Kind Words And A Rub

A customer sent this to me a while back but I found it today while I was going through some files.

I also had a separate experience with Sugarfoot just the other day. I was waxing my own legs on Sunday (ouch!) and was left with a lot of sticky residue and was attaching to everything. Ew. I jumped in the shower and scrubbed my lower legs with Sugarfoot to get the sticky off. It felt SOOOOOO good. It wasn't too harsh on my freshly waxed skin, and felt so perfectly scrubbed. I rubbed it on and it turned white as I scrubbed it in, like it was turning into a scrub-like-lotion. I rinsed it off and when I got out, my legs felt perfectly smooth and soft. No oiliness.

And I smelled like a fresh grapefruit. :)

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YUM.

Another Etsy Treasury - I'm Honored

My soaps were chosen in a Father's Day Beach Treasury! Take Your Dad to the Beach by lucysnowephotography on Etsy. Here's the listing: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bf3292f4d168eef340237ea/take-your-dad-to-the-beach

The nice thing about being included in this one is that the beach is my favorite place in the world. :O)

New Crush On You Samples Are On My Etsy Shop!

1.5 ounces in a bunch of scents!

Been wanting to try a scent? Or have you been wanting to try our Crush On You but don't want to try a bigger size?

Now might be a good time to grab a small 1.5 ounce jar!! :O)

Great for taking it in your purse or day trip bag or just collect all of them to decide which is your new favorite smell.

Not every smell I've ever made will be available in this size or in Crush On You again. However, if you are aching...leave a comment...

They'll be listed on the regular Product Body site THIS WEEK, but not today! Today, they are just on Etsy.

xox Joanna

*

Update!!!! they are on the Product Body website now....yay!!!!!

Added Some New Soaps On Etsy!

Some newly cured soaps from my witchy cauldron..... now available in my Etsy shop.

Citrus Whisper Goat Milk Soap

The scent in this one is a combination of fragrance and essential oils that remind me of lazy Summer days:

Lemon essential oil
Orange Valencia essential oil
Tangerine essential oil
White grapefruit essential oil
Juicy Pear fragrance oil
Ruby Red grapefruit fragrance
Pink Grapefruit fragrance

Sadly, citrus oils tend to fade and originally, this soap was called "HELLA GOOD". That's why I have discounted the price. It needs to be sold and used now to be enjoyed. $2.50! Come and get it!

Sexy Laundry Day Soap Cakes

Floral blends of ylang ylang, rosewood, musk, mimosa, a hint of baby rose and jasmine, then softening notes such as the sea breeze, mountain rocks and real baby's breath.

Sexy is BACK!

Blueberry

"Smells like blueberry waffles, Mom! Does it taste good?" Nope, no it does not. Do not eat this stuff, it tastes like soap. Well, it does... I licked it just to show the kids it really DOES taste gross. It really SMELLS like blueberry waffles, muffins, pancakes...and that is a nice new way to get up in the morning and start my day. I've been doing, patchouli, lemons, lavenders, oranges....but blueberry muffins!? MOVE OVER, soaps! Try one and get one for that blueberry lover.

Hurry. My kids are using these all up...

Have funny shoppin'!

Breathe In - They Are Here!

After years of repeated emails from our customers begging us to offer perfumes, we decided it was time. I knew we couldn't just bottle the same fragrance we offer in our products.... the scents needed more complexity, so I got to work and the hours and days flew by like they do in those movies when the books are flipping and the calender's pages are falling off.

I left Sexy Laundry Day just the way it is. I do not dare touch that one or my head would roll (I swear, the rabid followers on this one... the torches came out when there was talk about discontinuing it). But, there are some new interesting takes on scents I think you will find interesting.

sample size vials, 1 ml ($2.50)
size of vial: 1.5 inches tall (that's a big rose!)

SEXY LAUNDRY DAY

It has come.
Floral blends of ylang ylang, rosewood, musk, mimosa, a hint of baby rose and jasmine, then softening notes such as the sea breeze, mountain rocks, mossy dew and real baby's breath.

