Bittersweet and the little soap company

sunny days

It's been warm and sunny with little rain this spring. I've been watering the gardens every day! Quite the chore and the garden sucks up lots of water. We really could use a couple of rain barrels. I'm going to ask Lennis to ponder some rain barrel idees.  I have this feeling we may be in for a hot dry summer. Just a feeling.

Over the weekend I shared some personal thoughts about my feelings towards summer on my French sister blog, Fussy French.

Honestly that's how I feel about summers nowadays.

Saturday I had the pleasure of visiting with some beautiful people.

A gal I'd met while shopping for fleurs at the home improvement store and an old classmate that came to pick up a jar of face creme for his friend. He had this funny look on his face when he entered the studio. I just imagined he was nervous. He asked my what my maiden name was and I replied, yes it was! Long story short... We talked for two hours! Then Deb, the gal I chatted with while shopping for fleurs. Another jewell!

Another thing that I've realized as I get older....

Everyone that comes into your life, happens for a reason. No doubt.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring, summer days.

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

 

 

spring is in the house

Over the weekend I moved my moms antique library table from the just sitting dining room to the living room in front of the piano. I dug out my Indian ink pens and colored pencils, sketch book and favorite little nature inspired tid-bits and placed them on the table.

Before when the table was in the dining room it was just sitting. Now it's  a functional little nook for writing thank you notes and sketching summer flowers and butterflies.

 
I have this thing about unused areas in the home. Believing that most should be of some use rather than just sitting.

The tablescape will inspire me to write more and pull on my apron strings for attention.  Each time I walk by the new space excitement and anticipation overcome me!

Packing up last minute Easter orders and making some fresh Bittersweets. The days are suppose to turn more seasonal so I really want to get outside and work in the garden. It's been HOT!

Lennis tilled our garden and I'm anxious to get a few seeds planted. This year I'm planting a lot of herbs and flowers. You may remember me talking about growing everlasting flowers. I have not been able to find straw flower seeds anywhere! So strange, because I can recall seeing the seeds each and every spring before now.

I also picked up some small jelly jars for canning strawberry jam.

On a different topic...

While on my morning walk I noticed the neighbors down the street have the cutest little chicken coop! I only saw one chicken plucking around. I'm seriously thinking our garden would be prime real estate for several chickens to reside!

This summer is going to be busy!

Fun busy though...

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

 

spring-full

It's that time once again to prepare and host the annual May Day celebration and event.

I'm planning the dessert menu and making hostess gifts for the special occasion.

Strawberry cake sounds yummy. I think I'll include it in the menu! Maybe shape the cake into small round slices, h'm. Fresh lemonade with slices of lemon floating on the top and berries.

I have been pondering some the hostess gift idees and came across these while searching @ Pinterest.

Cute idee and since we're celebrating May Day, perfect!

You may remember the matchbook notebooks I made several years back.

I'm thinking about placing the seed matchbooks in these.

Along with some other little Bittersweets.

By the way, I had not mentioned or told you about my experience with the soap box. Do you remember the boxes?

 I had delivered a test box to my dentist office lounge.

Let's say the results were not what I expected!

The lady I left the box with thought the box was a gift at first!  I'm not sure where she picked up that idee, but nevertheless that's what she thought.

After receiving a phone call from the office I cleared that up!

Anyway...I picked up the box later that next week and I had sold one item!

I'm not one to give up easily or be discouraged. The only way to test the waters is to test the waters. I will pursue the concept at a later time when I'm not so busy. I am confident the concept will work after the kinks are nipped and tucked. I might add...If you believe in something it will work!

Back to the party plans...

Next to Christmas open house, May Day is my favorite! This is the first year that I recall lilacs and violets and wild plums blooming in March! Usually they wait till May Day to bloom. It's kind of strange, but a strange I'm enjoying.

The dessert table is usually lined with bouquets of the fresh flowers and bushes from our gardens. I'm thinking if the warm days continue I'll have hydrangeas, mock orange and peonie bouquets! Oh darn! Smiling...

Paint day planned for our bathroom. I have some prepping to do. Patch some holes, that kind of thing. The stuff I'm not fond of doing, but the stuff that needs to be done, you know.

I can't wait to hang the new ruffle shade and the pom-pom curtains! I also have a new lamp. I'm still contemplating on color. I really like this mint green color used to paint this dresser, but I also am fond of a color called sea salt.

