We've also been working on some new sewing projects- a messenger bag and a few other projects. We hope we can share all of these projects with you as we continue to share our successes and failures and tribulations and all of our other situations.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Lack of Patootie
I know, I know... I quite apologize for the lengthy amount of time it has been since my last post. I have been struggling with my time management a bit since taking on an additional project. (Otherwise known as a part-time job). I am looking forward to picking up Sage Pure right where we left off. We even have our first show coming up in a few weeks! With a bit of luck, we will be able to sell our butts off (therefore losing the hefty patootie I've gained over the last few months)!We will be at the Lawrenceville Fall Festival in Lawrenceville, GA on September 8th. Myself and a few of my girlfriends are SO excited to be able to be a part of this show!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Even Celebs Go Natural!
We're not sure if you're seen this wonderful article yet or not, but we're so excited about it!! We found this on Yahoo's website. What do you do for your skin to keep it healthy and clear?
It's
no surprise that Jennifer Aniston watches her diet, but she has good
reason to do so. After so many years of eating carefully, just a little
junk food can turn her stomach.
In an interview about her beauty habits for New York Magazine, Aniston admitted a recent fast-food indulgence was not a good idea.
"I'll never forget when Justin [Theroux] and I were on a road trip and we were so hungry," she told the magazine. "The only thing around was McDonald's. I think I ordered a Big Mac. Wow, my body did not react well to that!"
Aniston explained that because the quick fix was so foreign to her body, her reaction was understandably bad. "It was like putting gasoline in a purified system," she said. "I am always trying to eat organic and natural foods, so that just made my stomach turn and made me feel terrible. And I think what you put in your body, as well as stress, is reflected in the quality of your skin."
Aniston recommends that fans lean on good old water and other healthy basics to stay healthy and fit. "I can never stress enough to my friends that they must do as I do ... hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!" she said. "Drink lots of water, get enough sleep, exercise, and eat a clean healthy diet, whenever possible."
But she doesn't recommend emptying your wallet on pricey cosmetics, even though she can well afford it. "When I started making enough money to afford high-end, fancy skincare products with sexy bottles and impressive claims, I decided to give them a try," she said. "As a result my skin acted up and got irritated. I think sometimes women may be overcleansing their skin. Some products and masks can be too aggressive and irritating for certain skin types. I believe the more simple, natural, and easy the skin care regime, the better off your skin will be."
Jennifer Aniston: I ate a Big Mac and felt 'terrible'
July 3, 2013 at 1:06 PM ET
WireImage file
Jennifer Aniston's not lovin' it at McDonald's.
In an interview about her beauty habits for New York Magazine, Aniston admitted a recent fast-food indulgence was not a good idea.
"I'll never forget when Justin [Theroux] and I were on a road trip and we were so hungry," she told the magazine. "The only thing around was McDonald's. I think I ordered a Big Mac. Wow, my body did not react well to that!"
Aniston explained that because the quick fix was so foreign to her body, her reaction was understandably bad. "It was like putting gasoline in a purified system," she said. "I am always trying to eat organic and natural foods, so that just made my stomach turn and made me feel terrible. And I think what you put in your body, as well as stress, is reflected in the quality of your skin."
Aniston recommends that fans lean on good old water and other healthy basics to stay healthy and fit. "I can never stress enough to my friends that they must do as I do ... hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!" she said. "Drink lots of water, get enough sleep, exercise, and eat a clean healthy diet, whenever possible."
But she doesn't recommend emptying your wallet on pricey cosmetics, even though she can well afford it. "When I started making enough money to afford high-end, fancy skincare products with sexy bottles and impressive claims, I decided to give them a try," she said. "As a result my skin acted up and got irritated. I think sometimes women may be overcleansing their skin. Some products and masks can be too aggressive and irritating for certain skin types. I believe the more simple, natural, and easy the skin care regime, the better off your skin will be."
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Abigail's The How and Why of Exfoliation
The Why and How of Exfoliation with Abigail Stoms
So why should
I exfoliate?
How often?
A general rule is to exfoliate every 2-3 days-
any more frequently and you risk over- stripping the skin. This will cause the skin to produce too much
oil so it can repair the damage caused by too much exfoliation. Over production of oil will cause clogging of
the pores and an unhealthy shine on the surface of the skin. This can also alter the PH levels of the
skin. A proper PH level will assist in
anti-aging and fight against free radicals, but that’s a completely separate
article.
What should I
use?
Keep in mind
that billions of dollars are dumped into the skincare industry every year. The big beauty companies pump exorbitant
amounts of money into research on how to get you (the consumer) to buy their
product. Even if it looks good and it is
endorsed by a Hollywood starlet, chances are, it’s not good for you. A product
should speak for itself without a celebrity endorsement. If you really want to know what is good for
you, ditch the advertisements and what the
media is telling you use and try looking on the back of the bottle. If the ingredients list is more than 20 items
of words you don’t know, put it back. We can discuss what ingredients to look for another time.
Stick with
natural, as in from your own home. You
can mix up your own facial exfoliator at home or order from sagepure.com if you
want to save on time and products. Sage Pure
products like the lotion bars and sugar scrubs
including my favorite, the Lemon Sugar Smoother, are preservative and alcohol
free. They have my endorsement and can
be trusted.
So what
should we discuss next? Do you have a skin
care question that you want answered?
Let us know. We are here to help
you navigate the sometimes confusing realm of skin care.
Want an easy
way to exfoliate your pretty face? Check
out the previous post about making your own exfoliator! Again, remember not to
exfoliate more often than every 2-3 days.
