Happy New Year!

2008

My mother and my brother were in town for 1 week and we had a ball! I think it really helped for them to have a change of scenery after their loss. The weather was nice and we had a very nice holiday. My mom cleaned my shop! She organized and took inventory. Thanks Mom. Thanks to her and Nathan for all the great presents they got me and the kids!

Above is my annual Christmas photo of the kids. It came out cute this year plus the kids cooperated. Costco came to the rescue once again with their speedy service. My kids are growing up so fast! They wanted Nintendo DS Lites for Christmas and IPODS! When I asked them where I was going to get all the money for those expensive presents they said "Oh Mom..don't worry...we can ask Santa for them". Snort!

Business News

I still have a few Christmas orders left. Some orders had add ons from the Bargain Bin and we ran out of some fragrances. Please rest assured I am working on those remaining orders.

We will be having a sale. The newsletter will go out on January 1st. Check it out for all the details. All of our Fall and Christmas fragrances will be discontinued at the end of the month. If you have been eyeing a particular fragrance now is the time to get it. Our best sellers for the month of December were:

The World's Greatest Marshmallow

Sugar Star

Let Them Eat Cake

Red Sugar

Daisy Type

Virgin Island Water Type

Vanilla Nog in tarts and in body products &

Sugared Cocoa Bean Noel

Useless Info

I got a few things for Christmas and my birthday that I thought I would review!

My mom bought me this for my birthday! It is heaven in a box. I have only used the Chocolate Truffle so far. I will let you know about the others as I use them. The French Vanilla is to die for!

I also got this from my birthday from my man. Love all of them. The Glittery Gumdrop one smells like real gumdrops. He also got me the Dreamy Chocolate Mint and it is really good as well.

I think I have mentioned before that I use Bumble and Bumble hair products on my crazy curly hair. I tried a sample of this and it really tamed the mess! The sample I got was for $12.00 at a a salon near where I live. I got my Mom hooked on this. I have been using this for a year or so and I literally cannot live without it. Now she can't either! LOL...

I have been using this for about 4 months. I think it was right after I saw the Today Show report that it actually works. I am here to tell you it does! I love how smooth and clear it makes my skin feels. I was then told by my mom that I bought the wrong one. So she got me this one. My face broke out and was a total mess! But I kept using it..until I woke up and went back to other one. I have to have my mom buy this for me in Montana and ship it to me because my Target is always out. I think out of all the skin products I have ever tried this is the best and has made the most difference. That is a big statement coming from me only because of all the countless dollars I have spent on skin care. I am sure you can relate. :b

Got some stuff from LUSH. I got Celestial for me and Cosmetic Lad for my husband. These are repurchases. For my mom I got Candy Fluff dusting powder. I got a sliver of Snowcake and it made my skin itch and burn! I was so sad because it smells great! I really liked it. Oh well. :o)

Things I want to try!

This looks yummy! Maybe I can recreate this fragrance for the website. Anyone try this yet?

I may have to take a trip to Sephora...maybe tomorrow!

Love these colors on the Korres Lip Butter. I would love to try this from Philosophy or this one. I have had several of their 3 in 1's and have never been sorry.

I have had my eye in this too. That concludes my wishlist for this year. :o)

Until next time!

Colleen

Happy Holidays!

Business News

I hope everyone is getting their shopping done. I have a few last minute things to get. I am fast at work on all the orders. Many orders will go out tonight and tomorrow. If you have concerns about your order please email me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net OR at thebodydessertshop@yahoo.com. I will try and be as prompt as I can. :o)

I will post more as time permits!

Colleen

In Loving Memory

Jeffrey Spackman

1960-2007

Above is the program that was passed out to all the people who came to pay their respects. I thought I would share.

Poem read at the Memorial Service:

To An Athlete Dying Young By: A.E. Houseman

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.
Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It wishers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honors out,
Runners whom reknown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before the echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
and fine unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.




Colleen

Southern California Firestorm 2007

Just a quick update to my blog. We had a hell of a week! Above are some images from our fires. It has been horrendous to say the least. The winds started on Saturday night..the 20th of October and that night, the fires started. We practically stayed up for the next three nights waiting for evacuation news that never came! We are so fortunate to have stayed safe and sound in our homes. We had no mail delivery and we lost power many times. It was almost 95 degrees at time here as well with 50 mile an hours winds. I did pack everything I wanted to take in case. It was scary and difficult to explain to two 7 year old what was happening. They understood what we had to do. It was heartening to see my son packing his tiny rabbit and Harry Potter books and my daughter taking her pillow and special blanket. When I called my insurance agent for reassurance he recommended I take pictures of all my belongings inside and outside the house. I am so glad all of things I did were for naught! I guess I did not realize until the president arrived how really bad the situation was. All of this happened so fast it was unreal. Many families lost everything they had. We are very fortunate. :o)

Business News

Back to work!! I am fast at work on orders.

