Our brick & mortar store located in Eagle Rock, California; closed June 2007

From The Boulevard Sentinel, Eagle Rock, July 2005

Since opening on February 1st, The Blissful Soul has brought a wealth of creative talent to our town. Local artists, authors and musicians are showcased in the store which offers their original artwork, small statuary, books, music, candles, custom jewelry, handmade soaps and greeting cards, specially blended essential oils, hand-painted t-shirts, and hand-knit scarves. Customers have the opportunity to meet their unique assortment of artisans via free events that showcase their works and usually include hors doeuvres and wine or tea. Since their opening, The Blissful Soul has hosted eight special events, including:

• A watercolor exhibit and live cello concert
• A concert with Aurah, whose music has been featured on popular television shows
• a book signing with local author David Elliott (whose book, The Reluctant Healer is just beginning to gain nationwide attention)
• a cable TV show taping with "American Idol" psychic Kimberly Berg
• a class on herbs and aromatherapy with Kirsten Schilling Stackhouse (who will be featured on the USA Network in July)
• a class on Feng Shui with noted consultant, Kartar Diamond of Feng Shui Solutions

The Blissful Soul occupies the location of the former Smellzgood Boutique, owned by John vanDyke and Ross Sinfield who moved out of state earlier this year. Current owners, Cheryl Leutjen and David Meyer, say they loved the environment created by John and Ross, so they decided to buy the store, rather than see it close. “We so appreciated the beautiful environment that John and Ross created with their store, and we felt that “feel good shopping” ambience belongs in Eagle Rock.” “We have added some things since they left, but we have also kept nearly every product they carried in their store, including the Taronga “Famous for Fragrance” line of candles that were created by John and Ross.” “We are also thrilled that Pam Arriaza, who worked with John & Ross, decided to stay on.  She knows the old customers well, and I think they like finding a familiar face in the store.”

“The store offers very personal service, with free gift wrapping, and custom-designed gift baskets.” Cheryl says, “Big retail chain stores just feel soulless to me. We want our store to be a place where people enjoy spending time, a place where they feel good about spending their hard-earned money. We have one customer who comes in to sit on our couch and meditate. For me, that's the best compliment! We want people to know that customer service is not a thing of the past. In fact, it's our passion at The Blissful Soul. We want to know what products and events our customers want us to have, and we do our best to respond to every request.”

The Blissful Soul is definitely a family affaire. On any given day, you may find Cheryl or David operating the cash register, the owner’s children, Cameron and Chloë, greeting customers, or Cheryl’s mom, Shirley, around town distributing fliers. Cheryl says,“Building a new business isn't easy, as many small business owners in this town can tell you, and we’re in a tough location because we sit back from the street (and because of all of the street construction). Luckily, we are in the same building as Curves, and we are so grateful to all of our loyal customers from Curves and the former Smellzgood customers. We don’t have a good place for a highly visible sign, though, so we rely heavily on print and word of mouth advertising to attract new business. My mom does a great job passing out fliers to anybody who will take one. Our special events really inspire people to discover our store, and, for some of them, to discover Eagle Rock!”

The Blissful Soul is a first-time retail venture for Cheryl and David. According to Cheryl, “We never intended to have a store, but we couldn’t pass up this opportunity. The store is right in between my daughter's preschool and my son's elementary school, and I relish the opportunity to work so near to their schools. One thing I so appreciate about Eagle Rock is that it feels like a hometown for my kids. When I moved to Los Angeles, I never thought it would be possible for my kids to feel like they really belonged somewhere in this burgeoning metropolis. Eagle Rock has done that for us, and the store is helping to build an even bigger community for our family.”

The Blissful Soul special events keep coming. Author and poet D.Light will be signing books and creating an on-the-spot poem for every book purchaser on Saturday, July 9 from 1 to 6 p.m. On August 6, Larisa Stow and Gathering Guru will perform their mystic and Hindu-inspired contemporary music for the low price of $15 (in advance). The current list of events is always available on their website at www.blissfulsoul.com. This fall, The Blissful Soul will host a full-day “Blissful Souls Fair,” which will feature many more of their local artists. One thing is for sure, The Blissful Soul is livening up the face of Eagle Boulevard!