March 26th Business News

Good morning all! It has been awhile. Between processing orders and kids getting sick, planning a birthday party and just life, I have not had a moment to spare to write on the blog! Since I wrote last we have had snow in California. Take a look at a picture of San Diego and the low snow line!!! We had almost 3 feet of snow in our local mountains in early March. It hailed here in my town during one of the storms and it stuck so it looked liked it snowed. It was weird looking at snow/hail at the base of the palm trees.
I also have a new niece. Her name is Taylor Madison! Mom and baby are doing fine. We welcome baby Taylor to our family!
Business News
Anna and I have been working together again to come up with some great tarts for the month of April. We hope you enjoyed what was offered last month. :o) The Ebay site has been re-stocked. Ebay sales are doing well. I think customers like the fast shipping on the pre-made products. I do too! Our holiday clearance sale in under way. Get these discontinued fragrances before they are gone. Based on sales that I have gotten already (since the sale started on March 15th) many fragrances are already in low supply.
Dessert Face Cream
I thought I would try something new and it looks like already the idea is taking off. Since I launched the face cream on March 15th almost half my stock sold and I could not be more excited! I realize many people may have skin care routines that they already love and rely on but I thought why not treat yourself every once and awhile. A word or two about scent in a face product. Many people are hesitant to use scent on their face and I hear you! This is just a whisper of delicious scent and it should not affect your skin at all. Also when I think of all the face creams that actually have a scent like Pond's, Oil of Olay, Nivea and L'Oreal (who are the worst offenders) they all have scents that are not that appealing. Some face cream scents are downright disgusting. My inspiration for a scented face cream came to me after I used my favorite scented face cream (ahem...before I started making my own, that is) which is Lush's Celestial Moisturizer for sensitive skin. Here is a link in case you are not familiar with this product: http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/407?expand=Skincare:upd=y
After using this wonderful smelling face cream, I thought to myself, I could make this, and make it smell better! There is herbal note to Celestial that is nice but takes some getting used to. So my philosophy is this, if scent is not a problem for you, why not have a face cream that you will actually enjoy and want to use for the smell alone? Of course the cream is excellent for your skin as well but fragrance is sometimes what gets me to purchase an item. I think if the La Mer face cream had a smell other than the one it has (which is the kind of weird Nivea sort of but not completely unpleasant smell) it would be the ultimate. So far the response to the Dessert Face cream has been very good! So enjoy. :)
Order Processing
I am now currently processing orders from March 3rd through the 15th. If you have any questions about your order please email me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net. Ebay orders are processed first (within a 5 day turn around time) and these items are pre-made for fast shipping. Please remember that many customers with smaller orders may be processed before those with larger orders.
New Summer Hours and Policies
Starting on June 1st and ending on August 31st, 2006 the Body Dessert Shop will shift into summer mode. Business hours will be Monday through Thursday only. We will be closed every Friday, weekends and of course all holidays. All emails will be answered and all orders will be processed during the summer hours only. We will be taking only Paypal during this time. (No checks or money orders, sorry) There will be no Canadian or international shipping during this time as well.
Also I would ask all my customers to be sure of your scent and product choices before placing an order as I will not be doing any add ons during this time. Add ons and changes slows down the order process considerably. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

I had initially thought of closing altogether (my children will be out of school for the summer months) but I decided to streamline the business for the summer instead. I have closed for long period of time before and I found that I missed my customers and doing orders. We will be selling only perfume (the 1 oz Dessert Perfume and the 15 ml mini) and the Goat's Milk Lotion. No other products will be sold. We will still sell samples but they will be limited to two per order (instead of 4) and the samples must accompany a regular sized product. Having a limited product selection eliminates many hassles. As you know many butters and creams melt in the summer months and yuck...it can be a mess. Having fewer products mean less inventory to order and stock and quicker shipping for you. This will not start until June so order those butters and heavier creams to tide you over. Scents however will NOT be limited! A girl has to have some fun. :)
We have some great fragrances coming for the summer including some musk creations. I have many fragrances on order and I am not sure when they will get here but as soon as I get them you will be in the know. I am sure you will love them. Fragrances for the month of April will be released in my April newsletter as well as what Anna has cooking for us exclusively! Her own scents are now posted! Take a look and enjoy! Link: www.panhandlepotions.com
Love her stuff..must stay off her website...have too many tarts not yet burned..

On a side note...I talked to my Dad last weekend as he said he reads my blog! At first he said "Just what is a blog?" in his very Dad-like manner. I explained it was an online journal of sorts and then he wanted to know how I found the time to write with all this stuff with the links etc and I said I made the time because I love to write. It does not take me all that long either. Maybe 15 minutes or so each week. Besides, if all I did was stuff that was no fun, how creative would I be? At any rate, he finds the time to read it...all of it! LOL...Hi Dad! "Waves furiously from California to New York" ;)

Until next time! :o)

Happy Sunday & Business News

Good Morning all! Panhandle Potions is now open!
Here is the link:http://www.panhandlepotions.com She is selling out fast so get them while you can. Some people were unable to get on the site this morning and I was one of them. I think it had to do with my Cox Communications Server. My ISP really stinks. At any rate I am sure the kinks will be ironed out by next months sale. Her best sellers were Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries, Birthday Cake, Blueberry Muffin, Buttery Poundcake, Juicy, and Lud's Breakfast Biscuit!