Stay
Gorgeous!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Our New Team Member
Please Welcome Ms. Abigail Stoms
to the Sage Pure team! Abigail has been in the skincare industry for over 20
years and is not only a licensed esthetician, but also an esthetician
instructor as well. In 2009, while working at the Esani Institute, she was
awarded for best technical expertise. Over the years, she has worked with many
people at a variety of spas, but never felt herself completely fulfilled by her
work at these other spas.
Inspired by the Karate kid
movies, as she is also a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, she
wanted a fun name for her new business. Wax Foo Spa was born in 2010. Ms. Stoms
performs facials and skin care using exfoliants, washes, and moisturizers made
from natural products.
As a dedicated, lifelong instructor
of both esthetics and martial arts, she has graciously agreed to join the Sage
Pure team as a frequent blog contributor, answering your questions and
providing information on our various ingredients and products. She is also an
avid learner, specifically interested in sciences including chemistry and as
such has asked to be a part of our research and development team!
We are very excited to welcome
such an experienced and dedicated woman to our team!
With
the addition of her expertise, as we have previously mentioned, we are actively
starting development on our newest product- Sun-sitive Skin After Burn Crème.
Abigail is well versed in the properties of aloe vera and has already developed
a new way of harvesting aloe that keeps the resulting ‘gel’ from feeling
sticky. When combined with shea butter our locally grown and harvested aloe (from
our own garden!) creates a smooth and soothing butter for your hot, parched
skin. At the very end, we want to add some fresh lavender oil, lavender leaves,
and dried lavender flowers from our very own plants, keeping our products
locally grown and sustainable.
Let’s
show Abigail how glad we are to have her join our team this week. Sage Pure is
looking forward to posting a bi-weekly article by Ms. Abigail Stoms beginning next week.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Make It Yourself: An Article on Sugar Scrubs and How To Make Your Own Facial Scrub
I decided this evening while waiting on supper to write a quick post containing a few Do-It-Yourself ideas. I've lately been training the horses outside a great bit so I've arrived home quite sweaty and stinky and exhausted.
Today, however, I decided to pamper myself. No puppies, no Manfriend, no ponies... just me, my book, my beer, and a nice hot relaxing bath.
With Lavender scented bath salts and some baking soda for detoxification added, I enjoyed a super hot soak while enjoying lots of lit candles, a beer, and my aforementioned book (The Second Horseman, for those who are interested)
The reason, though, for this post is not my bathing habits. While I was in that bath, I went ahead and quickly whipped up a lovely exfoliating mask of baking soda and honey. Just take a tablespoon of honey- any one will do, they all have antiseptic and antibiotic properties, mix it well with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of baking soda for exfoliating.
The lemon juice acts as a toner to tighten skin and close pores. Honey moisturizes and removes the bacteria within pores and baking soda acts as an exfoliator to remove dirt, dead skin cells, and open pores.
Enjoy pampering yourself!!
Today, however, I decided to pamper myself. No puppies, no Manfriend, no ponies... just me, my book, my beer, and a nice hot relaxing bath.
The reason, though, for this post is not my bathing habits. While I was in that bath, I went ahead and quickly whipped up a lovely exfoliating mask of baking soda and honey. Just take a tablespoon of honey- any one will do, they all have antiseptic and antibiotic properties, mix it well with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of baking soda for exfoliating.
The lemon juice acts as a toner to tighten skin and close pores. Honey moisturizes and removes the bacteria within pores and baking soda acts as an exfoliator to remove dirt, dead skin cells, and open pores.
Enjoy pampering yourself!!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Realigning Energy
I post a lot about our trials and
errors in the test kitchen and on the streets. I haven't posted much about our
facility. There's a bit of a reason why, but all in all, that's inexcusable.
See, our facility is in my home. So posting lots of pictures and talking about
how and where I live isn't exactly something I want to face. Then I'd have to
own the messy office/den and the dishes in the kitchen sink. But here's the
thing- It shouldn't be there anyway.
 |
| My den doubles as my office and because of the double duty, collects double the mess! |
Lots of people go through changes
in their lives. Some people move, some change jobs, some refresh their looks.
I, too, am in a transition phase: from a hardworking corporate stooge that I
hated to an independent free agent who loves everything about her job.
Unfortunately, my work space needs some changes, too.
This post is more about something
I learned last night than anything else. Last night I attended a get-together
in which a "Clean Sweep" was the topic. This Clean Sweep
"program" isn't really a program, but a reality check. It's all about
energy. Ever notice how cleaning your living room makes you feel better? And
not just when you clean it and the next day. The whole room feels different- as
long as it stays clean. It's all about energy. Clutter in your home, in your
relationships, in your finances- has a huge impact on your well being.
For example- when you make your
bed, you feel better about your bedroom. It's one less thing to worry about.
And even if you think you don't worry about it, you're just going to get back
in it and mess it all up- it still makes an impact. Try it for a week. Make
your bed and pick up all the dirty laundry or put all the clean stuff away. See
if it makes a difference.
My moment of epiphany occurred
when I realized my work space was abysmal. Maybe that has been holding me back.
Could that be the reason that I find it hard to concentrate? That I'm not sure
what comes next? The reason I can't focus?
 |
| After my cleaning, my desk looks SO much better! |
 |
| I even added a couple pieces of wire to hang pictures on to act as inspiration for my various projects. |
Now that I've got one area of energy remedied, my goal is to attempt to fix one
or two of the issues I discovered could be affecting my well being every week.
If I can fix one thing a week, imagine how much more streamlined, fluid, and
harmonious my life and yours could be?
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Keeping it Photogenic: The Art of Taking Pictures for a Blog
A while back, I wrote a post about how I couldn't find my camera, had no idea how Manfriend's picture taker worked and I was unsure when I would be uploading pictures. Well, I finally figured out how to take the photos (no guarantees on how good they are). Then I ran into the problem of not having any stock to take pictures of. Problem also solved- with a good bit of money, patience in waiting for the stuff to arrive, and sweat in product preparation.
