Oh how it's so very nice to bake a pie from scratch. It's Memorial weekend, and that means we're going to grill and bake, and take a few days off from Bittersweet.
I feel like it's the calm before the crazy around here, as I'll be preparing for the Mercantile Sale and attempting to finish some much needed organization space. I'm not there yet. Moving my office upstairs, and clearing the studio downstairs. Also, working on new ideas for the apothecary shop. One involves leather. The other consists of kits, and gift boxes, and oh how I get pumped up right when those new ideas flow!
Once upon a time there was enough time in the day to sew market bags. Those days are gone. I kind of miss them sometime, but also realize growth is good.
The new line of Bittersweet Spa Products is taking shape, and my studio is filled with bundles of lavender and sacks of golden flax seed. The mixture that's inside the eye pillows.
Every so often I'm required to change the look of things. More often than not, keeping things fresh and new, especially when you have a shop. Those feelings, and tasks of creating new, and switching old, particularly a requirement needed to offer a blooming effect. The shop is blooming!
The "surprise orchid" continues to fascinate me with even more colorful blooms. Taking it in...
I've been watching cooking shows all day!
Now I want to grill cabbage and corn on the cob!
Believe it or not, I really like watching war movies. So remembering, and thanking those who have fought for my freedom. Your's too!
I love to incorporate nature into our home. When gazing upon the dried hydrangea or turtle shell, my feelings lean towards those of gratitude. Gentle reminders of favorite summers past and walks through the Missouri woods. Those tender nature feelings attach themselves to the object and help offer a home sweet home balance when mixed in. I'm one of those people that requires objects like this to be in my home simply because they make me feel good.
Those same feelings are transported to my Apothecary Shop. Seeing jars of dried peppermint, surprise blooming orchids, and more dried hydrangea help set a natural mood and it feels like home.
We're expanding our flavors of perfume oils. So many different oil's to choose. Are you a floral, spice, or citrus girl or boy? Maybe a mixture of either or all. We have an essential for that!
Bittersweet is growing in more ways than one. All this makes me happy, happy, and my heart is filled with joy, joy.
Grateful, thankful, and always counting my blessings.
Hard work and determination will never let you down. I promise.
I'm launching a new line of products today! Bittersweet Spa...Spa like thoughts have been roaming for awhile and it feels like this is a good time to put thoughts in to action. Eventually, Bittersweet will be offering a complete natural spa line in addition to the first three new products. I'm making improvement on formulations, and adding more aroma therapy possibilities. Included in this new line, Charcoal Cleansing Bar, A New Body Scrub with Cocoa Butter, Lavender Eye Pillow, Mineral Salts, and Massage Oil's. The line is specifically designed to build your personal spa in the privacy of your home. Most of my existing skin care products help to enhance your skins natural beauty, already, but I wanted to sharpen and refine. There's always room for improvement.
I love to lay my brown eyes on these colorful mounds of soap! After I make it, wrap it!
This year Bittersweet, aka, yours truly, will be making between eighteen to twenty thousand bars of soap! So you can only imagine needing to wrap all that soap! Right? Loving it!
Later, I'll be sharing some of the new Spa packaging ideas. I just completed label prototype, and finished products so I've yet to capture their images.
I got all my sisters and me, but in this case, my dad, uncle, and brother.
My Uncle Richard is in town from Seattle. I haven't seen him since Patrick was a baby, so it's been awhile. We're going to join my family and uncle for breakfast this morning. I have always been in awe over how smart and tech savvy he is. My dad too. Both men are rare birds with talents of many. I'm blessed to have them in my life.
Both men, a product of this beautiful lady.
This picture captures her spirit.
One of my Uncle's talents, photography. He took all these pictures and you can tell he has a great eye for capturing moments, and images.
I'm so very happy to have the opportunity to visit with my uncle during his visit to KC.
Uncle Richard, I love you and think the world of you.
I forgot to ask you...
Do you recall taking me to the Plaza one time. I must have been around six or so.
On the way home, you and Aunt Charla taught me the word Flabbergasted. I was six years old, and could spell the word flabbergasted!
