ATTN: Raw, Organic, Skincare Lovers!

As many of you already know, I handcraft my own line of superfood infused skincare products. These are the purest products I've ever experienced and it gives me immense joy to see the demand for this (a desire for real natural beauty) rapidly increasing. My line, currently known as Organic Healing, is organic, free of toxins and preservatives, raw, made fresh to order (no inventory just laying around), herbal infused with 8 certified organic and biodynamic herbs (alfalfa, burdock root, comfrey leaf, horsetail, nettle leaf, noni, oatstraw, and red clover blossoms), vegan, holistic, environmentally conscious, and cruelty-free. Some of the Superfoods that are used include: angstrom sulfur, burdock root, wildcrafted horsetail, green tea extract, raw cacao powder, raw maca powder, goji berry powder, marine phytoplankton, stabilized oxygen, goji berry extract, and cacao extract.

I currently offer Healing Body Scrubs (body exfoliants), Body Silks (rich body moisture replenisher), Beauty Silks (creams for the face, neck, and undereye), Clay Masques (that are detoxifying, nourishing, soothing, and balancing - even using Vitamineral Green in one of them!), Belly Silks (for stretch marks, scarring, cellulite, skin appearance), Organic Edibles (sensual massage silks), and Luscious Bundles (discounted gifts and packages).

My very first product was the Java Body Scrub (named after my sweet gorgeous dog) and was created one afternoon as a result of playful experimenting in my kitchen. Little did I know that was the beginning of what it has become! I never expected or dreamt it would turn into an expanding line of the purest products, in demand by those who truly understand the amazing benefits of super nutrient-rich topical luxuries (I imagine, YOU!).

My intention in creating these products has been to make skincare that parallels my nutrition philosophy and approach (raw, organic, fresh living foods, Superfoods, medicinal herbs and teas). You could essentially lick the products right off your skin because they are that pure! There are few ingredients which make it so that you shouldn't do this (except in the Organic Edibles - eat of much of this as you want), but the idea is that what you put onto your skin should be to these standards. If you shutter at the idea of doing this, then it's time to reconsider what you're applying to your skin! If you aren't comfortable putting lotion and cream on your hands and then eating right out of them (without washing your hands first), once again.. time to re-evaluate what you're using! I've been told I'm a purist at heart; isn't it time we Embrace Purity (my monthly eZine to help you achieve exceptional internal health and stunning external beauty) for what goes not only into our mouths, but also onto our skin?

My original vision was, continues to be, and will always be - Cultivate Beauty in Harmony with Nature. For an excellent review of my product line done by Lenette with Go Raw Have Fun, click here. She also did a 40 minute interview that was just released, delving into the details of my introduction into the natural beauty industry: click here to listen. And THANK YOU for reading the review and/or listening to the interview :)

2009 has already brought me huge opportunities for growth. If you didn't see my announcement through Twitter and Facebook yesterday - My product line is now officially sold in stores (at Raw Vegan Source in Redmond, WA)!

I look forward to meeting you in person if you plan to attend one of these huge gatherings of conscious, like-minded individuals. The festivals I'll be exhibiting at in 2009 are:

The Seattle Green Festival on March 28 & 29: http://www.greenfestivals.org/seattle/

Raw Spirit Santa Barbara, CA, June 5-7: http://www.rawspiritfest.com/

Raw Spirit Prescott, AZ, Sept 26 & 27: http://www.rawspiritfest.com/

If there is anyone reading this that feels inclined to support my business, whether as an angel investor, working as a distributor (where you buy wholesale and sell retail - and you keep the profit), or if you have the means or know-how to take my grand vision to the next level, I'd love to hear from you. Spread the pure beauty word .. I feel the momentum .. this is just the beginning!

Intentions and Opportunities (Part 2)

Here I go ready to publicly announce more intentions for the year 2009. Continuation from last post:

6) By this Spring, I plan to be a regular vendor at the Sunday Farmer's Market in Ballard. I would like to be already, but have run into an unexpected snafu. Upon handing over my filled out paperwork, I learned that the Dept. of Agriculture sometimes makes visits to the markets to make sure everyone is abiding by the rules/regulations. Because the name of my skincare line is currently Organic Healing Skincare, I may run into problems if they see me and all my marketing materials, without an organic certification (even though the ingredients are certified organic themselves). I have some choices: I could chance it (they and other vendors recommend this) - and if they show, tell them I have begun the certification process and cover up everything that says 'organic', I could change the skincare name (ugh, headache, but still a big possibility), or I could not be a vendor at the markets. I have no idea what's in the cards for this one. Ah, a crossroads. I would love to to build local support for the skincare line and jump through this one hurdle. I'm open to receiving feedback on this one, and if you have any name ideas, forward them along!

