This little shop has been the result of a journey that started quite a few years ago. I realized about 10 years into my mechanical engineering career that I wanted to positively impact others' lives in a more personal, one-on-one way than my job allowed. However, between my job, volunteering, and rental houses, I was too scared, busy, and stressed to do anything more than just dream – until a health crisis completely changed the landscape of my life. It was at this time that I made the leap and set up this little shop. My goal was (and still is) to be able to pay my bills in a way that directly and positively impacts individuals, particularly by doing something in line with the natural, holistic approach to life and wellness that I embraced on my path back to vibrant health. This shop is currently part of that overall plan, which is taking shape piece by piece. For now, I am still in the engineering field, but I hope to be able to hang up my hardhat within 10 years, and focus solely on the various natural endeavors I have begun, and perhaps some I haven't even yet envisioned.

I love learning and experimenting, and despite a few flops along the way, most of my soap and body care experiments were enthusiastically received over a number of years by family and friends. Thus, it seemed natural to start my route toward a simpler life by tapping into the amazing connectivity of the internet, in order to see if I can help other people on their journey toward wellness and vitality.

So now, on any given evening, you might find me stirring up a test batch of a new lip balm formulation, wrapping and labeling a dozen cured shaving or shampoo bars, scouring resources for information about just the right ingredient to improve an existing offering, or going to the post office to start an order on its way. Or, perhaps I will be analyzing records to ensure my products are as helpful as possible to as many people as possible, placing an order for ingredients, searching for greener packaging materials, or cutting a fresh loaf of superbly scented soap. Whatever I am doing, I always take time to talk to and feed my growing flock of laying hens, and might also prune a cherry tree, harvest some greens, or take a walk. Although I don't live in the country (yet!), I am always finding inspiration for new scent combinations, product names, and formulations in the garden, on my trail walks, and as I interact with others.

I have a plethora of ideas for products, and am usually working on multiple ideas at once. However, the process of getting a product ready for sale is not always entirely smooth, as there are numerous federal and state laws to locate, comprehend, and navigate. In addition, finding the best packaging that aligns with my mission to be natural often proves to be an interesting (and sometimes time-consuming) part of the equation. Please keep giving me your ideas and requests, while understanding that there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work necessary for me to bring you a high-quality, legal, natural product. It’s not as easy as finding (or developing) the right recipe, as I naively believed at first!

That being said, I invite you to browse my current offerings and see if there is anything that might assist you toward a less synthetic, more wholesome, and simpler way of life. I hope to eventually make enough through this venture to pay for the necessities of life, and to enable me to add rain barrels, honeybees, and perhaps some solar panels to my little urban homestead, so that I can provide healthy eggs, honey, veggies, fruit, and of course - natural body care products - to my family and friends. I am not and don't want to become a large organization, but I would rejoice to have enough business to enable a few other enterprising folks to step back into a slower, more satisfying life, perhaps by contributing homemade wooden soap dishes, handmade towels, or other related items to my offerings. Together, we can step out of the hectic pace of the typical American life, and instead find time to smell the roses, bury our hands in the soil, nurture our families, and make amazing memories with our loved ones that will last a lifetime.

I do realize that, no matter how hard I might try, I will never be able to please all of the people all of the time. I will not be offended in the least if you decide my products are not right for you. But I do truly welcome your suggestions for improvement, ideas for new offerings, kudos for products you particularly like, and information about issues you may have that I might be able to help ameliorate with a new formulation or product. Furthermore, I sincerely hope that you will not give up searching if you haven't yet found the body care products that are helpful to you. I encourage you to continue to explore, learn, and listen to your body, believing that eventually you *will* find out what works for you!

Please let me know how I can help you in any way on your own journey toward greater wellness.

Susan Marie Crouse