The Story of AbbyLou

The Story of AbbyLou

AbbyLou began with love. Its name brings together my granddaughters, Abby and LouLou—two little girls who hold a place in my heart that will always belong to them.

Creating gave that love somewhere to land.

During a difficult season of my life, I found myself drawn to soapmaking. Working with my hands, with oils and butters chosen for their nourishing qualities, became deeply therapeutic to me. The textures, the scents, and the way these ingredients came together drew me into the moment and gave me room to breathe.

I embraced the art behind it—the chemistry, the creativity, and the transformation. Making something with my hands allowed me to express what I couldn’t always put into words.

I hadn’t expected any of this to help me heal. But somewhere in the process of making something beautiful, I began to feel a change within myself.

For more than 25 years, I have cared for others as a nurse. Through AbbyLou, I began to make room for caring for myself, too.

That is the heart of **Nurture by Nature**. As I worked with ingredients to nurture the skin, the act of creating was nurturing something in me. Returning to simple, natural things helped me find my way back to myself.

The lemon in my original logo held a deeper meaning. It represented the sour that life can bring—the hurt, the loss, and the things we never imagined would become part of our story. But it also represented possibility: that the sour in life can become sweet again.

For me, that sweetness began with a choice. I couldn’t change everything that had happened, but I could choose how I cared for myself and what I did next. Taking responsibility for my healing meant recognizing that my past had affected me, while allowing myself a part in shaping my future.

That didn’t happen all at once. Some days, it meant simply stepping into my soap room and creating.

Soapmaking taught me something about letting go, too. Even with careful measurements and an understanding of chemistry, the outcome isn’t always what I imagined. A color shifts, a swirl takes its own direction, or the ingredients behave unexpectedly.

I learned to work with what was in front of me—to adjust when I could and to discover beauty in something I hadn’t planned.

That lesson became part of my healing. I could care deeply, make thoughtful choices, and still encounter things beyond my control. Accepting that gave me room to decide what came next without needing to undo everything that came before.

The old-world character of AbbyLou belongs to that same journey. I find comfort in things that carry history, in natural textures, and in the patient work of making something by hand. They invite me to slow down, return to my roots, and respect the person I am.

For so much of my life, caring has meant pouring myself into others. But I have a place in this world, too. My needs, my creativity, and my joy deserve room, just as anyone else’s do. I can love and care for others while remembering to include myself in that care.

AbbyLou became a place where I could practice that.

As I grew, AbbyLou grew with me. Today, the clawfoot tub reflects the comfort, care, and timeless beauty I want to share. The lemon remains a cherished part of our beginnings, honored through The Lemon Legacy.

Moving forward doesn’t erase what happened or diminish what mattered. We carry love, lessons, and memories with us. We can still have tender days and continue to grow.

**Honoring the past without living there.**

To me, that means allowing myself a present worth living in—one where I belong, where I can keep becoming, and where there is sweetness for me, too.

My hope is that AbbyLou brings a little of that care into your life. That something made thoughtfully, with my own hands, gives you a moment to slow down and remember yourself.

You have a place in this world. You deserve a place in your own care.

With love,  
Tonya

Nurture by Nature