Thanks for the great old memories and the new ones.
I believe in less is more, and that the best inspiration usually comes from simple things. Case in point...Those bright and pale pink peonies. Peonies, Peonies, it was love at first site!
I picked up that little vase for just a few dollars several years ago and love it. It holds three single stems.
We had a little cool front come through this afternoon, and it absolutely feels like heaven on earth outside.
This is baking in the oven, and flowers blooming in the garden. I love Spring, Summer! I didn't have sour cream, so I used plain yogurt.
Another pleasant surprise bloom that popped out yesterday at the shop. I've always yearned to know the secret to getting an orchid to bloom. The blooms are long lived, and I'm fond of them. This orchid was blooming when I purchased it long before the holidays. After it stopped blooming I figured, since I've had no luck getting them to bloom, that there would be no more blooms on this orchid. I stuck it in the back room of the shop. The back room is cold and drafty especially during winter months, so I kind of also figured it would probably die being in those poor elements. Low and behold a couple of weeks ago I notice it's sprouted a whole new arm with blooms, glorious blooms! The shock, the shock. Who knew? I did not, but now I do. Happy orchid dance. I actually have another orchid that I placed, guess where?
I've always been drawn to simple inspiration. So many ideas come from pulling inspiration from these simple blooms.
Dried Hydrangea from last years bounty crop. They're everywhere! Some seasons they don't bloom, so they're treasured for years to come.
Mark it with a B for Bittersweet!
I use stamps for all kinds of shop projects. This one was purchased at this shop for $1!
I'm always looking for ways to save money, but offer unique packaging. Stamps fit the bill. They really fit the dollar bill! Sorry, couldn't resist.
The humble peony, spectacular in its natural beauty. Not only is it a beautiful flower, it carries a magnificent perfume.
I dug up several of these many years ago at an old farm and planted them around a rock garden. They're in a semi-sunny spot, and would prefer full sun, but while other's have faded, mine have just started blooming. Although the summer heat we've been having might put an end to their blooms. I'm going to cut a bunch of them today and take to the shop, so that I can enjoy their beautiful fragrance and blooms. Simple joys...
Plans and actions have commenced for the upcoming Mercantile Sale that will be held at my home. I'm getting ready to price items, and get things ready. I can't believe how many pieces you accumulate when you're a shop owner. Seasonal items, vintage displays, furniture, and in my case, apothecary jars, racks, etc. I sure hope it doesn't rain, because since it's going to be outside, we're not having it if it rains. Fingers crossed that it doesn't...
A few years ago I started sewing with organic cotton. I must say, organic cotton is amazingly soft and luxurious. I don't recall ever rubbing a fabric to my face just because I love the way it feels on my skin. I offer organic cotton bath mitts at the shop.
You can see the soft cotton fibers in this picture. I sew a little trim and then stick in a Bittersweet Soap label on each one. Crafted by hand, built to last.
The Prairie Quilt... It doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, if you look closely you'll see how my squares don't match. Who cares? I carefully chose the fabric, made my own binding, and quilted it on my machine. I have a small hutch that now houses all of my "Prairie Quilts." They're soft and look better with age, as the fabrics fade. I typically line the back with inexpensive muslin, and the binding is created by making miter cuts with extra yardage. I can't begin to tell you how much fun they are to make. I have two tops waiting to be put together and quilted. I also made some and tied them rather than quilting. That's kind of cool too. Honestly, I had never quilted before making these a few years ago. I watched you tube tutorials on how to bind and quilt.
When I went to water our tomato and pepper plants I noticed immediately that the squirrels had been digging up the dirt. I also have seeds planted in among-st the plants. I've tried many, many, different squirrel remedies over the years and believe a healthy sprinkle of crushed red pepper works better than anything. I have to reapply after watering, which is kind of a pain, but my goal of keeping the squirrels from digging up my tender young seedlings is successful. I've always been curious how those pesky squirrels can't remember where they hide their walnuts! Here in Missouri we have lots of Black Walnut trees. Have you ever tasted a black walnut? They're nothing like an English Walnut. They have a robust nut taste that is unique to any other nut. As with all nuts, they contain natural immune boosting ingredients. So, eat some nuts!
