Bittersweet and the little soap company

More Balance

I required a tad bit more balance, before beginning the production line work for Bittersweet.

By the way, thanks for all those lovely emails you sent me regarding yesterdays topic.

Over the past ten years my little company has been through so many different changes and experiences, but the balance thing always stands out, cause that's what I believe will make you or break you, when first forming and starting your new business.

Well, part of my requirement for being balanced consist of being able to do the things I enjoy in between the work. If I'm deprived from gardening, baking, and home keeping, my performance level falls short on every other endeavor, at least it seems.

So with that in mind, I spent the entire day outside gardening, and I have the blister to prove it!

I didn't think you'd want to see it, it's pretty gross. I'd rather you picture me like this girl, she is a spit-ten image of me, possibly even my clone, especially her waist size!

Lennis and I are working on our sweet home this Spring and Summer. I say we, he's doing most the work! He's replacing the cedar frames around all of our windows, and then putting up new storm windows. Our house was built in 1921, and seems always in need of some sprucing up.

When trying to clean our old windows I noticed there's a yucky film on all of them that doesn't seem to want to come off no matter how hard I work to remove it.

All that work and money spent revamping the windows, and then a yucky film left behind was bugging me, so I researched some historical home sites and found some solutions to removing the grime.

I found several remedies to removing the vintage grime. The one that seemed to work the best was to use a gentle powder cleanser like Bon Ami. Add a bit of water to the powder cleanser to form a paste, and then gently rub the window with the mixture. After that, shine em up with some vinegar. I found this web site helpful too.

I'm ready to get back to work.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring May Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Vintage Memories, The Carefree Days, and Some Pondering...

   

Before I begin writing the last page of my Grandmothers letter recalling her sweet child hood memories, I'd like to say a few things about my interpretation of the letter, and how I felt after reading it.

The letter got me thinking... You know how I am about that!

I began to ponder the similarities from my Grandmother's era in comparison to the times of today.

If you watch the news you're most likely to see how they portray our country in dire straits, and it's all  doom and gloom.

Grandmother's letter helped me to realize the many difficult times we've had throughout history, and how families and individuals overcome those countless obstacles by loving one another and making due with what they have, and being perfectly content in doing so.

I'm thankful that I live in a country that allows me to follow my dreams, and make a living doing what I love.

I'm thankful there are caring people in our world that help one another in times of need, just as they did in my Grandmothers days.

I'm thankful for the teacher that takes the extra step in making sure her student understands their assignments, and stays after class to help the child, while her own family waits for her at home.

I'm thankful for the choices I have, whether they be right or wrong, they're my choices.

............................................................................................

The Carefree Days and Happy Childhood Memories

by Christine Walker, my Grandmother

page 3

As free as the wind that whispers in the cotton wood trees, I can never recall a time when my parents said no to me. Now the young parents leave valuables on the coffee tables and the first word the baby hears as soon as he or she can stand is no, no.  I wonder, wonder?

I never remember learning to ride a horse. Mother said my father had me on a horse before I could walk. I had my own horse, Charly, and a dog named, Watch, and we roamed where our fancy took us.

With a lunch packed on the saddle, and my worms and fishing pole I would spend the warm lazy days at Rocky Ford, a beautiful ford of tiny water falls on a large creek that was about three miles from our house.

There were cotton wood trees along the bank and I loved to just sit and listen to the whisper they made in the breeze. Old Watch always lay at my feet, and it was a lovely wooded area.

Then came the times when Mother tucked a flour sack under her arm and said, "all come, it's time to pick gooseberries."  There were lot's of groans, but we picked berries until the bag was full. Now that's a lot of sour berries!

This area was my beloved woods. The red birds would fly from tree to tree and flash their beautiful color. The blue jays and squirrels would scold us for invading their privacy.

And then she writes.... To be continued.

I quickly turned over the page to see more, but nothing. I was sad and disappointed, "oh no, this can't be!"

I yearned for more of her writings, but realized this letter was the last.

So few words, but yet, more powerful than any book I believe I've ever read!

I now wish I could have spent more time with her, as I now see my Grandmother was truly a loving and caring soul. I of course knew that, but somehow after reading the letter, a more intimate picture is conveyed.

I can see my Grandmother through the way my own Mother raised me, and the loving patient ways that have been passed down through the generations of Mother's.

A Mother's love lives on forever and ever and ever.....

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy caring and sharing May Days.

Happily,

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

   

Vintage Memories, School Days

School Days, some happy, some sad.

by Christine Walker, my Grandmother

page 2

The sad time was I could not see, and never had glasses until I was 16 and went to work in a grocery store. My first day of school was in a small town, and my teachers name was Miss Steel. She did not understand I could not see the black board words she had written. I was a very nervous child due to this handicap.

I had a wonderful teacher in Prairie Dell school named Miss Willis. I believe the school still stands, (1989).

Between Miss Willi s's help and the patience of my beloved Mother, I graduated from the eighth grade. So much for the sad years.

There were so many more happy times, and funny ones also, like the time old Fred our buggy horse slipped on an icy hill and fell on his back in a deep grader ditch. Fred was alright. A farmer came to our rescue. We did not make it to school that day.