The dresser has more green. I'm leaning toward the sea salt, a soft soothing color I believe.

A rainy day. Great day to paint!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

 

old scales, enamel bowls, lavender & paint!

 
This is is picture of the area above our washer and dryer. The shelves are filled with a few of my favorite things. The area also serves as part of the shop. Customers always comment. "Is this really your washer and dryer?" Indeed it is and I'm quite fond of the small cubby.

I made a long curtain to cover the hot & cold outlets because they weren't so pretty. I simply used a tension rod and hung it between the wall. An inexpensive white cabinet houses the favorite things mentioned. You can't see, but on the other side there's another shelf. I keep those cabinet doors closed because they discreetely  hide my iron and oxi clean. You know, the home keeping stuff.

Years ago I half heartidly layed inexpensive vinyl flooring tiles in the area. I hate them! They're worn and scratched and just down right yucky. I'm going to rip them up and paint the concrete floor with enamel floor paint and varnish similar to what I did with the steps.

 I've been told by neighors that this area of our basement, (now part of the studio) was where the family parked their  model T back in 1921. Even though sheet rock and 2x4 beams have since filled in the area to make individual rooms I can envision how it looked back then. It was a small basement garage. Not something you see too much of nowadays but I like the concept. Our home was built be a Chicago architect so I'm thinking he had carefully planned the blueprint and that part of the plan involved keeping the families new form of transportation safe and dry.

I've always been fascniated by this era of time. The clothing, the cars, the vocabulary, etc, etc. I'm quite sure that is why I was so involved with the recent series, Downton Abbey.  

Living in a home built during that time has always felt comforting and soothing to me.

Even though we have only one bathroom and the closets are tiny I love this home. I feel as though it's always been mine. Isn't that strange?

I also feel that wherever it is, that place you call home should be filled love. Maybe some hot water,washing machines and dishwashers too! Just think though, when this house was first built it didn't have most of those things.

I think about that often.

Working my nerve up to painting the basement floor. It's a lot of work ripping up the old tiles! Have a few of those tile ripping moments under my belt already so I know what's in store.

Then I'm going to have a painting party!

I'm afraid the guest list will be sparse. In fact, yours truly will be the only attendee. I have painted this old house more than once. Both inside and out. Outside, not so easy, forty feet up!

Love, love to paint the inside. I love paint! Such amazing transformation takes place when you paint.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Oh yeah, window washing too! Ugh... Now that's not a favorite task at all!

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

working my way

I'm working my way around our home adding little updates while at the same time spring cleaning and de-cluttering. Last night Lennis made the comment.You do this every spring. I answered, yeah I know. It's a nesting thing and I've come to realize a part of my DNA.

  The to-do list is pretty long and I get overwhelmed when I think about what I've placed on the list, but at the same time believe the fix-me-ups will turn a smile on my face and allow me to welcome spring with open arms knowing the improvements have offered some positive progress and change. Not to mention I'll feel feng shui better when the weather warms and I begin working outside in the garden planting and cultivating. It will be reassuring for me to  know my indoor projects are finished.

I've been moving this piece of furniture from here and that one over there. While pondering what room would best benefit from the piece. I moved our small enamel topped table from the wall to the middle of the kitchen hoping the table will better serve us in the new spot. Thinking the new location will be a  nice addition to the existing counter and a sit down meal table as well.   

I inherited several pieces of my moms after she passed away. One of those is this little woody bench. Mom always called it the bucket bench. To me it's more like a shelf. But I call it the bucket bench just as mom did. I moved it from the foyer where it really wasn't doing that much. Just kind of sitting there. That's a pet peeve of mine by the way. Furniture that just kind of sits there. I feel if you don't use it then what's the point in having it in your home. Having said that though, I don't feel that about any of my moms pieces simply because I know she liked them and if she liked them well then, I like them too! Those feelings come after you lose a parent and the items become treasures.  
Having the "bucket bench" in the kitchen makes me happy!

In between the makeovers,  soap stuff. Lot's of wrapping! Awaiting the new spring line of soaps to do its thing. Saponify...

Off to clean up my mess in the dining room. Everything I de-cluttered from the kitchen is sitting on the dining room table!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than none)

blue, green and spring

I've had this photo in my library of favorite paint colors for awhile. I'm sorry, I can't remember where the picture originated. I love the color used to paint this small apothecary cabinet.