Please no add ons or changes so I can get out all the orders without further delay.

Please pay your shipping as soon as you receive it so I can get them in the mail as quickly as possible. Free Candy Corn Cupcake tart for all who waited for their orders! I made enough for everyone :o) Any questions? Email me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net

In Memorium

Jeffrey Spackman

1960-2007

Loving Father, Husband, Son, Grandfather & Friend

Jeffrey Spackman has passed away this evening. We will miss you! We love you Jeff and hope you are in the loving embrace of your father who passed before you.

Hello everyone. I want to give a quick update. As I said in my newsletter, I will be out of town until October 16th. I spoke to my Mom and hospice services told her it would mostly likely be 1 to 2 days before my stepfather passes away. He has been struggling to breathe throughout the day. We decided today to leave early Thursday morning for Montana. His services will be this weekend. I will keep this blog updated until I leave town as more information becomes available. Thanks to all the people who wrote and expressed their thoughts and prayers. It has meant a lot to me.

Colleen

Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying the fall weather wherever you are. It has finally cooled down here in California.

Just want to give you a business update. I recently sent a newsletter announcing the website closure. I have many older orders near completion. This is to get caught up with recent orders as well as attend to a family illness.

In May of 2002 my stepfather was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was told he had months to live. Brain tumor treatments have come a long way in the last few years.

Due to excellent care, three major surgeries and countless rounds chemotherapy and radiation he was able to extend his life beyond what any of us could hope for. Unfortunately, he is losing the battle. The tumor is no longer responding to treatment of any kind. He is now in the final stages of dying. This has brought our family great sadness and anguish because of how hard he fought.

My mother and my stepfather also adopted a baby boy 13 years ago so he will leave behind a son a well as a family who loves him dearly. I will be visiting my Mom in Montana on October 24th thru the 29th in hopes I can be of comfort to her in this difficult time. It is her wish that he die at home surrounded by the loving arms of his family. It has been a long struggle and my hope is that he does not suffer in pain in the end.

For those of you that have known about this, I thank you for your thoughts and prayers throughout the last 3 years. I will keep you updated through this blog.

For now I dedicate this poem to my stepfather Jeffrey Spackman by British poet William Ernest Henley published in 1875. Invictus means "unconquered" in Latin.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of Circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of Chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

Hello all! My kids are back to school today! They are now in 2nd grade! :o) I miss them already! "sniff" ;o) Good luck Christian & Grace!

Just thought I would update this blog...it has been months. Hope you are having a great summer. We are fast at work here at The Body Dessert Shop filling orders from our short August sale, getting ready for September by restocking all our products and making cold process soap! We will also be launching The Body Dessert Kids and Men's lines. The Body Dessert Kids will be first. My daughter will have some input. At 7 she is all about the fragrance..I guess she takes after her Mom. We will also be launching some great fall fragrances as well. Some old favorites and some new ones. Any holiday fragrance favorites you would like to see? Drop me a line at thebodydessertshop@cox.net

Please remember that I am not in the office on Wednesday or Thursday. This is when I do my internship for my master's program. I try and answer emails when I get home each evening on those days but I will most likely answer all emails on Friday.

Useless Information and Trivia:

Did you know?

That I use more marshmallow and vanilla than any other fragrances?

That my son has a better nose for scents than me? If he likes them they are usually best sellers! Funny but true!

My husband could care less about my fragrances. No surprise there! Men..ugh. He will help with the Men's line. He does care about men's fragrances...go figure.

One of my best sellers was an accident..Red Sugar! I was mixing something else and was not looking at what bottle I was taking the oils from and voila'!

I don't have a green thumb! I kill almost everything including cactus. :o(

I love Cold Process soap making more than anything else I do but I never have the time!

My kids don't know they are one minute apart in age. They think they were born at exactly the same time. I will tell them on their 18th birthday who is older. This was great advice from my pediatrician who is also a twin. LOL!!!

Products I want to try! :o)

Check this out! Kill me now...has anyone tried this?

How about this? Looks yummy!

Doesn't this sound fresh? I want to try and find the duplicate fragrance oil and make some products with it.

I have heard about these hair products but has anyone tried them?

Oh and one more! Have you seen this website? I think I have died and gone to heaven. Now there is an idea...a whole website based only on chocolate products...hmmmm...it has got me thinking! :o)

That is all for my wish list. Hope you all have a good week.

Until next time!

Colleen :o)

Hello all. I said I would try and keep this updated so I am! :o)

I have finally re-opened. It has been a busy month trying to catch up and with all the schoolwork I have had etc. Here is current picture of my babies. Today we went and picked strawberries in the morning in Carlsbad. It was really fun. We always pick more than we can eat. I love spring in California!

Business News

We have new soaps! Between catching up on orders and everything else I have been busy making soap. Pictures are on the website. I must say my favorite is the Black Current and Red Raspberries. Wow, is this a great scent! :o) It is strong and edible smelling. Here is a picture of our newest soaps!

