Come Clean

Breaking the Mold

2011-11-14T06:34:00.001-08:00

The otherday I was watching YouTube videos (which is what you do when youhaven’t owned a television in forever) and up pops the followingcommercial from Ivory soap:

Here is IvorySoap, owned and manufactured by Procter & Gamble, a Fortune 500multinational corporation that made $82.6 BILLION in sales this year,coming after me and my fellow soap makers. A company known as one ofthe most admired brands in the world is saying what I make isn’tsoap -- evidently because it isn’t white and in the shape of arectangle. This is news to me...

Soyou can imagine my surprise at this “Galactic Empire” of acompany coming after a rebel like myself. I mean, have my fellowsoapmakers and I suddenly become a threat to a company that has salesof more than $80 Billion a year?

Thereason this hits me so hard is because I don't look like a "business owner" oreven a "responsible parent". I have been bound, gagged andtied down by stereotypes. By people, banks and schools telling ME I can't bewhat I have worked my ass off to be because ofthe way I look, because I don't fit the mold. Cuss yes I'm coveredin tattoos and I drive a giant flaming van AND I own a hugelysuccessful business. YES, I was a teen parent and I let mychildren read comics before they even touch homework AND they areyears ahead of their peers in educational development. The fact the my hairmight be neon pink, my pants neon green, or that there is a giant Star Trek insignia tattoo on my neck, has not one single thingto do with it.

Since when do we have to squeeze ourselves into a simple, plain, mold to be something? Since when did our shape, size or color define what we were? If a GIANT billion dollar company can dictate what a product is by what it looks like...really, where is the limit? *insert my extreme paranoia here*

Thereare tons of things around the house, where instead of forking overmoney to some corporation trying to stuff you into a box, you couldbuy those goods from crafters, artisans, and small business ownerswho have love and passion for what they do and who are responsive totheir customers. And for those things that can’t be handmade, maybethink of buying something used and fixing it up or simply upcycling! I recent bought an awesome cowly scarf, handmade by my friend Marissa, instead of buying new shirts for winter. Bonus points for upcycling my summer tank-tops and for supporting another crafter!

I’m notsaying never buy anything from a big corporation, but we should alltry and keep in our minds the idea that going to a big box store andbuying something from a large corporation is only one ofour options and when possible we should try and look at some of theothers.

Meanwhile,Ivory Soap (and by extension Proctor & Gamble) -- you keep doingwhat you do and I’ll keep doing what I do. I pour as much love andpassion into my soap as they can hold, and my customers return it allback to me ten-fold. I’m pretty sure no one loves your soap likethey love mine. And the icing on the cake? (mmmm...cake!) The wholereason I got into soap making was that the likes of youcouldn’t make a soap that didn’t make my son break out intohorrible, bleeding rashes. YOU created the need for people like me tostep in and make quality products that people not only enjoyed using,but could feel good about.

Everyone, go out and break the mold today. ♥Kylee

Dear Anonymous Jessie

2011-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I recently had this comment anonymously left in my blog and I thought I would do this "Jessie" a favor and give a real reply. If ANY of you ever have questions about my products, please please please feel free to ask away! I stand by what I make. I have no reason to hide anything that I do.

I am so very sorry if I have given anyone the impression that I have mislead them.

On a personal note, I 110% respect the viewpoints of EVERYONE. I may not agree with them, I may not believe the same things you do, but I still respect the fact that they are YOUR choices and ideas. All I ask it that we all try to be polite and respectful. If you are going to slander a person or company, at least have the guts to not be an anon about it. I mean really, how strong are your convictions if you can't even admit they are yours?

Anonymous said...

"complete open door policy"

Regarding that, I just received my first shipment from you in the past month and noticed a card that says you are "green" and environmentally friendly but then i went to follow you on twitter. To my surprise you eat meat, which even "grassfed" cows are still the worst thing you can do for the environment. You can't be a environmentalist and a meat eater according to the UN. So I just found that a bit misleading. Maybe you are only referring to your products but it's not clear.

However, I noticed most of your soaps contain palm oil, which is horrible for the environment and locals health as well. I know how great "labels" can be to make profits but in all honesty it's not fair to mislead the consumer who may not be aware of the damage such ingredients cause.

Also as a fellow Etsy craft maker, it concerns me that you use trademark logos for your soaps which is not legal or fair. Not only to the companies that created that art but to other members who are trying to make an honest living.

Thanks for reading. Hope you consider these issues in the future.

-Jessie

October 22, 2011 1:02 PM

Dear Anon Jessie,

Yes,the open door policy is for real! You raised several points, so I'lldo my best to address them one by one.

First - unless you're avegetarian who is eating only vegetables you've grown yourself on asolar-powered farm, with crops fertilized by the wastes from your ownanimals (and thus subject to bio-contamination), you're carbonfootprint is likely almost as large as any meat-eaters -- and if youlike your seasonal items like oranges or avocados year-round, itmight even be bigger. Yes, I know meat is a resource intensive sourceof nutrition, but if you're eating vegetables grown in the Big AgriUS-style farming environment or even worse - US-style agriculturalproducts grown abroad and shipped here, that's pretty resourceintensive as well -- petroleum products play a huge role ineverything from transportation and harvesting fuel to fertilizer andpower for irrigation, and huge monoculture farms require moreirrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides. So the issue, from anenvironmentalist's standpoint, about beef=bad, vegetables=good is notreally so clear-cut as you put forward. From an ethical standpoint, Ido believe animals should suffer as little harm as possible and thereis a lot of room for improvement in this area. I would also point outthough that while humans can survive on vegetables alone, we evolvedto be omnivores, and while you may disagree with my choice to eatmeat, I believe that doing so in moderation is responsible from anutritional, ethical, and environmental standpoint.

Secondly -regarding palm oil. Yes, many palm oil harvesting operations havevery bad direct and indirect consequences for the environment.However, in and of itself, palm oil is a great natural product thatrequires much less chemical- / energy-intensive processing than othertypes of oil, say soy for example. As a responsible environmentalist,you have to go beyond scanning headlines and do the detailed researchnecessary to understand the effects your choices have -- not just ata single point, but through a product's entire production, use, anddisposal cycle. In this case, I purchase palm oil that is not onlycertified organic, but certified to have been responsibly andsustainably grown. I spend more money on these base ingredients andyet have to keep my prices competitive, so if profits were truly mydriving force, I wouldn't gothrough this charade. I'd just buy the cheap stuff and charge thesame price as my competitors and I'd be earning more moneyimmediately.

Which makes a great transition to be able to talkabout something that I believe is at the core of my business:integrity. I didn't start making soap because I wanted to make money,I started because my son needed something pure enough that his verysensitive skin wouldn't over-react to it. And I continue to make soapbecause it's something I have a passion for -- from the ingredients Iput into the soap, to the care and attention that goes into craftingmy own molds and making my soap, to how I advertise and sell it -- itall comes down to integrity. And I think, compared with many othercrafters, that integrity can be seen in every single product I make.I can't tell you how many times I've been presented with a choicepitting integrity against profit -- I ALWAYS chooseintegrity.

Lastly, I feel I must take exception to yourphrasing "to other members who are trying to make an honestliving" -- I'm happy to explain my choices regarding theenvironmental impact of my products, after all I have links on everyproduct page of my site which answer the questions you presented, andI still took the time to reply. But when you imply that *I* am makinga dishonest living, I believe that crosses a line. However, I willtell you that you seem to be laboring under a seriously mistakenviewpoint regarding intellectual property, what exactly a trademarkis, and what the concept of "fair use" provides for. Noneof the stuff I reference in my soap is really “trademarked” perse. People always get confused about this. There are intellectualproperty rights involved, but within the confines of the law, thereis fair use and my products are always truthfully presented as theinterpretations of a huge fan that in no way presents a threat to therights of the owners of the intellectual property rights. I have beenbullied into no longer selling some products by companies that havemore time, money, and lawyers than I do, but I would not sell ANYproduct that was not honestly represented as what it really is andthat I had the right to make.

Thank you for yourcomments and I hope you feel that I have given them the time andattention they deserved. My door remains open to you and anyone elsewho has questions and I wish you the best of luck making a living,honest or otherwise, as a crafter. I've been doing it for more thansix years and have been blessed with opportunities, but I understandit can be a very difficult business for some who aren't suited to itsdemands.

♥ Kylee

It doesn't have to hurt.

2011-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

First. I am posting NO links to theasshat who bashed con goers, or to 'the magazine'. I know howunique visits work. So if you have NO idea what I am talking about,consider yourself lucky and carry on...Oh! look! A kitty!

For the rest of you, you know what I amtalking about. I first heard about the travesty via Totalfangirl.com.

My gut response was this (ascommented on @NicoleWakelin blog)

Numberone reason why I have raised my kids to not be assholes...

Weare literally that family totally lost in a different world. Everyweekend our home becomes the Enterprise, a TARDIS...the Death Star.My children even choose to sleep in cots because it fits better withwhere their imaginations are taking them that night. The beginning ofevery movie starts with us shouting "ENGAGE!" and my kidsare more concerned with costume details over what they are wearing toschool...

With all of THAT being said, my kids get picked on ALOT. I do not teach them to ignore it. I teach them about empathy.Feeling sad for the ignorant children at school who don't haveparents who love them enough to dress in character or explainhomework in the voice of a Dalek.

WE give people thepower to hurt us. Whoever wrote this article is a very sad andshallow person and personally, I don't feel hurt by the article, andas a culture I don't think any of us should. I am proud that thoseREAL con costumers are on our team.

(End my awesome response)

I thought Nicole articulated the situation very well. After a lot ofsearching on twitter, facebook, G+ and general google searches Istarted to feel sad. Not because of the article in question, butbecause of how WE are responding.

After reading outrages all over the internet, I honestly have to sitback and ask myself “Why?”

WHY are we still letting these people hurt us?

WHY are we still willing to lower ourselves to their level?

WHY are we having internet tantrums, instead of saying “Fuck it. Iam going to dress as Batman today in honor of the fact the I AM ANADULT and can do such things if I want.”

I know it hurts. Been there, done that...But WHY, as a united groupof intelligent, over weight, under weight, inside out weight,beautiful faces, are we STILL letting it hurt us?

You can not make everyone think like us. That is part of what makesus unique. Don't waste your time bashing some ass who has no ideawhat he is talking about. Celebrate who you are. Some of thosepeople in the photos genuinely were overweight/underweight. You aretoo. So am I. It got pointed out...The end and clearly proving theintelligence level and originality of the writer.

Instead of giving MORE attention to the magazine, bust outyour con photos and get to writing about the freaking awesome peopleyou see at these conventions! Write a blog about how to craftcostumes. Write a blog about how liberated you are by the fact youbuy groceries in a Starfleet uniform (*cough*). Litter our geekpropaganda all over the place! Convert the youth! TAKE OVER THEWORLD!!!!

Just do so in a polite and respectful fashion. We knew from thebeginning it wasn’t going to be our shiny six packs that made uspowerful, but our brains and unlimited trivia knowledge.

Now. For your enjoyment and for actually getting all the way through my rantish blog, this is how I am making the world a better place.

Where's My Salon Size?!

2011-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

I am sad to “officially” announcethat 16oz Salon Size bottles of Hemp Satin Shampoo and CrèmeConditioner have been discontinued. *Sadface* Let me tell youwhy...

Our primary supplier for organic, rawmaterials has raised their prices. Rather than pass the monetaryincrease on to my customers, or purchase lower priced, questionablematerials, the difference is made up by dropping the larger sizedbottles. HOW does removing a product that sells so well help savemoney?? Let us do some math...

8 ounce bottles cost $8.99 while 16ounce was only $14.95...saving you $3.03 when the larger size ispurchased. I can only make 32 ounces of product at a time. Only2 of the 16 ounce bottle or 4 of the 8 ounce. 16 ounce bottlesactually cost me more time and product to make. Add to that, having topurchase the additional bottles in the larger size, with additionalshipping charges and salon bottles required a separate sized shippingbox, along with larger product labels...

So my options were to increase BOTHsizes $4.00 OR drop the larger bottle. It felt fair to not increaseprices but drop, yes, one of my best selling products in an effort tokeep my prices steady for you.

I have gotten many many many emails andat Luxury Lane Soap there is a complete open door policy. You have adirect line to me all of the time, over multiple mediums and I am sohappy so many of you contacted me with questions. Not a single one ofyou was demanding or rude and I am glad to be in such excellentcompany.

I hope that answers everyone’squestions. Email me if it didn’t and I am happy to post edits here.

Side note...My days have been startingaround 5am and ending around 11pm. I have a serious sleepy right nowso I apologize for the my lack of kylee pep in this post...
♥Kylee

*Edited to add questions received...

Will you be dropping hair carescents to save money?

Fragrance options will NOT be shrinkingand if there are any changes it will be to expand the scentsavailable to you. I make my items fresh so it is never a problemswitching up fragrances. If you don't see an old favorite, I am happyto make it for you. I have around 300 fragrances right now so noadditional materials are required.

Will trial size bottles ever beavailable?

I have beenpromising this for months and I have finally found decently priced 1 ounce bottles! These will be limited edition until the bottles run out and then I will start looking for bottles again. Custom scents will not be offered at this size, sorry.

How about a solid shampoo?

Honestly, I havenever made one that I personally liked. My hair is longer than midback length and it is dang near impossible for ME to use a solid. >.<I am happy to begin working on one again, in a limited run, if youpromise to give me feedback. :D

Ring

2011-09-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

In regards to my last blog post I randomly put up forever ago...I am working on a massive discount weekend. That is what I was talking about announcing. I use Bigcartel for LuxuryLaneSoap.com and they developed the most kick butt coupon code system and I will be doing testing for what types of codes you all want. However, I am behind on that promotion at the moment as we get our Fall/Winter Limited Edition products up on the site. HOW IS IT ALMOST OCTOBER?! Bah!!

Making tons of candles today and experimenting with super low pouring temps. My place smells like an insane mixture of pumpkin, cinnamon and cake...YUUUUM! I always tend to focus on food smells in Fall. Now you know.

Local customers: I have been getting a huge amount of requests for mail order brochures and we finally have them complete and printed! There currently are three of them:

Best Sellers! Luxury Body Care
Fall/Winter Home Fragrance
Holiday 2011

We are doing free delivery within Sheldon and Primghar, IA right now to get a feel for how this is going to work. If demand is as high as we are anticipating, we will be looking into buying a store front come summer 2012. Yay!!

I think that is about it for today...

I actually jumped on the blog to talk about how my phone phobia is making work extremely difficult...but business updates came out instead. Go figure.

