It has been crazy in the world. This coronavirus being felt in every single household across the world. It is a scary time for us all. What are you doing to pass the time? For me, I have been pushing my businesses – the goal prior to the outbreak. A goal I have had for a long time. Three years in the making – and really not accepting no for an answer. I Smell Cakes and Candy a business that encompasses all of my passions. An umbrella company of sorts. Under it, baking, music and now bath essentials. Things that I do to calm my C-PTSD. Art. Creativity. Hands on in the mess. The one area that my OCD doesn’t stop me from making a mess and having fun because I know in the end, whatever I created, I created it from my heart, and my soul. And let’s be real honest for a minute. I enjoy cleaning. It is oddly satisfying – not all the time – but under stress – so making a mess – sometimes intentional so I can clean it. At least this way – the mess is a result from a build – something constructive. Something hand crafted, hand created, molded how I see it in my head. Colors. The blending, mixing, and the aftermath of what happens when I do. Never the same, never duplicated. Always different. Recipe to recipe – the end result will never be the same. Even in dinner recipes. I will use the same ingredients over and over – but I guarantee – very rarely – if at all – will what you put in your mouth will taste the same as before. Each meal I make, created and crafted differently each time. An experiment. Something I, while writing this, is correlating to how I view life. Would it be so bad, if we got a little mixed up in life, I mean the end result – it can be beautiful – as long as it is done in the purest of forms – with nothing but love.
Something I find beautiful – something others may find as a block. By why make the same thing over and over again the same exact way?
I mean in business – there will have to be some of that. People will like a product – and they want it over and over again.
But what if I can offer the same type of feeling, but with a unique experience each time?
I mean doing the same thing over and over again – and expecting a different result – that is the true definition of chaos.
Each time those around me try one of my cakes, it is a different experience each time. Each time equally impressed with the similarity and the uniqueness. Something I carry over to all aspects of my life. I love creating. All different types of art, but especially art that has a utilitarian purpose. I create things for taste, I create things for sight, I create music for the ears, so why not share with you one other aspect of my life that I find so soothing.
Essential oils – something that is so powerful for the senses. Something that we all use when we buy commercial products for healing. Something you may not even realize. Peppermint oils, chamomile, lavender. How many products do you buy on a regular basis that have these ingredients and never really thought about the fact that these oils, the smells, they give you a sense of healing just by the smell of it. When you smell an orange, automatically – it smells fresh – vibrant – it smells like GOOD MORNING. Lemon, fresh, summer, pools. These are things that are all relative. We correlate smells with emotions daily, even when we don’t realize it.
How many times has a smell brought you to a memory, a time in your life of either peace or pain? Smells can alter our mood in ways we don’t even think about, except some people, like myself, we do. I can only speak for myself; however, smells, they can drastically change my mood. I am hypersensitive. A bad smell can make me gag on a dime, a good smell can seriously change my outlook on the day or the reflection of the day. I am hypersensitive to all things. Touch, smell, audio, sight. All of my senses overstimulated on a continual basis. Often times, never getting a break from all of the sounds and smells of the world until I am 20 miles deep into the woods away from human life. Something I yearn for daily. My compromise?
Bath time.
One of my favorite times. A cleansing away of the day. Something that I have always enjoyed. It is the most private time for most people. It is the time, when the door closes, and the water starts to pour and fill the tub that I get a sense that whatever that day had brought me, it was about to wash away. A day to day baptism – even just in the shower. Bath time – always something that I could get lost in. Spending hours and hours, refilling the tub, refilling the wine bottle, restarting my reggae playlist, roll another blunt, lay back and just reflect on life, actions, reactions, and plans for the future. Something all of us could relate to. Often times I would fill my tub with several items. Bath oil, bath bomb, bath salt, bubbles. Several items just to get that ahhhhh, goodbye stress, hello relax.
In Tampa, I had a garden tub. It was fantastic. Here at the apartment – we have an apartment tub. Something I miss so greatly about the old house. Not inclusive to having a private yard with a privacy fence, and soil that I could play in. Here I have none of that, all the more reason to make do with what I have. I mean no fish cares about how big the pond is that they are swimming in, they only care to survive, but having a little more room, and a private pond is always nice. The size of my tub still doesn’t stop me from climbing in, kicking back, and forgetting the world exists long enough for Bob Marley to sing to me over and over again about “Don’t Worry – Be Happy”.
I mean most of us can relate. The day to day struggles, they will always be there. No matter what you do for work, how many children you have, how much your life sucks or doesn’t suck – there will be stress. Carried throughout our body as though it is bonded to our blood. Never to get rid of. I’ve decided to embrace it. I’ve embraced it so much that I feed it daily. I give it yoga, walking, meditation, music, therapy. I don’t ignore it anymore. I’ve accepted and I’ve embraced.
But like all things….
I am a WOMAN.
And like all women, when we embrace something, when we give it attention and love, we make it grow, prosper.
I have C-PTSD like so many others. I am not ashamed, I am not scared of it. It is my superpower. What doesn’t break us, it makes us stronger. And in this life, I would have to say at this point, my strength is much more powerful than anything that has ever been done to me, or will ever be done to me.
With that being said…
I proudly present to you Calming Chaos Bath Essentials
The bath essentials that will help calm down the chaos – even if it is just the chaos in your head.
Each one made with essentials oils that are vibrant enough to snap you into your happy place. Soaps made with oatmeal and almond oil that leave skin incredibly soft. A line of bath essentials that will continue to grow in many aspects. A lot already mapped out. The ones pictured above, all available on my Facebook Page I Smell Cakes and Candy. I’m incredibly excited about what I Smell Cakes and Candy will become will it is in full bloom. Each entity taking off in it’s own way. The insertion of the bath essentials line. Momma Rapper growing in numbers, hitting the highest numbers last month on several platforms, and having the best numbers on Soundcloud since May of 2019, back when the original Baby Girl dropped and hit 10K. I’ve been home since 2/28 and since then, the growth of my businesses – has been exponential in a very short period of time.
The reason being?
I’ve been home to nurse my businesses to life. I’ve been growing these babies for a while, and its about time to let the world see what I have been building behind the scenes in my head for so long.
And FYI –
This has all been done with very little money. Over the past few years – the investments into my businesses have been minimal. Really only paying for what is extremely necessary to move forward. Like paying to .com my page. A long time in the making – that is now done. An online shop, done. A local business, done. A music studio, done. An art studio, done. A place to share my deepest and most personal thoughts – well that has been done – since day 1 with WordPress!!! All within the walls of my home.
My safe place.
Now I am just hoping this safe place always becomes the hub of my income.
I hope you are staying safe in this global storm of sadness.
In the next post – we will talk about Safe Bubbles. My next project.
If you would like to purchase please check out my Facebook page or if you would like to donate to the cause please visit my GoFundMe or PayPal
Till next time love you sassy bitches!!!
I Smell Cakes and Candy 