in such an accessible and free form anywhere else in our society. The smarter we can be the better we can be and PBS, NPR and public media in general supports that goal for people of all ages, ethnicities, and income levels. Public broadcasting is not liberal, it is intelligent. There is a big difference.

PBS is an amazing resource for very young children. The full days worth of teaching-oriented, noncommercial, age appropriate children's programming provides major assistance to stay-at-home moms. I don't know what I would have done without it when Tru was a toddler. I had to work from home and while TV isn't the optimal teacher, it allowed me to keep her entertained so that I COULD work and be with her at the same time. I would never show her "Bratz" or other commercial nonsense like is on most advertising supported stations. Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and even Fetch other math and problem-solving oriented shows at least stimulate kids and show something other than more stuff they can buy. Many people when first coming to this country also use Sesame Street as a way to learn English. Tru also enjoys the interactive games on PBS.org which are age appropriate and help with thinking and language skills. Sadly I can't say the same for Barbie.com where the focus seems to be on becoming a fashionista.

Now that Tru is older the NOVA programs are exciting her about what she can learn and do with science. Heck, they are exciting ME. I am almost regretting that I didn't end up in the bioplastics or alternative energy field. I would have had no idea about some of the things going on out there in these subjects except for PBS. The way they film programs takes you far beyond a simple written article as well. Getting to see the scientists that are responsible for these innovations speak is truly inspirational. These are the people that are changing and evolving our world.

No commercial stations are producing programming like this. They'd rather put on another Real Housewives, or Dateline NBC with stories about catching child rapists or another messed up guy who murdered his family. It is just plain sensationalist and doesn't serve any higher purpose at all. Every Wednesday right now on PBS there is 3 hours of cutting-edge science related programs that make complicated, obtuse fields like rocket science, computer chip manufacturing, and sustainable plastics accessible to the vast majority of the American public. My 6 year old can understand it so if a grown adult isn't able to understand then we're talking about a pretty sad adult. This is an amazing educational resource and helps a vast variety of people access new ideas. All they have to do is turn it on.

I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what is offered....the live performances of operas at the Met that I'd never be able to afford to see otherwise, classic films on Saturday nights, American Experience which is an absolutely riveting history series, and all the specialized programs like the documentaries Ken Burns has done on the National Park system. Oh and Washington Week and all the Friday night political programs which are pretty darn even-handed. Even our local program Donnybrook makes sure to include an evenly split panel of debaters. There's also the gardening and cooking shows. Tru and I watch those together and it has excited her about helping me and created valuable time for us to bond together. And I haven't even started in on NPR. This American Life, Talk of the Nation, Weekend Edition, Prairie Home Companion.... and the list goes on.

Some people try to say that this doesn't benefit the majority of Americans. That is hogwash. It helps produce a more cultured America. I am a reasonably intelligent person and I try to keep a lot of new information flowing my way. Yet I can say that PBS and NPR have been one of the biggest things to really kept me abreast of current ideas in politics, the arts, history, and in my local community. For adults who are out of college and either don't have time or resources for formal education, and for the elderly or disadvantaged who are just not going to do something like take a college course this is a free opportunity for them to grow their knowledge base. Some people may just not have a car or means to get to local activities, but they might have a TV or radio.

Even if there is no local public TV or radio branch for people they can listen online to NPR, read their website, and view episodes of PBS shows online as well. If they are choosing not to then that is a choice. It is a pretty sad thing that most people probably know more about Justin Bieber's love life than about a democratic revolution in Egypt. PBS at least offers them a chance to find out more.

Public broadcasting serves people. Not products, not corporations. You, me, everyone. It is a relatively cheap way to reach millions. Publicly supported media and the intelligent, noncommerical content it produces is one of the most affordable and effective tools for keeping America literate, engaged, inquisitive, inventive, passionate, and healthy. To cut it would make all of America drastically poorer in spirit and knowledge.

As for me I find it a little comical to think Republicans are accusing Lydia's Italy and Antiques Roadshow of being too liberal. Clearly pasta and furniture are now leaning to the left. If you have any in your house, be warned.

Belated Thanks to Generous Friends

2010-04-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

During this holiday week I thought it would be a good idea to do a little spring cleanup, if you will, and return to a topic that I blogged about just before Christmas 09.

In December I made a post about how my family had been receiving food pantry assistance during most of 2009. Without this help we would certainly have lost our home. This was due mostly to the terrible economy which caused slowing sales for my business and a pay cut at my now ex-husband's job. Add to that a divorce, and, well.... you have a recipe for complete financial chaos. If it was hard supporting one household it was even harder supporting two.

The pantry assistance provided an invaluable cushion so that we could use all our available cash to take care of the mortgage while we waited to hear about an adjustment. That is still pending and undetermined, so I'm still holding on at our original rate. But it was by the grace and goodwill of my community both locally and online, as well as a good bit of determination and scrappiness on my part that has helped get us through this awkward time.

I made a post about our economic status in the hopes of inspiring people to give to their local pantries. The most surprising thing was the generosity people expressed directly to me as a result of the posting. That, of course, was not the original intent. But it really warmed my heart and that kindness has stayed with me these last few months as I have been working my way through my first bit of life as a fully legally divorced single mom.

Firstly I want to say a big thank you to the anonymous parties that sent a Target gift card and an Amazon gift card. These were really appreciated and enabled us to purchase items that we would not have otherwise been able to afford. I upgraded and replaced a few items in my kitchen, which was truly valuable as I cook most of the time from home and also accept small catering jobs. When I had to split the kitchenware up as part of the divorce I was left with less than I needed to be able to work jobs and cook for my immediate family.

Being able to cook most things from scratch is immensely valuable to me as it keeps our food budget low and ensures my daughter is eating the least processed food possible. It is also my entertainment and relaxation and how I nurture my family. I am truly grateful.

Some companies were kind enough to send us items from their product line. After a year of living on canned greenbeans and hot dog buns I can honestly say that foods that match my tastes and dietary preferences have never been so appreciated.

I need to thank Ayala's Herbal Water for their kind contribution of several cases of their flavored waters.This was a supremely kind gesture. We have really enjoyed sampling the flavors you sent and I can definitely endorse that this is a tasty and extremely healthy product. For those of us that don't really drink soda, and seek to avoid excess sugar a flavored water is just the ticket when you are craving a little something. I am dying to try more of the flavors eventually like the Lemon Verbena Geranium. Yum!

And finally I would like to extend a thank you also to Sensible Foods who sent us a few cases of their dried fruit and vegetable snacks. All I can say is WOW! These are super tasty and an ideal snack. One of my worst eating habits is my love for flavored crackers and anything with cheese dust. But these fresh fruit and veggie blends are so tasty and nice and crunchy that they satisfy my snacking urge completely.

The fruit blends were, of course, totally delightful. But the really delicious surprise was the dried corn. I could eat that all the time! I have now packed these pouches on planes for business trips and several of them were in my purse all through my last trip to New York City. They are lightweight and easy to take along. Honestly with all the "low calorie" snack packs that are out there with cookies and other processed foods these little packets are the perfect antidote.

The kindness expressed to us by the sustainable business community has really hit it home again to me that I am proud to live and work alongside these people every day. As larger corporations look for handouts these companies are giving them to little people like myself. They did so with no expectation of promotion or public thanks, but just to be doing good for a fellow citizen. I could not be prouder to be working every day to remain in your ranks. You are helping change the idea of what is "business as usual". Thank you for offering something fresh to the world and for your kindness toward my family.

Happy Spring! :)

Natural Skincare product shelf life - Part 2 - Nutrients!

2010-03-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Natural skincare products can offer a fantastic range of beneficial compounds for your skin. But, as I discussed in my last entry, they need to be at optimum freshness to be safe to use and free from bacteria and fungus.

Not only that, but did you know that the nutrients present in any skincare product have a shelf life too? So, you probably won't be getting much benefit from a 2 or 3 year old product since most of the nutrients and actives have long since degraded and lost their maximum efficacy. Some can even even become completely different compounds over time - yikes! Which means if you are still using such old items you may not even know what you are putting on yourself anymore.

It is relatively common knowledge these days that Vitamin C is very valuable as an antioxidant and anti-aging active. It can lighten skin and helps synthesize collagen. But did you know that raw Vitamin C in its regular form as Ascorbic Acid is highly unstable in liquid formulas? By liquid I mean anything with water content as well, so even creams and liquid soaps qualify. There is a 50% loss in quantity of Vitamin C after just 4 hours in solution! This means that if a skincare formula is using Ascorbic Acid as an ingredient you should think and shop carefully. It is possible to buffer the solution so that the vitamin loss is slowed, but generally after about 6 months most products with Vitamin C have lost their efficacy completely. If you see a yellowish or brownish color in the product don't even bother putting it on - color change is a sign of the vitamin's decay.

Ester based and oil soluble versions of vitamin C like Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Palmitate offer vitamin C in a more stable and therefore much more effective form. Blissoma skincare uses a polypeptide stabilized Vitamin C that you will see in our Peace and Lift facial cremes listed as Ascorbic Acid/Citrus Polypeptides. This is Ascorbic Acid that has been fermented with yeast so that the yeast proteins complex with the vitamin. The vitamin is then stabilized and can be used in liquid recipes without fear of degradation. The protein complexation increases how effectively the skin can use the vitamin as well.

C is just one of the vitamins your skin needs and each has to be considered according to its own shelf life. Other ingredients like oils also must be as fresh as possible to truly benefit your skin.

Most natural plant oils like sunflower oil and pumpkin oil have very definite shelf lives. The reason they don't last forever is a process called oxidation. When the oil is stored in a bottle the surface of the oil is exposed to air. The Oxygen in the air reacts gradually with the oil, causing it to go rancid. A rancid oil smells sharp and can actually be detrimental to your health. The rancidity is actually a sign that the oil is no longer the same type of compound that it first was. It becomes stickier and more resinous when it dries.

Many skincare manufacturers deal with this problem by using only extremely stable oils like coconut and jojoba in their products, or worse - petrochemical oils that have no set shelf life. But so many of the oils that offer the best nutrients and essential fatty acids are the ones that are the least stable. Rosehip, evening primrose, and hemp are all oils that are heat sensitive and have a short shelf life of between 6 to 12 months. These are also some of the most nutrient-packed oils available.

To use these more finicky oils the formulator has to consider their sensitivities in the making of the product AND in the total recipe. Including antioxidants like Vitamin E and Rosemary Oleoresin Extract helps considerably, as does combining them synergistically with the more stable oils. But you still want to use your products promptly, as even a deft blend will only last a maximum of a year and a half. After that, kiss those essential fatty acids goodbye - they are no longer present in a form you want.

Skincare formulation, when done with a real consideration of total health benefit, is no easy feat. That is why it is such a good thing to have someone you trust behind the line you choose to use. A vast range of skincare products these days are mostly about marketing and very little about what the product actually DOES for you. We are happy to empower you to make your shopping choices wisely and find products that are truly effective for your skin.

A primer on Blissoma skincare shelf-life - Part 1

2010-01-06T07:25:00.001-08:00

Do you know the shelf life of your skincare?

Natural products have a much shorter shelf life than conventional products that are loaded with petrochemicals and synthetic preservatives. We think that is a good thing! After all, you should be treating your face to the best and freshest products possible.

Blissoma skincare uses a natural enzyme preservative system to keep our products free from contamination. Even with this preservation, however, you can expect our products to generally last just about a year to a year and a half from the date of production. This varies by product and the stresses to which the item has been exposed.

A shelf life of just a year and a half is dramatically different from many conventional commercial cosmetics which are tested to last 3 to 5 years. Even those need to be tended to and weeded out periodically, though. Remember that lonely bottle of foundation, moisturizer, or any other item in your medicine cabinet that has been there since the dawn of time? Allow me to be your friendly reminder to discard old product and avoid exposing yourself to the hidden bacterial or fungal dangers that may be lurking there.

My general rule is if I haven't used a particular item for a whole year I discard it. Any items not part of your regular routine are superfluous. While going unused they will just sit and breed trouble. Not to mention that a streamlined medicine cabinet makes morning and evening bodycare routines SO much easier!

Our Blissoma line generally packages products in containers that keep fingers out of the product and minimize the air to which the product is exposed. One exception to this is our clay mask, which is in a wide mouth jar. The thicker quality of this product just would not allow it to be pumped well, so it had to be placed in a container where it could be scooped out. Because it will be repeatedly exposed to air and any bacteria present on fingers whenever the mask is used we recommend that you use it completely within 4 months of initial opening.

We have insitituted a batch labeling system in accordance with good manufacturing practices. On the bottom of each product will be a sticker noting the batch number for the product and our recommended expiration date. As an example for one of our deodorants the number may read like this:
101509005589A
exp 4/2/011

The first portion of the number tells you when the batch was produced. This item was made 10/15/2009.

Here is the shelf life of each of our product types from the date of production:
Moisturizers, Toners, Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser, Amend Antioxidant Lotion, Deodorants, and Backyard Bliss - 1 1/2 years
Refine Clay Renewal Treatment - 1 year, best if used within 4 months from date of opening

I'll be back with Part 2 of our Skincare Shelf-life Primer soon. Until then, be fresh - be beautiful!

Free Food - an Ode to Nourishment

2009-12-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Funny that the place I now visit
for donations of government cheese

bread
and frozen blueberries
is also a place that provides
sustenance of an entirely different sort.
Like a trail of crumbs
followed through the forest
scratched knees
fingers bleeding
and each crumb I put on my tongue
dissolved quickly
only to lead me to the next.
But not now...

The first visits were humbling
on levels I had never reached before.
Tears of desperation gracing my cheeks
like pilgrims
wandering through the arid landscape
seeking and seeking -
A glance of kindness
asylum
and a safe place
to strip off the artifice of the outside world
and just ask -
Ask for help.
Garments of pride and prejudice
fall off like lettuce leaves past their prime
and mix in with the moldy vegetables
hamburger buns
kind, worn hands
and government paperwork.
Sign here - X
To receive service.

The hours spent waiting
amidst others also seeking
As if we are all on a subway train
that departs from an old church basement
between 9-11 AM every Thursday.
Enter the underground
and have a seat.
Your turn will come soon enough.
Look carefully at faces in this lobby -
the antechamber on the way to who-knows-where,
but it must be better, right?
Eyes filled with misty, lost thoughts
quickened by deliveries of spoiled apples
and the scurry that ensues to
snare a share.
Piles of men's shirts
boxes of shoes
they all spur the pace of the room
then return to sit
and wait some more.

