1st Day of Joy

Traditions

Today I am joyful for family and traditions, warm jammies and bedtime stories, cookies for Santa and visions of sugar plums.



This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 

12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 

11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 

10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 

9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 

8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses

7th Day of Joy - Joy

6th Day of Joy - Wylde Ivy
5th Day of Joy - Warm Gingersnaps
4th Day of Joy - Sparkle 
3rd Day of Joy - Twinkle Lights 
2nd Day of Joy - Giving

2nd Day of Joy

Giving

Today giving made me joyful. Simple and sweet, I'm joyful that we can give.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 

12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 

11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 

10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 

9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 

8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses

7th Day of Joy - Joy

6th Day of Joy - Wylde Ivy
5th Day of Joy - Warm Gingersnaps
4th Day of Joy - Sparkle 
3rd Day of Joy - Twinkle Lights

3rd Day of Joy

Twinkle Lights

Tonight after a long day of last minute holiday errands, a Christmas party, lots of shopping, and a dinner out, we stumbled in the door intend on collapsing onto the couch and watching a movie. A funny thing happened though, quite the opposite. Almost instantly, we decided to head right back out. After a quick change of shoes we walked out into the gorgeous and unseasonably warm night to take a walking tour of the light displays in the center of our town. Two little girls donning Santa hats, my husband, myself, and our dog walked and chatted, pointing out our favorite twinkling lights, festive greens, and shimmering (sparkle!) decorations. We should have been exhausted from pace of the day we had, but a simple, quite, stroll with no destination in mind was more relaxing then any movie could have been.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 

12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 

11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 

10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 

9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 

8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses

7th Day of Joy - Joy

6th Day of Joy - Wylde Ivy
5th Day of Joy - Warm Gingersnaps
4th Day of Joy - Sparkle

4th Day of Joy

Sparkle
 

Glitter makes me happy.  Yes even that rougue glitter that gets on your hands and face and clothes from handling something sparkly.  Perhaps it came with becoming a mother of two girls because I really can't recall a sparkle obsession in my pre child days. 

I love how everything shines this time of year.  Every time some shiny catches my eye, I am just a little more joyful.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 

12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 

11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 

10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 

9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 

8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses

7th Day of Joy - Joy

6th Day of Joy - Wylde Ivy
5th Day of Joy - Warm Gingersnaps

5th Day of Joy

Warm Gingersnaps

In all honesty, we've been eating these all month long!  A fresh batch was cooling on my counter and the sweet warm smelling of ginger and sugar filled the air.

Gingersnaps

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
additional sugar for dusting

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil.  Beat in eggs and molassis.
- In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt.  Gradually add this mixture to the creamed mixture and strill well.
- Shape into 3/4 inch balls and roll in sugar.  Place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until the centers spring back when touched gently.  Cool on wire racks (though these are best when slightly warm!)


This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 
10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 
9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 
8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses 
7th Day of Joy - Joy 
6th Day of Joy - Wylde Ivy

6th Day of Joy

Wylde Ivy

As I carried the last load of Wylde Ivy orders into my house to await pickup tomorrow morning, I realized again for the one millionth time how much I love my job. I spend most of my waking hours running and multi-tasking. It's the way I'm built. I love that pace, but far too often in all the bustle I let my mind be over run with to do lists and worries and deadlines. When life slows down and I think about my business, a deluge of gratitude falls over me for all the wonderful people from all over the world I have met because of Wylde Ivy. As if that wasn't enough, I've grown so much as a person, learned so many new skills, and got braver in taking chances. Every single day I find joy in an email or a note from a customer. Sometimes I'm lucky enough for someone to share a story about how one of my products has touched their day. Funny, joyful, serious, or inspiring, these I cherish every one of these shared stories. 

