What's better than a stack of soap?

A ribbon wrapped stack!



A trio of soaps featuring Bergamot & Ginseng, Lemongrass & Calendula and Citrus Splash.  Available from All Things Herbal here.

A pink ribbon is perfect for a pair of our Vanilla Soaps.

Herbal Soap Samplers - guest size soaps perfect for traveling.  Available on our "Soaps with a Purpose" page - here.

Christine Kennedy

simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits

http://www.allthingsherbal.com/

Soap Party Favors

Just yesterday my daughters and I attended a Bridal Shower for a niece.  It's always fun for us to brainstorm and create custom soap favors for a special event.  Here's what we came up with:

The soap ribbons added a pop of color and hinted at the scent of the bar- blue was for Lavender Almond, Orange was for Vanilla Chai and Bergamot Ginseng, Green was for the Lily of the Valley and Herbal Garden, and the dark pink ribbon was for the Cherry Almond Oatmeal bars.  Each bar was tucked in a waxed tissue and the ends tied with ribbons.  I haven't wrapped soaps in this way before and I really liked how they turned out.  They reminded me of candy favors.  I think this wrapping also made it easy for the guests to bring their soap favor home with them.  And, we hope that sometime later on, the guests are able to relax and unwind with their soothing herbal soap favor as they reminisce about the special day.

Congratulations Therese and Rob - we look forward to attending your wedding this August!

   

Christine Kennedy

simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits

http://www.allthingsherbal.com/

 If you're curious about soap favors we've done for other events, you can check out some photos here:

Lavender Handfelted Soaps

I LOVE handfelted soap!  I love the way it feels, the way it looks and of course the luxurious lather.  What is felted soap you say?  It's a soap in a jacket or a soap with a sweater!  It's a bar of our herbal soap wrapped in a super soft alpaca wool cover.

To make felted soap, wool fibers are carefully selected and blended together, creating a unique look for each bar.  Then the age-old process of using soap, water and agitation, shrinks the wool around the soap.  The wool is like a wonderful cocoon hand formed around the soap.  The photo above is of our lavender soaps that have been felted and are ready and awaiting their final needle felting design work.

Isn't the idea of handfelting soap the coolest concept?  Covering a bar of soap with beautiful hand-dyed wool fibers, felting it, and tadah... a soap and washcloth in one!

Design work is more fun with two or three helpers!  (My mom and I felting together with daughter Colleen taking photos.)

Felted Soap makes an exquisite gift for yourself or to give to someone else.  There is no need for a washcloth or a loofah, just take your felted soap into the tub or shower and it gently exfoliates your skin.  Felting soap keeps it from being slippery and allows you to use every last sliver of it.  Did you know that wool fibers are naturally anti-fungal?

Colleen needle felting lavender sprigs for extra charm!  Our designs are free hand so no two are just alike.

The whole idea of felting soap makes me smile because it’s almost as if we just don’t know when to stop.  We’ve already made the soap, but we have to cover it with more handmade goodness and then, for good measure, needle felt a sprig of lavender buds on top.

Part of the magic is that as the soap is used, the wool continues to felt up smaller and smaller, staying tight around the ever diminishing bar.  Once the soap is gone, you have a unique pouch that can be scented with lavender essential oil and used in your lingerie drawer.   Here's a few clever ideas customers have shared with us for what they do with the remaining felted ball: cats are attracted to wool so it makes a good cat toy, cut it up and toss it outside for the birds, as a natural fiber it can be composted and it's perfect as a little scrubby for cleaning.

Our felted soaps are a labor of love.  Colorful and fragrant, they make an extra special treat in the shower, bath, sauna or at the sink.  Check them out on our website under "Special Purpose Soap" at http://allthingsherbal.com/index.cfm/felted-soaps-kitchen-garden-laundry-shampoo-bars.

Christine Kennedy

simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits

http://www.allthingsherbal.com/ 

UPDATE: We were so excited when our Lavender Handfelted Soap was awarded 1st place in the Naturals Division during the Arts in the Park, held in Brainerd, Minnesota on July 1st, 2012.

Victorian Soap Trade Cards

I'm a little addicted to trade cards, as long as they are soap related.  Have you ever seen Victorian Trade Cards?

Trade Cards were used during the late 1800s to advetise American goods and services and were very similar to our modern business card.  I've spent many happy hours (too many?) pursuing, collecting and studying Advertising Trade Cards.  What keeps my interest are all the unique ones out there.  They are so much fun to come across!  If I'm ever in an antique shop, I always ask if they have any trade cards.  And, if I can't get to an antique shop, there's always Ebay.

What is fascinating about these cards is the advertising.  Let's look at Bloom of Youth's White Lilac Soap.  Here's the front of the card:

And the back:

Don't you just love where it says, "Ladies afflicted with tan, freckles, rough, or discolored skin should lose no time in procurring and applying Bloom of Youth.  It will immediately obliterate all such imperfections..."  I guess this was before truth in advertising laws.

Just a few of the trade cards that I have squirrelled away, each one beautiful in its own right.

Now, I should warn you to be careful.

Reading trade card advertising is addicting and you may become hooked.

Christine Kennedy

simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits

http://www.allthingsherbal.com/

Bird of Paradise

I have the most wonderful surprise!  Our Bird of Paradise is BLOOMING!  Take a look-

Last night, right at midnight, I discovered these blooms.  David was with me and he turned to me and said, "We better take a picture of it right now, it won't be here in the morning."  It really seemed that magical!

