Still time to send off a little handmade goodness: here's my virtual gift boutique!

Most photos by Judy Richards of This Moment Photography

One of the challenges of keeping an online store as well as an in home showroom is having enough quantity on hand to offer the item online. At the same time I love to put together gifts that are unique. As a result, in my showroom I offer so much more than I am able to offer on the online store. I've put together this virtual gift boutique so you can take a peek at the incredible variety of gifts I have available. It's sort of wordy but it gives you a lot of options to choose from if you're still looking for some handcrafted goodness to send someone's way! Place orders by phone at 208-761-9775 or by email. 

Any items that I talk about that are also available on the store will have a link behind them so you can click on that item and order or just get additional information.

Candy Cane gift sets are a huge seasonal favorite! Supplies are quite limited at this point. But I do have 6 full size soaps available and I just put them back on the store as well as two Soap with Saver sets. I also have one Candy Cane Body essentials gift set. And one super cute gift that contains a Cocoa Mint Lip Balm, a Peppermint Hand Salve, a pair of red striped mittens and a jingle all the way emery board for $12. There are still several Coco Mint Lip Balms for $3.75. The combination of peppermint and chocolate is amazing and full of lip smacking, lip soothing goodness. A perfect stocking stuffer. The lip balm is also available in Vanilla.

These bath sponges come with a 1.75 ounce soap. Currently available with a lavender colored sponge and Lavande Bleu Handcrafted Soap or Lavender Mint Handcrafted Soap for $5.25.

The combination of Rosemary and Mint essential oils occurs in several products. This is a combination that I just love mostly for therapeutic reasons but the aroma combination is awesome too! Rosemary essential oil is antiseptic and stimulating and is also great for inflammatory conditions and combines superbly with spearmint which is great for stimulating lymph drainage and is excellent for headaches. I soak in my Rosemary Mint Therapy Salts at least two times per week. A large bag of salts is available for $9.95 and contains four cups of salt. A medium bag containing 1.5 cups of salt is available for $5.25. And the super cute small soap and salt set is still available for $7.25 in Rosemary Mint or Candy Cane.

I also have a Rosemary Mint Foot Kit for $16.95 and a Rosemary Mint Foot Balm packaged with a pair of cozy socks and a mini pedicure kit for $14.00.

The Citrus Salts contain grapefruit and orange essential oils and are available in the large bag for $9.95 or the medium bag for $5.25 and I have a couple of my Ginger Passion Massage Oils yet.

Also in this picture on the bottom shelf are my Lavender Therapy Salts large bag for $9.95 and the medium bath salts for $5.25. I have a several gift sets containing the medium salts with a Lavande Bleu 1.75 ounce soap available for $9.25.

I might be able to come up with one of these Lavande Bleu soap with saver gift sets. And I still have plenty of Lavande Bleu, my signature handcrafted soap as well as the face soaps in the right side of this picture in Pomegranate and Rain.

I'm completely out of the Lavender Body essentials gift set shown but I do have several Soap and Butter gift sets for $10.75. Includes a 1.75 ounce soap in either Lavande Bleu or Lavender Mint and a 1.25 ounce Lavender Mint Body Butter.

Another popular aroma is my Mojito which is made from Lime and Spearmint essential oils, a super fresh and invigorating aroma. I have one Body Essentials Gift Set available as shown. I have a few guest soap sizes, one full size soap, a set of soap shavings, and one soap with saver gift set and several body butters. 

Again, I invite you to shop online, in the showroom or by phone at 208-761-9775 or email at susanne@lavandedebois.com.

12 Days of Gift Giving Values - Day 12: Lavande Bleu Handcrafted Soap

It's my birthday! So today I thought it would be fitting to offer my signature soap ON SALE! My Lavande Bleu Handcrafted Soap embodies my business, in that it is beautiful to use and to look at, it's comprised of mostly organic ingredients (as are most of my soaps), AND it's made from lavender essential oil! Initially, my dream was to have a field of lavender growing at my back door, currently I have a cottage garden lavender patch of over sixty plants. I've been so busy with product development the farming aspect hasn't quite gotten off the ground yet.

Lavande Bleu is my top selling soap! And it is also my most expensive soap to create, hence, I rarely offer it on sale. But ... today is a day to celebrate ... so I'm sharing my favorite, signature soap today only for $6.25, regularly $7.25, so you might want to stock up.

