tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34701248790814015382024-03-13T07:04:31.372-04:00dope girl fresh<b>the ramblings of a craft obsessed day jobber who not-so-secretly wants to be on some next martha stewart shit.</b>sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-7448380960838934062009-08-20T13:18:00.002-04:002009-08-20T13:31:09.874-04:00i moved my shop... and other news.hi! i know it's been an eternity. not because i'm not crafting, but because i haven't been as inspired to do craft blogging. this won't be much of an update. but here goes:<br /><br />~ most important: i have moved my shop from etsy to <a href="http://dopegirlfresh.bigcartel.com"target="_blank">bigcartel</a>. check me out!<br />~ i've started making perfume oils. they're awesome. sold on bigcartel.<br />~ i still hate vending. don't ask me why.<br />~ i am looking for folks to invest in my business, to help me with supplies, etc. can you donate label design? can you donate containers? packaging? leave me a comment here or send an email to dopegrrrlfresh[at]gmail[dot]com.<br />~ i'm making a foray into body butters. hard core. stay tuned. :)sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-24352069621842064422009-01-03T12:35:00.001-05:002009-01-03T12:41:45.675-05:00the store is open!i kinda forgot to tell y'all that.<br /><br />soon come: more smellgoods for you & your boo.sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-42886204273078469302008-08-17T23:40:00.003-04:002008-10-16T23:29:16.109-04:00rebirth.the etsy store is down until the rebirthday.<br /><br /><br />new look<br />new products<br />new attitude<br /><br />come here for updates or email me.<br /><br />also, a relaunch for this very blog!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-58176064035280298662008-05-17T09:52:00.001-04:002008-06-02T00:09:13.875-04:00moving!i'm moving into a new place in 2 weeks.<br />i am determined to pack my craft stuff last.<br /><br />we'll see how that goes.<br /><br />soon come: vending. <strike thru="">at arts garage.</strike> somewhere, maybe in brooklyn. stay tuned! leave a comment below or email me (dopegrrrlfresh(at)gmail(dot)com) to make sure you get on my mailing list!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-89446137843823153852008-04-27T15:30:00.005-04:002008-04-27T22:11:20.135-04:00i have a renewed feelingabout crafting.<br />i'm clearing spaces, trying new stuff, and not letting myself be discouraged by the # of sales i've had. vending is coming up!<br />and, speaking of vending: i went to habana outpost to see some sights & to motivate me to vend there this summer. i met some lovely ladies who make a customizable apparel line called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/greeteez" target="_blank">greeteez</a>. of course, i think the idea kicks ass. of course, i think i'm gonna talk to them so i can maybe fashion myself some dope girl fresh tee shirts. :D crystal & alisa (if you're reading, i know i didn't spell that right. but i'm too lazy to find your card in my bag) were really sweet. i love the fact that they're offering ppl a chance to be creative fully on their own -- in this age of customized clothing (like neighborhoodies, custom painted kicks, etc.) i think it's rare to find a situation where the consumer is an integral part of the creative process. like, you have the option to make a shirt just for good hair days, shirts for graduation day, party favor shirts & probably a grip of things that have not even crossed my mind. so, YAY, greeteez!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-79027529888339148312008-03-26T08:30:00.003-04:002008-03-26T08:42:43.350-04:00the roadway to hell is paved with good intentionsaka: why it doesn't matter what anyone tells me.<br /><br />because this is <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> journey, and advice doesn't have to be taken -- simply considered<br />because my creative process is sacred to me and it means much more than creating something to get paid from<br />because i love learning from my mistakes and living via trial & error<br />because i'm the captain of this ship -- the most high gives me the divine spark, and i take it from there<br />because i'm too fly to worry about what everyone else wants me to do<br />because if folks were as attentive toward their own creative endeavors, they'd find themselves TOO BUSY to care about mine<br /><br />i speak positivity over my situation. this process is one by which i am learning & growing. i take chances, i calculate risks, and i try new things all to my benefit.sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-22187994952110448182008-03-04T20:40:00.004-05:002008-04-06T10:10:14.871-04:00the frustrations of a crafter with big aspirations.*sigh*<br /><br />i don't ever set out to defame or denounce someone else's products. but i used something from a certain cosmetic chain -- it was gifted to me by a dear, dear friend -- & i just <span style="font-style: italic;">knew</span> i'd be cool with it. i just knew i wouldn't itch or break out. wrong. the bath thing i used has laureth-4 (a surfactant/ dispersant) in it, as well as the ever-ambiguous (and ubiquitous) 'perfume.' i found <a href="http://www.betterhealthyskin.com/lets-talk-cosmetics-james-e-fulton-jr-md-phd.aspx" target="_b lank">this page</a> & i was amazed at the information i read. i don't ever want to use products that are widely-known comedogens or irritants. foaming agents are not necessary to me, and the last thing i want is to find that i've created a product that defeats the <a href="http://dopegirlfresh.blogspot.com/2008/01/story-of-stuff-my-womanifesto.html" target="_blank">purpose</a> of my entire creative process.