Hello everyone...
Whew lots of things have been going on here lately. But I wanted to talk about how people these days just have no respect for others, their work, their feelings, nothing.
What happened to treat others how you want to be treated? Do unto others as you would have then do unto you? I am starting to think that just does not exist anymore. Some people now adays are just out for them selves, how they can take what ever they can from you, say what ever they want to say to your or about you, whether there is a word of truth in it or not. I just don't get it.
I have always treated other people, whether it be family, friends or strangers with respect, and would never do or say anything to out right hurt them for no reason, or for reason of spite, or jealousy. My husband and I are good people, and we try very hard to portray that in everything that we do. But, we have found in the last few months that we are among very few who still try and live their lives this way.
For example...I have been in the candle making industry for 11 years now. I worked very hard in the first 2 years to test every wick, jar, fragrance oil, wax, color, everything. I did not just throw a candle together and sell to the first person who would by it. It took me 2 years before I ever tried to sell a candle. I did not try and worm my way into someones life that made candles, and try and get all their suppliers info, or bug them to tell me each and every step they do to try and get out of researching and testing everything. Just so that I could hurry up and throw a candle website together and call it a business. And then, go on that person's webiste and copy word for word all of their decriptions, policies, and product info, the layout...etc. Just to get out of doing any of the work myself.
This is what has happened to me. Someone that I know has done this to me. She came into my home, helped me package and label some orders, and evidently took all the info that she could about my products, supplies, packaging, scents, everything. Then went onto my website, which I worked so hard to design, and copied the whole thing word for word. This person has done no testing, she has done no research. She bought supplies, threw a wick in a jar with some wax and some fragrance oil, and is calling it a candle, and is selling it to the public. Does she not realize that there are so many liabilities in what she is doing. There is a little thing called insurance that you must carry when you are a candle maker. If you do not know what you are doing, or what you are working with, sizes of the wicks, if they are too big or too small for the jars you are using, etc....you can burn someone's house to the ground. You can start fires with that candle, you could cause that jar to explode do to the heat. There is so much that can happen and you can and will lose everything. The FDA, for one, and who ever the harmed person hires, will come after you and they WILL take everything from you.
And then we have the issue of copying my website wording word for word. That is very wrong, not to mention against the law. Especially when my website is copyrighted. And she not only copied my current website, she copied alot of wording and such from my previous candle business, which she knew that I co-owned with a friend of mine. That website is copyrighted as well, and she will be hearing from the owner of that very shortly.
Now I have no problem with anyone making candles, wanting to make candles, someone who wants to do better for themselves, own their own business. But, do the work yourself. Dont be so lazy, dont copy me, and everything that I do, because you just want to jump into selling and try to make some money. It will come back on you. Most all of us in this business spent years testing, and retesting to get it right. So we would not have to worry about losing everything that we have because we did not do it right. We spent years, making our candle business our own, so that our customers would come back, so they would love the product that we produce. If you just outright copy someone, what joy and satisfaction are you getting from your so called business? What are you going to do when you harm someone, or burn someone's house down because you dont know what you are doing? Will you feel bad? Will you care? You did not care when you stole the hard work and idea's of someone else instead of doing it on your own.
I have contacted an attorney, and I have also contacted the website host for this website. I let them know that my site was copied, and sent them copys of the pages that my copyrighted work is on. Since last night, sudden changes have been made on this person's website, but then others have not. My friend/co owner of my other candle business still has her/my wording on there, so I know she will be contacting the web host as well. The good thing is, we have copys of these pages, and we can prove it was done, and we have no doubt we can get this website shut down. What has been done is wrong on so many levels. If you want something, do the work yourself, test and research, so that you know you are doing it right. Make it your own, don't steal from someone else because you just wanna make a fast buck. And because you are just too darn lazy to do anything on your own. Or maybe it is just because you are not smart enough to do it on your own, so you have to copy my work and call it yours.
I feel very sorry for the future customers of this website, they have no idea what they are getting, and neither does the candle maker. You can not throw some candles together in 2 weeks and sell them, when you have never in your life done anything remotely close to making a candle product. It is very sad to me, that people must do this sort of thing to try and get ahead of everyone else. But, it has happened, and I have reported it to the appropriate people, so there are about to be some actions taken. I just hope that this woman realizes that not only could she lose her website, but she is also losing alot of others things along with it. But, when you make choices to do things like this, then I guess you really don't care about losing anything, or anyone!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The loss of a friend
Today has just been the worst day for me.
I got the news this morning that a dear friend of mine has passed away from a heart attack. And I am just having a really hard time dealing with it all.
See, i just chatted with her last night. About her candle order that she had just received and how much she wanted to melt the sweet country custard. She talked about drooling every time she smelled it. She just laughed about that. And then she was telling me about special Christmas box she was sending me. Something just from her to me, something that reminded her of me. I was so touched.
