Bittersweet and the little soap company

Smile Scrooge, Smile

I wish that we could bottle the amazing holiday scents that roam around the shop this time of year! 

Our holiday open house was delightful and we enjoyed seeing and visiting with everyone. Deb my right-hand girl commented at the end of the day how amazing my customers are. She is absolutely spot on! We had a visit from Scrooge. What a cranky old guy he is. When I captured a picture and asked him to crack a smile, he refused. No matter Mr. Scrooge, we're going to keep on smiling and spreading good cheer regardless of your negative disposition. 

We're up to number seven and eight of the Twelve Days of Christmas Soap. I can hardly believe how quickly the holidays arrive and exit. 

My editor dropped by on Saturday, and I told her how excited I was to get the books finished. I'll be working on them during winter break. Then I'm going to start the third book and dabble in a fourth. I've already settled upon a title for both books. It's a bit of a motivator when you choose a title before starting to write the guts. I kind of believe that's my method.  When you decide on a title, it feels comfortable in knowing what the context is going to be. Kind of yin and yang for sure. I'm a firm believer in happy balance and how sometimes the easiest way to achieve is to simply keep it simple. 

We're already into week two of December at the shop.  The next eight days that our shop is open will be super fast-paced and I'll be burning the midnight oil until break time. It's how we've rolled for twenty-five years and a familiar feeling. 

We made an old-fashioned Sunday dinner tonight. Beef roast cooked low and slow with carrots and mashed potatoes. It was so good! I feel like if I don't cook I'll lose my talent. Cooking is practice makes perfect kind of thing. I remember when I used to shoot pool, and I also remember that when I didn't practice every day I would lose my talent for bank shots, etc. There was a day when I'd spend the entire day at the beer joint playing pool. Who knew? The good old days. 

I'm making fresh jars of orange vanilla polish and cleanse cleaning essential before heading back to the shop along with a few or several other popular winter essentials. Folks will be stocking up on their favorite skincare creams and serums knowing the shop will be closed for the break. 

Wishing you the best that the holidays offer. 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

Saturday to Saturday

We're traveling from Saturday to Saturday winding around projects and holiday assembly. A continued effort to construct an assortment of holiday gift packages like scrumptious soap and lip balm, soaking salts, facial serums, and the merry list goes on. I'm in love with those travel bags! We offer a variety of styles and colors at the shop. They would make an amazing holiday gift, hint, hint. 

Bringing back some of your bittersweet favorites, like nail creme and shower spray. Both essentials have been improved with even more healing and natural ingredients. This week I'll be working on a new body polish and hair treatment that I mentioned a few posts ago. 

The holidays feel different this year. Do they to you? I believe we are approaching our busiest holiday ever and that there will be challenges to keep items in stock. Folks are definitely shopping early, and I believe that's a great idea. Bittersweet is so very different than a shop that stocks premade items. We make up about eighty percent of the inventory that we sell at our store. From the very beginning those twenty-five-plus years ago I saw a need for stand-out inventory. Items that are fastidiously crafted by hand with a steady eye on detail and quality. I can't tell you how many times I've purchased something only to be disappointed and disenchanted. When you make your inventory you don't have to encounter this simply because you are able to guarantee that it does and is what it says it is. Blessing. The years come and go, but that has always been front and center in all that Bittersweet does and is. We don't want to meet your expectations, we want to blow you away and exceed them! 

I must confess this little one that started as a soap business and birthed into a modern apothecary has blossomed and transformed into a beautiful gift. The most precious gifts are those that stand tall with glory and admiration, and mostly thankfulness. Being thankful for each and everything no matter the size or shape. Little things. 

Hard work and determination are still very much a common denominator in life's undertakings. 

We're expecting a rush of holiday shoppers from now until December 23. Our holiday open house is on December 2 and 3. In between and after wrapping several thousand bars of soap in record time, on December 23, I'll do what I always do at the end of the day. Turn down the lights and take in the memories of the moments that were presented to me this holiday season. Then a long winter's nap is on my Christmas list.

Wishing you peace and joy as the holiday approaches.   

