Spring (Newsletter) is Sprung

For those of you dear readers who may not be on the mailing list, or somehow didn't get this month's mailing, I'm posting the entire Spring 2007 newsletter which is being mailed out today. Bon Appetit!

Dear Friends,

After a particularly tough winter here in the Northwest, we’re all crossing our fingers in breathless anticipation that Spring is right around the corner. Spring is the return of light, the return of life, a quickening of activity after a long winter’s nap. Already the days are noticeably longer, with peekaboo afternoons of dazzling, crisp sunlight that seem almost warm. Birds are busily bustling about the barren branches. Are those tiny little buds a hallucination? Are those pokey little green things raising their heads above the dirt a trick of the imagination? If I squint just hard enough in the blanket of fog this morning I think I can barely see a change in the air. It must be Spring! Let’s ditch the mittens and practice our frolic among the posies!

New Soaps

I started my business making just the soap bars. Now, 10 years later, it’s still the soap that is number one. So I’m focusing 2007 on doing what I do best, and doing it even better, by adding three new soaps to the regular every day list with special ingredients and nutrients, such as extra moisturizing oils of shea butter and hemp oil, and luxurious strands of pure silk. Plus, as always, I’ve created two new soaps just for Spring, to celebrate the season of love and flowers. ($4.00 each or 4 bars for $15.00)

Almond Lemon Goat Milk – Goat milk, rich in proteins and calcium, is renowned for its moisturizing and replenishing abilities, and gentle nature - being the soap of choice for people with sensitive skin or skin conditions. This recipe uses pure, fresh, raw, organic goat milk, not powdered or tinned milk, for a truly luxurious feel. Scented with luscious lemon and warm almond, the test batch I introduced last fall was snapped up instantly, a big winner with everyone who tried it. (Spring seasonal)

Blossom – So sweet and romantic, it’s the fragrance of delicate pink rosebuds, clouds of baby’s breath, a few petals of lily and jasmine, and lots of fresh green sprigs. A lovely bouquet of floral in a petal pink bar, it’s a perfect compliment for the spring season. (Spring seasonal)

Rosemary Orange Hemp – Hemp seed oil is one of the world’s richest sources of essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6) and Vitamin E in the plant kingdom, making it a top natural choice for healing dry or damaged skin, and reversing the effects of sun and aging. Hemp oil’s healing enzymes and vitamins absorb directly into the skin, replenishing and repairing. The fragrance of sweet, juicy orange and lightly herbal rosemary is fresh, lively and irresistable. (100% natural, new to the everyday list)

Bergamot Shea Butter – African healers have used shea butter for thousands of years as the ideal treatment for dry or aging skin. Its high content of non-saponifiable fatty acids gives it the ability to moisturize and retain elasticity in the skin while helping to protect against the damaging effects of the sun and repairing cellular degeneration. I’ve used a healthy dose of pure, unrefined, unbleached shea butter in its most natural state, and scented this soap with an elegant, beautiful blend of bergamot, geranium and rosewood – so pretty, so luxurious, so sophisticated. (100% natural, new to the everyday list)

Peppermint Eucalyptus – Straight from the spa, this is a cool, tingly, refreshing blend of peppermint and eucalyptus with the added nutrient of pure silk. Tussah Noil silk fibre is the raw fiber, just as it's unraveled from silk cocoons, adding a richness and silky feel to the bar, while the amino acids promote suppleness and elasticity to skin. (100% natural, new to the everyday list)

Spring Aromatic Sprays

Turn up the volume on your romance dial - we’re bringing back the world famous Lilac Garden aromatic spray for Spring. Our Lilac Garden scent is incredibly true, a lush and fragrant floral mist to brighten up the winter doldrums. In addition, we’re bringing back the Jasmine Lemon scent that was so popular a couple of years ago. Jasmine Lemon is the fragrance of sweet jasmine blossoms tossed with a sunny splash of lemonade. It’s bright and happy, soft and pretty. Both fragrances are lovely spritzers 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)

Lavender Lip Balm

Lavender lip balm has been requested quite a lot anything else lately, so I made a little batch for spring. Have you ever tasted those delicious little floral candies in the pretty French tins - violet pastilles? It tastes sort of like that – lavender with a touch of sweetener to soften it and bring out the flavor. This little Spring tin of lavender lip balm is a charming partner to the sachets, aromatic spray and soap, all made with the same splendid French lavender.

The website is updated and features a Spring clearance sale, so check in often. And, I’m planning ahead for a splendid year of craft shows, festivals, markets and fairs. It’s still early for scheduling, but the enclosed calendar has the confirmed dates so far, and check out the online calendar for more detailed information, new dates as they are confirmed, and up-to-the minute-changes or additions at SoapworksStudio.com. Happy, sunny Spring!

Bag Lady

If you've been reading along, you've heard me say that I'm focusing on "going green" this year. Not that it wasn't a priority before, it's just a more critical one currently, for both my business and personal life. So after changing all my lightbulbs last month, the next step I took was ending the plastic bag madness.

I shopped around for places that had the best selection of eco-friendly shopping totes, so I could BYO to the stores. I found Reusablebags.com, which has the coolest selection of bags, totes, sacks, water bottles, all kinds of ecologically correct stuff - in super cute designs too. I decided on the set of four heavy duty hemp grocery bags in the lovely natural color. I love them to death. I have no idea how I was actually functioning without them before.

The plastic bags were becoming unbearable. Every store was now double-bagging, and putting only about 3 items in each bag. I'd arrive home with dozens of the flimsy thingies, only to fill up the recycle bin with them. Now I can BYO my beeyooteeful bag whenever I go out.

I feel so smug when I arrive with my own bag at Trader Joe's, or the self-serve checkout at QFC, or the fancy pet food store. Post office packages get tucked neatly into a sack instead of balanced on my arms, held in place by a chin. A couple are in the car at all times, another one makes the trip from the house to car almost every time. Who knew? Oh, the heaven of a sturdy sack.

Oh, and I got a super functional and darling water bottle for the gym too, or to take to shows. I wanted to spend a whole lot more money - for insulated lunch sacks, charming designs on longer handled tote bags, all kinds of stuff. It was hard to stop clicking. If only I hadn't decreed that I was putting a moratorium on shopping unless it was truly necessary. Oh, hold your horses. I did not make the resolution, like so many other heroic folks, that I would not buy anything this year. But I am trying really, really hard to make sure my purchases are necessary, functional and well-planned.

Putting your wallet where your mouth is, or making your dollars talk, or whatever it's called, is important. But I'm also on a really strict budget at the moment too, so it's pretty much food, shampoo, and extraneous necessities. What makes the whole thing harder is that after overstuffing myself with food, shopping is my number two method of rewarding or comforting myself, and both of them are black-listed. So what now? Bubble baths?

See, this is just the kind of super insightful (meaning boring and inane) stuff you get on a Monday morning, when the poor writer is suffering from shaky arms and work overload.

Spicy

This week was supposed to be my "change things up" week. Wherein I try to turn all my boring daily routines upside down. Do new stuff. Uproot myself from the dead spot I've been standing in for so long, turning to stone. Add a bit of spice to the bland broth. This pulp magazine illustration is all the spice I could cook up - yes, that's me, Satan's mistress. Ahem. Except in dirty sweats, cheesy hair clip and knee-high boots caked with mud.

I'm declaring it a false start. I couldn't even get past the first couple of hurdles. The rockery (rockerie?) hit some snags and I've been the extra labor the last few days, trying to shove boulders uphill with just my floral garden gloves as tools. After an hour or two in the mornings of attempting to kill myself by hernia or muscle fatigue, I have tried to get all the little work details done in order to be ready for the spring newsletter release to the universe.

Truly, there are so many things to get in place. I didn't get far. I have all weekend to try and get at least a little closer to the goal - mostly update the website. Which means packaging and taking pictures of the products. Erm, and actually making the stuff. How could I forgot that little detail? And there will be stuffing and glueing of envelopes all weekend too. Will my arms hold up? We've got a few of the biggest boulders left for this morning.

A couple more show applications need an extra photo, or an extra piece of biography/description or something written up. I've got them all laid out on the dining room table now, with my big calendar, trying to keep it straight and not lose a piece or double schedule myself somewhere. I had a neat little pile on the desk, but with all the distractions, and stops and starts, the system started to fall apart and I could see disaster ahead. So I hauled it up, spread it all out and am filling in the last few holes. It's going to be a pretty big year, if it all works out.

