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Where did December go?

It is 8 something pm on Sunday December 16th...less than 3 more hours and I am on VACATION for 2 1/2 weeks.

Ah.

THAT feels niiiiiicccccce. But can I stay away...??

We have discontinued our FRIDAY FAVE FIVE Etsy shops simply because it is so difficult just to keep up.

I'm looking forward to having time to wrap my presents and proud to say I'm done shopping but waiting for a few things to still arrive (I shop online...it saves me SO much money because it keeps me OUT of the stores!!!)

I'm so proud of my sister who has been doing a great job getting her Etsy shop established and is selling at a nice pace. See Fabric-by-the-Yard.com

This Saturday is Winter Solstice...I think I might wear that fragrance by Four Seasons Fragrance that day, he he.

So here is to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

See you next year, I love saying that!

Friday's Fab Five Etsy Shops

Updated every Friday here and SparklePuss.etsy.com.

*billoneil.etsy.com - Bill O'Neil Pop Culture Inspired Art and Gear
*lake.etsy.com - metal et al
*iacua.etsy.com - beautiful, unique, hand crafted metalwork
*kpglassjewelry1.etsy.com - Kristin Perkins Glass Jewelry, LLC
*srbaby.etsy.com - Spoiled Rotten Baby

Have a great weekend!

It is Called a Christmas Card

I was delighted yesterday to open the TARGET catalog and see "Merry Christmas". Good for them. I am personally repulsed by using the word "holiday" for Christmas. Holiday card, holiday cookie, holiday bush, for goodness sake, it's CHRISTMAS! Yes, the hub-bub after Thanksgiving is all about CHRISTMAS...the great American spending-fest.

I became a Christian in high school and married a man who is also a Christian so in our family we do celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas. But I admit, we have a whole lot of fun celebrating GIVING, too. We love to lie to our kids about Santa Claus...our 2nd grader still believes (despite the fact that I was the 2nd grader many years ago to break the bubble for many classmates!!!) We love Santa pictures and hanging stockings above the fireplace. We love decorating the "holiday vegetation" and unwrapping "holiday" presents. I chuckle because decorating a tree is more a druid tradition I think. But it's fun. My kids LOVE Christmas, oops, I mean "Holiday Lights" on houses and on the Chr- Holiday Ships. Mostly, I enjoy singing Christmas songs at church on Christmas Eve...such a special time!

I'm not a deep thinker, by no means, I have ADD, and have difficulty explaining myself but I just wanted to say...if you are afraid to say Christmas, or feel that somehow you might be offending someone else, then put on your calendar that the 25th is Holiday, instead of Christmas and get over it! And if more of us (including me) were LESS concerned about offending someone (the cardinal sin of our day) maybe we could all be more effective at what we say is important to us...our families, our planet and the oppressed.

Erg. I'm done...for now.

Friday's Fab Five Etsy Shops

Updated every Friday here and SparklePuss.etsy.com.

*JPATPURSES.etsy.com - Quilted Handbags and Accessories
*rosebud.etsy.com - rosebud designs. -- knit, crochet, paper and jewelry, creativity sprouts here!
*kezzaroo.etsy.com - plushies and more!
*KnottyByNature.etsy.com - KnottyByNature - H a n d m a d e B a g s & M o r e
*skinandtonic.etsy.com - Old Skool Ingredients From Your Kitchen!

Look for our newsletter soon for the debut of SUMMER SOLSTICE! Yow!

Enjoy your fabulous Thanksgiving weekend!

Friday's Fab Five Etsy Shops

Updated every Friday here and SparklePuss.etsy.com.

*aromaticbodyoils.etsy.com - Zestfully Ambrosial - Joyfully Aromatic
*nettiescrub.etsy.com - renew the surface of you
*MermaidCreek.etsy.com - Lampwork, Gemstone, and Crystal Jewelry
*TemptedTummies.etsy.com - SIMPLY TEMPTED BATH & BODY CO.
*kateszabone.etsy.com - Limited Edition Jewellery By Kate Szabone

I get all wacky before a craft fair...we are doing the bazaar at the elementary school on Saturday. I used to freak out before going somewhere on a plane...packing, making sure I have everything. But this is 100 times worse. Once I get there I'm just fine. Basically, I think I need SLEEP!

Have a wonderful weekend!

