On My Way

A little self care is good.


This Thursday I am flying to LA to visit some old friends and spend the day at the Glen Ivy Spa.

I am so excited to spend a day in the sunshine at their hot springs getting hot stone massages and other treats for myself. After three months of intense sickness and what felt like a total body shut down. This is a much needed vacation for me.


I am also very excited to get reacquainted with some friends from high school. My high school class had 30 kids in it. This by today’s standards is tiny. We had all been going to school for what felt like forever and as much as I may not have liked them in the past, they now feel like family.


I have not been to LA in 18 years so I am pretty giddy about getting to know the city again. Coming from Seattle, LA has always seemed like a super weird world. Think, Earth Girls Are Easy. But from what my friends tell me, it is actually a really great place. I wonder what I will think? I know that my candles will be a big hit there and I am very excited to bring samples down for everyone to try.


I am a little bit sad that I am going to miss the monthly opening of the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, but alas, just another reason for me to visit LA in the future!

Scrabble and New Candles

In honor of this month and because I have been thinking a lot about soulmates, I made my new soulmate candle this weekend. The best part?
This is not a soulmate in terms of romance. This is soulmate that fills your life with love of all kinds. This is the person that makes you feel like the greatest person in the world because of who you are. This person moves through life with you and keeps you smiling and laughing.

The other candle I created this weekend was in honor of a company that I never lucky enough to purchase anything from but spent many hours lost in their little hand drawn catalog. Halcyon Her Company was the name of this little mail order catalog company and I wish I could find out what happened to them. The candle I made is a tribute to the magic of this company and of dreams coming true. The life I used to envision in my head while I looked at this catalog is starting to come true.

If you know anything about this company or the woman Zelda who used to own it, please contact me.

The other wonderful thing I did this weekend was play scrabble with a good friend. I was never a scrabble fan but now I can;t get enough.

Walk with Ahmi

Tonight was cold and crisp as Ahmi and I walked along the cliff overlooking the Puget Sound. It was good to be walking outside. My energy is coming back and I am finally starting to feel a little better. In fact with every night this week my bed time gets closer to normal. Only a little bit longer until I return to my normal high energy level.

I am very excited this week to be having lunch at the Rainier Club with Nicole Vogel who is the publisher of Seattle Metropliantan Magazine. She is a local hero of mine and I can;t wait to hear her speak.

This weekend consisted of making Tea lights and new pillars for the spring time. I will add some photos soon. Once I get my new digital camera.

Food Network, Seattle Bride and Girl Power Hour

So many new things have happened in the last few weeks. It has been busy!

The filming for the food network show that had my tea lights was a huge success. I will keep everyone posted about when the show will air. This experience has also lead to my company getting a little note posted in an upcoming issue of Seattle Bride . Again, I will keep you all posted about this.

Another positive note is that I was introduced to a great group in Seattle called Girl Power Hour. This is a monthly group of women that want to bring networking and women in business to a whole new level. I am very excited to announce that some of my products will be featured at one of their upcoming events. I am also meeting with the two ladies who started this group to help them create a custom candle for their cause. The Girl Power candle. In the next few months they are highlighting Green companies and since Odessa's Herbals has worked very hard in the last year to become green, I am super excited to join this event.

My health is finally improving! It has been a long month and I am not totally healed yet. But with a cancer scare, a horrible infection and a bum knee.... It has been a long road over the last two months.

I Heart Glassybaby

Glassybaby is one of the loves in my life. Not just because I make their Tealights but also because the company is so sweet and wonderful. Nicola who writes their blog just posted a lovely shout out to Odessa's Herbals.

And throw in a box of our signature soy tea lights. I keep meaning to mention this addition to our sales. We now have glassybaby soy tea lights. They come in a charming box designed by local talent/artist Jeffrey Mitchell. Knowing that Jeff had a hand in this product's realization is simply good juju. And Emily Mitchell (no relation to Jeffrey) lovingly hand pours each soy tea light...her kool company is Odessa's Herbals. She is good juju too...and these little soy babes last a whopping 6 hours.

This is so exciting and wonderful!

