Thursday, August 30, 2007

Blast Off!


Today I found this great treasury of rocket themed items on Etsy. I was very flattered to see my new Stardust Rockets included!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=7533

On a pregnancy note, I'm just over 7 months pregnant now and the ankle swelling has begun. This is probably my most dreaded side effect of being pregnant. It has also been very hot here lately so that doesn't help!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Mod Soapsicles


Mod Soapsicles, originally uploaded by soapylovedeb.

These soaps took literally all day to make, but I wanted some really "wow" ones for new pics and they came out great! My sister, Cheryl, took the pictures and I couldn't be happier.

She took pictures of several other styles as well that I'll be using to update my site, banners, catalogs, etc. So stay tuned! :)

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Insomnia


Sigh... been up over an hour and it's 4:26am. Too much to think about! With my maternity leave starting in about 6 weeks it seems like I'm running out of time for some reason. Of course, my heartburn isn't helping either.

I had fun making some new soaps today, though. The one shown above is Orange Sherbet (Sherbert?) and smells great! Cheer me up and buy one at my Etsy Shop.

Okay, I'm off to get some milk and try to sleep some more. Good night!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Gorgeous Chairs for Your Special Kid!



I'd like to tell you all about my dad's new Etsy shop: www.hankschairs.etsy.com. He has been making these gorgeous children's chairs for kids ages 2 - 5, in very unique woods. Each chair is one of a kind and he even personalizes them with the child's name on the back. Kids love anything that says "mine!" plus you will love to see this beautiful chair in your home. So much better than the plastic types in crayon colors!

For several chairs available to ship right now, check out his shop. He also will do custom orders and ships within 2 weeks! These would be awesome Christmas gifts, so keep them in mind as the holidays approach!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Whirly Pop Love


Whirly Pop Love, originally uploaded by Sofia Katariina.

Today I was lucky enough to be added to Sofia Katariina's contact list in Flickr. She is an awesome photographer and when I checked out her pictures and favorites, I almost died! This picture in particular is really killing me. She said my pics are eye candy, but I couldn't touch hers!!

To see more of what she has photographed and also compiled from other Flickr albums, check her out at the link below the photo. You'll be glad you did!

Soapy Review - Two Rivers Soap Company


Even though I make more soap than anyone could use in a lifetime, I'm still a huge fan of other crafters' soaps, too. I have stacks of bars waiting for their turn in the shower, all from different people. I'll get on some kick about something I just "have to have" and start my search, usually on Etsy.

The day I found Two Rivers Soap Company, I was looking for cold process soaps (made totally from scratch) without any Coconut Oil. I've read that this ingredient can contribute to skin dryness, which I get bad enough already (which leads me to think of my lotion collection, but that's another post). I bought Lemon Sugar and Sweetgrass Shea Butter Soap Bars.

When I received my order, I was so impressed by the packaging, which is a clear shrink wrapper with holes so you can enjoy the wonderful scents, which are not overpowering but noticable. Her bars have beveled edges, which is a very nice touch. She also included a sample of her Black Raspberry Bar (shown above) which is just as beautiful in person and smells AMAZING!

I am currently using the Lemon Sugar Bar in the shower and have even used it on my face. I have really noticed how my skin feels much less tight and dry. It smells great and rinses off easily. It's lasting a long time, too!

I highly recommend Jennifer's soaps, and you can feel great about supporting a small business!
http://www.tworiverssoaps.etsy.com

Friday, August 17, 2007

Fun New Blog to Watch!

I recently have been corresponding with a really nice woman, Ayomide, who saw my soaps in Canada and wanted to know a little more about them. She also invited me to be a part of her new blog as her first interview.

I love her blog concept. In her own words, "Breakfast with the People is the blog that aspires to bring you those life lessons to inspire and energise you, through a series of interviews with all sorts of people with something to offer."

I did my best to offer what I've learned so far in life, but I really look forward to reading what other people say, too. Check it out! :) Breakfast with the People

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Soapypress in Shop 4 Kids, Australia



This morning I got a very nice email from a Switchboard friend, Sacha, who saw my soaps in a magazine there in Australia. She says:

"Shop 4 Kids is a high end magazine as the spin off for Shop Til You Drop. It’s got all the goodies for mums who spend lots on their bubs (Bugaboos, designer baby gear etc) and on its third issue it’s extremely popular! I was so excited to see you in there!

Kind Regards, Sacha
Bridal Survival
Dream Plan Survive
http://www.bridalsurvival.com.au"

Thank you so much Sacha! It's so nice for you to let me know. My Nilla Sammie is also in "Sweet 16" magazine this month, thanks to Robert at Mahar Drygoods. Go Soapylove! :)

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A Must See! Kup Kup Land


If you want to be dazzled and charmed by whimsical art, check out Kup Kup, Etsy's current featured artist.

The little characters and amazing details show her love of her art. You can buy notebooks, buttons, and wall hangings in her Etsy shop - but she's featured, so snap them up!!

