I've been burning the candle at both ends for a while. I have a list of personal tasks that need to be done in the next week (return a handwritten letter, clean my costuming, sew up some tiny holes in well-loved clothing, dye my hair), but all of them have to come after work, as AOTB is a week away. I have a calendar that literally has me scheduled, day and night, until it's over on the 27th. That day, I reward myself with a half-day and a long bath.

In the past 2 days, I made 250 candles. Today they get labels and glitter. (Resurrection event candles, Persephone Rising candles for the box, AOTB candles, and 60 prototypes for the summer collection, which might be my favorite collection thus far.)

The rest of the week is custom orders and making more soldered pendants. The weekend is for getting the Spring box out the door, and also doing a nail painting party in my neighborhood that's been on the calendar for a while. (Saturday night, 7:30-10:30, wine & snacks provided, $25. I think there are a couple of spots left if you want in. I'll make your nails pretty with a floral design.)

Next week is show prep-- I have 3 days to make as much stock as I can.

The next few months are going to be very busy, as well. Wholesale orders aside (just delivered a 104-pc order to the mag, have a 60-pc one on deck), I just got word that I'm vending at Ellicott City's Springfest on April 22, which means I finally have to suck it up and buy a tent. $200 for a flame-retardant tent that meets fire code, $125 for the booth fee, $50 for insurance. Then in May, there's Spoutwood. Starting in June, I'll be teaming up with a neighbor of mine who makes bath & body stuff to do a line of lotion, cream, and shower gel for Sihaya & Company.

And I may have agreed to take on a transcriptionist role for a fandom-related thing, for those nights when I can't sleep and need something quiet to do.

Right now, the intense focus on work is giving me what I need to keep on chugging. Unfortunately, it might have the side effect of my freakin' hands falling off.

For the month of March, I am making wings in the various LGBT flag colors (Rainbow, Bi, Pan, Trans, and Ace), and donating half the proceeds ($23 per pair) to The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is a 24/7 national hotline providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.

If you would like a pair, you can purchase here: Sihaya Designs Charity Wings

The Spring box is ready for purchase! This one has soap, lipstick, art cards, a candle, a perfume, lollipops, and a bath treat. http://www.sihayaandcompany.com/

As a reminder:

- The spring & Tam Lin charity candles are still pre-ordering. http://www.sihayaandcompany.com/collections/sihaya-company-candles

- The Prism Collection subscription is still taking newcomers. http://www.etsy.com/listing/504867389/prism-collection-subscription-three

Because our country is a goddamn trash fire right now. Authoritarianism, here we come. Now, there is only to wait for our Reichstag Fire moment. In my mind it's not an if, but a when.

I have been trying, feebly, to fight back against the national tragedy unfolding, as well as the aftermath of my own personal ones. Unfortunately, they are fucking with my sleep schedule something awful and plenty of nights I just can't fall asleep. Last Saturday was such a night, and I didn't get to bed until 7am ish.

I decided to sort and catalogue my ridiculous nail polish collection.



And, uh, I've since found about eight more bottles that were scattered around different boxes.

So, a few weeks ago, I ordered a bunch of swatch sticks (clear plastic fake nails on sticks) off of Ebay, and I set about sorting my 260ish polishes by finish, then by color.

( Cut for more pics/process.Collapse )

Aside from that, I have been spending some time with my new whirlpool-jet bathtub. A couple of nights ago, I took a pitch-black bath full of twinkling glitter. It was like bathing in the night sky.

Mim continues her journey into becoming a lap cat. She crawls into my lap several times a day now. She's relishing being Top Cat in the household, and all of the duties that come with it.

Aside from that, not much to report. Big wholesale order to work on this week. At least it'll give me something quiet to do in the middle of the night.



Pre-sale of the Spring Box starts tomorrow. Will post about it when it goes live!

Hey all-- dropping a note to say that the Tam Lin charity trio is live on the site. The full profits of each one of these three candles sold ($5/candle) will be donated to Planned Parenthood in tamnonlinear's memory.

The beautiful artwork is by Joanna Barnum, and you can see more of her work at JoannaBarnum.com.



JANET: The scent of a woman who knows her own mind, and whose courage saved the life of her one true love. Two freshly-plucked roses and worn brown saddle leather.

