Tis the season . . . and all that stuff

This picture makes me want to shout, "Ta da!" Just ignore the caption ~ hehehe!

I love this time of year. Not because everyone's seemingly in a better mood (though I've heard over and over again that this time of year should be renamed 'Suicide Season'), but because I love the way it makes me feel inside. I feel like hybernating. Curling up in bed with a thick, fat quilt and a big mug of creamy coffee, and one of my many books. So when someone calls and orders a dozen bars of peppermint and poppyseed soap, I give them a hearty 'hell yeah' response, but cringe inside. I know -- peppermint is the season's scent, but have you ever used a bar of soap or lotion containing this essential oil? In the winter? I'd rather eat soap than rub peppermint on my skin.

Cranberry. Now that I can live with. A fellow soapmaker friend of mine makes the most delicious real cranberry and amber butter shea soap.

Orange 'n clementine 'n lemon 'n spice. Pomander soap with hazelnut oil. Mmmmm.

Persimmon and olive oil soap is nice. Scented very lightly with clove.

I've been tempted lately to make egg nog soap with organic egg nog, fat vanilla beans and clove and nutmeg essential oils -- with lots of unrefined shea butter and hazelnut oil, maybe a dash of organic sunflower. Creamy.