It's not too late to order gifts for the holidays!

I had a great time at St Margaret's Holiday Bazaar yesterday and it was good to see so many nice people, friends and familiar faces.

There was a lot of interest in the herbal soaps and soy candles, and I nearly sold out of both. That means the elves will be busy filling orders for the holiday candles at least, as the herbal soaps won't be restocked until after the holidays. But I do have some soaps left, so don't be discouraged about calling for some.

Holiday Soy Candle Scents include:

• Christmas Tree EO



• Holiday Aromatherapy Blend EO



• Franincense & Myrrh EO



• Frankincense & Myrr Cedarwood Orange EO



• Orange Cinnamon & Cloves



• Peppermint EO



• Pumpkin Pie FO

The Holidays Begin at SLU Bazaar

I was recently invited by the Gruenberg Society of St Louis University to be a vendor in a Holiday Bazaar at the held at the John Cook School of Business http://www.slu.edu/x13227.xml, where women-owned businesses were featured. I had a great time and met many hard-working women who were doing well with a wide variety of businesses--it was encouraging.
My candles are popular this time of year as they offer a warmth and the wonderful smells of holiday baking and of natural pine Christmas trees. Many customers paired the candles with a lucious soap to use as gifts and for themselves as well.

Wonderful Holiday Fragrances

The holidays are upon us and the soap and candle kitchen has been busy. Orders are coming in for candles with the wonderful smells of Thanksgiving and Christmas. See the list below for available fragrances. If you have a special scent you like and it isn't on the list, let me know and I will get it for you.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Candles

• Oh, Tannebaum, Christmas Tree scent EO
• Frankincense & Myrrh Cedarwood Orange EO
• Frankincense & Myrrh EO
• Orange Cinnamon & Cloves FO
• Peppermint EO
• Pine EO
• Pumpkin Pie FO
• Spruce EO

Other Wonderful Scents

Almond & Honey EO
Chocolate Mousse FO
Eucalyptus EO
Heaven Scent (Jasmine, Musk & Patchouli) EO
Lavender EO
Lemon, Freshly Squeezed Lemon EO

Lemon Lime EO
Orange Cucumber EO
Patchouli EO
...and many others

EO=essential oil FO=fragrance oil

Buzz Off Soap #1

Today was my first time back as a vendor of my Naked Soaps & Soy Candles at the Tower Grove Farmer's Market & Bazaar since late Spring. I opted out of the summer venue due to the heat and humidity (it's an outside bazaar) of the summers in St Louis. I can't take it. Although the humidity was in the 90s today, it was tolerable because the temp was in the 70s and it was overcast and threatening rain, which didn't come until we were packing up. Good timing, weather gods--thank you.

I've gotta say, I love my soaps, and during mosquito season, I especially love my "Buzz Off" soap formulas. The mosquitoes were biting when I got there--at least they were biting me. I just picked out a bar of Buzz Off #1 formula soap and rubbed it onto my bare skin and lightly over my clothing. Voila! No more mosquitoes on me today.

Oh, there ain't no bugs on me, No there ain't no bugs on me.
Well there may be bugs on some of you mugs, but there ain't no bugs on me!

My Buzz Off #1 formula is in a rich olive oil soap enhanced with Palm and Coconut oils and Shea Butter. Scents of pulverized whole cloves, pure, natural essential oils of peppermint and geranium which repel the insects while you enjoy your time outside. It has been one of my best sellers, mostly in the summertime.

My Buzz-Off Insect Repellent Soap #2 is loaded with five 100% Natural Essential Oils known to repel winged creatures--Citronella, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Cedarwood and Lavender. Useful against no-see-ums and especially effective repelling Mosquitoes.

Do they it really work? Well, that's always a loaded question, because every one's skin chemistry is so different. We all probably have someone in our family to whom bugs flock while leaving others alone. This soap is also one of my best sellers from May through September.

So both soaps work very well for a lot of people, and it will probably work well for you too. I've never had a customer tell me it didn't--they just come back for more. You can use them as usual in the shower, or travel with the dry bar, and moisten the bar slightly to rub it on as a repellent. This is soap, though; so don't use it above or around your eyes.

Soap bars come in 4.5 to 5 oz hand cut bars and sell for $6.00 each or two for $11.00.

