Inside Indie: Texas Charm Bath and Candle Co.

Sorry that this week's Inside Indie is late. I was at my son's school all day selling the PTO like crazy. I apologize to you my readers lol.

Anyway...this weeks Inside Indie interview is with Stacy Herrod who owns and operates Texas Charm Bath & Candle Co. I really love her body butter (especially in Petit Choux!) because it's thick, rich and is PARABEN FREE!!!!! Stacy has also entered one of her perfume blends in my Best Original Perfume contest (we're almost done) Here's my interview with Stacy....

Tell me a little about the mind behind Texas Charm Bath & Candle Co.

Ah ha! This is a scary trick question, LOL! The mind behind Texas Charm is obsessed - pleasantly obssessed with fragrance!! I am always thinking about candles, bath & body, and most importantly FRAGRANCE! I admit it: I am truly addicted to this! I have always loved perfumes, lotions, candles ... so this is the perfect solution for me - to create my own goodies! Since I was a wee little girl - give me a bottle of lotion to rub in - I was happy! It's stuck all these years later!

What made you decide to get into the bath, body and candle business?

Actually, my mom & husband suggested once upon a time that I should just make my own candles and save money. Ha! They didn't know what they started with that statement! I am hooked!

Do you remember the first product you made?

A candle - I remember being so nervous! I fretted for the longest (once I decided to try my hand with candles) over the wicks! How would it stick? How would it stand up in the jar? I was a total newbie! So, I tested FOREVER in baby food jars!

Ok, you're stuck on a desert island and you can only have one of your products with you..which one, which fragrance and why?

HANDS DOWN - My "Bye Bye Dry Lip Butter"! I am addicted to lip butter and MUST have a tube with me any and all times! It doesn't matter the flavor - it just feels SO good! This addiction is so bad, lol, that I pour up my lip butter for personal use in whopping 1 ounce lotion tube containes! Yea, it's crazy, but it's SO good!

What does the future hold for Texas Charm Bath & Candle Co?

Immediate future for Texas Charm is a website update! I have so many new fragrances that I need to list for you guys! Also, I will be adding in Bubble Bath Cupcakes, Bubble Bath Bars, and Bombs Away! Bath Bombs very soon! Very fun and very chic additions to Texas Charm!

What is your can't live without product that you don't make?

Handmade Soap! I cannot live without a good bar of handmade soap! My skin and facial complexion has improved so much over time since using only handmade soap! I am not picky - it can be all-vegetable based or it can include animal fats - I love both and use both! Ask my husband how many bars of soap are in our master bath? Ha! He will get this dazed look on his face and just shake his head that he won't answer that question!

So, please stop by Texas Charm Bath & Candle Co. There are some truly good products there. I really like what I've tried so far and look forward to trying more soon.

Inside Indie: Foster's Creations

This weeks Inside Indie interview is with Shannon Foster of Foster's Creations. Shannon makes lovely bath and body products (her bath salts are fantastic) as well as air fresheners, jewelry and she also does CAKES. Here's my interview with Shannon.

Tell me about the mind behind Foster's Creations

I am incredibly blessed. I am able to work from home doing something I love. I am still amazed everytime I make a batch of foot cream and it goes from oils and water to cream. It is truly fascinating. I have a really great support system and I really enjoy hearing about how my customers feel about my products. I love them but I am a bit biased, so when I get a nice compliment from my customers I know I am doing the right thing. My business is my creative outlet.

What got you into the bath & body business?

My passion began shortly after Christmas 2001. I had wanted to make my family members something different for Christmas but I tried one of the kits from the craft store and needless to say my family got something different that year. I then began scouring the internet looking for any and all information on soapmaking.

Do you remember the first product you made?

My first product I made was a cream in an online class which resulted in the creation of my Fluffy Body Butter and my Peppermint Foot Cream.

Ok, you're stuck on a desert island and you can only have one of your products with you..which one, which fragrance and why?

My MSM-Menthol cream and gallons of it as I suffer terribly from arthritis and don't go anywhere without it.

You also make jewelry and cakes..can you tell me a little bit about that?

I began making cakes in 1998 when I saw a cake that looked like a basket of pansies on the cover of a Wilton yearbook. I took some classes in 2000 and began making wedding cakes the next year. I go into this nice little zen place while decorating. While I don't always get to see the brides reaction I do love to see the look on their face when they see their cake for the first time. It makes me feel proud of what I do to make their day special. I took a year or two off to get the bath and body business off the ground and they actually compliment each other well as my craft show season is in the fall and most of my weddings are spring and summer. I began making jewelry in October 2006 while recovering from my cancer surgery. I had 8 weeks where I could not lift and had to do something to pass the time. I really enjoy all of the things I do as they are very relaxing for me. I love creating things.

