Bittersweet and the little soap company

sugar pie

It seems, especially nowadays, that a good old fashioned celebration would help set a more happier atmosphere. All the chatter about bombs lately really worries me, and I'm sure other's feel the same.

Bittersweets May Day Celebration is the perfect getaway from talks of war and bombs. In fact, we'll be chatting about flowers, and gifts, and Mother's day, and flowers again, and the weather. The conversation will be similar to those of days gone by. All is well at this Modern Day Apothecary. Especially on May Day.

This day is reserved for sweet childhood memories. One's that stay forever in your heart and soul.

When I was a kid, and on May Day. Which by the way, if you don't know what day May Day is on. It arrives on the glorious first day of May. Appropriate, don't you think? This day marks many, many happy memories from making simple May Day Baskets with my mom. Alice, my mom, was a creative and resourceful, soft spoken, polite, and beautiful human. Honestly, without a doubt, the best mom a girl could ever have!

Back then, I was influenced by my moms creative mind, and still am today. Isn't that a beautiful thing?

Alice would salvage tin cans after dinner and we'd wash and dry the cans to use as flower vases.

On May Day we'd gather fresh flowers from my moms garden. Lilac, Spirea, Wild Wood Violets, Pussy Willow, and the most Beautiful Red Tulips I'd ever seen! I remember sometimes, we'd assemble construction paper cones rather than tin cans, but most significant in those memories were that mom never purchased anything to make the May Day Baskets. That stuck with me, still does.

It's a most rewarding feeling to build something by using only what you have on hand.

 
It feels like yesterday, as we jaunted though the garden picking those fresh flowers. Happiness and joy filled my childhood heart knowing we were preparing a beautiful hand made gift for a friend.

Every year at the Apothecary Shop we celebrate this happy memory day.

I make May Day Baskets for my customers, and reserve an entire day for baking yummy confections that will also be shared with my wonderful customers.

My mom isn't here anymore, but memories of her amazing spirit will stay in my heart forever and ever.

May Day represents those happy memories and now I'm sharing them with other's.

Several years ago, after hosting a May Day Celebration at the shop, I found this hanging on my front door.

Somebody knew how special this day was to me. I never knew whom left the May Day Basket.

Yes, typically you hang the basket on the door incognito so that the recipient never knows who left the basket. That in its self is such a glorious gesture. Because there's no recognition of the gift, other than someone out there cares and shares, and takes the time to say I love you.

This picture is from a few May Days ago. It's funny, how I recognize the May Day by what was served. I also served this yummy Grape Salad . 

 

This May Day I've constructed little paper gift bags. I'm in awe about how these are constructed. Simple folds, and a brad are all that is needed to create the pouch. Inside, a variety of tokens.

Have I urged you to Celebrate May Day? I hope so!

We'll be celebrating a little early since the shop is closed on Monday, the first of May.

We've also spread the event over a two day rather than one day. Simply because it gets congested and hard to handle in one day.

Happy May Day!

Jill

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S is for Shop

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We're in major overhaul mode at both the shop and home sweet home. My fingers are caked with dirt from planting purple and yellow flowers at the Fro-Yo Shoppe. Even though I still believe it to be a tad bit early for planting, the apothecary shop is celebrating a May Day event this weekend, and the Fro-Yo Shoppe is hosting their grand re-opening.

Our home sweet home tasks have been in between our shop to-do list. Never a dull moment around here. It's ironic, most of my friends are retiring while I'm headed the opposite direction. My business is growing and requires me to spend a lot more time creating the goods that stock the shelves. Most shops order their merchandise from wholesalers, while Bittersweet makes almost all their essentials. One of these days I'll slow down, but not now. I'm enjoying the growth and cultivation, and even the non stop work.

The entry floor...

I began chiseling away to remove the tile. Not an easy chore, and one I quickly became bored with. Low and behold, and mercy me. Lennis kicked in and completed the ugly job.

 There's hardwood under those tiles, and most would wish to salvage and refinish the hard wood, however this is a small entry, around 5 x 5, and I'm wanting to lay white tile. We have hardwood throughout our entire home, so the change in scenery is appealing to me. I'm also yearning for mostly white décor blended with natural wood tones.

It feels like lately, I'm just visiting our house, as I'm seldom here, and when I am, I'm working on shop stuff. It's a challenge to fit in remodeling with all the necessary duties of running a shop, not to mention making all the shop merchandise. Something I've been thinking about lately. I can feel a change coming in a few years.