So I got out Manfriend's little camera and I toted all my stuff outside and I found a decent space to start snapping away! (which really means I found a level space to put my stuff on- trust me, that's not an easy feat)
So... without further ado, I'd like to show you all some of my lovely photos. Also to be included in many later posts about the products themselves and on the webpage!! I just can't wait!!!
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So I got out Manfriend's little camera and I toted all my stuff outside and I found a decent space to start snapping away! (which really means I found a level space to put my stuff on- trust me, that's not an easy feat)
So... without further ado, I'd like to show you all some of my lovely photos. Also to be included in many later posts about the products themselves and on the webpage!! I just can't wait!!!
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Lemon Sugar Smothers, Cafe Mocha Scrub, and Anti-Bug Balm Cube
(I thought the lavender in the background was a lovely touch)
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Lemon Sugar Smoother and Anti-Bug Balm Cube
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Lemon Sugar Smothers, Cafe Mocha Scrub, and Anti-Bug Balm Cube
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Anti-Bug Balm Cubes
Love to hear your feedback, anytime! And, (shameless plug- I won't do it often, I promise) Feel free to pin anything you like to Pinterest. I'd love the shares, I'd love to have more people joining, following, and checking out the blog and the goods.
It has been brought to my attention that comments may not be enabled. Please e-mail me with any comments you may have!!!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Test Kitchen Adventures 2.1: The Making of... Anti-Bug Balm Cubes
They're made. The first batch of Anti-Bug Balm. I'm so excited. I made a whole mess of small cubes and a couple big ones. The big ones are for me. I spend a LOT of time in my yard. All day almost as a matter of fact. I like sitting out there with the dog and a book.
So just like the regular Body Bars and Mini-Me bars, these cubes have beeswax, a moisturizing oil blend, and shea butter. This stuff is really moisturizing. I'm really looking forward to pulling them out of the freezer and trying them out in the yard tonight. They've got a really smooth blend of citronella and lemongrass with some FRESH lemon thyme leaves from the garden thrown in.
These bars are yellow to distinguish them from the classic bars which will be moving to a creamy ivory color since the new shea and beeswax came in. Its all a matter of ingredients!
So anyhow- I'm really excited to test out these new cubes and let you know how they work in Post 2.3 I'm also excited to see what kind of interest we get, seeing as how this is looking to be a very buggy summer. We've had quite a bit of interest so far, but I'd really be interested in whether you lovely folks wanna try it in cube form or in stick form (like an old-fashioned glue stick.. except with bug lotion instead of glue). So tell me what you think and I'll do what I can to make it happen- and you know, tell you how this stuff works.
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So just like the regular Body Bars and Mini-Me bars, these cubes have beeswax, a moisturizing oil blend, and shea butter. This stuff is really moisturizing. I'm really looking forward to pulling them out of the freezer and trying them out in the yard tonight. They've got a really smooth blend of citronella and lemongrass with some FRESH lemon thyme leaves from the garden thrown in.
These bars are yellow to distinguish them from the classic bars which will be moving to a creamy ivory color since the new shea and beeswax came in. Its all a matter of ingredients!
So anyhow- I'm really excited to test out these new cubes and let you know how they work in Post 2.3 I'm also excited to see what kind of interest we get, seeing as how this is looking to be a very buggy summer. We've had quite a bit of interest so far, but I'd really be interested in whether you lovely folks wanna try it in cube form or in stick form (like an old-fashioned glue stick.. except with bug lotion instead of glue). So tell me what you think and I'll do what I can to make it happen- and you know, tell you how this stuff works.
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Test Kitchen Adventures 2.0: Anti-Bug Balm Cubes
Another HOT and spicy day has dawned here in northeast Georgia. This year the weather has been so weird! A warm winter, then a cold spring, alternating between days in the low 80s in February to the mid 40s in MAY! This is entirely unusual. Usually we're settled around the high 80s right now with no end in sight. It's also been very wet.
These two factors- a warm winter and a wet spring- are going to result in one very aggravating eventuality: a buggy summer. No good! I hate bugs. Especially mosquitoes and gnats- but oh do I love flies! My favorite past time in the summer on Mama's front porch is stalking the flies with my fly swatter and a bloody mary. I just love it. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting back with a drink and surveying the carcasses of your enemies- small as they may be- littering your porch. Oh the joy!!!
I understand this makes me a bit odd, however I also acknowledge the similarities in our lives- like a deep hatred for mosquitoes and biting insects. I hate them. I do. I also hate spraying on cloying, lung-filling bug sprays. They're sticky and nasty and they smell bad and they hang in the air like a cloud of noxious radiation from the Chernobyl incident. And another thing- I have dogs... so I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of having lit candles all over my house and outdoor area. The smart hound knows not to get involved, but Manfriend's overzealous Gomer Pyle- esque pup just WOULD NOT be able to handle that kind of responsibility in the yard.
I tried planting lemongrass and citronella and lemon thyme and all those plants that are supposed to keep the bugs away. The problem with that was unless I was sitting in the planters with them, the bugs still crawled all over me. I could rub them all over me, but a couple times I, being the most epicly graceful person you have ever had the pleasure of meeting, cut myself on the edges of the lemongrass. I quickly abandoned the idea of rubbing myself with grasses and random leaves. Manfriend wasn't really buying into that idea either. Because of the business, though, I did have lemongrass oil in the house so I took to smoothing a few drops of that behind my knees and ears and on my wrists. THAT worked. Then I ordered some Citronella oil on a whim and with a certain idea in mind. When it came in (YESTERDAY!!) I used that on myself with the lemongrass. I smelled fabulous (in my opinion) and the bugs were nowhere to be found. I could read outside in my lawn chair for HOURS and not one bug bothered me. Manfriend wasn't sure about the strong smell, but I HAD just put straight citronella oil all over me. I can't say I blame him.
