05/08/2026
If you follow me, you may have seen my “teaser” sale at Easter, showing off some of my tallow creams, lips balms, scrubs, and more! Well, get ready for the full release & introduction of my new baby…. This thing I’ve worked so hard on: studying, designing, learning, mixing, flopping hard, and starting ALL over on! For nearly 2 years!
For almost 5 years, I have struggled hard with the weirdest & craziest symptoms I learned were due to Long Covid. My skin hated ALL the things that were supposed to be good for it, it seemed! In the Long Covid world, we hear words like inflammation & histamines a LOT. I finally decided that I wasn’t going to wait around for doctors who were just learning about this illness themselves to give me answers. My wrinkles & ability to wear makeup were not going to be high on their priority lists! So I dove in for myself.
Most women & girls younger than me have heard of Nina Poole by now & that girly is a little genius! In a nutshell, she helps ladies save money by finding ways to “dupe” expensive products for less expensive ones. That was what I intended to do for myself…& then my big ideas exploded all over my kitchen & when I looked up, my husband was standing there laughing & shaking his head…again. Ok….not really. But that IS the metaphor of how my bright ideas tend to happen around here! I started by learning about all of the ingredients in all of my favorite skincare products, and finding out why my skin loved/hated them. Then I found replacements or just left out the bad stuff. It sounds simple enough….until I had to learn about chemistry! Lol
This was basically my little hobby just to be able keep my skin calm. I figured it was silly & I just kept it to myself. Then, last Fall, I realized it was working. And it was working really well. Rod was rubbing my arms one day & said, “Your skin feels REALLY good!” I was also wearing makeup without wanting to wipe it off 5 mins later. That’s not to say that I don’t have the red hot flareups still (my Long Haulers know what I’m talking about). My docs & I are still working on the inside. But I MADE skincare that is helping me on the OUTside! *I* made it! IN. MY. KITCHEN!
So….I decided to make YOU some too! I learned about the other skin types & since I’d already done mine, the others were a bit easier. I also learned a WHOLE new set of business rules & regulations (bleh.) & what the FDA does & doesn’t let you put on other people’s skin. 😬
After that, I tackled a Magnesium collection. (Magnesium is a pretty crazy & interesting mineral.) After that, I made things a little fancier with a bath & body collection with some “duped” scents! Finally, I had already been making my own home scents & cleaning supplies, so why not?
Releasing these products this week is perfect timing, as I am celebrating 20 years of April’s Imagination! Does anyone remember the bottle cap bow beginnings? I remember SO many all-nighters getting ready for vendor events, making bottle caps, putting final touches on bows, then coming home both so excited that I had nearly sold out, but so worn out & dreading starting all over again to prepare for the next week’s event! My brother-in-law had my very first logo designed for me because he believed in me & told me I needed to look professional. (Spoiler alert: I was CLUELESS!! Lol)
So, if you’ve read this far, THANK YOU for spending half of your day with me! 😆 My goal with this new project IS to do more videos talking about some of these products & their ingredients, so hopefully you’ll have less to read coming up! Also, after this first event, I WILL get all of my products listed on my website so you can order there as well!
So come out & see all of the vendors on SUNDAY at the Stockton Senior Center! It will be a beautiful day to take Mom shopping!! 🩷