Another thing I keep forgetting to mention is a company right here in Seattle that I love and admire. Ballard Organics. I found this company a few months ago and just fell hard for their products. Then yesterday, by chance I was in Ballard at the farmers market and saw the owner at his booth. It was lovely to see him again. He mentioned that the Holiday season was good and now he has a little time to slow down which is also good for any small business owner. I hope that if you ever see his products, you will pick some up or tell him I sent you. It is always great to support local business' and especially ones that are certified organic soapmakers!

Sunny Days ahead

For the last two days, Seattle has seen the sun!
This is such a blessing for us in the cloudy Northwest. Sometimes I forget there is a Sun that shines. Especially during the winter months.

I have yet to be able to be outside to enjoy it. I have had candle orders coming in, while dealing with more health concerns, so it has been pretty busy around these parts.

I am going hiking this weekend with a good friend and my dog. That is about how exciting my life gets right now. Not really, I am just in the production mode and working hard at new products. I should have some photo's to put up soon.

There is so much more going on, but I just don't have too much time to write about it right now. I wish that I could share everything that is happening. But alas, it is all too much. In a good way of course!

The candles are about to go public

So I just got off a call this morning and I am very happy to announce that Odessa's Herbals will be making it's first National TV appearance in the next few weeks.

This is still pretty hush hush so I can not provide too many details but I will be making candles all weekend to prepare for this .

I am so excited to be a part of this exciting event and I can't wait to share it with everyone as we get closer to the day!

My So Called Life

Sometimes all you need is a surprise package waiting on your door step when you get home at night to realize that the world works in mysterious ways and it deserves a thank you much of the time.

After a lovely dinner on Friday night with friends, I came home to a package from Amazon that had the complete series of my so called life. One of the best shows ever created. I watched an episode, took a walk with Ahmi and just thought about all the questions that I was asking when I was 16 are still very similar to the questions I think about today. What am I going to do with my life, what will love be like when I find it, how to you change parts of yourself and still be the same person?

It was nice to see that some of these areas I am wiser about, some are not as important and some I have the answers too. And it is nice to know that deep down, I will always be that little girl growing up and just trying to do the best she can. Because now I am that woman who is still growing up and doing the best she can and that 16 year old would be so proud of who I have become.

Another fun note from this weekend. I watched the Packers beat the Seahawks to a pulp, which was awesome. but the best part? I watched the game in between two British Soccer games at my favorite British pub with a very dear old friend who has recently come back into my life. He has been my knight in shining armour in many ways. A friend that loves and cares for me dearly and has helped me through a lot of painful times and good times. He is helping me to learn and grow and I am very thankful for our friendship.

Glassy Baby has the Tealights live!

Glassy Baby has put the Tea Lights up!
I am so excited. The picture looks amazing and I just can't believe those are my candles.

Please order your candles now for all of your Glassy Baby's and tell them I sent you!

Life and Love lessons

Sometimes life gets so busy, it is hard to take the time to examine what is happening.
Lucky, I am in a bit of a slow phase right now and I am looking at all area's of my life and where I am happy along with area's I want to change.


I have been watching the last season of Norther Exposure and Adam asked Dr. Fleischman a question that I have been pondering for the last few days.

"How do you keep the one you love?"

And the answer is....

You don't!

If you truly love someone you let them go. You hold no need to control or posses them. You allow them to just be and yourself to just be.

This is how I feel about my past year. I am allowing all the people to just be. I don't want to control or harbor any negative feelings. I just want them to be and I want to just be.

In other company related news, Glassy Baby will soon have the candles up on their website. This is very exciting for me. And makes me realize I need to revamp my site as well!

I am off to a large dinner party tonight and more candle making tomorrow night.

New Bed

This week I got a new feather down comforter and sheets to start the new year out with.
I am changing up the energy in my bedroom and life. I am throwing away all old memories that are no longer serving me in the start of this new year.

It feels good to be getting to this new place. Moving forward and beyond has never felt better to me.

Tomorrow marks a new moon that is filled with power for relationships. Could be good for some and bad for others.

I made candles all weekend and they look amazing. New colors and shapes!

