Bittersweet and the little soap company

peachy

The weekly planner is beginning to fill, and the fall, winter soap manufacturing has begun! It's hard to imagine holiday thoughts in July, but Bittersweet wraps ourselves in cinnamon, pear, clove, and vanilla this time of year in preparation for the upcoming holidays. For a soap manufacture and a shop that makes a lot of their inventory, you can never be too far ahead in time. In the winter we work on spring, and in the summer we work on winter. That's how it's been for twenty-four years! You get a feel for it after awhile, and I've learned to appreciate the prelude. 

What's your favorite color? Chances are you have several pieces in your closet that reflect your favorite color. I'm a winter, so I look good in black and browns, rust and greens. However, it can get tricky with the tones. Even though certain colors compliment your skin tone, some can be just a shade off and not be. What color are you? I made these cards a few years ago thinking it would be fun to explore the color charts at Bittersweet. 

The Herbal Bug Spray smells amazing! It smells so good that I'm using it in the store as a room spray. I love any scent that's herbal. 

Our cotton and linen collections are breezy and cool. Pair a linen top with denim cut-offs or cuffed jeans to complete a carefree summer look. We love carefree!

Ever since the shutdowns and time spent more at home I've come to realize just how much comfort appeals to me! Those thoughts are definitely reflected in my buying for the shop. You know that you can still look amazing, and be comfy at the same time! That's my new motto! Our new fall line mirrors those thoughts. We're in love with our fall collection and can't wait to begin sharing in a month or so!

My living room and dining room are stuffed full of hydrangea! I have over one-hundred candy colored stems that I'm drying. I'm going to use the dried flowers to create Bo-ho bouquets. We offer the artisan bouquets at Bittersweet. I can't wait to drop hydrangea into the picks! We will even create autumn bouquets of bunny tales, and plume grass. 

I have always loved bath accessories! Nowadays, there are so many to choose from. I like to think of a bath accessory as a little assistant. The brushes, cloths, and mitts enhance the experience of bathing. I'm always on the look-out for new things to try. When I try something for the first time I'm typically skeptical, but have been pleasantly surprised and have marveled over the modern accessory lines that are available today. A micro-fiber face cloth was one of those items that after using I actually said out loud, Wow! Who knew? I didn't, but was impressed with how they removed my makeup with ease. 

We created some amazing new body fragrances yesterday. If you dropped by the shop you more than likely witnessed us having a really good time while we were sniffing and blending at the Scent Your Own. 

The soap is wrapped and the shop is well stocked with your favorite apothecary.

It's peachy!

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

 

 

 

 

 

starting over

I ended up having a free afternoon, and so I was taking advantage of the idle time just typing along and sharing this weeks updates and bam! The electricity went out! During the hour or so that it was out it allowed me to take a moment and ponder starting over thoughts. 

It seems we all start over from time to time, and it's not necessarily a bad thing when it happens. In fact, by starting over no matter what you're starting over with seems to hit a life refresh button that  allows you to focus on what's important. It sometimes feels like starting over is way too much to take on, but in the end, it's gratifying and rewarding. 

The Mock Orange started to bloom this week! I love this bush! The aromatic orange blossom blooms smell amazing, and the small compact stems make a stunning arrangement. Mock Orange is one of my favorites. It usually blooms in the spring. We were fortunate to have two mock orange shrubs on our property when we purchased it many years ago. It's considered an old fashioned plant because it's been around for a very long time. 

I also cut a few sprigs of Columbine. I have two varieties growing in my garden. One produces a light wine colored bloom and the other is what I call Sunshine Yellow. Columbine is an easy plant to grow and thrives in almost any environment. My two bundles of joy produce flowers almost all summer long. They also spread quickly. You can start them from seed, but I would suggest getting a young plant. 

Peppermint Foot Crème is the bomb! The summer bomb, that is. Bittersweet has been making this moisture rich balm for many years and it's a favorite at our apothecary shop. I formulate the healing treatment with peppermint and rosemary. If you're wanting pretty up your feet for sandal season, this crème would be the one to use! I also love the fact that this skincare product has been around for so long and continued to be a favorite. 

I'm absolutely loving the new serum packaging! Those bamboo droppers had me the moment I first laid eyes on them! Blue Tansy is a miracle worker in skincare. You probably haven't heard a whole lot about it. Trust me. White Sage holds equal admiration. 

Blue Tansy is an incredibly calming and soothing essential oil, which makes it a must-have for dry, irritated, or sensitive skin. Suitable for all skin types, Blue Tansy can be added to your skincare routine to help soothe, rejuvenate, and refresh your skin for a brighter, glowing complexion.

Medicinal use of White Sage: A decoction of the leaves is used as a bath to treat fevers and can be applied as a wash to sores, rashes, itches, skin eruptions etc. An infusion of the leaves has been used as an eyewash. The powdered leaves can be applied to the nostrils to stop nose bleeds, sprinkled on sores they will hasten the healing process.

