Author: Li

A few days ago I switched over to using time line on face book (both for Earth Alkemie and my personal page). Many people had switched weeks ago but I initially resisted because at first it confused me. But since they were going to make the format mandatory eventually I decided to just make the switch. I am still getting used to it but it is not as confusing as I thought it was. I actually kind of like that it is easier to scroll to older posts. Not too crazy about how it’s split into two columns but I will get used to it. One thing that is great: fan pages now have PM boxes (they didn’t used to) so fans of Earth Alkemie’s face book can now PM me. 🙂

I first started my personal, eco blog (Solarkat’s Eco Blog) in 2005. For the past couple years posts have been far and few between. I missed blogging there so I have begun blogging regularly again. 🙂 Over the past week and a half, I have posted three new entries: a new beginning, a post on rose in cosmetics (this entry has extra notes not found in my eco living article), and my favorite black bean brownie recipe from an awesome cookbook (they are gluten-free, and have no refined sugar. They are made with agave).

There are also a couple hundred old entries on my eco blog, on a wide range of eco related topics, including aromatherapy, DIY natural cosmetics, herbalism, natural product reviews, and basically whatever is currently on my mind!

Hi everyone

I hope that everyone has a Happy Valentine’s Day tomorrow. For this month’s eco living article on anb (all natural beauty) mall, I have written an article on roses in cosmetics. In the article there is a recipe for rose infusion, information on the properties of rose infusion in cosmetics, and how to use rose infusion for skin and hair care. I hope you enjoy the article. Take care!

http://www.allnaturalbeauty.com/articles/eco-living

Gong xi fa cai! Happy Chinese New Year! Much prosperity, joy, and good health to all. It’s the start of the year of the water dragon so should be an interesting year! Take care!

Happy New Year! I posted my newest eco living article on anb (all natural beauty) website a while back. Since I didn’t post about it before and since it is almost Chinese New Years, I decided to post about it now. It is on eco resolutions for the new year. In the article I have listed a few easy eco living tips on how to live a more green lifestyle! I hope you enjoy the article! 🙂

I hope everyone is doing well. Happy Yule (Winter Solstice)! I also wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Holiday, a Happy New Year, and a wonderful Chinese New Year too! 🙂

I just thought I would post a few updates.

Just wanted to mention that Earth Alkemie is still closed (and I am not accepting any orders right now). I am currently on hiatus due to health reasons, and do not know at this time when I will be reopening (please read my blog post about my hiatus). Thank you to everyone for all their wonderful posts, emails, pms, etc. I am still not feeling well (usually my bad flare ups last a few days, and then I am able to function for a few days even though I don’t feel good, but most days for the past 2 1/2 weeks I’ve been feeling really bad). Since ‘closing’, I slowly finished orders, and I am now working on giving out any refunds I owe (for excess shipping fees, sales, etc). I apologize for the long wait for refunds (I had hoped to be done with everything by now but have been moving at a snail’s pace with things). I am looking forward to finishing everything and finally having some time to focus on my health issues.

I forgot to post that earlier this month my newest eco living article went up. It is called ‘Green And Budget Friendly Hand Made Gifts‘ and is an article on inexpensive, eco-friendly gifts that you can make yourself! They are super easy to make, elegant, and are easy on the wallet too! I have linked many of my old personal blog links to basic skin care recipes. I hope you enjoy it!

Hi everyone

Today (wednesday December 7, 2011) is the last day my store will be open, since I am going on hiatus (so it is the last day I will be accepting orders, no exceptions. I will accept orders until 11:59 pm EST tonight). I just wanted to say it has been a pleasure being in business for almost two years and I hope that I will be able to open again soon; hopefully sometime next year. I am not sure when exactly that will be or what form/structure Earth Alkemie will be in (it will really depend on how I am feeling, and my health) but I will keep everyone updated. But I will reopen in some fashion.

I will still be active online during my hiatus on my personal face book, other non-Earth Alkemie related forums, email, and I hope to start my personal long neglected eco blog again. I plan to continue to write my eco living articles on anb (all natural beauty) mall. I will also update this blog, Earth Alkemie’s forum and also Earth Alkemie’s facebook from time to time (either eco living updates, an occasion environmental or natural skin care post, or just to let people know how I am). 🙂

I am going through so many emotions right now. I am sad I am going on hiatus (Earth Alkemie is something I am really proud of, despite the difficulties in running it because of my health). But I know I needed to and that it is the right decision for me. I feel hopeful (even though my symptoms have been flaring up recently). I also feel a bit of wonder since I’m not sure exactly where my path is taking me now.

I have been in a lot of physical pain the last couple days (which really sucks since I spent my birthday not feeling physically good, though I had a pretty good day otherwise). I have been moving slowly, so packing and shipping has slowed down considerably. There are also issues again with printing shipping labels (I had issues a few weeks ago too. This time both USPS and paypal have been on the fritz. I saw that other vendors on the biggest crafting forum, the dish, have had issues too, so I guess it’s not just my accounts). So hopefully a lot of packages will go out tomorrow (if worse comes to worse, I will just print out customers addresses, and then go to the post office and get postage at the counter. Don’t really want to since they charge more for delivery confirmation fees at the counter, but I will pay the extra costs myself if I have to. Hopefully their websites will work later today). So orders are going out, just very slowly. I hope to finish shipping all orders within the next few days. Any refunds I owe (excess shipping or for people who did not use the coupon codes etc) will be done soon too (it may take me a while, since I am trying to focus on getting the orders done and shipped first).