I become half-visible
when I enter the doors of the station.
Anonymous and among the mounting ranks
of middle class Americans
hungry
for something more.
This Thursday morning journey has a hidden gift
that goes beyond the groceries.
Watch travelers joke and talk.
Stop and look
at the light falling on faces.
Try to see beyond the skin
to the internal clickings and clackings
of the tracks going by -
the crumbs hitting tongues
just a little more softly.

The time I fill with open thoughts
exposed to something I never would have seen
except I needed this -
for whatever reason -
I needed this.
Needed the cans
the bags
the bundles
and the time.
A year-long journey on this side street
to seek
to see
beyond the temptation of food
to being truly fed
to sit and read "Trout Fishing In America" one more time
and laugh at stories of trout flashing in streams
caught cold from the water
For that was dinner in a different time -
a more self-sufficient time for all of us.
And now I sit
and instead of tears I can giggle a little
as I wait for my bags
and know that my journey is nearly through.
At home the frozen berries, blue and sweet
taste strangely like gratitude
spreading their sugar on my tongue.
Thank You

Dear Friends,
For the last year my family has been receiving assistance from our local food pantry. The journey of the past year, including this particular experience, has been nothing short of transformative for me. I could not be more grateful not only for the assistance but for what I have seen and felt during this time in my life.

I think it is important to remember as food stamp enrollment is soaring and food pantries are having difficulty maintaining food supplies that this can happen to anyone. It isn't just the downtrodden, the homeless, the mentally ill... it can be any of us. There is no shame in wanting to provide for your family and there is no shame in asking for help when it is needed.

My family's food budget was hit drastically at the beginning of this year as we struggled to make our mortgage payment. For 6 months now we have been waiting on news of a mortgage adjustment that was promised through the Home Affordable program. That program has now been denounced by the New York Times as having helped perhaps only a few tens of thousands of the 650,000 applicants who have requested adjustments due to hardship. Our lender, Coldwell Banker, has offered nothing but empty promises. Our government should be ashamed. This program is an utter failure and I can only assume that so many other families like ours are holding on, paying what they can, and seeking other assistance to make it through.

Through the amazing grace of our local pantry system, the generosity of my neighbors, and some very creative side work we have forged ahead. I just wanted to write a bit to the world this holiday and remind those that can to please donate and do what you can. But for grace and good fortune in your own life you could be here too.

It was in high school choir, taught by Claude Westfall, that I learned one of the most important life lessons I could have ever received.

"We are only as good as our weakest member."

This is true not only for a choir but for American society and the world as a whole. It is time to lift each other up a bit, to offer a hand to someone struggling, to think a little less about self and a little more about all. There could be nothing more important at a time of year dedicated to sharing and giving. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, so if you have nothing else to give right now perhaps just give that.

A little Good Will goes a long way. I'm proof, and I hope to share a little of my own and pay it forward.

In gratitude,
Julie

Bringing midwestern natural beauty to NYC

2009-10-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a city girl by nature. Now there's an oxymoron! But it is true. I love the beat of urban environments, but I also love my natural world. When I have a chance to merge those two interests it's even better.

I was all about the chance to visit New York City to speak to members of the media about my Blissoma skincare line - made from local Midwestern and global botanicals! Nature, meet the big city....

It was a short trip but a busy one. I cruised like any NYC pedestrian, enjoying the efficiency of the subway and my own bipedal skills. I wandered the parks, popped in boutiques, and bought Indian food from a hole-in-the-wall on 3rd Ave.

The big event was on Tuesday night at Rouge Tomate, a trendy eco-restaurant in Midtown just a few blocks off of Central Park. It was a stylish soiree and editors from major national publications were in attendance to see 40 of the country's premiere eco-luxury brands and learn about their offerings for fall 2009. I represented some of the forward-thinking ideas we are generating in the heartland. St. Louis may be smaller, but we have some pretty hip stuff happening these days...

Editors from Brides, Zink, More Magazine and many blogs and newspapers stopped to learn about Blissoma. I saw eco fashion designers, eco art, and sampled sustainable cuisine. What a night!

I had the pleasure of meeting Allyson Shapiro Zarin, daughter of Jill Zarin of "Real Housewives of New York City". She is the Co-President of Teens Turning Green and offered us the chance to participate in some of their pre-prom parties. Teens Turning Green is a safe and sustainable cosmetic line designed for Whole Foods Market and aimed at young women to replace many of the more synthetic options available through conventional retailers.

I also met Allison Parris, owner of the Allison Parris eco clothing line and she asked us to participate with her fashion shows backstage. Allison was wearing a gorgeous silk skirt from her own line. Their clothing is is smooth, sexy, and sophisticated. I'm looking forward to working with them.

The next day I dropped samples off at C.O. Bigelow, the 168 year old apothecary in New York's West Village. Their team was friendly and we are hoping to work with them in the future. They already carry lines like Hauschka, Pangea Organics, Tsi La perfumes, This Works, Weleda, and many more unique and niche brands. Hopefully you will want to be able to find Blissoma there as well.

It was a whirlwind trip. Just 2 1/2 days to take it all in! But you know I'll be back for more. For now I 've got to be here holding down the fort, making more skincare, and sharing with you.

That's all for this Friday evening. Have a beautiful fall weekend everyone!

Blissoma SOLUTIONS natural skincare is hitting shelves around the USA

2009-09-25T13:09:00.001-07:00

Have you been looking for Blissoma SOLUTIONS on shelves near you?

This is a current store list near you that are carrying the new SOLUTIONS natural skincare line. For raw, effective, bio conscious skincare with ingredients you can believe in there is just nothing like it.

Independent stores:
The Body Lounge - Stowe, VT
Community Pharmacy - Madison, WI
Clover's Natural Market - Columbia, MO (Deodorants only right now)
Jackson Whole Grocer - Jackson Hole, WY (Awake and Amend)
Local Harvest Grocery - St. Louis, MO

Online Retailers:
Internatural
Organic Gurus

Whole Foods Markets in the Midwest region:
St. Louis area
Brentwood, MO
Town and Country, MO

Chicago area
Cicero/Sauganash, IL
Evanston North, IL
Hinsdale, IL
Naperville, IL
North Halsted, IL
Palatine, IL
Willowbrook, IL

If there is a store near you that you want to carry our items just let us know, or tell the store buyers you want Blissoma. We are working hard to make our line available to you at the locations you shop the most. Thanks for supporting our retailers, and our line. Happy Friday!

Splendicity's "Pretty by Nature" endorses Blissoma natural skincare

2009-09-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Our Blissoma skincare collection got a nice review on Splendicity's "Pretty by Nature" blog from writer Michelle Smith.

She loved the results and the fresh smells of our products. Read the full article!

I'll be heading to New York City next week for a special Eco Luxury press event to speak to writers from publications like IdealBite, Lucky, O Magazine, People, Self and many others. You never know, you might just be seeing our line in their pages soon.

I'm looking forward to laying eyes on the big city and bringing something fresh and raw from the Midwest to the inhabitants of NYC. Once again we are proving that not everything trendsetting has to come from the coasts...

Whole, local harvest for your face and body

2009-09-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Midwest has had a ridiculously mild summer. St. Louis is usually a sweaty, humid mess by the time June rolls around but this year we had week after week of mild, breezy weather. By late July I was really starting to think I was in the Twilight Zone. With temperatures only barely topping 80 degrees it was getting a little freaky.

Not that I'm not thankful for the break in the air conditioning bills, but the weather has effects on many things. One of those things is the growth of local crops. Because of the mild weather many crops didn't mature as fast as usual.

Summer is usually filled with fresh produce coming from all directions, but I definitely began to notice the squeeze when we began calling around for Organic Cucumbers. Our main wholesale supplier was (and still seems to be) out for a month and a half. Not that there weren't any tasty organic cukes in the bigger natural grocery stores. But perhaps there wasn't enough supply to then filter some over to the little guys.

Once the shortage continued for weeks on end I started calling around to local growers. With the fact that St. Louis has a good, solid, cold winter there are many months where we can't buy local - there just isn't anything available. Plus many of our local farms are not Certified Organic as they don't want to mess with the paperwork. They may be growing cleanly but without the certification we can't buy from them and honestly support the claims on our labels.

After a few calls I was able to locate Biver Farms, a lovely certified organic farm in Edwardsville, IL just 20 minutes from us. The first week I called in mid August there were still no slicing cucumbers available. So we waited on pins and needles.

Last week, hallelujah, the harvest is in! I picked up 100 pounds of fresh, beautiful, locally grown organic cucumbers from their booth at the Tower Grove Far mer's Market. The weather was heavenly again and the veggies were plentiful at all the booths - in fact I had trouble not walking home with bushels of other produce as well.

Now we are cleaning, peeling, and slicing our local cukes to make them into the fresh infusion for our Tone Intense Hydration Tonique and juicing them for our Natural D eodorant sprays. And here are the pics to prove it. Gorgeous, green, and great for your skin!

Not many companies are willing to go this kind of distance to offer true botanical benefit in their products. Most companies buy preprocessed ingredients from giant suppliers who load them down with preservatives, propylene glycol, carbomer, and dimethicone. Not Blissoma. We prefer to put in the bit of extra work to ensure that you aren't getting anything but clean, raw, nutritious plants in our products. Sure, it makes our supply chain work a bit trickier. Sure, I stand for hours on end slicing, peeling, and straining. But our integrity is worth it, and so is your skin.

So, for all you Locavores it doesn't get any better than this. Get your Blissoma crisp off the vine, cause it is!

Making Amends with your Sun-Damaged skin

2009-08-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

By this point in the summer many of us have had our fair share of sun exposure. After all, we've had a solid 3 months of frolic out of doors. Day by day that sun builds up on any exposed skin, even if you aren't big on tanning.

Even for a relatively pale person and sunscreen junky I have a little color on my arms and face from the hours I have spent out in the backyard. Some of this summer's activities for me have included stripping and refinishing my bathroom door and one of my 100+ year old windows. All the paint removal and sanding was done outdoors to prevent mess and contamination of the house. Some of those days out on the parking pad were hot, hot, hot and directly in the sun for the whole day! Despite use of sunscreen of 30 and higher I still have the telltale freckles and peachy color that are my body's version of a tan.

Though you may not be in situations of extreme exposure like that sun damage can build up gradually just from walking to and from your car or other brief activities like that. Anything counts. Your skin doesn't play, and UV exposure is UV exposure no matter how you slice it.

If you value your skin (and it is your largest organ!) you should be taking pro-active measures to keep your skin in top condition. Over time that UV exposure will cause the elastin in your skin to degrade, causing loss of firmness and wrinkling. Discoloration and uneven pigmentation is another long term result of overexposure. The big C (cancer) can result as well.

On a trip to Colorado earlier this year I was informed by several estheticians in the area that the incidence of skin cancer is very high among residents in their area of the country due to the outdoor lifestyle and higher elevations. Thinner air and close proximity to the sun means increased exposure.

Sunscreen is not the only way to help skin protect itself. Antioxidants play a key role in keeping skin healthy much as they do the same internally. In particular an extract from Pomegranate containing a fraction known as Punicalagins helps protect cells against UV damage and degradation. This extract was previously used internally, but now is available as an external application. The science-backed research proving it's ability to decrease UV induced cell death, reactive oxygen species, and collagenases that cause collagen deterioration is the reason Blissoma has chosen to include this extract in a new antioxidant sprayable lotion called Amend.

Amend is a super lightweight, intensive body treatment designed to prevent, soothe, and repair sun damage. It not only contains Pomegranate but a host of other antioxidant ingredients like organic Rooibos tea and Acai oil, plus soothing and reparative herbs like organic Linden flower, Heather flowers, and Comfrey. All these help build and repair collagen as well as minimizing long-term damage from daily or intense exposure. It can be applied before sunscreen because of it's non-greasy consistency. It has a fresh, delicious smell beloved by men, women, and children alike. Should you get a little pink it takes the sting right out and can be applied as often as desired while healing. And yes, it contains organic Aloe as well, so all the bases are covered.

The ingredients list is cleaner than most plain aloe gels. No green color, no carbomer, no TEA, and no synthetic preservatives. I'm pretty picky about what goes on my skin and yours.

There is no time like the present to start taking care of your skin. Just because it's August doesn't mean it is too late, lazybones! Get some Amend and feel the heal. When your arms are looking cute in 20 years you'll thank yourself for the bit of extra care you took now.

Forget the fashion police - synthetic perfume could get you sued...

2008-12-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

A friend forwarded this article from the Denver Post to me the other day.

Judge allows civil suit over co-worker's perfume

Honestly to me this isn't any huge surprise. I've been a victim of olfactory assault - most notably on a recent visit to San Francisco when someone on the BART had overdone their scent so viciously that I could smell it half the train away. Like smoking, perfume is something that you can't contain, making it a matter of public concern as well as private.

Read the rest of this entry on the Green Home Huddle website.

Urban Rebirth

2008-10-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

Like many others, I'm hoping to win funding through the Google 10 to the 100th contest. Check out my extremely abbreviated video supplement to the application.

If you want to hear my full plan drop me a line.

Back and Forth - Presidential financial policies, failures, and the future

2008-09-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

The current financial markets have many of us in a tizzy.
Even those of us who don't have hundreds of thousands in investment portfolios in jeopardy or other savings at immediate risk have serious matters to ponder. If the worst effect on your pocketbook is whether or not you can purchase a new high def TV with your newly reduced credit card limits you are still feeling the pain of our current situation.

Hundreds of small businesses have gone the way of the dodo bird this year. Interestingly enough many small business owners have found it necessary to start a second business as their first becomes unable to produce the needed revenue for survival. A homemade cookie vendor has taken up residence on my local street corner and a friend of mine that owns a stationary business has found it necessary to take on freelance interior design work. Another friend of mine in sales confessed to me that she is working harder to make less, but is doing as much as she can to make sure the bills get paid. For her that means more money spent on gas and travel and more time away from family, all to reap dwindling sales at the retail level. Whether working harder at your existing job, or taking on 2 or even 3 jobs just to make ends meet, many of us in the 40 and under crowd have never faced a squeeze quite like this before.

My current situation is not much different. I have never worked harder in my life , and those of you that know me know that it isn't really possible to go much further than I do on a normal basis. Yet the last year has challenged me physically and mentally, on top of 5 years of already working double-time to grow my business.

