That is all, except I'm freaking out.

I'm not gonna lie: I started the day with a really bad attitude. Dumping my basket of hair accessories out onto the floor while simultaneously upending my go-kit of makeup artistry tools and supplies in the same vicinity didn't help my mood. At all. 

The turning point of the day? We received our very first resume from a master cosmetologist and I am OVER THE MOON! 
Immediately after, we got a call from our bank. YAY!
Things are happening really fast now, and we are so ready. 
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Today was supposed to be the day we closed but because of reasons, the actual date (confirmed by our banker) is Tuesday, the 28th.
(This is really, really not the week, y'all.) 

But that's okay. I love 2/28/17 as a closing date because it's the last day of February and we can end a month of delays and questions and wake up on 3/1 in a brand new hopeful month, knowing that the building is ours and we can start working on this dream.

Something weird happened to our host for almost 24 hours, creating double posts, phantom drafts, and content that can't be edited. So strange. So sorry!

Lori Willett at Dennis Bradford State Farm is AMAZING! 
We have been such pests about quotes for insuring the new building and asked a million questions and changed our minds and changed them back and asked some more questions but she's still there, patient, with a smile on her beautiful face. In fact, she's so awesome even the potatoes in her salad, about to be her lunch, can't help but be happy to be around her.  See?
We think everyone should be lucky enough to have an agent like ours! 
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I am so very excited to tell everyone we've been approved for a retail account with Plant Therapy! We'll be carrying this in the store, but it will not be available through our website's shopping feature. If you want some, you'll have to do it the old fashioned way and give us a call, a text, or a visit. I have been a fan of theirs for years; Plant Therapy was the first brand BK bought me when I expressed an interest in oils. It was a Christmas gift: Lavender, Lemon, Bergamot, Vanilla. To this day, those are still my first choices for blending in the diffuser or in gifts.

Speaking of Kitchen Chemistry... there's been a breakthrough in the search for the perfect facial oil. A vendor with whom we were working became successful overnight, supplying big box stores (Amazon, Jet, Walmart dot com) and that's great news for them, but sad for us because there's no way we can move that kind of volume. I've been on the hunt for a replacement facial oil since then. One vendor sent a sample of their facial oil but I was just not crazy about it. Another sample is waiting for me but I was so afraid of disappointment that I decided to make my own! 
There were a lot of things to consider. First, despite the fact that people make such a big deal about "no preservatives", we need preservatives. Bacterial, mold, fungal growth? Yep, we need preservatives. (I used to be one of those people, but a c/e unit and a mini course on cosmetic chemistry changed my mind with a quickness!) This is an anhydrous formula (without water) so there was some investigating different kinds of preservatives for oils, as well as the oils themselves. Smells were a huge factor. The Google had to be searched many times as did my dictionary of cosmetic chemicals. Polysorbate 80 or 20? I could geek out over this for days. I finished the first batch last night and put a call out for testers. The response was excellent. Since today was a class day, I passed a sample to a friend. Tomorrow, I will deliver the others to my local lovelies and mail one to Georgia.

Finally, this is the week. THIS IS THE WEEK! 



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I can't wait two weeks to talk about these products! 

The package came yesterday (bonus gift, a free sample of lavender face scrub) and I immediately took everything to my bathroom. After removing my makeup, I used the Lavender Olive Oil soap and the Neroli face spray (toner) and my skin felt delicious. 

I'd love to tell you about the lip balm but since it was rose-scented, our daughter immediately appropriated it. She put some on, smiled at me, and then tucked it in her pocket. Stinker! But, it's middle school girl approved.

Last night, I asked my husband to try out the soap during his shower. He did, and had the following to report: it's a little slick in your hands and on your face, but it rinses completely off. (He *hates* soap that leaves a film.) It also doesn't smell "girly", just nice and clean and a little herbal. He agreed to use it for a week. 

This is so very important to me, because men's skincare can be difficult. There are a few hard and fast rules for men overall (and I'm not generalizing or stereotyping because this can apply to some women as you'll read in a second). Men need a couple products that are fragrance-free or low-fragrance, and it needs to be a simple routine. Some women feel the same way.