You might be wondering why it is so costly to create this handcrafted luxury item, well it's basically the cost of the essential oil. It costs me over quadruple that of any other essential oil that I use, primarily because I'm pretty particular about my lavender essential oil. The oil I uses comes from France, it's grown in the high alpine region and is comprised of a "population" of lavenders, meaning that it's comprised of multiple varieties. The high altitude creates a more complex aroma that is mellowed by the long daylight hours. The addition of Shea Butter to this recipe creates loads of creamy lathering and moisturizing bubbles and gluten free ground oatmeal is added for mild exfoliation. I invite you to enjoy this beautiful and luxurious bar of handcrafted natural goodness!

Place orders directly on the store at www.lavandedebois.com.

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Days 10 & 11: Soaps that arrive dressed up for gift giving!

I'm running the next two days of deals together because I am going to be out at Wood River Cellars for the weekend with my product line and unable to update inventories. Stop by for wine tasting and relaxed shopping. I've marked seasonal favorites Candy Cane and Orange Chip Handcrafted Soaps out of inventory as I am almost out. Call or text me at 208-761-9775 and I can set one or two aside for you.

I've put two items on sale that I think I'm unlikely to run out of. The first deal is my premium holiday wrapped soaps for $6.95. Choose between top selling soaps: Mint Chocolate Chip and Lavande Bleu. Soaps arrive packaged in brown paper wrap and tied with raphia and a holiday gift tag. Or choose a wrapped soap from my classic line for $5.95. Soaps make fabulous gifts to tuck in a stocking, or attach with a gift card or a note. These small luxuries are the perfect add-on gift for anyone on your list.

Or try these multiple soap gift sets:

Three soaps in holiday packaging.

Two soaps in holiday packaging.

Let me do your wrapping and shipping! Shipping on individual gift sets is only $5!

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals-Days 8 & 9: Soap Balls and Shavings

Today and tomorrow I'm offering my soap balls and shavings ON SALE: $5 for a bag of shavings or two soap balls. Shop online now or keep reading.

From start to finish soap making is a handcrafted process. The final step of taking it out of the mold and cutting is quite time consuming. After I've cut the soap into the size bars I want, I plane the top of each bar of soap with a cheese cutter, then when it's smooth to my satisfaction I bevel all the edges, that way the soap is smooth in your hands from the very first use.

The byproduct of all this work is my scraps which have become some of my most popular items! I select the prettiest soap curls to put in bags for sale. My customers love to use these little soap shavings to make aromatic displays in their bathroom and they also double as single serve guest soaps. Even though soap is not a hospitable environment for harboring germs, for some people there's a preference for using their own bar of soap. Well here's your answer! One soap curl will be enough to lather up an entire person in the shower, in fact, they'll probably be in there a little longer attempting to use the whole piece!

With the smaller scraps, I hand mold them into soap balls. When I start making more soap in January I will be molding all my soap balls into an egg shape in preparation for spring. Last years egg soaps were wildly popular.

For the next two days you can purchase my soap balls, odd size soaps, and shavings ON SALE! Shavings are regularly $6 and Soap Balls are regularly $3. During the sale get two soap balls or a bag of shavings for $5. This is definitely by far the best value on my soaps, when considering ounce per $. Soap balls vary in weight but they are typically over 2 ounces and the bags of shavings are over 4.5 ounces.

Mint Chocolate Chip Soap Balls

Bags of Soap Shavings

Mint Chip Shavings and Soap Balls displayed in dish.

Mint Chocolate Chip Soap Balls and Shavings in this Estate Canister from Willow House. This filled canister is available for $25 or purchase your own empty one from Willow House.

A basket of soap balls wrapped and ready for gift giving, I have several available for $25 each.

Place orders online, by phone at 208-761-9775, or by email.

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Day 7: Bathing Essentials Gift Basket

Today's deal is my bathing essentials gift basket in Lavender or Citrus. This basket is just what you need to really pamper someone on your list! Includes bath salts and a massage oil that can be used as a bath oil or for a post bath massage, a soap for luxurious bathing goodness and a body butter to finish off the experience. 

Brief product stories:

Bath Salts: my salts are from the dead sea and have an complex mineral composition that aid in softening your skin as well as helping detoxify. I recommend soaking in your salts at least twenty minutes per soak.

Body Butters are lotion without chemicals. Read my Body Butter blog post to find out more about this luxurious treat for your skin.

