That Time Again

Yes, it’s the time of year that I love most; Fall/Winter.  I don’t know if its because of what it represents, hibernation of nature and renewing itself for the warmer months that are sure to come back, or if it’s because of the changing of colors of the trees, to start anyway, and then the snow that makes everything so beautiful when it first falls.

This time of year does represent something spiritual for me.  I remember a long time ago that somebody told me that the colors that the leaves change to are always there, they just don’t appear until it’s their season, their time.  For some reason this struck me as information straight from God.  I thought to myself, “that’s just like the people of God.”  You know that God has a work for all of us to do, but the timing and release for us to walk in that work isn’t always when we think or desire.  While we are waiting for God to release us, we are molded, cultivated, pruned, trimmed, plucked, planted, fed, and watered.  All those things keep us “green” while the Lord perfects us and when our “season” comes, He releases us and our “colors” come through.

Then when it comes to the snow, it puts me in the mindset of the Blood of Jesus and how he covered, but rather took away our sin.  The snow when it first falls is so white and untouched.  God looks at us through the blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross, so when the snow falls it always gives me a gentle reminder of what The Father has done for me.

The colors of Fall are so rich and warming. Sometimes I can even detect a hint of Fall fragrance in the air when I see certain colors, just warms me right up on the inside.  Then we have the Christmas season of winter, with the decorations and lights, and festive colors.  It keeps me in a festive, yet creative mood and mindset throughout the whole season.  I love to go to different cities where there are different cultures to see how they decorate and celebrate.

The food, the movies, cartoons, clothes, getting together with friends from near and far, taking silly photos, hugs, kisses, Hot cocoa, sweet potato pie, and a host of other things that just give me a warm fuzzy feeling at this time of year.  Sometimes I wish that I could bottle or box it all up, and open it up to pour out in the middle of summer because for some reason people are more loving, more caring, and more considerate of others at this time of year.  If we could get that going all year, the world would be a better place, but that’s wishful thinking.

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts.  I hope you have an Amazing Day!

 

Strange Love?

It started last night.  I was watching the news, something I rarely do at night, and the weather report for the upcoming week was being reported.

Immediately when I saw that the temperature was going to be in the 70’s today, lower 70’s, I got excited.  I thought to myself tomorrow after honey leaves for work I’m going to put on a pot of coffee and while it’s brewing, I just may take a little stroll outside of the apartment and let the cool air caress my skin.

I so love when the season begins to change from super duper hot, with humid and stuffy mornings where the air just lays on you; to the crisp and sometimes sunny morning air where you can feel the air on your skin, but it feels invigorating.  At least for me it feels invigorating.  I love when I can put my jeans and everyday shoes on or a nice pair of ankle boots.  I love the light sweaters at first and then the serious cable knit ones as the weather gets even colder.  Is this a strange love?  Most of my FB friends are whining about it being too cold already but I love it.  I love when the hubby and I can go for a “Sunrise Saturday” and the air has a little bite to it.  The  crisp air seems to make the Sun seem just a little brighter as it comes up out of its resting envelope, that’s how it looks to me, and paints the sky with its brilliant colors.

I love how even the aromas of the season are different.  You start to notice a more woodsy smell in the air as the neighbors begin to light fires in their fireplaces.  You seem to pick up that spice note as you walk pass the coffee shops and bakeries because they have started baking richer more decadent treats for us to enjoy.

For some reason the cooler and colder months I enjoy better than the warmer and steamy hot months because it always seems to easier to get warm in the colder months than it is to get cool in the warmer months.  I love how people begin to change the decor on their homes, and storefronts.  Little quaint boutiques and shops take great care in preparing just the right window dressing to draw you into the store and the atmosphere is always different when its colder.

Call me crazy if you like. I don’t mind.  I just love the season change from hot to cool, to cold.  If you love it then share.

 

Pinterest!

Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest.  That’s all I kept coming across in my emails, on my Face Book page and in conversations with friends; I saw this or that on Pinterest, I pinned something on my board.  Some even suggested that I check it out.  I thought to myself “Hey, I have a personal Face Book page, and a Fan Page for business. I don’t need another thing to have to manage.”  So, without further ado and after a year of hearing about it, reading about it, and debating about it, I have finally created a Pinterest account.

Now, for me right now, it’s a little overwhelming.  I’m trying to see all I can see, read all I can read, like and comment on the things I see, but I’m still trying to figure out how I want to use Pinterest to best benefit me and the hubby.  We both have businesses that I think could benefit from being on Pinterest, but I’m not sure if its the best way or best thing for us to do right now.

