Bittersweet and the little soap company

joy

As we begin to wrap up the final touches on our holiday collections we're reminded of our blessings. The joy that we feel in our hearts is the same joy that we wish for you not just during Christmas, but year-round. We're open three more days before we take our winter break, and I must admit when it gets this late and so close to Christmas I'm eager to do just that, break. This season I've got books to finish and goals to meet so I'm thrilled to get those projects completed and move on to the next. 

I was chatting with a customer yesterday and we were talking about introverts versus extroverts. I've come to learn something about myself that as crazy as it sounds I didn't compare myself to an introvert until just recent days. I do believe that you can be both.  I guess that was the surprise that I thought it was not possible to be both, but you can. When I'm working at home on the computer or manufacturing I'm an introvert, but when I'm at the shop I'm an extrovert. I am blessed to have the best of both. It also offers an amazing balance in my life. I love people and always have, I'm eager to learn about others' viewpoints and lives. So when I'm home hunkered down in soap making I'm quiet and filled with solitude, but when I'm at the shop it's noisy and filled with conversing. The best of both worlds so to speak. Feeling grateful and thankful. 

I'm also putting the finishing touches at the shop. Make sure to keep Bittersweets in stock to a certain point, however, in the three remaining days that our shop is open this year I'll want to get inventory down to a mere minimum.  It's kind of a good feeling when the final day arrives that we're open and there's not a bar in the house! That means I'm calculated correctly. You may not be aware of that, but each season a calculation is made on just how many bars of soap we're going to need to fulfill demand. It's actually become a sort of game to see just how accurate those calculations are. Typically they've been spot-on over the years within a bar or two of soap. I used to work for a book fair company and one of my jobs was to calculate how many books were needed for each school. It's all done with a variety of math equations. I always found it to be ironic that math was even a part of my life considering I hated it in school and was challenged with every number and teacher. Then I became a bank manager and business owner. I quickly realized how important math is to your everyday life, and especially business. Pricing of products, statistics, and numbers of all shapes and sizes are key ingredients to understanding how things work. This is when I learned to never say never, and those thoughts ring true today!

This Christmas I'm wishing you peace and joy. Regardless of your situation, may joy fill your spirit and comfort you at all times. The holidays can be stressful for just about everyone regardless of your situation I know because I've been there and I understand. Don't sweat the small stuff, and make peace with yourself over the things that you cannot control. Turn it over to God and he will take care of it all. Believe. Trust, and keep the faith. 

JOY! A three-letter word that is much larger than its size. Ha, math!

Merry Christmas!

Jill 

 

cracked ice

Our home is old-fashioned in so many ways. For example, we don't have a microwave and my ice is cracked by hand, not by a machine. You're probably asking yourself why am I telling you this? Not having a microwave is personal and let's just say that I believe they're not so healthy, but keep in mind that's strictly my opinion. Warming my food up the days gone by method of putting it in the oven has rewards of its own too. Pizza, for example, is almost ruined when you put it in the microwave, but if you put a couple of slices in the oven to warm it tastes as though it was just made!  When it comes to ice cubes and cracked ice,  I kind of like cracking it by hand. In the summer there's the satisfying feeling of cracking a few trays of ice early in the morning knowing that it's August hot and I'm going to need to keep my ice bend full for ice tea and coffee. Then there are the three times that the ice line busted and the water flooded our kitchen floor and traveled down to our basement ceiling. The last time this happened a mouse ate through the line. I suspected that it was a wee mouse as I saw her run across the kitchen floor before I caught her. The repair man confirmed as the line had mouse teeth marks running through it! Mice, that's an entirely different story and one that I'm not willing to share. Let's just say not mouse story, but stories, and I'll leave it for another day. All of these stories sound trivial and not so important, but the truth is cracking ice is very close to living life. Sometimes we do things the hard way at a slower pace while other times we yearn to have fast and instant gratification. I'm a firm believer that instant gratification isn't so instant, and that the after effect presses on long after the gratification is gone. In other words, sometimes performing a task at a slow speed reaps rewards long after the task is completed. Here I go again, getting lost in a philosophical conversation about ice have you!

Our presentation on fall is taking center stage at our store.  Bittersweet autumn is short, as we head into the holiday season in early November. Our Holiday soaps start arriving the third week of November and the process of wrapping and merchandising takes considerable time and prepping. 

The other day when I was cutting zinnia bouquets that fluttery butterfly landed beside me. I ran inside and grabbed my phone to capture her beauty. The bees were swarming in the lavender and the butterflies were sipping nectar from the blossoms. All was right with the world at that moment. I also realized that summer's glory is bountiful and pure. That makes me happy. 

We received a shipment of golden dried flowers and have taken the bundles and placed them in white baskets. The season ahead is glowing with burnt orange and golden browns and plums. I'm always drawn to these colors for fall. 

Our Minty Watermelon Body Scrub is going to go down as one of my favorite new products for 22! I've been using it every day on my face and body and if my skin could talk is saying, thank you, thank you. 

They delivered our awards a few weeks ago. We're honored to have received these awards as they are voted in by our customers. Thank you!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Persian Pear will be making a brief appearance in early September! We love this seasonal soap scent so much!

Winter essential oils are replacing spring and summer ones. Clove, cinnamon, star anise, vanilla, apple, and pear, are but a few of the latest offerings in our perfume department at our store. I'm a warm scent girl so all of these are my cup of tea. 

We also just received our hand-picked selection of fall and winter hats. I absolutely love the detailing on these hats! I chatted about these hats on our live video yesterday. You can learn more on our social media platforms. 

Every time that I see an oversized gourd I can't help but think of my mom. She loved gourds. My mom was clever in her ideas. One fall she suggested that I order in canteen gourds and cut off the tops. We put bath salt inside. The presentation and packaging were unlike anything I've ever seen. That was my mom. I also remember sitting on the back step with my little saw cutting off the tops of hundreds of gourds! Those were the days. I do miss them. Bittersweet was at a much slower pace and each endeavor was new and green. The term is used in the industry to describe someone that has little or no knowledge of what they're doing. Yes, I was very much green in those days, but through trial and challenges, Bittersweet has strong roots that were planted with hearty and healthy seeds. That was twenty-five years ago! Green is good! This is how you learn, and first-hand learning, making mistakes, and not always getting it right are valuable tools to have. 

I'm having a blast with the cookbook! My goal with this book is to have all of my favorite recipes in one book. The new cookbook will hit the shelves in early 23!

Peace be with you. 

Jill 

 










 

 

follow me

It's a requirement to nourish and admire inspiration that comes from memories. At least I believe that you should. My grandmother Christine lived in Las Vegas when I was a young girl. Every summer my family would travel across the country to visit her. Along the way and once we hit the desert terrain, I remember seeing tumbleweeds scatter across the desert sand. The wind would pick them up and the tumbleweed would scurry along bouncing along ever so gracefully. I remember being intrigued and fascinated by this desert weed when I was young. I'm not sure why, but I was. Introducing, Tumbleweed, a mid-summer soap!

So often I'm reminded of these sweet memories and am able to recreate the memory by naming a product after it and offering it at our store. Always remember that inspiration can come from anything if you want it to. 

A few of your favorite essentials are back! The charcoal Cleansing Bar and Shampoo Bars are stacked neatly on the shelves. 

The early morning lavender harvest started this week! You should have seen all of the bees! Picking herbs early in the morning when the dew is still on the plants is one of my favorite things about summer. Little things.

I shared a How to Make Hydrosol video on our social media pages. The link. 

I mentioned in the video how we made Sweet Grass Hydrosol a few years back. The aromatic grass scent filled our home and it was amazing! 

