It's Like, So Last Week...

The last week of the month is always crazy busy, with the site changeover taking place, and the newsletter going out. I love the newsletter. I love the emails it brings me and I enjoy keeping in touch with all my customers.

August 1st tomorrow, and there's big goings on at the Manor. Nothing I can talk about too much yet. A few boxes arrived yesterday and the day before... and those were on the tail end of quite a number that arrived last week.

Don't you just love the change of the season, and all it brings? Course, you know as soon as I can tell you, that I will.

Curb Appeal

We've had the decorators in at the Manor this past few months. And this last weekend with ladders in place and dustsheets all around, the paint cans finally got their day. I always love daubing the first of new paint on old walls.

There's still a ways to go yet, but the general look is pretty something, I'd say. On first look it's not the Manor. But then as it settles on the eye, you just know that it couldn't really be anywhere else.

There's a few more changes to come before the 1st of August sunrise. It's been one of those glorious summers we're sure to remember for many years to come...

So Long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Goodbye.

I love it when the planet Mercury starts to move again. He's been retro for the last few weeks. That means, he's going backwards. But he isn't really... it's just an illusion. He only "looks" like he's moving backwards. Nevertheless, this planet of "am I really moving or not", brings folk to complain about things breaking down, computers losing information, and telephone calls not being returned. You name it, a retro Mercury meddles in it.

But today... he is on the move. Finally. He is traveling again. And I knew it the moment I opened my email box for the day. In flies shipping notices from suppliers which should have been here days back. In flies an interview, and a couple of other invites that I had long forgotten about. And in flies nice cheery mails, from folk who have received their order boxes.

You're not supposed to sign anything that you can avoid signing under a retro Mercury. And any deals you make under this influence will possibly end up having to be renegotiated again later. But, you can plan under Mercury. And you can also revisit the past. You can look over old ideas, which for whatever reason never came into being the first time around.

I've always been one for the planets... but not in any silly way. You have to go out there and get life. You can't sit and wait for it to come your way. The planet Mercury always piques my interest whenever he goes retrograde. For me, this last ten days have been impossible at times, where chaos seemed to be the order of the day. Mails headed to and from me went astray. Messages which should be loud and clear on my voicemail were fuzzy and fogged. And... one or two folk ordering soaps from the Manor clicked on the "payment by check" button by mistake when they meant to pay by credit card.

Whatever Mercury's mischief was, it's coming to a close now as he goes "direct". Yes... an old idea from way back jumped out of my workshop to say hello. Yes... we held our big summer sale despite a few techy glitches. And yes... to the many who take the time to write and remind me of just why I stay up some nights till turned midnight packing order boxes. Mercury's on the move, and so this email brought more than just a thankyou when it came in today. It brought a nice nod and a wink from the planet of (mis) communication as he fires up his Mercuric might once again and makes for a move across the skies:

Hello,
Just received my order! I appreciate your prompt service!! I LOVE opening your boxes!!! It's like opening a Christmas present!!!!!! Am looking forward to trying all my new fragrances!!
Thank you. Nancy T.

Til next time, Mercury. Til next time...

Fruit By The Foot (continued...)

We finally got the labels on straight, and the natural daylight hung around long enough to get the photographs taken. I can't believe it's been so long in coming. I thought I'd never get here. But fruit's like that, isn't it. It appears after the blossom falls and you so badly wanna pick it. But you can't. You've got to let it grow. You've got to let the sunlight do it's job. And you've got to let the rain fall. New product alert. Here's the update to the post I made a few days ago up at the Manor on my What's Happening page.

Islands. Bays. Fruit. Don't you just love how nature naturally gathers together what's needed, all in one place? So I thought, why not? The sea, with its salt. The trees with their fruit. And the tropical islands with their fresh scents, wonderful gentle breeze, and cheery, colorful memories. That's what I put into my brand new Froot line of relaxing yet refreshing foot care. Gentle like the breeze, my Froot Salt Scrubs are now available in two island flavors. Froot Washes and Froot Balms are now here too, with even more on the way. Just the thing to whisk you away at the end of any hard working day.

The Very First Page

This is worse than being given a brand new exercise book in class. It always was a love/hate relationship with me, that was. You get a brand new book, open it at the very first page, and you promise yourself you're gonna be as neat as possible. And there you are, the first stroke of the pen and the writing's wobbly. And you have to stare at that every time you open the thing.

Yes. This is rather like that. It's the first page of the Manor Hall Soap Blog, and it's like, what do I write. And do I really need so many "and"s in the first paragraph? And you know what? It never was a good idea to use that pen on the first page until I'd got rid of the shakes. It's always better to get that first page behind you.

So... I'm gonna say hello to everyone, far and wide. The book is open. The spine is cracked. And so is the very first page...