Bittersweet and the little soap company

quiet now...

It's been quiet today. These willow soft early summer days are appreciated and cherished. I don't know if it's ever going to stop raining! Every time I make plans to finish getting my herbs and flowers into the ground, it rains! I spoke about this on my last post. I imagine it will calm down and the summer heat will be with us as we head into June. 

I captured the downtown Liberty shots last summer, and I absolutely love the flowers and the old buildings that sit in the backdrops. Our historic downtown is unlike any other town and these photo's remind me of that. My shop is just around the corner! Our downtown farmers market will soon be sharing its bounty. The rain has probably stunted things a bit, but we should start seeing a healthy dose of fresh fruits and vegetables on display. 

I had been wanting to paint the decking of our porch forever, and the rain had been stopping me. I finally bit the rain bullet and managed to get the job done no sooner than, yes, you guessed it rain came a falling! It managed to dry though and all was well. Today the sun is shining and Elle took advantage of the rays. She loves laying out in the sun! I know she gets hot with her little black body, so I make her move to the shade after awhile. 

We have planted a lot of trees in our backyard, so it's not ideal for a garden. I've tried to plant a garden before in our shady yard, but it's always slow to thrive and produce. I did manage to have yellow squash, and jalapenos, but everything else bombed.  I've decided that container gardening is the next best thing, and have pots filled with lettuce and peppers. I've never seen so many peppers on such a tiny plant! They won't get real big, but they'll be the perfect size for salads and snacking. I've trimmed the spring lettuce at least twenty times, and it's still going strong since we've had mild days with rain. 

The Bittersweet Apothecary Shop is anxiously awaiting our big six day sale! I'm having second thoughts about hosting such a mega sale, but I also know it's the best option. I have a few surprise announcements to make regarding the sale, but I'm going to wait until the day before. June 3, 4, 5, and the following Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It's going to be a six day sale! Oh my! Thank goodness we have cavalry coming to help!

I've been tweaking placement of things in the freshly painted and cleansed living room, dining room. The office got an intense cleaning and I'm slowly moving my way, room to room. It feels great to clear clutter and make spaces more functional. I'm not used to that! That huge brown leather chair is well, HUGE! I love the chair, but not the size. It drives me crazy to see one piece throw off the scale in a room. This is the case, and I believe there's a new home in the basement. 

Someone nominated Bittersweet to be featured in this magazine. I thought the article was perfect and to the point and detailed the operation of this modern apothecary business that I've so happily managed for twenty-four years! If you are the person that put in the good word, I thank you!

Sea Salt Soap...

If you only knew how labor intense that it is to make round soap! I'll share one of these days. At any rate, I love round anything, and especially soap, so I've bitten the bullet to make it once again. This I do for you! It's called soap love... An interesting story about round tables... Did you know this?

We made our favorite chocolate cake last night. 

I mentioned that it's quiet at the soap house on the hill. I'm taking advantage of the stillness to get this post in before the three day weekend arrives. We don't have a lot planned, just some quiet time with family and friends. A summer barbeque and brunch on the shop porch with Patrick. I feel like summer has officially arrived once Memorial day comes! Today was the last day of school and it feels so different that last year. In a good way, of course. I don't even remember this time last year! I guess I've blocked it out! 

Gray skies are gonna clear up Put on a happy face Wipe of the clouds and cheer up Put on a happy face... Who knew that old song would resonate a new meaning? At least this past year comes to mind when I hum it. 

Here's to summer sailing and moonlight walks while the crickets chirp and the warm breeze hits your face. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

No stone unturned...

The clock is ticking and this soap girl is whipping around like there ain't no tomorrow in preparation for The Big Porch Sale!

It's been a few years since I've hosted a sale at the shop so I'm a little out of practice, but things are falling into place and we're getting closer to being ready. I'm excited and freaked out at the same time! My excitement grows from having the opportunity to cleanse the shop, while the freaking out comes from the knowing how fast paced and busy it's going to be. That's when I take a deep breath and say to myself relax and know that it will run smoothly and that all is well. A delightful way to deal with stress if you have learned this. It takes practice, for sure. I am a testimony to this. 