On bitter cold days my Mother heated bricks and put to our feet and hands to warm them.

We drove 3 1/2 miles to school. Mail delivery had nothing on us! Come rain, wind, snow or sleet we made it to school.

We had a neighbor girl, "very poor people", who rode to school with us part of the time, and one day the teacher whispered to me, "you hitch up your horse and buggy and take Bell home. She has lice in her hair. Needless to say I cried all the way home, and just knew my head was crawling, and that I could feel them. So much for imagination!

I  remember the annual "school box suppers." It was a very exciting time when the girls decorated a box with crepe paper and filled it with all kinds of fancy foods and fruit to be sold to the highest bidder. The school boys would bid on the boxes. Your Father always got mine.

Christmas time and school plays and marches. The songs we sang and the school lunches of today have nothing on us. We had the first hot lunch ever served in schools. One child brought to school, potatoes, one butter, another milk, and Miss Willis prepared and cooked soup on a tall coal stove.

A Mr. Morgan, a man from the neighboring town would visit all the schools in our County, and oh, what excitement! He was a very wealthy man and would come at Christmas time with a big truck load of gifts. Each child could choose a gift. The one that stands out in memory, a manicuring case with ivory handles and a mirror on the lid. Oh how I would "buff" my nails. The style tool at that time. No polish, just buffed.

We played basket ball in the school yard, a far cry from the elaborate halls of today. One day I played guard and accidentally hit Eunice Henderson in the eye and she fainted. We all thought she had died. We all ran to the far side of the yard and not a word was spoken. Miss Willis saw the whole thing and gave us all a lecture, and Eunice went home with a black eye.

There was a sad time in my life when I was six, and my little two year old brother died. Little John was my play mate after school evenings. I adored him. There was no embalming in those days, they placed a three-hundred pound cake of ice under the table where he lay.

So many neighbors and people around and they would not let me see or go near him. Some old man took me to town and bought me a large bag of candy.

That night as people sat all night in the kitchen, I slipped into the room where he lay, and patted his little hands and touched his face and hair. It seemed to ease the ache in my breast.

We took his body at 10 am to the cemetery. Two white horses pulled a white coach draped with white curtains.

All the passing years I never went back to his grave. Mother told me once someone else was buried atop of his grave, and that both souls rest in peace.

To be continued, "The Care Free Days"

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring May Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Vintage Memories

This is a picture of my Grandmother Christine, my Mom's, Mom. Wasn't she a beautiful woman?   

I recently received a letter from my aunt Glenna, and tucked inside the envelope contained a letter that my  grandmother Christine wrote some years ago before she passed. The letter explains in detail her life as a young girl growing up on the farm.

As I was reading the letter, I was taken back, and touched by her sweet recollection of life as a young girl on her Little House On The Prairie Farm.

Although the pages number in few, the writings are truly sweet vintage memories that I thought would be appropriate to share with you on this Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day!

Haying Time On Our Farm

by Christine Walker, my Grandmother

page 1

After the red clover was cut and stacked into rows to cure and dry, then a special wide horse drawn wagon driven by a man, lowered a large hay fork. The man on the hay frame pushed the huge fork deep into the hay bundle & it was my job to ride the horse that pulled each load into the hay loft.

I guess the most exciting time for a ten year old was when a big thrashing machine with it's steam engine came to thrash our oats we had put in shacks. We had been waiting for the day when it was our turn, as the thrashing machine traveled from farm to farm.

It was my job to take drinking water to he thrashing crew of twenty-one men with my horse & buggy. Sometimes I went with my Father for a load of oats and gathered the baby rabbits that were hiding under the oat shacks. I guess the Mother came to our lawn and turned them loose & took them back, as they all disappeared.

We had lot's of pigeons in the cattle barn. I used to climb up high above the hay loft and catch the squabs. We did not serve them under glass, but rather, we served and prepared pigeon pie.

It was my chore to take the two crates of eggs, thirty dozen each, to town on Saturdays. We had a lot of chickens!  I drove my horse and buggy to town, where all the stores purchased the eggs, and we used the egg money to buy groceries.

One time after getting the things on my Mother's grocery list, I noticed a big "Post Toasties" box setting on the market shelf. I had never eaten store bought cereal, so I called my Mother and asked her if I could have a dime to purchase a box of the cereal.

Not anything in my life ever tasted so good!

I also recall my first loaf of fresh bakery bread, when I was a teenager, yummy!

To by continued,

School Days, next

Enjoy caring and sharing May Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Comfort Food, Comfort Life, and Congratulations

Firstly this morning,

thanks to everyone who's sent me well wishes via email. I believe for the time being, anyway, my server is working, and I am in the process of returning your kind considerate emails.

Having poison ivy hasn't been all bad. In fact, it's allowed me to slow down and do some baking.

I have always been a baker of apple deserts. From, apple dumplings, apple cobbler, apple pies, apple muffins, and especially apple crisp.

I'm intrigued by recipe's that call for minimal ingredients, and still come out tasting yummy.