Music

As you can tell, I have been going through a bit of a music revival. This has been a really good and fun process for me. I hope everyone has been enjoying the videos. They are very random but all little sound bites from different times in my life.

This weekend I welcome a good friend into my studio to join me in making candles. I am very happy to have this guest and look forward to a fun day of talking and candle making.

The holiday season has slowed down and now I am getting more personal candle orders which are always my favorite ones to make. People are ready for a new year and new intentions. I will post when new candles are being created. I have a long list of candles to tell everyone about.

Edwin Moses,

This was my theme song in 2000!

Band Of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You

What I have been listening too nonstop!

Wiped Clean

And with this evening, I am now totally free of my negative strings to the past. I know this sounds sort of strange and out of touch with my blog right now, so please forgive me. I was just released from a situation in my life that has been very draining for me and I am actually relieved.
The best part is, I made this decision myself. I came to the edge and walked away for something better and more loving for myself.

So, this is going to be truly a year of new beginnings and everything that had been keeping me in the past is now gone.

Happy New Year!

The theme for this year is.....

New beginnings!

Yep, I thought about it all day yesterday. I went through my 100 intention list for the year and thought about what the theme might be. 2007 was a very successful year for my company, but there were many hard lessons for me to learn. I am now at the point where I have learned my lessons and I am ready to move forward to new things.

I want to keep my company moving in the same direction it is now. However, I am ready to move to new area's with product development.
I am ready to move forward with relationships in my life and see what happens.
I am ready to move into a bigger space for my company ( I know already!).
I am ready to travel more and see new places.
I am ready to take better care of myself and truly love the life I live.
I am ready to get a hybrid car.
I am ready to settle into my new job and not worry for 1 year.

So many new things to try, to do and to be!

Plus, there is always the area's that I am not ready to share on my blog yet. Those will come in time.

What are your New Year's Intentions?

New Year's Eve

2008.......

I have started to prepare already. I took a long walk this morning and then came home to clean. I am doing a huge purification night tonight. Throwing away, recycling and organizing. I know this does not sound super exciting to everyone but to me. It is the perfect way to spend the new year's eve.
Tomorrow is my day of setting intentions for the next year. Tomorrow I will announce what the theme for this upcoming year will be. I have a couple of area's I want to focus on.

I made it

The holiday orders have been filled and now I have a few days to breathe before product development starts in January for next year!

It was a rush to the finish line but I can not believe I made it. I have to toot my own horn and admit, I am very proud of myself. I did everything I set out to accomplish this year and I am only stronger because of it.

This Christmas was marked by a bit of sadness, yesterday one of my sister's cats died while I was house sitting. It had been very sick for a long time, but not the kind of thing you want on Christmas Day. Lucky, my mother and I were with the Cat as it passed away.

I also am very happy to report that my good friend Lindsay, who also cuts my hair, is going to be in Allure magazine this summer thanks to my bugging a friend who writes for Allure. I got my hair cut on Christmas Eve and was able to tell Lindsay about her upcoming spotlight!
Go Lady! She'd better not get too busy!

Ahmi and I spent the evening last night relaxing and snuggling in my bed. Tonight we go for our first long walk in almost a month. I can now finally walk again!

What I have learned from my new job!

Gift Baskets are awesome!

I am sitting at my new job with a huge food gift basket on my desk and I LOVE IT!

Things are starting to wind down for the holidays at Odessa's Herbals. I made it through the madness but not without a knee that can not bend, a studio where the floor is covered in wax and a realization that maybe, the holidays are not such a good thing(just kidding on that last part).

It has been a struggle to make it but I must admit, I did better than I ever thought I would and I am ready for next year when it will be even better.

I have my first assistant to this little candle company. It is fun to have someone come and help me with all the chores and work that needs to get done. I would have never imagined that I would have to hire someone one year into my company, but alas, it is true.

This maybe the first year that the rain and cloudy weather is getting me down. I long for snow and sunshine. The move is closer than I think. I realize that it is time for me to leave the northwest and branch out on my mine. So we shall see. This has been a common theme in the last few months, but maybe that is a sign?