This is a complicated, sophisticated scent, and is also the most popular scent in out entire line.

MAZU

Lemongrass essential oil, sweet coconut milk, blackened vanilla, pressed Indonesian lime leaves, delicate jasmine, smoky clove, with a tiny hint of a whisper of dark musk

Mazu (pronounced Mat-zu) is The Goddess of The Sea
A goddess, even after a millennium has passed . . . arguably the most worshiped in the world with over 1,500 active temples and 100 million devotees.

RUBY ROCK STAR

Freshly picked, ruby red grapefruits hand squeezed over sugar rock candy clinking in a crystal goblet with tiny baby black orchids and morning dew.

A favorite scent among my customers. More sophisticated as a perfume....

INIQUITY

The darkest chocolate, atop crushed coconut and pure vanilla cream and a dark, smoky syrup.
Smells good enough to lick!

update! iniquity has been pulled due to a sad bottle breakage - more oils have been ordered.

All of the 4ml glass roll on bottles are $10.00. A little goes a long way. The samples are 1 ml and are $2.50. I will be making more scents, trust me... I've got THE BUG IN ME!! I have amber resins and more absolutes buzzing in my brain......

For now, these are only available on our Etsy Shop, but will be put on the Product Body Website just as soon as we are able to. Thanks for your patience!!

;)

ALL PERFUMES ARE VEGAN, by the way in case you were wondering....



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A Peek Of What's Coming

what do you think they are?

Crush On You Is In An Etsy Treasury!

Cocoa Love Treasury

click for a larger view!

I love chocolate (you have NO idea!) and brown is soft and soothing, so having Karen of Alchemic Muse choose our Crush On You in Dark Chocolate Almond makes me down right GITTY!!

Go get some in our Etsy shop!

And if it's not available there, go find it on our website here!

nom!

Creme Fresh - Ruby Red Grapefruit Wins!

Ruby Red Grapefruit wins!   When we introduced our Sugarfoot sugar scrub, we only had it available in Ruby Red Grapefruit or Cookie (not your typical foot scrub scents).  Then we introduced our shea butter soap bar, Ruby Red Rock Star, which, to this day, is our best selling soap...one bar left and then 2 loaves curing and will be ready in 2 weeks, sorry!

Now, Creme Fresh needed a Spring face lift, because Sexy Laundry Day scent has to remain a constant or I'd have lit torches and mobs come after me, but Ginger Milk Tea is warm and spicy, more Fall and wintry scent and we needed to crank it up a notch for the light and airy Spring that's here and making us all giddy.

We won't be offering it until mid May, but stay updated!  Keep following us here and get the news so you can get your juicy Creme right here.

And thank you for your votes in the poll.  It makes a difference, see?

:O)
xo J.

Creme Fresh Spring Scent - Help Needed!

There has been quite a stir in trying to settle on a Spring/summer scent to offer in Creme Fresh. I'd love your input. So please vote if you have any feeling one way or another.

Thank you!

*** POLL closed.  Thank you for participating.

Our New Cubano Soap Whispers To Me

"... come take a shower with me.... "  It's weird.  I never used to hear voices and NOW my dark knight is-a-calling from my little tiled cubicle work place.  The shower stall.


CUBANO is pretty yummy, I have to admit.  My official description goes like this:  Deep, rich chocolate, served with a shot of Cuban espresso and a dollop of steamed vanilla bourbon.  I am enjoying every minute of it and I think I will drop a sample of it with every single order for the next 2 weeks, so if you order from us, I'll smuggle a Cuban in your package. Mmmm, that sounds good, doesn't it?

Cubano

They are 4-5 ounces each and are only available in my Etsy shop until I figure out how to add things properly to my regular website.  SORRY!  Maybe if you get one you'll hear whisper too and then we can be crazies together!  :P

Ginger Milk Tea Goat Milk Soap: That's A Mouthful

My first batch of goat milk soap for sale..... on Etsy this time. Sorry, I'm working on getting new soaps and other new things on to the Product Body website because Brad has moved on to other working gigs and I am trying to fill in the gaps (reason for the LACK of newsletters, sorry!).

