The beginnings of Christmas ~

I've discovered as I get older that I just don't have what it takes

to put up a big ol' Christmas tree and all of the decorations anymore.

Simple and small is perfect for now...and this little tree was just the ticket!!

I found this 3 ft. tree at w-mart and saw it in the display section, just 25 bucks!

It has red berries and tiny little pine cones wired onto the branches.

PLUS it was pre-lit too!!!

There weren't any in boxes so they let me purchase the floor display.

I loved that!!! It was already assembled and I just plopped it in my car

and then put it right onto my buffet in our living room!!!!

I've added a few bird's nests, burr oak acorns and some beautiful feathers...

I'm gathering a few things from the studio to add to it.

It's definitely a work in progress but I just love it!

ALSO in other news...OK now, don't faint.

I actually went junking a few weeks ago and I just have to share

the sweet things that I brought home!

This precious frame was priced so reasonably I just had to buy it!!

I haven't figured out what I'm going to put inside but no worries,

I'm sure I will!

The rest of my treasures?

A couple of beautiful antique photos and vintage buttons.

It was such a wonderful day spent with a precious friend.

Can you believe that I'm finally getting back to my organizer???

It has already been purchased by a dear friend and customer but

my mom and dad came into town for a week for Thanksgiving and

delayed my finishing it up. I'll be sure to share photos of the finished piece

in my next post!

Something else I've worked on recently....these little nested egg soaps!

I made these for my friend Lisa of Tarnished and Tattered,

she's having an antique sale and wanted to have some of our soap!!!

And this photo below is a recipe I saw on Facebook....they. sound....DELICIOUS!!!

One last photo to share ~

Our sweet granddaughter Clara with her cousin Brant at Thanksgiving.

They both had the best time playing together!

I scanned the wonderful antique photographs I found, just for you...

Just click to enlarge them and right click to save them to your own computer!!!

Thank you always, always for stopping by to see what I'm doing!!!

Wishing you a beautiful December weekend precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

A sweet little trio ~

I've had this crinkled tan/gold shimmery curtain panel for years.

But since I've been making a few pumpkins,

I kept looking at it thinking to myself,

"I bet this fabric would make beautiful little pumpkins!"

Well my friends...it DID!

I am so in love with this little trio of pumpkins!!!

I happened to have the most wonderful hemp

accented by a thin gold thread to use on them too!

These three have been listed in my Etsy store if you want to take a look :)

This entire year or even longer really, I've just NOT been buying magazines like I used to.

But in the last few weeks I've discovered a few that I just HAD to have!!!

I wanted to show you the covers, I'm sorry...no peeks inside,

but thumb through them at the store to see if you think they're wonderful too!

OH....and what else have I been up to?

Just making beautiful soap!!!

We just finished a large order of Breast Cancer Awareness soap

for a wonderful customer of ours...

and we are finishing up a ton of robins egg blue soap for a baby shower too!

If you'd like to visit our little soap shop just

CLICK HERE!

Thank you always, always for stopping by to see what I'm up to!!!

I cherish your comments and love that you visit here ~

Wishing you a beautiful Tuesday sweet friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

The sweetness of friends ~

Life definitely produces a ripple effect, doesn't it?

When you give goodness, it always...always returns to you.

I feel this in my bones and believe it in my being!

My sweet blogging friend Maggie of The Mag Rag purchased some of our egg soap

this past summer and has created the most precious packaging for the Christmas show

that she will participate in this weekend. She shared pics with me and you KNOW

I have to share them with you!!!!

The most precious thing?

She gave our little Etsy shop a plug on the back of

each and every package!!!!

Thank you so much sweet Maggie!!!

The goodness will come back to you my dear friend ~

I have met the most amazing and precious friends through my blog!!

Wishing you a beautiful Thursday...

hugs and love,

Dawn

The wonderfulness of fall ~

I can't help myself ~ I love it!!!!

Fall or Autumn - whatever you may call it, it is precious to me.

The weather is cool, sunny and so gorgeous here in Georgia!

Tonight we are having the chilliest night yet and I'm worried as all get out ~

Noah has a camp out with his youth group and I'm just SO hoping

that he is warm enough with all clothes he took.

A fifteen year old seems to think they are the expert, you know!

Been there, done that...what me???

Only FOUR times before :)

They will learn as they go, right?

Well....

I just want to avoid a trip to the doctor!

A few precious images from Susan Branch:

We are almost, ALMOST finished with a HUGE order

from our General Store Soap shop....

almost THREE HUNDRED of our beautiful robin's egg blue soap!!!

