mbs: what sets hao products apart from the hand sanitizers out there? GALE: Jao Hand Refresher was the first boutique brand on the market way back in 1998. I wanted it to feel like a portable sink in which you just washed with a fine french lavender soap! We developed it without any other product in mind, so it’s totally original. Our blend of 5 antiseptic essential oils are also germ killers and armotherapy boosters; lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, geranium and sage. Our cosmetic blend means it’s gentle enough to use as a toner or aftershave for the guys, zit zapper, and underarm refresher. The fact that it does the job of many other products means you buy less and consume less plastic bottles!

mbs: what jao product you can’t live without and why? GALE: I can’t live without Jao Goe Oil. It is the best moisturizer out there for my dry, thin skin. After I shower i put some on my palms and rub them together to liquefy the oil and then apply to my legs and arms and hair. It’s really perfect after you’ve just shaved your legs because it absorbs really well and doesn’t sting. It’s a superb oil to travel with because we formulated it to be a pomade NOT a liquid. It contains 28 of the best oils and butters out there with nothing synthetic whatsoever. I love handing the box over to people and saying “read the ingredients!”…it really is the balm!

mbs: any new products offered at the holiday market? GALE: We will be showcasing our latest product which is Outscent.  Insect repellant essential oil parfum.  It smells like a walk in the woods captured in a bottle.  It’s a great winter and summer scent because it has mostly fir needle so it smells like freshly cut christmas trees, but I was trying to blend only insect repellant oils which is quite tricky to make smell nice.  In the summer you can wear it to keep the bugs away.  It’s a great gift for visiting your fancy friends who have country homes!



mbs: what is the most inspirational part of nature for you, shapes, textures, colors…and why? L&L I think shapes. I sometimes cast from real twigs, leaves, or seeds in silver, it always comes up very unique and inspires me a lot. Then I start thinking how to combine those natural shapes with my own wax model for jewelry & home accessories.

mbs: what’s your favorite natural material to use? L&L: I love wood. Because every piece of wood has different color and grain even if you choose same types of wood. So every time I use a same wood and same finish, each piece looks different and has unique character.

mbs: any new products offered at the holiday market? L&L: I’ll bring Salt&Pepper wooden pot with brass twig spoon, Cuff links for men, Winter color gemstone necklace and unique silver leaf post earrings.

mbs: which is your favorite asana pose of your collection and why? YJ: it changes everyday. lately i have been wearing Bow pose in 14 carat gold – i love it! bow is a huge heart opening pose and just wearing it makes me feel like my heart is wide open. and if it starts closing down, my necklace inspires me to stop, breath & roll it back open.

mbs: which pose is your favorite pose on the mat and why? YJ: i love shoulder stand! i feel like my feet can reach the sky and my body loves the reversal of blood flow.

mbs: what will YJ offer at the holiday market? YJ: we will be offering handmade, sterling silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings of yoga asanas. each piece is fluid, graceful and strong. we also offer the pieces in 14 carat gold by special order

mbs: where do you find inspiration? GK: I find inspiration in seeing what excites myself and other people in life , to help bring an idea or thought to life . This can happen through an experience , an exchange , or a piece of history that also inspires me. The idea that a thought carries so much possibility is something that I want to bring to life in my designs.

mbs: which is your favorite charm and why? GK: My favorite charm to this day is still my original tag charm! I made the first one about 20 years ago , it is so simple and yet a basic great charm .

mbs: what should customers expect to see at the holiday market? GK: I will have an assortment of my favorite and most popular items : charm necklaces with inspirational charms , my cuff and bangle bracelets with phrases .

Vivapura ‘Superfoods for life’ offers some of the most delicious raw mixes I have tried, and I have tried ALOT! But there is something about Vivapura that centers my mind and keeps me clear headed…Read on about the why and the how of superfoods and come ready to taste their addictive Spirulina Crunchies!

mbs: What is a superfood? VP: “Superfoods” are those plant-based foods that are considered the most nutritionally dense on the planet. They boast specific, unique, concentrated, healing properties – antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, assimilable proteins, etc.- and deliver unadulterated, high-level nutrients to the body in a way that is easily assimilable and immediately effective.  They are the most effective way to achieve optimal nutrition and therefore our highest expression.

