The Email Title reads 'Listen and Be Blessed'

This is an excerpt from an email I received from a good friend today...I encourage you to listen and be blessed.

Dear Michelle:
This one is not a hoax. - Listen and be blessed! J
A remarkable phone call from a 13-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3. So profound, the station has it posted on their website. Click below to listen to it. It's short.

http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/morningShow/?p=113

Seattle Locals-COME SEE US in WOODINVILLE

SEATTLE LOCALS...please come and SEE us tomorrow at the bazaar!

November 17th - THIS SATURDAY
Kokanee Elementary Gym
9am-4pm
23710 57th Ave SE
Woodinville, WA 98072
Kokanee Holiday Bazaar
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP

Hope you can drop by! We love to meet you face-to-face! We'll have Healing Heel Sticks™, Four Seasons Fragrance Roll-On Perfume Oils and SparklePuss® 8oz Jelly Jars on display and for sale!

What? You aren't local? A very special deal just for you was sent in your newsletter!

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

FINALLY

Thank you very much for your support.

We are finally getting back on our feet.

Part of that is keeping our word...we have several people who have not received what was promised (prizes, donations, gift certificates) and we are doing everything possible to make good on our word...even if it was a year ago!!

So THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you terrific customers! (You know who you are)!! We really appreciate you and hope we can mend any broken fences that still exist out there.

That said, we are looking forward to a new beginning!!! Our SECOND anniversary is approaching in December, a great time for a fresh start!

In honor of our second anniversary, we are overcoming our indecision and have finally decided up these fantastic glass cubes for our new glassware! We did a lot of wick testing with the "new" jars, but just could not get them burning according to our standards. Thus, enter these cubes!! We've just updated the website to reflect the new packaging. Photos of real soy candles coming soon!

We have set up the site with the new sizes along with our CatNips™ Soy Votive Collections!! Packaged in white gift boxes, these sets of FOUR mini-votives make a delightful sampler or better yet, a GIFT! Includes our mini-matchbox. We offer several sets...
-CatNips™ Collection AIR-O-MATIC
-CatNips™ Collection AROMATHERAPY SPAAAH
-CatNips™ Collection LATITUDE 47°
-CatNips™ Collection CLASSIC
-CatNips™ Collection 2007 HOLIDAY

We will be pouring these ahead of time allowing MUCH FASTER order processing times!! YAY! We'll be able to grab your favorite collection and get it off to you immediately. Single Mini-Votives will also be available.

We are planning on offering REFILLS for these darling glass containers!! And hope we can actually offer REFILLS on the small, medium and large cubes, too!! That will keep us busy as we enter 2008!

Thank you very much for your understanding and support of us during this very trying year!!
Keep checking back, the sale is updated daily!!

Enjoy your weekend!

BIG SALE

We have quite the shelf full of discontinued soy candles! Some scents we are discontinuing and some jars and sizes we no longer carry. So we are listing a few per day on our sale page to clear out space for our new items.

http://www.SparklePuss.com/2007_sale.html

NEW Super-Scent "riverview PATCHOULI BREW"

Whooah.

This is really EARTH'EE. Love the smell of dErt?

Then you'll be buying this! ummmmUM! I really don't care for patchouli as a whole...but now that I've spilled this all-natural wonder-blend on my desk and rubbed my elbow in it(!) it's really starting to grow on me!

See SparklePuss.com for our new scent description. Groovy.

You are Going to FREAK OUT!

At how totally adorably CUTE this new glass votive is!!!

I ordered it sight unseen...holey moley!

It even has a lid!

Now I'll tell you...I have a camera on my phone, a camera which I lost but is now found and the new replacement camera which has never worked. Agh. The world of electronics eludes me since I cannot find my phone, the saved camera doesn't have a battery charger and the camera which never worked still doesn't. That is just WRONG. I have so much to tell you and now way to SHOW YOU.

I will remedy this situation with $59.99 to purchase a new battery charger!

OH, and you are in for SO MUCH FUN because we have gotten a little crazy and ordered up some fantastic new Arrrrrrrromahz for you! I'm working with a new manufacturer and this guy is awesome!! He has sent me several good choices and when I get a SPACE HEATER for the garage, I'll go out there and whip up some stuff!

Can't get over this kewt votive, though. Technically is almost 5oz...a MEGA-votive...maybe that's what we'll call it. It certainly deserves the title!

More soon!

Everyone is Someone's Child...You'll LOVE This!!

