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Monday, March 11, 2013
Best of the Northwest - Spring Show coming up!
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Credit Card Processing - Don't Call Me!
Warning: Cranky vent post ahead.
I just got a telemarketing call from a credit card processor. Did I know that they have these new super cheap rates and that my small business can have the same credit card processing rates as the big stores, like Walmart?
Why yes. I did know that. Because you called me yesterday. Very same company. And the day before that too. Very same company. Are you so hard up that you have to call the same list every. single. day.??
But I've gotten almost this exact same groundhog day telemarketing call several times each and every week for like a year now from a huge list of credit card processing companies. I can't stand it any more. I guess it doesn't matter that you are on the "Do Not Call" list. This law applies to everyone else except credit card processors. Oh, and that creepy robo woman who calls about once a month to steam my carpets.
Here's the longer version. When they first starting calling, it was when the Durbin law or some blah-de-blah came into effect, and I actually did have the first company do an estimate and comparison of what I was currently paying. And it was a lot less. Sort of. The rates were less, but I had to buy all new equipment to do it - at a substantial cost. The next company was pretty much the same. But I took those rates back to my current company, and they adjusted me down to lower rates all around. And I was happy. I like my little system right now. It works great. And when my machine breaks down or gets technologically obsolete (which could be three months from now, meh) then I would re-look at my options and find the best deal at that point.
Now? I am not spending another minute listening to every single sales rep's schtick about how much cheaper (by a penny or two) they are to the next guy. It's all such a math game anyway. And it gives me a headache.
If you have not had a merchant account before, then you have no idea what a pain it all is. These people are bankers. Enough said.
Some have minimum fees. Some have statement fees. If you decide to go wireless, there are wireless fees. There is a transaction fee for each transaction. Plus there is a percentage rate for each card transaction - which of course, varies with each card. A credit card is different from a debit card. And a rewards card costs more. A swiped card is the cheapest. But when I do mail order or internet orders, and do not have the card in hand - only the number - that's a different rate altogether. Then they make you buy a terminal. If you're doing it only online, that's a whole different kind of fees. Oy.
Of course, there's now the Square - one flat rate for every single swipe and the reader thingy is free if you have a smart phone. But that doesn't help me much for my mail and internet orders. And their rate is probably the highest of anything else I've seen. So there is no need to pay more if it's only for my show sales.
I am quite sure there is something a little less expensive out there. But I am not interested in spending a month of tedious hours trying to ferret it out from all the other deals out there. It's not worth my time. I'm good where I am. The cheapest thing usually comes with it's own set of problems. Like bad customer service. Or going out of business suddenly.
The entire system is going to change in the next few years anyway. The entire credit card system is being transitioned from having those magnetic strips on the back of the card where all the information is stored, to having a chip in them. For security. Apparently the chip is much harder to read and steal from than the current stripe type card. So we'll all be getting new cards and merchants will have to get new equipment all over again. There is a date by when it's required to be effective and I think it's some time in 2015, but don't want to look it up right now. It will affect every single person with a card - and for every single card too.
But back to the telemarketing dilemma: Caller ID doesn't help me at all over here. They have regular phone numbers that just say 'Dallas, TX' or 'private number' - something ambiguous that I would never know is not a customer or other business type call. In good faith I try to answer everything.
These people are really trying my patience. What's the solution? Are you hounded by telemarketing calls too? Or do you have some gem of information about credit card processing that you'd like to share. Let me know. I'm all ears :)
I just got a telemarketing call from a credit card processor. Did I know that they have these new super cheap rates and that my small business can have the same credit card processing rates as the big stores, like Walmart?
Why yes. I did know that. Because you called me yesterday. Very same company. And the day before that too. Very same company. Are you so hard up that you have to call the same list every. single. day.??
But I've gotten almost this exact same groundhog day telemarketing call several times each and every week for like a year now from a huge list of credit card processing companies. I can't stand it any more. I guess it doesn't matter that you are on the "Do Not Call" list. This law applies to everyone else except credit card processors. Oh, and that creepy robo woman who calls about once a month to steam my carpets.
Here's the longer version. When they first starting calling, it was when the Durbin law or some blah-de-blah came into effect, and I actually did have the first company do an estimate and comparison of what I was currently paying. And it was a lot less. Sort of. The rates were less, but I had to buy all new equipment to do it - at a substantial cost. The next company was pretty much the same. But I took those rates back to my current company, and they adjusted me down to lower rates all around. And I was happy. I like my little system right now. It works great. And when my machine breaks down or gets technologically obsolete (which could be three months from now, meh) then I would re-look at my options and find the best deal at that point.
Now? I am not spending another minute listening to every single sales rep's schtick about how much cheaper (by a penny or two) they are to the next guy. It's all such a math game anyway. And it gives me a headache.
If you have not had a merchant account before, then you have no idea what a pain it all is. These people are bankers. Enough said.
Some have minimum fees. Some have statement fees. If you decide to go wireless, there are wireless fees. There is a transaction fee for each transaction. Plus there is a percentage rate for each card transaction - which of course, varies with each card. A credit card is different from a debit card. And a rewards card costs more. A swiped card is the cheapest. But when I do mail order or internet orders, and do not have the card in hand - only the number - that's a different rate altogether. Then they make you buy a terminal. If you're doing it only online, that's a whole different kind of fees. Oy.
