Bittersweet and the little soap company

May Day~Celebrate Spring!

 
Hope to see you tomorrow!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

admiration+♥love=peace

 
This shot was taken around this time three years ago when Julie and I participated in our friend  Kelly's  farm show. Jill on the left, Miss Rita and Patchouli Julie. That saying comes to mind when I look at this picture. A picture is worth a thousand words. We look so happy, don't we? Now that I ponder that thought we are a group of happy girls. Love that Bittersweet sign in the background! Remember when I made that?

Still in high gear but getting ready to down shift, I hope. I imagine that's how we roll around here, pun intended. The final few days before the May Day event and it's almost a wrap. Once again, pun intended.

The studio is beginning to fill with fresh Bittersweets and I've made fifty May Day goody bags to hand out to the first 50 friends, customers.

 
I love the 'Enid'! Oh sorry, maybe I've told you that already. It's the ♥ handmade trim♥. I'm kind of stuck on that , not surprising. I tend to stick with favorites for awhile and then move on to something else. Sound familiar?

 The vintage breezy summer blouses I picked up at the antique show are the perfect backdrop for the humble apron.

The second stick, 'Botanical Blooms'.

 
It's probably those ♥ flower blossoms ♥ I fancy.

 
Oh that too! ♥ Loooooooooooove ♥. 

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Jill 00

 

spring surprises

 
There's always a Bittersweet that takes center stage each spring. This season it's been the trio of mini sachets wrapped in French paper ribbon. I'm getting pretty fast at making these! I have a small assembly type line going on.  The small sachets are perfect for tucking inside pillowslips and linen drawers. Filled with fresh lavender of course. If you're interested they're listed @ the shop. 

 
The little soap boxes are even steven in the race. Limited supply available, because...

 
I'm in need of some soap wrapping!

My friend Mona is coming by to help me wrap soap today! Thanks Mona for being so generous with your time. I teased her and told her it was a 10 hour shift! Kidding of course, probably more like 2 hours.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

The good, the bad and the ugly...

 
These pretty wallpapered cylinder containers were once filled with oats. Now they've been repurposed to house studio stash & what no t's. I love the patterned paper. The paper pattern is Crabtree & Evelyn shelf paper that I purchased several years ago. I don't see this pattern on their web site, bummer.

Covering the containers is quite easy. Simply cut a piece of paper to size and spray a bit of adhesive on the back and gently press the paper around until you meet the seam and then overlap just a hair until secure. You can varnish over if you want. I did not.  

I am fond of most anything wrapped in pretty paper. What fun to admire it close up rather than from afar.

While on the subject of oats...

I have been trying to shed a few pounds. This past saturday one of my friends, customers recommended a weight loss site. Typically I'm not one to follow a regimen. This web site however seemed quite resourceful and handy and help keep track of my daily calorie intake so that I could examine the process.

I began posting my daily consumed foods and when I put in the steel cut oat's that I eat every morning for breakfast I was flabbergasted at both its fat content and calories. One little cup contained 680 calories!!! I probably ate closer to 2 cups every single morn. Then I topped it off with maple syrup and CREAM! 

My conclusion... Those yummy oat's I enjoyed each morning for breakfast are a trio of the good, the bad, and the ugly! Hucky Darn too, I really enjoyed them, quite tasty indeed! In conjunction with the oat's I also indulged in fresh juice and a handful of almonds every single morn.

Now after taking a closer look, I will omit the oat's and switch to juice, almonds and yogurt for breakfast. All of this pretty boring to most of you I'm sure. My breakfast menu.

 I never had access weight gain until I reached my late forty's. Once I hit fifty it became a chore to maintain a comfortable feel good weight level. Not to mention, I stopped smoking after 30 years and double whammy, menopause. They say an extra 10 pounds for each added.   I did not even have a scale in the house to weigh myself. I always relied on how I felt and looked in the mirror. That feeling of heaviness begins to consume me and I know it's time to shed some pounds.

Anyway that web site is very resourceful and a great aid in monitoring what you eat.

One more little weight loss tid bit...

