New Product Line from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen: Scented Solid Shea Butter Sugar Scrubs

Introducing my brand new Solid Shea Butter Sugar Cubes from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen! These cubes offer the convenience of a sugar scrub in a solid cube for less mess in the tub! My handmade solid shea butter sugar scrub cubes are all natural except for the fragrance. They are made with extra moisturizing shea butter, fine sugar, fraction coconut oil, and an all natural glycerin, shea butter soap base to give you the perfect, exfoliating body scrub in the shower. These handy little cubes come in five fragrances - Berries and Cream, Natural Lavender, Lemon Lavender, Cucumber, and Seduced by Sugar.

To use these scrub cubes, simply crush one or two cubes in your wet hands and slather over your body.

You can purchase these cubes now online or from Shades of Color in downtown Roanoke.

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Stay chill and shop eco-friendly.

Fall in love with an easier way to shop green! A new company, lovereusablebags.com, has emerged with designer, reusable shopping bags that hold up to the even the highest of standards. They are the creators of Chill Sets, a four in one eco-friendly shopping set, that provides an easier way to carry and contain your shopping bags together and keep groceries and other products from spilling out of otherwise flimsy plastic bags.

The Chill Set (pictured above in Triple R), which is available in six different designs, consists of one large insulated thermal cooler that houses three, lined stand up grocery bags. The cooler boasts an adjustable strap and mesh side pockets for keeping meats and ice cream nice and cold during your trip. The grocery bags possess the ability  to stand on their own  even when empty and can hold up to 60lbs. of groceries. While the cooler is isn't  quite big enough for frozen pizzas, it is the perfect size for taking on picnics or filling up with cold basics like meats, cheeses, yogurts and half gallon sized ice cream when shopping. The bags pick up the slack of the cooler and are able to accommodate frozen pizzas, milk, and a variety of other larger items. The cooler and bags both wash up easily with a damp cloth.

In addition to the Chill Sets lovereusablebags.com also carries Stash It Bags that fold down into purse sized pouches, natural canvas tote bags called Love Sacks (Big Butt Love Sack pictured above), and Wine Oh reusable wine gift bags. Shop now for these products.

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Looking for an unscented soap for your dry, sensitive skin?

If you have dry, sensitive skin and are looking for a great unscented soap, then consider my Unscented Goat Milk and Shea Butter Soap with Colloidal Oatmeal!

This all natural, handmade Unscented Goat Milk Soap is the perfect soap for dry or sensitive skin. Great as a facial bar or all over, this bar contains both shea and cocoa butters as well as an abundance of skin loving oils such as Olive and Rice Bran, both known for their moisturizing properties. This soap gets you clean, but also leaves behind your body's natural oils to help smooth and rehydrate your skin. Leaves you feeling moisturized, not oily, and yet you'll still feel clean. Goat milk has also been added to this bar for extra conditioning, and colloidal oatmeal for soothing itchy, dry skin. This soap contains no color and no fragrance. Each bar weighs 4oz. - 4.5oz. 

The ingredients for my Unscented Goat Milk Soap are as follows: Goat milk, palm kernel oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, palm oil, sodium hydroxide, shea butter, cocoa butter, and colloidal oatmeal.

Here's what customers are saying about this soap:

"I've used this variety of soap now for some months and LOVE it. From the first use, it left my skin moisturized but not greasy or oily. My husband, who takes lots of medications for a medical issue, was experiencing exceedingly DRY skin particularly on his arms. He didn't want to have to apply lotion several times a day, so I suggested he try a bar of THIS soap in his regular shower. HE IS NOW A FAN. He was astonished that from his first use, his skin looked AND felt so much better. It is now his regular soap of choice!! Thank you for helping him out." -mrbholden

"The soap is awesome! I've been looking for a natural soap that doesn't dry my skin out and this it! Thanks!" - bubbleschimps

"Absolutely love the soap. I actually did not get a rash for the first time using something new. Thank you." -mypaperdoodles

"Wonderful, wonderful product!!! Thanks for your great advice, I love the way my skin feels!" - allthingswhite

"Love this soap for our son's eczema prone skin." -thehesbomb

Shop Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen for this soap now.

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A sweet recommendation.

I recently purchased some handmade Banana Crystal Jewels Barley Hard Candy Sweets from Sweet Lollipop Shop. Not only was the candy delicious and the perfect bite size, but the customer service I experienced was exceptional.