Of course, there's now the Square - one flat rate for every single swipe and the reader thingy is free if you have a smart phone. But that doesn't help me much for my mail and internet orders. And their rate is probably the highest of anything else I've seen. So there is no need to pay more if it's only for my show sales.
I am quite sure there is something a little less expensive out there. But I am not interested in spending a month of tedious hours trying to ferret it out from all the other deals out there. It's not worth my time. I'm good where I am. The cheapest thing usually comes with it's own set of problems. Like bad customer service. Or going out of business suddenly.
The entire system is going to change in the next few years anyway. The entire credit card system is being transitioned from having those magnetic strips on the back of the card where all the information is stored, to having a chip in them. For security. Apparently the chip is much harder to read and steal from than the current stripe type card. So we'll all be getting new cards and merchants will have to get new equipment all over again. There is a date by when it's required to be effective and I think it's some time in 2015, but don't want to look it up right now. It will affect every single person with a card - and for every single card too.
But back to the telemarketing dilemma: Caller ID doesn't help me at all over here. They have regular phone numbers that just say 'Dallas, TX' or 'private number' - something ambiguous that I would never know is not a customer or other business type call. In good faith I try to answer everything.
These people are really trying my patience. What's the solution? Are you hounded by telemarketing calls too? Or do you have some gem of information about credit card processing that you'd like to share. Let me know. I'm all ears :)
Monday, March 04, 2013
Ingredient Insider: Basics 101
I've spent quite a bit of time over the years, researching and experimenting with different ingredients for my soaps and other products. My intention is to really try and use the best stuff out there, both in terms of skin and health benefits, sustainability and green merits, and cost effectiveness. Because you can use the very bestest most expensive drops of liquid gold in the world to make a batch of soap, but if you have to charge $25 per bar, then almost nobody would buy it. And they would probably go bad before they could be used properly, which is just a waste of good stuff all around.
So yes, cost has to be a factor too. But I'm definitely not into cheap. I buy pretty top-of-the-line ingredients, from base oils, to essential oils, even to fragrance oils. I'm always on the lookout for better stuff at better prices. And this past year, I was able to negotiate a little better deal on my base oils from a local food supplier. Instead of pocketing all the cash, I'm getting a few more organic oils and sustainable oils, keeping the cost per bar the same, only with even better quality ingredients. Hooray for you (and me).
A bazillion years ago, when I started the blog, I wanted to do a lot more behind-the-scenes posts to explain my process and how it all works over here in the little studio at the bottom of the stairs. But as the years rolled by, I felt like I had said it all, and that the web site had grown to cover most of what else there ever was to say. I had added a "Healthy Ingredients" section that gave a bunch of specific information about all the ingredients I use in my products, their benefits and uses. I guess I just gave up on 'splainin' it all over here on the blog.
This year I've got a bug to change up some of my soap line. No panic! I'm not going all organic and crunchy granola in one swoop. But I want to up the ante a bit and get more green, more natural, more organic. A sort of wellness revolution so to speak. People always ask me "which soap is good for (blank)?" and most of my soaps are just the same - good for the general, average, everything. A few of them were oomphed up a bit with goat milk, or fresh honey, or whatnot, but I didn't have a something for each skin condition kind of soap line.
Well, flash to a LOT (ahem) of years later. My own skin is older, drier and I'm looking down the tunnel at that dreaded aging thing. Gone are the fresh-faced, I can put anything on my skin days. I need to slather on grease, moisturize ceaselessly, and freak about the SPF in order to keep them guessing my age.
So I want to make better soap for me. And for you too of course. Loaded with anti-oxidents, nutrients, vitamins, creamy goodness. I'm just working out the whole "how" of that right now. There will be a few for summer. And the few experiments I've done have some really cool stuff in them: pumpkin, carrot, coconut cream, cucumber puree, fresh yogurt, tomato, Russian cambrian blue clay - just a whole farmer's market of juicy goodness.
I'm not ready to spill the beans on all of it yet. I'm just playing around, imagining and dreaming, tweaking recipes. But I'm going to post regular features here about some of the ingredients I use, why I use them, and just how darn good they are for you - look for the "Ingredient Insider" tag to find them.
Eat your vegetables! Or mash them up and wear them :)
So yes, cost has to be a factor too. But I'm definitely not into cheap. I buy pretty top-of-the-line ingredients, from base oils, to essential oils, even to fragrance oils. I'm always on the lookout for better stuff at better prices. And this past year, I was able to negotiate a little better deal on my base oils from a local food supplier. Instead of pocketing all the cash, I'm getting a few more organic oils and sustainable oils, keeping the cost per bar the same, only with even better quality ingredients. Hooray for you (and me).
A bazillion years ago, when I started the blog, I wanted to do a lot more behind-the-scenes posts to explain my process and how it all works over here in the little studio at the bottom of the stairs. But as the years rolled by, I felt like I had said it all, and that the web site had grown to cover most of what else there ever was to say. I had added a "Healthy Ingredients" section that gave a bunch of specific information about all the ingredients I use in my products, their benefits and uses. I guess I just gave up on 'splainin' it all over here on the blog.