LOVES!
-Kylee

I fail at blogging.

2011-09-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

...and that is why I am one of the very last people with a blogger account...Eventually we are shuffling ourselves over to Wordpress, but just like blogging itself, I doubt it will be anytime soon.

I was looking at some blogging stats and there are hundreds of people poking around in this blog daily. (Hi! *waves*) It hit me, I should probably add some content/updates/product info for you mighty fine blog readers to go crazy with! Woo! Party time!

Yeah...I've got nothing and need sleep. However, I do actually have a pretty awesome announcement tomorrow that, hopefully, will make you love me more. ♥
-Kylee

(This was me attempting to just sit down and freestyle blog, whatever that means...)

What do you want?

2011-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Create a WANT list by adding any item from anywhere on the web and have your friends and family contribute to it!" -The WANT List

Yesterday I was contacted by Greg Links (Vice President of Sales for shareabill.com) and I was introduced to the WANT button...You can check it out in detail over HERE.

After reading every possible thing I could find AND asking Mr. Links a few very blunt questions about what this is really all about, I have got to say, I am impressed. I am very cynical when it comes to anything involving a company pushing a product or service...so it is rare I am genuinely impressed.

I had issues coding the button into my site, I was helped right away. I asked questions and I got good answers. To the point and without a bunch of self fluff. Helpful and honest. +10 for Greg Links.

Anyway. Now this button is integrated into LuxuryLaneSoap.com and I want to know what YOU think. Social shopping and networking and media and marketing...it seems like there is a "button" for everything. Do product pages look to bloated? Do you think a want button is even useful? I do see great potential for this program when it comes to wedding/baby/holiday/birthday wish lists...

You can visit any product page on my website and you will see the "Want" button directly under the "Add To Cart" button. You can also see the "want" button in action over on Sharperimage.com.

So I call on you, my friends and customers overflowing with awesome...what do you think?
♥

The move! Dun dun duuuuun......

2011-06-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

FINALLY this past weekend we started getting our boxes hauled over to the new place. Wait wait. Not the new place per say....

Those who have been following me on twitter for the past year know that we have been trying to buy a house. We found one last September and have been saving every last freaking penny we have for this place. Rory found a second job just to put his entire check into savings. Luxury Lane Soap has been paying the bills and feeding us. Team work FTW.

Fast forward through many bank appointments and a lot of learning and question asking, going through excitement as we were approved for everything, about to sign for the loan and then sadness when lenders decided they weren't comfortable with the property. Rinse and repeat many, many times and this is where we are.

Thank goodness the sellers of our future home are SO AMAZING and they are willing to wait until we find a bank that works for everyone. The thing is, this property is like non other in our entire county. It is almost 100 years old and a brick fortress. The land around the house could be used to build two or three new homes, which would be much more profitable for the banks and city, tax wise. Regardless, we are $35,000 short and we need to sell our house in Primghar...fast.

My point....In order to get the house sold we need to be out of it. So were do we live? We are moving to the apartment above the garage in the back yard of our future house. Did you get all of that? This will not be easy. The space is very tiny. (I will post a video of it later this week.) It will be cramped, claustrophobic and stressful. And, it embarrasses me.

And then it embarrasses me that I am embarrassed.

The next two months are going to be the hardest I think we have ever had to endure. I am not going to sit here and make a list of how frustrating this all is. Instead, I am going to redirect his blog while we move and keep recored of how this all pans out. For two reasons...

1. Nothing worth having comes easy. I am at the point where most people stop. The comfort level has been surpassed. If I can do this YOU can do this. I hope to inspire at least one of you to go that extra mile and achieve whatever it is you are trying to reach.

2. I want a personal record of this moment. This is something pivotal. It isn't just buying a house anymore. As a family, we are becoming something more.

It may sound overly cliche'...but this just feels like one of those things you want some sort of record of, you know?

I am working on getting a wordpress blog all figured out so I can keep everyone updated about what is going on personally, and with the business. I love you Blogger, but I have outgrown you.

And on that note, I want to let everyone know that if I seem a little bit gone this week it is because I will be making/shipping orders during the day and packing/moving at night. ♥

Stay tuned as I get my ideas in better form and keep your eyes open for a new blog layout this week. :D I really just wanted to give you all a heads up and thank you SO very much for being a part of this. Like I have said a bazillion times before this, my business has become a success because of YOUR support. You shower me in an abundance of love. Seriously. Thank you.

This is where I make some grand exit.That works. ♥

Summer is Here!

2011-06-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Summer is usually when cute and clever take over Luxury Lane Soap, as apposed to the ever ruling intricate and exclusive. Why? Well, with my kids out of school for the summer, I get a lot of pressure from these two to make "FUN!" kid friendly soaps for tub time. This works in my favor as they will hang out in the bath for literally HOURS "testing" soap for me. It is SO hot right now in the Midwest that the bathtub has just become the swimming pool...Oh to be young again...

Also, we have switched formulas over here and now ALL Of our Gentle Glycerin Soaps are organic!
Previous ingredients:
Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Sorbitan Oleate, Soybean Protein, Certified Pure Essential Oils, Non-Phthalate Fragrance & Color.

New Ingredients:
Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Palm Oil, Glycerin (vegetable origin), Purified Water, Sorbitol (from berries, moisturizer), Sorbitan Oleate (botanically sourced emulsifier), Soybean Protein, Certified Pure Essential Oils and Non-Phthalate Fragrance.

With ingredients like Olive and Safflower oil cut out and the organic ingredients bumped up, the result is a completely pure and gentle soap. I can not bring myself to just through away my already printed labels (I don't have that many, just a few) so you many receive a soap with the previous ingredients. I have linked all of the products to the new ingredients on the site, so know, you are getting the organic formulas. Do not hesitate to shoot me an email if any of that doesn't make sense. ♥

So, on to the bribe! Win a Summer Prize Pack from LuxuryLaneSoap.com which includes our new Caffeinated Night Owl AND a Bubble Bear, plus many more surprises!

All you need to do is visit LuxuryLaneSoap.com and post your favorite ice cream flavor as a comment on the Luxury Lane Soap FB fan page.

That's it! Really! :D While you you are over there, feel free to give Luxury Lane Soap a quick "like" and I will be your best friend forever, but it is not required to win.

Terms & Conditions: Giveaway open to USA residents only. Prize(s) must be claimed within 10 days. Fun starts today: Wednesday June 8th 2011 and ends Monday June 13th. Winner randomly selected (as always) by random.org

Monday Mini Feature

2011-06-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

IPhone 4 Microscope Lens

Product Features

The lens measures approx 3.7 cm x 4 cm x 1.7 cm
Includes a special LED light designed for hallmark verification and a regular LED light
The Mini Microscope for iPhone 4 is a lens adapter for your phone that magnifies 60x!
Lights are powered by 3 x cell batteries (included)

And I want it. Thanks to @Geekleestis t for finding more awesome that I have to have...
♥

Giveaway Time! (aka...Sorry I have been gone for so long...)

2011-06-01T05:30:00.001-07:00

Giveaway is closed. Congratulations to our winners ♥

As we get ready to move into our new studio and now that the kids are finally out of school, the Come Clean blog has been seriously neglected. Really, the only way to apologize for this is to do a giveaway. That and I am SERIOUSLY thankful for all of the support you have given me while I run around trying to get things in order for all of the big changes ahead. ♥

I have FIVE super sweet Soapstache soaps scented Olden Times Lemonade all wrapped and ready for new homes. Be the very first to have that glorious mustache feeling, without paying for it.

All you need to do is visit LuxuryLaneSoap.com and pick out your favorite TWO products and post your choices as a comment on the Luxury Lane Soap FB fan page.

That's it! Really! :D Do feel free to give Luxury Lane Soap a quick "like" as I am still pretty new over there, but it is not required to win.

I am clearing out a couple of designs to make way for a plethora of awesome and I want to be sure your favorites are locked in tight.

And...you want to watch this RIGHT NOW....Yes, it is very possible I made a mustache soap simply to be able to reference my most favorite episode of The Tick for the rest of my life.

Terms & Conditions: Giveaway open to USA residents only. Prize(s) must be claimed within 10 days. Fun starts today: Wednesday June 1st 2011 and ends Friday June 3rd. Winner randomly selected (as always) by random.org

First Quarter Recap...i.e...Longest Post Ever...

2011-03-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

Our first quarter is almost up and there has been a lot going on over here. ♥

New Site Design
A few weeks back I thought I would code a quick string of HTML, for I don't even remember what, and exploded my entire site. LuxuryLaneSoap.com was down for ten solid hours while I sat and pretended to learn CSS...After much reading and cussing, I was able to revamp and redesign LuxuryLaneSoap.com to its current version. If you haven't seen it yet, give it a quick look and do let me know if you catch any mistakes here and there. All cart systems, security and links check out...so basically I am asking if I made any major spelling errors...

New Products
First of the year sales are always pretty low. With the Holidays just getting over and taxes being...well the hell that they are...luxury soap products do not tend to be high on purchase lists. However, this opens up a little breathing room to create new products resulting in a record breaking quarter for product development! Unicorn Carousel Soap, ThunderSoap, Alliance Ration Bar, Vintage Shaving Soap, Pure Clean Whipped Moisture, Dreamsicle Delight, Lip Lovin' Butter Balm

New Newsletter
Finally! Keep up to date with all that is new at LuxuryLaneSoap.com and get sneak peeks at what is cooking in the Lane Laboratory. You can also look forward to mini tutorials from our very resourceful, yet lacking tweeter, @Rory_Lane. You can subscribe right HERE.

New Location
Luxury Lane Soap will be moving this summer! After almost half a year of searching for the right location, a new home has been found! With space to breath and room to stretch, you can look forward to a huge boom in development and production in our second half of 2011. I am currently mulling the idea of having an epic summer slumber party to thank all of you for your continued support and constant encouragement. Ideas? Shoot me an email!

What's Coming Up?
Our second quarter is going to be an interesting one... Trying to shift locations while keeping up sales is going to be intense. I mentioned earlier that I will be bumping up the marketing on twitter, facebook and tumblr to help make up the sales I may lose not being online full time. This does NOT equate SPAM. It means I am shifting to more open involvement, sharing pictures of what I am making and how it is made. If I can't sit at the computer and tweet with you all, then I am bringing you all to work with me.

More Variety
I have received a few emails stating that while the Vintage Push Up Shave Soap formula is wonderful/amazing/superb, the packaging tends to be a bit frustrating for everyday use and large area shaving. I agree it its harder to use for an entire leg, though it does work wonderfully for under arms and customers have also mentioned the size and shape is perfect for beard touch ups and travel. So, I will not be discontinuing this product for all of you who have fallen madly in love and for those looking for something larger, expect to see an additional version early second quarter.

Product Rename
Ultra Rich Organic Soap has been changed to Vegan Organics. Why? A few reasons. Firstly, it is shorter. With the new website layout, long product titles look sloppy. Secondly, you would not believe the amount of emails I receive daily asking if my soap is vegan. Yes. Yes it is. It always has been and it always will be. Do I use organic ingredients? Same answer. Yes. What about sustainable vegan organic ingredients? *nods* Yup. Sure do. "Vegan" and "Organic" and "Natural" are all heavily used buzz words nowadays and honestly, I appreciate customers who research where their products are coming from. Many companies are attaching these words to chemical crap and Luxury Lane Soap means to redefine what you expect from a high quality, natural soap.

One Last Thing...Really.
Thank you. ♥

What's happening at Luxury Lane Soap?

2011-03-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of months things like blog posts, product development, hanging out and hugging has been sporadic and minimal...How come?

The house I wrote about back in October of last year? (What happened with house hunting) We cussing signed on that baby this week!! After months and months of trying to see if we could even afford a new location for our family and the business...our signatures are finally down on that magical piece of paper they call a contract.

After looking and looking for a building for Luxury Lane Soap and a separate house for us and the kids, we stumbled across a property that will combine both!! A historical mansion built in 1917...Yeah. I just said that. While searching and searching the internet for historical information on this house, we crossed this listing: Fairhill

The listing in the link above is pretty old and it isn't even linked from the original realtor's site, but you get a pretty good idea. The square footage listed is wrong and doesn't include the 990 square foot ballroom on the third floor or full basement. (YES! BALLROOM! W/ original bandstand!) That is the new Luxury Lane Soap location! A full floor to create and grow the business! FINALLY! For the last year, since Soap in Carbonite went viral, we have converted our current kitchen and dinning room into a production and shipping facility. We haven't even been able to sit down at a table together, as a family, since last summer...

We have worked so hard for this and it is finally happening, for reals! We still have thirteen more weeks until our possession date and we are in the process of selling our current home (2 story, three bedroom, 1.5 bath...interested?) So we have a crazy few months ahead of us for sure...

Unfortunately, this also means I am going to have to cut my convention tour short. I will be at StarFest this year and either GenCon or DragonCon. Though my prime goal for Fall this year is to get over to Indy to see the new Karpiuk baby! *SO EXCITED* However, I will not be joining everyone for SDCC this year. This is where I met so many of you, and having gone a full year as a friends "IRL," I really wanted to be able to connect again this summer. ANY and ALL of you are more than welcome to hop over here and help us move in June, if you'd like. :D SLUMBER PARTAY!

And for the mushy part, your favorite part... Honestly, THIS could not have happened for us without you guys. I can not even begin to express what that means to me. You all helped Luxury Lane Soap take over the internet. Really. I can't even put it into words proper like. This
is what we do for a living, we make soap. From product conception (heehee) to development to debut, you all support what we do from start to finish.

Thank you.

Our first step is to get marketing ramped up which means I will be posting more product links

and generally keeping my twitter stream business related. (But not totally *wink*) I need as much help as possible these next few months spreading the word of Luxury Lane Soap! Without convention income, we will be solely depending on online sales.

Also!! I wanted to ask all of you who have tweeted pictures of your orders, if you could be mega awesome and start getting them on the Luxury Lane Soap FB page either directly, emailing them to me or by tagging us in them. I am going to move some over that I have and if they are ones you took, please feel free to tag yourself in them!! ♥

So yes. New house, business expansion and I love you. THIS BIG! Really. I will keep everyone updated on our progress with the house as much as possible. On a personal level and business level, you are all a huge part of this and I send out mega squeezes.

Back of the house

Two Story Cottage

Inside!

Coming clean on the Alliance Soap Bar!

2011-02-20T20:23:00.000-08:00

More and more Luxury Lane Soap is becoming known for our extreme attention to detail. Just like with the Companion Cube Soap we built I wanted to give you all a little insight into the process of what it takes to make a positive for us to then cast. Best part?? This entire piece was built with things we had lying around the house!!