I have never known a professional life free of Bush economic policies. I graduated college in December of 1999 and he was promptly elected (or not elected) in fall of that year. I must say, the last 8 years have been no picnic. I came from a decidedly middle-class background and had an excellent family and education. Despite excellent grades and a strong work ethic it has been a huge amount of work to get "established" in life.

I turned 31 this week... I had a very strange moment the other night when I looked at where I am now compared to my teenage ideas of where life would have taken me by 31. Some things make sense to me. I am a homeowner, married, with 1 child. But other things don't fit at all. We have not been able to start a retirement savings, college fund for Tru, still work 80 hours a week, and have still not been able to purchase any "grownup" furniture. I'm proud of how resourceful we have been to make it through what we have in the last few years, but wonder when the pace will let up a bit and things will feel more secure.

The world is simply a different place than the world our parents graduated into 25 years ago. I know only a few people that headed straight into high-paying jobs after college, and if my close friends have massive savings accounts then they are not talking about it to me. Many of my peers are living paycheck to paycheck, my family included, with the hope that the work we put into businesses, graduate school, and more will pay off at some point in the future. We are gambling that it will bring back enough to make up for the massive investment, delayed gratifications, and stagnant, ever-present debt.

I have seen the financial crisis affect my business dramatically over the last year. Slowing sales, skyrocketing rates on our debt, and reduced available credit have all been major problems we have had to address. Recently we put out an application for a business loan. After this week's meltdown there will be little chance that will go through for an operation such as mine.

Our customers have also been deeply affected. Our base consists of many independent businesses, corporations like Whole Foods, and individual retail consumers. None have been untouched. While some of our larger clients have continued to expand despite the soft economy, I have indeed heard whispers of problems even from corporate clients. Whole Foods has a campaign currently to address its reputation as "Whole Paycheck", offering deals and savings tips. But even with these deals the cost of food has continued to skyrocket, and that restricts many shoppers' ability to spend there regardless of deals. Many of my own dietary choices recently have been determined by cost. Beans and oatmeal have been making more prominent appearances at mealtimes. Thankfully I like both, but only in college did I consume more of them.

For days I have been waiting to see how the presidential race plays onto the economic crisis. While I generally prefer to keep my political leanings to myself, I think the issue is too important to my business and family to ignore at this time. I had a very clear and contrasting "Aha" moment tonite while watching the evening news.

The McCain campaign has been running a battery of television commercials here in Missouri with relentless enthusiasm. We are a battleground state, and usually seen as a barometer of the nation as a whole. Many of the television commercials have been along the same vein as the initial spots where Obama was touted as only a celebrity. A brand spanking new McCain campaign commercial came on. A female voiceover speaks in accusatory tones, saying that Obama has not offered any real leadership on the economic crisis. McCain's campaign has most certainly been effective at attracting attention. Their advertisements have been showy and controversial. They are memorable which, of course, is what advertisements should be. However they have been criticized by everyone from individual citizens to respectable media organizations like National Public Radio for the fact that they are simply not accurate.

I urge everyone to view FactCheck.org to verify this ad. FactCheck has been hard on both candidates at times and from my review seems to be a very fair source of information. It is one of my favorite places to go when I want to get down and dirty about an issue.

Then not 5 minutes later an Obama campaign commercial was aired. It was remarkably simple. In it he clearly lays out his ideas on what will make our economy work. No voiceovers, no fancy graphics. Just a candidate talking to voters. I think the differences between these two campaign approaches is striking, and as a voter I appreciate being spoken to like a person with a brain. This approach is not sensationalistic, and does not rely on emotion or fear. I think it is a clear contradiction to how the McCain campaign tries to claim that Obama consists of mostly showy language and flowery speeches.

By now it is likely quite obvious that I am for Obama. I don't usually reveal my preferences in the context of business, and I have actually never been so excited about any politician. Politics is a dirty game, and few individuals can make it through the process with integrity intact. As the old adage goes "You can wrestle with a pig, but you'll both get dirty and the pig will enjoy it". Politics is a wrestling match that too often sullies even those with good intentions. At this juncture I believe that Obama is one of the few men that matches up to my expectations of a presidential candidate.

What I find most exciting about Obama is the fact that ordinary citizens are feeling their power again in his campaign. Many of the actions that support his campaign in huge ways have come from people outside of the campaign itself. From the Yes We Can video put out by Will I Am to unique t shirts screenprinted by supporters, the population of America is feeling empowered to act on their own. No presidential candidate will be able to fix our national situation anytime very soon, and it is important to realize that. There is a messy legacy, and recovery will take more than policies. It will take people. The energy that Obama imparts to ordinary citizens is incredibly important for the revitalization of our economy. If we all start to feel like our contributions really matter we can accomplish a lot at the local level without even waiting for Washington to solve everything. This is where real power is sleeping. Inside all of us.

We all have a right to be frustrated right now. We have a right to feel tired, overworked, underpaid, and disillusioned. We've been lied to, fleeced, and forced to bear burdens we don't deserve.

But we also have a right to hope. We have a right to be energized about the possibilities of the coming election. Because we can fix the problems in front of us with new, creative thinking. We can innovate. We can care more about the well-being of our neighbors and fellow countrymen. We can wake up, ask probing questions, and get the answers we deserve. We can do better than we have.

Yes, We Can.
*blessings
Julie

Easing In... A short summer report

2008-09-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm betting many of us still don't believe that summer is really ending.
I think about the first days back at school when I was in the elementary grades... One of those time-honored traditions was to write your first essay of the year on what you did during the summer. It made an easy transition for teachers and students alike.

I'm going to continue that tradition with a few photos taken during my summer. It was by no means a summer of vacations. But it had a few memorable moments.

Here in the Midwest one of the biggest things that happened to our entire region was a massive amount of rain that fell during the early summer months, causing flooding all up and down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. My house is exactly 2 minutes from the Mississippi riverfront in St. Louis - I can practically see it from our house. The McKinley bridge was revamped and reopened just this last year. One of the nicest additions to the bridge was the conversion of an old train trestle to a pedestrian and bicycle trail.

One evening we decided to have some free, easy fun and walk across the river. These are the quick pictures I snapped from our phone. It was a gorgeous sunset and we had the entire bridge to ourselves. I hope you enjoy like we did!

Pro-Active Natural Sun Protection (or else!)

2008-06-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer!
Swimming pools, barbecues, and sunbathing.... oh, wait that last part is maybe a little outdated. Try 1989 outdated.

What I won't do for my readers.... The lovely photo you are gazing upon is me at age 12, enjoying my new, trendy 2 piece suit and a book - likely a fantasy novel from the used book store down the hill. The scrunchy, the sunglasses, the stripes, the sunbathing.... so eighties!

I have seriously pale skin. I really don't tan but at the time of this photo I was still discovering that fact. All the pre-teens in my school were going to tanning salons by the ripe old age of 11 . My family being the budget type I had to use the free tanning salon - the sun. I spent hours laying out, feeling hot and sweaty. My prize? Some very faint swimsuit lines and some likely skin damage. Fortunately it didn't take too long before I decided that laying out was real pain and not very productive for me. I resigned myself to the fact that I am just pale.

Fortunately for me I was way ahead of the real trend - skipping the suntan. As we embark upon the coming holiday week I just wanted to take a moment to offer a few suggestions that are totally 2008.

A - Sun exposure is dangerous. Not only can you end up with a really uncomfortable burn but that burn could someday give you cancer. Sunscreen should be your very first thought if you are going to be spending any more than 15 minutes in the sun. When really desperate even I would choose a Franken-chemical sunscreen from Walgreens over a sunburn. But if you have the option check out your local health food store for their natural sunscreens. California Baby has a great, water resistant sunscreen that works for kids and adults and smells really good. It uses micronized titanium dioxide, which is a physical sunscreen rather than chemical like oxybenzone. It reflects the suns rays like a million tiny mirrors. Though I'm usually a purist, Alba also has a few that are economical and not quite so chemically laden. The texture is OK and there are only a few synthetics in the ingredient list. Definitely better than Coppertone or other bargain store brands.

B. Did you know that citrus essential oils can be photo-toxic? That means that if you use a product with any significant concentration of orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus essential oil before heading out to sun exposure your skin can be discolored and can burn much worse than normally. Skip citrus body oils and don't dribble any of these in your bath water. Bergamot FCF is one of the only citrus oils that is safe to use. FCF means that the components of the essential oil that would otherwise be phototoxic have been removed.

C. Your face will be with you forever. Invest in a hat. It will help save you thousands in cosmetic surgery later on.

D. Your face also receives more exposure than any other body part besides your hands. Wear daily sunscreen. No ifs, ands, or buts. I have been using something else, but due to a formula change in my formerly favorite line I'll soon be switching to Lavera's facial sun protection. I have yet to find a product in the Lavera line that doesn't meet my requirements for purity and quality. The texture of their products is amazing, scent great, and they are all approved by the BDIH standard in Germany, the strictest standard for natural personal care products.

So do yourself a favor and protect! Otherwise people will soon be able to see you were alive for the eighties. I know that's a secret you'd rather keep to yourself (along with all the photos of you with your mall bangs and Z. Cavaricci pants). Don't worry, I'll never tell.

from the bathtub....
Julie

Natural Perfumer's Guild

2008-06-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Suprisingly, this week I'm early with my post.
This is because tonight I am in Chicago after a long day of talking and talking and talking to customers at several different Whole Foods Market locations in this area. I am holed up in my hotel room surfing the net for several reasons.

1 - I was exhausted. Seriously. I don't usually talk to people ALL day long. Usually I'm at the studio with just a few close people.

2 - Despite many trips up here I don't seem to have any native Chicago friends to hang out with at night. (smallest violin plays here - sigh!)

3 - I must be getting old. Really . I almost can't believe I passed up the opportunity for a night out on the town in this fabulous, fun city, even if it would be solo, to commune with my computer.

BUT if I hadn't been here with my computer I wouldn't have found the Anya's Garden blog, and then the Natural Perfumer's Guild. Hooray! A club for the natural-scent-obsessed! I can't believe I was previously unaware of this group, but I'm planning to join as soon as I can scrape together the membership fee. After a full day of urging people to smell my products to get them to experience the benefits of natural scent, I should be well on my way in already.

The Guild was founded by Mandy Aftel of Aftelier.com. I'm familiar with her website after a few other nights of surfing the net and reading an article on her scent crafting business. She offers educational opportunities for aspiring perfumers as well as even custom perfume recipes created with your feedback as an integral part of the formulation process for the price of $1,100. Not something that everyone can afford, but what a unique experience. Certainly a scent all your own is as valuable as any diamond necklace. Heck, a trip to Disneyworld costs several thousand dollars!

From their website - the way they evaluate members:

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AS A
PROFESSIONAL PERFUMER:

Edmond Roudnitska, the famed perfumer, creator of such classics as Femme, Diorella, Le Parfum de Therese, Eau de Hermes and many others, wrote eloquently when he described what a perfume must communicate:

"A beautiful perfume is the one which brings about a shock. A sensual shock that irritates our senses at first, but followed by a psychological shock which lasts the longer with the perfume developing its form, following a slowed evaporation scheme; this in a way that with the form being original it will inscribe itself in our mind which will not forget it and recognize it at the first following encounter.

In order to be beautiful, this form must answer our expectation of novelty and harbor the fundamental qualities of a grand perfume:"

1. Character
2. Force
3. Power
4. Diffusion
5. Clarity
6. Volume
7. Lasting power

I sure hope they'll think my new BLENDS qualify. Yikes! I'll feel really good if they make it through their review, as I honestly have never seen this list of criteria before tonight.

Here's hoping. I'm sure it will take a few months for me to get the fees together and samples submitted. Honestly until 6 months ago or so I never would have even thought of myself as a "perfumer". I've always used the terms "Creative Chemist" and "Aroma Artist". Perfumer would be a new one for me and almost feels a little too formal.

What do you think I am? Perfumer? Mad Natural Scientist? Slightly OCD? ;)
From Chicago tonight, signing off...
*Julie

Our Little Helpers

2008-06-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

No, we don't have elves that help us here.
But I thought you might enjoy seeing some pics of the folks that help make the products you get to enjoy at home. I've picked up one new helper this summer. She loves to organize, count things, sing and dance.

Yup, that's my now 4 year old, Tru. So I guess we can't say we don't use child labor. Cause she's been in the studio a lot lately. Today she helped our part-time production assistant Kim organize Energize tin candles.

She is also the only studio helper that comes to work with no pants on. Today the outfit was tights and dress-up shoes with stripey green shirt. She loves her tights.

The order of the day for Frank, our Production Manager, was Stress Serum packaging. Meet the man who makes just about everything except our soap and perfume (my jobs ). And he does darn good for us, braving sleet, snow, rain and blazing heat to make it to our studio every day using only public transit. Believe me, in St. Louis this is not a small feat.

So that is our summer Monday at Irie Star. Hope you are nice and cool wherever you are.
Until next time....
*blessings
Julie Longyear

Ask yourself - What would Kathy Freston Eat?

2008-05-29T05:16:00.001-07:00

Eat Healthy.
This is a directive that, despite how simple it appears, seems to baffle most people. Take a random poll in the supermarket and the answers you get would be a wide range of opinions, thoughts, and misinformation.

Some mothers may be pleased with themselves if their child eats their canned green beans. Some people might tell you that they avoid corn syrup in their juices. And some hapless individuals might actually tell you that the HungryMan or Stauffers freezer meal that they plan to consume upon arrival home is the epitomy of a healthy meal. (shudder) My husband's version of this is Hot Pockets, which I have to say I would only eat under the most desperate circumstances. Like if aliens invade, using all fresh vegetables as pods for their offspring leaving processed cheese as the only source of nourishment. (ok maybe that is a bit extreme, but you get the picture)

The American public generally all eats 3 times a day. So how can we all be so confused about an activity that sustains and even defines a good portion of our lives? Perhaps it is the fact that the Today show and other semi-journalistic TV shows feature no less than 2 food segments every morning with varying advice on what is healthy. Some of this information is sponsored by food companies and press agents - dubious sources for dietary advice, as it is all focused around getting you to purchase a specific kind of food product. Specifically I'm thinking about when I recently saw a guest food expert promoting 100 calorie snack packs as a "good" choice when looking to cut calories. My questions was "good" compared to what? Compared to Oreos - yes! Compared to Carrots - no!

