Shop Local

Visit artisan stores in your local community

by Donna Maria

One of my favorite things to do on weekends is visit local farmer's markets. From the man preparing fresh-to-order omelettes with eggs and herbs from his farm, to the woman selling handmade goat milk soaps and cheeses she makes in her kitchen, I love the aromas and the community I experience when I am in their midst.

If I can't get to a market, I enjoy discovering local stores that specialize in handmade items. There are a few of them in my adopted hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. When I travel, if I have time, I make sure to head to at least one shop that sells artisan-made goods. It feeds my soul to purchase and use their products. Recently, I have noticed a significant spike in the number of IBN members opening retail stores and studios in their local areas. This is good news not only for our members, but also for the local communicates they serve and the American economy in general. On the following page, you'll find a selected listing of our members with retail outlets in different states across the nation.

Be sure to contact the retailer directly for store hours, some of which may be by appointment and can vary during the holidays.

Bathhouse Soapery 366 Central Avenue Hot Springs, AR 71901 bathhousesoap.com Provenance Soapworks 311 S. Main St. St. Charles, MO 63301 ProvenanceSoapworks.com C&Co. Handcrafted Skincare 34 Broadway St. Asheville, NC CandCoNaturals.com

California

Banter and Bliss 12775 W. Millennium Playa Vista, CA 90094 BanterandBliss.com Grapeseed Company 2446 Alamo Pintado B Los Olivos, CA 93463 GrapeseedCompany.com Phoebe Peacock 3414 1/2 West Magnolia Blvd. Burbank CA 91505 PhoebePeacock.com

Colorado

Colorado Aromatics 340 Lashley St., Unit 220 Longmont, CO, 80501 ColoradoAromatics.com

Maryland

Be Blends 7546 Main St. Sykesville, MD 21784 BeBlends.com

Waxing Kara 10209 Grand Central Ave, Ste 118 Owings Mills, MD 21117 WaxingKara.com Your Body Needs 49 Old Solomons Island Rd, Ste # 102 Annapolis, MD 21401 YourBodyNeeds.com Michigan

Lavender Hill Shop 1219 Morris Drive Niles, MI 49120 thelavenderhill.com New Jersey

Witch Baby 11 Eastman St. Cranford, NJ 07016 WitchBabySoap.com The Curious Heart 509 Central Ave. Westfield, NJ 07090 LittleFlowerEssentialOilBlends.com

New Hampshire

Fields of Ambrosia 2724 White Mountain Hwy North Conway, NH 03860 FieldsOfAmbrosia.com

janegee 107 Congress St. Portsmouth, NH 03801 JaneGee.com

Hazel Moon Botanicals 48 Main St. Meredith, NH 03253 hazelmoonbotanicals.com

Tangled Roots Herbal 95 West Pearl St. Nashua, NH, 03060 TangledRootsHerbal.com Wunder Budder 121 Water St. Exeter, NH 03833 WunderBudder.com

New York

Scrubz Body 245 Main St. Farmingdale, NY 11735 ScrubzBody.com Ohio

Green Bubble Gorgeous 24195 Front St. Grand Rapids, OH 43522 greenbubblegorgeous.com

Pennsylvania

Noteology Custom Perfume Studio 401 Spruce St. (Biden Street) Scranton, PA 18503 Noteology.com

Rhode Island

Providence Perfume 80 Fountain St., #203 Pawtucket, RI ProvidencePerfume.com

Texas

Winding Wick Candles 216 W 6th St. Ferris, TX 75125 WindingWickCandles.com

Vermont

Flourish Beauty Lab 4 N. Main St. White River Junction, VT 05001 FlourishBeautyLab.com Washington

Lavender Wind 15 NW Coveland St. Coupeville, WA 98239 LavenderWind.com

IBN wishes you and yours a very happy holiday season ... May all of your dreams come true!

Artist: Jody Bergsma, Bellingham, WA Jody's diverse painting style developed over many years through thousands of paintings. Her watercolor technique is self taught. Jody's respect for ancient cultures and the beauty of their designs is reflected in her use of aboriginal, native, and geometric symbols. We feel that Jody's work reflects the spirit of IBN's mission to empower people to use their talents, gifts, and passions to own and manage a successful business.

We are thrilled to introduce you to this amazing artist! Visit Jody's website at bergsma.com Bergsma Showroom | 1301 Fraser St., #A6 | Bellingham, WA | 360-733-1101