You see, I have never met this woman, Charlene, face to face. I met her online, on a candle lovers message board about 4 or so years ago. And when that board closed I was asked to start another board, for some of the women that were on the closing board. So I did, and Charlene was there from day one, she at first was just a moderator, then when I had to back off from the board for a while, due to some personal problems in my life, she took over running it. She loved that board, she kept up with everything on it. She always made sure that all of our birthdays and anniversary's were always recognized, if we were dealing with our own tragedy's, or health issues she was always the first one to send a card, or a sweet email. Charlene was the life of the message board. And we, were all her little children that she watched over. That is what Charlene did, she watched out for people, took care of people. She genuinely cared about people.
She always put others ahead of herself. Her husband was in very poor health with a heart problem of his own and horrible complications from diabetes. She ran around all the time taking him to the doctors appts, and doing everything around their house. She was always babysitting her 2.5 year old grandson. He was her life. She loved "the boss" as she called him, so much. And she was just given another grandson about 1.5 months ago. She called him peanut...she was overjoyed by her grandsons.
We knew that Charlene had some health problems of her own, and she was getting help a little at a time for them. But when this heart problem popped up here recently, she refused to be hospitalized, but did agree to some testing. And the doctors put her on some meds, but I don't think anyone, including her doctors realized just how serious this heart problem was. I think she was so afraid of being put in the hospital and there would be no one to take her husband back and forth to his doctors appts. and to take care of him on a daily basis. She loved her husband so much. He truly was her sole mate. They were each others soul mates.
Charlene, had over the last year, started trying really hard to take better care of herself. She had just recently posted to all of us that she had lost 106 pounds over the last year. And she finally posted a picture of herself so we could all finally see her. She was beautiful inside and out. I will miss her so much.
My point of this blog is that you do not have to meet someone face to face to care for them, or to love them. I only knew her thru the internet, and a message board. And thru that, phone conversations, and emails and gifts and cards were exchanged. She was my friend, my true friend. You do not have to be in ones presence physically, to be their friend. She showed me that. She cared and loved to the fullest. I will miss that. I will miss her, and who she was. She was loved by all of us on the message board. We are all just devastated by the new of her passing.
Things like this make you think of your own mortality. She was 46 years old. I am 41. I have health problems myself. Things that I should have already seen the doctor about. This has made me scared, and made me want to do something, so that I am around for my grandson, my husband and my sons. If she had gone into the hospital, would she still be here with us? Who knows. No one knows. But what I do know that all of us on the Internet and the message boards that she belonged will never be the same now that she is gone. But also because of her we will never be the same, we are all better people.
Please say some extra prayers tonight and in the coming days for her family. They are all just heart broken.
Hold your friends and family close. Make sure that all your friends, the ones that you can actually touch and the ones that you can't, know how you feel about them. Tell them you love them. Because you just never know what the next moment in time brings.
Many blessings to everyone~
Kim
I got the news this morning that a dear friend of mine has passed away from a heart attack. And I am just having a really hard time dealing with it all.
See, i just chatted with her last night. About her candle order that she had just received and how much she wanted to melt the sweet country custard. She talked about drooling every time she smelled it. She just laughed about that. And then she was telling me about special Christmas box she was sending me. Something just from her to me, something that reminded her of me. I was so touched.
You see, I have never met this woman, Charlene, face to face. I met her online, on a candle lovers message board about 4 or so years ago. And when that board closed I was asked to start another board, for some of the women that were on the closing board. So I did, and Charlene was there from day one, she at first was just a moderator, then when I had to back off from the board for a while, due to some personal problems in my life, she took over running it. She loved that board, she kept up with everything on it. She always made sure that all of our birthdays and anniversary's were always recognized, if we were dealing with our own tragedy's, or health issues she was always the first one to send a card, or a sweet email. Charlene was the life of the message board. And we, were all her little children that she watched over. That is what Charlene did, she watched out for people, took care of people. She genuinely cared about people.
She always put others ahead of herself. Her husband was in very poor health with a heart problem of his own and horrible complications from diabetes. She ran around all the time taking him to the doctors appts, and doing everything around their house. She was always babysitting her 2.5 year old grandson. He was her life. She loved "the boss" as she called him, so much. And she was just given another grandson about 1.5 months ago. She called him peanut...she was overjoyed by her grandsons.
We knew that Charlene had some health problems of her own, and she was getting help a little at a time for them. But when this heart problem popped up here recently, she refused to be hospitalized, but did agree to some testing. And the doctors put her on some meds, but I don't think anyone, including her doctors realized just how serious this heart problem was. I think she was so afraid of being put in the hospital and there would be no one to take her husband back and forth to his doctors appts. and to take care of him on a daily basis. She loved her husband so much. He truly was her sole mate. They were each others soul mates.
