Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

&

Happy Holidays!

Why I use these oils

When designed the formulas for my Hand & Body lotion, and Body Butter, I wanted to choose each oil and butter carefully, considering the qualities it brings to the finished product. So I’d thought I’d share some of my reasons, and a bit of info about the chosen oils and butters!

Hazelnut Oil- An excellent emollient oil, it’s rich in Vit E, potassium, calcium and magnesium! All those vitamins and minerals mean hazelnut oil is highly moisturizing, with some cell regenerative properties. Nice! Hazelnut oil is also high in oleic acid (like olive oil) which means for one that it’s similar in nature to our skin’s sebum. In turn meaning this oil will absorb into the skin readily. Hazelnut also has a high concentration of tannins with gives it a drier feeling on the skin.

Macadamia Nut Oil – Another oil I’ve chosen because it’s high in oleic acid, making it moisturizing and giving us those lovely cell regenerative properties. Macadamia nut oil is also rich in vit E, and has excellent anti inflammatory properties, making it soothing and suitable for sensitive skin.

Kokum Butter – I like to include this butter for several reasons. It has a high melt point, which helps to keep the product stable (ie: not melt). It also thickens up my body butter nicely, without resorting to fillers to accomplish a thick cream. It has nice levels of oleic acid, and absorbs easily into the skin without leaving a heavy, greasy feeling.

Mango Butter - Made from mango seeds! Another ingredient I've chosen for its high oleic acid content. Mango butter offers great moisturizing properties, as well as the anti inflammatory and cell regenerative properties that come from the oleic acid. Mango butter is also a great anti oxidant, with a high level of tannins lending it a non greasy, astringent quality. Mango butter also contains something called gallic acid, and has been studied as a burn and wound healer that may prevent infection during the healing process.

I hope I've offered some insight as to what makes a good body butter or lotion!

Thanks for reading!

Why choose handmade soaps and body products?

Handmade soap is an affordable luxury that anyone can indulge in. Handmade soaps are gentle on the skin, in a way store bought soaps can never be. There are no fillers, animal products, chemical additives, or detergents in my soaps.

My handmade lotions and body butters are also made without harsh chemicals, fillers or animal products. Since I make my lotions and body butters from scratch, I choose each ingredient for the unique benefits it can offer the skin.

I always use organic and responsibly sourced oils and butters, as well as organic essential oils, and skin safe fragrances.

Visit my Etsy shop and view my full line of skin pampering products!

Scent List

Available scents

Bubblegum Bliss -Fruity sugary fun! Bubble popping, pink, sticky sweet ... this scent is so much fun! For the kid in all of us ;o) This scent is a Lush Candy Fluff type.

Lick Me All Over-A wonderful exotic fragrance with base notes of raspberry, cantaloupe, and watermelon, middle notes of jasmine and violet, and fresh top notes of grapefruit and kumquat. So fun and girly, sweet and fresh, love!

Birthday Cake - Freshly baked white cake, rich and buttery. Topped with fluffy buttercream. Yummy! Sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Just, don't actually try and eat it!

Almond Macaroon - Luscious almond cookies, sweet and tasty! Vanilla bean and toasted almonds are the highlight of this yummy fragrance. Delish!

Sugar Rush - A fruity blend of cotton candy, lemon drops, caramel and raspberry jam on a dry down of musks. This scent is young, fun and sparkling! Perfect for all girly girls! ;o)This is an Aqualina "Pink Sugar" perfume type.

Vanilla Sandalwood - My own blend of two of my favorite fragrance notes. Creamy and sweet vanilla tempered with soft and sexy sandalwood is rich and exotic. One of my favorite fragrances!

The Wedding - The scent, "The Wedding" is inspired by the Twilight book series. :) This is a limited edition scent. The Wedding is romantic, fresh and sensual. Very classic and sweet.

Sweet Grass - Fresh and clean, like walking through a meadow on a warm summer day. Beautiful!

Jasmine Dream - Heady and fragrant pure nightblooming Jasmine. A very sexy and feminine floral.

Cool Cucumber - Bright and zingy cucumber with just a touch of wasabi. Super refreshing and great for any room in your home!

Very Vanilla - Intense, true vanilla. This is the perfect vanilla with just a hint of cream. Rich and inviting, this fragrance is warm and comforting.

Grapefruit Gardenia - Sweet, fresh and green. A beautiful floral with a splash of citrus.

Breath Easy - Crisp and cool, designed to help you breath easier this cold season! A blend of camphor, eucalyptus, and mint. Just like Vicks!

Turkish Mocha - What's better than Turkish coffee? A Turkish mocha! Rich and dark Turkish coffee, creamy steamed milk and black chocolate. Pure bliss.

Yuzu - Yuzu begins with bright and juicy top notes of mandarin, tangerine, lemon satsuma, and ruby red grapefruit, middle notes of bergamot, and a warm base note of oakmoss. Fresh and delicious!

Sandalwood Sweet Orange - Soft and sexy sandalwood melds beautifully with bright and sunny oranges! A great pick me up scent to use anytime!

Black Raspberry & Vanilla - Tart black raspberries warmed with creamy french vanilla and a hint of sensual musk. This is one of my all time favorite scents!

Thai Coconut - Thai Coconut is a juicy and exotic blend of real lemongrass essential oil, sexy sandalwood and of course cream coconut!

