Forget the fashion police - synthetic perfume could get you sued...

A friend forwarded this article from the Denver Post to me the other day.

Judge allows civil suit over co-worker's perfume

Honestly to me this isn't any huge surprise. I've been a victim of olfactory assault - most notably on a recent visit to San Francisco when someone on the BART had overdone their scent so viciously that I could smell it half the train away. Like smoking, perfume is something that you can't contain, making it a matter of public concern as well as private.

Read the rest of this entry on the Green Home Huddle website.

Urban Rebirth

Like many others, I'm hoping to win funding through the Google 10 to the 100th contest. Check out my extremely abbreviated video supplement to the application.



If you want to hear my full plan drop me a line.

Back and Forth - Presidential financial policies, failures, and the future

The current financial markets have many of us in a tizzy.
Even those of us who don't have hundreds of thousands in investment portfolios in jeopardy or other savings at immediate risk have serious matters to ponder. If the worst effect on your pocketbook is whether or not you can purchase a new high def TV with your newly reduced credit card limits you are still feeling the pain of our current situation.

Hundreds of small businesses have gone the way of the dodo bird this year. Interestingly enough many small business owners have found it necessary to start a second business as their first becomes unable to produce the needed revenue for survival. A homemade cookie vendor has taken up residence on my local street corner and a friend of mine that owns a stationary business has found it necessary to take on freelance interior design work. Another friend of mine in sales confessed to me that she is working harder to make less, but is doing as much as she can to make sure the bills get paid. For her that means more money spent on gas and travel and more time away from family, all to reap dwindling sales at the retail level. Whether working harder at your existing job, or taking on 2 or even 3 jobs just to make ends meet, many of us in the 40 and under crowd have never faced a squeeze quite like this before.

My current situation is not much different. I have never worked harder in my life , and those of you that know me know that it isn't really possible to go much further than I do on a normal basis. Yet the last year has challenged me physically and mentally, on top of 5 years of already working double-time to grow my business.

I have never known a professional life free of Bush economic policies. I graduated college in December of 1999 and he was promptly elected (or not elected) in fall of that year. I must say, the last 8 years have been no picnic. I came from a decidedly middle-class background and had an excellent family and education. Despite excellent grades and a strong work ethic it has been a huge amount of work to get "established" in life.

I turned 31 this week... I had a very strange moment the other night when I looked at where I am now compared to my teenage ideas of where life would have taken me by 31. Some things make sense to me. I am a homeowner, married, with 1 child. But other things don't fit at all. We have not been able to start a retirement savings, college fund for Tru, still work 80 hours a week, and have still not been able to purchase any "grownup" furniture. I'm proud of how resourceful we have been to make it through what we have in the last few years, but wonder when the pace will let up a bit and things will feel more secure.

The world is simply a different place than the world our parents graduated into 25 years ago. I know only a few people that headed straight into high-paying jobs after college, and if my close friends have massive savings accounts then they are not talking about it to me. Many of my peers are living paycheck to paycheck, my family included, with the hope that the work we put into businesses, graduate school, and more will pay off at some point in the future. We are gambling that it will bring back enough to make up for the massive investment, delayed gratifications, and stagnant, ever-present debt.

I have seen the financial crisis affect my business dramatically over the last year. Slowing sales, skyrocketing rates on our debt, and reduced available credit have all been major problems we have had to address. Recently we put out an application for a business loan. After this week's meltdown there will be little chance that will go through for an operation such as mine.

Our customers have also been deeply affected. Our base consists of many independent businesses, corporations like Whole Foods, and individual retail consumers. None have been untouched. While some of our larger clients have continued to expand despite the soft economy, I have indeed heard whispers of problems even from corporate clients. Whole Foods has a campaign currently to address its reputation as "Whole Paycheck", offering deals and savings tips. But even with these deals the cost of food has continued to skyrocket, and that restricts many shoppers' ability to spend there regardless of deals. Many of my own dietary choices recently have been determined by cost. Beans and oatmeal have been making more prominent appearances at mealtimes. Thankfully I like both, but only in college did I consume more of them.

For days I have been waiting to see how the presidential race plays onto the economic crisis. While I generally prefer to keep my political leanings to myself, I think the issue is too important to my business and family to ignore at this time. I had a very clear and contrasting "Aha" moment tonite while watching the evening news.

The McCain campaign has been running a battery of television commercials here in Missouri with relentless enthusiasm. We are a battleground state, and usually seen as a barometer of the nation as a whole. Many of the television commercials have been along the same vein as the initial spots where Obama was touted as only a celebrity. A brand spanking new McCain campaign commercial came on. A female voiceover speaks in accusatory tones, saying that Obama has not offered any real leadership on the economic crisis. McCain's campaign has most certainly been effective at attracting attention. Their advertisements have been showy and controversial. They are memorable which, of course, is what advertisements should be. However they have been criticized by everyone from individual citizens to respectable media organizations like National Public Radio for the fact that they are simply not accurate.

I urge everyone to view FactCheck.org to verify this ad. FactCheck has been hard on both candidates at times and from my review seems to be a very fair source of information. It is one of my favorite places to go when I want to get down and dirty about an issue.

Then not 5 minutes later an Obama campaign commercial was aired. It was remarkably simple. In it he clearly lays out his ideas on what will make our economy work. No voiceovers, no fancy graphics. Just a candidate talking to voters. I think the differences between these two campaign approaches is striking, and as a voter I appreciate being spoken to like a person with a brain. This approach is not sensationalistic, and does not rely on emotion or fear. I think it is a clear contradiction to how the McCain campaign tries to claim that Obama consists of mostly showy language and flowery speeches.

By now it is likely quite obvious that I am for Obama. I don't usually reveal my preferences in the context of business, and I have actually never been so excited about any politician. Politics is a dirty game, and few individuals can make it through the process with integrity intact. As the old adage goes "You can wrestle with a pig, but you'll both get dirty and the pig will enjoy it". Politics is a wrestling match that too often sullies even those with good intentions. At this juncture I believe that Obama is one of the few men that matches up to my expectations of a presidential candidate.

What I find most exciting about Obama is the fact that ordinary citizens are feeling their power again in his campaign. Many of the actions that support his campaign in huge ways have come from people outside of the campaign itself. From the Yes We Can video put out by Will I Am to unique t shirts screenprinted by supporters, the population of America is feeling empowered to act on their own. No presidential candidate will be able to fix our national situation anytime very soon, and it is important to realize that. There is a messy legacy, and recovery will take more than policies. It will take people. The energy that Obama imparts to ordinary citizens is incredibly important for the revitalization of our economy. If we all start to feel like our contributions really matter we can accomplish a lot at the local level without even waiting for Washington to solve everything. This is where real power is sleeping. Inside all of us.

We all have a right to be frustrated right now. We have a right to feel tired, overworked, underpaid, and disillusioned. We've been lied to, fleeced, and forced to bear burdens we don't deserve.

But we also have a right to hope. We have a right to be energized about the possibilities of the coming election. Because we can fix the problems in front of us with new, creative thinking. We can innovate. We can care more about the well-being of our neighbors and fellow countrymen. We can wake up, ask probing questions, and get the answers we deserve. We can do better than we have.

Yes, We Can.
*blessings
Julie

Easing In... A short summer report

I'm betting many of us still don't believe that summer is really ending.
I think about the first days back at school when I was in the elementary grades... One of those time-honored traditions was to write your first essay of the year on what you did during the summer. It made an easy transition for teachers and students alike.

I'm going to continue that tradition with a few photos taken during my summer. It was by no means a summer of vacations. But it had a few memorable moments.

Here in the Midwest one of the biggest things that happened to our entire region was a massive amount of rain that fell during the early summer months, causing flooding all up and down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. My house is exactly 2 minutes from the Mississippi riverfront in St. Louis - I can practically see it from our house. The McKinley bridge was revamped and reopened just this last year. One of the nicest additions to the bridge was the conversion of an old train trestle to a pedestrian and bicycle trail.

One evening we decided to have some free, easy fun and walk across the river. These are the quick pictures I snapped from our phone. It was a gorgeous sunset and we had the entire bridge to ourselves. I hope you enjoy like we did!

Pro-Active Natural Sun Protection (or else!)

Ah, summer!
Swimming pools, barbecues, and sunbathing.... oh, wait that last part is maybe a little outdated. Try 1989 outdated.

What I won't do for my readers.... The lovely photo you are gazing upon is me at age 12, enjoying my new, trendy 2 piece suit and a book - likely a fantasy novel from the used book store down the hill. The scrunchy, the sunglasses, the stripes, the sunbathing.... so eighties!

I have seriously pale skin. I really don't tan but at the time of this photo I was still discovering that fact. All the pre-teens in my school were going to tanning salons by the ripe old age of 11 . My family being the budget type I had to use the free tanning salon - the sun. I spent hours laying out, feeling hot and sweaty. My prize? Some very faint swimsuit lines and some likely skin damage. Fortunately it didn't take too long before I decided that laying out was real pain and not very productive for me. I resigned myself to the fact that I am just pale.

Fortunately for me I was way ahead of the real trend - skipping the suntan. As we embark upon the coming holiday week I just wanted to take a moment to offer a few suggestions that are totally 2008.

A - Sun exposure is dangerous. Not only can you end up with a really uncomfortable burn but that burn could someday give you cancer. Sunscreen should be your very first thought if you are going to be spending any more than 15 minutes in the sun. When really desperate even I would choose a Franken-chemical sunscreen from Walgreens over a sunburn. But if you have the option check out your local health food store for their natural sunscreens. California Baby has a great, water resistant sunscreen that works for kids and adults and smells really good. It uses micronized titanium dioxide, which is a physical sunscreen rather than chemical like oxybenzone. It reflects the suns rays like a million tiny mirrors. Though I'm usually a purist, Alba also has a few that are economical and not quite so chemically laden. The texture is OK and there are only a few synthetics in the ingredient list. Definitely better than Coppertone or other bargain store brands.

B. Did you know that citrus essential oils can be photo-toxic? That means that if you use a product with any significant concentration of orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus essential oil before heading out to sun exposure your skin can be discolored and can burn much worse than normally. Skip citrus body oils and don't dribble any of these in your bath water. Bergamot FCF is one of the only citrus oils that is safe to use. FCF means that the components of the essential oil that would otherwise be phototoxic have been removed.

C. Your face will be with you forever. Invest in a hat. It will help save you thousands in cosmetic surgery later on.

D. Your face also receives more exposure than any other body part besides your hands. Wear daily sunscreen. No ifs, ands, or buts. I have been using something else, but due to a formula change in my formerly favorite line I'll soon be switching to Lavera's facial sun protection. I have yet to find a product in the Lavera line that doesn't meet my requirements for purity and quality. The texture of their products is amazing, scent great, and they are all approved by the BDIH standard in Germany, the strictest standard for natural personal care products.

So do yourself a favor and protect! Otherwise people will soon be able to see you were alive for the eighties. I know that's a secret you'd rather keep to yourself (along with all the photos of you with your mall bangs and Z. Cavaricci pants). Don't worry, I'll never tell.

from the bathtub....
Julie

Natural Perfumer's Guild

Suprisingly, this week I'm early with my post.
This is because tonight I am in Chicago after a long day of talking and talking and talking to customers at several different Whole Foods Market locations in this area. I am holed up in my hotel room surfing the net for several reasons.

1 - I was exhausted. Seriously. I don't usually talk to people ALL day long. Usually I'm at the studio with just a few close people.

2 - Despite many trips up here I don't seem to have any native Chicago friends to hang out with at night. (smallest violin plays here - sigh!)

3 - I must be getting old. Really . I almost can't believe I passed up the opportunity for a night out on the town in this fabulous, fun city, even if it would be solo, to commune with my computer.

BUT if I hadn't been here with my computer I wouldn't have found the Anya's Garden blog, and then the Natural Perfumer's Guild. Hooray! A club for the natural-scent-obsessed! I can't believe I was previously unaware of this group, but I'm planning to join as soon as I can scrape together the membership fee. After a full day of urging people to smell my products to get them to experience the benefits of natural scent, I should be well on my way in already.

The Guild was founded by Mandy Aftel of Aftelier.com. I'm familiar with her website after a few other nights of surfing the net and reading an article on her scent crafting business. She offers educational opportunities for aspiring perfumers as well as even custom perfume recipes created with your feedback as an integral part of the formulation process for the price of $1,100. Not something that everyone can afford, but what a unique experience. Certainly a scent all your own is as valuable as any diamond necklace. Heck, a trip to Disneyworld costs several thousand dollars!

From their website - the way they evaluate members:

CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AS A
PROFESSIONAL PERFUMER:

Edmond Roudnitska, the famed perfumer, creator of such classics as Femme, Diorella, Le Parfum de Therese, Eau de Hermes and many others, wrote eloquently when he described what a perfume must communicate:

"A beautiful perfume is the one which brings about a shock. A sensual shock that irritates our senses at first, but followed by a psychological shock which lasts the longer with the perfume developing its form, following a slowed evaporation scheme; this in a way that with the form being original it will inscribe itself in our mind which will not forget it and recognize it at the first following encounter.

In order to be beautiful, this form must answer our expectation of novelty and harbor the fundamental qualities of a grand perfume:"

1. Character
2. Force
3. Power
4. Diffusion
5. Clarity
6. Volume
7. Lasting power

I sure hope they'll think my new BLENDS qualify. Yikes! I'll feel really good if they make it through their review, as I honestly have never seen this list of criteria before tonight.

Here's hoping. I'm sure it will take a few months for me to get the fees together and samples submitted. Honestly until 6 months ago or so I never would have even thought of myself as a "perfumer". I've always used the terms "Creative Chemist" and "Aroma Artist". Perfumer would be a new one for me and almost feels a little too formal.

What do you think I am? Perfumer? Mad Natural Scientist? Slightly OCD? ;)
From Chicago tonight, signing off...
*Julie

Our Little Helpers

No, we don't have elves that help us here.
But I thought you might enjoy seeing some pics of the folks that help make the products you get to enjoy at home. I've picked up one new helper this summer. She loves to organize, count things, sing and dance.

Yup, that's my now 4 year old, Tru. So I guess we can't say we don't use child labor. Cause she's been in the studio a lot lately. Today she helped our part-time production assistant Kim organize Energize tin candles.

She is also the only studio helper that comes to work with no pants on. Today the outfit was tights and dress-up shoes with stripey green shirt. She loves her tights.

The order of the day for Frank, our Production Manager, was Stress Serum packaging. Meet the man who makes just about everything except our soap and perfume (my jobs ). And he does darn good for us, braving sleet, snow, rain and blazing heat to make it to our studio every day using only public transit. Believe me, in St. Louis this is not a small feat.

So that is our summer Monday at Irie Star. Hope you are nice and cool wherever you are.
Until next time....
*blessings
Julie Longyear