Ties that bind....

www.longtallsallys.etsy.com/

Vintage selection of silk mens neckties---for the well dressed man in your life!

Wisteria Seed Exchange

I would love to exchange some of my Wisteria seeds for any perennial flower seeds!

Here is a "snap" of my Mother plant....Isn't that a lovely shade of Purple?

Songs of Spring

Woke up to some wonderful singing this morning...Can spring be far behind?

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI

Coming soon to ~Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island~

By the Bay Handcrafted Soap!

http://www.littleluxuriesofmackinac.com/index2.php

Welcome to Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island!

Little Luxuries is a new shop located on Main Street of beautiful Mackinac Island. It is the perfect place to shop if you are looking for entertaining gifts, luxury bath and body products, home decorating ideas, baby gifts, stationary, and unique jewelry. We hope you can find the perfect gift for yourself or someone you love.

Little Luxuries is just like the name—our shop is filled with little gifts for the home and heart. Our products range from vintage to shabby chic as well country and luxurious. Little Luxuries strives to keep gifts affordable and continually bring new and exciting products in.

Nicole Smith, owner, grew up in a small town in Michigan known as the Mint Capitol of the world, St. Johns, MI. She graduated with a bachelors degree in Commuication Studies and English from Albion College. Nicole began working on Mackinac Island during her summers to earn money for school and now four years later opened her own shop, an endeavor she only dreamt of. Her creativeness and ambition to do her best will hopefully make Little Luxuries a success!

http://www.mackinacisland.org/

Northern MI Soap

Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island, MI.

www.littleluxuriesofmackinac.com

Add this web site to your favorites!

Thank you Nicole for the post!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2010

Northern MI Soap

I love handmade in MI products and locally (or nearby) products. New this year in Little Luxuries will be By the Bay Handcrafted Soap from the Upper Peninsula. The soaps are so nice...I am currently using the scented clemintine soap which is very refreshing and soft on your skin. Melody, the maker of these wonderful soaps, uses the finest oils, herbs, essential oils and fragrances. She has a wide-variety of fragrances to choose from. Check out her blog and etsy shop to learn more and you can buy them in my shop starting this May!

Dear Tibbits....

Just a snap of the cat soon to be published!

Lapis Lazuli

Healing properties of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is used with other stones when parts of the body need to be purified and cleansed and should be only used by a healer. Lapis Lazuli has high intensity and can open many of the chakra centers. This must be done only with love in the heart and comprehension in the mind and wisdom in soul.

Sources of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli can be found in Chile, the Soviet Union, the United States, but most significantly from the mountains of Afghanistan.

Not just a pilot....but poet as well

Courage

Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.
The soul that knows it not, knows no release
From little things;
Knows not the livid loneliness of fear,
Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear
The sound of wings.

Amelia Earhart

Up for bid!

I have never done an item auction before so bear with me!

You can comment below the post and indicate whether you would like a bidders #-number.

I am placing this sweet vintage double wedding ring lap quilt up for bid. The top came from Texas and was made from what I was told around 1930. I lined the quilt with unbleached batting and on the underside I used a very soft all cotton sheet. The quilt is bound with very narrow seem binding. My stitches are small and even for the most part. This quilt is all hand stitched and it took me quite a while to complete. The colors are marvelous! Sky blue and crisp white!

We are a smoke free home.

I will keep a running bid every day on my blog. And this is how I will have it listed:

Example:

Bidder #1------------------$25.00---------02/20/10

Bidding will begin on Saturday, February 20th and will conclude the following Monday, March 1st at noon central time.

The highest bidder will win the quilt then I will notify her via e-mail what the final bid was-she can forward a check or money order and when that is received I will post the quilt (flat rate box with tracking and insurance) ship it free of charge.

I hope I covered everything and that it make sense the way I have it set up!!

I will open the bidding at $25.00

Good Luck Ladies!

Victorian Poet~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee?

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right.

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love with a passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

Long Tall Sally's

I have a new etsy store where I will be offering vintage and retro treasures; everything from silk scarves from Italy to vintage Helena Rubenstein compacts!

www.longtallsallys.etsy.com

I wish I had a river I could skate away on....

February is finally here.... will spring be far behind?

Lavender

I stumbled across this photo taken last summer after my "first" harvest of lavender. I am able to harvest twice during the summer and the scent is incomparable---the bees love it too!

I now have over 15 good size lavender plants resting comfortably under a deep blanket of snow just off the garage behind a very stark white picket fence.

I am able to use my very own home-grown fresh and dried lavender for my summer soap shows and also in my lavender soap. There is nothing quite like lavender--Timeless!

Redwork

Stayed indoors most of the weekend---getting a few of my hand stitched redwork flour sack dishtowels ready for the summer season.

They are so cheerful looking!

Ultimate Valentines Day Song

At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
At last the skies above are blue
And my heart was wrapped up in clover
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I can speak to
A dream that I could call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
You smiled, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
And you are mine at last

Thank you Etta Jones...

Hand quilted vintage double wedding ring...

Finally finished this little gem!

I hand-stitched this vintage circa 1930 double wedding ring lap quilt that rests comfortably in the shop...ain't she sweet?

Tulips in January...

Thank you Kathy....they are lovely!

