Welcome Meghan Thomas, artisan of the Etsy shop, Scents and Sensibility!

I’m so pleased to share this interview I had with Meghan!  I first discovered her shop this summer, while in the planning stages of Austenesque Extravaganza, I have greatly enjoyed getting to know more about Meghan and working with her on these two events!  I hope you enjoy our interview, dear readers!

Hello Meghan, thank you so much for taking part in A Jane Austen Christmas Celebration!  To start, why don’t you tell us about your store, Scents and Sensibility and your passion for hand poured soaps and candles?

Scents and Sensibility is a shop dedicated to lovers of Jane Austen, the Regency Era, and lovers of soaps and candles. My mother is ridiculously crafty and I always failed miserably throughout the years at my attempts to even be half as talented as she is. I was a disaster at sewing, (my Home Economics teacher asked me if I was drunk when I made my first sewing project because the stitches were so all over the place!), could only ever knit the beginnings of a scarf, well you you get the idea. A few years ago I decided I wanted to try again at some sort of craft I could do and be good at. I had made candles years ago as a kid and I had loved it. I ended up getting some candle wax and melt and pour soap as a birthday present and I got my start from there. I realized I wasn’t totally horrible at making either and over time I got pretty good at it. I love being creative and soaps and candles have given me a fantastic outlet to do that.

That’s wonderful that you were able to find the creative medium that was right for you!  And it looks like you are very good at it!  Now to talk about our beloved authoress!  Where and when did you first discover Jane Austen? Do you have a favorite Jane Austen novel? hero? heroine? quote?

I first discovered Jane Austen when I was 12 years old in my Middle School Library. I had started reading classic literature at that time and I just fell in love with her books. I used to hide a flashlight under my bed and read them when I was supposed to be in asleep. Sense and Sensibilitywas actually the first book I read and I was in love with Jane Austen from that point on. I bought all the books and I still have some of my original copies all these years later.

My favorite character when I was younger was Catherine Moreland because I could totally relate to her “wanting to be a heroine” as my 12 year old self wanted so badly to be a heroine too and romp around a massive old English estate. As I have gotten older though I have to say that my favorite character is Elizabeth Bennet. I always liked her free spirit and how she spoke her mind. Anne Elliot is almost tied for first as well. She had the most wretched family yet maintained a quite classiness about her. Captain Wentworh is my favorite hero, and Persuasionis my favorite novel. I love how 27 is considered being ‘on the shelf”, the whole unrequited love aspect, Captain Wentworth trying to make Anne Elliot jealous with Louisa Musgrove, I just love the whole story. I find it very romantic.

My favorite quote is : “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” I think this rings true even today.

Excellent choices, Meghan!  It seems that whatever Jane Austen novel I last read is my favorite! LOL! I guess I love them all!  I loved hearing about how your love for Jane Austen began, what inspired you to combine your love of scents and Jane Austen?

I started making candles and soaps a few years ago. I had fallen in love with Etsy as a shopper and thought it would be fun to start up a store. I had lived in England for a few years and have always been obsessed with Jane Austen and English History. I had been brainstorming with my boyfriend’s mother about creative ideas for my Etsy shop and she pointed out that I should somehow incorporate my interests into my shop. I really liked the idea of using Jane Austen as inspiration as I love how elegant the Regency Era was and it is one of my favorite times in history. I thought I could incorporate that into my soaps and candles. I did a little research and saw that although there were shops selling Jane Austen inspired items no one had a shop totally dedicated to her. I love clever play on words and Scents and Sensibility was then born.

Do you have a favorite scent or item from your store? What is your best-seller?

Right now I am totally obsessed with my Elizabeth Bennet scented items. They are Lavender and Black Amber scented which I think is just out of this world. I am especially in love with my Elizabeth Bennet solid lotion bars. I wasn’t sure how I felt about solid lotion initially as I like to slather lotion on. I ended up with the perfect formula using soy butter and they were so soft and lovely. I use it all the time now and love it because it lasts so much longer than a bottled lotions plus is also more natural.

As far as my best seller goes I would have to say it is my Mr. Darcy soap. I love the masculine scent of it and I have to confess I make my boyfriend use it quite often!

I am soooo planning on getting my husband some Mr. Darcy soap!  (sorry hun, no more Irish Spring for you!) LOL!  There are so many great-sounding scents in your shop, I can’t decide which one I would like best…oh well…guess I’ll have to try them all!  What’s next for you and Scents and Sensibility?

This coming year I plan on introducing a lot more items to my shop. I am going to be making cold process/hand milled soaps, new candles, bookmarks, cards….I have so many great ideas!

That sounds lovely!!!  I look forward to seeing all the new items!  They all sound great!  Here’s a fun question for you, if Jane Austen was on your Christmas shopping list, what would you buy her this year?

A copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I would love to know what she would think of it!

Ohh…I’d love to know that too!  What about these characters?  What would be your Christmas gifts to them?

• Henry Tilney – A bolt of Muslin as he might find it amusing.
• Jane Bennet – A stress ball because she probably needs one after having to spend so much time with Caroline Bingley!
• Miss Bates – A beautiful stationary set so she could write Jane Fairfax in style.
• Colonel Brandon – A fantastic Indian curry dish as he served in the East Indies and more than likely fell in love with Indian food.

Such thoughtful choices!  Thank you so much for taking part in my Christmas event, Meghan!  I’m so excited to share this interview with my readers!

Thanks so much for including me!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!  (Do you want to smell like Lizzie Bennet?)  Today, Meghan brings with her TWO sets of her lovely Elizabeth Bennet Solid Lotion Bar and Elizabeth Bennet Bath Bomb to give away to TWO lucky winners!

Solid Lotion Bar

 

Bath Bomb

To be entered to win one of these lovely bundles, please share in the comment section below what’s one of YOUR favorite scents?

• To save your inbox from unwanted spam, please leave your email address with an [at] instead of @.
  • (You could also leave a Twitter handle or Facebook username instead).
• This giveaway is open to residents Worldwide.  Thank you, Meghan!
• This giveaway ends December 27th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway