Bittersweet and the little soap company

golden days

We're having a blast crafting summer spa day packages at the shop! After all, who doesn't love to indulge and pamper themselves during the hot summer months? We're updating our closet with cotton and linen textiles and dusting off those sandals that have been sitting on the back shelf for months. It's summer, and I believe these steamy, sultry days inspire us to slow down and revisit the forgotten days. This means bringing back timeless skincare recipes like tallow and herbal tinctures. That's been our philosophy for twenty-seven years here at Bittersweet, but I find myself leaning toward those thoughts even more in a world full of artificial goods and intelligence.

We're dedicating the entire month of July to these wholesome thoughts by celebrating the arrival of fresh herbs and medicinal blooms. Get ready for the golden days!

My editor dropped by this morning, and we're almost off to the publisher. I have some homework to do this weekend with my book, and each step brings us closer to actually holding a published book in my hand! Writing is so temperamental, at least for me. There are days I feel like writing and days I don't. It's not something I can force myself to do. You either feel it or you don't. I've also learned that you can lose inspiration if you don't stop and just do it. I've learned a tremendous number of significant things about myself and the process of editing and publishing during this book-writing journey. I have a great editor! She's one of my favorite people. If you've written before, you know this isn't always the case. I can't imagine having an editor you weren't fond of on a human level.

I've picked peppers and green beans from my raised beds, only to discover that Elle loves to eat fresh, uncooked green beans! I can't resist sharing some with her. I break them in half, and she gobbles them down like they're candy! Who knew?

We're making room for new items at our store, and like every year before, I'm amazed at just how fast summer goes.

I made another batch of tallow soap this morning and scented the bars with pure essential oils of geranium and grapefruit. It feels like the tallow discovery has piqued my interest even more in concocting soap recipes that exceed my expectations for pH, creamy lather, and moisture.

I took a chunk of tallow soap to my dad's on Sunday, and everyone experienced the generous suds while washing their hands. I am in awe!

When you stop and think about how a soap maker of twenty-seven years still gets excited about sap values and pH levels, it's beyond me, but I do!

We've planned a busy week at our shop.

Enjoy the golden days of summer!

 

 

Summer Days

While I ponder how fast the seasons come and go, I'll also take a moment to be thankful for each one, regardless of how short they may seem. Right?

I've been thinking about our fast-paced society and how those feelings prompt me to slow down and even do things the old-fashioned way sometimes.

The shop is getting a summer re-style. I've already begun digging into the change of scenery, and I'm inching my way to the room in the back of our shop. No matter how many times I change things—and it happens frequently at Bittersweet—I never get weary or tired of seeing change. It's always a refreshing experience!

My raised beds are starting to show progress. I shot a reel sharing some of the veggies that are popping. This entire project has been and continues to be a learning experience, and I'm enjoying each and every day. I love walking down the brick steps to the beds and witnessing the daily growth. My neighbors if they're watching probably think I'm a bit obsessed, but hey, when was the last time I cared about what my neighbors think? You get a certain age and you realize this. Politely speaking of course, but what you do in your yard is your business. Ha!

When I think of summer I can't help but think of strawberry shortcake with a huge dollop of fresh cream! Summer in the kitchen means less time cooking and more time planning. The slow cooker becomes a helpful tool and I can avoid heating up the oven on hot and humid days. This morning I made Broccoli Beef. I added a few ingredients like fresh ginger and a bit more broth because I love the broth soaking over rice. I used a recipe similar to this one.  You can adjust the recipe to your liking. I used stir-fried beef over chuck roast or skirt steak. I prefer the smaller pieces of meat in the dish. I'd kind of like to write another cookbook detailing slow-cooker meals. A Slow Summer Cooker! I wonder if that cookbook name is already in use. When I was working on my books I was curious about same name titles. I learned that titles on books are not required to be copywritten. However, choose your title carefully, because if someone else has the same or similar one it could make or break you.  Things I've enjoyed learning. 

I ordered in Mood Rings! We had so much fun on Saturday with the rings. The photo depicts two hands, two sisters, and two mood rings. We were amazed at how many times the ring color changed before capturing the image. I'm fond of this ring because it's stainless. The rings will be available at our shop soon. The two sisters were the first to see them on Saturday as I hadn't even got them out of the shipping box. I've also ordered more because I can't help but think that since they're back around again I get a second chance to admire them all these years later. Little things. 