Embroidery-Quilting and more Quilting

Now I've done it....three projects at once---not at all like me. I like to finish what I start, but I can't seem to concentrate! Must be spring fever!

The Little Book

Busy today doing some revisions of a manuscript that I plan on sending in for consideration as soon as I get my illustrations completed. I can't believe that it is finally coming to fruition....I began my little children's book several years ago when the kids were still in elementary school and would pull it out once in a while and make a few changes here and there.

Isn't it funny when you know it's right to move forward with a project? Timing is everything...

Felted soap-------

Aren't they lovely? And so soft! Perfect little bath scrubbies and when your By the Bay soap runs out (no waste!) you will have a wonderful piece of felt---Snip the top open and Ta Da.... you now have a cute little felted change purse!

Spring Soap Shows 2010

Well, on this frigid Great North Woods evening I find myself knee deep in oils, herbs, and Essential oils and am ready to begin producing our wonderful handcrafted soap for another summer season. We have our favorites and this year we will try a few new scents to tantalize you!

I want take this time to thank all of our repeat customers and welcome our new customers.

Just drop by the shop at 800 14th Avenue Menominee, MI or give me a call at 906.863.6847

Oh....we also have an etsy site: www.lemonverbensoap@etsy.com

We are keeping the same price as we have always had for our lovely soap $4.00 a bar or $10.00 for 3 bars!

See you at the house or at our scheduled shows. We will know in a couple of weeks which ones we have been accepted to attend and will post the schedule on the blog....

By the Bay Soap Company

Melody and Bruce Neece

CABIN FEVER?

Thoughts of spring....

Busy today scheduling our summer soap shows dreaming of warm bay breezes and the scent of lilacs...

Tibbits

Here are a few snaps I found that"eerily" resemble dear Tibbits...

The one on the right is very much like her even down to that annoyed expression she bears!

LOOM

My table loom...I did find a stand that it is now sitting on, but I still have no idea who made it and what type of weaving can be done on it. I have looked it over carefully and cant find a manufacturers label. I would love to be able to weave on it but need some simple instructions or a good book explaining how to weave...Any ideas?

Can it really be Christmas?

Can it really be Christmas once again?

All of us here at By the Bay Handcrafted Soap want to say "Thank you" for another wonderful season!

We are looking forward to our summer shows and hope to see you there!

God Bless You.

HAND EMBROIDERED FLOUR SACK DISHTOWELS

for a lovely addition to your country kitchen check out my etsy site for all hand embroidered red work flour sack dishtowels...very sweet!

www.andsewitgoes.etsy.com

ETSY SITE!!!

The Holidays are just around the corner...treat yourself or the one you love with our luscious natural handcrafted soap!!

http://www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com/

Thank you!

Upcoming Holiday Show

Don't miss this one!

Menominee High School Forensics Holiday Show
Saturday, December 5th!

See you at the show....


By the Bay Soap

Picture Preview

Picture Preview

Pleasant Hill LA....

Retirement home????

Bonifas Art Show Escanaba, MI

We had a wonderful show on Saturday November 7th at the Bonifas Art Center in Escanaba, Mi.

The wide variety of artists was truly inspiring!

Thank you Bonifas for a wonderful "Indian Summer" day in Escanaba! We really enjoyed spending time with you and look forward to next years show!

Boulder Junction FLEA-MARKET!!!

my solid perfumes in my vintage pill boxes...

lavender cooling mist with vintage buttons...

My very first attempt and success at felting soap...

Just some odds and ends ....

What a pretty table....

Bruce and I woke up at 3:00 this morning for the long drive to Boulder Junction where we did our 1st really big flea market. Over 10,000 people were supposed to be attending and we had to be there at 7:00 to claim our spot, a 12 X 12 foot area with an enormous pine tree smack in the middle . Coinciding with the flea market there happened to be aWalleye Tournament, going on, a juried craft fair (waiting list of 5-years!) and an antique car show. WHEW! The weather held and it didn't rain, but we expected a better turnaround than what we did get. Oh well....there will always be another craft or art fair to look forward to in just a couple of weeks.

We set up and had possibly one of the poorest showings of all of our shows. We exclusively do shows which are juried art fests, etc. So this was a real challenge. I did happen to find some adorable things like the little girl I have listed. Ain't she sweet?? The artists name is Kathryn Petersen from Rubicon Wisconsin. Such talent!! And her creations just make you want to laugh they are so dear!

BLUE RIBBON!

Thank you Lakeland County and the quaint little town of Arbor Vitae. We had a blast...see you next year!

My very own Art for All......

Since I wasn't invited "this" year to our local Art for All in Menominee, I decided to have my own!

It was very successful and I walked away with a substantial amount of profit for the afternoon.

Now why didn't I think of this before??

PlainSong

"PlainSong"

~any simple and unadorned melody or air~

I finally did it! My solid perfume is ready to go!

The scent is enchanting with notes of citrus, rose with just a smidge of sapmoss and other essential oils. My perfume expertly crafted with only natural vegetable oils; coconut oil, pure virgin olive oil and bees wax.

It glides gently on pulse points.... and can be kept in your purse or pocket without fear of breaking. How convenient is that??

Each perfume pill box is snuggled inside a plain muslin bag, placed in a handmade sea beach blue box and then beautifully labled.

Price for each is $30.00 which includes shipping.

www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com