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You will LOVE this whether you are the child or the MOM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W95Y8hNQiH8

Who is this woman!? After hearing this I had TEARS IN MY EYES! Brilliant! She gets the MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD!

And would someone PLEASE send me the exact words so I can sing along!??!!
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YIPPEE!

Wow.

I can see the floor! The candle room is OPEN!

This is really exciting! A whole new look and though I'm bleary-eyed...I feel pretty good...ready to welcome you back and proceed head first into the wonderful season of candle gift-giving!

LET'S WELCOME :
-NEW super-scented soy TEALIGHTS!
-NEW sleek glass containers!
-NEW super-scents!
-NEW website look-and-feel!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all our customers who have been SO supportive and SO very patient as we've relocated this summer.

Tell us what you like about the new look!

ta DAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

What a relief!

As we are unpacking some of our stuff...we realized how much SparklePuss needs a makeover and tune-up!!

GLASSWARE: I've always wanted a lighter weight jar...and I've finally found it! Though our current jars are excellent quality, we've been forever searching for a more modern, minimalist jar with a lid. We LOVE straight-sided jars and we've found JUST THE PERFECT THING!!!

So when we re-open, it will actually be a RE-LAUNCH of SparklePuss Super-Scented Soy Candles!

TEALIGHTS: We are SO excited to start offering you what you've been asking for! Super-scented soy tealights!

With the new glass and the new tealights, we'll have to say goodbye to some old favorites...stay-tuned.

SCENTS: They say the only certain thing is "change". Yep. As we relaunch our new sizes of soy candles, we'll be saying goodbye to some old scents and HELLO to some new ones!

As we finalize some wick testing in October, we'll also be having a massive sale to clear out what little is on our shelves.

ATTENTION: Since we have a family, and some of our family members are not yet WORKING in the "factory"...child labor laws you know!...we are going to be offering our super-scented soy candles in BATCHES...each batch will be made periodically...kinda like cold-process soap...there will be a limited number of candles made per batch...so you'll want to get them while you can!

Look for our newsletter to go out in the next week or two with an update and then the next one with our event schedule and SALE info!

Thank you very very much for your support and patience as we get back up and running...in a whole new way!

I Will Prevail!

Sometimes we talk in movie quotes, no, that would be...all the time.

I will prevail, what is that from? Can't remember but the point is...I WILL re-open SparklePuss Super-Scented Soy Candles!!!

And HOPEFULLY before Christmas!

The rate I'm going, well, I will prevail.

Thanks for sticking with me!

More soon! (September 17th-oh I remember, that quote is from "Two Weeks Notice" with Sandra Bullock!)

Hurumph

I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post.

We've been trying to get settled in our new place and sadly, the candle studio is still in boxes.

Back-to-school in two weeks. Happy? YES. We've had a wonderful summer, but I'm ready for the routine that fall brings.

Take heart, we are planning to get back up and running in the next several weeks. Thanks for your support!!!

Thank you to Adoringly M's Blog!!!

Though I just finished a blog post, I was looking through my previous posts and noticed Adoringly M left an encouraging comment. So I visited her site...this is one of the several funny things I found in her posts. Thank you!

If you like dogs and cats or hate one or the other, you might like this.

Thanks to Adoringly M, a fellow candlemaker, for her blog post that I copied!

Visit her blog here: Adoringly M's Blog

SUBJECT: DOG'S and CAT's DIARY

Dog's Diary...

8:00am-Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am - Car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am - Walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:15pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Cat's Diary...

Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

RENEWED!!

Intervention.

Have you every been the subject of an intervention? Or maybe part of an intervention "team"?

I was on both sides this week. My sister and best friend Janet performed an intervention on our STUFF. Yep. Hoarding disorder!! Really!

We literally could not move nor unpack in our new place because of all the stuff. Last Thursday my sister showed up with a 17' UHAUL.

Guess what?

We FILLED it. Half went was donated and the other half went to the dump. I'm completely embarrassed to admit that the half that went to the dump totalled OVER 1.3 TONS. How does this happen!?!?!

Yeah, well, don't be so smug, you've got more stuff that you probably realize!

But I literally feel more FREE, lighter, more clear and less oppressed. Over the next two weeks the goal is to pare down to only the essentials (in personal AND business).

It is pretty exciting to have set up my work area for candles yesterday. All my "equipment" is pretty much still in boxes, but soon everything will have a home. And if it doesn't - off with it then! I'm really getting good at purging stuff (both Janet and my sister are PROUD of me!!)

Silly, huh? Not really. There is a website devoted to this problem...

