Bittersweet and the little soap company

The New Year

As we approach a new year I can't help but ponder what a great year this one has been!  I'm anticipating exciting new things coming ahead that I never imagined this time last year. Those thoughts are centered around two new books being published and a cluster of new products that are designed around thoughts of less is more. I'm also focusing on simpler times. My brother gifted me an old-fashioned glass lantern for Christmas, and my mind traveled to thoughts of how someone once read their favorite book or family bible by golden lantern light. The lantern represents a nostalgic time when life was slower.  Christmas is a magical time of year and I feel like her arrival is conducted by a craving for a quiet pace and tranquil moments filled with peace and joy. 
We're taking a break from social media until after the new year so that we can heighten those thoughts and take in the beauty that wraps itself around this past year's gratitude and reflection. We're excited to share our new designs, books, and ideas in the upcoming year ahead!

I started clearing out Christmas and cleaning at both the home and shop. I've also removed everything from the shop tables and racks so that we can do a deep winter cleaning. Whenever I style the shop I always clear out everything and start from scratch. But before we begin styling with new products we paint and clean. 

Breaking from social media was a comforting thought. I'm constantly promoting Bittersweet and sometimes it feels good to simply walk away and revisit at another time. Do you feel that sometime? I'm always amazed on how much more I get done, and my spirit is also happier when I don't spend a lot of time on these platforms. I'm rethinking how we market our brand and feel like it's a great time to reflect before the new year arrives. 

I'm also restructuring our apothecary shop and placing a focus on what we do here at Bittersweet. We, I do a lot! The restructuring will be centered around our Scent Bar, Skincare, and Soaps. We're simplifying our designs and tweaking our style some. Every now and then I believe it's good to stop and take a close look at your buiness as an outsider. How do other's see your business? For example, we are a soap manufacturing company. The name is French, Savonerie, and it's translation means "Soap Factory." It best describes who we are here at Bittersweet. I am proud to say that I'm a soap maker and those thoughts have been wrapped around my heart for almost twenty-six years. It's a spectacular moment when you realize what you're doing in life is what your suppose to be. I give the glory to God.  

We're also making room for some three-hunded pounds of soap that we'll be offering during our annual soap sale. The end pieces are tucked away each week and then we release the lot of chunky unwrapped bars at our sale. 

Wishing you a happy new year!

Jill 

 

White Christmas

The frosty arrival of winter has arrived with all her bells and whistles. We're also entering the final day that our store is open for this year! It doesn't seem possible, and where did the time go?

I made shortbread cookies and shared them with family and neighbors and the festivities of Christmas are beginning to take shape. The recipe will be included in Taste & Eat which will be arriving in a few short months. Yippee!  

Winter break starts tomorrow and my family is coming over for Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow. Something I always look forward to each year. Little things. I'll be setting the table and making bread pudding. Yummy!

Enjoy the spirit of Christmas and the joyous reason for the season. A child is born and his name is Immanuel. Glory to God. 

Merry Christmas!

Jill 

 

joy

As we begin to wrap up the final touches on our holiday collections we're reminded of our blessings. The joy that we feel in our hearts is the same joy that we wish for you not just during Christmas, but year-round. We're open three more days before we take our winter break, and I must admit when it gets this late and so close to Christmas I'm eager to do just that, break. This season I've got books to finish and goals to meet so I'm thrilled to get those projects completed and move on to the next. 

I was chatting with a customer yesterday and we were talking about introverts versus extroverts. I've come to learn something about myself that as crazy as it sounds I didn't compare myself to an introvert until just recent days. I do believe that you can be both.  I guess that was the surprise that I thought it was not possible to be both, but you can. When I'm working at home on the computer or manufacturing I'm an introvert, but when I'm at the shop I'm an extrovert. I am blessed to have the best of both. It also offers an amazing balance in my life. I love people and always have, I'm eager to learn about others' viewpoints and lives. So when I'm home hunkered down in soap making I'm quiet and filled with solitude, but when I'm at the shop it's noisy and filled with conversing. The best of both worlds so to speak. Feeling grateful and thankful. 

I'm also putting the finishing touches at the shop. Make sure to keep Bittersweets in stock to a certain point, however, in the three remaining days that our shop is open this year I'll want to get inventory down to a mere minimum.  It's kind of a good feeling when the final day arrives that we're open and there's not a bar in the house! That means I'm calculated correctly. You may not be aware of that, but each season a calculation is made on just how many bars of soap we're going to need to fulfill demand. It's actually become a sort of game to see just how accurate those calculations are. Typically they've been spot-on over the years within a bar or two of soap. I used to work for a book fair company and one of my jobs was to calculate how many books were needed for each school. It's all done with a variety of math equations. I always found it to be ironic that math was even a part of my life considering I hated it in school and was challenged with every number and teacher. Then I became a bank manager and business owner. I quickly realized how important math is to your everyday life, and especially business. Pricing of products, statistics, and numbers of all shapes and sizes are key ingredients to understanding how things work. This is when I learned to never say never, and those thoughts ring true today!

This Christmas I'm wishing you peace and joy. Regardless of your situation, may joy fill your spirit and comfort you at all times. The holidays can be stressful for just about everyone regardless of your situation I know because I've been there and I understand. Don't sweat the small stuff, and make peace with yourself over the things that you cannot control. Turn it over to God and he will take care of it all. Believe. Trust, and keep the faith. 

JOY! A three-letter word that is much larger than its size. Ha, math!

Merry Christmas!

Jill 

 

days and days

We're wrapping up our final few weeks at the shop this year. I've replenished inventory and the countdown to Christmas is fast approaching. But then again, I probably didn't need to remind you. Do you feel like me and think to yourself that it just came out of nowhere? Where or where does the time go? We received a shipment of earrings on Saturday and I absolutely love the artist! This doesn't happen very often. We sold out half of our inventory the same day that it came in! The holiday season moves full speed ahead, and we are challenged to keep items in stock. Since we make most of our shop inventory, the challenges sometimes feel overwhelming, but in a good way. Anymore after being a maker and shop owner, among many other things, I've learned to take it all in stride. One of my favorite sayings this time of year is, don't sweat the small stuff. The holidays can be stressful to many, and if I'm being honest I believe that it's safe to say that they can be stressful for most. I've been there, but have learned to realize it's best to not sweat the small stuff. 

The Shower Spray is a must-have for winter. It's formulated with pure rosemary and eucalyptus, need I say more? Well, it also contains menthol. Not only is the spray a pick-me-up it will help to clear congestion and stuffiness. 

Oats and Goats soap is back, but it won't be around for long. Along with a few other items that since we're this late in the shop open game, I won't be making more until after the break. 

I did think it a good time to start on some label changes, so when we sold out of things I've been slowly incorporating new labeling. The new labels will be implemented throughout, and eventually, all of our products will take on a new look. It's a process. One that I enjoy as that's my jam. In fact, I probably love packaging design as much as I love skincare manufacturing. 

There are specific Bittersweet essentials that I don't feel I could live without. The soap, dry oil, face creams, serums, and scrubs are on my list. You may not know this, but the products that Bittersweet makes are made to fit my own skincare needs. The concept behind designing a line of skincare products is styled by my own desires. During the winter months when my skin gets dry, my mind begins to think of remedies that will not only help but combat it. Little things. 

On Friday I was chatting with some of my amazing human customers and I spat out how I had soap up my sleeve! I had no further said that then I realized how much I loved it. I'm thinking of naming my fifth book, I have soap up my sleeve! Now you see how these things happen.  Spontaneous inspiration. Be on the lookout for it, because it's always there. 

Speaking of books, I'll be finalizing my last chapters on both books during break. They will be happily sent to the editor and the process of publishing will be the next step, and then on that golden day that I'm able to hold the books in my hand I'll rejoice and my heart will be filled with joy and jubilee. 

It's interesting how life throws curve balls, and you aren't able to get a clear shot, but then every now and then, you hit the target straight on only to realize that the in-between and beginning and end of both good and bad things result in something that exceeds your expectations. You take a chance and follow your heart only to realize this is it! You would never have known had you not experienced what you experienced. There is always a path, but we don't always follow it and explore and branch out beyond that path.  I think that is the coolest thing ever! The older that I get, the more astonished I am about this life journey and the amazing possibilities and opportunities that surround each of us. It's all about timing, as it always is.  I learned a very long time ago when my business was tender and young just how important timing is. It rings true for all life matters too. I kind of feel like there is a system involved. If this is true, it's a well-run system. 

Wishing you the very best and hoping that you're able to surround yourself with the spirit of Christmas. 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smile Scrooge, Smile

I wish that we could bottle the amazing holiday scents that roam around the shop this time of year! 

Our holiday open house was delightful and we enjoyed seeing and visiting with everyone. Deb my right-hand girl commented at the end of the day how amazing my customers are. She is absolutely spot on! We had a visit from Scrooge. What a cranky old guy he is. When I captured a picture and asked him to crack a smile, he refused. No matter Mr. Scrooge, we're going to keep on smiling and spreading good cheer regardless of your negative disposition. 

We're up to number seven and eight of the Twelve Days of Christmas Soap. I can hardly believe how quickly the holidays arrive and exit. 

My editor dropped by on Saturday, and I told her how excited I was to get the books finished. I'll be working on them during winter break. Then I'm going to start the third book and dabble in a fourth. I've already settled upon a title for both books. It's a bit of a motivator when you choose a title before starting to write the guts. I kind of believe that's my method.  When you decide on a title, it feels comfortable in knowing what the context is going to be. Kind of yin and yang for sure. I'm a firm believer in happy balance and how sometimes the easiest way to achieve is to simply keep it simple. 

We're already into week two of December at the shop.  The next eight days that our shop is open will be super fast-paced and I'll be burning the midnight oil until break time. It's how we've rolled for twenty-five years and a familiar feeling. 

We made an old-fashioned Sunday dinner tonight. Beef roast cooked low and slow with carrots and mashed potatoes. It was so good! I feel like if I don't cook I'll lose my talent. Cooking is practice makes perfect kind of thing. I remember when I used to shoot pool, and I also remember that when I didn't practice every day I would lose my talent for bank shots, etc. There was a day when I'd spend the entire day at the beer joint playing pool. Who knew? The good old days. 

I'm making fresh jars of orange vanilla polish and cleanse cleaning essential before heading back to the shop along with a few or several other popular winter essentials. Folks will be stocking up on their favorite skincare creams and serums knowing the shop will be closed for the break. 

Wishing you the best that the holidays offer. 

Jill