Made from 100% natural ingredients these candies are exactly what you've been craving when you need a little taste of something to make you smile. Available in a large selection of yummy flavors like blackberry, mango, lemon meringue, blueberry vanilla, and even pumpkin, this is definitely one candy you should give a try. A 2oz. bag runs just $4.25. In addition to Sweet Lollipop Shop's Hard Candy Jewels, you'll also discover fun lollipops in every shape, color, and flavor you could ever want! Shop Sweet Lollipop Shop now.

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Lucky No. 7 - A few of my favorite things.

I love handmade. And if I had an unlimited shopping fund, here are some of the top things that would be on my wish list.

1. Berry and Caramel Woven Bead Ribbon Necklace, $45 from honeybee

2. Saddle Pouch in Oatmeal, $43 from Minus

3. Lavender Caramel, $6.50 from Calabasas Candy Co.

4. Handkerchief Linen Boxer Shorts with Cuff, $48 from Sandmaiden

5. Lovely Squirrel Felted Apricot Freesia Soap, $13 from SoFino

6. Trio. Stacking Rings., $62 from CameraSHY Photography

7. Cast Ashore Embroidered Felt and Sterling Ring, $35 from Involution Design

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Holiday spiced apple cider in a soap!

Introducing my handmade, cold process Hot Toddy Goat Milk and Shea Butter Soap. This delectable soap is sure to remind you of a perfectly made, Christmas Hot Toddy. A great holiday scent for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this decorative orange and cream soap bar is scented with a blend of Fuji apple, bergamot, lemon wedge, cinnamon stick, granulated sugar, zesty clove, hot apple cider, nutmeg, and vanilla bean. The goat milk and shea butter in this cold process soap make it feel especially nice on your skin. It is strongly scented so you are left with a light fragrance on your skin afterward. This soap rinses cleanly away and is all natural except for the fragrance. Each bar weighs 4oz. - 4.5oz.

Ingredients: Olive oil, coconut oil, goat milk, palm oil, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, shea butter, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, fragrance, and natural color. 

You can purchase this soap online now from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.

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The Handmade Salty Seas Seafarer's Contest

Salt bar soaps are amazingly rejuvenating. The handmade, cold process salt bar soaps from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen are the perfect soaps for all skin types. Great as facial bars or all over, these bars contains both shea and cocoa butters as well as an abundance of skin loving oils such as Olive and Rice Bran, both known for their moisturizing properties. They also contains sea salt, known for it's healing properties. These soaps clean amazingly well while leaving your skin feeling soft and lightly scented. They also make terrific shampoo bars. In celebration of these spectacular soaps, I'm having a Handmade Salty Seafarer's Contest. 

Not only can you win all four of the salt bars from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen - (1.) Big Lick, (4.) Tequila Sour, (5.) Pink Grapefruit, and (6.) Lemon Verbena - but you can also win an amazing, hand painted (2.) Hello Sailor Vintage Tattoo Blue and Red Swallow and Pirate Ship Necklace from Wicked Minky, a (3.) 2oz. Bay Rum Candle from Mrs. Tattooed Geek, and a (7.) Punk Tattoo Style Koi with Skull and Cross Bones Vinyl Wallet from Agorables Clothing. The total retail value of this prize is $65.

If you'd like to enter to this contest, you'll just need to visit Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen and choose your favorite product from Rebecca's shop.  Then leave a comment with your favorite item. This contest will end on October 4, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per person per entry method. Open within the United States of America to those ages 18+. The winner will be chosen at random from among all eligible entries using random.org. Your information will not be shared or sold. 

The first method of entry is required to enter this contest. If you'd like additional entries into this contest, you may complete each of the following tasks for one additional entry each.

1. Fan Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Facebook. Leave a comment with your Facebook name stating that you've become a fan.

2. Follow Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen on Twitter. Leave a comment with your twitter username.

3. Follow Soap Deli New Blog. Leave a comment stating that you're a follower.

4. Tweet this contest on Twitter. Include @soapdeli in your tweet so I know you've done so. Leave a comment stated that you've tweeted this contest.

5. Blog about this contest. Leave a comment with the link back to the blog post.

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Simplify your holiday gift giving with handmade gift boxes.

