Bittersweet and the little soap company

Birthday Bird Love...

 Isn't this the cutest little glass jar?

My friend Julie presented this to me for my birthday. The blue bird jar was stuffed full  with little bits & pieces and then tied it with a vintage birthday card. Julie  knows how I love birds, and is always so thoughtful with the gifts she selects. 

I have been feeding the real birds this winter. The snow covered ground makes it difficult for the little creatures to find food. 

I visited a local bird shop right before Christmas. The owner, Jack is the nicest man. He's one of those happy people that I imagine never shows a sad face.  I believe anyone that loves birds would carry a happy face! 

 I picked up extra bags of bird food while in the shop. Some for both my dad and me. My dad  feeds the birds peanuts. Blue Jays and Woodpeckers love peanuts! I'm interested to know the different species of birds food preference. I guess it's kind of the same with people. 

Italians specialize and prefer pasta. Greeks prefer olives and feta. Mexican, beans & rice. Blue Jays prefer peanuts!

Julie, thank you for the Birthday Bird Love!

Enjoy caring and sharing New Year days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 
 

Holiday Kindness

I ordered a few 5 B Candle Co.,  Votive candles  because I really believe they are one of the best candles on the market, and I love to burn candles in the winter when it's cold outside.

When I opened the box, I quickly noticed there were extra candles that I didn't order. Free candles! What an extraordinary act of holiday kindness, and  is truly appreciated by this candle loving girl. Thank you Marcia! Can you see all those Patchouli candles? I'm in heaven!

Honestly, I really can't say enough good things about these candles. First, they burn for a very long time. Second, they throw off their candle scent unlike any other I've ever burned. So, if you're in the market for a great candle, look no further than 5 B Candle Co.  

More Holiday Kindness followed with this Harry & David gift from Mrs. P's children. The card read: Thanks for your love and kindness. I smiled as I read that and thought what a lovely thing to say to someone.

It appears as though someone has opened some of the Harry & David! H'm, I wonder who that was? 

Today is suppose to be the busiest day at the Post Office and I'm heading there later this morning to mail some last minute orders and gifts. No worries, I have my packages all ready to go, just going to drop them in the little box! Isn't the Internet handy?

I hope you are feeling some holiday kindness and that your heart is filled with Christmas Love!

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two holiday hugs are better than one) 

Bittersweet Winter...

I've stopped production on most Bittersweet items. This is the last calico  pinnie available at the studio.

This holiday soap piles are getting smaller by the day.

This Saturday marks the last one open before Christmas.

After next week, I will close down the studio for awhile. Probably through the month of January. I really feel I need the time to work on my creative idees for spring. I'm going to make some major design changes throughout Bittersweet, and doing some vamping too.

My friend Leigh Ann from Pink Kitchen recommended this book awhile ago that I really am interested in reading.

I also like the look of this one.

I'd like to think I'm disciplined enough to align my creative thoughts into nice even rows, that way I could really focus on each one,  but honestly, sometime I have so many idees, and I want to make so many things that it's hard to focus on one at a time, which I believe interferes with the design idee from start to finish. Does that make sense?  You know you sometime hurry to get one design finished to begin another, not completely happy with the first one. Oh my gosh, I've lost it, haven't I?

Anyway, in all seriousness , original idees take a considerable amount of time and energy, and cents that's how I feed my family, it's pretty important stuff.

I'm really looking forward to some time off. I really wont' be completely off. I'll be working on designs for upcoming Vintage Markets, but love doing that, and it seems those idees just kind of come impromptu.

What are your plans for after Christmas? Maybe you'll be nesting your home. Or possibly pulling out a crafty project that's been on the back burner for while, or maybe you're like me and plan to on hunkering down during a cold January reading some good books, and lining up your idees one by one.

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one) 

Gifted...

The Market is an ideal spot for finding vintage china. I spotted this platter with little forget me knots and fell in love. I love anything with forget me knots.

 
Then as I was wrapping up and packing my stuff off I noticed someone had left me a beautiful china dish with this note. Funny, I have never told anyone about my passion for vintage china.

I kind of had an inkling on who left the beautiful tray, but wasn't sure. I asked her, and she said yes, she had left it. Doris, thank you. I couldn't have picked it out better! Thanks for caring and sharing my friend!

I have a  great VINTAGE MARKET story to tell you about. It's a soulful holiday story that I think you will find touching, and maybe get you more into the spirit of Christmas.

Also some new textile supplier news I think you'll like and..... that secret idea.....

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Blog Wackiness

My blog went wacky yesterday. It seems a widget that I've had on my blog for a year or so caused complete chaos. So if your blog posts ever go to the bottom of the page all of a sudden for no reason, it's probably from a widget, say like a feedjit link, don't figure, but that's what happened. Things like that drive me nuts. I'm one of those crazy people that have to figure out what's going on! So I spent most of the day messing with it. I believe that old saying, "can't live with them, can't live without," better describes computers nowadays.

Happily moving on...

I ordered some of these pretty note pads to sell at Bittersweet. Aren't they cute? Practical too! I use them for all my design work. The pink bird appears on each page. I offered these at the VINTAGE MARKET and they were flying out the door. They make a really nice Christmas gift for any one that doodles, keeps notes, designs, or writes letters. I will be listing the note pads on Bittersweet  under favorite Christmas gifts. They sell for $4.99.

 Still wrapping holiday soaps. Yesterday I mixed up a fresh batch of patchouli fragrance spray and the house smells like Patchouli! Have I told you how much I love the fragrance patchouli? Oh yeah, I have!

