I am imagining one of the farms that our wool comes from on the Oregon Coast. Seeing the cool mist rolling off the ocean to blanket the high cliffs that rise up like a wall at it’s edge. The mist then gently weeping on the grassy landscape. I’m imagining all this as Nathan leads us through a description of the farm. Nathan, our contact and supplier for wool, our arms and legs and voice so to speak in the field, connecting us with our farms and ranches, is with us at the store now chatting over how wool production has been this year, and what is emerging on the market for cotton, the two most important materials for our products.
His mind is a treasure trove of experience. How weather affects the strength and durability of wool from year to year. What will happen to cotton prices after the draughts in Texas. How to forecast and prepare for these changes in production. The names of each family that works their land to improve it for their next generation… My mind is on the Wahl family which has had their property for over 130 years. They protect sensitive areas and restore marshes with native plantings. They leave 30% of the land off limits to livestock, reserved only for birds and other wildlife.The other 70% they rotate, the flocks tilling and airing the soil with their small light hooves.
My mind keeps drifting back to the Wahl’s property. This is the kind of place I’ve often dreamed of having myself. Fashion shoot, I’m wearing wellies, a long plaid lined coat, shearing my flock... Ha! Not quite. But I definitely love to tend the land in a general sense… A tradition of improving and caring for something. That has always been essential to me. A place that is rich in history to be discovered and understood. The British have a long love affair with places like this, called the Country manor. They revive their imagination and feed their soul in the sense of place. You see it in their news paper kiosks, with publications like Country Life, Gardens Illustrated, and The Field.There is a serious sense of adventure and play in their gardens and in their love of the country.
I run my hands over the soft piles of wool products Nathan and I are discussing. We chat about some of the new products we want to create, made of our locally farmed and spun wool, colored with vegetable dies, and sewn on site at the store. I’m only half aware I am spinning a yarn in my head. To me Nathan is our own American version of the country gentleman, buying and selling in all things natural and organic, while carving out a living from the land that can challenge you with its many seasons. Tall and assured I can imagine him getting a little dirty in the service of doing a job well, but I would never know that on first glance as he cradles a mug of something warm in his hands. When we build a bed or sandwich layers of wool together into a topper I understand now why the fibers are so strong. Our lofty wool comes from a place of quality.
Wow! Oprah Magazine just recently published a fascinating article about buying mattresses that are both good for your body and for the environment. There is some really great information there and Soaring Heart highly recommends you all check it out and see what it has to say. It is a great article that not only gives a lot of information about natural and organic bedding, such as non-offgasing (All Soaring Heart Mattresses are certified 100% non-offgasing)and and use great materials, but it helps the consumer pick out a mattress that is good for them. Have fun reading and sleep well!
http://www.oprah.com/world/Tips-for-Buying-an-Eco-Friendly-Mattress
The second big development, after much discussion and planning, Soaring Heart now has its own organic fabric line for making decorative futon and pillow covers. There has been a lot of talking around here about the covers we use on our pillows and sofas. We always wanted to widen our selection of in-house covers, upgrading from the basic colors, but hadn't had the time to do so. Well, this week we finally sat down and did it.
Joey, our Production Manager, just got in bolts and bolts of sample fabrics and our seamstresses have been hard at work making up new designs and patterns. John, one of our top bedding consultants and showroom design guru, has looked them over and given his stamp of approval. As a result we are almost ready to introduce our brand new selection and we are very excited! The fabric is 100% organic cotton twill and it is super comfy and incredibly soft. Look for them soon in our store and online.
Don't worry, we know there are a few fan favorites out there; all the current fabric swatches will still be available. I have no doubt you will be able to find the perfect pattern or color to meet your design needs. However, we have all these pillows and zabutons in the store featuring covers not made by Soaring Heart. We want to highlight our new colors and need the room, so, as a result, all decorative pillows and zabutons with non Soaring Heart covers are now discounted! That's right, every pillow and zabuton not featuring a Soaring Heart cover is now 25% off! So come check 'em out in the store or take a peek online in the discount section. Have fun and sleep well!
Sorting through all the choices posed to us every day can be a bit challenging... It helps to have a system. That’s why we’ve just created five Collections of our most popular bedding to clarify how to combine our products best. We chose The Linden, Tamarack, Aspen, Madrona, and Willow to describe five of the six types of bedding we offer. Since many of our products are made from plant fibers, and trees are the elders of the plant kingdom, trees felt like a natural choice for the collections. It was also easy to pick out a few favorites, everyone on the team has a tree they dig... After all they are beings of elephantine proportions, out lasting many of us in life span, recording much of our history in their growth rings, times of famine as well as flourishing. They are kinda the essence of place.