FRIDAY'S FAB FIVE ETSY SHOPS

Updated every Friday:
*candypopcreations.etsy.com - Putting A.r.t into C.R.A.F.T.One Stitch at a Time
*FireChickTick.etsy.com - cool beads. hot glass.
*SarahsCreations.etsy.com - Embellished socks, Mini purses, Hair clips, and more!
*CraftyScentiments.etsy.com - For All of Your Home Scenting Needs
*rikrak.etsy.com - fun fabric & paper creations

You'll be so glad to know the SOCKS arrived two days ago. ah.

Enjoy your weekend!

Funny

I just blogged in the wrong spot...I'm going over to SparklePuss to copy my text I wrote here!

Upcoming blogspot...Spray-On Perfumes!

SHOUTING!!

I'm totally freaking out!!

Janelle Elms put my business card in her newsletter today!! Whoohooo!! I'm so excited!!!! What a thoughtful person, she took the time to write about a few business people she met at the Crave Show...her comments were complimentary and sincere...thank you very much Janelle!!!

A little background (I'll try to be brief).

I've been "inventing" web-businesses for a couple of years...and since my sister is very talented and extremely creative, I've been excited to get her on the bandwagon because I'm having so much fun. Fast forward, she is taking a leave from her job and I was telling her about Ladies Who Launch, StartupJunkie, and CRAVE...turns out she signs up for a Ladies Who Launch incubator and then invites me to her last meeting as her guest (I was in HEAVEN with all of these super-women in her incubator with great ideas)!!!

Without dragging this out, we attended the Crave Show in Seattle this weekend (yay, Melody!) which was fantastic! I can't believe it is this event's FIRST YEAR! It was SO well done, even the directional signage was absolutely FIRST CLASS! Anyways, there were AMAZING speakers and I noticed my sister was talking to (gasp) THE EBAY LADY, Janelle Elms!!! I couldn't help myself but shake her hand, she is so DARLING and actually invited the handshake (no stuffy snobbiness about her!!)

Anyways, that's how I got in the newsletter.

Wow. That made my day! (That and the wonderful day I had with my daughter today!!)

Here's the text from her newsletter: Having a really long post like this makes me look really important, so I'm including it...ba ha hahahahaahaaaaa! Besides she gives REALLY good advice that could benefit someone out there!

Four Seasons Fragrance - This amazing woman handed me her business card after one of my sessions. Her best entrepreneurial feature? 'Shouting' about her business. I have a great newsletter ½ completed that I need to get out to you guys about shouting from the mountaintops to everyone who will listen (and a few who won't) about what you sell. You never know when the person in front of you will be a buyer or they'll know someone who should be your buyer. Lesson #3 - always be 'shouting' about your business. I was delighted to find a well-thought out, eye-catching business card that was 'pitching' on both sides (as you can see in the photos). Her beautiful website consistently matches the look and feel of her cards...and as I got more into the site I loved all of the little wording details that really enchants t he buyer. (She) has done a great job at 'allowing me to give her money' - lol.
The only thing I would change about how she is doing business is to get her to buy some of the other 'spellings' of her website. (another one who I couldn't find today to tell her which url's to buy). Lesson #4 - don't let your competitors get traffic from YOUR hard work.

Today's Awesome Etsy Finds Regular Postings Discontinued

We love promoting other Etsy shops & websites!

But we have found that we prefer our new "FRIDAY'S FAB FIVE ETSY SHOPS" which we are posting on our SparklePuss shop and is updated every Friday.

This week's FAB FIVE are:
http://www.gabrielsaunt.etsy.com
- Natural Candles & Perfumes
http://www.siiri.etsy.com
- siirimade colorful accessories
http://www.skinjourney.etsy.com
- A Journey to Discover Healthy & Radiant Skin
http://www.spatherapy.etsy.com
-Where Everyday is a Spa Day
http://www.aspenspa.etsy.com/
- Body Care Inspired by Nature

We already have a FAB shop for next week's list!

Have a GREAT week!! Can't believe 18 days til Thanksgiving!

I CAN Buy Socks

Yes, well, I DID IT!

Setting a deadline for myself made all the difference. The task was completed by midnight (see previous post).

Socks

I don't really understand...I'm a total hypocrite to myself. I think of myself as fair, optimistic and savvy...I try to budget shop, not paying too much for everyday items. So I think about myself in this elevated way...yet the TRUTH is, I'm cheap, too practical and down-right irritated not to buy items at bargain basement prices. Does that make me a curmudgeon? Did I spell that right!?!