Vanilla Pears - An alluring blend of creamy French vanilla and juicy sun ripened pears. A wonderful scent for Fall!

Frosted Lime Cupcake - Creamy cupcake, topped with mounds of royal vanilla icing. Lemon zest, Persian lime and meringue mingle to create a zesty citrus explosion that's sure to delight!

Absinthe - How'd you like a visit from the green fairy? ;) This is a beautiful, unisex fragrance. Spicy and green with hints of amber and woods.

Banana - This s**t is bananas! lol No really, it smells like real bananas.

Teakwood & Cardamom - A wonderfully mellow, spicy fragrance. Great for men or women! Very sensual and exotic.

Lavender Bliss - Sweet herbal lavender with just a hint of warm vanilla. This is the perfect spray to use on your linens before bed to help you ease off to dreamland.

Loving Spell - Sparkling citrus, fresh peaches and strawberries, this is a refreshing and uplifting fragrance! A Victoria Secret type.

Lemon Meringue Pie - The wonderful aroma of fresh baked pie filled with lemon custard and lemon zest topped with a creamy vanilla meringue.

Pomegranate - Sparkling fresh Pomegranate! Sweet, fruity and fresh.

Pumpkin Spice - Yummy Pumpkin Spice, classic and cozy.

Candy Princess - Candy Princess is sugary sweet, every Princess will love this scent. Crystal sugar, and sticky sweet this is a dupe of Lush's "Rock Star".

Butt Naked - A tantalizing base note medley of granny smith apples and honeydew melon, middle notes of strawberries and pears, with hints of spice. Pure tropical oasis.

Peppermint Patty - Dark chocolate and minty goodness. A bright, refreshing wake me up scent!

Sassy Strawberry - This is a beautiful, heady fragrance. Rich and sweet, with grounding musk.. for both men and women. Sensual and romantic

Black Raspberry & Vanilla - Tart black raspberries warmed with creamy vanilla and a hint of sensual musk. This is one of my all time favorite scents!

Orange Chocolate Truffle - The classic combination of orange and chocolate. This is to die for! I blended several fragrance oils, and essential oils for this heavenly fragrance.

Blueberry Muffin - Warm blueberry muffins, fresh from the oven. What could be better with your coffee on Sunday mornings? Washing up with this soap afterward perhaps? ;o)

Blue Hawaii - Mouth watering top notes of juicy orange, lemon, and maraschino cherries; followed by tangy pineapple, acai berry, and sea spray; well rounded with base notes of sweet coconut, vanilla rum, and fresh ozonic notes. Tropical vacation paradise!

Gentleman's Club - Step into a Gentlemen's Club of the 18th century. Tobacco and black tea are the dominate notes with hints of fruit and spice. This fragrance is heady, masculine and very sexy.

Romantic Amber - Amber, luscious vanilla and black cherry blend together in the softest, most feminine way. This is a Victoria Secret type.

Chocoholic - Sweet chocolate with warm vanilla. This is the best chocolate fragrance ever! So creamy and true you'll be tempted to taste!

Plumeria - A beautiful soft floral. Sweet with nectar. Very fresh and feminine.

Cotton Candy - A blend of fresh strawberry and French vanilla. Just like the yummy fluffy stuff I love!

Mermaid's Kiss - An enchanting oceanic scent with a hint of floral sweetness. Relaxing and spa like, this is a light and refreshing scent.

Mango Madness - Pure and delicious mango! Bright and juicy, a fun tropical treat!

Holidays!

Fall is in full swing here in the PNW! I love this time of year, it's cooler.. the leaves are changing colors, there's that crispness in the air that is just so magical. It makes me feel so warm and cozy! hehe

I've been crocheting a storm (when I get the chance!) and I made my oldest daughter fingerless gloves, and now I'm working on a matching scarf. Cozy!

I'm also starting work on Holiday soaps for Etsy! I've got two fun glycerin soaps, a sparkly snowflake in Candy Cane, and a cute Christmas tree in Reindeer Poo fragrance. hehe

I also have CP soap in Elfish Joy and I'm planning CP in Reindeer Poo, and Candy Cane, and HP soap in Hansel & Gretel. Scrubs, lotions and everything else too! Yay!

One thing I was wondering tho ... Does anyone really want a body butter, or perfume that smells like Gingerbread, Candy Canes or Minty Pine (Reindeer Poo)??? Hmmmm...

Soap Sale!

Yay! It's sale time at Bella Bath & Body!

Buy any 2 bar soaps, get 1 free!

Buy any 3 whipped soaps, get 1 free!

Just mention your free choice in the "message to seller" box at checkout! Couldn't be easier!

New Goodies in the Shop!

Ooo I had a bit of time to be creative, and it's all for you! ;)

New in the Shop

Bath Teas!

I have several different bath teas available now. All made with natural botanicals and soothing epsom salts! Plus special mini bath teas made just for your foot bath or foot spa!

New lip balm flavors too! PB & J, Pumpkin Spice, Candy Corn, and Candy Apple! Yummy, yummy!

Come on by and check it out!

Who will be lucky 100??

I am only 3 sales away from 100! Wooo! I feel so lucky right now. :)

The 100th sale will get a special surprise! Will it be you?