Before that though, we're celebrating May Day at the shop. I'm baking all day on Thursday to prepare the menu for this annual event.

It shall be interesting to see what kind of turnout we get, as this is the first year I'm not mailing out postcards. I'm doing it all electronically and even paying for the card be seen here and there.

A little nervous about nobody showing up after I spent hours preparing May Day Baskets and baking the confections. Always a gamble when you switch to something new. I'm not fond of gambles. The odds can go either way.

This event allows me to try new recipes. I usually never prepare the same treats.

Strawberry Punch sounds really good. In fact, I'd love to have a large icy glass of strawberry punch right now. I'd wrap my dirty fingernails around the glass and gulp it down.

All the hoopla about our front door... Only to find after I spent over 100 hours stripping it, and four, count them, four cans of stripper just on the front alone, I kind of gave in. I completed the back side in less than a few hours, but that front side, the one with Western Sun exposure, was a doozy! I finally after four cans of stripper got down to the original layer of paint. It was a brick red. I matched it and then painted the entire door in the original color. The door had patching and knawel off top, bottom. Not even close to my imaginary door that sit in my mind. However, I learned a valuable lesson while spending so much time with that door. You really shouldn't create expectations on such a project. You're probably going to be let down if it doesn't turn out the way you imagined. All is well. I feel as though I've put my stamp on that old door!

My mother board went out on my pc the other day. I have fifteen years of data stored in that old computer. Thankful for my genius brother Mark to come to the rescue. He's a whiz with computers of any kind. He's owned a computer repair shop for many years and I always call him when there are pc issues. He always fixes it, and takes care of his sister. He was able to save my data and transfer it to a new system. Whew!

My business depends a lot on my computer. Labels, Marketing, and an entire list of other very important computer files that if I don't have access to, can make business a bit stressful.

We're back up and running, thanks to my brother.

I keep changing the order of things. I'm becoming super picky about what stays, and what goes.

Planning a huge outdoor sale on June 16.

Jules and I were planning a Farm Sale on this date, but she realized she'd already committed on that date. She's moved it up to the third week of July. I'm afraid I won't make it. I hate the heat, and especially sitting out in it for three days. Not to mention loading up all my stuff and having to transport it. So I've decided since I've already lined up employees to work in June, I'd have an outdoor sale. Since we're remodeling, and since I own a shop, I'll have oodles of cool stuff priced to sell!

It's going to be a busy summer with everything we've got going on. It already fly's by like the speed of light. Hoping to stop and take in some spring and summer down time too.

Will start gearing up for the crazy holiday season the end of September.

Hope you're enjoying a peaceful and prosperous spring.

Jill 00

 

what's your style?

I wasn't going to share in between photo's of my makeover's, but after thinking about it I realized the process of choosing, plucking, picking, is actually kind of interesting. 

For example, white paint. The color of white that I love in the studio just happens to not be the one I even like in the living room and entry. By the way, I painted the door the original brick red. We're probably going to replace the door with a new one for reasons I won't go into, but for now brick red, old door will do. 

I finished painting the entry only to realize the antique white shows too much yellow and I just not happy with it. 

Now you're understanding how all this gets interesting. 

We don't use our fireplace, except we have a little gas heater that sits inside. So I don't really want to see it, not that pretty. I'm sewing a new little curtain in, yes, you guessed it, white. I picked up some grain sack fabric a while back, and am going to put it to use. 

The sisal rugs, another favorite home decorating item. Probably safe to say, I prefer it over any other rugs. If they get dirty you can take them outside and run the hose over them. They're neutral and have lots of texture. 

 

I have several new whites to sample before making the final decision. This color is going on living room, hall, and entry, so I want it to be perfect. 

I'd rather paint a small entry with a non likable color than a large living room and hall. 

I'm leaning towards Alabaster. This white actually has a touch of green rather than yellow. I'm not fond of yellow whites. 

I was disenchanted about our old front door. My aunt is right on when she suggested maybe it's not a good idea to set expectations. I knew that, but a tad stubborn most of the time. I've also found it takes me a longer amount of time to get it just right. Kind of like Goldilocks finding the right bed. That's just right. You do know it, when it's right. Right?

The creamy white brushed on the furniture. 

New slip covers, although I haven't even brushed out the wrinkles in the dryer yet. The leopard chair, soon to be colored by a matching slip cover in tea stain hue. 

I found the slip covers here. They are well made, cotton, and pretty nifty. I really like them. They fit extremely well, and I love that you can toss the cover in the washing machine to clean. 