I wonder who created this recipe and when? I would be interested in getting a copy of Isabel Ely Lord's cookbook. It was printed during my favorite era, the twenty's.

I noticed they had one on EBay, but I believe I'll add this book to my flea market list.

Apple Crisp Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 3 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• vanilla ice cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine, sugar, oat's, flour, and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, then sprinkle over the apples. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
3. Allow to cool, and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Well apple crisp and bug repellent aren't exactly two things you associate together, but after baking the apple crisp I made Bittersweet's famous Bug Off! I say famous not because it's been on television or in a magazine, or misted on a famous movie star.

No, it's none of the above. Famous in the sense that it really works, and my customers trust it to keep pesky bugs at bay.

I developed the concoction after researching old Indian remedies, and how they kept the small creatures out of site, out of mind.

   

Did you happen to notice the typo on the label? Well, unfortunately I did after the fact, and am in the process of correcting all fifty labels. I hate it when spell check doesn't acknowledge miss spelled words. I used to win all the spelling bee's at school. Gotta love it!

Dish Towel Schedule calls for some cleaning of the sweet home.

It's been rainy and cold, and doesn't feel like Spring one little bit, so cleaning seems like a indoor comforting thing to do on this dreary of a morn.

UPDATE: Right before I finished typing, we got word that Patrick got the Farmer's Market Manager job he applied for.

Congratulations Patrick, you're the perfect man for the job!

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Sharing the pleasant, with the, not so pleasant.

I wasn't going to blather about my rather unpleasant evening, but after thinking about it, decided to, simply because I wasn't aware that such a thing could happen, and therefore felt a need to share.

Before I went to bed last night I noticed my stomach was uneasy. I had a headache all day, and the poison ivy even though it's contained, has been driving me nuts. If I didn't have such a high tolerance for pain, I'd think I was as wimp!

I didn't think too much about the headache or stomach discomfort, as I thought I had picked up a bug.

I went to bed early, and awoke with the worst stomach ache accompanied by the other stuff.

I have had food poisoning before, and felt as though that was what I was suffering from. I felt as though I was dying or going to! No exaggeration!

No one else in my family was sick. I had made some chocolate chip cookies and nibbled on some of the raw dough, maybe that's it, the eggs.

I got to thinking.. Is it possible to get sick from poison ivy? I did a search and found this.

Well, I never in my life thought I'd be blogging about such an unpleasant episode, but then again, I never thought I'd get deathly sick from poison ivy either.

Lennis just asked me if I'd watched the weather. I said, "no I'm blogging about getting sick last night," he replied, "you're doing what!" "You're sharing that info with people you don't even know!" I replied, "yep."

Moving on to more pleasant topics..

I began wrapping the "Garden Grove" soap yesterday. Remember the groovy soap?

Do you like the name?

I'm having an obsession with burlap lately, and had little scraps here and there, and I thought, garden soap/burlap, good mix. Once again using what I have, and experiencing that soulful feeling of satisfaction.

I'm working on soap orders today, trying to get them sent out before the end of the week, and wrapping more of the aromatic garden soap, listing it on the web site, and drinking lot's of water.

I hope your day is filled with fun.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Apothecary, and leaves of three, leave them be..

On the topic of poison ivy..

I didn't begin getting poison ivy until I was in my late thirty's. Before that I could practically roll in the stuff, and nothing. Then one really wet Spring, I came in contact with it thinking I could not get it, but got it, and ever since, I have been highly allergic. 

Yesterday, I took poison ivy matters into my own hands and mixed some essential oils to make a tincture. I don't use over the counter stuff with chemicals.

The mixture is keeping the itch at bay, and healing the nasty blisters. There is no doubt as to why they chose the word poison, when describing this noxious plant.

If you happen to stumble into a patch here's what you do.

First, apply vinegar to cotton cloth and apply to all exposed areas that came in contact with the plant. The vinegar cuts the oil, therefore removing it from you skin.

Second, wash all clothing your were wearing when coming in contact with the plant in warm soapy water, along with a cup of vinegar. If you don't use vinegar, the poison ivy oils will stay in the clothing, and the next time you wear the clothes, you will find yourself itching again. So the vinegar is important.

Third, Mix the following

1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup salt, three drops each of Lavender, Cypress, and Peppermint. Mix completely and pour into warm bath, and soak for up to twenty minutes..

  THEN MIX>>>

Three drops each, Lavender, Cypress, and peppermint along with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. warm water, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, and 1 ounce of calendula extract.

Pour mixture into either spray bottle or glass bottle with topper.

Apply this tincture as often as needed. The lavender will help soothe the itch.

Both the bath mixture and the tincture will help, and you will notice an improvement within a day.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 ( Two hugs are better than one)

Spring shadows and thoughts ahead

I can't believe it's close to the end of the school year already.

We usually have a laid back summer with not too much planned, but an occasional get away or two, but this summer looks to be filled with trips and home projects.

Patrick is leaving for Germany the first week of June accompanied by his German class, that is if we ever organize the time to get his passport.

Then there's booster shots required next year for school, tetanus, I believe. Gosh, I can't tell you the last time I had a tetanus shot. Rusty nails are my enemy!