This year I've got a bug to change up some of my soap line. No panic! I'm not going all organic and crunchy granola in one swoop. But I want to up the ante a bit and get more green, more natural, more organic. A sort of wellness revolution so to speak. People always ask me "which soap is good for (blank)?" and most of my soaps are just the same - good for the general, average, everything. A few of them were oomphed up a bit with goat milk, or fresh honey, or whatnot, but I didn't have a something for each skin condition kind of soap line.
Well, flash to a LOT (ahem) of years later. My own skin is older, drier and I'm looking down the tunnel at that dreaded aging thing. Gone are the fresh-faced, I can put anything on my skin days. I need to slather on grease, moisturize ceaselessly, and freak about the SPF in order to keep them guessing my age.
So I want to make better soap for me. And for you too of course. Loaded with anti-oxidents, nutrients, vitamins, creamy goodness. I'm just working out the whole "how" of that right now. There will be a few for summer. And the few experiments I've done have some really cool stuff in them: pumpkin, carrot, coconut cream, cucumber puree, fresh yogurt, tomato, Russian cambrian blue clay - just a whole farmer's market of juicy goodness.
I'm not ready to spill the beans on all of it yet. I'm just playing around, imagining and dreaming, tweaking recipes. But I'm going to post regular features here about some of the ingredients I use, why I use them, and just how darn good they are for you - look for the "Ingredient Insider" tag to find them.
Eat your vegetables! Or mash them up and wear them :)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Not Yet Spring
It's that barren and brown time of year, when spring hasn't quite sprung. I'm so anxious for spring to arrive with warmer weather and things that actually grow in the garden. Staring out my window at the blah dirt, empty branches, and grey skies is so very, very boring.
But as antsy as I am to get out there and do stuff, this incubating time has been wonderful. I've been planning, creating, dreaming and building for the year. Some things are in the works, some things are just in the imagination process. Good things are on their way. In the garden, in the business, and in life.
I feel like I've got so many things I want to create and bring into the world this year. There seems to be more energy and more ideas just flowing and floating around. My hope is that I don't get overwhelmed by it all and just poop out, falling back into the comfortable tried and true.
Maybe there really has been a shift. Are you feeling it too?
But as antsy as I am to get out there and do stuff, this incubating time has been wonderful. I've been planning, creating, dreaming and building for the year. Some things are in the works, some things are just in the imagination process. Good things are on their way. In the garden, in the business, and in life.
I feel like I've got so many things I want to create and bring into the world this year. There seems to be more energy and more ideas just flowing and floating around. My hope is that I don't get overwhelmed by it all and just poop out, falling back into the comfortable tried and true.
Maybe there really has been a shift. Are you feeling it too?
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The February Bee
The February Bee
The bumblebee crept out on the stone steps.
No Roses. Nothing to gather.
Nothing but itself, the cold air,
and the spring light.
It rubbed its legs together
as if it wished to start a fire
and wear its warmth.
Under its smart yellow bands
the black body shone like patent leather.
It groomed itself, like a pilot
ready for takeoff and yet not ready:
when my shadow fell over him
he flicked his wings, checking them,
and took off into the bare garden.
- Nancy Willard, from The Sea at Truro
The bumblebee crept out on the stone steps.
No Roses. Nothing to gather.
Nothing but itself, the cold air,
and the spring light.
It rubbed its legs together
as if it wished to start a fire
and wear its warmth.
Under its smart yellow bands
the black body shone like patent leather.
It groomed itself, like a pilot
ready for takeoff and yet not ready:
when my shadow fell over him
he flicked his wings, checking them,
and took off into the bare garden.
- Nancy Willard, from The Sea at Truro
Sunday, February 24, 2013
And the Oscar goes to . . .
I don't currently have customer reviews posted on the website, but I
hear from folks all the time about what they love the most about
Soapworks Studio products. Here's what people are saying about their
most coveted items:
Lights, Camera, Action!
"I am your biggest fan in Mount Vernon and Anacortes, and at the last show I purchased a scent I hadn't bought before - the Vanilla Bean and Honey soap. I initially bought it because the smell was HEAVENLY to me, but then I brought it home and used it.... OH MY GOODNESS!! I have THE WORST SKIN, adult acne and hard core t-zone oily spots and this soap has cleared me up! Over the years, I've spent THOUSANDS on skin care / acne clearing soaps, from Clinique to Demalogica to Wexler and Proactiv... you name it, I've tried it. NOTHING has cleared my skin like the Vanilla and Honey soap."
"I just tried your French Lavender spray for the first time and it's wonderful! The fragrance stayed on my sheets and pillow cases and I sleep like a baby. This is the best lavender spray I have ever tried. I had gotten some recently when visiting the San Juan Islands at a lavender farm and it wasn't nearly as good as yours. Keep up the good work!"
"I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying the Dead Sea Salts! I have never enjoyed taking a bath so much - and I do enjoy my baths! It makes the water so silky and nicely fragrant. My skin feels incredibly soft too. These are the best bath salts in the world!"
