 I'm always impressed with how inspiration can come from something as simple as a season!
Our shop is wrapped with seasonal footprints that are usually inspired by things found in nature. Sometimes in our own backyard! We believe in sharing summer indoors! Whether that's filling a jar with candy colored flowers, leaves, or a vase filled with fresh grass, all can sway your mood and help you to embrace summer for her wonderful glory! We love being creative and it feels soul satisfying when we use our imagination to create a new product or transform our store with seasonal inspiration. I'm getting ready to upgrade our shop with all things summer! Our clothing department is filled with cotton and linen, and summer white, so that you can stay cool and refreshed. Our soap menu reflects those same summer thoughts as we introduce yummy new citrus and floral blends, and take delight in the beauty of this simple inspirational thinking. Our Scent Your Own is filled with mood enhancing essential oils and perfumes that will not only brighten your day, but fill your mind, body, and spirit with aromatherapy! Jill xo
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 It's not difficult to look back and recall when Bittersweet was born! I can remember it like yesterday. The challenges, the rewards, the grit and determination that is quietly woven into each and every bar of Bittersweet.
We've come a long way baby! Looking back, I would not change a thing. Every up, down and in between has been a journey that continues to teach me new things about business and humans. Today I'm feeling fortunate and happy! Here's to another twenty-four years! May your soap be filled with suds! Cheers! Jill McDowell Lincoln  We're headed into March and that means our soap menu will be expanding as I move fast speed ahead creating new soaps that are dipped in amazing new scent blends. The new soaps will continue to be added to both our door store and website as they become cured and wrapped.
New lines are coming too! I've just about put the finishing touches on a New Rosewater Face and Body Crème, and I loved the way the packaging turned out! So much that I was inspired to launch an entire new line wrapped around Rosewater. The simple old-fashioned tincture has always been one of my favorites. I'm also working on more than a few new skin formulations that are nothing short of spectacular! If I do say so myself! It's even more exciting as restrictions seem to be loosening and we're moving closer to the way it was. I'm also making upgrades at our store with our designs. Spring will also welcome a huge Porch Sale at our store! I'll be talking about that later down the road, but you won't want to miss this event! It's a happy and busy time at Bittersweet and we're honored to share it with you! Jill McDowell Lincoln  It's been busy behind the scenes at the Bittersweet Studio! We're getting ready to launch a Rosy New Body Essential that not only smells amazing but is rich and creamy and oh so nice! The New Moisturizer should be available in a few weeks. It's part of our Spring 21 line. We're also introducing another new line that I believe will capture your attention.  I'm putting the final touches on packaging and logo design, and we're getting closer to the final stages of production!
Spring 2021 is sure to be one of our favorites! Jill McDowell Lincoln  As we approach a New Year, I'm pondering thoughts of possibilities' and awakenings. This past year with all its ups and downs has taught me to appreciate the good and recognize its prevailing strength. These thoughts are at your fingertips but must be transferred to your mind, body and spirit to unite as one.
The image above is a little corner in our store. It reflects how texture blends to create different levels of design. I was thinking how texture plays a role in creating fragrance in our store. Each layer builds to forge a scent masterpiece! Those thoughts carry on and offer excitement for the year ahead. Bittersweets winter break is always a time of renewal. Nouveau ideas form and float until they're put into action. Prototypes turn into a finished product that always translate into excitement. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you at our apothecary store. Bittersweet wishes you peace, joy and happiness, always. Jill McDowell Lincoln  Bittersweet wishes you peace and joy this holiday season.
We're happily sharing our artisan collections! Blessings to you and yours. Jill McDowell Lincoln  As the holiday season approaches our excitement grows as we welcome our artisan assortment of beautifully
wrapped soaps! We're happy to announce that our Twelve Days of Christmas Collection will begin arriving on November 13, 2020. The limited edition of aromatic soaps will shine bright under the tree! The recipient will fall in love with this exclusive spicy collection and beautifully wrapped assemblage!  I kind of wanted to keep this post simple without any outside clutter, because I believe that October speaks volumes! Once the calendar turns over to October you begin to see the transformation all around you. The leaves begin to fall and the air has a certain earth scent that is unlike any other smell. This warm earthy scent inspires us to attempt to create duplicate aromas.
The studio is filled with scents of apple, cinnamon, vanilla, clove, peppermint and other autumn into winter amazing fragrance that not only warms your heart and soul, but echoes sweet memories of pumpkin carving and childhood Octobers. Our Holiday Soap production has started and we will offer our signature Twelve Days of Christmas soap beginning, November 13. We with that we could make available this seasonal offering at our web store, but the nature of handmade and the process involved with curing and wrapping, etc. does not allow us to. On a good note, this soap will begin arriving at our door store on Friday, November 13, 2020. We have collaborated with some amazing paper companies to design a one of a kind beautiful holiday gift! Happy Fall! Jill McDowell Lincoln  As the mornings begin to get crisp our door store moves with the waves of autumn. We begin introducing yummy fall blends of cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet orange soaps and apothecary. Our Perfume Department awaits you! Here you can blend a fabulous new fall body spray, lotion, room spray, bath salt or perfume. We're a bit partial to these warm and comforting spicy fragrances and love sharing our bounties of handmade goodness with you, our wonderful friends!
As we begin pondering new packaging and creative ways to gather inspiration we encourage you to explore your horizons and follow a personal path of creativity. We can't wait to uncover new ideas this season! With warm wishes for a happy fall, Jill McDowell Lincoln  If you've ever visited our store then you have probably noticed how we love fusing texture and live plants into our design.
The decorating concept is not new but seems to be having a revival. The frosty months are the perfect time to head to the fields or woods to gather a bundle of dried naturals. When I was a young girl my mom would head to the woods and come home with large bundles of naturally freeze dried bouquets that she arranged in crocks and displayed them in our home. I always admired her creativity and ability to decorate on a budget. Today, I love blending both texture and plants because it allows you to dub in natural elements. My decorating style has always embodied natural elements. When I decorate a room you can be certain that there will be texture and vibrant green living plants. I can't imagine a room without these simple elements. As uncomplicated as they may seem to be, they add a good amount of punch to a design. Not to mention a stem of green and a woven piece marry to unite a personal style. I like to refer to it as Natural Garnish! Whether you cut a fresh branch from a tree or find a nubby piece of fabric both will help you to achieve a natural design. Less is more, and simple is just right. In the weeks to come I'll be sharing some of my secrets to designing a space that guides you through the next glorious season. Meanwhile, head outdoors and grab some nature to share in your indoor space. Best, Jill McDowell Lincoln |