Bittersweet and the little soap company

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 

 

plum and pumpkin

What is it about this rich color? I'm a plum fall girl! 

I've been juicing every morning and guess what kind of fruit I've been adding? Yep, you guessed it, plums!

I'm absolutely in love with our fall lines. This hue will be sticking around for a while. So watch for it!

I just finished working on September Soap Chronology. What a great idea! Thank you, organized customer, for the suggestion. It was a grand idea! Keeps me on track and since I always am required to be a month or two ahead it's so much easier to recall what comes next. 

That is one of our Pumpkin Spice fans! It's hard to believe that the seasonal soap is making its debut on September 6! The September chronology is going to knock your socks off! I'll be releasing it in a week. 

We introduced a new Milk Soap this past week, Sandalwood Farm to Skin Soap. 

Persian Pear is flying out of the shop door!

A new line of Heat and Eye Pillows are also flying! We have placed another order. I can't think of anything better to stash in your fall home than a Lavender Heat Pillow! 

Oh, and a new Lotion Bar that is scented with honey essential oil is also categorized as extreme fall goodness. 

We have many more new items arriving weekly, and it's almost feeling like Christmas!

Mountains of soap ready to be labeled just sitting on the mantle. Now that I see this picture I'm reminded that I need to print the labels for this soap. I lost my list!

I'm also in love with this packaging! Such rich and vibrant colors are a perfect addition to welcome in autumn. Don't you think?

Alice Bracelets and long pendants top it off. 

This fall I'm drawn to classic and timeless pieces. Ones that will be in your closet for many years to come. It makes sense. The quality of the garment is fine, so fine, and the fabric is super soft!

And if that didn't get you in the fall mood then this picture shall. I am drawn to houndstooth, wood beads, leather, fur, and black this season. The color palette is cream, black, brown, and rust. 

For me, Fall is all about burning candles, hanging a new wreath on my front door, sipping a cup of hot herbal tea, pumpkin bread made in a coffee can, and the simple pleasures of life. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

 

 

grazing

I'm trying to slow down and take in some summer because she always seems to blaze by so fast! 

I'm pondering thoughts of fresh new ideas for the shop. It' feels good to graze and slow down so that my brain has time to examine those new ideas. That's the way it works you know. I believe that theory to be true with writers, artists and other's that create. It's kind of a cool process when you stop and think about it. 

I just noticed before starting this post that Typepad featured the soap maker's blog! Thank you, Typepad. What a pleasant surprise to see Bittersweet be your featured post. It's hard to believe that it's been thirteen years since that first post in 2006. Along the way, I've met some amazing folks and encountered some even more amazing experiences through my blog. Blogging is recreational downtime for this maker and I still enjoy it as much as I did thirteen years ago. I've noticed my writing has improved along with my grammar. Neither are my strong suits, but nevertheless something I have always enjoyed. 

I'm super excited about our latest offering of facial oil! Rosehip is gaining ground in the skincare industry and if you take a moment to research this amazing oil, you'll quickly discover why. 

Not only does Dr. Axe recommend this oil, but there are numerous clinical studies that talk about the skin benefits of rosehip oil. I'm convinced, as I've been applying the oil to my face and have noticed noticeable improvement. 

Moving away from skin oils and sliding into a conversation about lightboxes. I was curious to know if a lightbox would improve the image quality of product shots. The picture above was taken with a lightbox. It definitely brightens it up. I really didn't spend much time taking this photo so I can see how this tool will be productive when capturing small images. My camera is fairly large and I have a tendency to shake it so I believe with a tripod and time this exact photo will be much improved. I haven't had a chance to get that far, but it's fun to experiment. The lightbox was inexpensive, under twenty dollars. I purchased it here. 

The top picture is my favorite only because I love Zinnias! The old fashioned candy-colored blooms fit in with our Lake House Collection of soap. Don't you think?

