Feeling a little under the weather the past few days. I'm guessing a winter break sometimes yields less work more rest. I'm not a very good patient when I'm sick, probably because I'm seldom sick. I also crave the most interesting foods. Peppermint tea and gingerbread are my latest go-to foods. I guess I'm not sick enough to not cook, ha!
I also believe your body tells you what you need to get well. It's interesting, ginger has been known for its healing upper respiratory tightness and peppermint helps open constricted blood vessels. Since I don't take medication when I'm sick, these foodie medications, I call them, help my body heal.
The old fashioned gingerbread like my mom used to make, my favorite.
I had some lined wooden loaf pans so I made two small size loafs.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar, add the molasses and egg and mix. Sift the spices and baking soda with the flour. Add flour, ginger, cinnamon, and soda and stir. Add boiling water and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
You can double this recipe and make a large Gingerbread to be baked in a 9x13 inch rectangular pan for about 30-35 minutes. Test for doneness.
I've been laying around pondering thoughts of ecru linen aprons and soap wrapped in little cloth bags. Sweet Lavender Sachets and these stunning preserved roses. Aren't they beautiful? They will last forever!
New cloth, paper tags and thoughts of greening it up by using and utilizing the piles upon piles of textiles I currently have. This is a prototype of one of those packaging thoughts.
New soap is curing and time has slowed down.
I also wished to create some lavender handkerchief sachets or pillows. Not exactly the way I want it to look, but it's getting there.
Low key "ring'in the new year." You'll probably find this soap making girl in bed early!
Wishing you a happy peaceful beginning to an adventurous and prosperous upcoming year.
Enjoy caring and sharing winter days.
Wishing you could smell the gingerbread resting on the kitchen table. I believe it's calling my name as is the cream.
Some words evoke toasty warm and sweetness when you hear or say them. I believe cocoa is one of those words. When you marry that word with artisan olive oil soap and particularly when pondered by a seasoned cold process soap maker it's a lovely thing. I am a bit bias, of course.
This soap maker's behind the scenes studio that I don't often share. My favorite place next to the apothecary shoppe on water street. By the way, a few years ago a friend commented how funny it was that the soap shop was located on water street. I wonder if there are other soap shoppes with a water street address? Some more sweetness, Bittersweet always more sweet than bitter. For most of the time you need the bitter to appreciate the sweet. Something I feel honored to have come to realize in recent years.
Chamomile, Sandalwood Powder, Elder Flowers, Peppermint Leaves, Rosemary Powder, some of my favorite dried herbs. I love the chamomile flower heads. Their scent is soft and distinct while stirring up thoughts of a sleepy time tea.
I'm sorting through the studio. Since I make so many different things there are a variety of components that help make up the space. Vintage, Textiles, Paper in a variety of weights, colors, sizes. Lot's of paper! In fact, I'm contemplating storage ideas for the many reams of paper. The hand made Italian paper on my favorite paper loving list.
A treasured rose bud pine cone that my friend Clarice gifted to me while visiting her Storybook Wood Home Sweet Home. She hand picked the beautiful cone from her yard. Everytime I gaze upon the woody cone I think of her.
I made a big crock of this for dinner. The dumpling recipe was yummy. I added organic cornmeal to the dumpling and had some cream left over from Christmas. I do believe the cream and cornmeal enhances the dumpling. This will be my new go-to dumpling recipe.
I have a pile of herb and garden books to indulge in. Fat, fluffy pillow mounds and layered prairie quilts also on my winter mind while the weather man forecasts an arctic blast arriving tonight. For some winter is a burden. Shorter days, longer nights, north winds and hot cocoa appeal to me in ways I can't begin to put into words. I enjoy the tranquilness and slow down that winter ushers in. I'm also fond of soft candle light, prairie quilts and piles of books. Winter helps to cast a warm shadow that is unlike any other season.
I guess that's why I enjoy sled riding, ice skating and playing in the snow.
We had a soft, quiet Christmas. We've already taken down the tree! A busier climate awaits this soap maker. After Christmas things tend to move pretty fast around here. Pondering thoughts of new spring bittersweets dance in my head.
Since my apothecary business is expanding and growing increased soap manufacturing is mandatory. I've created an early spring soap menu. Several more flavors will be added to the list.