7) I will be exhibiting at the Seattle Green Festivals on March 28-29 and have secured a wonderful booth because I signed up so early. I'll post the booth # as the event gets closer, but you can expect to see me right next to the Festival Sponsors! You'll be able to experience Organic Healing as 2 Raw Spirit Festivals this year: Santa Barbara, CA (June 5-7) and Prescott, AZ (Sept 26-27). These events are definitely the best gatherings in existence - an absolute must if you feel drawn by the living foods and superfoods movement (which I gather you are if you're reading my blog!). At all 3 festivals (and maybe even more), you'll get to sample (and purchase) the recent talk of the town - Elements for Life products. This way, you can beautify internally and externally - the best remedy for flawless stunning skin.

8) Last month I did a Special Skincare Offer and it was wildly successful. I will now take some time to refine a few of my handcrafted products and will not be doing the Special Offer this month as I expected. I received really wonderful constructive feedback (except for the 1 person who took advantage of the offer and broke the mutual agreement - shame on you, that's really bad karma) and will be working as always to refine, re-formulate, and perfect, making the very best healing skincare creations ever. I intend to have a similar Special Offer again and will make the announcement when the time is right!

9) Bumping up the frequency that I do self-guided detoxification programs (juice cleanses, 1 day a week liquid/blended food only fasts, the HealthForce Healing Cleanse) and routine activity (for the winter, it's all about Bikram hot yoga, running, and hiking). I have been wanting to do weekly juice fasts, and will be starting this week! My healthy eating habits come naturally; I do believe we all have the innate knowing of what to consume for superior health.

10) The last intention I'll list here is to continue to passionately spread the word of Superfoods, raw foods, cleansing, juicing, and medicinal herbs - all to heal the body, inside and out. My raw food classes and workshops will be starting up in the coming months in Seattle (and maybe even beyond).

I hope you've created a list for yourself as I have and are ready to jump on board to an enlightened way of living. Don't let anything stop you, and please, don't compromise yourself.

When it rains, it pours, and superfoods save the day

Have you ever been confronted with wondering if things happen for a reason? When it’s a dark moment and you can’t imagine it getting much worse .. can goji berries really make you happy?

When it rains, it pours, really downpours. That's a wrap-up of the last few weeks. Will superfoods save the day? If life gets out of control, do superfoods make a difference and bring you (and all your problems) back into balance? Goji berries, maca, acai, greens, raw chocolate? I certainly can’t fathom what it would be like to be under these circumstances and not be eating the way I am: full of fresh, live, organic, goodness and lots of supercharged superfoods. They strengthen my resilience and allow dilemmas to be more manageable, although I must admit the storms of life are still present. Does that sound crazy? Well, who is more likely to resort to emotional eating, overeating, and falling back into the trap of eating heavy, cooked, 'comfort' foods - the nutritionally depleted, adrenal exhausted, nervous wreck, or the raw superfood fueled, powered and energized, super-woman?

Here’s a shortened version of the current scenario. I woke up a couple days after leaving Sedona to a complete nightmare. I came to understand that my entire website was down, deleted, gone - where was it? No content was on the site, just a blank white page with some short coding about text not being found. And, to make matters even better, I was on the road driving back home to Seattle with varied cell reception from the Mojave Desert to Mount Shasta - thereby making it extremely difficult to deal with via phone (and can't do it on a laptop that has multiple viruses and the internet is shot), although critically urgent (feel like my world is ending kind of urgency). Remember this exact fear I had of this happening when I was transferring hosting companies weeks ago (what would I do if my website were all of a sudden gone - is that even possible - yes, it is, I am here to demonstrate this for you)? Yes, believe me, I've already thought, did I bring this on myself? Am I applying the Law of Attraction that well in my life? I've always had to learn lessons 'the hard way'. NEVER the easy way - that's just not my life plan. Oh, and not to mention, my website traffic has soared as a result of Raw Spirit, which is AMAZING, but only when you have a live working website for your potential and current customers to view!

Several days ago, I woke up to this issue happening AGAIN. How could this be? It is some horrible practical joke that went awry? After completely re-securing my site and database... we/they still have no idea how it occurred in the first place. My computer/tech team tell me they've never seen this in all the years they have been doing what their doing. That made me feel fabulous. My answer then, seeing as though I am getting no assistance from them, is to do it all myself - completely redesign and recreate an entire new website - in a matter of days on my own. But how do I do that without the content from the previous site? There are sooo many information-filled pages... (sniff, sniff). It feels quite overwhelming and it's been somewhat challenging at times to stay positive. My 'previous' site took months to build and once it went live, I slaved over it for several more months so it would give the essence of healing when you arrived. Believe me, it's been devastating, and there's really no better word to describe it than that.

I am one of those people that believes things happen for a reason. There is a silver lining: I've been wanting to make some changes to my site but have been having difficulties with accessing to do so, and therefore outsourcing work to a 'professional' who could do it for me (needless waste of $$$). As an entrepreneur, especially as a woman, we want to do everything all on our own, because really, who is going to do it better, or at least exactly how you want and need it to get done? Now, I will have complete control of my site, editing, designing, ... and everything else from start to finish - and I can do it without sending detailed emails back and forth to someone who has no idea of what I'm trying to embody.

