Don't forget!  Tomorrow is First Friday @ Milepost 5!!  Come enjoy the festivities as artists throughout the complex open up their studios and let strangers in.  Everyone is welcome and the retail shops (including mine, JUST THE GOOD STUFF), will often have sales and workshops, while the artists throughout the complex dull out treats and love to talk about their work.  E.A.T. will most likely have a band playing  on their stage and will, ofcourse, be serving their out-of-this-world food.  See you there?

Milepost 5 is really easy to get to.  Just take I-205 to the Glisan exit and go west.  Turn right on NE 82nd Ave.. Go one block and turn left on Oregon St.. Find a place to park.

So, at my store's Grand Opening the Mayor, Sam Adams, came in and said, "This is the best smelling store in Portland!".  Well, he is right about that one!

The Grand Opening of JUST THE GOOD STUFF @ Milepost 5 (NE 82nd, just N. of Glisan) was a lot of fun.  Many wonderful people came in, browsed, oohed and aahhed & bought organic fragrance for their home & body.  If you have the chance to stop by, I also have a collection of upcycled home & garden art (tiki torches, hummingbird feeders, garden art), handmade chocolates, hand painted glassware, fused glass, jewelry, pottery faces made by my son, greeting cards and whimsies.  I hope to see you there! 

Every once in a while, I forget how truly allergic I am to synthetic fragrance.  After living for so many years not being able to be around fragrance and now, with my essential oils and organic, plant derived,natural fragances, being constantly surrounded by wonderful fragrance, I forget the affects synthetics have on me.  And then I enter a building with a synthetic candle burning.  Or perfume.  Or try a lotion. I instantly can tell if the fragrance is synthetic or not.  My throat starts to clam and tighten up, my breathing becomes labored, my head hurts and I feel sick.  How many people have this same affect?  I hope that my business grows expenentially.  Not because I want $$ (although I surely don't mind) but because I want the air we breath to be fresh and healthy.  I don't think most people understand what they are burning and putting in their air.  After all, if a lotion says natural or a candle says natural, doesn't that mean it

 

Now you can find my organic fragrance candles at Aster & Bee in Portland, OR!  Plus, don't forget to check out my Grand Opening of JUST THE GOOD STUFF at Milepost 5 in Portland, OR April 8th and 9th. www.justthegoodstuff.net  

Now you can find your favorite Vance Family Soy Candles at Snoqualmie Casino, The Pacific Northwest Shop in Tacoma, WA and The Gourmets Galley in Friday Harbor on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington! 

Well, I've changed up my labels 6 times this year and this time I think I finally got it right!  I am very happy with these.  They are elegant, recyled, down to earth, slightly whimsical, branded and are just paper that is wrapped around and taped so the buyer can take it off and have a plain candle if they would like.  I am also making tags for my coffee candles and other funky sizes.

  What do you think?

I will still keep my recycled white labels for any hard-core fans but otherwise, I really like the recycled brown.

 

 

 

Speaking of new......Handmade Local Market opened this weekend!  If you haven't had a chance to check it out, please do!  For the month of February you can buy one of my healing shea,soy and essential oil massage candles for only $5!   This Saturday, ALL CUSTOMERS GET FREE LIPBALM while supplies last.  One per customer.

Plus, I have a shelf of OOPS! candles with the wrong wicks, discontinued fragrances, discontinued jars, etc. that are only $5!

 

Hope to see you there! 

Crazy busy getting ready for the Seattle Gift Show!  Greatly looking forward to it!  Hope to see you there!