I also orders linen curtains with black rods. Curtains will help frame the windows and soften the room a lot. 

We picked up some white tile for the entry tonight and will start laying it after I get the walls painted, again!

Soap Talk...

Patchouli making soap day. 

It always helps to take pictures of your progress. I see things in pictures that I don't see in person. 

Can't wait for the big reveal. 

Jill 

 

 

 

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In the midst of all the remodel and working so very hard to refinish our old front door comes this little dining room corner. re-do 

After receiving bad news about the door, I needed a pick me up.  Our contractor, (aka, husband) has informed me that after re-hanging the door, it should be replaced! The old door has big gaps on the top and bottom where someone has chipped away at it for whatever reason. Before I began stripping the door, I removed felt weather stripping that covered the gaps so it wasn't noticeable until after the work. Needless to say, I've spent many hours attempting it to return the door to its glory, it seems, the time spent has been a waste of time. I'm disappointed, but moving on. Now the search for a new front door. I did locate this one. Did you know how hard it is to find wood doors at your local home improvement store? They don't make them anymore. I also want a wood storm door or screen door. I want to keep with the era of our home sweet home. I really like this look. 

I'm sure it's custom. It is amazing!

This one, purchased at a home improvement store and then stained and the trim added. Did you know you could add trim to the screen? I didn't either. There's several types of trim offered and you pick. 

I really enjoyed visiting this web site. This gal is talented and has some amazing ideas to help spruce up your home sweet home. 

Our Vintage Home

Those cutting boards!

I've assigned two jobs for my master carpenter. Cutting boards, and necklace displays. 

Love the wooden necklace boards. Master carpenter, (aka husband) has already made several for the apothecary shop. 

I'll be offering both crafted items at the June farm sale. 

Meanwhile...

I'm making basil soap!

Painting the entry in shoe lace and headed to the nursery to pick up a few flowers for the shop. 

It's way early to be planting, but I'm eager to pop in some flowers even though I'll probably need to cover them when we have a frost. I know we'll have one. Always do. 

Then...

  I'll be saving my money now for both a new door, screen door,  and concrete stoop. 

Spring and Summer always moves so fast around here. On top of our home work, keeping up with supplies of shop merchandise, planning a May Day Celebration, and the Farm Sale in June. 

The shop is hopping and we're picking up new customers every day. That's great because I need money for all the events and fixer upper projects. 

Busy is good, busier is better. 

Have you seen these signs?

They've been around for a long time,but for some reason when I look at them now, there's a new attraction. They're kind of pricey, but I would imagine they're made to last, so a good investment if you have a shop or are a vendor. 

Sorry, I kind of went back on my post. 

Easter this Sunday...

Happy Easter. 

Jill 

 

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I can safely say, this project is nothing but a labor of love...

I can also safely say, no one in their right mind would go to the trouble of such a project. 

The reason I'm saying this is because there's no way of knowing until I get down to the wood, whether or not it will look like what I imagine. I've already discovered wood patching, grain variation, and a few other interesting things about this door. that could make or break the plan in hand.  However, it is the original door, and I believe it's oak, and sometime's you just need to go with your gut, and follow your heart. Hopefully those thoughts will open new doors. No pun intended.

Boy, oh boy, have I been gathering up remodel plans.

The entry seemed the perfect starting point on this old house projects, and honestly I hadn't planned on stripping the old door, but a little voice said do it!

After the entry remodel. we're moving straight into the kitchen. However, I know all of these endeavors will take a very long time to complete, and I don't really have a time frame on when everything will be completed. That means our home is going to be in disarray and  messy for awhile. That's okay with me. I enjoy seeing change and progress. 

It's been about thirty years since we've done any major remodeling, and I'm ready!

Having this attitude helps. I'm also not going into any of these projects with debt. They'll be a pay as you go. So if we don't have the money to finish something, it will have to wait until we do. 

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

On to my latest obsession, vintage cutting boards. 

I could easily have an entire kitchen wall display using these hand made boards. You can make them. The hardest part about making them would be finding old wood. 

I'm drawing out some patterns. Guess who is going to be making cutting boards. May even offer them in the shop. 

Apron Sink...

Need I say more? Well, I could tell you their pricey, but I won't because I found affordable one's here. 

You remember the banquette pics I shared awhile back? That small vintage table? I'm on the lookout for the iron or metal leg, or bracket. I've seen similar type tables at restaurants. Once again, another Lennis project. 

