Bittersweet and the little soap company

Happy May!

May Poem

by Jill

My favorite month is here, and I'm shouting a huge cheer

For with her comes flowers in bloom, and after that, a Junie Moon

Her smiley face follows me wherever I go, and I'm taken by her mojo

In honor of her special day, a posy of daisies I gathered from the bay

I dream about the days to come while I travel to and from

A happy face I'll carry, as I frolic in the May of Merry

Here are some things I've been creating in honor of Miss May and hoping for a Happy Springy Saturday Studio May Day.

Enjoy caring and sharing May Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

Bittersweet Green Spring

I have some time this morning to share with you things I've been working on for Bittersweet Spring.

I am aware of the fingerprints that my little company leaves behind. I am always on the look out for creative ways to limit extra baggage.

I recycle old labels, use and re-use what I have as often as I can, package products in recyclable containers, and create products that are earth and people friendly.

Whew, I've been a busy girl!

May Day celebration preparations are under way, and while making ironing spray and lavender linen spray I'm thinking about wrapping soap, and addressing invites, and making more strawberries, and, blah, blah, blah, bloom!

I spent the entire day yesterday wrapping soap! Now that's a lot of soap! I love the way the soap rack looks when its stuffed full of fresh Spring Soap

The May Day tokens are coming along nicely, and I dug out the May Pole I made several years ago. It's kind of cool,  a bamboo rod, a top sets a large posy of Shasta daisy's, ribbons of every color hanging down loosely. I'll share some pictures with you later. I need to fill in some small holes with more blossoms.

Todays schedule calls for more green work.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Green days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

Peek a Spring boo

Just a little peek to let you know I'm still here, but preoccupied with some Spring creations.

I'll be in and out for the upcoming weeks to come.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

blog-a-tion:INTERMISSION

I'm one busy little bee! My hive is empty and there's work to be done, and since I'm the Queen Bee, that means I better get to work. Yes indeed, that's right, a Queen bees work is never done!

With the May Day celebration approaching, and new spring creations in the works, and inventory running low, I have been more a busy working bee, and not so much a Queen.

The May Day invitations are on there way, and the May Day baskets, well, let's just say, I've only just began making those, and the new stuff that's been floating around, still floating.

The strawberry sachets are a huge hit at Bittersweet, so I'm making a large patch of those, and couture cartons, all gone, sold out, making more, I love those little sewing kits! The Chicky clip boards, all gone!

I'll be taking a blogation.

Not sure how long I'll be gone.

I'll be back, once I get everything caught up.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)   

Roses are pink, violets are purple, and the little blue bird sings her song

Missouri hosts one of the prettiest springs you'll ever see!

Last spring was wishy washy. She couldn't make up her mind to stand on her own, and leaned on her brother winter. Winter decided we needed a few nights of freezing cold wintry nights, not knowing he was killing the young tender spring flowers and plants during their grand finale of opening blooms and blossoms.

Hopefully this spring, winter will remain in hibernation, and not be abruptly awaken like he was last year, so that we can enjoy and take in Springs glorious natural beauty.

We have wild violets throughout our yard. I love wild violets. They are a small blossomed flower, but when mixed with many, become a stunning spring posy. I can see why my mom and her sister chose them for their May day baskets.

We have both white and purple in our yard. I also have a cluster of lily of the valley. They aren't quite blooming yet, but will soon be sprouting their unique white crown cups soon, probably around the same time as the peony's begin budding, another favorite short blooming spring flower.

My friend Dana brought me this little blue bird. Dana, the small ceramic bird is perfect for showcasing my posy of purple violets.

Blue birds are Missouri's state bird. They are not frequently seen, but when you do see one, you won't soon forget there unique beauty and their vibrant feathers of blue.

The species prefers nesting approximately five feet off the ground, and no taller than six, and if building a bird house for these lovely little creatures, they also prefer a 1,1/2 size entrance to their homes. I know this simply because of my dads admiration for blue birds, and he has built several blue bird homes throughout his yard.

Monday, Monday.. The beginning of a new Spring week!

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than none)

 

 

 

Burlap & Roses

The other day when I went to the fabric store to pick up more burlap to wrap the garden soap, I noticed some new rosy calico's had arrived.

While holding the burlap, I noticed how well I liked the two textiles setting aside one another. The calico adds a bit of softness to the textured burlap, and I like the balance.

I was inspired to create these little draw string bags. I've always been fond of this timeless textile, especially this mushroom color.

The little bags are available on Bittersweet's New for Spring site.

I have lots of plans in the works for using the days gone by cloth in other Bittersweet projects, and I can't wait to share with you my creations. My head is just a spinning with ideas. I love it when that happens!

I scrambled to get packages sent out yesterday afternoon. If you happen to read this, samples, giveaways, and orders, all headed to their destinations, instead of just setting:)

I clicked a rainy afternoon shot of my porch. The curtain behind the table is temporary. I am covering up the huge gas grill. I was over ruled by two men that insisted we assemble the grill on the porch for easy access off the kitchen.

I have to admit, I do like having the cooking contraption so close to the kitchen, but I hate the way these things look. I'm planning on replacing the curtain with a bamboo blind.

Lennis's sister is coming to visit this weekend, I can't wait to serve Sunday morning coffee and tea on the porch.

Dishtowel schedule calls for cleaning of the sweet home. I seem to be stuck on this lately, spring cleaning mode.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

 

In between the blooms

The owls hooted me to sleep last night. Just as I lye in bed thinking about them, they began to make that soothing sound only owls can make.

I planted seedlings yesterday, and quickly realized I chose the windiest day of spring, as I watch my poppy seed packet fly around to the side of the yard, I notice my weeping cherry tree is in full bloom. 