Business News
As mentioned before the Whipped Shea Cream is in and I am fast at work this morning processing older orders that has the cream in them.
I am about to launch a new product and so far the reviews from the 30 some testers have been positive for the most part. I am waiting for a few more reviews before I let the product loose. I have a few more samples to send out as well. I am very excited about this product and I will be putting it on the website very soon as well as a few pre-made products on Ebay for instant shipping. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Order & Shipping Status
I am working on some orders from January as I mentioned above and I am working on early February orders from the 1st through the 15th. All Ebay orders are done except one and I am getting ready to complete that this evening. I am working steadily now so I hope to get caught up in time for the fragrance clearance on March 15th. If you have ANY questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Sometimes I lose an order here and there and if you are concerned about your order please let me know. I truly don't intend to forget anyone! I am happy to help and I don't bite! My email is thebodydessertshop@cox.net
Oscars & Useless Information
Anyone watching? I love Jon Stewart and am looking forward to his dry sense of humor. Oscar is a big deal here in CA where it seems everyone is in "The Biz". I usually have a small party but not this year. It will be just the kids, my husband, the dog and 2 new additions, dwarf hamsters!
Here is a link in case you don't know what they are: http://www.petoftheday.com/archive/2004/June/06.html
We got them yesterday. The kids are thrilled. It is an early birthday present for them. They are absolutely kissable! That is, if you don't mind kissing rodents! :o)
The pet store was close to Sephora and BBW..so... of course I had to pop in and take a look. I actually bought my Vanille Extreme and I am in heaven! I was able to sample Fresh's Pink Jasmine. You can find a link in an older blog. It smelled fine at first spray, (although Fredd did not like it at all) but the dry down was way funky! Old lady-ish and similar to lilac bathroom spray. While I was in the Fresh area I decided to sample the Sugar Blossom. This is so wonderful and of course I put this on my list for next time. This is about the most perfect smelling fragrance there is!!! It is so..well...fresh smelling! LOL...;b..pun intended I guess! Why have I never smelled this before? I wish there was a duplicate of this!
Here is a link:http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P66717&categoryId=RP&shouldPaginate=true
I have also found the perfect summer fragrance! It is Escada's Pacific Paradise! It is so wonderful that I am kicking myself for not getting it! I hope they make a dupe of this soon so I can offer it on my website. I can smell fresh lime, banana, all the tropical fruits and citrus. It is very fresh and summery. It smells like a vacation should smell!!! Fredd loved it too! That is always a bonus. ;)
Here is the link to Sephora in case you are interested: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P127519&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=2716
I also got to sample Ralph Lauren's Turquoise. The San Diego store had it and it is very lovely. Fresh and brisk, it reminds me of a chilly day. It is supposed to be woody but I don't get that at all. I did not put it on my skin because I was on fragrance overload by that point. The next time I go back I will smell this one first to give a fair shake. I want to purchase this also but have you seen the price? Maybe the Eau De Parfum Spray instead.
Again here is a link if you are interested: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P125910&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=1164
Last, but not least, I went into Bath & Body Works and was looking for the Breathe Intense Hydration Body Cream in Lavender Milk that I mentioned a blog or two ago. They were all out but a non-pushy sales associate gave me a 1.7 ounce sample for $3.00! This is called "the buy of the day" in my book. On every shopping excursion there is one of these "buys of the day" and this was it for me. I didn't really want to spend the $16.50 for the full size but I really wanted it. You all know how it goes. The next best thing? A smaller sample for less money. I was one happy camper. It is wonderful and I am going to use it tonight and report back. Too tired to even bother with it last night. Thanks for reading!

Until next time! :o)

March 3rd Business News

Morning all! Just thought I would give you a quick update.

Panhandle Potions
Anna will be selling her tarts on Sunday March 5th instead of Saturday. There is just not enough time in the day to get everything done! I will send a quick newsletter out sometime on Saturday evening to give you the link to the site. I will also put this link on my website and in the blog. There is not a specific time for the sale. When you wake up from your beauty rest just check your emails and the link will be working. Also some tart scents will be limited for the first month but there will be an opportunity to get the tarts you want in all of your favorite scents the following month.
Whipped Shea Body Cream
It has finally arrived! Orders that have put aisde waiting for this to come in will now be processed. Thanks for your patience!

Until next time! :o)

March 2nd Business News

Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a good day. I am! I am very excited about Anna and her tarts... how about you? Some of you have already emailed me and voiced your support. Thanks for the emails! Anna will begin selling her tarts on Saturday on a site that has yet to be determined. I will post a link her and send a link out in a quick newsletter as well as post it on my website. You will not be ordering the tarts through my site. Can you imagine? The last thing I want to do is increase my turn around time! Plus I don't know the first thing about making tarts. I just like to burn them! At some point I would like to send a poll out to see what fragrances you would like to see in tarts in the future. I think my newsletter has that feature so be looking for that.
Fragrance News
My new fragrance Vanilla Pineapple is really good...OK..it is really to die for! LOL..sorry but I just made it up the other night for a customer and I wanted to taste it. Fresh cut juicy yellow pineapple and creamy vanilla. The inspiration came from Comptoir Sud Pacifiques Vanille Pineapple. I got to sample this at Sephora and the dry down was fizz...kind of. Mine is more airy and has more vanilla, cream, no musk and no coconut!
Chocolate Divinity! What can I say?...a really great chocolate and that great Divinity fragrance you love. Come on, take a chance..it is really good..I know the chocolate scares people away..Ask Anna! She loves it! I sent her a wee sample when I sent her the Strawberry Puff Pastries oil to make tarts with. :o)
Future of The Body Dessert Shop
It looks like the direction I am going with The Body Dessert Shop in the future is exclusive dessert & bakery blends, some fruit blends and designer duplicates. Please let me know if there is something you would like to see designer duplicate wise. I would be happy to try and get it get it for you. It is the most fun for me and I might as well do what I enjoy. Also the plan for the summer months when my kids are home is to not close as many etailers do (and as I have done in the past) but stay open and have a limited product selection to choose from for quick shipping. Butters and heavier creams melt in the summer months anyway and it would be nice to not have to worry about that. I may take a vacation in July...my husband wants to go New York. I am hoping he will change his mind. It is so humid at that time but all our family is there (with the exception of my mother) so it looks like we may be going there. I will keep you updated.
As always I will continue to try and improve my turn around time. It is slow and I realize this. I also have many orders as well, sometimes steady, sometime overwhelming. My husband says to take out the recipes, the candy, the samples... I say NO WAY. This is what is fun for me about etailing...the extras! I love getting extras when I order from etailers. I think everyone does. When he sees how long I can take with an order, all obsessive compulsive like..I think he wants to just have me hurry along and be done with it already so I can spend time with him! LOL...My goal first and foremost is to improve my turnaround time.
Useless Information
Was looking briefly on the Sephora website last night and this caught my eye:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;jsessionid=NDQX2PW5PT0LPLAUCJBRXCQ?cm_re=B23*Grid*P131704&id=P131704&categoryId=B23
Peach skin, marshmallow? It sounds so good to me. I am always on the hunt for new fragrances, either to re-create or buy. Next time I am in Sephora I will be trying this and I will report back.

