Hey, Y’all— i’m leilani
I’ve been crafting and sharing whole plant extracts, self-care, oral health, skin care, herbal tea blends, wildcrafted & homegrown offerings since 2015! Wow….time flies!
I was born in Chicago and grew up in rural Illinois— about 30 minutes from the Northwest Wisconsin border and about an hour and a half from the city. I grew up with three brothers, a close-knit family, nightly meals together, lots of activity, nature time, and a lot of fun and happiness. My parents are still together and met in high school! They are my favorite people.
I went to art school in Chicago immediately after high school, and worked at a wide variety of jobs since the age of 15. Restaurants, as a framing designer, and a nanny mostly for ages 1-6. I cared for over 16 children during my twenties and early thirties! They are old now, I am old now, and wow….. life is a trip! I absolutely LOVE kids and families.
I spent 8 years in Tennessee cultivating my botanical & herbal knowledge—focusing on the plants of the midwest and southern Appalachia. I love Tennessee and we will be moving back soon!
I met my now husband Taj during 2020, and our love brought me to an isolated off grid mountain. A whole new world of flora including the coastal range and Mediterranean chaparral of Northern California was introduced to me as a consequence of falling in love with him, and relocating to the west. I now create herbals utilizing the our native Northern California trees, shrubs, wildflowers, berries, and herbs of our local/ native ecology.
My parents help me in still continuing to craft extracts that are specific or native to Tennessee that I still like to work with, such as Passionflower, Ground Ivy, Violet. They have a cozy homestead complete with chickens, ducks, and loads of elderberry shrubs! We have plans to return to Tennessee as well! A reunion is in our future— Appalachia is magical.
Taj on a moss-covered oak slope of oaks, on our mountain.
My pup Roland— a fully grown male German Shepherd who helps keep us safe from lions and bobcats and bears—oh my!
We currently live off the grid in our adorable home on a meadow. We have many comforting amenities however, so it’s pretty comfortable. Taj chops wood, we burn it for warmth, and it’s really fun to have to be more self-reliant than not. I’m a full on prepper because I can’t stand driving on our horribly neglected mountain road. We keep our supplies up and enjoy the black starlit nights free of other light pollution, the croaks of frogs, the call of the coyotes, and the peace of quite.
Our area is known as the “empty west”, as the terrain is too rugged for infrastructure. We wander the wilderness studying plants and the relationships that exist throughout the natural world. Taj is also a nature lover but his knowledge of plants was minimal before we met. He’s a great tracker and was a fishing guide in Maine once upon a time. He loves to fish and hunt and explore— so we’re clearly a perfect match.
A handful of fresh homegrown Calendula blossoms.
We are enjoying the quiet, and LOVE being surrounded by a vast range of wildlife (including black bear, mule deer, quail, bald eagle, wild hare, fox, raven, rattlesnake, and tule elk)—human sightings are much more of a rarity.
Life can be lonely here for me. Still, living here has allowed me to fully dedicate myself to focused projects and learning and I’m enjoying this beautiful experience while we are here.
I tend a few wild spaces, a garden, cook daily, forage often, ferment, and roam the wild land gathering food medicines. I love the changing seasons and how different it is from Illinois and Tennessee. I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned here on the mountain and applying it to the future. I’m passionate about protecting and advocating for natural and free living. My craft is an extension of my life and my art. I aim to infuse my integrity and unique approach to life into all that ! create. I am very grateful to have the support of people who find value in our natural creations, lifestyle, and herbalism craft. THANK YOU!
Where we live now; off-grid in the Sanhedrin Wilderness of Northern California. This image was taken after a 2 minute walk from our front door (I KNOW).
Throwback to 2015 when I first went all-in on my own small business adventure!
Needless to say I’m quite insouciant in regards to public condemnation or opinion. Social media was more fun for me when I had cell reception and could share plant identification in the woods.
I am led by my heart, intuition, and the lessons that the years have provided. Making potent, small batch herbals with fresh, whole plant material (and cultivating tangible relationships with the land) is the way I roll.
Freshly harvested flowering Chickweed for salad, infusions, and tincture.
Everything that arrives to your door from my shop begins with the land, passes through our own hands, and finds a home with you and your family.
Albeit an ambitious endeavor, we grow and sustainably wildcraft the herbs and plant materials that go into each of our offerings (outsourcing only a small fraction of certain roots and berries while maintaining our focus on organic wildcrafting, gardening, ethics, and sustainability).
Putting my art background to work, I design and cut out each and every label by hand, do all of the website work, and process shipping and handling myself. Our dear local mail lady’s brave our mountain weekly to deliver our packages to the world. Bless them. I’ve always bottled in glass, I create with integrity and that is why I believe that I am still here after all these years— successfully sharing with you today. I am so endlessly grateful.
Ekko (left—Roland’s local partner in crime), and our dog, Roland (right)
Wildcrafting Fresh Hypericum perforatum near the Summer Solstice.
In my shop you will find potent herbal extracts oils, thoughtfully devised wellness blends, traditional and effective salves & balms, natural skin care for face and body, herbal oral care, wild mushroom extracts, intentionally blended teas and infusions, and an ever growing array of carefully and lovingly-crafted herbal goods.
I am truly happy doing this work and walking this path which I find to be incredibly rewarding and unique (although it is my belief that it shouldn’t be niche at all). My goal is to help others weave the beautiful threads of nature through their daily lives. I hope to help others regain a sense of purpose, confidence, and solace through nature connection.
Thank you for your visit, your support of what I share in my shop, and for all that you share with us in return. We do truly appreciate each and every single soul that crosses our path along this beautiful experience of life.