We've taken Wicked(soaps) to a whole new level

It's been almost 2 years since I started WickedSoaps and it's been a spectacular ride and quite the learning experience.  Running a business while running your life (job, kids, relationships, etc) can be a huge undertaking and sometimes things get out of line.  Perhaps that's not the best way to put it.  The bottom line is, WickedSoaps started to spin a bit out of control.  It wasn't cohesive and organized.  It didn't have the look, the branding, the appeal, that cohesiveness that I originally envisioned when I started the company and see in other successful handmade businesses. 

The first step was a new logo and branding.  I had no idea what exactly I wanted, except for something different.  My search for a new look began with Etsy.  After years of being part of the Etsy community, I knew it was a hotbed of creativity and there were plenty of graphic designers selling their services there. 
After many weeks searching and browsing through shops and work, I stumbled upon a little gem of a shop by the name of The Grapevine Gallery.  I contacted Terra, owner, operator and artist extraordinaire and the rest is history.  She worked with me and turned my vision for WickedSoaps into reality.  To say she did an amazing job would be an understatement.  I cannot tell you how much I love her work.  She provided me with not only a new logo, but a new banner for my Etsy shop (and blog), an avatar icon, and a business card template. 

Set of Three 9 oz Jars of Emulsifying Sugar Scrub

My next step was to take the spectacular new logo and apply it to my packaging.  All new labels for every product I carry.  I'm still in the process of this, but it brings me back to my original point...my shop and business was unorganized.  I had over 50 kinds of soap listed...over 20 scents of lotion...so much in my shop that there was no way I could keep enough pre-made stock on hand, which has meant constantly scrambling to make items to fill orders. Part of the Wicked Overhaul is culling the herd.  Sometimes less is more.  I've said goodbye to quite a few soaps, sugar scrubs, scrub cubes, and lotions (speaking of lotions, I've kicked my pre-made base to the curb and am 99% finished with the creation of my own handmade-from-scratch lotion!  It will be available within the next week, stay tuned!) and kept popular scents and am starting to add some fantastic new choices.

Spiced Vanilla Toffee Goats Milk Soap

I'm still in the process of overhauling WickedSoaps, slowly but surely.  You'll see photos replaced by new ones, labels being replaced, and importantly, new fantastic products making their way into my line-up.  But stick with me kids...I'm going to turn this thing into something I can be more than proud of and a business you'll want to recommend to friends!

Beer: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

OATMEAL STOUT COLD PROCESS SOAP

I recently decided to try a few new beer inspired fragrance oils from one of my favorite suppliers: Oatmeal Stout, Pumpkin Lager, Raspberry Porter, and Honey Ale.  I couldn't use these babies in regular cold process soap with water, no way, Jose.  I had to use real BEER.  And not just any beer, I had to track down the same beers they're named after.  So the hunting began and actually, I didn't have to search long or go far.  New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan (I love buying local!) has their delicious year-round The Poet Oatmeal Stout and just released their seasonal Ichabod Pumpkin Ale.  And would you believe it?  They were available at my local supermarket!  Ding, ding, ding, we have some winners!!

As you can see from the picture above, Oatmeal Stout was the first of these delicious beer soaps to be made and oh my goodness, is it to die for!  WickedSoaps' Oatmeal Stout Cold Process Soap is a full bodied and smooth beer soap blended with Creamy Oatmeal, Orange Peel, Butterscotch, Farm-fresh Milk, Nutty Almond and Rich Vanilla.  Click the photo above or below to purchase this soap from my Etsy shop.

OATMEAL STOUT COLD PROCESS SOAP

This afternoon found me in the kitchen making Pumpkin Lager soap and Raspberry Porter (using one of my personal favorite beers to drink, Shock Top Raspberry Wheat).  Both will be available for purchase in about 4 weeks.

So why use beer soap, you ask?  Well aside from the obvious of being supremely cool and bad ass (c'mon it's BEER SOAP!), beer is actually good for your skin.  Soap made with beer nourishes and conditions skin while creating a rich, thick, creamy lather that you'll love. Try it for shaving!