So the upshot is this: I cannot possibly do it all the way I had originally planned. Life never works that way. But the most important thing is to do the best you can. Adjust to the new realities as quickly as possible and keep moving forward. I think that's the lesson. I found this poem a couple of weeks ago, and it's what I'm hanging onto this morning. For dear life.

Trust

It's like so many other things in life
to which you must say no or yes.
So you take your car to the new mechanic.
Sometimes the best thing to do is trust.

The package left with the disreputable-looking
clerk, the check gulped by the night deposit,
the envelope passed by dozens of strangers—
all show up at their intended destinations.

The theft that could have happened doesn't.
Wind finally gets where it was going
through the snowy trees, and the river, even
when frozen, arrives at the right place.

And sometimes you sense how faithfully your life
is delivered, even though you can't read the address.

-- by Thomas R. Smith, from Waking before Dawn

Mud slinging

This mud pit and pile of rocks is my front sidewalk all week. We have this super sweet guy rebuilding the ancient rockery. I think it's going to look great once it's done. But it sure is a mess.

Kitty is fine, complete recovery and no doctor visits this time. Jury duty was excused a day early. And the mailing is at the printers. Everything's coming up roses. I think. Holding my breath.

Today is such a long laundry list of things that need to be caught up with, that I can't possibly figure out how to squeeze some of the "try something new" in there. I was sort of thinking about that pastrami in the fridge for breakfast, but just couldn't do it. And I'm back in the sweats and hair clip with a big cup of coffee. Sometimes you just gotta do what's necessary.

Ergh. Maybe tomorrow I can do something totally unique, scary, challenging, life altering to push me out of the rut. But for today, I just have to breathe deeply and get through it.

Notes from the day

Yesterday's orange food day didn't inspire any insights or rare moments, other than a little heartburn. A whole day in boy's brief underpants was just uncomfortable, not life altering.

This morning most vocal kitty woke up at 3:30am and needed the whole house up to play. After an hour or so of the pillow over my head trying my best to ignore her, I just caved. In the spirit of Zen, I had green tea and sushi for breakfast. I will need perhaps a trip to Tokyo to make this actually something I would like to repeat. I needed coffee bad after that, and the fishy coffee breath was probably really embarrassing in the jury room. I avoided everyone.

I did, however, overdress and wear lots more makeup than usual. Nobody seemed to notice and the guys at the car repair shop didn't flirt either. Waste of time.

Got called in to a case for questioning at almost the very end of the day, but was next to last on the list, so was finally excused for the day - later than everyone else who had been still sitting around in the lobby reading magazines all day. Got blisters in the fancy shoes hoofing it back to the car repair. Arrived home to a sick and vomiting kitty. Ate orange leftovers on the fly, and am now guzzling wine. I'm using my 15 minutes of "wait and see if she comes around" time to cozy up to my lonely computer. Probably I'm going to be racing off to the hospital with her, since she hasn't turned around in the last couple hours. Gotta run.

Oh, the good news. There was some. I got accepted into Folklife this year, after about 6 straight years of rejection. Never thought that would happen in a million years. I'm thrilled and scared at the same time. I'm going to need to work really, really, really hard in the next couple months to squeeze that into the equation. It's huge. But it's great. And I sorely need the extra income this spring.

Orange you glad?

I'm starting my new perspectives week today. Trying to shake up my daily routines dump myself outside of my own box. I woke up at 4:30 this morning. Actually, that wasn't my choice. The cats were hungry. I think they may be in on it. I made them a giant blankie tent at the foot of the bed Sunday evening so they could rumble around in it and settle down - trying to distract them from howling at the door to go back outside after dark. And they decided to spend the night there, stretching out between my feet, curling up in my armpit. Sweet and kind of fun, but not the norm, and I'm not sure any of us got the best night's sleep.

Anyway, they got fishy mush and I decided to make it Orange Food Day. Everything orange, inspired by a tall glass of fresh-squeezed grapefruit tangerine juice. Scrambled eggs, cornbread and sweet potatoes for breakfast. Leftovers, it's all I had. There's carrots in the bin. Maybe I'll splurge and make mac 'n cheese. I think there's a green food day in my future.

I went to a little pizza/game night/movies/sleepover party the other night (thank you Patricia, it was a blast!) with a bunch of crafty gals who do all the shows. Although I've known them in passing for years, it was cool to really get to know them better. It's an interesting life we've chosen, and I'm always fascinated by how someone else puts it all together and makes it work.

So today I vow that I will get the finishing touches on the newsletter and pieces of the spring mailing, and get it to the printer this afternoon. The rest of the week is going to be who knows how many hours of jury duty, but it needs to be productive too. I'm not sure I'm finally in the place I wanted to be before I sent it off, but it will have to do.

One final note, all the regular soaps are back online again -- Cedar Musk, Baby Love, Havana, Citrus Basil Scrub, Sacred Smoke. The Anise soap will come back next month. In case you haven't visited lately, I've made a few updates to the site too - a new banner, a few new photos (there will be more as I get the spring stuff online), just simplified the look a little bit so it's easier to navigate. Always a work in progress. Isn't everything?

Same Old

Yawn. I'm bored.

Here's the thing about routines - everyone's got them. We are creatures of habit. Our daily routine is a combination of stuff we have to do (drive to work, laundry, walk the dog) and like to do (tv programs, what's for dinner). I'm sick of my daily routine, so I've decided that next week is topsy turvy week. I'm going to do every single thing differently than usual.

When I turned the page in my calendar I realized that I have jury duty next week (yes, again), so that should liven things up already. I hadn't remembered that before I decided to turn my world upside down. But it works. For the people who track these things, most folks have about a dozen meal choices that they eat over and over. I like to try new recipes a lot, but breakfast is about 3 different things, lunch repeats itself often. So I'm going to eat all different stuff next week, and things I almost never eat, not just expensive stuff I usually don't buy. But no gross stuff, like gizzards, chicken feet and kim chee. This is supposed to be fun, not disgusting.

And since it isn't an exercise in spending a lot of money either, I'm not heading out for any makeovers or new wardrobe. My daily routine is jumping into soap spattered sweats - I have about 4 pairs of tops and bottoms that I wear over and over because this soap thing is greasy and messy. Next week I am going to wear nice stuff. Haul out my skirts and pretty sweaters. Even when I'm not at the courthouse. I'll have to wear the sweatshirt during the actual activity of soapmaking. But I vow to actually change clothes when I'm done. This is new, I will change into a publicly acceptable outfit when I leave for the post office instead of hide the sweats under my coat. Whee! Fancy underwear week. Watchout, scratchy nightgown. I'm going to try a new hairstyle. Nothing weird like pigtails or braids. Just not the same old clip while I'm working.

I'm going to try one new thing I've never done before. And visit at least one place I've never seen before. Maybe talk to a stranger. Wake up earlier, or later. I don't know. Change it all up.

Yanno -- it would be way cool if I was doing topsy turvy week in Paris or Martinique instead of here. But ya gotta take what you can get.

Full circle

Ohmigosh, tomorrow is February already. Hearts. Flowers. And no more puttering around. Things have to be DONE.

I've got a stack of show applications to work on today. I always think it will be easy peasy -- just fill in the form, write a check and shoot it out. But now that I have it all in front of me, it's a load of other stuff too. Like photos of products. Really good ones, not the old fuzzy stuff I have laying around from a few years back. So there's gotta be a photo shoot. The booth picture - I know I have one here somewhere from last summer that wasn't so bad. Geez, you'd think I'd be a little more organized and plan to take some good photos somewhere along the way, right? Well, I do. It's just that I keep changing stuff. And I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. So I keep shuffling the booth displays around, keep experimenting with new packaging and products. All of which leaves me with nothing current to just shove in the envelope.

And I don't want to send along the holiday brochure. So that means I need to get this spring thing to the printer asap. Which also means I need to finish up the darn draft of the letter, and update the brochure too. Which brings me full circle to having the darn calendar finalized. And face plant into the pile of show applications in front of me.

Let's see. Packaging the new stuff, finding the extra lights. Where is that camera? I know I need to re-charge the battery. Is that one show really on the same day as that other one? Can I do both? Where's my day planner? Dig out the applications from last year so I can request the same booth spaces (or not). Jiggy with my printer/copier/faxer which only likes to do one task a day. So if it's printing, it is definitely not copying.

See. Things really need to get done around here. I can't waste any more time diggity blogging about it. Happy hump day!