Now this past week I saw Kathy Freston, author of "Quantum Wellness" on both Oprah and Ellen advocating conscious eating. I haven't read the book, but I'm familiar with many healthy lifestyles such as advocated on the TV segments. From what I saw it sounds like Kathy is advocating not only Vegan eating, but also eliminating alcohol, processed sugar, and caffeine. Holy canoli, Batman - that may be more difficult than these breezy TV segments intimate.

While all the Blissoma products we make are vegan, and I have tremendous respect for vegan lifestyle, I think most people are not really prepared for the lifestyle switch of this diet. Even if you "lean into it" as Kathy was advocating there may be some consequences you didn't expect. While dietary preferences such as veganism and raw foodism are gaining momentum in areas like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and even Chicago, the support for lifestyles like this here in St. Louis, MO is decidedly lacking. In major cities you can find restaurants and markets that specifically cater to these diets. Here, not much luck. Vegan foods are served at at least one progressive local cafe in town that I am aware of. Other than that your dining choices may be limited to staying home. And raw food in St. Louis? Forget it. We've got a ways to go.

My best suggestion would be that in making a lifestyle choice like this you'd do well to reach out to other local Vegans so you don't feel alone. At least you can cook together (or in the case of raw food, not cook). Since you won't be able to go out to eat with friends you may wish to plan to be the host for dinner parties. Your lifestyle choice will likely take some time for friends and family to adjust to and can cause some negative or hurt feelings initially when you can't participate in food rituals that are important.

Certainly it may seem easy to you to replace ground beef with soy crumbles in Lasagna, but other people may initially think this sounds like a lot of work, or that it tastes funny. From personal experience it caused a great deal of trauma in my own family when I went even just Vegetarian in my teens. Suddenly my mom couldn't prepare family meals the way she used to and all her culinary knowledge related to meat was null and void. As someone that nurtured through food, this was a significant blow to her. My brother did go Vegan for a while, and at this juncture is still Vegetarian. Mom has adjusted somewhat, and will now provide a meatless tomato sauce for the pasta as well as a meat version. That way the vegetarians present are not excluded. But I can tell you if I suddenly chose to go Vegan or Raw Foodist we'd go through the same family trauma all over again.

I do think a Vegan, or at least much more conscious eating lifestyle is something we should all respect and aspire to. Our health and the wellness of the planet would certainly benefit. But there are inbetweens where we can exist that won't cause tremendous strife with friends and family while they "evolve" to your level of consciousness (wink, wink) or at least learn to understand and respect it even while eating their Whopper. My personal fervent passion for cheese means that you'll be prying it out of my cold dead hands before I'll ever give it up. I'll just try and get it from cows that have been treated humanely and cleanly. Hey, we all do what we can. ;)

'til next blog!
Julie

Enough Energy

2008-05-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Energy.
It is one of our most finite resources. And it is in the news a lot lately. From fuel for trucks that carry our goods from coast to coast, to the electricity that keeps a child's nightlight on to scare away the monsters, it runs our daily lives more than we even realize. But I'm not going to be talking today about that type of energy. Nope, I'm talking about *your* energy as one single human being.

You, too, have finite energy. Though we all awake each day with seemingly limitless possibilities we must be careful how we allocate this most precious resource. As a small business owner I am very aware that there is only so much I can accomplish in any given day. So I must be attentive to how I spend my time, and therefore energy. I want to spend my energy on things that will best benefit myself, my employees, and my family. Anything less is an injustice to myself and them.

Sometimes this makes decisions about what to do a little difficult. Every day I ask myself, "What is most important today?". Whether it is calling clients that are late on payments, working on a new label or brochure design, or simply caring for my daughter when she has a cold, there is always something that rises to the top of the pile. There are some activities that are just not worth my energy anymore, as well. I have to try and spend my energy on tasks that only I can do for the business. Anything that can be handed off to employees must be.

In some cases this is actually harder than it seems. After all, I started a business because I like to create. Sometimes it is difficult for me to spend my time on the finances instead of experimenting on a new soap or scent recipe. But we will never reach our collective goals if I can't manage my energy and time well. So for the sake of the company it is sometimes best if I keep myself on the computer instead of in the studio. (sad but true!)

Another factor of energy is the studio's collective energy. I am the steward to everyone here. Each employee brings their own energy to the studio and, potentially, conflicts if not managed properly. I am responsible for choosing the right employees, training them well, and communicating our business goals and methods to them so that they can embody those goals in everything they do here. Effective communication is key, and I have to try to maintain those open avenues so that our workplace remains positive instead of toxic.

Toxic work environments is one of the main reasons I felt inspired to create my own business in the first place. When there is discord in the workplace it diminishes the energy of the whole team. After all, energy spent complaining or bickering is that much less energy that can be spent towards actually accomplishing something. It is the job of each employer/employee team to make sure that a job fit is good.

Not everyone will be suitable to work for Irie Star. Some people (oddly enough) gain pleasure out of conflict and seem to want to foster it for their own excitement. Some people just aren't *really* interested in doing anything. Sure they might need a job, but don't care about the work. None of these would be individuals I would want on my team. I want our business to benefit as many people as possible, but allowing a negative or stagnant individual to be present on our team would damage that goal. I also spend 80 or more hours a week on my business, and as such couldn't stand to be around anyone nonproductive for that much time.

Some people are energy vampires - you've probly heard that phrase before. They take and take, without giving anything back. I can't be around people like that. I also can't be around people that gain joy from energy sabotage - saying belittling things and spending a lot of time trying to seem superior. Something I've found over time is that my energy to contribute to a job is very sensitive to my surroundings. When others around me are excited and active, that excites me! I can give twice as much when surrounded by good people. In that way the collective energy of a business can be exponentially more when a team is constructed of positive people, all feeding each other.

I also definitely believe that every person has a right to employment that really feeds their spirit. No one on earth should have to do work that beats them down inside. Your working hours make up a huge percentage of your life. I was never one that could think of a job as "just a job". If it wasn't really what I wanted to do I spent the entire time dreaming of the other things I wished I was doing. Very dissatisfying. Each person has their own calling, which is what is truly marvelous! Together we can all function as a society if people really find their calling. Whether that calling is communications, construction, agriculture, or research there should be places for all of us to thrive.

This last weekend when I was at my local Whole Foods Market doing a demo for our new BLENDS perfumes I was asked "as the owner of the company, is this really what you should be spending your time doing?" I could honestly say, "yes!" with great enthusiasm. Maybe not all the time, but I had carefully considered how my energy was benefiting us. That day it was the right choice.

Here is hoping that anyone reading this finds the tasks that are truly worth your energy. It is our most important and lifelong pursuit.

If you would like to read more words on this same topic, a friend of mine, Elizabeth of Elizabeth House has a blog also. She wrote some really lovely thoughts on how business owners and dreamers are like gardeners. I encourage you to read her thoughts for yourself. It is clear that she has many individuals contributing to her personal energy through their admiring words and cheerleading, whether from near or far. I hope I am also one of those people, as it was partly having been familiar with her wonderful writing that spurred me to begin a blog of my own. Thank you Elizabeth!

And thanks to you all for reading. I know I've gotten a bit off schedule at times with posting, but I'm doing my best to keep it all going. I've also decided to enable comments, so please let me know what you think!! I'm excited to hear your thoughts as well.

Love, Julie Longyear

Green Birthday the Earth Day Way

2008-04-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

This was one busy weekend.
We threw a birthday party for our darling 4 year old girl on Saturday and then Sunday I exhibited with our local Green store Home Eco at their booth at St. Louis Earth Day in Forest Park. Whew! Let's just say I'm feelin' my age, despite the fact that I'm not all that old.

Party details? Well, I'm supremely proud that we managed to throw a birthday party with a minimal amount of waste. Birthday parties are almost synonymous with piles of plastic toy swag from the cheap favor aisles at Target or other discount stores. Bouncy balls, plastic rings, and other toys that get played with for about 30 minutes, and then end up in a pile of mixed up plastic junk that no kid really needs that badly. We have whole drawers full of it that has accumulated from other events. I decided that an affordable and fun solution was to make a few giant batches of Homemade Play Dough. You can make it with flour, water, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and oil. Completely biodegradable, completely natural, and tons of fun. Yes it was messy to make and took about 40 minutes per batch to mix and cook, but Tru has already played with it twice, making it at least doubly as useful as the plastic junk, and it is still plenty squishy for many more hours of fun.

See the recipe I used and make some yourself!

I recommend mixing any colorants in BEFORE cooking, and use a handheld mixer to whip up the flour and water mixture, otherwise you'll have trouble getting rid of all the lumps.

We also picked up biodegradable disposable cutlery. It only came in mixed boxes of forks, spoons, and knives so we've got lots of leftover knives, but I still feel way better about this than the ubiquitous plastic utensils that appear at most events. The memories of the party will last forever, but the utensils shouldn't.

I also checked the cups at the store while shopping. Only 1 type of plastic cup was made of #1 plastic. Others were all #5 or #6, which is not recyclable in many or most places. Something to think about when buying cups.

I also made the cake at home. Hooray for no wasted cake trays, and no mystery ingredients and funny food colors. Me making the birthday dessert has become tradition. My desserts frequently look a little odd, but always taste great and have always featured organic and natural ingredients. This year Tru requested a Strawberry Cake so I intrepidly found a recipe online that seemed good and gave it a whirl. Many of the strawberry cakes involved a package of gelatin, which is not vegetarian friendly. I found this recipe online, the top one saying "strawberries and whipped cream cake", and made some alterations. I added a touch of nutmeg to the cake itself, and then make a pureed strawberry sauce to drizzle between layers. The Icing I can't recommend. Tastes great but turned out way runny. Maybe try whipping the heavy cream to stiffen BEFORE adding to the cream cheese. It didn't stiffen at all when I added the way the recipe says. And subbing powdered sugar instead of the regular sugar it says would probly make a difference too.

Anyway, so that is a kids party done a little more eco-friendly. Yes, it took a lot of extra time. I did take a couple days off work to put it all together. But Tru and I enjoyed the party prep together and I think she'll remember that we put the time in on something just for her. And time and the memories are way more important than all the loot in the world. :)

Happy Earth Day folks! Have fun finding your own little ways to make a difference.

Bug Free without the Bugs??

2008-04-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

I missed last week in part due to some turmoil with our new product launch. As the "do it all" person around here my life kindof stops when there is a crisis, big or small.

My last post mentioned the new Bug-Free Bliss Sprayable Lotion that has been in the works to match our candle. Well, that hit a serious bump in the road about a week and a half ago just a day or so after my last post. In doing some research on how to finish off our verbage on the product label I ran across some information that made my stomach drop. Most of you may not be familiar with this info, as it's not like it is on the news all the time, or just average public knowledge.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in addition to its role as guardian of clean air, water, and other natural resources also presides over Pesticides. What is a pesticide? Any product designed to mitigate, control, or eliminate a pest. While one might commonly think of roach killers and rat poisons when thinking of pesticides, things like herbicides, antibacterial products, and yes, bug repellents also qualify under the EPA's pesticide definition and jurisdiction.

In an effort to be on the straight and narrow I contacted the EPA representative after doing hours of reading on their website. All the legal talk was making my head spin, and I wasn't sure which end was up. I found paperwork saying that products made from certain flower and vegetable oils may be determined to be of minimal risk and would qualify for exemption. After speaking with their rep I was referred to a list of ingredients that the EPA has decided are safe enough not to require extra field testing or registration. I would love to refer you to this exact page but no joke, their site is like a maze and I just don't have time to dig it up again. Instead I can refer you to this main page, and good luck! www.epa.gov

Included on this active ingredient exemption list are ingredients like geranium oil, cedarwood oil, and soybean oil. Also included are ingredients like putrescent eggs and dried blood. (if you are hoping for a People repellant, those would certainly work!) Then there is a huge list of approved inactives. In order to qualify for exemption your product must be made strictly from these actives and inactives. Any deviation and you are required to submit to a 2 year registration effort with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and field testing. Um, yeah. This is when my stomach was turning.

Not included on their list of approved actives and inactives were ingredients like Aloe, and Jojoba Oil. If I had wanted to put cat food in my product, hey, great! But no Aloe. Wow. And even if you do manage to qualify for Federal exemption each state has its own registration requirements. Only 12 states allow full exemptions, the rest require registration no matter what or your product is technically illegal. I made a valiant attempt at reformulation based only on their lists. My success was moderate, but nothing stunning and nothing as nice as the original recipe. Then I did the cost calculation, and discovered that the retail price of the product would have ended up at 1.5 times the original. That is when I gave up.

So what is a small business owner to do? In this case we have decided to relabel our original recipe. Officially our spray has nothing to do with Bugs. It is now called Backyard Bliss and you'll see nothing mentioning a bug anywhere on it. I can't officially tell you if it helps with bugs or not. According to us it is for sun stress rejuvenation, and has a fresh outdoorsy scent. Draw your own conclusions.

How, you ask, can there be so many small herbal companies making "bug b gone" type sprays? Well, the official answer is that they are illegal. Ridiculous to think that herbs that have been used for centuries safely must now be considered in violation of the law. But yes, they are. I guarantee that either these small manufacturers are not aware of the EPAs regulations, OR they are producing on such a small scale that they just don't get noticed. We are looking at selling our product on a national level, so can't afford to put ourselves in a situation where the product might cost us legal trouble. I'm sure you can understand.

So anyway, that is the scoop on a day in the life of a product formulator! My week dealing with that was a sincerely miserable few days. Couldn't end soon enough. Paperwork, legalese, and beaurocracy are not my favorite parts of running a small business. But, it must be done to get to the fun parts.

I'll have lots more fun news next week, but probly on Monday afternoon. ;) Sunday I'll be at Forest Park for St. Louis Earth Day, so will probly be too beat to write at night. Hope to see you there to celebrate our planet!

*Love
Julie Longyear

Out comes the Chemistry Geek!

2008-03-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Hello beautiful people!
Today's post is considerably lighter in tone than some previous. And I'm early getting it done. (gasp!)

I wanted to share my excitement about a new system that we will be using in our water-based body products in the future. The first product to use it is going to be our Bug-Free Bliss sprayable lotion, which is set to be coming out this May. Just in time for the buggies!

But anyway, we have been researching our options. I am tireless when it comes to research on ingredients. I spend a lot of time looking for good suppliers and unusual, quality choices. I found this system about 2 years ago and have been dying to use it ever since. The immediate problem at that time was that the minimum purchase from the manufacturer was way beyond what we could afford or consume in the shelf life of the product. So we had to wait. Now given that we have grown a bit that helps and they have lowered their purchase quantities to a reasonable level. Imagine my geeky excitement when I discovered we could switch! Hooray!