Rose Clay, or Pink Clay as some call it will be making a return in late August. This popular cleansing bar is considered a facial bar but can also be lathered up and used on toes, fingers, legs, and arms too! Rose Clay is what makes Calamine Lotion pink. You may or may not have known that. It's a mineral that is super gentle to the skin. It is a very gentle and very mild clay that is amazing when used for sensitive and mature skin. Rose clay actually helps to reduce inflammation, remove dead skin cells, tighten pores, fade hyperpigmentation, and it also removes harmful toxins.

I've been working on cookbook covers and during the process of planning, I spotted those soft-hued toned linen aprons. It was love at first sight! First, they are linen, second, the colors are amazing! I'm a fan of soft muted colors. Especially as we head into fall here at Bittersweet. The new aprons will be available at our shop, and my vision was that they will look great sitting next to a cookbook. The cookbook will be hitting the store shelves in early 23! I also ordered linen kitchen towels and table runners, just because I love those too!

The paper collection that Bittersweet wraps their soap in changes constantly and I'm always on the hunt for pretty papers to wrap our soap and make it even more beautiful. Inside beauty is the best, but when it comes to soap bars outside beauty does not go unnoticed. The fall and winter line-up of stunning papers has been drawn up, and I believe you're going to love them all! I know that I do!

We also have a collection of wicker baskets, new baby bottom soft facial brushes, and a hand-picked assortment of other items that fancy the eye. 

As we travel into the midst of summer I'm reminded of just how quickly the seasons come and go. 

We have some exciting news to share as well, but I can't spill the beans until the end of the month. I will just say, my cup runneth over, and thank you!

Jill  

 

 

 

 

 

 

a great example

There are many things this man has graciously taught me through the years which in turn have guided me to make good decisions. I can't imagine my life without my dad, this dad! His wisdom comes from experience and his goodness shines through his smile. His spirit shines with God's love and grace.  I'm forever grateful to God for choosing such an amazing dad! It's interesting how now that I'm at an age that I'd once considered to be old when I was young,  I feel closer in age to my dad. When you're young your parents seem much older, but as you age, you learn to realize that they're closer to their children's age than you imagined when you're young. It's somewhat of a miracle if you ask me how God designed this life system. I read something that touched me the other day. It said, "aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been."  I find this to be true. 

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

xo Jill 

 

 

cooking, planting, holiday, and a sale...

Last Sunday I hooked up our clothesline. We have one of those pulls and hook set-ups. The memories that are wrapped up in fresh clothesline linens and old-fashioned clothes pins put a smile on my face. When I was a kid most all households had some sort of clothesline. They were usually in the backyard, but if you lived in the country you would probably place your clothesline close to the kitchen door or basement. Most washers and dryers in those days were either in the garage or the basement. On a sunny summer day along a Missouri country road, you'd see bed linens blowing in the wind along with farmers' denim shirts and a large gathering basket sitting below the line. Seeing this always gave me a sense of nostalgia and hominess feeling. You still see such things if you travel north to the Amish country, but not as frequently. As with all things they come back. Watch for the wave of clothesline popularity to return. I will welcome its return. If you're thinking about having one in your backyard here's a quick and easy way to do that. Your reward will come after you climb into your bed and place the crisp fresh air top sheet over you or reach for the clean fresh-smelling towel after bathing. 

The Peonie bushes have almost withered away. I'm sad to see them go, but appreciate their beauty and amazing scent while they last. I snapped the stunning blooms early in the morning. There's something about the fusia-colored blooms blending with the light pink ones. Let's just call it magic! My gardens are filled with layers of blooms. Some bloom early in the spring while there are others that thrive in the hot summer sun. It's what I call a layering of blooms that scatter about proud and joyful just when you least expect them to. One of the things that I love about gardening is that each year is different. Sometimes you'll have a hearty crop of hydrangea and roses, while other times you'll have Shasta's and lemon balm. It's never the same. Your flowers evolve just like you do! 

The paper scrolls are one of my favorite styling tools! You can find them here. I warn you, it will be a challenge to choose! 

 The Bulgarian Rose Oil is here! The green bottles are here! This means that we will soon start the Back to Basic Collection. After the sale is over, I'll begin to work on the new line. The ideas are fresh in my mind and will transform into an aromatic assortment of summer body essentials that will help calm you and cool you in a most marvelous way! The excitement grows!