I've always been drawn to white sage. I have it growing in my garden. The powdery white leaves are quite different looking and capture my attention as a unique herb. Some people use this herb to smudge a space. 

The American Indians used this herb in a variety of ways. I would highly encourage you to include this herb in your garden. It won't disappoint. The plant can be a little tricky to get, but you can always start it from seeds. I love starting plants from seed. It's so gratifying to start a plant from seed. 

The William Morris paper that we wrap our soap in is beyond beautiful! If I could have the pleasure of saying. This artist had a way of capturing shapes and colors like no other. I have always admired his work even though he hasn't been around for a long time. His designs continue to be admired for all time. He also has an interesting story. 

The whites have arrived! Our clothing department is surrounded with cottons, denim, and whites! Three of my all time favorite textiles. 

Let the organizing begin!

I have been digging deep into organizing the soap house on the hill. My printer is humming a happy song as it prints out labels for our pantry essentials. No matter how organized you are, there's always room for more! I'm digging the less is more, easy to find, a place for everything templates. 

There's a picture of work in action! I began preparing for the upcoming porch sale by placing items in our back room that will be included in this amazing sale. We will have a collection of lamps, baskets, trays, home goods of every shape and size, and a $10 clothing rack! I'm thinking of having this sale once a year from now on, because the shop merchandising pieces accumulate so quickly as we update our shop frequently. You won't want to miss this sale! I am pricing items unbelievably low! A ten dollar clothing rack! You can shop for some new summer pieces and pick out an entire summer wardrobe for next to nothing!

We've added details about this sale on our social media pages. 

If you don't frequent social media sites but are seeing it here. I've decided that this sale will be over a course of six days. Thursday - Saturday the first week and during business hours, and continue through the next week on the same days. There is just too many items not to extend this sale. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill xoo

 

 

 

weeks end...

I feel like a kid in a candy store when making the everlasting bouquets! We added wood flowers to our posies and the texture and creamy hues offer the perfect touch to completing these unique bouquets.

There are no words to describe the luscious scent of this new soap! If you are madly in love with lavender and chamomile then you will be madly in love with this soap! 

Next weeks new soap is called Wishes do come true... In all honesty the past couple of soap fragrances have blown me away, and that just doesn't happen often!

I've been working on design makeover's on all of the cremes and serums. The general plan is to offer a more cohesive appearance and to make it easier to read our product labels. 

I'm always amazed at how just one little change can completely transform a label. In this case, I was quite happy with our product labeling but felt it needed a stand-out pop of color to distinguish one crème from another. The color band helps to separate each crème in a simple but effective way.

We just received our new glass bottles, and this is a prototype of our new Facial Serum label I am in love with the new bamboo droppers! Anytime that I can incorporate wood into a design I do. Some of my suppliers just began offering the bamboo droppers and when I first saw them I fell madly in love with the aesthetics. 

I'm finally catching up with the after holiday frenzy. Bittersweet sells out of a lot of our inventory during the holidays and it almost feels like starting over as I'm required to start fresh with soap making and product manufacturing. It's also the perfect time to make any changes to the look of a product since the inventory has disappeared. So after saying all that, I'm happy to announce the return of the Shampoo Bar!

We have been mixing up some amazing spring and summer body scents! I've also restocked glass bottles so that you can build your own scent Dry Oil, and Body Spray. 

I'm wanting to bring back the flair jean! This style is flattering on all body types and I love the flair worn with a bit of heel or a platform like the one above. 

The humble little muslin bag... We always keep a stash of these at our store. 

It's time to get excited about shopping in person once again!

We believe our collections are better than they've ever been! We're happy to share our favorite things with you!

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

a rose is a rose...

Things are moving pretty darn fast at Bittersweet. This soap maker is whipping it and wrapping it up!

I'm introducing some new lines that will gently glide into spring and summer. 

I know that I always say how excited that I am about a new line, but this time my excitement is overflowing because I'm working on more than several. That's four, right? Well more than that!

 

I don't recall ever working on so many projects at once. After gathering all the new ideas there was cause to stop and focus on just one, otherwise I'd be spinning in circles. It happens! All of the new inspiration has me getting excited and anxious to share. 

The first, a new Rosewater Face and Body Crème! I've always been fond of rosewater skincare products and so it makes sense to carry out the rosewater love by creating a few new rosy body essentials. After finalizing the packaging and labeling I decided to extend this rosewater obsession by offering an entire line. I envisioned a rose floral label wrapped around a series of jars and bottles. It's easy to run off a label that tickles your fancy. This is what I'm doing. It took considerable time to plan out the jar, and graphic design. I was happy with the end result so much that it inspired me to carry the design further. 

