Bittersweet and the little soap company

été

It would be hard for me to imagine a world without flowers or fragrance! The beautiful blooms that I've been cutting to bring indoors remind me of just how much beauty both bring into the world, and have had such a positive impact. 

We recently updated our Scent Your Own Department with what we believe to be a bit more functional and user friendly area. We incorporate all of these scents into the body essentials that we make. 

My bee balm is blooming! This little flower carries a lot of punch! It is an unusual looking flower, at least I've always thought that, and the bees and hummingbirds love gathering nectar from its blooms. If you sit close by a Bee Balm plant I can promise you it wont' be long before you see bumblebee or hummingbirds appear. Lavender in bloom is also a bee and hummingbird magnet. 

I just picked off one of these on my zinnia plant. These beetles are the most destructive bug to date! The start out as grubs in your yard and then transform into flower killers. I pluck them off and put them in soapy water, but if you have them really bad you'll need to spray. We use this natural product that seems to work well. I love the smell of cedar! We also use cedar chips in our landscaping designs for the same reason. I've noticed since growing lavender and throwing down the cedar chips we've had less beetles. It's really best to get them before they hatch and while they're still in the ground. One of my pet peeves is those hanging plastic beetle traps. Not only can you smell the strong synthetic odor, but they are the ugliest thing I've ever laid eyes on. Aesthetics in the garden.

The little downtown quilt shop hosted a quilt walk this weekend. Bittersweet participated by showcasing our Prairie Quilts. I made several of these quilts a few years ago. In fact. I made each in a day! Don't hold it against me! I'm just one of those people that likes to see the ending almost as quickly as the start. One of the quilts is tied and the other I quilted on my sewing machine. I had never quilted on my machine before, but I watched a few videos and thought that it seemed to be easy enough. So I did it. I also made the binding that goes around the quilts. Same thing, I watched a few quilters demonstrate the methods, and next thing I knew, the quilt was complete. Most quilters don't quilt their own quilts. I personally feel that if you don't you're missing out on the gratification of making the quilt from start to finish. The quilt that is tied was fun too. I'm not sure which method attracts me more. I usually piece quarter rounds and small squares together, nothing fancy, hence the name, "Prairie Quilt."

 I love wood beads incorporated into jewelry. When making the Alice Bracelets I usually choose wood beads over glass or bone. The natural elements of wood have always been attractive to me. What can I say? Have you ever seen paper beads? They're pretty cool too! The oval bead in the Alice Bracelet picture is a paper bead. 

I certainly don't have time to make them so I purchase them at a bead supplier, but if you had some extra time on your hands I believe making them would be kind of like quilting your own quilt!

It feels so great to have wide open spaces at the store! When I walk through the back room it feels, well wide open, and I love it!

Car Spice, That's Nice! A customer suggested that I make these a few years ago, and I thought that they would be slow to go, but once again I was wrong! I can't seem to make them fast enough! Bittersweet offers complimentary scent refills once the scent begins to die. Little things...

Those candy colored sweet peas, hydrangea and lavender bouquets make my heart skip a beat!

We restructured our denim department. I get oodles of questions about that large drawer piece. Lennis built it for me a few years ago. I showed him a picture of something similar and next thing I knew it was sitting in our basement ready to be used at the shop! The cart below that picture was also built by Lennis. Again, I showed him a picture and he built it! Both pieces have little wheels so that I can move them around easy. If you're a shop owner you know how important it is to be able to move things around because we do it all the time. 

Lastly, that plumped up Sea Blue Hydrangea Bloom looks as though it's been on plant hormones!

Keep the faith.

Jill xo

 

 

the smell of summer...

 

You know how I've mentioned before how if I weren't a soap maker manage an apothecary store, I'd be a flower shop girl. When I construct the Bohemian bouquets I'm reminded of those thoughts. I started slipping in wood flowers into the bouquets!

We've brought back a once popular item, the soap Paquet. One of the reasons, I discontinued this unique bundle of soap joy is that it takes so much time to build, and the days of idle time are long gone with the life I now live. By no means in a negative way, but rather sometimes your business grows and things change. The Paquet's, or Packs of soap are in limited supply and seem to be quite popular at our store!

The apothecary shop is in the process of getting a summer makeover! Thoughts of fresh flowers and aromatic soap come to mind during this season of blooms. That summer admiration runs through the Bittersweet shop like a field of flowers. 

Flowers, flowers, flowers...

After being deprived of their beauty I've been graced this summer with an abundant crop of candy colored hydrangea! I've mentioned many times how my growing season is sometimes rated by whether I have hydrangea blooms. I have this variety growing, and I just discovered this one that we planted this past spring. I ordered them here. I have ordered quite a few plants there, and have never been disappointed. 

My grandmother Lola had a patch of sweet peas behind her home. She was an extraordinary woman, and I'm so lucky to have had her in my life. Lola owned a restaurant in small town America during the depression and beyond.  Times were hard back then, harder than anything I've ever seen in my lifetime, and although life was challenging she always had a smile on her face and love in her heart. As her grandchild I remember that love fondly. She taught me so many things, and I can remember her easel always sitting in her bedroom. I have some of her art work and cherish those pieces. She was what you'd call artsy- fartsy.  I haven't heard that term in a very long time, but I guess it's still used. What comes around always comes around again! I'm kind of grateful for that.