What if our postings get really great attention and we actually start making even more than we have been making through our FB pages? That would be great.  The increase in business would be really great, but what concerns me is being able to handle the business from Pinterest, FB, and even our personal encounters of people that we tell about our business.  I mean from what I’ve seen people are posting everything from things that they sell as a business, things they sell like a garage sell, things that they use in their home, craft projects, gifts, art, movies, music, photos and so much more.

So I’ll give it the first 30 days and see how things go.  I’ve started one board and plan to add some more items to it to see how the exposure turns out.

Do you have a Pinterest account?  How do you use yours?  Is it beneficial for what you want to use it for? Did you end up using it for something other than what your first intention was?

 

Opportunity Knocks!

Ok, so, Wednesday of this week I had a meeting with a spa owner.  I’m still taking all of that part in…I had a meeting with a spa owner!

I had contacted her about a month ago and we’ve been doing an email dance.  We finally made contact and set the meeting.  We sat down and talked for about an hour.  She enjoyed smelling the samples that I had created for her; a healthy helping of our body butters, and scrubs.  I even threw in a jar of our Naturally Good Body Balm.  She gave a run down of products that she is looking to incorporate into her business when she does her spa parties.

Immediately my wheels began turning.  She actually is looking to put our products in her spa to use with her clients and to offer to them for sale.  The interview was quite intensive, but I was ready and absolutely willing to offer her the information that she needed and even offered some suggestions that she took with a great smile on her face.

I left there will a feeling of gratefulness and wearing the fragrance of accomplishment.  I did some research to look for some things that I think she would like to incorporate and even suggested making some products specifically for her spa, her own brand made by us.  I’m so happy right now.  I have a shipment of new ingredients coming in by next Tuesday and I can’t wait to start mixing and testing things to have a whole other group of items to offer her.

This is an opportunity that I’ve been looking for for a long time.  I pray that it leads to more doors opening.

Opportunity Knocks!  I’m  ready!

You can check out a few of our products here Fragrance Cafe’

 

Being——-Human

So many times we are referred to, and it is true, as human beings.
Lately though, I have found myself existing as a “human DOING.”
Doing this, doing that, planning for this, finishing up that, looking at this, finding that…just always moving and/or doing.

Even in my quiet time with God this morning I found myself struggling to bring my mind in and concentrate on Him. I’m normally able to just zero right in with Him and get my refreshing for the day. I found myself thinking of what I needed to do as I came out of my time with Him and really having to pull myself back in. I just wanted quiet. For about the last week, and especially the last few days, I have been looking for quietness. Stillness. Nothingness. No conversation. No plans. No list. No needs. No wants….Just longing for a place within myself of still and quiet.
The phone rings, and I glance at it as though it is a literal enemy. “I don’t wanna talk to anybody” I say to myself. “I don’t want any reports, whether they are good, bad, mediocre or otherwise. I’m feeling really good on the inside. I have a spirit of great expectation, but I still just want Quiet, Nothing, Stillness.

I know that as the day progresses I’ll have to come out of my little cocoon I’ve created in the morning to bring a balance to myself, but if I could just have it a little longer, and a little more often.

What do you do to bring your balance back with the world seems too loud around you?

 

My Absence

Hello Everyone and Happy Friday to you. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to access my blog thanks to an unmentionable search engine (internet explorer), but I’m back now.
It was so frustrating not being able to connect with you all. Those that come to my email I could read but not respond at all. So, look forward to some responses on some past blogs on my favorites.

So much has been going on. I’ve created some new fragrances and a couple new products. Of course I’m always reading and researching to see what I could come up with next.

Things are moving right along at the new church home, it’s been officially 5 months since we’ve joined now.

Of course you can’t have life without its ups and downs and I’ve had a few of those too. I’ve also had some very inspirational contact with old friends and new ones. I’m grateful for that.

Now tell me, what have I missed with you all…don’t spare any details.

 

Get Inspired!

Happy New Day to you! How was your weekend? Did you get out and do something inspiring or encouraging?

I got a chance, for the second week in a row, to go to an art and craft show outdoors. One week it was Farmington Hills, MI and this past weekend it was Berkley, MI Art Bash.

I love going to art shows and craft shows because just to be able to get into an enviroment where the focus is things made by or put together by the hands and minds of creative people is inspiring for me. I create things all the time and write so, my creative ability flows, but sometimes I just like to get out and see what others are doing. I like to see the passion that drives others to do what they do.
The art show that hubby and I went to in Farmington Hills thrilled me because my husband got a chance to see exactly what he is able to do with his art photography. I’ve been pressing him for a couple years to do something with the beautiful photos that he has taken, but for him to be able to see what I’ve been talking about all this time made me happy because his eyes just glowed with inspiration and made him ready to jump to it. He has created some beautiful photos for friends and family and even a couple ministries that we’ve been affliated with, but nothing really for monetary purposes. I always think about the prophet Elijah when he asked the woman “what do you have in your house?” when she came to him with a debt delima.