I love simple packaging but every now and then it's delightful to indulge myself in florals. The designs mimic spring! 

Don't forget Bedtime Bath! I've been in the beauty manufacturing business for twenty-three years! It's not often that I discover a new scent that takes me away. Bedtime Bath does just that and once again, inspiration to extend the lovely scent by offering a variety of body essentials seems only natural. 

The logo is completed and the first two-hundred bars of Bedtime Bath Cleansing Bars are curing nicely. We're shooting for the middle of March on its arrival. 

Before that we're welcoming a soap back from soaps past. 

In between, I'm also working on some mini soap offerings and a sample size pouch of Bittersweets. One thing at a time, but I have to admit it's kind of fun jumping from one project to the next. 

Later down the spring road I'm planning a Merchant Sale that will be outside on the porch. The sale will be spread out over a few days as I take away and replenish inventory. Bittersweet is constantly changing our displays and offerings so it doesn't take long to accumulate. My goal is to offer the items at very low prices. I'll be doing some heavy marketing as we get closer to warmer temperatures and mild days. 

I had a sale like this at the Soap House a few years ago, but have decided it's much easier to have it this time at the shop. You won't want to miss this event! I'll be working on a postcard so that we can let all of our customers know ahead of time. 

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

Full Swing...

Saturday marked the first day back to our old hours after six months of cv limbo. That sounds like a disease, well I guess it is! I'm in awe that we've not had our store open with our old hours for that long. In awe! We're still hanging out in the left-field because we know that things could take a turn, but we're optimistic that we will be able to remain open.

We have started to initiate our fall collections and excited more than ever to share our designs with you!

What is it that you love about autumn? My admiration for the glorious season surrounds me with thoughts of crispy air mornings and tones of brown and chestnut. Our store reflects those thoughts and we can't wait to reveal our latest designs. 

Denim Jackets and leather bags, aromatic tinctures, artisan soap, wholesome skincare, and all things inspired by nature. That's what's in store or coming! We're excited! 

Your favorite soap blends shadowed by rich and creamy lotions and face creams and an assortment of enriched facial serums that when massaged into your skin help marinate it to a golden hue! Soft and vibrant skin helps shine a light on your natural beauty. Which by the way, it's our thing to offer these products to you so that you can see for yourself. 

Our Scent Your Own Department offers an opportunity to fashion an amazing new body or home scent and we're eager to discover what your favorites are!

It feels great to be back! 

You're going to love our new designs and collections! 

We're just getting started!

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

pulse point...

Having a Scent Your Own Department in your store is a specialty service that is a delight to have in hand. I love seeing guests explore the world of fragrance! We offer this unique utility so that everyone that enters our store is able to create. We're all about creating! After all, we are the maker of over one-hundred rare and uncommon goods and we yearn to share our vision with others. 

It's comforting to know that you are in control of you! In other words, regardless of what others say or do your response is key to your personal happiness. It's that simple. I could give you a whopper of a story and tell you how other humans are at ease and at peace during these challenging and unpredictable times, but I'd be telling a story and not the truth. I notice that there are anxiety and tension amongst a great number of my customers. I also believe that this is an opportunity to share truthful feelings with others. What's that saying? The truth shall set you free. Well, not ever in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this saying being associated with a pandemic and racial tension, but I believe it to be true. Do you know how it feels good to measure out your feelings with a best friend or spouse? This is how we are designed. To share our feelings with others.  I can promise you most are concerned and troubled by our current world. Don't feel bad about voicing your opinions or concerns with others. The most important ingredient in our conversations however is kindness. 

 The Bittersweet Apothecary Store is my retreat! I am appreciative of my store and count my blessings. I also have been showing my thankfulness each day for something regardless of how tiny or casual. It helps to soothe my soul. 

We are getting fall jackets in! If anything will cheer one up, it's the arrival of new fall jackets! 

Fall is coming!

We're featuring one of our favorite herbs at our store!

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

Summer is rolling along...

Did you know that Bittersweet makes a wonderful line of zero waste home essentials? Of course, you do! I've gone on and on about shampoo bars and household cleaners and lavender linen spray for years!

What you may not know is that my inspiration flows from ideas that less is more and that enjoyment can sometimes come from the simplest of things. 

Over the past twenty-three years of being a maker for Bittersweet, those thoughts have always remained front and center. I've always felt that it helps one to have a focus on something that's an everyday thought. To take heed in those thoughts and actually create a product that's inspiration was simply formed by that philosophy makes the maker feel soulfully content. 

One other thing that can offer satisfaction to one's soul. These botanical printed cards. I don't know about you, but the idea of receiving a card or note from anyone puts a smile on my face and is a joy. The thoughts that surround that card or note were written in love. We could all use a little more of that! Since the virus hit several months ago I've been finding myself writing letters to send to friends. Handwritten thank-you notes should not be a thing of the past. At least this soap maker does not believe they should be.

Switching the topic to lavender... We've been spraying this throughout the shop along with this purifying blend of essential oils. I recently made some upgrades on some of our labeling One thing I've learned is that packaging evolves continuously. For this soap maker, it almost feels as though you've created an entirely new product just by changing the labeling and rebranding the product. If you stop and think about it those thoughts are kind of a synonym for everyday life. We wouldn't want to dress in the same outfit every day, or not expand our horizons and try new foods or ideas. 

Speaking of new, amazing summer blends started to hit the shelves last week!

Keeping with our tradition of unique soap packaging we began exploring some alternatives to packaging our moisture-rich bars. After all, something so beautiful on the inside should reflect on the outside. 

Our collection of summers end linens and accessories have arrived!

We've already started our fall production of soaps and excited to be a part of Christmas in July that our downtown celebrates towards the end of the month. 

 If you wish to get a jump on things we will have available our famous Pumpkin Spice Soap during this Saturday event!

Summer is rolling along!

I hope you're able to enjoy it. 

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

 

 

Summer Breeze

Here at Bittersweet, our soap flavors are everchanging with the seasons. I can't say that there's a favorite season of soaps because each one brings new excitement to our menu. Summertime welcomes scents of coconut and sweet orange and favorite essentials like rose geranium quietly slip in. We're welcoming a collection of new soaps that will begin to appear next month. Summer Breeze is among the lineup. Jasmine will follow and the summery fragrances continue to whirl by like a warm summer breeze. Packaging takes on a less is more look and everything at our store seems lighter and softer. 

The feverfew is still going strong and we've added some cornflowers just because it's summer. 

My store has little reminders of my heritage and how the soap-making path has been passed down from 1st generation to 4th generation. Some will enter and have no idea that the picture that hangs above my store window is a picture of my great grandmother, Lucy. She was the first generation soap maker in my family! I've dedicated an entire line of products in memory of my Great Grandma. This line is filled with zero-waste essentials like chunky bar dish soap and wool dryer balls. When inspiration originates from a family member it glows!

If you read our last post then you will recall this portable cart that carpenter husband was building. It turned out even better than expected and is a great tool for an apothecary shop. I am fond of its design and functionality.

We re-opened our store to walk-in customers on Saturday. It was an incredible day! We're still providing a cap on the number of guests and those restrictions did not affect us adversely on Saturday, so we're pleased with this new shopping option. We will continue to offer Saturday only hours at our door store probably through the summer months and continue to have our Porch Apothecary available as well shop online and pick up at the store porch during our off hours.  

Keep the faith.

Jill 

 

A Saturday in May

Our Saturday Apothecary on the Porch has met my expectations twice fold! Thank you!

We feel fortunate in having a store porch that accommodates our needs during these unpredictable times. 

Heather is sporting a more stylish approach to wearing a face mask. We had no idea we'd ever be offering face masks! If you're familiar with our brand then you know we're not going to have ugly face masks. Well, let's face it, a face mask is a face mask. There's no getting around that, but we stand firm in believing it is mandatory that it be stylish and coordinate with your outfit!

The way that we do business has changed dramatically since this all began. Some good, some bad, some lessons, some blessings. More blessings than anything and I'm forever grateful. 

We began ordering fresh flowers for our store and it feels fantastic to gaze into their beauty! This week's flower is the Queen of all flowers, Queen Anne's Lace. Her delicate snowflake blooms are unlike any other flower. She's also know as Wild Carrot. Did you know that? She has some interesting facts. 

I ordered some new reads. Both books are filled with valuable information. The Herb Handbook is more like a notebook but packed with interesting information about all types of herbs. 

Now that we're taking time to listen to the birds and the bugs, this book fancied my interest as well. The cricket orchestras have always fascinated me! Their little legs rubbing together to create such a powerful sound is mind-boggling when you stop and think about it. 

If you read it you will become it! There's some truth to that, isn't there?

I also ordered some golden yarrow. Yarrow and Queen Anne's Lace must be like husband and wife because they seem to complement one another. 

We're starting to have an offering or our Summer Whites and breezy kimonos during our Porch Saturdays. 

When I got ready to water my neglected orchid that sits in the backroom I couldn't believe my brown eyes! It was blooming! A discovery that I accidentally found out about a few years ago on how to get my orchids to bloom. Simply stick them in a lighted room, neglect them, and pretend that they don't exist, and a few months later, blooms! I have a shelf that runs along with a row of windows in this stock room. The light makes a difference in blooming, but to my knowledge nothing else, but pure neglect. 

I'm exploring different ideas about how to bring this service to our Porch Apothecary. I love blending scents for customers and feel that a personal scent is such a wonderful way to perk up one's self!  Pondering...

Keep the faith.

Jill