Patrick has some exciting prospects awaiting him this Spring. We can't share quite yet.

We have home re-do's we've already began working on. It's going to be a summery season of outdoor projects. I am excited and thrilled I'll be spending time sprucing up things.

The five years I had Bittersweet downtown, I very seldom had time to enjoy my sweet home. It was used as a warehouse, manufacturing plant, and sleeping quarters during those years.

I completed my rock garden tilling, not without passing up the opportunity to get my annual spring dose of poison ivy though.

I can't imagine the rigorous work involved preparing the soil in the olden days. My rock garden is only about a 10x10 area, and it was indeed a time consuming task. Every time I'd turn the rich black dirt though, I couldn't help but imagine the new seedlings that would soon be planted in that spot. I picked up the little trays for planting my seeds, and am beginning the process of choosing which ones will go where, and tagging them so that I can identify each one, just as they did in the olden days.

Remember the brick stairs I mentioned in a few posts ago? Lennis built these in two days! Not only are they beautiful, but too, allowing me to gracefully walk down my hill rather than roll.   

 

The Saturday Studio had special guests this weekend. Erika and Jennifer, students from NWMS dropped in for a shadowing afternoon.

The girls were sweet and I enjoyed their company. They are both studying merchandising. I was honored they were interested in Bittersweet. Mrs. Neal, if you're reading this, I believe they deserve an A+!

I was suppose to be standing next to the two girls, but Miss expert camera girl that I'm not, set the timer for only a few seconds so you get get a lovely shot of my back side, but the girls look great, don't they? Notice the black and white Bittersweet bags they're both carrying?

Thanks Erika and Jennifer for visiting, you brightened up the Saturday Studio with your happy faces. I hope you enjoyed Saturday.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better then one)

A stamp for every season, and a March winner.

I designed this graphic to be used as a rubber stamp template. I dropped off the copy to my print shop, and they will transfer the image onto a rubber stamp.

Custom stamps offer an inexpensive and a great way to put your mark on just about anything, stationary, cards, and in Bittersweet's case, little muslin bags. We fill the bags with soap samples and our business cards and small brochures that we send out with each order.

Congratulations to the winner of the March Giveaway, Rechelle. Rechelle I'll be sending you an email requesting your mailing address so that I can send your little smell good package.

I'm in the mood for some sewing. I believe I'll work on some new pinnies, and some Spring frog's.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Mellow

 

It's mellow and quite around here, the way I prefer it to be.

Making soap always has that mellowing effect on me, and helps me relax and focus on the pleasant task at hand, rather than setting in front of a boring computer for hours.

I cut the bars of garden soap. Isn't it beautiful? I used a different cutting blade then I normally use. I made groovy soap. The soap was calling out for the other soap blade, "use the groovy blade!" Well not really, but that's how I felt at the moment.

One-hundred fresh bars of lemon, eucalyptus, and rosemary fragrance filling the studio with its invigorating aroma. That makes me a happy soap making girl!

Patrick had a cello concert last night.  I've mentioned my fondness for this string instrument. The cello is a mellow sounding musical instrument. It helped my already lay back mood listening to the performance.

I'm still honoring the Friday dishtowel schedule, cleaning house today, and then wrapping more soap, and getting ready for the college students arrival tomorrow at the Saturday Studio.

I appreciate your considerate emails this week, and I usually show my appreciation with a reply of some sort, but unfortunately my server has not fixed the email problem, and I am unable to respond to your sweet kind hearted comments. Merci to each and every one of you that sent me a cheery greeting.

I have a clear understanding on what's going on with the mail, which makes it harder for me to accept, and tells me more about my hosting company and how they are working things internally with their company.

Yuk, I didn't even want to mention that. Time to move on!

Mellow Moving On..

There are still a few days remaining to enter the March Giveaway!

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 

Back in business

Bittersweet is back in business, at least the last time I looked!

I still can't send reply email's out, so for those of you that have emailed me explaining how you can't place orders on Bittersweet, I'm sorry I haven't responded. I'm not being snoody.

You should be able to order now, but if you're still  having problems, give me a ring and I'll be happy to take your order over the phone. That way too, I get to listen to your voice, rather than imagine what it sounds like.

Bittersweet Telephone: 816-781-7940 

I'm hoping you will read this post so that you'll know what's going on.

During all the web site craziness, I took the much needed break and made the garden soap. It's not quite set up this morning or I'd show you a picture. It's still cuddled under the quilt staying warm. The studio smells of eucalyptus, lemon, and rosemary.

I'm headed downstairs to take in the invigorating fresh spring scents, wrapping lot's of soap, and hopefully getting orders sent out.

Enjoy a caring and sharing Spring of a day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Too much wasted time

Well hucky darn, I didn't get the garden soap made yesterday, as planned.

The reason, I have been spending my precious time conversing back and forth, and contemplating, pondering, going crazy, trying to get my web site going with my server. I hate wasted time, unless of course, it's time spent enjoying the wasted time, then of course it's not wasted, oh, don't get me started! I'm in my computer state of mind this morning.