Jill 

 

 

 

passing through

I'm just passing through. Things are moving fast around here, and I relish the downtime to post a few lines. I've been working on books and after doing a major clearing and cleaning of the homestead, my nourishing nesting motives are paying off as I look around and it's clutter-free. I'm a firm believer in if you have too much clutter in your home, you will also have clutter in your mind. This is a challenge for some to part with things. I get it. The reward is coming home and walking through my door to see empty spaces and organized corners. 

We have freshly made jars of face creams and serums. Next week I'll be switching out a few lip balms with different flavors. Hello, Marshmallow! One of your favorites. We've been burning one of our herbal candles at the shop and everyone has been asking if that is what they smell when they walk in. That's a challenging question to answer, because of all the different fragrances that we blend daily. Some of the time the dominant aroma in the air is the Cleanse that we use to clean our shop. I love that stuff! Not only does it clean and disinfect it smells amazing!

That tweed jacket is the cutest!

Building boxes and getting ready for a non-stop holiday season.

Peace

Jill  

 

 

Smell this!

The new Vetiver line has arrived but will only be available through the month of October. I did list the soap on the website along with a few other new flavors. Since this is a limited October addition, we will only offer the other body essentials at our shop. 

The scent must be something special for me to expand its loveliness in other skin-pampering essentials. Just saying.

As we approach the holiday season I'm pondering thoughts of low inventory and empty shelves. It's hard to put into words without sounding like a snob just how much work goes into designing and making our Holiday Soaps and Gift Assortments. I never want to sound ungrateful or unappreciative of the popularity of Bittersweet, but there's also the nature of handmade and the art of soap making that simply takes this craft to a league of its own.  I've increased soap manufacturing threefold this year! Having said that, we can't list our Holiday Soaps on our website because they sell out so darn fast. The backup assortment of fall-into-winter blended soaps smells scrumptious!  I'm excited to offer this exclusive assortment of spices, berries, and forest scents to the soap menu. The papers that are used to wrap our winter soaps were planned months ago, and this year I've decided to switch up the paper love by choosing several different paper artists. All of which brings a unique offering to the holiday table and the gift-giving season. 

Now more than ever my focus is centered on quality and aesthetics. In that order.  It's a good thing! Bittersweet designs are meant to stand out from the crowd in both of those categories. 

Fresh pours of Rosehip Oil and Marula Smoothie are available. Orders for smoothie always increase once the weather cools. This skincare essential is well-rounded and effective in battling dry skin. 

Our popular Shampoo bars are back, but I can't say for how long. This time of year particularly it's important to stay on the soap manufacturing schedule. A list of upcoming soaps that have yet to be made, but that are going to be added along with the tried and true essences that we offer usually offer to require a manufacturing calendar so that we can ensure that the new soaps get made. Since I've tripled the soap manufacturing amount this year it's important that we stay true to our list. Thankful. 

The warm and Wooley poncho came in this week! I'm not sure how many we have left, but I know that we sold a few yesterday at the shop.

Our cool fall-like weather inspired has inspired me to light candles and dig out my favorite jackets! 

When I released Vetiver last week I thought that the Tree Flower fit in with the new line. The woody sculpture-looking thing. Ha! I'm trying to find the source for you. I've had it for a few years, and I can't remember what its official name is. I'll have to work on that and share it later. It's kind of cool! I love real nature souvenirs.  Pinecones, wood flowers, turtle shells, dried flowers, etc. 

By the way, the wicker pumpkins that I fell in love with last season are going strong this season. Styling a space requires a little added texture. The ratan pumpkins bring that to the decorating table. I've been seeing them a lot when I'm out and about. 

We had our first frost overnight. That means the fields will be abundant with an assortment of dried flowers. I'll share that in the next post. That is kind of cool too!

It's crunch time with book content, soap manufacturing, and home projects. The process of book writing and soap manufacturing as well as nesting preparations are required to be rewarding and fun at the same time. The moment that I begin to feel rushed or hurried I know that it's time to switch up my priorities. Change the narrative so to speak. Blend in some outdoor time along with slow-down time. 

Blessings.