We had a Soap Sale last week at the shop. I'm pleased to announce that we sold out within an hour and a half! Wow!  Our next Soap Sale will be in January after Winter Break. Congratulations to you lucky girls and boys that came early and filled your bag with a stockpile of Bittersweet. The only bad news is that I probably won't see you for a while because you have months worth of soap. 

That philodendron that sits atop the soap cabinet continues to thrive. I dare not move it, ever. 

I've been doing some soul searching and concluded that my happy place is when the Lemon Nail Creme hangs out with the Facial Serum, Marula Oil, Cardomom Creme, and all the other skincare products that we make. It's especially helpful for the maker to quickly see what she needs to make more of. The process of keeping track has become a challenge since we sell out so fast. I guess this means folks are loving Bittersweets! Thank you. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

 

Mixology and More...

We've been mixing and blending some amazing new perfumes and scents at the shop! I love it when a customer carefully chooses an oil blend that I'm reluctant to believe it will spin out into a lovely aroma and it does. As it often does...

Pouches...

I have no idea what or why, but I've always loved pouches! Maybe simply because they make a great stashing spot. In love with these simple black and white ones that arrived this week. 

Here are a few of my favorite things... The new Cardamom Face & Body Creme is nothing short of being an amazing healing balm. If you don't mind me saying. You don't hear too much about cardamom, do you? Please allow me to explain. 

  Besides being anti-inflammatory, (key for fighting pimples), it’s high in vitamin C, and it stimulates circulation (which improves your complexion). It also offers many great properties when ingested. I am always in awe to learn how herbs and spices promote healing and offer health benefits. 

While I'm on the subject of green things. I have been craving this salad dressing. 

Changing the color to blue...

The new denim line is here! This brand makes some of the best denim! The craftsmanship and quality are evident in many ways. Bittersweet is proud to carry this line and planning to expand the collections in the fall. What is it about colored denim? I'm in love with it! Planning on making a colored denim switch this fall. 

There are soaps that offer refined perfume scent. White Flower is one of these soaps. We introduced it as our new soap of the week last week. Hurry, it's already almost gone!

We're in love with this Kellie Montana line of jewelry! We love introducing you to new up and coming designers. 

We have oodles of new items arriving and we're excited to introduce fun new flavors of soap. We're bringing back a favorite next week. Orange Vanilla will hit the shelves on May 17!

The shop is moving at warp speed. Items don't last long so if you see something that you really love, please grab it while it's available. We don't believe in ordering the same thing more than once. We love to shake up our inventory with new things!

Happy Mother's Day!

It's been a quiet, but rewarding day. We're preparing salmon and salad with Green Goddess dressing. We visited the big box store last night and stocked our pantry with lots of organic foods. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

P.S. New powder room progress to come!

 

 

Snowy Sunday

So many kind folks come out for this special day. 

I'm always in awe over the people their passion for shopping small and the strong smiles. 

We've been wrapping soap day and night!

Items we've needed have been hijacked by shipping companies. I won't name names, but it seems to happen every year. One of the items that are in the no-mans land is a new seasonal Favorite Thing. It happens. I've ordered the packaging item again in hopes this shipment won't get detained like the other one. 

We're up to number 8!

I never ever can predict which Bittersweet is a favorite with consumers. It changes every year. Keeps me on my Christmas Toes!

We were the first people in Liberty Missouri to purchase a live Christmas Tree! That's what the salesman told us. In fact, we picked out two live Christmas trees. One for the shop, and one for home sweet home. 

We have a snow-topped tundra too!

I love Sundays!

Especially Snowy Sundays...

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

Pumpkin Face

Above Photos Courtesy of A J S Photography-KC

 

With the Fashion Show under our belts, we're focusing now on the beautiful holiday season. 

We're working on new gift packaging and on the home front we're scrambling to get prepared for winter.

I'm finding a winter home for the ferns and plants. 

We've also been working on some home projects in between carpenter and shop life. 

Soap production is still in overload in amongst all the other chores and everyday life, and I'm thankful for each and everything. 

