It's a quiet and peaceful Sunday. Very much how I would imagine Sunday to be. Even though there's a stack of orders to be filled and my dining room table has a bamboo trellis and plastic tomato stakes spread all over. A huge box of manufacturing oils sitting in my entry, because it weighs about seventy-five pounds, and I'm not ready to lug it to the studio. Those things don't interfere with the quiet. I'm kind of odd about noises. A lot of times I'll have the radio humming in the background or the television on faintly in my office, but for the most part, I love to hear nature noise over people's noise. I also love having the windows open to be able to hear those noises! When the windows are closed and the air conditioning is on I miss the sound of the birds chirping and singing as birds do. There's something even more special when it's spring. The creatures seem to declare their approval and happiness when it's spring in their sounds. My little cairn terrier whimpers because she's trying to get me to capture a ball under something. That's the Sunday morning orchestra that plays at our home. I love it!
That quietness has carried over to the shop. I ran a social media post that talked about how fast-paced it can be around here. Everyone has a level of busyness. Bittersweet's busy is probably a bit different than most, but I'm appreciative of every single busy moment. One thing I've learned about being busy is I have the ability to slow it down if need be, and I practice it often. There's a fine balance between a bad busy and a good busy. Once you learn to recognize a bad busy over a good one you've won the busy battle. I'll just leave it at that.
We're on a citrus kick lately! What is it about Pink Grapefruit? I absolutely love the scent! My love for the juicy citrus essential forces me to examine the possibilities. A new line is coming! Actually, it's not really new, we've had more than one Back to Basic line in the past. In fact, my great-grandmother Lucy's line is wrapped in a Back to Basic concept. In Lucy's day, the soap that she made in her kitchen was used for not just bathing, but laundry, and cleaning her home. Our grandmothers were ahead of their time as they perfected zero waste long before it became a trend. Their ability to use what they had was out of necessity. Their lifestyle was much different than that of today. I kind of wish that I lived back in that day when less was more and clean was clean.
Just as Pink Grapefruit is a fresh juicy topic, I'l forward to a moment to ponder the scent of Bulgarian Rose. Most do not have the luxury of possessing an even tiny bottle as it is the most precious of essentials and expensive. For this reason, I've only experienced the scent of a real rose through the smell of an actual flower or in a hydrosol. I have had tiny amounts that I treasured and only used for special occasions. Scent manufacturers have done a good job in making synthetic rose, but honestly, there is nothing that compares to the scent of a real Bulgarian rose. When I first started studying essential oils some twenty-five years ago, rose was one of the first that captured my attention. When I began reading about how many rose petals it takes to produce a hardly anything bottle of oil, I was intrigued, to say the least. Rose has been a treasured scent for centuries. Back in the day, it was a lady's preference to wear a perfume scented with rose. Even way back in the day, it was valuable and coveted above all scents. Bittersweet is honored to bring to the aromatherapy table a new assortment of Back to Basic Collection. Included in this array of natural goodness is Bulgarian Rose. I'm working on packaging. When I ponder the thought of this new line I can't help but think of the color green. I've ordered beautiful green bottles to house the aromatic tinctures. I believe you're going to like it. We're looking at a few weeks before it hits the shelves and this selection of naturals is going to be a lovely addition to summer!
Two words, that's all we need. Pineapple Mango. It's wrapped and ready at the shop. We'll be listing it on our website soon.
The picture of my aunt Vivian and her niece has always been a cherished remnant of the past, and an inspiration every time I gaze upon it. You might recall my stories about my Aunt and how she sent bars of handmade soap all those years ago. If you would like to read more you may type Aunt Vivian in the search bar that's located on the right side of our blog. The story is real and soulful. Humble beginnings...
We launched a new series, Where's Jill? It's designed to highlight my shop neighbors. I travel from shop to shop to capture their story. I know through experience that shop owners learn a vast number of things first-hand and there is a sense of kinship among other shop owners. If you've ever been a shop proprietor then you know exactly what I'm saying. I thought it to be nice to polish the jewels and get better acquainted with my fellow shop girls and boys. It will be a perk to share their marvelous story and what they bring to the downtown Liberty table. All that I ask in return is that you share the post with friends and family so that we can get the word out about them.
Our yard is beautiful but it's missing sunny spots to grow things. We've planted so many trees over the years, and have only little specks of occasional sunshine peeking through. Our deck is probably the sunniest spot so I planted a green pepper plant and red lettuce. I'm happy to say they're both loving it there, and I've already cut several salads from the plant. Little things...
We have our annual Porch Sale coming the first weekend in June! I've been working hard sorting through the shop backroom to bring to you a lovely assortment of sale items that I know you're going to love. When I look at the stash of clothing, pillows, and jewelry I can't help but think what a great time to start some of your Christmas shopping or gift closet shopping. Save the date! We will be excited to see you! If you came to last year's sale then you know how much fun it is. You also know how great the pricing is.
Blessings.
Jill
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