Bittersweet and the little soap company

Deep Breath

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion." --Henry David Thoreau.

I would like to thank everyone who attended our Fall Celebration this past week. We ended up with a record number of guests attending, and we're honored that you made time in your day to drop by. As I ponder highlights my mind quickly travels to each of you and the impact you've had on my business and my life. For that, I am forever grateful. I never take those appreciative thoughts for granted. 

Are you finding yourself needing to take a few deep breaths? I certainly am. The climate of this country is unsettled and in turmoil. I'm thankful for my faith and trust in God during these challenging times. I'm also at a pivotal point in my life where I believe that standing up for what you believe in is crucial. If you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. As brass and bold as that statement is, I believe it to be true. My advice, continue to stand up and be firm in your beliefs. It could have repercussions, but I believe it to be worth it. Stepping down, kind of. Being a born-again Christian has taught me many truths most of which have been hard lessons.  

If you've been in the shop the past few weeks you've had the pleasure of meeting Bailey. Her smiling face puts a smile on mine! Little things. 

A few years back Bittersweet had another helper. Her name was Brooklyn. It just so happens she dropped by to visit last week. I didn't recognize her, but she told me who she was as she stood in front of my desk. She then proceeded to tell me that I was the reason that she was going to college. I had to fight back tears, and on Sunday as I had breakfast with my family I shared what she had told me. My dad was moved along with me. Special moments. Wow! It also aided me in diving deep into my thoughts. Did you know that one in three humans is more sensitive than the other two? I've always known this because I'm one of them. I wish that I could tell you that this is a superpower, but it's the opposite.  Having a super sensitivity to what others feel, say, and act can sometimes be a hindrance, especially in today's world, but it's how God made me and I respect that and know that there's a reason for the sensitivity. Sometimes when you step back and look at things the reasons become clear. I've spoken to others over the years who share the same phenomenon. We always agree with each other as kindred spirits and have shared stories simply to show empathy for the sensitive humans of the world. It should be a club! 

Hold onto the good and spread love whenever you can. On the opposite spectrum, don't waver in what you believe in. We must trust in God and know that he's the boss. Our political platforms mean nothing compared to God's glorious truths. I not only believe in that I live my life centered on those thoughts. It's referred to blessing.  Sometimes blessings don't feel like blessings, but I can assure you -

 

 

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Deep Breath. 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

Hats Off!

Hats off to those who persevere, who start small and work their way to happiness. Here's to the people who lift others up, trust in God, and remain strong in their faith. This week was a reminder of these values—technical challenges and paperwork tested me, but they also reinforced the wisdom gained with age and faith. Fall is coming, and with it, the excitement of new candles, sweaters, and soaps. The arrival of my shop books was a joyful moment, turning my space into a haven of inspiration and creativity.

Jill 

 

 

growing

There are signs all around me that summer is inching its way closer. I always love this time of year because the seeds start to turn into flowers and the fresh smell of cut grass fills the air. It's kind of a transition time. I feel like all of the seasons come softly and present a humble presence. It's as though the change is gradual and slow just like seeds sprouting. All of the seeds that I've planted are popping and soon they'll transform into beautiful bee-attracting blooms. I saw a little redthroat hummingbird a couple of days ago. He, she, was nibbling from the columbine flowers.  I'm not sure what their official name is, but this one had a red stripe down its throat. There you go, and it makes sense, a ruby-throated hummingbird. Love the little creatures and I always feel that it's a gift to see one fly by. 

Our peonies are in full bloom. Usually, they don't start blooming until Memorial weekend, but I guess they're not too far off from when they usually open their aromatic petals to showcase their beauty. I dug up my plants a very long time ago on an old farm. I believe the peony is a Chinese flower. 

Just as people come from all regions of the world so do flowers. I've always found that intriguing and interesting. I also imagine who that first person was that transported any specie of flowers to a new habitat. I also love studying botany. Place me in a botanical garden and I'm not only happy as a lark but content and filled with peace. Whenever we travel I always make it a point to visit the botanical garden or gardens in the different regions. 

The whites are back! We're a bit biased when it comes to this neutral hue. 

My white sage is spreading this spring. I started the herbal plant last summer from seed. It took a while to do anything, so you can imagine how happy I was to see it growing. I'm going to make white sage hydrosol. We shared a tutorial a couple of years ago. It's super easy to do if you have the herb or plant. I steam-distilled sweet grass and as it was steaming in my kitchen the entire house echoed its amazing scent. 

Patrick brought me a huge bag of garlic the other day. I really like to roast it. For years I simply roasted it in a covered pot, but I thought it would be nice to have a small roasting pot for the garlic so I found this one.  

Cut off the top, peel the skin, and drizzle with good olive oil. Having roasted garlic around is a good thing. Spread on toast, veggies, meats, and whatever else your little garlic heart desires. 