Best Customer Service: Always
"After years of buying from your wonderful product line, I just made my
first online order - I'd like to compliment you on your INCREDIBLE
service! I've never received an order so expeditiously and/or securely
packed!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! What a class act!"
"Wow! I can't believe this package arrived in Niagara Falls today. Talk about speedy!"
"I just wanted to say that I've been ordering from you for YEARS and LOVE your stuff!"
"I just had to tell you how pleased and thrilled I was to receive my soaps from you yesterday. I love that it was such a fast turn around from placing the order to receiving the soaps. But the big deal is how much I love the soaps. I intended them for Christmas gifts, but somehow I think I'm going to have to place another order because I want to keep them all for myself. I love the fragrances--especially the lavender pear. I will be a repeat customer over and over again. Great product, great service!"
Lights, Camera, Action!
Best Soap: Vanilla Bean & Honey
"I am your biggest fan in Mount Vernon and Anacortes, and at the last show I purchased a scent I hadn't bought before - the Vanilla Bean and Honey soap. I initially bought it because the smell was HEAVENLY to me, but then I brought it home and used it.... OH MY GOODNESS!! I have THE WORST SKIN, adult acne and hard core t-zone oily spots and this soap has cleared me up! Over the years, I've spent THOUSANDS on skin care / acne clearing soaps, from Clinique to Demalogica to Wexler and Proactiv... you name it, I've tried it. NOTHING has cleared my skin like the Vanilla and Honey soap."
"This year our managers gave us bars of your soap for our holiday gift.
BEST GIFT EVER! I'm a vegan so before I took soap I went to your sight
and was delighted to see that your soap is vegan! I enjoy the feel of
my skin after using your soap and the smell is delicious (without
setting off my allergies like perfume soaps do)."
Best Aromatic Spray: French Lavender
Best Aromatic Spray: French Lavender
"I just tried your French Lavender spray for the first time and it's wonderful! The fragrance stayed on my sheets and pillow cases and I sleep like a baby. This is the best lavender spray I have ever tried. I had gotten some recently when visiting the San Juan Islands at a lavender farm and it wasn't nearly as good as yours. Keep up the good work!"
Best Bath: Dead Sea Bath Salts
"I just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying the Dead Sea Salts! I have never enjoyed taking a bath so much - and I do enjoy my baths! It makes the water so silky and nicely fragrant. My skin feels incredibly soft too. These are the best bath salts in the world!"
Best Customer Service: Always
"Wow! I can't believe this package arrived in Niagara Falls today. Talk about speedy!"
"I just wanted to say that I've been ordering from you for YEARS and LOVE your stuff!"
"I just had to tell you how pleased and thrilled I was to receive my soaps from you yesterday. I love that it was such a fast turn around from placing the order to receiving the soaps. But the big deal is how much I love the soaps. I intended them for Christmas gifts, but somehow I think I'm going to have to place another order because I want to keep them all for myself. I love the fragrances--especially the lavender pear. I will be a repeat customer over and over again. Great product, great service!"
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Flower and Garden Show
This week is the Northwest Flower and Garden show at the Convention Center. I don't usually go to this show but I love gardening and all things plants, so I was excited to see it this year.
My friend, Dianne Kimball, makes pottery and garden art. She is doing the show this year for the first time, and I went down for a couple of days to help her out and give her a break since the hours are so long for one person to work a booth themselves. With a free pass, I had the chance to mosey around and see the sights too. What a treat!
I always think the display gardens are way too dark. There's so little light in that area that you can hardly read the little plant signs, or see what's planted towards the back. And it's impossible to take a good picture. Maybe that's why they do it? So people don't take photos and copy all their designs? I don't know. It's "mood" lighting and very dramatic, but not so great for actually seeing up close what is in there.
One of them had a very cool hobbit house, but Megan Black was filming a promo in the middle of it when I was there, and I couldn't get close enough to get a pic or see the whole thing. Never could get over there when there wasn't a herd of people planted in front of it.
But here's a few pics of other cool gardens, mostly the displays in the very well lighted glass walkway between buildings:
I'm so excited to plant stuff in my own garden now. I already had big plans to move stuff around and do new things. I haven't really done a lot with it lately except maintenance, but this year is going to be different. Big ideas. If only it would get warmer and spring would arrive. The cold, grey drizzle here is getting so very old.
I had to move a few things around last week. Crappy story - the water line from the city sidewalk to our house cracked and had been leaking (rather pouring) down the sidewalk for the last few weeks. We had problems with that water before and both times it wasn't our water, but the neighbors. So we assumed it wasn't us again this time. But alas, it was. We had to put in a whole new water line. Which required removing part of our rockery wall, and huge holes dug in all over the front yard. Plus it cost a ridiculous amount of money too. Ugh. More than ugh.
When they finished and piled all the dirt back, I found a lot of broken stuff, and had to move a couple of big heathers - just trying to get things back together for now. But I've got pictures in my head about what I'd like to do this spring. I'm dying to have one of those gorgeous little rustic salvaged sheds built out back. Probably don't have enough space. For sure there will be more beds to grow food. My lettuces were too small in pots. I need a few more herbs. All kinds of moving around to freshen it up and get the tired perennials better spots and better shape. Plus color. Lots more color. Year round color. Can't wait.