I want to emphasize the power of food and its' effects on attitude and perspective. These few weeks have brought on stress that would make the Standard American come close to giving up in one way or another. Powered by superfoods and live foods, I've become more of a bull-dozer, knocking obstacles out of the way. Live foods now equal hope for me, whereas I had not really made this connection much before. That is something to really think about.

To look at the bright side of things, I want to share with you a recipe that got pulled together quite randomly and is now an evening staple!

everything is raw and organic with no official measurements:

few handfuls of sunflower seeds
hemp seeds (couple tbsp or so)
squeeze of lemon
small chunk of fresh ginger
clove of garlic
few pieces of dulse
nama shoyu
nutritional yeast
little water - just enough to get the processor moving and mixing into a creamy pate

Add a red pepper for flavor

Mix in food processor until it's well-blended. Spread with Lydia's Organics green crackers, in romaine lettuce boats, nori rolls, collard wraps and as a dip with fresh market veggies. Delicious!

IF YOU WANT TO PLACE AN ORGANIC HEALING SKINCARE ORDER, PLEASE CALL: 206.362.0520 or email me: HealingOrganically@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your understanding while I resolve this issue quickly.

Raw Spirit Festival 2008 - Sedona, AZ

Hello Friends! I've returned home from the long journey to Sedona from Seattle and have been swamped (in a good way) with filling orders, so I haven't had a chance to journal in the blog yet! But a moment now allows me that, and I feel so proud and fulfilled after making tons of scrubs and silks today, packaging them up, and getting them ready to ship tomorrow.

I'm one to bring all my comforts with me when I travel and that's exactly what we did (my boyfriend and I) for this 1500 mile road trip. The cooler was packed with a huge bag of brazil nuts, raw cashews, goji berries, raw cacao nibs, walnuts, and dates. I made one of my all-time favorite recipes ever, the Cinnamon Rolls (found in David Wolfe & Shazzie's Naked Chocolate book) and had to regulate how much we could savor each day, otherwise these unbelievably tasty morsels would be gone in the first day and we'd be longing for them for the rest of the trip. The remainder of the cooler was packed with a nice big glass jar of homemade brazil nut mylk, a homemade chocolate blendie, the contents of that week's CSA bag (which included lots of squash, greens, apples, melons, and juicy nectarines, plums, pluots, and peaches), and Lydia's Organics dehydrated Spirulina and Crystal Manna bars, and 2 flavors of her crackers: the green and luna nori ones. Daily we made a delicious simple combination I found on We Like it Raw: a creamy mash, we call it 'Nana Mash', of avocado, banana, and dates - mix them together (add a touch of agave & Pink Himilayan Crystal Salt if you make it at home or have these extras with you during travels), and you won't want to each anything else I promise. I eat these three foods often, really often - why hadn't I combined them all together before? We thrived on all this for 3 days on the road. And you can't forget about the VMG (Vitamineral Greens), Earth, Fruits of the Earth, MSM powder, and the Ocean's Alive Marine Phytoplankton that I brought along, too. I don't let a day pass without enjoying all of these.

I did a search on www.happycow.net (healthier options for international travelers) and found a great raw food cafe in Salt Lake City: Omar's Living Cuisine; we stopped in and relaxed for 2 hours while ordering raw, living, organic item after item off the mouth-watering menu. It turns out the cafe was heading down the following day for Sedona, so we were able to enjoy their food throughout the entire weekend as well. Food really has this tendency to make a vacation (or work trip) really memorable, and when you live on superfoods and such yummy combinations of living foods, it's makes everything that's happening that much lighter and brighter, because you're happy when you eat, and you feel excellent after you eat!

The response to the Organic Healing Skincare line completely blew me away; in fact I had to step away several times throughout the weekend once the reality of its success caught up with me. To say I am grateful and appreciative doesn't really explain how much it means to me to have people love what I'm doing. Whether there's a purchase or not, to see responses in person was absolutely the most treasured part of the weekend. It's really magical when you put your heart into creating something and others drink it up as you do. People were actually giving me hugs and thanking ME! I still have a hard time piecing together the words that describe that 3 day phenomenal event. I can't wait to get to the Raw Spirit Festival in early June 2009, near Santa Barbara!

There were so many connections made, amazing conversations, and uplifting talks, but one stands out and replays often in my head. Tom and Susan from Raw Vegan Source, in Redmond, WA (my neighbors just over the water and east of Seattle) really put my experience into place - standing in line for one of our delicious nightly dinners, I made the comment that so far everything had been so incredible, and that I had a hard time finding the words to put to it. Susan said, 'take that word out of your vocabulary. It's not incredible, it is credible, and you deserve it. Get used to it because this is your new reality.' It was so matter of fact; it is my new truth and I knew it in that moment. Chills go through me every time I recall that part of our conversation because it reminds me that I am on the right path, I am pursuing my dreams, and living, to some extent, quite the fantasy.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who expressed their gratitude for my effort, mission, and deep passion, to revolutionize the skincare industry!