After hours of trying to figure out what exactly is going on, with not much luck. I made peanut butter cookies, and sat and ate several, and then went back to the computer, again, nothing, although it teases me each time pretending it's going to work, but then twenty minutes later, nothing! See what I reference, when I exclaim wasted time!

There will be no more, I say! No more wasted time, I'm done!

I've emailed my host again explaining the problems, and I'm taking a break from the computer right after I finish this post.

I've also since I've been stuck on the computer for so long, been going through my graphics. I love the flower girl! She's been around for a long time. Her name is Gigi.

Gigi is an image taken from my array of graphic images. Along with other collections I have and use at Bittersweet. I have spoken about my passion for this era and my fondness for its creative illustrations before. 

Enjoy a caring and sharing SPRING DAY.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

The Art Of Multi Tasking.

Ah, the art of multi tasking. For me it's not necessarily an art, but rather a failure to hold interest in one thing for too long. I believe there's a medical term for this, but we won't go into that now, will we?

At any rate, I'm building another new web site. What's that blurb they used to say on Six Million Dollar Man? "We can build him bigger, faster, stronger", something like that!

Does that soap look purple to you? Nope, me neither.. Sometimes that happens. It's very unpredictable with all the chemical process going on, or for you soap girls out there, Saponification, and that's with a capital S!

It smells heavenly! The whole idea behind the purple thing was to camouflage the lavender seeds, as they turn black during the setting up process. I actually like the natural look of the seeds mixed into the soap though. It makes the soap look earthy and different. When it comes to my soulful soap making, sometimes you just gotta appreciate the unexpected restults and the beauty of things that don't always turn out like you planned:)

I could use a cozy corner picture about now.

  Enjoy caring and sharing SPRING DAYS!

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one) 

Uh, Friday Right?

Just like every other week, this week has flown past. Particularly faster it seems since I began painting the sweet home. I'm still vintage vamping in the bathroom, a few unexpected demolition procedures were needed on my bathroom window, but all is well. I have a small bathroom, and in very much need of storage space so I moved the dresser into the bathroom. It's working quite well, and I have easy access to towels, and toiletry items inside the dresser. I don't know if you can see the picture above the dresser or not. My Great Aunt painted it. It has a perfect home on the wall of our bathroom, and most every time I look at it I think of my Aunt and smile.   

While redoing the bedroom last week and rummaging through the old family pictures I found a copy of an interesting archive article from the St. Louis Gazette, dated early 1900's about my Aunt Enid. My Aunt Glenna had sent me the article a couple of years ago, and I had stuck it in my trunk for safe keeping. I want to share the article with you, as it is very interesting. I love to read stuff written during this period of time. The words chosen, and the way they elegantly portrayed my Aunt captured my attention, and swooped me into another time. I was taken by what I read about my Aunt, and I believe you will be too. Ill share the story and the article with you next week.

A little break from painting today as I have neglected my work in the Saturday Studio. I need to tidy up, and have the studio ready for tomorrows customers. I also need to make some face creme, and lot's of soap!

I'm making a new Lavender Soap,  Purple Lavender Soap that I'll cut into big irregular chunks, with pieces of lavender seed inside, and no wrapping, a simple sweet bar of  lavender soap! I can almost smell the lavender as I describe it to you. If you stick the soap inside your linen drawers, your linens will be delightfully scented.  I also need to make Garden Soap, with lemon-grass and eucalyptus, and then I add ground cornmeal into the soap, which works as a great ex-foliate, and transforms the color of the soap into a  beautiful shade of peachy pink that I could never reproduce with artificial color.

Enter the Bittersweet March Giveaway!

Enjoy a caring and sharing weekend.

Happily,

Jill (Two hugs are better than one)

 

 

"Dishtowel Schedule"

Firstly, thank you for all the sweet well wishes you sent for Patrick yesterday. He's home another day from school, but is on the mend. I don't believe there's anything worse than watching your child suffer, and you can do very little to help. Poor kid he tried to eat salmon patty's last night, his first real food since the surgery, and had a hard time chewing.

I am moving in so many directions this week, and I see no end to the chaos! My Spring cleaning has turned into more like a Spring tornado! I can't stop, and I'm not mood enhancement drugs either, just hormones.

Yesterday I spent the entire day ironing and sorting through my collection of vintage linens. I've told you before how I like to iron, but after yesterday's ironing marathon, I believe it's safe to say, I am eagerly welcoming a break!

I do not know how they did the "dishtowel schedule" in the olden days.

Monday: Wash Day

Tuesday: Ironing Day

Wednesday: Sewing Day

Thursday: Market Day

Friday: Cleaning Day

Saturday: Baking Day

Sunday: Rest Day

Didn't they get bored doing the same thing week after week, and what if you needed to go to the market more than once a week. I imagine you went without, or made do with what you had until the following week, yuk!

Wash day must have been the most grueling of jobs back then. I can only barely relate with the times my washing machine has tipped off balance, and I have to rearrange the heavy wet clothes. The weight of the piles of wet clothes, and the twisting and lifting they must have encountered on those, I'm sure, dreaded Monday's! I assure you, during summer months, my washing area would be close to the clothes line!

On to a more pleasant topic..