I introduced a new product. Aromatherapy Inhalers! There's an Inhaler for that! Offering refills too. Blended in with the "bag your own" herbs. Patchouli, Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint, Chamomile, Elder Flowers, Calendula, and Rose Buds. These herbs are used to create Bittersweet products.
Girl talk...
Last week we received these. The simple, but amazingly comfortable Bralette. I nabbed one and tried it on, and now realize it's the most comfortable bra I've ever had! I ordered more! If you've never tried one, you should. They're lacy and feminine, while being amazingly comfortable at the same time. It seems pretty and comfort don't always play well, but bralettes are the exception to the rule.
We'll be getting in both white and black at the shop. They come in small, medium, and large.
Whipping up soap in between it all. Fresh Patchouli is waiting to be cut into bars, and Charcoal is waiting to be crafted. I need to run up to the shop and water my herbs, as the heat will rob them of their moisture.
The past few days have been spent outdoors planting flowers. I'm always amazed on how long it takes to plant and transplant flowers.
This year I'm planting a variety of peppers and squash in big pots. We tried the garden thing a few years ago, only to realize our old established trees block too much of the sun. We didn't want to cut down our trees,so instead of planting a garden we're using big pots. I'm anxious to watch them grow into produce!
A few weeks ago we went in on a grass fed beef. We purchased a small freezer to store the beef. So now I feel like a homesteader!
I have to admit it's nice to simply snatch meat from the freezer and not have to purchase it at the store. The first night we got the meat I made Swiss Steak. I pulled the first package from the freezer which happened to be sirloin. Normally, not a great cut of beef. Kind of tough, unless you marinade or tenderize it. However, by preparing it as Swiss Steak also makes it tender. The actual meat flavor is considerable more tasty than that of the store, I believe. We typically don't eat a ton of red meat, so the quarter will probably last awhile.
Now this homesteader family will enjoy grass fed beef, and home grown squash, peppers, oh, and herbs and tomatoes.
I mentioned how we plant lots of flower seeds a few posts ago. I dropped by my favorite hometown nursery the other day and carefully chose this seasons seeds. Moon Flower, Bachelor Button, and a variety of Zinnia.
I picked up that cable spool at the recent flea market for $3. It's kind of handy to use as a plant table.
Lennis created these built in planter boxes along the brick stair steps. I have them filled with bee balm and herbs. I poke a few nasturtium seeds in with the sage and chives. They'll climb down the sides of the wood planters and produce a colorful backdrop.
I've been on the hunt for planters, but during my search, I never found the right ones until spotting these at the red store the other day.
They're kind of a concrete material, and I love the shape and size. I filled two of them with herbs and placed the pots in front of my shop. Anymore before starting new projects, I'm fastidious about finding exactly what I'm looking for. Anything else, and it's a waste of money.
In another week or so, I'll be moving my home office upstairs into a spare bedroom. I'm pondering office ideas. Thinking about using some old wooden file cabinets as a base and then laying a butcher block or distressed wood of some sort on top as an office desk. Ideas still floating, but I'm one of those people that needs to see it rather than visualize. There are two windows in the small bedroom. Windows can sometimes pose a dilemma in a small space. I don't want my back to the window, and I'm really into Feng Shui, so I can see how this might pose a challenge as the two windows are on opposite walls. I'll definitely share all the Feng Shui progress once I get started. I'm a PC girl, so there's also a cord, wire, cable, issue. Out of site, out of mind.
Right now my home office is just right our kitchen and it's housed in an old Hoosier cabinet. We're going to take out the and build a banquette in its place.
You may remember my post about the banquette. When finished it will look something like this picture. The layout is exactly like ours, so it should fit perfect. It is handy to be married to a carpenter when planning such home projects.
I'm on the hunt for an old metal base like the one in the picture. I believe it's an old restaurant table base. I'm fond of this ratio of old mixed in with the new.
