Bittersweet and the little soap company

May Day Confections

Peonies, pink lemonade, shortbread, strawberry cake and s'more gooey bars.

All of those blossoms and confections help usher in a happy arrival for lovely Miss Spring!

Now I'll wish for sunny skies...

NOTE: The studio will be opening early and running later. Open 10 am - 5 pm for our May Day celebration!

I've posted shortbread and strawberry cake recipes on past posts. If you type those words in the search box, the recipes should pop up.

I found the s'more bar recipe here.  Think they sound yummy!

I have several recipes for lemonade but am making a gallon so click here  for that recipe if you're wanting to make at least a gallon of fresh lemonade.

I wish Bittersweet blog readers could attend this event! You would thoroughly enjoy it, I know!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

 

Week of...

It's the final week of prepping and preparing for the open house. Considering I thought last week was the week of, having an extra week has given me peace of mind and I'm I can't tell you how good it feels to not be rushed to get things done.

That is an image of the old apothecary cabinet that sits in the product room in the studio. I refer to the room as the little room because it is quite small. When I closed the shop and transplanted Bittersweet into my home the two vintage glass door cabinets fit as though they were custom designed to fill their new space. There's only an inch or so on each side of the larger cabinet.

The larger cabinet is used to store Bittersweet soap and the small one is used to merchandise and house skin care product.

Then of course, my laundry room which some of my readers already know also serves as part of the shop.

Moving my shop into my home was one of the best decisions I ever made. Always nice when a plan works out the way you wish it to, right?

The responsibilities of shop ownership remain in tact. The duties are the same as they were when I had the shop downtown. City license and all the legal boring re-sale obligations consistant and the same. Since Bittersweet is a manufacturer as well as a retail shop we're able to monitor and control our prices easier than if we were just a retail shop that purchases items from a sales rep. Having 0 middle man... It's always nice to operate a business with no middle man if you can. Middle man cost a business money!

Don't get me going on shop talk.

Back to the May Day celebration.

I've put together thirty hostess gifts. I can't share what's inside because some of my readers are planning to attend the event and I don't want to spoil the gift surprise. Actually I've shared the May Day gifts on  past posts so I guess it's not a biggy, but at any rate the anticipation of not knowing everything is much more thrilling.

I've put together the pastry menu and I'll share later. I'm making homemade lemonade with meyer lemons and coloring it pink. It takes a number of lemons to make a gallon of lemondade, (40) to be exact. Now that's a lot of lemons! You know what they say... When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! Not necessarily a metaphor for this discussion, but I couldn't resist.

The week of an event always bring with it excitement and happy thoughts.

Enjoy a caring and sharing spring day.

Warmly,

Jill 00  

 

Faded lilacs

I thought you might like to see more of the lilac setting shots. Some of the photo's were not used. The lilacs have since faded and won't return until next spring. We had the privilege of enjoying their charming beauty for an extended time since we're having the perfect record breaking spring.

In years past I've taken pictures of all the different flowers that bloom throughout our garden in the spring and summer. Since I have to wait so long to see them blooming,  it seems only natural to want to hold on to the short lived  joyful memory they bring to my world.

I'd really like to create a journal of sorts that showcases some of my favorite blooms. Sketches too along with the photo's.

I love flowers! You may remember how I once said if I had not chosen to be a soap maker I would own a flower shop. In fact, I've pondered thoughts of opening another boutique filled with antiquities, French inspired toiletry items and FRESH FLOWERS!

I can envision old white washed apothecary cabinets in ecru, lavender bundles sitting in vintage baskets, piles of beautiful savon assorted and neatly stacked and tied with beautiful satin and silk ribbon, trunk shelves layered with vintage linens, napkins and a rare array of  French ribbon and napkins, stunning fresh bouquets centering the round tables throughout. Can you see it?

I've even thought about a name, Floraison aigre-douce, Bittersweet Blooming!

I'm happy and content at the moment running my cottage business from home but it's nice to have creative thoughts to tuck away and reserve for a later date!