Bittersweet

I've just finished winnowing my database and mailing list. It's a little bit bittersweet, saying goodbye to old friends. But I was pleasantly surprised to see how many new friends had been added in just the last year too.

I try to clean up the list once a year, always in January. The fall and winter newsletters always have the largest response, so I send it out to as many folks as possible. But the spring newsletter, actually the whole season, is much smaller, so it's the best time to start fresh. Hopefully I didn't dump anyone who still really wants to be there. But I flip through each record, checking the date they last ordered, and if it was 5 years ago -- gone (unless I know them as show shoppers only or other special circumstances). If they just called to request a brochure, oh about three years ago, but never ordered, gone.

Since this is such a small business, in order to survive I have to keep a fairly tight ship. Mostly this whole newsletter thing is to stay in touch with people who mail order the soap. I like to communicate with the folks who regularly come to the shows too, but that's harder to do. I recognize so many faces at the shows, but I don't always know their names. If they pay with checks or credit cards, I sometimes can take a note, just for my own records, and update their file on the database. I like to keep track of my best customers and friends. It's not only good business, but it's more fun that way.

But I'm sure that I've lost somebody who really likes the newsletter. Please do call, email or let me know at the next show if you really like to get the letter but missed the spring one. I'm very happy to keep anyone on the list who waits anxiously by the mailbox to get the latest. Really, I do. It's flattering and it's not a big deal to buy a few more stamps.

What I dread the most is being a piece of junk mail. Tastes change and people move on. I realize that. I'm not offended. I do the same thing myself. So I hate continuing to bombard people's homes who just don't want to be bothered. Maybe they ordered once for a gift, but they don't use the stuff themselves. So for whatever reason - I don't need a full explanation - if you want to cut back on all the envelopes coming your way, please also drop me a line somehow. I'm pleased to accommodate your request.

Now that I've got the website listed on all the labels - heck, now that I've got the website really cooking, and this here bloggity blog too - I'm hoping there are enough ways for people to find me, find the products, order what they need, check out the calendar. It's no longer the same as when I just started out, and all I had was that funky little newsletter with a little copied order form and sketchy list of shows tucked inside. I felt like I was living in the shadows. But now . . . NOW I'm out there for everyone to seee.

So as familiar names were getting chucked, it was sad to realize that they haven't called since say 2001. Was it really that long ago? We were such pals for while, what happened? It was also a pleasant surprise to see all the new names of people who've just jumped on board. And realize how far this has really come. It's not just my acquaintances and my parent's friends who wanted to support my new endeavor. It's people from all over who have tried my products and want it just because it's good stuff. Yippee ki yay!

Alright, maybe it's all a little melodramatic. It's just housecleaning of a database for cripes sake. But you've got to take your moments somewhere.

Hokey Pokey

One step forward? Two steps back? I can't tell if I'm making progress or falling incredibly far behind.

I spent the weekend on house projects. The weather was no nice -- in the sunshine -- that I was able to be outside in just shirtsleeves working on stuff in the barren dead zone I call the back yard. After cleaning the whole inside of the house, I decided to tackle the outside. I washed all of the exterior windows. Then rescued the stupid kittens out of the cherry tree, which was a lot more complicated than it sounds. And began hacking away at dead parts of the bamboo jungle along the side. There was weeding, removing a couple of bushes, digging out frozen, dead, soggy masses. Bruised, scratched and exhausted, I had to call it quits when the sun moved on. And now there are piles and mounds of ripped out greenery (brownery?) all over which doesn't fit into the barrels. It will have to wait a couple of weeks until next time, I guess. So is that progress? Or just a huge mess?

Sunday was a closet cleaning day. A couple of closets are cleared out, nice. But the dining rooms is piled with boxes of charitable donations, things that need to find a new home, things that need to be cleaned before putting back in. It all looks messier than before. And frankly, it looks like even more projects for the "to do" list. I should have just left it all alone.

But truth be told, I started all that because I was avoiding my actual work. I'm so completely unmotivated to do what really, really needs to be done. I spaced out and missed the application deadline for a major show, so there's no way I'm getting into that. So depressing. I didn't get into another new one that I was really hoping for. I've got several other options that need immediate attention, and I keep hitting walls. The soap isn't getting made fast enough for all the deadlines. The spring newsletter is dangling out there, taunting me. The studio is so unorganized and messy that I feel like I can't even think in here.

So under the blanket of frustration, I am procrastinating and becoming increasingly overwhelmed. Someone needs to head straight over and light a fire under my butt so I can get moving again.

Winter Sunset

WINTER: TONIGHT: SUNSET

Tonight at sunset walking on the snowy road,
my shoes crunching on the frozen gravel, first

through the woods, then out into the open fields
past a couple of trailers and some pickup trucks, I stop

and look at the sky. Suddenly: orange, red, pink, blue,
green, purple, yellow, gray, all at once and everywhere.

I pause in this moment at the beginning of my old age
and I say a prayer of gratitude for getting to this evening

a prayer for being here, today, now, alive
in this life, in this evening, under this sky.


-- David Budbill, from While We've Still Got Feet

Bad Credit

My credit card terminal broke last week. The power cord snapped somehow. And since I have the most ancient little machine, nobody could get me the new part. So I was forced to "shop around" for a new merchant service, totally under the gun. I suppose it's usually that way. You don't really think about upgrading until it's broke. And then you're pressured to do something immediately, without the luxury of time to really make informed decisions.

Warning, if you'd rather have a hot stick in the eye than learn about merchant credit card processing, I know the feeling -- I've been there -- but you're about to hear way more than you want to know.

It's been a ginormous headache, researching rates and equipment with several reps. Currently I have the old imprinter thing at shows, which means I have to key it all in when I get home. It's time consuming and I don't know if I've been given a bad credit card until I get home. So the alternative is wireless, which operates pretty much the same as when you go to an actual retail location. It's the fees that make you crazy. There is a fee per transaction, which changes depending on whether it's swiped or not, whether you obtain their address, if they have a corporate card, if they have an awards type card, etc. Then there is a monthly minimum fee, a statement fee, debit card fees, fees to close out the batch, wireless fees, activation fees, supply fees, contract fees -- not to mention other specific fees like chargebacks and stuff. Each company has their own set and all of the above vary depending on which one you're talking to or what time of day it is. By the end of it, it's a wonder that they deposit any money at all in your account.

Of course they all tell you that they've got the best rate, and only tell you about the lowest percentage rate. You have to read all the fine print and ask a bazillion questions to find out the rest. So after crunching numbers, grinding up days on this, hemming, hawing, stalling - I found someone who had a replacement of the old cord. Fifteen dollars. I'm functional again. Gah!

I guess I'll need to upgrade eventually. But for the moment, I am going to just put up with my old antique way of doing things, which in the long run is probably cheaper than all that new technology with extra fees. Eventually I'll have to join the new decade . . . sooner rather than later. But at least I'm not in the panic of having nothing. And I can look around for a better deal and negotiate a little better. One of the guys sounded kind of promising -- and it's free equipment, no contract and pretty nice rates. They are sort of like used car salesmen. You need to do the dance a bit, make them cough up a little nicer package if they want your business. I'm not really into that sort of thing, but sometimes you do what you need to do. I'm putting on extra smarm protection and going back in.

Joyeux Anniversaire!

It's been exactly one year ago today since I started this little blog adventure with my very first post. I don't think I ever imagined that I would write so much and still be at it one year later. Oh my heavens, whatever shall I wear to the party?

Frankly, I'm still not completely sure what the whole purpose is. I flouder around almost daily with "what am I really trying to do here"? Mostly I wanted to just throw the doors open - instead of hiding behind them with my head buried in work. I often feel like this little business is really a partnership with my fabulous customers. Y'all influence the direction we're headed more than you know. Feedback, suggestions, just shooting the breeze at shows and whatnot has brought up ideas for all kinds of things. And I thought the blog would just be a bigger conversation, with more friends. At the very least, it's a useful way to share last minute things. And to give more detailed information about shows and specials in a more timely way.

Now that blogs are in their hey-day, it seems like there are divergent paths. Business blogs are now big business and more impersonal. They are generally marketing tools that promote the business itself and the products in a more informal way than traditional marketing methods. And personal blogs have become more and more personal - often sharing some of the most private moments, thoughts, or minutiae of the day. Mine is neither. And both.

