Those simple cotton frocks and the wild plum blossoms falling like rain, love, love, in love with spring!
Tomorrow I'll be baking all day for the May Day event. In case you haven't seen or received an invite here's the details of the special event. It's going to a little cool on Thursday but knowing the calender says May 1 helps to set the May Day mood.
I'm going to be having giveaways all three days! The hostess gifts will be spread out over three days, but I encourage you to come early if you can to get one! You really must try the chocolate raspberry cake and the petite pimento and cheese sandwiches, oh, and the grape salad. So easy to make and is a great spring fruit salad dish. Click here for the receipt.
The week of May Day! I anticipate this one day all year, I do. If I wasn't a shop girl I'd more than likely head to the hills and pick some wild plum bouquets. What I mean to say is if the busy life of being a shop girl allowed me to have time to head to the hills and pick wild plum bouquets! It' does not. The milk weed seeds arrived on Saturday. I put together the little hostess packets of seeds to give to customers beginning May 1, May Day. Baking a variety of confections. Especially excited about this cake and mostly because of its beauty.
Peasant Tops hanging at the hand made shop. I reserved some white linen fabric to make myself one more! I think I have six or seven now! Love em! I purchased some new shop music. Have you listened to Carla? I think you will enjoy her soft mellow voice. She's quite talented. I ordered here. The ex-first lady of France by the way. You can learn more about Carla here. Her music and her voice are enchanting, I believe. Great easy listening music. Carla's cd is due to arrive the day before my May Day event.
It's been a cool rainy day. I made this for dinner. I added fresh ground nutmeg and next time I make it I'm going to add more clam juice for flavor. I prefer my clam chowder to taste more clammy!
I'm trying to remember if I told you about the Milk Weed Seeds. I don't think so. The hostess gifts I'm handing out during the May Day Event were going to include flower seeds, but not just any seeds. The other morning while driving to the shop I was listening to a man explain how the monarch butterfly is almost instinct because they only lay their eggs on milk weed. Did you know that? I didn't until I overheard the discussion on the radio. Now that I know that the monarch only lays their seeds on milk weed it was a no-brain-er to want include them in the hostess May Day gifts. I did a simple search on the Internet and found this company. So now I'm on a "Butterfly's are Free Campaign to save the Monarch!
I sure hope you're enjoying a colorful spring. Everything is blooming, blooming! I really need to capture spring, 2014 with some photo's.
Crazy busy week and weekend coming. Always before an event. I'll be baking next week. Lemon cookies, Amaretto Brownies, Raspberry Chocolate Layer Cake, Pimento & Cheese, Grape Salad, Almond Shortbread Cookies.
Those feelings I have when traveling back in time revisiting past Springs, creations and pure simple moments. I believe it's inspiring to review the past every now and then. Probably more now than then personally. I've been needing some good old fashioned inspiration and nothing gets me more motivated to be inspired than a journey back.
Sometimes I get teary-eye when I rummage through old Bittersweet designs. As I travel back it allows me to see a clear vision of my future. Does that make sense? Maybe only to me. Looking at the old version of Bittersweet and comparing it to the new is a sentimental journey to say the least. Pondering strong thoughts of creating a Bittersweet Book!
The cake recipe here. Big chunks of chocolate covered toffee, in case you're wondering. I can still remember how hot it was the day I took the country setting picture. I also remember a banner crop of lilacs! Oodles upon oodles and more than I've ever had in my garden.
May Day Potpourri. I was pleased as pudding with the label and the packaging.
Hydrangea and my favorite little flower, the wild violet. Some consider it a pest because it becomes intrusive. I could never think that. The white lilac. You don't see white lilac often. I dug up a few at an old country farm years ago and translplanted them in our yard. They bloom before the purple lilacs and carry a strong perfume in their blossoms.
Cute Alley modeling the vintage daisy dress. Helping to create shop memories that will carry me through my days of old.
Lavender Sachets modeled in pretty textiles.
My sweet dear friend Julie, Jules to some, but Julie to me. Who would have guessed we'd be sharing our shops. Not I! So very happy it all came about. Not sure how, but happy and content. That's not true, I realize it was a blessing in more ways than one-hundred.
Sometimes when I plan events like the upcoming May Day celebration I get sad. My sadness stems from my personal thoughts. Is it really that important to send postcards that arrive in the mailbox? Do you really care if a cake or cookie is made the old fashioned way rather than a box? Are the carefully chosen giveaways, hostess gifts, and pretty napkins as significant to others as they are to me? I have these same thoughts year after May Day year.
I have to think, they do. If only one soul does appreciate my effort then that's cause for soulful gratification.
What's that saying? It takes one person -
“Oh, it makes a difference, I thought. And if it doesn't make a difference you will make it make a difference.” ― Chaim Potok, My Name Is Asher Lev
Spring is always a busy time at Bittersweet. Ideas swirl and then transform into real live creations. Then after I make the new stuff they're delivered to the hand made shop. Fresh new items arrive almost every week which in turn keeps me very busy. Busy in a good way since that's how I make a living.
The weather has been outstanding the past few days. Very spring like and I've been relishing my walks through the neighborhood. The tulips and daffodils, magnolia trees, red buds all blooming. A sea of spring color everywhere you look.
The new soaps are dressed in their fanciest outfits. Clover Meadow and Blue Bell take center stage.
I'll be switching up store displays and showcasing the new items.
An entire line of perfume will be arriving soon. I'm waiting on glass bottles to ship. Some new skin care packaging and some bright ideas floating along with the spring wind.