No matter what decorating direction I turn, I'm always drawn to white. I love white hues, and although color is my friend, white is my lover!

I'm also loving wide open spaces. My design direction has had a number of turns and I'm loving the less is more layout in our shop. I still have the side room to organize and design, but it's coming along and is so nice to have my back room cleansed after the porch sale. 

For the love of lavender...

Once again I've updated labeling on this popular Bittersweet essential. We love spraying on our sheets and pillow and even keep it in the fridge to spray on our bodies when it's hot. Who knew?

My bountiful row of hydrangea makes my heart skip a beat.

The humble lotion bar. A product that not only moisturizes, but heals and soothes dry skin. They smell like honey!

Another humble picture of soap in the process of being wrapped. Most folks don't stop and think about how much time goes into wrapping Bittersweet, but let me share with you that it does! It's always been a happy chore and I love choosing beautiful papers for the wrappings. It's a Bittersweet thing!

The Peppermint Headache stick has been around for a long time. I believe I've offered it for at least fifteen years. It's nothing short of a miracle on how it works to either relieve or completely eliminate a sinus or migraine. I'll be honest and tell you that when I first starting making it all those years ago I suffered from horrible migraines and was a huge skeptic until I rubbed it below my nose one day after a two day migraine hit me smack dab in the face. Low and behold, in about five minutes of applying it, headache gone! Who knew?

I spruced up the shop porch by adding a new bistro set, cleaning the windows, and hosing off the porch. Having our store housed in an old home with a huge porch is a perk. We love that old porch. The rockers are also a perk. Little things...

My dad is one of the best things that ever happened to me! I can't even begin to tell you all of the life teachings that he's taught me over the years, and I've always looked up to him and valued his opinions, because he has oodles of wisdom! He's gentle, but strong, plays fair, and has taught his daughter these human traits.  He's a hard worker and continues to teach me valuable life lessons that will stay with me until the end of time. I feel blessed beyond blessed to call him my father! Happy Fathers Day, Dad! xo

 

  Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

mix and match...

Whew! What a wild week this has been! Wildly busy and fast moving, and exciting while being among  friends and genuinely good humans. While browsing Pinterest I happened upon the Gratitude Scavenger Hunt List and thought it to be a perfect summary and rhymed with our recent Porch Sale. Folks were sharing pictures of their bargains and finds and telling me they were gifting some of the items that they purchased with friends. That makes me feel good, and it's lovely to know that the items I once treasured are going to new homes that will be loved once again!

I think we're in for a long hot summer. We're experiencing some really hot and dry days and I've been watering my flowers almost every day because I know that once it starts getting hot they will not last long. It's always a good flower garden summer when I have hydrangea blooms. We're going to have a bounty crop! I've been babying them and giving them lots of drinks, because I want to enjoy them for as long as possible. Don't forget to smash the stem of a hydrangea if you cut it for an arrangement. It won't last through the day if you don't. I usually take a case knife and gently smash the bottom of the stem and then place it in a vase filled with fresh water. If you do this, the bloom will last over a week! Something I learned first hand many years ago. This summer I'm going to pick as many as I can for bouquets, and then I'll leave a few behind for drying. There's also a trick to drying hydrangea, but it's a super easy trick. The key to having a perfect dried hydrangea is the time that you cut it. You must wait until after it blooms and becomes heavy and the petals turn green. That's when you pick it for drying. Then simply place it in a vase or jar and leave it alone. It's usually dried to perfection within a week or so. Another little tip that I've learned along the way. 

Since it's getting hot I've been craving fruity cold drinks. I have one of these that we use to blend cold concoctions. It's handy, quick and not bulky to store, and it makes the best smoothies! I picked up Peach Juice and made Peachy Coconut Smoothies that were well received after coming in from the hot Missouri sun. The simpler the better, and if you blend juice with coconut milk and a few ice cubes = refreshing summer goodness! You can add a few drops of vanilla syrup if you like it sweet. The kind that you blend in coffee drinks. For some reason I always crave Peach this time of year!

My friend Judy always brings me bouquets from her garden. I'm especially fond of feverfew, and it's delicate mini daisy like petals. The herb has several medicinal properties, but I simply love it for how it looks!

We have been making Picture Ledges. Have you seen them before? They're kind of nifty, easy to make, and a great way to showcase pictures. They also require minimal materials to construct. Some people stain or paint them, but I prefer raw wood. I love the look of raw wood!

If that old trunk could talk it would tell you that's traveled to and thro over the years. It is a treasured piece that I inherited from my mom. We've always had it in our dining room, and I use it for storage. I love old trunks! What was once a necessity for travelers is still very much a valued piece in our home. I kind of like knowing it was probably once on a ship or train, or maybe even traveled to the wild west on a wagon wheel. They are just cool! My mom always had her trunks refurbished and lined with pretty wall paper. I love that too!

