Sheep have been my favorite forever. I was most delighted at age 9 to fulfill my life-long dream of purchasing the most perfectly beautiful little dairy lamb--Grace--for $50.00. This started an addiction that would inevitably drain my bank account but that would also teach me a lot about the value and reward of hard work.
After a few years, we decided it would be nice to find a way to support the feed bill my growing flock was racking up. (I thought I was pretty clever, telling people "Sheep are like potato chips, you can't have just one!" And because I had awesome people in my life, they would, inevitably, pretend to laugh with me.) I started researching. YouTube and the Soapmaking Forum were my best friends for days and weeks and months. Soap making sounded fun and lucrative, so, with sparkle in my eyes and a handful of supplies, a lab was created in my parents' garage. Not long after, and with the help of very supportive friends and family, we launched a little sole-proprietor business called Graceful Ewe, allowing me to sell my goods at the Mossyrock Farmer's Market and various festivals. My awesome accountant dad set up an excel spreadsheet for the show, and I learned how to pay taxes and keep good books. It was hobby level, but what fun memories. (The best was when a guy ATE my "FREE Soap Samples" at the Blueberry Festival. OOPS Fortunately, he laughed.) Fast forward about 10 years, a wedding, a move, and one child later. The sheep are still my babies, and sheep milk soap making is still my favorite. I'll admit it's a little crazy keeping up with such a full plate these days...but I feel beyond blessed to have the ability to do what I love. Oh, and they are still like potato chips. Only worse. |