On June 15th we will discontinue many of our products for the summer months. This is for ease of processing the orders for me and to prevent many of our heavier products from melting in the summer heat. It is already getting warm in some parts of the country. Our summer hours will also take effect. I will work on Mon-Thurs only. I will close for brief periods to keep my processing time shorter as well. I will continue to offer new scents each month as usual. My new scents for May were:Cashmere, Apricot, Coconut & Vanilla, Sugared Lemon, Vanilla & Honey, Vanilla Rice Pudding, Honeyed Orange, Buttery Vanilla, Almond Coconut Type, Grapefruit & Sugar Cane, Milk, Oatmeal, Coconut Milk & Honey, Sugar Lavender & Coconut Milk and by special request: Coconut Peeps! Our designer duplicates this month are: Coach Type, Bright Crystal Type, Issey Miyake Summer Type & Sugar Type and for mid month: Waffles with Caramel and Whipped Cream, Blackberry Shake, Vanilla Coconut Custard, Peach Lemonade, Pineapple Lemonade, Vanilla & Coconuts in Tahiti, Raspberry Freeze & Vanilla Blueberry Cream. I am addicted to fragrances..what can I say? I will also to continue to offer designer duplicates as they become available. My new favorites are Rock N' Rose and Coach. Let me know if there is a fragrance you would like and I will see if I can get it. Also if there is a fragrance of mine you have to have in soap please let me know! :o)

Useless Information and Trivia

What I am reading: A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown, The Last Sunrise by Harold Gordon, If I Am Missing or Dead: A Sister's Story of Love, Murder, and Liberation by Janine Latus and the Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists, 4th edition...ugh...Don't ask! Required reading. :o)

What I want to read next or what is currently in my Amazon cart: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hoesani, author of the Kite Runner. Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez and The End of the World as We Know It: Scenes from a Life by Robert Goolrick.

What I am using cosmetic wise: Some new finds! Mark Cameo Glo Blush is the best shade ever! I read some reviews in Makeup Alley and bought some. I also bought Mark eyshadow in Java. Great shade. Love both items. I want to get the new Avon Banana and Coconut Naturals as well. I love Dove Cream Oil Bodywash. Not crazy about the fragrances but they do a great job of moisturizing. I used Bumble and Bumble Curl Creme on my hair this morning and even in the mist near the beach no frizz! It is expensive but it is NOT greasy nor does it make your hair crunchy! From my own line I love the new Black Current and Raspberries..have been wearing this. Also I still wear Avon Naturals Vanilla almost every day. I wear People of the Labrynths duplicate as well. My husband says I smell like pipe tobacco when I wear it but he does like it. LOVE Sour Lemonhead Candies also...my kids go crazy for this! I also finally found Johnson & Johnson's Melt Away Stress Dreamy Night Lotion! I LOVE this fragrance. It is not the most moisturizing lotion but it is non-sticky. I think because you are supposed to put it on before bed. I highly recommend it for kids too. Those little buggers have a hard time settling down at night and they love this too.

Hope you have a good week!

Until next time!

Colleen :o)

Hello all! it has been awhile. Months at least. I just wanted to post a quick update and some business news. First, we have a new addition to our family. I had forgotten how much work a puppy can be since we have not had one in 2 years. Mr. Precious is fun but I can't wait until he stops chewing and digging holes in the dirt! Now we have 2 dogs! My kids turned 7 on April 3rd! Happy Birthday Christian & Grace.

Business News

The Body Dessert Shop will now be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Most of you know I have been going to school for a Master's degree for Marriage and Family Therapy. I am at the point in my degree where I actually go out into the field and practice. It is called a practicum. It means hands on experience. I am doing my practicum on Wed-Thurs each week until October, 2007 at Interfaith Community Services. I will be working as a trainee in the family housing program. I will help council and assess individuals who are in need of public assistance and housing Here is a link if you are interested:http://www.interfaithservices.org/nchousing.html

I will not be able to answer emails until I get home in the evening on both days.

Summer Hours

Our summer hours will be pretty much the same as above. I will be available for answering questions and processing orders on Monday,Tuesday and Friday. I will be discontinuing the heavier products such as butters and the heavier creams etc. because of the melt factor for the summer months. I WILL have a helper this summer as well! You go Jessica! I will carry the following products for the summer months: Goats Milk & Shea Lotion, Perfume (both sizes) and Body Mist. I will also offer tarts on a limited basis and of course my new Cold Process soaps will still be offered. I will start offering only these products at the end of June. Our complete product line will be available again on September 5th, 2007.

I just mailed out a bunch of orders with tarts and CP soap! I hope everyone likes them. I will be offering more tart scents soon.

I will write more later! My goal is to keep up this blog writing at least once per week.

Until next time

Colleen :o)