A little bit of both

I am not sure if I have ever mentioned this on my blog, but I grew up moving from the East Coast to the West Coast every year of my life until middle school. For most people, they can not even imagine what this was like. Now, I am not sure I would recommend this type of childhood, it has made me able to feel like every place I am is home. Because I have been in the Northwest the last several years, I seem to forget how much the East Coast is a part of me. I had a wonderful home coming last month when I was there. I am really starting to understand and process part's of my life that just seemed "normal" to me, but that are truly unique.

The only problem with this split life, is that I always long for the Coast I am not on. My mother calls this White Line Fever. I always long to move to be near one Ocean or another. And lucky for me, I can still keep doing this in life. I have pretty much set up my life so that it is totally portable and fluid. And I am always present where I am at.

Wow

Careful what you wish for!

The Glassy Baby Tea Light candles being made by Odessa's Herbals are selling out like mad, without any Internet attention or special announcement. It's amazing!

I am in panic overtime as I try to keep up with demand while doing everything else. This is a good place for me but one that I could not have imagined for myself. Leave it up to the universe because it will always dream bigger for you than you ever would!

I am so grateful that Glassy Baby took a chance with my company and that I am able to produce a product that people are loving.

If you need to get a hold of me for any reason, you may have to wait while I make candles and try to keep up demand.

2007 really is my year for Success!

So sleepy

Some mornings I just want to stay in bed with my dog and cat and sleep! This morning was one of those mornings. I am not sure why, I went to bed early but it does not feel like enough sleep. We are only one week away from the winter solstice and I can not wait! The days will start getting longer and a new year is approaching.

I have been thinking a lot about what my theme is going to be this year. 2007 - my year of success - definitely came to fruition. But I think this next year is going to be more personal. My from my heart and more concerned with my personal life. I want to spend a year traveling, meeting people, connecting with people from my heart, fulfilling every moment with love, and much much more. I will keep you posted when I have more details about it.

Ok, I must get back to work and try to wake up. Coffee is not doing enough for me today but it is still early.

100 boxes ordered for this weekend

I have delivered 300 boxes to Glassy Baby and counting. It is so exciting to see all the wonderful Glassy Baby customers accepting my candles and falling in love with them. Each tea light is hand made by me so it is a special gift to give your loved ones. A gift set totally handmade in the Seattle with love.
Glassy Baby and Odessas Herbal's candles!
A perfect combination.

I finally posted some pictures of my trip back east. I have 5 more rolls to develop next week so look out for even more pictures.

I will let you know when Glassy Baby has posted pictures of my candles.

My knee is finally getting better and my new job rocks so I have been very busy this week.

A vision of the future

This morning I was up early to work. It was snowing such large flakes that the everything was white in record time. I sat in my kitchen, which is my new studio until I can get my leg in better shape, and I made candles. the whole time I had Rick Bass and Montana on my mind. It was so peaceful and meditative. I looked out the windows and watched the snow fall, as I prepared my delivery to Glassy Baby. I thought about what I would like to create for myself in the next few years, a home in the country, a successful company, a larger studio that is either in my home or right next to it. And peaceful Sunday mornings where I work quietly, watch nature and drink a good cup of coffee.

I start my new job today. So for the next month, I will be all work and no fun. Or at least it may appear that way. For me, candle making is my love and fun. I don't mind spending every moment working on candles. I am just so thankful to have had such a wonderful year.

Snow

I don't remember a year where it snowed so early in December. The animals in my house have been eating like they may never get another meal. I kept thinking maybe it's going to be a cold winter, but I did not really believe it.
The flakes are small so I am not too worried about this weekend but I am longing for the South. It was so warm on the East Coast and I loved it.

My knee is getting better. It has gotten a tad smaller and is easier to walk on. This is all good news because I have a weekend of tea light making that needs to happen. I can't wait to get back into the studio. I also just placed an order for new molds. On the East Coast I visited with a very wonderful artist named Michele O'Hana, she is my hero and inspiration. She had so many new idea's for my candles and I can't wait to start creating.

I will keep you updated on the snow storm ( ha ha) happening in Seattle and hopefully will be walking around soon.