Now, this is the point at which my husband's eyes would begin to glaze over as I explain a bit of the chemistry. Bear with me for a few moments, dear reader, and you'll understand more of why I am so enthused about this product.

The system about which I am so enthused consists of 2 components: Glucose (sugar) and Glucoseoxidase and Lactoperoxidase (2 sugar enzymes that live on Glucose). This system acts to preserve water-based products from microbial growth and oxidation, but technically this system is not classified as a preservative at all. A preservative is an ingredient that exists and is added for the primary purpose of microbe control. These 2 components of glucose and enzymes separately do not exhibit any antimicrobial characteristics. A Cosmetics Products Directive exists listing all substances that are positively considered preservatives. Substances such as Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate would both be on this list as they have no function in a cosmetic product but to offer preservation. It is recognized that some substances do inhibit microbial growth though they are not on this positive list. Alcohol, essential oils, and this sugar enzyme system are all excluded from the positive list. Therefore as we reformulate our products they will all be considered "Preservative-Free".

The way in which these ingredients work mimics natural enzyme processes in tears, saliva, and milk. Basically what happens is that the ingredients are added to a cosmetic product. The system is only activated when exposed to oxygen. Oxygen is also what allows microbes to grow. Many different linked reactions occur, but we can sum it up like so: Glucose Oxidase metabolizes the Glucose, the by products fuel the Lactoperoxidase, and the byproducts of the Lactoperoxidase are antimicrobial. Ta da! Because this reaction also uses up all available oxygen from the surrounding environment it prevents oxidative degeneration of the ingredients in the cosmetic as well, meaning fresher, more active ingredients for your skin.

What were the other options? Well, I have tried a number of different essential oil based preservation systems and found them problematic. The odor from them was so pervasive that even 3 and 4% essential oils in the formula did not mask it. This sugar enzyme system has no odor of its own and does not alter our product consistency whatsoever. It is safe, and well tested. High profile lines such as Burts Bees also use it (which is how I discovered it actually - reading one of their labels and going, hmmm what is that?). While I can't say that we aspire to be like Burts Bees precisely I must say that my own research into this ingredient has made me feel very confident about it.

There have been drawbacks to virtually all other methods of natural preservation I have researched. Some natural companies are now using a high percentage of organic alcohol in their lotions and water-based products to inhibit growth. While some alcohol is fine, the level required to fully preserve a product even in conjunction with essential oils can be high enough to be drying to skin.

Potassium Sorbate is a very mild, and I believe safe ingredient, but is really only effective at combatting mold growth. Sodium Benzoate is then also generally used to inhibit bacteria. While Sodium Benzoate is even on the EU's accepted list for preservatives in organic products, we have received enough flack about it in our mists over time that we are working to eliminate it from our products. In acidic solutions such as Soda, Sodium Benzoate has been suspected of degrading to form Benzene. While some sodas are literally so acidic they can dissolve nails (yikes!) and our mists don't even come close to being like that I still felt it was best to avoid Sodium Benzoate in the future.

So, as we begin to switch over to this new system I just wanted you all to be aware of what it was as it appeared on our ingredients labels. Your trust is very important to us, and we believe an educated consumer is our best friend. After all, inquiring minds want to know! I know mine always does. ;)

Wishing you health!
*blessings
Julie

At Last! How post-war American life contributed to today's suffering cities

2008-03-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm here to finish this thing. Let's get it done folks! This is the point where things all start to tie together, where we really begin to see how federal policy, prejudice, and the "Dream" of 2 kids, a car, and a house with a yard contributed to the very sad decline of what once were fine cities in our American landscape.

According to a striking passage in Buzz Bissinger's book A Prayer for the City the Home Owner's Loan Corporation, a program started by President Roosevelt in the New Deal era, created color-coded maps that determined lending practices for home purchases. Starting in 1933 HOLC refinanced mortgages that were in Danger of default because of the Depression. (By the way, sound familiar to today at all? Federal aid to help mortgages from going into default? hmmm... ) According to Bissinger, in the 1920s a mortgage had a life of 5 to 10 years and was then subject to renewal. HOLC extended mortgages to 20 years, much more similar to today's 15 and 30 year mortgages. "But as a precaution, the federal agency established exhaustive appraisal procedures to determine which areas of a city or suburb were more suitable for lending than others." The color-coded maps they created marked areas First, Second, Third, and Fourth grade. First grade areas were virtually free of blacks and foreign-born whites and were well planned parts of a city. These areas received the most funding. Second grade was deemed OK for lending, but at a slightly decreased rate. Third grade areas "were characterized, according to HOLC literature, by 'age, obsolescence, and change of style; expiring restrictions or lack of them; infiltration of a lower grade population...' ". Fourth grade areas were qualified as infiltrated by a large degree of undesirable population and unsuitable for lending.

Bissinger goes on to analyze that based on the HOLC's assesments Philadelphia was at a considerable disadvantage (and we can transfer this thinking to St. Louis as well, as it has many similar characteristics to Philadelphia). Older housing stock and mixed black and immigrant populations were deemed undesirable. Bissinger states that of the 13 neighborhoods in Philadelphia that received the first grade designation, none had any black population. Less than 5 % of Philadelphia as a whole received the desirable Green first-grade color. The vast majority of the remainder of the city was deemed Fourth Grade. Buildings were deemed as deteriorating and Negros, Jews and other foreign working-class Americans were classified as unsuitable to receive lending.

Conversely the Suburban areas were deemed as first and second grade because of undeveloped land for expansion and ethnic and racial purity. The phrase " ' All Americans' " was used.

The Federal Government in the 1930's had adopted a new model of government intervention and stabilization of the private sector. Previous the the Depression the economy was primarily treated as Laissez-Faire, but as that model was suffering and banks were failing there was room and need for the government to step in and stabilize the economy. According to Kristin Crossney and David Bartelt in their paper The Legacy of the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the HOLC's primary function at the time of its inception was refinance of troubled mortages, not new purchase loans. Construction was also stalled due to the Depression, and was further inhibited in the early 40's by the concentration on the war effort. Crossney and Bartelt assert that the access of private individuals to these HOLC maps was limited, and that investment behavior in practice did not always match up directly with these maps. But the climate of the lending and social environment is pretty clear from the negative, divisive language that was simply a part of the American landscape at that time.

It should suprise noone that our country has had racial integration problems. Anyone that has seen Gangs of New York has a pretty clear picture of how immigrants were treated in the middle 19th century. Suprise! by the 1930s much of that bias against immigrants had still not disappeared, and, Suprise! we seem to still be having some problems with immigration today. Otherwise I don't think we'd be hearing discussions of a fence to mark the Texas/Mexico border.

Back to the 1940s.... by the end of WWII a lot of population of the USA was squeezed into aging city housing that hadn't received proper maintenance in years. With the completion of the war and return of the troops from abroad, families began to grow, there was a housing shortage, and the economy shifted to bring in a new prosperity. The GI Bill was signed into effect in 1944 and allowed veterans to access housing and provided education benefits. Instead of redevelopment and investment in the city landscape, the lending was slanted towards new construction in the suburbs. According to Barbara Kelly in her paper The Houses of Levittown in the Context of Postwar American Culture , the federal government deemed rewarding veterans for their service through housing and economic advantage essential to a transition to the peacetime economy. Otherwise veterans would become discontent and cause political problems. About the decisions the federal government made in relation to this issue, Kelly writes "When the debate was over, the directions of the housing programs was clear. Veterans housing regulated by the FHA and funded through the Veterans Administration, would be built in the form of the American Dream; a vine-covered cottage set on a small plot in a suburban setting." Home ownership was equated with strong social structure and a cornerstone remedy of societal ills.

The traditional city model had kept workers close to their places of employment. Without a car, ease of transportation to work meant long distance commutes were just not possible for most working and middle class families. The new prosperity and growth of the middle class also meant the purchase and use of automobiles, creating a new mobility. Living in the suburbs and driving further to work was no longer a problem.

Who did the GI Bill benefit? Well, largely white males and their spouses. As I discussed before, if my numbers are correct and only 6.25% of the entire military service was black, lending through the VA went mostly to whites. The access to education and housing helped the white working class step up and move out of their crowded urban surroundings. So that left less-educated, lower income blacks and "undesirable" immigrant populations in the cities in housing stock that already needed work. It also caused the tax base to shift elsewhere. Sound like a recipe for urban success??

Indeed, the status provided by the suburban cottage and the life it created was reinforced by the government, builders, and companies producing consumer goods. It was the very hallmark of social stability, and was even thought of as a cure for Communism! Certainly a real estate owner would have too much to do to keep his property tidy to be joining radical political parties. Suburban life kept citizens busy, gave them a source of pride, and was basically used as a form of social control.

From my family I hear that the neighborhood here in North St. Louis "began to change" and that many of the families living here didn't really want to move, but couldn't stand to be the only good families left in a deteriorating neighborhood. While they were simply cogs in the machinery of an entire society of skewed values it doesn't change the fact that White Flight basically demolished city revenue bases and became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cities were seen as dirty, run-down, and full of undesirable populations. That is exactly what they have become and remain in the eyes of suburbia. Lack of reinvestment from the federal government and private individuals caused the beginning of a downward spiral that is still in progress in many places. In the St. Louis area the proliferation of suburban housing in outward areas such as St. Charles and Wentzville (as much as 1 1/2 hours from downtown by highway) has only been slowed recently by the collapse of the housing market. This is now one of the first times in the past several decades that bulldozed, construction-ready areas are just sitting idle.

We are on the verge of seeing just how far this American Dream and suburban expansion can be pushed. With gas prices projected to rise to $4 and $5 a gallon by summer this may be the first time the automobile culture generated in the 1940s may just be about to change direction. According to the national news from just the other day use of public transit is back up to levels it hasn't seen since the 1950s. Suburbia is about to see just how much it is willing to pay to retain the house and yard it prizes so highly. I'm sure we are all anxiously awaiting to see how the economy fares over the next year. Best of luck to us all.

Personally I'm excited to be part of the movement to revitalize my local urban neighborhood. I hope more people will do the same and contribute to theirs. It is not really about being charitable. It is about looking at the health of our entire communities and realizing that our society is only as good as its weakest members. While just one person can't change an entire city or an entire country, we each have a say. I intend to be proud of the interactions I have with members of my community that are different from myself. It only makes all of us better.

Phew! Well, that concludes my thoughts for now. My post next week will probly be a little lighter in tone. I don't think you'll blame me. ;) Until then, as our local KDHX DJ Papa Ray says, "Do good in your neighborhood."

*blessings,
Julie

Where'd ya go, Julie?

2008-03-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I must apologize for my absence over not just 1 but 2 weeks! I had some business travel to do, and the preparation for the trip and the aftermath upon my return swallowed me up for a few weeks. Ah well, a missed blog date was bound to happen at some point, I'm just sorry it had to happen at such a crucial time in my exploration of St. Louis urban decay. After all, we were just about to get to the good stuff! Or, at least the stuff that leads to our present day life.

Where was I? I traveled to California to participate in the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim. I got to see some of the latest and greatest new products in natural bodycare and nutrition products. I spent an evening in LA with friends and enjoyed the 60 degree weather...ahh! While I didn't run into Alicia Silverstone or Leonardo DiCaprio (who BTW received samples of our new BLENDS Perfumes the very same weekend I was in LA along with Ellen Degeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Robert Redford, Sheryl Crow, Drew Barrymore, Tyra Banks and more!) I did meet many small business owners that I look forward to working with much more in the future.

It is truly exciting to see so many people working hard to improve the quality, safety, variety and efficacy of natural products available on the market. I spent some time talking to others about the long-term goals for Irie Star and how I want to see our operation benefit others. With any luck I'll be sharing some of those ideas with you in the coming months. They are BIG BIG BIG so I'm looking forward to networking and pulling together my local resources to manifest this destiny. For now though I need to sit on them and percolate a little before bringing them out in the open. Like Horton, I want people to be able to say that I "meant what I said, and said what I meant". Once I bring ideas out to the public I like to be faithful 100%. :)

Now, I must pull together my more serious post! Info on the final chapter of my discussion on St. Louis urban decay is coming up in about an hour or 2, so stay tuned! Glad to be back with you again...
*blessings
Julie Longyear

WWII Sets the Stage

2008-03-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

WWII, the legendary juggernaut of a war that set the stage for America life as we know it. What would the American dream be without this in our past? How many movies, books, and personal stories can there be? Well, if one counted just the Americans that served in the military, approximately 16 million stories would emerge, less the 400,000 people that were killed in combat.

WWII drove the American economy into the boom of the 1950s, where the good life was possible and a piece could be had by all (theoretically). But the beneficiaries of this boom were largely white, and the structure of the economy skewed development in ways that would prove to exaggerate class distinctions and continue the great divide between black and white in our society.

Approximately 2.5 million black Americans registered for the service during WWII but only about 1 million actually served in combat. Even those that did serve were confined to fully segregated units. Many were relegated to service and support missions rather than actual combat. The Marine Corps initially refused to accept any black servicepeople at all. In 1942 based on mounting casualties in the Pacific and pressure from civil rights groups, they relented but mostly kept black recruits in non-combat jobs as well. The combat battalions did distinguish themselves well in battle, and fought as bravely and well as any white counterparts.

At home the war economy and civil situation was a unique time in American history. Small towns boomed under the influence of wartime industry, the country was drawn together by collective sacrifice and spirit, and yet these collective energies were denied to many minorities. Japanese Americans were sent to camps, giving up posessions, businesses, and homes. African Americans were still beset by Jim Crow laws, and were even denied employment in war industries despite laws that made that discrimination illegal.

In 1941 President Roosevelt signed into law Executive order 8802 which outlawed discrimination in war industries and provided recourse and a Fair Employment Practic es Commission to investigate complaints. But companies such as the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile even went so far as to discontinue its mechanics apprenticeship program when blacks were prepared to enroll. According to the Ken Burns movie "The War" and their website, major fighting broke out at ADDSCO in Mobile in 1943 when a group of black workers was promoted to welding positions. Thousands of white workers turned on the black men who had been promoted, after rumors flew that many more black workers were on the way and that they would be working alongside the women employees. After the riot the black workers did return, and more were brought on to skilled positions, but they were forced to work in 4 separate shipways, and were never promoted to the position of foreman. In the remainder of the business blacks were kept to the unskilled positions they had held before the 8802 was issued.

