Bittersweet and the little soap company

Hats Off!

Hats off to those who persevere, who start small and work their way to happiness. Here's to the people who lift others up, trust in God, and remain strong in their faith. This week was a reminder of these values—technical challenges and paperwork tested me, but they also reinforced the wisdom gained with age and faith. Fall is coming, and with it, the excitement of new candles, sweaters, and soaps. The arrival of my shop books was a joyful moment, turning my space into a haven of inspiration and creativity.

Jill 

 

 

The test of time

Another week at Bittersweet and the fall ball is rolling right along! I keep adding autumn sprigs of this and that. That huge Martin Gourd is one of my favorites. I have been searching through all my fall stash and I can't find it anywhere. I also have a large wicker pumpkin that seems to have magically disappeared. Don't you hate it when you can't find your favorite things? Me too! 

If you jot over to our IG page you can watch the butterfly video. The little guy or girl was hanging around for a couple of days, and one late afternoon while waiting for a ride I captured the happy little critter sipping sweet nectar from the Giant Zinnia. 

April marked our twenty-seventh anniversary at Bittersweet, so it feels surreal that we're headed into year twenty-eight! I'm in awe of how fast it's gone. The design bucket has been overflowed with new ideas, soap flavors, and prototypes to the extent of really needing another bucket! When I look back on past ideas and designs I'm amazed at how most of them have survived the test of time. Not all, but most. 

The old hackberry tree that sits on the shop property needs to come down. At least that’s what the experts are saying. That one-hundred-year-old tree has offered shade for the weary and if it could talk the stories it would tell! Trees especially one of this stature are missed tremendously. I am grieving for the old tree. I had a friend tell me that a tree is like an old friend. That could not be more accurate. I'm going to miss that old tree and the businesses that sit below are really going to miss it as it's provided much-needed shade during the dog days of August. 

I just heard a peck at the front door and it was UPS delivering my book copies. Yippee! My book is available on different online places like Amazon, but having the actual book or books at my shop is icing on the cake! If you've ever written a book then you are aware of how much blood, sweat, and tears go into writing. A faith book and one that shares personal stories is even more touchy-feely, at least in my experience. It's kind of a strange almost melancholy feeling too. When you hold your published book in your hand for the first time it feels kind of like holding your first-born. That's the best way that I can describe the feelings that I've had along the way. Being able to offer this book at my shop is an all-time win-win for not just me, but hopefully those who read it. It's of course not everyone's cup of tea, but I speak my truth and now more than ever we could use some inspiring and encouraging spiritual words. 

Behind the shop scenes the curing racks are filled to the brim! I'm getting ready to blend a batch of minty soap here in a moment. The soap that I'm making today will be included in our Holiday Collection. Which by the way, starts hitting our store shelves in early November. The holiday wrappings have been chosen and the process of making, wrapping, and exhaling before the start of our busy season. We wish that we could list our Holiday Soap on our website but we sell out too quickly at our store. The nature of handmade has its highs and lows. Mostly highs, but it is part of the process of goods made by hand. 

I'm hoping that you are finding peace in the hustling world we're living in. If I were to speak my mind and honestly say, that I could not survive without my faith during these unpredictable days. The unsettledness surrounds me both spiritually and mentally, but I have the amazing gift of God living in me and I'm realizing more and more just how important that is. We're witness to a spiritual warfare and battle. If you are a believer, put on your armor of God and stay strong in your faith. Your shield of faith will help lessen the blows.  

Jill 

 

 

 

turn the page

 

We're head over heels in awe with our new scents for our holiday collection! Every year when the calendar turns over to July my mind begins to think about the gift-giving season and how our soaps will soon be celebrated with family and friends and shared amongst many. The holiday season is but a blink of an eye for a manufacturer so it feels as though it arrives quickly and then departs just as fast as it came. 

It's that time of year when we bring candles into our shop. A hand-selected assortment of aromatic fall blends with the help of olfactory assistance chart the way to the next season's chapter.  The candles help to enhance your mood and wrap you in warmth and glow as we approach the crisp days and blanket nights. That starts tomorrow at our shop. 