My cookbook is coming along. We're making final choices on covers and the recipes have been carefully chosen for this book. Most of which are recipes that have been handed down from my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, my Aunt Vivian, and myself. It's interesting how over the course of time your method of cooking and eating evolve. I'm a Southern girl at heart, so my cooking reflects that, but I'm also a clean eating girl, and the dishes that I make simmer around that too. When my grandmother Lola owned her restaurant she was best known for her fried chicken. When I was a kid growing up we'd always go to grandma's house on Sundays and she'd prepare her famous fried chicken and potatoes and gravy.  All of those soulful memories are wrapped inside Taste & Eat. I'm not only honored to share these recipes but excited for you to try them in your kitchen. Cooking is and always has been a way for me to show love. My son used to say, you've got to put love into it, mom! This is a trick that most good cooks already know. It's like the great cook code! 

The shipment of beaded bracelets is here! I like to think of these artfully crafted cuffs as works of art. Which they are and kind of our jewelry trademark pieces at the shop. They are well made and this soap maker's go-to pieces. Sometimes I prefer wearing a bracelet over a necklace. I'm kind of weird about jewelry-wearing. I used to layer, but now I gravitate towards just a few favorite pieces like the beaded bracelets. If you were to look at my jewelry shelf you'd see more than several of these bracelets. I love wearing them!

Years ago after my mother-in-law passed we inherited that old Hoosier. I really didn't know how to style it in our home and finally decided that I'd place my home office in the antique cabinet. It's worked out great. Technology changes and now we have wireless connections for everything but that old Hoosier never changes. It has lots of nook and crannies and storage space and it sits just off our 1921 kitchen. I really have always loved having my office off of the kitchen. I can pour myself a cup of tea, gaze out the window, or fix myself a snack. Old homes do have a charm about them that can't be found in a new one. I've lived in both and can happily say that I prefer old over new. My roof is solid oak! If you're not familiar with roof material, you won't get it, but I will say that you would be hard-pressed to find a solid oak roof in any home, new or old. The reason I know this is that when we had a new roof put on the guys shooting the nail guns had a heck of a time getting their nails in that hard oak. They couldn't believe that we had an oak roof and said that they had never seen it before. 

Our Porch Sale is this weekend! This event offers a perfect opportunity to pick up some early holiday gifts or gift closet stash. If you are on our mailing list you'll soon be getting an invite, but invitations are not needed to attend. My friend Deb will be helping with the sale. She's so much fun to hang with. I'm looking forward to visiting with her. We always have a blast during these special events!

We have two cubby holes next to both sides of our fireplace. When we moved into our home we tore out some cabinets that were there. I kind of wished that we hadn't gotten rid of them and have been looking for the perfect piece to fit in the two spots. After searching for months, and years, I finally found a cabinet that would not only fit but offer some additional storage. When you live in an old home one thing you're short on is storage. Anytime that I can replace a piece with functional storage it's a good thing. You can see my fiddleleaf fig that is going crazy! Both the ones at the shop and at home grow like crazy. Folks are always asking me how do you get them to grow like that?  I'm at a loss for words as I really don't know. I kind of neglect them most of the time, so maybe that's something they like. I water them once a week, very little and that's it. They have had an assortment of north, south, east, and west exposure, and no matter where they're placed they seem to thrive. Let me tell you that I do not always have this type of luck with plants. Norfolk Pines and Petunias hate me! 

We're planning a low-key holiday weekend with some grilling with family and friends. I'm doing the grilling and have just recently discovered these. They're inexpensive and a healthier way to start your coals. I'm going to add some applewood chips to my chimney. I love the smoked taste of wood in grilling!

I'm looking forward to seeing you at the sale!

Enjoy a safe and happy holiday!  

Jill 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

black dirt and a birthday

Helena said it well...

