Anne-Marie Faiola, Author at Soap Queen

The Resolution Winner

January 9, 2010 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

I started the year off with a contest asking you to share your 2010 goals. Thanks to all who participated. I had a blast reading them all. They were truly inspirational!

I’ll bet you’re wondering who the lucky winner is, right? Truly, everyone that chose a goal and committed to acting on it is a winner. There were 73 comments on the post (including mine) and only one fabulous prize. Amber picked a lucky number between 1 and 73…

CONGRATULATIONS to comment 29, di Palermo Body!

You’ve just won a Soapylove Delectable Desserts Fragrance Set, a Striped Heart Mold, a Checkered Heart Mold and a super cool Soap Queen T-Shirt (like the one I’m wearing below)! Woo hoo! Just email me at info(at)brambleberry(dot)comwith your shipping address and I’ll pop your goodies in the mail!

Good luck with your 2010 goals everyone. With writing your goals down and committing yourself to your best year ever, I know you’ll stick with them!

I’m Ready for my Close-Up!

January 9, 2010 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Today we’re filming episodes for Soap Queen TV. It makes for one exhausting, but super FUN day (thanks to my fabulous crew).

We had cupcakes delivered from Cupcake Royale, Seattle’s best cupcakes (in my opinion)! And did I mention we have snacks? We’re loaded with cheese, crackers, pita bread, fruit, hummus, veggies, cookie dough, tiramisu and more cheese – a little something for everyone’s taste.

Here I am multi-tasking (as usual), while Amber ties my new screen-printed Soap Queen apron. Didn’t they turn out cute? Way to go Amber! I’m hoping that while I’m gone to Saudi Arabia next Friday that she shows you some behind-the-scenes photos from making these.

Ok, gotta run. I might be in trouble for sneaking off to do a quick blog post. Have a great weekend everyone!

Non-Bleeding Colors from Bramble Berry

January 6, 2010 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

What is a bleeding colorant? Bleeding colorants are usually dyes or FD&C colors that tend to migrate into other layers of your soap over time (see picture below). Sometimes it can look super cool if you’re trying to blend your colors (a la tie dyed soap), but usually it just looks a little sloppy.For sharp, clean lines, pick from the list below!

Bleeding Colorants

Non-Bleeding Colorants

Want to learn how to make the soap above? Check out Soap Queen TV for a step by step tutorial!

Micas…

Antique Blue
Copper Sparkle
Light Gold
Merlot
Opalescent Green
Opalescent Turquoise
Patina Sheen
Red Blue
Rose Pearl
Sparkle Violet
Vintage Grey
Luster Black
Aqua Pearl
Blue Green Mica
Cappuccino
Mauvey Gem
Silver Mica
Sparkle Violet
Super Pearly White Mica

Liquid…

Black
Blue
Brown
Non-Bleeding Red
Liquid Red (brick red)
Non-Bleeding Violet
Deep Purple
Pink
White
Yellow
Green

Sweet Treat Colorant SetOxides…Yellow
Burgundy
Green Chrome
Brick Oxide
Ultramarine Blue
Hydrated Chrome Green
Ultramarine Violet
Black Oxide
Brown Oxide
Titanium Dioxide

Violet Oxide

Favorite Books of 2009

January 5, 2010 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

I am super lucky because every three-four years, I miraculously convince Elle magazine to let me review books for them. I reviewed 14 books for them and loved every single minute of the process. Elle’s editors are amazing at picking the books for me to review and they are all fabulous. Elle asked me to vote for my favorite book out of the ones I had reviewed for them; the book I chose was:

Honolulu

This book follows a young Korean girl as she flees her oppressive household to greener pastures in Hawaii. In 1914, “picture brides” are common and Jin, our smart and adventurous heroine, takes advantage of the shortage of women in Hawaii to become betrothed (sight unseen) to a Korean farm worker. Despite her Father’s extreme displeasure, she finds the courage to learn to read and escapes to Hawaii. Things do not work out as planned and the rest of the book chronicles her new life, with its challenges and triumphs. Adding to the depth of the book is how deftly the author weaves the stories of other “picture brides” in with Jin’s as all of the original “picture brides” live out their destinies in their new homeland. One of the most appealing parts of this book was how the author wove in real historical events with his fictional characters. This book was a history lesson that was additive and intriguing.

Other notables I read last year and loved:

Under the Dome by Stephen King – Like “Lord of the Flies” for grown-ups, this story had me hooked from the first chapter. A small town is cut off from the outside by a giant, invisible dome – power struggles commence and factions develop with frightening speed, building to an inevitably exciting end.

Sweetwater by Roxana Robinson – A woman trying to get over a devastating tragedy and newly remarried goes to spend a weekend at a Kennedy’esque style lake escape only to be confronted by elements beyond her control and a surprising second chance at relationship.