My friend, Dianne Kimball, makes pottery and garden art. She is doing the show this year for the first time, and I went down for a couple of days to help her out and give her a break since the hours are so long for one person to work a booth themselves. With a free pass, I had the chance to mosey around and see the sights too. What a treat!
I always think the display gardens are way too dark. There's so little light in that area that you can hardly read the little plant signs, or see what's planted towards the back. And it's impossible to take a good picture. Maybe that's why they do it? So people don't take photos and copy all their designs? I don't know. It's "mood" lighting and very dramatic, but not so great for actually seeing up close what is in there.
One of them had a very cool hobbit house, but Megan Black was filming a promo in the middle of it when I was there, and I couldn't get close enough to get a pic or see the whole thing. Never could get over there when there wasn't a herd of people planted in front of it.
But here's a few pics of other cool gardens, mostly the displays in the very well lighted glass walkway between buildings:
I'm so excited to plant stuff in my own garden now. I already had big plans to move stuff around and do new things. I haven't really done a lot with it lately except maintenance, but this year is going to be different. Big ideas. If only it would get warmer and spring would arrive. The cold, grey drizzle here is getting so very old.
I had to move a few things around last week. Crappy story - the water line from the city sidewalk to our house cracked and had been leaking (rather pouring) down the sidewalk for the last few weeks. We had problems with that water before and both times it wasn't our water, but the neighbors. So we assumed it wasn't us again this time. But alas, it was. We had to put in a whole new water line. Which required removing part of our rockery wall, and huge holes dug in all over the front yard. Plus it cost a ridiculous amount of money too. Ugh. More than ugh.
When they finished and piled all the dirt back, I found a lot of broken stuff, and had to move a couple of big heathers - just trying to get things back together for now. But I've got pictures in my head about what I'd like to do this spring. I'm dying to have one of those gorgeous little rustic salvaged sheds built out back. Probably don't have enough space. For sure there will be more beds to grow food. My lettuces were too small in pots. I need a few more herbs. All kinds of moving around to freshen it up and get the tired perennials better spots and better shape. Plus color. Lots more color. Year round color. Can't wait.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Bluebird of Happiness
Today was show application day. I did a few last month when the early deadlines came up. But today was a big huge pile of all the other ones, basically my entire spring and summer season. Now I can chirp happily for the rest of the week, like the little birds which are twittering and dive-bombing the bushes outside for the last of the winter berries.
The birds seem so happy out there lately. Maybe it's the intoxicating berries. I heard somewhere that late in the season the berries have begun to ferment, and when the birds ingest them, it's like getting drunk on wine. They get a little loopy and wild - which explains why they seem to hit the glass windows every now and then.
I'm feeling a little like that myself, not that I'm going to slam into a window, but just a bit giddy for finally getting that long and tedious chore off my to-do list. Every single one needs a different type of application form, some online, some paper. Some need a check for jury fees, others need copies of licenses or whatnot. All of them need photos, but each one in a different size or format or named in some special way. It's tiresome, long and a headache at best. It's a necessary part of the process, and I do rather like to be in the shows. But I've just been procrastinating on the application process. Or was. Until today. It's done. DONE!
And in a few short weeks or possibly a month, I'll know how it turns out and have my schedule all lined up. There is only Best of the Northwest next month, Tulip Festival in April and U District in May which I have totally confirmed at this point.
Do you put off the stuff you don't want to do too? Or are you one of those that does the crappy stuff first and gets it out of the way in order to spend more time on the fun stuff. Sigh. I wish I was the latter. Instead, I spend more time fretting and fussing over the yucky stuff, pushing it around my desk and moving it back day after day on the calendar until I can't stand it any more. Probably not the best method.
Maybe while I'm on a roll I should tackle the next big thing I'm resisting and get it taken care of. Hmmm. That would be an overload of productivity. Maybe too much. Nah, I'll do that tomorrow :)
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Spring 2013 Newsletter
I'm publishing my Spring 2013 newsletter here for any of you who might not be on my email or snail mail lists. I wouldn't want you to miss a thing :) And to keep things simple, click this LINK to take you to my Seasonal page on the website where everything discussed below is listed in one place.
January is a month of hibernation and rest for me. Probably for everyone else too. It's the bleakest month of winter when the outdoors is least inviting and we're all pooped out from the holiday-ing.
January is a month of hibernation and rest for me. Probably for everyone else too. It's the bleakest month of winter when the outdoors is least inviting and we're all pooped out from the holiday-ing.
To
celebrate spring -the season of love, flowers, and new beginnings - I’ve
created some new takes on some very traditional European soap fragrances. For me, spring scents are inherently light in
a palette of green, fresh and flowery.
After months of dead leaves and naked trees, the hint of blossoms in the
breeze is a breath of fresh air. ($ 4.25 each or 4 bars for $ 16.00)
Lilac Garden: One of the first scents of spring, lilac blossoms are both powerful and fleeting, stunning in their beauty and symbolic of innocence and purity. This is an absolutely true and perfect lilac scent - a just-picked bouquet straight from the garden in a pretty purple bar.