The cotton candy Saturday Studio.

 

I can't wait to finish the room painting, as I have some Bittersweet projects I'm anxious to jump into.

Don't forget about the March giveaway!

Enjoy caring and sharing SPRING days!

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Mixing In Some Spring.

 

I painted my kitchen over the weekend with the Surprisingly Aqua, the color I didn't like in the bedroom, but found I fancy in the kitchen! I'm continuing to live green and conserve, and carry on with, " what I have" while I'm vamping the sweet home with some unfamiliar corners and a dash or two of Spring.

I'm digging through closets recycling old stuff, strangely how the old stuff looks new again after it's been stuck away for awhile. I've mixed paint to get a perfect shade of light pink for a shelf, cleaned deep into corners, moved stuff until I realize, there's only a certain number of ways you can move the stuff!

You can probably see from the picture, I'm somewhat passionate about red gingham and red geraniums! An inherited trait, from my sweet Mom, and I did have to purchase a couple more yards of gingham so that I could finish the kitchen curtains.

My office is right off the kitchen. I cleaned out the "Office Hoosier." That sounds weird, doesn't it? Office Hoosier! Sounds like it should mean something else. I'll let your imagination fill in those blanks!

The Hoosier, which was once Lennis's Moms, has always called to me saying, "brighten me up!" I have contemplated on painting it a bright color like red, but have always shy-ed away from it for some reason or the other. I pinned some bright colored butterfly images on the door, and filled the inside with my cherry collection to add some color rather than taking on the task of painting the cabinet. I'm not in to painting furniture right now, only walls!

This past weekends weather was beautiful!

Winter has rudely made her appearance once more! She just pushed Spring out of her way ever so forcefully. Poor Spring doesn't know how to react to her pesky cousin. She timidly sets in the corner building courage to take on her nuisance of a cousin!

I had second thoughts about setting my Bittersweet packages at the front door, as I was afraid they were going to blow away from the strong North wind.

Spring however is enjoying her corner in my kitchen!

Poor little Patrick had his five wisdom teeth surgically removed and is recovering. Yes, I did say five wisdom teeth! He had an extra one in front of another. His cheeks resemble a chipmunk, and it's been a slow recovery process, but I think today will be the turn around day!

So many things going on, I want to tell you about all of them at once, but I'll spread them out throughout the week.

If you've made it this far and read all this jibber jabber, then I must remind you of the Giveaway that I'm sharing this month. Scroll down a bit and read all about it!

Enjoy caring and sharing SPRING days!

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 

Red Carpet, Red Dresses and Red Chairs

I enjoyed the "Red Carpet", The Red Dresses, and even the New Red Chairs Lennis and I recovered, but I became quickly bored with this years Oscars. I would have thought since the writers have come back, they would have planned a really big show, but nope! I considered it to be stale.

The highlight for me was listening to Steve Carell talking about his new movie "Get Smart" during the red carpet parade. Patrick was on the scene last Spring while they filmed "Get Smart," and said Steve said hello to them while they watched on the set.

After a brief few minutes, I'm afraid I clicked the channel from Oscar's to "Pride and Prejudice."

I am totally engrossed with Jane Austen's novels , and consider the past  few weeks of watching "Pride and Prejudice", to be my idea of outstanding television!

The touching of the hands, the romantic stares, the unspoken thoughts, all of which are elegantly portrayed, and I find myself falling helplessly and effortlessly into the actresses characters. My emotions were sparked each time Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's eyes met.

I'm quite fond of that periods clothing as well. I adore the simple flowing night gown dresses.

The chairs I mentioned are a project Lennis and I worked on yesterday. We recovered four in all. Lennis put new screws in all of them and we placed new coasters on the bottoms as well.

I also worked on tidying up the fabric, and the little alcove in which the fabric is stored. This is the area below our front entry way. It's just a small cozy corner that serves the studio quite well for housing textiles, odds and ends.

 

I worked on creating more soap labels and made Focaccia with basil and onions. I'll post the recipe this week.

Busy, but fun weekend, and continuing the every day life going's ons.

By the way, the picture of me, my Oscar picture!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one) 

*Morning Fog and Some Sweet Sugar*

Working this hard, entitles me to be rewarded with some sweet breaks. Whenever I need a chocolate fix I make these deep dark rich chocolaty brownies. Rather than baking them in a square pan this time, I used cup cake pans. I don't know that I'll ever go back to pans after having brownies in paper cups, delightful!

If you get a chance try the dutch cocoa, it adds such intensity to your baked goods, not to mention, its strong aromatic chocolate fragrance flows throughout your home while baking.

I spent the biggest part of my day yesterday eating those brownies and hanging the heirloom pictures on my walls.

The bedroom paint color, morning fog, by the way...

I got side tracked as I went through one of my trunks reminiscing on the collection of old pictures and slides, clippings, etc. I have several things to share with you after rediscovering some wonderful artifacts in that old trunk.

Our house was built in the 1920's, my favorite era. I've lived here almost twenty years, and love this cozy little home. Nothing fancy about it, modest in fact, with only one bath, and very limited closet space, but  love at first sight for me on that February day some twenty years ago.