mbs: Why raw? VP: When we eat foods that are in their natural or raw state, the enzymes remain intact and we receive the full benefit of their inherent nutrients and natural vitality.  When we give our body the super charged fuel that it needs to not only survive, but actually thrive, we begin to experience life as it was meant to be lived – Energized, Clear, and Radiant.

mbs: What do you recommend a a ‘super’ gift for the holidays, can it help with the holiday blues? VP: With the energy and vitality of the highest quality raw organic superfoods and the mood elevating attributes of cacao, Vivapura trail mix is not only a perfect holiday gift but the perfect solution for the holiday blues.  It looks stunning set out at holiday parties (great as a hostess gift) and will thrill any friend or loved one as well.  In addition to the wide array of nutrient dense superfruits and nuts, our beautiful blend includes cacao nibs which contain anandamide (also known as the bliss molecule), PEA (a chemical released in the brain when we are in love) and magnesium (helps to combat depression)…What better combination could you ask for this holiday season?  We’re certain you’ll enjoy it as much as we do and hope that you share our blissful mix with all of your loved ones as well.

mbs: how do you pick the ‘healing charms and stones’ to use in your jewelry OO!:All of my crystals are selected for their pure energy. I hand select each one making sure they have not been heat treated or colored. I then weave together combinations of stones as I add prayers and blessings into each handcrafted PowerPiece© for a particular health issue, emotional healing topic, or custom piece for a special occasion.

mbs: which is your favorite healing stone and why? OO!: Rhodochrosite is my favorite healing stone. It’s the best heart healing stone, stimulates a warm feeling of love, allowing healing for the emotional and physical bodies. Brings you a feeling of joy, positive attitude towards life. Opens the heart and solar plexus chakras.

mbs:  what services will you offer at the holiday market? OO!: At the event, I will debuting CHArmKRA, an “a la carte” charm system where you to create your own PowerPiece© talisman. Great for any budget, components starting at $5 and up. I can direct you to find the perfect gift at any price point for your family and friends. Also I will be offering Shamanic mini-healing sessions, 20 min for $25. Come experience a healing session that will lift dense energies from your energetic fields, release emotions and your worries, find guidance for your Soul to heal. Most people “feel 20 pounds lighter” at the end of their 20 minute session. For more information about my healing unique sessions and services go to http://www.SpiritRockShamanicHealing.com

mbs: how do you come up with these great slogans? Where you born making people laugh? MW: Hmmm I’m not exactly sure when I realized I was funny. I know I had a deep raspy voice as a little kid and that was kind of funny. I think being short has something to do with it, I have to find a way to compensate for these freakishly small feet and legs – making people laugh keeps them from noticing! Usually the slogans come when I steal a phrase from a friend, and then reward them with a free shirt (gee thanks!) Or, the bathroom, or when I’m stuck on the R train….

mbs: what is your favorite slogan, the one that describes you best? MW: Just a Small Town Girl, Living in A Lonely World

mbs: what’s new at Miss Wit, available at the market? MW: I have a new “I heart/spokes wheel Bike Lanes” and some freshly made bamboo fiber tees.,,,perfect on the yoga mat or off!

mbs: when did you fall in love with cacao? F&R: when i was in my young teens.

mbs: why raw? F&R: i love fresh vital foods. raw chocolate is the most nutritionally vital chocolate you can eat. raw chocolate is also a great ingredient to use if you want to be creative in the kitchen – this is because the flavors are super unique and bold.

mbs: what will fine and raw offer as THE best gift during the holiday market? F&R: we think that the 8 piece bonbon box is the best gift! its a box full of our signature rich creamy bonbon truffles. yum!

mbs: we can totally agree!!

Next up is Susan Helene Designs

mbs: how do you pick the ‘healing charms and stones’ to use in your jewelry? SHD: I am usually first attracted to a color of a stone.  Then, knowing the healing properties, i become more attracted. For example, i like the various colors of turquoise. Turquoise is said to be a purification stone; it balances and aligns all the chakras.

mbs: which is your favorite healing charm? SHD: my favorite is the lotus, for it’s beauty and for it representing compassion and  “new beginnings”.

mbs: what can customers expect to see at the holiday market? SHD: I will have jewelry from my healing stones and strung art collections.  I will also bring pieces of my Murano glass collection.  Some of my popular Tibetan sterling silver jewelry will also be available.