Come to the Orange Art Fair!

What:  Orange Art Fair
Where: Moreland Hills Elementary School (Google map)
When: Sunday May 3, 2009  10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Cost:  FREE!

Those of you in the Cleveland area, mark your calendars for next Sunday, May 3rd! The Orange School District hosts a fabulous art fair every year, not to be missed! Just in time for Mother’s Day gift giving (and Father’s Day too)!

Sarva Soaps will be there with about 20 varieties of soap and some great gift sets.  Some of these items are not yet on the Sarva web site, so if you go to the show, you get a sneak preview and first chance to buy!   I’ll be in booth #52.   Stop by and see me… and if you found about the Fair via my blog, do please let me know!   I love meeting my readers.

Here’s info from the Orange School District’s web site:

The 5th Annual Orange Art Fair will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Moreland Hills Elementary School on the Orange Schools Campus, located at 32000 Chagrin Blvd. in Pepper Pike between Lander Circle and SOM Center Road (Rt. 91). Admission is FREE!

The Fair will feature more than 70 artists from around Northeast Ohio selling beautiful hand-made art and jewelry. A great time to buy for Mother’s Day, Teacher, and Graduation gifts. Sponsored by Orange Elementary PTA, money raised directly benefits Orange Schools.

There will also be kids’ entertainment, a kids’ art sale, food and refreshments, and a raffle.

I look forward to seeing you next Sunday!

Support a great cause, and meet your soapmaker!

If you live in Cleveland and aren’t doing anything Wednesday night, April 22 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., come support a great cause and treat yourself as well!

Sarva Soaps, in cooperation with Dermatology Specialists of Beachwood and Willoughby, will be appearing at “Leading with Style 2009″ at the Galleria in downtown Cleveland tomorrow, April 22! Proceeds benefit the Cleveland Marshall College of Law Future Courtroom. Tickets are $50 ($35 for students), with prizes including a once in a lifetime trip to the Umbrian Countryside!

In 2008, the Ohio Women’s Bar Association launched a new fundraising platform, named “Leading with Style.” It challenged previous conceptions that women attorneys could not be taken seriously if they engaged in activities designed to attend to their appearance, health or wellbeing.  It was designed to remind attorneys to make health, wellness, and relaxation a priority in their long list of professional and family responsibilities.  In its first year, over 500 women and men raised $50,000.00 to fund scholarships for future generations of attorneys.

This year, the event promises to be even more broad and impactful.  It is our mission to create opportunity for our community by funding an educational and economic initiative at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

I am proud to be invited to appear and represent Sarva Soaps at this special event.  If you come, you will have the opportunity to enjoy libations, retail therapy, and special ways to pamper yourself… and, of course, you’ll get to meet me!

Details can be found at The Ohio Women’s Bar Association, or on this PDF document.  Hope to see you there!

The one in which Sarva Soaps loses a family member.

Hecate, 1993-2009

I like to keep it light here on Soap Leaves.  Here in my home we’ve had some very sad news, though, and I want to take up just a little bandwidth to offer a tribute to our kitty, Hecate, who passed away today, April 13, 2009.

I came into Hecate’s life fairly late, in 2003, when I met my partner J.   Hecate and Sara were his cats, and I had my dear Sammy, the love of my life.  While I took an instant liking to Sara (who is completely adorable), Hec was another story.  A very bright animal, Hecate was also a problem child.  J had acquired her from the local animal shelter at one year old, already showing signs of having a checkered past.  She had a damaged eye that wasn’t exactly photogenic, was a bit scruffy, and also had many, many behavioral problems.

Those of you who are parents and/or animal lovers will easily recognize the many lessons herein.

J had the patience of a saint in dealing with Hec’s many struggles… me, not so much.   However, as time passed, thanks to this wise old soul in a wonky, furry body, I learned firsthand what it really means to choose to love another, to forgive, to put another first, to show compassion… to remember that they’re just shoes anyway, even if they were your favorites… and, ultimately, that this life is so fleeting and fragile and it simply must be cherished above all else.

Hecate certainly lived up to her name.   Her very namesake was the Greek goddess who, unbeknownst to J or myself at the time, represents crossroads:  Change… releasing things which hinder us… exploring things which scare us… finding ourselves along the way.

Hecate had been ill for two arduous years, suffering with kidney failure, and we learned to overcome our own squeamishness as we gave her saline solution through a big, giant, scary needle in the scruff of her neck regularly.   In the last month, though, it became clear that she was declining rapidly, and in the past few days, it was obvious that her suffering was beyond what any creature should endure.

So, Hecate, thank you for your time with us… for the many lessons you taught us… the fun… the not so fun… thank you for choosing us.   We hope you’re free and happy, and we hope that we gave you at least a fraction of the love and care you deserved.   Safe travels, sweetheart.