I am loving our new wicker blinds! The trick to achieving a clean look is to hang the blind inside the frame and only cover the window. One of the reasons I like this method of window covering it not only because they add texture, they are also easy to maneuver. My taste has changed over the years, but I've always loved wicker blinds and baskets. Both are inexpensive and add great design to a space. 

In the weeks to come I'll be cutting fresh herbs and putting together Palo Santo Bundles. The herbal posies can then be burned and used to cleanse the air. Palo Santo is an amazing tree! It's kind of like cedar, but is much more aromatic especially if you burn it. I would say it smells very much like incense. 

Soap making has still been fast and furious the past few weeks. There's not a week go by that I'm not making soap. What we need is lots of soap! There used to be a children's book that I read to Patrick and it had that phrase in it. We would always laugh when we read it! It's funny how you remember certain story's that you read to your kids. I still remember books that my mom read to me as a kid. There was one about picking hazelnuts that I loved. I've tried to find the book but have never located it. Then there's the Tasha Tudor books that I was memorized with. 

We introduced a new Smoothie a few weeks ago, and I'm always eager to keep the apothecary shop fresh by adding new soaps, and skincare. Summertime is one of my favorite seasons for creating new blends as most of my herbs are blooming and we can make hydrosols and take in all of its glory one herb at a time!

I'm getting ready to upgrade our shop. We'll be adding exciting new items and our summer collections are by far the best we've ever shared to date. 

I'm moving more towards completing home projects too. Summer is a great time to paint and spruce up things on the Homefront. 

Lastly, thank you for attending the porch sale. It's a joy to cleanse my backroom and an even bigger joy knowing you're going to bring life to so many treasured pieces. 

Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

among friends...

We did it! Our Porch Sale kicked off on Thursday and we sold out by late Saturday afternoon! Honestly, the unique items, garment sale rack, and fill your bag with soap is such an amazing sale I would think it safe to say that it's a SALE OF A LIFETIME! I've marked the merchandise unbelievably low, and when you fill your bag with the chunky salvaged end pieces of Bittersweet you're spending more less than half of what you spend on soap in our Apothecary Store! Why?

I believe that it's healthy for the soul to share some bargain love! 

We have been having a blast sharing stories and visiting with customers! I'm looking forward to round two next week!

If you pop over to our IG page you can catch up on this week. Here's a link. 

We will rap up our sale this Saturday and I'll be giving our store a summer makeover once our sale is over. I'm kind of in a makeover state of mind lately. I've almost finished home projects at least for now, and I can't begin to tell you how amazing it feels to cleanse both my home and shop space! I feel twenty pounds lighter! It's been a long time coming. I will say. 

I've decided to host a Porch Sale each year. We change the store so often and bring in new pieces that if you postpone it any longer it gets out of hand. Case in point, six day sale! Nevertheless, I'm so thrilled to share our gently used merchandise pieces with you! It's a joy to know that these items are finding new homes and that you will love each piece just as much as I once did. 

My taste has changed so much! In fact, it feels like it tosses and turns about every six months. I don't believe that I'd feel like this if I weren't a shop owner. I'm really drawn to more modern pieces and natural finishes, at least now. Plants, lots of plants. I feel as though I'm regressing back to my younger days. I had eighty-seven plants thriving in my first apartment! 

I'm going to launch several new Bittersweet lines for summer so that's exciting! One of those lines will be called, Fresh As A Daisy. Think cottons and linens and natural fibers, along with sea sponges, and chenille. 

I'm thankful for my energy and strong body! Hosting a sale always includes heavy lifting, lots of walking, and being very much mobile. 

Here's to a new week, and an exciting Porch Sale! Cheers to you!

In between Porch Sales and Soap Making I've snuck in some genealogy work. I've ordered several history books detailing areas that my ancestors lived. They came from Scotland to the colony's in 1700 something. I've hit a dead end, and it's been frustrating to not locate anything before this date. I have found that some of the genealogy websites are wonky. Most of the information that other's find cannot be backed up with legitimate sources, and unless I have firm evidence it's he said, she said, and I 'm not a fan of this type of research. Since they traveled from Scotland, Ireland, I really need to travel to these areas for this type of information. I had a Scotland trip planned about the same time the you know what hit, so I've postponed the long journey for later in time. I'm very much looking forward to this trip, but I also feel that I need to be loaded with more research before I get on that plane.

Anticipation...

By the way, that's one of my favorite words!

Meanwhile, Soap Production never stops and this girl always has coals in the fire!

On Friday I was setting up the sale items on the porch and the Fed Ex guy pulled up across the street. When he was coming out I asked him if I could interest him in a lamp. He moseyed over, and asked me if my name was Jill! He had a mask on so it was hard to see his face and I felt at the disadvantage. He said that he was from the same small town as I was from. We had a great chat, and I told him that I remembered his brother. In fact, he looked very much like his older brother. The story is sad because his brother was killed in a car accident in the early seventies. I remember the accident like yesterday. He was a great human, I could tell. I'm sure I'll see him often now. 

Little things...

Keep the faith. 

Jill xo