Jill 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

River Rain

Many years ago probably twenty or so I made a soap called Rain. It was one of the first soaps that I made and everyone loved the scent. I'm not sure why we pulled it from our soap menu, I'm guessing to make room for many new soaps. I'd like to think of our latest soap offering as Rain's little brother, River Rain. The scent is similar to the one that we had back when but more refined and balanced. In other words, It's an amazing soap scent! As you know new soaps arrive each week at our shop, but they don't last long before being replaced with a new one. River Rain will briefly be available before many have come into the shop and stocked up on this special fall-scented soap. I've also added the scent in our Scent Station so that you can design a body essential with the amazing fragrance. I'm continuing to add many new scents to our collection of fragrances and they're getting fine-tuned with our unique selection of fall/winter blends. All of which will eventually be made into soap!

The jeans and the duffle bag, the booties, and the adorable fall-into-winter jackets are here! Just like our soap each piece that we present has been hand-picked with fastidious thoughts and we typically don't re-order items once they're gone. We're not a clothing store, but rather an apothecary so the denim and jackets that we carry must meet the seal of approval and the quality must compare to the products that we make. It's a good thing!

Those new duffle bags fit that bill! High-quality fabrics and craftsmanship are phenomenal! 

I was blown away by the popularity of our recent release of candles! Totally blown away. We have more candles coming in our signature scents because we sold out within two days. There's something special about lighting an aromatic candle during the Ber months. Not only does the essence fill your home it enhances one's mood too. The Bittersweet blended candle scent has been the most popular, but honestly, they're all three great!

I was feeling silly on Saturday. Hey, that would be a great title to a book, Silly on Saturday. I often have an urge to kick my feet in the air! Maybe to tell me that I can still do it, or possibly simply because kicking your feet up in the air it promotes a sense of freedom and happiness. Try it sometime and you'll understand what I'm saying. 

As I mentioned, the new fall and winter scents are being added to our Scent Your Own Department, and we're loving every single one that we're bringing to the scent table. 

I just made a Vetiver soap that just might go down as being one of my favorite scents next to Patchouli. Just like Rain Soap, Vetiver once appeared on our soap menu. It's a little different than the Vetiver of the past but in a really good way. 

Lastly. 

I never want to not share my secret to happiness and well-being. Not all believe as I do, and that's okay. If you're interested in learning about what I believe in that's okay too. xo

My Beautiful Faith. Taken from page 93.

Unedited.

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feed and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it our fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.

Those are powerful words that really make you stop and think!

As your faith continues to grow through the power of the Lord your journey will fill your soul with a peace that compares to no other. The joy that you carry inside is from the Holy Spirit, and you will experience the love that he has for you. His love is above all others, and you will become to understand it as you dig deeper into the readings of the bible.

 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning

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  

 

  

 

   

 

Rise & Shine!

It's been a whirlwind of a week! There are bits and pieces of it still floating in my mind. The shop undertook a SPRING update and I'm proud to announce that the changing of the shop was completed in two days! I believe that's a record! Typically once one digs into a shop corner the result duplicates a domino effect. You end up with an entire shop in disarray. Now you have a path for customers to walk through, and it's usually a narrow path!  I'm starting to think that since I've been a shop owner for so long that I've earned the badge of smooth sailing shop makeovers. What's that saying? With experience comes wisdom. Well, I believe this to be true, however, if you do something over and over you tend to pick up a rhythm and method that suits your needs. The above verbiage is phenominal!  Because we all encounter sadness in our lives at some time or other. This is a healthy way to look at sadness. It's nice to know that sadness will not bury itself in you and last forever. It's temporary.  Thank you, P.O. Tuama for sharing! It's also a great reminder for when you do get sad.

The idea of incorporating Iconic Recipes into skincare isn't something new. Well, obviously not since the word Iconic is used. Days gone by recipes have always been Bittersweet's go-to and favored formulations. In honesty, natural ingredients that were used hundreds of years ago are still here for a reason. Our great-grandmother-, and grandmothers were smart and savvy. They didn't have time fooling around and wasting time on notions of having to do something over again to get results. A lot of knowledge was passed down from family to family, and if a relative was fortunate enough to be friends with an American Indian who held vast knowledge about plants and medicinal properties, their family was blessed. 

I couldn't resist capturing a circle of soap! 

We're happy to announce the return of White Flower! This light and airy flavored soap will transport your thoughts to all things Spring. 

