Where’s my bottle of alcohol? ….and other fun stuff

Almost every day, I go through the same ol’ song and dance…trying to find my bottle of alcohol.  No, it’s not what you think (I’m not a drinker) – we keep a spray bottle (or 3) of rubbing alcohol around here because it’s great at cutting grease.  So generally speaking, around here, it’s used for wiping down equipment, utensils and bottles/jars before labeling. Anyway, I find myself asking “where’s my bottle of alcohol?” almost daily and then I giggle to myself because I realize how that must sound if you don’t know the context in which it was asked.

And this is important to you how?  Well, it’s not – I just figured I’d tell you anyway.  :)

Know what *is* important?  The fact that our website is finally being updated with new products and new photos.  It’s not complete yet, but we plan to have it finished in the next day or so (fingers crossed).  The website might be a little messy right now, but it’s fully functional….so go ahead and treat yourself to that Mother’s Day gift you’ve been wanting to buy for yourself.

Want a little sneak peek of the new product shots?  Here you go….

 

In other news – we’re gearing up to launch our new brand!  C.O. Jones – skin care for men will be hitting the shelves soon.  Right now it’s just a matter of getting the website designed and putting some finishing touches on the label design.  I’m so excited to launch this new brand full of fabulous products and I know our male customers are looking forward to it.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Missing in action

So yes, I’ve been missing in action for a month.  It’s been crazy busy around here.  We’ve been going through quite a few changes – logo redesign, label redesign, new product launch, new product photography, new website design, new catalog…it’s been NUTS.  Though our products are now sporting our lovely new label design, the website and catalog have not yet been updated with our new photos or new products.  We’re getting there though, so it won’t be much longer.  :)

Amidst all of the craziness, I did manage to take a short trip to Virginia to celebrate my Granny Carlene’s 90th birthday!  I had a really great time catching up with family members that I haven’t seen in years and hanging out with Granny.  We even managed to take two trips (walking) around her neighborhood.  We took one trip and I said “well, that was a nice walk”.  She turned to me and said “yes, but it was too short”….so we went again.  God love her.  :)

So with that, I leave you with a picture of my lovely grandmother:  Carlene Edna Rieley Bowman, on her 90th birthday:

I have a dream

 

“…I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…”

- Martin Luther King, Jr

Who is Lillian, anyway?

“Who is Lillian, anyway?”  I get asked this question a lot….a LOT.  For those who know me as Angela, it’s pretty obvious that it’s not me…so who is it?  The short answer is that Lillian was my grandmother.  My mother’s adoptive mother, to be exact.  But she was so much more than that.

Lillian was my grandmother, my friend, my confidant.  She taught me how to make the best ever spaghetti sauce; she taught me how to peel potatoes; she taught me how to do taxes; she taught me how to play Rummy.  She was the 2nd of 4 children.  She was the accountant for High’s Ice Cream.  She was the adoptive mother of two and grandmother of 4.  She was a multi-time national ballroom dance champion, along with my Papa…and she taught me what she knew about natural skin care.

She was a very “no frills” kind of woman.  She used olive oil on her skin before it was trendy – and though she rarely wore any other makeup, she never left home without her red lipstick.  She was slightly overweight.  She was confident in herself.  She was fabulous.

Though she passed away when I was 14 (which has now been 20+ years), her memory is with me every day.  She touched my life in a way that few people have and her love and wisdom will remain with me all the days of my life.  When it came time for me to name my business, it just seemed to fit.

I wish I could share a lot of photos of her, but all of the photos of her were destroyed shortly after her death.  I’m working on getting some photos from family members but until then, I’ll leave you with the one that I do have:

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

It’s that time of year again.  The time when we look back at the year behind us and look forward to the year ahead of us.  2011 has been a fantastic year for Lillian Skincare.  We’ve been fortunate to have grown in leaps and bounds this year and for that, I am so very grateful.

When I started this business several years ago, I never could have imagined where the road would lead, the hurdles I would have to jump or the many rewards along the way.  This year has seen its fair share of hurdles, but these things are just normal growing pains…and I’m thrilled to be moving forward and growing.

As we head into 2012, you will see a fair amount of changes coming to the Lillian Skincare brand.  We’re getting a face lift!  Starting with a complete label and logo redesign and a new website design.  This is a change that I’m really looking forward to and can’t wait to show you!  We’re also adding some new products – we’re expanding on our popular MultiFruit line and will be launching a complete MultiFruit line of products over the next month or so.  Those are just a couple of changes that we’ll be making over the next few weeks – stay tuned.  :)

Also in 2012 we’ll see the launch of our new skin care line for men.  This is something that has been a long time coming and we’re SO excited to finally have the pieces in place.  It will be its own brand completely, but will offer the same type of high-quality, natural & vegan products that you’ve grown to love – but with special emphasis on the skin care needs of men – and with “manly” packaging.  :)

We’ve got a lot going on over the next several weeks and we can’t wait to share it all with you.  Until then, have a lovely New Year and we’ll see you soon!

xo,

When life gives you a headache…

It’s not often that I wake up with a headache, but today was one of those days.  I’ve been feeling less-than-great for a couple of days – I blame the holiday rush. Yesterday, I noticed I was feeling a bit sore in my left shoulder, so I did what any self-respecting formulator would do – I mixed up a quick Arnica rub, applied it and rested for the remainder of the evening.  This morning, I woke up with a headache.  I still blame the madness of the holiday season for my ills, but I can’t let that stop me…so I’ve put some Rosemary essential oil in my oil burner, along with some Cornmint. Rosemary energizes and stimulates the central nervous system, making it a great remedy for those nagging headaches. There’s also a bit of therapeutic value in the Cornmint, but I add it mostly because it smells great.

So, the next time you find yourself with a headache…put some rosemary essential oil in your oil burner and relax a bit.  You’ll feel much better for it.

**Note:  You should be able to find most common essential oils, such as rosemary, at your local health food store or holistic wellness center

Street Team

We’re excited to share this new opportunity with you!  Lillian Skincare is putting together a Street Team – a group of people who “hit the streets” to spread the news about our products.  In our case, the street team members are more likely to hit the internet, rather than the streets but if you want to take to the streets to spread the word, that’s alright with us too.  :)

We’re asking our street team members to spread the word about the products that you love so much – through Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pintrest, Google+, etc…  In return, you’ll enjoy perks such as sneak previews of new products, occasional free products and exclusive discounts – and anything else we can think of.  :)

If you’d like to be part of our street team (and we hope you will), you can email us at sales@lillianskincare.com