My amazing friends Rita and Debbie are coming to help! I'm most thankful for them, as I could never pull this off without them. I'm also looking forward to creating some new memories with the two. 

All of my home projects have been placed on the back burner for the next couple of weeks until the shop sale is over. Over the years, I've developed a talent for starting one project and quickly moving to another, and then coming back, taking on one more, and then coming back. That's how I seem to roll, and believe it or not, how things get done around here. Unorthodox as it is, it works.  

We received a shipment of super cute linen tops. Some adorned and some simple and timeless. Our shop offers a blend of cotton and linen garments that you'll love pulling from the closet for summer. We're mostly a white store, so we stock a large collection of neutral colored textiles. Our favorite hue that we love passing on to you!

Last weeks New Soap, White Ginger. Softly scented to perfection, if I don't mind saying...This weeks new soap is undecided. I'm contemplating several, but have yet to choose. It happens, and considered a luxury to have soap choices since the labor intense soap making and planning ahead is wrapped up in every bar! The curing period of four to six weeks outlines every long term soap making plan. Therefore, if I have four or five to choose from that means I'm on schedule with manufacturing. A method that I've grown accustomed to the past twenty-four years. Happily accustomed, I should say. Feeling blessed... There's not a bar that isn't planned!

I ordered the pink nasturtium seed online. I love this flower and especially fond of this color in a flower. They are super easy to start from seed, and they vine and grow incredibly fast. You will love them! You can eat them too! They turn a garden salad into a masterpiece! 

I have six containers of lavender and two Ruby Hydrangea to plant. It's been raining for weeks. I don't know if you've ever tried to plant in the mud before, but it just doesn't work. You have big mud clumps to deal with and the poor seeds or plant are screaming how they hate their new home! I love the feel of dry fine black dirt passing through my fingers! There's nothing like that feeling!

Keep the faith. 

Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

starting over

I ended up having a free afternoon, and so I was taking advantage of the idle time just typing along and sharing this weeks updates and bam! The electricity went out! During the hour or so that it was out it allowed me to take a moment and ponder starting over thoughts. 

It seems we all start over from time to time, and it's not necessarily a bad thing when it happens. In fact, by starting over no matter what you're starting over with seems to hit a life refresh button that  allows you to focus on what's important. It sometimes feels like starting over is way too much to take on, but in the end, it's gratifying and rewarding. 

The Mock Orange started to bloom this week! I love this bush! The aromatic orange blossom blooms smell amazing, and the small compact stems make a stunning arrangement. Mock Orange is one of my favorites. It usually blooms in the spring. We were fortunate to have two mock orange shrubs on our property when we purchased it many years ago. It's considered an old fashioned plant because it's been around for a very long time. 

I also cut a few sprigs of Columbine. I have two varieties growing in my garden. One produces a light wine colored bloom and the other is what I call Sunshine Yellow. Columbine is an easy plant to grow and thrives in almost any environment. My two bundles of joy produce flowers almost all summer long. They also spread quickly. You can start them from seed, but I would suggest getting a young plant. 

Peppermint Foot Crème is the bomb! The summer bomb, that is. Bittersweet has been making this moisture rich balm for many years and it's a favorite at our apothecary shop. I formulate the healing treatment with peppermint and rosemary. If you're wanting pretty up your feet for sandal season, this crème would be the one to use! I also love the fact that this skincare product has been around for so long and continued to be a favorite. 

I'm absolutely loving the new serum packaging! Those bamboo droppers had me the moment I first laid eyes on them! Blue Tansy is a miracle worker in skincare. You probably haven't heard a whole lot about it. Trust me. White Sage holds equal admiration. 

Blue Tansy is an incredibly calming and soothing essential oil, which makes it a must-have for dry, irritated, or sensitive skin. Suitable for all skin types, Blue Tansy can be added to your skincare routine to help soothe, rejuvenate, and refresh your skin for a brighter, glowing complexion.

Medicinal use of White Sage: A decoction of the leaves is used as a bath to treat fevers and can be applied as a wash to sores, rashes, itches, skin eruptions etc. An infusion of the leaves has been used as an eyewash. The powdered leaves can be applied to the nostrils to stop nose bleeds, sprinkled on sores they will hasten the healing process.