Orange Blossom: A classic and pretty Spanish orange blossom fragrance with a squeeze of sweet orange for a bit more citrus brightness. Lovely and timeless, this is a very traditional European soap, a soft floral scent in a peach tinted bar.
Gardenia: A lush, gorgeous, elegant and nostalgic flower, gardenia is said to be the blossom of love. This is a vintage perfume and another classic French soap scent which has stood the test of time. Notes of aloe vera and green leaf blend with a beautiful gardenia floral, for a very fresh, very light version in an ivory white bar.
Lemon Verbena: Lemon verbena is one of the most loved classic soap scents, from Yardley's of London to modern Mrs Meyers. This soap features bright lemon and bergamot citrus with dreamy lemon blossoms - a very soft and pleasant lemon, uplifting and sweet.
SPRING AROMATIC SPRAYS
Turn up the volume on your romance dial - try the Lilac Garden aromatic spray for spring. A companion to our seasonal soap, Lilac Garden is incredibly true, a lush and fragrant floral mist to brighten up the winter doldrums. This fragrance makes a lovely sprintzer for everything imaginable - delightful as a body spray, a great deodorizer for linens, rooms, closets, cars, plus a fabulous pick-me-up anywhere, any time. ($6.00 each)
WINTER CLEARANCE SALE
During the last month I've had all my remaining fall and winter holiday seasonal soaps, sprays, bath salts, plus lip balms at big discounts on the web site. There are still deals left and it's a great time to stock up on your favorites. Check it out at SoapworksStudio.com/sale.
It's still early in the scheduling of shows for 2013. Deadlines are in the works with notifications and contracts to be determined in the next couple of months. But here are a few that are on the calendar right now. Check the website any time ("Show Schedule" button) for all the latest information.
March 23 - 24
Best of the Northwest - Spring Show
Smith Cove Cruise Ship Terminal, Pier 91
Magnolia neighborhood, Seattle
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm
April 19 - 21
Tulip Festival Street Fair
Downtown Mount Vernon
Fri and Sat 10 am - 6pm, Sun 10am - 5pm
May 18 - 19
University District Street Fair
University Street, U Dist, Seattle
Sat 10 - 7, Sun 10 - 6
Come on everybody, let's do the happy spring dance!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Iced Fog
Iced fog - sounds like a decorator color. We have been living in a world of icy fog for a whole week. It feels surreal and weird. Waking up and not being able to see more than the hazy outline of the house across the street. All day long in a world of grey quiet, nothing much moving. A blanket covers everything, everyone, and slows things down to a sort of limbo. And by evening, the fog lowers down even further so that street lights are just glowing orbs in a world of frigid heaviness.
I saw the movie "Chasing Ice" the other night, and if you haven't seen it, you really should go. It's gorgeous and miraculous and terrifying all at once. Climate change is the single most scariest thing ever. It's so big, so overwhelming. I don't know how we fix it. We've waited too long. And we're not doing hardly anything about it. Terrifying.
And in the midst of this unsettling week, there's the presidential inauguration, which was beautiful. The very best moment (besides seeing the Prez stop at the top of the steps as he was leaving to look out again and take in all the crowds and drink in the moment) was the inaugural poem by Richard Blanco. I thought it was incredibly beautiful and moving. I had not heard of him before, but am going to spend more time reading his work. What a perfect choice all around.
If you missed it, here's the transcript. Mostly it's here for me though. So I can keep it in a safe place and come back again and again to re-read it.
I saw the movie "Chasing Ice" the other night, and if you haven't seen it, you really should go. It's gorgeous and miraculous and terrifying all at once. Climate change is the single most scariest thing ever. It's so big, so overwhelming. I don't know how we fix it. We've waited too long. And we're not doing hardly anything about it. Terrifying.
And in the midst of this unsettling week, there's the presidential inauguration, which was beautiful. The very best moment (besides seeing the Prez stop at the top of the steps as he was leaving to look out again and take in all the crowds and drink in the moment) was the inaugural poem by Richard Blanco. I thought it was incredibly beautiful and moving. I had not heard of him before, but am going to spend more time reading his work. What a perfect choice all around.
If you missed it, here's the transcript. Mostly it's here for me though. So I can keep it in a safe place and come back again and again to re-read it.
"One Today"
One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a story
told by our silent gestures moving behind windows.
My face, your face, millions of faces in morning's mirrors,
each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our day:
pencil-yellow school buses, the rhythm of traffic lights,
fruit stands: apples, limes, and oranges arrayed like rainbows
begging our praise. Silver trucks heavy with oil or paper—
bricks or milk, teeming over highways alongside us,
on our way to clean tables, read ledgers, or save lives—
to teach geometry, or ring-up groceries as my mother did
for twenty years, so I could write this poem.
All of us as vital as the one light we move through,
the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day:
equations to solve, history to question, or atoms imagined,
the "I have a dream" we keep dreaming,
or the impossible vocabulary of sorrow that won't explain
the empty desks of twenty children marked absent
today, and forever. Many prayers, but one light
breathing color into stained glass windows,
life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth
onto the steps of our museums and park benches
as mothers watch children slide into the day.