Lima Nights by Marie Arana – Disturbing subject matter (older man, underage girl) but elegantly written, beautifully crafted storyline that somehow suspends judgement in its lyrical wording.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett – Tells the story of being hired help in a small town; eye opening with absolutely riveting characters and plot line.

The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge – All about neuroplasticity and how we can train our brains to do almost anything and change our patterns for the better; also an interesting insight into how our brains can get used to almost anything (good or bad).

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell – Explains the hidden patterns in every day life and what makes some people great and others struggle constantly. The book was incredibly eye opening and I referred to it in conversation many, many times in 2009.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks – Details the plague affecting a small town in the 1600s; excellent research and beautiful writing despite a tragic subject matter.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer – Despite its slightly schmaltzy set up, an engaging look into what happened in the Channel Islands during World War II told from a variety of fictionarl character’s viewpoints through letters. Likable characters and broadly drawn villains make it easy to follow along and root for our heroine.

The Piano Teacher by Janice Lee– Tells the story of two love affairs of one main character, set 10 years apart and gives depth to the story by exploring the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese.

And, in case you missed it the above: Honolulu by Alan Brennert –Tells the story of ‘picture brides’ who left Korea to move to Hawaii to have a new life in the early 1900s. Heavy on the research and excellent in character development.

Do you have any book suggestions? What did you read and love in 2009?

Salted Caramel Choco-Beer Cupcakes

January 4, 2010 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

I found this recipe on The Brooklyn Kitchen Blog and have been waiting for the perfect occasion to try it out. Today marks the day of a Brambleversary- Happy 10 Year Anniversary, Norm!

Since my hubby was out with the boys last night, I spent the evening in the kitchen, baking away. This recipe is a 3 step process that took about 2 hours total. But this is not your average cupcake, people. It’s a melt in your mouth, salted caramel delicacy and a MUST try recipe!

Cake
1 cup flavorful dark beer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (I used 1 tsp)
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine the beer and butter in a large sauce pan and heat to melt.
Remove from heat; whisk in the cocoa, sugar, and espresso.
In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then mix with the beer mixture.
Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter.
Pour into cupcake pan (you can go a little more than ¾ full on these) and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely on a rack. *I cooked my large cupcakes for 17 minutes and my mini cupcakes for 11 minutes. They turned out perfect.*

Salted Caramel
4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat—stir with a wooden spoon to combine
Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium/medium-low heat for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
Do not stir from this point on, but once the mixture starts to turn brown at the edge you should carefully shake/swirl the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Be careful. The mixture will bubble up! (*it doubles in size so make sure the saucepan has plenty of room at the top)
Stir the mixture. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
Pour into a heat-safe measuring cup.
Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick and warm, about 20 minutes.

*It took about 13 minutes for the caramel to turn to an even amber color.

Frosting
1.5 sticks butter at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese
4-5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup salted caramel (from recipe above)

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
Add 3/4 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
Sift rest of powder sugar, in 1 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire.

*I ended up adding an extra two cups of powdered sugar (so 7 cups total!) so it wasn’t so runny.

To Assemble: Frost the cakes, drizzle leftover caramel on top, and sprinkle a few grains of salt on each one. I used Dean & Deluca Murray River Pink Salt for the Brambleversary ones and it was perfection in a grain. Top with a chocolate covered espresso bean if you’re feeling fancy. Pair with the rest of your beer (or a glass of milk – these are rich fabulous cupcakes)! Makes 22-24 cupcakes.

Forming Lasting Habits

January 3, 2010 Filed Under: Business Musings

Last year, I read a statistic that changed my evening routine; the statistic was that flossing can lengthen your life by up to 6 years. The bacteria in plaque at the gumline contributes to periodontal disease but worse, is linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

All my life I had known that flossing was good for me. My dentists had been telling me that for years. I would floss diligently in the 2 weeks before my cleanings but the slack off again. But, when I read that statistic, I knew I had to take action.

So, I made a goal with my accountability group. It was simple: I will floss once every day. Every Friday, I checked in with my accountability group – did I do it or did I not? It wasn’t the only thing on my goal list that quarter that was a new habit. Everything else was a ‘tablestake’ (working out, eating healthy, business goals). By only having one new thing in my routine to accomplish and focus on, it didn’t overwhelm my me.

Jack Canfield in his book “The Success Principles” suggests only working on 4 new habits for the entire year and choosing one per quarter. He says, “Research shows that if you repeat a behavior for 13 weeks -whether it is meditating for 20 minutes a day, flossing your teeth, reviewing your goals, or writing thank-you letters to your clients – it will be yours for life.”