Charlene, had over the last year, started trying really hard to take better care of herself. She had just recently posted to all of us that she had lost 106 pounds over the last year. And she finally posted a picture of herself so we could all finally see her. She was beautiful inside and out. I will miss her so much.
My point of this blog is that you do not have to meet someone face to face to care for them, or to love them. I only knew her thru the internet, and a message board. And thru that, phone conversations, and emails and gifts and cards were exchanged. She was my friend, my true friend. You do not have to be in ones presence physically, to be their friend. She showed me that. She cared and loved to the fullest. I will miss that. I will miss her, and who she was. She was loved by all of us on the message board. We are all just devastated by the new of her passing.
Things like this make you think of your own mortality. She was 46 years old. I am 41. I have health problems myself. Things that I should have already seen the doctor about. This has made me scared, and made me want to do something, so that I am around for my grandson, my husband and my sons. If she had gone into the hospital, would she still be here with us? Who knows. No one knows. But what I do know that all of us on the Internet and the message boards that she belonged will never be the same now that she is gone. But also because of her we will never be the same, we are all better people.
Please say some extra prayers tonight and in the coming days for her family. They are all just heart broken.
Hold your friends and family close. Make sure that all your friends, the ones that you can actually touch and the ones that you can't, know how you feel about them. Tell them you love them. Because you just never know what the next moment in time brings.
Many blessings to everyone~
Kim
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Welcome to my new blog :)
Hello everyone...
Welcome to my new blog. I wanted to create this to just talk about everything that goes on in my everyday life. New things I find, things I make. About family, friends, and well just everything.
If you do not know already, I am the owner of Southern Star Scents candle, and bath and body company. I have been in the candle making business for about 11 years now. I absolutely love what I do. I love making candles and melts that make people's homes smell good. And bath and body products that heal the skin, and make you feel soft, and moisturized. It's my passion. I could not think of doing anything else.
I am also a make up lover and thinking of venturing into Mary Kay. Stay tuned on that one. And my friend Stacy and I have a few business ventures that we are looking into as well. So all that and more will be future blogs.
Well, a little about me. I am married to Mike, a wonderful guy. We are still basically newlweds. December 19th we will be married for one year. Love, love that man. He is an amazing person and has made me take alot of stock in who I am and who I want to be. As my friend Stacy would say, baby steps.
I am also a mom and a grandmom. My boys, Scott 23 and Justin 20, are great boys, well young men now. Scott, has a very handsome little boy named Ayden. Love that little boy. He is in the picture with me. Handsome isn't he??? Love all my boys. And I can't leave out my daughter in law Mallory, GREAT girl. She has been the balance for my son Scott. They complete each other. And I sure don't know how she does everything she does. She takes classes online, and they are fast courses. She has to do like 2 months worth of work in like 4 weeks or something crazy like that. She babysits other kids and takes care of Ayden, then takes care of Scott. The girl works beyond a full time job. I say...you go girl. I get tired just hearing about your day~
Anyway, won't bore you any more tonight. More blogging to come. About new items on the website, and our new business ventures. Stay tuned. And if you are interested in candles, or bath and body items, click the banner above, it'll take you to my website.
Until next time,
Kim
Welcome to my new blog. I wanted to create this to just talk about everything that goes on in my everyday life. New things I find, things I make. About family, friends, and well just everything.
If you do not know already, I am the owner of Southern Star Scents candle, and bath and body company. I have been in the candle making business for about 11 years now. I absolutely love what I do. I love making candles and melts that make people's homes smell good. And bath and body products that heal the skin, and make you feel soft, and moisturized. It's my passion. I could not think of doing anything else.
I am also a make up lover and thinking of venturing into Mary Kay. Stay tuned on that one. And my friend Stacy and I have a few business ventures that we are looking into as well. So all that and more will be future blogs.
Well, a little about me. I am married to Mike, a wonderful guy. We are still basically newlweds. December 19th we will be married for one year. Love, love that man. He is an amazing person and has made me take alot of stock in who I am and who I want to be. As my friend Stacy would say, baby steps.
I am also a mom and a grandmom. My boys, Scott 23 and Justin 20, are great boys, well young men now. Scott, has a very handsome little boy named Ayden. Love that little boy. He is in the picture with me. Handsome isn't he??? Love all my boys. And I can't leave out my daughter in law Mallory, GREAT girl. She has been the balance for my son Scott. They complete each other. And I sure don't know how she does everything she does. She takes classes online, and they are fast courses. She has to do like 2 months worth of work in like 4 weeks or something crazy like that. She babysits other kids and takes care of Ayden, then takes care of Scott. The girl works beyond a full time job. I say...you go girl. I get tired just hearing about your day~
Anyway, won't bore you any more tonight. More blogging to come. About new items on the website, and our new business ventures. Stay tuned. And if you are interested in candles, or bath and body items, click the banner above, it'll take you to my website.
Until next time,
Kim
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