New Members!

Ginger Lemongrass Muscle Rub is a perfect salve for the hard working men in your life. Massage into stressed, stiff and aching shoulders, neck, back, feet -- anywhere a little muscle relief is needed.

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: In the opening scent of one of my favorite movies, Terms of Endearment (1983 -- I was not born when I saw the move in the theater), Aurora Greenway is putting her newborn baby in the crib for the night, but the baby is not crying. Aurora, turns out to be not a little bit neurotic, tells the baby's father that the baby must be dead since she's not moving. The father (not quite surprisingly) thinks otherwise and tells Aurora, "She's sleeping Aurora. Come to bed." Undaunted, Aurora practically climbs into the crib with her daughter, and proceeds to shake her until the child starts to cry. She then climbs out of the crib, straightens out her neat white suit and says, "There. That's better." If you've not seen Terms of Endearment, rent it with your girlfriends this summer. To win this week, state the full name of the baby's father, Aurora's husband.

Last Week's Answer: Rudyard Greenway

This Week's Question: While I'm certainly not old enough to have a first hand memory of it (?!), in the "olden days," there was a show called Father Knows Best in which actor Robert Young starred as a business man raising 3 kids with is wife played by actress Jane Wyatt. To win this week, be the first to provide: (1) the name of the character played by Young; (2) his profession; and (3) the 3 pet names he had for his children.

Be the first to correctly answer this week's question and win a 30 minute handmade beauty business consultation with me!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!

Published just 6 months ago, this book is extremely popular and almost sold out. Why? Well, the recipes are fantastic! From sugar scrubs to customized facial masks and handmade soaps, the easy to follow instructions and sources for ingredients can't be beat. And this is the only body care book that not only features recipes, but also features information on the Indie Beauty Network members who created and submitted the recipes. If you want some inspiration to follow your dreams in this industry or any other, you can use this book!. It's available from any of the IBN members listed here.

"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love the most is soap-on-a-rope." Bill Cosby

Well, maybe you don't really have to pretend. After all, no matter what your wife or anyone else gives you, the soap-on-a-rope presented in a handmade box with painted finger prints all over it, probably is the best gift ever. You place it back in the box and 30 years later when you're cleaning out the attic, you come across it again. You were fine just a minute before, but smelling the over-fragranced gift and seeing the once tiny hand prints that now carry a briefcase instead of building blocks, causes you to dissolve into a puddle of tears. The soap-on-a-rope really was the most treasured gift of all.

We don't have soap-on-a-rope in my house (see my husband and 19-month old son pictured here -- I'm so sorry, I just couldn't resist), but we did have an interesting Father's Day experience yesterday. After spending the day with Continental Airlines this past Saturday (to deliver the Keynote Address at an out of town conference), my kids woke me up at 6:15 on Sunday morning. After knocking the cobwebs out of my head and deciding that I was glad they were early risers so we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast before church (I have to tell myself these things sometimes...), I suddenly remembered that it was Father's Day. I raced around the house trying to find the little plates with the hand prints that I helped my kids make at the "make-your-own-pottery studio" near my house. Locating them in the bottom of the white plastic bag which was still holding the contents of my cleaned out car (from a week ago!), I quickly wrapped them up in tissue paper. We all raced upstairs to see daddy (who was still convincing himself that getting up at 6:15 on Sunday morning was a good idea) and screamed "Happy Father's Day!" My husband loved the plates with the little hand prints. He placed them gingerly on the shelf on full display and raved over how beautiful they were. We proceeded to the kitchen for a breakfast of delicious fresh watermelon slices (a family favorite all summer!), yogurt and my kids favorite cereals, Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms (they pick out all the marshmallow pieces).

Then I looked at the calendar. Ooops.

So the bright side, I explained to my husband, is that he gets to have two Father's Days this year. On the other bright side, I'll find something else fun for my kids to make for their dad this week, and I'll bring a camera when they do it so we can give dad not just the gifts, but a few framed photos of them making them for him.

I know that everyone enjoying this newsletter right now has a great story about their dad or a special father figure in their life. I hope that you will take the time this year (now that you have nearly a full week's notice!) to do something special for those who have given so much. My father has been quite ill for some time and my mother is his primary caregiver. While it's sometimes quite difficult for him to get out of the house, we still go on picnics, lunches and family events whenever we can get together as a family. He always gleams when he sees his grandchildren.

Inspired by her dad and the products she created for him, Cristina decided to share the benefits of her holistic healing and aromatherapy treatments with others. After he passed away, she developed her on line of handmade organic aromatherapeutic products, especially soap, candles and bodycare products. Her website with shopping cart is going to go live next month so bookmark it to take a look!

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers, soon-to-be-fathers, one-day-will-be-fathers, and to dads who don't have children of their own but offer their lives to serve as fatherly mentors and guide posts for others!

For those of you who have fathers and father figures that you can call or email with grateful hearts this week, take the time to do so! For those who, like Cristina, have fond memories of dads, may your remembrances comfort you as you too remember that your loved one lives on through the many gifts he passed on to you.

Have A Great Week!!
Donna Maria
Editor, The Handmade Beauty Connection
The Indie Beauty Network | www.handmadebeauty.com

Copyright (c) 2000 - 2005 by The Indie Beauty Network (IBN) and Donna Maria. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized distribution or reproduction is prohibited. IBN does not necessarily endorse any product, event or ideology featured in The Handmade Beauty Connection (HBC) or on IBN's website. All information is provided on an "as is" basis and no express or implied warranties are given. Any use of the information contained in the HBC or on IBN's Web site, including Recipes, is solely at your own risk. IBN and Donna Maria disclaim any liability in connection with the use of all recipes, products reviewed and other information. Except for sponsorships, HBC refuses compensation from companies to feature or mention their names or products. Opinions expressed in any Product Review are personally those of the reviewer and do not represent the views of IBN, Donna Maria (unless she is the reviewer) or any other person or company.