I've ordered a few outsourcing pieces for our shop. If you're familiar with Bittersweet you know we're quite fastidious about our outsourcing.  The things we make are made with the best quality ingredients. We expect other brands to deliver just as we do. 

I had a customer come in a few weeks ago, and we got to chatting about outsourcing. She made a comment suggesting I must think that I'm perfect. Whoa! Not by any stretch! However, the products and items we make are crafted with the intent of offering the best ingredients and craftsmanship.

When one person makes everything, they are aware of every step that goes into the process. This attention to detail ensures that every product meets our high standards. Having a single person oversee the creation process also means they have a keen vision of what should and shouldn't be included, resulting in superior quality and consistency. This is what I explained to her. Sometimes folks don't even realize or contemplate that concept. I'll leave it at that. 

One of the outsourcing items that recently arrived at our shop is the dried flower bouquets. After a thorough inspection, and what I refer to as a Bittersweet inspection I'm pleased as a pudding with the everlasting arrangements! We have several other outsourcing items that I'd like to share in another post and time. 

We shared a post about the large baking bowls on our social media platforms. Many years ago before our original hardware store was closing the owner invited me to the basement where in amazement my eyes witnessed a treasure grove of days gone by essentials. I purchased a couple of those baking bowls only to wish that I'd picked up a few more all these years later. Boggess Hardware is and was a destination in its day. I'm old enough to remember the old wooden drawers that were filled with varieties of nuts and bolts of all shapes and sizes. I remember being fascinated by that spool drawer. I must have been in my early thirties when Boggess closed their doors. What a sad day that was! Recalling these moments helps to keep history alive.  Good things. 

Our summer collection of soaps is starting to arrive! If you've kept up with our summer blog posts then you know that I made Tallow Soap a few weeks ago. The Tallow Soap recipe was designed around frothy lather and lots of moisturizing suds! That means the soap also contains coconut. Coconut oil is the lathering buster in all soap! I'll start wrapping the Tallow Soap soon. The bars will be a bit more than our olive soaps simply because Tallow is trending at the moment and the suppliers are taking advantage of raising the price. I've discovered a few of our already suppliers carry tallow, but it's not grass-fed and finished. This is an important component in making the soap. 

Happy Summer!

Jill 

 

 

 

 

June is flying!

I'm always amazed at how quickly my gardens grow once the heat of summer arrives. After a refreshing overnight rain, my raised bed veggies seemed to expand their growth within a few hours. I love getting up early and walking around, checking their progress.

I planted a hollyhock from seed last summer, and this season it has sprouted beautifully, showcasing soft pink stacks of blooms. The peppers and tomatoes are still small, but it's such a joy to see their progress. I can't wait to taste them!

I have a couple of Plumerias that always surprise me with their beautiful, fragrant white flowers. If you've never grown tropical flowers before, I encourage you to give them a try. You won't be disappointed. 

We have a new product that's coming! SugarKiss Lip Scrub smells and tastes amazing! 

I'm getting ready to summer-up our shop! It will be added to our other new summer collections in a week or so. 

We're also dedicating an area in our shop to Tallow Skincare. I've tried the new Tallow Soap and I'm impressed, to say the least. The lather surpasses our olive oil soap! Honestly, I did not see that coming! Good things. Since I've been using our Tallow Creme on my face I've noticed an improvement in the appearance of my skin. I'm convinced that tallow is a must-have in skincare products. Don't take my word, try it for yourself and you'll witness it for yourself!

Last week I wore the Cicada tee to the shop and received several requests to carry it in our shop. I'm happy to announce that it's available. I only ordered in a few, and if you're familiar with our out-sourcing then you know we seldom reorder items. 

June is flying!

Jill 

 

 

inspiration is blooming!

My inspiration has always been drawn from nature. Whether it's the vibrant color of a bloom or packaging that mimics nature's unique designs, like a walnut or pinecone, nature continually inspires me. This simplicity and elegance may be why I am so fond of nature's influence.

I've never made tallow soap before, but that changed last week. Now, the first batch of vitamin-rich, lather-busting bars sits in the curing room of the studio, and I'm hooked! After creating a tallow soap recipe and tweaking the measurements, we embarked on the tallow soap journey.