So, in addition to making your goals SMART (see definition below), consider chunking up your goals into bite sized, manageable chunks adding only **one new habit** per quarter. This will give you a better chance at success.

As for me, 1 year later, I’m still flossing every night. This quarter, my new habit will be to have 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. So, look over your goals that you posted about on this post and ask yourself: “Are they smart?” and “Which ONE new thing would I like to tackle this quarter?” The rest can wait until Quarters 2, 3 and 4.

To give yourself a better chance at success for your goals, they should be:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time Oriented

A generic: “Get Healthy” goal is none of these. Breaking down “Get Healthy” into something that is SMART looks like:

I will lose 10 pounds by April 15th. To do this, I will work out 5 times per week, eat a salad daily for lunch 5 times a week and limit my wine intake to 4 glasses per week.

Resolutions to Have a Life in 2010

January 1, 2010 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

It’s my favorite time of year – goal setting, reflection and planning. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I plan all year long and use tools like Mastermind Groups and Accountability Groups to help keep me on track. Despite external challenges last year, it was still a blessed year with love, laughter and joy. As I said in this blog post (My New Normal), “I’m not waiting around for the market to turn around to lay plans for my better future.” My better future involves all the intangible work-life balance things that are so difficult to master and even more difficult to practice regularly. This upcoming year, I will be focusing on business (as usual) but focusing even more on the underlying things that make me truly happy (family, friends, hobbies, community). For me, these things boil down to:

1. Resolve to spend more quality time with family – My family is first in my life. I find joy and reward in spending time with them. They help to keep things in perspective and I genuinely like them. I resolve to spend at least 6 weekends with my family in 2010.

2. Resolve to eat more colorful foods – The studies are clear; diet matters for your energy levels and life longevity. It boils down to non-processed, no soda, no additives and eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. I resolve to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

3. Resolve to give back – Bramble Berry has always given a percentage of profits to worthy non-profits; it is a foundation for our company. My husband and I also donate our money and our time volunteering. It feels good to help others and 2010 will continue and build on our commitment to gratitude and sharing.

4. Resolve to be diligent with work outs – If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’m faithful with my workouts. They’re essential to my sanity and my staff like working with me much more when I’ve exercised. This year I resolve to try new forms of working out like paddle boarding and Zumba.

5. Resolve to do meaningful things with friends – It can be lonely being self-employed. Opening up to a select group of trusted friends has been a wonderful stress outlet and 2010 is going to continue on this by doing meaningful (defined as over 4 hours doing an activity like hiking, spa time, group goal setting) activity with close friends monthly.

I have an entire list of goals around work that I will execute on faithfully this year but the personal work-life balance is where I struggle. I’m excited to share these goals with you and want to hear what your goals are for a better future in 2010. This year, I want to interact even more with the Soap Queen Community and I’m kick-starting the year off right with a contest! Anyone that posts a comment on this post **with one or more goals for your better future** will be entered to win pack of carefully curated goodies from me (including a sneak peak at SoapyLove’s new mold design!).

What are you goals this year? Post them and inspire us all!

Copper Penny & Emerald Mica Tests

December 31, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Patti has done another incredible batch of soap and I wanted to share her comments about soaping up with some of our new micas. The batch below was made with White Pearl Mica, Green Chrome Oxide and Emerald Mica. The Emerald Mica and Green Chrome acted so similarly that she decided to do another batch.

This time it was pretty clear which was which – the Emerald Mica went a gorgeous light green and the Copper Penny Mica is a glamorous shade of copper and sparkles.

The Emerald Green starts out a lot more green when you first put it into the soap but then slowly turns into a beautiful pastel green. It is a lovely color and would work well with lots of springtime fragrances.

Patti also made this exotic looking bar with our Luster Black Mica, Sparkle Gold Mica and (sadly discontinued) Blue Pearl Mica. Though the fragrance she used will discolor, she’s thrilled about the discoloration because the colors will ‘pop’ even more with the discoloration. The contrast will highlight the micas even more.

Thanks for the report, Patti!

Holiday Gold Nailpolish

December 30, 2009 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Did you miss the tutorial on making your own nailpolish? Check out what we whipped up for holiday parties using our heavy metal gold mica. Here’s the original tutorial on customizing clear nail polish to make it your own.

Jazz up your polish in two easy steps…

One: Pick your favorite holiday red or maroon color to paint your nails.

Two: Add your clear top coat and sprinkle on the mica for a fabulous holiday accent.

Tip: Use an eye shadow brush to tap on the mica. This will give you an evenly sparkled look!

Inventory & SoapQueen TV

December 29, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Soap from our Cold Process Line

My apologies for the short blog post today. It’s been a fabulous day with lots of progress made on inventory (almost done with the counting! yay!) and we are loving the fun questions about projects you’re making over your winter breaks. Judging from the phone calls today, a lot of you are making Cupcake Bath Fizzies.

