You want your new website to look good and be completed within your time frame and budget, but what other factors should you consider when creating your site? Whether you are building your own site or working with a developer, here are 10 major categories that need your attention. Content Management System (CMS) and Host…
You’ve decided to build a new website or revamp your existing site, and you’re gathering the materials that you’ll need to give to your web developer. Providing a complete picture of your business, along with your goals and preferences, will help the developer do the best job possible. If you are still interviewing potential developers,…
I have taken a few years off from blogging after selling Sonoma Scent Studio, but I am just getting back to the blog. Part of what has been keeping me very busy is that I adopted a labradoodle puppy in the summer of 2019. He is a mixture of golden retriever, golden lab, and poodle,…
I wanted to post a quick update to let people know that Sonoma Scent Studio has new ownership and that the scents will be available again after the business is up and running. The new owner has been a customer of SSS and became interested when she saw that I had closed. She has been…
Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate! Hope you are enjoying signs of spring in your area and hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. The last patch of daffodils finished blooming a few weeks ago (photo above). I love all the fresh spring green this time of year. The hills are covered with…
If you think your brand is too small to worry about trademarks, you might want to think again. Even smaller brands are copied, sometimes by large brands, and a trademark helps protect your intellectual property. A cautionary tale made the news this week after indie perfume brand Eris Parfums filed a lawsuit against the large…
Last Friday, March 15, we went to see the beautiful garden at Ferrari-Carano Estate Winery in Dry Creek Valley. They have a tulip and daffodil display each spring, and the tulips were in peak bloom when we went. Spring is an especially nice time to visit because they also have many flowering shrubs and trees…
After nearly continuous rainy days since the start of February, we finally have some sunshine this second week of March and the garden is showing signs of life. The plum tree is almost in full bloom. The blue rosemary flowers along the garden fence are beautiful with the plum tree’s flush of bluish pink. The…
Each February, masses of beautiful bright yellow mustard flowers bloom in many vineyards and fields in Sonoma County. Some of the mustard grows wild and some is purposely planted in vineyards as a cover crop to help prevent soil erosion and weed growth during the rainy season, to help keep nematodes under control, and to…
Natalie Gentilo’s striking jewelry pieces had caught my eye on social media before, but when I saw photos of her exquisitely painted floral earrings (shown above), I wanted to learn more about her work. I browsed her Etsy shop and was charmed by the unique pieces that she sells there. Just as rewarding was getting to…
As you grow your business, you will reach a point where you need to hire help to keep up with demand for your products/services. You might need help with packing and shipping orders, with production, or with tasks like website maintenance, customer service, and bookkeeping. You might be surprised by the IRS rules regulating how…
So you have developed your product line and are successfully selling – have you forgotten any business setup details? If you’re selling products like fragrance, body lotion, cosmetics, food, candles, toys, or children’s clothing, you need to carry product liability insurance. Product liability has come into the public eye during famous cases such as the…
I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season and send out best wishes for 2019! As usual, I’ll spend Christmas Eve with my parents here, and then they will drive to my brother’s place on Christmas Day. My brother and his family usually come up to spend New Year’s Eve here with us. My…
Wanted to give a little update and wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! The photo above, taken a few weeks ago, shows the beautiful autumn yellow colors in the vineyard next door to us. Dad continues to heal and is doing physical therapy. He sees the surgeon again next week to see whether things are healing…
Happy Fall! The photo above is a red abutilon flower on my porch backlit by the afternoon sun. I love the light this time of year. I wanted to give a little update about SSS and what’s been going on in my life. SSS Site: If anyone noticed that the SSS site was down for…
I’m all out right now, assuming all orders in progress follow through. Will update. I’ve replied to everyone so far, and items are shipping as payments come in. Thanks so much!
The last several months I have contacted many people who had written to me in Jan/Feb to request bottles. I’ve filled about as many of those requests as I can with what I had in stock (minus a few people that I couldn’t reach via email). I’m now listing the few remaining bottles here. These bottles have…
I’m very happy to announce that Sonoma Scent Studio Bee’s Bliss is a Finalist in this year’s Artisan Category of the Art and Olfaction Awards! I’m so pleased and excited — this recognition really means a lot to me. The 2018 Finalists were announced in a special press event at Esxence in Milan today. The Fifth Annual Art and Olfaction Awards event…
I found this new favorite lip balm last fall while looking for a mint-free, unscented, unflavored, organic balm to keep my sensitive skin happy. The ingredients are organic avocado oil, organic beeswax, organic jojoba oil, organic hemp oil, and vitamin E. That’s it! The texture is soft, but it still lasts very well on my lips. I can apply…
We’ve had cold and rainy weather here for weeks, but the sunshine appeared on Wednesday and we’ve been enjoying a taste of spring for several days. It’s been beautiful with temps in the 80’s and the trees in their new spring green leaves. I’ve been catching up on things — cleaning up and organizing the house…