Anyway, the soap is made with saponified olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and castor oil, plus real fresh goat's milk, real cocoa and sprinkled with vanilla bean powder.  The scent  is explained here::: Hot blended tea infused with nutmeg, cloves and vanilla topped with frothy sweet ginger milk.  Weighing in at 4 - 5 oz.

Gaze upon this ... don't lick the screen.  To me, it looks like butterscotch fudge or caramel....nom.

Faery's Muse Is Having A Big Sale

I want you to know that Faery's Muse, my newest wholesale customer that I was so thrilled about is closing her bath and body site.  Waaaaaah!

The good news for you is that my Sugarfoot sugar scrubs are marked down from $18.00 to $12.60 and will never be that price ever again on her site or my site.  If you have wanted to try them or know them and love them and need to restock, this is your only chance to get them at this price, because I can't beat that price, never EVER.  Her website will close on April 26th forever.

Sugarfoot glam shot

don'tcha want to rub that all over your body???  

My husband uses it for a pre-shave scrub (he has quite a harsh scruffy face)!

Here is the link to the Ruby Red Grapefruit scent and here is the link to the Cookie scent.  Nom nom...

There are a lot of other things on sale there so take a look around!

:D

6 Oz Crushes Are Back By Popular Demand!

We took away the 6 oz Crush On You sugar scrubs last year because we were offering way too many sizes.

Large, Regular, Trial and Travel.  I was working my tush off!  It wasn't like we had one scent and I could just fill them all and be done with it.  We were offering 4, 5 sometimes 6 scents.  So we took away the Trial size.

The recession continued, we dropped our prices, people were holding onto their money.  We understand!  So we made a decision to go the OTHER way (sorry folks who love the Large size).  We are now carrying the Regular 10.5 oz, the 6 oz and the Travel 2.5 oz.

The 6 oz. Crush On You is $12.00 and you can find it right here!  We DO listen to the popular demand.  Mostly.  But we also have to do what we can and what is best for business and my sanity.

:)

Juicy

Ruby Red Rock Star shea butter soap

hottest soap - can't keep this one is stock

Relisted and back to get you clean!

Love To Know

Here's another interview I forgot to post. :/

This one is from October 2009:

LOVE TO KNOW

Handmade Bath and Body Treats: Product Body
Interview

From LoveToKnow Skincare

Most of us can hardly resist the temptation to pamper and nourish ourselves silly, but a little help from Product Body and suddenly we look forward to showering, exfoliating and moisturizing more than ever. Consider it your chance to indulge in an irresistible

spa experience within the comfort of your own home – every single day. We had the chance to speak with Joanna Schmidt, Product Body founder and the genius behind the burgeoning lineup, to learn more about her company and what makes it such a standout.

LoveToKnow: Joanna, thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions! Tell us a bit about the inspiration for your company. How did the idea to start a natural skincare line come about?

Joanna Schmidt: Well, when I was living up in NY, my skin was super dry in the winter. It was cracking and bleeding and very PAINFUL! I started buying lotion after lotion, finding nothing that really worked. I began researching the Internet and seeing if it made any sense to do it myself. After a few weeks and hours and hours of fascinating reading, I began to order oils and butters from suppliers. That's when the seed was planted and the madness began!

LTK: Natural products have earned quite a following in recent years. How does Product Body differ from the competition?

JS: Most of Product Body's products are all natural, and the remainder are mostly natural. Within the Product Body line we have the Mama Bomb line made especially for pregnant /new mothers - it is completely all natural. I do have to say that I am inspired by so much, and I'm excited by desserts and life and creativity bursts from my seams sometimes! There is no way essential oils alone could satisfy my senses for long. That's why my company couldn't just offer completely all-natural products. You just can't get White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee or Sweet Vanilla Mango or Sexy Laundry Day!

