Fall is in the air. And your shower too. 🍂

New autumn scents are blowing in. 🌬️🍁

Hello friends,

Probably it’s a holdover from my back-to-school days, but fall always brings a cornucopia of mixed emotions – reflection and nostalgia, plus twinges of anxiety and dread, all swirling around with bubbles of excitement, anticipation and joy. I suppose that’s true with all change, and this season is one of the most transformational.

As daylight dwindles and plant life winds down, nature explodes into a tapestry of vibrant colors. The cooler air, rain and storms gather us indoors, inviting us to slow down and savor the simple pleasures – fuzzy sweaters, steaming mugs, snuggling in front of the fireplace, slow cooking and feasts with friends. A deep sense of coziness and comfort brings us back to the peaceful, present moment.

As world events and election season ramps up to nail-biting nervousness, autumn balances our emotions with a quiet contentment. The return to scheduled routines and traditions gives us a foundation of order and calm that we can rely on. Dig deep into fall’s special magic as we sail the next few months of stormy seas.

AUTUMN SEASONAL SOAPS

Fall paints a canvas of sensory delights – the cozy aromas of spices and baked treats, the gentle patter of falling rain, and the colorful mosaic of leaves dashed across the trees. It's the season of harvest festivals, where the bounty of nature is celebrated with feasts that warm the soul. This year’s Autumn soaps are inspired by our favorite fruits, spices, and comforts, taking the best of the season and honoring its charms. ($6 ea)

AUTUMN EQUINOX: A cozy blend that captures the essence of fall - natural woods of sandalwood, cedar and birch, with bright, citrusy orange and bergamot, and warming clove spices. Sweater weather in a single sniff, this is a popular repeat of last year’s bar, but with a new color, dark eggplant.

CRANBERRY APPLE: In years past, this fragrance has been an all-time favorite. Tart cranberry and juicy red apple, a squeeze of sweet mandarin, with just a hint of cinnamon spice. A soft red colored bar, it’s bright and fruity – sunlit apple orchards, fresh baked treats, happy memories of all things fall.

 MOSS + CYPRESS: Clean, fresh and invigorating, this aroma starts with top notes of  cool, green moss and fresh dew. Hinoki cypress, cool mint, juniper, green musk, and dark woods transports you to a tranquil forest grove. It’s softly calming and peaceful – the stillness of verdant forest in your shower to begin the day. 

PUMPKIN CHAI: It’s pumpkin spice season and we adore a rich, creamy pumpkin soap. This fragrance evokes all the yummy, cozy, warmth of fall – lush, spiced pumpkin blended with the comforting aroma of creamy chai tea. A medley of spices including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, softened with the sweetness of pumpkin pie and vanilla cream. Real pumpkin puree in the recipe gives it extra creamy lather, plus beautiful moisturizing benefits and skin nourishing vitamins.

VANILLA OAK: The essence of rustic elegance, this dark brown bar gently blankets you in warm, sweet vanilla. An earthy base of soft woods and white musk are lightened up with top notes of lemon, honey, apricot and jasmine. Classic and comforting as cashmere, it’s a dark vanilla bean colored bar that will become your favorite fall go-to.

AUTUMN AROMATIC SPRAYS

 A few of our aromatic sprays are perfectly suited to add an autumnal breath of fresh air to your home this month.  Unlike potpourri or candles, these sprays can be used to scent table linens, a quilt in a guest room, freshen bathrooms and closets, spritz a note card or gift box, and used a million other ways too. ($7.00 each)

SANDALWOOD ORANGE adds the inviting fragrance of woods and citrus to your snug hideaway. HOLIDAY SPICE is festivity in a bottle, a blend of cranberry, orange, spices and fresh greens. And WINTER FOREST brings the beautiful scent of snowy woodland evergreens indoors.

GIVING GIFTS BENEFITS ALL OF US

As unbelievable as it sounds right now, the holidays are right around the corner. But the “season of gift giving” is not just a pesky budget buster - it’s a way we take care of each other, show love, appreciation and kindness, yet also has bigger benefits for our own hearts and spirits.

Science has shown that the feeling of gratification we get when do something for someone else is the result of neurotransmitters in your brain activating and lighting up. This, in turn, releases oxytocin (the love hormone), giving us a sense of belonging and connection. This happiness and the bonds of relationship continue much longer than the few minutes it takes to rip open the wrapping.

Human beings are hard-wired to be generous and look after each other. Doing something kind, helping someone out, giving to charity, and yes, giving presents to somebody who needs a lift – these are the small acts that give us joy. Can something as simple as gifting a bar of beautiful handmade soap really make your day? Yes! If I’ve learned anything over the years from reading your notes, it’s that sharing your favorite things with family and friends is a win-win - everyone gets to feel good. And if it smells yummy and makes their skin feel great day after day – well, that’s the good stuff. A bottle of wine only lasts an evening, but a bar of soap lasts for weeks. Under the “Gifts” tab on the website, we have a thoughtful selection of soaps, sprays, totes and collections. You’ll find a special something for anyone there.

Let autumn’s magic allow you to pause and cherish the small moments, to linger a little longer, and to celebrate the beauty of change that's woven into the very fabric of the season. In the famous words from somebody’s mother – “All will be well!”


"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day,
"Come o'er the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold."

Soon as the leaves heard the wind's loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
singing the glad little songs they knew.

"Cricket, goodbye, we've been friends so long;
Little brook, sing us your farewell song;
Say you are sorry to see us go;
Ah, you will miss us, right well we know.

"Dear little lambs in your fleecy fold,
Mother will keep you from harm and cold;
fondly we watched you in vale and glade;
Say, will you dream of our loving shade?"

Dancing and whirling, the little leaves went;
Winter had called them, and they were content;
soon, fast asleep in their earthy beds,
The snow laid a coverlid over their heads.
 
- George Cooper

Heidi RisseComment