Northwest Folklife Vendor Spotlight: MeMe Cosmetics
Inger from MeMe Cosmetics was gracious enough to answer my fabulous interview questions, check out her answers below and make sure to stop by and say hi next weekend at Folklife!
Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? How did you get started doing what you do?
MMC: I’m from a tiny town called View in Southwest Washington. In 1997 I made a batch of soap with a friend. Her reaction was a shoulder shrug and “That was fun,” and mine was, “Holy cow--that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever made. I want to make more!”
What would we find in your refrigerator right now? Be honest! :)
MMC: lots of fruit & veg, roasted chicken, bbq’d shrimp, hamburgers, jasmine rice, bleu cheese dressing, kombucha, o.j., cream (I like a little coffee w/ my cream), homemade jam & peanut butter, about 12 varieties of cheese and a lovely selection of condiments (4 kinds of mustard anyone?).
Who has been most influential/supportive in your craft?
MMC: No question: my husband. MeMe Cosmetics would not be where it is today without his support. He is brutally honest; if he doesn’t like something I make, or if I ask for his advice on a business decision, he tells me the truth. And if he loves something, he asks for a “refill from the MeMe Mart”.
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be? These can be crafty-powers too!
MMC: To have sharpened senses. More sensitive touch, better hearing, a sharper nose/palate, 20/20 vision.
How do you find inspiration and/or get out of any creative slumps?
MMC: I do my best to take a month or so off from making product in late December-January. About 2 weeks into that break, I begin to miss my laboratory, so I go through my notes and start to experiment. Sometimes I stumble upon a new product, sometimes the experiment earns a trip to the compost pile or trash can.
Aside from being a creative master, what other hats do you wear?
MMC: I am a certified herbalist, I enjoy working in the garden (most of what we grow gives us something to eat, drink or smell), I can jars of jam, quarts of tomatoes, corn, pickles every summer, I’m taking drum lessons, I sew, paint, love to remodel my house (my Dad was a contractor, so this apple didn’t fall far from the tree).
If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. With whom would it be?
MMC: Coco Chanel. She was smart, graceful, stylish and a shrewd businesswoman.
Is there a handmade item that you cherish most? If so, tell us about it.
MMC: A short, narrow scarf my Norwegian grandmother crocheted. She wore it to the “Sons of Norway” gatherings she’d go to after she moved to the States. It’s hanging over a watercolor of the fjord where she grew up.
Is this your first time at UCU?
MMC: No. One thing I have learned/observed is that there is no such thing as a “bad” spot at any UCU show. And I love to barter with and get to know other vendors.
Tell us something unknown about you/your company...Lets hear a random/fun fact!
MMC: I love fish (trout, sturgeon, salmon) and am honing my marksmanship skills.
