This Weekend

Just a quick note to say that I won't probably know any more about my Bumbershoot location until set-up on Friday. We're getting squeezed into some little leftover corner, and probably around the Alki Court area, but I'll post Friday afternoon when I get final word.

I'm sharing a space with a friend, so I have only a half-booth to set up in. I won't have the sprays or lip balms, and I'm not sure what else. It's a work-in-progress this week to figure out what I can take and what I can't fit in. Plus I need to make sure that I'm not over-extending myself this weekend, and that I have enough inventory to set up the Puyallup Fair next week. It's a crunch.

Bumbershoot is Seattle's biggest music festival. Probably the entire Pacific Northwest's biggest music festival. It runs Sat through Mon at Seattle Center. You have to buy tickets and they are cheaper online now than they will be at the gate. I think. Hours that the gates are open is 11am to 10pm, although some concerts run later to 11pm. You just can't get in past 10pm. There are lots of indie craft market booths all over the place - the fountain, the covered walkway, Fisher Plaza area etc. And there are food booths all over too. It's a really big deal and there will be so many people there during the 3 days, whew.

I'll keep you posted here, but if you already have tickets and are looking for something specific to pick up there, then give me a holler by phone or email and I'll try to accommodate requests.

The year of no tomatoes

It's the "year of no tomatoes." Well, to be fair, there have been just a few and they were awesome.

But this past week the weather has already changed. It's cool, cloudy and dry. The lack of heat stopped the tomato plants cold. They were just putting out a bazillion of green tomatoes - some half formed and some fully ready to start ripening. But now they have gone on break. Probably permanently. Without rain for a while, the whole garden is starting to just give up and die out. Leaves are falling and there is dead stuff everywhere. It's so depressing. Summer is over and we're heading back to the grind - fall and school and work and work and then holidays and winter, all happening so fast you can almost hear it rushing by.

Maybe I'm feeling it a little more intensely because I'm in full fall mode anyway. I've been working on the new fall products, and this weekend is the touch-ups on the fall newsletter which will come out probably by the end of the week. I've got website updates and email letters to work on too. All at the same time I'm trying to get a pile of stuff ready for the Puyallup Fair (starting Sept 10th).

Oh, and a little other tiny thing happened yesterday. I got a half a space at Bumbershoot. I was fully expecting to have one more long weekend to truly get ahead of the game for the fair, and this little gem popped up. I'll be totally scrunched for time and inventory, but it's an amazing and wonderful opportunity which I just couldn't say no to. I'll do a bigger post in a day or two when I know more. But this is a gigantic show in Seattle and I'm thrilled to get a chance to display there - even if it's a little half of a booth in a corner somewhere. More soon . . .

Art in the Alley

I'll be at this little Art in the Alley show this afternoon. It's organized by the Columbia City Gallery, and is outside in Dorothy's Alley. Sounds like fun. They'll be selling cold drinks, snacks and otter pops inside, and there's a sausage cart outside. Goes from 4pm to 9pm.

I don't get a big space here - we're lined up in an alley. So I'm bringing just the basics. Most of the regular soap bars, the balms, maybe a few sprays and/or salts if I can fit them in. So if you're looking for something specific - give me a call before I head over there this morning. I know that's last minute.

This is just a little quickie show, that's right near my house. I love this neighborhood and wanted to spend an afternoon seeing what's going on over there.

Anacortes Arts Festival

This lounging flip flop photo? That's the exact opposite of what I'm doing this week. Maybe later . . .

This weekend is the humungous hoopla that is the Anacortes Arts Festival.

On August 6, 7 and 8, 2010, the streets of Anacortes fill with 260 outstanding juried Booth Artisans, first class Fine Art Exhibitions, Culinary Art with an international selection of foods, and a creative Youth Activities area for the youngest artists. It's their 49th annual festival, with live music and entertainment all over the place too.

They are expanding the number of Booth Artisans this year to include a Garden Art area between 2nd and 3rd Streets just north of the Main Stage. Nine Booth Artisans will provide a great selection of artistic creations for your home. Artists come from throughout the Northwest and as far away as New York, Florida and Arizona- it's really a huge event and one of my biggest shows of the year, so this week is pretty hectic trying to get it all packed up and ready to go.