My dilemma? My husband needs socks. His tastes are very practical and very simple. Just white ankle sports socks. NOT DIFFICULT...well, for you maybe.

So I love to shop online...the convenience, the MONEY I save by NOT setting foot (ha) in a store! I do it DAILY for my business and for personal items. I'm good at it and enjoy it! So I go online...searching...for brand x white ankle socks.

I can purchase a package of 3 pairs for $9 on amazon. Or from the brandname website for $12. Or Penney's for $15 for 3 pairs. Oh, there are two other sites, same price, 3 pairs for $12. So what is the deal here...I can't seem to click the BUY button!

Do you EVER have these weird issues!??! It's like "I want them on SALE". There's a WHOPPING one, two or three dollar difference between each webstore. Geesh, they are socks, BUY 'EM!!

I confess, this is SO embarrassing, but I have been THREE times to buy socks and I just can't do it.

I think something might be wrong with me. I think...I'm not just CHEAP, but maybe SUPER-cheap. Yep. I see myself as this sophisticated, bargain-hunting fashionista (I'm NOT a fashionista, but I like the word)...this woman-of-the-world-who-can-do-anything...but dag-nab-it I can't seem to BUY SOCKS!

Maybe I have a sock-phobia...I mean before my sister got married I was told the fiance needed "white dress socks"...so I searched the mall (when I shopped at the mall)...MANY stores later only to realize that "white dress socks" don't exist. (You are not surprised. Thank you.) So, there was my first sock issue. We still joke about it, I mean come on, only Naval officers in their dress whites wear WHITE DRESS SOCKS!! Oh, and my 4 year old at Easter.

I'm going to be brave. I'm just going to do it. Buy socks, I mean. I'm giving myself a deadline of midnight tonight. Thank you very much for listening. Thanks for helping me work through this. I'll check back in with you and let you know what I decided. I'm sure you'll wait with baited breath.

Speechless?

It never happens. I mean NEVER. That I don't have anything to say. What is wrong with me?

See, it never happens, I just thought of something I need to say! Or write. I spent some of my evening working on our Spray-On Perfume formulations. My kitchen, well, stinks. I'm sad to say the formulation I was counting on, does not work properly. Back to the drawing board.

On a good note, we did locate our FAVORITE spray perfume bottles! I have ten in my possession! YAY! Hopefully soon we can launch our 15ml and 30ml Spray-On Perfume Oil! (Can you hear my cat snoring in the background!??!?! He's really LOUD!)

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

These are the CUTEST handmade little felt hair clips! Embellished with pearls or rhinestones. Get 2-for-$7! Visit bitsyblossoms NOW! She sells wholesale, too!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Power UP!

Our power went out today...for four hours during a windstorm. Thank you to the utility workers for restoring power...you are appreciated!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

funkychicboutique.etsy.com has a GORGEOUS shop...handmade glass pendants with meaning! Check out funkychicboutique today!

Have a great weekend!

Another Octopus

Oh my. It's another octopi!

WHY are these things so dang cute!??!?!

Heading over to blog on SparklePuss...I am not a patchouli fan but THIS, you've gotta smell!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

Yes, this marvel is called DUMBO OCTOPUS. He just hit my "today's awesome etsy find" button. (Though today was a good earring day)! Until I found Etsy.com I had no idea what amigurumi is and now, I'm like addicted to it. More like a secret admirer than a lover, since I don't even know how to knit nor crochet! Hey, this seller is from Seattle, too! Please visit hansigurumi.etsy.com And I love the word "cephalopods", I just wish I had more occasion to say it! Great shop!

I'm in the Mood

to blog.

Why is that?

It brings new meaning to..."talking to a brick wall"...don't you think? Maybe the best bloggers are those of us who can talk to ourselves...that's how I feel when I write here!

I doubt my posts..."who in the world will read my ramblings today", I wonder. At the same time, I totally enjoy the ramblings of others...as long as the ramblings involve shopping! I'm not into reading about the latest disturbing world events.

Which brings me to this strange topic. Strange because I never pictured myself writing about Kurt Cobain.