Well, it's here! Our twenty-five-year anniversary has already officially arrived, but we will be celebrating at our shop this Friday and Saturday. I'm not sure how twenty-five years buzz by, but I'm appreciative of each and every year. The ups and the downs, the mistakes, and the lessons, the rewards, and the gratification have forged this small business into a dream of sorts. I sometimes need to pinch myself to let me know it's all been real because it's such a marvelous ride. Mostly I'm reminded of my blessings through my customers. You bring joy to my heart and soul. Each of us is on a journey of sorts. Helena said it best, life is art!  Thank you!

Today marks the start of what will fast become a fast-moving couple of seasons in the months ahead. Our events seem to bump up right next to each other. Our anniversary celebration, May Day event, and then I'm seriously thinking of having another shop sale the first week of June. The shop has a surplus of pillows and a variety of what I call lonely merchandise. Means we have only one or two of something. This translates into one or two of some things just sitting in our backroom, and our back room is small. It's hard to merchandise one item. We had so much fun at our sale last summer! I'll keep you posted with the date. We're looking at the first Friday and Saturday in June which is the same time we had our sale last year. 

The golden morel is back! I've heard through the mushroom grapevine that they are finding them left and right. The tall and proud morel picture was shot a few years ago at the shop. There's more to the story than what meets the mushroom eye. You see in what I refer to as the olden days, once there was talk about finding the foraging treat I'd put on my boots and head to the woods. I'd hunt all day long or until I found a bag or two. Most of the time I'd come home with pounds upon pounds and sometimes I'd have to get clever on how to transport my foraging friends home. I'll let you run with that! Anyway, back to the story... That day that the mushroom was found I was yearning to go mushroom hunting because the old-timers were talking about how they were finding them like crazy. You probably won't get it unless you're a mushroom hunter.  It was a busy spring as it often is, and I knew that I  just didn't have time to go hunting. Low and behold the tall golden morel had popped up next to the trashcans at the shop! Let me first say, this is highly unusual for a mushroom to pop up in such a way that this one did. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it! Given its location and the habitat, I'm convinced that the mushroom was a gift from God. I picked it, took it home, and ate it! It was probably the best-tasting mushroom I've ever had! Little things. 

The green meadow picture is from our Arkansas trip last summer. This area is adjacent to Blue Spring in Eureka Springs Arkansas. The meadow is part of the Trail of Tears.  Every time I visit this enchanting place a feeling of melancholy overcomes my mood as I gaze over the meadow. I can almost see the men, women, and children walking this trail and sadness overcomes me. Is it possible that remnants of their sadness are woven into the earth? I kind of think so. I've had this feeling before at burial sites and battle sites. It's always the same sad feeling so I have to believe there's more to the story. It's ironic how we as humans, don't learn from our mistakes. We seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

On a happier note...

In an impromptu moment, I constructed thirty goody bags to be handed out during our twenty-five-year anniversary celebration. They're a delightful little token of appreciation that includes a new summer perfume, our favorite orange-vanilla bath salt, lip balm, and soap. I rushed to get the bags filled and managed to finish construction right before closing yesterday in between customers. We will be handing out fifteen bags on Friday and the other fifteen on Saturday. 

I've been on the hunt for cookbook props for the cover. The wooden spoons were a recent discovery that I think will be the perfect touch to the cover. We also have them available at the shop. 

The redbuds are in full bloom! One of the reasons I love our yard is that we have planted every tree, bush, or flower and when they start to bloom or pop up, memories do too! Years ago I traveled to the country and dug up a carload of flowers from an old farm. Peonies, Iris, and Bridal Spirea. All our old-fashioned plants, but nothing compares to their beauty in the spring. 

 We received our shipment of One Day at A time T-shirts, but I'm afraid we sold out of most of our inventory this week. The good news is that I've re-ordered more and they should be arriving any day. I love the wording on this t-shirt! They are organic cotton and oh so soft and comfy to wear.

Wood Sorrels, the mere name is intriguing. They are also an old-fashioned flower.  