The info:

Dates: Friday through Sunday, Aug 6-8
Hours: 10am-6pm all days
Soapworks booth location: Same spot as always. west side of the street, south end of the 400 block, almost at the corner of 5th street - just north of that intersection in front of the space that used to be La Vie en Rose Bakery. Map Here

I'm trying to get tons done. Really. Tons. For this show I can't even get enough inventory in my car to sell for more than a day. So I drive back and forth home each evening to re-load the car with another day's bundle of goods to sell. I'm never exactly sure what's going to be the best seller each year. But after all these years, I know which ones I need to have bins and bins of. So I'm working like crazy to get tons of it piled up and ready to just load out the door. This is still never quite enough though. And I end up working in the evenings and working again in the early morning hours before I have to jet out the door to drive up in time to open the tent again. I'll be toast by Monday. But fingers crossed the weather is good, the crowds are huge and I make enough money to cover my butt for little while.

Safe Cosmetics Act 2010

In August of 2008 all of us indie bath, beauty and bodycare businesses were in a panic about the FDA Globalization act that was going to put us out of business. I blogged about it then. And for the moment we were saved.

But now comes the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. And it's got the whole industry in another panic. Much like the earlier proposition, anyone who manufactures and retails soap and beauty products, no matter how big or how small, will have to put their products through expensive and rigorous testing in order to label every single element of every single ingredient in every single product.

Since current technology can literally detect parts per billion through scientific testing, this is going to be a huge undertaking. And it will take its toll on the small, woman-owned, cottage businesses the most. Only the biggest corporate manufacturers will be able pay for that kind of testing.

The intention of this over-reaching legislation is to "protect" people from dangerous ingredients. That sounds great. However, it's not so cut and dried. Natural ingredients are extremely complex, unlike much more simple synthetic ingredients. A plant compound often has so many trace elements in it, that when you break it down into parts per billion, there will be an element that on its own can be found on a carcinogenic or contaminant list. This element, when ingested in extreme amounts by rodent lab animals might cause cancer. But when found in its natural state, in combination with the rest of the elements in that single plant ingredient, might even be anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, or anti-inflammatory. This new legislation goes so far overboard that many natural product makers will be just give up.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is behind all this, as they were behind the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. They have quite a lot more lobbiest pull than any of us little guys. So we need to work together to petition against this proposal.

This post at Kayla's blog (Essential Wholesale) has infinitely more detailed information about what is being said, what is being done, and how you can help stop this.

And Anne-Marie (Brambleberry) wrote such an excellent, succinct and easy to understand list of reasons why this is going to hurt us, that it's a must read too.

Please sign the petition against it.

Bellingham Arts Festival

If you live in Bellingham, you have probably heard about the Chalk Art Festival over the years. You register for a section of downtown sidewalk space, bring your chalk pieces and create your masterpiece for awards and prizes. The last couple of years, they've added art and craft booths to the mix. And this year it's even bigger and better. With a new name, Bellingham Arts Festival, there are now 60 art vendors, plus music and all kinds of activities.

This year the festival will feature:

60 incredible arts and crafts booths
Local food vendors
Terrific live music from local bands on the Main Stage
Chalk Art creations adorning the sidewalks throughout downtown
Horse drawn wagon tours from the Bellingham Senior Activity Center
Beer from Boundary Bay and wine tasting provided by Bellingham Bar and Grill in our ArtBar

When: Saturday, July 31st, 10am to 6pm and Sunday, August 1st, 11am to 5pm

Where: 1200, 1300, and 1400 Blocks of Cornwall Ave in Downtown Bellingham, Washington

Full list of Participating Artists

Chalk Art Festival part is Saturday, 7/31, 10am to 1pm.

Allied Arts Chalk ArtFest from ENW with Deb Slater on Vimeo.

I'll be participating this year in the art festival. My booth of soap goods is in the 1300 block of Cornwall, between Magnolia and Holly Streets. I haven't been to this one before, so I'm looking forward to a new adventure. Hope to see some of Bellingham fans!