I have purposely tried to create a little hodgepodge of everything. This is a very personal sort of one-woman business here. And it's just me, chatting with my pals. And I must admit I've enjoyed the sharing, the writing practice. I just wish more of you would leave a comment once in a while so it doesn't feel so alone over here on this side of the screen.

The blog's ultimate purpose is to expand the relationship between us. It's not compelling reading (or comfortable for me) to yabber away about what I had for dinner (ok, once in a while) but I think sharing my inspirations and intentions about what I do has value. And I believe that if you are more informed about the products and what goes into them, you'll be able to make better buying decisions. Of course I'm hoping that y'all become addicted to the stuff and need lots more of it :)

So as long as that is clear as mud, let's just keep the ball rolling, shall we?

Calendar Girl

I'm doing some housekeeping on the web site today, working on the calendar. Currently there is absolutely nothing, zero, zilch, nada, listed there for this year. No worries -- I'm planning on having the usual show schedule, not too many changes from years past.

I think everyone is getting a slow start this year. Maybe when all the holiday and weather events wound down, collectively we just decided to take a deep breath and go a little slow for a week or two, in the relative quiet of early January. I don't know about you, but I've been feeling a little gray, just like the skies. Which is to say, just a little colorless, a little bland - no excitement. It kind of feels good not to have deadlines, a million things to do, places to rush around to.

Anyway, the information and applications for the spring shows have been a little late coming out too this time. I've just started to find out dates, and there are several shows that won't be happening at all. The Starving Housewives spring shows are over. They just didn't have enough success lately to warrant all that work. The crafters too -- more of them had decided not to bother hauling themselves to a spring show for the small dollars they were able to scrape up. But Lord Hill and Vasa Park are still on. The April shows are still getting lined up. A couple of summer things are just popping up. So now that I've actually got something to put in the calendar, I'll spend some time cleaning it up today.

And I have to confess, I'm going to push off the spring newsletter too. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that I was aiming for Feb 1 to send it out. Because that isn't going to happen now. Spring seems so far away and I'm just not ready. I've been thinking that it's too soon, maybe pushing it a little. I'd like to take a couple of extra weeks and really have my ducks in a row before I start up the parade again. This time I don't want to start the year off scrambling to have enough ready before I haul off and make the big announcements.

At least that's what I was thinking this weekend. I pulled up the calendar and opened a new document to begin writing the letter, and lo and behold, there was just blank pages. But I'm working on it. Jotting off emails to confirm dates, making phone calls, getting a schedule in place. And the letter is percolating in the back of my head. It will all come together, but needs just a bit more time in the oven.

Lights on, we're home

As I mentioned earlier, I'm hoping to post a "green" message sort of semi-regularly with tips for changing the course of catastrophic climate change that we are on. This week's "green" post of the week is about lightbulbs. It was the first item on the "10 things you can do today" list for starting a process of becoming more aware and active in the effort to reverse the damage. I've actually found dozens of versions of the "10 things" lists, which differ slightly, but LIGHTBULBS seems to be numero uno in all of them.

Last week's big news story is that 2007 is expected to be the hottest year on record. And it's essentially due to greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide which are becoming trapped in our atmosphere and warming up the planet -- now to alarming rates. And the US contributes more than 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions -- more than bunches of countries put together, more than entire continents. So we need to start here.

1. Change a lightbulb. Replacing just one standard lightbulb with a compact fluorescent lightbulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Here's the impact: If every household in the U.S. replaced a burned-out bulb with an energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulb, the cumulative effect is enormous. It would prevent more than 13 billion pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – which is like taking more than a million cars off the road for an entire year. Another site said it this way: If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

People, this is HUGE. Yes, the bulbs cost a bit more initially, but they actually save you money in energy costs. Energy Star bulbs will save you $30 in energy costs over the lifetime of the bulb. And they last 10 times longer than a standard bulb anyway.

It's kind of the same rationale for using hand made soap. Yes, the bars cost a bit more than a family-pack of Ivory. But they last longer, they have less scary stuff in them, they save your skin from dryness and itchiness, which actually results in you having to spend less on creams or lotions to compensate, and voila! they are actually more economical and healthier for you.

Anyway, I've just been out shopping for new bulbs and have changed virtually every lightbulb in my house. I was amazed at some of the new technology. They've got so many more kinds now! Dimmable ones, outdoor spotlights, and they even have natural light or regular soft light bulbs. They don't have to have that harsh fluorescent look any more. Yay, I like a little more ambience.

A most excellent bonus to all this is that I actually get more light than I had before and I'm still using a fraction of the energy. The new bulbs use much tinier amounts of energy to emit lumens. So I can put the teeny wattage bulb in a so-called 60 watt lamp which actually emits the equivalent of about 75 or 100 watts of light, while using only 15-20 actual watts. My little old vintage lamps and shades don't get hot and I get a much lighter, brighter house. Instead of worrying about turning off lights in every room, I can have a couple of itty-bitty watt lamps on and actually see around here, all while using up just a fraction of the energy I would have otherwise. My lifestyle is improved in every way. I highly recommend it.

Plain Vanilla

As I was sifting through my day here, I sorta read through the last few days of posts and realized there's been a bit of whining about the weather. Sorry about that. I usually love, love, love snow and look forward to a little white stuff with great anticipation. I think it's just the accumulation of so many little hurdles that I'm not used to. It's thrown me out of whack a bit -- all this hibernating indoors and having to delay activities. It's all temporary. And it's all little stuff.

Hey, has anyone tried the Vanilla Cake and Baking Mix from Trader Joe's? I just did today. I've seen it on the shelf for a long time, but it looked so plain, so vanilla. It was just me and all the other old lady shut-ins shopping at TJ's this afternoon. The shuttle van had taken the gals from some nearby retirement living home for their weekly outing. Quite a big day. Maneuvering the aisles was a little trickier than usual, what with all the ladies parked in the middle, idly chatting, and maybe a tad hard of hearing when I was mumbling "excuse me" a hundred times to get through. But they were busy exchanging opinions about some item or another, explaining the complexities of ethnic flavors to their gal pals.

Back to the cake. It's a gorgeous thing. Flecked with real vanilla bean. A charming little dense and buttery breakfast type cake. Not your big, fluffy layer cake. So delightful with a cup of tea, still warm. The perfect antidote to a gray, winter, January day. A day in which another vital and important piece of something in your life breaks down. Today it was the credit card machine. C'est la vie. I've got cake. Mmmm.

White Out

I woke up to a flurry of white. My heart sank. It was coming down hard and we got another couple of inches. For the folks trying to make it back to work after the long weekend, it was a horrid commute. Thankfully, I get to work from home and traipse around in my jammies and fluffy slippers.

We usually only get one little snow blast in a year, about every couple of years. And ordinarily I would be jumping for joy, hurtling myself into my snow boots to head out and catch snowflakes on my tongue and crunch around the neighborhood in the silence of it all - the normal routine interrupted for one short day, a respite in the hustle bustle of every day. But we've been snowed under forever (ok, a week). This IS the routine. Another cup of coffee, parked in front of the tv watching the cancelled things scroll across the screen. I need to get out today. Mail stuff. Run errands. This is so odd. I swear I would be having better weather if I lived in Minnesota instead of Seattle.

I'm restless and frustrated and comforting myself with creamy noodles dishes. But I'm still packing up the orders. Writing out bills. Shooting for a little bit of melting by late afternoon in which I will actually leave the house and do real things in the real world.

Is this just a freak anomoly? Are we going to be the new Alaska? Is California going to be the new Portland? I need to know. I need more blankies. And woolie socks.

King for a day

In the midst of my pity party yesterday, I realized that it's really hard to gain momentum from a complete stop. So I started shuffling paper on my desk half-heartedly, trying to at least organize them into groups. Like stuff to look up, stuff to do this week, stuff to file, etc. And I got a batch of soap going. And things started to move forward. I had a semi-productive day and feel a teeny bit less like a total slacker.

If you've been by the web site lately, you may have noticed that several of the regular soap scents are not listed. It's because between the holiday rush and the little flurry of sale orders this month, my inventory got too low to keep them available. But I've been making soap, and as soon as I get a couple more weeks into the curing process, I'll post them again. They are almost there: Cedar Musk, Havana, Citrus Basil Scrub and Baby Love. Not to worry, I'll have them all online by the end of the month, in time for the newsletter to be sent. Catching up on all the usual ones too this week. And squeezing in bit of Spring stuff too. I've been a little slower with production than I would have liked, but I've got excuses, sheesh. The daily routines have all gone to pot, what with no power, no heat, no internets, cat-tastrophes, flooding, freezing, whatever the glitch du jour.

