Bittersweet and the little soap company

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

 

 

 

 

 

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