Until next time! :o)

Happy Sunday & Business News

Good afternoon all! Thought I would write a few lines. Be looking for exciting news in my next newsletter due to go out sometime around the 1st of March. I have some new fragrances to launch and the website will be re-organized somewhat as well. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. It is due to rain here in California by Monday evening..a big deal here because we need the rain.

Business News
Valentine's Day scents that will be discontinued by the end of the month will be: Be Mine Brownie Cake, Cupids Crunch, Holly's Heart, Sugared Cocoa & Red Raspberry or Strawberry, Clementines & Strawberries and Apricot, Raspberry & Apple Cream Cake.

Holiday fragrances that will be discontinued until next year are: Warm Vanilla Gingerbread, Vanilla Frost, Sugared Pumpkin, Snoballs, Vanilla Pumpkin Cupcakes, Sugared Cocoabean Noel, Sugar Plum Cake, Sugared Chestnuts, Strawberries Dipped in Toasted Coconut, Pomegranate & Sweet Orange, Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, Pumpkin Milkshake, Pink Magnolia, Peppermint Egg Nog, Nutmeg Cream, Egg Nog Cream, Cocoa-Vanilla Raisin Cookies, Christmas Apple Cobbler, Homemade Cookies & Apple Butter.

Clearance price will apply on all of these fragrances for two weeks only during the month of March. More details will be available in the newsletter. Get them while you can until next year!

The Whipped Body Cream has been re-ordered. It was delayed yet again due the manufacturer taking its sweet time to make a new batch. All orders that had the Whipped Body Cream will be processed immediately upon arrival of the cream.

Ebay sales are doing well. I am excited about this new venture and plan to add more premade products. The ease and speed of shipping these pre-made items is wonderful. I wish my whole website could be like this but I never know what people will order and as a result can make very few pre-made products. Here is the link to the store if you would like to look around: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Body-Dessert-Shop

Fun & Useless Trivia
I got to go to Bath and Body Works last night. They have body butters for $8.00. They all smelled nice and were really emollient. I also got to sample the Breathe Intense Hydration Body Cream in Lavender & Vanilla Milk. It is lovely! The smell is divine and I was thinking, hmmm...I wonder if I can create this? It is on my list of must have items, which grows everyday, I might add. :)
If you are interested here is a link:http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2205187&cp=2073258.2079002.2208770
I also got to smell the Tutti Dolce in Fantasia di Cioccolata. I am not sure if I like it or not. At first sniff it is nice but then I catch cherry or almond or something. I guess it is supposed to be raspberry..I did not put it on my skin. It seems cloying to me, sickly sweet. I guess I really didn't care for it otherwise I would have put some on.
At any rate it was a short visit because there were way too many items I wanted. It is flagship store and they had everything stocked. Out I ran. I did smell the Japanese Cherry Blossom before I skidaddled and yuck! So old lady floral and bathroom spray like....Not for me...:o)

Trivia
Did you know?

The fragrance oil I used the most of since I opened is Marshmallow?

At last count I have over 600 fragrances in my shop. This does not include blends I have made on my own. They are not all listed nor will they ever be. Too much work!

My husband wanted to have his own line linked to my website called (and this is all him) The Shoddy Dessert Shop where he would have fragrances like pizza, beer, chicken wings and blue cheese dressing. I told him he had better find his own site. What the hell? LOL!!!

The fragrances I sell the least of are florals.

The fragrances I sell the most of are vanillas

The fragrances I wish I could sell more of are chocolate since I am so addicted to chocolate. I agree it is hard to get chocolate right in a bath and body product. My Old Fashioned Chocolate is the closet and best chocolate I could find so far. Still looking though...

The farthest away someone place an order from me was Singapore and the closest was one town away in Vista, CA.

I had only one Blueberry fragrance and I cannot find it no matter where I look. Note to self, get more blueberry. :o)

I am slowly getting addicted to Cold Process Soaps. I want to make them on my own instead of buying them from others but I was told by a good friend that if I start making soap, it is very addicting and I will never want to do anything else. Lord knows I need another addiction! So that is on the shelf for now but, someday..I really want to try my hand at it.

