Friday, February 26, 2010

Yay! New Soapylove Soaps!

 
Hi everyone!  I know I haven't been writing as much as usual, but that's because I've been working on something brand-spanking-new behind the scenes.  I have a new collection of soaps that are now available at Soapylove!  

They are divided up into 4 little groups - Kokeshi Dolls, Spring, Retro, and Sweets for your Sweet.  They all have printed graphics on fun dissolving paper and the Sweets even have real Japanese Iwako erasers!  Another fun thing about these soaps is that they all come packaged in clear boxes which show off the soaps' designs, protect them, and preserve their fragrances.

These soaps would make perfect gifts.  To see each one up close, head on over to Soapylove and check them out!  Thanks so much!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Woo hoo! Soapylove Wins the Gold!

 
Yay!! Thanks to your votes, my Typography Soap won the gold medal for Fave Innovative Design at the Rik Rak Studio.  I'm thrilled to be sharing the podium with such beautiful handmade items.  I think this exposure is great for the soapmaking community, too.  It's going to show so many folks just how great soap can be!

I can't wait to start shopping for my prizes which are being graciously offered by michele maule, papermode, and themefragrance.  I'm going to be totally decked out in indie fabulousness!!

I encourage you to head over and check out the winners of all eight events.  From kid's items to favorite bloggers, there are many indies that you should know about!  Thanks so much to Rik Rak Studio for holding this fun contest, where everyone is a winner!

(And if you'd like a Typography Soap of your own, I'm taking orders through Sunday only.  Then it will be a part of Olympic history!  You can find the link on my blog page.  If you're using a reader, click here to see it!)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A Gallery of Glycerin



handmade soap, originally uploaded by mari_arti.
I love Flickr and am in awe of the many amazing photographers out there. I also can't get enough of beautiful soap photos, so I put together a gallery dedicated specifically to clear soaps. As I picked all the images, it reminded me that soap designs do not need to be complex to be gorgeous!

Check out the entire collection, which I'm calling "Gorgeous Clear Glycerin Soaps." Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Typography Soap Available for a Limited Time!

UPDATE: Thanks for its feature on Craftzine, I am now permanently offering the Typography Soap on my blog.  (Retail only for now!).  Thanks!

Thanks to its nomination for Innovative Design in the Handmade Olympics, I am now taking orders for the Typography Soap!  These soaps are made one at a time using my own mold, and come beautifully boxed and labeled.  It is scented with "Crushed Ice" which is a very refreshing peppermint.  All orders will ship on March 1. Snap one up today! :)


To reserve your Typography Soap, check out the "buy now" button at the top left side of the page (for those using a blog reader, click here to be taken to the blog site).

Monday, February 8, 2010

Let the Games Begin! Soapylove Competing for Innovative Design.


The Olympics have arrived - the Handmade Olympics, that is.  Rik Rak Studio is hosting an awesome showdown of handmade wonderment.  There are 8 great events, celebrating innovation, blogging, fun design, and more.  The winners will be chosen by YOU! Each event has been narrowed down to 10 finalists, and I'm excited to say that my Typography Soap is in the running for Innovative Design.  Yay!

So head over by February 18 to vote, discover some new artists, and see the work of many you may know.  It's a great collection of handmade and handwritten work from all over the world. 

Paperlili + Soapylove = Great Give Away from Giftfully Simple!

 
Paperlili is a gorgeous blog that I just discovered the other day.  She writes about fashion, decorating, and more.  It's great for those of us with kids because she finds really cool stuff like this Heart Breaker T-shirt in the picture, modeled by her too-cute daughter!

Courtney, writer of Giftfully Simple and fellow Paperlil reader, loved the rainbow popsicle in the photo and wrote to Paperlili to see where she got it.  Well it turns out that wasn't a real popsicle, but a Soapylove "Peace, Love, and Soapiness" Soapy Pop!  So she found me and asked if I'd like offer her readers a  giveaway on her site.  I said, Sure!!  So you can enter to win 2 Soapy Pops of your choice.  Click here (enter by February 11!)

Thank you to Paperlili for letting me borrow her photo.  It's so great!!  Your pics are really awesome.  I'm a Paperlili follower now for sure!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Flavor of the Month: I'll Give You a Hint!


1. It's a Mint Chocolate Chip World, 2. Mint Chocolate Cupcakes, 3. Mini Chocolate Mint cake, 4. Mint Chocolate Brownies, 5. Chocolate mint soap bars packaged, 6. mint chocolate chip, 7. Miniature Mint & Chocolate Cupcakes, 8. ebi, 9. mint chocolate cookie sandwiches, 10. Mint Chocolate, 11. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream Cubie, 12. Mint Chocolate Minis

I hope that after looking at all of those gorgeous photos that you're in the mood for Mint Chip, our Flavor of the Month. Having a line of ice cream inspired soaps makes this one a must, and yet it's our newest style!  The minty bar is full of chocolate scented soap chunks, hand cut and mixed into every batch.  It's a perfect follow up to our other classic style, the Neapolitan

Definitely give it a try since Soapyfans agree that Soapy Pops are even more adorable in person and the scent will win you over the moment you open your box!  And we're happy to ship them right to your favorite sweetie.

This one is only on sale for the month of February, so head on over to the Soapylove Pop Shop!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

You Already Clean Your Hands, So Now Clean Your Liver!

Do you ever feel like you're eating too much junk, too much fat, sugar, and/or carbs?  Or maybe you have a sneaking feeling that you have a food allergy but aren't sure to what kind of food.

A great way to address both of these concerns is with a liver cleanse or "detox".  If you've never heard of this, it's where you go on a special diet for a fixed amount of time, eliminating all foods that stress our systems, and gradually reintroduce them.  This both gives our liver a break, allowing it to catch up on all the filtering it does on a daily basis, and isolates certain foods so you can see if you react to them once they are reintroduced.

As with most diets (or changes in our routine) it's easier to do with support.  My husband, Jim Chialtas, is leading a 7 day "group cleanse" starting the week of February 15.  He made sure it starts after Valentine's Day so you can still enjoy your favorite restaurant!  If you are in San Diego you can attend a meeting he is holding to kick off the cleanse.  If you are not local then he will call you to discuss the diet and answer any questions. 

Included in the $100 cost is a kick-off meeting (choose from 2 sessions) or a personal phone call, the cleansing drink powder and supplements, literature, and email support during the 7 day cleanse.  Jim is even setting up a discussion board on his Facebook fanpage for participants to share recipes, tips, concerns, or anything else with eachother. 

For more information or to RSVP, check out his events at his Functional Medicine fanpage. Thanks!