Bellevue 6th Street Fair

Whew! The shows are fast and furious this month. I never even got around to announcing the Gig Harbor festival last weekend, but it was a good show. Weather was great - cool mornings and sunny but not hot afternoons. And I guess it's a good thing I didn't post my location either, because it all got shuffled around. Small mix up with the parking signs, and there were cars parked all over the street when everyone arrived to set up. I got moved around to 3 different places before I finally got a spot I could set up shop in. But it all worked out fine and sales were great.

Now this weekend is the whole Bellevue Art Fair hoopla. The museum show is at Bellevue Square. Plus there's the other show across the street in the Cost Plus parking lot. And then there's us - the Sixth Street Fair - which sets up on 106th, a block over. I'll be in my same space in front of the California Pizza Kitchen, under the trees. This is a really big event, drawing huge crowds.

And so many years it's been hotter than Hades - we're all wilting in the heat and everyone is running for the indoor air conditioning. But not this time. Because this year we are having the summer that never showed up. I'm sure that if you are reading this from the East Coast or other parts of the country you probably don't want to hear us complain about our chilly summer. The heat waves everywhere else are insane. But we are not having any of it. Overnight it gets cloudy and cool, dropping into the low 50's. We wake up to early spring weather. And if we are really, really lucky (maybe a dozen days now) we can get into the 70's in the afternoon if the sun breaks through. It's stupid. Which proves to everyone that I'm not a true Northwesterner. Because a lot of people around here love that. Me? I'd be happier with more sun, warmer temperatures, and an actual summer-like day or two. I have 7 tomato plants that are going nowhere. The 2 squash plants that made it past our freezing spring weather (in June) are now getting powdery mildew. I didn't even try anything else because it was just so darn cold all the time. It's nearing the end of July and I'm still wearing sweaters.

Back to the show this weekend:

Friday, July 23: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday, July 24: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday, July 25: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Here is the map which lists all the other vendors and their locations. There is food and music too. Hope you get a chance to come over.

West Seattle Street Fair

This weekend is the West Seattle Summer Festival. And it's going to be hot. Well, not East Coast hot, but warm for us.

I love hanging out at this show because it's such a great neighborhood and community event. Everybody knows each other, or runs into neighbors and friends they haven't seen in a while - grabbing tables at the outdoor patios of the restaurants on the street, or having drinks and watching the live music in the evenings. It's a big family party with kids areas (called the "Super Terrific Happy Fun Zone"), sidewalk sales, local business promotions, and of course, all of us with our tents selling crafts, wares, imports and all sorts of cool stuff.

My booth is in a slightly different location this time. I've got a nice corner booth just up the street a bit. I'll be in space #133, which you can find on the zoomable map. It's on the west side of street, closer to SW Oregon St - sort of near the liquor store, I guess.

I'm selling scrap bars of soap this weekend. Dings and dents, or ugly ones that got stuck in the mold. Some leftover older flavors too. They are $1.50 a bar, and all full-size bars too - a real bargain. Come early, they won't last long.

Vendor hours are: Friday 10-6, Sat 10-8, Sun 11-5, July 9th - 11th. There are live music concerts all day and into the evening, with a full schedule here. Hope to see you at the party!

Gig Harbor Garden Tour

At long last, the details for the Gig Harbor Garden Tour, where I'll be selling my wares this weekend. It's organized by Tacoma Community College, located at 3993 Hunt Street in Gig Harbor. This is where the tour starts, and where you can buy tickets, get maps and directions. There are a couple of raffles going on too, so tickets are available at the desk.

I will be at house #3, Jeff and Judy Wilbert's place at 1818 Sullivan Dr in the Point Fosdick area near the water. There will be 3 of us artists at this location, set up on the driveway as you head down to the house. And there are other artists at other locations, but I'm not sure they are set up at every house. There are a total of 7 houses on this year's tour. I think. I'm just going by my written information. I've never done this before. It's a very cool idea.