I ran across info about Kurt Cobain while researching a new name for my awesome PATCHOULI scent and stumbled upon Vinetta Park while searching Seattle neighborhood names. Giving some background, Vinetta Park was a park I played near as a child. My best friend at the time lived across the street...in an old Seattle home...a huge old home, one with wonderful memories for me...by I digress, we called this park the "Witch Park" because we were convinced it was inhabited by witches, or rather A witch. Anyways, now that I think about it, I don't believe we ever PLAYED there...it was too scary!

In my research I learned that Kurt Cobain lived (and died) in the home adjacent to this park. Apparently Cobain and I are nearly the same age and seeing as how he lived in this home I'm familiar with...I read on about his life and death.

Though I went to the University of Washington in the late 80s, I wasn't into the grunge scene in Seattle. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was always a grunge guitar player and a drug addict to me...until last night.

Apparently, there are some who believe Cobain was murdered...instead of the suicide that was assumed and reported by the Seattle Police Department and the media. There's just a lot of information on this site following that makes me believe, perhaps, that he WAS murdered.

So why write about a deceased 27 year-old musician and drug addict on my perfume blog? Because he was a human being and if in fact he WAS murdered, shouldn't the case be reopened (at the least!!) and the murderer(s) be brought to justice?? The case will never be reopened if we don't talk about it...so I'm talking.

Perhaps, Kurt's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, will be curious as she gets older and will demand the reopening of the case. Unfortunately, many who might be able to help with details have died (or been killed). For now, I'm joining Tom Grant, the private investigator hired by Courtney Love, in trying to bring attention to this most disturbing collection of evidence.

Please see his website...and the other links as well...if this happened to me or a loved one, I would want someone to seek justice! I'll give you the privilege of determining your own judgments...

http://www.cobaincase.com/

And my before my favorite, I just want to say how WEIRD it is to get older in this era where anything I ever loved or hated in my entire life can be read on WIKIPEDIA!!!! And to realize artifacts from my teenage years are considered VINTAGE by many!!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

knithappens.etsy.com (cute name!!) brings us these MORKERS. OK, you already know I'm a GenXr and Mork and Mindy was one of my fave shows (yes, along with THE LOVE BOAT) These MORKERS are SO cool!! Have an 'out of this world' day! Nanu-Nanu.

Giddy!

I'm just so giddy about the new Roll-On Perfume Oil labels that we are working on!!! Yeeks, it gives me goosebumps to think about putting them on the bottles! (Am I a total weirdo or WHAT?!?!)

We are approaching getting all the designs finished so we can receive our proofs and go to print.

This company is the most outstanding company I've worked with recently...LightningLabels.com and I would love to see them grow and have tons of business because I like the way they do business...the "can-do" attitude! And my designer Rakel with ingero.etsy.com is AWESOME to work with...I love owning my own business!!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:
SarahsCreations.etsy.com does these fantastic toddler socks. Hand-crocheted edges with cool dangly beads and buttons, my 4 year old daughter LOVES them...hey, maybe she'll do some adult ones, I kinda like 'em, too!! Thanks Sarah! Here's to a great pumpkin-patch-filled weekend! :)

Everyone is Someone's Child...

You will LOVE this whether you are the child or the MOM.

To do a little cross-promotion...see my SparklePuss.com blog HERE.

Computer-Coma

Are you addicted to the internet??

I think I am, yes, after a rainy day at home with dad playing with the kids, I had some time to myself. Did I do laundry? No, no I didn't. I sat on my bottom (we don't say "butt" in our family) all day. I just LOVE it! So now that the kids are in bed and it is getting later on Sunday night...I find myself in a COMPUTER-COMA!!!!

So it must be the perfect time to blog!!

New labels for our Roll-On Perfume Oils are in the works, boy are we excited!!

For tonight, I just want to share...

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

This is not a want, this is a NEED. I must have this glass ring for myself...in fact she's doing up a custom order right now! Isn't she NICE? Visit waterfall at Etsy today! Here's to a great week! :)

Topic of the Day: Spiders and Octopi (LONG)

Do you ever feel like you have several different (yet the same) YOUS? What I mean is that I wear different hats...now it is time for the blog hat.

Sometimes I
DO.

This isn't supposed to start out with a rhyme at all...but it is feeling a bit like
fall.

OK, everybody stop it now
I mean it.

(anybody want a peanut)?

I couldn't resist, quoting The Princess Bride is always appropriate! I'm tired and this is NOT good to be so unprofessional on such a professional blog. BA HA HAHAHAHAHHHAAAAA.

OK.

On to today's subjects.

Spiders.

