Being born and raised in rural Southeast Alaska shaped me into who I am today. As a kid, for family vacations, I spent 2–3 weeks at a time paddling through the Yukon’s wilds on a string of rowdy boats. We hiked to berry patches at 3 AM, shipwrecked more than once, and my fascination with living off grid and the natural world around me was seeded. I learned considerable life lessons: don't walk downhill with walking sticks perfectly at eye level, kiddie fishing poles can catch 22" Pike, and oatmeal with dino eggs is unmatched in breakfast cuisine.
Over the course of my first summer out of high school, I amassed 12 misfit sled dogs and chased freedom into Alaska’s interior. I enrolled in college—briefly—but the lecture halls felt cramped compared to open tundra. I dropped out and committed to making the dogs a serious daily devotion. I fished and scrapped from trappers to feed them, spent days in the powdery mountains staying in BLM cabins and exploring. At the height of operations, I maintained a 22 dog kennel, gave tours near daily to exuberant visitors, and lived to share my lifestyle. Then disaster struck—I lost my house, I lost my job, a pandemic struck, and I had to make some devastating changes which included rehoming all but one of my sled dogs.
Over the next few years, I went back to university and graduated with honors, met and married my husband and moved back to Southeast Alaska. During our brief stay, I worked as a 911 and Fire dispatcher, a prep cook in the school cafeteria, and tried to find a path forward that didn't include sled dogs. My mental health had suffered and I felt like was running on fumes. I needed to make lifestyle changes that would encourage a rediscovery of my creativity and learning, and part of that included moving across the country and starting a soap shop. Soap is a perfect mix of chemistry and artistry, and has been a wonderful outlet during a hard transition period. So whether you care deeply about what goes on your skin, or you want to support a small business, or you just like pretty soaps, welcome to my corner of the internet!
When snow still blanketed the garden, and the blustering wind whistled through the ill-sealing window, I made elaborate plans to grow exponentially and finally get my little soap shop upgraded...
Outside the studio window, the garden has woken up, the snow is gone, and time outside sounds more and more appetizing. This collection isn’t necessarily a true reflection of what...
Making something handmade vs factory-made has another layer of pressure because if I make a mistake, my product can be vastly different than the last batch, and for customer continuity...
A rotation isn’t about maximalizing or consuming more, it’s about using what you have well, and giving yourself a small bit of whimsy in choosing what you to smell like...
he time is going to pass either way, and spending my time numbly scrolling my phone gets me nowhere closer to my goals, but also doesn’t allow for a lot...
Wild Goods. Trail Tested. Inbox Delivered.
Sign up for stories, seasonal finds, and shop updates. 10% off your first order just for showing up.