How many cookbooks do you own? A few months ago I sorted through mine. If you love to cook then chances are you're like me and have hundreds. I could live two, three, four, lifetimes and still not dig into the recipes! So, I began the challenging task of thinning out my collection. I've managed to cut down the size and stashed some of the rare books. I have an International Cookbook that is very old. It's filled with an assortment of recipes from around the world. Whenever I'd make something from the cookbook, it was always exciting to prepare foods that I wasn't familiar with. I'd have to stock up on spices and herbs that sometimes I'd never heard of. If nothing else my curiosity to see what flavor they added was part of my excitement.   To someone that doesn't like to cook, it would be boring, but to a baker and maker it opened up a whole new enchanting world that allowed me to share tasty dishes with my family and friends. 

Sleeping and lounging...

There are certain things that I'm attracted to. One of those things is cotton nightgowns. You know the style of night shift that you'd see as you're watching Pride and Prejudice or Downtown Abbey. I love this style! We have them at the shop! The white cotton garments are cool and comfortable and romantic to wear. They are hard to find nowadays, and I'm proud to say that I'm bringing them back!

Who doesn't love a floppy hat? Firstly, they're cotton, and second, a must-have accessory for jaunts to the beach or a Saturday stroll to the farmers market. They're super cute and look great on all heads!

We also have another favorite accessory, leather belt bags. I'm so happy that these bags are making a comeback! This buttery soft bag happily takes you into summer on vacations and explorations. As we all should be exploring every chance we get!

Shampoo Bars are also back!

Adopt A Plant Tee, and summer-ready platform sandals are grab and go ready! We're getting limited on sizes. Those cute little sneakers are the bomb!

Rise and Shine!

Jill 

 

 

 

 

 

spring reinvented

It's been a whirlwind of a week at the modern apothecary! Last-minute tweaks on designs, soap wrapping paper decisions, by the way, we ponder those thoughts months ahead. Upcoming open house plans, new arrivals in our clothing department, and to say that it's an exciting time, this prelude before spring, would be an understatement. 

The Bloom Cleansing Bar is almost gone as is the Spring Fling Soap. They were around for about a week! It's incredible how there here and then gone. No worries, we will be stocking our soap shelves with a new soap each week. We're finally getting caught up with manufacturing after a busy holiday season. Four to six weeks is a considerable amount of time to wait for something. What's that saying? Good things happen to those who wait. Perfect!

We had a snow day on Thursday. It's been a very long time since our shop has closed for snow. It was pretty snow, and a lot of it! It's just now melting. I keep saying to meself, we're one day closer to spring!

A few years ago my aunt Vivian visited from Santa Fe and we roamed over the hill and through the woods to our favorite antique shop. She spotted the colorful saucers sitting on a shelf. There were only three, but I fell in love with the vibrant colors and could not resist picking the three up. We had just ordered fresh flowers from our supplier and I captured that shot. It's one of my favorite captures, to date. Not to mention the memories that associate with the delicate china. A day spent with my aunt shopping. 

We've planned a spring open house in conjunction with the one that the downtown hosts. It's always the first week of March. It's the perfect opportunity to explore the many amazing shops and eateries, and if the weather is nice, which I think it will be, sit outside and take in some spring sunshine. I love the graphic image of the spring girl! The bugs, flowers, her hat, make me smile, and I wanted to share her with you. 

We have the cutest collection of jackets coming from our favorite clothing manufacturer! I can't wait to get them!  We know that you will be just as blown away by them as we are. Those buttery soft leather belt bags are my style. I love belt bags and always have. I'm glad that they're trending. 

Pink Clay or Rose Clay Cleansing Bar is back in stock. Hurry though, you probably know how fast they go. It will be a while down the road before I get more made. My soap manufacturing list is a long one, and I'm finding myself playing catch-up.

We've been getting numerous requests for our Cleanse Household Cleaner. If you have ever used this Bittersweet product then you know how aromatic it is. Cinnamon, clove, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus shine!

Wake me up before you go-go... Bittersweets Shower Spray is the bomb! Start your morning with this pungent rosemary and eucalyptus concoction and you will be starting your day the right way. 

We're planning on incorporating our fresh lavender from our gardens and the different varieties of herbs and flowers from our garden. It's a joy to share my garden herbs and flowers with you. 

 Jill 

 

 

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