I was SHOCKED that we fit the ticket...I suppose identifying the problem is 99% of the cure, huh?

If you know someone who needs help, please, for their sake step out and kindly bring up the topic in a non-judgmental, caring way. I have difficulty associating our family with the word "hoarding" but that is how it is named, oh well! Reality check!

Visit: http://www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding/about-hoarding/compulsive-hoarding-syndrome-introduction.php

I'm so glad to have friends and family who love me so much!!

So...ONWARD to unpacking those candle boxes!

More soy candles and new stuff coming soon (can you say "scented TEALIGHTS"?) :)

Join the MAILING LIST if you haven't already. Rumors of a BIG SALE are about, you'll want to keep informed!

MOVED

Why do I hate moving!?!?!?!

Could it be dancing around boxes is NOT romantic? Could it be that I open the wrong drawer to get the spoons EVERY time? Maybe because all the towels need to be washed or maybe because I can't find a thing!

But I must be optimistic...much has been accomplished...thank you craigslist.org ! I am turning my junk into cash, I love that!

We are working diligently to get SparklePuss up and running again, though the "studio" doesn't even exist yet...but that's what Saturdays are for, right? And mowing the lawn of course!

Thanks for checking in...more soon!!!

Uninspired...

Is it normal to have NOTHING TO BLOG about?

Could it be that the cardboard moving boxes are sucking the life out of me!?

I hate moving. When we bought our last home in 2001, I thought I'd never move again. Geesh, "never say never"...go ahead and say it. Thankfully we found some wonderful movers, we get "two men and a truck" for three hours. I'm trying to make a pathway so they can get to the heavy stuff...mainly the honkin' tv and my candle studio.

I'm eager to record how we found this wonderful house, but I'm completely drained. Last night I was tired, but could not sleep...for TWO HOURS. I was planning in my mind where to plant the hydrangeas and lavender...it was somewhat irritating!

What in the world does this have to do with anything? The candle "production facility" will be inoperable until August 1st-ish. THEN it will have a somewhat permanent home, which is MUCH desired!

We are very excited to launch our new jars in August-just in time for holiday wholesale orders!

Have a happy and safe fourth of July! More soon...

MOVING SALE! Lucky you!!

Summer is near! I look forward to the longest day of the year so I can do something really fun! Like, uh, watching the sun go down at 10pm...whohoo!

We are moving into a new house and I spent a few hours (without children) doing some WEEDING (in the pouring rain today)! It was fantastic to have a garden to weed again!! I'm actually grateful for WEEDS! Sicko, huh!??!

We'll be moving so all our inventory is HALF OFF so I don't have to move it!!!

We've streamlined our website from June 8th through July 28th while we move and get our studio set up again...BIG JOB!

In the meantime, please visit our new fragrance site, FourSeasonsFragrance.com - A Scent for Every Season!

Nearing the Finish Line!

As a family we are nearing the finish line! We are only weeks away from a new beginning!

Our little home-based business is scheduled to move (again!) on July 1st providing us more space!! (ahhhh, I feel like I've been wearing pants that are two sizes too small...we need more room!) This will be good timing as our Christmas and holiday season starts pretty early around here!

We are looking for a few wholesale customers for our jelly jars...we welcome MoonDrops Gift Shop in Charleston, SC!! Please be one of the first to contact us if you are interested in wholesale, we can only accept a few at this time.

Soon we will welcome back our most popular jar...it is SO CUTE!!! We sold out so fast and we are happy to finally bring them back!

Stay tuned, we are very excited as things are gearing up!

Best Year of My Life

I must be psychotic, huh? Best year, worst year, which is it?

After I became a Christian, I started reading the Bible. It says that trials produce the strength to continue (endurance). The act of enduring creates a strong character and that I am blessed when I keep going (enduring) when times are hard and there is an eternal reward from God for those who continue in endurance (perseverance).

Amazing!!! So, after reading "the worst year of my life" post...I decided to add on to that because in another way...this new character developing in me makes it the BEST YEAR, too! My husband and I have a renewed love and respect for one another that would not have come without this difficult time. And that is just the beginning, I know as we move out of this trying time, we'll be able to see even more clearly the good that God will bring out of this mess. Ironically, when one goes through a crisis, one finds out which friends are the "keepers"...and we have truly been blessed by INCREDIBLY loving friends and family.

SparklePuss has a bright new future ahead. This week, we are entertaining our first wholesale account in Charleston, South Carolina. That is really exciting since we've really been dragging our feet about retailing...but with the help of this very enthusiastic buyer, we are establishing a wholesale program for brick & mortar stores to be launched soon.

