Drunk Uncle Bob by Grumpy Girl

If your family is more like the one portrayed in a ‘Christmas Story’ rather than the one in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ you will really appreciate this soap by Grumpy Girl. Like she says in her own description-everyone has a ‘Drunk Uncle Bob’ at Christmas dinner story to share.  I’m not at all surprised by the creativity used when naming this soap because all Grumpy Girl soaps have fantastic names.

The green and red swirls and topping are lovely and it’s scented with a blend of fresh pine and balsam combined with fresh baked goodies, candied fruits, spices and a hint of rum.

To see more of Grumpy Girl’s wonderfully creative and inspiring soaps, visit the Grumpy Girl web site or the Grumpy Girl Etsy shop.

The topics covered include how to market online - even if you don’t have a website, how to get featured in the media and on shopping sites, how to get other people to promote your products for you, and more.

I receive their blog marketing email series and they are very well done. This seminar should be worth the time spent on it. It’s scheduled for November 20 at 9pm EST. The cost is $1. No that’s not a typo - it’s one dollar.

Frosted Snow Flake by Hello Crafty

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…but come December 26th I’ll be dreaming of green grass, green leaves on the trees and flower beds at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But if the snow that covered my walkways were made of shea butter, I may not grumble as much about shoveling it.

I really like the color of this Frosted Snow Flake soap made by Bonnie at Hello Crafty. It looks like the way it feels right after you brush your teeth or use mouth wash and suck in a deep breath through your mouth. Cool, crisp and minty. It doesn’t smell minty though as it’s scented with “Frosted Snow Drops” (Bath and Body Works type) which I happen to really love. I know I have a ton of favorites but sandalwood, musk and winter floral is heavenly.

I know it’s off the Christmas path -but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I find Bonnie’s “Legalize It” hemp soap featuring a mary-do-ya-wanna leaf  a total hoot.

To see more of Bonnie’s great products, visit her Etsy shop.

Peppermint Candy Soap by Gassner Custom Soaps

The Christmas candy I put out during the holidays ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS includes some form of peppermint which is why this soap is just perfect for the holidays. While actually shaving soap, I think it would be great for hand washing too. How cute would these be in a guest bath or at your kitchen sink this season? An added bonus - they won’t make your dentist mad at you. Come to think of it - this would be the perfect gift for my dentist. Candy he can really recommend to his patients!

Elizabeth from Gassner Custom Soaps is the one responsible for my peppermint craving this morning. She is a stay at home mom from Oregon that loves making custom creations for her clients. To see more of her wonderful products, visit her Etsy shop.

I’m off to find peppermint for my coffee now…I’ll brush good afterward. I promise.

Leave it to Martha to take a simple project we all did as children and turn it into something really spectacular. These cinnamon dough ornaments would look so great on a tree at your craft fairs this season. You could also use them as giveaways or work them into your holiday packaging. They look great, smell wonderful and they’re handmade!

Now you know she has tons of other great projects to try this season so get on over there and have a look.

Decorated Cinnamon Ornaments

Gingercandy by Hello Bath & Body

While the to-die-for packaging and the name ‘Gingercandy‘ drew me in, the understated elegance of this soap made me want to write about it. The soft and creamy swirls and the overall color of this soap is very reminiscent of crystallized ginger. And mmmm…nothing screams Ho-Ho-Ho! to me more than ginger. Ginger candy, ginger snaps, gingerbread men, and gingerbread houses are tops on my list of things I look forward to during the holidays. For me it’s never been sugar plums, but visions of gingerbread men that danced in my head. Truth be told I’m not even sure what a sugar plum is. Do you eat it? Do you hang it on the tree? Wha?

Daniela, owner of Hello Bath & Body, is a physics student at Rutgers University. Where she finds to make soap-much less beautiful soap- is a mystery to me. Like myself she is intrigued by the science of soap and the chemical reaction that can clean yet pamper the skin and look good doing it too. She is also a philanthropist and sells her soap to help support several wildlife organizations.

Don’t you just want to meet her? Well, you can visit her Etsy shop for more eye candy anyway.

Holiday Happiness by AmberKay Soap Company

HO-HO-HO! It’s time to roll out the Holiday Soapies!

Now, I know that many people are allergic to the holidays and that’s fine, but I will forever be a holiday ho and no amount of doom, gloom and humbug is going to stop me. And because I love the holidays so much, I am planning to bombard this blog with dozens of holiday soaps that I just can’t help but fall in love with. I hope it doesn’t bother the Scrooge types enough to stop reading my blog, but if it does - my apologies - see you in the new year.

And without further ado, I’ve chosen a soap named ‘Holiday Happiness’ to start the series off right. Not only because the holidays make me jollier than the fat man himself, but also because it’s bleeping gorgeous! Just looking at it raises my spirits a few notches. This festive soap with it’s curls of red, white and green is scented with hints of raspberry, spiced plum, vanilla and lavender. It’s enough to make me pull out the old Frank and Bing records I tell ya!

‘Holiday Happiness’ was created by Dawn from AmberKay Soap Company along with several other fantastic looking soaps. Unfortunately her web site is currently under construction and you’re not able to see them all. But please - bookmark her site and visit it later. You’ll love it.

Craft Vendor Booth Mistakes-or why I won’t buy from you

Custom Soap Stamps by Anhoki and John

Not too terribly long ago I wrote about Anhoki’s lovely soaps and molds. She and her  husband John had just taken over for her father  and his soap mold business. The dynamic duo of Anhoki and John have now embarked on another journey together- custom made soap stamps. Handmade by John of course. What a talented couple!

I love the stamp on the soap posted above but you can see more stamps created by John on Flickr. To order your own stamp, contact Anohoki. It stands to reason that a soapmaker would know what constitutes a great soap stamp and as soon as I decide on a design- I’ll be placing an order too! Thanks Anhoki and John!