I discovered the house and noticed the for sale sign one day while I was out and about in that neighborhood. My Mom was a real estate agent at the time, so I hurried home and called her immediately and asked if she would find out info on the house. She called back saying there were several contracts on the house. I remember after hearing that I was discouraged at first, but quickly overcame my uncertainty because I had that gut feeling that this was my house! I drove by every day to see if the for sale sign was still there, and after a week or so I asked Mom to call again, only this time find out the low down before calling. "There has to be reason it's still for sale," I said. Mom found out the house was a bank repo, and that the bank owned the house. Long story short, we made our offer, and within a few hours they accepted the offer and the little cottage house was indeed ours!

I know the complete history on the house. Back then, most of the neighbors had too lived in their homes for a very long time, and I was able to chat with them to get the wonderful stories. I was even able to phone one of the original owners shortly after we moved in.

The house was built in the twenty's by a Chicago architect, and he lived here for a short time. After that a dentist purchased the home, Dr. Sanfort, and then a preacher, and lastly the family that lost the home, because their son had cancer, and they poured all their money into his treatments and care.

Isn't that sad?

I was very sad when I heard this part too. There is a wonderful light at the end though. This family moved to New York, and are very happy, and there son, cancer free and healthy today. How do I know this? One summer day while I was outside in the yard, they drove by and stopped and introduced themselves. They were just visiting the area, and thought they would drive by there old house. I was so happy after they told me that their son was OK, and that the move ended up to be one of the best things that ever happened to them. Isn't that a lovely ending?

Here are some shots of the new bedroom, and that cute little animal on the bed is my impulse purchase from here.

    

I bought this wicker rocker the same year we moved into our house. It's funny, this chair can only fit slide through the door one way. Yesterday I bet I spent at least twenty minutes trying it in all four directions before finally getting it right! A major physics thing, the correct maneuver!

     I'm knee deep in closet cleaning now, and realizing how much a girly girl I am, as my closet is filled with lot's and lot's of clothes.

Lot's of stuff to share later this week, and I am still planning on another Caring and Sharing Giveaway. I want to share some sweet things I got in the mail this past week from my far away sweet friend in Washington, Clarice.

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Perfect!

You know what they say, the third time is a charm!

That sums up the story with the blue paint. I had Lennis go to the paint store the third time yesterday, I knew they would think I was nuts if I showed my face the same day requesting yet a third can/color of paint. He graciously did, and all is well, everyone's happy and I'm having fun sprucing things up.

After an all day painting session I was too tired to take pictures, so I'll share later.

I'm hanging family pictures on two corner walls in the bedroom, an inexpensive but yet nostalgic look. I believe the bedroom is an ideal cozy place for pictures. I'm fortunate to have 4 generations of my family pictures to display.

The bedroom floors are hard wood and were in need of a face lift. When I went to the hardware store to pick up some cleaning supplies, I asked the guy if there was something on the market that would cover scratches and restore the floors. He recommended this. Oh my gosh! This stuff is like magic in a can! I did the entire floor and couldn't believe the results, it looked like a brand new wood floor. Lennis was amazed. So if you have some wood floors in need on some tender loving care, I would highly recommend this product. I did have to have a fan running while using it, as it had a strong odor, but other than that, perfect results!

I did take a few more pictures of the Saturday Studio over the weekend, and I purchased something that I can't wait to share. It was an impulse buy, but once you see it, you'll see immediately how anyone would be tempted to be impulsive about this adorable ---.

The rabbits have come out of their holes, and making themselves at home in the studio.

I have several of the ceramic rabbits. They are old Avon rabbits and I love them. They were my Mother's so even hold more sentimental value.

I have also been working on soap packaging and the little room is beginning to be filled with Bittersweet Easter.

As usual, I'm working on several projects at once, and I have a lot of stuff I want to show you. I have some caring and sharing things I want to share later this week too.

I'm on a rambling role with my Spring cleaning and sprucing, and planning to clear my closet of winter and restock it with my short sleeve shirts and tennis shoes.

Enjoy a caring and sharing day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

The Blues!

Yep, I gotta em, those blues!

It happened over the weekend just out of the bl_ _.

I'm really at a loss for what to do, I really am! I'm having the darnedest time trying to get the right shade of blue for our bedroom. This is what I have now, and both Lennis and Patrick don't care for the light shade. I'm wanna of those girls that aims to please, so that bothers me!

I'm sick of green so please no mention of green!

Let's see though, blue is awful close to green on the color wheel, maybe I should go opposite. Oh my, who would have thought!

My thoughts turn, should I go light or dark, or in between, or maybe even another color all together. Believe it or not, I awoke through out the night pondering these thoughts!

I have always had this color choosing dilemma! I see color a bit different than most. I'm always off at least to shades. It's what I don't see that causes me to be a frequent guest at my local paint store, gosh I even have an account!

I am fond of the creamy colored dresser, but honestly, the blue is a tad to light after seeing this picture.

It looked so pretty on the swatch!

Stay tuned, if you dare, as I'm sure the color choosing extravaganza will continue. I'm hoping it ends soon though, my arms are getting PRW, PAINT ROLLER WEAKNESS!