The first step was to construct a model to make the mold from. The measurements of the original were scaled down to 75% to make it more practical as a bar of soap. Wood was used for the bulk of the model, and the detailing on the face were added to that. The block of wood was cut to size and then passed through a table saw set at a 17 degree angle several times to make the beveled sides.The design on the front of the bar was sourced from the internet with some changes made to reflect accuracy to screencaps from the episode. The image was printed to card stock twice, one with the first layer cutouts made, and the second on top of that to complete the image. Double sided tape was used to adhere them to the wood block.

The model was then sprayed with lacquer primer to seal it. This also helped to highlight areas that needed some work, mainly chips in the sides and along the wood to card stock transition.
Red spot putty was used to fill problem areas, and sanded down smooth using 1000 grit sandpaper and water.
The model was then sprayed with one more coat of primer, before being sprayed with flat black paint to give the whole thing an even matte finish. The finish texture is important because it will transfer over to the mold.

After we finally have our piece to mold from, it is then on to color matching, formula testing, fragrance development, product descriptions and photography. SO WORTH IT!

We would love to hear what you think in the comments below! You can find our brand new Alliance Soap Bar right here! ♥♥♥

Ink Me

2011-02-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

I HATE the word *ink* but use it all the time. #personalFAIL

Twitter usually fuels the subjects I blog about. Today was no different. Today, class, we are going to come clean on the subject of tattoos.

While poking around on iGeektrooper.com I came across the most awesome cookies ever, made by @geeksweettweets. While reading the Geek Sweets Blog I ran into these sweet freaking Irish Whiskey cupcakes which then lead me to mocupcakes.com. There I saw hamburger cupcakes and immediately tweeted at my internet crush •GEEK•LEE•TIST• that him and I needed matching hamburger cupcake ink. From there the ball was rolling and I have been talking ink with people all day. However, I have also dealt with some punks on the subject...

Let me make it very clear that this is NOT a rant blog. Just prefacing my next paragraph...

The Dms started rolling in...WHY would you get a hamburger tattoo? Are you crazy? Why would you get a matching tattoo with an internet crush? How could you do this to your body? AHHH!

blink blink

I then took a nap.

After waking up, I find that my good 'net friends are STILL talking about ink! This pleases me. I enjoy my friends on the internet. However, DM haters are always gonna hate.

I have A LOT of tattoos. I post a fair amount of them in this flicker album. (#vain) Though I haven’t updated these pictures for almost a year...You will see that I do indeed have some random tattoos.

Why? Shouldn't something you put on your body have some grand, epic, undying meaning? Shouldn’t it have years of thought behind it? For some people, yes. For me, no.

I put on my body what inspires me at that time in my life. I enjoy living in the moment. When I look at my tattoos I see page markers. Things that make me smile.

In 2010, most of my ink was Star Trek related. I spent that entire year of my life watching every single episode of Star Trek with my husband and kids. (TOS to DS9, in order, as most of you already know. #BraggingRights) Hours and hours of my life spent falling in love all over again with Star Trek and watching my babies experience all of that Trek, for the very first time, with wide eyes. In twenty years when I see that ink I will think, hot damn, what a great year.

When I got the tattoos, they were VERY spontaneous. Usually when I have an idea, I have it put on me with in 48 hrs. Thank goodness I (now) have an amazing artist who thinks the way I think.

From safety pops on my shoulder to a six inch hello kitty on my chest to confessing my love for Boba Fett, everything on my body has been very spontaneous, but that is how I live. Joy inducing tattoos are not any less valid to me.♥

I do have the most 80's metal dragon on my leg and sigh yes, I have flames on my arm... THAT was an interesting year...

What do YOU have? What do you want? Share share share in the comments below!!

It's just that time of year...

2010-12-07T06:20:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! Wanted to get an update up here since I have been MIA these past couple of days. (Trying to get to emails as fast as possible!)

After an explosive sales week, Luxury Lane Soap has hit record highs and we (@Rory_Lane and I...) are literally working around the clock making these orders fresh for you. Currently we are about 72 hrs behind shipping schedule. If you have ANY questions at all about your order, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will get get to you as soon as possible. ♥ I will NOT be charging extra for rush shipping. If you need your order this minute, I completely understand. Just let me know. And a huge thank you for your understanding.

Now that the business part of this is out of the way...I have a couple of personal things going on which are adding to the delay...

My son has pneumonia and his needs come first. He had been sick off and on for a few weeks and as soon as it seemed he had it under control, his temperature would shoot back up to 102. My Dad is here with us helping take care of Trent so that we can work, but PLEASE understand, if my little boy is crying for me to hold him, you are going to have to wait an extra day to get your order. There is no other way for me to put that.

This is another reason why I am not charging extra for rush shipping. It is my responsibility to get these orders to you and I will.

Annnnd, today is my birthday! AND GIANT SQUEEZE for all of the love you guys have been sending me over twitter/email/text/facebook! I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally but I am just being slammed with life right now. (Read above...) It means a lot to me that you have taken the time to wish me a happy birthday. Really. ♥♥♥

So...like always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you have about your order status or to simply tell me you think I am great. ♥ Hope everyopne is staying afloat and having a great Holiday season!!

xoxo

Give them what they want. ♥

2010-11-04T07:48:00.000-07:00

Conditioner!!!! For your hair...

I make shampoo and the the best part about my job is being able to create and develop products...so it only seems natural that I would also make a conditioner, right? Well, I have. I do. I just don't sell or market it. Why? Honestly, I didn't think anyone would be interested in it. Ooooh buckets, was I wrong!

Last night on Twitter I was completely overwhelmed with friends asking, no, BEGGING, me to make them a hair conditioner. (WITH THESE HANDS!...sorry. That was for @geeksoap)

As a result, today I have the pleasure of presenting to you my newest creation. Crème Conditioner.

Let me tell you a little secret about commercial conditioners (the stuff you buy in drug stores and grocery stores). The more you use those conditioners, the more you need to keep using them. *gasp* How can that be you ask?! Commercial conditioners contain a product called silicone, creating a short term illusion that the quality of our hair has improved with that artificial slick you feel once it is rinsed from your hair. However, when used over time, silicone-based hair products coat the hair shaft and seal out moisture, possibly clogging the hair follicles. Hair can become flat and greasy with build-up or dry and straw like with a lack of moisture. So, the more you use, the more you think you need.

My Crème Conditioner is different in that it contains none of the typical fillers and junk which cause this repetitive use more/buy more cycle, giving your hair a chance to actually heal and improve. When you use it, the first thing you will notice is how it doesn't just sit on top of your hair, it actually soaks in, providing actual protection and replenishment of natural oils that mimic what's in your hair already.

So? What's in it?

Spring Water, Organic Jojoba Oil (non-greasy, promotes a healthy scalp and treats coarse, frizzy or damaged hair), Palmityl Alcohol (natural pressed, from palm oil), Cocoa Butter (to moisten hair and detangle, gives conditioner its creamy base), Dimethyl Stearamine (non-toxic anti-static), Lactic Acid (environmentally safe anti-bacterial agent) and Certified Pure Essential Oils.

How is THAT for a pure conditioner? I want testers for my Crème Conditioner! Why? Because it is the next generation of conditioners and I sincerely value your option. Since the community gave me the push to finally get this product out there, I want you guys to try it first.♥

So, if you want to give it a try, please leave a comment here and then shoot me an email (LuxuryLaneSoap@gmail.com) with "CONDITIONER" in the subject, providing me with your name/shipping address, and please let me now which scent you would like to try, Pumpkin Cupcake, Raspberry Lemonade, Sensual Sandalwood or Jack. That's it.

I only have about 40 samples and it is completely first-come, first-served. Also, I would love you forever if you email me your feedback (both positive AND negative are appreciated!) after you give it a try. ♥

Customer Service

2010-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

As a shopper, the most important factor to me, aside from product quality, is customer service. I will spend more of my hard-earned monies for good service. (Yes, I am the jerk who will not tip my waiter unless my glass stays full. However, I will tip triple for good service. )

"If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends.
If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends."
-Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com

Think about that for just a second. Customer service (henceforth "CS" because I'm cool like that) can either grow or completely destroy a business. You would think the chances of crossing bad CS would never happen...but it does. Especially online, where it is so easy to ignore our customers.

Fun personal facts about me: I have obsessive compulsive disorder, severe anxiety, paranoia and minor hallucinations. I'm so anxious I can't even talk on the phone. My voice mail is full so people can't leave a message. I hate getting dressed. I have to have strangers take care of me when I travel.

So how in the hell do I have a growing business with supreme customer service and a record for over five years now of 100% positive feedback?

Honesty.

Yup. That is pretty much it. Well that, and the fact that I actually care about what I do.

I just asked on twitter:
"Hey everyone! I am writing a blog about customer service....what does CS mean to YOU?! I would like to feature some of your quotes!"

Replies! (A good sign, and proof, CS DOES mean something to people...)

"CS is having it successfully explained to me politely that what I DON'T want IS best for me." -@WilliamPall

I like this. When I worked in retail I would be candidly honest with customers. It's true. Don't ever try to sell something to someone when it is not in THEIR best interest.

"CS is supposed to be about the customer. But these days if you do get anywhere, it's like the company's doing you a favor." -@JoeShopping

Attitude. If someone is spending their money, investing in your business, you are NOT doing them a favor by giving great CS. You are doing your JOB.

"Customer service is 'The customer may not always be right but they are listened to and appreciated.'" -@vadersmom

The saying 'the customer is always right,' is wrong. This sounds harsh, but it is true. However, you bend over backwards to LISTEN to your customer. You give that customer 110% of your time AND understanding. Next, you appreciate your customer for even coming to you with a problem.

Which leads wonderfully into this next one...

"Empathy and sharing the responsibility of a negative experience of their product or service." -@MrDystopia

I'm going to repeat from above, you have got to listen to your customer. It is hard not taking it personally when someone comes to you with a bad experience, especially if they have a problem with something you made.

I mentioned my company has had 100% positive feedback. This does not mean that I have never had a problem. As my business has grown, I routinely deal with customers who may have been overlooked or received damaged or unsatisfactory products. I am only human. I do make mistakes. What matters is how I deal with these mistakes.

"I am always happy to resolve, refund & replace." The Luxury Lane Soap Guarantee

Me. Kylee Lane. I take responsibility for what I create and sale and I examine each and every situation individually. THAT'S what I expect out of every business I do, well, business with.

Now you can only sit here and read about how wonderful I am for so long, so I guess it would be a good time for me to make my point...

If you are a business owner, whether a small crafter or a large corporation, shut up and listen to your customers. Treat every person who crosses your path with respect and be honest. If you can't get an order out, or meet a deadline, be honest about it. That doesn't mean making excuses to buy yourself some time; it means you tell people what is going on. If you don't have passion for what you create, find a different job or simply make something else YOU LOVE.

After hounding @terrence_oleary for a quote, he indeed sums everything up wonderfully... "Customer Service - most important part of ANY business - so vital to exceed customer expectations - anticipate issues and be proactive..."

Big thanks and hugs to everyone who helped put this post together! ♥ Please feel free to share your CS experiences below. How could companies improve their services? What would you like to see business do for YOU?

Facebook...now what?

2010-10-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Luxury Lane Soap now has an *official* Facebook fan page. Woo yay! Much thanks to @geekwithsoul for making me get my bum in gear on the FB project...

So...now what do I do with it? In my last blog I had wrote about the need to expand and grow into the next phase of business and marketing. Facebook feels like part of the natural evolution of things (like ten years ago...) and I just want to make sure I am posting content that people (you!) find valuable and useful. I know the whole FB fan page thing is not new, or really even trendy anymore (or is it?) but I need a middle ground.

Honestly, this is the only analogy I can think of...It's late and I will probably edit this in the morning. ( I didn't...do enjoy my crazy talk...)

Twitter is like dating. You meet some crazy people and some really nice people and some really nice crazy people. You develop friendships...and sometimes you just have to click block.

Blogging is like being married. It feels lasting. Solid. It is your home, a place you feel comfy, a place that is yours. Annnd sometimes the mere thought of blogging gives you a headache.

Facebook has more commitment than tweeting but less than blogging. A good middle ground to run around and play. Like going out for lunch with your Mom...wait...more like playing volley ball with a group of friends...no, that's not it either...Facebook is a place where we all pay our own tabs. We aren't having constant chit chat, and we aren't spending paragraphs making a point...We are visiting and saying hello.

Did I nail it? Does that sound right?

So, what do YOU want to see on the new Luxury Lane Soap fan page? I do plan on linking press throwbacks and giving shout outs to the people who helped me grow. I am still in awe of the world wide support and can never say thank you enough. Ever. (What? You thought you were going to get through an entire blog with out me getting mushy??)

I also plan on featuring new products as they arrive to the shop. I know a lot of you follow me on twitter, read my blog AND already follow my personal FB AND business fan page (+10 for the creepy stalkers!!) and I just don't want to overload you with repetitive information.

Suggestions? How in the world to people manage all of these things without being rude and while keeping things...personal and meaningful?
♥

What happened with house hunting?

2010-10-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

While chatting on Twitter, it was brought to my attention that people were actually paying attention while @Rory_Lane and I were trying to buy a house to expand Luxury Lane Soap....So what happened?

We lost the house we signed contracts on to a cash buyer. I cried. We kept on looking. (Yes, we *might* have been able to fight it, but when it comes right down to it, that house just wasn't meant for us.)

So, completely by chance, my neighbor stopped by while I was shooting some product pictures and one comment led to another. There was a house meant for us. It was actually waiting for us.

And that's all I am going to tell you about this house because, very much like me, it is different. It is also out of our price range. However, after meeting the current owners, seeing the house and having that feeling that we belong...Ok Ok, before I get mushy and cliche' I just want to point out that I make decisions based on air. Really. If you have ever gone house hunting, you know that feeling of when you walk into a new house and your gut feels something. I felt something in this house. A good something. A happy something.

We had always planned on having a middle house, and THEN buying land and building a home. Not with this place. This is the first property I have ever looked at and wanted to grow old in. This is were I want to be for the rest of my life.

Yup. It is that serious.

Out of my price range? Yup. Kids are in the middle of the school year. I'm just jumping into my prime selling season...Clearly, this is not the time to buy a house. BUT the sellers are so cussing awesome they are willing to wait until next Spring for us. THAT, that right there, see, my house was waiting for me.

