Buried under a snowdrift

Wild and wooly week! All this snowstorm and chaos certainly hasn't helped with my big week. The driving around to set up shows was no problem, but the customers haven't been quite as willing to brave the elements just to come out and shop.

So it's turned everything a bit topsy turvy from what we expected this week. The Allied Arts show in Bellingham has had the toughest time. I know they were unable to open up the shop early this week but things should be back to normal there after today. I won't need to make the trip up today to restock, but am planning on heading up early next week instead.

The Hilltop Holiday and Vasa Park shows had a tough opening, but are both open for business and eagerly anticipating a great weekend. The forecast is looking sunny and bright through Sunday, which is a nice surprise for both the Edmonds and Phinney Ridge shows. Edmonds starts tomorrow and we are putting it together today and early tomorrow morning. The big Phinney hoopla begins Saturday morning, and we've had lousy weather before but it hasn't stopped anyone -- so with a forecast of sun breaks and dry weather, this should be a super event this year.

This little unexpected snowball at my head means I have more time to catch up on mail orders today. And be even more ready for what comes next. I'm still hoping that all this record breaking will sort of spill over into record breaking sales too. One can dream.

Final Shows of the Year

And we have lift off!

This is the final week for shows. There are a total of 6 places where I'll be this week, which rounds up quite a year. Here's the rundown:

Hilltop Holiday

Hilltop Holiday Craft Show at
Northwest Arts Center
9825 NE 24th St.
Bellevue, WA (Clyde Hill area)

Dates: November 29 and 30, Dec 1 and 2
Times: Wed-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm

4th & Madison Gift Show

We are taking over the lobby of the IDX building (4th & Madison) in downtown Seattle for a couple of days to showcase our handcrafted holiday gift items. It's a great way to get some of your holiday shopping done right downtown, especially if you are looking for unique, one of a kind things, handcrafted by local artisans.

Dates: November 28 - 29
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9am-4pm
Where: 925 Fourth Ave, at the corner of Madison

Vasa Park

Country Crafts at Vasa Park Ballroom
3549 W Lk Sammamish Pkwy
Bellevue, WA

Dates: November 29 - December 2
Hours: Wed 3pm-9pm, Thur-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm
Link: Country Craft

Christmas Flair

A craft boutique show in downtown Edmonds featuring a number of wonderful local artists.

Dates: December 1 and 2
Hours: Friday noon - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 5pm
Location: ArtWorks building at 2nd and Dayton, west of downtown Edmonds

Winter Festival at Phinney Ridge

Winter Festival and Crafts Fair at
Phinney Ridge Community Center
6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, Dec 2 and 3
Hours: 10am-5pm both days

There is a small admission fee ($4) which supports the Phinney Ridge
Community Center and its programs. Artists (115 booths) are present at their booths, and this is truly one of the highest quality shows with lots of holiday gift items.

Holiday Festival of the Arts

And I'll still be at Allied Arts' Holiday Festival for the rest of the month too in Bellingham. This is ongoing -- right up until Christmas Eve.

Hours: Nov 18 - Dec 24, 10am-7pm, 7 days a week
Location: The Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building), 1310 Cornwall Ave, downtown Bellingham
Link: Allied Arts

Giving Thanks

It was a lovely meal. The turkey was so moist and juicy, the two stuffings both turned out great, yum the giant vat of gravy, and all the side dishes, desserts, wine etc. that everyone else brought were incredibly delicious too. And the clean up wasn't so bad either, with everyone pitching in to help with dishes and take little containers of leftovers. We've still got more than we can eat for the next few days, but that's the best part.

Black Friday. Bah. I've never been a big shopper and my gift list is fairly small. So waking up before the crack of dawn (or camping out overnight in a parking lot!) is so unappealing. I usually handcraft most of my holiday gifts or pick up items at all the sales I'm at. And while I'm nowhere near done, you could not drag me to the mall or department store on the day after Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately I spent the day working. And today I'm off to brave the threat of snow -- driving up to Bellingham this morning to restock and fluff up my display at the Allied Arts show. I'm trying to make this trip really quick before the roads get too busy. And be able to overhaul the whole table before the shop opens this morning. Then it's back to work again.

The weekend is almost over, which means the week I've been equally dreading and anticipating with huge excitement is almost here. The setting up begins tomorrow -- so ready or not, we're about to jump in. I want to post all the details to the shows, probably tomorrow when I can get a chance to type it all up and add links. This will be the last shows of the season, so if you're still hoping to catch me live (instead of mail/internet ordering) -- you'll need to put the finishing touches on your gift list and come to something this week. Cheerio!

You would not believe the piles

It's unbelievable how high the piles have become around here. And how narrow the little maze-like passage through them. It's getting harder and harder to navigate without stubbing a toe or dislodging a stack into an avalanche with a sashay of a hip while doing the little tippy-toe dance up and over the tallest, pokiest items.

I've got Thanksgiving at my house tomorrow. So exciting. I get to take a whole day off from even thinking about work, and do what I love best -- puttering around the kitchen and cooking a feast. Plus brunching with the parades in my jammies, cocktailing while wrestling with the (25 pound!) bird which is headed into a brine bathtub tonight. I've never brined the bird before. I'll let you know if all the extra work tastes any different than the usual Butterball. Two stuffings, yams, several kinds of veggies and salads, fresh cranberry sauce, buttermilk mashed potatoes, three different pies and a gooey butter pumpkin cake all piled with bourbon whipped cream. Yippee!

But today is still a work day, sigh. And I'm headed out with orders. Finishing off a few more things on the list. Making more sachets tonight and cleaning the house too. Duty calls.

Blowing Bubbles

Oh my GOSH! It's been days since I've had a spare second to post something here. My little blog was getting so lonely.

There is always a time in the calendar when I stop making soap. At least soap that I can sell this year. At some point I just have to draw the line, because soap takes 6-8 weeks to cure before it's officially ready for use. Well, that's how I like it to be. It can be used at 2 weeks. And in a pinch (like December) there is soap that is only 4 weeks cured. It's not bad, harmful, or dangerous in any way. It's just a little softer than I'd like it to be. I'd rather sell soap that's just a tad less hard than be sold out altogether and not have anything to sell for last minute shoppers and stocking stuffers. I figure that the soap isn't probably going to be dragged into the shower that same day anyway, but rather sit around in a box or closet or what have you for a bit of time before it's used.

Traditionally the cut off time for me is Thanksgiving. And if I'm truly efficient, I get started on a few batches late in December for the new spring soaps. There have been years where I've just given up until after New Year's. But this was the week when I threw up my hands and said whatever is here is here and I'll just have to go with it. I need to spend more time packaging and less time stirring the pot just in case I run out of something. So there it is. I've trundled the pots and bins and spoons and thermometers away to make space for the piles and piles of inventory being divvied up for shows next week.

And this week is all about making the stuff that doesn't cure or need waiting time -- sprays today, lip balm tomorrow, sachets and salve and foot balm over the weekend. At least that's the plan. I have to admit I'm pretty pooped and still quaking in my boots about how I'm going to pull off all the shows next week. But I'm not backing out. There will not be everything at every show. I've got to spread some things around. Solid perfumes at a couple. Vintage hankies vs dragonfly lavender sachets. Gift sets of various sizes and shapes.

Last night in the unbelievable deluge of rain that opened up just as I was headed to the post office with armloads of orders, I grabbed the incoming mail out of the box with my only free hand and the pole cracked, tipped over and the entire thing took a header down the front steps and landed in a mangled mess on the sidewalk below. I have no idea what to do about it now. I can't really re-set the post in concrete -- it's rotted through. Sheesh. Just what I needed this week. I'm hoping the mailman will take pity on me and still pry the damaged thing open to deposit all the new orders, bills and mountains of catalogs until I can figure out what can be done.

And by the way, again for those of you lovely readers not living in this soggy dark hole -- we had thunder, lightening and a barrage of hail this afternoon. Dark as night at 2pm. There is no way we are not breaking the record for most rain to ever fall on us in a single month this November. Such a fun and pleasant place, eh?

Has anyone called Noah?