We made strawberry shortcake topped with rich homemade whipping cream for an after dinner snack. Of all the shortcake recipes available, my favorite is on side of a Bisquick box. We don't top them with another biscuit, but instead we pile on fresh strawberries and a large dab of homemade whipping cream.
This is a picture of my shop entrance. What you can't see is the bird nest that the wrens built in the eucalyptus wreath. This is an annual spring ritual, as wrens typically come back to their original nesting place year after year. Poor little birds, because when the shop door is open they fly into the shop. It happens every spring! A few days ago Mr. Wren flew in and landed on one of the herb wreaths inside. I turned off the shop lights and opened the door hoping he'd find his way back outside. A few minutes later he did just that. Not typically that easy, but I was re leaved that he did.
Let's see, snakes, squirrels and wrens tend to take up residency at the apothecary shop. A few years ago it was Ralphie the Squirrel. In this video I was baby talking, until he came back, time and time again and chewed off thirteen tassels off of a coverlet. If only you could have seen me chasing that squirrel off the porch. No more baby talk either. I was serious. I also really wanted to check out his pad, as it must have been plush with those thirteen tassels. His, her, babies must have rested quite comfortably.
Sometimes I wish May would stick around all summer. Cool crisp mornings, and warm sunny afternoons make way for a delightful perspective.
Boy, are we ever moving fast around here! Painting this, cleaning that, clearing away, and planting, planting, planting.
The little apron was made from a vintage table runner. The runner was stained and I really wanted to save the beautiful hand crafted workmanship. I printed out wording in one of my favorite fonts transferred to the vintage piece with heat transfer. I'm quite fond of heat transfer!
Small orange red zinnia's in a pot, and eucalyptus, Italian parsley, and other aromatic herbs. I poked nasturtium seeds down into the pots too.
Planning a huge Mercantile Sale mid June. I ordered the stamp here. Stamps are a great tool, and I use a variety at the shop.
Last week Jules and I traveled through the Missouri countryside to attend the annual outdoor flea market. The huge market is filled with just about everything. There's an old building that was once an old time grocery store. Every year for the past several years we've taken a picture in front of the old Rainbow bread screen doors. It's become a tradition to take a picture in front of those cool old doors.
We always try to duplicate each picture, because the first years picture looked like this.
Notice the strange fog that surrounds me? H'm....
So needless to say, and since I have an extra imagination, we take the same picture every spring. Now, I'm guessing the door must be open since that's how we did it the first time.
Can't ghosts walk through doors? Anyway...
Okay, you're going to really need to focus your eyes on the window to the right.
Can you see a mans face? A very large face. He's wearing a ball cap, and you can see his eye and nose. Tell me if you can see it.
Spooky flea market!
It could be that after we both ate the huge tenderloin that we were hallucinating! I'll let you be the judge...
My finger nails are still dirty from all the planting. I love having fresh basil ready to cut and incorporate into summer dishes. This spring I'm planting a variety of herbs in cedar planters and placing them on our tree house porch. The porch sits off the kitchen, and we'll have easy access to the flavorful herb. The bush behind the basil is Mock Orange. It's an old fashioned bush that sprouts orange tree like flowers. They smell amazing. If you're looking for an aromatic bush for your garden, look no further than Mock Orange. It's an early bloomer.
I'm in love with hand made lined envelopes! They're quick and easy to craft, and it urges you to write old fashioned letters.
Depending on your envelope style, there's a lining for that!
A few summers ago I created a small outdoor table setting on our porch. I made a picnic dinner and we entertained friends. I love eating outdoors. I think we will do this again.
Excited for the arrival and first day of our Farmers' Market. My bag contained arugula, lettuce, radish, scallion, and a flat of colorful flowers that I'm planning on transplanting into the ground.
If I had it my way, I'd have an entire yard filled with flowers! I'm kind of cooling it though. As the summer nears, so too will the heat and extreme temperatures, humidity. They'll need lots of watering every few days. Being a shop owner and flower water warrior don't mix. I'm thinking of planting more succulents and tropical plants. They don't require the upkeep as much as begonia's and inpatients. I'm going to dig up the dirt today and toss in some zinnia seeds. I never plant established zinnia's. It's just too darn easy to purchase seeds and it takes minimal work to achieve a stunning bed of zinnia's. Actually, I'd guess that zinnia's are on of the easiest to start from seeds. Also nasturtiums. I love planting those too. Simply poke the large seeds into the ground and they'll pop up in a week or so. They vine and produce bright orange, red, and yellow edible blooms. My mom always planted nasturtiums.
