This weekend the team and I are busy with the photo shoot for my new book. The book is all about natural soap making and is scheduled to hit market early 2016. I can’t wait to share it with you! If you follow me on Instagram, you have already seen plenty of sneak peeks into the projects. Check out the photos below to get an idea for what’s inside the new book =) Scroll down for more soapy inspiration via my favorite pins, tweets and instagrams from the past week.

Pinterest:

Top left to right, clockwise:

• Jewelry looks even prettier in an eye-catching dish. This DIY Jewelry Dish includes layers of color to really make your pieces shine.
• I don’t eat chicken very often, but when I do, I like it baked with plenty of fresh herbs. This dish of Baked Meyer Lemon, Chicken & Potatoes fits that bill perfectly.
• This Zested Lemon Homemade Soap from Clean Line Soap Company was last week’s winner of the #SoapShare contest on Instagram. I love the subtle ombre and fresh look of these bars!
• These Paper Flower Hair Clips are adorable. I can’t wait for Lily’s hair to get long enough for one =)

Instagram: 

Easter this year was super fun; the kids had a blast hunting for eggs and enjoying some candy. For breakfast, my sister-in-law, Cheriss, made bunny pancakes. Look at the smile on Lily’s face below…they were a hit!

I have practiced my column pour swirl technique this week. On the left is a column pour swirl made with Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil and lots of color. On the right is a cold process soap made with whole cows milk and a classic black and white color palette. Tutorials for both will be on the blog soon!

Twitter:

• Ford is working on their own ridesharing service; I wonder how it will affect Uber and Lyft.
• Navigating the FDA’s website can be tricky. Luckily, they have been working on new articles that are easy to read and straightforward. Here is a list of some of their most helpful pages, via Marie Gale.
• These tips for catching your readers eye via photography and design are fantastic!
• I knew Christmas was a retail juggernaut, but who knew that Americans spend so much on Easter? Click here to find out how much.
• A/B testing is a popular way to measure two versions of something to see which is more successful. This article has helpful tips on how to perform your own A/B testing.

To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube. And Snapchat! To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects (including all the soaping I’m doing this weekend), add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.

Happy Saturday! The weather has been wonderful in the Pacific Northwest lately, which makes the weekends even more fun than usual. It’s so nice to spend more time outdoors with the kids. We’ve started walking around the neighborhood more consistently; sometimes those walks turn into wagon rides instead =). While I’m sad to lose an hour of sleep to daylight savings time tomorrow, I can’t wait for longer days!

This early spring is a pleasant surprise, but I understand that’s not the situation for the entire country. To those in the snow, I hope you’re all staying warm! If you’re looking for a little indoor inspiration, my favorite tweets, pins and instagrams will give you some quality internet-surfing time =)

Pinterest:

Left to right, clockwise:

• I love the bright colors in this Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad. I can’t wait for berry season!
• These colorful DIY Tile Coasters look easy to create, and would make a great gift.
• This Lilac Soap by P.S. I Love Soap Co. looks amazing! The swirl in the center is really unique.
• Lily and Jamisen have a ton of fun with this DIY Rainbow Pom Pom Magnet Board.  We printed it out and just laminated it and do color matching with it.
  

 Instagram:

I’m thrilled (!!!!!!) with how this Mermaid Tail Cold Process turned out. I’m giving it the weekend to stay in the mold…I can’t wait to unmold it on Monday! This petal technique was made popular by Kenna of Modern Soap Making.

Speaking of mermaids, I had fun mixing up mermaid inspired eye shadow this week (left). On the right are melt and pour bars made from scratch using Kayla Fiorvanti’s book, “How to Make Melt and Pour Base From Scratch.” It was a fun, interesting process. 

Twitter:

• Love Easter candy? Now you can drink it; Peep-flavored milk is here and it’s available in three flavors.
• This man shares his results from a 7-day work week experiment. Turns out, a day of rest is more important than he thought.
• I try my best to exercise everyday. This list of six invisible benefits of exercise really stresses the importance of being active.
• Is it possible to make your brain as plastic as a child’s? The brain is constantly changing and growing, but childhood is the best time to learn.
• These 23 Tools and Resources to Create Images for Social Media will have your site looking great in no time!

To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube. And Snapchat! To watch my ‘stories’, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.

The exciting news this week was my visit to the Starbucks Roastery in Seattle. It was an amazing Disneyland experience – the Disneyland of coffee that is! I was so inspired by the visit that I’m pretty sure there’s a blog post in there about branding and experience. I instagrammed (and even vined!) the visit up.

These are the top pins of the week. Follow me here:
Left to right, clockwise:

• These Spring in Bloom Paper Lanterns by Lia Griffith look so delicate and sophisticated. I can see these lanterns at a spring wedding or birthday party.
• Speaking of spring celebrations, this Vegan Blueberry Lime Cheesecake would make a great party dessert. I love how colorful and fresh it looks.
• This Crystalized Handmade Soap by Royalty Soap looks good enough to eat with colorful swirls and a textured top.
• I try to keep my desk organized…buuuutttttttt it doesn’t always happen. With spring cleaning around the corner, this DIY desk organizer looks like a great way to keep things neat.

Instagram:

Sometimes it takes a few tries to get a recipe just right. Below are the first two attempts of the Luck of the Irish Hot Process Tutorial. I’m really happy with the lighter, fresher green tones in the final tutorial.

Speaking of colors, this Create a Rainbow: Mixing Colors in Cold Process Soap blog post demonstrates how to make a rainbow of colors using only three pigments. On the left are a batch of soap for the local Umpqua Bank. They have been a huge supporter of Handmade Beauty Box, and soap is the perfect way to say thank you. 

Twitter:

• If you are a chocolate lover like myself, Nestle products are working towards removing artificial flavors and colors by the end of 2015.
• Can less sleep actually be better for you? Several studies suggest 7 hours of sleep may be better than 8.
• If you use “selfie sticks” to take the perfect selfie, some art galleries are joining the movement to have them banned.
• Taking the temperature of squirmy, energy-filled kiddos can be hard; these temperature-taking stickers are a life saver!
• Working on getting fit before summer? The best time to work out may require you to wake up extra early.

  I hope you are all having a great weekend, and enjoy Oscar Sunday tomorrow! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube.

I hope everyone had a lovely and safe Fourth of July. We put the kiddos to bed early (thanks to a city-wide personal fireworks ban, that was possible this year). Today, we did a fun play date on Lake Samish (complete with a slip’n’slide for the kiddos). I am continually amazed by the beauty of this place! The weekend isn’t promising to be as hot as last weekend, but since it’s not over yet, I still plan on doing lots of gardening and taking a few sunset evening walks. At Bramble Berry, we’re gearing up for a series of tutorials next week to give your skin a beautiful bronze glow, so keep your eyes on the blog and sign up for our newsletter.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend! With the help of my very active set of kids, I know I will =)

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Spring is in full swing! Last week temperatures in Bellingham hit the high 70s, which is a delightful treat for a city that has a reputation for being one of the rainiest in all of Washington state. April showers definitely bring May flowers, and we’re also smack dab in the middle of floral-fueled promotion. It features lots of light scents, rose water, delicate colors and of course, specials deals and promotions. We’re releasing special deals next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Follow us on social media and subscribe to the newsletter to not miss anything.

Annnnd, speaking of social media, take a look at my favorite social media goodies from the past two weeks:

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