Something About Us

This is my husband, Gary, and me (Laurie).  He lovingly supports all my endeavors and always encourages me to keep going!

I have always loved old fashioned things, and took an interest in pioneer life early on.  I loved the clothes, the courage, and even the challenges that the pioneers faced as they came to this beautiful Northwest country!

I wanted to do what they did, and tried many of them, but it was soap making that stole my heart!  Seeing two, otherwise disgusting ingredients (tallow and lye), become something wonderful when mixed together…seemed like a small miracle to me.  It reminds me of how God can take us, no matter how unlovely we are…mix in his love (and sometimes discipline), and turn us into something beautiful and useful!

I started making soap shortly after we were married, and I moved to the farm with my husband (1977).  For many years the soap I made was useable, but not very wonderful.  That fact soon became my biggest inspiration.  I spent most of my waking moments trying to improve it.  I made soap from every kind of fat and oil I could get my hands on, and carefully marked the results of each one.

In 1986 it was good enough to start sharing with, and selling to others.  People loved it, but I was still not satisfied.  It was better, but not as good as I thought it should be.  So I kept working on it.  It kept getting better and better, but took 12 years for it to actually become as “wonderful” as I wanted it to be!  Then it was finally silky to touch, lathered well without having to use coconut oil, and it truly did soften your skin, moisturizing and protecting it…and the bars lasted almost forever!

“Lord,” I thankfully breathed at last, “I asked for it to be good…but I never dreamed it could be this good!  Thank you!”

So when people ask where I got my recipe, the answer is “from many failures…lots of perseverance…and much prayer!

For the past 20+ years, my family and I have had the privilege of being part of the pioneer village at some of the Oregon fairs.  It is my customers who have been my biggest encouragement and support.  They continually tell me how wonderful the soap is, how it has healed their dry skin, or how they can use it on their sensitive skin when nothing else works.

To each one of them, I say…”Thank You!”

Laurie Fiesel