So, on this cold, clear December night and way past my bedtime, I am joyful for my little perfume shop on the web.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 
10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 
9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 
8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses
7th Day of Joy - Joy

7th Day of Joy

Joy

Source: etsy.com via Eileen on Pinterest

The biggest lesson of my adult life (thus far) is that you cannot expect joy. You must choose it. My little joy today, which is not little at all, is the realization of this.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 
10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 
9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk 
8th Day of Joy - Gingerbread Houses

8th Day of Joy

Gingerbread Houses...

with coconut snow made by tiny hands.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 
10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music 
9th Day of Joy - A Winter Walk

9th Day of Joy

A Winter Walk

Today I'm joyful for the chance to take a little break from the chaos that comes with December. We bundled up and took a quite winter walk.  We were surrounded in utter slience.  Even the wind did not rustle a leaf.  The only sound that pierced the frozen December afternoon was the cry of a gliding hawk....oh yeah, and my three year old twins rumbling and shrieking down the trail.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  To keep things simple for me, all photos for this series were taken with my iphone and processed with Instagram.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter 
10th Day of Joy - Old Christmas Music

10th Day of Joy

Old Christmas Music



Growing up, my mom filled our house with Christmas music...just as often in July as in December. My first memories were of them were being played on vinyl on her giant stereo in our living room. Over the years, my sister and I have constantly teased her about her Christmas music and movie obsession. The truth is though that nothing gives me that warm, homey, childlike wonder about the season the way that old music does. I've been playing music for my girls (on my ipod rather then my record player). I found lots of fun modern songs sung by cartoon characters and from movies they've seen, but I still find myself pulled towards the originals over the music that has been released in recent decades.

My joy for today is rocking the neighborhood with my Bing, Nat, Elvis, Judy, Burl, Brenda, and the rest of the gang.

My apologies to our 22 year old neighbors....you'll totoally get it in about 10 years.

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter

11th Day of Joy

A Handwritten Letter

I correspond with people all day long and close to seven days a week. I spend countless hours typing away. Emails, text messages, convos, status updates, tweets, tags, instant messages....the history of my adult life neatly organized into to short typed blurbs.

Real mail, the paper kind that gets delivered to the house has turned into nothing more then a mundane daily task of weeding out the bills from the junk. Aside from packages arriving with handmade goodies that I always look forward to, nothing special is ever delivered by the way of paper mail.

This time of year, our postal carrier's sack is extra loaded. More junk mail and credit offers, store flyers, and of coarse the annual avalanche of holiday cards arrived at our door everyday.  I always look forward to that avalanche. I love Christmas cards...the colors, the glitter, and the photos.

Yesterday however, I get an extra special treat. Something arrived at my door so rare in these times that I actually cannot remember the last time I received one. What is this elusive little piece of joy? It was something so simple....a handwritten letter. In a time of being connected with the world, but hardly connected at all, what a beautiful little treasure.

Consider brightening the day of someone you know with some simple written words.  

A special thanks to Grace of Grace's Garden Walk for the little piece of joy brought to my day. 

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  See also: 
12th Day of Joy - Cinnamon

12th Day of Joy

It's that time of year when people are celebrating many different holidays and traditions.  My family and I celebrate Christmas.  We do the tree and Santa, cook a ton of food and consume too many cookies.  Over the years, Christmas has become so much more for me.  It is a time of reflection, graditutes, family, giving, charity, finding joy, and for slowing down and living life.  It all comes easliy for me, especially this time of year except the last one.  I'm hardwired to multitask.  I have an insane desire to do it all...myself.  

Since Thanksgiving I've been making a point to slow down and enjoy my family and the magic of this time of year.  I've even been enjoying the overcrowded stores this year (I can only say that because almost all of the gifts I'm giving this year were either handmade or purchased online).  

The girls are nearly four years old now and everything is so much fun to experience with them.    For the past few weeks, we've been honoring some old family traditions and starting new ones. 

For the next twelve days, I'll pop in and share some things that are bringing me joy this year. 

Making cinnamon applesauce ornaments.  Cinnamon has to be one of my favorite "home" smells.  I cook with it every morning and in the winter, I overload my home with the warm aroma.  I place the drying cookie sheets on top of my radiator and for two days the house smells incredible. 

