The Good Stuff for Women, Wellness & Kids

Say hello to Kay Stratman, a Wyoming-based artist who transplanted from Washington, DC when she and her husband Paul decided a view of the mountains was more sublime than a sitting in traffic on the Beltway. The couple packed Kay's entire art studio, including her hand-painted tie business, which for some time has been sitting in a box in a closet. We are thrilled to help her sell the 100 unique ties that are left in the collection. Even better: For each tie sold, one will be donated to a gentleman in need. Get yours today — and click here to learn how you can help someone else! 

The light of the Sunday Farmer's Market in Claremont, CA is dress designer Vecani, a native of Mexico who 10 years ago started sewing soft sexy clothes for women of all sizes. And since the pandemic began in March 2020, she has been creating colorful hand-painted face masks to protect the masses — and not scare kids. For each face mask sold, another is donated to a child in need. Buy several for your family and friends (small / large). And do check out her Collection of comfy, colorful dresses and pantaloons. Don't see the shade you like? She'll create an original just for you!

Writing has been a passion of Hope Katz Gibbs since she was 8 and her dad told her, "Honey, you can write!" His words of encouragement led her to become a journalist, author, and founder of Inkandescent™ Inc., a PR firm and publishing company that empowers women to be all they dream of being. Her first book, "PR Rules: The Playbook," gives away the tips and tricks of the trade so more small business owners can harness their inner publicist. Inkandescent™ Publishing will help you write it down, make it happen. Check out Hope's books and Coaching services.

The amazing Stephanie Ponder is not only an editor at  Costco's magazine, The Connection, she is an artist and entrepreneur who creates gorgeous jewelry — and teaches others to do the same. “I’ve cycled through latch hook rugs, bubble gum wrapper chains, cross stitch, knitting and finally got hooked on making pendants and other pieces made with resin,” shares Seattle-based artisan. “It’s amazing to see how an image will read when reproduced in such a small format. It’s also fun to see the effects of a little well-placed glitter." Check out her elegant pendants made atop scrabble tiles, and find more Ponder's Pendants for sale in her collection. 

Hilary Schwab has been a photographer in the DC area for decades. Her pics have appeared in Washingtonian, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Humane Society, and dozens more. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilary had an idea. She'd been gardening in her backyard of Poolesville, MD for years and knew the produce she's been carefully tending to was something that almost anyone could do — be it zucchini or squash in the yard, or flower pots with herbs that grow in the kitchen or den. She has partnered with Inkandescent™ to promote her 2021 calendar (coming soon) that's packed with gardening tips and recipes. Here's to your health! 

Marguerita is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, a financial planning company that specializes in helping women harness their power. She has been a spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign and a regular columnist for Investopedia & Kiplinger. She started her career as a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial, and went on to be an analyst and editor at Towa Securities in Tokyo, Japan. Be sure to get a copy of Rita's book, "Wealth Management Rules: 12 Tips to Help Harness Your Financial Know-How." And stay tuned for her new books, workbooks, classes, and more to help women stay in financial control.

Growing up in military family we traveled the world. While living in Japan for five years, I was afforded the opportunity to study sumi-e, Japanese brush painting. I fell in love with the meditative process of making your own paint with a stick, and relishing the elegant nuances of a brush stroke. That experience has stayed with me all of my life. After stepping away from artistic pursuits for years I have returned to painting with a hunger for color and a passion to share what fills and emboldens my life. Today I live in Las Cruces, NM — a mecca for artists. I work with mixed media and acrylics and am fueling my soul's desire to feel the emotional pull of color in every aspect of my life. Join me! Purchase a painting or a stack of cards, or commission me to create one that's perfect just for you!

A man who showcases women and shows our strength through his art, Michael Glenwood Gibbs is an award-winning illustrator whose work appears regularly in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, as posters for theater and opera, on brochures for colleges and corporations and so much more! Those illustrations have received peer recognition and awards from Communication Arts, Creative Quarterly, 3x3 magazine — and Mike's art has been exhibited from the Society of Illustrators gallery in NYC to the Corcoran Museum in DC and Gallery Nucleus in LA. His passion: printmaking. And now you can purchase of his gorgeous giclée prints in the Inkandescent Shop. Choose one for your home and office — and give his art as the perfect to friends!

Did you know: One in five Americans have asthma and allergies. That's 60 million people who are suffering daily. In collaboration with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, lifestyle brand entrepreneur, author and interior designer Robin Wilson is on a mission  to clear the triggers and toxins in every home. "With a few simple changes, you can clean house," she explains in her book, "Clean Design," available now in the Inkandescent Shop. Robin knows of what she speaks for she has had a lifelong struggle with asthma and allergies. "My pediatrician told my parents they had a choice — to raise a strong child, or raise a child on strong medicine, so they created a wellness lifestyle for me. My life's mission is to take what I've learned to everyone struggling to breathe."

A Sensory Bee was born out the heart and desperation of our own personal challenges to deal with the ever-changing needs of our special needs families as well as our own personal struggles. From toddlers to teens we have spent a lifetime learning how to take care of our sensory bees in a variety of ways. We are five families that have come from all walks of life that have banded together to form a community of support and encouragement. We are creating programs to teach families how to effectively calm the body and mind while reducing negative behaviors.  We do this by creating positive, purposeful interactions with their sensory bee. From our families to yours, we’ve put lots of love and careful consideration into each item.