I've always been drawn to white sage. I have it growing in my garden. The powdery white leaves are quite different looking and capture my attention as a unique herb. Some people use this herb to smudge a space. 

The American Indians used this herb in a variety of ways. I would highly encourage you to include this herb in your garden. It won't disappoint. The plant can be a little tricky to get, but you can always start it from seeds. I love starting plants from seed. It's so gratifying to start a plant from seed. 

The William Morris paper that we wrap our soap in is beyond beautiful! If I could have the pleasure of saying. This artist had a way of capturing shapes and colors like no other. I have always admired his work even though he hasn't been around for a long time. His designs continue to be admired for all time. He also has an interesting story. 

The whites have arrived! Our clothing department is surrounded with cottons, denim, and whites! Three of my all time favorite textiles. 

Let the organizing begin!

I have been digging deep into organizing the soap house on the hill. My printer is humming a happy song as it prints out labels for our pantry essentials. No matter how organized you are, there's always room for more! I'm digging the less is more, easy to find, a place for everything templates. 

There's a picture of work in action! I began preparing for the upcoming porch sale by placing items in our back room that will be included in this amazing sale. We will have a collection of lamps, baskets, trays, home goods of every shape and size, and a $10 clothing rack! I'm thinking of having this sale once a year from now on, because the shop merchandising pieces accumulate so quickly as we update our shop frequently. You won't want to miss this sale! I am pricing items unbelievably low! A ten dollar clothing rack! You can shop for some new summer pieces and pick out an entire summer wardrobe for next to nothing!

We've added details about this sale on our social media pages. 

If you don't frequent social media sites but are seeing it here. I've decided that this sale will be over a course of six days. Thursday - Saturday the first week and during business hours, and continue through the next week on the same days. There is just too many items not to extend this sale. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill xoo

 

 

 

design by design

Spring is here! Change a corner!

During my decorating frenzy at home I'm realizing how important it is to start with a small corner as a starting point to complete the rest of the room. Small corners are, well small, and they offer a great beginning so that you don't get overwhelmed and confused as you work your way around decorating a room. Also, when you start decorating a small corner it's amazing how the colors and textures blend into a smooth transition. 

This is how I design my shop. I always start with a corner. 

Black...

It's a great grounding color to use in your space. You should always have a least one black piece! I've been leaning towards  more than one black piece lately. It's super easy to change the paint color of a piece of furniture or picture frames to change a space. Another reason to love small corners! You can easily make a few inexpensive changes like what I just mentioned and transform the look.  

Source: 

Black Shelf Brackets

Raw Wood Shelving

Black Frames

Milk Paint

Hand Loomed Throw

Dried Grass

Pictures were switched to black and white on Photoshop and then sized to 8 x10 and ordered here. 

I'm slowly moving into the kitchen. My office sits right off the kitchen and there is a small pantry across from my office space. I have a vintage Hoosier cabinet that houses my office supplies and I'm going to continue to use it because I love the functionality of the piece. I also believe that it's a good thing to utilize pieces that you already have.   I'm re-organizing both areas to my liking. I'll be sharing pictures and ideas as I move closer to completing the areas.  

We enjoyed visiting with dads that visited the shop shopping for Mother's day gifts this past week. I'm always impressed with their choices. Even more impressed when the kids tag along and pick out soaps for their moms. They seem to have a six sense on which ones mom would love! I also enjoy watching them choose the perfect flavor and packaging. Little things...

I put together some special Mother's day soap packaging, but fell short of offering more than a few because they sold as quickly as I could design them! The nature of handmade...

My mom. She was soft spoken and smart among many other things. She was a published writer, decorator, chef, and gardener. Her talents were too numerous to count. She passed on some of those talents to her daughter. I feel forever grateful that God chose her to me my mom! She named my business those many years ago, and helped to shape Bittersweet to who she is today. Did I mention how beautiful she was? She was that as well!

It's been officially announced...

Our Porch Sale will kick off on Thursday, June 3 and continue until June 12. The once in a lifetime sale will take place on our shop porch during our business hours Thursday through Saturday. 12 pm - 4 pm. So, Thursday - Saturday the first week and then Thursday - Saturday the second week. 

