We are inviting Autumn inside our store. Alice Bracelets, Warm and wooly scarves are being unpacked from our latest shipment of goods.
I have always been drawn to Parisian style scarves. I'm really fond of the color hues in this silky scarf. Peacock and Rust together are, well amazing! I would love to design a room with these two colors. A touch of modern blended with antique French and gilded with Old World. I can envision exactly what it would look like in my mind. Large round pillows surrounded by streaks of wood and plume grass billowing from a tall vase. Can you see it?
I've always been intrigued by interior design. I'm attracted to the varieties of styles and love creating a unique style with my own stamp on it.
Bittersweet Store was fun to design! I love incorporating real-life pictures of my family into design applications. If you frequent The Soap Maker's Blog, then you will recognize the picture above of my Aunt Vivian and the little girl with the veil is me! I've always loved this picture. The picture captures my aunt's beauty and my love and fondness for her. I'm guessing my mom took the picture. I'll have to ask my aunt.
So if you visit the Bittersweet Store and you see pictures here and there, they're not just pictures. They are my real family. The picture that sits above the store window is of my Great Grandmother, Lucy. She was the first generation soap maker in my family. I think about my lineage and how each family member held an important key to the way that they molded my life with influence and admiration. Both women were soap makers and I can proudly say that without either there's a good chance I would not have followed their footsteps and became a soap maker too.
By the way, I can't recall the last time that I've been blown away by merchandise, but I truly am with these Recycled Sweater Scarves! We also have skirts, and they have captured my affection as well. Who knew? It's exciting to gather new unique goods for the store!
The studio air is filled with peppermint! The past few days have been manufacturing days spent making Peppermint Headache Sticks and Holiday Soap. The invigorating herb always stands out front this time of year and I'm honoring my customer's enthusiasm for the glorious herb by presenting several varieties of Peppermint Soap mingled in and amongst the Twelve Days of Christmas. I haven't always been a fan, but it's interesting how after all these years my appreciation has grown and shifted.
We have collaborated with some amazing paper companies to offer our Holiday Soaps wrapped to look as though they're going to the ball!
It's an exciting time at Bittersweet and we're eager to share new ideas and creations with you during this gift-giving time of year.
I'm getting ready to harvest some of my outdoor gardens. I have several clusters of lavender that I want to cut back before the first frost. I love sticking tiny buds in small vases and making several lavender bouquets. It smells amazing! This is a new variety of lavender that is grown in the United States and it's hearty to withstand Missouri winters. I planted the mounds of lavender two years ago, and I can't believe how it's tripled in size in just two years! My kind of gardening!
I also have some succulents that are growing in the earth next to a couple of flower beds. Their leaves are taking on tones of reds and gold, and I'm going to cut a few sprigs for the store. All of my flowers and plants will soon be hibernating and gone until next Spring. I always miss them!
We're making stuffed green peppers tonight for dinner. I'm really tired of stuffed pepper recipes with rice so I'm omitting it, but going to add onion, ground beef, mushrooms, and tomato. Spice it all up and dish it inside a plump green pepper. Add a salad and baked potato and you have a fabulous dinner! I'm also craving something sweet! The other day I was browsing recipes and I came upon this one.
I was also looking for a small chocolate cake recipe and found this one. We made it and it was decadent and delicious! It only has two tablespoons of flour. The recipe is a keeper!
Keep the faith.
Jill