Fall Finds from Etsy

Fall is my favorite time of the year. :) I feel really lucky to live in the Pacific NW where we have such beautiful fall weather. I love watching the leaves change color, then blanket the ground in orange, red and yellow.. I love baking apple and pumpkin pies, digging out sweaters and scarves and mittens...

So, in honor of my favorite season I present you with my favorite Fall picks from Etsy!

First up is a great, camel colored leather bag. Perfect for back to school, or if you're like me and change bags with the seasons. hehe

Camel Bag

Next is a beautiful, golden yellow cowl with a detachable orange flower broach. The perfect colors for Fall if you ask me!

Cowl

Moving right along, I found these awesome green cable knitted arm warmers! Very cute, and functional too, I love it!

Arm warmers

We need a hat now of course, it's Fall! This purple knitted hat is adorable, and looks so cozy! It has a brim and a detachable flower pin. Love!

Hat

The crisper weather says Tea, to me. I love to read while sipping on a steaming mug of tea. This cute cozy will keep your brew piping hot!

Tea cozy

Of course, it's nice to have a little nibble with that cup of tea too! I love anything made with pumpkin, especially in the Fall. These cookies sounds sooo tasty!

Pumpkin nibbles

I hope you enjoy these Fall picks! It's a beautiful time of year... Maybe in these picks you might even find an early Christmas present! I know I sure got some ideas browsing today!

See ya next time!

New new new!

Well I've been updating this shop this afternoon with some new products :)

I've got the new and improved Sugar Creme Scrub up and running! In the shop I currently have Pumpkin Spice, Candy Corn, Absinthe, and Birthday Cake. More to come, but in the meantime if you have a special request just contact me on Etsy and I'll be happy to set up a special listing for you.

I've got a two new soaps as well. Honey Bee, and Chai Tea!

I just love Fall!

A fun contest!

This time, not for my products. Sorry! hehe It's for a super cute pair of fingerless gloves from SheepishKnitCrochet! She has the cutest, chunky handmade knits! I just love her style. :)

The giveaway is here: http://thefrostedbuttonhandmade.blogspot.com/2010/09/giveaway-2.html

Check it out and maybe you can win!

Fall and Winter products

So I've been working on lots of new products when I DO have the time to experiment. hehe

Later this fall I'm bringing back Sugar Creme Scrubs, with a new and improved formula that is so heavenly, so silkening... I'm in love! I'll be making this available in a variety of scents, choose your own, as well as a slightly different formula for a pedi scrub. Yay!

I also hope to get Shower Gels rolling soon as well as Shampoo and Conditioners.

I've got some new lip balm flavors coming my way, so be on the lookout for Limited Edition Holiday lip balms (Candy Corn & Snickerdoodle to name two!) as well as Cake Batter, and PB & J lip balms!

I'm also going to be retiring some products. Bubble Bars, Lotion Bars and Bathing Salts. Sadly they just don't sell, even tho I love them all and I hate to not have them available anymore.

I've also got some exciting new holiday scents coming up in late October! Hansel & Gretel, Reindeer Poo, Wintery Apples, Candy Cane Kiss, Elf Sweat & Sugar Cookie, as well as some special Twilight Saga inspired scents, limited edition, just for the Holidays! Yay! I'm so excited about these, I'm doing a silly fan girl squeal right now! ;)

So keep on the lookout for changes, and new goodies in the shop, coming soon!

Not much posting here..

So school is keeping me very busy. I've been working more hours at my "regular" job as well. All in all, it's been keeping me from writing blog posts, crafting and pretty much anything besides that and caring for the kiddos.

Thankfully the girls started school last week, and while it doesn't affect my free time really, they are a bit more, engaged. We were at the ends of our ropes for the last few weeks, and starting school has defused that somewhat. Thank goodness!

I've applied to a craft fair in Portland, but I won't know if I get in for another month or so. I've also been planning on a home party over at my Mom's house, tho I keep pushing the date back because I'm not ready. I want to get some stock built up in case I get into the craft show, and for this home party. If it goes well, I'd love to do more!

I'm looking forward to Fall, it's my favorite season. :)

Soap Sale Time!

Time for a soapy sale!

Purchase any 3 bars of soap, and get 1 free! Just message me your choice when you checkout. Easy!

http://www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

I've got a new Hot Process soap coming soon too, Sweet Grass. Mmmm, it smells like the outdoors, freshly mowed grass. Lovely!

Calamine & Calendula

Ahhh, the one thing I don't like about summer? Bug bites! The mosquitos have been killing us over here.

Soooo... I did what I love to do best! I made soap! lol I did a hot process soap (so I could use it sooner basically) and made it with aloe vera to be soothing. I added calamine powder, calendula petals, and tea tree, lavender and chamomile essential oils. Yum! There isn't too much scent to this soap ... I added the essential oils in a lower dose, so as to impart some of their healing benefits, and not irritate the skin.

I've been using this soap on just the areas where I have bug bites. It feels really nice in the shower!

This is soap tho, and it washes off. For lasting itch relief, I still use a calamine lotion afterwards. :)

Hard to believe...

It's hard to believe Summer is almost over! I'm really happy this year I don't feel like I missed it! lol It does feel short, only because it took so long for the warm weather to show up here in the NW! lol

I got to go camping, to the beach, pool and park lots... so it's been a good summer, I can't complain. :)

I have some exciting things planned for Bella Bath & Body for the Fall/Winter!