Hours are 10-5 Sat and 10-4 Sun, June 26 and 27. Weather forecast is looking a little better than it was earlier in the week, which talked about rain both days. Now we've got more sunshine. Finally this week it's warmed up and given us at least 2 days in a row of sun. A real treat! The tomato plants have decided to grow again. I think they've been in hibernation the whole last month.

Oh, one more thing - you can buy tickets to the show online HERE. They are $20 if you buy them before midnight tonight. Otherwise, you need to buy them at TCC Gig Harbor when you arrive.

A little more info about the show HERE - including a downloadable guide.

Another cold gray day in summer

See that hammock? the beach? I really wish I was there. Our summer weather has been crap. Way too cold. Way too many drizzly, gray days. We can't get above 70 degrees here. Totally not summer weather.

It's already the 17th today. My last post was just before Sorticulture - which turned out great by the way and we actually had a day and a half of nice sunshine. I sort of missed it in my tent under the trees in the shade, but I did notice it. Super show this year with lots of great vendors and awesome plants.

Next weekend I'll be at a smaller garden tour show in Gig Harbor. I'm not supposed to reveal which garden I'll be in just yet - I guess it's supposed to be a secret. But I'll give you more details next week, in case you are in that area and planning to go. There are a number of houses on the tour and it's always fun to tour other people's little outdoor spaces, plus there will be artists in each of the locations, which makes it even more special.

This coming weekend there are more house project plans. Always something to work on here. And my last chance to do anything outside of soap this summer - because the next two months will be non-stop festivals and street fairs every weekend. To be honest, it looks pretty daunting from here. But it's the same schedule I give myself every years and I've managed to survive it each time, so it can't be that bad.

I'm working on production all the time now - hoping to get enough inventory made to last the summer. There are a few too many types of soap on my list I think. It's harder to keep up with all of them. I'm re-thinking that. But once it's on the list, it's almost impossible to take it off. Each and every one is somebody's favorite that they can't live withou. Same with the sprays and salts and lip balm flavors too. So I'm doing it all for the time being. Each time I think I've figured it all out, I realize heh, no, I have no idea what I'm doing. Just running in place.

Sorticulture

It's show time! The time of the year when it's all shows, shows, shows. This weekend is Sorticulture, Everett's Garden Arts Festival. This is such a fun weekend - so many plant and garden art vendors with great stuff. Plus there are display gardens, kids activities, demonstrations and lectures, music performances and food too. Free admission. Parking is a little tight sometimes, but there are shuttles from other lots (see here for more info).

June 11 - 13
Fri 10-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5
Legion Memorial Park
145 Alverson Blvd. at West Marine View Dr.
Everett, Washington 98201

Link to the schedule of speakers and music

"Sorticulture unites art and the garden in a celebration of creative outdoor living. Our featured artists create distinctive hand-crafted garden art and our nurseries produce a wide variety of plants to transform your backyard. Learn tips and tricks from top regional gardening experts including Ciscoe Morris."

Another poem about peonies

My peonies are in full bloom. The huge blossoms are always a bit too heavy for their elegant stems, but right now, weighted down by raindrops, they lay flounced all over place. It's one of my very favorite flowers - white ones, double pinks, I love them all. So today is another poem which captures the very essence of their gorgeousness.

Peonies by Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open ---
pools of lace,
white and pink ---
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities ---
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again ---
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?

Peonies

This is from the Writer's Almanac the other day, and so beautiful:

Peonies by Jeanne Lohmann

Grandma called them pineys, and I didn't know why.
They smelled so good, the full lush petals
crowded thick, the whole flower heavy on its stem,
the leaves dark and rich and green as shade in Chatauqua Woods
where each spring I hunted for violets. What could there be
to pine for on this earth? Now I think maybe it was Missouri
she missed, and maybe that was what somebody she knew
called peonies there, before she traveled to Ohio,
a sixteen-year-old bride whose children came on as fast
as field crops and housework. Her flowers saved her,
the way they came up year after year and with only a bit of care
lived tender and pretty, each kind surprising,
keeping its own sweet secret: lily-of-the-valley, iris,
the feathery-leaved cosmos, lilacs in their white and purple curls,
flamboyant sweet peas and zinnias, the bright four o'clocks
and delphinium, blue as her eyes, and the soft peony flowers
edged deep pink. In her next life I want my grandmother
to walk slowly through the gardens in England and Kyoto.
I want to be there when she recognizes the flowers
and smiles, when she kneels and takes the pineys in her hands.