I have a story to tell you...I want to try to help you FEEL the intense emotions I felt when this happened so I will attempt to explain. No, let me sum up. It was about 9am. My darling preschool age daughter was upset that this struggling daddy longlegs was stuck in the house. She said he ought to be outside where he can fly around. She insisted I get a cup and take him outside since the open window where he was fluttering had a screen over it. Being the obedient mother that I am (ha!) I got a glass and whisked him through the hall, into the entry, flung open the door and let him fly

out

of

the

cup


RIGHT INTO A HUNGRY WAITING SPIDER'S WEB.

Before I could breathe out, the vibration of the tangled daddy longlegs in the web awoke the spider who QUITE HASTILY started wrapping up the still alive insect. Before you could say, "whatcha-ma-bloostic" the spider had completely enveloped the prey...and my sweet young daughter saw the very thing I saw.

And burst into tears.

"The spider ate my frieeeeeeennnnnnnnnddddddddd! whhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Then

I

burst into tears as well.

It was really quite distressing!

What you don't know yet is that this very week in the car (great place for deep conversations that last 23 seconds) I've been talking to the kids about spiders and how they have 8 legs and are not insects, but in fact, arachnids (which MY dad made sure I knew when I was young so I was passing along this wisdom) and that they, do in fact, suck the blood out of the insects who get caught in their webs. It is spider season here in the Pacific Northwest...August and September...they are everywhere. So we've had spiders on the brain.

So, my dear daughter KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING to her new (now deceased) friend the daddy longlegs. And so did I.

It was a life moment. Right there at the front door. An event I won't forget...ever.

I was talking to a friend about it and she said it was so emotional because it was "violent". I think she's right. It was really nature in action. The food chain at its' best. The survival of the fittest. The way it all works. That's life. (or rather death! in a beastly savage way!!)

So anyways, what about does this have to do with the octopus? Scientifically LOTS, but today it is merely a happy coincidence because...

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

These little amigurumi octopi are from the Etsy shop of happywhosits - I could not hold in the gasps of cuteness!!! Don't you LOVE THESE? I'll try to think of them when the ugly reality of feeding spiders comes to mind! Hey, and they both have "8 legs" don't they!?!?

Have a happy Wednesday!

Now Shipping INTERNATIONAL

OK, that didn't take long...add one international shipping rate why not add 'em all!? Now shipping to the entire planet! Welcome!

I can't keep up with MYSELF! Every single day it seems I'm adding something NEW-I LOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEE that part of the business!!

Also INTRODUCING our VelvetLush™ line of Luxury Treatments!!!! We have just perfected our formula and launched our VelvetLush™ Luxury Sugar Scrub! Whohoo! This is YUMMY and beautifully exfoliating!! Photos coming soon to the website, one listing for scrub at the Four Seasons Fragrance Etsy shop.

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

This little shop is JAM PACKED FULL with AWESOME custom promo items!! Please visit thepromoshop's Etsy shop to check out their cool stuff!

Enjoy your week!!

Now Shipping to CANADA

Eh? We are happy to welcome Canadian buyers!!

We are still working out our shipping cost for Canada, but for now we are offering a flat $5.95 shipping rate on all retail orders. (Sorry, no wholesale in Canada at this time)!

We are so excited to announce our first retail account! Welcome our "Charter Retailer"... Artisan's Ball located at 112 Cedar Avenue Lake Villa, Illinois 60046 847-265-5605 We look forward to promoting Four Seasons Fragrance through their fantastic shop!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

Isn't this a gorgeous photo? Oh, and THE DRESS!! Visit The Carolina Bleu Etsy shop !

Whoooohoooooo!

Before I had children, I used to think that parents who got so excited about "back-to-school" were, well, less than the best parents...what kind of parent wants to "get rid" of their kids? I never thought I'd be a mom who got excited about that...

until...

uh hum, cough cough. Let's just say yesterday was the first day of school for my second grade boy and well, it was a lovely day.

Enough said. :)

The newest today is...why not have a Perfume of the Month at a special price!!?! Great idea, I say to myself!

So we are all set up! The Perfume of the Month will always be the Roll-On Perfume and will be priced at a very special price of $7.95 for the entire month.

See our homepage for the special!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

Visit The Just Kiddn Etsy shop . She lives about 15 minutes away from me! What a woman...she has the CUTEST things! She is at Salmon Days in a few weeks...go visit her and support her with a purchase!