Anyway, I think what sets us apart is that I make everything myself. Everyday. Fresh. By Hand. Also, our products ROCK! Our Crush On You sugar scrubby wash is so popular, it's nuts. I use it every day as a face scrub. People wait until payday to run out and buy it. My sister-in-law in Scotland is in a panic when she gets to the scraping point...people are true addicts with this stuff. It is THAT GOOD.

Other than the fresh and wonderful products, I answer emails, phone calls, offer advice, run the formulary, the retail shop, ship, sell, do PR...I am so personally involved in every aspect of my business and I care so deeply about my customers, peers, colleagues and mentors, it's amazing I get anything done. But really, it's all about everything being freshly made when the order is placed. It doesn't get much better than that!

The Products

Crush On You

LTK: Give us a rundown of the Product Body lineup. What do you recommend consumers check out first, particularly if they're just starting to use a proper natural skincare regimen?

JS: Crush On You is an awesome product - it's a sugar scrub with pH balanced cleanser, shea butter and organic sunflower oil. It feels like cookie dough and washes off cleanly with no oily residue. No drippy oils! Your skin will feel like a baby's bottom when you rinse off. No kidding. (We made this as a body and hand scrub, but our customers have shared with us that it makes for the best facial scrub, EVER, and it does!)

Crème Fresh is made with the freshest ingredients on the market and hand blended into a rich, deeply moisturizing body cream.

Sugarfoot is an emulsified foot scrub that feels like fluffy, sugar-packed cake batter, but washes off cleanly. It's packed with pure sugar to exfoliate skin and a blend of organic coconut oil, shea butter and coconut milk to moisturize and recondition your aching feet.

Mama Bomb™ Original Bomb is a proprietary blend of wonderful fresh butters and oils (including cocoa butter, shea butter, olive butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil and vitamin E to name but a few), Mama Bomb is just what you need, whether it's growing larger by the week or not. Boom! You're soft.

LTK: Are your products safe for all skin types, even those who are very sensitive?

JS: For people who have sensitive skin types, I would suggest all natural or unscented products to begin with and then go from there. Our customers have had no issues. I have had people who have had skin issues tell me that a lot of my fragrances are non-irritating, but, again, I would start with unscented and natural first.

Around the Corner

LTK: Fall is right around the corner. What is your recommended skincare regimen as we make the transition to cooler weather?

JS: It's important to exfoliate to remove the dead, summer skin and then moisturize and protect the new skin. So, exfoliate and moisturize. Then, get a balm for the frigid weather for nighttime use. That would be my recommendation.

LTK: Finally, what does the future hold for Product Body – any big plans?

JS: Well, yes....but you will just have to hold your breath and hold tight for now! Follow my blog, located here. Things will start moving in that direction in a few months...

Interview With Jen

I was interviewed by Jen Adkins of About.com a month or so ago and forgot to post it. (huh?) Well, I guess I've been busy.

Here is the interview if you want to go there to read it.

And thank you, Jen for the press!

Here it is as I have copied it, too:

Interview with Joanna Schmidt, Entrepreneur and Blogger

Owner of Product Body and The Soap Bar Blog

By Jen Adkins, About.com Guide

As the founder of Product Body, Joanna Schmidt is a pro when it comes to creating sweet bath and body products. I've always been a big fan of her shop. Even before I tried my hand at soap making, I knew I needed to pick Joanna's brains a bit. Especially because she's busy with her second love, The Soap Bar blog, where I spend endless hours monthly. She shares with us her experience creating bath and body products, soap and running a business.

Tell us a little bit about how you got started making soap, and what your big break was. I started The Soap Barblog because I had a love for handmade soap and found a void online. I was looking for soap blogs with information, reviews, lessons…a hodgepodge of information and fun, but I couldn’t find anything like it, so I started one.