Some new Halloween, limited edition products and scents! Hopefully skin care will debut soon as well as Body Wash. Also soaps in limited edition Fall and Winter scents. Plus gift sets for the Holidays.

Super Fall Sale coming soon! :) All my Halloween treats will debut at a reduced price! For a limited time only ... Also bars soaps will be having a special sale as well! Stay tuned! :)

Skin Care

Coming Soon

Natural Skin Care!

I already make three face soaps. One for normal/combination.. one for dry, and one for oily/problem skin.

I've been working on toner waters and moisturizers and picking extracts for each skin type. It's exciting!

I have oily, acne prone skin, and I'm loving the moisturizer and toner water I made for my daughter and myself.. it softens our skin, and keeps it matte almost all day, which is quite the feat with my super oily skin! lol

Stay tuned and be the first to try my Natural Skin Care line!

Camping!

Ahh, I love summer. And now that's it's FINALLY here to stay in the NW, it makes me so happy.

We are going camping at the coast this week. I'm only going to stay for 2 days, the rest of the fam is staying the week. I need to be back to work on school work and go to my "real" day job. lol

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Treasury Fun!

I'm in this beautiful Summer themed treasury!

Lots of fun, summer picks, check it out!

And the winner is....

Drum Roll please....

Wendy!!!

Congratulations Wendy! I'll be emailing you later on this morning. :) Wendy's blog is:

http://quickdistraction.blogspot.com/

If you'd like to stop by and offer her congratulations.

As a special treat for everyone who participated in this contest, I want to say thank you by offering a 10% discount for the next 5 days! Just mention "contest" in the message to seller, and I'll refund your discount! Easy!

Thanks again everyone for making this a fun contest!

Tropical Escape Treasury

I'm in this beautiful and clever treasury today!

Are we there yet?

Lots of tropical inspired items! Lovely!

It's really making me wish I could take a vacation to someplace with Palm Trees.. lol

More Bubble Bath!

The rest of the liquid Bubble Baths are in the shop :)

Birthday Cake

Sugar Rush

Grapefruit Gardenia

Lavender Bliss

Sassy Strawberry

Yay! So excited to get these into the shop finally! :) School starts for me tomorrow, but I hope by the end of the week I'll be getting Shower Gel into the shop! Good news for whomever wins my contest! You'll have lots of new goodies to choose from! :)

Treasury!

My Yuzu sugar scrub cubes are in this cute Orange & Pink treasury!

Lots of pretty picks here, and all the items are on Sale or Clearance!

Bubble Bath!

Yay! Bubble Bath is hitting the shop today!

In such fabulous scents as...

Jasmine Dream

Mermaid's Kiss

Turkish Mocha

Very Vanilla

and more!

Creamy and fragrant, this bubble bath will create tons of long lasting bubbles for your tub! What fun!

New Soapies!

Two new soaps hit the shop today!

Very Vanilla & Turkish Mocha

Very Vanilla is the yummiest, most comforting vanilla I've tried. A delish body soap!

Turkish Mocha is so sinfully good! I made it with organic, fair trade coffee grounds for some serious scrubbin!

Keep up the good work on the contest everyone! Make sure you fan my Facebook, and comment below for an extra entry! If you have twitter, tweet about it too for another extra entry!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Nice job!

Great job with the entries everyone! Tell your friends! You never know, if a friend won, maybe they'd share the prize with you! :D hehe

Just a quick update... I've been having some Internet troubles, so I haven't been online as much as normal this past week. Just my luck this is happening when I'm due to start online classes next week! LOL

Anyways, I am still planning to debut Bubble Bath and Shower Gel, VERY soon! Keep your eyes peeled!

Keep up the good work on the contest! Tweet!! Come join me on Facebook, and follow here! Remember to let me know in a comment on the official Contest Post that you did these things, or it doesn't count as an entry!!

Good luck everyone!

Time for a Contest!!

Official Contest Rules

Want to win? Now through midnight pacific time on July 18th, 2010 you can enter to win a free Gift Certificate worth $15, good at my Etsy shop, Bella Bath & Body!

To enter this contest vist my shop and pick out your favorite item, leave a comment with the link to your pick to enter! Easy!

This contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada, ages 18 and up. Limit one entry per household/person/email. Please remember to leave your email so I can contact you if you win. Your email will only be used if you win the contest, nothing else.

You may complete each of the following tasks for one additional entry for each task completed. Please comment in a seperate post for each task. Thanks!

1. Tweet this contest. Comment with your tweet.

2. Become a fan on Facebook! Leave a comment on my page, then come back here and comment! (include the link to your post on my Fan Page)

3. Blog about this contest. Comment with a link to the blog post.

4. Follow my blog. Comment and let me know you're following!

5. Tweet about your favorite item from my shop! Comment with your tweet.

The winner will be chosen from Random.org on Monday July 19th, 2010.

Have fun, and good luck!

My Summer Picks

This is my top ten Summer Picks from Etsy! :)

I love essentials lists.. I always find something I didn't think of, or wouldn't have thought of. hehe So here we go!

1. Body Splash - Perfect in soaring temperatures, a body splash is might lighter on the skin than heavy perfume, and not sticking like moisturizing body sprays. Kept in the fridge it will really help cool you down on a sizzling hot day.