My all natural handcrafted soaps are really the premium products in my line. I start with a fabulous all vegetable oil recipe that is over 40% olive oil which yields a very gentle bar of soap, then I add beautiful aroma, from essential oils only, and other ingredients that add moisturizing properties to the soap.

I think the highlight of this basket might be my massage oils, comprised of my tried and true favorite aroma combinations, Relaxing and Ginger Passion. If you have a moment you should read this post, it explains how different aromas impact us and what I created these particular blends: Aroma Inspiration.

The Lavender basket includes:

Lavender Bath Salts

Lavender Mint Body Butter - 1.25 oz

Lavande Bleu Handcrafted Soap - 4 oz.

Relaxing Massage Oil

The Citrus basket includes:

Citrus Bath Salts

Island Sunset Body Butter

Orange Chip Handcrafted Soap

Ginger Passion Massage Oil

Place orders directly on the store, by phone at 208-761-9775 or by email.

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Day 6: Lavender Sachets

Today's deal is an item that is new to the store AND I'm offering it on sale today! The regular price will be $6, today you can purchase these lavender sachets for $3.25. These lavender buds have been harvested from my organic cottage garden, then placed in these medium organza bags and to finish it off I tie the bag with a hand stamped fleur-de-lis tag. Tuck these aromatic beauties in a drawer or set by your night stand. A little squeeze each night will release the relaxing aroma.

Order online or contact me by phone or email!

My sachet's are comprised of lavender buds from the four varieties I grow: Royal Velvet, Hidcote Giant, Super and Grosso.

Here I am harvesting:

Ahhhh, the smell of lavender! Beautiful! Dreamy!

Looking back at my son with one of his chickens.

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Day 5: let me do your wrapping and shipping!

Today I've put several handcrafted soap gift set collections on sale that you can put in your cart and the shipping will only be $5! That is, when you have just that item in your cart. If you have family or friends that live out of town and you'd like to bless them with some natural handmade goodness this is the deal for you! Place orders directly on the store, for each recipient you'll have to place a separate order, OR if it's easier, shoot me an email.

I make it pretty! Presentation is everything. And who doesn't love a beautiful gift? Many of my soaps have beautiful swirl designs, all of them have some artistic merit, whether it be in the aroma blend made entirely from essential oils and other natural additives like cocoa butter or chamomile, or the color or cut of the soap. And then I love to package it just right. Your gift will arrive packaged in this recycled kraft pillow box tied with wraphia and hand stamped gift tag.

Gift set collections available in the following varieties, click on individual collection to see the wide range of options available. You choose the aroma combinations you want to send. I wrap it and ship it for you!

Three full size 4 ounce bars of soap for $20! With $5 dollar shipping your gift is out the door for $25!
OR
Two full size soaps for $13.50! With $5 shipping your gift is out the door for $18.50!
OR
Three 1.75 ounce guest soaps for $10.50! With $5 shipping your gift is out the door for $15.50! This set is also a very popular teacher gift. Order multiple sets sent to your door, shipping is slightly more. Locals, click "will call" in the shipping options menu, then drop by and pick up your order.

12 Days of Gift Giving - Day 4: White Chocolate Peppermint Body Butter

Photo above by Judy Richards, This Moment Photography

One of the things I've been enjoying about offering these twelve days of Christmas gift giving values is being able to offer items that I sell in my showroom and at events, but since they're in limited supply I don't put them on my webstore. Today's feature is my White Chocolate Peppermint Whipped Body Butter. This stuff is amazing, if I do say so myself. This item is made in limited quantities because it just takes a lot of extra effort, and things have to be timed just right so that I'm whipping it and cooling it. And not cooling it too long before I whip it again. But anyway the results are amazing! This butter is whipped to perfection, the consistency of frosting. Unlike my other body butters where you have to warm the product between your hands before massaging onto the skin, this just sort of melts and smooths on effortlessly. And well the aroma is just amazing, chocolate and peppermint, is there anything more to say?

This amazing little luxury is featured in my Candy Cane Body Essentials Gift Set and I have a Candy Cane Soap and Butter gift set for $10.75. Today only you can purchase one large White Chocolate Peppermint Whipped Body Butter for $13.75 or two small for the same price. Place orders by phone at 208-761-9775 or email or directly on my webstore.

Whipped to perfection!