I picked up a nice-looking mango at the market. I'm going to make a large bowl of mango salsa. Avacados, tomato, red onion, cilantro. It's so good, and the reason I always make a large pot is because once I start eating it I can't stop. The recipe is in Taste & Eat. I've seen several variations of the recipe. The one that's in Taste & Eat is the only one I ever make. Sometimes I add an extra mango just because. 

I planted herbs in all of my window boxes, and they are growing like crazy! The potted herbs are right off my kitchen so if I want fresh thyme, peppermint, or lavender all I have to do is walk a few feet and snip away. There's nothing that compares to Lavender infused iced tea or peppermint. Summer good! I also tossed in a few baby breath seeds. I could envision the delicate white flowers cascading down from the herbal pot. 

This week marks the hustle of our porch sale.  The once-a-year sale is always held in the first week of June. I believe this is our third year of hosting it. A variety of rugs, lamps, baskets, clothing, and accessories can be had at this great sale. If you're looking to style your apartment or home you won't want to miss it. It's pretty fast-paced and items fly. We don't ring up early sales, so usually we have a line of people checking out the inventory before the sale starts. 

My dad has been taking me to get soap oils. I love the quiet time with my dad. He's such a great man and smart to boot! I feel fortunate in having him as my dad and love his company. Little things. 

I hope that you're taking in some spring. I have been turning off social media and never watch the news anymore unless I want to see the weather. It seems that everyone has an opinion and sometimes I just don't care to hear their opinion.  I cut my cable cord recently because I felt like the quality of television is way down compared to what it once was. I'm old school. It's not that I have my head in the sand concerning current events or the craziness that goes on around me, I simply choose to not be involved in it. Feeling blessed that I can make choices for how I want to spend my time. America! 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

 

Foraging, flowers, and forever

We had a great May Day at the shop! Friday was dreary and cool, but Saturday turned out to be a great weather day as well as a good turnout for our once-a-year event. I took my brother and dad to my secret mushroom spot and we found a nice little collection of morels. This once-a-year tradition never grows boring or tired. I look forward to foraging for the tasty mushrooms every spring. My brother brought his new rescue dog, Stella. She is such a great dog! My brother told me that she was just one day away from her demise. It makes me terribly sad to think about the poor dogs that don't get rescued. Stella put her head on my dad's lap as we drove down the country roads to get to my mushroom woods.  Then she stuck by my brother like glue while we were in the woods. 

I finished planting window boxes that I'm hanging on the posts around my porch. I've decided to plant herbs this season instead of flowers. I have sweet mint that will expand and grow and even bloom, and then creeping thyme that will cascade down the box, lavender because I love sitting next to it and smelling its perfume, and a plant called Jack Frost whose leaves are shaped like hearts. I also picked up a few packets of baby's breath that I'll stick in amongst the plants. I love flower boxes that cascade or hang down. I have a ton of seeds to plant this year, and in fact, I'm going to sow seeds in a lot of my containers.  

I've been spending a lot of time outside working around our home and I had a guy come and make some much-needed repairs. He did a great job and I was impressed with his work. Sometimes you can be left down on other's work. 

A busy week planned of soap wrapping, styling the shop, and digging in the dirt. 

Happy May!

Jill 

home, shop, spring.

I feel like our home is styled differently than my shop, but there are similarities because I tend to follow a certain look. Both my shop and home are older and it guides me to bring in pieces that match the home. However, I'm a huge fan of modern too so every now and then it's satisfying to dip a few modern pieces in with the old. My great-grandmother's library table proudly sits in our living room and the modern coffee table blends softly with the old and new wood. There are certain re-model requirements that I feel were a no-brainer like the old tongue and groove ceiling on the back porch. This is what would have been installed when the home was built in the twenties. It probably would have been painted a light green. I dropped by our local home project store and picked up a few coconut hull planters. I'm chomping to plant, but it's too early. Just getting a few things ahead of planting time feels great! I have a stash of giant zinnia too. I always start the zinnia from seed. They are fast to grow and super easy to sow from seed. Make sure you get the giant. They're the show-stoppers in the Zinnia family. It's back to soap-making tomorrow, and I'm introducing a yummy new Lip Balm this week. Banana! That's bananas!

We've upgraded our Car Spice with a wooden topped diffuser. The small glass bottle can be hung on your rearview mirror and the scent will absorb and spread through the wooden topper.

I have been painting up a storm! We've had some new storm doors installed and I've painted the trim and casing with fresh paint. Outside I've been painting trim and our garden shed got a fresh coat of paint. Once I start painting I tend to go crazy! It seems to open a can of worms as soon as that paint can is cracked open! Seriously, there's always something that needs to be painted when you live in an old home. I got the ladder out and trimmed out the porch. It looks so much better and I feel like I'm ready to entertain and grill. The potting bench was an Amazon find. Don't follow the Chinese directions! Just telling you this from experience. My dad came to the rescue once again! We're going to use the outdoor piece for food prepping and summer dishes storage. I can see a large pitcher of lemonade sitting on the aluminum top! 