As Tim Gunn would say, "carry on," and "make it work." Words to live by.

And today is Martin Luther King Day. Damn skippy he should be honored with his own day. If you've got about 15 minutes to see what all the fuss is about -- the "I Have A Dream" speech . . . . . shivers.

Hibernating

It feels like I've been hiding under a blankie for a week now, and not getting anything done. Actually, there's been a lot of action, just not a lot of progress. It's one minor catastrophe after another.

First there was the crappy snowstorm. Which won't go away. And on the coldest morning, when it was about 15 degrees, one of the kittens ran off. She showed up happily bounding around the back yard an hour later, happy as a clam, even though we had been out crunching around the block and through neighbors yards calling her until our toes froze off.

Same day, same kitten -- decides that she wants to help me make soap, leaping onto the counter and kicking over one of the just poured molds. Thought my frantic hosing had cleaned her off. But about 15 minutes later, realized that she was in trouble. More hosing, major skirmish, and she really looked not right. So we dashed off to the vet. She got the full on super suds bath to remove the stink, viewed the damage, got some fluids to flush her out, swallowed a little medicine to soothe her tummy. She had gotten a splash on the back feet and then tried to over-groom it off. So a couple of little irritations, a couple of little hairless patches and a blister on the tip of her tongue. She's back to her old self in no time and will be fine.

But the second kitty, who napped through the whole escapade, suddenly decides she no longer knows kitty number one. It's the smell of the hospital or something and she goes all skittish, growly, hissing and fighting and running off. The poor beleaguered one is so confused and despondent that her best friend has shunned her. They've been inseparable, and peas in a pod since the first day. It was very unhappy for everyone. A day and a half of cat fights and reaquanticing, we are back to the happiest best pals in the world, minus a little fur.

But we are still freezing. The furnace decided to go south. Technically I am not without heat. It's just a big operation to turn it on for a little while to heat up the house. The valve box (which we just had replaced) is not working. So there is a lot of manual carrying on, jimmying wires, flipping switches, fumbling with the panels each time we need a little heat. At night there is nothing. And it's 19 degrees outside. Which is the best part. So with the holiday weekend and all, it's going to be days of this dance.

You know those little windshield dings that the garage fills with superglue stuff? Turns out that when it gets really, really cold for days on end, and then you take little road trips in between, blasting the defroster and heater for a while, and then parking the car back out on the frigid streets over night . . . those little dings turn into monster cracks that travel across the windshield while you are driving. I guess I'll be scrabbling around to get a new windshield this week.

I'm supposed to be working on soap stuff. But I can't even face my mail pile any more. I don't want to do a single thing. I just want to hide out here, under the blankie, and wait for this frozen hell to thaw and life to get back to normal.

Snow Day

It snowed buckets last night. Started with a blizzard of a hail storm that blanketed the lawn with Dippin' Dots. But then turned to big, fat flakes and kept snowing for hours. It's hovering a few degrees above freezing and things are getting a bit slushy and mushy. But we're going to have this around for a few days.

So pretty. And the kittens can't seem to get enough of the romping in the snow. It's hard to tear myself from the window. Dreaming of steaming mugs of hot cocoa (except that I can't get to the store for milk) and a pot of stew simmering on the stove (see previous, ditto on the lack of groceries). I may have to brave the elements and head out. This would be a lot more fun if we weren't having such an avalanche of freak weather storms all in a row for months on end.

Last night was fireworks -- several explosions of light blasted through the window at the same time our cable tv and internet also went dead. Turns out it was tree branches on the lines which blew a transformer and several blocks around us lost power. Luckily we did not lose our electricity, and even more luckily, the cable returned by this morning so we could watch the news, surf the internets and generally go about our daily activities. But it's really getting old, y'all -- I'm feeling a little less "comcastic" every day.

Let it Snow

just a little trace of snow for us. and thankfully no freezing slush to maneuver all week.

but the gusting winds, especially yesterday, are really doing a number on the trees around here.

i absolutely adore trees and i'm heartsick that we've lost so many this season. really big and beautiful ones that shielded us gently in their big strong arms. the leafy canopies gone forever, leaving us feeling vulnerable and exposed.

it's been a week of teaching the kittens about the outdoors -- creating boundaries, learning new skills and building trust. it's amazing how quickly they learn. and they are doing so well. when it gets warm enough to leave windows and doors open, i think we are all going to have such a nice time in the little back yard together.

projects small and large, business and personal, are underway. sale orders are coming in and bargains are going out. lots of busy work happening behind the scenes. building a structure and foundation from which to work more efficiently this year. yep, i trotted out the "work smarter, not harder" resolution again this year . . .

January Clearance Sale!

Inventory is finished and I've got quite a lot of holiday hoopla still here at the studio. Usually I box it up and put it away for the next year so I've got a little jump start when the shopping season starts in the fall. Not this time. I want to clear it out and make room for new stuff. And I wanted to share the goodies at rock bottom prices so even folks on a budget can splurge this month. While you're dieting and exercising and generally punishing yourself with New Year's resolutions (well, for at least a week or two) you can still have nice smelling stuff!

There are soaps and sprays, lip balms, solid perfumes, bath confetti and spiced hot cocoa milk bath, sachets, body scrubs . . . just a big assortment of items that I've featured throughout 2006 and still have a few in stock. This is your chance to treat yourself to twice as much of the good stuff. And you don't even have to make a trip to the mall!

Clearance Sale

Saving the Planet

We've all heard the "global warming" predictions. But not until just recently did it really make a huge impact on me. It's not that I wasn't aware of it, I was. And it's not that I was ignoring it. I wasn't. I guess I had been living in my own little bubble of thinking that I was doing my part, for the most part. And that it would somehow be resolved.

But the weather, the shocking new circumstances, the dire predictions, and the rate of change on our planet has become so much more serious, so much more quickly. And we appear to be headed straight over the border of no return, at full speed ahead. It scares me to death that all these drastic events are going to happen during the course of my own lifetime. And that for the first half of my life, me and my generation (who I thought to be somewhat forward thinking) have been just muddling along business-as-usual, while allowing all this destruction to happen. It's our watch. It's up to us to ensure that our kids and grandkids have an earth left to live on. And it doesn't look good.

What does this have to do with my soap business and this little blog? Just that I feel compelled to do more and say more and be a voice in the conversation, in an effort to stop the madness. So I've made some resolutions. The first one is to find out more about how one little person can make a difference. And then do those things. And also share those things in my blog, hopefully inspiring even a couple people more to make a few changes. It's all the little things that add up.

After I saw the film, "An Inconvenient Truth," I was so shocked and horrified that it was overwhelming. The facts and the science is so clear, and nobody is immune to the catastrophes -- the heat waves, the floods, hurricane Katrina. And the news stories and articles just piled up daily. The drowning polar bears. The gigantic ice shelf that broke off in an hour.

Ok, so I'm not going to be all preachy about it. It's true. All the scientific data is the same. There is no other conclusion. There are a few spin-types who are in denial or are trying to hang onto their greedy little profits. But the climate change is happening anyway. And it's happening fast.

What we need to hang onto is this: we already have the technology to make the changes necessary. We do not need to make huge sacrifices in our lifestyles (though this is will not be true later), just small, well thought out changes and attention to our daily habits. We have the power to do this right now, today.

Shamelessly ripped from ClimateCrisis.net is a list of 10 things you can do right now.

1. Change a lightbulb. Replacing just one standard lightbulb with a compact fluorescent lightbulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Drive less. You'll save 1 pound of carbon dioxide for every mile you don't drive.

3. Recycle more. You'll save 2400 pounds of carbon dioxide per year by recycling half of your household waste.

4. Check your tires. Keeping your tires inflated properly can improve your gas mileage by more than 3%. Each gallon of gas saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

5. Use less hot water. So many ways to do this one.

6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging. You can save 1200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

7. Adjust your thermostat. Lowering your thermostat 2 degrees in winter, and raising it 2 degrees in summer can save 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year
.
8. Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.

9. Turn off electronic devices. Turning off your tv, dvd, computers etc when you are not using them can save thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide each year.

10. Spread the word.

Needless to say, I'm checking off each item on the list. And I'm planning on sharing more tips once per week -- so tune in, or check out, as your heart desires.