The job I now face.. Making the idea in my head actually happen. Here's the plan: I hate bugs, but I hate bug spray. How can i get rid of bugs without bug spray? Slathering on essential oils has worked, but that gets expensive and Manfriend would probably leave me for smelling "funny". BUT WAIT! I have a business that specializes in natural skincare... hmmm... and I also use essential oils in almost everything I do... Why not use what I already make and just stick the repellant oils in there? Well now that might work. So here's what I'm thinking. I'll take the Mini-me lotion bars and add lemongrass and citronella oils to it. Now we have a LOTION bug repellant that isn't a spray and doesn't hang in the air. It's not sticky, it absorbs into the skin, and it moisturizes as it does. It also stays on your skin and keeps the bugs away. I've been talking to a lot of my friends that have kids and they're all REALLY excited about this because- as we all know- kids hate that spray crap too. I'm also looking into creating the lotion as a stick- like a glue stick- so you don't have to worry about getting too much on your hands and it will make it easier to get it on your face without getting in your eyes (OUCH!) or your nose (EEW) or your mouth (BLECH!) not to mention easier to get on the kids!!!
I'll keep you guys updated on how all this turns out and how it goes today.... I'm excited. Are you?
These two factors- a warm winter and a wet spring- are going to result in one very aggravating eventuality: a buggy summer. No good! I hate bugs. Especially mosquitoes and gnats- but oh do I love flies! My favorite past time in the summer on Mama's front porch is stalking the flies with my fly swatter and a bloody mary. I just love it. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting back with a drink and surveying the carcasses of your enemies- small as they may be- littering your porch. Oh the joy!!!
I understand this makes me a bit odd, however I also acknowledge the similarities in our lives- like a deep hatred for mosquitoes and biting insects. I hate them. I do. I also hate spraying on cloying, lung-filling bug sprays. They're sticky and nasty and they smell bad and they hang in the air like a cloud of noxious radiation from the Chernobyl incident. And another thing- I have dogs... so I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea of having lit candles all over my house and outdoor area. The smart hound knows not to get involved, but Manfriend's overzealous Gomer Pyle- esque pup just WOULD NOT be able to handle that kind of responsibility in the yard.
I tried planting lemongrass and citronella and lemon thyme and all those plants that are supposed to keep the bugs away. The problem with that was unless I was sitting in the planters with them, the bugs still crawled all over me. I could rub them all over me, but a couple times I, being the most epicly graceful person you have ever had the pleasure of meeting, cut myself on the edges of the lemongrass. I quickly abandoned the idea of rubbing myself with grasses and random leaves. Manfriend wasn't really buying into that idea either. Because of the business, though, I did have lemongrass oil in the house so I took to smoothing a few drops of that behind my knees and ears and on my wrists. THAT worked. Then I ordered some Citronella oil on a whim and with a certain idea in mind. When it came in (YESTERDAY!!) I used that on myself with the lemongrass. I smelled fabulous (in my opinion) and the bugs were nowhere to be found. I could read outside in my lawn chair for HOURS and not one bug bothered me. Manfriend wasn't sure about the strong smell, but I HAD just put straight citronella oil all over me. I can't say I blame him.
The job I now face.. Making the idea in my head actually happen. Here's the plan: I hate bugs, but I hate bug spray. How can i get rid of bugs without bug spray? Slathering on essential oils has worked, but that gets expensive and Manfriend would probably leave me for smelling "funny". BUT WAIT! I have a business that specializes in natural skincare... hmmm... and I also use essential oils in almost everything I do... Why not use what I already make and just stick the repellant oils in there? Well now that might work. So here's what I'm thinking. I'll take the Mini-me lotion bars and add lemongrass and citronella oils to it. Now we have a LOTION bug repellant that isn't a spray and doesn't hang in the air. It's not sticky, it absorbs into the skin, and it moisturizes as it does. It also stays on your skin and keeps the bugs away. I've been talking to a lot of my friends that have kids and they're all REALLY excited about this because- as we all know- kids hate that spray crap too. I'm also looking into creating the lotion as a stick- like a glue stick- so you don't have to worry about getting too much on your hands and it will make it easier to get it on your face without getting in your eyes (OUCH!) or your nose (EEW) or your mouth (BLECH!) not to mention easier to get on the kids!!!
I'll keep you guys updated on how all this turns out and how it goes today.... I'm excited. Are you?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Test Kitchen Adventures 1.0: Sun-sitive Skin After Burn Creme
Today is Thursday. On Tuesday, Manfriend and I went fishing. This is important because it resulted in a research and development breakthrough idea that I had.
Manfriend had this brilliant (it really was- not being sarcastic) idea to go fishing at a pond down the road on Sunday. But that plan was foiled by an exceptionally wild thunderstorm that just wouldn't quit!! So we spent Sunday on the couch.
Tuesday, however, dawned nice and bright and HOT! So Manfriend went off to purchase poles to fish with (I was under the impression that I had a fishing pole in the laundry room, but it was MIA when I checked and he still needed one). Thoughtfully, he decided against the purple fishing pole with the pink reel and the LED lights that flashed when you reeled in your epic catfish catch. Good man, that Manfriend.