What is your can't live without product that you don't make?

My Crocs absolutely without a doubt. I have been without them for 2 weeks while waiting for a new rivet and let me tell you I almost broke down and bought another pair.

I highly recommend Foster's Creations. I've been using Shannon's products for almost a year now. Her MSM cream has done wonders for my chronic neck pain (diaper bag syndrome) and my headaches. I also love her air fresheners cause they last so long and you can get them in any of her fragrances. Her bath salts are fantastic too by the way. I'm sure you'll find something there that you'll love.

Inside Indie: Ophelia's Jewels

This week's Inside Indie interview is with Sabrina of Ophelia's Jewels. As you may have seen in recent posts, I love Sabrina's work..bought something as a gift for my mother in law and ended up buying myself a necklace as well. I love her designs and I hope you do too.

Tell me a little bit about the mind behind Ophelia's Jewels and how did you create the name?

I’ve always loved the arts, especially drawing and dancing. I started making jewelry about five years ago, and it’s been a really great creative outlet and de-stresser during college and graduate school. People had been suggesting that I sell my jewelry, so I finally started! Etsy has been the perfect forum for me because I can set my own prices without having it marked up to full retail price, but still make it worth my time. Jewelry prices are often enormously inflated, which is something that always bothered me. Everyone should be able to buy a pretty piece of handmade jewelry without being rich!As for the name...Ophelia has been my computer nickname for as long as I’ve been using computers. I was always intrigued by the character of Ophelia in Hamlet...to me she invokes a sense of mystery, love, ambiguity, and especially passion. It just seemed natural to use it for my new business!

What inspires you when you create your jewelry?

Before I started selling jewelry, I used to just make things for my friends and family. I loved experimenting, seeing what worked and what didn’t, and at the same time trying to make something that fit the personality of the person I was making it for. Mostly now I just experiment and make everything from whimsical and feminine to (occasionally) bold and chunky. Sometimes a particular color, shape, or stone combination just “works”, and then I get really excited! It’s also fun to work with a theme...one that I’ve been doing on and off is the ocean and sea life. I’ll have an image of something “typical” that you might see within that theme, such as an ocean wave or a half-buried seashell, and try to make it stand out in a piece of jewelry. It’s the idea of taking something that is ordinary and everyday and making it beautiful.

What's your favorite piece that you've made and why?

Hmm, that’s a hard question...I don’t think I have one particular favorite. But I love making things with labradorite, which is a stone that looks kind of boring and gray until you turn it just the right way. Then there are sudden flashes of bright blue and green and gold. It adds so much depth to the stone and is just beautiful to look at and work with.

Tell me about the very first piece of jewelry you made.

The first piece I made was a very simple bracelet using basic wire-wrapping with Czech glass beads. I was visiting a friend in LA about five years ago, and she had to run an errand for a few hours. To keep me busy while she was away, she taught me how to do a wire-wrap that I could use to make the bracelet. I was done by the time she came back, and it’s been love ever since!

What does the future hold for Ophelia's Jewels?

I’m pretty new to selling jewelry, so right now I’m still feeling out the business. But it’s been a lot of fun and a great way (or excuse? :-) ) to buy new beads and play with them, and I’ve already had the opportunity to interact with a lot of great people. So I hope I can continue to do this for a long time -- either on Etsy or (if I have the time and enough business) on my own website.

What is your can't live without product?

Another hard question! I would say either my tool set (everyone is always amazed at my array of strange-looking jewelry tools) or Swarovski crystals, which are always gorgeous, versatile, and incredibly photogenic!

And, Sabrina is a student so help her pay for school ok. I'm sure if you take a look around her Etsy shop you will find something you will like. I found two things..trust me if I could steal back that necklace I bought for my MIL I would in a heartbeat lol. Go ahead and take a look at Opehlia's Jewels...You know you wanna!

Inside Indie: In Kristine's Shower

This week's Inside Indie interview is with Jenny Hoehn of In Kristine's Shower. I absolutely love her sugar scrubs (body frostings) as well as her Shea Butter Sorbet. There are some really yummy fragrances there too like Blackberry Blast, Kiss Me All Over and Pink Cupcakes.

Tell me a little about the mind behind In Kristine's Shower and how did the name come about?

