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.

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

Summer Hours

Shop hours have changed for the Summer. We will be closed every day at 5:00 pm instead of 6:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. We remain closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Enjoy the Summer!

*

Shop on Candid Camera

Thought I'd show part of my workspace.

I have 5 different work stations in this little area. You can see a little of this here, a bit of that there... Oh yes, this is a cruddy mess. After a full day of formulating, making and pouring soap and before clean-up. I DO clean up after every project, but I did have a few going at the same time, so it got crazy AND it was the end of the day.

From the work table in the formulary looking into the retail portion and out the door... (underexposed, sorry).

Mother's Day Approaches

If you are local, please stop in for some very cute Mother's Day packages I've put together ranging from $15-$89. Some are in plant pots, tea pots, baskets, etc. So, so cute! We decided this year NOT to do a Mother's Day offering online due to a busy wholesale schedule here (we just don't have the staff this minute), but we did send out an incredible Tips and Treats newsletter celebrating our wedding anniversary.

We gave 20% off of Coconut Milk Bath Soak and when the customer buys a non-sale item and wishes us a happy anniversary in the comments section at check out, we'd send them $13 gift certificate into their account. That is one dollar for every year. Yeah, it's like cash and it never expires.

So if you are on our newsletter list and you happen to miss that email - - check you SPAM filter.

A Few New Things

We have been so busy in the lab whipping up goodies. My daughter was on Spring break last week and decided instead of vacationing, she wanted to come to work with me every day. She helped make bath bombs, clean up, wrapped and cut soap. She even designed and came up with a fragrance for her Toffee soap which I will post here next week. The soaps we made aren't shown in this post because they aren't cured, but they will be. They include Toffee, Clean Sweet and Ginger + Amber with Star Anise. They all came out very nice. Most of these can be found in the Product Labs Etsy shop by the end of this weekend.

Hot Process Yuzu Maui (with cp yuzu bits)

Sweet Lemon Pie Bath Bombs with calendula petals made and decorated by Nina, my daughter

Hefty half circle bath bombs in Passionfruit Guava (over 5 oz)--- sha shaaaaaa!

All natural lavender soap with rose clay and lavender buds

Bath bomb cupcake

Hot process soap:: Citrus Circus Squares
(tangerine, orange valencia, yuzu, grapefruit, ruby red grapefruit + lemon)

Have a great weekend and happy soaping, slathering or scrubbing! Also, if you are not following me on Twitter, get to it to get the April coupon for Crush On You!!

Let Me Be Vain For A Sec

Better picture of the front of the store because it's a better shot of me, let's just keep things real, shall we?

Finally!

The sign for above the store came. We won't get into that. >:(

That's me, trying to smile, but the sun is so strong, I can barely hold my eyes open and I have squint face. The front of the shop is deceiving. It looks tiny, but it's deep. Come visit me. Look! My arms are open in the welcome position. :O)

xo Jo

Shop. Take Two.

I have totally swiped the idea of the wooden positionable girl with a towel from Kim at Stella Marie. Just for that, I will name her STELLA, and even say it in a hoarse voice, S-T-E-L-L-A-A-A-A.


It was so brilliant that I tried a towel head instead of a mohawk and every few days, I change her towel...make it a toga, or throw it over her shoulder... Kim, you are so original, I hope you are flattered by me copying you and not angry. Now I want a real full sized mannequin and prop her up outside and make her do different poses every day. I am on the lookout for one locally.


Here is a picture of my display case with curing soap loaves: top left, Mango Madness; top right, Dark Chocolate Frosting; bottom left, Hyacinth; bottom right, Coconut Almond with coconut milk.
These are the flowers that Teresa sent me (love her) that are now hanging upside down drying.


Sisal scrub pads. One of the bath extras we carry.


The next three photos are of Amber's clutches (of Amber's Ambry). These are not even all of the ones she made for the shop. Wow oh wow, she is phenomenal. I gave her some vague direction with my idea of some colors and such and she pulled it all together better than I could have dreamed. It's like she knew what I was thinking, because I certainly wasn't able to verbalize what I wanted very well.

I bet we could share a closet. ;)





So there you have it... some more pictures. More will come as they come. I'm not so great with having the right lens at the right time. These were taken with the macro lens so the photo of the display case I was way outside (no zoom) so I couldn't even takes wider pictures for you.

Pictures Of The Shop

looking from the front right to the back door

looking from near the back door to the front (the front door is very dark in this picture. Just under the lit exit sign)

Brad, my husband, and I did all the work except we hired a plumber to install a hot water heater and to run hot water lines for our lab sink. We put in the floor, built cabinets painted, cut moulding, put up shelves.....etc. When I say "we", I really mean Brad. I was really there as the handy assistant who humped my butt off and worked and sweat alongside the master pro. Trust me, I worked like heck. He worked harder.

These two are only half done...

front half (shop)

back half (formulary)

So this is complete:

you could see the formulary in the back (bakery concept, sort of)

Now, these pictures were taken after the first day of retail, so our shelves are looking pretty bare. I will have to post more when the place is packed again with soaps and goodies and when I am not sick anymore.

(sniffle)

These don't feel like they show everything. I'll try to get it all in the next time, but you get the vibe...

I'd Love Your Input Contest

I have two locations for signs at our new shop. The one on the building will have our logo Product Body on it, but we are on a very busy street where traffic moves between 40-55 mph and we want people to notice what we sell, perhaps, more so than who we are. It is two sided and we thought we should say two different things, one on each side. I would love your suggestions, if you have any. Let's make it a contest!

Some ideas we have:

Bath Treats
Bath Shop
Bath + Body


Anyone who comes up with one that is actually used (that isn't listed above) will receive a Product package from us once the sign goes up. Thank you!!

Contest ends when the right sign words are realized.

Ahhhh No. December 19th

The carrot I have dangled is a pain in the butt, isn't it?

Sorry.

I just don't want to open half cocked. I am still going to open with the place not FULLY done. I plan on having photos of my soaps and whipped butters blown up and other cool art on the walls. They are just not ready yet. And neither is the actual product.

So it is what it is.

OK. Friday. Ready or not. This time, there is no postponing. We are open on Friday.

Opening A Little Later...

...than expected. We will hopefully be up and ready for customers on Wednesday or Thursday of this week! Monday was a target date but we were optimistic. Building furniture takes much longer than one thinks.

SO, Opening definitely on December 18th!