TAM LIN: The scent of an earthly knight, ensnared by the fae and doomed to a grisly fate. Tart juniper berry, green apple, woodland vines, and cassia spice.

THE FAERY QUEEN: Beauty and power that makes your blood run cold. Night-blooming flowers, a moonlit path, and a dribble of something sinister.


There are also five Spring Collection candles up for pre-order:



Antique Sandalwood & Madagascar Vanilla
Blueberry Muffins & Lemon Sugar
Ginger & Wild Peach
Honeycomb & Satsuma Orange
Lavender & Cream

They can all be found here: Sihaya & Company Candles

It has been a really really rough few months. Grief has taken entire weeks of my life, and this week has been the first where I’ve felt even remotely capable of getting work done. So, I’m trying to use that momentum.

In the past few years, I’ve done an earring club for Sihaya Designs. This year, I decided to change it up a little bit and offer a monthly subscription to my Prism Collection.



You can get either a yearly subscription or a three-month subscription. It’s like giving yourself a gift every month. As a bonus, if you order the yearly subscription, your January package is FREE.

Here are the 2017 themes:

January (yearly subscription only): A total surprise!
February: Soft Petals
March: Woodland Awakening
April: Opalescence
May: Butterfly Wings
June: The Mermaid’s Treasure
July: The Locket
August: Across the Galaxy
September: Rustic Leaves
October: This Is Halloween
November: Like Clockwork
December: On A Winter’s Night

________________________

As for Sihaya & Company, I’ve begun to line up vendors for the Spring box, and pre-orders will begin Feb 1st. I’m pretty excited about what we have onboard so far, and am working on rounding out the lineup.

Here’s the theme:



I’m also getting together the Spring lineup of my trademark glittery candles. I will be bringing back last Spring’s popular scents– Ginger & Wild Peach, Lavender & Cream, and Antique Sandalwood & Madagascar Vanilla.

In addition, I’ll be offering the Sisterhood of the Moon candle again as part of my general catalog. A trio of candles for charity (in this case, Planned Parenthood) based on the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin will also make an appearance. The money will be donated in tamnonlinear’s name. But more on that later– I’m working on finalizing the formulas for those.

Also, in March, the bellydance candles (Zaghareet, Taqsim, and Shimmy) will be making a return, with a possibly fourth scent added in just in time for Art of the Belly.

That’s the news that’s fit to print. I’ll be back with more closer to the pre-order.

EVERWINTER WOODS: The scent of the mountains, shrouded in ice. A forest of evergreen and spruce, chilling ozone top notes of whipping winds, and a hint of shivering eucalyptus.

GINGERBREAD STRUDEL: Crispy, flaky dough piped with spicy gingerbread filling, and then topped with a dusting of cinnamon sugar! Delicious.

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE: A favorite of carolers, snugglers, and even Santa himself! Rich dark hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane!

SOLSTICE: Comfort and joy on the year's longest night-- you are safe and warm with a cozy blanket and your favorite book as the snow softly falls outside and the stars twinkle above. Honeyed figs, tart bayberry, and a steaming mug of Earl Grey tea.

THE CATHEDRAL OF WINTER: The rituals of the old and the new combine in the unparalleled sanctuary of nature. Rich amber swirled with frankincense and myrrh upon on a bed of soft balsam.

THE MEMORY OF SNOW: Upon waking, you find the world outside your window blanketed in a pillowy whiteness-- pristine, untouched, and evoking a timeless sense of wonder. Silky almond cream, delicate spun sugar, a dash of nutmeg, and the memory of snow.

WINTER CABIN: A cozy retreat far away from the hustle and bustle of town. A rustic log cabin encircled by fir and birch trees, polished woods, and a faint whiff of spiced cider simmering over the hearth.

YULETIDE: A classic home for the holidays scent. Pine boughs strung with orange clove pomanders and cranberries, and then merrily wound throughout the home!

For those of you who have already placed an order for a Winter Box (8 left, BTW!) but would like candles as well, I am combining orders. The quick way to do it is to use the code WINTERCOMBO16 at the checkout for your candle order-- it will zero out shipping so you don't pay twice. (Any orders using this code that do not have a prior Winter Box order in the queue will be canceled and refunded. The Winter Box has flat rate shipping, which is why I am able to offer this service.)

Also, if I know you IRL and want to pick them up from me, the code is, as ever, PICKUP.