Resolutions

As I may have mentioned, I'm a big list maker. So of course I'm scratching out a five-mile-long New Year's Resolution list. Big plans, big ideas. Most of it carried over from previous years until I'm so sick of looking at it that I just give up and it doesn't make the next list. Just about as effective as everybody else's resolution list.

This week is inventory. For tax purposes. Businesses need an accurate statement at the beginning of each year with a count of all supplies and products on hand. To calcuate how much was spent and sold etc. Profit/loss, accounting, financial statements. If you had any idea how difficult math and finances is for me . . . urgh. But I resolved at the very beginning to teach myself what it all meant and how to do it. And I'm still the sole accountant around here, doing my own books and taxes. So this week is inventory, as I said.

It gives me an opportunity to actually put everything away, piling up like things with like things instead of strewn about willy nilly, and see what I actually have to work with. Cleaning my entire studio, desk and work areas, which is enormously helpful. Starting with a clean slate. Tossing out all the old clutter. Putting all my ideas and lists into one big pile to cull through. Lots gets tossed, a few nuggets that were lost are now found (oh yeah, I was going to do that this year!).

And from the big pile of hen-scratched little notes on fast food napkins and backs of fliers etc, I create a plan for the year ahead which covers both business and personal goals. I'm going smaller this year. Not so many little to-do type things, but just a few well thought out big picture things. I want to see if that makes a difference in my success rate. But at the moment, it's still a bunch of shuffling and thinking and aha! moments as I wade through the destruction zone.

And I'm going to the gym today. Yes. I am. Any time now. Uh huh. It's definitely happening. As soon as I finish this one other little pile.

Oh, and I've started to put stuff on the Clearance Sale page. There will be more by early next week. Haven't gotten to the seasonal soaps, but the sprays and most of the bath stuff is there. It's a great time to stock up on scents you liked at bargain basement prices. And everything would last until next Christmas if you're one of those people that shops the clearance sales for next year. (I envy you folks who are so smart and organized.)

Happy New Year!

And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been

- Rilke

P.S. I'm still struggling with internet connection and haven't had a line for 3 days. I have a mini-signal just for this afternoon, but won't have real service until the line outside is replaced, which could be tomorrow, next week or whenever they think they can get around to it. So please! If you need something urgent this week, please call directly. The phone still works.

Lighting a Candle

As the year comes to an end, there is always a sort of taking stock or reckoning. How did this year measure up or what special events took place to mark this year differently from the last. And in that quiet place of retrospection, I'm taking a moment to remember all the people who died in 2006. Their unique passions and contributions will be missed. By no means a comprehensive list, these are just a few who shared their light in the world and are no longer with us. Hopefully they are in a much brighter, more peaceful place.

Robert Altman
Etta Baker
Joseph Barbara
Peter Boyle
Ed Bradley
James Brown
Ruth Brown
Red Buttons
Oleg Cassini
Bebe Moore Coleman
Betty Comden
Eleanor Thomas Elliott
Ahmet Ertegun
Gerald Ford
Betty Friedan
Moses Hardy
Dr Jane Elizabeth Hodgson
Steve Irwin
Patricia Kennedy Lawford
Coretta Scott King
Don Knotts
Gerald Levert
Al Lewis
Enolia McMillan
Jack Palance
Gordon Parks
Wilson Pickett
June Pointer
Billy Preston
Anita O'Day
Lou Rawls
Dana Reeve
Anne Richards
Aaron Spelling
Mickey Spillane
Martha Tilton
Jack Warden
Wendy Wasserstein

Technical Difficulties

It's been raining so hard on and off the last few days. This morning I was washing out my coffee cup and realized there was no hot water. The basement had flooded again and the pilot light to the water heater blew out. And I haven't had internets for two days. Found out this morning when the repair guy traced it back that it's because the box outside on the street pole is leaking and collecting water. We have a connection now but it may be spotty until they can replace the whole box. Where is all this dang water coming from?

So I took the not-showered 999999999 (hello there, that's Dora wanting to chime in with a message -- my desk is her latest new playground) hair up to Bellingham to tear down the Allied Arts show. Hit a pretty heavy sleet/snow squall near Everett and it was all as dark as evening. This is not fun I say.

However, the show was sold out. My little table was practically empty. Last minute, day-before-Christmas shoppers must have been frantic for smelly stuff. Which was good for me. But I heard rumblings that over the holiday the building had been burgled and several jewelry cases were broken into. Not so good for those folks. So sad. Everyone works so hard, for such little money, that something like that is especially stinky. It's stealing money directly from some little artist's wallet -- not pilfering a few bucks from some corporation. Not that I'm advocating stealing in any way, but there is a difference when stealing hand made stuff from some small show and stealing a t-shirt from Wal-Mart. Sigh.

I thought that driving home through some of the pretty neighborhoods there and seeing the nice mansions on the hill above the water, then meandering back through Chuckanut Drive would remind me why I still live here. But it was so full of broken trees from the wind storm. The skies were so rainy, dark and grey that you could hardly see beyond a little patch of grey water. And it didn't quite do the trick. It's the yucky stretch of year where it's hard to find the pretty. Partly because you don't want to venture out much. Partly because it's so rare these days.

Came home to catch up on some sleep. I really, really need it. I'll just be here napping for as long as it takes.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas -- full of family, friends, good food, great fun and the peace of the season.

Remembering those we can't spend the holiday with, but thinking of them and sending them love. Joyous greetings to those who celebrate different ways, for different reasons. The magic and peace of the season should know no limits and include the entire planet.

Santa's Flight

Last night's Christmas Ship by electric boat was really special. To see all the boats up close and swim with the fishes so to speak. I was the captain, so it was a little harried, trying to avoid getting squished in the crush of much bigger yachts. But tucked in a little corner, bobbing in the night air, listening to carols and boat horns while enjoying the lights of the skyline. No place else on earth . . .

So little time to write today, I'm cooking away for the Feast of Seven Fishes. It's an old, old tradition, mostly Itallian. Christmas Eve is to be a feast of 7 different seafoods, usually in 7 different courses. Why 7? In Biblical numerology, seven is a number of perfection. It also symbolizes: The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church — baptism, penance, Holy Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders and the sacrament of the sick. The seven sins of the world — pride, envy, anger, gluttony, sloth, lust and greed. The seven days it took Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. Seven hills of Rome. Seven winds of Italy. Seven Wonders of the World. Or whatever. We've just always believed it's good luck for the new year and made it our own tradition.

Tonight's menu:

Thai Lime Shrimp

Silky Southern Oyster Stew

Seared Scallops With Apple Brandy Cream

Crab Towers

Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

Brazilian Moqueca With Tilapia

Roasted Salmon with Tomato Buerre Blanc

Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecake with Rum Caramel Sauce

Hoo Doggy! Diggity Dog! I'm drooling. Happy, Happy Christmas Eve!

and oh, what a BLITZEN

More last minute gift buying, gift making, baking and holiday cheer. It's a bit of a whirlwind, trying to get it all done, feeling like there is not enough time and that we can't possibly accomplish everything we wanted to do during this holiday festivus. I know I'm not alone. It's a little more stressful and a little less cheery this year.

Tonight we are heading over to Gasworks Park to see the final night of the Christmas Ship. Another one of our holiday rituals. Usually we have a big group and there is dinner and drinks in Fremont first. This year it's a much smaller group and everyone is coming from somewhere else last minute so the dinner is probably drive-through or a cold snack out of the fridge before we head out. But we've rented one of the charming Electric Boat Company ships to dally around in the parade of yachts for this year's hoopla. I'm so excited! No standing out in the drizzle and mud. Taking our own beverages -- and nip is allowed for the hot cocoa! Sacks full of our own snacks, holiday cookies! A warm little chugger of a boat with plastic sides to keep us toasty, cheerly little strings of lights! I've never seen the Christmas ship from the water before, although I've seen it from probably every land location imaginable -- the locks, Golden Gardens, bonfires at Alki, all over here and there. So this will be something new and exciting. Can't wait.

Tomorrow is by far my most favorite ritual. No, not the wrapping mess. The Christmas Eve Champagne "FEAST OF 7 FISHES" that we do at my place each year. I'll post pics of tonight and get into that tomorrow when I can grab a minute. I still need to finalize a little bit of the menu with my friends who are doing 3 of the 7 courses. My Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecake is wafting through the house right this minute. It will be drizzled with Rum Caramel sauce . . . are your eyes rolling back in your head? You will die when you hear the whole menu. Cool Yule, Y'all!