One ground. Our ground, rooting us to every stalk
of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat
and hands, hands gleaning coal or planting windmills
in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands
digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands
as worn as my father's cutting sugarcane
so my brother and I could have books and shoes.
The dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains
mingled by one wind—our breath. Breathe. Hear it
through the day's gorgeous din of honking cabs,
buses launching down avenues, the symphony
of footsteps, guitars, and screeching subways,
the unexpected song bird on your clothes line.
Hear: squeaky playground swings, trains whistling,
or whispers across café tables, Hear: the doors we open
for each other all day, saying: hello, shalom,
buon giorno, howdy, namaste, or buenos dÃas
in the language my mother taught me—in every language
spoken into one wind carrying our lives
without prejudice, as these words break from my lips.
One sky: since the Appalachians and Sierras claimed
their majesty, and the Mississippi and Colorado worked
their way to the sea. Thank the work of our hands:
weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report
for the boss on time, stitching another wound
or uniform, the first brush stroke on a portrait,
or the last floor on the Freedom Tower
jutting into a sky that yields to our resilience.
One sky, toward which we sometimes lift our eyes
tired from work: some days guessing at the weather
of our lives, some days giving thanks for a love
that loves you back, sometimes praising a mother
who knew how to give, or forgiving a father
who couldn't give what you wanted.
We head home: through the gloss of rain or weight
of snow, or the plum blush of dusk, but always—home,
always under one sky, our sky. And always one moon
like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop
and every window, of one country—all of us—
facing the stars
hope—a new constellation
waiting for us to map it,
waiting for us to name it—together.
- Richard Blanco
Saturday, January 12, 2013
New Year Prayer
Among other wonders of our lives, we are alive
with one another, we walk here
in the light of this unlikely world
that isn't ours for long.
May we spend generously
the time we are given.
May we enact our responsibilities
as thoroughly as we enjoy
our pleasures. May we see with clarity,
may we seek a vision
that serves all beings, may we honor
the mystery surpassing our sight,
and may we hold in our hands
the gift of good work
and bear it forth whole, as we
were borne forth by a power we praise
to this one Earth, this homeland of all we love.
with one another, we walk here
in the light of this unlikely world
that isn't ours for long.
May we spend generously
the time we are given.
May we enact our responsibilities
as thoroughly as we enjoy
our pleasures. May we see with clarity,
may we seek a vision
that serves all beings, may we honor
the mystery surpassing our sight,
and may we hold in our hands
the gift of good work
and bear it forth whole, as we
were borne forth by a power we praise
to this one Earth, this homeland of all we love.
- John Daniels
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Big Winter Sale!
Now that I've had a chance to finish inventory-ing and cleaning up the studio, I've got a pile of winter holiday stuff left. I'd rather have a sale and clear it out of here, then let it sit around and gather dust. So I'm having a big winter sale!
All the fall and winter soap scents are on sale. The winter flavored lip balms too. Plus a few other assorted items. It's a great time to stock up on something you got for the holidays that you loved, because it will be gone soon. Spring seasonals are coming out next month so we'll be changing focus from spices to flowers, evergreens to citrus.
Supplies are limited to just what I've got on hand. Check out the selection HERE.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year!
Tonight we celebrate all the successes of 2012. Tomorrow we start the new year off with fresh ideas, grand enthusiasm and big dreams. I love New Year's and the chance to hit re-set and begin anew.
A champagne toast to you all - my friends and customers who have given me so much this past year. Big hugs!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Whoosh - it's over?
Wow. Christmas already happened. I truly intended to head over here and post Christmas greetings and stuff. But the whirlwind of the holiday just blew me away and I never got to do it. Like so many other things too.
It's such a gigantic race to get to the finish line with all the preparations done, and then poof! The big event is over in a blink and lots of stuff just didn't make the cut.
We had such a lovely Christmas Eve with our traditional celebration of a Feast of 7 Fishes, although I secretly liked dessert more than the other stuff :) Christmas Day was a flurry of unwrapping, a bit of relaxing and another wonderful dinner. I can't believe it's all over now. Except for the putting away. Of course the clean up takes longer than the holiday itself.
I've got a bit of catching up to do in the studio. More things that didn't quite get done before Christmas. But I'm going to have a quiet week and start to put things back in order before getting back to work in earnest next week. I'm bringing home all the inventory from the Bellingham and Warm Beach shows this week. If I've got soaps leftover that are sold out over here, I'll get them back on the website immediately.
I hope your holiday was merry and bright, and that you got to celebrate with your very best friends and family. I'm looking forward to the new year and another round of partying too!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Panic at the Post
Yesterday was the most panicked day of packing orders yet. I thought last Monday was bad. But yesterday by 5 o'clock I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I worked my butt off from early morning on, and never seemed to have enough time to breathe.
So many packages to go out and boxes not even packed up, labels not printed - I was buzzing around here in such a state that I'm worried sick I screwed something up. And the people who I was sending orders to are some of the loveliest customers on earth. They all deserve the very best service and I'll be heart-broken if somebody got the wrong thing, not enough things, the box arrives a jumble, or what-not.