Minimalists, regardless of gender, don't want to be bogged down by the cleanser, scrub, toner, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen routine that many product lines offer. I'm excited by Adele's face (and body) soap because it's a moisture- rich cleanser.  It's also super affordable for how high quality it is. 

Today I used the soap again and followed it with the Lavender facial scrub. That was really wonderful. The lavender is heavier, so fans of this herb will enjoy the aromatherapeutic properties. The scrub components are enough to know that something is happening but feel too refined to be causing microtears. In all honesty, I'm ambivalent about scrubs for many, many reasons so the most important things to remember are 1) use gentle pressure and 2) do not overwork the skin. More is not better. I promise. 

I think my face feels great, so we are thinking about offering Adele Purist earlier than anticipated. I'll post at least one more update on the experience in about a week, and will let everyone know when Adele's products become available on the website's shopping page. 

( Have We got our hands on a copy of the appraisal. Finally.

It was not as magnificent as we had hoped (because this is life) but it was good enough for the bank to work with, so... thank the Merciful Heavens that part's over.

The legal search, to make sure the deed is clear and all the past sellers have paid all their taxes on the building, is supposed to be underway now. That's the next step/hurdle and we will be one step closer to ownership. One of the agents in the office told us a horror story about how, in the span of his career, once upon a time, the legal work/search unearthed several, several thousand dollars worth of back taxes somewhere along the history of a building. Not this building! Just a building.

(eta: I have updated this part three times, because each time it seemed to imply that I was talking about current sellers or the current building. That's just not the case. tldr: The legal work is more or less a formality, although a realtor did tell us he's aware of one situation where some taxes were owed. There. Mercy! ) 

It's getting reallly real, y'all. 

In the past week or two, we've made contact with some incredible people: 
State Beauty Supply in Paducah, Kentucky? Wow, Kathryn. That's all I can say. If every person ran a business the way she did/does, there would be zero complaints. I mean, stellar customer service! 

Danielle, from Frontier Coop, called me today to discuss the account I applied for last week. In an aside, for a $10 buy-in, anyone can be a member and it comes with advantages so you get a link to click. However, if you see something you like, please let me know; we can order, or we can stock. We plan to carry Aura Cacia brand. It is truly lovely, and less expensive than some of the other brands which makes it great for starting out. The Tranquility blend and the Heart Song blend are in my top recommendations of all time. (I also happen to be a YL member, so that brand is also easily sourced if there is interest.)

Okay, back to the bones and other structures of the forearm and hand. Have I mentioned the Trail Guide is killing me? 

I've groused enough already, so here is a bit of fun for you and me both! 

First, an introduction to one of the retail products we have been researching: 
www.adelepurest.com/
www.facebook.com/adelepurestpossible/?pnref=lhc

Olive oil! This is so good, delicious, and helpful for dry, sensitive, and sensitized skin. Yes, there's a difference between sensitive and sensitized skin. Either way, olive oil is the primary component and natural rockstar of these products which were invented, developed, and produced by a woman in Georgia. Made in the USA, y'all! And no fillers. The wholesale rep talked to me when I was an esthetician student and I've said 1000 times, taking me seriously when the Magnolia House was just a flimsy idea earned my loyalty.

I've ordered some of the products to test on myself, so that I can report with all seriousness and honesty what I liked about them. I will provide an update in about two weeks; let's give them a week to ship the product and give me a week's worth of use and I'll report on how it affected my (winter) skin. These products will be available in the store, and on our website. Sorry, you can't get them on Amazon but if you are looking for something natural and want to support a small business, please use the link above to place an order, or go like the Facebook Page! 

Speaking of Facebook pages:
www.facebook.com/pear.treemall.9/

I was minding my own business when a notification popped up and this is what I see. GLASS OWLS! Oh, my gravy. So I bought them, and some other adorable and vintage containers to store my proprietary bath soak (it's magnificent, and pairs well with Moscato). While I was in, the clerk said "sign the back of your receipt to be entered for a $20 gift  certificate" so I did. Then I WON THE $20.  Then, the Pear Tree Mall posted a picture of a pallet foundation covered with a stack of dinged and damaged boxes with the caption "30$ takes it all". 

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
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If you aren't popping in on a regular basis or receiving notifications from Pear Tree Mall's FB page, you are really, really missing out on some good stuff.