In fact, come to think of it, when I fall in love with a
place it's usually because of a particular tree there.
Here in the Northwest we have the Tamarack Larch up near the Enchantment Lakes and Pacific Madrona down near the coastal seashores. In Germany the Linden tree is an icon, where it grows to be thousands of years old. Known for its heart shaped leaves, flowers used for tea and perfume, wood for making musical instruments, and bark for cloth, it was the center of much of the life of the community in that place. In fact people would gather there to dance and celebrate, as well as restore justice and peace. At one time it was even said that “the tree would help unearth the truth”. It wasn't until later, during medieval times, that the myth of the man Siegfried arose, who became invulnerable after bathing in the blood of the dragon. Yet while doing so a single Linden leaf floated down and stuck to him leaving a spot untouched by the blood. This one spot was where he became vulnerable. Much has changed since this time, but the Linden is still used for shade arching over boulevards to create a canopy where lovers amble hand in hand.
A touching image really since the Linden had always been known as the “tree of lovers”.
So much history is connected to
trees and the places they come from. The Linden is no exception. Words like
“willowy” help to describe the lithe spirit, a Willow embodies. While the
Aspen which grows from a small seedling into a large clonal colony through its
many roots is known for the sound its many leaves make in the wind. These
colonies grow up to a meter a year to eventually cover whole mountains, reaching as much as 80,000 thousand of year they protect complex ecosystems and allow them to evolve. Even an occational fire will only take down the
tops of the trees and the expansive network of roots give rise to new saplings
quickly. There is so much to explore and learn about the world. Great design solutions abound if you have an instinct to explore, think outside of the
box, and to solve problems. Here at Soaring Heart we like to think we sleep a little better knowing that we do business that makes more sense.
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When I was younger, I wanted most things that I saw. There was so much to look at! A chaos of wants and desires, an exploration, an adventure in haircuts and pegged pant legs. Yet beauty seemed so elusive. My eyes searching the horizon, head straining for something outside, beyond my body. Awkward attempts to trick the audience. This all changed about the time I got my first best friend. We would shop together at the Goodwill, a local thrift store. We honed our own style.
There was so much clothing to sort through though. I would run my hand along the racks of clothes and scan the horizon intermittently, lost in conversation and thought. I was shopping with my hands… and when we confessed we were both doing this it seemed like a sign of our kinship, and somehow subversive. Our hands were doing the choosing.
Choosing what felt right.
I find myself doing the same here as I organize the fabrics. No need to hold on to the things that don’t feel good. We have winnowed down the selection to the most touchable natural and organic fibers. As I’m doing this I briefly consider what combinations I would like to layer for myself. I want something simple and homely like a monks robe. I want textures and variations on patterns that are subtle, enchanting, and rich. I want Morrocan styling’s with layers of pillows cascading from couch to floor that pull you down to lounge and play wherever you might sit.
Consider this: your comfort is important.
We are approaching the season of lights! Star light, Arora Borealis, friendly fires, and candle light... Oooo it’s time to pull out the candles and some matches! Many of us are also preparing for guests visiting this time of year or wanting to give the gift of better sleep to a loved one. How do we keep the pursuit of the “perfect” Holiday from destroying the spirit of the Holidays?
There are a few stress busters I’ve deployed over the past few years. Buying small items months ahead and storing them in a large trunk. When the time came there were very few extra expenses for December, and I had the ease of mind to decorate the packages for pleasure. What I find ahead of time is also much more likely to be in my budget and the right gift for someone than a purchase squeezed in over a weekend of frenzied shopping. Gift cards also hit the mark. It allows your loved ones to pick out what they want, allows you to worry less about finding the “perfect” gift, and they get to do the shopping and walking around after the Holidays ;)!
I was enjoying chatting with a friend of mine who has had Soaring Heart bedding for years. And he mentioned that he had always wanted to buy a latex mattress but was anxious about the impact on his monthly budget this winter. When he took the price and divided it over a few months it felt equivalent to a telephone bill, but temporary. He just needed to think long range and spread it out over a few months. Many of our clients have enjoyed a lay away system in the past so we are reintroducing layaway to help everyone plan ahead without the hassle and added expense of a credit card. If you want a guest bed that you feel good about sharing with loved ones this might be a great option.
If you’re at all like me, a discerning shopper that always likes the best, the hand made products with natural and organic fibers that don't out-gas or cause health issues. Try giving yourself what you really want, but with a twist... Make a date with yourself to do some planning, then sleep on it. When you wake for your Holiday planning day, warm drink, pen, and paper in hand you will have had time to muse over ideas that you can add to the list. Then get the list on a calendar! It’s a relief to have a plan as well as to be able to focus on the people you love while they are with you. Enjoy yourself this season!