At Bittersweet, we typically don't follow skincare trends, but after researching and studying the benefits of tallow for the skin, I'm convinced it’s a wonderful addition to our olive oil soaps. Tallow is packed with various vitamins, making it a great skincare ingredient. I believe a soap shop shouldn't be limited to just one type of soap, right?

Cutting the new soap into bars was a pleasure—the texture is creamy and velvety soft. I wondered if the tallow's scent would linger in the bars as it does in our creme, but it doesn’t. The calculations were spot on, and that's always a good dose of positive inspiration.

When I first started making soap all those many years ago, soap recipes were a rarity. We didn't have easy access to information about SAP values and flash points. Well, they existed, but there weren't many books on the subject. I've often thought my soap business would have benefited if I had taken chemistry in school! Being self-taught is rewarding, but I've always believed that learning from an expert is invaluable.

We're going back to our roots, literally! I have a new fascination with plant-based dyeing. I've been watching videos on the subject and am utterly intrigued by the unique colors plants bring to natural fibers. For instance, did you know that an avocado pit produces a mauvy pink hue?

My craft inspiration has always come from challenges. Diving into something you know nothing about and learning as you go is not only rewarding but also builds confidence in many aspects of life. Who knew? After all, trying something new is exciting and adds spice to life!

Our summer soaps are starting to arrive! 

I'm working on a large wedding order so many of our new summer soaps are going to short lived. 

My raised beds are starting to transform into climbing vines and have baby peppers and tomatoes. I've had gardens before, but for some reason this garden is unique and special to me. My dad and brother helped me build the arbor. It's like the flowers that bloom each summer that got their start as seeds from treasured friends or family. Their memory stays in my mind forever, but even more so when the blooms start to open and spread. Little things. 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Breeze

A shiny new month is here and I can't help but believe that once the first of June arrives summer is here too! We have big plans for summer! Some of which I can share and some that I can't, but I can declare with all my summer mood that you're going to love it all!

Where do I start? 

Once the merry month of June arrives so do marvelous thoughts of summers past. All of these have graced my life with sweet memories that will forever be forever in my mind. Summers spent at the lake swimming and water skiing. Summers filled with swimming pools and halter tops, cutoffs, and fresh veggies from the garden. Summer doesn't mess around! It presents the best of the best and here at Bittersweet, we follow along with those same thoughts. 

A soap maker's life is filled with a garden of goodness. Not to say that there are also some not-so-good mixed in, but nurturing the things you love helps to create a life well loved. I believe that everyone can achieve this, but it takes work. There are three categories that also need to work together for the good of good that centers around your mind, body, and spirit once you achieve a yin and yang of those three, you are there. I must say, personally speaking, there would be none of the above without my faith in God. I believe that these gifts come from him. Can you call God a him? I've never thought about that before. I would have to believe he's much bigger than him! After all, he's created the entire universe. It's hard to grasp that, isn't it? It seems so far-fetched to most. The truth is, once you start to ponder that thought you come to realize just how mighty he is and how his powers are beyond anything we can earthly understand. There is nothing he can't do! Think about that with some serious thought and you start to nourish an understanding. If you're reading this then it was meant for you. 

I'm bringing back a few Bittersweet past collections. Our Summer Breeze series of products will be making a short but sweet show, and our Lake House, which by the way is one of my favorites has already returned to our shop. 

My son texted me from a recent trip and shared a shot of a Lip Balm Scrub that was packaged in a tube. I love the idea of having a Lip Balm Scrub in a tube over a pot simply because it's more convenient to apply and use. Now you see how new products arrive! 

We have a handpicked selection of out-sourcing items that stand out. A cleverly made smudge stick that is wrapped in a moonflower stone. I've always been drawn to this stone. A collection of plant-dyed linen towels also got my attention. I'm somewhat obsessive with kitchen towels! There, I said it! I'm picky and only have linen and cotton in my kitchen. The better the cotton or linen the better the towel absorbs water.  Synthetic towels just don't live up to linen or cotton. 

We also have a new Lip Balm, Strawberry Watermelon which has become another favorite for this maker!

I'm working on wedding orders and behind-the-scenes soap-making is gathering some new ideas, formulations, and designs. Hint, tallow. 

On the home front, we're celebrating big birthdays and gatherings with family and friends that help to make summer a little more special. 

However your summer breeze happens by, I hope that it leaves you with some sweet summer memories. 

Jill