2. Foot Scrub - Most certainly a summer essential! When you're wearing flip flops and sandals every day, your poor feet can take a beating. Take extra good care of em this summer!

3. Since your feet are buffed and lookin good, show them off in some hip leather sandals. Totally handmade, and lots of styles, but sure to check out this awesome shop!

4. Shaving Soap - Summer time means baring more skin. Make sure you keep it smooth and moisturized! Using something like my fluffy whipped soap to shave will do the job! It's enriched with sweet almond oil, so it softens your skin as you cleanse (or shave). It rinses clean, so you won't feel oily after your shower or bath either.

5. I don't know about you, but in the summer I tend to wear less makeup, and a lot of the time, none at all. For one, a lot of makeup will just melt in the heat and when I get sweaty. Plus it just feels heavy. So a lot of the time I wear just mascara and lip balm. So #4 on the list is, a good lip balm! My lip balms are formulated to be stable in the heat and cold, and include lip softening extracts.

6. Summer is a time for fun accessories! Keep your long hair off your face and neck with a fun barrette! This gal has lots of cute, summery designs!

7. Going to a summer wedding? Having a summer wedding?! This calls for soft and feminine details, like this flower hair comb. You'll look fresh and pretty in the summer heat!

8. Stylin sunglasses are my fav summer essential! I like vintage frames myself. Etsy is a great place to browse vintage! Check em out for lots and lots of sweet frames.

9. Tote Bags are essential for hauling your stuff to the beach or lake. Cute prints and natural fabrics are a must!

10. If you have pets, treat them this summer too! A stylish new collar or leash is just the thing!

I hope you enjoyed my Summer Essentials list! What are your summer essentials? Share your tips and favs with me in the comments! :)

Happy Summer everyone!

Sunday

Been having a great weekend here! Hope everyone else is too! :)

I'm working out the details for a contest... coming soon!!

Any ideas about what would make a good prize?? Would you prefer a gift certificate? A few products you can choose your own scent for? Let me know what you think! :)

Etsy Shop Specials

Sales and Clearance items in Etsy shops!

This cute blog has a special page devoted to sales and specials on Etsy! She's kindly included my shop, as I'm having a sale on Sugar Scrub Cubes. :)

Check it out, lots of good deals there!

Clair's Blog

Yuzu Sugar Scrub Cubes

Sugar Scrub Cubes on Sale!!

I have 1 jar left of Lick Me All Over, and 2 jars of Yuzu!

These are solid sugar scrub cubes, that moisturize and rinse clean off your skin. Perfect for summer exfoliation!

Come on over and check it out!

Yuzu Sugar Scrub Cubes

Lots of other fun summertime beauty goodies too!

Conditioner

I've been researching how to make shampoos and conditioners. Once I started researching body wash, and bubble bath, it kinda took off from there. lol

I'm trying my first tonight, a formula I designed for my oldest daughter. She's got thick, curly, dandruff prone hair so I picked a few special ingredients that will hopefully help with that.

I need a few special ingredients before I can try shampoo tho. That'll be next!

If it works out well, I might start testing a few formulas and make them to sell. Prob. a reg. hair type, and dry.. or maybe a clarifying shampoo, and a daily.. a daily condit. and a deeper, weekly.. we shall see!

What types of Shampoos and Conditioners do you like to use?

Treasury fun!

Bella Bath & Body is featured in this fun, summertime treasury!

Colourful Fun!

Check it out! :)

Liquid Bubble Bath!

It's almost here! :)

I've got the final two formulas in testing... ie: Myself, sister and kids will be taking lots of baths this week. LOL

I think the kids are the best testers for this kinda thing. They loooove the bubble bars, and helped me come up with the best formula. hehe

Fingers crossed this goes well, and it'll be in the shop next week! Yay!!

I also need to photograph my shower gel bottles, and such and those will be debuting soon too!

Exciting times! :) I think when both new products start, they will be on an introductory special for a limited time. Sound good? :)

Hope everyone has a good week!

The Shop

Brand Spanking New!

Lots of new stuff in the shop today! :)

I got all the new soapies listed.

Yuzu - bright and fresh with just a hint of sweetness. Perfect for summer!

Sassy Strawberry - this is a grownup strawberry with a touch of musk. Very sexy!

French Lilacs - Feminine and springy, I love this scent!

Almond Macaroon - That pretty much says it all. Almond and coconutty goodness. Yum!

I also listed the last 2 jars of Sugar Scrub Cubes in Lick Me All Over on clearance sale. Grab em while you can!! I do have a jar of Frosted Lime Cupcake, and Yuzu, but I haven't photographed them yet. :) Shhh!

I also listed my brand new products.. Flower Pedicure Scrubs. They're mini, solid scrubs in the shape of flowers! They're packed with cocoa and shea butters, and sea salt and pumice for a good scrub. I've been using them all week and my feet have never looked before. Seriously... I love these babies!!

The Etsy Shop

Next up, my charcoal face soap, and perhaps a facial moisturizer or two. :)

Hope all the Dad's out there have a great Father's Day tomorrow! We're all taking my Dad out to Red Robin, yummy!

Nighty night!

My first treasury

I just created my first treasury on Etsy! I've always wanted to, but with the old way of only having so many up at a time, I never got the chance!! Now here it is!!