I've had this plant for a few years, ever since our son spent a summer working at the Treehouse, a local garden center.  One day after work, he arrived home with the back seat full of unwanted tropical plants.  Brian, knowing that I love all things green, and himself, wanting to bring along something exotic for his dorm room that fall, knew we could take on these plants.

And if I'm counting back correctly, it's been four years now.  Four long years of carefully and faithfully taking care of the Bird of Paradise and begging it to bloom.  All summer I hope and am on the look out for flowers.  I place it in full sunshine and made sure it has lots of water.  With our Minnesota summers as humid as they have been the past few years, I've thought for sure that I would be able to coax it into blooming.  But it never did.  Until today, in the middle of February.

This plant has been and still is in our basement.  Lots of other plants are down there too.  All sharing the light from the patio doors and waiting till spring and the warm weather when I'll bring them outside again.

My kids tease me about this forest of green.  But I just hate letting the plants go in the fall.  I like to bring them into the house and give them a chance to make it though the winter.  Most make it till spring, but not all. We're not down in the basement all that often and sometimes I forget to water things as often as I should.  Plus, we've closed off all the heat vents for the winter.

That's why I was so shocked to see these gorgeous blooms.  I could not have been more surprised.  But, isn't that just like life, when you least expect it, that is when something wonderful happens.  It's fantastic and magical and makes me so happy.

The only thing that could surprise me more is for our Banana Plant to produce fruit.  Maybe I'll go take a look.

Christine Kennedy

simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits

http://www.allthingsherbal.com/

Herbal Gifts that say I Love You - Valentine's Day 2012



It won't be long until Valentine's Day.  It's almost here!



For many years now, Valentine's Day has held an extra special meaning for me as it was the day our son was born!  Such a perfect expression of love.  I've always looked forward to planning something special for him and our family.  Here's a favorite photo from the past - I just couldn't resist that red velvet outfit! (but I will resist showing you the heart cake).



I still look forward to creating something special just to celebrate Valentine's Day! I get busy in the workshop and have fun with all the shades of pink and red (with some herbal green thrown in too), lots of ribbons, bows and specialty papers.  This year I tried to make it all about something sweet and romantic.

Our Valentine soaps ~ now available for a limited time!



With peppermint essential oil and dried mint leaves, Peppermint Kisses is an invigorating experience for your skin and your senses.  Treat a loved one to a Minty Kiss with this soap.  It's even wrapped with a XXOO ribbon!

From The Heart Soaps ~ These "pretty in pink" clay beauties have sweet notes of citrus, neroli, orchid, jasmine blended together with earthy amber and musk.

A wonderful Valentine scent, perfect for the tea or latte lover.  Vanilla Chai Herbal Soap is swirled it with cinnamon and spices, and the warm brown color comes from the vanilla. The extra cocoa butter in this bar is very moisturizing.



Something new this year - hearts inside of hearts.  First, I made a small pink heart.  Then, I made a second batch of soap and nestled the first heart inside of larger heart. A stunning blend of mimosa, florals, amber and vanilla.  Absolutely precious smelling!

I love this photo.  I took it outside a few weeks ago after a snowfall.  Those are fresh snowflakes in front of the Sweet Chocolate Bar!  If you love chocolate, you'll love this handmade soap. It's scrumptiously made with the irresistible richness of cocoa butter and chocolate.  All of the wow with none of the guilt!

Sweet Rose Buds features pink kaolin clay, flecks of rose hips and a comforting essential oil blend reminiscent of a rose garden.  This Valentine soap comes wrapped in a beautiful iridescent heart ribbon, all ready for gift giving.

Those are a few of my favorite handmade Valentine's Day gift ideas.  For more ideas, check out our Valentine's Day Gifts page on our website.

Since Valentine’s Day represents love, why not pamper your lover, best friend, son, daughter or favorite aunt with some pure herbal decadence?  The gift of handmade will be well enjoyed by the one you hold dear!

Christine Kennedy
simple ingredients, extraordinary benefitshttp://www.allthingsherbal.com/



Fighting Colds ~ The Natural and Relaxing Way!

Its officially cold season.

Anyone in your family have a sore throat and stuffy nose duo? Here's my favorite trick for quick relief.

Bathe.  I love nothing more than a hot bath when I am sick.  There’s nothing like getting toasty in the bath and breathing in some essential oils to make you feel like you’re conquering that pesky cold.  So, draw a hot bath, sprinkle in a scoop of our Aromatherapy Bath Salts and let them work their cold season magic.  It’s best to start with a small amount, you can always add more.

Relax.  Take deep breaths and feel your stuffy head start to lighten up.  You are taking advantage of the steam in your bath to help carry the therapeutic essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint and tea tree to your stuffy nose and lungs.   I've spent years perfecting my Cold & Sinus - Breathe Ease bath salts.  The essential oil blend, powdered herbs of rosemary and chamomile, along with sea salt, oatmeal and baking soda, all work together to improve respiration, fight bacteria, and ease aches and pains from a cold or flu.  Other products that may help you breathe easier and feel better naturally, can be found online in our Cold Care Colllection.  Here's to feeling better faster!

 Christine Kennedy
simple ingredients, extraordinary benefits
http://www.allthingsherbal.com/