Notes from the Mountain - Issue No. 6

I’m a planner.

Even when something looks spontaneous on the outside, there’s usually been a lot of thought behind it. The spring lineup is no different. Every bar was mapped out months in advance: colors, designs, scents… all of it.

So when something goes sideways, it’s not my favorite moment.

This one started exactly the way it was supposed to.

Bright pink batter, ready to go.
Black and white set aside for the top.

Then I added the fragrance (a new one this year - Pink Dragonfruit)

And I immediately knew something was off.

The batter separated almost instantly. In just seconds it was an oily, chunky mess, completely unusable for what I had planned.

At that point, the pink was already lost.

So I had a choice.

I didn’t add the fragrance to the black and white. Didn’t hesitate.

Just stopped and changed direction.

I started digging through my fragrance stash and found a green tea scent I knew would behave.

Something steady.

Something I could trust.

Instead of the original design, I poured alternating black and white stripes.

And somehow…it turned into something I never would have planned.

A clean, bold zebra pattern and completely different from anything I usually make.

It’s funny. The more you plan something out, the harder it is to let go of it when it doesn’t work.

But sometimes the best outcome isn’t the one you mapped out ahead of time. It’s the one you end up with when you’re willing to change course.

This bar wasn’t part of the original lineup. But it ended up being one of my favorites. There are only a handful from this batch, just from what was left of that pour.

I'm calling it Split Path. If this one stands out to you...it's here.

Not everything needs to go according to plan.

Sometimes you just need to know when to take a different path.

From the Trail:

A short reflection inspired by the outdoors.

“The path you take isn’t always the one you set out on.”

More soon,

Dianne

Bring the outside in.