Lavender Lessons

I had extended family from out of town visiting this week, and Thursday we took a day trip to San Juan Island to see the sights.  Even through the gray skies it's beautiful to ferry around the islands.  And Hotel de Haro / Roche Harbor dressed up to the nines in 4th of July holiday bunting looked so dandy!

We stopped at Pelindaba Lavender Farm too - strange that I had never been there before, even though I've seen their products in all kinds of places.

It's a beautiful place and I learned a ton of new information about lavender.  Not that I was an expert before, but I use a lot of lavender in my products and thought I knew a little bit of stuff. Now I know more :)

As we wandered the cutting field and display gardens, I read about the differences in plants.  I knew a little bit about the varieties, but did not know that the distinctions between what is known as English or French or Spanish lavender is not really correct.  The cultivar of the plant doesn't really hail from any one country or another - it's the plant itself that's important - and they explain the varieties and their true latin names.  Not that I memorized all of those - but I understood the distinctions.

The French Lavender that I use in my sachets is actually imported from France, so that is correct.  But the plant is referred to as an "intermedia" plant - rather than just a French lavender.  It's the one with the long, skinny stems, medium purple color, and sweetest fragrance (to me anyway).  That is the same essential oil type I use in my soaps too.

And they also had information about when to pick lavender for specific uses.  People ask me that all the time, so they can use the lavender in their own gardens.  I usually tell people to pick it as it first blossoms - but that's true only if you are interested in drying it for looks.  If you want to cook with it, pick it when it's about mid-way through the blooming season.  And if you want to pick it for sachets and fragrance, you should pick it at the end of it's blooming season, when most of the blossoms have already opened and it has developed the most essential oil in the buds.  I never cut and collect the lavender in my own garden because I like to smell it blossoming and brushing against my legs when I walk by.  I wait until it's totally spent to prune it back.  But now I'll have better answers for the people who want to make good use of it.  And just maybe I'll be inspired to utilize all the glorious plants in my own yard too.

They have their steam distillation barn open for viewing, describing how the essential oils and hydrosols are collected from the plant material.  It's a full experience, with more displays about lavender uses, a nursery full of plants, a gift shop jam-packed with all of their items, picnic areas, and cutting fields to chop your own.  They have such a huge selection of things, from foods like chocolates, jams, vinegars and mustards, to bath and body stuff, to every kind of fragrant and decorative lavender thing you can imagine.  Fun place to stop if you're on the island.

I Heart NY

“If you perceive the universe as being a universe of abundance, then it will be. If you think of the universe as one of scarcity, then it will be.”

Milton Glaser

Born 84 years ago today, Milton Glaser is best known for creating the design above.  He is a legendary genius - a writer of little-known vintage children's books (The Alphazeds)and celebrated by many as the greatest graphic designer alive.  But his quotes and comments about life, art, and purpose show what a truly beautiful spirit he is too.  

Love, love.

Closer Look: Tea Tree & Blue Clay Soap

Hello dearies!  Today I wanted to do one more "closer look" post about the newest foodie and skin loving ingredients in the current batch of summer seasonal soaps.  This round of seasonal soaps is a bit different than the usual whimsical and fun summer-theme scents I have done before.  I've utilized all the latest science and research to add special super-hero ingredients to my basic great soap recipes, creating truly healing, healthy soap bars for all kinds of skin types

I've already covered the Carrot Ginger, Pure Pumpkin and Cucumber Yogurt soaps in the last couple of weeks, so the Tea Tree & Blue Clay soap is up next.  Just a reminder, you can find all of my ingredient posts under the tag "ingredient insider" or with the search bar too.

The Tea Tree soap is made especially with Russian Cambrian blue clay, which is a rare and powerful cosmetic clay found in the vast Altai Region of Siberia.  With a mineral content 5 times higher than Dead Sea mud, it has been used to treat a varity of skin conditions.  Its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties improve skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis.  Like other clays, it detoxifies skin, hydrating and nourishing, while reducing puffiness and improving skin texture and appearance.  Cambrian blue clay is thought to stimulate the growth of skin cells and collagen as well.