<br /><br />but it's hard. i know people are sometimes dazzled by packaging and foaming action, but i'm not willing to do it if i know i'll be causing nasty allergic reactions. that being said, i'm always open to trying new stuff. i've experimented with natural cosmetic-grade ingredients to produce coloration and i'm currently looking into ways to add shimmer without using some crazy hard to pronounce chemical name that doubles as car wax or some mess. it's hard to avoid feeling like i have to compete with the big names in this (carol's daughter, lush, the body shop, & even the cookie cutter stores like bath & body works) in order to get noticed. at the same time, i know the difference lies in <span style="font-style: italic;">showing folks that there's yet still an alternative</span>. it's difficult. i just wanna make my stuff, sell it to folks, & have enough time/ money left over to buy new supplies.<br /><br />i'm making it. step by step . . .sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-13837234607246747872008-02-18T12:43:00.003-05:002008-02-18T22:18:12.902-05:00on deck: perfume solids & body scrubs.i like to smell good all day. two of my all time <a href="http://www.shopzilla.com/8B--Perfume_and_Cologne_-_cat_id--88__keyword--nicole%20miller%20perfume__nwylf--" target="_blank">favorite</a> (discontinued, for cryin out loud) scents are <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://cgi.ebay.com/NICOLE-MILLER-1-7oz-50ml-NIB-VERY-RARE-GRAB-NOW_W0QQitemZ150214303364QQihZ005QQcategoryZ118743QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">nicole</a> and <a href="http://www.1stperfume.com/nicmillfepsp34.html?bizrate" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">nicole miller</span></a>, but who's tryna carry that mess in their purse all day & night? and how many times have i wondered how i could possibly smell like my favorite dgf scents without carrying bath bombs in my pockets? so, i started researching how to make a solid perfume. here i am, 2 months later, up to my elbows in containers & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candelilla_wax" target="_blank">candelilla wax</a> (i still can't pronounce that word). it's going, slowly but surely...<br /><br />onto the scrub, aka luxefoliant. crafters, holler if you hear me: there is not one thing more annoying than reading the ingredients of a product & finding that it's something you can make yourself w/ little to no effort. also, i hate the idea that lots of manufacturers test their products on animals. so, one day i decided to add honey & fine cornmeal to make a fine facial scrub for myself. the next thing i knew i was adding coconut milk, grapeseed oil, turbinado sugar & a bunch of other stuff to it to change the moisturizing properties & make my scrubs unlike anything i'd ever find on the shelf at sephora or anywhere else.<br /><br /><br />UPDATE:<br /><br />if you so happen to visit my etsy store, you'll see that perfume solids are at a special introductory price with FREE SHIPPING.<br /><br />get on it, i'm changing the price as soon as i feel like it.sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-16189986082451003982008-01-18T01:50:00.000-05:002008-01-18T02:04:18.832-05:00the story of stuff & my womanifestofirst, <a href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/">the story of stuff</a> by annie leonard. amazing. concise. fantastic. it reminds me to be as aware as i should be of what i buy/ don't buy. it ties directly into the values i'd like to share w/ the world. the work-watch-shop cycle? hello, it's so ubiquitous that when i got cable 2 weeks ago i decided to limit my viewing to things i knew i'd enjoy watching. when i'm not interested in what's on, i don't watch. i'm aware of how much trash i generate by not packing my own lunch or eating things that come in their own natural wrappers. i feel like an ass for it -- but i'm working at it. i guess that the thing i most want for my dgf customers is that y'all also feel like you're doing your part. not just your part to put money in my pockets, but to take your money away from the beastly monster corporations that want you to shop more. it's a process. let's shake it up y'all, even if only a lil bit.<br /><br />and now, the womanifesto:<br /><br />why dope girl fresh? :: a mission statement<br /><br />my running joke was that with all that mysterious white powder & baking soda, something fully illegal must be afoot in my apartment. i measure & sell items by weight, i let things dry out (like crack rocks or the beginnings of crystal meth, i'm told). & to top it all off i give folks their samples in plastic baggies. a girlfriend of mine once said, "you pull that stuff out of your purse just like you're pushin' dope!" i laughed it off continually, as i felt that all i pushed was luxury: yummy smelling bath salts & the occasional bag of tea. before i knew it, i was mixing instead of making dinner & scribbling down scent recipes on train schedules. it was getting serious. i stalled a few times, though; i wouldn't make anything new or i'd use up all the stuff myself because i didn't think anyone'd buy from me. i wasn't sure that there was space for me & my ideas. but one day, i saw a recipe for bath bombs in a magazine. the next thing i knew, i was all over the internet trying to get ingredients together so i could make my own.