First things first... I have some other projects up my sleeve that take protocol. 

I know, I know, teasing is not nice. The big project can't be disclosed quite yet. I promise though when it gets closer to the proper time, I will certainly share.

Counting down to the final weeks before the May Day event!

My list remains long...

I wish you could sniff the new May Day fragrance!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Love,

Jill 00 

  

How does your garden grow?

This little alcove sits in our back yard next.. Most of the areas in our yard are shaded so the flowers that choose need to be shade loving plants. We do have a few small sunny spots. That's where my rose bushes and zinnias grow. That's one reason I'm planting flowers in my garden. I love being able to walk through my yard and pick fresh bouquets throughout the warm seasons.

Lennis built the cub-by planting nooks along side the wall and steps. The nooks are filled with herbs. Bee balm flourishes during the hot summer months and the bees love it! It's fragrance resembles honey and the blossoms are pretty in a bouquet. I also have spearmint, thyme and chives that come up every season in the spot.

 The hostas transplanted well. They were droopy for a couple of days and then popped up as though they'd been in there new spot forever. Once they fill in the alcove they'll be ready to seperate once again and I can fill another shady spot with their hos-ta beauty.

There are several varieties of plants that benefit from being condensed and dug up every now and then. Peonies, lilys, iris and lily of the valley all flourish when their roots are cloned. Ground cover like English ivy and periwinkle also enjoy a short jaunt. The idee of having more plants at no cost is appealing to me!

Speaking of peonies! Mine will be blooming in the next couple of weeks! They're in a shaded area and bloom later than ones that are sitting in the sun. Their blooming time is short lived, but thoroughly enjoyed. I'm planning on cherishing their blooming beauty through some peon-ie pictures.

Do you remember the small pansy plant my friend Julie gave me a month or so ago?

Julie popped by on Saturday and could not believe how big and plump the pansy was now.   

The stone stepping stones that sweet Lennis created to make it easier and handy to walk up the hill. The hostas planted in that spot will fill the sides of the stones within a couple of years.

I can't wait to share some peon-ie images!

Enjoy a caring and sharing spring.

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

May Day ~ the fragrance

This is an image of the finished potpourri prototype. The mixture contains a mixture of petals and blossoms. Tulip leaves,hydrangea, lilac, lavender, velvet flowers, statice, and rose buds and softly scented with Bittersweets new fragrance, May Day.

In addition to the potpourri, May Day parfum. Both new products will be available on the web site in the weeks to come.

There are still some finishing touches that need to be added to the packaging, but all in all complete. The size, label design and embellishments are a go ahead.

I'm putting together samples of the fragrance to hand out during the upcoming May Day event.

I've been wrapping House Blend bars the past few days. You know what we say at Bittersweet... What we need is lots of soap!

If you're a patchouli loving girl or boy then you'll love this soap! It's infused with patchouli, sweet orange and vanilla.

Enjoy a caring and sharing spring.

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

 

a week off!

Well not really time off from work, not yet anyway. For some reason I've been one week ahead. I was thinking the open house was this saturday. I've been scurrying around to get things ready and low and behold when I looked at the calender, I was a week ahead! It's a welcome surprise to know there's an extra week to get everything on the to-do list finished. A sigh of relief was in order.

Those vintage hob-nob lamp shades are available @ Sundries & Haberdasher, my Etsy site. Now that I've placed them on the wood candlestick bases I really want to keep them in the studio, but someone else will love them as much as I do. I picked the shades up at a recent vintage market jaunt. They look almost new!

The sweet william came from my neighbors yard. He lets his lawn get quite tall before mowing. He has several varieties of wild flowers throughout his landscape.

I picked up a packet of these seeds yesterday at the garden shop.  Can't wait to pick these lime colored blooms!

An extra week will allow me to get some soap wrapping done! The soap rack is in need of filling.

Later this week... My homemade lemonade recipe and simple but sweet hostess gift idees.

I'm also working on the top ten gift closet favorites.