I also believe, as a small business owner, having sent my bath and body products to bloggers all over the country, that those bloggers really were the folks that gave me the press I needed to jump-start my company’s business. If it hadn’t been for the blogger’s trying the samples I sent and them and raving about them, I wouldn’t have gotten the customers who found us and who we still have!

OK, so back to your question… I never intended to make soap, but after 7 months writing the blog, I was given so much encouragement from my readers, that I felt a sense of community and excitement by the whole idea of it, that I went for it and I haven’t ever looked back. I love soap making - it’s one of my favorite things to do.

Can you remember the first time you made a soap/skin care item? Was it a success? Tell us about it. I don’t remember the first, but one of my first fondest memory was making the chocolate sugar scrub we used to make. Mmmm. It had organic cane sugar, exotic oils, Ghiardelli’s bittersweet chocolate and essential oils. It was decadent and sinful.

I stopped making it because my customers were complaining that their white towels were getting stained from the fine particles of chocolate that were left on the skin along with the light sheen of oil. My quiet-in-my-head answer was, “Shhh, use a darker towel, it is awesome and you go to bed smelling like a box of fine chocolate!” So it was a success AND a failure.

When you were a newbie, where did you get your info? Can you recommend any books or online websites to check out?Like you, I followed information and the wisdom of David Fisher on About.com, used soapcalc.com for my lye calculator so I could figure out how my oils and butter would change my soaps hardness, conditioning, lather, etc, and read blog after blog, watched video tutorial after tutorial. I am a information hog/whore, call me what you will. When I am interested in learning something, I have an insatiable thirst. I can’t help it.

• Video I used to learn how to line my mold.
• Cold process soap photo tutorial
• Hot process soap photo tutorial

Share with us your biggest soap making mess-up? I think it was my first batch, actually! I honestly don’t know where I got the recipe. It was a basic one. The next day when I went to unmold it, it was solid on the outside and jiggly on the inside. I asked my readers for help. Answers. Someone asked me what lye calculator I used, and I had no idea what they were talking about. Hahaha! I obviously really did not do all my homework. I was given some tips, I cooked it up, added water, some extra lye and made some awkward soap. It worked okay, but that was a lame attempt at soap. Was it the worst, though? No, I’ve had to chuck a few batches, but this one was the most interesting with the jiggly interior.

What about the product or recipe that you are most proud of?I think I am most proud of my soaps. I make bath and body products and the Ski Bomb is awesome, everyone loves it, but the soaps are more ME. I can put me into them, I am proud of them.

What supplies would you recommend a newbie have on hand before thinking about making soap? Dedicated soap making stuff like a pitcher for the lye, a plastic spoon, a large glass mixing bowl or large plastic pail, a stick blender, one or two silicone spatulas, kitchen gloves, shop goggles, glass measuring cups, a scale, a microwave or a double boiler, soap molds…. I know I must be forgetting something but you definitely need all these things before you even get to the oils, butters, distilled water, lye, fragrances, clays, botanicals, micas, and anything else you want to adorn your soap with.

What are your favorite supply stores?

Oh, I have so many and I wish they were all under one roof! It kills me to order from 6 different suppliers and pay six different shipping charges. Awful! Some of my favorites are:

• Soaper’s Choice/Columbus Oils
• Brambleberry
• Southern Soapers
• Majestic Mountain Sage
• Camden Grey
• Snowdrift Farms
• Chemistry Store
• Coastal Scents

These are just some of the suppliers I use regularly. I love Nashville Wraps for tissue paper and Paper Mart has wonderful grosgrain ribbon for a great price (25 yrds for under $2!). And then I like going toMichael’s to buy paper and specialty items for soap decorating ad holiday stuff.

You haven't been a soap maker for an extremely long time. How long was it from the day you made your first soap to the day you had your first sale? Because I already had a bath and body products company, it was a very easy. I made sure that my friends and family didn’t complain about anything before I would ever sell anything, but when I thought my soaps were ready, I had an easy go of it.

