When my husband and I moved to Sonoma, I discovered a small local bath and body company called Sonoma Apothecary. I fell for everything about it: the quality, the scents, and the fact that it was made by hand, in small batches, right here in town.

It became my little postcard from Sonoma. Whenever we traveled back to Europe, we tucked the soaps and creams into our suitcase for family and friends. They were telling a story of this place: its slow living, its appreciation for simple pleasures, its scents.

Small towns bring people together. I met Louise, the woman behind Sonoma Apothecary, and we became friends.  When Louise was ready to pass the company on, I said yes.

There is something meaningful about one woman passing a business to another. Louise spent years building this, and I felt both the responsibility and the privilege of carrying it forward. It was never just a transaction. It was two visions meeting, with respect for what had been made and excitement for what might come next. 

I don't have a traditional background in skincare or manufacturing. I came to this from consulting, business and art, worlds that seemed unrelated. Sonoma Apothecary turned out to be where all of my skills met. That is true for many women: we arrive at a certain stage with an extraordinary collection of experiences, skills and ideas that don't fit a conventional resume.  Sometimes the path is not building something new. It's recognizing the possibility in something that already exists.

I inherited a team, and I quickly came to admire every one of them. We exchange ideas, formulate, make mistakes, laugh, and then we try again. I've learned as much about generosity and trust from them as I have about making things.

As an artist, I had always believed creativity belonged to art: to painting, to music, to the places we traditionally call creative. I never imagined I would find it here. This past year I have been more inspired than at any point in my life. I am smitten. My mind is full of ideas, and I can barely sleep. There is only one way to describe it: it’s a feeling of being in love.  I realized that creativity comes in so many forms. For me, it's in exploring new scent combinations, finding the right balance between ingredients, imagining new products, rethinking packaging, and finding beautiful ways to present something familiar. But some of my deepest inspiration comes from our loyal customers: their reviews, notes, the stories they share how Sonoma Apothecary is part of their ritual. Our customers show me what these products mean in real life, and that shapes everything we make next. 

We live in a world that tells us to buy more, do more, chase the next new thing. A year in, we are more confident than ever to focus on superb quality, and the pleasure of slowing down. That is what Sonoma Apothecary stands for: making things in small batches, sourcing ingredients with care, carefully choosing beautiful scents, and staying conscious about what we make, how we package it, and what we leave behind on this planet. 

This journal is where I'll share the real process of making things: the experiments, the discoveries, the failures, and the ideas that keep me up at night. Come for the inspiration, stay for what we find along the way.

I never imagined that the little company I carried home as a postcard would become part of my life's story, and I get to help write its next chapter. 

I'd love for you to follow along. Shop Sonoma Apothecary → and join the newsletter for early access to what we're making next.

xo,
Vedrana