I've been experimenting with wool soap wraps. The wool wrap idea has been floating around for some time. It's an interesting concept to wrap wool around a bar of soap. The method of doing so offers an exfoliating, sudsy, longer lasting, bar. I'm intrigued.  I'll share some pics later. I'm waiting on some new products to arrive so that I can complete the packaging. 

Bittersweet Holiday Jamboree! 

Set the date for our next event. December one and two on the calendar. 

Before that event, lots of others! 

For the past few years, we've been getting a real Christmas Tree. I love a real tree!

I'm going to have one at the shop too!

I'm off to get planting soil. A good friend shared some plant cuttings and I need to place the cuttings in some rich dirt so that they can flourish. 

Keep the faith. 

Jill 

twiddle-twaddle, but not really.

Autumn production has started and the shop has a crisp coat of butternut hues. Fuzzy sweaters and leather satchels, velvet accessories, and sparkling jewels capture your attention. The fuzzy sweaters our neatly hanging on the dress racks in the back room. It's a bit early, but soon, really soon. 

Plans are being tossed for the October Fashion Show, and Apple Soap lines the apothecary cabinets that hold the curing soap. It's a shop/soapmaker's life. One that I'm grateful for each and every day because I get to do what I love. 

We're getting ready to open our back room. The room is small, but not that small. Not retail small by any means. While pondering ideas of what should fill the space an idea appeared. A Botanical Garden would be nice. A department filled with herbs and dried flowers from afar. Lavender, Snowberry, Juniper, and a well-planned variety of dried species. I'll create everlasting bouquets and offer seasonal natural potpourri that one can scent themselves. Kind of similar to the "Scent Your Own" department we currently offer in our shop. The "Botanical Bittersweet" which I'm calling it, will not only offer hard to find botanicals that will last a lifetime but add beauty to your home sweet home in an uncommon way. 

I've also added a few new products to our menu. 

Fabric Refresher 

Spot-On Remedy

The first new product was recommended by a customer. Thank you, Sharon, for the tip. I introduced the new item on Wednesday and sold half of the inventory just this week!

The Spot-On is an aromatherapy aid. It is strongly scented and carries a soothing rose water base. 

 These colors, oatmeal, white, and dark brown are my favorites. 

Summer is still producing a crop of zinnia. I'll be missing them soon. 

Autumn will sparkle and shine as it always does.

Keep the faith. 

Jill  

 

summer pie

I would think it safe to say that mounds and piles of soap stacked upon one another are eye candy to a soap maker. We sure are whipping up the soap! We've also started live sampling of a variety of Bittersweet natural skin care at our brick and mortar. We had a blast on Saturday and both Debra and Sandy are not only super great friends but amazing demonstrators. No, I didn't make them dress the same! Sandy purchased the dress a few weeks ago, and Debra loved it on her so she grabbed one too. They did look really cute! We're going to launch Saturday Demo Days from now until the holidays. Love it all!

We didn't let a little rain put a damper on Make Music Liberty Day. Folks came out and enjoyed a day of live music. There are some great local talented musicians and I'd like to thank them for taking the time from their busy day to perform. 

When the shop wasn't busy, you'd find me dancing and singing along in the shop. 

In between soap making and brewing up skin concoctions, I'm taking on some furniture refinishes. I always start these projects with much anticipation of what the final piece will look like. The dresser wood that I'm working on is a pretty wood. The dresser sits in our bathroom and we use it to store extra towels. I'll be anxious for the last step of finishing the wood, and then I can embellish the raw wood with baskets and white towels rolled up. I can see it. 

We have our last summer shipment of clothing arriving late this week. Then we'll be switching over to fall and winter. Next month I'll begin to fall soap manufacturing. Last year we offered our classic Pumpkin Spice Soap in July. I believe it's on the list again for this July. We sell out fast. Are you ready for pumpkin? If we keep having these hot and humid summer days, I'll surely be ready by mid-July.  It warms your soul and tickles your nose when spice scents offered a bit early.

Patchouli, Pumpkin Spice, Honey, and many more flavors are atop the list. Soon they'll be appearing on our soap menu. 

Here's to you!

Keep the faith. 

Jill