What challenges have you noticed when it comes to selling soap and skin care items? That people are extremely adamant about what they require for their skincare needs, but over the years I realized I can not meet everyone’s needs. I need to build what I think is high quality, and it will draw those who it draws.What 3 things do you wish you knew before you started making soap?

• 1. I wish I studied a little more before actually taking on making my first batch of soap (which is weird, because I really did think I had studied, too!)
• 2. I wish I knew how to make my own wooden soap molds so I could make any size or shape mold I want anytime I want.
• 3. I wish I had taken a class or known a soap maker /had a mentor that I could have watched in action before I took the plunge.

If you could convince someone to buy homemade soap vs. deodorant soap at the store, what would you tell them? I tell people that most commercial soaps are basically pressed detergent. Some commercial soaps add sodium laurel sulfate which is a surfactant that is a known irritant and they remove the glycerin made in soap to sell it separately - either for lotion manufacturers or to make glycerin soaps.

Handmade soap, on the other hand, is chock full of glycerin which is naturally occurring from the saponification process which is the chemical reaction caused by the lye water and the oils and butters combining. That’s what creates the skin loving combination of ingredients that make SOAP.

Of course you use your own soap and products religiously, I'm sure, but do you have any other favorite soap shops we should check out? I‘ve been excited about Haus Of Gloi lately. Britton is in her 20’s and I love the look of her soap, the design work, her style, the scents are to-die-for, and her photography is stunning. I think she’s unique and she will go places, Chica! Go check her out!

So there it is in its entirety. But if the links don't work, go check it out on about.com. :)

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Thrilled

Creme Fresh by Product Body

There is this online shopping place that stood out for me that had a dark backdrop, beautiful bath and body products, lovely soaps and unique offerings. In fact, this beautiful shop is where I discovered the steampunk artist that created the art that I used to base my tattoo on.... that I was so inspired by. All of the offerings were products that were made by independent artisans like me, so I thought I'd be in touch with owner and send samples and see if they might be interested in my soaps or products.

I wasn't that confident because, at the time, they were carrying Arcana, Villianess, and Haus Of Gloi, and my labels up against their labels are like Yin and Yang. Dark and light (even though I relate more with theirs at heart, shhh). Mine are a bit happyhappy joyjoy. But I contacted them nonetheless and promoted myself and asked to send samples. Laura said, "send one. That's fine."

I sent her a box with 3 full bars of soap and 4 or 5 slivers of other soaps, samples of scrubs and samples of Creme Fresh. I knew one sample wouldn't represent my company and if she didn't like the scent I chose for her, then I'd be out of the running. I know scents. Some are total turn offs. What works for me, can smell like hell to someone else.

Two weeks later, I get an email a mile long with lengthy feedback on each product I sent. What she liked and didn't like and why. But guess what? She wants to have me be another one of her soapy people. What an honor! She doesn't have that many and she has quite a following, so I do feel special that she likes my stuff as much as she does.

My new favorite online shop other than my own is Faery's Muse. And that is another place you can find us. They are in San Diego, so if you live out there, you might actually get your stuff much quicker than from us. ;) And it's already made!

The other thing is we discontinued Chocolate Dipped Orange on Product Body's website since we introduced Dark Chocolate Almond over a year ago, but Faery's Muse now has the exclusive on that scent as long as they carry our products.

Go check out the shop and go check out their other shop, Mystic Dreams, which carries beaded curtains, unbelievable chandeliers, and lots of unique home decor.

Oh! The other thing: Faery's Muse is carrying 6 oz jars of Crush On You for $12.00 which (right now), we do not sell.

Another reason to buy from her... especially if you don't want to buy the full pop.