Wicked sale for a special little boy!

No, no, I'm not selling a kid, that's illegal (although I may or may not joke about selling the children on a daily basis).

Yes, I know, I know....it's been a while since you've seen my lovely face on Blogger, but life, kids, yada yada...

In fact, the reason I'm here today has to do with kids.  One in particular.  Ben, a very special little boy who means the world to me, is in need of a new netbook or laptop for school.  You're probably thinking, "Pfft...that's not a need, that's a luxury" but this little dude is a special needs kiddo with Cerebral Palsy.  So what, you ask?  It's extremely difficult for him to write legibly and he has to use a computer for all of his school work and homework.  Unfortunately, his new school will not provide one for his use. 

Little Dude Ben!

So in hopes to raise some moolah toward a netbook for Ben, WickedSoaps is hosting a Weekend Sale!  Save 25% on everything in my Etsy shop this weekend when you use coupon code "WEEKEND25" during checkout.  100% of all sales this weekend will go toward buying Ben a netbook :)

I have a bunch of new enticing, entirely delicious smell goods since we last met...

Pink Frosted Sugar Cookie Goats Milk Soap

Pumpkin Vanilla Chai Goats Milk Soap

And lots of tried and true WickedSoaps favorites!  So swing on in, take a look around and maybe buy a thing or two and help out a good kid!

Thankfulness and Black Friday Sale

There are so many, things I am thankful for this year...but my #1 is my boy, my sweet, awesome, rockin', absolutely fantastic 7 year old son, Aidan.  You can see him below with his hot, rockin' momma ;-).

As my fellow American's are aware, tomorrow is the day known as Black Friday.  The day that millions of crazy ass people get up before the ass crack of dawn to go fight through crowds and line up with other crazy ass people in order to buy things on sale.  I am not one of those crazy ass people.  I like sleep.  I don't get enough sleep.  I am NOT  interrupting my sleep to stand in line outside of Macy's in 20 degree weather at 4 am behind some chick with a sleeping bag and scary gleam in her eye... If you're like me, you'll be happy to hear this...

WickedSoaps is having a Black Friday sale!  Save 15% on everything in the shop when you use the code "blackfriday" at check-out.  That's right.  15% off EVERYTHING. And best of all?  You don't have to leave your house!

Arctic Ice Limited Edition Soap

Sweet Pumpkin Eggnog Body Polish - Emulsifying Sugar Scrub

Mistletoe & Ivy Goats Milk Soap

Peppermint Creme Body Polish - Emulsifying Sugar Scrub

Spiced Plum Limited Edition Soap

Sale runs now through Friday, November 16th!

Misty's Top Ten

With so many different fragrances to choose from in my shop, I often have people asking me what I would recommend.  As I was working today on some new products, I thought it might be kinda nice to put together a list of my top 10 favorite fragrances.  So...on with my list!

10.  Thai Coconut - A sweet, exotic scent with an Asian flair! An awesome variation of the traditional coconut, this scent combines coconut milk with lemongrass, vanilla and musk.

9.  Frosted Snowdrops embraces a romantic musk & sandalwood background, while providing the aroma of delicate winter flowers. A sinfully wicked choice for the holidays!

8.  Rosemary Mint is a refreshing blend of fresh rosemary mixed with revitalizing mint in our natural goat's milk soap. A wickedly invigorating concoction!

7.  Hawaiian White Ginger conveys the fresh aroma of these lovely white flowers with soft hints of the ginger spice that make them so unique. A soft floral musk anchors the aroma of this beloved fragrance.

6.  Spiced Eggnog - What better way to get into the Holiday spirit than with the heavenly aroma of creamy eggnog swirled with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg?

 

5.  Green Irish Tweed - Dashingly debonair...this scent was made by House of Creed specifically for Cary Grant. A spicy-sweet blend of French verbena and lemon, a green Florentine iris and violet leaves, and sublime notes of Mysore sandalwood and ambergris.

4.  Iced Lemon Biscotti - A zesty lemon rind aroma rounded out with buttery yellow sponge cake, toasted coconut and buttercream frosting.

