New Soap: Cucumber Melon

Playing with subtle colors and layering with very soft swirling, this particular fragrance blend takes quite awhile to thicken up so I had a lot of time to work with it. I chose a muted color palette to emphasize the clean, fresh feel of the scent and added subtle detailing, such as the thin white swirls on the top of the bar, to bring out its complexity. This scent is also available in a scrub, and can be made into a lotion!

Soapy Sneak Peek: Green Tea

One of my new soaps for spring is ready for its close-up: Green Tea. More pictures and an Etsy listing will be done later this week. It smells soooo very good.

Decor Break: Birch Wood

When I was a kid and we first moved from Washington to California, we lived in a tiny corner house in the downtown area of a very small town. The place was more yard than house, and I was perpetually amazed by the constant sunshine and availability of playing outside. Around the side of the house by the little laundry room was a scraggly old birch tree, I was entranced by it and made every excuse to play around it. I like to keep a little bit of birch wood in my home for memory's sake and for decoration; it's a beautiful wood full of character and humility. Its neutral tones and subtle texture lend well to just about any style of decorating.

Gone Loopy Wreath by NHWoodscreations, $35
Birch Wood Coasters by BBBCraft, $30
Birch Bark Vase Sleeve by Bettula, $28
Artisan Bread Board by KnottyKnotty, $34

Wedding Prep: Attending a Bridal Fair

Over the weekend, my shy self was ushered off to a Bridal Fair (which would be more appropriately described as a Bridal Circus) where I spent most of the time being bounced around between rather aggressive vendors and answering two questions over and over again- when we were getting married, and what the weeding colors were going to be. Hooboy. If I attempt one of these fairs again, champagne better be involved!

We did meet a lovely florist whose designs and kind demeanor were rather refreshing, so not all was a bust. I also gave a little more thought about the colors we've chosen and how they could be worked into the invitations. We're going with a very dark teal, black and white. I cruised around papermart.com a bit (my fave paper supplier, they truly rock!) and ordered some samples to start playing with. Can't wait until they get here! You can see some pics of a couple of the samples below.

Fun With Perfume Oils

There are a lot of reasons to love handmade bath & body and one of my absolute favorites is the huge variety of fragrances available. Each soapmaker has there own special collection, and there's huge room for variation and experimentation amongst those! This is the main reason I'm totally in love with my 5ml perfume oils- at $5 each or $18 for 4 you can enjoy them as-is, or collect a bundle and blend your own custom fragrances right in the palm of your hand!

Just roll a little of one bottle into your palm, then add another and another until you end up with a blissful creation all your own. Here are some blending ideas to get you started:

Sandalwood & True Rose
Sandalwood & Vanilla Sugar
Lavender & True Rose
White Peach & Appletini
Seaberry & Sweet Pea
Vanilla Sugar & True Rose
Vanilla Sugar & Lavender
Vanilla Sugar & White Peach
Sandalwood & Lavender

You Choose- Naming Poll!

For the new year, many of my soaps will be getting an updated look and one (Lemon Curd) will be receiving a fancy new name! While Lemon Curd smells delicious, with tart, juicy lemons layering over the enticing aroma of sweetened whipped cream, the word "curd" is something of a romance killer. So this poor little soapie needs a new name, select your favorite in the poll below!

The Cuteness

I don't know how I get any work done with this girl hanging around wanting to play and be admired allllll day.