That is also the first time I have called it MY house, because it isn't my house. Not yet. And I wont dare say it out loud. I won't post pictures of it and I wont even tell you were it is. But when I get it, you are all invited over for a HUGE slumber party. I kid you not.

The facts. Luxury Lane Soap HAS to double sales in order to move. I have to push my company to the next level. I'm ready, and what better time? So, I also need to step up my marketing, which means more product tweets and NEW products! Growth.

"I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb." Thomas Edison

I have failed a lot. A lot. In life, in business...All of my failures have been preparing me for this. And, if I don't get this house, guess what? It is only prepping me for my next success. #fact

What does this mean for YOU? Well, aside from spending the past few minutes of your life reading my hopeful blog post...

1. More product tweets in my twitter feed. (I have also changed my background to showcase products and my twitter name to Luxury Lane Soap, but my tweets are STILL @KyleeLane)

2. More blog posts. As much as my business is business, I will be posting more personal blogs (like this post) because there is no reason not to share the trials and tribulations of being the CEO of a growing home based business.

3. MORE PRODUCTS! Woo! Currently, the Luxury Lane Soap catalog holds over 62 products along with various scent and color combinations. This is going to grow weekly. Really.

4. More side projects and websites....Oh yeah baby, I don't mess around with expansion.

With all of this, I want YOU to know that I am not going to become one giant commercial. I don't even watch TV because I cussing haaaaate commercials...But there will be a few changes. Also, NEVER, EVER feel pressured to promote Luxury Lane Soap. I love you regardless. #fact.

So if I am not here to pressure you to go crazy and buy my soap, what was this post all about? Well first off, yes, I will love you more if you pass along the good word, but my point is...I have a huge goal and I am going to rock the CUSS out of it. Watch me. ♥
*squeeze*

Get your grab on...

2010-10-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for breast cancer in the US
* About 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women
* About 54,010 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be found (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
* About 39,840 deaths from breast cancer (women)
Last Revised: 09/24/2010 -The American Cancer Society

It is #BoobieWed on Twitter today and while I was getting ready to get up my squeezy avatar and link to my past blog where this all originated, I realized it has been over a year!!

Breast cancer is real.
"Then I think of all off the women, my grandmother included, who need attention brought to this cause (breast cancer awareness). I think of myself and my daughter (and son!) who merely through genetics, may one day battle this disease. All of a sudden being anonymous is no longer an issue! So, this proud Mommy, Daughter, Sister and Friend has decided to take and post a picture of her chest..." <---I said that a year ago!!

And many pictures I have taken!

What's my point? Breast cancer is real, it is serious and it kills. I proudly post a weekly photo asking, demanding, everyone check themselves and their friends. EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES.

#Fact There is a 97%, 5-year survival rate when breast cancer is caught before it spreads to other parts of the body. -Breast Health Resource Guide

It is Wednesday. Make Wednesday YOUR day to give yourself a quick squeeze.
Not sure how to preform a self exam? Here you go!
Breast awareness and self-exam via The American Cancer Society

The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 35. Breast cancer death rates have been going down. This is probably the result of finding the cancer earlier and better treatment. Right now there are more than 2½ million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

*squeeze*

An idea...

2010-10-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I posted about the joy of invention. Making mistakes into something more. It only seems fitting to end the week on a similar note.

Today I released the Companion Cube Soap. *gasp* I know. Stunning.

I really want to thank everyone who RT'd and sent love for my new soapy creation. Honestly though, all credit goes to my production leader, Rory Lane. (Who, btw, FINALLY has a twitter! @Rory_Lane. Give him a follow. He is awkward and hilarious.)

The Companion Cube was an idea we both had and became very excited over, but I knew I wouldn't have the patience to do it with such....well, I wouldn't have had the patience. Period.

The production of this piece was very slow (and at times extremely annoying...). It began with nothing more than a simple 2x2 inch wood block. That's it. From there, my husband was able to turn this basic shape into a marvelous work of art.

Wood, foam, primer, glue and lots of sanding...

The basic design is formed!

Regretfully, I didnt take enough pictures...I do have a business to run...

This is the actual final product which was molded.

We tried two different types of molding before a technique was found that worked to our liking and which stood up to our standards of product perfection. After the mold was finalized, next color matching and soap formulas had to be created and followed with fragrance testing. (My favorite part!!)

After many moons, weeks, and months, our creation is now ALIVE!

It is such a wonderful feeling watching something being built from the ground up. Making something like this is no easy task and not for the weak, BUT SO WORTH IT! Really, anything I say is going to sound cliche'...

So. I want to know one thing YOU have created. Anything. What have you made that makes you proud...or taught you a lesson? Anything. And if you have never ever made anything, go make something right now. Matter of fact, double extra points to anyone who feels inspired to create.

You need a bribe? Of course you do. ♥ (This is where I tell you I am going to give you something!)

Leave a comment on this post (with a contact email) telling me something you have made or want to make or are in the process of making and I will do a drawing for one winner to receive TWO Companion Cube Soaps. I will announce a winner Friday, October 22nd, during the #FF love fest on Twitter and tell everyone how awesome you are.

♥♥♥ Want extra entries? You can 1.) Tweet about this giveaway and post a link to the tweet here and/or 2.) Tell me how much you love me.
******************************
And we have our winner!!!

Invention (Plus a giveaway!)

2010-10-11T09:16:00.001-07:00

As much as I hate making mistakes...I love them. (P.s. If you just want to skip to the bottom, that's where the giveaway info is. I promise, I still love you and your impatient ways.)

I am pretty sure my best work comes from trying to fix a problem -- often one I caused myself. If you recall the scrub incident, I couldn't get something right, and because I failed, I decided to try something different, and came back to it and kicked some ass and created something wonderful. (I am still so in love with the comments I am receiving about my Whipped Up Sugar Scrub...I love you guys!)

So what did I mess up tonight? I was working on a new line of perfume oils. A super-secret project I have been developing for months and I finally had the guts to just get it in gear. I take my fragrances VERY seriously. My ingredients, the purest of the pure...(organic oils are not cheap...) And while I was mixing some blends to send off for product testing, I knocked them over...*EXPLETIVE DELETED*

I watched my expensive formula pour across the counter. The essential oil blends I spent hours putting together...the fragrances I melded to not only smell wonderful, but to embody real emotion....ugh...there they were, just oozing across my sterile counter.

I cussed, as I always do. Roared the 'f' word and scared the crap out of everyone in my house. Next, there was a brief moment of silence... and I swiped my hand through the potion and put it in my hair. What? I wasn't going to waste it. I slowly started to roll the ends of my hair between my palms, in the fusion of organics and botanicals and to my surprise it wasn't greasy! (Now, little lesson here, the base use is Jojoba oil, which happens to be a wax, not an oil. The chemical composition of jojoba closely resembles that of the skin’s natural sebum, so it is easily absorbed...)

Anyway. My hair is softer than it has ever been before. I treat my hair like crap, having dyed it every color possible and I cut it myself so I will go months and months without trimming my ends. I coat it in chemical serums just to get it to behave and yank hot irons through it just to get the false appearance of smoothness. Well, now all I am ever going to do is put natural perfume oil in it...

My point? While trying to create one thing, I created another. I would have never thought to make or even try a hair oil like that. I was making epically awesome perfume oils...not a natural smoothing serum.

And while I sit here all yummy smelling, I was thinking to myself about how neat it is to just simply create. Yes, it is pretty freaking cool to set out with a purpose and rock the house, but to accidentally make something and have it turn out so well? Bliss. I could have just wiped up my mess and went on my way but my natural response was, "What's next? Now what can I make?"

I know so many people who do really fantastic things but they are afraid of messing up. Don't be. The power behind invention is that we don't know the problems we can solve unless we find ourselves faced with the problem in the first place.

I know it sounds dramatic, considering all I did was knock over some oil...but it is the idea, the scale. Take something tiny like this and put the theory to something larger. The possibilities are phenomenal.

♥♥♥ I want YOU to try my new perfume for free so I am going to do another giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post with an email to reach you at and *poof* you will be added to the drawing for your choice Botanical Perfume Oil! I will announce a winner on Friday, October 15th ♥♥♥ Want extra entries? You can 1.) Tweet about this giveaway and post a link to the tweet here and/or 2.) Tell me how much you love me.
*******************************************************
We have out winner! Comment number 8!
pushbuttonkitty !!
*dances* Congrats lovely!

Hemp Bath

2010-09-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Brand spanking new! *spank* Hemp Bath!

Hemp Bath first debuted Jul 23, 2009 on Etsy.com with wonderful response from the crafting community and public! 100% positive feedback with over 400 sales in only a few months! I sadly had to close down Hemp Bath due to Etsy fees climbing and so I could focus on expanding Luxury Lane Soap for the new year...

2010 has been more than phenomenal. I can't say it enough. I can not thank everyone enough for their support and input. Through this boost in traffic and exposure, I feel confident re opening my very first sub division. ♥

How is Hemp Bath different? After developing and perfecting three essential products, Gentle Hemp oil Soap, Hemp Silk Shampoo and Hemp Satin Body Cream, I have then been able to focus primarily on my fragrance blends. One of my most FAVORITE things to do is hand blend scents. I *see* fragrances. When I smell something my head fills with swirls of color and vibrant imagery. Synesthesia much?

Hemp Bath is an outlet for me to take what I love (again!) and turn it into something new and different. I have a Product Information page which goes into detail about the three avaiable skin care formulas and from there you get to jump right into choosing your scent! From Aquatic to Earthy, I have covered every angle on the scent wheel and only plan on expanding my blending abilities!

Hemp Bath is very different from Luxury Lane Soap in that I am tapping into a different part of myself. Luxry Lane Soap is very visually based, a place where I can perfect my molding techniques, I can work my hands at organic cold process products and I can offer something for everyone. From every member in the family to all of your friends!

Hemp Bath is something new in that it focuses on the individual. On YOU. Reading scent descriptions, layering different scents to produce your own individual tastes, exploring complex blends to single notes, it is 100% based on what you want.

So, why Hemp Oil for body care?: "With regular use, Hemp Oil can help slow down the effects of skin aging, while reducing skin discomfort by soothing and restoring dry or damaged skin. Leaving the skin smooth and moisturized, it as been shown to relieve the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis and even acne.
These healing enzymes and vitamins can be absorbed directly into the skin to replenish missing oils, without leaving a greasy residue."

Looking for even more information? I am working on a Hemp Bath FAQ! Any questions you have that aren't yet answered? Do let me know and I can add information right away.

As with Luxury Lane Soap, I want to develop Hemp Bath around my friends and customers! ANY suggestions, any scent blends you are looking for, anything, do not hesitate to ask. ♥

Thank you for your continued support. For your love, your tweets, your high fives and for reading my mushy blog. *squeeeeeze*

Pumpkin Cupcake Whipped Up Sugar Scrub

2010-09-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

"We don't have mistakes here, we just have happy accidents" - Bob Ross

While trying to develop a scrub for my beloved Numbers Geek, Kathy, I began experimenting....for weeks...and months...finally when I thought I had found the perfect recipe, I...failed! *gasp*...and then I immediately threw four pounds of product on the floor...and then cussed...and then went and pouted in my bedroom. True story.

An hour later, I had an epiphany! My Whipped Soap Frosting! My prize Pumpkin Cupcake scent! Organic sugar, pure unrefined botanicals!! Ahhh! Mix mix mix... *lighting bolts* *me crying out "LIVE!"*

*silence* *SQUEEE* ...Just ask @geekwithsoul ...I am THRILLED about this product. ♥

Heck freakin' YEAH! I had finally done it! The most delightful, clean-rinsing, moisturizing body scrub EVER!

"This luxurious sugar scrub is unlike any other you've tried! As an exfoliant, raw organic sugar combines wonderfully with the anti-oxidizing and healing properties of almond and avocado oils to provide unsurpassed, deep-skin hydration..." It's true. I am in love...

Not only that, but I ran out of 4-ounce jars, so this epic Pumpkin Cupcake Whipped Up Sugar Scrub comes to you in a limited, whopping 12-ounces!

I am seriously excited about this, and I want YOU to try it! I am giving away 2 jumbo travel jars to two lucky people! What do you have to do to win such a prize? Just leave a comment down below and I will randomly select a winner using one of those fancy random number generators. Oh the future...
********************************************************
UPDATE!
We have our winners! Number 7 and number 16!

Free Soap Friday! #CleanMe

2010-08-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog! Welcome back everyone! ♥ Now that we are all here....

I am giving away free soap! Really? Yes. Really. Last Friday I gave away 25 NES Controller Soaps without any process and thanks to @chibi_missy we now have a process!

So, how do you acquire said free soap? So very glad you asked!

Simply tweet a link with your favorite item from LuxuryLaneSoap.com and tell me WHY I should send you that item FOR FREE! ALSO (this is very important...) Please hash tag your tweet #CleanMe . Thats it! The top ten tweets will receive their item of choice!

You don't have to follow me on twitter, you don't have to @KyleeLane, you don't even have to like me (though you should, because I like you...) BUT I do accept bribes in the form of extreme flattering and undivided loyalty.

You can tweet as many items and as many times as you like! I am looking for fun, creative answers this time around. It IS Friday after all...I will even give you a tweet example!

"http://luxurylanesoap.bigcartel.com/product/boba-the-soap I want this because it would get me laid. #CleanMe" (Feel free to use URL shortening when posting links so you have more characters to be clever with)

I will be RTing your tweets all day Friday and DMing the winners! ♥ Ready...set...GO!

Luxury Lane Soap supports UberDork Cafe!

2010-07-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of the many great things about the magical interwebs is the ability to help and support people you've never met, but know better than your next door neighbors...

There have been many, many blogs going around with a common and reoccurring theme: Friendship and the common and overpowering appreciation for people simply paying it forward. This is how small little acts of kindness and goodwill lead to bigger and better good things, a snowball of *snugs* if you will. Even if you're stuck in a one-horse town (raises hand!), you can still help change the world by spreading that goodwill all across the globe and help reward with kindness and love those other folks out there doing the same thing.

Essentially, we are rebuilding ourselves through these blinky, bright lovable digital monsters sitting in front of us.

I need you to do me a HUGE favor. Click on this link ---> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/812334444/uberdork-cafe-a-dork-with-a-dream

Now you either:
A) Clicked on that link and got lost and may never make it back to this page because you are looking at an ad for a free toaster and you want to click it just to see what the deal is. You want to know how they are going to totally rip you off and what is the gimmick? The angle? What do they REALLY want from you? Or maybe it actually is a pretty sweet toaster. EIGHT slices of bread? Srsly?!

B) You made it back here and you are genuinely interested this time around.

The rest of this is written for Group B. Group A, You ROCK those toasters! (please fwd me the info...)

So, Group B. You want to know why I asked you here? Simple. I love my internet friend Natali. I have never met her face-to-face. I DO know she makes a sweet ass Yoda Cake and that her daughters love the heck out of their momma. She is intelligent and funny in ways I cant even express. (She can though, go check out her rocking blog!) I know these things about Natali. I know that if we knew each other IRL, we would take our kids bowling and be the cool group. Our kids would probably beat us at bowling...totally...I just beat my highest score of 44 with a 53. ...We would skate too. We would be besties.

Natali isn't the only one either...there are SO many people I would jump in my van and go see, right this second. And I could be myself. You know who you are., cause you listen to me rant about being crazy and you support me for the one moment when it all falls apart. You've never met me and you help me, thank you. Really :)

Dude. This is the longest blog I have ever written. Ever. I am NOT known for long ranty blogs. I hardly ever even finish a sentence...

What does this all mean? (because you know I always have a point!) Well, this all means Natali's dream is very important to me and I need you to help her out. Even a dollar brings her one tiny step closer. A LOT of us know that one teeny tiny step forward can sometimes be the difference between crashing or having your dream fulfilled. We also know that from every major crash, there is a larger and wiser dream built upon it.

So @KyleeLane asks YOU: Please help a sista out. My girl needs your monies and I am telling you she is legit.

If you cant help monetarily, spread the word! Tell your family, tell your friends, heck, tell your enemies and they might even mend their ways! Light one more fire with her dream. Plant the seed of an idea in our youth, sitting on the internet right now, linking and posted and reading...and educating themselves. Spread the word so that even IF Uberdork Cafe doesn't get built right away, even if it is an idea that floats away because we lose track of whats important, even if the worst happens, you know what? You will have passed along the IDEA that we all need to chase our dreams as often as we can and with as much love as we can muster! "IDEAS ARE BULLETPROOF" and who knows...someone may accidentally come across your blog through a link on Twitter, or a mini-feature you wrote, and then that idea is passed on and inspires others.

What we put out into the world, we pass on to our youth. What ideas are we leaving them? You know -- the ideas THEY will one day take and grow up and teach THEIR children. (Hopefully also passing along the idea that they want to take care of their awesome parents and give them cake and not put them in a nursing home...and never sell the OLD car because it will one day be worth a lot of money. Do not lose sight of the past.)

So wrapping all this up in a neat little package with a bow and lots of little hearts in it: As I stated at the beginning, each of us, no matter where we are, now have the ability to help those like-minded peeps who look to build a better world one ♥ or *snug* at a time. And we all have the ability to help those who want to take some of that geeky love and build something we can all touch and experience in the real world with it. Not to shut anyone out, not to say "Geeks Only, No One Else Allowed" but to set up the kind of place where all that great energy geeks have can be shared and grow.

Please. G33Kmade and Luxury Lane Soap support UberDork Cafe and we ask you, as one group of friends to the next, help Natali out and THANK YOU!!!!

+10 if you made it this far. You just earned the achievement "Make it through Kylee's Longest Blog Post EVER!" If we ever meet in person, I owe you a hug in real life. (heart)

The Price of Awesome

2010-06-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

You all know I love you right? And I'm completely overwhelmed by all the love that regularly comes my way. So, I'm going to try and make this as painless as possible and do it quick . . .

Soap in Carbonite just had a price increase! Current price: $9.95 / New price: $12.95

(peeks through fingers)

Laaaame! I know. Let me explain.

First the soap – while this soap is from a mold, it also has tons of hand-finished details and a hand-applied finish (ALWAYS done by yours truly *curtsy*). And the cost of my materials unfortunately isn't going down, so that's part of the price increase.

Secondly, within the last 8-weeks my life has changed dramatically. In a huge way. If you have been following this blog, you know what I am talking about. If not, please feel free to poke around. I read every single comment) In short, I am literally on the path to a whole lot of awesome. I do not have to get up to an alarm clock. I do not ever have to wear denim again. Isn't that everyone's goal? And while that's terrific, it also means some other changes . . .

I've had to actually HIRE people . . . both to help develop Luxury Lane Soap and to keep what I can of my sanity. A wise person told me (more than a few times) “Don't waste your time doing something someone else can do better than you.” … or something like that. Well, I am really really good at making soap. Not just that, but I know and understand how to manage my business well. I can't balance my check book, and meeting people IRL scares the crap out of me, but otherwise, I have found the thing I do best.

So with that being said, I've got more costs. I've got EMPLOYEES (still weirds me out). I pay people. I have storage facilities and bulk accounts! And honestly, there are somethings that become easier with higher volume, and this soap is NOT one of them.

So yes, Soap in Carbonite has gone up in price. I could have raised my prices all across the board, but instead I put it on the one product that is taking up soooo much of my time. (In a good way!) I have hand-detailed over 700 cussing gray soaps in the last 8 weeks. My whole business is growing, which absolutely thrills me! And I do not want to inhibit that growth, So, Mr. Soap in Carbonite, you got me into this and now you are going to earn your keep. ♥

To make up for the fact that you now need to give me more money, I am offering to make Soap in Carbonite cooler. Cooler? GASP! How is that even possible?! Well, let me tell you... I am now personally signing each and every soap, along with personally adding “frozen on dates* Yeah.

More awesome? Oh, you know it! I am hand-detailing each and every single one of these with not two, but THREE pigment depths. That means your soap has been created solely for you and is an individual piece of epic awesomeness. There will never be two pieces exactly alike. Ever. Like little Carbonite snowflakes :)

So in order to keep up with so much cool, I can only produce 75 each week. That. Is. It.

PLEASE NOTE: As most of you know by now, I am a HUGE sucker for people telling me how great I am, so if you really need one and I am sold out for the week, I will probably cave if you spend more than 7 seconds on an email and make your story good. I will have to make special requests during the weekend while my kids are screaming and pestering me for food, so I am going to charge you more. A rushed or special order will be charged an extra $15.00 w/ $5.00 shipping. When I work on the weekend I am giving up TNG time and I just finished the fifth season tonight and going into the sixth.

Please keep this in mind if you hunt me down and make a special request.

♥ Again. Thank you to the amazing people in my life who have helped me get to this point. From fan to friend on Twitter and to those people who put up with me never answering my phone or replying to emails. I love you. ♥

Honey?

2010-06-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

I want to make a honey soap.

While doing extensive research (Thank you Google...) I have come across many informative and beneficial articles....

" The fact is, researchers are turning up more and more new evidence of honey's medical benefits in all directions. The benefits of honey don't just stop at satisfying the palate; honey also offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing properties for our body and health, and amazing healing properties as a head-to-toe remedy, from eye conjunctivitis to athlete foot. Its powerful healing attributes have long been used thousands of years ago and known to promote healing for cuts, cure ailments and diseases, and correct health disorders for generations after generations..." -http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/

"Due to its qualities honey is widely used in different skin care products. It is used as a skin care product (for) centuries. Cleopatra used honey and milk for her bath to keep her looking youthful..." -http://www.skincareresourcecenter.com/honey-and-skin-care.html

"Honey is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are wonderful beauty aids that nourish the skin. Honey is high in vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, as well as minerals such as potassium. It is rich in amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, essential to our very existence." -http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/honey-skin-care.html

Really, I could go on and on... But it boils down to the fact that I want to make honey soap! NATURAL honey soap, not pre-made, stored on a shelf for years, honey soap, but the real thing.

My dilemma... Is or isn't Honey Vegan? Some say yes and some say no. I pride myself on having high quality, Vegan friendly, cruelty free products. Does producing a soap containing honey, even with all of the potential benefits, directly violate my prime directive?

I would love to open this up for commentary! NOT a debate on whether Vegan is better or not...I enjoy fat amounts of steak and I love meat. I DO live in farm land after all...however, I am STRONGLY against animal cruelty. No person has any right to torture animals, especially in the name of beauty production.

When you try to define honey as Vegan it gets messy and sloppy and I do not like it. Would organic honey be a better alternative? Then you get to jump into the "What is Organic, by definition" debate...

So really, I am asking my friends, and customers and whomever, what do YOU think of Luxury Lane Soap releasing a line of honey based products? Do you feel is a direct contradiction to my Vegan aspect, or do you feel it is an avenue which should be explored for the health benefits?

♥

Just a little inspiration...

2010-06-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Never, ever, EVER let someone tell you that it is best to just shut your mouth to keep the peace.

So as you might guess, today was a rather interesting day. (<--This day was actually last week, but the point is important as ever...)

My morning started out wonderfully with a call from a very magical and wonderful woman named Kathy. Business seeds were planted and I am so excited to see them grow!

My day of awesome then took a turn for the not-so-awesome. Suddenly I was interrupted by one thing after another, and that in turn developed into a rushed tattoo outline of how I felt. (It turned out AWESOME though and an insane amount of crazy love to rhysmcdonald for being awesome and drawing something up for me and to my dearest Chad for making time for me)

It was while that was getting done that I spit some of the anger I was feeling about life at the moment on Twitter. And somehow that automagically turned into a giant ball of love that rolled back over me in one big *squuueeeezle*. I cant even being to explain what it feels like when I feel alone, isolated and bottled-up to suddenly have people I've never even gotten to meet in person giving me hugs and just taking time out of their probably-also-hellacious day to send me some love. I want to cry thinking about it (Yes, I am a giant baby...)

MY POINT.

The day came to an end, and someone decided they needed to tell me the following: “You can change how people view you without changing who you are...bite your tongue and let things go ... just to keep the peace."

This brought forcibly home that I now find myself at a turning point. I have mentioned in past blogs that I walk a tight rope between my personal and professional life. All my life, I've heard either these words, or what amounted to these words: "Look one way and act another." "Please other people, even it it doesn't please you, because you've got to make that sale." "Keep your emotions out of the business." What it all amounts to is people telling me to draw that in between who I am and what I do, I need to draw a line in the sand and make it thick and apparent. Hell, they want a border fence, dogs, and some machine guns guarding that border.

I've been realizing more and more that I don't have to do that. I can, in effect, say screw it and just be me. Now, I have struggled with this blog from time-to-time because, well, lets face it, when you arrive here, this could very well be your first impression of me. *EEK* I swear I am not a drama queen. Ask around. Really.

However, I am at a point of self-discovery through my soap-making-and-crafting-turned-big-business; through personal things going on; and through the friendships budding all around me.

What's that I hear you saying "Get on with it Kylee, WHAT does that have to do with your rocking soap business? I am here to know when you are getting those soaps out and shipped to me!" Well, Mr./Mrs. Impatient Pants -- Take a look HERE if that's the info you need, cause it is about to get mushy up in here...

Honestly, if you want to do something, if you want to try something, if you just want to be something -- Don't shut-up to keep the peace. (You'll be trading your peace for their's) Do not pretend to be something you aren't. (Because you'll always know it's a lie). You don't. In fact, the only one who can make you give up what you want, who you are, or who you want to be is you. ...Easier said than done, I know.

Arrrgh! Jason! You just called me and now I am all happy and totally lost my direction! Sheesh. You trouble maker. :p

♥

Emergency Broadcast System

2010-05-19T07:44:00.001-07:00

While searching for images to post with this blog in regards to how much I hate the #FailWhale...I came across this glorious picture:

Which lead me to THIS BLOG

Which made me realize it really isn't the whales fault at all.

It is how the Government takes over and deletes something we aren't suppose to know. Right now, some one just tweeted something we NEED to know. Some vital clue to what is really going on. She just had her front door thrown in and is now being black bagged. Drug off, kicking and silently screaming while her neighbor sits reading the paper...no, no wait, watching TV, wondering WHY Angela Jolie wants to have another baby and get fat AGAIN?

I'm not paranoid. Really. Just very well informed.

*notices her tin foil hat should probably be re-designed...*

I wonder if it actually IS zombies this time? Somewhere in some remote place there was just an outbreak and the dieing are grasping for anyway to contact the outside world. Twitter!!! People need to know! Hurry! Blood everywhere! National Level EBS

Maybe I need to just go back to bed and wait....

**I came back to add that I've got the #BoobieWed avatar taken care of. Seems to have fixed everything on Twitter. *whew*

G33Kmade

2010-05-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

About eight years ago, I started working in sales and marketing with Avon. I also started selling stuff on the Internet years and years ago, and as everyone knows, a single year in "technology time" -- well, that's a LOOOONG time. I started in online sales way back in the day on Ebay. So successfully as a matter of fact, I even had a PayPal account of mine hacked (previous account that was quickly terminated, of course). I always thought that if a person was interested in hacking your PayPal account, well, you must be one hell of a seller. *bows*

Now, my house is nearly paid off and I own seven cars. My inked skin alone is worth over $10,000. I am happily married with two wonderful kids . . . sounds idyllic and so easy right?

Well, the first of those two wonderful kids was the result of that guy I'm happily married to knocking me up while we were in high school. And all of my cars? Well, none some of them dont actually "run," but if you ask my husband he says "technically" you *could* get them around the block...at least once. Maybe. I never made it to college, and I've had my battles with drug abuse, I have run away, and I wasted a lot of my life being selfish. And while I've been successful at what I've done, my husband always paid the bills, so there was no threat of failing.

Over the last year and a half, I have literally changed my life around. I wrote a post for GeekGirlsNetwork which puts it pretty well and without all of the drama of the I-had-it-worse-than-you bullshit. I am not looking for pity, just for folks to join me in celebration. Anyway, I have wanted for a long time to incorporate my personal life with my "business" life. I feel like I have always been fighting between choosing to be professional vs. being fun. Being professional equaling fitting the mold and doing things the same way everyone else does, and being fun meaning, well, being me! My major problem is I can't even imagine being one of those fake people who puts on a stupid facade and hides who they really are from the rest of the world. (Go read that link if you have no clue what I am talking about.

I think a lot of us are really afraid to admit we are lame. It is SO easy to be whatever you want. Thank you World Wide Web. But I digress.

My point is that in this past year and a half I started accepting who I was. I didn't avoid it, I rolled around in it, and slowly but surely, who I was online began to match who I was IRL. It has the most amazing transformation I have ever been through. Twitter especially helped me not only feel out what it would be like being myself but also in helping me realize I like who I am.

And it keeps getting better!

Today, I landed my first purchase order with ThinkGeek.com! And they were the ones who contacted ME! *squuueee!* I got an email from them expressing interest back on April 23rd, 2010. I nearly passed out.

And it still keeps getting better! (I know - you all might want to catch your breath and pace yourself, cuz this next one is HUGE!)

Guess what Lesley and I made?

THIS!!!! ---> G33Kmade

In a very literal story of one thing leading to another G33kmade is a celebration of us REAL AND ORIGINAL artist/crafter/parents/children/clowns/notreallyclonwsRORYisafraidofclowns/friends/whinersandmoaners-type folks. We create things. We are driven. We do not care what ANYONE thinks of our obsession with perfect. What we create with our hands is a reflection of who we are, of WHAT we are. Many of us started by creating things for friends and family, and whether we did it because we cared or because we were short on cash and couldn't actually *buy* people things like normal people has nothing to do with it. Our creations are and continue to be the stories of what we have LIVED and DREAMED.

MY POINT... G33kmade is a celebration of real people. Of what we make. Of what we obsess about. Not only the what we made, but how we made it, and if you're lucky (and we happen to know) why we made it.

I'm so excited, I'm all tingly! <3

Insert Interesting Blog Title Here

2010-05-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm trying!!! Today Rory and I shipped forty Soap in Carbonite soaps. *whew* Same goal for tomorrow! (I actually started writing this blog on Monday...it is now Friday...) Just wanted to let everyone know I didn't take your money and leave the country! Though Canada sounds lovely....

Last week I had posted about how to get a hold of me. I am SO happy that you are indeed, getting a hold of me.

I have actually had a few of you express joy because I am NOT a robot. I am a real person. *waves* (If you were to ask anyone if I have ever posted a no makeup, in my comfy clothes, non edited, messy house background pic, they would instantly tell you no. Go look at my TwitPic See? It is so full of cute...and sarcasm)

Dearest customers, I am doing everything possible to get your orders out the door. I swear to you. PLEASE feel free to nag, email, call, tweet, text...Anything! I can't always get to replying right away, I am not ignoring you. Sometimes I shower and I would HATE to get my phone wet...Sometimes I sleep...but more than likely, I am in the shower....

I digress.

Customer Service.

The top thing I am noticing from customer inquiries is that the majority of you are shocked I even care. That I am indeed, not a robot. I am going to take a second here and brag. You can check out my rocking Etsy Feedback HERE and HERE Over 1,300 happy transactions.

If I were you I would be pissed I didn't have my order yet. I am not asking for my customer to just brush this off. I am asking you work with me. Let's hug it out. I have said it before, and I now say it again, I LOVE what I do. I love making things and I love every single aspect of learning how to run a business with this high of volume. I want everyone to know, ALL SOAPS WILL BE (finally) SHIPPED NEXT WEEK! I kid you not. Haven t gotten your order yet? Oh baaaaby it is coming your way in under seven to ten days. ♥

In all seriousness, Thank you. When you email me telling me you love your orders and you wait for me to finally get on twitter or finally reply to your email...It means so much to me that I am working with friends.

Now, that is enough mush and love for one day. I will be out of town this weekend and *trying* not to work, so I have GOT to PWN this Friday like non other. Really rip this Friday a new one. It also happens to be #FollowFriday on Twitter and I probably wont get to a picture or posts. SO! Go follow everyone I follow and love the cuss out of them.

AND!
Again @jeffisageek is rocking my socks off.... http://bit.ly/aqyBB6 He melts me with his kind words. ♥ If you dont follow him, you should. He has the hook ups when it comes to cool.

And could you do me a giant big favor and give some love in the way of @UberDorkGirlie She is working on the coolest project EVER. Take these surveys. They are quick and painless...you know you are sitting there doing nothing anyway. ♥
http://www.tinyurl.com/UberDorkCafeFirstSurvey
http://www.tinyurl.com/UberDorkCafeParentalUnitSurvey

Time to get my work on! ♥

Copy Cat

2010-05-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

I want everyone to know that I LOVE @GEEKSOAP a.k.a Lesley. Really. Did you know that she was going to debut a similar soap to mine and didn't? Nope. She had the very same idea as I did, but being the wonderful person that she is, she simply and ever so politely suggested I have the item. Three weeks later this item is the cause of life-changing events for me.

Yesterday was my husbands last night of “work”. He had a shitty job that wasted his talents. But it pays the bills you say! Gasp! Seriously...screw the bills. Yes, yes, I know, I know . . . we all need to pay for our cable, car payments, new toys, new shoes, whatever the TV is telling us is cool.

But the truth is you don't need all of that shit . . . really, you don't. However, I am not going to lie and say that I wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on this. I would. I really, really would.

My point.

You never know when one single act of kindness will change someones life.

I make soap. Lesley makes soap. I am going to now pimp Lesley's soap ♥

I have come across some truly wonderful people in the last year. Which is a good thing, as I have no room in my life for unnecessary negativity. I don't want to be angry all of the time. I don't want to hate people. Yes, a lot of things truly piss me off and sometimes they make me so mad I could spit. Spit I tell you! Spitting is gross. It freaks me out. I have a fear of mucus. So, I would prefer not to get that mad...I digress.

Back to my point . . .

Don't be a jerk. Be nice to people. Stop worrying about how YOU are going to get to the top. Who wants to be up there anywho? I find it is generally full of assholes anyways. Do your own thing and do it with style. What'll that get you? Well, I have cool tattoos, I am a way hot Soccer Mom. My husband totally wants to do me ALL the time. I make a living doing what I love. Does it get any better? Not really. I am this happy because I CHOOSE TO BE.

So, in summary, this is what Lesley taught me: You never know when one single act of kindness will change someones life.

For the assholes out there, it may already be too late, but the closest translation for you is: Stop being a dick.

♥

P.S. A giant shout out to @geekwithsoul for understanding what I wanted to say. You rule.

Success in Carbonite

2010-05-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

I am writing this in anticipation that you have found my blog due to the fact you emailed me, tweeted me or called me and you got no response. You are feverishly searching for a way to contact me because you want to know why your order hasn't been confirmed...why you haven't received your order...what's going on...AHHH! SOLO SOAP! Where are you? WHERE Kylee?!

Shhhh.

I love you.

I swear to each and everyone of you, I am getting to your orders/emails/texts/calls as fast as I can. I am honestly the only person here...so far. (Rory starts working with me full time this week! *jumpsupanddown*)

In the last three weeks alone, I have received nearly 3,000 emails and 3 phone calls regarding Luxury Lane Soap. I sold over $8,000 worth of product in under 7 days, hitting $4,000 in sales in under three days.

I refuse to go on autopilot with this. I am responding to every correspondence personally. Seriously.

If you have any questions about anything, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free to email me, tweet me, text or call me. I probably wont get a hold of you right away...

Choose your correspondence wisely...

Twitter.com/KyleeLane
You can find me on Twitter for a more personal experience if you'd like. Be warned, I post a lot of science fiction, geekery and general coolness. This is my personal twitter account. I should probably make a business one but that would be boring. I haven't had a lot of time to tweet but when I do, I will totally clog your time line.

LuxuryLaneSoap@gmail.com
Probably the best way to get a hold of me. I use to send emails instantly but I am learning how to divide my day up better for this whole Cool Mom/Hot Wife/Business Lady thing. (Dear friends, THANK YOU for letting me stress out in our emails and not being mad when I never respond. It has helped me keep my cool publicly so that everyone else thinks I am a Cool Kid. Could you even imagine what people would think if they found out I live in my pajamas cause I refuse to wear uncomfortable clothes or that I hate wearing bras and socks.? I have Star Trek AND Star Wars tattoos? Gasp and if they knew I was a teen Mom way back when and that I have liberal tendencies? Whew good thing it is only between us, right?)

712-229-9115
Please note that if you call me, I will be the one answering my phone. My personal line just kind of became my business line...so if you hear my children in the backround or I am in the middle of working, do not be alarmed. I am a real person and not a robot. I appreciate your calls and if you need an immediate response you will get one, a real one, unless I am eating candy, watching TNG, playing with my kids or brainstorming with my husband.

Awesome people send me cool stuff. Thank you @GEEKLEETIST for starting this trend with your freaking mind blowing coolness. I also want to thank @lisaluluquinn @katiedoyle @geeksoap @rabbitinski @CapSteveRogers @UberDorkGirlie @geekwithsoul @nerdrage42 for spoiling me with mail.

Want to send me cool stuff too?

Kylee Lane
P.O. Box 593
Primghar, IA 51245

Visit my FAQ for more information!

PS
Thank you @darthmolen for pimping my soap and tricking @jpuent into thinking I was cool. Thank you @GeekGirls for giving me a chance to write to the world about how much I love my Nerdy little family. It was the first time I had ever been aloud to just yell to the world that I freaking rule.

The End.

No, no wait...
(Future) Thank you @PhysicistLisa for hanging out with me at #SDCC.

@jeffisageek for making that one video of my soap. I never properly thanked you for being the very very first person to ever have my soap in a blog video. *blush*

PSS! There are a ZILLION people I want to thank. I have been working on a HUGE thank you blog post for all of my lovies. Coming soooon *wink* Until then, go hit on @geekgirldiva for me. ♥

How to Run a Business 101 & BOOBIES

2010-04-21T06:10:00.001-07:00

1. Profits must be your top priority.
2. Conformity! If it works for everyone else, it will work for you!
3. Never admit you are wrong.
4. Be professional at ALL times.

*whew* It is a good thing I am just some girl making mini soap sculptures! Having a business sounds like no fun at all...I have gotten a lot of 'advice' this past week about how to be successful, the majority of it being told what not to do. So I have been taking notes this week on what I think is important...

1. Don't try to be a professional, because you aren't.
(*Note your pajama pants.)
2. Always have SortKwik on hand. Literally.

3. Color code your notes. You will have one heck of a cluster cuss if you don't...

And that's all I can think of right now because @UberDorkGirlie @FyrGurl & @3dg4r are tempting me with a snuggle pile ATM...We will continue this discussion tomorrow morning. *pounce*

What day is it? #BOOBIEWED! Touch yourself, touch a friend and remember to tell cancer to go to hell.

Why do I put my bewbs on Twitter?
♥

So, how is your day going?

2010-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

While replying to a customer...

Me: (types) "Good gravy! You will not pay extra for priorit...."

You: You did not just say “Good gravy”

Me: pause Of course I did...Why wouldn't I? Good gravy, that's how I talk!

You: *stern look* That's not very professional.

Me: *Looks down at neon green pj pants and up at crazy blue hair* What about me shouts professional right now?

♥

Wanna win $50??

2010-04-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

EXTENDED! Due to the huge response I have had this past month, I am going to extend this contest until JUNE 1st! I am totally lame and have a large amount of soaps on back order right now and I think it would only be fair to give everyone a chance. ♥

Not a $50 gift certificate...
Not $50 in free product....

$50.00 CASH! Oooooh yeah. Really.

I will be having a contest for the rest of April (AND MAY) for the best, most creative picture featuring Luxury Lane Soap. Yup, featuring any product from LuxuryLaneSoap.com. Pretty simple, huh? You can take a picture, draw a picture, paint a picture....You get the idea.

Rules? Not really...just be sure your anatomy is covered, for the most part, as these will be displayed on my website for the world to see and love. Get your 15 minutes of fame as submitted pictures will also be tweeted about. So, you could win $50 AND be famous! How can you even pass that up??

Please email pictures to: LuxuryLaneSoap@gmail.com

Feel free to email me anytime with questions or you can always reach me on Twitter.
Contest ENDS on June 1st!

Get your camera out, get your soap action on, get a chance to be famous AND win cash! Woo! ♥

All NEW Star Wars Logo Soap

2010-02-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

This soap has been made using a custom soap mold you will not find anywhere else...because we made it. Fact. Greatest soap ever.

Each letter on each soap is hand detailed for greater clarity. Please note, there will be tiny slight variations from bar to bar. These are made one at a time, as ordered.

Colors will not bleed into each other! Awesome? Yes. In case you want to save your soap so all of your friends know how cool you are.

The labeling for this soap is in Aurek-Besh. Don't know what that means? It means this soap just got even cooler. This is SURE to please any Star Wars fanatic.

You can find this super fantastic soap on Artfire or Etsy

Thank you for checking out my newest creation. ♥

Geeky Tattoo

2010-01-18T07:06:00.000-08:00

A huuuuge, giant shout out to Geeky Tattoos for featuring more of my ink. If you missed the first feature, my Boba Fett tattoo, you can check it out here. Woo! Thank you again, Geeky Tattoos for letting me hang with the cool kids. ♥ Be sure to follow Geeky Tattoos on Twitter. Everyone's doing it... ♥

Revamp

2010-01-15T09:56:00.001-08:00

It has been forever since I posted...I am currently working on re vamping my set up and re designing how things are run around here. 2009 was a year of great progress. ♥

Thank you for your patience as I have not been posting new listing on Etsy or ArtFire. I am still filling orders, but the new projects are staying behind to curtain for a little bit longer. Excited? I know you are.

You can find me on Twitter or Facebook for a more personal experience if you'd like. Be warned, I post a lot of science fiction, geekery and general coolness.
♥

Girls Night Out Fundraiser ♥

2009-11-16T09:13:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Last Saturday was the "Girls Night Out" event to raise money for the South O' Brien School Playground Fund! The turn out was AMAZING! (200+ !!) I think everyone was completely blown away by how many people attended. I donated a $150 gift basket for the silent auction and I forgot to see how much it went for...Boo. I also donated 3 door prizes but I missed who won them! THAT'S how packed full the event ended up!

I really hope this event becomes annual...As it was really neat catching up with friends I haven't seen in forever and meeting so many new people who live right here in Primghar! ♥

A huge huge huge thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth and said hello!

♥♥♥

Twilight Inspired Giveaway ♥

2009-11-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Win It!!

Bella, Jacob and Edward inspired Twilight Soap

♥ Bella- A romantic blend of silken shea butter and cozy rice flower with light touches of musk. Notes of ginger and white tea have been added to give this scent amazing warmth and depth.

♥ Edward- A cool and delicious blend of rich vanilla whipped up with refreshing wintergreen and natural spearmint.

♥ Jacob- A masculine blend of oriander and rosemary accented with amber, oakmoss and sandalwood. A warm and sensual fragrance, but casual enough not to overwhelm the senses.

This naturally Vegan soap was handcrafted in small, cold-process batches (from scratch!) with a skin nourishing blend of all-natural ingredients, including Shea Butter, Avocado and Almond Oils.

How do you win this super awesome soap set you ask? Visit Mammalicious Finds and check out the Twilight Soiree going on now through November 13th. ♥

Perspective

2009-10-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Around 2:30am this morning I got a call from my sister that our Mother's house was on fire. My Mom had been taken to the hospital and that was all of the information anyone could give me. No one was able to tell me where my brother and sister where (I later found my siblings at a neighbors house.) After rushing to the hospital I had been told my Mom was going to be taken to a larger facility in Sioux City, IA.Talk about going into massive panic mode... She did not have any burns but severe smoke inhalation. She was released this morning, due to having no insurance, with burns on her lungs and we do not yet know of any permanent damage. I have two younger siblings (10yrs and 15yrs) who ware unharmed, if not completely mentally shaken. My mother's husband and the family puppy are also doing ok. Talk about putting things into perspective...

The house is destroyed and they lost everything. I keep repeating this to myself and for some reason it just is not sinking in.

However, I am already blown away by the help the community has given us. The school has put together a donation drive for clothing and school supplies with teachers and staff contacting us for any help we may need. I can not thank you enough for those who have helped, called, emailed, and kept my family in your thoughts and prayers.

Honestly, I am scared shitless right now, to put it bluntly. My husband and I live a very simple and cheap life, cutting out things like cable, water softeners, house phones and yeah, we buy clothing at goodwill on a regular basis. This is ok for us and it is what we have to do as parents to make ends meet. But I have now taken on caring for another family of four whom have nothing. No clothing, no food, no beds...nothing. I feel helpless. I can not just go buy them the things they need, I don't even know how I am going to feed this many people. I'm pissed my Mother was released from the hospital due to lack of insurance and I need to get her back to a doctor. Really, I am not trying to drop a sob story on your lap, I am beyond scared.

Also, I will be closing down my shops for a little bit and putting my time into making things as comfortable as possible for my mom, while keeping these kids smiling and distracted. I am the only one able to take care of everyone right now so that is my number one priority. Orders that I have not yet sent will be shipped a couple days behind schedule, but I will have them out to you by Friday at the latest. Thank you so much for your understanding.

I will try to keep everyone posted on any changes and my phone will be on me at all times. I will be updating via my Twitter stream also (Twitter.com/KyleeLane) . If I can not get back to you immediately, I apologize, but please know every act and every word of kindness helps more than I can put into words.

♥ *Updated to add: It has been determined the fire started due to faulty/over heated wires behind the clothing dryer. I will never run a load of laundry before I go to bed ever, ever again.

♥ *Updated to add: Thank you SO much for those still contacting me aboutwanting to help. My family is back on their feet and in a new home now. Again, thank you so so so much to everyone.

Why are my bewbs on Twitter?!

2009-10-05T12:01:00.001-07:00

October is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is a very serious, very real problem. I don't need to tell you that, as most of us have been touched in some way by this cancer.

My Grandmother fought breast cancer and won. However, not without a very intimate battle wound. Even though she lost one of her breasts, she is still and forever will be, one of the strongest people I know. To her, losing only a breast, meant she round house kicked breast cancer right in it's ugly face. But for many, they are not so lucky. I have been reading story after story of loved ones lost. One in particular touched me and informed me. Through UberDorkGirlie's blog I was informed of BoobieThon.

People everywhere are posting pictures of their breasts to bring attention to the cause. Personally, I have been wanting to post pictures of my breasts since first hearing of BoobieThon, but knowing there was no way I'd be able to do it anonymously, I've held back. I'm covered in tattoos...my chest shouts for attention...

Then I think of all off the women, my grandmother included, who need attention brought to this cause. I think of myself and my daughter (and son!) who merely through genetics, may one day battle this disease. All of a sudden being anonymous is no longer an issue.! So, this proud Mommy, Daughter, Sister and Friend has decided to take and post a picture of her chest...Now bring on the attention! ♥ twitter.com/KyleeLane

For more information please visit
The Official BoobieWed Page
The Official Boobiethon Page

You can also follow these great people on Twitter! @boobiewed, @shimmer418, @honey_is_evil and @boobiethon.

Please get involved anyway you can. Through pictures, donations or simply passing the word along.

Special Edition Foiled Soaps

2009-09-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Special Edition! This soap has been hand foiled with a beautiful shimmer mica. And super limited also. I only have six bars of each scent, Blackberry Sage and Cherry Crush.

This naturally Vegan soap was handcrafted in small, cold-process batches (from scratch!) with a skin nourishing blend of all-natural ingredients, including Shea Butter, Avocado and Almond Oils. Enriched with extra amounts of Shea Butter to baby your skin while producing an extra super lather! This soap is also over 50% conditioning and supremely gentle ♥

Cherry Crush Shea Butter Soap

Special Edition

Blackberry Sage Shea Butter Soap

Special Edition

500th Sale!

2009-09-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

A huge and giant "THANK YOU" to all of my super sweet and awesome customers! Last night I hit my 500th sale on Etsy. *Girly squeal*

The 500th item was a Fight Club soap. So, for the rest of the week my best selling soap is going to be 50% off! Annnnd I will be including a free lip balm with every order! (Now you can do a girly squeal...) ♥ You can visit my shop HERE.

Thank you again to everyone who has encouraged, blogged, tweeted, linked, shopped, talked, shown and loved Luxury Lane Soap & Soy. You all completely rule. ♥

Closing Shop...

2009-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

...But only temporarily! I have been talking about getting my new items photographed and listed in my shop for nearly 2 weeks now and I have just not had the time to do it. Rather than just dragging ideas along, its time for action! I am closing down my ArtFire and Etsy shops until Monday, September 21st and dedicating this entire week so rebuilding and restocking. When I re-open, I promise all sorts of awesome. ♥

Sneak Peek!
♥ Brand new Lego inspired soaps!
♥ Bubble Buddies will be back!
♥ All new Crystal Soy Candles!
♥ Super cool/spooky/creepy/fun Halloween inspired gifts!
♥ Plus more!

Woo! Time to get to work and I'll see you all soon ♥♥♥

September Specials ♥

2009-09-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

It is time to start getting more of my seasonal items and scents listed in my shops! I also need to make room for craft fair inventory! w00t! So, I am clearing out some of my summer favorites. You can check out everything on sale HERE
(you know you wanna...) ♥

Sweet Dreams Creamy Oatmeal Soap

Sandalwood and Currant Shea Soap

Where have I been?

2009-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Whew! We are already a week into September and updating this blog is WAY over due...

What have I been up to? Well, the kids are back in school. My son started kindergarten so I have the house to myself for eight hours! This has turned into me starting too many projects and neglecting to finish them.

I have started listing many seasonal items in my Etsy and Artfire shops, along with new scents. My entire candle line is also being re worked to include seasonal and limited edition scents and colors. Thank you SO much for you patience as I have been slowly updating my shops. I have many new soaps to introduce, including super fun kids designs and Bubble Buddies are coming back!

A couple months ago I decided to branch out and I created a new brand, Hemp Bath. I wanted to try something completely different and fresh. Hemp Bath has taken off with flying colors and I couldn't be more thrilled. Hemp Bath has a separate blog for over at HempBath.blogspot.com. You can purchase from both brands exclusively in my Artfire shop.

So there is my little update! I hope everyone had an awesome summer! ♥Kylee

Soapsicle Smoothie Giveaway Winners!

2009-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Using one of my favorite number randomizers , I now have the three winners from the Soapsicle Smoothie Giveaway. Comments number 12, 4 and 16. Congratulations SoBella Creations, Sassy Pink Boutique, and jinxi~ aka angi!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone for entering! ♥♥♥

ArtFire vs Etsy. Etsy vs. ArtFire.

2009-07-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

After my last post and after reading this article, I have had many conversations and even some debates, with fellow shop owners over which is "better", Etsy or Artfire.

Personally, I love both! Yes, this IS possible. Both of these lively online markets places have what I feel is most important: A supportive and friendly community.

Another thing it comes down really, is what YOU feel is most important. While Etsy has listing fees and a much larger community, ArtFire has no listing fees, but a smaller community. While ArtFire gives you the option to customize your shop to your website, Etsy has a feeling of unity within the shops. Etsy has been around longer and has many "kinks" worked out, while Artfire is relatively new and is still under development. I could go on and on...

Both of these marketplaces have something in common. One very vital aspect that I think is most times over looked, YOU are in charge. Both Artfire AND Etsy embrace your ability to create, grow and communicate with society through your creations. After all, isn't that what it's all about anyway?

I think I simply feel torn about The Etsy Wars article. I owe a huge chunk of my success to Etsy. My sales continue to grow there and I continue to meet such wonderful people, even though I now link my website to ArtFire. And even though my site links to ArtFire, my ArtFire links back to my Etsy. With the rise in shipping and supply costs, my Etsy fees are a bigger blow to pay, but I just don't make the sales I need, yet, on ArtFire. Does this mean when (and if) ArtFire becomes huge I will leave Etsy? Absolutely not.

We just need to remember, it's all about supporting EACH OTHER, and not losing ourselves in argueing about the marketplace. ♥ Without US there would be no Etsy OR ArtFire.

♥♥♥

Monday Mini Feature: ArtFire.com

2009-07-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

If you visited LuxuryLaneSoap.com this weekend, you may have noticed a big change. A new ArtFire online shop!

Why did I make the switch from Etsy to ArtFire?

Firstly, my Etsy Shop is still up and running! I love Etsy and I have met some of the most wonderful people there. Etsy will always have a special place in my heart. ♥ ArtFire respects this and they encourage you link to your Etsy shop if you'd like! (And your website, blog, twitter, flickr, etc...)

I opened an ArtFire shop because I instantly fell in love with the customizations available. You can add your own html coding to your shop, adjust shop colors and banner size! The customizations alone are so worth it, to me, because my ArtFire shop now matches my website so well.

Another great feature is Rapid Cart. Your customers no longer have to register for an account to purchase from you! I have been able to beautifully link my ArtFire shop within my website for seamless transactions. I had my first sale this weekend (yay!) and was actually told the checkout system is " Wonderfully uncomplicated ".

Could it get any better? Yup! No listing OR selling fee! Yeah, seriously! So you can re list items daily for more exposure without racking up a daily fee. *swoon*

Give ArtFire.com a little look. A basic account is totally free with a verified account being only $12.00 a month! Since my Etsy listing/selling fees have been well over $12.00, I thought why not give it a try? That's how the love affair began...
Give ArtFire.com a look

As a way to say "Thanks!" for giving my new ArtFire shop a try, I am offering 15% off ALL items for the entire month. It's time for a Christmas in July Sale, don't you think? Combine that with newly reduced shipping rates, and I'd say it's time to shop!
♥♥♥

♥♥ Soapsicle Smoothie Giveaway ♥♥

2009-06-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

*Contest has ended. Winners to be announced!*
Now that summer has officially began, its time for a nice, soapy giveaway! Woohoo! Also, I've been so busy with the kids out of school and wedding orders, I wanted to have a big 'ol giveaway to say "Thanks" to all of my awesome readers for your patience, as this blog has been rather lacking lately. With Bible Camp, the Summer Reading Program and revamps to our home coming to an end, I will finally have my coffee and networking mornings back. Yay!

Ok, ok...now back to the giveaway! I will be giving away THREE of my brand new Soapsicle Smoothies! That's three chances to win! I will randomly choose three winners, who will each win a free Soapsicle Smoothie, of your choice! ♥

These fun soaps are shaped just like delicious popsicles and scented in yummy smoothie scents. Banana Cream, Cherry Cola Cream, Snickerdoodle Buttercream, to name a few! YUM! These Soapsicle Smoothies are ultra rich and creamy. Made with Oatmeal and Shea Butter. A wonderful treat for your skin!

All you have to do is check out my Etsy Shop and leave a comment letting me know what your favorite item is. That's it!
*Please leave your email address so that I can reach you if you win

♥ For extra entries
(Please leave a comment for each entry)
1. Follow me on Twitter (KyleeLane) and tweet this giveaway. Please leave a link to the tweet.
2. Follow this blog.
3. Blog about this giveaway. Please leave link to your post
4. Become a fan of the all new
Luxury Lane Soap & Soy Facebook page!

*Contest has ended. Winners to be announced!*
A huge thanks to those who have entered!
♥♥♥

New Sweet Peach & Berries

2009-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy making detailed soaps. I enjoy planning color schemes and matching fragrances. Thinking it might be nice to make a more "simple" soap, I made a delicious bar in one of my best selling scents, Peach and Sweet Berries. Previously this scent was only offered in my Hello Kitty Soap and my new Pony Soap. Turns out some people liked just keeping their soaps around to sniff them and not use them because "They just look so cuuute!" *wink* So, I wanted to make a pretty bar that was simple, to encourage guilt free use.

Let me officially introduce you to my newest Peach & Sweet Berries Soap!

This is a beautiful peach and shimmery pink soap and it smells AMAZING! Super creamy and bubbly, this soap was blended to have extra lather.

Naturally crushed Shea Butter has been added to produce this creamy soap. Shea butter produces a luxurious lather, which provides moisture as it softens. Approximately 3.5 ounces each

I just might have to do a few more sets of soaps like this...maybe in my yummy Cupcake scent....or seductive Satin Sheets scents... *Eep* I love getting excited about my work. ♥♥♥

Any scents you'd love to see? Let me know and you will be sure to see them soon!

Yart Sale on Etsy ♥

2009-06-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

My Etsy Shop is participating in the second annual Yart Sale on Etsy.com. What is a Yart Sale you ask? Check out this Etsy Storque Article for more information! ♥

Check out my Yart Sale section to see my goodies either drastically marked down, or offered with free shipping!

There are SO many talented people on Etsy and it always blows my mind seeing some of the things people come up with. Be it either astoundingly simple, or exaggerated and complex, crafty or mechanical...It makes me happy people are still creating. Why not purchase something during this years Yart Sale you might not otherwise purchase? LOTS of GREAT sales right now...simply search: Yart . There is even a trending # if you use Twitter! Search: #Yart ♥ Check out these awesome items I found from other Etsy Sellers participating in this years Yart Sale ♥ Enjoy!

Monday Mini-Feature: Pretty Hair Clippies

2009-06-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love hair accessories! About two years ago I got completely obsessed with hair bows and clippies. My daughter then, just beginning kindergarten, began her collection of bows and clips that, to this day, has become insanely large and still increasing in size! There is just something undoubtedly adorable about little girls with cute accessories.

I found Pretty Hair Clippies through Twitter and entered a giveaway Pretty Hair Clippies was sponsoring. I won! Yay! I received a beautiful set of hair clips for my daughter and I to wear together.

While visiting this vibrant shop on Etsy, you will find unique product descriptions, stories and ideas. Party Favors and Mom/Daughter sets (which I completely LOVE!) to name a few.