Photo from Pinterest

I think the old iron form completes this look, in addition to the cushions. We're really building this banquette for our dog, Elle. Our layout is exactly like this kitchen, and she's going to be able to sit at the window and look out. She's going to love her new spot!

Photo from Pinterest

Love, love white blended with natural wood! Minus the tile, it's my taste. 

So my friends, in between apothecary work, I'll be a painter, carpenter, and wood finisher. All with help from the Master Carpenter, Super Lennis. 

Now, I'm really anxious to get that old door stripped and sanded so I can begin painting and laying tile. 

Soap is cut, and I'm headed outside to start on the other side of the old door. Hopefully, fingers crossed, the opposite side is not going to be such a challenge as the first side was. 

Feeling determined. 

Later Gator, 

Jill 

lilac love

It's lilac blooming time at the apothecary shop and home sweet home. I ventured out this morning in the rain, wind and cold yucky day to cut a few branches. It's suppose to get below freezing Friday night, and I'm afraid the blooms will be short lived. So I'm making every attempt to enjoy their amazing aroma and lovely lilac beauty.

Their little flower clusters aren't fully opened yet, but each plume is sweet with fragrance.

This little floral blouse came in today too. It had been backordered from the supplier. I'm fond of the colors, cut out neck, and bell sleeves.

I'm taking a few days off from the door refinishing. It's been raining all day, and I'm waiting until I can remove the door and place it on saw horses outdoors so that I can begin sanding and working on it more. I have to tell you, I'll be glad when it's finished!

Plans have been initialized for this upcoming event. Last year Crawford House was one of the venue's. It was a long day, and hot, so hot, but all in all, a memorable day filled with remarkable artists, and musician's. It was interesting in the fact that Crawford House hosted a variety of talented artist's ranging from age 10 - 80. I'm jazzed, no pun intended, about this year's event. The large front shop porch makes for the perfect stage and acoustics.

This is a special event, that I'm honored to be a part of. I hope folks realize what a privilege it is, and the hard work that goes into planning Make Music Liberty Day. If you live in the Kansas City area, start making plans to attend this music day in Historic Liberty Missouri.

Before that big day, we have another.

Bittersweet hosts a special May Day Celebration every spring. Over the years, twenty to be exact. I've hosted this old fashioned celebration day. Personally, it's an opportunity to share my appreciation to my customers. I prepare a menu of confections, and make May Day Baskets for my customers. Next to Christmas, this is a big event. Actually May Day is right up there with Christmas at the Apothecary Shop. May Day at the Apothecary Shop.

Spring is a special time. A season of renewal and fresh ideas.

Lemon and Strawberry Confections shine bright and tickle the taste bud.

New Bo-Ho Styles have arrived and many more due in next week.

We're keeping the shop stocked with fresh smell good and look good goodies.

I moved the fuchsia love seat in amongst the frocks. Would make a great photo prop. H'm pondering those model thoughts. Maybe another photo shoot would be nice.

Moving right along...

Spring, lovely Spring and happy Spring thoughts spinning.

Jill  

 

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Twenty shades of White

I'd been searching for banquette pictures on Pinterest, and then low and behold, I found this one. Amazing in the fact that it's the same scale as our small kitchen and would fit in so well. 

Lennis took a look, and said we can do it. First, the door. 

It has been a long time since I've refinished anything. Let's just say...

A front door never, and once I began stripping away the layers I soon realized this was going to be the project of projects. I'm guesstimating at least twenty layers of paint on this old door! I've never removed this many layers. It's as though they just keep on coming. Painstakingly slow and not much progress, even though I'm working on it every day in between soap manufacturing. 

I am in awe on how you start into such a project and the stories begin to unravel. 

I keep envisioning what it will look like when the paint is gone and the beautiful oak showcases the beautiful brass hardware. That's my inspiration. I'll have to be honest and say, since it's such an old door, it may be somewhat of a disappointment once it's all stripped. I've already noticed there's been some patching in areas. I'm hoping there's no more. It's hard to cover patching. It will show through some. However, it's an original, and I believe that stands for something. 

That picture is about two hours into it. The next picture is several hours into it. Not much progress. Once I get to the brown reddish color, I'm going to sand. 

So you carefully paint on the stripper and allow it to sit for the required time, and then much needed elbow grease to chip away all those layers. Slow going, but I kind of have a method developing as I go.

We're going to lay new tile, paint and add new lighting to the small 5 x 5 entry.

I started it, I'm finishing it!

That's the spirit!

Happy Days.

Jill 

 

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