"Peonies" by Jeanne Lohmann, from Calls from a Lighted House. © Fithian Press, 2007.

Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy: that's the name of one of my favorite websites, permanently bookmarked. It's mostly interior design oriented, but it's inspiration for all kinds of things. Even though my business is scents, I'm really a visual person. And I love the eye candy here - so many gorgeous photos. I love to check into the NY and SF pages especially (no Seattle one -- yet). I used to live in San Francisco years ago, and it's always fun to see the insides of people's homes there. Usually drop dead gorgeous. I can't tell you how many great ideas I've gotten from here, or how thrilled I am with the note that came in my email box today.

Anne R.M. sent me a message that she has been using my sprays for awhile now and loves them. And when she wrote a little piece on spring freshening and aromatherapy today, she included a photo of my Lavender Lemongrass spray, plus a link to my site in her little resources section at the end of the article. What a lovely compliment! Especially sweet since it was out of the blue, and yet from a website that I truly admire and enjoy.



I've already gotten a little bunch of orders for sprays this afternoon, so I know that people are paying attention. I'm tickled pink to be sharing my aromatherapy goods with the world.

Oldies but goodies

Have you noticed how much more satisfying it is to check something off your "to do" list when it's a task that you really dreaded doing and put off for a long time? I've procrastinated on a few things for days, and yesterday afternoon I forced myself to finally get them finished. Wow. That was a relief and it felt good. It wasn't really bad at all to actually do them. And it was such a nice feeling to be done. I wonder why I waited so long in the first place.

I usually start my day with the little, super easy stuff first. Just to get something going and once the ball is rolling it's easier to move on with some of the harder, longer tasks. And in the back of my mind, I'm hoping I run out of time in the day to do those last few things on the list that I really didn't want to do anyway. That's my method. It not one I recommend to everyone. But it usually works for me. Unless I let those icky jobs go too long . . . Sure, it there's probably a more efficient way to work. I'm too old now to change my ways.

Speaking of old. I found a new radio station the other day. I usually listen to NPR when I'm in the car, catching up on news that I missed. But I got bored of world events and punched around and came up with an oldies station. Yeah. Gah. They supposedly play 60's and 70's stuff (104.5 fm). 60's is way before me, and I'm not really sure that they do that much of it - the occasional beach song. Mostly it's 70's - Top 40 pop/rock that I listened to when I was a kid and I know all the words. No soul music, no disco music, just white bread. And seriously, I know all the words. Which is scary. I can't believe any of that is still in my brain - it's been so long since I've heard those songs or even thought about that time period.

It feels sort of like a little vacation - going back in time, especially this week when summer feels like it just busted out. Riding in the car with the windows down and a warm breeze. Singing (badly) out loud and just remembering a different place and time. What I used to feel like many long summers ago, when the world was innocent and my whole life was still ahead of me. I must be really losing my grip. Didn't we used to groan when our parents did this stuff - and make them turn off the radio in case somebody in the car next to us looked over? Yes. Yes we did.

Heaven help me . . . Peter Frampton, Journey, Firefall . . . they are keeeeling me.

U District Street Fair

This weekend is the U District Street Fair. I always feel like this is my first summer street fair. It never really feels like summer until after Mother's Day around here. And right on cue, this week is finally warming up and everything is leafed out, green and growing.

I finally pulled out the patio furniture and cleaned it all off today. I can sit outside and sun with the cats! Well at least for a couple of minutes in between racing around here with orders and prepping for the weekend.

The details for the show:

University District Street Fair
University Avenue, Seattle
May 15-16, Sat 10-7, Sun 10-6
My booth location: #323, between 42nd & 43rd, west side of street (in front of Chipotle's)

I'm in the same block as always, a little further north than last year, same side of the street. I'll have a few of the spring soaps left - there isn't much. And all the new summer stuff. Plus the rest of the kit & caboodle. And the weather looks like it's going to be beautiful, so it should be a great weekend. Hope to see you there!

