Vroom, Vroom Here I Come!

One Cool Monkey

Recently I attended a baby shower for one of my co-workers, and decided to make the gift memorable.  The inspiration for this gift came from Thom's Crafts and Treats on You Tube.

I had so much fun shopping for all of the items to make this diaper motorcycle.  My husband thought I had completely lost my mind as he watched it all come together piece by piece.  Once transformed into a cool monkey wearing baby sunglasses and riding a motorcycle, my husband found the project to be "pretty cool".  Hey, for a guy to like a baby shower gift, that says something.

Vroom, Vroom Here I Come!

 
The monkey on the motocycle became the center attraction at the baby shower, as no one had thought of a table decoration for the occasion (it was pretty laid back in typical Vermont fashion).

The expectant mom was delighted with the gift and reports that her significant other refused to let her take it apart after she got home.  Turns out he's a huge motorcycle fan so the gift was perfect.

It is always fun to turn ordinary useful gifts into something fun and memorable.

Winter Disconnect is OVER...Hello Spring!

A sign of spring

The landscape has dramatically changed around here the past couple weeks.  The ski slopes hope to remain open for another couple weeks, but for the most part our snow is gone and the green grass is slowly emerging, the buds are coming out on the lilac tree (YES!) and some trees are starting to bud out, as well.

Easter Sunday I caught a glimpse of the first flowers of spring emerging from one of the flower beds around the house.  These are miniatures, a gift from my hubby for our anniversary about 10 years ago.  I planted them in the ground and moved them two years ago, dividing them so they could "breathe" once again, and they were eagerly coming back to greet me once again.  Their beauty is a welcome sight after the long dreary winter we just endured and inspired me to sit and enjoy the beauty of my yard once again.

Just like I have felt a disconnect with my yard this past winter, the same rings true of doing business online.  Sometimes it is hard to feel a connection with customers when doing business online instead of face to face.  Orders come from near and far, mostly from people I have never met or had a connection with in the past.  It's hard to read body language, find out what the customer is looking for, and guide them to the product/scent that would appeal to them.  If the customer doesn't leave feedback or you never hear from them again it leaves one to wonder if they liked their order, or not?  Some customers return and the relationship grows.

Despite taking a couple years away from the soaping business, I do have customers from the past that are happy to have me back.  Our relationship is rekindled, much like seeing someone you haven't seen in a while. They know they can ask me to send an order on a short time line, and/or wrapping up a gift with personalized messages to send directly to their intended recipient.  The trust we've gained with each other is much like the bond between old friends.  

This week I received an order from someone who lives in the same town as I do and I offered to reverse the shipping charges so to personally deliver the order. The customer was delighted and agreed to the arrangement.  I've seen her around town but had never been formally introduced, so this was a great opportunity.

Gift from a customer

Imagine my surprise when upon arrival, she gifted ME the sweetest (personalized) gift for making the time and effort of delivering the order. She paints on tree mushrooms/fungus and painted this for my business.  This absolutely made my day and I walked away with a big smile on my face.  I hope she can be successful in her endeavors to market her artistic talent.  I know I will enjoy my gift for many years to come, and this will be displayed in a prominent place in my soaping room and on the table when I go to shows.

Moments like this definitely makes one realize it really is a small world after all.

Making Boxes is Fun!

Two Bar Gift Box

Lately I've been turning to my scrapbook supplies to create packaging for soaps that will showcase the personality of each one while  making them gift ready.  I've come up with packaging for the soap cupcakes, single bars, and one that will fit two bars of soap. 


I'll be introducing some special limited edition gift boxes of soaps featuring autumn and holiday scents later this summer. 

Single Bar Box



Soap Cupcake Boxes

Speaking of soap cupcakes...see the the little ladybugs on top of the soap cupcake to the left?  They smell amazing and will be ready to list in our online shop very soon! 

New Soap Designs Require New Packaging



The unveiling of our new packaging for some of the new soap designs

This week I have been on Spring Break and not making much soap because I have so much packaging to finish up and get ready for our Open House for local customers this weekend.  (The house needed a good spring cleaning, too)  With the new soap designs that have more eye appeal than the simple looking bars of the past, there was still this itch to take the look up a notch further.  I am happy to say that I am 100% happy with the new eye appeal of both the soaps and the packaging.   Gift ready for any occasion ~ Mother's Day, Birthday, Anniversary, and more. 

Labeling is the last feat to accomplish before Saturday, and I might just have to buy a new printer because I don't have another minute to waste on ink streaks with labels.   I think the problem requires the assistance of a professional cleaning above and beyond the capabilities of the features on the printer and time is not in my favor at this stage of the game. 

Last week I started listing items in our online shop and have already shipped the first order out.  From now until May 5, 2013 we are offering a free bar of our Kitchen Soap with orders of $20 or more (before shipping). 

Gift Baskets ~ Blackberry Sage

I have been in love with this fragrance for several years and so have many of my customers. The sage tones down the sweet of the blackberry, making it the perfect blackberry fragrance to present in a gift set just in time for Mother's Day!

This Bath Set includes one (1) 8-ounce bottle of bubble bath one (1) 8-ounce bottle of body lotion, one (1) 8-ounce jar of Whipped Sugar Scrub, and one (1) Loofah swimming in a pool of glycerin soap.

Butterfly Kisses

On this first day of Spring we've captured some lovely Butterflies and have an ample supply to share with your children! Perfect size set to include in an Easter Basket, or help encourage cleanliness now that spring and mud is here. Our Butterfly Kisses scent will leave your little one smelling like a sweet butterfly.