When we set out this weekend we actually got to enjoy the Detroit Institute of Arts, of which I haven’t been since 3rd grade (shame on me). It wasn’t the art that drew us there, but the Friday Night Live Jazz Series featuring one of my favorite local jazz bands. Honestly since I didn’t really go for the art I need to go again and just take it all in. I did see some beautiful pieces so, I will be making a return trip soon. Then Saturday we went to the Berkley Art Bash. It was kind of small, but that’s ok with me. I like small mangable type events sometimes. It allows you to take in everything around you and really enjoy what the small town or city has to offer. We spoke with some beautiful people and saw art made from things like glass and wood to hand crafted candles and housewares made from things like granite and yarn, copper and brass, recycled materials and some things that you would never think, at least I wouldn’t, could be made into art and sold…We even found a new little place to get some good food. Actually it was two places. One was a mom and pop type place and another was a bar and grill. The smoke free atmosphere that we have in Michigan now in the bar and grills make it easy for us to enjoy some good food in a place we wouldn’t normally go to avoid coming out smelling like smoke.
So, I say next time you’re feeling a little blue and want a change of scenery, find an art show or something similar in your area and Get Inspired.
What have you done to get inspired lately?

 

Still Thinking Like A Lady

The very thought of this movie makes me laugh. I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean it in the best of the best ways.

April 20th was my 10 year anniversary and my husband and I went to the movies. Now let me just say that I love romantic comedies. He on the other hand does not. He will watch one with me if I ask, but I hardly ever ask because I don’t like to watch a movie with someone when they keep falling asleep. LOL. He is a science fiction, action/adventure, straight up hero type of movie man. I love that about him because I have come to love those too, thanks to him.

Ok, so anyway, at his recommendation, when we get to the theater he says “let’s see Act Like a Lady Think Like A Man” At first I was reluctant because I thought it was going to be a man bash/woman bash type of movie. I was sooooooooooo wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Yes, it did give up some of the secrets that men have held dear for centuries, but it didn’t let the women off the hook that easily either. What I loved about this movie is that first, my hubby stayed awake through the whole thing, LOL. Second, it really did have us laughing uncontrolably out loud. I mean I laughed liked I haven’t laughed in a long time at a movie that wasn’t a cartoon…yes, we love those too, espesically Disney Pixar. Third, this movie made you take a look at yourself and how you may be contributing to the success or downfall of any relationship, not just between men and women, but in your freindships with other people too.

All in all this movie was well balanced in my opinion. It drew your attention to the fact that men and women must be willing to compromise in the relationship to make happiness a reality. I give it 6 thumbs up, but because I only have 2, I give it two high fives. 🙂

Did you see this movie? I would love to know what you thought of it…no bashing please.

 

Summer…Smells so refreshing!

This fragrance was inspired by an old Avon fragrance that I really use to love. I wanted it to be more fresh than sweet, but one can pick up on both the fresh and the sweet. With notes of coconut, bergamot, french vanilla, woodtones, and a slight hint of amber it is one that can be enjoyed everyday.

I called it “Summer” because when I smell it that’s what it reminds me of so, I figured…why deviate from that? LOL.

This is just one of our many blends. One of my favorites to wear in the summer, not too heavy, but not so light that it disappears with the first wind.

You can get this fragrance and others at Fragrance Cafe’ on Facebook.

 

Going With The Flow

I just posted about our newest fragrance “Cool Jasmine.” I woke up this morning and as I was coming out of prayer time I began to smell a fragrance. What is that? I thought to myself. Then I realized that it is something trying to manifest through the creative process of my mind and olfactory senses.
So I go and get my box of premium fragrance oils and essential oils and begin to pull things out. I pulled out some fruits, citrus, spices, florals, etc…Bay Rum hmmm. Well, lately I’ve been adorning myself with “No Other Rose” and “Amber Unique” and a few other favorites from our own line of fragrance oils, but I want something with even more depth and sweetness to it. I’m trying to find that one note that when it all comes together you’ll be able to smell it, but it would make one say “what is that one thing in there?” Something that we captivate both men and women like “No Other Rose” with the same type of staying power. Something special like “Amber Unique” with more powdery notes, and maybe a little bite of black pepper, pink peppercorn, or maybe even leather.

Well, it looks like I’ll probably be working with this one for a while. I’ve had my eye on some new essentials that I absolutely must have so, maybe once I gather those up I’ll be able to dive in a little more. Until then I’m just going with the flow.