It is actually "Kristine's Shower" and I named it after my cousin Kristine. She was the inspiration for my first batch of soap. She was to be married in 2002 and I wanted to give her a one of a kind gift. Being a vegan and a typical "tree hugger type", she would most definitely love the handmade gift over some gift from the store. I was researching details about handmade soap, but never got the nerve to make any - Kristine getting married was the shove I needed to dive into my first batch! After that I was hooked!

What made you decide to get into the bath and body business?

The b&b business actually found me I think. I really had no desire to make any of these products because when I started, it wasn't a saturated market like it is now. I really only had tried handmade soap once (it was sent to me for free) and once I tried it, I was really impressed how well it treated my skin. Having a background in Cosmetology, I was always into skin and nails (not so much hair lol), so when I found all this information on how to make soap, I was mesmerized!

Do you remember the first product you made?

Yep - it was 100% olive oil soap

Ok, you're stuck on a desert island and you can only have one of your products with you..which one, which fragrance and why?

Gotta be my soap - I would say Citrus Safari because that is a good scent (top seller for 5+ years!) The reason I would bring soap is that every good skin care regimen starts with a good foundation!

What does the future hold for Kristine's Shower?

You know, when I first started I was happy selling here and there - then I got some exposure that rocketed me way up beyond where I thought I would be. I am starting to get used to the big orders, but honestly I am happy where I am now. I have my sisters working for me and I get to have my son by my side at all times. Of course I would welcome new and bigger business, but it isn't something I am striving for.

What is your can't live without product?

My Body Frosting! I have to have to have to use it every time I shave so I don't have to shave every day!!

Take a look around In Kristine's Shower and see what you like. I recommend the Body Frosting...as Jenny calls me a "Frosting Addict."

Inside Indie: Bidwell Botanicals

Ok, I know it's not Thursday quite yet. But, I'm going to be out most of the day tomorrow so you're getting Inside Indie a bit early. This weeks Inside Indie interview is with Jill Jones of Bidwell Botanicals. If you remember, Bidwell Botanicals Spun Sugar Sugar Scrub tied for first place in my Best of Sugar Scrubs contest back in June. Jill makes and sells wonderful scrubs, lotions soaps and more. I highly recommend the Spun Sugar and her Chocolate fragrances!!!

Tell me a little about the mind behind Bidwell Botanicals.

I am a lucky woman, mom, wife with a great family that supports my crazy dreams and help to make them happen. I am totally into creativity in almost any aspect and have dabbled in every craft I could get my hands on, so owning a business like ours is awesome for me!

What made you decide to start a bath and body business?

Basically I love to cook and create and I love to pamper people, so this business seemed a perfect synergy for me. I'm a total bath junky myself and have made products for my family for a long time. When I really got into it about 6 years ago I just dove in head first and Bidwell Botanicals is going to have its 5th official birthday this October!!

Congrats on your 5th Year! So, since your Sugar Scrub came in first in the Best of Sugar Scrubs contest, has anything changed?

I'm so proud of that accomplishment! We worked very hard to make a product that people would love, and now we're adding several more types of sugar scrub to our line so they can indulge themselves even more! It has definitely given me incentive to move forward with this business when I know that people really like what we're doing.

You're stranded on a desert island and you can only have one of your products with you..what is it, what fragrance and why?

I would bring our Hydrating Body Milk in the Bali Spa fragrance so I could keep my skin from getting parched and the scent would help me pretend to be on a tropical vacation instead of being stranded.

What can we expect from Bidwell Botanicals in the future?

We plan to keep on growing and offering new and innovative products to our customers. Look for a new fruity line of products very soon! We will also be offering several new products for the upcoming Holiday season. I can't wait to bring them out!!

And, I can't wait for you to bring them out either! What is your absolutely can't live without it product that you do not make (it doesn't have to be bath and body)?

Tea! I have at least a cup of tea every morning and in the Winter I drink it all day. I drink anything from Earl Grey to Hibiscus herbal tea. I especially enjoy the fruit teas from Herb + Ginger. Yummo!

Jill, thank you so much for sharing yourself with me and my readers. I can't wait to see your new products so bring them out soon. And to my readers, go visit Bidwell Botanicals and see what wonderful products Jill creates just for you!

Inside Indie: Two Rivers Soaps

Welcome to this weeks Inside Indie interview. Today I'm featuring an interview with Jennifer Thompson of Two Rivers Soaps. I discovered Two Rivers Soaps via a Crafty Cube I bought last year. The sample we got was of her Energy scent and my husband, yes my husband loved it. So I started buying him his soaps from Two Rivers. So without further ado..here's all you need to know about Two Rivers Soaps.