This sale is an offering of merchandising pieces that we have used to decorate or shop over the past few years. A collection of home goods and items that customers have often admired and asked us if they were for sale. Now they are for sale! We are continuously switching out pieces and adding new ones in our shop and our storage room is overflowing with lamps, baskets, and other amazing items that we simply cannot continue to take up valuable space in our back room. Please Note: We are not offering soaps, sundries or items that are currently in our shop. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

They say it's spring...

This has been a fast paced spring week! Boho Bouquets, Mushrooms, May Day, New Product Packaging, Home Remodel, and New Plants for our home. 

I'll start from the beginning. The recent addition of the the Boho Bouquets at our shop has put a big smile on my face! It's ironic how I've offered dried flowers at the shop for many, many years with little or no interest and then just like that since I began making the pre-made everlasting bouquets I find myself not able to keep up making them! This is always a great problem in my line of work, but it fascinates me to know how timing plays such a role in the popularity of something. I've never been fond of trends too much, I've always simply chosen what I love and thought that other's would love too. Bittersweet, and not to be in any way arrogant, believes that we set trends in our shop. I can't tell you the number of times that I've introduced something only to find that there is zero interest, and then three or four years later I'll bring it back and all of a mysterious sudden it's super popular and flying off our shelves. I always get a feel for which item or items are ahead of their time, and have learned that when the timing is perfect I'll once again introduce it to folks. The case of the Boho Bouquets...

We received a new shipment of jumpsuits this past week, and I selfishly pulled one from the box to wear. Typically, I'm not a tie dye person, but for some reason I'm in love with this pattern. I think it's the color. I have always been fond of the color plum. Not purple, but the hue of a ripe plum that has brown undertones that add a certain richness. We have a few left if you're a local, but they're going quickly!

Oh yeah! Those golden melt in your mouth fungi that are a rare treat were devoured in no time! A nice little mess of morels that we shared with my dad. Delicious, and one of my favorite spring delights!

You can call it nostalgia if you like.  It's also what I would refer to a gift from above. The Lily of the Valley starters that dad and M.J. shared a few weeks ago bloomed. That is not usual, but rather quite unusual for lily of the valley to bloom after it's been freshly transplanted. I have these little garden miracles happen every now and then, and every time they do I treasure the moment. 

We have old fashioned Spirea bushes in our yard. I remember this bush in my grandma Lola's yard. We dug up the bushes years ago at an old farm. Most of the plants in our yard and garden have been transplanted over the years from farms and friends flower beds. This topic could take up an entire post, so I'll save it for later. 

We dropped by our local home improvement store and that dracaena plant was screaming my name! I've always had good luck with this variety of plant. It loves the new sunny spot in our dining room. We're lucky enough to have lots of windows in this room. 

The home makeover is sporadic! The shop is beginning to get busy and my time will be invested in Bittersweet for the next few weeks. The furniture refinishing projects will have to sit on the back burner for awhile. I'm taking on huge home projects, but I'm also not beating myself up if I don't reach a certain level of completion. 

The wall sconce that you see in the picture is my latest obsession! I recently discovered a fascinating way to use them without hard wire install. I feel like a how-to post should be limited to them because the technique is quite amazing and the results even more satisfying. I'll try and share the super easy directions on my next post. If you can't wait, you can always visit my social media pager where I've detailed how to.  You will need to scroll down the page some to find it. 

Bittersweet is constantly evolving and looking for new packaging for our products. When I spotted the milky white bottles and the bamboo droppers it was love at first sight! 

There is never a good time to change product labeling and packaging, but it always feels good when I do. Just imagine if it looked the same for twenty years! I look back on Bittersweet designs that were created twenty years ago and often whisper to myself, what the heck was I thinking? Then there are occasions when I find a picture of a past design and whisper, that still looks great today! The latter is rare, because most of the time packaging needs to be updated. 

We celebrated May Day at our shop. I'm happy to announce that we broke an attendance record! It was a fast paced weekend! One that I'll hold onto for awhile and my gratitude is overflowing. Thank you!

Our next big event is coming, June 3!

I'll share the details later. I'm waiting on postcards to arrive and my brain to slow down this week. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill xo