I'm loving the new tree house porch Lennis built! I believe my summers will be spent mostly there. The mock orange is beginning to bud and when the wind blows from the west their sweet orange blossom scent surrounds the porch. Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers. It will put an entire new perspective on things.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days too.

Warmly,

Jill 00

 

 

 

Behind the scenes...

I thought you might enjoy some behind the scenes of the Bittersweet studio. The past few days I've been working on the flooring. Ripping up old black & white flooring and cleaning and painting, switching out some hardware. Sprucing up the place a bit!

I painted the little dresser that I purchased from my friend Dana white and switched the knobs with my favorite wood ones. I love em just the way they are, natural.

I painted the concrete floor with enamel floor paint and then topped it with a satin varnish. I can't tell you how many times I've painted flooring. I'm not sure what I want down in this high traffic area. I'm thinking ceramic tile, but have not made up my mind entirely. The clean shiny floor will due just fine for now until I decide.

I don't know that I've ever taken a picture of my cash register! This is where I ring up my Saturday customers.

When I fulfil orders, this is where I grab it from. Bittersweet merchandise fills the studio. I'm noticing there's a shortage of several things!

This is the apothecary room! The small room houses my handmade pinnies, heat pillows,  unwrapped soap and skin care products.

I took several more pictures but I'll wait and share later.

I also have a finished prototype made of the May Day Potpourri. The smell good old fashioned room freshener will accompany the new May Day Parfume! I will be listing both on the web site in the weeks to come. If you can't wait, drop me an email and I'll send you pricing, and a Pay Pal invoice.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00

Fleur parfume

This is a prototype for a sample of Bittersweets spring, summer parfume Jour de mai, May Day.

If you're fond of soft lily of the valley, tuberose and fresh citrus then you will fall in love with May Day parfume!

 I picked the small bouquet late afternoon. The sweet william is popping up throughout my neighbors yard and behind our home.

 I have fond memories of wild sweet william. When I was younger it was a favorite flower to pick during my hikes in the nearby woods. It flourishes in Missouri this time of year. I also plucked a red clover stem with five little red clovers attached to its stem.   You don't often see red clover. I plucked a small stem to press inside a book.

The glass vials of parfume are part of Bittersweets May Day hostess treats. I'm assembling thirty of them to add to the hostess gift bags that will be distributed the day of the event.

Then I will manufacture the parfume in glass roll on containers. I'm hoping to get the new parfume listed on the web site soon! Probably in a couple of weeks from now.

I'm also mixing up May Day potpourri. The new potourri mixture contains, dried rose buds, lavender, lilac blooms, tulip petals, velvet flowers, staticeand hydrangea flowers. The combination of the dried petals and botanical's is striking! I have a large bowl of it drying in the kitchen. Needless to say our kitchen smells delightful!

Have you ever made potpourri? It's quite fun to make! A simple stroll through on-e's landscape will turn up some of the sweetest surprises. In the winter I salvage pine needles, hemlock cones and seed pods. No need to add orris root unless you want to. I have found it really does not add any more life to the finished product. However, you must use a quality essential oil or fragrance to scent your potpourri. Creating a natural potpourri was inspiration for planting everlasting blooms this season.

I'm also working on the little seed matchbooks. Since the seed packets will be filled with butterfly plants I want to include a large butterfly image on the front of the matchbook.

Oh and I'm painting the basement floor! I spent the entire day ripping up the old yucky linoleum that I despised. Since it's the basement the floors are concrete. I painted them in a enamel floor paint in the prettiest shade of ecru. An interim period and time for me to decide what kind of flooring would best suit the high trafficked area. Not to mention it's the entrance area to the studio.

A bit busy as usual, but as most of you know that's the way we roll! I will be prepared for a mini break after all the work!

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00

Making a linen sign cloth

A shop owner or vintage market vendor have more than one thing in common. The most important one, signage.