Tell me a little bit about the mind behind Two Rivers Soaps.

My name is Jennifer Thompson and I live in Des Moines, Iowa. I founded my company in 1999 and work out of my home. I also
work full-time as an academic librarian. When not working, or soaping, I love to read, work on mosaic projects, watch movies & just hang out with my boys.

Do you remember the first bar of soap you ever made? Tell me about it.

Oh yes, very well! After months of research, I created my own recipe made with Olive, Coconut, Palm & Castor oils, along with lots of Shea & Cocoa butters. It took hours to get to the point where I added the colorant and fragrance. I had decided to scent it with a Huckleberry fragrance (of all things) and color it purple. I didn't know then that purple was a difficult color to get in soap and that this fragrance discolored the soap as well. When the soap got thick enough I added my fragrance, then the colorants. The soap turned gray, so I panicked and added more colorants, then more! I eventually gave up and ended up with a brownish gray soap with red & blue streaks. It worked great but could've won an ugly soap contest! The next day I made a very pretty peach colored & scented soap though!

What inspires you when you're creating your soaps?

Lately it's been from wondering around our local gourmet food markets and farmer's market. I recently found a Honey Pear salad dressing that's inspired a fantastic soap scent.

Ok, you're stuck on a desert island and you can only have one of your products with you..what is it, what scent and why?

I'd definitely bring soap! Specifically my Garden Mint soap. It's made with Peppermint & Tea Tree Essential oils. It's vry refreshing and feels cooling on the skin.

What can we expect from Two Rivers Soaps in the future?

I'm working on a line of liquid hand soap as well as coming up with fun,new bar soap scents.

What is your absolutely can't live without product that you don't make (doesn't have to be bath and body)?

I'm addicted to some locally made salsa- http://www.juanosullivans.com/and put it on nearly everything!

Inside Indie: Bathed & Infused

Welcome to my new weekly feature, Inside Indie. Every week I will bring you an interview with the owner(s) of Indie etailers..but only the ones whose products I have reviewed. My first interview is with Nicole of Bathed & Infused. Bathed & Infused is the very first bath and body etailer I ever bought from. I discovered them via samples in The Little Black Box sampler back in October of 2006 and have been loyal ever since.

Tell me a little bit about the minds behind the magic at Bathed & Infused.

Curtis is the full-time head of Bathed and Infused and he oversees all of our day-to-day operations as well as the production and technical stuff. He used to be an engineer, so this is really his area of expertise and he enjoys it. I take care of the creative side, which includes scents, products, and marketing. I still work a day job, but we're hoping to have me go full time soon. In the meantime, we have 4 awesome girls that work for us.

What made you decide to get into the bath & body business?

I am a total bath and body junkie, and about 3 years ago I used to buy from a place called the Underground Scent Plant. There was a lot of scandal when a lot of her orders didn't get sent out and she listed her scent recipes and remaining inventory on eBay. I was pretty mad because she owed me an order, so I told Curtis about her stuff on eBay. For some unknown reason he said, "Let's buy it!" And the rest is history. I think he might have thought that it would save us money on my bath and body habit, LOL!

What inspires you when you're creating a new scent?

I get inspiration in all different kinds of places. Sometimes I'll see a recipe for a amazing sounding dessert and instead of baking it, I'll mix it as a scent instead. I also get ideas out and about, like our neighbor's gardens or the mall. We also get great requests from our customers that I try to make as often as I can. I also get ideas randomly just from being around all 600-some of our fragrance oils. I just pull them out and see what I come up with. It's a lot of fun.

Ok, you're stuck on a desert island and you can only have one of your products..which one, which scent and why?

I'd say a Fluff in St. Lucia because the Fluff would keep my skin soft and soothe any sun burns from the hot sun and St. Lucia as a scent because it's so fresh and tropical.

What does the future hold for Bathed & Infused?

Now that our baby has arrived, we've got a lot of really great stuff planned for the Fall and the Holidays. We have some new products launching soon and a really fun contest that should debut this month, which we'll announce in our newsletter. More long-term, hopefully we'll continue to grow and spread our Bathed and Infused goodness all over the world

What's your absolutely favorite/gotta have product that you don't make? (does not have to be bath & body)

Curtis and I both love Wen Cleansing Conditioner--it's awesome for our super-curly hair!