Our concern is how do we grow, but not grow too fast (or too slow)? One day at a time, I keep telling myself! Glassware and a few scented sales are in the near future...stay tuned!

Worst Year of My Life

Well this is going to be a downer...this has been the worst year of my life. I'm really not sure if I should even reveal this personal information and I'm a little bit nervous. But at the same time, I can't help but think it might help someone else who may feel alone and drowning in their own financial problems. There were nights I thought I would die from anxiety...but I'm here to tell you, I made it and YOU WILL MAKE IT, too!

Me and my family have experienced a total financial collapse over the past 12 months...which has involved losing our home and filing bankruptcy. Why do I tell you this? Only, perhaps, to encourage someone else out there who might be going through something the same or similar.

If one is going to play the game, one should know the rules...and beware. Last January one of our personal credit cards raised our minimum payment. Since it was over $1,000(!) we were not able to make that payment...which started the snowball rolling (down hill). Not making the full minimum payment put us over our limit...so we incurred over-the-limit fees AND late fees...which exacerbated the minimum payment, which increased the over-the-limit fees and continued the late fees. Once one gets behind like this it is nearly impossible to recover...which is what happened to us. If this weren't bad enough, our interest rate was raised to 33%! I had heard of this happening, but never really thought it would happen to me! The house of cards came falling down.

Of course, SparklePuss.com got caught in this downward spiral because the production manager (me!) was spiraling downwards! But we are happy to announce that the light at the end of the tunnel has shown on us!!!! What a relief to end the plague of usury! Though we feel embarrassed and somewhat ashamed, at the same time, we know others must also be going through this...and may need a listening ear. Feel free to email me.

Our sincere apologies to you wonderful customers who have placed orders in February & March but have yet to receive them. THANK YOU very much! Your order will be out to you very soon!

So here's to a fresh start...and improved delivery times for you!! Thank you very much for your support!!

Website Temporarily Closed

Yay, the mailing list was retrieved! So be on the lookout in the next few days as we'll be sending out an awesome SALE email in celebration!

SparklePuss.com will be CLOSED for about three weeks. The shopping cart will remain open, but orders won't be filled until March 15th as we deal with a family crisis. Also, I'm doing some training in fragrance & essential oils and perfumery which will require time to study. I'm hoping this training will enhance our offerings in the near future!

Wiener Bench by JackRabbit

My whole life I've been trying to be someone I'm not.

Some time after I finally came to grips with my NEED for cREEEativity, I found Etsy.com

The Upcycling Contest is a fascinating study in the immense capacity some individuals have for thinking outside the box...

Wiener Bench Winner!

I feel so proud to be associated with the Etsy community...please come visit!

The Proud Business Owner

Let's look back and review how I've tried to blow up my own business in the past week...

I sent a corrected email to my fabulous customers that created everyone to be RE-OPTED-IN to the list, but the link is missing, so no one can opt-in at all. This has sent my entire list into techno-purgatory. Hoping the engineering department can retrieve it!

Being sick in bed for two full days has not helped my production schedule.

Hmmm, what else...well, my shopping cart has been "new and improved" to meet privacy regulations. (Do you ever feel like something is backwards in the world? I mean, we have all this privacy stuff, for good reason, but yet, when I go to Baskin & Robbins for a double-scoop of ice cream, I can't help but notice the seeing eye camera watching my every LICK!) Anyways, the change has totally effected the way we process our Valet Shipping™ and bulk tealight shipping. So I've enjoyed the past few hours re-structuring the site so all shipping costs are charged appropriately upon checkout-no easy feat!

I LOVE running my own business...but I must admit...sometimes the inevitable "whoopsies" of business life can be a challenge in ADDITION to the inevitable "whoopsies" of normal life!!

And a sad announcement for our friends in Canada, we are no longer shipping to Canada. We intend to include Canada in our shipping plans as we grow, but for right now it is less complicated for our part-time business to ship only to the US.

I think that's all for now!

Thanks for visiting SparklePuss Super-Scented Soy Candles & Tarts blog...I think they should change the name of "blog" to "blah-g" like blah-blah-blah.

Marital Communication

I've been married for over 16 years and I have to laugh...since we are both so busy with work and kids, I think I'm going to have to start referring my husband to my blog to catch up on my life!!

Speaking of men...they are different creatures from us women (uh, in a lot of ways!!) One thing I've always wanted to do is launch a friendly gift service to provide an easy way for men to buy gifts for the women in their lives AND a fun, inexpensive way for girlfriends to send goodies to encourage one another.