Until next time! :o)

Happy Sunday & Business News

Hope you are all having a good weekend. It is raining here in California. Nice for a change but it is cold. I did get out and pop into a Sephora this weekend. I went to look for Ralph Lauren Turquoise but that store did not have it. I just wanted a sample before I invest. Link if interested: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P125910&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=1164

The SA told me that maybe the Hollywood store would have it. Umm yeah...let me drop everything and schlepp my twins on down to the Hollywood store. :b
I do have a new love! It is called Vanilla Extreme by Comptoir Sud Pacifique. It is fantastic and a must have for vanilla lovers. It the best vanilla I have smelled in awhile. Link if interested: http://www.comptoirsudpacifique.us/vaextreme.html I did not buy it and I could kick myself now but I could not stop smelling my wrist all day. It is that good. I also got to sample CSP Vanilla Pineapple, which smells really good at first sniff but then dries down to sort of a fizzy pineapple and not as much vanilla. I tried Aloha Tiare as well and it smells like old lady perfume to me and I am an old lady... so go figure. :o) I got to sniff the new Philosophy Three in One Waffle Cone scent and it is drinkable. It is a definite purchase. It has a maple fragrance note to it and I smelled nothing artificial at all. It has no plastic after smell like a few of the philosophy Three in Ones can have. Here is a link if interested: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P135231&categoryId=3866 I also noticed Chocolovers by Aquolina was nowhere to be found. They had all their Pink Sugar stuff out but no sign of the new one. Glad I ordered and got mine early.

Thanks to all the people that read my Valentine's Day blog and to those of you that responded to me privately and on the Blog. It was fun taking a trip down memory lane. My husband loved it. He was really touched and surprised. At first he was nervous that I put something up publicly for all to read. I think at first he thought I posted nudy photos of him or something! It was so funny how he reacted. What could be better than a public declaration of my love for him? :o)

Business News
I am now working on orders from the 24th thru the 31st today. There were many orders during this time period. If you have any questions about your order and where it stands please email me. Orders that have the Whipped Cream in them will be set aside until I hear from you with regard to replacement products or refunds. Please contact me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net. The cream will be ordered tomorrow. The manufacturer had not yet made a new batch at the beginning of the week when I called, so it will be ordered on Monday. There is also no mail delivery on Monday as well. THAT stinks! I have some new fragrances arriving on Thursday. I cannot wait. I want to tell you what they are but I am thinking maybe I will keep it a secret. They are designer duplicates. I am working on some new blends for March as well. Spring time blends are difficult for me because in spring I think of fruity blends instead of dessert blends but I will see what I can come up with for all you die hards. I am proud to say I had my first Ebay sales this week. Two perfumes sold and I am tickled as can be. I will be stocking my Ebay store with other products in the coming weeks. I like the ease of Ebay and the premade products ready to be shipped. I wish I could premake all of my products ahead of time so my turn around time could improve but I never know what people will order. It is always a surprise to me what scents sell the most. That is what is most fun about this business, that and all the fragrance oils I get to buy...LOL. I will have a few announcements in my newsletter and in my Blog coming in March about tarts and new fragrances.

Testers
I am working on getting your test products to you. If you have an outstanding order it will go in the box. If not, I will put in a small envelope and send it first class sometime this week or the beginning of the next week. I do want to thank all those that requested to be testers. If I missed you or your email it was because I had so many requests and I could not get back to everyone and for that I apologize.

I am also hoping that after this week I can drop my turn around time back down to 2 weeks. We will see. Until next time! :o)

Happy Valentine's Day

A Valentine's Day Story


In the fall of 1981 a boy and a girl met at a T-shirt store at a mall in Rochester, New York. Each noticed the other but the boy noticed the girl more than she noticed him. A friend who worked there also noticed and said "I think Fredd has a crush on you". I said: "Fredd? He is too skinny". He is 5'9" and weighed all of 140 pounds. His Dad had recently passed and he was thin from grief. He asked me out on a date and I went but I brought all 10 of my current girlfriends at the time because I was scared. LOL...He brought one friend and asked "Who are all these people"? I was wearing a hand knitted pink scarf my grandmother had made and when it becamse too warm instead of carrying it he wore it all night. We went out on many dates after that and fell madly in love as only young people can do. When Valentine's Day came we decided to get married and not tell anyone..I mean..we had only know each four months...Our parents would have had heart attacks! Plus we could not afford it. There were a million reasons why we should have not gotten married but Fredd decided to run this idea by his professor at school...we were in college at the time..and his professor said "Why don't you wait so you can do it right and actually live together?"
He agreed and we waited. Since that fall when we met, I have not been without my best friend and soulmate. We have been at each other side for all the big events in life. He is always there for me. He held my hand when we got married, when I graduated from college, when he graduated from college, when they told us we were having a boy and girl AT THE SAME TIME! He was there in operating room with me when we had our babies. I hope we will grow old together.
Today would have been our 25th wedding anniversary had we had tied the knot that cold February day! Fast forward to 1998..We moved into our very first house together in California...on..you guessed it...Valentine's Day. Needless to say this day is very special to me. Every day I am reminded just how lucky I am to have found a wonderful, caring, supportive man who puts up with all my crap, my messes, my personality and everything else that goes along with loving me. Oh and one more thing.... thanks for holding my purse for me in the lingerie department when I shop for bras and underwear just like the old people do! LOL!!! :) Here is to another 25 more years my sweet Valentine! :o)

Nothing much to report but felt like writing anyway!

Good evening all! I am at the end of a long day of processing orders...order coma.. and felt like I needed a break. How is everyone? I am good....I have been sneezing all day and I cannot smell a thing. Who knows what you will get in your orders! :o)

Order Error
I did make a huge mistake on a customers order and I felt so bad. Her perfume was not labeled and her samples were labeled but not scented! Oh the horror! And..I did not even put her invoice in the box. I emailed her immediately and refunded her entire amount plus shipping. I even chased the damn mailman down the road to try and retrieve the box back so I could fix it but it was too late. He kept right on driving by even though I was waving my arms like a crazy person. Drats :b..I hate it when I do that. The customer was very nice about it. It is nice to know I have such understanding customers.