So looking at the above factors, the benefits of the war economy were denied to most minorities. Good paying war industry jobs and benefits to service people were disproportionately awarded to the white population. Certainly it was great news for white women, who were finally allowed industry positions they would have never gotten if the men had been there to fill them. But blacks and other minorities were systematically shut out, maintaining the status quo and keeping blacks in menial labor jobs. If we look at just the blacks drafted into the army we have 1,000,000 out of 16,000,000 total. The US Census Bureau reports a total population of 131,669,275 for the entire country in 1940. 12,865,518 of these were black people. These numbers indicate that 11.3% of the white and other populations served in the military, while only 7% of the black population served. Only 6.25% of the entire military service was black.

According to "The War" website based on the Ken Burns documentary, "By the end of the war more than half of all industrial production in the world would take place in the United States." The economy was booming, the Depression was effectively disposed of, and once the war ended the stage was set for tremendous growth. But that growth would benefit only certain groups, and certain areas.

Next week I'll be delving a bit into the GI Bill, the Home Owners Loan Corporation, the automobile culture, and postwar government policies in relationship to housing. Complicated stuff, and I'm betting I won't post until Monday afternoon again. This sort of writing just doesn't take place so well at 11 pm on a Sunday night. ;) I'm a lot more likely to get my facts straight and write intelligibly if I'm not falling asleep at the laptop. Until then, be well and be inspired!

*blessings
Julie

Some History of St. Louis in the 19th Century

2008-02-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've come back to tackle some of the stories of St. Louis in the early 19th century. This is a huge topic. Scholars write their thesis papers on issues I'll just begin to confront. I've investigated numerous sources for substantiation. The problem of urban decay is complex, and certainly not something that anyone can attribute to any one group or action. But one does begin to wonder how the cities of Europe have remained vibrant in their centers, while American cities have fallen apart. What differences in policies and attitudes have created this reality?

In 1910 the population of St. Louis was 687,029 and it was the 4th largest city in the United States. The early period of the 20th century was characterized by substantial growth, construction, and business innovation. Our city was home to a diverse range of industries and according to the River Web's site documenting the history of Missisippi towns, we were the largest producers of beer, shoes, stoves and wagons. We also had a substantial textile industry as the "garment district" along Washington Avenue denotes. Anheuser Busch is one of the beer businesses that remains in the St. Louis area and is a substantial contributor to the industry of the southern riverfront. Next to the AB brewery is the old Lemp Brewery, now largely vacant and deteriorated, which around 1870 was even larger than AB.

By 1920 St. Louis had slipped to 6th place in city size by population. The city had gained an additional ~100,000 residents, but had not annexed any additional area, sticking instead to the already defined city borders as voters defeated a 1926 proposition that would have included all of St. Louis County. Building and growth continued within the city borders, with new apartment and hotels being constructed in the Central West End, grand homes along Lindell Blvd (bordering Forest Park where the 1904 World's Fair was held), and theaters like the Fox, which still stands in Grand Center.

With the onset of the Depression St. Louis faced a situation of relative economic stagnation, large scale unemployment, and a halt to most building activity much like the rest of the nation. Diversified industries helped the city weather these difficult times.

The aviation industry did well here, with Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" plane representing enthusiasm for flight in this area. WWII brought wartime and aviation industry to St. Louis in a big way with the establishment of McDonnell Douglas, one of the area's largest employers.

Hyde Park was established as previously mentioned in other posts as the city of Bremen. German natives migrated to the area in the 1840s, and the city of Bremen was made official in 1850. In 1856 the city was annexed by the city of St. Louis, ending its independent existence. It had substantial industry and commercial activity at the time. Cattle were driven along Bremen street up from the river to the Union Stockyard slaughterhouse, one of the larger businesses in the neighborhood.

Most of the housing stock in Hyde Park was built prior to 1900. This area is characterized by 2 and 3 story brick buildings with a mix of single family, row houses, and two family buildings. The residents of this area were middle class folk with larger families. Artisans, merchants, and industrial employees all called this area home. The German mason/artisan influence on the building and stonework is very evident in the surviving buildings, which have beautiful decorative details. Limestone rock foundations characterize most of the buildings as well, laid tightly and withstanding the following century well.

So that brings us at least up to World War II..... up til that time St. Louis was still a healthy, thriving metropolis. Though its standing nationally had slipped from 4th largest to 8th largest, the city was going strong. The variety of factors that would coalesce in the late 1930s and 1940s would help set the stage for the 60 years of problem and decline that would follow.

St. Louis is far from alone in its struggle. Philadelphia is another city that was in dire circumstances due to urban decay that culminated in the 80s and 90s. This is the very interesting fodder for a book by Buzz Bissinger called "A Prayer for the City", published in 1997. I'm just a portion of a way through this book, but am finding it fascinating and well-written. It is a nearly 400 page work of journalism where Bissinger shadowed mayor Ed Rendell through his entire term in office as mayor of Philadelphia. I highly recommend it if you wish to get more in depth with the subject of urban decay and those who are just crazy and passionate enough to try and do something about it.

Next week I'll write a bit more about the happenings in post WWII St. Louis and America as a whole. Basically I just hope to shed some light on this tangled issue, and provide information that might spark you to learn more. I certainly don't have all the answers, but as I drive by rotting buildings that still contain an elegance that surpasses the best of surburban development, I can't help but wonder WHY? So as I learn more, I am sharing it with you.

Blessings until next Monday,

Julie

Just short

2008-02-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it is late and I have spent a long day on the computer already trying to reconcile all of our finances from 2007 (nightmare!). So, I'm just not feeling up to any lengthy writing tonight and will postpone further installments on what I started last week....

Instead I'll point you to a relevant and interesting blog called the Ecology of Absence. It is written by a local architectural historian buff named Michael Allen. He's done a marvelous job of bringing to light how buildings become abandoned - systematically and situationally. Lots of interesting reading there, with many pictures from local buildings that are damaged or already gone. Michael holds the distinction of being one of the first individuals to put together the pieces of the Blairmont real estate scandal that was brewing hot here last summer. He had the info before the local papers....Check it out and enjoy!

*Julie

Living with Difference

2008-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

A thoughtful, probing program aired tonight on our local PBS station. Entitled "Legacy: Being Black in America", it featured a dinner with prominent African-American individuals where they explored and discussed their personal experiences and their thoughts about American society as a whole in relation to race. The attendees ranged from TV reporters to scholars to dancers. I have heard many thoughts on racial difference, and seen many documentaries, historical films, and had my own personal experiences to draw from. This program did bring me some new ideas about racial difference, and I was glad to hear them. It also got me thinking about this very important issue, and I decided it was indeed time to bring some thoughts on this to my blog.

I have known for a while now that I would want to write about race. The question was when and how to begin? The very first weekend I began writing for this blog I watched a documentary by Spike Lee entitled "Four Little Girls". It covers the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, AL that killed four young black girls during the midst of the civil rights struggle. I was moved by hearing the stories of the families of these four girls. I had many thoughts that day, but such a serious issue was not something to bring up in my first few entries.

Being Black History Month, now seems like a very good time to open this issue and begin to lay out its relationship to my current life. This is much too large a subject for one entry, so today I just hope to lay a foundation.

As many of you may know, we moved to a century old house in the northern part of St. Louis. We are close enough to downtown that you can actually see the Arch from our rooftop. The issue of race in our society was unavoidable with this move. One could say that it came to our doorstep, but really we came to its doorstep instead.

St. Louis is an extremely racially divided town. With the exception of a very few areas, almost all the black population of St. Louis lives in the Northern half of the city. Delmar Blvd is considered to be the unofficial dividing line between the 2 halves. Aside from college I have lived here almost my entire life, and before the last few years I had never even ventured into many of the northern neighborhoods that are now our home.

I grew up in West County, the heart of white suburban St. Louis, and as a youngster would have had no reason to even think of venturing this direction. My experience of the city was in trips to the occasional ballgame, science center, art museum, and other cultural attractions boasted by St. Louis. I also grew up in the 80s, which was not a kind time for this metropolitan area. It was the tail end of a terrible decline that left much of downtown and surrounding areas vacant, crumbling, and just plain desolate. There would have been no reason for my family to venture beyond the corridor of culture along Highway 40. There were no attractions, no restaurants worth wandering for, and no people that we knew.

Some of my own, and most formative experiences with racial difference occurred in high school. My suburban school was part of a desegregation program that sprang from the roots of the Brown vs. Board of Education case in 1954. St Louis adopted an interdistrict bussing program that allowed inner city students in failing school districts to choose to attend county schools. According to William H Freivogel in his paper "St. Louis: Desegregation and School Choice in the Land of Dred Scott", there are 13,000 to 15,000 students participating in these programs each year.

Though the (almost 100% black) city students were bussed to our school there was still a marked difference between that group of students and the general (and majority white) suburban student body. I never had any problems with anyone, but remember the distinct feeling of just feeling separate. The slang was different, the clothing style was different, and our ways of relating socially were different. High school can be a very tough time trying to find a group of individuals to fit with, and being an introvert I was probably not as adventurous as I could have been. My few interracial friendships came through organizations like my choir and theater programs, where we all shared a common activity. Likewise many of my best same-race relationships came from these programs. It wasn't so much a question of race as it was of shared experience.

I remember it was harder for the city students to participate in rigorous after-school programs. They faced a long ride home anyway, and the stay until 4 or 5 pm at school for a rehearsal usually meant they were gone from home from 6 am in the morning until 6 pm at night. There was not really any way to have a city friend over for dinner, or to hang out after school since usually there was no way home but the bus. This naturally creates some separations between people. You just can't connect as well when you can't be together easily.

Fast Forward to 2007 and our move to Hyde Park...

You may have seen our house, and here is an image of the rest of our street.

And then the rest of the neighborhood...

As you can probably see from these pictures, there are a whole lot of houses in Hyde Park that are literally falling apart. These houses are the silent witnesses of the economic depression of the inner city of St. Louis, and its largely black inhabitants. Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods are well over 90% black if I had to wager a guess. Maybe over 95%. When these first neighborhoods were built 100 years ago this was a German township by the name of Bremen. My mother's side of the family has lived here essentially since these houses were built, and her family spent her childhood living in the North St. Louis neighborhoods that are now collapsing from neglect.

So, what happened? Well, that is a topic for another blog post. But the result is that this has been one of the most economically deprived and socially crippled areas of this city. And considering what poor shape downtown was in 15 or even 10 years ago, that is saying a lot. Approximately half the houses in Hyde Park are abandoned. Some blocks only have 1 or 2 habitable houses. Our neighbor Marie has lived on our street for her entire life, and says this area really hit rock bottom about 25 years ago. There was a heavy amount of gang activity, gunfire, and general urban warfare here at that point. Other areas of St. Louis like Lafayette Square were much the same. Gradually things quieted down - in part because residents left for quieter, greener pastures and the gangs left to find other victims that were more worth their crime time.

This neighborhood is like the doppelganger of where I grew up. Urban vs Suburban. Black instead of White. Impoverished instead of privileged. Empty instead of bursting. It is a ghostly reverse - the negative space in the wake of suburban growth. My life has kicked into a weirdly ironic mirror image of my childhood. I now live in one of the areas where students are bussed from every day to attend county schools. My daughter is the only white child in her preschool class and 1 of only 3 white children in the entire school period. When I visit the grocery store I am generally the only white person in the entire market - perhaps 1 of just 2 or 3, and generally those others are just employees. I have not seen another white shopper there in any of the times I've been there so far. I had never been able to consider just how dramatically segregated this city is until I experienced being the minority. I now appreciate just how blind I was to this sensation. I can only imagine having lived my entire life feeling that way, and I am very conscious that this separateness will embody the childhood experience of my daughter. Her school years will be vastly different from my own. I am OK with that. We all must handle feelings of difference as we grow up, and learn to truly be at home with who we are.

And so ends my introduction to our current place and position in our new community. If I'm feeling up to it next weekend I'll tackle a bit more about how this neighborhood fell apart, and how it applies to our nation as a whole. That is a big task, though. So for now - so long, farewell! Have a great Monday, all and I look forward to talking again soon...

*blessings

Julie

Quiet Time

2008-02-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

Quiet.
It is the sort of thing that goes largely unappreciated in childhood, much like afternoon naps. Oh boy, I wish I could have a few of those naptimes back. I value my quiet moments in much the same way, and it seems as rare as naps that things fall back and it is just me and stillness.

It is a certain trait of my creative process that I need some amount of controlled chaos around me usually in order to work on some tasks. When working on graphic design or even a writing task I can frequently be found in front of the TV with my computer on my lap, taking in 2 things at once and loving every minute. I must at least have music on to function. Without this extra "noise" I start running around in my own head too much. But then there are the moments when everything stops, and I hear what I’ve been missing all day….the quiet.

I love to just sit and listen to the night. From our house we can hear the nearby trains passing. We live just close enough that it is a lovely, romantic, lonely sound. (doesn’t shake the house thank goodness) During the day the trains are masked by the sound of the highway, which is also close by. But at night the sound carries beautifully. I love to think about the trains traveling through the night, part of the pulse of the city that continues on while we sleep.

We had another sort of quiet the other day in the form of a snow day. 6" got dumped on us overnight, and though St. Louis does get snow periodically, we aren’t too practiced at it. Schools and work were cancelled for the day and the normal hum and bustle of a weekday morning is transformed into powdery white silence. That same snow has also brought us fog tonight (cold snow, warm air), which has made it impossible to see past our own street. Even a self-confessed city girl like myself enjoys this feeling of being alone every now and again.

I think too often we forget to notice these little things and reflect. Some days I just want to collapse into bed without thinking at all. But then there are these lovely moments that make me feel whole, connected, alive. It renews me just as much as sleep, and prepares me for the new day ahead. And right now I think tomorrow should be a lovely day.

*blessings
Julie

Scents that Destress - Aromatherapy Winter Wellness #3

2008-01-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

So, is it just superstition that essential oils can help reduce your stress? Absolutely not. Scientific studies have shown that oils such as lavender can create a relaxed state in your body that can combat anxiety and help you function better.

Lavender has been used traditionally for relaxation for centuries. Lavandula Angustifolia is the species of plant that you will most commonly see associated with aromatherapy. The essential oil of L. Angustifolia has been found to contain at least 30 different chemical constituents. (1) This is just a sample of why essential oils are a much more sophisticated and complex aroma material than synthetic fragrances, which are only composed of 1 or just a few chemicals.