Anyhow, get your hands on pretty-smelling, glittery, perfect-for-gifting candles here:

SihayaAndCompany.com

It's live for pre-orders. Candles to follow-- have to sort out the living situation first. But if you purchase a box and then purchase candles, I will be combining orders and refunding shipping overages.

The theme is Everwinter Woods: picture a vast, sprawling forest of pine, snow-capped and gently swaying in the breeze. A crystalline forest cathedral, full of frozen branches, stags and hares, and ancient magic.



The box is available in two formats: the first is the full sized box, featuring 8 full and demi-sized products for $65. The second is the Winter Gifting Box, which is bath and body focused, and features 4 items for $27.

The full sized box is limited to 40 boxes (it's been live less than 24 hours and already half of them are gone, so I expect it to sell out), and the gifting box is unlimited.

( Two more promo images.Collapse )
Available here:
www.SihayaAndCompany.com

First up, BIDNESS.



THE SUMMER BOX IS LIVE!

Arcana Perfumes & Soaps will contribute an exclusive 5ml perfume oil.

Cherie Anne Designs will contribute a 2 oz package of her famous glittering tea! She creates teas that actually glitter in your cup using special sugars. Truly magical!

Dreaming Tree Soapworks will contribute a duo of moisturizing delights. The first will be a 2oz lotion in one of her best-selling scents, and the other an exclusive tinted lip shimmer balm!

Leesha's Lacquer will contribute an exclusive full size thermal color-changing nail polish! Themals are like mood rings for your nails!

Merle Pace Arts will contribute a trio of art cards (with envelopes) for all of your note-writing needs!

Sihaya Designs Jewelry will contribute a piece of magically-inspired hair jewelry.

I'm also releasing SEVEN candles for pre-order, which can be ordered individually, or added to a box purchase. ( Scent description under the cut.Collapse )

In other news, I just got back from Spoutwood. Three days of intense vending work, dancing in the rain with Transcendence, being damp and cold, and hanging out with Charles Vess, Twig the Faery, and the Faerie Mag crew.




Twig in her Sihaya Designs wing earrings.
She's fan. SQUEE.



The inimitable Charles Vess and Stardust.
( Pics of me/ my makeup / my outfits under the cut.Collapse )

As for the festival itself, I was so busy, I didn't see too much of it this year. The weather was damp and cold, so I was swathed in many layers of wool by the end of it. I danced Transcendence's sets barefoot, midriff out, on two days where my breath fogged. I was very grateful to not have camped for the weekend, and for the small mercies of a hot shower and a warm bed at the end of the day. This year's roommate was Lisa/Trinket, and it was good fun getting to know her better.

As for purchases, I kept them spare, because mama is on a financial planning budget. I got a small rune pendant and two growlers of ginger beer.

Favorite food addition: hands down the grilled cheese place. They had one called the Mad Dash that was AMAZING. Cheese + ham + apple butter + mustard. It doesn't sound like it'd work, but it worked SO WELL. I also got my annual Busy Bee glittery cupcake.

This was definitely a year that it felt more like work than fun for me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I made money. That's good. I strengthened friendships and business contacts. I tried to handle frustrations gracefully, with varying degrees of success, but that's a post for another day.

Overall, it was what it was, and it wasn't bad. Just-- some what dampened.

This week going forward is custom orders & getting unsold talismans on the site. And then making more!

I have been a busy lady. Juggling an 80 pc wholesale order for the mag, my own custom orders, and getting Sihaya and Company off the ground. I have a really awesome group for our first box, Soft Awakening.



After some consideration, the box is going to be full size and demi-sized products. I know this drives the cost up, but for a 4x a year box, I'd just rather not deal with single-use samples. My idea has always been an indie-focused version of the Popsugar box, as opposed to, say, Birchbox, anyhow. Half of the stuff I got in my Birchbox ended up in a drawer anyway.

Pre-orders start next week. I'm a bit nervous because I don't know what to expect. On one hand, I have amazing brands I am really proud of involved. On the other, $75 is not an insubstantial chunk of change for a lot of people. So I guess we'll see.

In non-work news, there's not much to report. We hibernated through the snow storm. My brother is flying in from Hawaii this weekend, so I get to see him. And also try on bridesmaids dresses, which I'm less thrilled about, because I just don't want to face my winter weight gain yet.

But overall, things are good. Knock on wood.