Fragrance Oils
I got a few great oils yesterday. I had to restock a few and got a few samples to test and there was not a dud in the bunch! I can't wait to put them up on the website. For now I am trying to get caught up.

New Product
I have a new product to launch. The containers will be here on the 13th of the month but for now I need a few good testers. If you are interested please email me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net I need honest critical opinions, no sugar coating! I will repay you for your valued opinion, for being discreet, and for being a guinea pig with a free product which will be determined at a later date. :o)

Newsletters
Is anyone reading these? People!! I gave away a free product last month for orders $25 and over and many people did not redeem the coupon!!! FREE PRODUCT! I thought people like free stuff. I can't believe it. What is the old saying? "Cheap is good but free is better" Yeah...that is what I thought...:b

La Mer
I won an Ebay auction for my Mom so she can try it. She is curious. I am anxious to see how she does with it because she has the driest skin in the universe. My skin has improved (zit almost gone) and I am back to using the La Mer every other night. I hope I don't break out again. I really like the cream. I may have to splurge. My skin has honestly never looked better. Too bad this cream wasn't only $10.00.

Pet Peeves of Mine

People who pick their noses in their cars and think no one can see them! I have a news flash for all you nose pickers...I CAN see you and you are beyond gross. STOP IT NOW.

Men that stare/gawk at women while they are walking at the mall or on the street and then they bump into me while they are doing this!

People who ask me if my boy and girl twins are identical!

People who ride the break on the freeway and no one is in front of them...what IS this?

Ordering from a fragrance oil company, all excited, having high hopes for everything and then they are all duds! Yes, it happens to etailers all the time. I have a whole shelf dedicated to such duds.

I have lots more but that is it for now. Do you have any? LOL...Please feel free to post yours if you wish.

Until next time! :o)

New Ebay Listings

Ebay Store

Morning all! Just thought I would pop in to tell you about my new Ebay store. I have always wanted to sell on Ebay but never did it. I know the fees are steep but at any rate here is the link:http://stores.ebay.com/The-Body-Dessert-Shop.

I only have a few things up but in time (and time permitting) I will be adding more and more premade items. This will be shipped within 5 days for those of you who don't want to wait for products from the regular website. We will see how it goes. I am hoping these items will sell through the Ebay market. I will also be putting up some photos for both sites shortly. I will only be selling in the United States.

Cream & Sugar Fragrance oil
A fresh bottle has arrived. So it is safe to order it and also anyone who has received a product with a bad batch please email me so I can make it right at thebodydessertshop@cox.net. I also have an alternative email address at thebodydessertshop@yahoo.com. I have been have ISP trouble the past month so you can reach me there as well. I will be posting this alternate address on the website sometime today.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. The Super Bowl was on at my house but I only listened as I was working on orders. I could hear Mick Jagger singing "Start Me Up" and thought it sucked. I do give them credit for getting on out there at their ages however! I loved the Stones way back when.

I did get my Crystal Clear Candle order and I burned the Cookies and Cream tart last night and boy..... was I in heaven! It is beyond delicious. Today out in my shop I will be burning the Cherry Coconut Cream Cake. I will report later..It is so cute! Her tarts are adorable and I hate to burn them. Silly I know. Have a good day.

Until next time :o)

Best Selling Scents of January

Hello all!
We had a request for best sellers for January and here they are.

Best Sellers for January were:

Divinity
Bavarian Cream Pie
Wedding Cake
Sugared Cocoa Bean Noel
Baked Vanilla Bread
Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries
Double Marshmallow Delight
Pink Buttercream Frosting
Sugar Bear
Holly's Heart &
Brown Sugar & Lemon Snap Cookies

Top selling products are in order as follows:
Dessert Mini Perfume
The Whipped Shea Body Lotion
The Whipped Shea Body Cream
Dessert Scrubs

Soaps and Scrubs is now open!
Diane is ready to go! She officially opens at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. Here is the link: http://soapsandscrubs.com
Check out the tarts before they are all gone! Enjoy! :o)

Until next time! ;o)

Product Update

Good evening all!
I have some lousy news. The Whipped Shea Body Cream arrived and it was not the same as the one I usually sell. I am not sure what happened but it smelled very strongly of cocoa butter. It should have been made with deodorized cocoa butter. It was also very waxy. It had so much drag on the skin it was pathetic. I noticed all this as I was making up jars for all the new orders this afternoon. The former cream was rich, thick and had lots of glide. This new cream was nothing like this. I cannot sell this cream to customers. It is awful. I called the company and they gave me a song and dance about how it was the same cream. It is not even the same color. Back it goes to the company and I have to order a replacement.

What to do now with all those customers who ordered the cream? I guess I will leave it up to you. I can refund those who do not want to wait or I can replace it with the Goats Milk lotion and refund the difference. It will be at least another week until the new shipment arrives. I am sorry about this but I can't in good conscience sell an inferior product. Please let me know what you decide at thebodydessertshop@cox.net. I will also send a brief newsletter out explaining what has happened also. Again, I apologize but I know we can resolve this. Thanks for your patience.

Until next time :o)

Out of the Office :o)

I have a school function from 9 to 2 Pacific Time on February 2nd, 2006. I will answer all emails when I return. :o)

Business for Today

Business News

Hello everyone!
Sorry for the newsletter delay. I wanted to get it to you by this morning but I could not work on it last night like I had planned. Our featured fragrances of the month are Wedding Cake and Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries. All products that contain these fragrances will be a $1.00 off for the month of February. I hope you enjoy them. I have been at work in my shop getting caught up. I am working on the orders from 16th of January through the 18th. I am also have some new products in the works. They will arrive shortly and I will begin testing them. Check out some of our new scents this month on the Dessert Menu as well. The Bakery one is really good and so are the BBW duplicates. I love them and I was surprised that I did.

