Meet Leanne from Feel at Home. A maker of soaps and other scrumptious items for the last 5 years. Leanne is a regular at the Devonport Craft Market and we love to have her around. Learn all about what makes this lovely lady tick.
What do you make?
I make natural soaps, skin care, bath products, lotions, lip balm.... anything that goes on the skin - I make. I use only natural plant oils, only pure essential oils for fragrance, no artificial colours. I do my best to support other NZ businesses, I use only organically grown NZ Olive and Avocado Oils - and all of my products are strictly palm oil free.
How did you start creating?
Here in New Zealand, I began creating out of need. My son has allergies and had eczema and I was frustrated by the lack of choice offered, and so it began...
I must say, I am a comforts kinda girl, and love to feel like I am being pampered, and found that many natural products didn't satisfy my desire for the indulgent, and so that's the direction I have taken with my range.
What inspires you?
Beauty. Broad term, I know, but there is beauty EVERYWHERE! I love the beach, in all its moods, I love fresh flowers, I love how nature seems to know what we need, and then delivers! I will often take my camera out and get the close up lens on, I find when things get too much, or overwhelming, it helps to focus on something small and beautiful, a water droplet on a leaf, blossoms on a lemon tree... whatever. I often put those up on my
Facebook Page... Then everyone nows I am having a rough day, and have taken time out to focus!
Tell us about your favourite book
That is such a hard question! I read ALL the TIME! Emotionally, one of my favorite books is "The Alchemist" which basically is a wonderful story of how often our treasure is right where we are, but we have to travel away from where we are to appreciate it... But what many people won't know is that I am a Sci-Fi Fantasy girl - no Romance novels for me, I loved Lord of the Rings, and will often read books under the pretense of making sure they are ok for my boys to read when actually I like reading them myself! Anything with Dragons is good for me! Ha!
And your favourite food?
That's the same as the book question! I eat ALL the TIME! I LOVE food! It will be my ultimate downfall! Fresh food... in season. I am a salty rather than a sweet person, I head for veggies before fruit and salt and vinegar chips before anything else! When I am good, I am very very good, and when I am bad I break open a bag of chips (and I won't share them) Cheese and crackers.... good re wine.... excuse me, I have to go and have a snack now!
Where do you find inspiration online?
It varies - often there will be links to something that appeals to me on Facebook and I will head over and check it out. There is SOOOOO much inspirational stuff out there to benefit from; and for on online shop I would have to say that (just quietly) I drool over Shoes of Prey - where you can create your own shoes! One day... I promise myself, I will do that! I love shoes!
Tell us how you came about your name "Feel at Home"?
It has always been my belief that confidence is one of the most attractive things a person can have, when someone is confident, they stand taller, smile more and somehow make people want to know them more! And Feeling at Home in your own skin, both in the physical sense and the emotional sense is the root of confidence. And being that I make beautiful things for the skin - I thought the name fit, that plus the fact that I work from home, seemed to be the right fit to me.
When you are not at the Devonport Craft Market where can we buy your lovely creations?
I work with the Hector Trust, so I can be found at North Shore Hospital and Greenlane Hospital on rotating Thursdays (check my website for the calendar) I also have online shopping both on my own
website and on my
Facebook Page. I am heading to the Spring Gift Fair this year, so look out for Lather and Lotion by feel at home in a shop near you later in the year! Fingers Crossed!