SPECIAL NOTE: MAKE SURE WHEN PRINTING YOUR DESIGN YOU CHOOSE REVERSE DESIGN WITH PRINTING OPTIONS

When I had the shop downtown I made my own sign. I began by creating artwork onto a clear film so that I could transfer to an overhead projector. Then I painstakingly traced the intricate pencil marks onto a large heavy piece of oak. Once the design was transferred I painted in the lines and type. I topped it with several coats of urethane varnish. That's the kind of varnish used to protect boats by the way and one I always choose if I know it's going to be subjected to harsh outdoor elements like we endure here in the midwest.

A picture of my little shop downtown.

Nowadays my approach to sign making is much simpler.

I love creating signs with heat transfer. Before you begin let me say, not all heat transfers are alike!

I would recommend using a professional quality over the ones you see in the craft stores.

I purchase my heat transfer and labels here. This web site will open a whole new world to the label loving girl!

I have an ink jet printer so I use the transfer papers recommended for such. If you have a laser you will need to order that kind.

Simply create you design and print on the 8 1/2 size sheet of transfer paper.

Depending on the size or scale you're needing. I printed BITTER on one page and SWEET on another. The logo and slogan were printed on one sheet.

I used Pottery Barn Font for the words Bittersweet. Here is a link if you would like to download the type.

Download POTTERYB

Why I'm sharing fonts here is an oldy but a goody and one widely recognized in the commercial sign industry.

Download HATTEN

Both fonts are easy to read and stand out when used to create a sign. 

Here's the fun part...

I used a vintage linen tablecloth for my sign. Simply place your company name, logo, etc., where you wish to have it on the linen and iron the design onto the cloth. I didn't even sew this piece. It had nice finished embroidery edges around the bottom. I placed a long piece of cotton ribbon inside and folded it over. I can adjust the ribbon to hang in different heights. 

That's it!

Enjoy making your linen sign cloth. 

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days too.

Warmly,

Jill 00 

 

Old-fashioned blooms

The spirea and snow ball bushes are blooming! I couldn't resist picking a large bouquet to place on the back porch.

The little round blossoms of the snowball bush are a favorite of mine.

Yesterday I packaged some pretty gift soap sacs for a customer. The customer requested gift soaps for her wonderful employees and in recognition of  this day. I hope she likes them!

I believe these sacs would make pretty wedding favors too!

Keeping in Bittersweet tradition with doilie trim and a sprig of dried lavender. A moisture rich bar of olive oil soap inside! The two p's... Practical and pretty!

I also spent the afternoon working in the yard. I dug up and moved several limestone rocks, transplanted hosta and planted a few flowers. A bit early for planting most flowers, but getting closer. The tiny radish seedlings have sprouted in the garden! I planted two long rows. Radish are extremely good for you! Did you know? Read about the health benefits here.

I'm experimenting this season and planting seeds over mature plants. There's something soul satisfying to witness the birth of seeds mature into an actual veggie or flower. Not to mention, much easier on the pocket book.

I can't wait to plant the everlasting flower seeds in the garden. I'm reserving half of our garden space for flowers only! Stat-ice, Larkspur, Baby's Breath, Straw Flowers, Lavender. I still need to locate straw flower seeds. I have looked everywhere and can't find them! So strange as in years past I always see them in the seed packet aisles.

I'm also spreading some aster and bachelor button seeds. The two old-fashioned blooms are quite similar and I love both. Also on the seedling list, Flax. Last season I discovered how pretty Flax is when it blooms. The blooms produce a stunning blue!

My rose bushes have oodles of blooms. I can't believe they're blooming so early! I can't wait to cut my first rose! They will be a treat to have on the May Day table.

Speaking of May Day... I sent the invitations out yesterday! Those guys and girls at the post office are always so nice to me. I can't say enough good things about our local post office employees. I've been doing Bittersweet business with them for over 15 years and not once have I had a problem. Not once! Pretty good record, I'd say!

The last of the lilac product shot blooms! Lilac, sweet lilac... Such beauty you posses! You grace us with your stunning hues and aroma for a brief interim! Until we meet again. I will curtsy and greet you with a smile.

Enjoy caring and sharing spring days.

Warmly,

Jill 00