ANYHOW after we got our poles and we strung them and put our weights and hooks on, we marched (drove) our way on over to the pond and commenced fishing. Forever. I cast my line. Read my book. reeled it in. Cast my line. Watched Manfriend catch a fish (kind of.. he reeled it all the way to the dock... and lost it) Watched the bobber jump. Reeled it in. Discovered the fish stole my worm. Cast my line. over. And over. And over. And over. And over. Watched Manfriend ACTUALLY catch a fish. Watched Manfriend fight with and reel in a really BIG catfish... And then watched the line break. I'm still in denial over whether or not he ACTUALLY caught that gigantic cat. And then.. after HOURS of fishing... and watching Manfriend have all the fun, I caught one. Oh yes, I did.
What I also managed to get was sunburned! I'm definitely red. Not lobster red... but red. And I'm sore. Soooooo I did what every good home-made maker does... She tries to figure out a way to make whatever is bugging her better.
And I don't know about you, but I hate- HATE that sticky aloe crap. That will NOT be going on my body. Anytime soon. And by that I mean ever. So... I decided to try something else.
A new favorite has been born! Sun-sitive Skin After Burn Creme! So far I haven't scented it yet, but I will be looking into whether or not scenting it will be appropriate. Personally, I'd rather have something that smells nice to put on after burns. I don't want to stink nasty.
If you ever have any suggestions or ideas for things you want to see or hear about, please let me know. I think Manfriend's and my next adventure will be drag racing this Sunday. And wish me luck- Gramma is coming to town on Saturday so the next few weeks will be hectic and the business will probably soar. Look forward to a lot more news and hopefully a lot more adventures!!
Manfriend had this brilliant (it really was- not being sarcastic) idea to go fishing at a pond down the road on Sunday. But that plan was foiled by an exceptionally wild thunderstorm that just wouldn't quit!! So we spent Sunday on the couch.
Tuesday, however, dawned nice and bright and HOT! So Manfriend went off to purchase poles to fish with (I was under the impression that I had a fishing pole in the laundry room, but it was MIA when I checked and he still needed one). Thoughtfully, he decided against the purple fishing pole with the pink reel and the LED lights that flashed when you reeled in your epic catfish catch. Good man, that Manfriend.
ANYHOW after we got our poles and we strung them and put our weights and hooks on, we marched (drove) our way on over to the pond and commenced fishing. Forever. I cast my line. Read my book. reeled it in. Cast my line. Watched Manfriend catch a fish (kind of.. he reeled it all the way to the dock... and lost it) Watched the bobber jump. Reeled it in. Discovered the fish stole my worm. Cast my line. over. And over. And over. And over. And over. Watched Manfriend ACTUALLY catch a fish. Watched Manfriend fight with and reel in a really BIG catfish... And then watched the line break. I'm still in denial over whether or not he ACTUALLY caught that gigantic cat. And then.. after HOURS of fishing... and watching Manfriend have all the fun, I caught one. Oh yes, I did.
What I also managed to get was sunburned! I'm definitely red. Not lobster red... but red. And I'm sore. Soooooo I did what every good home-made maker does... She tries to figure out a way to make whatever is bugging her better.
And I don't know about you, but I hate- HATE that sticky aloe crap. That will NOT be going on my body. Anytime soon. And by that I mean ever. So... I decided to try something else.
A new favorite has been born! Sun-sitive Skin After Burn Creme! So far I haven't scented it yet, but I will be looking into whether or not scenting it will be appropriate. Personally, I'd rather have something that smells nice to put on after burns. I don't want to stink nasty.
If you ever have any suggestions or ideas for things you want to see or hear about, please let me know. I think Manfriend's and my next adventure will be drag racing this Sunday. And wish me luck- Gramma is coming to town on Saturday so the next few weeks will be hectic and the business will probably soar. Look forward to a lot more news and hopefully a lot more adventures!!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Dead Man Walking
Really it should read "Dead Woman Walking" but that just didn't sound as good. Sorry for the long stretches between posts, guys. So much has been happening! The other day I was up until 12:30 updating my website (and that's super late for me lately), Manfriend was begging me to come to bed, I'm in my last week ofm y full time job before I take on Sage Pure full time (YAY FOR THAT!!) and- of course- this is the month that my folks decide they are going to help me with clearing out my five acres of land for my horses.
Here is the south there's a burn ban that goes into effect every spring and lasts through fall because of drought conditions. When does it start? TOMORROW! What have I been doing EVERY SINGLE MOMENT I'VE HAD OFF SINCE THE MIDDLE OF APRIL? Piling up logs and burning them. I hate it. I just hate it. I can't wait for tomorrow so there will be no more burning and I can finally clean my house and start blogging again. Sorry for the wait guys.
On the other hand, Here's a picture of me and Manfriend on the ONE afternoon we both managed to get off work early. He looked at me as we drove home from work at 3 in the afternoon past the ballfield and said "Hey. You wanna catch a game tonight?" Just like that. Manfriend has NEVER asked me out on a date. Not even when we first met. (I asked him out. To a football watching party at his house. Which included me, him, and Fergus the dog who is not really called Fergus except when I wish to annoy Manfriend) So we went on our first date after living with each other for four months (and dating for many more) to a local ball club's home game. WOOT!
Here is the south there's a burn ban that goes into effect every spring and lasts through fall because of drought conditions. When does it start? TOMORROW! What have I been doing EVERY SINGLE MOMENT I'VE HAD OFF SINCE THE MIDDLE OF APRIL? Piling up logs and burning them. I hate it. I just hate it. I can't wait for tomorrow so there will be no more burning and I can finally clean my house and start blogging again. Sorry for the wait guys.