This post is part of 12 Days of Joy where I am celebrating the holiday season by sharing simple little joys in my life.  See also: 
11th Day of Joy - A Handwritten Letter

Frosted Mornings

Of coarse I've been thinking about the holidays and the winter season. Here in Pennsylvania, we had been having unseasonably warm weather. Though that made me very happy as I do not enjoy our long months of winter here on the east coast, it does not feel like Christmas is just two weeks away. We awoke two days ago to our first heavy frost. The rising morning sun shining through the glistening ice. Mist rising from the warming rooftops. This is what December should feel like. I enjoy buying and making handmade Christmas gifts. Etsy is always my first stop. I love supporting the handmade movement and I couldn't help but be drawn to the cool frosty images today.

Retiring Scents and Returning Favorites

So I agonized and I put it off for far too long, but it is finally finished now. The following are the scents that will be retiring in September to make room for all the new fall and winter goodies I’ve been working on. These scents will be retired mid September. I don’t have an exact date yet since I want their retirement to coincide with the release of the new scents. I just want to give you a little notice so you can plan now or perhaps stock up with this handy 15% coupon code! 15% off any size order through August 31st with code 15FORALL82011. This applies to any size order and I still have the flat $5.99 shipping special going on. The code can by used in my Etsy shop too! The only catch is that I will be closed during this time. I’ll be reopening on September 1st, so order turnaround time will be a little longer then usual.

Without further ado, the retirement list:

From the Spring and Summer Line
Azure
Black Sands Coconut
Creamy Coconut
Crush
Daydreamer
Dragonfly Blue
Dreaming of Violets
Electric Berry
Forgotten Rose
Green Tea Sorbet
Iced Mango
Island Beauty
Island Height Tea
Juicy
Just a Kiss
Of a Citron Sea
Pale Vanilla
She Sells Sea Shells
Shine
Sun Tea
Violet Sun

From my Main Collection
Chocolate Rose Crème
Green Grass
Indigo Moon
Modern Zen
Olive Leaf & Lemon
Pom Acai
Raindancer
Sandcastles

I’ve been working on some awesome new scents for fall but I’ll also be bringing back the best sellers from last year. Here’s a sneak peek at the 2011 Fall and Winter Collection (just the returning scents for now…I’ll give you a sneak peek at the new ones in September)
Amber Chai
Autumn’s Promise
Ember
Ginger & Brulee
Gingered Vanille
Pumpkin Masquerade
Woodland Cider
Woodland Orchard

I'm not missing, I'm just living....plus some shop talk

Hey all! I just wanted to pop in quick and say hi. I can't believe the last time I was here was in May. I knew the summer was going to go quick this year but, yet again, here I am wondering how on earth it is August already. I should have put it into writing that I was going to be taking a break from the internet for the summer....well as much of a break as I can while still running and online business. I've been trying to spend less time online this summer....less blogging, less facebook, less twitter. I've been saving up all those tiny moments stolen by the internet to get outside for a walk or even just sit on the couch and just watch tv with my girls (something I never give myself the luxury of doing).

There is only one month of summer left, one more beach vacation for my family, one last farewell to the summer solstice. In September, I'll be getting back into my usual routine around here.

Though I've been trying to keep myself unplugged as much as possible, I'm still logging in shop time planning my fall and winter line, getting soaps ready to be restocked, and trying to lure the "Monsters" out of hiding.

This year I plan to release my fall and winter scents as well as retire my spring and summer scents in the middle of September. I am working on a list of retiring scents now, which will be posted shortly. I'm just dragging it out and agonizing endlessly over the cut list. The Monsters in Love Collection will also be available starting mid September too!

I have a small soap restock coming in a few days with a larger one to follow next month. Up for release this month are Blackberry Cotton Candy, White Lavender, Unscented Castile Milk Soap, and Sweet Oat. I have a new and gorgeous Almond Meal and Oatmeal soap that is ready to go too. I haven't decided if I'll release that one this month or wait until the big release next month. Thoughts anyone?

Just a quick little reminder that I'll be closed August 18 - September 1st....toiling away over freshly made soaps and vials of newly created scents. That for me is pure love!


Oh yeah, and I'll also be out walking.