My brown eye Susans are hanging on through the dry summer days, and I always feel like since they're late bloomers they're getting me ready for the next season with their colors of goldenrod and earth brown. I'm fond of the color brown. It's best blended with neutral hues of cream and sand. Little things. 

Our new Tallow Skincare Essentials continue to shine brightly. The Tallow Soap is what I consider to be a special on top of special offering, as making it is quite different than our tried and true olive oil soap and requires a link in our soap manufacturing schedule. I've managed to slip in the links, but it's safe to say that as holiday soap production is underway, those links will be fewer. The nature of handmade and its multi-level levels. 

The fall soap menu has been released! We've been sharing it often because our posts get lost sometimes. So many of our customers don't even visit our social media posts so if it seems redundant that's the reasoning behind repeat posts. 

A pleasant perk of an old home is glass door knobs. Years ago when we first stepped foot in this old house the doorknobs stood out to me. All these years later, and they still do. There's something uniquely special about everyday fixtures in an older home, especially when they're original. 

I'm getting ready to order fall garden seeds. Plants like parsnips, onion, spinach, and Swiss chard are on my list for planting in a few weeks. Typically there's a sixty-day period before fall produce matures, and since this is all very new to me, I'm excited to throw caution to the wind and experiment with these little beds of goodness. I've learned so much up until this point and in awe of the produce I've been able to grow in such a small area. This morning someone posted about how you can extend your tomato crop by picking the green tomatoes right before a frost and placing them in paper bags in a cool dark room. They told me that they enjoyed tomatoes through Thanksgiving and beyond. 

Jill 

 

 

glow

Our shop is glowing as we sprinkle in tiny pieces of autumn. The land of retail moves fast, and the land of manufacturing moves even faster. The fall soap menu is completed and I'm wrapping up the final fall production this morning. Holiday soap manufacturing is swift. I'm excited to present this year an amazing collection of holiday soaps that not only wow you with their packaging, but double wow you with their scents! Double Wow! 

I get asked often about Bittersweet's agenda. You might wonder why someone would dedicate most of their life to creating clean skincare. The answer is simple: I want you to have access to the best because I only use the best on my skin. As a skincare manufacturer, it's also crucial to offer clean and effective products that don't break the bank. This has been my driving force in designing new essentials and my motivation for doing it for twenty-seven years.

I've added another outlet to order my new book. 

My flower garden has held on even with the extreme heat we've had the past few weeks. Mostly because I've been a slave to watering it. We had a little cold front move though yesterday and that allowed me to take a day off from watering. If any of you have flower gardens or vegetable gardens then you know both are at your mercy and depend on you to tend to them continually. I love reaping the reward, so even though I sound like I'm complaining the outcome far exceeds the work each day to maintain. Isn't that a metaphor for life? No work and all play, well we won't go there today. 

Speaking of vegetable gardens. My little garden has surpassed my expectations. While it's always exciting when that happens, I'm learning to keep my expectations realistic and accept the results, whether good or bad. I've realized that I've learned just as much from setting low expectations as I have from setting high ones. I think it's fair to say that I've learned even more when my expectations weren't met. Who knew that life lessons are attached to growing things? 

I wrote a wee poem about our downtown last week. 

Downtown Liberty

 

In the heart of Liberty, where the streets entwine,

A charming town unfolds an endless sign.

Shops with stories, their windows gleam,

In every corner, a shopkeeper’s dream.

Antique treasures and boutiques’ flair,

Wares crafted with love, beyond compare.

Cafés brew comfort, aromas in the air,

Bistros and diners, a culinary affair.

Museums whisper of histories old,

Artifacts and tales, in silence, told.

Echoes of the past in every hall,

Inviting all to wander and enthrall.

The parks, a canvas of nature's grace,

Lush green lawns, a tranquil space.

Children's laughter and the rustle of leaves,

A haven for souls that simply believe.

Liberty’s streets, where day meets night,

Twinkling lights bring the town to life.

Festive banners and warm welcomes call,

A tapestry of culture, embracing all.

As seasons change, the town does too,

With colors bright and skies of blue.

A place where heart and home combine,

In Downtown Liberty, life is truly divine.

 

I'm feeling darn lucky at the moment! In reality, luck has nothing to do with how I feel, my joy comes from above. 

Busy week. 

 

Jill