Loaded and ready to go in the fridge to cool some more.

12 Days of Gift Giving - Day 3: Lime Basil Handcrafted Soap

Today's deal is my Lime Basil Handcrafted Soap. This soap is my favorite green color, with swirls of dark green suspended in limeish green soap. The aroma is out of this world: lime and basil essentials oils are earthy and fresh! On sale today for $4.95!

This batch of soap was made last spring so it's reached the point in it's soap life where I don't sell at full price. My soaps have a two year shelf life. This soap has plenty of shelf life left, but what happens with soap is the aroma will start to evaporate off. But the truth is these "older" bars of soap will last a VERY long time in your shower. They have continued to cure over these past months yielding a harder bar of soap that will stick around in the soap dish longer.

Order yours at the webstore or by phone at 208-761-9775 or send me an email!

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Day 2

Today's deal is a 6 ounce salt scrub in Mojito or Island Sunset. Sorry scrub pictured is lavender but it's this container and size.

Salt scrubs are amazing little bathing luxuries! A must have in your shower. I recommend using once per week to gently exfoliate dry surface skin and moisturize. These scrubs are made with a base of Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil which lends it's coconut aroma to the mix and Safflower oil. The Mojito aroma is a blend of lime and spearmint essential oils with a hint of vanilla. The Island Sunrise blend is orange, tangerine, and lime essential oils with a hint of spice, an exotic and more complex aroma. These are my own unique essential oil blends, this is a great opportunity to give it a try. Regularly $9.25 on sale today only for $7.00.

Order online at www.lavandedebois.com or click here to order scrub.

12 Days of Gift Giving Deals - Day 1

Wow! It's December 1st! I'm kicking off the month with twelve days of gift giving values! This will allow me to a feature a different product each day and you'll get the best value! I'm kicking off the deals with my Royal Velvet Lavender Bundles. It's totally fitting: the dream of starting a lavender farm grew into creating a product line revolving around my love of lavender. 

As I'm beginning my fifth year in business, sharing Royal Velvet lavender with you is the perfect way to launch the month. And this variety takes the cake. It stands up to Idaho's hot dry climate and the color is amazing! This deep purple hue is preserved perfectly in these aromatic bundles. Put a bundle on a shelf or in a vase or take it apart to put in your crafts and arrangements. Regularly $6 per bundle, on sale TODAY only for $4.50. Shop online or directly at the webstore or place your orders by phone at 208-761-9775 or email.

Check out photos below for more values not on the webstore.

Photos by Judy Richards, This Moment Photography

Royal velvet bundles on sale for $4.50 or purchase a bundle with this glass ornament in soft colors for $2 more.

Royal velvet lavender with lavender salt scrub:

Royal velvet bouquet in Camille Vases, on sale this month at my Willow House online store.

Hidcot Giant lavender bundles make a stunning display. Bundles are twice as long as are the flower heads. Not the same deep purple hue as Royal Velvet but create a stunning display all the same. Not available at the online store, but available in the showroom or by phone or email order. Also $4.50 per bundle today. I recommending purchasing three bundles to make your own stunning display.

Hidcote Giant bundles on display in the showroom.

http://boiselavender.store.willowhouse.com/product.aspx?zpid=6005

Lavande de Bois Gift Guide

Photos by Judy Richards, This Moment Photography

Every year in early November I host my annual Anniversary Sale & Gift Boutique. This year I'm celebrating four years in business!!! Wow it's been a journey ... of  fun, inspiration and learning; and ups and downs too. The Gift Boutique in my home showroom was last week but I've had several requests for a list of gift ideas. So for those who couldn't make it ... here's the virtual gift boutique:

Handmade soaps are such extraordinary expressions of appreciation. It's not run of the mill manufactured, it's handcrafted aromatic goodness. Each soap is unique and then packaged by hand. And basically everyone who baths needs soap! So why not give an aromatic luxurious and unique gift. Here are my suggestions by price category:

Gifts under $5
I basically started my business about the time the economy started going down the tubes. And each year I've discovered that people love to give small tokens of appreciation during the holidays; but their budgets are decreasing. So each year I try to put together ideas in smaller price points. Soaps and lip balms fit the bill:  Handcrafted 1.75 ounce guest soaps are wrapped in cello and tied with wraphia for $3.75 each. Or consider a lip balm in Coco Mint or Vanilla.