Prancer and Vixen

First, a little soap business. Most of the Winter Holiday Seasonal soaps are sold out at this point. What's left is Spiced Hot Cocoa and Three Kings. The other Winter items are all still available. And while it's getting to be very last minute at this point, I have two days left where the office is open and packages are being sent out the same day as they are ordered. Quite a little bunch of them this week. But Friday is my last day until after the New Year. And frankly, anything sent now will arrive after Christmas, but still in time for festivities during the holiday week or New Year's.

When I return in January, there will be a big clearing out and reorganizing while I do inventory. And I'm planinng on having a hullabaloo of a year-end sale next month, so check back here or the Sale section of the web site in early January. Fa la la!

So as things wind down, I have more time to personally begin preparations and celebrations. Usually this is my favorite time of year and I've got so many activities I want to jump into during this little week or two. But this year, maybe because of all the weather and chaos, it doesn't have quite the same enthusiasm. I'm still not quite finished with all the gift buying, but almost. There is very, very minimal baking this year. Collectively we've decided that we just don't need the temptation and all have resolutions to get more fit and less fluffy. So we'll do just enough to enjoy for a few days, and not have plates full sitting around all next month.

Yesterday was our annual holiday family outing -- where we all get tickets to some fun holiday event, have dinner out at some new hot spot, and be merry.

Happy Hour: Troiani - lush, sexy bar with delish food deals and yummy drinks
Dinner: Assagio - who doesn't love Mauro? greeting everyone at the door with a big squish and a kiss. Lovely menu, always good.
Festive Event: Seattle Men's Chorus - I have always wanted to see their holiday concert and hadn't quite gotten around to it yet. What a hoot. Completely fun for everybody. So much joy.

Miracle

I watched Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth" last night. I had planned on watching it immediately when it first came out, and for whatever reason (probably "too busy" or something dumb) I missed it when it was actually in theaters here. So we had it sitting all this time on our Netflix list for the moment it was released on dvd.

Beyond shocking. By the end of the film I was scared to death. All of these predicted changes are going to happen in my lifetime, and looks quite like the planet is doomed, as are we all, if things don't change -- well, yesterday. How likely is that given our current lifestyles of consumption and our current government run by oil men? I've just personally gone through a year of some of the worst weather I've ever endured. And it was nothing compared to say New Orleans last year. Each year is going to get drastically worse. So totally, completely, undeniably scary that I was feeling that sort of numb, shaky feeling I had on September 11 while watching the events of that day. Too overwhelming to take it all in really, but enough to realize how completely out of control it is, how helpless, hopeless, inevitably changed forever.

Obviously the final message is the we DO have the knowledge, tools, science and technology to make a huge change right this very minute and that we must absolutely start this course today. Every one of us. So while I felt utterly overwhelmed and helpless, I tried to fight it and do something. Even if it was just turning down the thermostat and turning off most of the lights in the house. It felt petty and small. We're making a list of what we can change every day to make a difference just here in this little matchbox house. But it needs to be so much more.

I think what struck me the most was that WE, here in America with our air of superiority, are the worst offenders. For some reason I was suffering under the illusion that we were a little ahead with our culture of "green" and recycling. That countries like China or India, with their immense populations and industry were doing more damage and that the fight was to get these other nations to understand the problem. But China and other countries are already producing automobiles that are light years ahead of our big SUVs and even our hybrids. Knowing that the US alone contributes more than 30%? More than entire continents put together? What is our problem? We KNOW this stuff. Why are we still driving Hummers and wasting so many resources? Even here in this so-called little cocoon of "green" type folks here in the Pacific Northwest, we are still not doing nearly enough.

I don't have any answers right now. Only more questions, and renewed commitment to make both my home and my business more ecologically vigilant.

Bundles of Packages

Today begins the shopping for me. After much pushing, I've got final lists together and specific stores to hit. I am not a real shopper. I make a list of items I need, plan out a route that hits the few stores necessary with minimal fuss, and make it snappy. If there wasn't holiday shopping, I would almost never just wander into a store to look around. It's pretty rare that I browse around a little shop or boutique just for fun.

So you know what that means, right? When I finally walk into a store I want to buy EVERYTHING for me! And the one for them-one for me rule is really trouble for my budget. Not to mention, I totally need to scale back on my stuff quotient. But head out to the ca-ching ca-ching, I must. I'm keeping myself on a short leash and avoiding the cutest places where I already know I have trouble. A few of the items I need to buy are so far off my radar that I can't possibly be tempted in there, right?

And then the rest of my gifts are handcrafted little goodies that I need to start tonight or tomorrow. I'm finally getting into the season myself, after weeks of providing holiday shopping enjoyment for everyone else. Including the emergency soap and lip balm order that came in with a panicky call this morning. Oh, which brings me to one little note. If you've tried to reach me by phone over the long weekend with no power, well, I had no phone. And now that I do? It's the plug in the wall directly, no walking around the house wireless, no memory, no answering machine, retro style. Well at least I have service. But a new phone is one of the things on my list today. So if you get endless ringing . . . email me. Or try back tonight. I'll be back in the saddle by then.

The lights are on

Storm of the century. Or something. It was bad. First the flooding. I had the sump pump on in the basement and it was coming in faster than I could pump. A new hole in the foundation looked like a hose with the water on full blast -- pouring out the wall and across the floor.

I spent the afternoon sopping up and trying to make headway, while gathering candles, flashlights etc because the warnings were dire. And they were right. The wind picked up around 5 and the lights started flickering. I heard the news report about the woman who got trapped in her basement with the water rushing in and got drowned, and started a full on panic. That could be me! Especially if the power goes out and I can't pump any more.

However, as the wind picked up, the rain stopped and we began to dry out downstairs. Had a little warm dinner and wandered around the house peeking out the windows to see what was happening. A tree in the back yard had snapped and gone over, but by some miracle it fell away from the two houses in which it was sandwiched and landed on empty lawn.

At 1am the winds began to howl even more fiercely, the power popped and within the next few minutes heard two huge planes overhead coming into the airport for a landing. Unbelievable. Cracking limbs and trees everywhere, you couldn't even follow where they were coming from but we knew it would be a mess. Nobody slept. By 5am we were getting calls to see if everyone was alright. Nobody had power. Nobody. Neighborhoods north, south, east and west, all dark. And from our windows we could see lights on the highway, but that's it. Headlights.

So we ventured out for hot coffee and food. Found that within a few blocks to the west and downtown were fine. Home Depot and supplies was just a couple of miles away. All was good. We were stocked and ready to wait it out. Until it started getting really cold when the sun went down. And we were bored. Go out to dinner? Make it an adventure and camp in the dark? And then blink, blink, the block across the street came on, the other one too and suddenly we were in the heat and light again. I ran from room to room turning on every single light I could find. The tree lights, the outdoor holiday lights, all of it. Just because I could.

And then another round of phone calls. Sister freezing in the dark, parents cold and hungry. So we had a big feast here. Got everyone warm. Began preparations for sleeping arrangements, showering, where to put all the various cats and dogs. But a few hours later, the sister's lights came on. The parents decided to duke it out another night at home and just come back in the morning. Saturday was a little chaotic. Picture a 1000 sq ft house with a Christmas tree that takes up roughly 500 sq feet. You know how when you go to the breakfast buffet it never occurs to you that the Mount Everest of food on your plate is not actually consumable. Something similar happened at the tree lot. We can't even see the tv in the living room. So that, and 5 people, 2 cats, and a really long dog. Holiday baking, making gifts, generally entertaining ourselves in 2 small rooms. Sorta fun. Sorta nuts.

So today when the herds left to accomplish things outside in the world today, I needed to clean. Like really clean. Just to get a feeling of control and order back in my life. There are all kinds of people still in the dark and cold. I guess it's hard to find a hotel room. But there is so much of the city that never suffered much, or just got one free day to stare at candle flames and nap. Seems like we could certainly accommodate everyone here and get them a bowl of soup, a warm bed, and shower.

Lots to ponder. Like why people think they can grill inside their homes with live flames. Or start fires in their fireplaces with gasoline. Being the first one into Home Depot, buying every last generator on the floor and then having a huge mark up sale in some empty parking lot to people who really need them and have to pay twice the price. Hoarding ALL the batteries you can find on the shelf instead of sharing.

Can I squeeze in a nap before the herds arrive back? Yum, smell of clean and a quiet house.