Thanks for visiting Four Seasons Fragrance and come back soon!

perfume gift certificates

It seems everyday we are introducing something new! I LOVE THAT!!

Today it is our Gift Certificates!! YAY!

Our tiny gift certificates come with free gift wrapping in our darling little shiny black purse gift wrap! What a thoughtful gift!!



eToday's awesome ETSY FIND:



Visit The Noisy Plume Etsy shop . Isn't her work just BEAUTIFUL?!?! Tonight's fave! Gorgeous!

Kiddos back to school! Have a wonderful week! Thanks for visiting Four Seasons Fragrance and come back soon!

The UN-Perfume™ Debut

New email going out this weekend! Don't miss the very special deal! If you need to join the mailing list, CLICK HERE!

OK, I've been sitting on this for a long time...tonight was the night that it just came out...Four Seasons Fragrance is happy to announce our newest scent,

The UN-Perfume™!

To read all about it, click the photo. The UN-Perfume™ will only be offered in our Etsy shop (for now)!

Our delivery of firewood arrived today. Oh boy. "Split" means different things to different people! My poor dear husband now has a boatload of work to do in the backyard! Thankfully, our new neighbor offered us his axe and maul !! YAY, thank you very much, Kip!

SO much going on here. Must sleep. But before I do...let me introduce you to a friend I've never met face-to-face, yet I'm terribly fond of her and her talents!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

Visit Lisa's website LisaEverettDesigns.com or her shop at LisaEverettDesigns.Etsy.com . Isn't her work just BEAUTIFUL?!?! She makes colorful drawer pulls for kids rooms and jewelry. I have several of her magnets on my frig. Everything is handpainted...gorgeous!

Enjoy your weekend!

We have a WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS to Kimberly from Troy, Illinois for winning our drawing for SIX MONTHS of our Perfume Club!! She gets her choice of one Roll-On Perfume per month for six months!! Thanks for your word-of-email advertising!!

How did she know about the contest? She's subscribed to our MAILING LIST...if you aren't, then CLICK HERE.

Website-a-palooza...today was the day.

Again today, this first of September, it is time to complete/update/totally rearrange my site.

I do admit, this is VERY fun...I think my bottom has become one with my chair today as I sit with eyes glued (glazed over) making changes! It always takes me so much longer than I expect...why is that? With dad at home there's plenty for the kids to do which makes it a little easier for me to focus.

Changes? Mostly just cosmetic! I'm removing the form from my CONTACT page to continue my crusade against spam-o-robot-disgusting-litter-the-world-spam-scum. That word IS in the dictionary isn't it?!

Our new AUTUMN EQUINOX Roll-On Perfume and Solid Perfume Stick™ makes its' debut on the website today.

In addition to some new graphics, we are also VERY happy to announce the addition of Luxury Heel Sticks™ and Helping Hand Sticks™ scented with our lovely perfumes. Yes, twelve in all. And the same awesome uber-moisturizing formulations we use at weeLUXURIES.com !!

Our Velvet Sugar Scrubs are nearly ready!!! We'll keep you in the know!

I can HARDLY wait for our new (everything is NEW because we are NEW!!) gift wrap!!! These adorable little bags are shaped like a purse and oh-so-tiny!! Perfect for giving a few Roll-On Perfumes or Solid Perfume Sticks™!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

GORGEOUS!! This dahlia photo by Flandersfield.Etsy.com is really terrific (and local here in Seattle)!!

Thanks for visiting, have a GREAT Labor Day weekend!

Perfume Price Adjustments

After our executive meeting this evening (me sitting at the computer!!), we decided to offer our Roll-On Perfume and Solid Perfume Sticks™ in cute little individual color-coordinated organza bags. Order a WINTER scent? It will arrive in a slate blue organza drawstring bag. Order a SPRING scent, your item will come tucked inside a little green bag. We believe these will make outstanding displays for our retailers.

In addition, we are seriously considering professional printing of our labels for these two products. We are looking at labels which will include a tab so we will no longer be including the labor-intensive shrink band. Some of these decisions have to do with the wholesale opportunities we are currently entertaining. Which leads me to today's bad news!

After a successful launch, we are adjusting our prices to more fairly represent our costs effective immediately.

Roll-On Perfume will increase from $7.95 to $11.95 per unit and Solid Perfume Sticks will increase from $5.95 to $7.95 per tube.

Shea Glycerin Soaps will stay at our very low pricing of $2.95 for a full-size 3oz bar an $1.25 for the sample-size 1.25oz round. We do not plan on wholesaling these soaps.

We are considering whether to continue offering bath salts.

In the very near future we'll be welcoming Velvet Sugar Scrubs™ to our line soon along with seasonal scented soy tealights...manufacturing compliments of our sister site, SparklePuss.com - Super-Scented Soy Candles (when we finish setting up the candle lab!)

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

GORGEOUS!! Heart Pendant by ShineDichroicsuk.Etsy.com

Thanks for visiting, have a GREAT Friday and enjoy your three-day weekend!

Thanks to MONICA!

Wow, today was one of those days that I didn't realize I needed help until the job was done!

My sweet friend and babysitter helped fill perfume vials today...what a total blessing!! We needed to get a large package of samples out for swag bags for an event and I would not have made the postal deadline without her!! THANK YOU, Monica!!

We are already considering expanding our line...sugar scrubs and scented soy tealights. Since we already have SparklePuss Soy Candles in operation (launched in December of 2005) we will use that "division" of our manufacturing facility (aka The Garage) for producing our candles.

I'm working on selecting gift wrap/packaging. This is the part that I got NUTS over...don't you love fluffy curly ribbon, bright packages, cube boxes, colored tissue and shred...oh dear...you don't think about that stuff, huh? Well, I better keep it to myself then...more soon!

Have a wonderful week...kids start back to school after Labor Day...I'm ready for the routine that the school year brings!


Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

I would love to own one of these MadBags.Etsy.com ! Isn't it gorgeous? Go Indies!!

NEW Fragrance Perfume Debut - AUTUMN EQUINOX

OK, it really is way late, but I probably wouldn't be able to sleep anyways as we are launching perfume #13...AUTUMN EQUINOX!

AUTUMN EQUINOX scent description...bathe in this exquisite, warm and spicy floriental. Hypnotic aromas richly surround you with a smooth and velvety union of jasmine, rose and ylang-ylang fusing the intense and mysterious bottom notes of sandalwood, amber, tonka bean and vanilla. The powdery, creamy vanilla finish intrigues and beguiles with its' deep, crimson sensuality. Seductive. Sacred. Mezmerizing.

oooooh, doesn't that sound WONDERFUL as the nights have a bit of a crisp nip as the temperatures are dropping toward autumn (eeeek, who said that?)



We'll be updating our website with this new perfume tomorrow...for now, nightie night.

Thanks for coming! See you soon!

Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

I just love these colorful handmade magnets- ThePurplePear.Etsy.com ! Aren't they cool? Go Indies!!

More Photos...

OH YEAHHHHH!!!

My sister is the most amazing amateur photographer. I keep urging her to post some of her really good stuff on Etsy, but she doesn't think she's very good (wrong)! Before my dad passed away, he gave a camera to each of us (that was about 14 years ago before digital cameras came out for the average joe). She started taking these really dramatic photos of her two cats. Then when she got a digital camera and a camera phone she just got even better!!!

Here is her photo from a seaplane over Seattle from her CAMERA phone!

photo coming soon

So anyways, it occured to me...duh, SHE can get good photos of my stuff! We got together and she did my Solid Perfume Sticks™...I feel SO good about what she did!

photo

So I'm in the process of updating my website and Etsy shop with my new pics!

Thanks for taking the time to read, enjoy the rest of your weekend!!




Today's awesome ETSY FIND:

I would love to own one of these family signs! OffWoodlandLane.Etsy.com ! Isn't it gorgeous? Go Indies!!

the MOST beautiful seattle day

Happy Friday to me!

You know what?

I don't think I've felt this good in YEARS.

We've been through a lot the past few years and FINALLY as a family, things are really looking up. I can FEEL the intense stress (that we've been under for so long), start to melt away...eroding like when the ocean waves gently but surely start wearing away at the shore to reveal a new landscape.

Today is a gorgeous, sunny, not too hot and not too cold day (78°F). Driving westbound over 520, I see the spectacular (understatement) view of the snow capped Olympics, the deep blue water of Lake Washington with the Space Needle poking over the horizon and if I turn my head to the left and back, there is THE MOUNTAIN in all her majesty. Hard to think she's a VOLCANO. Breathtaking nonetheless! But not quite as breath-TAKE-ing-AWAY-ing as heading down (DOWN) Queen Anne Ave - the view from the car (speeding down the hill) was (momentarily) fantastic. Driving by Kerry Park "warms the cockles of my cockles", that park is a special spot.

Days like this make me remember own of my dad's favorite quotes. "Just another crappy day in paradise"...Larry Hagman said that in a magazine article a long time ago and dad thought it was so funny! Dad would say that quote when he was especially happy about some situation. It makes me smile. Even though he is gone, it is nice to remember.

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AND

I'm SO excited about Four Seasons Fragrance!!!

Even on days off, I still enjoy "working"...I love the saying...."if you love what you do for work, you'll never work another day in your life"...ah. I get it. There is SO much I want to do with my new endeavor...who needs sleep, I guess?

Thanks for visiting the blog today and have a great weekend!

How did it get to be August 13th!?!?

I can't wait for vacation.

I want to post a slideshow here.

And have a space to promote fun Etsy shops and websites.

Huh.

I have a lot to think about. And a lot to do! I think my blog is boring and needs to develop with some cool photos or something to make it more inviting!

Right now I'm working on getting out Autumn Equinox for Alchemille's birthday!

Thanks to everyone participating in the drawing for our PERFUME CLUB-Six months of scent is our grand prize. Drawing to take place August 31, 2007.

If you don't know about this, please join our mailing list to be in the know!

I also want to add some single scent perfumes...so my husband John and I were talking about it and we came up with "Scent of the Month"!!! That way I don't have to add it to the regular line but we can have some "excitement". So I'm working on that, too.

Roll-On Perfume Photos! Thank You Ann!

A HUGE "thank You" to Ann of Anicka's Cottage for the awesome work she did on the initial photos of our roll-on perfume!!

Thanks again Ann! You make me look good! :)

...a month and a move later

Ironically, I started this whole new adventure a few weeks before we were to uproot and move our entire household. Oh joy.

Well, we've been moving for what seems like forever!

With summer in full force, children in and out the front door 100 times per day, wet swimsuits and a thirsty garden, I'm up to my eyeballs in family life. The garage is packed nearly floor-to-ceiling, the living room is full of boxes and I can't find a thing!

The month of July is represented by our TROPICAL SUMMER perfume...try some!

product photos

We are really excited about getting our product photos done!

We'll have those up very soon!

wahoo!

I am in total shock.

I've been selling my perfume...I'm astounded! Thank you to you first customers out there in web-land, you are SO appreciated!

My order of fresh supplies arrived today...fun, fun! I'm getting the solid perfumes together along with the bath salts and working on lotions, too. I'm happy for the order of new vials...I ran out so fast!

How exciting to have a request for the upcoming Summer Solstice perfume already...and Summer Solstice is next week!! Sorry, but it won't be ready by then!

More sample vials means more samples to send out! And I'm really happy how the website is coming along. Going to bed...not much to say tonight!

fun, fun, fun!!!

I am LOVING playing with my newest adventure. One night about three weeks ago, I was at the computer and found this incredible artwork. Noticing that there were two other similar ladies, it made me think of the seasons. I love the four seasons and have always wanted to start a business based on the four seasons...like a landscape architect or designer...but I really didn't like the design work when I tried to do it for a friend, so that is out! Four Seasons has been in the back of my mind for a long time!

So this art totally inspired me. I contacted the artist and requested he do a fourth head to represent summer for my new company...which in about one minute I decided was to be PERFUME!!

I'm addicted to fragrance...and have fragrance contacts because of my other businesses.

It did not take long to whip it all up into a new company...about 3-4 hours...I thought of a name, googled to see if anyone else was using it, purchased the domain name, set up the website, set up my Etsy shop and set up my emails. Then the super fun part was designing the perfume and packaging. What a total blast!!!!

Then about three weeks later I decided I better start my blog!

We invite you to sample our perfumes and decide which is YOUR favorite!

ABOUT OUR PERFUME: Our perfumes are a masterful blend of concentrated scents created by our perfume source. Our roll-on perfume and Solid Perfume Sticks™ are concentrated and very easy to use...and both travel well, too. Even if you have difficulty wearing or smelling spray-on perfume, you might consider trying our roll-on perfume or Solid Perfume Sticks™...we offer supreme quality perfume made with superb ingredients that are body-safe and extremely concentrated.

Visit FourSeasonsFragrance.com!