Useless & Trivial Information

My Crystal Clear Candle order has shipped! Barb dropped me a note the other night and now I can't wait. I will review it when it arrives.
La Mer Update: OK.... I have a GIANT zit on my chin!! Sorry for too much information but holy cow! This one is a doozy ladies! You know it is large when your kid goes "Mama, what IS that?"Is it from the La Mer you ask? I hope the hell it is!!! Then my excuse for not buying this fabulous "my skin has never looked better cream except for this zit" is a really good one. That's always the best excuse isn't it? It makes me break out. I can see myself saying to someone "I can afford it...no really I can..but it made me break out". LOL..Oh well. When I have the all clear sign you know I will be trying the La Mer again. It amazing how long this speck of a sample has lasted me. :o)

It looks like Diane will be up and ready to go with those tarts by the 6th which is Monday. Go Diane! I want to know what you think. I probably won't be getting any because Diane is VERY stingy with her tarts! :o) My most favorite thing of hers was the Cocoa Body Buffer something or other scrub..It was made with real cocoa powder and smelled edible.I have one hoarded for safekeeping. Diane needs to make more of this... but just for me!!!
Speaking of hoarding..does anyone have ANY of Green Lady Soap's fragrance Cafe Noisette in soap or lotion that they would be willing to swap products with? I LOVE it and I only have a bit of the soap and a small cream left. Email me with your product request at thebodydessertshop@cox.net. I would have stocked up had I known she was going out of business. I miss you Nadia and your great soap! I know everyone else does too.

Anybody watching American Idol? I am ashamed (as well as proud to say) I have never watched it. I am not big into reality shows. I do watch House on Fox Tuesdays night and Law and Order SVU but that is about it. I did watch Six Feet Under until it ended. I am watching it with my kids for the first time. They love it. They cover their ears when someone sings off key.. it is hysterical. Last night I watched it briefly...I was in and out and I managed to catch the last guy..he had gray hair..he sounded almost like Ray Charles. He was amazing. I hope he does well. Well, I need to get dinner going and get back to work. Have a good evening!

Until next time :o)

Business Update

Business News
The Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries is IN THE HOUSE! LOL..It arrrived today and I took a giant bath in it..don't worry there is plenty left. :o) I won't have a chance to update the website tonight but you can order it now or wait a couple days and get a discount for the month of February. I will be sending my newsletter out sometime around the first of February if all goes well. Please observe the 21 day turnaround time. It will likely decrease this weekend. I will have a helper on Sunday.

Sephora Order Update
It came and I loved the Chocolover's by Aquolina..It is different but it is really warm..I stink at reviews when the fragrance is really complex but here is a link if you are interested: http://www.makeupalley.com/board/m.asp?id=32308284 I did my best.
It has a hell of a lot more staying power that the Laurance Dumont Vanille Oriental I can tell you that! I love the fragrance, it DOES smell like vanilla marshmallows..but it does not last and that my friends, is too bad. I guess it is back to Avon Vanilla Naturals spray during the day and now the Chocolovers pefume as well. I did get a chance to use the Sephora brand Chocolate Raspberry Mousse 3 in 1 in the shower and it was just average..I would not re-purchase.

La Mer Update:
OK I think I gotta have this..drats :b I have been using it every other night and I DO see a big difference in the mornings on the nights I use it. I guess I will have to buy off Ebay for now. I also used Paula Begoun's moisturizers. I want to try the new serums. Here is a link if anyone is interested: http://www.cosmeticscop.com
She has basic no frills and scent free (gasp!) products at a decent price.

Have a good night,
Until next time! :o)

Business Update

Morning all!

The perfumers alcohol has arrived as promised! It is odor free..I have tested it and when I apply it to my skin I smell nothing. Perfect! The BBW duplicates arrive today as well..I am hoping my Sephora order comes today but that is another story. Late last night I went on to Barb's site at Crystal Clear Candles, link: http://www.crystalclearcandles.com/store/Default.asp and bought tarts in Cookies-n-Cream Cake, Valentines Supreme Scent Singles in Coconut Fudge, Blueberry Crunch Muffins, Strawberry ShortCake, Cherry Coconut Cream Cake and Kahlua & Creme Supreme. Can't wait to get my hands on these..The Cherry Coconut ones look like you could eat them. I MUST stay off of Barb's site...it never fails..every time I go on her site I place an order.

Anyway, in anticipation of the arrival of the BBW duplicates I thought I would tell you what they smell like. During the holidays I was able to get to a BBW store and smell them so I know what they are supposed to smell like. I hope they are good duplicates. If they don't smell great I will not be carrying them.

Here are the notes for Fresh Vanilla:Fresh Vanilla Beans, Soft Caramel Fresh Vanilla Beans, Soft Caramel, White Orchid, Sugared Mimosa, Sesame, Vanilla Milk, Coconut Musk, Creamy Sandalwood & Praline.

Here are the notes for Brown Sugar & Fig: Fresh California Fig Fruit, Passion Fruit, White Peach,Vanilla Orchid, Sheer Jasmine, Muguet, Yellow Freesia, Coconut Milk,Vanilla Bean, Fig Leaves, Caramelized Sugar, Maple & Velvet Musk.

Turnaround Time Update as of January 26th, 10:40 Pacific Time.
We are now at 21 days turn around time if you place your order today. It may be shorter. This can exclude weekends although I have been working on the weekends lately.

