There's something about autumn that asks me to exhale, to be content in existing, to plan for the long, cold months ahead. The light gets softer, the days shorter, and suddenly the hustling sun-bathed daze of summer feels like a distant memory. This time of year is all about transition for me: leaves letting go, gardens covered and quiet, and finding myself remembering how to slow down again. 

This beautiful period that comes after, covered in it's shroud of leafy sunset hues, is the gear down, a time to naturally slow and appreciate what the summer busy season cultivated or collapsed upon. For me, it is a reminder to lean into that rhythm: to look at what's working, what isn't and to make small changes that matter and serve me. Growth doesn't always look like more - sometimes it looks like pruning branches, backing off, letting things rest so they can come back deeper, richer, stronger. 

This season is also about gratitude. Gratitude for the warm drinks in cold hands, for soup simmering on the stove and the hungry eyes that wait for the dinner bell, for crunchy leaves on dog walks. And gratitude for the community that keeps Wayward & Wild alive - people like you, who buy soap and keep me creating with my hands. The love and support I receive makes this craft that much more rewarding.

Alright, enough cozy talk. Let's talk holidays. This year I'm sure the holiday season will be a bit different for vast many of people. The state of the world doesn't scream a bountiful holiday, and the fear, pain, and distrust that runs rampant is wont to calm soon. I have always been a creative gift-giver, preferring to take months of free time to make something unique and purposeful rather than spend my dollars on a gift that will be forgotten in the rush of consuming. If you are in the position to purchase gifts this season, consider Wayward & Wild. If you aren't, make something with your own hands: sew a scrunchie, make a cocoa mix with ingredients you already have, paint your people a picture. I make soap because it makes me happy, and sharing those bars with you is an added privilege.

With that said, my shelves are full, my molds are waiting, and November is about making space and connecting. To connect to you, the ones who make this little soap shop possible, I want to give you the best bang for you buck to show appreciation in where you put your dollars.

All November Long: Everyone, no matter the size of the order, gets a limited, last-of-their-kind sample bar. Consider this your invitation to the Last Ones Club.

Early Black Friday (Nov 22–24): BOO20 will be retired, but you’ll get 20% off sitewide (code to come). No tricks, just treats.

Black Friday Weekend (Nov 25–28): Buy Any 2 Soaps, Get 1 Free. This is my heaviest sale of the year - because I'd rather see these soaps happy in your shower than freeloading in my studio.

Once most of these blends are gone, they're gone. And honestly? Soap makes the best gift; it's practical, beautiful, and easy to ship / store. Stocking stuffers, host gifts, secret Santa, little thank you's that don't feel over the top. It's the kind of gift people actually use, and smell better because of it. 

Plus if you've been eyeing any of the autumn bars (Cinnamon & Squash, Apple & Bourbon, and Black Spruce & Star Anise), now's your time. These three bars only make their appearance for a few months a year, and a couple of them will be retiring altogether. At the time of writing this, I only have a handful of each left, and they are dying to be a gift for someone (or yourself).

As I look ahead into November, with its quiet mornings and frosty nights, I keep circling back to gratitude. This shop has grown from a scrappy idea into something that feels alive and nourishing. This fills my cup with so much appreciation, I usually get misty eyes just thinking of the happy, little community I'm creating over cleaning our asses <3 Every order matters. Every kind comment keeps me going.

So thank you. For showing up, for supporting small, and for letting handmade matter in your life. If you want to snag a soap while snagging a deal, now's your chance. 

See you in November,

Denver