To see how he's doing with that ark?

It's official, we've had the wettest November on record here in Seattle -- 11-1/2 inches already. And it's only the middle of the month. It's the 6th wettest month ever recorded, but If we stay on track here, we could certainly beat that. For those lovely readers not living in this swamp, yesterday and today have both been dry with little guest appearances by some bright yellow ball in the sky. It's been so long, but I think we used to call it the sun.

Opening night at Lord Hill was pretty white-knuckled I hear. So much wind and branches banging around that they were scrounging flashlights out of everyone's car in case the power suddenly died and they had to escort out the troops. But luckily it didn't happen. Almost everyone I talked with in Bellingham yesterday morning had lost their power and were still in the dark. We were all setting up the Allied Arts show (which looks great!) and they were wondering what to do next. I would have headed straight to a long breakfast. But instead I needed to race back here to finish up orders and get to Snohomish by mid afternoon. As harrowing as the day was on high speed, it all got finished, everything accomplished, and best of all -- it's over.

This is head down, eyes closed, dive in first and just get through it season. Barrel through to the other side and don't look back. A couple more weeks to go, but it's gearing up to a big finish.

I really love those cinnamon chip scones at Starbucks. Unfortunately, I'm boycotting Howard Schulz. I know he doesn't know it and it really doesn't matter one whit if I skip a couple of scones in his ginourmous global business of domination and greed. But it matters to me. So I was thrilled to see them at QFC. Schwarz Brothers Bakery makes all the Starbucks baked goods, and they've begun supplying the grocery stores with them now too. The iced pumpkin ones are quite nice also. Especially with a little splash of eggnog in your coffee to start the day. It's the little things.

The spread

Today's rain was so miserable. The entire day never got lighter than late evening. The wind pelted the rain straight into your face and ears while you dashed from the car to the door. And the puddles are really building up around here. More like Lake Michigan in some intersections. Yuck.

So I was fretting all day long about how there's never enough daylight, never enough time in the day, not enough soap, not enough lip balm, not enough not enough. And it's all because I've spread myself too thin. Again. What would it feel like to actually spread myself a bit thicker? Do only one show each week, maybe two, and really get to do it the way I would like to do it, instead of slap dash, mad dash, barely squeeking it in.

Deadlines and last minute scrambles usually produce some of my best brainstorms. Unfortunately, I can never take action on those genius ideas because I'm so busy frantically finishing what I've already got on my plate. And later on, it either doesn't matter any more, or things have moved on and it's meaningless, or I've forgotten all about it. It's a catch-22.

Gotta run, time is running out again this evening and I've still got a few hours left of tasks. Hoping to run out the door early tomorrow morning and head up to Bellingham to set up there. Zip back, pick up the missing caps and tins that somehow didn't make it into my order this morning at the bottle factory (forehead smack) and then rush back up to Snohomish for my work shift at the farm. Quick wave.

A sunny window

Really, is there anything more happy to wake up to in the morning? I'm dashing up to Snohomish this morning to set up Lord Hill. It's a mad rush of getting the rest of the stuff ready to set up Allied Arts in Bellingham on Thursday morning plus PLU which sets up Friday. There is no time to waste just watching the kittens mesmerized by their reflection in the windows, their wonder at the new world just outside, or napping lazily in the warm glow of a sunbeam on the pillow. Oh, to have the life of a kitten.

More Shows This Week

I'm setting up for a few more shows this week. Even though it seems like Christmas is a million miles away still -- I mean Geez! we haven't even started the Thanksgiving menu yet -- my show season doesn't last a whole lot longer. With the exception of Allied Arts (which runs up until Christmas Eve in Bellingham) I only have one more week of shows after this one. But it's a biggie -- 5 shows at once that last week of Nov/first weekend in Dec. Next week there are no shows, so I can prepare for the following week, and so I can spend a little time having turkey with my friends and family.

Of course, there is always mail order and the web site. But if you're looking to sniff out the full selection, you'll need to get your lists organized and plan ahead.

Lord Hill Farm

Lord Hill Farm is in Snohomish, a huge barn used for special events and weddings which we take over for a few days and make into a jam-packed display of crafts, folk art and antiques, all dolled up in a holiday theme. Details for the show, if you want to stop by:

Country Crafts Home & Gift Show at Lord Hill Farm
12525 Old Snohomish-Monroe Rd
Snohomish, WA

Dates: November 15 - 18
Hours: Wed 3-8pm, Thurs-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm.
Link to the show web site: Country Crafts

Allied Arts Holiday Festival

Allied Arts of Whatcom County features its 27th annual "Holiday Festival of the Arts." Featuring a wonderful selection of local artists and their work, it's the perfect place to find one-of-a-kind, handcrafted gifts for the holidays. This year is bursting with fabulous new ideas and promises to be the best ever. New this year is a vintage look harkening back to the holidays of the 40's, an on-site performance by the Radio Museum's Midnight Mystery Players, and lots of great events in combination with the Depot Market and other downtown businesses. There is also a "Meet the Artists" party on December 1st, Downtown Gallery Walk Night, with music, food and door prizes. We have a new location this year -- the Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building) at 1310 Cornwall Ave, just a block away from Allied Arts' offices and gallery shop, in the heart of downtown Bellingham. With such a large space available, we're hoping to have more artists and bigger displays than ever before, and hoping to organize an Artists in Action area as well. Other plans in the works -- live music, entertainment, prizes, wagon rides and Santa himself will be there for pictures and gift list sharing! This is a must-see show, and with shop-like hours through most of November and December, there is no excuse to miss it this year.

Opening Night: Friday, Nov 17, 6-9pm
Regular Hours: Nov 18 - Dec 24, 10am-7pm, 7 days a week
Location: The Whatcom Center (the old JC Penney building), 1310 Cornwall Ave, downtown Bellingham
Link: Allied Arts

PLU Yule Boutique

Pacific Lutheran University Women's Club - Yule Boutique
Olson Auditorium on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA

Date: Saturday only, Nov 18
Hours: 9am-5pm
Booth Location: Same location every year, smack dab in the middle of the gymnasium

This is a large one-day-only craft show, with exhibitors in several rooms. Artists are present in their own booth displays and there are lots of gift items for the holidays.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we all survive this next round of high winds and rain storm today with minimal disaster . . . stay safe out there!

Check!

Tossed the rotting pumpkins? Check! Raked the soggy leaves? Check! Packed up all the Halloween decor? Check! Made the soap, packed up the orders, labelled the sprays, stuffed the sachets, worked on so many little tasks -- it was a hugely productive day after all. Oh, the daylight and few sweet hours of sunshine was so nice yesterday, wasn't it dearies? I'm attributing all my success to the rays of sun shining on my head and into my little abode.

I keep thinking that maybe I really need to live in a sunnier climate. But frankly, I'm not really a whole lot merrier or more productive during our long, glorious, sunny summer months (sshhh, don't tell anyone that Seattle has nice weather). It's just the prolonged grey of winter that begins to drag, and a burst of sun puts me right back on track.

So since we're back to the incessantly dripping skies again today, I was doing a little searching for a pair of rain boots. Why does Japan have all the cutest ones?

Shades of Grey

I'm trying to plan out my day and I just realized that I'm bored with it all. It's more of the same -- show after show, order after order, work, work, work. Maybe all this depressing rain has me down. I really need sunlight again. Yesterday's peek-a-boo wasn't enough.

Anybody else still have rotting pumpkins on their steps and Halloween decorations still sitting around? I'd really like to rake leaves at some point too. Or maybe push the vaccuum cleaner around through this dust bunny farm. I just got the kitchen floor washed and 10 minutes later spilled a full can of soda onto it. So there's that too. The kittens have some kind of parasite which has resulted in a diahrea frenzy. I think finally today the medication is working. And I have a spot on my head where my hair hurts. Literally. I have no idea why, nothing happened, there is no injury or bump. It's just the clump of hair. And it hurts.

But it's not all bad. Two of my favorite gals have called this week to order their annual giant pile of soaps for everyone at work -- 50 bars, 60 bars. I am so honored that they have chosen my soap as THE holiday gift for all the folks they work with. And each year that it happens, I'm even more grateful. Plus, there's still Halloween candy in the bowl.

Vote!

Brave the rain and head out to vote today!

Monsoon Week's Shows

Could the weather get any wetter? There are two shows this week during the monsoon, one of them is just this afternoon and tomorrow, so it goes quick.

Meridian Valley Artisans Festival

Dates: Monday and Tuesday, Nov 6 and 7
Hours: Mon 4-9pm (invites only), Tue 9am-8pm (open to public)
Location: Meridian Valley Country Club, 24830 - 136th Ave SE, Kent

This show is a benefit for Children's Hospital. The gals who organize this show collect a commission on the artist's sales, which go directly to CHMC, which is nice for everyone. We get to contribute our commissions to a lovely cause (and get a tax deduction), the Kent Guild gets to raise some much needed funds for the uncompensated care programs, and you -- the customer -- can shop tax-free since it's a non-profit organization. Bonus all around. They are in the midst of a major construction project over there, but it shouldn't affect our building or the parking, and next year will be a fabulous new spot to set up shop.

Starving Housewives

Dates: Tuesday through Saturday, Nov 7 - 11
Hours: Tues - Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am - 3pm (note the early close)
Location: Echo Falls Country Club , 20414 121st Ave SE * Snohomish (Just off of Hwy 522 E onto Echo Lk Rd)
Link: Starving Housewives

This is another one of Cameron and Cindy's schedule of shows at Echo Falls Country Club. We have one in the spring here, a couple at Maltby Community Club and the one last month in Bothell. This particular show is sort of the queen of them all. It's the most chock full, the biggest attendance, the best vendors, and there will be busloads of visitors who stop in during the week, from all kinds of groups from senior centers to red hat ladies. So it's busy and festive and the perfect way to start off the holiday shopping.

Sunday Hangover

Ok, so yesterday was the marathon of three shows at once. I was working my little booth at Eastlake High all day since before the crack of dawn. And when the day was over, I ran out to the car and thought, "gee, it's really raining out here." And after about a dozen trips to the car, soaked to the skin, I drive over to Pickering Barn to tear down that show.

About 20 loads to the car later I'm thinking "Oh my GOD, I've never been so wet in my entire life." Mostly because I had so much stuff that I couldn't fit it all in the car and was doing the jigsaw puzzle thing, stacking the car within an inch of its life, and all the while the skies were dumping bucketloads of water down my head. So I creep out of the lot, the final bins stuffed so high under my armpit in the front seat that I can hardly steer, and maneuver across I-90 with blowing torrents of rain, and I'm thinking, "Holy HELL, I've seen so much rain in. my. entire. life."

Which brings me home. And having to unload that unbearably huge load of soggy mess from my car in the midst of the biggest typhoon I've ever experienced. Which has me howling "Holy SHIT! I've never been so freaking wet in my ENTIRE LIFE!!!! And mainly that I've never been so damned miserable in my entire life. And then change clothes right down to my panties and head back up to Woodinville to tear down the last show at the Hollywood Schoolhouse.

By then the rain had tapered off, and by the time I packed it out to the car, the skies were clearing up and a gigantic full moon was taunting me. All three shows were down in sales. Big surprise. Attendance was down at all of them. Because who in their right mind would go out in that mess to shop for crafty crap? I wanted to just quit the whole damn thing and spend my entire savings on lottery tickets.

But today's another day. I set up both of next week's shows tomorrow morning, so today is the big inventory and re-pack of everything. And a little bit of time playing with the kittens, who have had a steady stream of visitors to wiggle the string for them, toss the shmousie and watch them race and wrestle.

Oy

Totally pooped. Self-medicated with mashed potatoes last night. My furnace quit on me. I just handed over a whole paycheck for a new valve part-a-ma-jiggy. My printer is only working about every third try and no amount of sweet talk or kicking it seems to help. Nor does the screaming to any deities that may be lurking.

I did get the first batch of orders out. I must have answered the phone at least 30 times yesterday. And only a few of them were robots with political messages (Hi Robert Redford!) and one telemarketer who wants me to invest in the stock market or something. Ha. With what. Dust bunnies? I have lots of those.

When I'm really tired I inevitably throw myself a pity party and whine a lot. Today might include a pan of lasagna. Because Saturday will be a marathon of epic proportions. Send toothpicks for my eyelids for Sunday.

P.S. That picture of mashed potatoes is not mine. I'm too numb to even think of throwing cheese all over the top of them. But that's brilliant.

Adding Two Shows

I must be crazy. I've added two new shows to the calendar - just doing my part to bring the goods to the peeps.

Downtown Seattle Holiday Gift Boutique

We are taking over the lobby of the 4th & Madison building in downtown Seattle for a couple of days to showcase our handcrafted holiday gift items. It's a great way to get some of your holiday shopping done right downtown, especially if you are looking for unique, one of a kind things, handcrafted by local artisans.

Dates: November 28 and 29
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 9am-4pm
Where: 925 Fourth Ave, at the corner of Madison (formerly IDX building)

Christmas Flair Craft Boutique

A craft boutique show in downtown Edmonds, organized by some of the board members of the Edmonds Arts Festival, and featuring a number of wonderful local artists.

Dates: December 1 and 2
Hours: Friday noon - 7pm, Saturday 10am - 5pm
Location: ArtWorks at 2nd and Dayton, west of downtown Edmonds

Winter Holiday Newsletter

For those folks that are not on my mailing list, or haven't happened to stop by the web site this week, the following is the text (with links!) of the new Winter Holiday newsletter that arrived in mailboxes across the country this week:

Winter. It’s almost impossible to imagine this season without the magic of holidays sprinkled throughout the next two months. Just the very word sparks memories near and far of treats and sweets, baubles and bells, packages and feasts, but mostly the time spent celebrating and catching up with family and friends. Fond memories of cozy times indoors with fireplaces crackling, candlelight glowing, and kitchens spilling their delicious aromas. Exhilarating days spent outdoors, bundled for the cold among the snowflakes on the slopes and glistening mountain peaks, stark black silhouettes of trees outlined in the dusk sky. Winter is such a delightful combination of quiet comforts and raucous pleasures, but mostly it’s time spent together with the people you love most.

The holidays are just around the corner, and with all the extra activity in your schedule, simplify your life by having Soapworks Studio help with the gift giving. This year make it easy on yourself and shop from home. We can ship the order to you, or directly to your family and friends with an enclosed holiday card, saving you time, money and worry. We have a Santa’s Sack full of great ideas for special presents, stocking stuffers, teacher and co-worker gifts, or a special treat for a party hostess.

Holiday Seasonal Soaps

The upcoming holidays have sparked a bunch of new wintry wonderful soap scents for a little fun in the shower, or a special gift for someone (or everyone) on your list. ($4.00 each or 4 bars for $15.00)

Spiced Hot Cocoa – Three words: chocolate, cinnamon, orange. Ok, four – DIVINE. A mug of rich, creamy hot cocoa, stirred up with a cinnamon stick and a garnished with a curly orange peel. This chocolate colored bar is a heavenly treat.

Winter Forest – A bar colored a soft shade of olive green is filled with the scents of crisp pine needles, warm woods, freshly fallen snow, plus a squeeze of citrus and spice. It’s reminiscent of a magical walk in the silent hush of a Northwest forest.

Sugarplum Fairy – This iced pink bar is a delicate ballet of frosty snowflakes blended with sweet plums, ripe berries, a drop of vanilla and a tiny shake of spice.

Holiday Fruitcake – A delicious almond scented cake studded with jeweled fruits and a touch of rum. This cream colored bar is lusciously fruity and delectable, an extraordinary holiday treat.

There are two more scents I have resurrected from past years due to specific requests or custom orders, so I’ll mention them too. If these were your favorites from the last few seasons, don’t delay: Three Kings (rich, earthy frankincense & myrrh plus a bit of soft amber), and Santa’s Pipe (a festive honey orange tobacco scent).

Are any of those fabulous Autumn Seasonal soaps left you ask? Why, yes! All of them. Pumpkin Spice, Pear and Moroccan Fig are still available.

Winter Holiday Home Fragrance Sprays

Add a little festive spirit to your home with one of our winter holiday home fragrance sprays. Mist your house and holiday decorations just before guests arrive, or spritz your gift boxes, cards and stockings -- your family and friends will receive a whoosh of holiday scent when they open their presents!

Holiday Spice - this is our most requested seasonal spray, every year since the very beginning --oranges, cranberries, spices and greens all blended together for the perfect scent of magic and delight.

Spruce Garland - Evergreen sprays and yuletide garlands, this fragrance is pure, fresh, spruce greens. Crisp air In the forest, just-cut branches, and freshly fallen snow. Psst, hoodwink your friends into thinking it’s a “real” tree.

Holiday Cheer Bath Confetti

Super fun new bath treat -- these are dots of pink, green and red that look just like party confetti, but when dropped into warm bath water, dissolve into colorful bubble bath. Packaged in our delightful little plastic test tubes with the aluminum screw top, they are fabulous stocking stuffers, small gifts or little tuck-in treasures. ($4.00 each)

Spiced Hot Cocoa Milk Bath

Darling little plastic tubes of spiced cocoa scented milk bath powder. Never heard of a milk bath? The radiant Cleopatra herself soaked in tub-fuls of milk for that luscious glow. Science now confirms the wonders of milk for the skin: the lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, which dissolves dead skin, exfoliating from head to toe for that rosy glow. Milk also soothes skin, cleansing down to the deepest layers, calming irritations, and moisturizing to boot. But who cares? It just smells heavenly. Who doesn’t want to lounge in a big vat of chocolate and spice for a well-deserved treat? (Single serving $3.00 each)

Festive Lip Balm

I’ve added a bunch of new lip balm flavors for stocking stuffers, little package adornments, or tiny presents – Eggnog, Rum Raisin, and Chocolate Mint. You gals know that you can never have too much lip balm. And it’s calorie free! Skip that plate of goodies in the office break room, you’re content with just your yummy lip balm. ($2.00 each)

Holiday Sachets

Again this year, I have those fantastically popular little holiday sachets. Small muslin bags, with a green and red holly berry sprig design embroidered on the front, they are filled with rosehip berries scented with our Holiday Spice fragrance. Perfect for little stocking stuffers, tying onto your presents for decoration, or tucking into gift boxes for an extra whiff of fun. As pretty as can be, and anchored with scent-holding grains, they will last for quite a long time, lending a decidedly jolly air to your household. Stuff one in every stocking! ($3.00 each)

Gifts Galore

Attention Holiday Shoppers! It’s the gift-giving season, and fun bath stuff is the perfect gift for everyone on your list. With that in mind, I gussied up an elfin mountain of new gift packages:

* Elegant organza bags with gold filigree stripes to hold a single bar ($7.00).
F Gorgeous metallic organdy bags with beads and tassels to hold 3 soap bars of your choice ($15.00),
* Gorgeous metallic organdy bags with beads and tassels to hold a single bar of soap plus the clever wooden soap dish and a charming hand crocheted cotton wash cloth ($16.00)
* The Terrific Tootsies foot pampering set, in a sweet little raffia tote bag, contains lovely lavender/peppermint foot soaking dead sea salts, a tin of foot balm, and the fabulous foot brush/pumice tool ($15.00).
* And finally, a raffia tote sack stuffed with a bar of soap and the cotton boucle soap sack, the perfect mini set for all occasions ($10.00).

Internet & Mail Ordering

Holiday shopping online or by mail saves you time, expense, and the headache of traffic jams and crowded malls. We usually ship within two business days, and can send your items directly to family and friends with gift enclosure cards too. Send in the enclosed order form, call during business hours, or for late night or 4 am brainstorms, order from our web site at SoapworksStudio.com. Spend more time celebrating and less time fretting. Let SOAPWORKS STUDIO be your answer for holiday gifts! One final note, my office will be closed from December 24 until the last holiday party is over on January 2.

Wishing you a season of peace and a new year of hope