Gotta get back to work! Have a good day.

Until next time! :o)

Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries

Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries
Well a miracle occured..My good friend Anna (from the former and much missed Panhandle Potions) came through with the missing component( it is a blend of 4 oils) of my Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries! LOVE HER!!!! I was unable to obtain any more of this oil due to the supplier wanting a minimum purchase of 400 ounces. I kind of gave up on this for the time being (I also was trying to re-create this fragrance with other oils and had no luck) until I got a call from Anna last night!! Hooray for Anna..Oh happy days..I am getting a full 20 some odd ounces and now we can all bathe in it! I had put out an all points bulletin for this oil about 1 month ago in the hopes that someone had some laying around they just hated and wanted to get rid of. She has reminded me however she gets first dibs an on any products she wants because she has not even smelled this yet...hmm...I hope she doesn't want all 20 ounces of this stuff!! I have to say of all my blends I love this one the most.. It it so fun! There is something edible about this particular blend. I don't usually toot my own horn but today I am because I am so excited about this fragrance and I am glad I can still make it. :o)

Fragrances of the month in February will be:
Strawberry Jam Puff Pastries & Wedding Cake
All products made with these two delicious scents will be discounted for the entire month!
Happy Valentines Day!

Creme de La Mer Update: Used it last night. I had to because we had 60 mile a hour winds predicted for today and I look like an old prune during these...NOT TODAY!!! I am liking this cream more and more..drats :b I have to say my skin looks really good..darn you H!

I have to get back to work so have a good day and thanks for reading!
Until next time :o)

Happy Sunday & Business News

Happy Sunday!
Hope everyone's weekend is going well. It is warm and sunny here in the San Diego area..about 75 during the day and we have frost at night! I haven't updated my blog in a few days because I am buried in orders.. I call it my order coma...I have been working out in my workshop busy as a bee and I am wrapping up all of the orders from the 9th..they should be shipping very soon.. Some have already gone out..the smaller ones...I have started some orders from the 13th on.. although I was busy with the business I did have time to sneak in a Sephora order and a bike ride...more on the bike ride below!

Here is what I got from Sephora: Laurence Dumont Vanille Oriental..I have been wanting this since my bud Silke from Bathsweets suggested it..she says it is a great vanilla so I believe her. My big find is Aquolina's Chocolovers EDT spray! I saw this in Allure magazine and of course I had to have it..however..the notes are as follows; Bergamot, Orange, Lemon, Lily of the Valley, Coriander, Hazelnut, Vanilla & Malt. Helllloooooo? Where is the chocolate? Check out this this link if you are interested:http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml%3B$sessionid$SMHQAUZ2GW41VLAUCLABXCQ;jsessionid=SMHQAUZ2GW41VLAUCLABXCQ?id=P135002 Here is hoping that with that name it actually smells LIKE chocolate! LOL..
I also got Sephora Indulges Decadent Bath Trio Set which includes three 4 oz body washes in Triple Layer Cake, Chocolate Raspberry, and Banana Foster. All three of these for 20.00. Yup...right up my alley!
A word or two about high-end items: I was having a conversation with a customer of mine about LM Crème Brulee..the real one...My husband surprised me a while ago with a full size jar from Nordstrom. I had put it on at the counter and he saw the look on my face..you know that look you get when you really want something because it is the most wonderful product and it smells sooo good but there are a million different reasons why you shouldn't spend $55.00 on a jar of body cream? Needless to say it was a lovely gift but I mentioned this to my customer and she said "I would never spend that on a body cream but I would for my face" so me being the curious cosmetic addict idiot I asked her knowing full well what cream she used. Yes...Crème De La Mer..You know, the one that is $110.00 for an ounce, $195.00 for 2 ounces and dare I say $1200.00 for 16 ounces? Yes..that is the one..Before you judge and stomp and scream out..$110 for an OUNCE?!!! I got one from a nice Ebayer for $20.00..granted... it is a speck..LOL .24 ounces but still..I thought I would give it an honest try. I say honest because if I spent $110 on a face cream I WILL like it even I get boils on my face from from it. you know? :o) I was a good girl..I read some of the reviews in Productville. Here is a link but you have probably read ALL 744 (OMG!)REVIEWS!!! when considering a similar purchase for yourself: http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemID=780/Creme_de_la_mer_moisturizer/La_Mer/Moisturizers/
As you might expect the reviews were mixed and as varied as can be. Needless to say I am glad I bought a sample only for now. Here is my review thus far: Day one: After applying this tacky strange little cream I woke up to soft skin..which is a miracle considering we are in the midst of a dry spell or Santa Ana in California. My skin is usually a total wreck during these. Diane and Silke are here in CA and I am sure they both know what I am mean. Day two: Still no dryness but soft skin in the AM with puffy eyelids..oops..put too much near the eyes? Hmmm...Day three: "Yawn"...more of the same.. No breakouts yet... so that is good thing because considering how heavy this cream can feel going on..that is a miracle. The jury is still out folks..This cream seems very ordinary but time will tell I guess. My Mom is also interested. She has extremely dry skin and lives in Montana where there is zero humidity. I guess I am like most people..I love higher end stuff but hate to pay the price. I will update this review in another blog.

More on my bike ride:
The bike ride was a big deal because today was the very first time we were able to ride bikes together as a family! My kids learned to ride 2 wheelers last weekend, they are only five and half, and so we were ready to go this morning..what fun!...kids are so great but it takes sooo long for them to grow up so you can do stuff with them! Today was a banner day in that respect...right up there with potty training and that one year old birthday and all those other firsts that parents wait forever for. On a side note...boy, does my butt hurt...It has been awhile since I have ridden a bike. :o)

Business News
Hypnotic Poison is here! I will be adding it to the scent list soon but you can order it if now if you like. Fresh Vanilla & Brown Sugar & Fig, the BBW works duplicates, will be here on the 26th of January. I hope they are good.

