About

If you ever had surgery in the Pensacola area you may have met our soapmaker!

After earning her Master’s in Nurse Anesthesia from Columbia University in 1988,  Anita spent the next 32 years working full time as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.  She specialized in anesthesia for neurosurgery, organ transplants, trauma, burns, and orthopedic joint replacement surgery.  Anita was always happy to serve patients in their time of greatest need.  Over her career she performed over 77,000 anesthetics, including both general anesthesia and spinal/epidural anesthetics.  A stickler for excellence, she always gave 110% of herself to every patient.  Thriving on details from start to finish.  

After seeing TOP GUN in 1995 a passion for military aviation was ignited.   Pursuing that passion led to moving to Pensacola, Florida in 1998.  The next seven years were spent becoming a military aviation photojournalist.  Anita got the thrill of a lifetime in 2002 with a flight in an F-15 fighter jet and a TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopter.  She also was lucky enough to spend time with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels at their home base Naval Air Station Pensacola.

In March of 2020 Anita developed PTSD and Generalized Anxiety.  Her life turned upside down.   She was no longer able to do her job as an anesthetist.  Extreme anxiety and panic attacks became a normal way of life.  On her road to recovery Anita realized she needed something to focus on.  Something to help gain her executive functioning skills back.  Then she remembered her passion for making handcrafted soap.  She learned to make soap and other body care products in 2002.  That continued over ten years then life got in the way. 

It took many months to garner the courage to make the first batch. Over the coming year those skills slowly started coming back to her. As time went on, soap bars started accumulating in the house. Her husband, Abraham, suggested they start a handcrafted soap business. And Hammock Bay was founded. 

Making the soap was very therapeutic for Anita. It helped her re-learn executive functioning skills and gain her confidence back. Even more, her products make people happy. That became a very big deal to Anita. She spent her whole life helping others and wanted a way to do that again, albeit in a different way. 

Knowing the power of aromatherapy, Anita focuses on scents that will help others lower their anxiety and have a sense of calm and peacefulness.  Did you know that over 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety in some form?  A simple little thing like savoring a fragrance from a soap or self-care product can help you calm down.  In addition to the fragrance, the quality and performance of that product can have an even larger impact on your wellbeing. Anita gained much wisdom from the PTSD experience.  Self-care is often ignored or thought of as being selfish.  Far from it.  It is a critical factor to maintain your wellbeing.  

Anita creates all her own recipes for her soaps, creams, lotions, bath salts and more.  She only will use the finest pure ingredients and handcrafts everything herself in micro batches.  She wants to ensure you get the finest experience.  From the first sniff to actually using it, you will relax, unwind, and feel rejuvenated.  Using only the finest ingredients in every recipe reassures you of getting the best possible product.  She still maintains that 110% attitude and focuses on every last detail.

Not everyone can afford to go to a spa.  But most everyone can afford a luxurious bar of soap,  possibly a few body care products, and maybe a candle. Then you can create your own little spa at home. These items can make your day a whole lot better. 

Anita also creates unique candles by starting out with her hand-poured Hydrostone vessels.  Candles are also a great way to relax and reduce anxiety.  

It brings Anita great joy to create luxurious products that elevate your day.  It makes her feel good to still be helping others have joy in their lives.  She loves to get feedback from customers with their ‘success’ stories!  Like the gal who called to say her life-long acne problem was resolved after two weeks of using the Sea Salt Clarifying soap.  And the lady who wrote about her thinning hair is now thick and fluffy since using our shampoo and conditioner bars.  That makes it all worthwhile!

Anita enjoys meeting local business owners who become wholesale customers and offer Hammock Bay products to their clientel.

Anita is also an internationally published author of numerous books and a national speaker.  She was a guest speaker at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in 2017 for World Autism Awareness Day.