My hands are totally aching but I am so thankful

for each and every order we receive ~

A thankful heart is always a happy heart!!!

Happy weekend my precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

And the winner is...

Whew! I finally have a winner for the beautiful book

'Paris Flea Market Style'!!!

The winner is

Trish Overby of Southern T!!!!

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments

and I promise you will love this book

should you choose to purchase it ~

We've been so busy making soap!!! The order below went out today ~

And as of right now, we have almost 500 egg soap

to make this week and get shipped out!

We're so thankful for the orders in our General Store Soap shop!!!!

I hope you're having a beautiful Monday!!!

hugs and love,

Dawn

A thankful heart ~

We really have been so very busy around here!

Soap orders have been piling in and

I am so very thankful but they do pull me away

from my other endeavors you know.

I have to share with you a sweet photo of our robin's egg blue soap

that is packaged in a glass apothecary jar ~

ALL we did was create soap this past weekend,

then clean it and package it up for mailing.

I really should have taken a photo of it before I boxed it all ~
it was just so beautiful!

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I hit the thrift store yesterday and just LOOK

at the GORGEOUS lamp I found!!!

Don't look at the shade that it came with

as I will change that,

but don't you love the lamp itself????

A few more wonderful finds from the last few days?

This amazingly large paper mache dress form!!!

Can you guess what she will become?

You know I am so, so stingy now when it comes to buying magazines, right?

Well, here are two that I purchased lately and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!

I didn't take photos of inside but just thumb through them at the store

just to see what you think, OK?

I thank you so much for stopping by to see what I'm up to ~

I treasure you all so much!

Happy Tuesday precious friends ~

hugs and love,

Dawn

Just making pretty things...

I can't help it but I DO love making pretty things!!!

I've started working on a massive pile of lavender sachets

and am ALMOST finished with them but stopped to post

and share with you as I am beat and it's just time to stop.

These babies have used up an entire POUND of lavender buds!

Here are a few glimpses of the sachets coming soon ~

these are such perfect little gifts!!!

I'll be sure to share as soon as they are finished and listed in my shop!!!

We are having a WONDERFUL SALE in our General Store Etsy shop!!!

Just type in the word AUTUMN in the coupon code box when checking out

and you will receive 20% OFF your entire order!!!

Click the link below to our shop if you'd like to take a look...

Christmas is a' comin'!!! YIKES!!

General Store Soap Company Shop

AND
if you're on Facebook...
we would SO love for you to like our shop page
General Store Soap Company!
Now you will ALWAYS know when
we're having a sale :)

Happy Monday sweet angels!

hugs and love,

Dawn

As busy as a little bee ~

I promise, I really have been!!!

Ellie will even tell you...she watches all the I do around here :)

I think she's actually smiling in the photo below just because

her daddy brought her home a new toy and this girl LOVES

her toys! Her tail is wagging as you see it's a big ol' blur!!!

We've had a TON of soap orders as of late (we are so thankful!!!)

and I've been helping to clean and finish the little beauties.

I am such a FREAK when it come to quality control and want

all the soap to be just beautiful when it leaves our home.

Here are just a few photos of what we've mailed out lately
from our General Store Soap Co. shop  ~

And so it goes.

It seems I am a soap maker...

But hope to get back to my own groove of creating soon :)

Happy Wednesday precious friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn

A few new goodies!

I just love lace ~ and wedding lace?

It's absolutely GORGEOUS to me!!!

The fine netting...the beautiful, intricate designs

are always so breathtaking.

I have a few prized pieces of wedding lace that I've been hoarding

so I decided to make a few lavender sachets with my little stash!

Only three right now...I was just testing them out

to see how I liked them.

I like to name them from time to time to help me

keep track of which one is which!

They've all been listed in my Etsy store!

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I've just have to share these wonderful peat pots

that my friend Judith of Botanic Bleu created

to hold our little robin's egg blue soap!

Judith purchased the soap a few

weeks ago from our General Store Soap Co. shop

and packaged them so beautifully ~

She shares how she made them on THIS POST on her blog

if you'd like to take a peek :)

I love the graphic!!

And she used another favorite, beautiful seam binding to cinch the bag!

We recently finished several orders

for the blue egg soap and

I couldn't resist...

I had to take a photo of them!

Thank you always for stopping by to see me!!!

Wishing you a beautiful Tuesday dear friends,

hugs and love,

Dawn