Name Those Scents Results

I think I am done! Choosing the winning names was beyond difficult. I had so many that I loved I ended up need to enlist some help from my friends and family. Even after I had their choices I spent a good two hours over analyzing and agonizing further. I think I gave myself a headache!

Here they are...hope you enjoy them!

1. She’s so Flirty
She’s so sweet and so seductive. Her sweetness draws you in and her seduction ensnares you. She is charm, allure, and attraction in a petite, sapphire eyed, scarlet lipped package. She may be playing you, but it feels so good you choose not to care. She’s so cute. She’s so sweet. She’s so captivating. She’s so flirty.
Notes of: Chilled green apple, smooth vanilla musk, white amber, sandalwood, a hint of jasmine petals, and citrus peel.

2. Of a Citron Sea
I have dreams of sapphire skies and endless emerald meadows, of crystal waters rushing to caress pristine white sands. I have dreams of hill top orchards where plump fruit hangs heavy on the branches and sweet wild flowers grow. I have dreams of late afternoon haze where a golden sun bathes my face in lavish warmth. I have dreams of a citron sea.
Notes of: Sweet lemons on the branch, green leaves, sun warmed wildflowers, crushed kiwi, and a slight breeze of warm salty ocean air

3. She Walked Delicately
She had been known to wonder into the cool fading light of the approaching twilight, collecting wildflowers and breathing in the silence and solitude of the blossoming nightfall. In bare feet she walked delicately, almost silently, slipping gracefully through the tall grasses and low trees. Each night, pausing to gaze into the reflected moon on the still glass pool where the wild narcissus grew, she remembered him.
Delicate and demure, hauntingly feminine. Sweet and fresh without being cloying or heavy.
Notes of: lotus blossom, bergamot, bamboo leaves, summer apples, jasmine, white amber, green musk, and sparkling narcissus

4. Just a Kiss
Hot summer nights on the boardwalk, at a carnival, or under a simple street light are always the perfect place for little stolen kisses and uncontrollable giggles.
Outgoing and fun, a flirty blend of jasmine and orange peels, warm sandalwood, emerald ferns, shimmering white florals, bluebells, and sheer musk

5. Island High Tea
I can think of no better place for a tea party then on a sun soaked beach, beneath the rustling palm trees. Sun bleached china sits atop a rough wooden table covered in a tissue thin drape of white fabric. A tea party in paradise. Sun brewed red tea infused with fresh coconut and vanilla beans and a touch of sugar cubes and lemon.

6. Black Sands Coconut
A brooding blend of fresh cracked coconut infused with deep, dark bourbon vanilla beans, and a touch of dried driftwood

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you everyone for playing along. I loved so, so many of them. I have saved all submissions and hope to try and formulate some scents inspired by the names and stories in the future. If I do, you'll be hearing from me!

Name That Scent

or I should say, Name Those Scents!

I have six new scents all ready to go that are, at the moment, nameless. A few days ago I was venting via my facebook and twitter accounts when some lovely people offered to help. So here it is, I'm asking for help!

Help me name my new scents and not only will you get the thrill of seeing your creativity immortalized on a perfume bottle (a bit dramatic I know but I've been inside way too long today and it has me a bit punchy), you will also win a $20 gift certificate to my shop!

If you are feeling extra ambitious and are the type who likes to go for the extra credit you can also submit a fun, eloquent, and/or dramatic (there it is again) description to go with the name. You know I always like a good little story to go along with my scents.

Here are the notes and the briefest description of the scents. I'm excited to see what you come up with. I'm purposely not giving you any idea of what my inspiration was for the scents just because I'm really curious to see how your visions compare to the ones I had when creating them.

The Scents
1 - Sweet, playful, warm, and sexy.
Chilled green apple, smooth vanilla musk, white amber, sandalwood, a hint of jasmine petals, and citrus peel.