<br /><br />i started crafting again. full-speed ahead. i couldn't stop. but i still didn't have an official name for my baby. i was thinking of picking a word in sanskrit, spanish, portuguese -- anything but english. i wasn't gonna be owner/ chief mixer of eileen's daughter. oyin handmade was already taken & i refused to use sweet or honey in the name of my line. i admire this brand of soaps called fraiche (you should check that stuff out; it's wonderful) so i thought maybe i'd call my line fresca. something simple, w/ a leaf logo. that didn't fully satisfy me. i wanted something that looked good on paper. fresca was too simple; fresca beauty? fresca cosmetics? nah. fresh . . . fresh pot? no, because someone may mistake that for, well, good weed. fresh girl? nope. but there's this saying, "dope boy fresh" that's become a bit popular as of late. it's a testament to the money that the dope game brings in & the material benefits of such. i thought about it: there're dope girls. & there're dope girls, too -- some push weight, others are dope in the early hip hop sense. they are chic, on point, innovative, stylish & all around fly. i'd like to think that the latter applies to me on a consistent basis. so, i didn't wanna call it "dope girl." it didn't fit all of the things i was trying to express with my handmade crafts. but the word "fresh" brought it all together. "fresh," meaning new. "fresh," meaning i'm not compromising quality for mass-produced factory stuff. fresh means i do everything i can to make products to order; no two orders go out identically. this is definitely an at home, around-the-way girl operation. i mix to scent/ consistency, not to measurements. like my mother & her mothers before her, recipes are just suggestions to me. ;) the rest is the product of my very keen olfactory senses. my hands craft & package w/ tender loving care; my eyes spot new items for my nose to sniff. when i smell a blend & have to think of a name for it, it's based on a song i know/ love. dgf is organic insomuch as it's mine, that i came up with, that i conceived. it's not organic in the trendy, loosely government-regulated way. but in the true sense; i cultivate my craft & fine-tune it the way it was once typical to care for a crop or raise livestock. <br /><br />dope girl fresh is an expression of my desire to see people with the best possible products at their disposal. have you ever read the back of a tube of anything from bath & body works, or most of the stuff you find in the market or drug store? per my observation, these items are labeled with phrases such as <span style="font-size:85%;">THIS FINISHED PRODUCT NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS</span> or list anywhere from 5 to 15 ingredients that have nothing to do w/ smelling like cucumbers, melons, or anything else that comes from the earth. synthetic fragrance oils are one thing -- they're often wonderfully potent & help maintain low costs for consumers. i use synthetic fragrance oil in at least one of my blends. but how could anyone feel about dimethicone, imidazolidnyl urea, methylparaben, or propylparaben on your skin/ hair if they don't even know wtf those things are? i'm dedicated to creating/ maintaining a market where higher-quality products are readily available to the public. i don't test on any quadrupeds; only bipeds. actual human beings. some who're super allergic to all sorts of things, along w/ others who never have a reaction to anything. i'm not keen on using things i can't pronounce. but, ultimately we all know the difference between the scientific name of sweet almond oil versus some man-made chemical that's supposed to simulate the oils your skin naturally secretes. it's really a quality issue. i put positive thought into my entire creative process, & i think that makes or better products. hopefully, you will, too.<br /><br />so, that's my womanifesto, my mission statement, my declaration to the world. dope girl fresh is officially ready to go.sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-29375509662446579292007-12-26T02:33:00.000-05:002007-12-26T07:37:31.404-05:00video blog #1: a test run.enjoy.<br /><br /><br />i'll get better at this bit by bit . . .<br />& i'll let y'all know how those bath bombs turn out! ;)<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw12l41TCJH7p5k2Dn8BJ65h4Moip7vTACC-lFbTVa6fb3nUwiulI1O7dRzahc881GEV2GgBQnb_NL3QF7g1Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-81866924973271133132007-12-25T14:52:00.000-05:002007-12-25T14:54:34.536-05:00soon to come:yummy-smelling sachets<br /><br />solid perfumes<br /><br />bath foam (the bastard child of bath salts & bath bombs)<br /><br />liquid & solid soaps<br /><br />&, most importantly, an etsy store. <br /><br />thanks for supporting! happy holidays!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-58329890528300897862007-12-08T08:59:00.001-05:002008-03-27T00:23:04.318-04:00the price | product listfragrances:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">golden lady</span><br />vanilla, sweet orange, jasmine, vetiver, cinnamon & ginger essential oils with ground ginger & cinnamon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">i put a spell on you</span><br />vanilla, ylang ylang, lavender, & egyptian geranium essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">the hypnotic</span><br />egyptian geranium, sweet orange, & lavender essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">so fresh, so clean</span><br />lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, & lavender essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">love rain</span><br />rose*, sweet orange, egyptian geranium, rosemary, lemongrass, peppermint & lavender essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">kiss me on my neck</span><br />jasmine, lavender, & egyptian geranium essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">get up</span><br />pink grapefruit, ginger, sweet orange, lemon & rosemary essential oils.