Save some extra cash skipping your daughter's next hair cut and why not pull back her bangs with some cute clips? I am trying to grow out Starla's bangs (and my own!) and we'd probably go crazy if not for these hair clips!

You can also find Pretty Hair Clippies on Twitter! FigMom is wonderful to chat with ♥♥♥

Summer ♥

2009-06-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

WHEW! What a crazy last two weeks! I just, finally, was able to read every one's blogs and catch up and it seems we are all super busy these days!

My summer wedding and wholesale orders are all caught up and out the door! YAY! *Happy Dance* And a HUGE "Thank You!" to everyone who purchased during my "Spring Cleaning Sale". I was able to clear a good chunk of space and I can't wait to get started on some new creations to fill said space! The wheels in my head are turning...

As I am catching up in the Blog World, you can look forward to a few Monday Mini-Features, including Pretty Hair Clippies, Lily Haven and Paper Cakes! YAY!

Also be sure to check out my giveaway via the Mammalicious Finds Blog. A huge shout out and thank you to SoBella Creations for the wonderful review!

*Mommy Moment* Today is the last day of first grade for my daughter and I wanted to share this picture of her quick. I can not believe how grown up looks. (I have a family blog posted HERE, however, I am behind on updating that one too...)

Time to get back to work. ♥ No worries, my long winded, picture heavy posts will be back on track this week! ♥♥♥

Spring Cleaning Sale - One week left!

2009-05-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

Only one week left of my Spring Cleaning Sale!

I will be offering an additional 10% off for my blog readers with code: BLOGSPECIAL. Please mention "BLOGSPECIAL" when checking out, in the "Message to Seller" box. 10% will be refunded to you via PayPal! ♥

What can you look forward to this year?
♥ For the first time, I will be offering supplies!
♥ Last chance to get your favorite Fall/Winter and Ltd. Ed. scents!
♥ 75% off damaged and "naked" products!
♥ Plus %50 off select soaps and candles!

Also, I have added new items this week to my Etsy shop! (with still more to come!) Enjoy ♥♥♥

Fight Club Soap

Fortune Cookie Soap

Sweet Pea Knitter's Soap

Black Raspberry and Vanilla Pony Soap

Monday Mini-Feature: Pluto's Gift Shop

2009-05-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

Color! The days are starting to warm up (Yay!) and get longer (Double yay!) and it only seems fitting to bring out our COLOR! I am starting to notice everything from pastel Capri's to vibrant sandals to neon tub tops. Winter and Fall muted tones are gone!!

This time of year I love going clothing shopping, however, in order to stretch the family dollar and support handmade ( A BIG theme in this house) what better way to brighten up an old outfit than with new jewelry!

While browsing Twitter, I came across another great Etsy shop, Pluto's Gift Shop. Simple, yet vibrant bracelets, earrings, brooches and necklaces at amazing prices. Handmade, using high quality Swarovski Crystal Jewelry, these beautiful pieces are sure to brighten anything from a simple day dress to your formal office wear.

So instead of buying that $45.00 blouse, why not pick up some bright and fun bracelets or a summer brooch to brighten up EVERY outfit? Plus you have the added benefit of supporting handmade, which helps us all reconnect. ♥ Check out Pluto's Gift Shop today!

♥Kylee

New Content AND Spring Cleaning Sale ♥

2009-05-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

I finished the Photo Gallery, Fragrance Descriptions and Ltd. Ed. Fragrance pages on LuxuryLaneSoap.com! I would love for you to check out the pages and let me know what you think!

Also, this Friday my annual "Spring Cleaning Sale" starts in my Etsy Shop! I have decided to extend the sale this year and it will be lasting TWO weeks, instead of one! AND I will be offering an additional 10% off for my blog readers with code: BLOGSPECIAL. Please mention "BLOGSPECIAL" when checking out, in the "Message to Seller" box. 10% will be refunded to you via PayPal! ♥

What can you look forward to this year?
♥ For the first time, I will be offering supplies!
♥ This will be a farewell to my Soy Tar Bars. I simply do not have the space to continue selling them. *sniffle*
♥ Last chance to get your favorite Fall/Winter and Ltd. Ed. scents!
♥ 75% off damaged and "naked" products!
♥ Plus %50 off select soaps and candles!

Monday Mini-Feature: Toddler Virtue Tees

2009-05-10T22:15:00.001-07:00

This is my son, Trent wearing his brand new "Tolerance" Toddler Virtue Tee that I won through the Girl Indie blog! Yay!

I absolutely LOVE the idea behind these shirts for kids. They make a wonderful statement with phrases about courage, tolerance, gratitude, kindness and patience. All things we could use more of in today's hectic world. Not only are the shirts adorable, but the colors are vibrant and they are very well made. And soft! Trent could not stop pointing out how "softy" his new shirt was.

Thanks again to Monika for the great "softy" Toddler Virtue Tee. Be sure to check out http://www.toddlervirtues.com and get one for the little love(s) of your life. There's even an adult sized "Gratitude" shirt, for you! ♥ As if it couldn't get any better, the back of the shirt says "Pass It On". How clever is that?

All new Oatmeal Bars and FREE SHIPPING

2009-05-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

All new in my Etsy Shop, Oatmeal Bars ♥

My Oatmeal Bars are ultra creamy, gentle & moisturizing. Could you ask for anything else in a bar of soap? Oatmeal is known to gently exfoliate the skin and also produces a great moisturizing & luxurious lather. My exclusive, hand blended formula contains NO Parabens, Formaldahydes, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol OR Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfates (SLS). *Yay!*

ALWAYS naturally vegan ♥ Beautifully wrapped and gift ready. Custom orders welcome!

Introductory FREE SHIPPING today only! Free shipping within the USA AND Canada with reduced shipping everywhere else.

Check them out HERE. ♥

Monday Mini-Feature: Fruit Fly Pie

2009-05-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

While searching Etsy for Mother's Day gifts this weekend, I came across the beautiful ceramics of Fruit Fly Pie. I. Fell. In. Love. ♥ Wendy, of Fruit Fly Pie, has some of the most precious retro ceramics I have ever seen. ALL made from scratch and hand painted. *swoon*

Not only are her ceramics (including soap dishes, planters, trinket boxes, cookie jars and MORE!) the definition of pretty, but her customer service is stellar! While browsing her shop I came across a pink swan planter I had to have. I sent a convo to see if she could hold it for me until pay day. She contacted me and put the item on hold in under an hour! Yay!

Be sure to check out Fruit Fly Pie on Etsy. There are tons of great items perfect for Mother's Day! ♥

New Designs in my Etsy shop! ♥

2009-05-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

New designs now in my Etsy shop! Check them out and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear any ideas you have.

Geek Soap - Inspired by my smart @$$ husband ♥ Pomegranate Swirl - Pretty and Elegant. ♥Orange Chiffon Cake - Yeah, it smells as good as it looks! ♥

I have even MORE new designs planned for later this week! Including a unicorn and owl. Plus new fragrances and an ultra moisturizing oatmeal soap. w00t!
♥

Super busy week!

2009-05-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

It has been such a busy week, sorry I have not been keeping up on posting updates. It's Friday and the weekend is finally here, so hopefully I will be able to get everything up to speed!

The Luxury Lane Soap & Soy website has been updated! Yay! You can check it out HERE. Everything has been streamlined and directs to my Etsy shop now for seamless ordering. I also updated this blog to coordinate with the new website and Etsy banner. Even my paypal checkout matches. :) Notice any thing that I missed? Please don't hesitate to let me know so I can fix it right away. I do all of my website/banner/avatar/photo work myself so after hours of looking at the same thing, I sometimes miss really obvious mistakes...

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
♥

Sunday Supports Cruelty-Free ♥ Luxury Lane Soap & Soy

2009-04-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry my post is so late today! Sunday is Family Day ♥

I wanted to thank Janna over at the Feed Your Pig blog for an AWESOME review of Luxury Lane Soap & Soy. I am so happy to be a part of Sunday Supports! Check out the contest going from now until May 26Th for your chance to win a Cupcake Soy Travel Candle and Cupcake Dreams Soap or one of three Berry Kisses Edible Perfumes!

Thank you to everyone who has already entered/followed/hearted/subscribed/tweeted/blogged. You all rock!
♥Kylee

Etsy Day! Free shop banners and shipping sale ♥

2009-04-24T09:44:00.001-07:00

It's Etsy Day! I listed some FREE basic "Celebrate Etsy Day!!" banners in my shop. Feel free to check them out and use in your shop to pass around the Etsy Love!

♥♥♥ Etsy Day Shipping Special! ♥♥♥
Only $.75 per item to ship within the United States and Canada! The more you buy, the more you save! Starting Friday and going throughout the ENTIRE weekend!

Shipping Sale excludes Crystal Soy Candles. Sorry. They are pretty heavy. Flat rate shipping is used whenever possible to save you money! Shipping overcharges are refunded via Paypal, or convo for a reserved listing.

What are YOU making today?? Check out this article in The Storque. *This promotion is being sponsored by independent shop owners and not the Etsy company.
♥Kylee

Soy Tart Bars Are Back!

2009-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

After many inquires, I'm excited to bring back Soy Tart Bars to my Etsy Shop! I also did a mini photo shoot and got some great product images this weekend...I'm loving these cloudy days. ♥

What are Soy Tart Bars?

♥Soy Tart Bars are highly scented wax that you put in a tart burner/melter to scent the room. Its sort of like a candle but without the wick or flame, you just heat it and melt it. They usually smell stronger than candles, too.

My highly scented wax bars break apart into six tarts, try mixing scents to create your own unique fragrance! •Each cube releases scent for 5-10 hours...That's up to 60 hours of lush fragrance per pack!

♥ Soy wax is an all-natural, renewable resource that is obtained from the Soybean, plant based and burns cleaner, is better for the environment and is easier to clean up. Using soy wax helps to support America's Farmers!

♥Kylee

Monday Mini-Feature: Zygomatics

2009-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

I. Love. Kawaii. Kawaii is the Japanese word for cute. What better way to start the work week than with a giant, healthy dose of cute, to chase away those Monday blues?

I stumbled upon Zygomatics while browsing Twitter. I completely fell in love with Chloe's beautiful and bright creations the second I saw her Etsy Shop. Bold colors, many textures and perfect pictures, the Zygomatics shop is very well put together, being professional and playful at the same time. Very kawaii!

Want to know more about Chloe and the beautiful things she makes?? Be sure to check out:
♥ Etsy ♥ Website ♥ Blog ♥ Myspace ♥ Twitter

♥Kylee

I. Love. Hello Kitty.

2009-04-15T15:19:00.001-07:00

Ever since I was little, I have completely adored Hello Kitty. I was thrilled when she made such a huge comeback a few years ago. You could find everything Hello Kitty almost anywhere you shopped. So when I found Hello Kitty soaps molds, I HAD to have them! Wanting a cute set of Spring/Summer soaps, I turned to everyone's favorite kitten.

Took some really great pictures and had to share. (Well, I think the pictures turned out really great!) I'm finding that pictures taken outside, during cloudy days have a really good depth to them...I have never had any luck using photo/light boxes.

♥Kylee

Family Picture ♥

2009-04-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

It seems as the kids get older and my husband and I get busier, we take fewer family pictures. This is something I plan to change! Easter Sunday, I demanded everyone stop and take some pictures. Rory, my husband, set up the tripod quick and we got some really cute shots. Needless to say, the kids were pumped full of Easter candy and it was a pain getting them to sit and smile. Enjoy!

♥Kylee

I love cupcakes!

2009-04-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I LOVE how trendy cupcakes have become! They are cute. Simple as that. They remind me of being little and taking cupcakes my mom made for me to school. My mother made AMAZING cupcakes. Just thinking of coming home and smelling warm, vanilla cupcakes in the oven makes my mouth water!

As a mother of a seven and four year old, trying to run a business, along with running a house, I do not have nearly enough time to make cupcakes as often as I'd like. So incorporating home with work, I made cupcake soaps! They smell D*I*V*I*N*E. I made these soaps earlier last year and some how the mold got tucked away and forgotten about.

Though as yummy as they look and smell...they still can't be eaten...so I think I may have to have a REAL cupcake baking session with the kids this weekend....less I break down and try a taste of my soap...

You can find these adorable soaps (they are HUGE by the way!) in my Etsy shop. CLICK HERE to view.

♥Kylee

Just an idea if you make candles...

2009-04-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

I. Love. Candles.

I've been experimenting since last year trying to create the *perfect* candle. Believe me, it ain't been easy! If you've ever tried to make candles you know there's TONS of testing involved...and a lot of botched experiments. If you've ever made a candle that didn't burn correctly, no need to toss it! Simply buy one of those candle warmers (you know, those little hot plates) and melt! Its a great way to use what you've made rather than wasting your creation. I've had plenty of oils that smelled kind of funky when I burned them, but they smell *perfect* when melted on a candle warmer.

♥Kylee

Paypal Gift Certificates Now Available!

2009-04-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

Gift Certificates are an excellent gift idea and they are cheap to send by postal mail and free to send by e-mail!

You can now purchase printable gift certificates for Luxury Lane Soap & Soy. On LuxuryLaneSoap.com, I have set up an easy to access button for direct purchases. You even have the option to customize, e-mail or print the gift certificate. Available in amounts from $5.00 to $1,000. ♥

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at Soap.Lane(at)yahoo(dot)com

♥Kylee

Luxury Lane Soap featured in the Etsy Storque Spotlight

2008-06-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

One of my listings was featured in the Etsy Storque, in the Spotlight section. *excited*
Thank you bananapantsclothes for finding the article! ♥

Check it out HERE.

Cure!

2008-06-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

Soap curing! Exciting, huh? ♥ Tonight will be full of beveling bars & smoothing the edges so they are easier to hold. Right now, the soaps have a fan on them to help with the natural airflow, and to 'pull' the excess water out. It is so hot and dry out here in Vegas, that these bars are having no problem hardening up to be perfect bars

And this adorable little button, Sophie, belongs to Jkalea of Etsy.com! I hear she loves my soaps, which she is holding up in the picture ♥ Check out Jkalea's Shop for some amazing and beautiful baby gifts! She sells the CUTEST Eco- Friendly Diaper Cake!

♥Kylee

Luxury Lane Soap Comes Clean!

2008-05-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of a blog. I'm part of multiple "Crafter Communities" online, and really wanted a little place that was all mine. My blogs will vary from business related to personal. New finds, new fomulas, new scents. What's going on at Luxury Lane Soap and the HANDMADE world.

Welcome to my blog!
You gotta come clean sometime....
♥Kylee