2 - Sweet lemons on the branch, green leaves, sun warmed wildflowers, crushed kiwi, and a slight breeze of warm salty ocean air

3 - Delicate and demure, hauntingly feminine. Sweet and fresh without being cloying or heavy.
Notes of lotus blossom, bergamot, bamboo leaves, summer apples, jasmine, white amber, green musk, and sparkling narcissus

4 - Outgoing and fun, a flirty blend of jasmine and orange peels, warm sandalwood, emerald ferns, shimmering white florals, bluebells, and sheer musk

5 - Sun brewed red tea infused with fresh coconut and vanilla beans and a touch of sugar cubes and lemon

6 - A brooding blend of fresh cracked coconut infused with deep, dark bourbon vanilla beans, and a touch of dried driftwood

The How To's and Rules
1. To enter, please use the contact form on my website which you can find by clicking here
2. Please reference the number of the scent with the name and/or description you are sending me
3. You may enter as many names as you would like
4. In the event that I choose a name that has been submitted by more then one person, the first person who submitted it will be the winner.
5. I will accepting submissions until 3:00pm EST on Monday May 3rd. Winning names will announced later that evening.
6. The creator of each chosen name will receive a $20 gift certificate to my shop.
7. Have fun!

The Water Here and Help for Japan

I don't seem to be getting as much done these days as I should be. I could have something to do with my inability to rip my eyes away from the news and the unfolding tragedy in Japan. Our hearts go out to everyone effected by the quake, tsunami, and devastation that has resulted. That is it. The words just seem so small compared to what my family and I are feeling for the victims. I've tried for days now to write something eloquent that would truly express our thoughts, but I simply can't find the right words. Perhaps they don't exist for times like these.

Things are moving slower then usual for me now since I had to evacuate my shop due to flooding again two weeks ago. Unlike the 2006 flood (archived posts from July 2006 can be found here ) where my shop was submerged in over seven feet of water almost too quickly for much to be saved, this time around we were much better prepared. We were able to spend an entire day emptying my four room shop. Almost everything from my shop ended up stacked up in my kitchen, living room, pantry, and computer room of my house. Can you say cluttered? I wish I would have thought to take pictures of that. Well, I actually I do have a really funny picture of my kitchen so full of stuff that my husband is crawling on the counter to get over to where our cell phone chargers were stored. For his sake, I won't post that...unless he makes me angry...then all bets are off!

Thankfully, this time we only ended up getting a few inches of water and we did not need to evacuate our home. The bags were packed and by the door, but were wonderfully unnecessary. The only thing I lost was a big old bottle of violet scented oil that fell to the ground and smashed while I was putting it away. Whew, that was pretty potent for a few days. In fact my husband told me that you could smell it halfway down the block...and none of my windows where open!

What took five adults an entire day to pack up and move is taking me days and days to put back (in a methodical and organized fashion that is). It's been slow going but I would take this any day over the loss that we experienced in 2006. As humbled as we were with that situation, I know that it in no way compares to what hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing right now in Japan alone. I can't stop thinking about it and wishing that there was something more we could do to help.

Help Japan, by Rob Dobi, can be purchased here

I really wanted to be able to do something on a business level, like a special shopping day with profits going to Japan, but at this point I'm just not able to work quickly and effectively enough do anything on a grand scale. I'm still considering some options so perhaps I'll be able come up with something that I'll be able to manage. In the meantime, here are some resources that I found to help support Japan beyond the traditional monetary donations.

Posie Gets Cozy has a complied a list of crafters donating to the cause. You can view that post here

Handmade for Japan will be holding an Ebay auction started tomorrow (March 24th) with over 100 pieces of art created by 95 artists. You can read more about that here and find them on facebook here (you can preview what will be up for auction).

Love Free Perfume?

It's Valentine's Day weekend and I'm giving away a free perfume with orders over $40.00! Simply add at least $40 worth of merchandise to your shopping cart and then choose your perfume! No coupon code is necessary, the discount will be applied automatically.

Twice as nice! If you order is over $75.00, you get two free perfumes! Simply leave me a message in the comments box with your perfume choice and I'll be sure to include it.

Offer ends February 14, 2011 at midnight EST.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Coming and Going

I need spring to be here. Actually I need summer! The ground here has been snow covered for far, far too long. At this point I'd even welcome the muddy soupy mess that is our yard each March. Even though it is still only three degrees outside, I still get to plan for spring here at Wylde Ivy.