Tea tree oil is the other wizard here, well known for its skin care super powers. Used for hundreds of years by indigenous people, current research on tea tree oil confirms it's anti-bacterial, antifungal and antiviral qualities.  Added to soap it helps control acne, oily skin, body odor, athlete's foot and rashes. It may also be soothing for sunburn, poison ivy, minor wounds, or insect bites.

The tingly, fresh herbal scent is a blend of tea tree, lavender, and peppermint essential oils.

Ingredients: Saponified oils of olive, coconut, palm, organic shea butter, castor oil, Russian Cambrian blue clay, essential oils.

This is a 100% natural soap!


Have you tried this soap yet?  I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!

Inside the Tent View

Fremont Fair.  Wow.  Ever wonder what it's like to be a tent seller at a show?  I think it would be a great big missed opportunity for me not to share a bit of my experiences at these shows all summer.  So we'll start here. . .

Bike saloon - the whole thing was built on a bike that some guy drove!

Being a vendor at these big street party festivals is a lot different than the shows I usually do.  I guess I wasn't really thinking about it too much, but it's certainly obvious.

People are there to paar-taay.  And hard.  And why not?  It was absolutely gorgeous on Saturday, the parade was a huge scene, and so was the people watching.  Fancy body painting.  G-strings.  Or just rubber duckies tied around your hot dog (ahem).  Not sure how to word that.  Barely squeezing-in room to the main stage and beer garden.  And big clouds of dope smoking all over.

But also, people are not there to shop.  I mean really, who brought a tote bag?  And you can only fit so many dollars in your tiny bikini top - and certainly not change.

And when they did shop, they did not expect to pay sales tax.  And they did expect a bargain, like when they bought just two items.  Like they should get a deal and not even shell out ten dollars.  The place is full of vendors who are just there to do a cash business  for the weekend with little trinkets and such, so that would be expected.  But I'm not that kind of business and wasn't prepared for that.

I do charge sales tax.  And I do have discounts, like when you buy four bars of soap, or maybe are buying 8 of something, or spending more than $50.  But not just because you are buying more than one $3 item.  Lots of 'splainin' and basically I gave up and just went with it.  Even though I didn't even expect to make my booth fee on the first day, it was that slow.

There was some sort of little hidie hole behind my booth that drew groups of pot smokers all day.  It would drift in for a while, then those folks would totter off and a new group would arrive, more smoke blowing through.  I should have been really mellow, right?  Instead, I just got a headache.  Between that and the super duper overwhelming smell of hot chocolate from the Theo chocolate factory just a few yards away.  I thought it would make me hungry for chocolate at first, but just the opposite happened.  Go figure.

Lots of fun people.  Lots of interesting conversations.  Saw some people I don't get to see much.  Frankly, not much money.  And then I was over it.  So ready to go home.

I was thinking as I was walking to my car through the debris of a whole day of partying and festivity that it would be a lot more fun to join the celebrations next year rather than work.  I didn't even get to see the parade - boo.  That's the best part!

Happy Summer!

Today is the first official day of summer and the longest day of the year - the Summer Solstice.

It would have been a little more special if we actually had a warm sunny day to accompany all that officialness of summer.  Instead we have clouds, showers, cool temps.  That's Seattle.  Maybe sun breaks later this afternoon.

Most of the partying happens in the evening anyway.  In the northern European countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden) they have huge celebrations, called Midsummer.  I'm sure they spell it differently :) or St John's Day.  For them it's the third largest holiday of the year, after Christmas and New Year's.

Traditionally there are bonfires, fireworks, dancing and feasts.  A mix of the old pagan rituals with just plain partying.  I'll spend the evening setting up my little pop up tent shop at the Fremont Fair.  Tomorrow the celebrations begin when everyone gets naked and rides their bikes in the parade and around the neighborhood.  There will be body painting, costumes, and all kinds of off-the-wall "creative expression" going on.  If you could use a little kick in the pants, head over to Fremont this weekend!

Closer Look: Cucumber Yogurt Soap

Today is one more "closer look" at the new ingredients and reasons behind why I've put them in my latest summer seasonal soaps.  They are full of foodie nourishment and skin goodies, and I wanted to go a little deeper in my explanations of them.  Primarily, I myself wanted better soaps for my skin as I get older, and I knew that my lovely customers should have the very best too.  As I've learned more over the years - and there is so much new information out there - it only made sense to incorporate that into my products.

I've already covered the Carrot Ginger and Pure Pumpkin soaps in the last couple of weeks. You can find all of these and future ingredient posts under the tag "ingredient insider."

Today the focus is on the Cucumber Yogurt soap.  Real, fresh squeezed cucumber juice and rich organic yogurt are utilized in this recipe for a perfect balance of both calm and refreshing.  Aloe vera oil, long held as a premier product for moisturizing and healing skin, is also know to have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.   Avocado oil is easily absorbed into the skin, adding great moisturizing benefits plus Vitamins A, D and E, all powerful antioxidants too .  

This creamy, cool bar is benefical for mature skin, sun damaged or sunburned skin, or as a dreamy facial soap.  It has a mild, clean, peaceful scent of bay, grapefruit and orange essential oils. 

Ingredients: Saponified oils of olive, coconut, palm, avocado oil, aloe vera oil, fresh squeezed cucumbers, organic yogurt, essential oils.

This is a 100% natural soap!

Have you tried this one yet?  Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

Fremont Fair - Solstice Parade

The 42nd Annual Fremont Fair is this happening this weekend.  Yep, Friday is the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year, and time to celebrate the sun and all things summer.

It's a free community celebration that draws over 100,000 guests to experience the quirky character of Seattle's eclectic and artistic Fremont neighborhood.  Coinciding with Fremont Arts Council's Solstice Parade (naked bike cyclists!), the Fremont Fair includes performances by local bands, arts and crafts shopping, food and drink, artistic expression, and fun for young and old - all coming together to celebrate Fremont's "delibertas quirkas" culture.  Over 300 vendors pop open their boutique tent shops.  Don't miss the art car blow out too.

Dates:  June 21 - 23
Friday Night Pre-Party (music and beer garden only) 4pm - 11pm
Saturday 10am - 8pm, Solstice parade at 3pm
Sunday 11am - 6pm, Dog parade at 2:30pm

My booth is located on 34th Street, a bit closer to Phinney than Evanston streets, on the canal side of the street (#B97).  I haven't been to this show for a few years, so I'm looking forward to checking out what's new and happening at this huge Seattle summer party.  Stop by if you're in the 'hood!

Fun Fact: Sexy Smells

There's all kinds of scientific research and studies in the area of scent - some of them focused on what smells turn people on.

The scents for women vary - with lists including Vanilla, Jasmine, Musk, Patchouli, Lavender, Mint and Ylang ylang.  Another list said cucumber, licorice, and baby powder have been shown to turn women on, increasing vaginal blood flow by 13 percent.

Pumpkin pie and lavender increase penile blood flow by 11 percent in men. The men's list also includes cinnamon buns, donuts, licorice/anise.  I guess guys like food, eh?  The way to a man's heart is through his stomach and nose?

Another study found that women love "the smell of gas, pain, printer ink, or leather on a man.  While men love "the scent of lipstick, baby lotion or a roast dinner on a women."
Weird, right?  I can't see getting turned on by a guy who just exploded a cartridge of printer ink on himself.  And gals, dab a little bit of roast beef and mashed potatoes right behind the ears.

What it all says to me is that scent is a pretty variable thing for everybody - and it's usually affiliated with memories.  Pleasant and not so pleasant.   That's one of the really fun things about my job - seeing how differently people react to the soap scents I've got.  And I have definitely seen some folks get pretty turned on by a bar of soap - sniffing it so deeply, over and over, that they just can't put it down and end up taking it home to sniff up some more and enjoy in private :)

Closer Look: Pure Pumpkin Soap

Did you know that your skin absorbs 99% of what you put on it?  Basically everything that comes into contact with your skin is absorbed into your body, which is why people are developing so many sensitivities to chemicals and preservatives.

That is one of the reasons why I came up with these new summer seasonal soaps that are filled with organic food ingredients and nutrient oils.  I wanted a better soap for my (maturing, ahem) drier skin, and I knew my customers would too.

Last week I discussed the deets of the Carrot Ginger soap, and this week I'm going to blab in more detail about the Pure Pumpkin soap.  It's so darn yummy smelling that I can't live without it.  But it's silky smooth feel on my skin is so beautiful too - I'm convinced that this one is a keeper and will be around for a lot longer than just the summer.  You know how those summer flings sometimes turn into real romance?  Yep.

The Pure Pumpkin soap bar is a triple pumpkin recipe with fresh organic pumpkin puree, pumpkin powder, and pumpkin seed oil.  Pumpkin is a miracle worker for skin - full of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and exfoliating enzymes.  It is decadent is its lush, silky feel and the fragrance is spicy, bright, fresh, and happy with citrus, clove, cinnamon and rosemary.  Now that it's been out in the world a little bit, everyone who picks it up says "yep, it smells exactly like pumpkin pie."  Myself, I think it smells even better than that - not so sugary, but definitely pumpkin-y.

Pumpkin puree (organic) makes this bar feel so silky and luscious, although it's a rich source of gently exfoliating enzymes, antioxidants, beta carotene and many other vitamins and minerals beneficial to mature, dry, or really any kind of skin type.  Everyone can and will appreciate it.

Pumpkin seed oil provides even more moisturizing due to its high levels of Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids.  It is also packed with Vitamins A, E, C and K, plus minerals of manganese, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. 

Pumpkin powder contains Vitamins A, B1, B2 and K. It is high in natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which is thought to help brighten and refresh the skin.  It also protects skin with it's high levels of phytochemicals that are thought to help fight cancer and filter UV rays.

Ingredients: Saponified oils of olive, coconut, palm, organic shea butter, organic pumpkin puree, pumpkin powder, pumpkin seed oil, essential oils. (This is a 100% natural soap! )

Have you tried this one yet?  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Tomato Assault

I had a notice of this sitting in my inbox for a few days now, and didn't get around to reading it until this morning.   Have you heard about the Tomato Assault?

It's coming the the Washington State Fair this summer.  That's the Puyallup Fair.  In case you hadn't heard about that - they've changed their name.  I guess they finally got approval to be the official state fair for Washington State.  It was somewhere else for years (where?  forgot now) but their fair has mostly died out. It turns out the the Puyallup Fair had way more 4H, attendance, vendors, etc. going on, so they were able to take over the official title.  So now it's the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.  I'm guessing nobody really cares and is still going to be calling it "The Puyallup" anyway.

But I digress.  The Tomato Assault is a ginormous tomato fight.  Check it out.

It all happens at the fair grounds on July 13.  A beer garden, great food, a costume contest, live DJ and inflatables -- then on to the pitching of 40,00 pounds of rotten tomatoes at each other.   Wow!

Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets, or their web site.  Also Living Social has a deal on the entry package right now (in case you read this before deadline).

Besotted with the Drunken Botanist

Have you heard about the new book titled The Drunken Botanist?  It's apparently all over the place, including the New York Times bestseller list.  I don't know how I missed it up to now, but it's so hard to keep up with everything.

Amy Stewart has already written books, six I think, like Wicked Bugs - all about the natural world.  But she had an epiphany while visiting a liquor store - every kind of spirit in there was made of some sort of plant material. In fact, most of them were made from a rather large variety of plants - grains, herbs, flowers, etc.  Inspiration for another book, plus a lot of fun experimenting with cocktail recipes as "research".

She believes that knowing more about what goes into the glass - the origins, history, stories and traditions - can lead to better-made drinks.  The Drunken Botanist includes 50 drink recipes, as well as recipes for syrups, infusions and garnishes such as refrigerator pickles and maraschino cherries.  The drink recipes are simple and classic, emphasizing variations that highlight a particular plant's use in liquor.

Amy also includes growing information for many of the ingredients/plants.  And Territorial Seed Co. has created a plant collection of her favorites, grouped by liquor of course.  I found the little plant starter packs at Sorticulture last weekend and was instantly smitten.

There's the Old Havana Rum collection, the Farmer's Market Garden Vodka collection, the Heart of Agave Tequila collection, the Southern Belle whiskey collection, and the Old Tom Gin collection.  I ended up with that last one - mostly because I already was growing a bunch of plants in those other collections.  Such sweet little herbs and veggies in all of them - mine has some adorable Mexican sour gherkins that look like miniature watermelons, but taste like zesty cukes.



There were also Mixologist plant collections - filled with herbs for infusing and making simple syrups.  Again, I already had most of these herbs in my yard, so I didn't buy one of those plant sets.  But the whole idea is so up my alley.  I love to infuse liquors - do it all year round.  Make my own pickles too.  Just made a few jars of chive blossom and oregano vinegars last week that are marinating for the next month.  I'm really excited to get into this gardener / mixologist cocktail stuff!


Want to know more?

Great NPR Interview.
Her so-called never-ending speaking tour schedule.
Plus you can follow her on Pinterest, where she's got a ton of cocktail recipes.  Cheers!

Stuff I Love - This Week Anyway

(See Flickr for credits)

1.  Avant- garde book stacking in Japan.  You've got to click thru to see those amazing stacks of books.

2.  Duck Duck Go.  A search engine that doesn't track its users!  No filter bubbles.  No clutter in the side bars.  No extra pages of results.  And great short cuts that make it easier to search a single site - like Wikipedia (!w).  Way cool.

3.  Lawn bowling at Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Club.  The Wednesday night women's league is a real hoot!  And the sunsets from the hill can't be beat - it's gorgeous.

4.  Bob Fletcher, who died last month at 101 is real gem. A former California agriculture inspector, he quit his job in the middle of World War II to manage the fruit farms of Japanese families who were forced to live in interment camps.  He saved their farms, saved their fruit, put money in their bank accounts and even cleaned their house to get it ready for them when they were finally released to come home.  Great article, super guy.

5.  The shadow dancers who are going to win Britain's Got Talent.  Amazing.

Closer Look: Carrot Ginger Soap

In the summer newsletter I sent last month there wasn't much room to really get into the whats and whys of my new summer soap selections.  It's a bit of a departure from what I've done in the past - which was fun, whimsical, summer-inspired scents in a basic good soap.  

These new soap bars are formulated with food ingredients and special nutrient oils, taking my basic really good soap recipe and making it even better.  They are all 100% natural with lots of organic additions and created with a variety of skin types in mind.

People often come up to my little tent shop and ask "which soap is good for _____?"   As time has gone by, it seems that not only are people more interested in specific products for their own skin characteristics, they are also becoming more knowledgeable about ingredients, chemical sensitivities and the dangers of commercial products.

That is true for me too.  There is such a vast amount of information now that we didn't have 15 years ago about fragrances and phthalates, chemicals and preservatives etc.  As I learned more, I wanted to make better soap - for myself and for all of my lovely customers.

In the next few weeks, I'm going to highlight one of each of the new soaps and take a closer look at what is really inside and why.  Today it's Carrot Ginger Soap.  Originally named Carrot Coconut, due to the ingredients inside, I've just recently tweaked the name to include the scent, which just makes a whole lot more sense.  The photo at the right has the old label, but the newer ones say "Carrot Ginger" and the web site has been changed to that too.  Sorry for the confusion - I just wasn't thinking it through in my excitement to get these all announced - duh.

Carrot Ginger soap is made with organic coconut cream, coconut milk, carrot powder, acerola powder and carrot extract.  It's highly moisturizing formula is full of Vitamin C, beta carotene, plus a host of other essential nutrients and antioxidants, great for all skin types, and especially helpful for mature or dry skin.

Coconut cream and coconut milk, both intensely moisturizing, are also thought to help soothe and calm a variety of skin conditions.

Carrot powder and carrot extract contain high levels of carotenoids, potassium, Vitamins A and C, essential nutrients, and amino acids, all of which have antioxidant properties and are thought increase overall skin tone, health and appearance from sun damage.

Acerola powder comes from Acerola cherries, a superfruit.  One single cherry is said to contain 65 times more natural Vitamin C than a regular orange!  Vitamin C is used to brighten and freshen skin tone, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and protect against harmful sun damage.

And finally the gorgeous fragrance - it's one of my very favorites right now and has been in the shower every day since it was born.  Sweet orange and lemon blend with lemongrass and loads of ginger for a scent that is like liquid sunshine - bright, sparkly, and almost effervescent in  its brilliance. 

Ingredients: Saponified oils of olive, coconut, palm, organic shea butter, coconut cream, coconut milk, carrot powder, acerola powder, carrot extract, essential oils.

This is a 100% natural soap!

Spring Soap Sale - This Week Only

This week only!  I am putting the spring seasonal soap scents on sale this week, starting Monday morning and ending Friday evening.  If you missed the Lilac Garden, Orange Blossom or Gardenia soaps, or just want to stock up before they are gone, do a little shopping on the web site this week.

All of the soaps will be 25% off the regular price for a cheap, cheap price of $3.00 per bar.

BUY SOAP!

Pigs are flying

The pigs are flying over at Sorticulture this weekend.

This guy has the cutest flying pigs made out of salvaged metal parts.  Sorry for the dark photo - the light was so hard from under the tree against the light sky.  You just have to come over and see for yourself.

There is all kinds of glass art.  Tons of metal art.  Pottery stuff - like my friend Dianne Kimball's flowers, bird baths and the cutest chicken stack.

I love, love Bob Bowling's rustic garden sheds and cool recycled garden stuff too - he's got a gorgeous booth.  That thing on the right that's almost out of the picture is a "free library" hutch - adorable!










Plus display gardens too for all kinds of great ideas about landscaping and how to place plants.

There are some really cool edible plant booths too - I got a little set of Drunken Botanist plants - the Old Tom Gin Garden set (which I need to blab about in a separate post when I'm not so rushed).

The show is bigger and better than ever this year.  Tons of great live music.  There will be more demos and discussions today.  And with luck, we'll get a little bit more sun this afternoon - a great day to stop by the food court for lunch, or sip at the wine/beer garden under the trees and wander around getting inspired to dig in the dirt.

Don't forget Pop on Father's Day!

Don't forget Pop on Father's Day!  Soapworks Studio has lots of great ideas to pamper all the Dad's in your life.

Men like to suds up with something special too!  We have a long list of soaps for all kinds of tastes, but some of the "guy favorite scents are Breakfast soap, Cedar Musk, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Rosemary Orange Tomato, or any of the summer seasonal scents too, like Pure Pumpkin, Tea Tree or Carrot Ginger.

Top if off with a massaging back brush or one of our nubby soap mitts for a little extra scrub in his tub.

If your man has rough hands, the shea butter balm or healing salve can really soften him up!

Some Dad's love to take a long soaking bath after a hard day too - try the Sandalwood Jasmine or the Vanilla Bean & Honey Dead Sea Bath Salts.

And if you'd like to add a little special gift wrap or cute postcard like the one here, check out the Gift Sets page!

Sorticulture This Week - June 7 - 9

One of my favorite shows of the summer - it's such fun to wander about under the trees in the park and shop for unique plants and super cool garden art.  Here are the deets:

Sorticulture unites art and garden in a celebration of creative outdoor living.  Our featured artists creative distinctive hand-crafted garden art and our nurseries produce a wide variety of plants to transform your backyard.  Learn tips and tricks from top local gardening experts including KING 5's Cisco Morris.  Sorticulture also features display gardens, food fair, wine garden, live music and free activities for the kids.

Dates:  June 7 - 9, 2013

Hours:  Friday 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-4pm

Location:  Legion Memorial Park, 145 Alverson Blvd at W Marine View Dr, Everett

It's free admission, but parking is tight.  Only disabled permits can use the park's parking lot.  They have more details about where to park, shuttle buses etc on their web site.

The weather should be great - hope to see you there!

Flower Pot Gift Set - New!

New for summer - I've just added a new gift set with a French-style tin flower pot container to the web site.  

Put together your own custom gift set with our adorable tin flower pot.  Great for gardener's or anyone who enjoys a little beauty in their life.

The charming ruffled tin flower pot has a plastic liner, and can be used to pot a small herb or plant later.  Inside, tuck your friend's favorite bar of soap, a cotton scrubby accessory, and a soap dish or nail brush. ($ 16.95)

Such a fun way to dress up a bathroom!

As always, if you want to customize even further, or don't see exactly what you need, please don't hesitate a moment to contact us.  We delight in making something perfect for you!

I've updated the Gift Set section of the site too, so there are new photos and better descriptions.  There are all kinds of gift-giving occasions this summer - graduations, hostesses, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries . . .  go big, go small, go perfect!

Everyone loves a treat, everyone uses soap, and no, no, no - they won't think you are trying to tell them something about their hygiene :)    Or unless maybe your are?!