On the other hand, Here's a picture of me and Manfriend on the ONE afternoon we both managed to get off work early. He looked at me as we drove home from work at 3 in the afternoon past the ballfield and said "Hey. You wanna catch a game tonight?" Just like that. Manfriend has NEVER asked me out on a date. Not even when we first met. (I asked him out. To a football watching party at his house. Which included me, him, and Fergus the dog who is not really called Fergus except when I wish to annoy Manfriend) So we went on our first date after living with each other for four months (and dating for many more) to a local ball club's home game. WOOT!
(picked this one because I knew it would aggravate Manfriend)
(And I picked this one because he's actually pretty hot!)
More soon with the coming of more time to devote! Happy Tuesday!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Go Getter: Making Mocha Sugar Scrubs
Today I got ready to tackle the future. I sent in my two week notice to my job and decided it was time to go for it. The only problem- I'm a chicken. We already know this from previous blog entries. Terribly scary.
On the other hand, because I am such a go-getter, I created a new product. Introducing Sage Pure's NEW mocha scrub. Its the perfect new facial scrub and, if you're all truly lucky, I might decide to make a matching body scrub too! you know that lovely feeling you get when your face is super smooth? Yeah. It does that. Sugar and spice (not really) and coffee (mmmm, delicious!!) and a hint of cocoa to give you a delightful mocha experience. mix it all up with Sage Pure's oil blend (that amazingly won't clog your pores) and your pretty face will love you forever.
Enough advertising (okay a bit more- I developed this scrub last week and I already sold four). As I said- I'm scared to death but so so excited to push forward. Two weeks from today, I'll be getting ready for my first show. Before then, I'll hopefully have my products in my girlfriend, Mo's shop. MAYBE I can even get some stuff in Queen of Hearts' antique and curiosity gallery as well!
So... Go visit Etsy, keep abreast of the blog, go visit Queen of Hearts.. even if I'm not there yet.. and maybe give my girl Mo's shop a whirl (It's in Monroe, but I'm not totally sure the name. I'll find out and get right on that!) Here's the deal- read to blog, like the adventures, love the products, e-mail me for some business cards, and I'll send them out!
You'll have fun, you'll get good products and new stuff to try, and I'll hopefully get more business to help my dream become a reality.
On the other hand, because I am such a go-getter, I created a new product. Introducing Sage Pure's NEW mocha scrub. Its the perfect new facial scrub and, if you're all truly lucky, I might decide to make a matching body scrub too! you know that lovely feeling you get when your face is super smooth? Yeah. It does that. Sugar and spice (not really) and coffee (mmmm, delicious!!) and a hint of cocoa to give you a delightful mocha experience. mix it all up with Sage Pure's oil blend (that amazingly won't clog your pores) and your pretty face will love you forever.
Enough advertising (okay a bit more- I developed this scrub last week and I already sold four). As I said- I'm scared to death but so so excited to push forward. Two weeks from today, I'll be getting ready for my first show. Before then, I'll hopefully have my products in my girlfriend, Mo's shop. MAYBE I can even get some stuff in Queen of Hearts' antique and curiosity gallery as well!
So... Go visit Etsy, keep abreast of the blog, go visit Queen of Hearts.. even if I'm not there yet.. and maybe give my girl Mo's shop a whirl (It's in Monroe, but I'm not totally sure the name. I'll find out and get right on that!) Here's the deal- read to blog, like the adventures, love the products, e-mail me for some business cards, and I'll send them out!
You'll have fun, you'll get good products and new stuff to try, and I'll hopefully get more business to help my dream become a reality.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
I Can Use That For WHAT!!
OH MY GOSH! Two posts in one day? Say WHAT!?
Yeah. I'm getting excited now. Yesterday I was surfing my interwebs and discovered this new (to me) blog aptly named The Natural Skincare Blog. This lovely lady, LisaLise has some great information on her blog for all people interested in taking their beauty regimes back to basics or 'naturals' (haha!! I'm funny!). Anyway- I wrote a comment to LisaLise about how much I enjoyed reading some of her articles and SHE WROTE ME BACK! She sad she enjoyed my blog (THIS ONE) and she was interested to see our development. Super Exciting. The result of my super excited-ness is multiple postings... and more thought on a daily basis on what may actually make good blog posts. Hopefully this counts as one (when I finally get around to writing what I meant to write about instead of being so excited about L's reply...
Here's what I meant to write about: You all know that part of the purpose of this blog was to share my company's plights and growing pains and all that we're (I'm) going through on our (my) path to growth and changing our friends' and families' lives through natural skincare. Well now I actually have a post about my products. Bear with me, it won't be like this all the time.
I developed this product a while back called a solid lotion bar. Some of you may have heard of or seen them before. They're lotion.. but solid! (hence the name) They've got beeswax and shea butter and coconut oil and all kinds of cool natural moisturizers in them PLUS a healthy dose of smell-good essential oils. Mmmmmmm! My favorite is the lemongrass, so I always keep one of these little travel-sized bars in my purse in a handy acrylic carrying case (You can get your own on my website if you like) and I use it all the time.
Now, we all know that pollen season is here along with allergies and all that yucky stuff. It really is truly disgusting. But I never had to worry about it- I'm not allergic.... until now. This has been the worst year for my allergies. It's been so terrible. Bring on the incessant nose blowing and whining (from both Manfriend and myself) and lots of allergy meds. Our poor noses are raw!
(insert hilarious picture of allergy sufferer)
ENTER MOST AMAZING USE FOR LOTION BARS EVER!!!! I had to get relief. I was dying. DYING! I think my nose would have fallen off if a three year old tried to steal it. In my desperation to find something that would help my poor nosey, I thought about the bag balm my mom always slathered on me as a kid.. that would probably work, but yuck! I don't want that goop on my nose! Besides, it could clog my pores and then my pretty face would break out! I may even have to WASH my face! (Jealous yet? Don't be. It's frustrating. I CAN'T wash my face or else I break out. Badly.)