My Etsy shop is currently closed so I can focus on packing and shipping wholesale orders, but I have several new soapsicles made and ready for their close up! Next week I should be back in action. :)

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Ugh!! So tired!

I am around 28 weeks pregnant and am getting that first trimester fatigue again. I'm so exhausted it's hard to do anything! I took a sick day today and am going to hit the sack. I just hope this is short lived because I only have so many sick days to take!

Pregnancy is tough sometimes!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Gorgeous, Fabulous Macarons!



Macaron Order - Hwee Li, originally uploaded by bossacafez.

Evan, of Bossacafez on flickr, makes these incredibly beautiful meringue cookies. All are made to order (as far as I know) and get treated to a photo shoot before being sent to their new, very lucky owners.

I have never had a french style macaron before and sadly, can't find them anywhere in my town. Evan is in Singapore but maybe it's possible to get an order! We'll see!

In the meantime, I enjoy every new photo Bossacafez posts and dream of my first delectable bite.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Today's Discovery - Gorgeous Custom Announcements!


Being pregnant, I now have my radar tuned to all things baby. But I'm kind of picky, since I'm having a girl and I don't really like things super "girly girl." Today I was totally excited to find this custom announcement by Anna Bella Stationery. It's so feminine and sophisticated. Plus customized info and an envelope with the return address already printed on it is included for $1.89 each!! I'm totally amazed! She has many gorgeous styles for different occasions. Check it out at:

http://www.annabellastationery.com/

UPDATE: I just found out she's having an amazing sale through the end of August!
"Our ANNUAL SUMMER SALE is still going on until August 30th! Receive 20% off any invitation or announcement from our Occasion section. Use coupon code SUMMER20 again and again until August"

Stardust Rocket Fan

I just want to say "Thanks!" to Space Oddities for her post about my Stardust Soap Rockets in her blog today. Check out all the other cool kids gift items she wrote about - there are some excellent finds!!

http://www.crafttherapy.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Tooth Chips... and swallowing my pride.


Today I'm writing about 2 things: a great unusual product I tried, and a customer service lesson I learned the hard way.

So yesterday I received and tried something called "Tooth Chips", a soap made for tooth brushing made by Rose of Sharon Acres (http://www.roseofsharonacres.etsy.com). It's handmade soap shredded into little pieces, each one the perfect amount for one use. You stick a shred on your back tooth, then brush and it lathers up. I've tried other natural products like this, but her Tooth Chips are the best because they taste good (she offers several flavors), and rinse out cleanly. She offers small sampler sizes, so it's very affordable to try. I highly recommend it!

My customer service lesson was a blow to my pride, because I strive to set a personal standard about not being stomped on by people. Not to get into details, but a buyer wanted to return an order of 78 soaps almost a month after they were delivered. It is highly unusual for a B&B company to allow this, but the issue was getting me really heated and I had to back down and accept the return. Unfortunately, I have not had a published return policy, therefore making me a bit weak in standing my ground. So for now on, I will include my policy on all invoices. I just really hate having any sort of stern legal talk in my business, but I guess it's a must. Sigh!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Catching Fireflies Blog

Thanks so much to the Catching Fireflies Blog for featuring my soapsicles!! I really appreciate it!

http://catchingfireflies.typepad.com/catching_fireflies/gifts_ideas_for_her/index.html

Tag! I'm it!

As I was surfing through some great blogs yesterday, I came across http://themommyandmeboutique.blogspot.com/ where she is having a fun game of tag. Usually people don't volunteer to be tagged, but I did! :)

Anyway, the game goes: list 7 random things about yourself, then "tag" 7 other bloggers to do the same. So here I go:

My 7 random things:
1) I was born in the Bronx, but can't mimic a New York accent to save my life.
2) I secretly sneak spoonfulls of sour cream when I can get away with it.
3) I've been to Singapore, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Mexico, and Canada. I would really love to go to Alaska.
4) I have very advanced sewing skills, but hate to sew.
5) I used to fudge my report cards in middle school to make my D's look like B's. (Oh wait, is this true confessions? Different game.)
6) When I was a kid I was hugely into origami. I would even fold blankets into big pianos.
and finally...
7) Amityville Horror is probably my favorite book ever.

I hope that was slightly interesting.
Here are my taggees:
1) http://pepperinapress.blogspot.com/
2) http://trollflings.blogspot.com/

3) Okay... I chickened out. Posting this felt so spammy. But if you'd like to volunteer to continue this game, please comment and I'll add you!

Some of you may be thinking, "boy this sure reminds me of those chain mails." But the difference is, I'm not threatening you with 7 years of bad luck if you don't do it. It's just for fun and totally totally optional. No pressure!

If you've been tagged, here's what you do:
Your Instructions - Please list 7 random things/habits about yourself.
Then choose 7 bloggers to tag and list their names in your blog.
Leave your 7 tagged bloggers comments on their blogs to notify
them that they have been tagged and then direct them to your
blog for tag instructions.

Have fun!
Debbie