Two new lip balms hit the shelves last week! The cherry vanilla was inspired by a memory of sipping cherry coke. Not the kind you buy in a can, but the one that you'd get at an old-time drugstore where they'd add the cherry and vanilla syrup to the beverage. Oh my!  Honestly, someone should bring that back! 

We look forward to seeing your smiling faces at our birthday and mayday celebration on Friday and Saturday!

Jill 

 

        

 

freedom

First, let me please say that with the current unsettled climate that surrounds us, I'm leaning towards prayer and hope, and I feel blessed to have the freedom to share both whenever I can. I try not to take anything for granted, and to be thankful for the good and the bad that fill my days as it teaches me to overcome and remain strong in my faith. Just always remember, everyone is going through something, and it's not us to judge. We often do, simply because we are human. We live our lives learning as we go along, and if you're lucky, you realize how short life is, and appreciate all that it brings. I find it superficial to browse through social media pages and pretend that all is well when it's not. It's not a time of worry or fear for me because of my faith, and I'm forever grateful and thankful for both. My life, the way that I operate my business are centered around those thoughts. There is hope, and there is God... Turn that around. 

With that said, I'm digging knee-deep into my work. Having the luxury of melting myself into botanicals and fragrances has and always will be a gift. One spring officially arrives I'll begin to dig and cultivate and nurture. There's something peaceful about gardening or tending to a garden. I can't wait! Those feelings wrap around each new spring, and the anticipation grows by the day.

We received our shipments of garments this week, and I'm blown away by those tangerine trousers! 

I believe our Lip Balm inventory is well stocked and up to date, and that Lavender Honey flavor is the bomb! It's a toss-up between, Orange Vanilla and Lavender Honey. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either. 

Let me say a few great things about Dry Oil. It's amazing! If you're searching for a moisturizer, your search is over. It's a perk that you're able to choose a scent to flavor your liquid gold. We are finding that the notion of scenting your own skin essentials is catching on. We enjoy helping you create a signature blend. It's our thing!

I seldom have time on Saturday for new posts, but I'm all caught up and thought I'd switch it up with a fresh Saturday update. 

The Apothecary shop is flourishing and eager for this fresh new season to arrive. We're excited to celebrate our birthday next month, and even more excited to share year twenty-five! That boggles my mind! So much has happened in twenty-five years. For one thing, I'm older. Hopefully wiser, and kind of stuck in my ways. I don't consider that to be a bad thing.

Peace be with you, always. 

Jill xo 

 

before and after

It's a transitional time at Bittersweet. Our excitement grows as we unbox new shipments of sneakers, sandals, and yes, socks. I've always been a sock girl. Meaning, I love socks! If you're at all familiar with how things run around here, then you know how my fondness for such things transfers to the shop. Typically, that's how a shop works. Each shop reflects its owner and the things that they admire. Knowing that each human has a love for different things you know how your taste is not always going to appeal to some, but if you explore your creativity and style with your favorite's chances are they will be other's favorites too. 

This same rule applies to an apothecary business. 

I always joke and say how when you're a soap maker you have out of the ordinary items sitting around your home. Tape dispensers, decorative papers, ribbon, string, dried flowers, and the unusual list goes on. We're either wrapping, designing, or snapping photos around here. I was just reminded that I didn't charge my big camera yesterday. I very seldom use my "big camera" anymore. I used to use it all of the time. A variety of favorite lenses accompanied it. A macro lens for up-close shots of product and a simple lens for pretty much all of the other captures. It's amazing how your phone has the ability to capture a great image. Then there's the photo tweaking apps that can change the look of your photo in an instant. Technology...

Next week will mark a few days of package design for our Valentine line. The line is short and sweet and limited, as we're moving straight into SPRING! Having said that, the pretty in pink assortment of artisan soaps and sundries planned is easy on the eye and adds some sweetness for your body. 

We introduced a new Perfume last week. The aromatic tincture has notes of sweet orange, almond, peach, musk, lavender, patchouli, and several other fastidiously chosen flavors. The fragrance offers many different layers, and I believe will be well received by just about everyone. In other words, there's not too much of this or that, and it's difficult to pick up on any of the fragrances I just mentioned. 