;)

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Breathing

Life outside of the shop has been an adjustment, but I am feeling great about it. Really! I have had such a positive outlook on the whole thing, which I really never do. I usually look at the glass half empty when it comes to my own life, but not this time. I am feeling energy and creativity and I feel ready to be productive and work myself silly. I haven't gotten my system down yet, so my work efficiency level isn't perfected yet, but I am getting so much more done without customers walking in, or solicitors trying to sell me jewelry or chocolate or some auto place down the street wanting to do a deal with me and sell me a package where I can get 4 oil changes, brake pads and something else for only $69.99. (whatever). Then there are the browsers, who are waiting for their friends at the tattoo shop who are just killing time who have no intention of buying but like to smell things. Then, there are those random people that would occasionally pop in, like that crazy woman who came in with her little dog with the bugged out eyes and sat in my wicker chair and talked to me for 30 minutes about strange things while interrupting herself every so often telling me she wished her dog would run into traffic sometimes. I don't know if she was crazy or on drugs, but I think her state of being was not drug induced, sadly. It was permanent. That poor dog: Bugsy was his name with the bugged eyes. He was a bit sketched out. And rightly so.

Bugsy

I've caught up on my retail orders so if you are looking for your package it is en route! My wholesale orders will be cranked out and shipped out today, tomorrow and Friday except for the soaps I need to make, pour and cure. Because of the move, everything has been in "halt" mode for more than a week. Whether a delay is uncontrollable or not, I have guilt about them in my orders. My wholesale customers have become like friends to me. I care about them, so I hate it when they're disappointed.

They have been very patient and supportive. I love them!

And I have been so supported by all of you and I want to thank you for the undying support and comfort you have given me through this time. I believe it has a lot to do with my sunny outlook on closing the shop. I initially thought closing it indicated my failure, a total catastrophe. I don't see it like that at all now. I see it as my stepping stone; As my way to move forward because I couldn't focus or work hard enough to get enough done, so I was just treading water. Now I feel like I can make product - produce, produce, produce -- - if I need to... and right now, my wholesale customers, including the new ones, are needing the product they have asked for, so I better get moving and mix up the goods!

Thank you and hugs to you.

:)

xo Joanna

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Video of The Shop

This is an EIGHT minute video of my shop the day after we closed. I took this "silent movie" for myself so that if I ever feel like looking back at it and remembering it, I would have it.

Sadly, my video camera wouldn't hold a charge so I used my mother's FLIP video camera which worked great but has less than stellar high def capabilities. I walked around s-l-o-w-l-y. It's not very interesting and the shelves are pretty empty with products having being sold out, but you get the idea if you ever wanted to see the little shop of Product.

I'm feeling really good, by the way. I feel like the shop closing is a good thing because doors appear to be opening right in front of my eyes. But we'll see.


xo Jo

pssst! As I said, it's long and boring ...it really was for me. Historical documentation.

Last Day

Goodbye my shop.

kiss kiss.

On to new things. Back to old things. Open the door because here I COME BABY!

Emotional Shop Closing

Is has been a very emotional couple of weeks for me since our decision to close the store. Almost everyone that has come into the shop is a repeat customer and, while they are shopping, I've mentioned that we are closing the shop at the end of next week.

Their first reactions are usually worry and sadness.

"Why? What's wrong?" When I let them know I'm o.k., then they immediately say, "Oh no, where am I going to get your soaps, and smell them, and touch them?" ... "I can't go back, Joanna! It's all I use now....."

I love my customers. Apparently, they've gotten hooked on handmade soaps and smelling-before-buying. So I am gathering all of my local customers' names and email addresses and will contact them if I start going to a regular farmer's market or find a monthly location where I can display my soaps.

Today, one of my regular monthly customers came in and chatted me up with political conversation, thoughts on living in other countries, and ideas of a better life before we moved onto a soap chat. He always comes in alone after his shift at the hospital, buys 5 or 6 bars of different soap, talks about the world, his wife and grown up children, and jokes that being physically dirty is the reason he stopped in.

I have really loved my time at the shop for so many reasons, but in this post I want to thank all of the customers that came in because they were curious, dared to try one of my products or soaps, and came back. I loved meeting you. I loved talking to you. I wasn't pretending, except for the crazy guy with the hands like shovels that wouldn't leave the shop.
c r e e p y d u d e.

We are down to our last few days. Today was busy for me with organizing equipment and doing inventory. It wasn't a wildly busy retail day, but I told the customers about the shop and sure enough they scooped up a variety of soaps, fearing they wouldn't be able to smell them for awhile. "Can't live without these, Joanna....." Very sweet story: A 17 year old guy from the fishing shop two doors down came in for his mom "just because she was at home all day doing laundry and stuff and she'd probably like this stuff". Could there be a nicer kid? Dropped over $30 of his own money because he thought his mom was working hard at home. I can only hope my son stops to think like that when he's that age.

My heart has been doing the involuntary tightening twist these days and it's not been easy. The decision was a hard one and it was really sad at first, then brutal and heartbreaking, then it moved towards being realistic and reasonable and now I feel like it is absolutely the right decision and that it will really help me hone in on what I need to focus on with the business and life in general -- for now. The experience was incredible and I'd do it all over again. I have been wearing many hats for many years, but this balancing act was by far the most fun to "endure". Every day was a joy. I looked forward to getting to the shop every single day. There wasn't a day that I stared at the clock so I could go home.

I need to thank every single one of you who walked into the shop over the last fourteen months and changed my life. You know who you are. So.. as part of growth, both personally and professionally, I will hone in, focus, work harder than ever and make magic. This is what I need to do. But I do have you all to thank. You have touched me.

One more week in the shop. I will continue to keep you updated as we go, of course. Shop hours next week will be:

Monday through Friday: Noon - 6 pm for sure.

Saturday and Sunday we will be moving and cleaning (I think). If we can swing being open on Saturday we will be, but I just don't know...

Thank you.

xo

love, Joanna

Very Short Sale AND...We Have Some News

For our first sale of 2010 we're offering Crème Fresh at 10% off, from today through Monday, Jan 18th. Here's what we say on the site about it:

Ze brie and ze butter on ze baguette can’t hold a candle to our latest and greatest moisturizer, Crème Fresh. Smooth and silky, Crème Fresh sinks in quickly, moisturizes deeply, and leaves you feeling velvety soft. You have to use it to believe it. Ooh la la!

And now, it's offered in a new formulation that's slightly lighter but even more potent. Because in addition to the moisturizing and anti-aging properties of the grape seed and coconut oils, Crème Fresh is now made with a copious amount of aloe juice that helps heal damaged skin.

Want to grab some? Hit the site and use the coupon code creme10 during checkout to get your 10% discount.

Now about our store....

First, the bad news: we're closing our retail store. While we loved meeting and working with customers in person, it divided our attention, and balancing the store with the formulary work was taking its toll on both sides of the business. Combined with the slow economy, we just can't justify keeping the retail location open.

The good news is that we aren't going out of business. Not by any means. We still have a formulary and will continue to provide the same handmade, freshly formulated goodies to our retail and wholesale customers. So don't worry!

AND A HUGE THANK YOU! Every one of you that came over the past year made our shop and formulary a wonderful place to work; we thank you sincerely and look forward to many more years of providing you the soaps, scrubs and balms you love.


xoxoxox

We Are Back In 2010

Happy New Year to all!

After a very needed, long and wonderfully relaxing vacation here at Product Body, we are back today faced with a pile of orders, both from online and wholesale. This is great for us, thank you!!

I do want to let you know that we were cleaned out of products because we were open right down to the wire on Christmas Eve and folks were coming in for last minute gifts. The shelves are empty, so today, I have to whip up a ton of product to send to customers and to fill the shelves back up.

Luckily, I have some soaps that are due to be unveiled and brought to the floor....

So if you have an order placed with us, please have some extra patience and know that we are formulating your products and it will be fresh, fresh, fresh and we will ship it as soon as we can. We promise!

Again, happy new year and we thank you for being a part of Product Body for yet another year. We love you!!

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