It's never too early to start planning your gift giving for the holiday season. After all, it takes time to find something special for each recipient, and you certainly don't want to give a gift that's going to be returned the next day. But it's not just the gifts that are important. The presentation of your gifts is important as well. And if you're a busy mom - aren't all moms busy? - sometimes you just don't have the time to wrap after the shopping is done. So I've sought out a selection of lovely, handmade gift boxes that will allow you to  not only skip the wrapping all together, but are sure to be re-used over the years to come.

1. Cute Gable Box Perfect for Gifts, $7 from Naive Glow Arts
2. Paint the Town Red Gift Boxes, $5.99 from Moment in the Sun
3. Picnic Basket Gift Box, $10 from Melissa's Paperie
4. Set of 10 Cat Lover Favor Boxes, $20 from Simple Tastes
5. Congratulations Gift Box, $4.90 from Chyrls Origami
6. Shabby Chic Chocolate Cupcake Trinket Box, $10 from On A Lark
7. Fun Origami Gift Box and Tag, $5.50 from PhotoMamaRegina
8. Set of 4 Cherry Blossom Pillow Boxes, $6 from A Paper Buffet

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Crafting for the crafter.

As fall approaches, those us who craft kick into high gear preparing for the winter holiday season. Often times, this means selling on farmer's markets and at craft shows. It was by pure luck that I stumbled across this awesome design for a market/craft apron.

This super cute apron was designed by Liz Johnson of sew4home™ blog. It's stylish design makes it fun to wear, and the handy pockets and clip help you keep everything together. Just visit sew4home™ for the free sewing pattern.

Of course, after a long day at the fair, or slaving in your craft room, you're bound to be tired. Make sure you get plenty of rest with this What's New Pussycat? Sleep Mask from wolf and willow blog. The super simple pattern for this mask makes a long day's work seem like a sweet revival.

And finally, indulge after a dinner with a tasty treat of handmade lemon-lime filled macaroons. A girl's bound to be hungry after a long day of work. So what better way to keep us sweet than with some delicious cookies that are both pretty and tasty?

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End of the season peachy preservation.

Alas, peach season is almost over. I've really enjoyed the local peaches at our farmer's market this year. They've been sweet, juicy, and just down right delicious. Fortunately, there is a way to keep those peaches around through the winter. Homemade Peach Chutney is the perfect solution, and way less boring than plain old canned peaches.

Picking Peaches, originally uploaded by adwriter.

Make some for yourself and extra as gifts for the upcoming holidays. Then head on over to Sweet Preservation for printable tags for your newest creations. They offer a variety of free, printable labels for labeling your preserves, chutneys, and whatever else you might cook up. I especially like their Mark the Date labels, which allow you to keep track of just when you canned your fruit and veggies so you can keep your pantry organized. Additionally, you'll also find Happy Holiday labels for turning your canned goods into a simple holiday gifts that are sure to get eaten!

 Featured above: Peach Chardonnay Jelly, $4 from Green Boot Creations

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Chalkboard labels turn ordinary into extraordinary.

I recently stumbled across a tutorial for these gorgeous glass canisters. While they are perfect in the kitchen, I can also imagine them in the bathroom filled with soap balls, cotton swabs, and other bathroom necessities. They'd also be gorgeous as a gift for the holidays, labeled and filled with your friend's favorite treats. And of course, once the original contents are gone, the recipient can erase the label and add her own, giving the jar a new purpose.

I love that the chalkboard paint makes these jars easy to know what's inside, while the DecoArt Thick Texture Paint creates a border that adds visual interest most chalkboard labels don't offer. This craft project can be found on Mustard Seed Creations Blog. Find the full project here.

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A hint of lemon by the kitchen sink.

Ah, how the kitchen does torture us. But that doesn't mean we can't fight back. Good Life Eats™ Blog has a wonderful recipe for an All Natural Moisturizing Kitchen Scrub.

A little sugar, a little salt, some olive oil and lemon juice and you've got a jar full of an exfoliating hand scrub that will leave your hands soft and smooth. Give this recipe a little extra odor fighting power by adding some ground coffee to the concoction.

Looking for a kitchen hand soap to scrub that grit and grime away? Try a bar of Appalachian Trail Soap from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen. It contains fine ground pumice, poppy seeds, and apricot kernel meal for scrubbing away caked on food and dirt from the kitchen and is scented with all natural Grapefruit, Cedarwood, Geranium, and Oakmoss essential oils.

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Stuck on you.

Looking for someplace to stick those needles you've gotten handy with from all of the exciting craft projects you've tried lately? Then try a pin cushion! Pin cushions have made a triumphant return and range from the unexpected to just plain fun. After all, handmade is where it's at.