The new book collection has been fascinating to stick my nose in and expand my idea bank. 

We're getting closer to holding Taste & Eat! I can hardly wait to hold that book in my hand and the one coming after that. 

I've also been pinching my pinnies. Folks don't talk about that too much. I have been feeling the effect of inflation and only making necessary purchases. I'm not sure how it's going to end, but I feel like we're in the midst of something. Some families are struggling to make ends meet. I can definitely see a difference from say a couple of years ago. Of course, then we had you know what to deal with! I'll stop while I'm ahead. 

My peace and my joy do not come from my circumstance but rather from my faith. This seems to be on my mind lately. 

All the stuff in the world won't make you happy. There will always be a void to fill. This I know is true. 

Jill 

 

 

 

Before and after

If I were to say that I'm excited about holding Taste & Eat in my hands I'd be holding back. I can't wait to hold that cookbook in my hands!

The pork chop recipe is included in the soon-to-be-held-in-your-hands cookbook. I guess one of the reasons I'm so excited is that the recipes have been fastidiously chosen. There's not one that I we don't love. Not a one!  

Since we're still experiencing wintry weather all of my outdoor projects are being moved up. We have some home repairs and upgrades planned for this spring into summer on our old house. 

Spring is such a great time of year for our handmade soaps. We love the earthy blends and the beautiful papers. The best is yet to come, always. 

I've had my nose in those books. Do you know the feeling when you order a book, and your expectations are not only met but exceeded? That's our philosophy at Bittersweet with everything that we make so it seems fair that we'd feel the same about books, and just about everything. Sunday Suppers and I love the name. My mind travels to my grandmother Lola's house on Sundays and she'd prepare an amazing meal for my family.  

I've been assembling furniture behind the scenes. Honestly, I feel like I'm getting pretty darn good at constructing furniture! I don't say that in a boastingly way, but rather a satisfying accomplishment sort of way. Since last year I've assembled several pieces and knocked on wood they've all met my picky satisfaction and were fairly easy to put together because I simply read the instructions. There was a time that I put something together and the legs weren't lining up, but in the middle of the night it came to me, and I was able to make a few changes to make it right. I love those moments! My latest assemblage was a wooden bench that I ordered online. I've had great luck ordering online, and it saves me an incredible amount of time. It always helps to know exactly what piece you're looking for when ordering online. I also really take my time and measure once, twice, three times a lady with a tape measure! I'm always amazed how just one tiny piece changes the entire look. I'm knee-deep into clearing and clearing. I'm re-gifting an oversized leather chair and replacing it with nothing!

I'm deeply saddened by another school shooting. It seems our world is filled with evildoers. My heart of prayers goes out to all involved and the families left behind. I'm praying for our country and I know that God will help us to overcome. You must believe this. We have nothing but bottomless despair and no hope if you don't. Don't lose sight of the goodness of God and his mercy. Especially don't lose hope. We have hope to overcome through God and only God. 

Jill 

 

 

 

 

love language

We've started pulling our bright and cheery soap wrap papers. We couldn't be happier with the selections this season. Each of the richly colored papers is unique and stunning. It's safe to say that over the past twenty-five years, I've explored almost all paper manufacturers. They've come as far as Italy and as close as a locally grown artist. Nowadays there are hundreds maybe even thousands of artists that create custom paper and tissue. 

It's hard to not be in love with the latest soaps. This week we released Lavender and Grapefruit, and next week we'll be wrapping Lemon Grass and Orange. Our shipment of spring soap fragrance arrived on Friday, and we're eager to construct a proper spring presentation at our shop. One that will stand out and be shaped differently than most. Our team, I'm working hard visualizing the look that speaks spring. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting close. I always look for inspiration. Not the way you'd probably imagine but in a simple not too serious way. If that makes sense. Early morning walks and trips to my local design stores always help to get me going in the right direction. I don't plan ahead too much but rather ideas come naturally and when you least expect them. 

I've really been into birthstones lately. It's funny, I've always been drawn to certain stones. Lapis, Turquoise, and Topaz are a few of my favorites. When I began researching birthstones I discovered that those were my actual stones. Did you know that you can have more than one? I didn't. I had the necklace custom-made and picked it up on Etsy. There's something about wearing your birthstone or having pieces made from them. They seem to hold much more value. 

We received our shipment of spring hats! We're stocked up on all of your favorite Bittersweet products, and we're super anxious for Spring. 

It's a nice mild day with above-average temperatures. We've been outside picking up sticks and working on some of the outdoor projects that have been set aside for warmer days. 

We had a great day at the shop yesterday. My little world of apothecary and soap making is a blessing, and an even bigger blessing is the people that happen or walk through those shop doors. Feeling incredibly blessed today. 

Jill

 

 

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