Thus, part one...THE MAN SHOP™ at SparklePuss.com.

Yes, here it is. TELL YOUR MEN because this could change their lives! (really!!)

What is THE MAN SHOP™?

One click away from SparklePuss.com is our fantastic gift service for men. 95% of candle consumers are WOMEN...girls like candles! A candle gift is almost a SURE THING. And like my husband, don't guys want to please the women in their lives? :)

We offer a wish list, a reminder service and a (nearly finished) shopping page just for men to find gifts for women! It is streamlined and designed with a man's mind "in mind". We've targeted the uber-busy, professional man who wants a first-class, spot-on gift at a reasonable price from a reliable, efficient source. And a man who will tell his BUDDIES about us, too!

The shop outlines our "features and benefits" along with gifting scenarios that might be challenging (what to give a female co-worker?). We want men to know...if they get "stuck"...WE ARE THE ANSWER!! Text is bulleted and "results-focused". We offer Valet Shipping™...we take care of the details and bill them later. (Sometimes they need RUSH shipping!!) Photos show the item and the gift wrap...gift certificates are being revamped for ease of use and visual appeal. Husbands, boyfriends, brothers, sons, dads, grampas and co-workers will find THE MAN SHOP™ a welcome tool for their busy lives!

WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE MAN SHOP™! Click Here Now!

So with Valentine's Day just around the corner...please tell every male you know...SparklePuss.com!

Mailing List OOPS!

Oh joy.

I've sent out HUNDREDS of emails to my wonderful customers letting them know we have a terrific drawing...all they have to do is enter.

But the mechanism to enter...doesn't allow them to enter! (my fault).

Lovely!

Thanks to Tamera in Oklahoma for notifying us immediately of the problem. We were able to send a revised email quickly and efficiently only hours after the original email went out...hopefully catching the problem before it frustrates anyone else!

Thanks to ConstantContact.com for their GREAT email management system!

Today's read is from Alpine Internet in Bend, Oregon on RSS feeds. I just told my husband last night that I need to figure out what this is...and there is the answer in my inbox this evening!! This is probably the first "newsletter" that actually has valuable content! And really timely, too! If you are wondering, too, click the link to read the well written article.

I'm excited to write tomorrow on our new gift service for MEN looking for extra brownie points this Valentine's Day. I also need to promote the WISH LIST for Valentine's Day.

I've heard it said, "If you love what you do for work, you'll never work another day in your life".

Is it possible after all this time that I've actually arrived?!??! I LOVE WHAT I'M DOING! If I didn't have to sleep, I wouldn't...I love this job!!! It blows me totally away that I can say that after all I've been through trying to find "my niche"!

I must also admit...I'm fickle...some days I'm really UP on candles...some days I want to walk away from it...isn't that LIFE!??! But what is really working so well for me is that I have several different web businesses...when I'm down on one I'm usually up on another so I can keep myself engaged with the variety! Those of you out there with A.D.D. can understand our VITAL NEED for novelty and variety!

Enough. I think I'm really getting carried away with this blog thing! :)

Unscented Soy Tealights RETURN

Whoaah, what happened this week!?!? All of a sudden there's a list of orders a mile long! I better get to the candle room before too long! It is hard to pull away from the keyboard, though. I think my chair is getting those curved indentations in it, shh, don't tell anyone!

OK, due to extreme popular demand (you candle lovers are quite demanding...in a nice sort of way!) we will be making unscented soy tealights again (with scented ones in the wings-maybe). Thanks for loving SparklePuss Soy Candles! We love you back!

But I do want to prepare all of you "out there"...join the mailing list NOW...there is something fun coming up very soon, you may want to know about it! Only for subscribers!

In the meantime, visit my adorable internet buddy at http://www.charssi.com You'll be sooooo glad you did! :)

Looking for a fantastic lip balm? Visit http://www.weeLUXURIES.com for our Luxury Lip Balm in 21 flavors! A cheap pick-me-up!

Why NOT blog?

Why not blog? This is the question to be answered...sooooooo, here we are trying to give a little peek into the news at the SparklePuss candle factory. Ha, not really a factory!

This week we are considering possible new glassware options...not much else to tell!

We love our customers and want to use this blog to keep you up-to-date between email correspondence. We are overdue for a sale around here, so when we can get our sales team (me!) to update a website sale, we'll let you know!

Thanks for reading! Michelle >^..^<