So I dug through the piles of folded laundry in our living room for my purse, fished out my cute little acrylic-boxed lemongrass lotion bar and went to town. I looked like an idiot. I still do. I rubbed my little fingers all over that bar and then all over my nose. On the sides. Under my nose. On my chapped lips. It felt fabulous. It felt moisturizing. My Rudolph nose stopped throbbing in pain. I no longer felt like the kids in the Puffs Plus commercials...
Wanna know the absolute best part of ALL of it? I didn't break out. At all. It's been three days. Not. One. Pimple. My nose feels fabulous. My face is moisturized. My lips aren't chapped. And Manfriend will kiss me again. All is well again.
But really! Who would have thought to wipe this stuff on a desperate nose? I mean- most lotions are gonna clog up all your pores and make your life more miserable than it is! And Puffs Plus will only last so long with that kind of intense nose blowing. I never would have thought that this spur-of-the-moment creation would have worked so well for so many different uses. Get you some. NOW!!!!
Yeah. I'm getting excited now. Yesterday I was surfing my interwebs and discovered this new (to me) blog aptly named The Natural Skincare Blog. This lovely lady, LisaLise has some great information on her blog for all people interested in taking their beauty regimes back to basics or 'naturals' (haha!! I'm funny!). Anyway- I wrote a comment to LisaLise about how much I enjoyed reading some of her articles and SHE WROTE ME BACK! She sad she enjoyed my blog (THIS ONE) and she was interested to see our development. Super Exciting. The result of my super excited-ness is multiple postings... and more thought on a daily basis on what may actually make good blog posts. Hopefully this counts as one (when I finally get around to writing what I meant to write about instead of being so excited about L's reply...
Here's what I meant to write about: You all know that part of the purpose of this blog was to share my company's plights and growing pains and all that we're (I'm) going through on our (my) path to growth and changing our friends' and families' lives through natural skincare. Well now I actually have a post about my products. Bear with me, it won't be like this all the time.
I developed this product a while back called a solid lotion bar. Some of you may have heard of or seen them before. They're lotion.. but solid! (hence the name) They've got beeswax and shea butter and coconut oil and all kinds of cool natural moisturizers in them PLUS a healthy dose of smell-good essential oils. Mmmmmmm! My favorite is the lemongrass, so I always keep one of these little travel-sized bars in my purse in a handy acrylic carrying case (You can get your own on my website if you like) and I use it all the time.
Now, we all know that pollen season is here along with allergies and all that yucky stuff. It really is truly disgusting. But I never had to worry about it- I'm not allergic.... until now. This has been the worst year for my allergies. It's been so terrible. Bring on the incessant nose blowing and whining (from both Manfriend and myself) and lots of allergy meds. Our poor noses are raw!
(insert hilarious picture of allergy sufferer)
ENTER MOST AMAZING USE FOR LOTION BARS EVER!!!! I had to get relief. I was dying. DYING! I think my nose would have fallen off if a three year old tried to steal it. In my desperation to find something that would help my poor nosey, I thought about the bag balm my mom always slathered on me as a kid.. that would probably work, but yuck! I don't want that goop on my nose! Besides, it could clog my pores and then my pretty face would break out! I may even have to WASH my face! (Jealous yet? Don't be. It's frustrating. I CAN'T wash my face or else I break out. Badly.)
So I dug through the piles of folded laundry in our living room for my purse, fished out my cute little acrylic-boxed lemongrass lotion bar and went to town. I looked like an idiot. I still do. I rubbed my little fingers all over that bar and then all over my nose. On the sides. Under my nose. On my chapped lips. It felt fabulous. It felt moisturizing. My Rudolph nose stopped throbbing in pain. I no longer felt like the kids in the Puffs Plus commercials...
Wanna know the absolute best part of ALL of it? I didn't break out. At all. It's been three days. Not. One. Pimple. My nose feels fabulous. My face is moisturized. My lips aren't chapped. And Manfriend will kiss me again. All is well again.
But really! Who would have thought to wipe this stuff on a desperate nose? I mean- most lotions are gonna clog up all your pores and make your life more miserable than it is! And Puffs Plus will only last so long with that kind of intense nose blowing. I never would have thought that this spur-of-the-moment creation would have worked so well for so many different uses. Get you some. NOW!!!!
How Do I... Pictures?
The whole purpose for this blog was originally to introduce y'all to Sage Pure, our products, our owner (hey that's me!) and everything we go through to make it work. I never dreamed I'd have so much to share so quickly.
One of the best things about my favorite blogs is all the pictures... and their customization. I have long since come to terms with the fact that I am not nor will I ever be truly web savvy. Maybe one day I can pay someone for all that nonsense. The one thing I CAN do is take pictures, by golly!
There's really only one problem... I can't find my camera. Which really aggravates me. This stupid camera has followed me around since I bought it for a vacation in 2009. I have never let it out of my sight... or at least out of my purse. It goes EVERYWHERE I do. Except now. I can't find it to save my life.
Welcome to the challenges of taking pictures for a blog/ website. I am a life-time member of the lose-everything-important club.
I moved into this house a year and a half ago. I had it then. But somehow I managed to lose it somewhere between moving everything outside during the tiling of the floors last fall (literally everything- EVERYTHING- was put outside so I could rip out the existing floors and put tile down. For three days I slept outside) Anyway- somewhere between the tiling and the moving of stuff and now... the camera has magically disappeared.
