The Winner of the Cottage Charm Giveaway is. . .

Joanne Kennedy! Congratulations!! Please contact me via the email link on my profile page so I can get your mailing address.

A Bar A Week

I have had so much fun with the Cottage Giveaway. It's wonderful to have so many new visitors to my blog - thank you to all who have visited and entered.

It's been so much fun that I've decided to do a giveaway every week! I have to admit that it was not an original idea. I got it from my friend Kim at Mrs. Morris Art. She and her husband make the most beautiful ceramic drawer knobs. She has a beautiful set for the Cottage Giveaway and will be giving away a set of 4 each week!

Every Saturday will be Soap Saturday at The Rustic Cottage. On Sunday night I'll post of picture of the soap giveaway for that week. You'll have until midnight (Pacific Time) on Friday to enter by leaving a comment on that post. On Saturday night I'll draw the winner of that week's soap. This is going to be such fun!!!

So come back on Sunday to see what the first week's soap giveaway will be!!

Apron Giveaway at The Simple Woman

Peggy at The Simple Woman does THE best giveaways!! This time it is for a custom made apron. Please pop on over and enter your name. While you're there be sure to read her lovely blog.

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! This day never passes without thoughts my sweet daddy. He was a veteran of WWII and it was the proudest accomplishment of his life.

The day also holds fond memories of my granny and how we would pick peonies from her yard, put them in foil covered coffee cans, and go to all the cemetaries to decorate the graves of family members. Granny called it "Decoration Day". I miss that. I'm here in WA state and all my family is in IL. I wish I could be there today to put some peonies on Granny's grave.

In the midst of all the cookouts, picnics, and other fun activities, please take a moment to pray for those service people that have passed away and remember those that are still serving. It is because of them that we are free to celebrate this day.

God bless America!

2nd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway

I'm joining Kim at The Twice Remembered Cottage - One Woman's Cottage Life for her 2nd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway. Be sure to check out the list of all the participants - there are 35 and growing. I thought it would be a fun way to meet some new people and maybe I'll win some cottage treasures for my home. The lovely items you see in the picture above are the treasures I'm giving away on May 31st. The gorgeous porch pillow is made from vintage barkcloth, trimmed in fringe from a vintage chenille spread, and stuffed with a squishy down and feather insert - perfect for any cottage decor! This romantic pillow was made by eBay Seller Judith Ann Cottage Designs whose pillows have been featured in Romantic Homes Magazine. I purchased it a couple of years ago and am now passing it on for someone else to enjoy.


You'll also receive a bottle of my very own Rustic Cottage Lavender Linen Spray and a bar of my Cottage Rose soap. The linen spray is scented with pure lavender essential oil and can also be used as a body spray. The Cottage Rose soap is one of my best sellers; it smells so good and comes with pink rose petals pressed on the top.





I will hold the drawing for these lovely items on May 31st at 6 PM. All you have to do to enter is visit my Etsy Shoppe and then come back here to leave a comment by midnight on May 30th and tell me which soap in my shoppe is your favorite! If you'd like to mention the giveaway on your blog and link back to mine that would be nice too! Be sure to stop by Kim's blog (click the link at the top of this post) and see all the other lovely giveaway entries. Have fun and good luck!

Half Price Lotion Bar Sale

I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop! All my 2 ounce lotion bars are on sale for half price - now $3.50 each (Twinkle Toes Foot Bar is $4)!

The larger 2 ounce size is being phased out for a smaller 1.5 ounce purse friendly size. I even have a mold for the smaller bars with a honey bee on it - so cute! They will come in a smaller flat tin that fits perfectly in your purse! And, unlike commercial manufacturers who make a smaller size of something and then raise the price, I'm lowering the price on the smaller bar. It will be $5.00 as opposed to $7 for the current larger size.

So click on the picture above to visit my Etsy shop and take advantage of the sale. Good while supplies last.

Goings On

Lots and lots going on around here lately. I went on a job interview a week ago - A/R position with a construction company. I got called to come for a second interview this Thursday. Thank God for that! I'm just praying that this is the job that God wants for me. Otherwise I'll keep looking.

I've been busy making soap this week. I had Farmer's Market the last two Saturdays. The first Saturday was good but I doubled my sales this past Saturday. I was very happy with that. Even had a return customer that came looking for the booth! That was exciting.

So this week I'm replenishing stock. My online orders have been picking up too. God is blessing and providing in different ways. But I'm certainly busy trying to keep up with things. My kitchen counter and dining room table are full of soap making supplies and shipping supplies!

I will admit that it's been nice to be home. Although I tend to stay up late (it's almost 1 AM and my soap batch just got done in the oven) and then I get up fairly early. In the afternoon around 3 it's time for a nap. When I go back to work I wonder if my new employer will let me have a nap at 3 every day??? LOL! I'm enjoying spending time with Stephany and she likes having me home.

It was rainy and cool today but that's going to be the end of that for several days. It's supposed to be 92 on Friday. I like sunny weather as well as the next person but that's too hot for me. I've lived in the NW so long that anything over 80 and I'm complaining! Guess I better get the fans out of storage and clean them up. We'll be needing them I'm sure.

It's off to bed for me. More soap to make tomorrow, inventory to take, and then take Steph to group at church tomorrow evening. Take care and God bless!

At Last!

Spring is finally here at last!! The rhododendrons are blooming along with lots of other things. The picture of this beautiful red rhody was taken by my grandson, Justin, with his cell phone! He was at Clark College signing up for photography classes. The grounds at my apartment complex are so pretty now that all the trees have leaves and the flowers are blooming. June will be even more spectacular.

There have been even more changes in my life. Last Friday I was laid off my job. I worked for a small diesel truck repair service and had been there for 15 months. There has been almost no work for the past month and the owners had to make the very hard decision to lay some people off due to finances. There is no work because of the high price of diesel and truck owner's having to make the decision to pay for fuel and put off repairs until it's an emergency. I know that it was very hard for my bosses to make this hard decision as they are such loving and caring people. They have had the business for many years and I'm praying that things will pick up so that they will be able to continue to be in business for years to come.

I am very much at peace with all of this. God is so good and He is so faithful. In all my life I've never been without shelter and food because of God's provisions. That's about all anyone really needs. Everything else is just "frosting on the cake." I'll be able to get unemployment and I have child support. Things will be ok. In fact, they will be great!! I do have a job interview tomorrow at 11 AM at a local construction company. We'll see how it goes.

Saturday was my first day at the local Farmer's Market. Two of my friends joined me in the booth and we had a good day. I sold some soap and gave out lots of samples and business cards. One lady that's been there for 4 years said to not get discouraged because if you're there every Saturday people will start to look for your booth. I wasn't discouraged at all. I had a blast! I love doing markets and venues like that because I love to talk to people.

I smell the chicken that's in the oven for dinner. Best go get the rest of the meal fixed.

Life is good and God is good!!!