Fairytale Dreams

It's my first, but I really like it! Come see and tell me what you think!

Coupon!

Free 1oz Body Butter w/Purchase!

Remember, only for a limited time!

Coupon!

Grab limited edition scents like ... Lime Sugar! Beach Babe! Mint Lemonade!

Pretties!

I love browsing jewelry on Etsy. Even when I don't have the money to spend... lol

This is sooo pretty!

Bit o Berry Necklace


This designer has lots of eco friendly jewelry. So pretty! I like that she uses environmentally friendly materials too!

Baby Products & Dog Stuff

Since my success with making the Summer Body Splashs, and I made a Bug Spray for my sister, I've been thinking of branching out even more.

I've been thinking of creating a baby line for a while. Probably just Baby Wash and Lotion in a few different, baby skin safe, scents. Lavender/Vanilla, Lavender/Honey and probably unscented.

Then I thought, what about pet sprays/washes? Something for everyone in the family, ya know? hehe

I could have Pet Wash, and Coat Freshener. I'm thinking for the pet line, I'd use natural essential oils, I can create a blend that would help keep bugs off, tho I can't claim it would work like Frontline or anything. lol Plus I could make a couple that are just for fun, like... Birthday Cake or something. hehe

Stay tuned as I get workin on these new projects!

New stuff!

Lots of new products in the shop! I'm going to try to keep one listing as a "pick your own scent" of each product. I have so many scents at hand, I get a bit overwhelmed by them all sometimes and forget to list some! lol

New Products!

Summer Body Splash
Spray on this light and refreshing body splash anytime of day! Great for warm summer days, when heavy perfume and moisturizing body sprays are just too much!

Witch hazel is lightly astringent, while the aloe vera and glycerin give just a hint of moisture so your skin is left smooth and soft. Can be used on your hair and body! 4oz. spray bottle is the perfect size to toss in your gym bag, or purse as well.

I am listing this Body Splash in mostly summer type scents... Sassy Strawberry, Beach Babe, Lime Sugar.. Just comment here,or convo me at the shop on Etsy if you have a special scent request!

Foaming Sugar Scrubs!
Enriched with sweet almond oil for extra decadent, skin softening moisture. This bubbly, foaming scrub gently cleanses your skin will polishing, leaving your skin smooth and soft with no greasy after feel. This creamy scrub is perfect for summer time, and won't melt down in transit either!

Formulated with extracts of Calendula, Sunflower, Aloe, Irish Moss & Marshmallow! Calendula, Sunflower and Marshmallow are all thought to be soothing to the skin. Aloe and Irish Moss are moisturizing.

This I'm also mostly making in Summertime scents. Again you can contact me with any special scent requests! I have have a listing of this product in a "Pick your own scent". Can also be made unscented!

New lip balm flavors too! Rose Passionfruit, Bubblegum Bliss & Vanilla Smoothie. Yummy!

Come check it out! I love comments and convos!

http://www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

Free 1oz Body Butter w/Purchase!

Remember, only for a limited time!

Coupon!

I'll be adding some new scents to the Etsy shop in the delightful Fluffy Whipped Soap over the next couple days. Yay!

Lots of fun, fruity summer scents up my sleeve!

Yummy Coffee

Tonight I made soap with fresh organic, fair trade coffee grounds, and the most delicious Turkish Mocha fragrance oil.

Mmmm, I can't wait to un-mold this in the morning!!

This is perfect Kitchen Soap, tho I think I might end up taking it to the shower too! I love anything coffee scented! :)

Who doesn't love coupons?!

Coupon Offer!

With the purchase of any 4oz. Fluffy Whipped Soap, you will receive a 1oz. body butter in the matching scent! Just use this coupon when you purchase!

Coupon

Easy peasy!

Elephants!!

Love this cute little pouch! :)

Elephant Pouch

I love anything with elephants.. I must not shop... ahhhh, so tempting! LOL

Hot off the presses!

Just listed!

Grapefruit & Gardenia soap, yum yum! It's my first HP for sale, I'm rather pleased with this process. I think I'll continue to soap both ways, CP and HP. :)

Soap

I love this scent in lotions too. Soo light and yummy! Back to Etsy for a bit!

Great Vintage Shop

What a fun vintage shop I just found!

SweetAnne's

I like her light and airy pictures, just beautiful! :)

My favorite is this vintage typewriter.. my Mom used to have one JUST like it! Same pretty color and everything!

Typewriter

I think my Mom had one of these too.. hehe

Train Case

I love browsing vintage shops on Etsy it's so much fun! :)

Treasury!

My shop is in this great treasury!

A Little Help from my Friends

Cute name too! hehe <3 the Beatles!

Pretty Earring Set

Just found these pretty earrings on Etsy!

http://tinyurl.com/2u5gx69

Blues and gold.. a set of three! Sometimes I miss being able to wear regular earrings, these are just my style.

Link Love!

Come post your links on my FB page!

Link Love!

http://www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

Father's Day!

Dad's day is coming up soon! June 20th!!

Give your Dad an awesome Vegan, Handcrafted Soap with a cool, masculine scent!

