The Price of Awesome

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?

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...

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

♥