Planning for spring means deciding which scents will go into hibernation and which scents will be emerging again come March 1st.

The following scents will be retiring until next fall:
Amber Chai
Autumn's Promise
As American as Apple Pie
Chocolate Mint Truffle
Berry Crimson
Ember
Gingered Vanille
Ginger Brulee
Pumpkin Masquerade
Triple W
Umber
Woodland Cider
Woodland Orchard
Winter Cranberry
Yuletide

The following are the scents that will be available again on March 1st:
Azure
Crush
Daydreamer
Dreaming of Violets
Electric Berry
Green Tea Sorbet
Island Beauty
Pale Vanilla
She Sells Sea Shells
Sun Tea
Violet Sun

I'm still working on the re-release list and of coarse working on some all new scents. If there are any spring and summer seasonal scents that you'd like to see brought back, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Lemon Cream Cheese Cake

I adapted this recipe from Martha's Meyer Lemon Cupcake recipe which can be found in the Martha Steward Cupcakes book (which I'm absolutely loving by the way!) I just made a few minor changes to the recipe, like using salted butter instead of unsalted, regular lemons instead of Meyer, and of coarse I made a cake instead of cupcakes. I very much like to cook and bake with what I have on hand. If I need to buy special ingredients or *gasp* plan ahead, it usually doesn't happen. I am going to give you the recipe for the cupcakes and at the end I'll include the changes that I made for the cakes. This recipe makes a ton of cupcakes. If you are making them for personal consumption and not planning on sharing them with a crowd of people, you may want to half the recipe or plan on freezing some.

A little preemptive warning. These cakes are dense, very very dense. It is much for of a pound cake type of consistency.

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (Martha called for Meyer lemon zest)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (Martha called for Meyer lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 3/4 cups (3 1/2 sticks) of butter, room temperature (Martha called for unsalted)
3 cups granulated sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
7 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- Preheat oven to 325. Line standard sized muffin tins with liners.
- Whisk together flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in cream cheese.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low until each is well incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in lemon juice and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture in three batches, and be sure to only beat until the batter is just combined
- Divide evenly among the cups filling each about three quarters of the way full.
- Bake for 28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

***Changes I make when baking this as a cake***
Warning, math ahead! If you are anything like me, this is when your brain with shut off to protect itself.
- I wanted to make a mini cake so I used two 6" inch cake pans.
- I halved the above recipe and it fit perfectly
- I baked the cakes just about 20 minutes longer then the time quoted for the cupcakes at the same temperature of 325). Basically I set my timer for the 28 minutes and then checked it every five minutes after that.

I filled this cake with a really easy homemade Lemon Curd that I made in the microwave, believe it or not! You can find the recipe for that here
Easy Lemon Curd on All Recipes
I've made this Curd a few times now and it has always come out great...even though microwaving eggs seems scary. I do strain the curd (you must do this as soon as it is done cooking and screaming hot) to removing and teeny, tiny bits of egg that have cooked. Seriously though, it has always been such a minute amount that I really don't have to strain it. I'm just a little particular about that. Oh, and I also omit the zest since Jeremy doesn't like chewing his curd...ha!

I didn't forget the recipe

For those of you who may be out there waiting, beaters and butter in hand...I didn't forget you! This is what I've been doing instead.

I've been working very late nights in the shop and by the time I quit, pick up all the kid debris that is strewn about our living room, exercise (yes my sanity is questionable when I only start exercising at 11:45pm but it does relax me), and then stew myself in a hot bath while I catch up on some of the blogs I'm subscribed to...I'm pretty much unable to form a cohesive sentence. See, my case in point, look at the size of that last sentence. Surely I must have broken at least six grammer laws there.

I could just throw up a link to the recipe on some other website but I want to give you the full experience. So I'll see you tomorrow then!

