Many years ago, when I was working for a national wholesale floral company, I was privileged to train with one of the most talented designers in the industry. He blew my mind. This designer was a genius with fresh flowers, and he mixed colors I never dreamed of, and combined shapes in beautiful asymmetrical glorious towers. He flew in, made these beautiful arrangements with us and when he left his entourage would instruct us that we now had to ‘fix’ his pieces before they could be sold.
Wait, what?!
Yep, as talented as he was, he was terrible about construction. The silk pieces he made needed to be re-glued or re-tooled and the fresh arrangements needed to be checked to make sure the flower stems had water access. If not fixed his silk arrangements would fall apart and the fresh ones would die immediately. His team was aware of the problem and addressed it behind his back.
This experience was many years before my dream of entrepreneurship, and it was a perfect early lesson.
If I design earrings that are too heavy, no matter how beautiful, they won’t be worn.
If I design decedent looking bars of soap, but they are made with substandard oils and butters that dry your precious skin out, you won’t buy them again.
Our 2 main product lines are wildly different, but I am equally passionate about both and strive to make the most beautiful jewelry and sweet soaps you can buy. My jewelry is sterling silver heirloom quality and even my earring wires are made by hand to ensure uniqueness and a long life. My soaps are made with olive oil and shea butter and/or cocoa butter-they are so yummy (my Lyra, at 10, just loves this word).
The moral of the story? Quality matters as much as visual uniqueness. So, while you can get bath bombs at Walmart or jewelry at Target in fancy packaging, check out how and WHERE they are made. Often you can purchase high quality handcrafted, made in the USA, with better materials, for about the same price. I may sound like a broken record, but I promise, it is so very true!
I am so excited to take you on this adventure; a few artisans are joining me at BLOOM very soon and they are making beautiful quality pieces that you are going to love. Remember, handmade does take time.
I am actively working on a candle line to match our favorite scents from The Confectionery and posting more pieces from S.K. Rhoades (I can’t keep jewelry in stock to post!) and mid-week we should have new items from Hat & Rabbit <3
Woohoo! Also a favorite phrase from my girlies ;-)
What would you like to see at BLOOM? Let me know in the comments!