Men's Soap

New Face Soap

I made a charcoal face soap last night! I'm really excited for this one! Charcoal is supposed to be good for drawing out impurities in the skin, and soothing inflammation. I also blended up some essential oils that will compliment those qualities. Smells delish!

I think my final blend consisted of, lavender, lemon, rose absolute, cedarwood and patchouli.

I added the charcoal and a bit of silk to my regular face soap recipe. Yummy! I might just have to try a bit tonight... lol

50 sales!

Wooo hooo! It might seem piddly to some, but wow.. 50 sales! I'm so happy and proud right now! :)

I'm planning on a giveaway for my 100th sale. The 100th customer/sale will get an awesome free gift with their purchase! Now.. shall I keep it a surprise? Or make an announcement.. hmmm..

Ahhh, a nice weekend!

The sun is out! It really is!!!

I wasn't sure if I could believe it, so this morning I've spent making a batch of HP soap. Yuzu, colored with orange mica, it looks so pretty!!

Made a new face lotion to try out, just for myself.. I might give some to my Mom to try, tho skin care is so much more scientific, that I'm not sure I want to get into selling it, more than face soap anyways.

Now I think it's time to get cleaned up, then take the girls to the park for a while. I'll take a book and my camera (if I remember).

Then tonight my sister and I are going to see... ECLIPSE! SO excited!! Wooooo!!!

It's gonna be a good Saturday!

Weekend

Oh man am I ready for the weekend! I really want to relax, but I think I will try to devote time to working on the shop. I want to make another couple batches of soap, and bubble bars. I need to work on labels too... so much to do!

New Stuffs!

Cooked up the Plumeria soap, it smells soooo heavenly! Yum!

Got lots of new whipped soaps listed in the shop!
Grapefruit Gardenia
Cotton Candy
Lime Sugar
Very Vanilla
and more!

Feels great to be so productive!

www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

Strawberry!

Oh man, I soaped my Sassy Strawberry scent last night. I added in real strawberry seeds for some exfoliation. Wow it smells great!! Mmm, and it's a beautiful red/pink color too! I'm so excited for this one!!

Got some HP soap cooking away... I think I'm going to scent it Plumeria. Ahhh, so sweet and nectar like. Love it!

New soaps coming soon!

I made two new soaps, one will be able to be listed shortly!

I did HP (hot process) soap last night in a Grapefruit Gardenia combo. Lovely! That will be ready in about a week or so.

I also have a beautiful lavender colored Lilac soap that will be ready in about 3 weeks! Yay!

Soap made the HP method is ready to use much sooner than the CP. I'm rather excited about that! I'll be trying it again a few more times to see how I like it. Could be much easier! lol

Now, what scent to soap this afternoon.... hmmm!

FREE shipping sale!

FREE shipping! All orders $20 or more (before shipping costs) will ship free! Now until Midnight on Monday 5/31.

Take advantage of this great sale!! :)

www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

New Scents

Mmmmm, new scents! Yay!

I just listed body butters in the following scents:
Lime Sugar
Chocoholic
French Lilacs
Sassy Strawberry
Birthday Cake
Almond Macaroon
Beach Babe

And two new bubble bar scents!
Sassy Strawberry and Lime Sugar!

So fresh and yummy!

www.bellabathandbody.etsy.com

Lav Soap

Mmm, I made some very yummy smelling lavender soap last night. I left it uncolored, and sprinkled lavender buds on the top, on just half of the loaf. I'm not sure if I like it better with, or without.

This was at the request of my sister who wanted lav soap. hehe

Tonight I think I'm going to soap lime cupcake, or maybe a summery one.. peach magnolia! Yum!

Owl City

Ok, so this has nothing to do with my shop, Etsy, or crafting at all... lol
But, I just had to say ... I love Owl City! <3

I discovered them a few months ago, Fireflies is super popular on the radio here. But wow, ALL of his songs are so awesome! Sweet, touching.. funny.. catchy.. they're great! And he doesn't swear, or sing about anything uh... adult.. lol It's always nice to find music I like, that I can share with my kids. :)


My absolute fav is Vanilla Twilight. Uh .. may ... zing!

If you haven't heard of Owl City, go check em out!

Summer Time!

I'm starting to think about summer products and scents. Well... I'm trying! It's hard with this cold and rainy NW weather! lol

I have a Hawaiian Suntan scents that I reeeally like. I'm planning to use that one for sure. But what else? Maybe Pina Colada? Or Mojito? Why is it only tropical drinks come to mind... lol

I'm also tinkering with two new products just for summer. After bath splash and whipped soap scrub. I think when it's super hot out, especially humid and hot.. a regular oil and butter sugar scrub is too heavy. And my regular body mist is too moisturizing for that kind of weather. So lighter products are needed.

Anyhoo.. that's what I'm workin on! :)

Day off

I have today off! I do have to go to the Dr. this morning, but after that I feel some soap making coming on! lol

The hardest part is deciding on what scent to use. I should probably do a summery type scent, or one intended for Happily Ever After.. decisions, decisions.. lol

New products!

Just listed three new Lip Balms, and two new soaps today. Plus I updated pics of Sugar Rush products, and the Candy Princess bubble bar!

Yay!

Feeling icky

So the girls and I have been sick for .... well... weeks now. It pretty much sucks.

I got a head cold, that after a week went down into my chest, and I coughed for two weeks. Then my littlest one got a stomach flu. 24 hrs. Then I got it, and my oldest got it. Now I have another cold, sore throat and cough.

