Beekman 1802 Honey & Oats Scrub Bar and Photo News

Brace yourself. It is my photograph of the Beekman Mansion on the new Beekman 1802 Honey & Oats Scrub Bar packaging! I am as proud as can be. You can see the original image below.

When Dan and I were in upstate New York, we were able to visit my friends, Josh and Brent at their farm in Sharon Springs. Josh and I have been friends since college, where we were English majors at Michigan State University.  I was part of a close knit group of friends (Josh, Tracy, Kerry, Me) and I don't think a day went by that we didn't see each other.  We are all still good friends, but life has us living in separate parts of the country and our visits are more often on the phone, than in person  


Over time, Dan and I have become friends with Josh's husband, Brent too and we make an effort to see each other whenever we go to New York or when they come to Michigan on a book tour.  

It was a glorious day when we toured the farm and with their blessing, I blogged about their growing lifestyle brand, flagship store in Sharon Springs and their win on the Amazing Race.  You can read my original post here.

My photo of the mansion was noticed online and I was contacted about granting rights for the use of my image on their new packaging. I would do anything to help Josh and Brent and in my own small way, I am doing my part. 

The Honey & Oats Scrub Bar is a big, beautiful bar of soap that they describe as "Skin Softening Formula: Gently Exfoliates with Natural Bran & Oatmeal. Notes of apricot & honeyed blossoms, hint of fresh wildflowers." It smells divine and I'm sure it will delight.

You can order the Honey & Oats Goat Milk Scrub Bar online or buy it right off the shelf in the flagship Beekman 1802 Mercantile in Sharon Springs, New York (photo above). If you'd like, you can read all about my first visit to the mercantile here.

As someone that loves and admires beautiful packaging, I love that one of my photos is now a permanent part of Beekman 1802 packaging. As I said, I am very proud.

Polka Spot at Beekman Boys Farm and Goats Galore

I have a dear friend who loves watching the Beekman Boys on The Cooking Channel (who doesn't?).  But she is not an internet girl and she doesn't follow their life and career on Facebook or Twitter.  Her perception of them is frozen in time, if you will, bound by the episodes filmed on their farm in Sharon Springs.

So when I told her that I was going to visit my friends (who happen to be The Fabulous Beekman Boys) at their farm in New York, she had one request.  "I just want to know that the llama's okay."

THE llama is named Polka Spot and she has quite a following of her own.  The picture above shows her happy and healthy, eating hay and showing off the new haircut she got for Josh and Brent's wedding.  I printed this photo of Polka Spot for my friend and I'm sure that it's up on her frige.

These are some of the goats that were curious about our visit.  

When we toured the barn, I was happy that we had a chance to meet John, the goat farmer. I "know" him from the television show and wanted to give him my best in person.  He was busy milking the goats and tending to their every need. 

These are the goats that produce the milk for the very fabulous soaps and cheeses that the world is buzzing about.  Here is an excerpt from Vogue urging the beauty-minded to head to Sharon Springs and buy their goat milk soap.

I made an impromptu cheese board when we got home from our trip.  We lovingly traveled back to Michigan with a wheel of Beekman 1802 BLAAK and put simply, I-LOVE-IT.  I served it with a variety of crackers and a cube of honey comb, along with a spreadable goat cheese/lemon curd combination from Idyll Farms in northern Michigan.  The dinner that followed paled in comparison, that's for sure. 

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Anne Reeves at the Beekman 1802 Farm

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Anne Reeves at the Beekman 1802 farm.

I finally made it to upstate New York to visit my friends, Josh and Brent at their farm in Sharon Springs.  I have known Josh since college, where we were English majors at Michigan State University.  I was part of a close knit group of friends (Josh, Tracy, Kerry, Me) and I don't think a day went by that I didn't see them.  We are all still good friends, but life has us living in separate parts of the country and our "visits" are more often on the phone, than in person (though I do get to see Tracy next month!).  

Over time, Dan and I have become friends with Josh's husband, Brent too and we try to see each other whenever we go to New York or they come to Michigan on a book tour.  

We started planning this trip back in January and were so happy to be able to combine a visit to see Dan's relatives near Albany with a trip to see Josh and Brent and the world of Beekman 1802 that they've built in Sharon Springs.

This is their beautiful Beekman mansion on a picture perfect July day.  

Now we've come to the portion of this blog post where I get to rave about my friends. Maybe you know of them already, Josh and Brent are The Fabulous Beekman Boys.  I know, can you stand it?  

They are stars of a reality show on the Cooking Channel called "The Fabulous Beekman Boys." It revolves around how two Manhattanites leave the big city to work and live on a beautiful piece of property in a quiet New York town called Sharon Springs. The house (built by William Beekman in 1802), land and its history takes on a life of its own and eventually turns Josh and Brent into "accidental farmers" that create a lifestyle brand around products like goat milk soap, cheese and heirloom vegetables.  You can delve into their fascinating world and shop for all of their wonderful products online at Beekman 1802.

Is a show about a goat farm a little crazy? Yes. Is it a bit like "Green Acres?" You bet. But it is also light, charming, and a really fun blend of modern life with age old farming rules. Tweeting & pigs? Josh. Worried about having a clean farm? Brent. 

The show is full of love and nature and goats. The beautiful cinematography showcasing all four seasons on the farm alone makes it worth watching.  And my friends do indeed show the world what I've known all along...they are fabulous.  

So when Josh wanted to "show us around" the house and farm, we were technically walking around a television set.  Yes, this is the barn that houses all their beloved goats.  I must say, it was surreal (and wonderful) to visit my friends' home, after having seen it on national tv and in the pages of Country Living magazine.  It is a wonderful place to call home and since filming ended a while ago, the house and farm seem peaceful.  How could you not relax with a summer breeze blowing across the open landscape?

Josh and Brent have so many interesting aspects to their life and business and I want you to know them and support them, as I do.  I will share more about my visit to their mercantile soon.