Lemon and Lavender lowers waste and raises spirits
MADISON – Lemon & Lavender provides a space for locals to shop sustainably and locally, through a refillery in Madison.
“Lemon & Lavender is woman-owned by Brandy Booth and Shannon Fisher,” said Lemon & Lavender Marketing Coordinator Alex Stephens. “They were friends, both former teachers, and so that’s how they knew each other. And then they started the store because they were both very passionate about sustainability, and so they wanted to bring something like that to the community, and there wasn’t one in North Alabama. I think at the time when they opened, we’ve been at this location for two years, but they’ve been a storefront now for four.”
The refillery aspect of Lemon & Lavender allows customers to bring back empty jars of shower, laundry and cleaning products and refill them, only paying for the product itself.
“We are a refillery,” Stephens said. “What that means is we’re trying to cut back on the plastic, the single-use plastic waste. You bring your own containers. We do have some there where you can buy a couple free ones, like any type of container works, and then we have an amazing team that will help you and guide you through every step of the process, but you refill by the ounce again, just to cut back on that waste that we get from the single-use plastics.”
Along with the refillery, Stephens said Lemon & Lavender offers a variety of workshops to teach locals sustainable and crafty pastimes.
“Brandy, she is the one with the teacher’s mind who is really passionate about educating and creating your own,” she said. “A lot of the stuff that she does is DIY. So like, you make it there, and then you also take the instructions on how to continue doing it once you’re back home. So, like the skincare, we do sourdough workshops at least once a month now, if not twice a month, because they’re so popular, like the Chucky blanket classes are back now that we’re heading into fall, so just fun ways for you to also learn.”
Lemon & Lavender is hosting a Pumpkin Skincare Make & Take event on Oct. 13, with tickets being $25 a person.
“We’re making a glow face mask, a sugar scrub, a lip oil, a lip polish thing and then a hydration mask,” Stephens said. “All of those have a pumpkin-ish base. And just because it’s fall and it really is a super food, but also it’s really good for your skin. It’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants and stuff like that, so that you’ll leave feeling refreshed once you use it. And again, she shows you how to make them.”
Along with getting to take home the items made at the Make & Take, Stephens said attendees can also enjoy discounts in the retail side of Lemon & Lavender.
“Once you do show up, we’ll have the class,” she said. “They’re usually about an hour and a half, so that’s how much time I would allot there. And then you also get a discount to shop as well. Once you join one of our classes. You can find the actual event on Facebook, and it takes you directly to our website, or you can find us directly through the website.”
Along with the Pumpkin Skincare Make & Take, Lemon & Lavender also has a Sourdough 101 Workshop on Oct. 26, a Chunky Blanket Class on Oct. 21 and a Dried Floral Arrangements Workshop on Nov. 4.
“They [customers] love our workshops,” Stephens said. “The sourdough one, especially, is always super popular, always packed. We sell that one out, but they [customers] just love being able to try something new. A lot of times, people come in and they’ve never even been to the store, and so it’s just a great way to see exactly what we’ve got going on. Then also just the community aspect of it, some people come in on their own, and they get to meet some people, they walk away with friends, and we have plenty of time to just mingle.”
For more information, visit www.lemonandlavendermadison.com. Or go to Lemon & Lavender, located at 108 Main Street, Madison.