They're really pretty sitting on top a green salad. I also admire the unique shape of their leaves. They're fat and a pretty green.
I always purchase giant zinnia seeds, and then small miniature ones too. I like placing the small one's in front of the tall giants. There's so many varieties nowadays to choose from. I've posted about how I pluck the dying flower heads and then dry to use as seed before. No cost gardening, and the results are amazing, not to mention gratifying.
This is a different variety than giant. Although they're giant, they're blooms are entirely different. You see, so many varieties to choose from.
I love being able to cut my own flowers and make bouquets for the shop.
My great aunt Enid used to grow an amazing garden. A few years back I created these seed packets to put seeds in. A gentle reminder of my heritage and soulful memories of my great aunt. If you click on the picture it will get larger, and you can print it on regular paper to use if you want.
I love old fashioned flowers like bachelor buttons. Another easy flower to start from seed, and it will come back every year as it's a perennial. The bees love bachelor buttons!
Speaking of bee's.
We had honey bee's build a huge hive under our porch last spring. This year I noticed there was no action so we tore it down. They moved on, which I've been told my experts that they sometimes do that. The large aggressive carpenter bee's that roam the same territory probably ran them off! A few years ago after noticing those bee's roaming our deck we purchased one of these. I was doubtful the trap would capture the buzzing wood bee's, but it did!
Bee Balm, love it too!
Later on, in June, these...
I harvest the blooms and sell them at my shop.
Herbs...
Lemon Grass, Basil, Thyme, Parsley, Chives, Rosemary, and Curry are some of my favorite's to use in cooking.
They're all easy to grow, and add amazing flavor to food.
Some of my flower to seed stash. They will soon be blooming again.
Super easy. Small terracotta planters filled with fresh herbs. If you don't have a large space to grow herbs, this is for you.
A Zinnia Postcard for you. Click on picture and print on card stock.
A few years ago Lennis built this rock stepping stone way on the south side of our home. I love it! The area is shaded so we planted a herd of hosta's. I'm thinking of adding a few ferns too. Some shade loving plants.
Yesterday I began tearing into the shop with a re-do. You know how you feel when you change things around at home. I have the same feeling when I make changes at the shop. It's almost like walking into a new shop. I'm doing some major overhaul to make room for new stuff.
Remodel at home, planting, getting ready for the Mercantile Sale, Making a few hundred bars of soap, makeover at the shop, and mixing up more apothecary. I'd say, spring into summer is going to be busy!
Late into last summer we had a photo shoot at the apothecary shop. It was hotter than all get out. I'm guessing over one-hundred. I asked the girls to put on boots, and long sleeves and move furniture. The girls were gracious and never complained about the heat or the fact that they were starving and their host only had yogurt with past expiration dates, and pretzels and baby cheese wedges.
The sweet photographer, Laura Jacobs shared her expertise and time that hot summer day. If you're looking for a great photographer in the Historic Liberty area, look no further than Ms. Laura. She went above the call of duty by creating a compact discs for each girl, and offered the pictures in a variety of resolutions so that each girl could use them both on the web and print.
I do believe the girls enjoyed it, and their pretty faces are being shared with the world.
We're kicking in a delightful spring at the shop.
Basil, Grapefruit, and Lavender fill the shop air.
New frocks and artisan goods line the shelves.
Shop life is fast paced, demanding, and time consuming, but it's also one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had. Those feelings are associated with thoughts of meeting new people, creating new natural products and sharing the apothecary love.
Today a guy came in and picked out a spray cologne. After we decided on which scents to use to create his personal fragrance, we sprayed it. His reaction included a big smile and a wonderful thank you.
It's days like the photo shoot day, and today, that buffer the bad in the world.
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