Bunny Tales...

That little dried flower is one of my favorites. I prefer a tiny bouquet rather than a large one. We've offered them at our shop before. In fact, we had an entire section of dried flowers a few years back.  

My weeks at the shop continue to bring with them bursts of kindness, love, and thoughtfulness from the humans that walk through the Bittersweet door. You'll never know what an impact your kindness has on my life and attitude. Your kind thoughts shower down like rays of sunshine on a cloudy day. They have a huge impact in my writing, and my life, and remind me that good will always overcome bad. Thank you. 

Stay strong and share love. 

Jill xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

home body

I just know that Great Grandma Lucy is smiling in heaven when she gazes down and sees her name carried on in the products that her great granddaughter makes. I've mentioned many times how soul satisfying it is to create Bittersweets that are wrapped in family inspiration. I feel blessed that to be a soap maker and skincare manufacture! Even more blessed to incorporate my loved ones values and ideas into a one of a kind creation!

Bittersweet is enjoying our down time and weekend off during the downtown festival. I ventured downtown last night, but scurried back home quickly because the traffic was awful. I'm not used to the congestion and I can honestly say it's just not my thing. I guess you could call me a country girl!

I pulled my moms table out and am planning on starting to strip and refinish the piece. It's a great size, and the wood is oak. I'm going to strip off the current finish and sand it down and place a natural finish on it. Then I'm going to carry it to our living room and put it to use as a desk. I'm anxious to get the piece done. If all goes well I'll have it finished in a few days. 

The holiday wrappings have been chosen and I'll start wrapping the seasonal soaps this week. I know, I know, it's not even Halloween! Remember what I told you, Bittersweet crafts winter offerings in summer, and summer offerings in winter. 

Our hangout spot has been our tree house porch. I had to run off a woodpecker earlier today. The little bird was pecking away on the decking. I put fresh water in the birdbath and no sooner than I filled it a plump turtle dove splashed around and got a fresh drink. I love turtle doves! I'm especially fond of their cooing call. It's relaxing to listen to. I could easily be a bird watcher! If only one had oodles of time to just do nothing but listen to birds. It does do a soul good to do it every now and then. 

The new mattress is set up! I love it! A friend came and picked up the old one and I can see how I might just call it an early night just so I can give it the good nights sleep test!

Next week I'm going to release the fuzzy pajamas and slippers. A new kimono, and some really cute tops. A new weekly soap, probably Persian Pear will also hit the shelves. I have several to choose from and I haven't really made up my mind which one it shall be. I will know next week. That's the way it works at Bittersweet.

We have already released Nag Champa, Safari Bain, Apples and Oak, Dragons Blood, and Pumpkin Spice. 

I've mentioned many times how rare it is for a soap company to present a new soap each week. The labor intense process of making soap is time consuming and complicated, but for me it's Zen like and relaxing. I am even more passionate about soap making then I was some twenty-four years ago when Bittersweet was born. This little system I've developed seems to work well. I wouldn't change a thing. Well, I guess if I could clone myself and have two people making soap that would be attractive, but as you know that's just not possible. 

Next best thing...

Keep smiling. 

Jill xo 

 

keep smiling

I feel like something needs to be said about our current state of being. It feels like folks are spread out too thin nowadays. The world in which I once knew does not feel the same, and it's easy to stress with the uncertainty that surrounds us. I have some advise... Keep smiling! I'm not trying to make light of our current conditions, I'm simply offering a compassionate response to this everchanging world in which we live in. I will stop there. 

I'm one of those people that when chaos surrounds me I dive deep into my work. Deeper and deeper I go until I'm so busy and wrapped up into something I don't have time to watch the news or spend too much time on social media platforms. When I do have down time it's spent studying the stacks of books on recent genealogy finds. Which by the way, I've hit a dead end for months. I feel like the only resolve will be to travel to Scotland and Ireland to research. That seems to be on hold for the time being, so my studying continues as I investigate the history of migration of my Scot-Irish relatives. 