I'm an early riser this morning. Patrick left before dawn, packed and ready to travel to Houston to visit his aunts. He said he's driving straight through. I requested he stop and walk around his car a few times. Still worry about that kid, but know he's all grown up and smart. I do pray for his safety every day. Funny, his aunts had a request for Gates Barbeque Sauce. I noticed a case was sitting on the table ready to be loaded in his jeep. That's my favorite sauce too!
The red bud trees are in their prime! So pretty to see the raspberry colored blooms mixed in with the spring green. I love the glory of spring!
I started making Peasant Tops to offer at the hand made shop. I sold the first one in a day! Don't you love that fabric? It's covered with tiny French dots. Now I wish that I'd purchased a bolt. Always happens. I should know by now that when a fabric screams out, by the bolt Jill! A young girl came in the shop with her mom and loved the blouse. It looked so cute on her. I'm inspired to make more simply by the bright smile that appeared on her face while she had it on. I should have taken a picture! The Peasant Blouses are going to be available at the shop in a variety of solid linen and cotton prints. The plan is to get several made so that once the downtown fashion show comes I will have some to model. I made a half dozen or so for myself! I'm also going to make little summer skirts to go with the Peasants.
New Blue Bell Soap. I really wanted to incorporate the color blue into the packaging. I had this vintage blue seam binding in my stash and thought it looked perfect with the blue label I created. Blue Bell is the first of a line of Botanical Blooming Soap!
The shop was busy yesterday and I anticipate a busy day today since it's the day before Easter. Lots of colorful soaps, lip balm, salts, and cremes to fill bunnies baskets.
Every now and then, an object offers delightful inspiration. Case in point, Gatherings Magazine. The editor of this magazine, Heather Spriggs Thompson has a unique and delightful inspiring creative mind. I'm in awe over her beautiful spell bounding periodical.
Do you recall the days when you picked up a magazine off the rack at your favorite book store only to find you couldn't wait to turn the page. What about that feeling of turning each page feeling a sense of anxiety knowing you'd almost finished but continued to yearn for more, more, more! Those are the feelings I have when I travel through the pages of this magazine. The features will capture and the photography will stun you! I promise.
Bittersweet is thrilled and honored to offer this magazine at our brick and mortar shop.
I had the pleasure of meeting Heather a few weeks ago. She traveled to the soap shop on water street with her two sisters. The girls were kind and lovely in every way. I captured this picture of them as they were exploring the hat section of the vintage boutique. I felt a kindred spirit connection with Heather and her lovely sisters.
They two, three our delightfully inspiring, don't you think? I enjoyed their visit and hope that they make it back soon.
Enjoy caring and sharing delightful inspiring spring days.
The hand made shop is beginning to look like spring. Fresh Stock blossom, one of my favorite flowers. The iron bike, now a favorite display piece for spring. Rabbit Sacs, Aprons hand sewn using soft spring like fabrics, Jardin Savon. I purchased a variety of different sized wood berry crates to house lavender sachets and soaps. I decoupaged the sides of the crates for an touch of spring color. Simple to do. Place your paper on the side and indent shape by pushing, cut out and glue onto wood crate. Cute idea for an outdoor wedding, I thought too.
Fresh bundle of white weeping cherry blooms from our little tree. It's almost done blooming now. Happy I picked some branches and brought them inside to enjoy since they're short lived. The little spring joys... Simple and sweet, but oh so appreciated.
Designing for spring. I do believe my favorite over all other seasons. Fresh and new and green, lots of green forming from the brown winter. Love the green!
We had our annual Easter egg hunt this morning. We moved it up and dodged the spring rain. Hit it just right before it started thundering and lightening! Family traditions held tight. M.J. prepared her famous brisket and homemade cinnamon rolls and sugar cookies. Full tummy, happy day. Thanks M.J. and dad.
Sewing machine is primed with new thread and I'm eager to make a few more peasant shirts.
Relaxing rainy spring day. I love these kind of days! Maybe a trip to the market to pick up a few items. Possibly ponder dinner menu ideas. Maybe kick up my heels and visit Pinterest.
The jonquils are blooming and the bright yellow daffodils are perky and in their prime. Forsythia bushes and magnolia trees finally ushering in a proper spring salute.
Light pink packaging on a new lip balm seems to be in keeping with my spring mood.
New Aroma Mist infused with scrumptious new spring tinctures. Oh how I'm in love with the White Gardenia, love.
The shop has been busy and I'm pondering more Peasant Top thoughts, because I really love wearing them! I have a large stack of patterns sitting on my sewing table. I'm digging into sewing my own clothes. The Peasant Shirts are going to be offered at the shop. I am envisioning an array scattered here and there. Some solid linen and tiny cotton prints. Have you ever stopped to wander the endless ways you can transform a peasant shirt into a line of hip attire? Spring Joy!
The Prairie Quilts...
I received a few emails asking about the Prairie Quilts. If you're intrigued, you can learn more here and here, here too! If you want to make a quilt but intimidated some hopefully the Prairie Quilt will help you to overcome those thoughts. I would encourage you to quilt it yourself. The process is easy and rewarding and you can tell all that you quilted it yourself. Pretty darn impressive if I say so myself! I like to tie them too! Surprisingly, it takes about the same amount of time. Maybe try both. I'm torn on which technique I enjoy the best.
Taking the big camera to the shop tomorrow to capture the new items and hope to get them listed on the web shop in the next few days.
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