Jumping Off the Cliff

I know it’s been a while since I put anything up on this site. Frankly, there hasn’t been anything worth writing about. I’ve was working my way through what some people would call a “depressive period”, and it lasted a good long while. Too long, honestly. But I’m over it now, I think, and things are on the upswing.

All that to say – I’m taking a deep breath and jumping off the cliff into the world of onlne business. I am launching a store sometime in the next two weeks. By May 15, 2015, Elaine’s Essentials – my collection of skin care products – will be officially launched via www.elainesessentials.com. Thanks in no small part to my brother, my sister-in-law, and many friends who agreed to be product testers.

I’d been noodling on starting an online business for a while. Those of you who know me well will remember the soy candle phase. The crocheted character hat phase. And the “I’ll spin and dye and sell my own yarn” phase. Yeah – failures, all of them. Due in no small part to my own lizard brain telling me I couldn’t ever be successful doing what I was doing, and who was I to think I had better products than anyone out there, and when are you going to have time to do this, and HEAVENS above, you really think people are going to PAY for this crap??

So yeah – nothing happened. I did add some things to my Etsy store, but nothing ever happened, and so I didn’t do anything more. No, wait – I lied. I did a local craft show and realized I hate to crochet for production. HATE it. Whatever joy I had in the activity got sucked right out of it. So I abandoned that idea, too.

Fast forward to an afternoon on Pinterest and a look at the homemade lip balm recipes. My kids and I use an INSANE amount of lip balm. Insane. What if I could save us all some money and make it at home? The kids were on board and even told me what flavors they would like. Awesome! This could work!

Well, you know you have to spend money to make things, and at the time, I didn’t have the money. A few weeks later, my son called, and in the course of conversation, asked how the lip balm was coming. I told him it wasn’t. We chatted a little and he said he’d “keep an eye on the mail for it.” For what?? Lip balm that wasn’t ever going to arrive? He was the impetus I needed. I had a little extra money and bought the supplies. And made lip balm. Then I made a sugar scrub. And a salt foot scrub. And a body butter. And gave them to friends to try out. All with the seed of an idea that an online store just *might* be in my future. I picked the brains of friends in business online. I sent test packages to friends. The body butter was a failure, but the other products got favorable reviews. My sister-in-law helped me name the endeavor. I bought more ingredients. I bought containers and labels. I had the labels printed. I made product at night and on weekends. I took photos. I had a purpose. I have spent a lot of money that I’m hoping to recoup, but this time, I am feeling really good about this. I think I’ve come at it the right way this time, and I love what I’m doing. I’m still polling the hive mind about scents and textures and things so I can make a great product that people would be interested in buying. The site is coming together and there are actually some nice photos on there. I have miles to go…much product to make and package, but I finally bought shipping boxes! And figured out how to stop the jars from leaking if they tip over in transport. As I know they will.

BUT – I am excited and ready to do this. So, my dear friends keep your eyes peeled for Elaine’s Essentials. A line of natural skin care products that I really think you’re going to love.