I walk 2 miles, 5 to 6 days a week. Calories burned, about 800! Hucky darn again. You would think more like 8000 wouldn't you? No matter, I love to walk, and that's priceless, right?

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days. The robins are singing and the grass is oh so green this time of year.

Happily,

Jill 00

Welcome Miss Enid and Madam Lavender...

 
The studio has had a mini makeover and new soaps and Enid aprons line the corners in preparation for the May Day celebration and open house on Saturday.

In need of wrapping a couple hundred bars of soap and making a few things before the grand finalle. The week of this event is always non stop, but I enjoy the hustle bustle feeling I get especially this time of year when the lily of the valley is blooming and the robins are singing and pure|clean|simple seems so much more than just three words.

 
Lavender takes center stage in the studio. Freshly made linen sprays and sachets curtsy and bow to a captive audience.

Miss Enid Apron too...

 

Fancied up gift boxes house hand picked goodies for mom too.

 
Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

 

pot de fleur

 
While digging through my paper closet I found these paper mache flower pots. With a dusting of paint and a decoupaged lid they transformed nicely into a perfect Easter or Mother's Day vessel for Bittersweet products.  
I absolutely love that linen ribbon! I'm not sure if it is readily available at the craft store. I purchased the ribbon through one of my ribbon wholesalers. I'm a bit of a ribbon freak! I have so many spools of ribbon that it becomes difficult to locate sometime.

 
I'm working on some other container projects. I also a container freak and have a large selection of cardboard boxes. I've been making them pretty with decoupage. Share later...

I'm off to the county courthouse. Our taxes went up over 35% in one year! I am appealing their assessment. I will let you know how that goes. What's that old saying? You can't fight city hall...  Don't pay much mind to that!

UPDATE: Such nice folks at our courthouse!

GARDEN DUG!

Lennis came home from work with a rented tiller in truck. He worked the rich dark soil for several hours and now the once clumpy dirt when picked up in your hand feels like flour! We're getting a nice spring rain and once it drys up I'm headed to that dirt! It's been cool and the ground temp is still chilly so I'm going to attempt to get some spinach, lettuce and radishes in.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

Favorite corners, favorite things...

 
This is a favorite corner in my kitchen. It's soft and light. A couple of years ago I made burlap curtains to hang in the three windows that are in the kitchen. I love the earthy tone mixed with subtle hints of red and pink and white.

 
That same look continues into product labels and throughout the studio. Soft hues mixed with hints of spring color.

 
Spring projects continue in Bittersweet land.

 
   
New hang tags for the Enid, front and back.

Then I'm putting together some really cute Mother's Day gift assortments. I'll probably list and offer them on the blog. Still working on that project.

Also, Mother's Day tags to share.

Download Mothers day tags

Print on white card stock and attach to gifts.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

Petit Notes & Pretty Gifts...

 
Sometimes it's the small handmade items that bring the most joy. For example, these petit notes filled with sticky pads seem ideal for writing sweet sentiments to place inside a lunch pale or brief case. The kind gesture will become a treasured memory.

The pretty hinged clasp, aka clothes pin dressed in vintage paper. So simple to construct but adds a sweet charm.  If you can't find vintage paper and have access to a printer you can easily find fabric swatches and scan them to create unique one of a kind papers.

 
I spotted these botanical print boxes the other day at the craft store. They were marked down to a reasonable price and when I saw them I knew exactly what to put inside.

 
Several bars fit nicely and will make a lovely Easter gift for friends. I'll leave the bars unwrapped and tie with a linen ribbon.  

Spring inspires many gift ideas all of which will surely be admired by the recipient.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Happily,

Jill 00

Cookies & Punch

 
♥ The May Day cookie menu ♥

Butter Cookie

Shortbread Tarts

Peanut Butter Cup Cookie

Pink Punch

These are new cookie recipes that I have never made, but thought they sounded yummy. The punch is an old recipe that was handed down to me from the ladies I used to work with at city hall years ago.

Those tarts would be ideal as an Easter treat, I think!

Enjoy caring and sharing days.

Happily,

Jill 00 (New readers) Two hugs are better than one!