I'm switching up. Changing labels and tweaking some packaging ideas. New patterns, designs and aroma's await the final prototype.
January is my May. That's the way it's been rolling since 1997.
A linen line of bittersweets, including the lavender heart sachets like the picture above. Cottage aprons and a new lavender line. A customer requested a soothing lavender wand or stick. The new relaxing stick will be made similar to a headache stick.
A Christmas bloom for you! I'm always a bit in awe when it blooms on que. A little flower blessing or if they could talk, I would imagine, the stunning flower bowing and saying softly, "my gift to you my friend!" I ordered fresh bee's wax candles for the dining room table. I ordered the candles here. I love burning tall tapers in the winter and the scent of bee's wax.
I had another winter solstice birthday. Isn't the bag pretty? Julie's gift, much asked for, needed smart wool socks. I guess she felt it necessary to give me socks because the one's I was wearing had holes. A little canine creature took big hunks out of my socks when she was a puppy. I continued to wear the socks because they're so pricey. I'm strange like that. Love, love, new socks.
We're having a low key Christmas as we usually do and our favorite kind. My family arrives tonight. No traveling for any of us. My dad, brother, live in the same community. We'll celebrate with food more so than gifts. Since I re-opened the shop, time is limited to cook a feast like years past, so I've ordered a meat tray from my favorite deli. My dad's favorite soup, potato. Lennis is making the soup. Some appetizers and this cake. I was planning on making a gingerbread cake, but decided on this one instead. Homemade caramel sauce got my attention!
I just looked out the window and it's snowing! The mailman is scurring by to deliver packages and my mood is festive.
My little apothecary shoppe has enjoyed a joyous season. I'm much appreciative and thankful and even more happy when I stop to ponder the hand made thoughts.
The upcoming new year will be bursting with new opportunities and I pray for guidance and direction. I also remain humble when realizing each day is a gift.
I've started to turn my mind more towards this way of thinking. Appreciating each day as a gift, and cherishing the moments. If you wish to change your perspective into a more thankful one, that's a sure way of doing it.
If you're reading this, I've neglected to announce how much you mean to me and with those thankful day to day appreciative moments include you. Withought you, well, my blessings would not be.
It's almost two a.m. and yes, here I am typing away. Thoughts pop in during what should be slumber time. I've had little time to plan this weeks radio show with the busy schedule at the apothecary shoppe. This is what happens. Wide awake and bushy tail with spot on radio show add-on's in my mind. A merry little radio show, it is! Topics centered by my love and passion for what else, my little downtown and it's people. Folks that struck in, not out, to follow a dream of owning their own restaurant or boutique. Go for it and let the passion guide you. It will.
I feel fortunate having the platform of radio to help get the word out about how wonderful and unique our downtown is. Isn't if funny how these things just happen and come by surprise? Opportunities always await you, I believe.
Years ago I chose to have my apothecary shoppe in downtown Liberty. It has always made sense for me to market in that direction. All north, east, west and south of it.
Seeds are planted. Some seeds take longer to germinate. The work is not done after planting, it must be watered and nurtured to grow. This is how I feel about most things. With hard work and determination nothing can stand in your way.
I'll be pod casting Fridays show on the Jill & Jules Face-book page. There is a link to the page on the left top corner.
During the holidays and throughout the rest of the year I'm reminded.
It's winding down at the apothecary shoppe. The shoppe will be open for a few more days and then a little winter break for this alchemist. It's been non-stop fast speed ahead for the past several weeks.
My apothecary business is growing. Folks are spreading the word about my brick and mortar shoppe. Word of mouth, so they call it.
According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. The American Marketing Association (AMA) decided to find out exactly what brands were doing about that fact. In a recent study, 64% of marketing executives indicated that they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. However, only 6% say they have mastered it.
I learned this to be true soon after launching my small business. Think about how often a friend or loved one has recommended a book, restaurant or movie. Generally, you listen, right?
Social media, old fashioned hold in hand visual print advertising, radio, television, none of which hold a candle to word of mouth. I'm thankful for this.
Looking forward to a winter break. The apothecary shoppe will be closed after Christmas and through the middle of January. Behind the scenes, a slower pace. Creating continues but on a much more casual scale, no pun intended.
Home sweet home will be spruced, no pun intended.