Thanks, Kate

Dear Morgan,

You are correct in saying that the pine needle soap is soothing for my raspberry patch scratched arms. It’s so gentle, I’ve delegated it for shower use.

Thanks! Kate

California Eucalyptus Soap

When I was in California last month, I stopped to enjoy some eucalyptus trees. I had forgotten that they are everywhere in California. Lofty and captivating, its smell is clean and antiseptic like the scent from a medicine cabinet. Medicine is found in its oils which has been used to cure everything from an upset stomach to a nasty laceration. Doctors and primitive cultures have both used it as a healer.



I picked some of the leaves and brought them home with me. I dried them then crushed them, and made some wonderful eucalyptus soap with them. It is of great use in skin care, as it protects the skin from the clutches of inflammation, wounds and eruptions
It soothes aches, pains, sprains, wounds, sores. Helps eases headaches, and acts as a natural insect repellant. Eucalyptus helps with poor circulation, and the upper respiratory tract. It is a powerful antibacterial, and can aid in killing airborne bacteria.

Cautions: Avoid if pregnant, if have high blood pressure, or if a history of epilepsy. If you have sensitive skin, use with caution. Do not take internally. Keep out of reach of children.

Chamomile-Lavender Herbal Dream Soap

I made a new soap today.

Oooo Baby. This soap has a very nice combination of organically grown chamomile and Lavender essential oil, with a generous dose of Jasmine, Rose and Sandalwood essential oils. And you can’t have chamomile without a bit of honey.

All of this is blended into my favorite Olive Oil soap recipe (with coconut and palm oils). Grapefruit seed extract and honey act as natural preservatives. Chamomile is perhaps the world's most soothing herb; it can be used to treat skin inflammation and sunburns .

Chamomile is relaxing as a wash or compress for skin inflammations, sunburn, burns, and added to bath for relaxing tired, achy muscles and feet, and softening the skin.

So use it to bathe or shower, then sit and relax with a cup of tea and ponder your accomplishments of the day.

Pine Needle Scrub Soap

Morgan,

Starting using the new pine needle soap this morning.

Absolutely love it. It's great. I like the new texture and the
increased pine needles.

If available I would like to order a couple of bars.

Keep up the good work.

Take Care, James

180 Days Until Christmas

Good Grief! It's July 1st and I haven't even begun my Christmas shopping.

Christmas aside and first things first. I don't like shopping, but I like giving. I'm going today to get some necessary things for my trip to California this week.

I like going to California. Each trip is a trip back home where friends and family reside. I was born there, lived there most of my life, went to schools, worked, played, married, divorced, raised children, and matured to some degree. I have formed memories from one end of the state to the other. Blah, blah, blah...

Anyway, my cousin's (Carolyn) son (J.J.) is getting married (to Jennifer) at Dana Point, CA, next Saturday. I need an outfit to wear to such a wedding since my normal attire consists of shorts and a tank top, or jeans and a tee-shirt, with flip-flops or tennis shoes on the feet--depending upon the midwestern weather. I've already sent a wedding gift and I'm taking an additional gift of soaps that I've made.

That's It!!! Is my Christmas Shopping finished?! Everybody gets SOAP.

But, I still need something to wear. Sigh.

I make Handcrafted Soaps--handmade in small batches using only vegetable oils, essentials oils, and organically grown herbs. Due to this handmade nature, design, texture and color variations may occur, but that is part of the soap's character and charm; it's NOT perfect or popped-out of a machine! Each bar weighs 4.5 to 5 ounces--larger than the average bar. Twenty-plus varieties available.

One Soap Example: Cedarwood, Patchouli and Lavender with patchouli flowers and lavender herbs: blends the scent of cedar with the sensuous scent of patchouli and the clean, fresh, relaxing scent of Lavender—a rich combination of natural essential oils that will refresh and tantalize

I also make Soy candles using Natural Soy Wax from soybeans, a renewable resource, grown here in the United States. They are clean burning (unlike paraffin or petroleum candles), soot-free, candles that will not damage your walls, ceilings, curtains, or carpets. They will not pollute your home (or lungs) with smoke or soot, making the air you breath safer. Slower burning than paraffin candles and therefore last approximately 40% longer, saving you money! Available in many fragrances using essential oils and some with fragrance oils. What is you pleasure?