Along with the other changes you'll be seeing (watch the M Design Boutique facebook page) in M Design Boutique, I am now going to be offering Aromatherapy products.

M Design Boutique is shifting focus from a wide range of handmade things to a narrower focus on specialty wax candles, favor gifts, small batch natural bath and body products and other aromatics (room and linen sprays, incense, reed diffusers, etc).

I have expanded my education into the world of Aromatherapy as it applies to stress management and overall health and well-being. Coming later this month I will introduce my first Essential Oil Aromatherapy Products featuring Lavender, known for its stress-relieving effects and versatility of application.

My Lavender Small Batch Products will include:

Hand-milled Lavender Soap & Shave Soap
Lavender Soy Travel Candles
Lavender Foaming Shave Butter
Lavender Linen & Room Spray
Lavender Drawer Sachet

Be sure to check in and make sure you don't miss the small batch products!

Stay tuned for more posts about the changes you are seeing throughout the month in M Design Boutique!

Happy New Year!

I am especially excited (and busy) giving M Design Boutique a make-over. Two years in business and my shop has become several shops, and grown and changed and...well...I decided it was time to take a step back and change things around to fit all that growth.

First up: I had a new logo designed! There are a few different versions of it that you'll be seeing around here on this blog, and in my shop. I am also going to be using it as inspiration for all of my product packaging and shipping materials. I am crazy about the new logo!

Watch my facebook page for news and updates about the latest changes happening over the course of January 2012.

Please don't hesitate to email me with questions or special requests. Final shipping day is December 20, unless expedited shipping is arranged. Shop early for your best selection!

Check out the latest madness at M Design Boutique! These are all for sale (more being added daily) in the "Accessories" section of M Design Boutique.

Holidays are a crazy and hectic time to get things done...because everyone is doing the same thing. Running around shopping for Moms, Dads, sisters, brothers, in-laws, grandparents, friends, hosts and hostesses, even office mates, yoga teachers, favorite waitresses, teachers, post workers and so on. Of course, you never think to knock out these gifts a little bit at a time over the course of the previous months.

But this year could be different! This year you can lighten the load of last-minute (and face it, more meaningless) gift buying. This year, with just a little effort each week, you can reduce your stress at the end!

Start with Mom! The mother of your child, your mom, your friends who are moms...just use it as a theme to get a little list of who you can buy for RIGHT NOW!

As always, I encourage people to shop indie and handmade, if not also local! To help you figure out some good Mom gift ideas, I am posting some images of things I think lots of Moms would love that are available right in my own online shop!

Beeswax Taper Candles in the Beeswax Section

Drippy Beeswax Pillar also in the Beeswax Section

Fruit Salad Candle in the Looks Like Food Section

Canning Jar Gift Set in the Farmhouse Candles Section

Hand-spun Wool Cup Cozy in the Kitchen and Garden Section

Primitive Style Beeswax Tapers in the Beeswax Section

Feel free to contact me at info@mdesignboutique.com if you want something custom for the Moms in your life. I am happy to suggest gifts in any price range, and I welcome custom ideas. Happy Shopping!

Over the past several months, I have been collaborating on a new product line and brand with one of my oldest friends and favorite designers Angi Quincy of Tiny Armour Jewelry.

It all started with a card-swap that we were intending to do with eachothers' business cards going out with orders leading up to the holidays. We figured this would help promote a group of shops that we love by exposing our own customers to some other great shops. When the other shop owners ended up bowing out of the swap for various reasons, Angi and I decided that since there was just the two of us, we should collaborate on a holiday gift to offer in both of our shops...and then over a whole lotta cross-country phone calls and a rush of inspirations, a brand formed.

Our first product debuts October 20, 2011.

Get on board now! Check out and follow our blog feed over at Hammer & Light's blog here.

Follow us on facebook here.

We will be announcing our new products and collections in both places, with all the details and magic behind them all.

We welcome you to Hammer & Light.