Summer 2010 Newsletter

As I like to do, I am posting the full text of the Summer 2010 Newsletter here. I've got the snail mail letters shlepping arouand in the mailman's sack today. And the email version has just been pinged off to that little list too. So I'm posting the whole shebang here for anyone else I might have missed. And just because it's easier, I'm adding only a couple of links instead of the overkill for each and every one of the items mentioned. Happy Monday!



Dear Friends,

Summer is the season of romantic flings, sexy novels by the beach, and sensuous star-filled evenings. The warm, sunny days lure us into getting a little more intimate with the outdoors and the elements. Skin, oh lovely skin, hiding under sweaters for months, gets to cavort with the breezes and skinny dip in the water. Bare toes flirt with anything - tall grass, sandy beaches, flip flops, even hot sidewalks.

The four elements of nature: earth, air, fire, and water are at their very best this season. Sweet, warm earth grows a mind-boggling array of flowers, herbs, veggies and weeds. Bright blue sun-filled skies give us more fresh air than we can drink in. And who can resist the scent of sizzling, fiery, barbeque grills, the smoky goodness that curls and swirls from our neighbor's patios to our own little deck and then on down the block? Ahhhh, the cool water - beaches, pools, rivers, or creeks, we've all got our own favorite watering hole. Summer is simply grand!

SUMMER SEASONAL SOAPS

In a tribute to summer, I've created a couple of special soaps to celebrate the flavors of the season. These unique soaps are available only for the summer season (May - August) and are made in limited production. ($4.25 ea or 4 for $16.00)

SWEET SPEARMINT: When it's hot and steamy outside you want just one thing - to feel cool and fresh. A chilly shower with this bar is the ultimate in refreshing - an icy breath of luscious spearmint paired with the tiniest squeeze of juicy lemon just to kick it up a notch. (100% natural ingredients)

PEPPERMINT GRAPEFRUIT: Due to popular demand, I'm bringing this one back from last summer's menu. Cool and tingly classic peppermint with the energizing pop of pink grapefruit, sweet orange and a teeny pinch of ginger. Colored with a spoonful of real tomato powder, it's a luscious cantaloupe color. (100% natural ingredients)

OTHER SOAP BITS

SACRED SMOKE soap is back by request. I've added it back to the web site for ordering any time. But I won't bring it to my summer street fairs or fall craft shows - only because I have such limited display space. If this is a soap that you are coming for specifically, call or email in advance and let me know. I am happy to bring what you need to whichever location works for you. Hey - this special request thing is good for any of my other products too. If you're needing a few of this or a dozen of that and you want to pick it up from my booth at wherever, just give me a heads up and I'll have it set aside for you.

DEAD SEA BATH SALTS

Did you think that bath-taking was only for the cooler months? Silly rabbit. Soaking in a cool bath after a hot, hard day sounds a whole lot better than packing up and shuffling down to the public pool - no screaming tots, no splashing belly floppers, no getting chopped in the head by the lap swimmers. It's just steps away, quiet, private, and smells a whole lot better too.

These bath salts work wonders on purifying and detoxifying, improving circulation, moisturizing skin, soaking away stress, and relaxing muscles, aches and pains. Chill out with SWEET SPEARMINT. GRAPEFRUIT LEMON and MANDARIN ORANGE, are both incredibly juicy, bright, and sunny citrus blends that are super fresh for summer. Or relax with one of our standard scents, FRENCH LAVENDER, VANILLA BEAN & HONEY, or ALMOND GINGER. Giant 16 oz bottles of beautiful spa-quality soaking salts ($ 8.00 each).