GAH! I've been eating oranges, eating healthily in general.. tryyyyying to get rest, yeah right..

Hopefully this cold will go away soon, and then we can all stay healthy for a while. It just makes work so miserable and it sucks there already, I can't really call in, even if I need to.. plus it zaps my creativity completely, so I haven't been creating much of anything or working on the stores or anything. Other than work on a few orders that came in. Ugh.

Wow this is a super whiny post, sorry about that! lol

Tomorrow I have off, in which I had planned to do a ton of housework that needs doing, grocery shop and errands.. I think I will... grocery shop, do one of the super important errands.. and then nap. I need to get better!!

Time to create

Goals for the rest of the week

*Make scrub for CraftServer swap.. I STILL don't know what scent I'm going to do! lol
*Figure out what program to use for labels instead of Photoshop
*Post Mother's Day gift sets
*Make 2 new soaps
*Set up a photoshoot day to work on pictures

Artfire!

So, I joined Artfire!! With a basic account, it's totally free! Who knew?! lol Probably... lots of people. But it's new to me! lol

I've only just started, and it's still a bit confusing to me, but I got a few listings up, and I've been browsing a bit to check it out. Seems like lots of people on Etsy are there too. Makes sense. lol

Hopefully I'll get a chance to read up on Artfire policies, and get my page filled out a bit more.

Until then!

Don't be afraid

I need to remind myself not to be afraid. I really fear change. I fear failure. I'm the one who won't try something new, because of those fears. It's why I still do the job I do.. among other things.

I'm afraid, when things seem to be going well... that I'll screw it up and ruin it. I want to have a successful business. I want to grow it.. I want to improve my life! It scares me though. How will I do it? What if I make the wrong choices and I fail?

I need to be strong, plow ahead and try not to let my fears, keep me from even trying. How can I make the changes I dream about, if I don't try?!

Please say things like, if at first you don't succeed, try again! And don't let fear of failure keep you from your dreams... it's all easier said than done, if you ask me.

I'm going to do my best... and remember this feeling I have right now. Afraid, yes... but determined. Change is scary, but it can be good too. Failure sucks, but how will I feel, 10.. 20 years from now, if I never even tried... more of a failure than if I had.

So smile girl. Keep at it! Nothing will get accomplished without some hard work, but just think what you'll have to show for it! Something to be proud of, for sure.

Weekend!

First... yay for the weekend!! I guess I'm pretty lucky working in retail and getting weekends off.
We're celebrating the girl's birthdays all this weekend! Non-stop Paaaartaaaay! lol

Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some soaping time. I need to rebatch the last batch I made. It overheated, and cracked and sunk in the middle. *sad face* It smells great tho! lol

The coast was great. Rainy, and I was sick for the first two days. lol But really, I had a good time. We got home yesterday, so we got to celebrate Easter at home after all.

I missed my internet tho! lol I was soooo distressed when we got home yesterday and I couldn't get my computer to turn on! LOL Hopefully that doesn't keep up.. I can't afford to fix it, or get a new one!

So in soap and b&b news... I think I've perfected sugar scrubs to EXACTLY how I want em. lol I kept thinking I had it, but then no... I'd tweak it a bit, and a bit more... now, I think it's perfect! It also should hold up pretty well in hot weather, except of course those few days we get over 90. lol

New Shop Idea

I've been dreaming up names, and fragrance blends for my new shop idea. I actually think I might like this new idea even more than my original shop! LOL It's just going to be so much fun, I can't wait to get it going! :)

Friday

Wow it was soooo beautiful here today! Warm and sunny... windy, but it's all good. :)

It's early, but I did get a few things done on the list. lol I got the Pink Sugar bombs made (testing my molds, I made a giant one! plus a few reg. size ones hehe). So hopefully I'll be able to get the Vanilla Pear ones made later tonight, or maybe first thing in the A.M.

Laundry is going nicely... lol Exciting times here.

The girls are out with my Mom at the school's Hawaiian Spring Dance! Peace and quiet here... :)

Now that the first batch of bombs is drying, I think I will make the batch of soap I'm planning for a Craft Server swap! Fun!

Things I Need to Do (today & this weekend)

• Make bath bombs (vanilla pear & pink sugar)
• Organize new supplies
• Write new profile on Etsy
• Work on label ideas for new brand
• Wash bed sheets
• Finish laundry

I'm sure there's more, but the longer my to-do list, the less I seem to get done off it!

Twitter

Soooo... I'm finally getting my twitter more in order. I've pretty much ignored my blog and twitter, and my fan page.. since I made them lol It's still a bit confusing to me, and frankly keeping up with it all is time consuming.

It's too easy to sit down and think, ok, I'll check my regular email, twitter, etsy, craft forums, etc... then before I know it an hour has passed, and I still haven't moved on from etsy! LOL

I've been dreaming up a new Etsy shop. I was starting to feel that I need a better, more cohesive theme for my shop. There is one I'm a fan of that is sooo cute, and kinda fairy tale/gothic/fantasy bath and body stuff. Love! I'd like to do a line like that... maybe more, fairy tale/fantasy than gothic. I'm not very goth. lol

Hopefully I'll be utilizing my blog more to sketch out ideas... :)