Spring, yes Spring will be pondered. A common January thought for many years. A new year that evolves, twists and turns, with many opportunities to be thankful.
Before that...
Holiday gatherings with friends and family, another birthday, I'm especially thankful for that.
My heart is filled with love. May it always be. I'm forever thankful for that.
Especially thankful. If you stop and think, a heart filled with love is a most precious gift that far exceeds any other.
I ordered the wrong size tins, much larger than the ones needed. This is what I did with the larger tins. Love it when this happens!
The keepsake soap box. An idee that originated by my sweet soft spoken mom before she passed. Lovely soulful feeling to be continuing to create the boxes, painting them, all these years later. Knowing my mom would have loved the way they've progressed through the years and I think of her when I'm making them. Bittersweet...
The cottage apron. I've been using the same 1967 pattern for many years to make the full length pinnies. A collection is holiday hanging at the apothecary shoppe.
Herbal Happiness, these two married. One of the flavors tagging along on the holiday soap menu and not for much longer.
I've only done a tiny bit of Christmas shopping. We've condensed our shopping this year. It feels really good. I'm not missing the pressure of rushing out to purchase gifts. It not only feels good, it's exhilarating! I do love Christmas, but not necessarily the gift part so much. A quiet candle glowing Christmas Eve dinner and an early morning brunch puts a smile on my face. It's always about the food, you see. The gingerbread cake with frosty cranberries will be the highlight of evening before the day.
A stack of index cards that sit on my desk and I pull one from the top of the pile to write the list of items that are needed for the next day. This is my season at the hand made shoppe.
Gathering blessings one after another and my cup runneth over.
Some questions that have popped up lately...
How long has Bittersweet been in the hand made business?
17 years
How did you get started making soap?
I began pondering thoughts of making hand made soap in 1997 after receiving a holiday gift of hand made goat milk soap my Aunt Vivian made in her kitchen. She had wrapped the silky soap bars in beautiful packaging. I was in awe! When I was a small girl I was fascinated and in love with fragrance and flowers. Those thoughts and the seed that my Aunt caring and sharing planted inspired me to be a soap maker. Aunt Vivian continues to inspire me in many ways. Her stories about watching my great grandmother Lucy make soap fill my heart with song. I could easily take this entire page to describe those soulful soap making feelings, but I'm afraid I'd bore you.
In 1997, there were very few soap makers. I recall one book that touched on the instruction of making soap. I researched and experimented and made many mistakes before perfecting the craft of soap making. Having limited information about the craft was to my advantage. I learned things first hand and discovered and created original Bittersweet creations by not having the luxury of reading about it or seeing it on the Internet. Do you recall "dial up?"
How many things do you make?
I make over one-hundred items. Years ago I was curious and thought it would be nice to know how many things I made. I stopped counting at one-hundred. It freaked me out then. Now, I cherish the thought. Funny how perspectives differ years down the road. I still don't count though.
How do you decide what to make?
That's a great question. I make things that I want most of the time. My feelings of creating hand made useful items is always my number one goal. A prototype is created, and then repeats form. An assembly line technique is used when creating.
Where do you make Bittersweet Soap?
In my kitchen.
Do you offer Bittersweet wholesale?
I get this question all of the time. Bittersweet does not offer wholesale.
Why dont you offer wholesale?
My passion has always been making things. Warehouse, employee's, sales reps, and territories turns me off in a major way. Bittersweet offered wholesale of their products early on and for a short period of time. That short period of time when I offered wholesale was not enjoyable. I was rushing to make more product, remember, one-hundred things. It was about the same time that the Internet was starting to take off. I realized that selling Bittersweet wholesale was not the direction I wished for my hand made company and saw an oppurtunity to sell around the world with the Internet without the expense of losing my passionate hand made feelings .
I feel fortunate and blessed each and every day to follow my dream and continue to be a maker of hand made. My little brick and mortar shoppe echoes and fosters these creative thoughts and more. Having one on one contact with people every day is also a favorite part of it all!
You can imagine my surprise when I see that Bittersweet Apothecary Shoppe made the cover of this wonderful magazine! I love the way the mantle came out. Thank you, Rachel, Jennifer and Lani for making it happen. You can read the featured article here.
The Holiday Open House continues through today. I have a video audio guest book to share. Technology, isn't it great?
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