2 of the most prominent chemical consituents of L. Angustifolia are linalyl acetate and linalool. These are both responsible for the sedative effects of the oil. Following topical application of the essential oil these consituents can be detected in the blood within 5 minutes, peak at 19 minutes, and are passed through the body within 90 minutes. Traces can even be detected in the breath following massage. (2) This means that the activity of this essential oil is very mobile through the body, and can be taken in through inhalation as well as touch. This mobility of essential oils through skin was the inspiration for our own Stress Relief Serum, which contains a host of calming and anti-inflammatory oils.

The multitude of other aroma chemicals found in L. Angustifolia and other species of Lavender have antispasmodic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal effects. Mice who have inhaled L. Angustifolia showed a marked decrease in caffeine induced hyperactivity.(3) In humans the effects of lavender are often tempered by the individuals psychological memories, cultural upbringing, and thoughts about the scent of lavender, but there have still been marked benefits. Some studies have shown that demented patients with sleep and behavior disturbances can be helped by aromatherapy treatment with Lavender. See this article for more on that. Lavender has also been shown to maintain work performance levels in those with afternoon fatigue. View the study abstract. Math computation skills have also been improved in study groups exposed to Lavender.(4)

I have personally experienced the benefits of Lavender as a calming aid when caring for my child. When Tru was about 10 months old she got one of her first fevers. The day afterward her little body must have been feeling really rotton - the fever had broken, but she was as cranky and ornery as we have ever seen her. The screaming went on for hours and she was inconsolable. There was no respite until I put a pot of water on the stove and dripped a generous amount of some of my best lavender in. I was needing it as much as she was by that point. We stood near the stove as the vapors began to rise. Within 10 minutes Tru's screaming had ceased. It didn't resume for the rest of the night. All I can say is that I loved essential oils before this incident, but this sealed the deal on my love affair with natural scent.

By applying essential oils to your regular work and home environment you can reap a number of benefits. Here are some great ways to use Lavender.

1. Diffuse the oils. This can be as simple as a pot of water on the stove (stainless preferrably) or an electric diffuser that would work constantly in your home. For the stovetop version just drip 10 to 20 drops in a small amount of water and heat gently. Make sure not to have the pot run dry.

2. Use a mist. I don't mean your average Walmart air freshener either - despite the "aromatherapy" marketing claims they make these are completely lacking in real essential oils. Look for something from your local natural food market. Don't accept anything that says "Fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients section, these mean synthetics. Look for a label that specifies essential oils. If you don't have a natural market near you, you can find our Body and Linen mists on our website.

3. Make a compress. Apply 5 drops of Lavender essential oil onto a damp cool or warm cloth and apply to your neck or forehead.

4. If you don't have any sensitivities to Lavender this is one of the few oils that can also be applied "neat" or full strength to small areas. Keep clear of your eyes. Or you can dilute in a base oil such as jojoba or even olive oil that you may have hanging around your house. 5 to 10% dilution would be appropriate for pulse point and limited application. For all-over application 2% is an acceptable level.

Should you wish to purchase straight essential oils, one of the best retail lines around is Oshadhi . I have smelled their Lavender, and know many natural health professionals that hold their products in high regard. Make sure you choose a variety of Lavender that is not the "commercial grade" or 40/42 variety. A high altitude, or "fine" variety will be best, as these exhibit the highest concentrations of relaxing components.

Reducing your stress level will benefit your level of wellness, and aromatherapy is one of the best ways to do this. Not only will applications of Lavender help you create a beneficial mental state, but the antibacterial properties can help deter the growth and spread of unwanted pathogens in your home. At the very least your home will smell amazing, so what do you have to lose except your stress?

(please note that information provided here is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness and we encourage you to seek advice from your physician or other healthcare professional)

1. Chu, C. and Kemper, K. Lavender. Longwood Herbal Task Force 2001; 5
2. Chu, C. and Kemper, K. Lavender. Longwood Herbal Task Force 2001; 6
3. Chu, C. and Kemper, K. Lavender. Longwood Herbal Task Force 2001;10
4. Chu, C. and Kemper, K. Lavender. Longwood Herbal Task Force 2001; 14

Stress Less and Stay Well - Aromatherapy Winter Wellness #2

2008-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Good Monday all!
The other day as I was swiping my nose and snuffling through congestion I mentioned to Robert that this has certainly been one of my sickest winters in a long time. We are largely convinced that this is due to the fact that Tru has started preschool and has been little more than a walking petri dish. She has been sick with something at least every few weeks, and as mom I get the lovely job of sleeping with the unhappy, germ-infested child. It isn't easy to avoid catching whatever she might have when she is breathing on me all night... I try valiantly but it is a losing battle.

There are many things that can make us susceptible to germs. Stress has been getting some attention in recent years as a cause of chronic illnesses as well as the average cold. All of us are affected by stress in some way. How we manage it can help stave off the sniffles or something much more serious like cancer. The Garvan Institute in Australia was responsible for correlating a key stress hormone called neuropeptide Y (NPY), and its interference with immune response.

According to their website, and related articles on Wikipedia neuropeptide Y is a hormone that is released from neurones when the body is under stress. Neuropeptide Y is also involved with the activation of immune cells that are our first line of defense against pathogens. The immune cells activate the lymph nodes, where the body's response to the pathogen is determined. If NPY is being emitted on a chronic and regular basis it deactivates the second phase of the immune response that would actually eliminate the invaders. The immune system has a cycle that must be followed and reset. That reset is not possible if the initial hormones remain elevated.

Sheldon Cohen, a psychologist for Carnegie Mellon University has been able to correlate stress with the onset of depression and worsening of cardiovascular disease. View an article about his research on Science Daily . His research encompassed 2 facets of why stress impacts health: behavioral, and hormonal. The behavioral aspect has to do with the fact that stressed people often do not take proper care of their bodies - indulging in greater excesses of drinking, food, and smoking and not sleeping or exercising properly. The hormonal aspect is exactly what the Garvin institute was concerned with.

If you read my post about scent and memory during the holidays you'll probably remember that scent affects the limbic system. The limbic system is directly linked to your adrenal gland, the pituitary and hypothalamus. These glands function together to control crucial functions like heart rate, breathing, mood, and, yes, stress. This is a key part of your "fight-or-flight" response. You sense your environment, the body prepares itself for action, and you act based on your excitement, fear, or happiness. The scent of smoke, for example, should provoke you to move quickly to evade fire. This system was not designed to be in a state of constant excitement. Much like the "Little Boy Who Cried Wolf", if you are constantly under stress your system may not be functioning well when you really need it the most. Pathogens represent a specific kind of stress to the body. To be able to fight them off we need all our body's resources available.

So, what can you do?
Tune in next week for some cool information on how essential oils can help you manage stress. ;)
Until then, be well!
By the way, my post today is obviously a bit late due to an impromptu game of Monopoly that ran extremely late Sunday night. In the event that I don't get a post up by Monday morning please check again later in the day, as generally I remember once I get to my desk for the work-week. I'm trying to keep a schedule, but of course some deviations are expected.
*blessings
Julie Longyear
Irie Star

Aromatherapy Winter Wellness - Part #1

2008-01-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

Ah, germs! They are everyone's favorite part of the winter season - right? Oh, maybe not....

Last Friday I came down with a fun case of stomach flu and our production manager Frank developed what turned out to be Bronchitis. Impromptu sick day for the staff! I got a little behind over the weekend, thus my late post today. Despite all the echinacea, vitamins, and good rest some little germs are just too tough to completely stave off. I'm happy to be able to offer some advice to make them easier to weather.

Here is an easy tip, and a natural way to soothe clogged sinuses.

Eucalyptus Shower:

Put between 3 and 5 drops of Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil onto a washcloth and lay it on the floor of the shower. Shut the shower or bathroom door tightly for maximum steam retention. As the hot water reaches the washcloth it will release aromatic steam into the bathroom. Eucalyptus is a very affordable essential oil, and you'll get a lot of mileage out of a small bottle of it. If you don't shower you can also add a few drops to your bath water, or make a steam tent by putting the oil in a bowl of hot water and covering your head with a towel above it to trap vapors.

For portable respiratory therapy place a few drops of Eucalyptus on a cotton ball and put it into a plastic film canister. You can really use any other small jar such as baby food jars, empty pill bottles, or spice jars. I wonder how many of us still have film canisters in this digital photo age?

Open your therapy jar and inhale as needed throughout the day.

I have lots more to write about for next week, but it will have to wait. See you then, and we'll talk a little about how essential oils can help keep you from getting sick in the first place.

*blessings

Julie

We've got Spirit

2008-01-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

Several days go my husband Robert left for a short trip to visit his family in Kansas, taking Tru with him. For the first time I found myself really alone in our new house. I've had plenty of time to acclimate to our new surroundings, as I spent many long days and evenings working on the house alone prior to our move in. Still, there is something a little different about laying down in bed at night knowing that you are really by yourself, and no one else is coming.

I decided that the vacancy was a fabulous opportunity to invite friends over and socialize. Saturday night I was blessed to have 2 girlfriends over for dinner. Both are people I enjoy a great deal - intelligent, quick witted, warm, and caring. One has a particular skill (or sensitivity one might say) of which I was previously unaware. While sharing anecdotes about old houses I was informed that we do indeed have a presence in our house. I'm told that the presence seems to like us.... Um, well I hope so because we just moved in and I'm not interested in moving out. So the presence is going to need to share the space, and I hope it shares nicely.

The official news of a "presence" was a little unnerving because just 2 days prior as I laid in bed (alone) trying to fall asleep there had been a good deal of creaking, squeaking, and cracking noises coming from various parts of the second floor. I can honestly say that I had never noticed these noises in the last month and a half we've now been living there. The house is about as solid as 100+ year old houses get, and unless the wind is rattling the storm windows there is really not a lot of spontaneous noise that usually occurs. I laid awake for about an hour, and heard noises from the floorboards as if a step had been taken every 5 to 10 minutes. I got up several times to look around the house. I was, of course, alone. I finally managed to assure myself there was no one there and get to sleep but not until I had plenty of time to lay there and think with a good deal of adrenaline pumping in me.

So, last night I lay in bed after bidding goodnight to my friends and listened.....and listened.....and heard complete silence. For a whole 1/2 hour I listened and heard nothing. Which does reassure me that indeed, those noises were a bit out of the ordinary the other night.

Whether those creaks and squeaks were a ghost or not I can't say for sure. If it was I'm thinking it must have liked my friends alright. And perhaps ghosts need a little attention now and again? Maybe it is happy to share the house? Good music, good laughter, good food, and good people would indeed make life in that other plane a good deal more entertaining. If ghosts have noses it will be a happy ghost indeed, since we provide lots of good smells to fill the house every day!

I'll be headed to bed soon, and I don't know what I'll hear. Ghosts tend to do what they please so I may not have much input in regards to that. I certainly hope that the house and its resident presence will enjoy being with us. Perhaps we'll get along famously! (envision now the ending sequence from Beetlejuice where they are dancing in the air - that could be us!). Maybe the "Spirit of 1418" will inspire a perfume someday... For now I'll just hope for a good night's sleep.

More news next week!
Blessings,
Julie

2007-12-27T10:32:00.001-08:00

What sweet holiday memories are made of...

2007-12-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well, of course sugar, spice, and everything nice - No, wait, that's little girls! But there is a good deal of sugar and spice during this festive time of year, and actually those few extra pounds we all usually feel afterward say that there might be a bit too much of all that. But there are so many delights besides just the gastric ones, and to overlook them would really be to miss the better part of holiday memories.

When I was a child one of the very special parts of the holiday season was at the beginning of December when my mom would bring our holiday books out of storage. We had a full box of Christmas story books that were saved solely for this time of year. My mom, a reading specialist, was always wild about books and read to us regularly. At Christmas this shared time added to the magic of the season.

Several weeks ago my mom brought a book to my daughter Tru that I recognized immediately. It's called The Sweet Smells of Christmas, and is a story about a little bear that anticipates Christmas through the smells around him: an orange, a pine tree, gingerbread, candy canes... All are depicted in good ol' scratch 'n sniff format so the reader can enjoy the smells of Christmas along with the little bear. More than any other time of year, the holidays are indeed a season defined by smells. The profusion of pumpkin pie and evergreen scented candles at stores everywhere is enough to say that these aromas evoke a lot of sentiment.

This is totally appropriate, since our sense of smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. A brief whiff of a scent from your past can instantly connect you to that time gone by and even make you feel as if you are right there again. Smells are actually tiny airborne molecules - small enough to vaporise in the air and then dissolve into your mucous membrane. From there they travel a path to your brain cortex and also to your limbic system. Your limbic system is a primitive (sometimes called reptilian) part of your brain that controls emotion, memory, and behavior. The cortex is responsible for your conscious thoughts. So smell impacts both of these areas.

Smell is one of our most important senses from a survival standpoint. Smell helps us sense danger in the form of fire or poison and conversely helps us sense security and safety. Mothers and children can recognize the smells of each other, and the smells of our favorite foods will cause us to start salivating in anticipation of a good meal. So in that way it is no wonder that smells of pine trees, spices, fruits, and baking are so forefront when we think about the winter holidays. These experiences are so burned in our collective memories that once the days draw short and the air begins to cool we instinctively begin to crave these quintessential smells of hospitality and celebration.

As a business owner I see sudden telltale spikes in sales of Silver Fir and Wild Orange candles in the fall that tell me that people are hitting the holiday mood. I also built our newest perfumes around themes of spices, citrus, and chocolate - all heady, stimulating scents that warm up the body and have a physiological effect as well as that crucial tie to pleasant memories. I really enjoy that what I am making is going to become an integral part of someone's precious memories.

So, as we enjoy the afterglow of Christmas and the promise of the new year I am hoping that your holidays will be memorable, cozy, and full of delights for your senses. Make it fragrant and you'll remember it always!

*bright blessings,
Julie

Getting it Done - a brief guide to how I get creative now instead of later

2007-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Being creative is like a hurricane. Sometimes the hurricane is on the outside and sometimes it is on the inside. When it is on the outside your materials are flying and you are in physical action, possessed by the thought of "getting it done". But to get to this stage you have to channel your energy from the inside, and your inner self may not be so easily disciplined.