AROMATIC SPRAYS FOR SUMMER

Summer is the perfect season to indulge in one of the aromatic sprays. Splash yourself and your little summer sun dresses, freshen your rooms, liven up your sheets, spritz the car seats, and squirt the dog. I've brought back the much-loved ORANGE GINGER spray, a delightful sweet orange scent with a bit of spicy ginger. And for a touch of the exotic, SANDALWOOD ORANGE is mellow, earthy and woodsy with a bit of citrus. Take one of our lovely sprays with you everywhere this season - LAVENDER LEMONGRASS and FRENCH LAVENDER are perfect warm weather pals too. ($ 6.00 ea)

I also have the ever-popular BUGGER OFF spray, an all-natural bug repellent that really works! Essential oils of cedar, bay, orange and eucalyptus mask your human scent and repel all kinds of irritating little critters - mosquitoes, fleas, and gnats. Safe for kids and pets, this spray works best when sprayed on clothing or bedding so the scent lingers longer. It's clean, woodsy and pleasant to wear, with no strong citronella that keeps the people away too. ($ 6.00 ea)

WEB SITE ADDITIONS

I've been in this business for 14 (!) years now, and I've researched a library's worth of information on oils, herbs, skincare, and health. So I've added a new page on the site with detailed information on my ingredients and the process, for anyone who wants to know more. (See "Healthy Ingredients") Plus, I've added a bit more skincare and aromatherapy info to each product page too, under "Mind/Body."

SUMMER FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

I get so excited each year to pop up my tent and start another season of street fairs and festivals because I get a chance to meet and talk to all of you. For more details on my summer schedule, including booth locations, check out the schedule section on the website, SoapworksStudio.com.

What's on your summer list? Drive-in movies, camping, garage sale hunting? It's time to get out there!

Heidi Risse

Happy Mother's Day

What a beautiful weekend we have to celebrate our Mom's!

Thanks to all the Mom's out there. Nothing would run at all without them.

Summer Schedule

I'm working on updating my summer show schedule on the website today - in preparation for the summer newsletter announcement which goes out Monday. But just to get it in place here too, I'm posting the full list. Most of the usual stuff. A few new ones, like the Gig Harbor Garden show and the Bellingham Art Festival. I'll give you all more detailed info on these as they come up - like booth locations, directions, descriptions. But if there is anything you want to know more about right now, just let me know.

Trying to get this all done quick so I can get out and enjoy the sunshine today. It's gorgeous out there!


Upcoming Events

May 15 - 16
U District Street Fair
University Ave, Seattle

Jun 11 - 13
Sorticulture
Legion Park, Everett

Jun 26-27
Gig Harbor Garden Tour
Gig Harbor

Jul 9 - 11
West Seattle Street Fair
The Junction, West Seattle

Jul 17 - 18
Gig Harbor Art Festival
Judson St, Gig Harbor

Jul 23 - 25
6th Street Fair at
Bellevue Art Festival
Downtown, Bellevue

Jul 1 - Aug 1
Bellingham Art Festival
Bellingham

Aug 6 - 8
Anacortes Arts Festival
Commercial Ave,
Downtown Anacortes

Aug 18 - 20
Summer Gift Shop
Group Health Campus
108 - 15th Ave E
Capitol Hill, Seattle

Sep 10 - 26
Puyallup Fair
Western Washington
Fairgrounds, Puyallup

For more information, please see the calendar section of the website

Mondays. Bother.

I'm not the biggest fan of Mondays. It's the day when I have to do all the stuff I procrastinated on Friday and avoided doing all weekend too.

It's not only work chores, but house chores too. Because I didn't get around to cleaning or doing laundry either this weekend. I spent it outside doing garden work. I'm making a little rain garden pit under my rain chain downspout. And pulling out a couple of waaaaaay overgrown bushes, so I can put in more appropriate plants there. Tucking in the tomato, zucchini and flower starts that I've been babying in the kitchen the last couple of months. Plus fighting aphids. Oh. my. stars. Those little suckers are bad this year - all over my favorite euphorbia and hellebores.

I like the gardening stuff. I'm not that keen on the inside stuff. Bother.

Just a small timing update - usually the summer newsletter goes out this week. But it just hasn't quite felt like summer yet, and I could use another week getting all the little details together. So I'm finishing it up this week, and it will be in the mail next Monday. Oh yeah, another happy Monday. But it will feel great to have that out the door and into your hot little hands.