Lennis purchased and planted this tree for our anniversary several years ago. I've always thought this small ornamental tree was beautiful when it's in full bloom.

While out and about in the yard I noticed we're in between the blooms. Meaning, the tulips, flowering trees and shrubs, and bushes are just beginning to showcase their colorful hues.

Remember how I told you I don't plant my flowers until Mothers Day? It's the in between the blooms time that adds to the anticipation of the final moment when I can finally dig the dirt, and transplant my flowers. In between those times I gather forsythia blooms, and even cut some of the weeping cherry blossoms to bring the outdoors inside the sweet home.

We have a small back porch that sets off our kitchen. It's one of my favorite retreats outside our house once the weather warms. There's a red bud tree directly below the porch that's branches reach up to the top of the porch. The tree hasn't opened it's heart shaped leaves yet, but once it does it fills the entire space around the porch, and you feel as though your in a tree house. I could easily eat, sleep, and live on that porch during the warm spring and summer months.

I was going to show you a picture, but it seems typepad is experiencing some problems this morning.

I'm off to do some Bittersweet work.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

   

Owl love and a special friend

The past few mornings I've been awaken by the soft sound of hooting owls outside my bedroom window.

When I was around twelve or so, my best friend Nita lived across the street from the city park in our small town. During the summer months after dark, Nita and I would set on her front porch and watch in awe, as for some mysterious reason, the owls in our town seemed to enjoy congregating at the park after dark.

Like clockwork every night, twenty owls or so would fly around the small park, as Nita an I watched from her porch.

Ever since those nights on Nita's porch, I've been taken by these large fly by night birds.

I have a love for all birds big and small, but owls in particular, probably because of their mysterious keep to themselves nature, and fly by night preference, have always fancied my bird loving feathers.

I hope the owls continue to find refuge in our cedar trees outside our bedroom window throughout the spring and summer. I love waking to their unique soothing sounds.

From owls to rabbits I say!

My friend Dana is getting ready to launch a new blog and web site called The Stone Rabbit. Dana and I met when Bittersweet had only been in business for a few years, as she was close friends with one of my wholesale customers, and mutual friend, Donna.

That was around nine years ago. Dana and I just found out that we both grew up in the same small town I mentioned above. My world has always been small, and no acquaintance is by accident. Wouldn't you agree?

Dana makes and has created some of the cutest patterns and stuffies that I've ever seen, and I can't wait until she gets her blog up and running so you can see for yourself. I'm really excited to check out her patterns, and will, I'm sure, be one of her first customers.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

May Day Pouch

I began constructing the vellum origami pouches that I'm giving my guests during the May day celebration at Bittersweet.

I had some reserve 8x8 sheets my friend Ramona had given me from her print shop. The vellum will work perfect, and be water resistant, just in case I want to tuck in a few real flowers.

The picture is a bit different than the actual prototype. Rather than a bow, I inserted ribbon for hanging on each side of the pouch and then tied knots in each side so that it wouldn't slide out of the hole. By the time I got around to taking the picture, I had lost daylight, and the picture came out too dark.

I'm tucking in a small amount of excelsior, some millinery flowers, a tulle filled pouch of organic lavender, and the cookie recipe, so that my guests can bake the Spring cookies too.

These little origami pouches are the perfect size for creating darling May Day baskets.

You can redesign them using vintage wallpaper or pretty hand made paper. You can have your children share their art work, by drawing pictures on the front, before hanging on your neighbors door knobs.

 

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)

May Day at Bittersweet

 

With May Day around the Spring corner, and the need for a boost of my psyche during our extended winter weather, I began pondering some more thoughts of May Day.

This is a letter I received from my Aunt referencing her sweet memories of May Day.

Here is how your mom and I made the May Baskets at Aunt Enid's urging.  Use it however you will.  (The Russian government used to celebrate May Day during the Cold War, so I think that's why America stopped.  I'm glad you're reviving it.)  We used:

    - construction paper, any color folded like a paper drinking cup, pipe cleaners for handles, and these blossoms:  pink and white clover, wild violets, snippets of snow balls and lilacs, wild ox-eyed daisies, and if in bloom, the blossoms from apricot or plum tree, although of course apple or peach or pear would do fine.  So I'm not sure what your mom may have used, but sometimes the snow balls were in bloom too, and I definitely recall the lilacs and wild violets!   Your blog is wonderful!  Have fun.

Happy May Day,

Aunt Glenna

Personally, May Day sets a top most of the other holidays for me, with the exception of Christmas. My admiration for this day, and the reasons, are almost too many to count.

I'm certainly fond of the sweet gesture of leaving flower blossoms at neighbors doors and the caring and sharing act of affection. The happy memories of doing this when I was little far exceed a lot of other child hood memories I have or don't have.

I think about May Day and I think of setting on the lawn sipping pink lemonade and nibbling on short bread cookies sprinkled with lavender, and cupcakes iced with fluffy white frosting adorned with sugared violets. I think about wearing pastel colored sweaters matched with a new twirly skirt.

May Day is the induction to Spring.

Everything in my little town comes to life. Splashes of color start to appear and replace the ashy hues of winter, and festivals Spring into action, and fresh home grown produce begins to line the Saturday downtown streets at our local market on the square. The sound of doves cooing outside my kitchen window, I love that sound!

Those are my personal thoughts of May day.

Bittersweet's Lavender Cookie Recipe

Here are some pictures of past Bittersweet May Day celebrations.

    

I'm working on the May Day favors for the Bittersweet May Day celebration on May 3rd, and I'l be sharing the instructions for making the simplest, but cutest little May Day baskets so that you can make them too.

Enjoy caring and sharing Spring Days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (Two hugs are better than one)