Manfriend sweetly informed me that he would let me use his camera, but it's just not the same. Maybe you'll think I'm crazy, but I just don't get the different features on his camera. I definitely spent too long trying to learn all the settings on me own camera... how long will it take me on his? Maybe I'm crazy, but I really just want my own camera. So... until I find my camera- or grudgingly admit that it's probably gone and just teach myself to use his- You'll be forced to look at bad pictures, no pictures, or possibly just stock images. Sorry.
There ya go- the ONLY picture I have on this computer that I have taken. That's all you get for now.
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Creative Process
Moving forward in the decision to make a go of building my own business, I'm facing more and more challenges. The original plan was to take a weekend off work to attend a craft show or an event to showcase Sage Pure's products and to gauge the amount of interest I could expect in the beginning of the business.
The first problem I've faced is that of getting an entire weekend off from work. The girls just won't have it! And if I can't get my shifts covered, I can't take the time off. This presents a major problem. I had already come to terms with the fact that I may not be able to get involved in an actual craft show like I had wanted due to time constraints, however I had hoped that I could still take the time to go to one of our local outdoor markets to get a weekend booth. Who knew, it might be a great thing to fill the spare weekends that I couldn't attend craft fairs!
This little problem is now forcing me to enter this new phase of my life blind. This is very outside my comfort level. I have always been a risk-taker, but not with my future. In the moment, absolutely,but not life changes. Unfortunately, this has been a very thought-out process which has resulted in my being uncomfortable with the change in plans and not being able to face them the way I had imagined.
I am also feeling a little overcome with the challenges of building my business online. My parents both had successful businesses when I was growing up, but there was never a huge online presence. I'm just not familiar with it. The whole idea is foreign. So in an effort to be more online savvy, I have started Sage Pure's blog (hello!), I've listed on Etsy, and I've updated the website to be a little more... modern?
`
But the biggest challenge to overcome is my own fear of failure. No matter how much planning or thought I put into the idea and the foundation, I will never know until I try. And that scares the dickens out of me. Have no fear, this hesitant risk-taker will definitely be jumping in with both feet.
Keep looking for more on Sage Pure and everything that we are, our trials and tribulations, and our progress in the future.
The first problem I've faced is that of getting an entire weekend off from work. The girls just won't have it! And if I can't get my shifts covered, I can't take the time off. This presents a major problem. I had already come to terms with the fact that I may not be able to get involved in an actual craft show like I had wanted due to time constraints, however I had hoped that I could still take the time to go to one of our local outdoor markets to get a weekend booth. Who knew, it might be a great thing to fill the spare weekends that I couldn't attend craft fairs!
This little problem is now forcing me to enter this new phase of my life blind. This is very outside my comfort level. I have always been a risk-taker, but not with my future. In the moment, absolutely,but not life changes. Unfortunately, this has been a very thought-out process which has resulted in my being uncomfortable with the change in plans and not being able to face them the way I had imagined.
I am also feeling a little overcome with the challenges of building my business online. My parents both had successful businesses when I was growing up, but there was never a huge online presence. I'm just not familiar with it. The whole idea is foreign. So in an effort to be more online savvy, I have started Sage Pure's blog (hello!), I've listed on Etsy, and I've updated the website to be a little more... modern?
`
But the biggest challenge to overcome is my own fear of failure. No matter how much planning or thought I put into the idea and the foundation, I will never know until I try. And that scares the dickens out of me. Have no fear, this hesitant risk-taker will definitely be jumping in with both feet.
Keep looking for more on Sage Pure and everything that we are, our trials and tribulations, and our progress in the future.
Monday, March 25, 2013
The Beginning
So I discovered this blog a while back called Hyperbole and a Half. I read it religiously after my mom found a hilarious posting online about how "Dogs Can't Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving". I've been so depressed since the author stopped blogging.
Because of this, I have had to turn to new pursuits to
a. entertain myself
b. waste my spare time
c. make new friends
and lastly.. on a somewhat unrelated note...
d. attempt to eventually make a living hawking my wares through promotion via an online outlet to get myself through school
Be not misled- I fully intend to have a raucous good time, meet tons of people, enjoy myself and maybe promote my intelligently sarcastic sense of humor to help make it through my second attempt at college and possibly become a productive member of society at some point in the future.
I love crafting everything from paper crafts to knitting to crocheting to sewing to handcrafted bath and body products (my current venture) to scrapbooking to almost anything I can do with my hands. I love seeing peoples' faces light up when they see something that truly touches them on a deeper level. I love their joy and their excitement. I love repeat customers. I love being unique. I love meeting people. I love helping people through the things I enjoy doing.
I hope all of y'all enjoy the ensuing rants, raves, shares, dreams, trials, errors, surprises, successes, triumphs, and more! Have fun with me, cook with me, eat with me, craft with me, share with me, laugh at me, befriend me! It's good to know ya!
Because of this, I have had to turn to new pursuits to
a. entertain myself
b. waste my spare time
c. make new friends
and lastly.. on a somewhat unrelated note...
d. attempt to eventually make a living hawking my wares through promotion via an online outlet to get myself through school
Be not misled- I fully intend to have a raucous good time, meet tons of people, enjoy myself and maybe promote my intelligently sarcastic sense of humor to help make it through my second attempt at college and possibly become a productive member of society at some point in the future.
I love crafting everything from paper crafts to knitting to crocheting to sewing to handcrafted bath and body products (my current venture) to scrapbooking to almost anything I can do with my hands. I love seeing peoples' faces light up when they see something that truly touches them on a deeper level. I love their joy and their excitement. I love repeat customers. I love being unique. I love meeting people. I love helping people through the things I enjoy doing.
I hope all of y'all enjoy the ensuing rants, raves, shares, dreams, trials, errors, surprises, successes, triumphs, and more! Have fun with me, cook with me, eat with me, craft with me, share with me, laugh at me, befriend me! It's good to know ya!
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