Guest blog from: Prescott Primitive and their Soy Tarts

Ok, these are just too cute. Little melty soy men, "Grubbie Babies" from Prescott Primitives, a cottage industry started by my sister that makes these little cuties along with a whole line of other rustic, primitive homey treats.

"Grubbied up" with a blend of aromatic spices, rubbed into the soy, ready to melt in your tart warmer.

   Hey y'all! This is Margaret from Prescott Primitives and we are launching our Fall and Winter line! We specialize in primitive and country home goods that are hand crafted and made with the "best of class" materials. Our soy warming tarts, for example, are made from the highest quality soy wax and scented using perfume grade fragrance oils. All wrapped up in a crisp cello bag, tied with homespun and a little rusty collector charm!   We think they're pretty special and we know you will, too.

  Anna here, and thank you Margaret for sharing these adorable tarts with us. I used "Prairie Praline" scented tarts today in my house, and the scent was incredible. Strong with a great scent throw. The smell was warm, cozy, inviting, homey, comfortable, you don't want to leave the room honestly. With a caramelized brown sugar, yummy buttery vanilla, and nutty candied pecans.

Prescott Primitives is a featured artist in my etsy shop, find their

"Grubbie Babies" there.

Where real comfort comes from.

"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."  Jane Austin

Simple pleasures surround us everyday.    The ordinary is foundationally extraordinary.   Keeping
things "real", getting back to the basics of simple living, slowing down the hectic pace our lives
take on.  Realizing what really matters in life.  For me, what matters in my daily life is indeed my home, which means my family and God. Yep, the simple but profound action of placing God at the center of my home and family brings the stability and peace in life that I crave. No matter what your home condition may be at this moment, there is hope, hang on and invite the One who created hearth and home in!

For family fun today I am inviting my grown daughters over to join me and their lovely teenaged sister in making Bath Fizzy Bombs.  Easy to get ingredients, quick and fun to make together, and so lovely for the bath. If you'd care to join us, here are a few different recipes you may like to try.   Enjoy a few stolen moments away from the business of life to spend with those you love!

Fizzy Bomb with bath oil. recipe
Fizzy Bomb no oil, not slippery in tub.

Have a great day!  Enjoy!     Anna

Japanese Mochiko, rice flower soap

Fresh and clean, this soap smells like spring air. Mochiko is Japanese for rice flower. Smooth, creamy and skin nourishing.

Made with moisturizing and nourishing skin loving oils and butters like Olive, Coconut, Shea butter,
castor, and soybean/palm this soap not only smells delightful and is great for the skin, it is a beautiful pure cream color with large bubbly lather.  Just gorgeous.

I wrapped it in homemade tea paper. Yep, real vanilla tea right in the paper.

Smells like a dream, you don't even wanna open it!

Soap Packaging Inspiration and a great hobby, Papermaking

For all my Soaping friends, here is a simple and inexpensive way to package your beautiful homemade soap. It looks elegant, and is "gift ready".

Plus, inspiration for a new hobby for all those creative ideas floating around in our heads!

I wrapped this soap in 5 1/2 x 8 1/2"  sheets of paper.  Wrapped present style.  Tied with natural rafia that I picked up at the Dollar Store. And accented with a sticker I made through Vista Print, but  you can make using Avery sticker sheets and printing yourself.  The ingredients are typed out using Word on my computer and glued on the back.   

For display at Farmers Market, etc, simply have a bar wrapped in cello at the forefront for folks to see the actual soap.   Or, make a cigar-band of natural paper to wrap around the center for more visibility.

These sell themselves as pre-wrapped gifts.  Beautiful boutique quality and look. Just lovely. And the soaps scent comes through nicely.

This particular paper is something I make homemade, using real rose petals. Making paper yourself is not difficult AT ALL !  Here is a link to "Paper Alice" who makes incredible paper using botanicals in your backyard. This video shows you the basics.  All you need is a blender, a frame you can make yourself, and scrap paper to recycle.  This next link shows you how to add things from your own yard

Make paper from your backyard botanicals by Alice Rusk.

It is basically free to make your own gorgeous paper to wrap your soaps in, or to make cigar-band style labels for your soaps.   The results are anything but ordinary. 

Use colors and additives to compliment your branding:   Making a Green Tea Soap? Add tea leaves to your paper and wrap!  Lemongrass or Peppermint? Add fresh cut grass blades or real peppermint leaves to your paper.  Stunning.  

It is not as hard or time consuming as it sounds. Give it a try! You just may find another creative outlet that you end up really enjoying.  Especially us "Soapers" , we really do love natural products, and creativity, don't we!