1. Pin Cushion Jar (Slow Moving Dreams), $25 from almapottery
2. Felted Sweater Squirrel Pin Cushion, $18.50 from Lucy's Locket
3. Beautiful Needle Felted Pin Cushion, $40 from Anna Belle Arts
4. Bumble Bee Handmade Felt Wool Pincushion, $25 from Sea Pinks
5. Linen Pincushion - Crochet Motif, $14 from namolio
6. Sweetheart of the Rodeo Pincushion, $28 from The Daily Pincushion
7. Rose and Fox Pincushion, $17.99 from Lifepieces

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Take a hike down the Appalachian Trail.

Fall is the perfect time for hiking and camping out. The weather's great and the bugs are at a minimum. The smell of woodsmoke seems to always put me in a great mood too. It's also the perfect time of year for me to introduce my handmade Appalachian Trail Shea Butter Soap.

Handcrafted by me in the Blue Ridge Mountains, my handmade Appalachian Trail Shea Butter Soap is perfect for cleaning up after a long hike. It contains fine ground pumice, poppy seeds, and apricot kernel meal for scrubbing away caked on dirt from the trail. It also helps to remove grease, paints, and anything else you might get your hands into. Scented with all natural Grapefruit, Cedarwood, Geranium, and Oakmoss essential oils, this soap has a pleasant woody, earthy, masculine scent. My son really likes this one. Shea butter keeps hands from drying out, and a wonderful, rich lather washes all that grit and grime cleanly away! Also try this soap on rough soles, elbows, and knees. You'll love it's scrubbing power! This homemade, tan colored, exfoliating soap is all natural and vegan. Each bar weighs 4oz. - 4.5oz. You can purchase this soap now online at Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen.

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Keeping cozy with a cup cardigan and a little hot toddy.

The cool fall air and the bustle of the holidays is just around the corner. What better way to ease into the new season than with a seasonal drink? Today I'm making Hot Toddy Soap, just in time for the weather change. This amazing orange colored soap with cream colored balls is scented a blend of Fuji apple, bergamot, lemon wedge, cinnamon stick, granulated sugar, zesty clove, hot apple cider, nutmeg, and vanilla bean. It will be ready for sale by October, just as the leaves are changing and the weather is starting to nip. In the meantime, you may want to shop for a hot drink cozy for a mug of mulled cider. There's nothing like a hot drink to keep you warm when handing out those treats on Halloween! You'll find a great recipe for mulled cider on The Way the Cookie Crumbles blog.

1. Rust Coffee Cup Cozy with Handmade Button, $10 from Slitely Askew
2. Insulated Mug Cozy, $5.50 from Home by Camille
3. Mighty Mug Cozy, Hand-Crocheted, $10 from Unravel Me Designs
4. Pumpkin Spice Cable Knit Mug Cozy, $15 from Wayside Violet
5. Set of Two Reversible Coffee Cup Sleeves, $16 from Tina Magee
6. Cup Cosy for Hot Beverages, $9.50 from Sewtara

What's your favorite autumn inspired drink?

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Coffee and Cream.

Delightfully sweet finds.

soapdeli $5	marieflyfly $49	MonicaMBoutiqu... $35
hotpinkchick $18	VictrolaVamp $15	SatinandBirch $19
PrimaryRedux $9	gardensofwhims... $35	NzLbags $50
Lori411 $23	pearliebird $5.5	woomi $40
CoupleHome $22	leatherblossom... $34	mermaidsdream $65

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Mustard isn't just for hot dogs.

Here are some handmade, fall fashion finds in spicy dijon that will keep you in style through the season!

1. Double Strand Cuff Bracelet in Warm Retro Floral, $23 from Ponder and Stitch
2. Grey and Mustard Yellow Dupioni Silk Rosette Bib Necklace, $60 from Coco Rose Couture
3. Shoulder Bag in Corduroy Brown with Mustard Lining, $59.50 from Koej
4. Shades of Gold with Tan Cashmere Handwoven Scarf, $108 from Billy Sue Textiles
5. Mini Carpet Bag with Adjustable Strap (Mustard), $30 from peace.love.n.polkadots
6. Flora Flat, $56 from Hydra Heart
7. Irish Donegal Tweed Knitted Hand Warmers in Mustard, $38 from Hand Knitted Things
8. Fall Inspired Clutch, $12 from Farm Girl Vintage

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