For those of you that are new to Bittersweet I'd like to introduce you to my handmade home.
But first I need to go back a few years to explain how it all began.
I started making soap 16 years ago after my aunt sent me a Christmas package containing handmade soap she had made. I was in total awe over the soap and thought how wonderful to make ones very one soap. I knew instantly that I too wanted to make my own soap.
Back then there were very few soap-maker's and even fewer books on the subject. The Internet was available but just starting. Do you remember dial up? Need I say more?
After a long search to find literature on modern day soap making I finally stumbled upon the type of soap making book I had been searching for.
After reading the book and learning I became even more motivated and excited to make my own soap. I ordered the supplies needed to make a small batch and followed the directions that were in the book. I poured the liquid soap into shoe boxes and stuck the boxes under my bed. Then I covered them with vintage quilts.
Since this was the first time I'd ever made soap I pondered many different thoughts. What if it doesn't turn out? The book said not to peek! I remember that was really hard to do! However I did not.
The next morning I could not wait to get up and uncover the quilt from the shoe box. I carefully took the quilt off the box and looked inside the shoe box. The box was filled with a shiny hard soap! I must have done it right I thought to myself. Excitement and happiness, contentment and joy were the emotions I was feeling. I can remember how I felt as though it was yesterday.
After cutting the shoe box soap into bars the excitement grew even more with each cut. I used a kitchen knife to cut the soap into bars.
Different thoughts ran through my mind as I cut the soap. What if I were to offer this soap to local merchants to sell in their shops? Yeah, that's a great idea, I thought. I would start a soap making business. I called my mom and told her what I was doing. She was more excited then I was. I asked mom to help me create a name for my new company. Thus the name Bittersweet was introduced. As I said before, there were very few soap-maker's back then. To my knowledge I was one of the only soap-maker's in my state. Hard to imagine isn't it?
At the time a friends sister owned and managed an antique shop a few miles away. My friend spoke with her sister and she was excited to carry the new line of soaps in her shop. My first sale!
The excitement I felt during that time was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. The thrill of starting a soap making business felt just right. In anticipation of selling lots of soap the manufacturing commenced! The soap recipe was tripled and supply and demand was oozing. Bittersweet even participated in shows back then. I can't tell you how thrilling it was to make and offer something no one else had. The handmade soap was shiny and new.
Patrick was in kinder-garden at the time. Sweet memories of getting him off on the bus for school and then loading my car with my traveling soap. I had a suitcase with wheels that I'd fill with the different varieties. I created a wholesale price list and scurried off, soap and girl. I can't tell you how many shops I traveled to back then. Bittersweet traveled a four state area before hiring sales reps. Wait, I'm getting ahead of the story.
Bittersweet had a perfect track record. Hope you don't mind a bit of bragging. Of all the shops I visited, not one ever turned my away empty handed. Check in hand. Everyone wanted Bittersweet Soap! Owning a monopoly sure was grand!
Wow, this is a long story! Maybe I should break it up. Chapter two next...
Enjoy caring and sharing autumn days.
Warmly,
Jill 00