 

3.  Sea Salt Caramel - You will be more than tempted by this delicious concoction of buttery caramel, brown sugar and rich vanilla! I seriously can't say enough about this soap...the fragrance is to die for!

2.  WickedSoaps' Turkish Mocha Soap has creamy top notes of milk, cardamom, cocoa and a touch of nutmeg. The alluring, complex blend winds down to heady scents of vanilla and honey, and of course, Turkish Coffee. Just imagine yourself in a small corner alley coffee shop in an exotic locale and inhale! If you're a coffee lover, this is a must buy!

1.  My Precioussssssssssss aka Pink Sugar!  One of my favorite scents EVER! I swear, when I use this, I want to eat myself! A fruity blend of cotton candy, lemon drops, caramel and raspberry jam on a dry down of musks. If there was ever a sinful, wicked scent, this is it!

 So, that's Misty's Top Ten list....what are your top favorites from WickedSoaps?

How do you measure a year?

Green Irish Tweed Sugar Body Polish

Tomorrow is a very special day in the life of WickedSoaps...it's the 1 year anniversary of opening my Etsy shop!  One year ago tomorrow on November 5th, thanks to so many of my good friends, I decided to give my new handmade bath and body business a chance and opened up WickedSoaps on Etsy.  This last year has been absolutely amazing! 

I just can't help it...I...must...sing!  *breaks into song*

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?
 
Ahem.  *bows*  Thank you, thank you very much.  I have no idea why I'm selling soap, I obviously have a future on Broadway, right? 

Spiced Eggnog Gift Basket - An AuntieDis and WickedSoaps Collaboration

Well, I dunno about you guys, but for me, this last year has been measured in bars of soap, jars of lotion, tubs of scrub and all other smell goods of the Wicked persuasion being sold.  And how did I measure this last year, kittens?  By 2,053 sales and counting! 

In honor of that, I am throwing a 5 day long Etsyversary Sale!  November 5th (the day I opened my Etsy shop) through November 9th (the day I listed and sold my first item) save 20% on everything in the shop AND get free shipping on all orders of $50 or more (you know how it works...$50 in product, does not include shipping prices, no custom or wholesale orders, yada yada). 

The best part of this?  It's just in time for you to stock up on goodies for holiday gift-giving!

Pumpkin + Cupcakes = 7 Year Old Bliss

So yeah...cupcakes are pretty much the reason my 7 year boy gets up each day.  If the world were suddenly bereft of the little frosted cakes of goodness, I'm sure he'd have a nervous breakdown. 

He may have a small sweet tooth.

He also, like his momma, loves anything pumpkin.  And I do mean love.  Yesterday when I announced that we were going to bake pumpkin cupcakes, I honestly think I saw a hint of lust flicker in his eyes.  Or he may have been farting.  But either way, he grabbed his stool and was at the counter faster than you can stinky.  (I think he really did fart.)

Anywho, I had a request over on Facebook for this recipe, which I got out of the Taste of Home Ultimate Halloween magazine, so without further ado, here it is:

Aidan takes his mixing duties quite seriously.  He may have also snuck a taste or 15.

Surprise Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil (I used regular vegetable oil, which is soybean oil and it worked just fine)
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
 Filling:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg

1. In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into the pumpkin mixture until blended.
2. For filling, in another small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add egg; beat on low until just combined.
3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups one-third full.  Drop filling by tablespoonfuls into the center of each cupcake.  Cover with remaining batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the pumpkin portion comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.  
5. Frost with cream cheese canned frosting; sprinkle with Halloween candies.

Our finished masterpiece!

I have to add that throughout the making of these little frosted nuggets of orgasmic joy, Aidan kept saying, "These are going to be SO good, mom.  Did you taste the mix?  Soooo good.  We make the best cupcakes." 

He was right, they were soooo good.  In fact, there are only two things that would make these babies better....being calorie free and having them fed to me by a naked Gerard Butler while he speaks in that f*ckhot Scottish accent.  Yeah.  I love me some cupcakes...