Thank you to all my customers who have supported Earth Alkemie and who love my products so much. Thank you also for being so understanding and patient with me during the times I have been slow. I hope that I’ll see you all again when I am healthier and open my doors again next year. Take care, and Happy Holidays and New Years to all. Cheers!

Hi everyone

I have run out of the grande (2.0 oz full) size of Warrior liquid aromatherapy cleanser, but there are still a few sample size (7.5 g) left. So I took the button off the website for the grande size. The sample size can still be ordered. I won’t be able to make another batch because I am out of some of the herbal extracts and there is no time to order more before I go on my hiatus (they would not arrive in time before I closed).

I have also ran out of the Nirvana facial creme (there was one left, but it was sold before I posted this blog entry). I have taken both buttons down. I am sadly out of the very nice ethically wild harvested unrefined Apricot Kernel Oil I used in this (the company that sold it no longer sells it, and the couple other companies I have sampled other apricot oils are very nice oils but they do not smell the same). I hope I can find one that smells nearly the same in the future, since I used this oil in other products too (it is used in Pangaea and Serenity Elixirs but I still have some of each in stock, so don’t think I will need to make more of them before I close).

These products will be available when I reopen, sometime next year (I do not know how long my hiatus will be).

If you have already ordered either Nirvana creme or the grande size of Warrior cleanser before I posted this, and I haven’t shipped your order out yet, then no worries. You will still receive them. 🙂 (you are getting the last ones!)

I am so sorry that I won’t be able to make more before I close. 🙁 I think I have enough of most of the other products or ingredients in stock (I have to make a couple things since I ran out but most things are already made up).

Hi everyone

Originally I was going to do another mini sale for a few items (that were not already put onsale in the two previous mini sales). But since I am now going on hiatus, I have decided to put the whole store onsale for 15% off.

To receive 15% off your order 🙂 please use coupon code:
strength9

This sale starts now and will end on December 7th, 2011, 11:59 pm EST.

The sale is 15% off of products, not including shipping and taxes.

There are also two new masks and scrubs (that I was going to release last month, but their release got delayed). So I am proud to introduce my two newest masks: Fairy tale mask and scrub, and Sundae mask and scrub. They are wonderful, nutrient rich creations, and (of course) 100% natural. Sundae is the chocolate banana berry based mask/scrub, and Fairy Tale is my newest pumpkin based mask/scrub, that I previous mentioned on the blog and/or forum. Like all my other masks and scrubs they are powdered/dry and preservative free. I hope you enjoy them!

I am going on hiatus because of my ongoing health issues. I hope to reopen soon, but at this time do not know when that will be. December 7, 2011 is the last day Earth Alkemie will be open, and the last day orders can be placed. I will be taking the cart down after the sale ends. For more on my hiatus please read my previous post.

I just wanted to say thank you to all my customers (many who are friends). Thank you for always being understanding and for all of your touching posts and emails. I will still be available on email, forums (a few others I frequent), and facebook (mostly my personal page). I will also update from time to time on Earth Alkemie’s facebook, forum, and blog. Right now I plan to continue writing my monthly eco living articles on anb mall during my business hiatus. The next one should be released soon.

I just realized last night that the coupon I had included in the anb mall holiday sampler has an end date of January 31, 2012. Since I am now going on hiatus (and will not be accepting any new orders after the night of Dec. 7th), when I reopen I will still honor that coupon for two months. I do not know at this time when I reopen (so can not give a new end date for the coupon) but people who bought the anb mall sampler will be able to use the coupon after I open my store again, for eight weeks. So you can use it now (during the current sale) or you may use it later, when I reopen. So hang onto the coupon, if you don’t use it now!

I wish you all a Happy Holiday, filled with much hope, strength, blessings, and joy.

Hi everyone,

I am taking a hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. Earth Alkemie will be closed starting the night of December 7, 2011 (11:59 pm EST). At this time, I am not sure when Earth Alkemie will reopen. I am very sorry for the short notice of this announcement: so much has happened this year to my family, especially the last few months, that I just feel extremely drained and worn right now. I wasn’t sure whether to just close for a couple weeks in December (for a short break, like I did last year), or whether I should take a hiatus for a longer amount of time. After much thought, I realized that it is best for me to go on hiatus.

These last several months my health issues have gotten progressively worse, and I continued to push myself working even though I did not feel well. I have had health issues for many years and I kept putting myself on the back burner, and put the business and other things before my health. I realized that I am never going to get better if I continue to push myself in this way, and that I really need to take the time to focus on my health and heal.

At this time I am unsure how long I will be closed but I will update from time to time on the blog, the forum, and facebook.

Thank you so much to all my customers and friends who have been so supportive and understanding. I appreciate it, and I hope to reopen my store soon.

So a few things to wrap up before I go on hiatus: my current sale will end Nov 30, 2011, 11:59 pm EST (see my blog entry for info on many of the products on sale). Then I will have a short sale with the two new masks/scrubs in December, since I promised that I would, and they are already made up. Here is the blog entry for the december sale. Then after that Earth Alkemie will close the night of December 7th. All orders made for the first two sales will ship by the end of this week. And I will finish shipping all orders from the december sales within a couple days of closing, and will work on giving any refunds I owe for shipping or discounts while I am closed.

I wish everyone the best for their families during the holidays and new years. I will still be around on my (personal) facebook and will occasionally post on forums during my hiatus. Take care.

Sincerely,
Li

Edited: to cross off the sales since they are over, and Earth Alkemie is now closed until next year.