This Butterfly Kisses Set includes one (1) bar of Butterfly Glycerin Soap weighing in at approximately 1 ounces and one (1) 4 ounce bottle of Butterfly Kisses Body Lotion.

Invaded by Ladybugs!

We've been invaded by Ladybugs and have an ample supply to share with your children! Perfect size set to include in an Easter Basket, or help encourage cleanliness now that spring and mud is on its way. Our Ladybugs scent will leave your child smelling all fruity and clean.

This set includes one (1) bar of Ladybugs Glycerin Soap weighing in at approximately 1.5 ounces and one (1) 4 ounce bottle of Ladybugs Body Lotion.

Lovin' Your Feet Gift Set

This is a very yummy Foot Lovin' Gift Set. Smells every bit as yummy as it looks (but we don't advise eating this). After scrubbing the rough spots on your feet with our loofah soap, slather the rich goodness of the yummy parfait on your feet for a refreshing and moisturizing experience.


The Lotion Parfait is chock full of skin loving goodies and layered with aloe vera gel. This set is bursting with the essence of Rosemary Mint ~ the perfect union of mint and rosemary creating a minty herbal scent that is highly aromatic and invigorating.

Hurry on over to our shop before they are all gone.

Holiday Gift Basket Sets

Currently available in Energy or Lemongrass ~ more to follow in the coming days. Subscribe to our shop RSS feed and you will be one of the first to know when something new is added to our shop.

Minty Fresh

We've brought together Four (4) of our favorite Minty soaps in one fabulous Minty Fresh Gift Set. Perfect for the Mint lovers in your life! Each bar weighs no less than 4 ounces. The set is presented in a Gift Basket that we secure with shrink wrap for shipping.

Gardener's Friend ~ Created for those who have a love for digging in the dirt. The ground luffa is added for exfoliation. Delicate lettuce and rain combines with soft spearmint and is presented to you in a luxurious experience for gardener's everywhere. This is sure to be a hit with your gardening friends.

Lavender Mint ~ Elegance and charm are brought together into one luxury bar of soap for your bathing pleasure. Lavender combined with the refreshing experience of peppermint with hints of rosemary to top it off.

Doublemint ~ This is truly a delicate blend of Peppermint, Spearmint, Eucalpytus. Not overpowering, just perfectly blended to perfection. We've added ground luffa for exfoliation.

Cucumber Mint ~ This invigorating spa blend captures the essences of a cottage spring garden harvest just after a soft cool early morning rain. Crisp dewy garden fresh cucumbers, combine with sparkling sprigs of mint, full of tiny rain droplets reflecting the morning sun, while a soft whispering breeze brings the delicate scents of rain washed herbs to compliment the refreshing fusion of crisp watery green cucumber and cool mint. You'll feel "recharged" and invigorated by the scent of this *burst of fresh morning air* fragrance.

All of our soaps are superfatted, which means your skin will be thanking you for the extra pampering and love. You can pick up yours, here!

I Am In Heaven!!!

What a nice surprise in my mailbox today! A big Thank You goes out to one of my sweet customers, What's That Smell, who sent me 3 fabulous soy tarts as a gift! It was unexpected and lifted my spirits immediately. The Key Lime is to die for, and I've had to keep an eye on that one because my DD is attempting to snitch it away from me. Party Cake (love the sprinkles!) and German Chocolate Cake...YUM-O! If you get a chance, stop by her shop and sniff around.

Father's Day Special

This year why not give the Special Man in your life a personal gift he'll enjoy. We've bundled up four of our delightful soaps that are sure winners with the guys ~ Rustic Trails, Grandpa's Pipe, Green Mountain Fresh & Naturewalk. We've included a shaving brush and have it all neatly wrapped together and ready for gift giving. You can check it out here.

Latest Etsy Buys

I admire anyone who has conquered the art of tatting. A couple years ago I took some tatting classes and found the learning curve to be way too high for me. I wanted so desperately to learn the art, but I could never get the hang of it. I found this bookmark at Elizabeth's Lace. She has the most gorgeous tatted jewelry.

After All Designs is a fellow MIVEST member. I haven't had much chance to peruse every member's Etsy store. SO...when I spied these fabric cards on a Treasury yesterday I promptly hit 'BUY'. I happen to have some crafty family members that will appreciate these cards.

Everything Purple ~ A Happy Day!

What can I say? I LOVE my perennial flowers and they love me back. I can't help myself...each year they take my breath away and I have to preserve their beauty with memories. I never tire of my flowers.

The lilacs are bursting...


The crocus my husband gifted me 2 years ago for our 20th anniversary are smiling back at me...


And their tiny beauty is simply breathtaking!

Spring Fling Extravaganza!

This morning at 7 AM our thermometer read a whopping 5 degrees F. No zero behind the 5! Can you say BRRRRRisk!?! Oh, but the day recovered quickly enough and we just HAD to dig out the last hidden package of bratwurst from the freezer and put them on the Grill. Yes, even though I still don't see much of anything but snow in my yard, and lots of it, the grill was cooking today.


I made this gorgeous gift bag about a year ago. It is made with a unique Italian Wool Blend yarn. The colors are stunning and I've had a lot of compliments. What to do with it? Well, it was actually the color inspiration for my Spring Fling Soap so it seemed appropriate to combine the two together and make a OOAK Gift.

Today was kind of a catch up day around the house, and time to take photos for my Etsy Store. I have a great digital camera, but I have discovered it is more camera than I know what to do with, at times. I take great close ups of my outdoor flowers (when they are blooming), and I *think* I've got the inside close ups about covered now. I've gotten quite a few pictures switched out on my Etsy Store and a list of the rest that need to be retaken.