Over our inventory break, we’ve continued working on the new season of SoapQueen TV in earnest and have the scripts done up for an episodes on Rebatch soap, Massage Candles and more. You will be able to watch those shows in early February (if not sooner!). If you’re a fan of SQTV and like the projects, you might want to check out these extra long SQTV tutorials over at Bramble Berry. Two of them feature SoapyLove‘s exclusive projects that turn out great every single time.

I’m also planning a trip to Saudi Arabia with the Entrepreneur’s Organization for business classes. I’m excited about the opportunity to learn from some of the top business minds in the world on subjects like Cross-Cultural Entrepreneurship and Women Entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. I’ll be out of the country the 15th through the 25th of January, leaving the blog in Amber’s capable hands on the days I am not able to post.

Again, apologies for the short post today; look for a blog post tomorrow on Copper Penny & Emerald Mica tests in CP soap. Until then, happy soaping!

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2009 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Merry Christmas from my family to yours. We are enjoying a snowy holiday at Whistler and have taken sleigh rides in the snow, walked the entire Whistler Village and eaten entirely too much food.

I hope you’ve had an equally enjoyable family-filled special day.

My Famous(?) Cottage Cheese Loaf

December 24, 2009 Filed Under: Soap Queen Cuisine

This has been my “go to” recipe for several years now. Growing up Seventh-Day Adventist, I didn’t eat any meat (though some SDA’s do eat fish, chicken and lamb). Since I didn’t eat meat, I had to get protein in some way, shape or form. I call this my “Faux Loaf” and it’s made by SDA’s the world over in some sort of iteration. Many people call it Special K Loaf or Cottage Cheese Loaf. It’s great for last minute dinner plans and is a crowd-pleaser, despite the sort of strange sounding name and ingredient list. Currently, my favorite current iteration is the recipe at at the Be A Bree blog. Protein packed, salty and delish – it’s really quite tasty – I swear!

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Onion
2 Stalks of Celery
2 Tablespoons of an SDA-style Vegetarian Stock
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
3 Beaten Eggs
1/4 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of Cottage Cheese
3-5 Cups of a “Flakes” Cereal
1/4 Cup Pecan Meal, Ground Fine (Optional)

1.Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.Heat the butter or margarine in a pan.

3. Sauté the garlic and onions until cooked.
4. Add the celery to the pan and sauté until soft.

5. Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.

6.Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl. Combine everything well.

7. Let the cereal get a little soggy (about 5 minutes).

8. Place in a generously greased baking pan. It should be 1″-3″ deep. Do not pack. In fact, use a fork to make it fluffy.

9. Bake at the top rack for 1 – 1 1/2 hour(s) at 350.

10. Cut the loaf into 2 x 2 squares. Hint: I like mine sorta crispy so don’t hesitate to overcook just a tinch.

I served protein-packed Cottage Cheese loaf, Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Butternut Squash Lasagna, Cabbage Au Gratin and Peppermint Cheesecake to my (vegetarian) family tonight for one of our Christmas gatherings. They were all a hit – especially the Butternut Squash Lasagna.

Holiday Schedule at Bramble Berry

December 23, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Thank you to all of our Bramble Berry friends and fans who have been such a big support this year. We love working with you and for you and feel so delighted, thrilled and humbled to be surrounded by such great customers and inspiration.

We are taking a couple days off to relax and laugh with family and friends before coming back to the warehouse to do inventory.

Inventory is a laborious process that involves counting every single item in the warehouse; literally, hand-counting out all of the bottles of essential oil, weighing all the partial drums of fragrance, combing through the colorant racks to get an accurate count of everything and then crawling up and over mountains of bottles in the the ‘bottles’ room to count each and every bottle. The entire process usually takes the Bramble Berry team 2 days to count and then 1 day of recounts. Any initial count that is more than 10% off gets counted again. And again. And again by different people each time. Though we hope to be done with the inventory process by the 30th and shipping orders on that day, we don’t want to over promise. When you go to our homepage, you’ll see our handy dandy “If I order today, when can I expect my order?” shipping chart. This is how you can determine the worst-case scenario of when your order will arrive at your door. This chart is updated daily to give you the most information possible.

Right now, we are officially “closed” for shipping orders until inventory is finished (best case: December 30th; worst case: January 4th). If you have any questions, you can always email us at info (at) brambleberry (dot) com or phone us at 360.734.8278. We will be answering phones and emails during inventory to take orders, answer questions and chat soap. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call or email.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday. Thank you again for your support and loyalty in 2009. It means so much to all of us.

Merry Christmas from all of us here at Bramble Berry