I've been searching through the paint swatches to see if I can spot this one. It's hard to tell from pictures really what color something is, but I'm thinking it might be close to this. It appears from the picture to have a hint of green. At least I think it does. What do you think? Maybe a hair too much green, but just a hair.

I can't wait to show you my new cottage wallpaper steps! They look so different from before. Still painting...I stayed up late last night to finish the last step. I do have some concerns but I'll share them later when I post the steps.

A small package arrived in the mail yesterday. It was from my Aunt Glenna. She sent me a packet of spring seeds and some copies of magazine articles she had written about growing up on the farm with her sister, my mom. I had been painting all day when the package arrived. It was a welcome joy to stop, rest and read her letter and the soul fulfilling articles. She sent me a seed packet of these. I can't wait to plant them! Thanks Aunt Glenna for always being so caring and sharing.  I'd like to share a few of Aunt Glennas inserts from the articles. 

by Glenna James, my aunt

I planted a moon-flower vine with seeds from a prickly pod my sister saved for me that I carefully treasured and protected all winter in a paper bag. I have childhood memories of that magnificent vine trailing up the southeast corner of the porch. Heaven must smell like the moon-flower vine. My sister and I used to wait each evening with bated breath to watch the moon-flowers open. Later, when we were older, a good night kiss while standing by the moon-flower vine at the front porch, made the night (or the young man maybe) just that much more romantic.

I loved this article about old cellars.

In late April my sister Alice and I worked in the cellar on our accumulations of wood violets, lilac branches, snowball blooms and perhaps a few intensely fragrant wild plum blossoms we would save a day or so in jars of well water for May 1.  We wove strips of brown construction paper or folded green paper into cup size baskets, twisted on pipe cleaner handles and filled the dainty holders with blossoms to distribute to neighbor's doors in celebration of May Day.

I'm yearning for spring that much more after reading the inserts, aren't you?

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

knowledge is power

Now that there is no-more new Downton Abbeys and we have to anxiously await no. 3 I found something equally as entertaining to watch. Well, wrong word to use when describing this presentation. At the same time I believe knowledge is power and and I'm much interested in the ideas, theory's, practices that are presented in this film.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/26/fresh-video-documentary.aspx?e_cid=20120226_SNL_Art_1

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

winters edge

Our first snow fell upon winters edge. Usually we have had a few by now. Our winter has been extremely mild and almost spring like. Quite similar to the winter New York and Washington DC is experiencing. Spring isn't that far off, so if old man winter wants to stick around for awhile then that's okay with me. It seems Spring is much more appreciated when I've endured come cold snowy winter days.

Not quite enough precip to go sledding. Pondering those thoughts as I gaze out the kitchen window I can see it's already melting on our sledding  hill.  

I'm continuing to work on the undisclosed project. It's taken a back burner over the weekend with a busy Saturday and the dreaded chore of completing our taxes. Always happy when I'm finished with that!

It seems the to-do lists are getting shorter. Slowly but surely the not so fun tasks are getting completed. That's a good feeling because I prefer creative fun over dread any day. Who doesn't?

I've been glued to Sunday night television. Because of one series, Downton Abbey. I'm not a television guru. I generally have other things going on that keep me from the television. However having just said that I've been making an exception on Sunday nights. When Sunday night arrives, like clockwork I tune into the fabulous Masterpiece Theater series, Downton Abbey. I've been watching it since it began last winter. So I've caught it from the very beginning.  

Personally, watching the series simply to witness the beautiful wardrobe is satisfying alone. The acting is superb and I am  madly in love with every single character in the Sunday night vintage soap opera. I named it that because it seems to be an on-going saga. Excellent writers I must include because saga's usually bore me after awhile. No boredom with Downton Abbey. Absolutely None...

I've always like Elizabeth McGovern and equally fond of Maggie Smith. Downton Abbey seems to have been created just for them. The talk of Shirly Maclaine coming to Downton abbey gets me even more excited about tuning in each Sunday evening.

In years past the Grammy's has been my go-to programming. Last night I chose Downton Abbey over the Grammy's. That's a first!

Kind of getting tired of that Hollywood glam. Such sad news about Whitney. Kind of saw it coming though didn't you? That's an entirely different subject and one I'd best to not voice my view simply because I have very strong oppinions about substance abuse.  

Going back...

Three cheers for Downton Abbey. I give it 5 stars! That seldom occurs!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

 

lavender l♥ve

A valentine infused with lavender l♥ve could never disappoint even the most fastidious of valentine.

