The Joy of Soap

Feature Friday - Organic Handmade Home Textiles

Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity ~ Bo Bennett

In my search for new pot holders and oven mitts I found these beautiful handmade organic cotton home textiles at katherine j lee's Etsy shop. Aren't these gorgeous? Katherine J. Lee is an artist based in San Francisco and her current home accessories line (including bed and table linens) is inspired by Katherine’s original illustrations. The designs are intended to be both funny and beautiful—a means of encouraging engagement and pleasure with objects found in the home every day. I just love that all items are hand-sewn, hand-stenciled, and hand-printed by Katherine on 100% natural cotton, linen, and flax.

Check out more of her designs in her shop. Here are a few more of my favorite items.

Katherine uses water-based inks and reminds us that all of her items are handmade and that "because these patterns are made through a hand-printed process, please don't be concerned by slight irregularities. Each difference is a beautiful reminder that a *human* made these, not a machine." Nice.

                   

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Feature Friday - Contemporary Handmade Throw Pillow Covers

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes homes and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow ~ Lyn Yutang

Recently I have been looking at our old and tired pillows in the living room thinking that it may finally be time to recover them. We use these pillows daily, and frankly we can't hide the stains very well at this point. So, yes, it is time to look for updated decorative throw pillow covers.

Of course I am looking for handmade covers and found this great shop on Etsy - Lynne's This and That. Lynne hand makes beautiful (and reasonably priced) throw pillow covers using quality fabrics. You will find great funky and retro patterns. Take a look around her gallery.

Here are some of the fabrics that caught my eye.

      

Please let me know if you have other suggestions of where I should look for handmade pillow covers.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Whimsical Wednesdays

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats ~ English Proverb   

I am always impressed and inspired by people designing, developing and making wonderful handmade items beyond the bath and body world, and I'd like to show off some of my favorite things starting with the Couch Bumper Cat Scratcher. This is a cat scratcher that will save your couch!

Some people are lucky, and their cats use scratching posts and cardboard boxes without any issues. For those other cat guardians who have tried towers, standing scratching posts, double sided tape, negative aromas, aluminum foil, and both positive and negative reinforcement with no luck this may be the solution for both you and your cat/s.
The Couch Bumper is hand constructed with much care and attention to detail and the highest quality materials are used. Look for these details:

* Staples used to attach scratching material - no glue in order to allow the piece to last longer.

* Heavy-duty 4mm braided, hand-wrapped sisal rope.

* High quality Baltic Birch wood, no particle board, so it will withstand your kitties abuses while being attractive to you.

* Sturdy base that sits under your couch leg making the bumper stable and secure.

* Attractive and neutrally stained to fit any room décor.

* Catnip infused sisal to attract kitty right away.

The Couch Bumper is available in two heights: 18” and 22”.

You can find all of the details on couchbumper's Etsy page.

If you have other cat scratching remedies please share them.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Whimsical Wednesdays

Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants. ~William Osler

Summer is almost officially here in the Bay Area which means time for shoes and socks and not flip flops beacuse fog season is approaching. ugh..

Maybe this soap dish would help interest the little ones to wash their hands more? Nah, that's just wishful thinking I'm sure, but it sure is cute!

I found this at Target.

Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us at joyofsoap@gmail.com

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

 

Whimsical Wednesdays

There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva. ~Josh Groban

Here at The Joy of Soap we are always looking for ways to recycle and reuse products and packaging and love this folding soap dish handmade from recycled chopsticks:

You can find this handmade dish at Uncommon Goods. The artist  lived in China for several years and decided to do something about the huge numbers of wooden chopsticks that are thrown away. Before becoming soap dishes, the chopsticks are boiled in black tea to give them a medium brown color. 

Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us at joyofsoap@gmail.com

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Feeling Frisky Handmade Soap

All women are flirts, but some are restrained by shyness, and others by sense. ~Anonymous

The first soap we created at The Joy of Soap, and our most popular, is Feeling Frisky. The most common words used to describe this soap are 'fresh scent', 'mild', 'refreshing' and 'soothing'.
We agree.

The combination of citrus essential oils is pleasing, light and mildly stimulating. No overpowering scents with this soap.

The calendula flowers petals provide some color and a gentle, soothing exfoliant.  

 


*We only use therapeutic grade essential oils

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

 

Whimsical Wednesdays

There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva. ~Josh Groban

I love vintage home goods, and found this adorable soap dish by PrairieCoastArt on Etsy:

I just love the floral design and handmade look. 

Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us at joyofsoap@gmail.com Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

Whimsical Wednesdays

There's no half-singing in the shower, you're either a rock star or an opera diva. ~Josh Groban

I love this idea for a soap dish. It's nice to look at and self-draining which is important to help your handmade soaps last longer.   If you're handy directions for making this can be found here: http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/funky-soap-dish/pictures/index.html Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us at joyofsoap@gmail.com Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

Elizabeth's Wild Hair Shaving Soap

Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.~Lillie Langrty

With the warm weather and sunshine I will have to consider shaving my legs more than once a week now.      ....sigh....
It's funny, when I lived in New York City I would shave my legs regularly without fail because I used to wear skirts all the time whether it was warm or freezing cold outside. In the winter I couldn't stand the sight or feel of stubble poking through my tights, and in the summer, well, you know.... I am not a fan of hairy legs. You may be, and that's good for you, but not so much for me.

So, when I do shave I use Elizabeth's Wild Hair Shaving Soap.

This handmade soap is made with our signature blend of organic base oils (olive, palm and coconut) with castor oil to help bring out the lather, and therapeutic grade peppermint essential oil.

What makes it special is the use of pumice and willow bark powder. The pumice helps exfoliate and lift the hairs, and the willow bark powder is a great astringent and anti-microbial ingredient.

A little clay is also added and is not only a gentle exfoliant, it helps to provide a silky and creamy feel to the soap.

If you're wondering who Elizabeth is well, wonder no more. She is my extremely knowledgeable and helpful acupuncturist, and you can visit her website to find out more about her and her business, Dancing Grass Medicine.

Elizabeth mentioned one day that she had an idea for a shaving soap, and we took her ideas and ingredient suggestions and developed this great soap.
 
My husband uses it every day to shave his face, and will even take it when traveling.  Thank you Elizabeth!

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Romantic Rose Petal Bath

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul ~Judy Garland

I realize that I am late for Valentine's Day planning at this point - very late indeed. It's the thought that counts, right? I have been meaning to plan something special for Valentine's Day, and truthfully you can try this idea at any time and for any occasion.

 

Picture yourself and your loved one soaking in a warm bath surrounded by rose petals, perhaps sipping champagne and enjoying a few quiet moments together.... nice.

To prepare your rose petal bath you will need a dozen roses.
Remove the inner petals from 2-4 roses and boil in a small pot of water (keep covered) for 10-15 minutes.
Cool and strain the petal water.
Prepare the bath, set out towels and light a few small candles.
Remove the remaining rose petals and set next to the bath.
Pour the petal water into the bath.
Add bath oil (if desired).
Enter the bath and relax.
Scatter the rose petals around you in the bath.

.... Enjoy ....

Of course, if you can, you may substitute true rose water for the boiled rose petal water although you will still want the effect of the rose petals in the bath.