Dasher and Dancer

Dashing up to Bellingham this morning to restock the Allied Arts show. And the sweetest little shop, A Lot of Flowers in Fairhaven, is getting a sleighful of pretty much everything to stock their store for holiday buying these last couple of weeks too. Love those gals.

Mail orders are still welcome (and coming in fast). They are shipping out the following day and there is still penty of time to get your order before Christmas. And as I mentioned yesterday, there are a few little goodies on sale now too.

Wow, it's blowy out there. The winds are fierce this morning. I'm going to have to chase some holiday lights across the lawn which have tried to dodge the bushes.

Secret Sale

Well, it's not really going to be much of a secret for long. I'm going to add a few items to the Special Sale section today. Sort of a last minute shopping sale for folks still looking for holiday gifts. I need to work on it a bit this morning, but I'll have it all up by noon today.

I'll move the solid perfumes, the Holiday Cheer Bath Confetti, the Spiced Hot Cocoa Milk Bath and the Holiday Sachets to that section. They are the perfect size, perfect price for so many little gifts this time of year -- Secret Santa's, office co-workers, teachers, a little something for a hostess, the neighbors, the gal at the hair salon, stocking stuffers . . . pretty much anybody you can think of. I've not done this in the past because I've always worried about "running out" of something before Christmas actually gets here. But pish. I've got a supply of holiday items that need to be sold before the end of the month and why not do what big stores do?

There are two weeks left here -- I'll ship out my very last package on the afternoon of Friday, Dec 23rd. And then I'm closing up shop until Tuesday, Jan 2. Get 'em while the getting's good!

Dashing through the Rain

No time to chat today. Just as I was beginning to start a little fret about how this December was slowing down a little too fast . . . ring ring bling ca-ching goes the phone. Huge last minute wholesale order and a few more mail orders. Plus I'm packing up stuff to go back up to Bellingham again this week. I want to make sure I keep that show stocked this year and not let the good stuff run out during that last week of shopping blitzen.

And there's a flurry of errands to run this afternoon for office supplies, like black ink that runs out at the most inopportune times, and picking up my printer order, dropping off bills and packages at my friendly post office. Everyone there knows me by name now and it's quite chatty and nice to stop in (as long as there isn't a line out the door). Please, I'm begging the Postal Gods -- don't take away that most useful of all technologies, the Automated Postal Machine. There are rumors that we aren't using it enough at my station and they are thinking about moving it to some other station. I would absolutely die if that happens. How else would I send my weekend packages, my late night packages, or avoid the hour-long wait of customers who only go in a couple times a year and need extra help (and tape and someone to fill in their forms, etc.)

Dashing off. Hate this rain today. My little cat babies are mesmerized by the dripping gutters and are planted in the window all day, so I guess it's ok for them. But they don't have to go out and drive around.

Hoping to get some time at the computer tomorrow for a little private last minute sale. Check back later!

Do Nothing Sunday

Yesterday we put in a few hours of garden clean up before the rain started. Then we spent the rest of the day putting up the tree, the house decorations and then the outdoor lights. Big day. All of my decorations are vintage and antiques. Old glass ornaments I've collected over the years adorn the tree, the table tops, the mantle, the wreaths.

I was so worried about the kittens this year. They are insatiably curious and are getting into everything. They've just discovered all the tabletops and love to play with everything, knocking everything to the floor and batting things around. But in the end, I decided that I would decorate the tree pretty much as usual. So far they haven't shown much interest in it, except for the great big indesctructable balls we put on a couple of the bottom branches for them to knock around. A few of the best ornaments were kept in the box. And the table top displays are a bit abbreviated this year. Which is not a bad thing.

I really didn't feel like cluttering up the house this year. The fireplace mantle is still a work in progress. I couldn't come up with any ideas about what I wanted to do there. Just a string of lights so far and the usual houseplants. But the wreath is up, the antique postcards are tucked in their little wire rack. My favorite sleigh with a few old Christmas balls is on a little side table that the kittens can't reach. And the tree is so darn fat that it takes up half the living room anyway. Who needs more than that?

So today I've got a whole day of nothing planned. Really. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. When was the last time I ever did that? Hmmm. I can't even remember.

I refuse to go out into the shopping madhouse. I refuse to sit in my car in traffic for even one minute. I will not work on anything today. Mail orders are still in full swing. We have two weeks left and there is plenty of time to ship stuff. But those will happen tomorrow. I will work on Monday when normal people work. So there.

Another cup of coffee, that mystery book, maybe a nap this afternoon with those cuddly little fuzzy faces. Ahhh.

Typing in my jammies

I've caught up on all the mail orders and am beginning to catch up on the paperwork and desk chores here. It's a winding down kind of feeling. And it's very nice. In no time at all I will have bills paid, bookeeping up to date and piles filed or tossed. I don't think it will ever be completely organized, but I'll know what color the desk top is again -- if only for a few days.

Need to find my notes about what I was thinking about doing for the spring already. Weird, right? But I actually need to start a batch or two of spring soap next week. And get a few orders in for supplies. With the spring newsletter due out by the end of next month (in time for Valentine's orders), there is not much time to dally about. I already need to start planning out next year's show schedule, if you can believe it. I've begun collecting a folder full of applications for 2007 that have started arriving in my (still mangled) mailbox.

The merry go round never stops. Just slows down for a few blissful weeks. I always laugh when people ask me what I do during the winter months. January, with its inventory, taxes, spring newsletter, full throttle soap production, year long planning, etc is really not a vacation. It's just the one and only month that I don't have an outside show. Still . . . I'm very much looking forward to a little time holed up in the office by myself (and the kittens who have become enamored with the jungle gym of boxes and bins in here).

Now where was that Christmas list? I've got shopping to do. And tree decorating tomorrow.

Speed Racer

If everything is under control, you are going too slow.

- Mario Andretti

Whoot!

Sunday evening, after shlepping the last bin of stinky stuff to the car, lumbering home, and tottering up the stairs, I collapsed. I was completely done in. I had been holding up bravely to cross that final finish line and that was it. Face down in the pillow.

Monday was a day off to collect my sanity. And today is going to be a rather large day of digging out from under the tremendous pile of stuff here. Four shows of inventory were piled up in all corners and they need to be unpacked and re-grouped. Orders that have waited since the end of last week need to be shipped out lickety split. And little bitty tags need to be applied to another round of goods for the Allied Arts gallery in Bellingham. I'll be up there tomorrow morning to fill in any holes. So if you've stopped in there the last few days and I was out of your favorite item - not to worry. There is plenty more and it's on it way. If I can only find it here under the mountain of boxes.

I'm also trying to figure out if my method of always making my list too long, constantly biting off more than I can chew, etc. is helpful or really sinking me. It dawned on me the other night that this is really crazy making and I did it all to myself. If I made a short list, would I be blissfully happy because I was constantly accomplishing my goals and had time left over? Or would I just be accomplishing a whole lot less? If I made a truthful and realistic list, would I accomplish just as much, or more, and not be quite as harried? Is my reaching for more than is humanly possible motivating me to do more? Or just stressing me out?

It's just the season of madness, I guess. And nobody ever quite figures out how to do it all. In the end you do what you can do. Accept what you can't. Be happy with whatever happens. And just keep trudging along.

The Long View

I am really looking forward to next week. This last month of overwhelming work is sort of like getting caught up reading a gripping thriller novel. You find yourself so engrossed that by the time you turn the very last page, you suddenly realize that you've lost a whole day (or the sun is coming up), your muscles are so tense that everything is cramped and in pain, your eyes are twitching, and your knuckles are still white from holding the book for dear life.

I feel like I've been holed up, a hamster furiously racing on his wheel going nowhere. And I've been so focused on such small, bitty tasks that I've lost sight of the world outside, the big picture, the reality of it all. Once I get even the smallest of breathers from the relentless show schedule, I know I need to do a little perspective. Reflect back on what worked, what was a flop, what had value . . . and what didn't. There is a lot to sift through and it's a necessary step in making things better, more efficient, etc.

I might just need a few extra hours in bed staring at the ceiling and contemplating my sore toes. But that's not until next week. Today was a toughie. Barely keeping the balls in the air, dropping just one or two, but still going on with the show. And my excitement at the prospect of a stupendously prosperous weekend at Phinney Ridge is still alive and kicking -- even if my high kicks and rah, rah, rahs are less Rockette . . . a bit more Granny Pants. Just a few more hours of work left tonight. Must. pack. more. soap. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz