(The gorgeous turkey from last year. )
(My husband Peter and I getting married)
My husband Pete has been a blessing as a life partner in so many ways. 10 years of marriage is something anyone should be proud of. We both enjoy many of the same things while teaching each other about our passions along the way. Sharing our love for the outdoors while traveling on road trips and camping along the way when we can have given us wonderful memories. He has always helped me pursue my passions and has helped me grow as an artist influencing me to do my first art show and purchase a space at local vendor malls. I am grateful to have someone in my life who loves me for who I am and encourages me to grow as a person and in my many passions. Grateful for the ability to have had a partner through all that life has presented us. I am forever grateful for the home we have together with our dog Pork Chop and our time together.
(Pork Chop at the river in her water shoes)
Knowing how to cook, or mix up beautiful drinks has become a passion of mine. Nothing makes me happier than sitting out on the deck or in the backyards of friends and family's homes while listening to music or sharing stories by the fire and watching the stars. Friendship is a beautiful gift that we give ourselves. I am grateful for the friendships and true connections I have made with many over my 38 years on this earth. Taking the time to get to know people on a personal level, making the few friendships I have worth more than their weight in gold. I am grateful for the wonderful diversity of my friend's ages, personalities, and beliefs. I am grateful for low-maintenance long-term friends who are always in my heart and often go a long time without talking and can catch up like we saw each other yesterday. Surrounding myself with people who inspire and influence me in ways I would have never been exposed to on my own has enriched my life. Quality over quantity makes a huge difference with many things in life, loved ones who you can count on are one in a million. I appreciate each of my friends.
(My wonderful friends Dena and Gail, letting me do a photo shoot.)
Animals have a lot to teach us about our mortality and how to love and be loved, care for something, and outlive our beloved friend(family). I have had many animals over my time from chameleons, iguanas, snakes, reptiles, chickens, dogs, and cats. Some animals need to eat other animals to survive, while others need to be fed, watered, and taken out multiple times a day. Growing up with animals has made me a more compassionate person and has helped me learn about bugs, soils, poisonous plants, and the safety of keeping a tank and yard clean. They teach us how to enjoy what we have at the moment and not to hold on to anger and grudges. We learn how to communicate even though we do not speak the same language. Bonding with an animal and spending time with them can make our everyday life a bit more fun, and can be beneficial to our health. Walking with our pets, spending time outdoors, and even emotionally supporting us during times of grief and sorrow. I am grateful to Pork Chop for making me laugh every day, and for being supportive of me on my bad days. Shelter pets are the best,adopt don't shop!
(Mango and Karnouski playing together 💙)
I love walking in the woods, nature has always been something that calms me and helps me to relax. Learning how to tell what direction I am heading in and how to get back home have become important skills in life. Noticing tracks of animals, what edible plants are around to forage for, and even how to see the beauty in the decaying trees to generate healthy soil for the next generation of flora and fauna to enjoy. Collecting rain and moon water, and finding edible mushrooms, berries, and plants have helped me connect to the earth, keeping the memories of foraging with my Grandpa Carter and Uncles as a young girl alive. The earth helps to ground me, inspiring me every time I am immersed in its beauty, with patterns, colors, shapes, size, function, fragrance, texture, and even movement of the plants and animals in each microclimate. I am grateful for all that this earth provides, and the ability to see the beauty in items others overlook.
(Over 3 lbs of delicious oyster mushrooms found in my friend's yard.)
Taking time to pause and be thankful for our personal growth within ourselves should be encouraged and something we all practice. I often feel overwhelmed with life's everyday tasks while trying to manage my own soap business and have been working on being kinder to myself. Taking the time to work on learning new skills, working on things I am uncomfortable doing and challenging myself helps to keep me engaged in art and learning. Acknowledging how far I have come on my own and not comparing myself to others along the way are also things I am working on. Self-growth is something we should all be proud of, even if it feels like you are moving forward one step at a time, acknowledging each step toward the direction of your goal is an important step. Being patient with myself is not always easy, but my passion fuels my persistence to help me reach my dreams. I may not be where I want to be at the moment in time, but I am further than I was at this time last year and hope to be even further next year.
(My talented photographer friend Mark Meyer took this of me for my business!)
I am grateful for all of the hardships and the challenges that have been in my life along the way forcing me to grow in new ways that I never knew were possible. Being uncomfortable is a part of life we all must face, some of us more than others. With the feelings of discomfort, we can dig deeper into ourselves and harness the strength we never knew we had. Making mistakes, and learning from them as we go is a great skill to have in your toolbox. Trying new things helps us to practice learning from our mistakes reminding us that this is a part of the growth that is inevitable. Learning how to become a better individual to help become a stronger individual, wife, friend, neighbor, dog mom, artist, and person has helped me become ok with my personal and professional failures.
This can be a hard time of the year for those who have had grief and loss, remember to reach out to those without a safe place to go this year, if you are able to add the leaf to your table this year to invite extra people who may need a bit of extra love this year. I hope everyone can take some time out to acknowledge the things that make their own life unique and special. This is the time of year when many people get caught up in buying and purchasing items for themselves and others. Some of the most important things in life are free and often get overlooked. I encourage you to tell those in your life how much they matter to you and spend some quality time with friends and family and not just spend money on impulse purchases. Be kind to those working in shops and restaurants this year, we are all doing the best we can! Happy Holidays to you all from Christal Clear Soaps!
(Sometimes our mistakes can be beautiful and become something we try to repeat. Activated charcoal and oatmeal soap.)
(Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!)
*Check out my soaps on social media and read my weekly blog for self-care tips and tricks.
🛀christalsglass@gmail.com
🛀christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps
*Leaving reviews and liking my posts and items helps to grow my business, gives more people the ability to see my products. Each like, share, and review is greatly appreciated!
Posting photos of your soaps and tagging them with my hashtags below is a great way to help any small businesses grow naturally.
#christalclearsoaps #myfavoritesoap #etsyshop #fragrancefree #selfcare #sandsoaps #vacation #iusethis #oneofakindgift #uniqueguftideas #bestgiftever #smallbusiness #gifts
*Thank you to every one of you for supporting me and my dreams of being an artisan soap crafter. Every order is important to me! I appreciate each and everyone who has bought my soaps along the way, either from Etsy, local art shows, local vendor malls, flower shops, and from myself.
* All soaps are made by my own two hands, cut, stamped, cured, packaged with hand stamped logos by myself.
Here is a list of my completed blogs! Learn a bit about Cold Process Soap and Christal Clear Soaps, and how I got started making all-natural fragrance-free soap.
1) *Welcome everyone https://christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps/post/welcome-everyone-to-my-soap-page
2) *True cold process soap https://christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps/post/what-is-true-cold-prcoess-soap
3) *10 random facts about me https://christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps/post/10randomfactsaboutmyself
4) Activated bamboo charcoal https://christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps/post/activated-bamboo-charcoal-christal-clear-soaps
5) Sand
6) Indigo
7 Rose & wildflower
8) holiday gifts
9) In the garden
10) What’s in my bag
11) Fall is here
12) Essential oils
13) Clays
14) Favorite self-care tips
15) Spices are not just for cooking
16) What I am thankful for
17) New in the shop/stocking up with Christal Clear Soaps
18) An accomplishment I am proud of
19) Houseguests
20) Selfcare during the holidays
https://christalsglass.wixsite.com/christalclearsoaps/post/self-care-during-the-holidays