Tea and I have had a love affair since I was a young girl, age 6 or 7. I remember waking each morning and seeing my grandmother Ella begin her busy day with the solace of a peaceful and nurturing ritual. Yoga, followed by perfectly browned toast and a cup of freshly steeped chamomile tea. She savored each sip of this drink as if it might be her last.
For years I observed this act of... read more
Skin is the body’s hardest working organ. It holds us together, protects us from viruses, heat and cold – but while you’re conscious of what you put inside your body, do you ever think about what you’re feeding your skin?
Creator and founder of Bee Gorgeous, Susan Kushnatsian believes that all of us should readily know the answer to that question. Organic and green living is not just a lifestyle choice, but the only way of... read more
Barbara is a woman of many artistic talents. For twenty five years, she taught theatre, founded two theatre companies and established a young performers training program in Sherman Oaks. Barbara has a MFA in Directing from UCLA and has coached industry professionals on film and TV sets. In addition she is a Law of Attraction coach, motivational speaker and now the creative force behind Soul Notes Affirmation Jewelry. After enduring deep, personal tragedy, the highly... read more
As a child, Jennifer Northup, founder of Silver Spoon Jewelry, loved spending time at her great-grandmother's charming inn, The Crystal Palace, nestled in the quiet countryside on the coast of Sydney, Australia. The Crystal Palace, known for its gourmet meals served on fine bone china with antique English silverware, nurtured in Jennifer a lifelong fascination with antiques and vintage jewelry.
Jennifer particularly loved her great-grandmother's collection of old English silverware. Following her inheritance of the collection,... read more
The birth of Krazy Karma Jewelry came about in March of 2008 when a surge of long suppressed creativity knocked Krazy Karma founder, Linda Wamhof on the head and said, "Isn't it about time you let me out?" Here's her story.
"Health issues are a major part of my life. A diagnosis of fibromyalgia totally changes how you look at your life and your work environment. I make the best of a good day in my... read more
We all have T-shirts in our wardrobes, but entrepreneur, Sheri Varela wanted to do more with the little white tee. Here's her story:
"Sheri Baby T-Shirts came about when I set out to create a new career path for myself. I wanted to earn my living while, dare I say, having fun. I liked t-shirts and decided to design them.
I felt it would be really cool if the t-shirts included words of encouragement. I figured that... read more
SweeneyTies was established to offer quality handmade bowties. The very first bowtie was created many years ago by Caoilfhionn (key-lyn) Sweeney, the twelve-year-old daughter of a devoted bowtie wearer, because she needed a perfect Christmas present for her father. That first tie may not have been made with the straightest seams, but her father got so many compliments that he asked her to make three more for his birthday.
After nearly thirty years of experimenting with... read more
The name for KLEAN Bath & Body's scent-sational product line came to its founder and creator Jennifer Hardaway in December of 2004 while driving through Los Angeles' leafy Laurel Canyon with all the windows open. "I was in love with fragrance and wanted to create a line of bath and body products," says Jennifer, "and the name 'KLEAN' just came to me. I became obsessed from there!"
Upon launching her fresh KLEAN Bath & Body line... read more
The Fabric Gift Wrap program is a project that came to me after attending my first Green Up Expo. The trade show inspired me to support the Green Up movement and help our planet.
For eight years I was a gift wrap buyer for a major department store, so I know first hand the enormous amount of paper used and waste created after a joyous holiday or celebration. It got me thinking about all the creative... read more
HAPPY CHOCOLATES is an artisan chocolate boutique with operations in Los Angeles, California and Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This on-line haven for chocolate connoisseurs specializes in handmade designs created by owner, pastry chef and chocolatier Susie Norris, as featured on ‘Food Network’ and in ‘More’ magazine among many others. HAPPY CHOCOLATES is affiliated with CHOCOLATE ALL THE TIME, a guide to great chocolate from around the world.
HAPPY CHOCOLATES uses organic, sustainably produced chocolate and we can... read more
Every rite of passage and every stage of life can be celebrated or commiserated with a greeting card.
I began my artistic journey as a teen, sewing, crocheting and paper crafting. My current creative outlet designing one-of-akind greeting cards began with inherited family photographs. I added paper scraps from disintegrating books, broken jewelry, retro fabric pieces from projects of my youth and other discarded and unwanted materials.
This montage of creativity appealed to my frugal nature while... read more
My mother was my best friend throughout childhood; guiding, watching, and helping me grow. Working full time and raising three kids proved challenging everyday.
One of the most valuable ideas she had was utilizing the free time we had together. Every Friday my family would pack dinner and head to the beach to relax and watch fireworks. It was through family beach day that I realized the most precious gift in life is time. Having been... read more
Fundraising for any reason is hard. My daughters are a testament to that. I remember their excitement when they both made the high school volleyball team. The two sisters playing together was a sight to behold. But what wasn’t such a pretty sight, were the three year old recycled uniforms they were given to wear.
Unlike boys’ sports teams, girls’ athletic endeavors are often under resourced. So my daughters set about fundraising for new uniforms by... read more