Enjoy caring and sharing days, and thank you for all your sweet emails and comments.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

*Snow Day*

I slept in this morning knowing it had snowed again during the night and that it was going to be a snow day. This winter has reminded me so much of the winter's we had when I was growing up here in the Midwest.

We used to get a considerable amount of snow mixed in with very cold days.

The cold days would be around for awhile and freeze the ponds and small lakes in my small town, which allowed us to go ice skating.

I remember as though it was yesterday, jumping out of the car, excited, my Dad always first to examine the thickness of the ice to make sure it was safe to skate on. I was always nervous for him, watching his every move as he squatted down in the middle of the lake to chip away the ice.  He cut a hole in the ice to determine the thickness, and then gave the OK for me to come further out onto the ice.

I always looked in awe as my Dad skated with ease and perfect form. He even skated backwards, which I have never been able to do. I remember as we skated you would here the ice popping throughout the lake, an eerie sound that added to the excitement I felt while skating along on that winter ice skating day!

The snow has always had the same effect on my psychy.

I love the snow! I know I've told you before how much I love the snow.

As a kid, I do not recall a snow day that went by without Jill outside in it! I built igloo's and snow forts, and snow men,  and went sledding until way after dark. I waxed the blades of my sled so that my sled was the fastest on my block. We had a large hill just at the end of our street, and  I remember climbing that hill over and over, sledding until I could sled no more!

To this day, when it snows, I can't stand looking out my window and not going outside to tromp and play in it! Just like a kid, I feel it calling me to come out and play.

The snow captures my magical memories that I hold dear to my heart.

Enjoy a caring and sharing day.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

*Planning Ahead In Bed*

Taxes Done! Moving on to less right brain work, or is it left brain, can't remember.

It's never as bad as it looks before I begin, just a bit intimidating with all the piles of paper work. I'm guessing it might be less cluttered and congested if I were to do it on the computer, but I've grown accustomed over the year's doing it the old fashioned way, and there is a method behind my madness.

So many things coming up! Patrick is going to Germany the first week of June for two weeks with his German class, and in between passport readiness, school, Bittersweet, and life in general it's gonna be a busy Spring!

Getting the taxes done is always the beginning of a new start for a new season with business, and I'm excited about things that are coming Bittersweet's way. Since Bittersweet is my livelihood and passion, I expect nothing but great things in the future for her!

My expenses were down compared to year's past, as I didn't have the overhead from the retail shop on the square, and the expenses that occur on a steady daily basis when you own and operate a retail brick and mortar. The money has a way of going in and out as fast as you can say "jack rabbit"!

Having the shop downtown was rewarding and demanding at the same time. Demanding in the fact that if I sold out of one thing, I simply made more that night! Which means almost every night I went home to make more stuff, which don't get me wrong, love making stuff, but it kept me non stop very busy.

Rewarding in the fact, making things is what I was born to do, and the joy of not having to purchase re-ran produced shop inventory, and the shear happiness I noticed on customer's faces as they looked in awe at a one-of-a-kind piece. Then there's the profit margin, mine being higher since I was a manufacturer, which allowed me to make more $.

In all honesty, and strictly my personal feelings, after being in business for over ten year's and having the shop for five of those year's, one of the smartest things I did was move my shop into my home.

I didn't close my shop because I wasn't busy. Bittersweet was a hustling little boutique!

Quite simply, I knew I was too busy!  Stocking those shelves with over one hundred one-of-a-kind Bittersweet's, coming home every night after dinner making more stuff, and keeping up with the demand of adding new items every week was beginning to become a chore!

I'm a type A, three times over, but hey girls, too much work, even if your passionate, will cause burnt out, just no way around it! Gotta keep that balance!

I knew the balance was tipped, and I also knew I was on the road to burn out! I also knew I didn't want to quit making my stuff, and I had a pretty long list of customer's that would be disappointed if they could no longer purchase Bittersweet's.

So after pondering that thought for quite some time, I came up with the idea of a Saturday Studio. The idea was designed so that my Internet customers would have an outlet to continue purchasing their Bittersweet products, and so that I could see their smiling faces at least once a week!

Before opening the Saturday Studio, I researched our local city ordinance to make sure the studio was in compliance. Cities vary on rules and regulations for home business. Most cities have modified their ordinance's to accommodate the growing number of small home business's.  I found that opening Bittersweet in my home was compliant, and that it was the perfect alternative to having a retail location. I could even hang a small sign above my back door if I so chose to do so.

I have to tell you that owning the brick and mortar shop on the square for five years gave Bittersweet a major jump start! Those customers from the shop have followed me home, and I have been fortunate to continue to have their support and patronage.

I am a happy soulful soap maker/ Saturday Studio Proprietress because of you!

Enjoy a caring and sharing Tuesday.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

   

   

*Quests*

Saturday Studio enjoyed the pleasure of a few gals/friends company, and it is always nice to visit with everyone! It was past six o'clock, when I came upstairs after the last guest left, amazed how time disappears when you're having fun!

I enjoyed our great conversation's girls!

The things we tal