Gifts under $10
Hand Salves in Peppermint, Lavender, Lemon Drop & Snickerdoodle for $5.25 are perfect for the hands that help. Shea butter and naturally good aroma team up to moisturize and heal dry parched hands! Or pair it with a soap in a gift set that arrives ready for gift giving for $13.50

The Soap and spa salts gift set in medium for $9.25 and small for $7.50 are super popular. They come in Candy Cane, Lavender, Citrus, and Rosemary Mint. My spa salts are direct from the dead sea and the complex mineral composition creates the perfect aromatic and therapeutic soak for tired bodies! These little bathing beauties are not available on the website, you may order by contacting me by phone or email.

Of course, any soap would make a great gift. My premium and classic handcrafted soaps are priced between $6.25 and $7.25, many with complimentary gift wrap options. Click here to see the entire selection of handcrafted soaps.

Gifts $20 and under
The Body Essentials Gift Sets in Candy Cane, Mojito, Lavender and Citrus Blast was so popular last year I brought it back this time in Citrus as well. Head to toe goodness arrives packaged in this sweet little organza bag tied with raphia and a handmade gift tag. Salt scrubs are amazing little bathing luxuries, paired with my all natural body butter made with a large percentage of organic Shea Butter, and a handcrafted aromatic and moisturizing soap.

Not sure what aromas they like? Consider the handmade guest soaps gift set. Four soaps arrive packaged and ready for gift giving.

The Lavande Gift Set was created to give a few little aromatic lavender somethings, sure to please the lavender enthusiast.

For the ultimate personal gift, consider creating a gift basket. Call me for details at 208-761-9775 or email me at susanne at lavandedebois dot com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Awesome and Easy GF Mini Cheesecakes

These little cheesecakes are SUPER easy to make and they are my absolute favorite dessert to add to any party. Of course, if you'd like to make a "glutenous" version you could make a traditional graham cracker crust and put in the bottom of each muffin tin. The advantage of these little mini cheesecakes is they are easy to serve and make a pretty display on the dessert buffet.

Ingredients:
shredded coconut or granola
fresh or frozen berries
16 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar (I use organic)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins and sprinkle with shredded coconut or gluten free granola. Place a few fresh or frozen blueberries or other berries over first layer.

Cream together softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Divide the mixture evenly among 12 muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until almost set in the middle. Cool completely.

Serving Variations:
-Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream.
-Make a chocolate ganache by melting white chocolate chips and a little cream and smooth over cooled cheesecakes. Add fresh berries if you like.
-Make a fruit puree using fresh or frozen berries and dollop a little on top of cheesecake (prior to baking) and swirl together.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are full fat and full of sugar but they are gluten free and super delicious. I've had several requests to share this recipe so here it is:

Cream with mixer two cubes of butter (softened).

Add:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup Peanut Butter

Cream together. Then Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Cream again and add the following ingredients combined:
3 cups teff flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthum gum

Add chocolate chips to taste.

Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. I use a meat mallet to "smash" or you could use a fork and make a criss cross pattern.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Disclaimer: I am not a recipe expert, just a novice sharing ideas that help me provide options for my gluten free family. Enjoy!

Gluten-free Thai Chicken Salad

I really don't know where the original recipe for this salad came from. But I've always remembered the ingredients and when my husband stumbled upon the Gluten Free Thai Peanut Sauce from San-J we were so thrilled to start making this salad again.

Here's how it works:

Grill or stir fry your chicken. Toward the end of cooking baste chicken with Thai Peanut Sauce. Add to any type of lettuce. We use mixed greens or romaine lettuce and put out in individual serving bowls the following: Mandarin Oranges, Cashews, Green Onions, and Cilantro. Since everyone in our family has slightly different preferences they each build their own salad and dress with the Thai Peanut Sauce. Super yummy! And easy! A perfect last minute dinner.

Lavender Harvest - Part II

This timeless quote from William Henry Channing inspired in part the reflections of Lavender Harvest - Part I. Please enjoy the quote and the rest of my harvest photos.

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, to all bravely await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony."

Arbak and Robin scurrying through the lavender patch.

Basket of freshly harvested lavender on my deck:

Lavender bundles, all ready to be hung to dry.

The lavender patch ... my favorite row: Royal Velvet Lavender!

Royal Velvet row with garden and blackberry patch in the background.

Lavender on the deck.

Lavender bundles hanging to dry in the showroom.