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">angel of the night</span><br />lime, ylang ylang, jasmine & vanilla essential oils.<br /><br />*both synthetic rose and rose absolute are used in this blend.<br /><br />prices & other info can be found on my etsy site: <a href="http://dopegirlfresh.etsy.com/">http://dopegirlfresh.etsy.com</a><br /><br />thanks!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-8588243619932278682007-09-26T22:11:00.000-04:002007-11-26T21:40:42.499-05:00if you're gonna order from me:1) as of today's date, my internet is kinda not working. so it may take me a day to respond to you. please do not be mad.<br /><br />2) items will be shipped once payment is received. to seek my paypal account via email address search, please use sechita(at)gmail(dot)com.<br /><br />3) bath bombs are made to order; they take 48 hours to dry in their molds. that means that if you order from me on tuesday & i receive payment on wednesday, they ship friday & not one day sooner.<br /><br />4) a price list is in the works, along with product descriptions. please e-mail me regarding both. custom orders will be made at an increase of 20%.<br /><br />5) fancy packaging is available. it will cost more; this will be determined once i receive your order & calculate the additional cost of both supplies & shipping.<br /><br />thanks a million to the 2 ppl who read this blog. ;) i hope to change that soon!sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-54313740441280525792007-09-03T19:50:00.001-04:002007-09-04T07:20:56.699-04:00martha stewart is doing big thingswith her <a href="http://papercrafts.michaels.com/">own line</a> of crafty stuff via michael's. i am exCITED, do you hear me?<br /><br />*evil cackle*sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-50707306659644648712007-09-01T07:23:00.000-04:002007-09-01T07:58:57.471-04:00bath bombs!my first experiment with the bath bombs was, in a word, eventful. i used a recipe i found in venus zine & then used some pointers i'd seen on wikihow.com. the scent i used was essentially based on my 'golden lady' (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshun">oshun</a>) bath salts; i thought it'd be a good idea, since this is an oshun-inspired product, to drizzle honey over it. the only problem, which i was simple enough to forget to do: oil the containers i used as molds. it's just like cooking; your pans can't be dry. i couldn't get the bath bombs out. clearly, i need my containers so i couldn't mail samples out (sorry, melissa). what have i ended up doing? putting the whole containers in my bathtub, of course! i close the drain while i run the shower and let my feet get their soak on. i found that it was really easy to clean the tub afterwards & that the scent of the bath bombs was really light compared to the bath salts. but, that's dependent on how much of the salts i use at a given time. at any rate, i now know what i need to do in order to successfully release my samples:<br />1) use ice cube trays and grease the things half to death w/ whichever scented oil i use <span style="font-style: italic;">in</span> the bombs.<br />2) package them in wax paper or nice cellophane baggies when i send them, but keep them in an airtight rubbermaid or tupperware containter.<br />3) play w/ the recipes until i find something that really makes me happy.<br />4) continue to try the stuff out myself!<br /><br />that's it for now, i guess. if you'd like a sample or have questions, leave me a message in the comments . . .<br /><br />always dope,<br /><br />lenéesparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470124879081401538.post-48346231934591530792007-08-18T07:58:00.000-04:002007-12-26T08:02:39.288-05:00the beginning :: welcome ::by <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dope+boy">definition</a>, a dope boy (or d boy) is:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Any person who distributes illicit substances. Most often used to describe a young male that sells to a specific geographic area or neighborhood, and most likely moves hard drugs (ex. cocaine, crack), as well as the standard marijuana and prescription pills. Mostly used in the Southern part of the US, even though its use has become more widespread due to the emergence of southern Rap in the mainstream.</span><br /><br />dope, for me, is an old school adjective. of course, i know that 'dope' usually refers to any controlled substance. but, i'm not pushing dope. i'm selling bath products. salts, bath bombs, scrubs, with more items to come.<br />dope can be a mindstate. not just an appearance. know your worth, know what you have to offer the world, & know that you ought not be short changed at all. ever.<br />take the time to treat yourself right, & you will not be sorry!<br /><br />this is just a bit of the philosophy of dopegirlfresh.<br /><br />thank you for partaking.sparklehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11067949075567832794noreply@blogger.com0