Every year about this time I take a close look at all of the Bittersweet designs. I dig really deep in my design thoughts and ponder ideas like, does the label font match the style represented in the rest of the packaging? Should this sachet have a little something else? Would this soap packaging appeal to a variety of customers? The list goes on and on and in fact becomes even longer when new products are created. 

Often times a supplier discontinues a certain item. Bittersweet is then forced to find an alternative. The job of searching for the perfect replacement can sometimes be a daunting task and I can be on the phone or searching the Internet for long period of time.  That ones to long, this ones too short, kind of back and forth. No fun! 

Case in point.

Sometimes I've found it's simply best to not make any changes while other times, an added accessory, a font re-do or a different colored ribbon seems to be the perfect modification. 

 
Just a few little changes made on the lavender dryer sachets. The muslin bag is smaller, but inside an extra sachet is included. A product hang tag with directions is attached and even though redundant, a bittersweet label inserted on the side of the bag.  
That picture is a prototype. Which means, the look that you see, could change. In fact, as I'm taking a closer look at the picture of the sachet I'm seeing a few alterations are needed.

A couple of days ago I received the most loveliest of letters from a customer, friend.

I hope she doesn't mind that I share the letter.

Jill~ Your wonderful package arrived yesterday, just as my granddaughter and I were getting ready to leave. She spent the night and we were packed up, dolls, bags and goodies in our arms and ready to load the car for the nearly hour-long drive back to her home. She was curious about the box left at the door, and my joyful reaction at it's presence! So naturally we dropped everything to see what was inside! Madelynn is a precocious just-turned 7 year old and had lots of questions about each and every item you shipped! She recognized the snow-berry bundle (her Mom is the photographer) but was particularly intrigued by the strawberry sachet you included, which I gave to her to take home. On the long drive home, she occasionally took a long deep breath, inhaling the lavender aroma and exclaiming how 'relaxed and happy it made her feel! I LOVE the Marula Smoothie!!! My skin has been so dry lately, thanks to our cool and dry Arizona atmosphere. My fingers and heels have been painfully cracked and dry of late, and they are already showing signs of healing just from a day of use! Thanks again Jill, your packages are such a joy! Teri

What joy Teri you've brought to my heart with this letter.

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Wamly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than one)

 

 

Therapy for Jill

Things are moving pretty fast around here! Isn't it January? Well I guess almost gone and Miss February arrives. Sometimes time is not on my side. Do you know what I mean?

Didn't you find the topic of media kits interesting? So funny, years ago when Bittersweet was first born talk of media kits and sales reps and publists seemed all so familiar and automatic. Nowadays it feels almost "out of sight, out of mind." Not hard to do when you manage, manufacture and operate a  business with one employee, I believe. It could easily be a full time job keeping up with Joneses. In the world of business and advertising, marketing, I'm afraid the popular phrase is an important key in advancing and growing any business.

Boy, it's hard to learn things the hard way sometime and oh how I wish I would have went to college! I was too busy being a hippie, ha, ha! No regrets, loved every minute of it. Being a hippie that is.

I have a secret I've been keeping for awhile. Still a secret, because I feel if I disclose the information it will jinx it. Just a little while longer sweet, and I'll announce my secret.

I almost forgot the important reason for this post! You see what I mean?

The Marula Smoothie is back! I'm excited to have this wonderful unique therapeutic aromatic healing moisturizer. Oh baby, I could go on and on with descriptive words when describing this Bittersweet!

It was a cold windy day when I took this product shot. So the picture is not so jiffy sweet. I went back and forth designing the label. I am happy with the final design. It seemed to be a difficult task to create a label that does the creme justice!

I spent the afternoon emailing and phoning customers that were on a waiting list for this wonderful product. Then the evening was spent filling orders for the marula smoothie. Thank you to both my studio customers and Internet customers. This is the first time I've listed the creme on the web shop. I had run out quickly at the studio and could not keep it in stock! You see, and I love this old quirky idiom, "the proof is in the pudding!" Yep!

The marula smoothie is now my dads favorite Bittersweet. M.J. said he as being a bit stingy with his jar of  creme and would not share! One of the perks of being part of the Bittersweet family, oodles of skin care delivered to your front door! H'm does that sound familiar? ?09*? lady calling! Do you remember those commercials?

There you have it. The latest Bittersweet goings on. Well, the exception of the secret.

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Warmly,

Jill 00 (two hugs are better than none)