Sponsored Giveaway: Twysted Thystle

At the risk of sounding a bit geeky, I am really excited about hosting my first giveaway, all the more because I am hosting it for someone I actually have met in person.

Deborah, owner/foundress/alchemist of Twysted Thystle lived only a few miles away from me here in Tennessee, having moved here from Colorado.  She and her family were trying to start a farm where they could raise and market their organic produce and livestock.  Unfortunately, things were not panning out for them, and they ended up returning to Colorado.  I was not happy about their move; Deb was someone I enjoyed talking to about homebirth, homeschooling and homesteading (we're both homebodies--can you tell?) and Una had enjoyed her daughters' company.

 Anyway, it worked out well for Deb and her family; she teamed up with Heather, the artist who does her wonderful labels, and is concocting wonderful things for her shop, Twysted Thystle, and has plans to do much more.   But I think I'll let her and Heather tell you about themselves:

Deborah:


I first started my love affair with herbs in 1996. My oldest daughter had been sick with repeated ear infections and after months of driving back and forth to the doctors office and refilling stronger and stronger antibiotics, the pharmacist scared me. He asked me who the antibiotics were for, and I pointed to my frail sickly baby and he told me that they were adult doses!! I walked out of the pharmacy empty handed and went directly to the library to see if there was another way. I checked out every book that they had on natural healing and natural health. Within a few days, I went down to the natural health food store (my first trip ever) and bought a bottle of Mullein and Garlic Ear Oil and some Echinacea tincture. My life changed that day.


I have been a Certified Aromatherapist since 2001, and have been studying the herbal arts for over 15 years. I ran my own natural products business, Whispering Earth, in Colorado for over 7 years where we specialized in making non-gmo soywax true aromatherapy candles. At the end of those 7 years, we decided we needed an adventurous change and we moved across the country to grow our own food, raise animals and maybe grow our family. We lived on an organic farm in TN for 3 years. We raised dairy goats, free-range chickens, heritage turkeys, ducks, guinea hens, a few pigs, a handful of sheep, and a few huge organic gardens!! During our time in TN, I started making and selling my own custom blended herbal teas and fell in love with the practice. I also fell in love with growing medicinal herbs and wildcrafting on our 27 acres of woods, and realized the true value in using the whole of plants. 

Heather:


I have been drawing since I was a wee toddler. At that point, it was mostly on walls. As I got older, it was mostly on my homework. I currently live in the fabulous central valley of California. I grew up in Southern California, went to college, got married, had 2 children and decided to move to Colorado. After 10 years and 4 more kids, we made it back home. Phew. What can I say? We are beach bums. In the year 2000 when we moved to CO, we were unaware that the Pacific Ocean really doesn’t touch that state. Now we know.

I entered college as a Biology major, struggling between Botany and Marine Biology. I exited college with a BA in Sociology. I started Peacework Designs in 2008 and have flip-flopped between beads and markers. Deborah caught me in a marker stage. I am having a completely fabulous time drawing toads who meditate and plants that heal. I sometimes blog at www.peaceworkdesigns.org and am hoping to put more artwork up over there. 


A note about the art: Everything is hand-drawn, hand-doodled, hand colored, and/or hand-painted. I am not a fan of this digital age. It may have it's advantages, but computer-generated art is not one of them. I prefer the human look, personally. So, things may be a bit off-center, shapes may be a bit awkward, letters may be a bit wonky. Such is life. Real life isn't digitally colored. And neither are herbs. And you may quote me. Hee. Hee.


Both women, I might add, are mothers of six children and homeschool.

I'm really happy with the products of theirs I have tried.  I've always loved herbal teas, but I have to say that these combinations are quite wonderful, and the packaging is not only lovely, but environmentally friendly.  I was delighted to find that each of the teas came with a reusable muslin tea bag and instructions for brewing a perfect cup on the back of the bag.  I also tried one of their body oils, the Vanilla Sunrise.  The olive oil base was detectable for perhaps an hour, but did dissipate, and left a lovely vanilla-citrus scent that I could still smell five hours later, I kid you not.  I love putting it on and having all the kids ask, "What smells so good?"

Now for the giveaway:  Deb is offering a full-sized package of her Love Your Mother tea (pictured above) and a jar of Happy Hippy Bare Feet foot balm (below).  

Here are all the ways you can win:

1) Leave a comment below, and if you would like, visit Twysted Thystle and tell me what product interests you most, or what you would like to see that isn't there yet.

2) Become a follower of Patch O' Dirt Farm, or if you already are, let me know it!


3) Like Twysted Thystle on Facebook.


4) Favorite Twysted Thystle's Etsy shop.


5) Mention this giveaway on your own blog and link to it here.


Make sure you leave me a separate comment for each of the above things you do.  And thank you for helping to spread the word and support small businesses like Twysted Thystle!


Comments for this giveaway will be open all week, closing Sunday evening at around 8pm, central time.
Good luck!