I spend a lot of time with my inner hurricane. This might look like doing nothing, but I am actually hard at work processing ideas and working them out. At least half of my creative time is with this inner world. And yes, even I have trouble just getting started on things sometimes. But the key is, well, just do it! Even it if is hard, or slow, or a little rocky. That beginning is the hardest part but the most necessary. I've found that when a creative urge isn't channeled it either disappears forever or turns into confusion and frustration.

People often think it is a dream to be their own boss. Well, sometimes it is not so dreamy - it is downright hard. Self discipline, critical thinking and problem solving, and the ability to take action when needed are all incredibly important traits. Not everyone has these traits, or is ready to use them if they do. With noone to tell me what to do every day I could easily just stay in bed. (Alright, so I have a 3 1/2 year old so I couldn't actually stay in bed, but I could certainly be a lot more lazy.) With no boss and no set schedule many people can lose their direction. I am frequently asked how I do everything I do. My first (and true) answer is: Sleep deprivation! But there is a lot more to it.

1. Brains need feeding!
In order to maintain a creative flow I find I need to spend time doing a lot of different things. Doing one thing too much stagnates your energy, and ideas need fresh input. I am voracious about consuming information, images, sounds, and input - everything I can expose myself to that will spark ideas. Alternating exposure with quiet time is important to being able to process all that new material. I try to choose quality sources of information. After all, junk in equals junk out. Um, I hope this doesn't rock anyone's world, but tabloids may not be the best reading material if you are hoping to achieve brilliance. Surrounding oneself with quality people and quality work will spur you on to do more and better things yourself. Open yourself up to even things that will shock you initially. Getting out of your own head and into someone else's can be a great thing to prompt new thinking.

2. Lack of experience is not an excuse.
I taught ceramics for several years and it was always fun to see new students begin to throw their first pots on the wheel. Like many other activities it looks so easy when done by someone experienced...but then - whoops! Their lump of clay would be flying of the wheel and onto the floor. Not so easy if you don't have skills with the materials.

Everyone starts at nothing, so failing initially is just part of the process. I've had some pretty fantastic failures in my career, in fact I'm pretty sure I learn best when I screw up. When making my first few batches of soap I did OK on the first one or 2, but I think it was the third that really got me. The lye and water didn't get mixed properly and when I added it to the oils everything just curdled and turned into this lumpy mess that looked like pink, oily, cottage cheese. Yum! That batch went straight into the trash can. And that is just one on the list of sculptures that exploded, shirts that didn't fit, and facial creams that wouldn't stay mixed. In fact, I'm happy to say that I truly believe that if you aren't failing at your endeavors a significant percentage of the time then you are really not pushing the envelope at all. Growth requires some screwing up, and am I ever good at screwing up!

If you can ignore your outcome, you'll go far - at least as far as learning is concerned. While you can't disregard your product indefinitely, practicing with an open mind allows you to become familiar with materials, and familiar with yourself. No goal other than practice is even really necessary. Everyone starts somewhere, and you can't get anywhere if you never start. Experimentation and knowledge of your materials will go a long way to help you know which of your ideas is possible, and which is not.

Everyone practices in a different way. I've often heard it said that writers are supposed to sit down and write every single day, even if they think they don't have any ideas. I was forced to keep a sketchbook in art school - something I honestly never really liked doing. I understand the purpose, but it just wasn't my thing. I like to draw, and actually have several sketchbooks but I tend to draw with purpose rather than just for the sake of drawing. I do much better when I am "sketching" with my actual materials. This, I think, is fine too. Anything that keeps you active is good. The idea is to make creative observation and activity part of your everyday life. So this step and your brain food actually are intertwined.

3. Don't think about it too much.
Now you're saying, "What?? She just said to think about it a lot!" Well, the other side to this is that you can't overthink your project or you'll end up psyching yourself out. Thinking too much can make things seem bigger than they really are. I know there are plenty of people out there that just can't get started on something because it seems like too much to handle. Turn off those voices in your head. They are just plain evil, and they will prevent you from doing amazing things.

4. Eat your Fear for breakfast.
We all need to squash whatever is stopping us from going after our dreams, and quickly. The start of every day is the perfect time. Decide what brave, adventuresome thing you want to do and then find some way to start working on it.
Usually when I am afraid of something I find that the reason I'm afraid is because I'm inexperienced, or not knowledgeable in that field or activity. So I take that and flip it around to action. If I'm afraid, that is when I know I need to dive right in! I don't want to be afraid of anything in my life.

There is a big difference between fear, and logically deciding something is not a good idea. I am usually afraid of meeting new people (suprise!) and yet I know for sure this is a good idea. I have the same insecurities as everyone else about how I am perceived, and get terribly nervous about public appearances or sales engagements at trade shows. I am lucky that I get to work with a population in the Natural Products community that is unusually friendly, welcoming, and warm. And I still get afraid! I would never be cut out for "The Apprentice" or any normal business environment - I'd be eaten alive and I know it. I am certainly not your average businessperson. But I make myself get out there and try. I remind myself that I can't run a business in a vacuum, and that gee, people might actually like me. (I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, gosh darnit, people like me!) Not everyone will, but some. I've found through working on my anxieties I've gotten much better at presenting. I just try to play up my strength - my passion for my materials and products!

I use this same "get over it" attitude with my creative endeavors. Just running my business and being responsible for other people's well being is a pretty scary thing - after all, if I tank they go down with me. But if I do nothing we'll tank for sure. Don't let yourself fear action.

5. The "just one more thing" mentality
I frequently tell people that if I had known just how hard it was going to be to start my own business I am pretty sure I might not have done it. In this case, ignorance may have been my best asset. I was too inexperienced to know the thrashing I was in for. Fortunately I've got a head full of rocks and noone is going to tell me I'm going to fail if I decide otherwise. Stubborn or stupid? Maybe a little of both...

It is a big job to launch an idea. So big that it can seem pretty intimidating. My personal method for attacking big projects is an alternative to the "baby steps" method. First I find little ways to get started. If you have been practicing and working regularly on your creative activities then finding something little to do shouldn't seem too hard. One of my rituals before a big sewing project was to clean up everything in my sewing area that related to previous projects. It seems like procrastination, but really it is an integral part of my process. I can't think about a new project with remnants of the old still sitting there. Then I'd pull out all the materials for the new project. Often this would be all I would do on the first day, just set the stage. Then when I returned the next day I was mentally and environmentally prepared to jump in, and it seemed that much easier.

Once started I look for pieces of the project that I know I can do. Then I can tell myself confidently, "Well, at least I can do that!". Then when I'm done with that piece the voice in me says, "That wasn't so bad. Maybe I could just do one more thing..."
I continue to say that after every little step I finish. Before I know it the project is half done, and by then I'm excited about it! It seems to be a great way to trick myself into getting something done, even when I may have initially been dragging my feet. It seems a lot easier to think about doing just "one more thing" for another 20 minutes than to think about working for another 8 hours.
*Caution - this method works so well, in fact, that you may end up working straight through important events, your dinnertime, and losing a good bit of sleep because you've stayed up 4 hours past your bedtime without even realizing it. If you miss your child's graduation or husband's award dinner because you said "just one more thing" to yourself a few too many times I'm officially not responsible. Use wisely!*

So this is pretty much how things work for me. Let's review, and take heart, dear reader, in knowing that:
I'm scared sometimes.
It's hard for everyone, not just you.
and
I screw up a lot. (no really, a LOT)

And somehow I still have managed to get up every day and work towards keeping my dreams alive. Nearly 5 years in on running Irie Star, and while the finances could be prettier I'm pretty pleased with the rest of our progress...Quite frankly I don't know what else I'd be doing.

If you like this, my soul sister Elizabeth has a series of blog articles that would be perfect for you to read as well called Shop Talk. The link will take you to her profile, then click on the blog link for her Shop Talk series. It is all about owning a retail location and how to do it! That is one thing I have not yet had... Maybe someday!

Love to you on this Friday afternoon and go do something great this weekend!

Bath or Shower?

2007-12-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

To many people the question of Bath or Shower is as intimate and particular as preference on underwear. Perhaps it does say something about personality, perhaps it just tells about practicality and your physical environment. Which are you?

Currently I'm a tub gal, as the title of my blog would suggest, but it wasn't always that way.

I had been taking showers since my teen years by choice since showering seemed to be the "adult" thing to do. Through living at the college dorms, and even through having my own apartment for years later I stuck to the shower. Even the occasional romantic interlude with my husband Robert wasn't satisfying, since our tubs were definitely not sized for more than 1 body. The tub just didn't seem to hold much appeal.

That changed a lot several years ago. What happened? I got pregnant, and along with the pregnancy came bouts of insomnia, restless leg syndrome, itchy skin, weight gain, aches and pains, and other general discomfort. At approximately the 5 month mark I just couldn't get to sleep due to all of the above complaints. I was totally miserable. Since medications of any sort were not an option I had to resort to totally holistic methods of soothing my body. Baths were tops on that list.

A 20 minute soak in a tub liberally doused with Dead Sea Salts and essential oils solved nearly all of my problems - at least for long enough that I could head straight to bed and have a reasonable chance of sleeping for a while. It alleviated pressure, eliminated the terrible aches I was experiencing in muscles and bones, and left my stressed-out-skin moisturized and soothed. So my enthusiasm for the bath was "reborn", so to speak.

Even post-baby I continued to use the tub on a regular basis. The winter is when I especially choose a bath over a shower. As the chill hits and the furnace fires up I get terribly itchy. I have a terrible urge to turn the shower up to scorching hot, which not only strips all the oils from my skin but leaves it sensitive and aggravated. I have even woken up scratching in my sleep! Bathing allows me to add salts, herbs, or oils to nourish my skin, and I can usually manage to force myself to stick to lukewarm water. These practices have eliminated most of my winter itch condition without the use of any topical medications.

I also appreciate the quiet of the tub. At our new house (over 100 years old, with similarly ancient plumbing) it takes the tub a while to fill. So I bustle my daughter out the door to school, return home and eat breakfast while the tub fills. Then when I do get to immerse myself the house is totally still... Ah, how I love those moments. If I don't get my bath in the morning I really just don't even feel awake. It is as much a part of starting my day as my cup of coffee (fair trade, by the way). Just the sensation of the suspension in the water, the contrasting warmth of it next to the chill of the air, and the snug, cozy towel afterward create a suite of sensations that gently stimulate my body into functionality.

Clearly I am not alone in my love of my daily ritual. The ancients in Greece and Rome valued their time in the bath, as have many other cultures. I just simply can't even imagine living in an age without access to a daily cleansing. Spoiled? Maybe, but I think this is a pretty basic request, and a "luxury" that even the common man can enjoy. I'm thankful I wasn't born to 18th century Paris...can you say filth? Indoor plumbing didn't even make it to St. Louis until just before the World's Fair in 1904. Evidently our great city decided that we had to upgrade in order to impress the attending masses. Water towers and flush toilets were promptly installed. Two of those water towers, some of only a few left from that age, remain standing in my new neighborhood. Check out some photos here if you want to see them.

So, with that in mind I'd like to say hoorah for the bath! I'm grateful I get to have one every day, and so conveniently. And with that, I'd better get back to work. Happy Tuesday!

Let the new year flow...

2007-12-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

Ah, the end of this year. And about time! I have been anticipating the start of 2008 for months already, hoping with great fervor that it must be a year of incredible promise, and certainly must be easier than 2007. What I see looking forward into 2008 is a fresh start on so many fronts…

2007 is still hanging on, but I’ve decided to start one of my new year’s activities right now. After all, why put off til tomorrow what I can do today? I know you are thinking I’ve got it in reverse, but this is my personal version of this saying.

My official new years resolutions are to spend more time with friends, and also to give more time just to myself. I have had little of either in the past few years, particularly the last 5. I can’t seem to get it through my head that there really are only 24 hours in a day. My body seems to run on a 26 or perhaps 30 hour clock. Work 16 hours, sleep 10. That would be great. Unfortunately my days never seem to work like that, and the end of the day comes all too soon.

Many days I work literally to exhaustion. That is sometimes the only way I can alleviate my creative urges or nervous anxiety. I get a little of both in regards to my work. When either of those pesky things is poking at me I just can’t rest. The biggest problem with this is that I frequently forget to take some moments to myself each day, and pleasurable activities have become a laughable “yeah right!” I joke frequently that most days I’m lucky to get to bathe with all that needs to happen each day. Some days that is the most self-indulgent portion of my day (though I do it for the benefit of those around me too, otherwise – stinky!)

In recent years so many things have pulled at me, with starting my own business, and motherhood being tops on that list. I began running Irie Star full time in May 4 ½ years ago. In August of that same year we found out I was pregnant. Thus instantly my incredibly intensive work and motherhood collided in a fantastic smash. Each demands constant attention, leaving me feeling as though there is really not enough of me to go around. (oh yeah, then there is my poor husband, dog Milo, and all the houseplants that perished due to lack of attention, and these are just those in my immediate household) Failure is not an option for me in business or motherhood, so I must devote myself with zeal to each.

Admittedly many things in my personal life have suffered as a result of these time-hungry pursuits. Sometimes, as silly as it seems, it does feel like that extra phone call or email might just put me over the edge. Some days you just don’t have anything more to give.

I am also a natural recluse and seriously could spend the vast majority of my time puttering around alone without trouble. I have to remind myself that I need and enjoy the company of other people, and that just because I emailed a lot of people for work does not mean that I really connected with anyone. That is what is missing – connection!

I was feeling particularly intensely today – partly the yucky weather, and partly just my typical pre-Monday crisis. Panic! Here comes the week! Well, today my crisis caused me to decide I really need to reach out more, and make a sincere effort to involve other people more in my life somehow. Working from home, and spending so much time with my daughter creates a bubble of isolation, and yet none of that time is really just for me. Writing a blog seems to be the perfect solution to satisfy both my need to share and my need just to think. Adopting a habit of writing regularly will hopefully act like a meditation for me.

Since my best thinking often happens in the bathtub I have decided to title my writings “From the Bathtub.”

Now, it’s not that I actually plan to write from the tub – no, since water and laptops don’t mix I won’t be typing while sudsing. I’m more thinking of that environment as a particular state of mind – a ritual activity of cleansing, renewal, and relaxation. In the tub I think about politics, relationships, chemistry, product ideas, business, and so many other things that just wander into my head. It is a sacred moment where I am free. So I’m hoping to bring some of that to share with all of you.

And that pretty much makes today’s entry complete. I need to get to bed before I succumb to my 26 hour clock and cause myself massive problems tomorrow morning. ☺
Looking forward to sharing more with you in coming weeks!

Blessings
Julie Longyear