I am still trying to decide when to do the fragrance clearance. It was supposed to be this month but right now I am too busy to have any kind of sale. It will have to wait for now but it may be next month.

A few words about Cream & Sugar Cake fragrance. I have had problems with part of this fragrance souring. (it is a three part blend) It will smell like glue. This is the only fragrance I have had go sour twice..I assume it is the nature of the fragrance. I do store this in the fridge to try and keep in fresh but it does turn. I can't always tell either because I work with so much fragrance that sometimes I suffer from nose fatigue. I have more on order. It does comes in a clear plastic bottle..I may just transfer it to dark glass bottle to see if that will help. If yours smells off let me know right away by emailing me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net and I can give you a refund or replace it in your next order for free. And please don't feel like you are bothering me or it doesn't matter. It does and I want you to like what you ordered. Really!

I was thinking of putting together a Have Some Dessert set for new customers. It would include a cream, lotion and perhaps a perfume all in mini sizes. This would be good for all the customers who are hesitant to try a new etailer or have been wanting to. Be looking for it soon.

Thanks to the anonymous person who pointed out my typo! LOL..I have since changed it but you can read it on Makeup Alley in all its glory if you are interested. It was a doozy! Here is the link: http://www.makeupalley.com/board/n.asp/Boardid=3/iPN=1/id=31974523/ThreadID=162418/ It wasn't so bad but Blogger was down for a couple of days so I couldn't correct it and that drove me nuts.

Hope you enjoyed my little blog!

Until next time! :o)

Business for Today

Tarts
Good morning! I have great news! I have been talking with Diane from Soaps and Scrubs..well that is nothing new because we talk all the time but.... she wants to come out of "etailer retirement" and make some tarts for us! I am very excited. We have four possible fragrances to start with. One of them for sure will be Pink Buttercream Frosting. I would love your feedback if anyone is interested. This would be done on a small scale and all tarts will be premade in our exclusive dessert fragrances and ready to ship directly from Diane. I have already had some inquiries about this and would welcome more. You can contact me by email or respond right to this blog in the comment section. I am looking forward to this and so is Diane. She is great fun to work with and I am blessed to have her as a friend and colleague. :o) YAY DIANE!
Business News
The odor free alcohol is on its way! I got the DHL notice this morning. I will update with the exact date when it will arrive later on today. Roll-ons are now on sale. The Bargain Bin has been updated although the items are going fast. I will answer all emails today regarding the Bargain Bin and update the website accordingly. Thanks for your interest and orders!
I am starting to get really busy. It started slow on January 9th when I opened but now it is picking up speed. I will know more today if the turn around time will lengthen. I hope not. I decided sometime after Christmas (after I was unable to get many orders out in time for Christmas delivery) that I will now close to get caught up OR increase my turn around time right away. I get upset and worried and so do my customers and it is just not worth it. I do have an occasional helper which does help speed things up. The Whipped Shea Cream arrived right on schedule this morning. Thanks to those of you who waited for this item.

Till next time! :o)

Product Update

Product News
The Whipped Shea Cream will arrive on the 19th. This is great news! LOL.. I will update the website tomorrow so I can take orders on this item. At the same time I will put the roll-ons on sale. I am pricing these to clear. Get these while you can. It is a great inexpensive way to try some new fragrances that you may have been eyeing, plus they are portable..what could be better than that? :o)

Fragrance News
Available sometime after the 21st we will have BBW's Fresh Vanilla Type & Brown Sugar & Fig duplicates. I have not tried these yet but if they are good fragrances I will be putting them on the Dessert Menu. I was also looking at the BBW's Violet Bouquet. I am not sure about this one..if anyone has tried it and likes it I would love to hear your feedback. I welcome any and all comments! :o)
I also have MANY fragrances I never put on the website so if there is something you are wanting chances are good I already have but was too lazy to put in on the website (or too tired)...I have way too many fragrances...It is sickness...I know!

On a Lighter Note!
My son kicked his shoe off of his foot and it "somehow" landed on the school roof! Ummm... yeah...okaaayyy...He ran to me in a panic with tears in his eyes he was so upset..I had to laugh because he was standing there with only one shoe... and then he started laughing.. I had to get the janitor and get it down. That took considerable time..In the meantime..my son's kindergarten teacher, in honor of his lost shoe, had all the other kindergarteners (all 33 of them mind you) take off one shoe until my son's shoe was found. How great is she? :o)

How about those Golden Globes? I enjoyed all of it, except....What is up with Pamela Anderson? OY VEY! Ms. Anderson deserves a good slap for sure..Just my opinion!

Till next time! :o)

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to all who read what I wrote. It was fun to have people write their comments and email me what they thought. I love dumb trivia! Happy to share..
Anyone watching the Golden Globes tonight? I am and looking forward to it.

Business update:
No sign of the Whipped Shea Body Cream and of course there was no mail delivery today. I hate those no mail days because not only can I not mail out packages, I can receive any either! ;o( I will get on the horn tomorrow and see what the hold up is.

Have a great night and I will be fast at work tomorrow on orders after I drop my carpet crickets off at school. I made some great 1/4 samples to put in your boxes..I hope everyone likes them. I also bought some great Valentine's Day candy...You all know by now I am big on candy! I will use any excuse to buy some also. Email me if you should have any questions about your orders. I am also catching up on emails tonight so if you have written recently I am not ignoring you..just a bit behind on emails.

Till next time! :o)