And light some candles on the road to a more peaceful Holiday.
Happy Halloween, Day of the Dead, or Fabulous Fall! The colors are changing… and our senses are peeked!
It’s a time for tricks, treats, costumes, and stories to frighten and inspire. It's a busy time, full of change. I'm pulling my big sweaters out of their boxes and trundling out to the garden to put the plants to bed for the winter. It’s time to get cozy inside now that it is cooler out there! Because of the temperature change we should be thinking about how we dress our beds just like how we dress ourselves. According to a recent study 34% of Americans are suffering from severe sleep deprivation at any one time. This is a pretty serious consideration when thinking about driving cars or any of the many important things we do every day. (Don’t be a zombie after Halloween…) So how do we make sure our sleep is really restful? There are lot’s of things we can do during the day (please follow our tweet if you’d like regular ideas and encouragement) but with this blog let’s start with making our bedrooms cozy and ready for serious sleep.
As temperatures change around us we wanna make sure our rooms are warm but not hot, about 60 -72 degrees (68 is a good happy medium). You don’t want your body working to maintain a proper temperature, otherwise your sleep cycle will be affected. Materials regulate temperature so seek out natural breathable products made of cotton and wool, instead of polyesters that will trap heat and moisture. (We actually lose about a quart of water every night.) Make sure the room doesn’t have lights or computer equipment that will keep your brain alert and not allow your sleep cycle to start ;) In addition to this go to sleep at the same time every night so that your body establishes its circadian rhythm and you’re sure to get deep REM. This is easy to forget with artificial lighting at our beck and call at any moment, but our brains need rythms to sleep deep. And last but not least make sure your room is quite and take measures to make it your peaceful kingdom.
Once you’ve got all the basics established it’s time to fine tune. Ask yourself if you are a side sleeper or back sleeper? Do you need a softer bed to ease up around the curves of your arms and side, and a large pillow that keeps your head in line with your back? Or do you need a firmer surface and smaller pillow for sleeping on your back? Make sure you like the feel of things. Shop by touching, laying down, and by curling up under products! Remember as you close your eyes for zzz’s it’s how things feel that is really important. And give yourself time to make the right choices. The body needs at least fifteen minutes to really relax on a new bed so that you know if it will be a good fit for your sleep habits. In the rush and bustle of modern life getting sufficient sleep requires being creative. Give yourself time to feel out what works, and add one sweet treat at a time to build your personal palace of rest!
Sleep on it! Dream on it… the next purchase will feel delightful for its relaxed pace and perfect timing.
I’m standing in front of a table with Dave our builder. We’ve pulled a large sheet of cotton from the storage and laid it on a Shikibuton cover. Like an open sandwich, three sides have a zipper and we are going to fill it with the sheets of soft heavy cotton. Zip it up, and sew it together with long cotton thread tufts.
Everyday our team is energized by the stories shared with us by happy customers. We're fortunate to have you engaged and we really listen to your feedback.
Our website is full of places where we can post your feedback and share it with other shoppers. Every one of our products provides a place for your input to be posted. It's super easy, just click at the bottom of the screen - pick the number of stars you want to award - and enter up to 1500 characters.
You're also welcome to send us photos for posting on our website's "Soaring Heart" corner. The scrolling photos you see in the upper right banner of our website are all actual Soaring Heart customers with their family and friends. Join us by simply sending your photo to soaringheart@soaringheart.com. In return, we'll send you a quick and generous thank-you!
What a great day. As part of our local United Way Day of Caring, our team at Soaring Heart volunteered to build more than 85 pillows for donation to Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center's Pete Gross House (for long-term residential cancer care), and Oxford House, which provides drug-and alcohol free housing for individuals in recovery.
We were lucky to be joined by students from the Pete Gross House school - who jumped right in to help make our wool bolus, chemical free pillows for family members in cancer treatment. The afternoon flew by with all their help and we were able to deliver our pillows directly to their families and neighbors in Pete Gross House by 4:00. We were grateful for their reception and many, many rounds of applause for these new, "scrunchably" soft pillows!
At Soaring Heart we really do believe we all sleep better when we know we're part of thriving, caring communities. We are grateful for your business!
Here are a few signs that it’s time to replace your mattress:
If you are in the Seattle area and experiencing any of these issues with your mattress, consider investing in a new mattress or futon from Soaring Heart Natural Bed Company. Whether it is a cotton futon or a plush latex mattress, we are passionate about providing you with the best options of bedding to ensure your good health. To have any of your mattress questions answered just give us a call at 202-282-1717 or 877-288-1717 today!