I did actually have to call my roommate at the final minutes to help me stuff boxes and work the tape gun, etc. It was a mess here, like a tornado had gone through the studio, and then after that a bomb went off. I can't believe I actually got the boxes through the Post Office doors at the 5:30 bell when they lock up. I was driving like a maniac - but still had to stop for every single red light between here and there.
And then raced over to UPS with the other most hugest order, to wait in line for half an hour because everyone there is pretty much new to that place, didn't know how the counter works, and had a problem with their package. People were all stressing out - the package was supposed to be delivered somewhere else, some other time, or at the store for pick up instead of on the truck . . . something and everything. And the lady behind me was somebody's very lovely mom who was bringing her son's business packages over to be shipped and had never done it before, didn't have his UPS account number, etc. I'm sure they sorted it out at the desk, but there was a lot of that kind of thing - wrangling out all the details and a high-level of frustration and panic in the room. Normally I just breeze in and out in a few minutes with a bit of friendly chatter with one of my usual guys. But yesterday . . . whoa.
Today there is more. But not quite the same level. Manageable. It has to slow down any day now, right? Please say yes. I'm still not ready for my own Christmas yet.
Oh, and I'm back up to Bellingham tomorrow. I'm actually not bringing up much more stock. But a little bit. A few more things to finish up the week. If you need to shop for Soapworks products, there's probably more there in my display at the show than there is left here at the studio.
Three cheers to holiday spirits. The drinking kind.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Twelve. Twelve. Twelve.
Today is the most awesomest day of Dec 12, 2012. I woke up a little after midnight last night, just to see if anything earth-shattering would happen at 12:12 am on 12/12/12. Nope, nothing. Sigh. But to be fair, I don't even know if I was awake for that whole minute before falling back to sleep. I've been so exhausted.
We're into sorta mid-December now, and I'm done with the new shows. You can find my goods at the Allied Arts show in Bellingham still. And at Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach Camp - in the Joyland Emporium shop. But other than that, it's only mail order at this point. And even that is getting short.
I heard on the radio that this past Monday was the busiest shipping day of the year. And I know that it was pretty huge for me too. FedEx did something like 19 million packages that day. Mine was a bit less :), but it took several trips from the car to the Post Office desk. And I was completely cooked, trying to rush over there just before they closed with every last order from the weekend.
Some of the most popular soap scents are sold out at the moment. This is such a big disappointment to me. I tried so very hard this year to not have that happen. But it does. Every time. No matter how much I make, it's always just not quite enough. I made dozens of extra batches in the last few months so that I would have gazillions of bars of soap to sail through til Christmas. And it didn't last.
I am still madly making soap every day and most things will be back on the site next week, but at that point, it's really a bit late to ship things in time for Christmas. Sigh. Well, I'll be ready for those New Year's orders, I guess. But I truly need to already get started on producing spring scented soaps for the next newsletter at the beginning of February.
I'm thinking I might need to change my schedule a little bit. It's all too squished together from Fall/September, Winter/November and then Spring/February. As I said, I'm tired.
But for now, it's back to more orders this morning. And I'm headed up to Bellingham tomorrow with a ton of restock. I know it's totally picked over and bare up there, but I just didn't have a single day to drive up last week since I was at Group Health. So if you are waiting for goods, head over tomorrow.
And I'll take another moment today at noon to see what kind of magic might happen at 12:12 pm. Maybe the universe slept through the midnight thing like I did.
We're into sorta mid-December now, and I'm done with the new shows. You can find my goods at the Allied Arts show in Bellingham still. And at Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach Camp - in the Joyland Emporium shop. But other than that, it's only mail order at this point. And even that is getting short.
I heard on the radio that this past Monday was the busiest shipping day of the year. And I know that it was pretty huge for me too. FedEx did something like 19 million packages that day. Mine was a bit less :), but it took several trips from the car to the Post Office desk. And I was completely cooked, trying to rush over there just before they closed with every last order from the weekend.
Some of the most popular soap scents are sold out at the moment. This is such a big disappointment to me. I tried so very hard this year to not have that happen. But it does. Every time. No matter how much I make, it's always just not quite enough. I made dozens of extra batches in the last few months so that I would have gazillions of bars of soap to sail through til Christmas. And it didn't last.
I am still madly making soap every day and most things will be back on the site next week, but at that point, it's really a bit late to ship things in time for Christmas. Sigh. Well, I'll be ready for those New Year's orders, I guess. But I truly need to already get started on producing spring scented soaps for the next newsletter at the beginning of February.
I'm thinking I might need to change my schedule a little bit. It's all too squished together from Fall/September, Winter/November and then Spring/February. As I said, I'm tired.
But for now, it's back to more orders this morning. And I'm headed up to Bellingham tomorrow with a ton of restock. I know it's totally picked over and bare up there, but I just didn't have a single day to drive up last week since I was at Group Health. So if you are waiting for goods, head over tomorrow.
And I'll take another moment today at noon to see what kind of magic might happen at 12:12 pm. Maybe the universe slept through the midnight thing like I did.
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