Some secret ideas that I've been floating around for a couple of years keep resurfacing and pointing in the let's do it direction. Although the idea is time consuming and will add extra work load to my already busy life, I believe if I don't do it I will regret it when I get old. So I'm going for it! Have you guessed the secret idea? I'll keep you guessing for awhile!

Enjoy caring and sharing holidays.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)   

Lola's Letter

 When I awoke this morning I noticed I had received an e-mail from my Uncle. He sent me a copy of a letter my Grandmother Lola had written when she owned her Cafe in small town America back in the forty's.

The letter emphasizes on how tight money was  back then, and I know my Grandmother struggled  to keep her restaurant afloat.

I find it interesting too, the few paragraphs my Uncle sent attached to my Grandma's letter.

Both letters help to keep things in economic perspective for me.

The Letter

 

 

Insert from my Uncle:

It is hard to realize today how really poor we were, but didn't know it. $30 was a lot of money in those days, just before the war, when we were still coming out of the depression. At least we didn't suffer for lack of food, but our clothes were tattered and torn. I remember the holes in my shoes, the outhouse, the pee pot, those old wood stoves that would not hold fire overnight, water frozen in the bucket when we got up to go to school and taking a bath once a week, if that often, in a galvanized wash tub.

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Creating and Pondering more & more

 

I'm working on another client designed invite for an upcoming event held in September. This is a glimpse of the photo I'm working with. H'm, that old saying "the eyes are the window to the soul." I believe that,  always have!

Speaking of souls... I'm giving mine a bit of a cleansing. I picked up this book at the grocery store and am really getting a lot out of it.

  

I like reading books like this..

"We can't control the attitudes and behaviors of other people, but we can make right choices for ourselves."

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

That's deep!

I'm planning on reading deeeeper.

Enjoy caring and sharing Summer days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Soulful Giving

 

Bittersweet will be donating two-hundred small mint size soaps to this wonderful charitable event. We are proud to have been offered the opportunity to share our  product with the visitors attending.

 

I've also been offering my IT experience to help promote a local event. Designing, creating  their web site, blog and invites.  Lot's of right brain work, or is it left? At any rate different doors swinging and opening and revolving and keeping me very busy. I like busy!

Breaking with blogging is a welcome relaxing down time recess. Thanks for that.

In weeks to come I'll be doing more promoting for the North-land Vintage Market and building a shiny new web site for this company. I designed their blog too!

And some left brain stuff...

 Thoseburlap market bags are stirring up some fun Summer time chit chat. I took one to the downtown market and filled it up with fresh lettuce, radishes, strawberries and homemade tamales, Yum, Yum! Several people at the market asked me, "where did you get that bag?" Yeah!! I am trying to keep up with supply and summer demand, and falling behind with summer production. I'll keep you posted when their going to be listed on the web site.

Have I told you how much I love Patchouli? I think I have, but I wanted to tell you this. 

I brought up a few bars of Patchouli soap and sat them in the kitchen planning on taking them to the bathroom but hadgotten distracted. As I sit and type I get soft whiffs of the patchouli subtly floating around my space, now I don't really want to take them to the bathroom! Oh by the way too, for you Patchouli lovers, the price of the essential oil has went back down and Bittersweet is able to offer it an affordable price once again! I'm really excited about that!

Enjoy caring and sharing Summer days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Happy Mother's Day!

  

To you, my bloggy friends that are Mom's and to those Mom's that happen upon Bittersweet, I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day.

May it be filled with love...

My Mom  Of Many Colors

My Mom could sew and she could write.

I loved it when she held me tight.

She shared her knowledge with me.

In hopes that I would be like she.

Her tender teachings taught me truths that always paved the way.

Sometimes she surprised me in the things that she would say.

She was a Mom so beautiful, both inside and out.

And as I write this little poem , I can hear her say, “please don’t pout.”

My Mom Of Many Colors  is high above the clouds and watches from above.

I miss her  tender voice and her kisses filled with love..

My Mom of many colors must shine so very bright.

As she looks down on me from the heavens with delight.

I’m sure she’s like a child, and plays amongst the angels as they frolic here and there.

And  watches down below as she sees her daughter fair.

Jill Ann

Enjoy a caring and sharing day too..

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one, especially on Mother''s Day!)

Prep & Ponder

 

As I was putting together the Lavender May Day Pouches I could't help but ponder the thoughts, and concerns abouth the recent flu talk. Realizing the media exaggerates on such incidents, but also knowing the possible seriousness of such a virus.

When I read about the 1918  flu epidemic I become extremely concerned and worried. Scientist know much more than I about this current threat of disease, and that's what scares me. They have been warning us for years that another 1918 pan could easily happen in our world. 

There was a case reported not far from where I live last night. Although I am sure there are many more cases than what we are hearing as it seems the virus is popping up everywhere, which tells me it's wide spread and will probably soon be a category six. 

Also realizing a category six has little impact on us humans, it simply means the virus has spread to more countries and the government now considers it a pandemic. 

Pandemic.. The word alone is scary, isn't it?

My concern..

That the virus will mutate and become more powerful and deadly and that our immunizations will not work to stop the virus.

The threat of businesses closing down, schools, theaters, community centers, child care centers,  etc., would have a devastating impact on our already tattered economy.

What do we do? Do we worry? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, I am!

With worry though usually comes panic in most cases and I don't believe panic mode is the place to be either. The next few weeks, months will determine the severity of this virus and help outline the plan for defense.

I wasn't going to talk about this, but it's been weighing heavy on my mind.

Sounding like Mom, keep your hands washed, keep some wipes in your car for cleaning the steering wheel and hands  after shopping and running errands. Not sure how I feel about the mask, aren't they horrible?

On a good note..

Julie and I are off on our annual flea jaunt, the all day one!

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)