Meanwhile, this past week was the release date for Bittersweets two new lines. Each collection is very different from the other. Sunday morning is all about self care, while Safari Bain borrows inspiration from African Safari's and wilderness. The two scents are on opposite attractions too. Sunday morning has top notes of raspberry and vanilla, while Safari Bain lends its notes to sandalwood, cedar, and amber. In store...

That cup! It's a favorite now! In store...

The new glass propagating tubes for the wall, amazing! Great for our fiddle leaf fig starters! In store...

The Bittersweet collection of natural skincare continues to expand and grow. Folks ask me how do you decide on what type of skincare product to make. That's easy, it's always out of necessity. My skin always tells me what I should make! Sounds easy enough, right? I must confess it is fabulously rewarding to make skincare essentials that offer positive and productive results, but there's a lot of work that goes into researching the ingredient list that goes into each and every one. Over the years there have been numerous skincare trends come and go. They start out hot and then cool down over time. My philosophy when making these products is to always offer something that doesn't follow trends, but results. That means old school ingredients are sometimes used simply because they remain to be the best no matter what is trending. Ingredients like glycerin, lanolin, bees wax, and vitamin e, are considered tried and true and not only offer clean and natural, but bring amazing results!

It finally started to cool off a little, and I can't help but feel the fall bug! I started going through paperwork and clearing out some areas in our home. When you have a small business paperwork seems to accumulate quickly. There's taxes, more taxes, bills, expenses, reports, etc. Even though I've switched most of these trails of paper digitally it still seems to pile up. I'm guessing that a person should sort out and go through a little more often than this business owner does. In my line of work it's all about priorities. Some are more important than other's. 

It's a blessing to have the honor of sorting for some twenty-four years. After awhile even if you don't know how to perform a task, you learn. I also believe that when you own a small business there are things you just aren't good at. Sometimes it's best to farm those tasks out to an expert. It will save you time and money in the long run. I used to do our taxes, and after a few years, I decided that this was not my thing. We know have accountants, and my life is sweeter since. Don't ever be afraid to admit that you're not good at something. You can practice till perfect, or you can delegate the chore to someone that is familiar with whatever that is. 

I refinished our dining room table a few months ago. The table has been in my family for three generations! It still needs a couple more coats of varnish and sanding in between. Did you know that when you strip a piece and then begin to varnish that you should lightly sand in between? I learned this many years ago. Sanding between the coats of lacquer will make it smooth. Smooth is good!

We have a tiny pantry in our kitchen that we've made into a coffee bar. I hug metal hooks to hang the cups and we store our coffee spoons, coffee and coffee maker in the small pantry. I have a thing about coffee spoons! The round shape of the wooden spoons fascinate me! Now you know, it doesn't take much to fascinate me!

Bittersweet's fall is short and sweet. Since we're a manufacture we move quickly into holiday mode in November. We always release the start of our Holiday Soap on the third week of November, and continue offer two new soaps each week for six weeks. Believe it or not, I've already began holiday soap manufacturing! The four to six week curing time forces Bittersweet to be a few months ahead on everything. Retail in general is kind of like that too. Bittersweet has always referred to it as Summer is winter, and winter is spring... That's how we roll. 

I can't help but feel that my grandmother Lucy would be proud of her soap making great granddaughter. I wish that she was still around so that we could share soap making stories. My aunt has shared a few of her stories, and I find them fascinating! Great Grandma Lucy made her soap in an old black kettle and stored her bricks of soap in a trunk and on the back porch. She used the valuable essential for cleaning her home, bathing, and laundry. Look at as zero waste before zero waste ideas existed. Personally, I believe she was a professional zero waste expert, as were most woman of her time. Times change, and I really believe that one get's overwhelmed with all of the choices we have nowadays. Not to mention, it's a challenge to know which one is good and which one is bad. Both are available to the consumer. 

Keep Smiling.

Jill xo