The Month of Birthdays

That's right, I have birthdays galore in February. I'll be a cake making machine by month's end. The first is my mom's. The girls and I made her a lemon cream cheese cake with lemon curd filling. Yes, we are a family of lemon lovers. We still have a nice layer of ice coating everything outside so I wanted something to brighten up my mom's day with something sunny looking. What better then a tangy lemon cake and a pile of happy little daisies. The girls are getting to be quite proficient in the kitchen already. My secret evil plan to have them both go to culinary school and then of coarse repay me in culinary delights is coming along quite nicely.

They helped me mold the flowers (eating about half as many as they completed) and then color in the centers after they were dried. They also helped me stick the flowers onto the cake. Ah, marshmallow fondant...the world's yummiest play-doh.

I'll stop by tomorrow and share the recipe.

Treasury Tuesday

I made another Treasury. This one was inspired by the weather here the past few weeks...gray, somber, but beautiful.

A Gray Morning


For those that may not be Etsy addicts like me, Treasuries are beautiful collections of Etsy wares that members curate around a certain theme or color scheme. It is just a fun way to share all the beautiful, unique, and wonderful handmade goodies that can be found on Etsy. If you are very new to Etsy, you can check out the Help section for answers to all of your questions (and possibly set up your own account to buy and sell!). Support Handmade!

Hello February

February already and I know that I’ve (or I should say Wylde Ivy) was very quite in January. I’ve been working behind the scenes recovering form the chaos that is the holiday season and gearing up for the spring season. My business was exceptionally busy this holiday season….thank you to all out there! I was actually caught off guard a little and of coarse the holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without me trying to accomplish more then is feasibly possible for a mere mortal. I worked very hard but the holidays this year were magical. How could they not be with two “almost three year olds” in the house.

I took about a week after the holidays to recoup and change gears a little. Since then I’ve been working in the shop, still revamping my work stations to flow better with my work style now. I’ve been really looking hard at how I work and trying to find ways to make better use of my time. This means reorganizing my equipment and supplies, setting up my work stations a little differently, and of coarse purging some clutter that has been in my way. By clutter I mean the dribs and drabs of old packaging that I no longer use, soap mold in sizes that are no longer needed, old paper work and such. That is the thing about owning your own business. You must constantly evolve. Evolving means leaving behind what doesn’t work and reaching for new ideas and inspiration. I leave behind clutter when I evolve. It’s just me. I’ve been working at decluttering for a long time. Actually it was part of my resolutions for 2010 believe it or not. I’ve done really well at decluttering my personal life, but business life if a little harder for me. It is hard for me to admit that supplies I invested in are no longer needed and even harder for me to let them go. Oh I could go on and on about that subject, perhaps I’ll will later on. Right now I just wanted to do a quick catch up for the new year.



I had quite a few custom projects that I worked on in the beginning of the month. They are done and shipped or the soaps are curing and now it is time for me to start planning and getting ready for the upcoming spring season. I love saying that. SPRING! As I type this, we have piles of ice crusted snow on the ground and temps have been in the single digits at night. The sun rarely shines in January here. Our days are gray. This is the time I year I like to start thinking about sparkling fruit scents, dewy florals, and airy breezy scents as I envision lush wildflower meadows and gentle floating butterflies….perhaps even an old wooden swing hung from a giant Oak tree or a majestic Weeping Willow tickling the edge of a pond with it’s long tendrils….a place where everyone carries fresh farm eggs and produce home in wicker baskets and woman where grand floppy brim hats. Yep, that is how I get through the freezing months here, with sun soaked fairy tale like visions and run on sentences. Clearly watching Howards End the other days has not influenced my daydreams in the least.



Ok, out of Edwardian England and back to my workshop where the first order of business is to plan which scents I’ll be retiring next month and which scents will return from the spring and summer season last year. Keep your eye here for the retiring list coming in a few days. Most of the winter and autumn scents will have to be put away to make room for the new season scents. I have a few new scents that are in the works too, but it is just a little too early to be able to talk about that.

Soap is also in the works. I'm restocking my shop and getting ready for the new season of soaps scents! Today, my shop smells like Sandcastles and my beloved Shine soap. I restocked a few soaps today like Violetta, Rhassoul Glow, Sweet Oat, Black Tea Jasmine, and Sweet Alpine.