Hello and Happy 4th of July!

I have been hard at work trying to get The Body Dessert Shop back up to speed after a lengthy closing. We are now selling only premade products for now. In the future, if we can manage the order load, we will sell custom products with a longer turn around time. If I can't manage to ship out premade products in 8-10 business days or less we will close our doors for good. I realize it is not fair for our customers to wait months on end for orders. I hope everyone is having a safe and happy weekend. I am happy to have 3 days off from my 9-5 job so I can focus on cleaning my house and working on products for The Body Dessert Shop. My husband is hard at work in our closet putting up shelves because about 1 week ago our closet shelves fell down in the middle of the night! We thought it was an earthquake. :b

A few things have gone on since I closed. I graduated with honors on May 18th. I walked down the aisle to get my diploma in over 100 degree heat. I was completely melted in a pool of my own sweat! It was awful! I now have a Master's degree in Psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family counseling. My mother came to the graduation with my brother Nathan. After that we all went to Disneyland! We had a ball. it was nice to see my Mom laugh and have fun after the death of my step dad in October. If you want to know more about this please read the October 2007 posts from this blog. I feel like our family has had this huge hole in it since he died. Every holiday including Father's Day has been very difficult for all of us but especially my Mom and my brother. I have felt flattened by the grief and have thought of little else except for my Mom and her suffering. We are all starting to feel a little better with the time that has passed and I hope we all continue to heal as time goes by.

Business News

We opened our doors for business on June 26th and I was surprised at all the orders I did get. I did not get stressed however because I had all the products made! The same will go for the Dessert Bars and our Gourmet tarts. It is very easy to ship quickly when you have everything ready to go.

Our 4 year anniversary of The Body Dessert Shop is coming up on August 1st. It is hard to believe. I started out making dessert fragrances because it was what I liked the most. I remember when I told my husband what I wanted to do he said "Oh, like that will ever sell". Hmmm.....countless jars of heavenly scented cream later, here we are! I have perfected my dessert scents and many of the custom fragrances we blend are like recipes. It has been so fun for me to create these fragrances. I never have gotten tired of making them. Let me know if you have come up with a good scent you would like replicated..maybe a favorite dessert perhaps! I would be happy to make one for you when we start making our custom products. A great example of this is Lemon Divinity! A customer came up with this scent and now it has been our best seller since we re-opened. It must say it is heavenly!

A few of my favorite things:

Love this! It is more like a heavy cream than a lotion. It comes in a pump and that is why I think it looks like a lotion. It does smell a bit like maple..I am not sure why but if maple is not your thing I suggest you test it first. Every time I wear it I get lots of compliments. I just wear it because it moisturizes so well.

I want this! But I don't dare...every bronzer except Bonne Bell turns orange on me. It is cheap too so I should just stick with it.

I tried this recently and loved it but of course the shade I tried (Italian Rose) they were out of. It was the most perfect shade! It is their best seller as well. I may order it online or go back to the mall. I never go to the mall but I just may have to make a trip for this. It felt like a lip balm on the lips and have great staying power.

I wanted to try this because of some breakouts and I am just waiting for more breakouts! I was told that BHA helps..I sure hope so. Since starting Lybrel my face is a mess and I am too old for such nonsense. :o)

And last but not least, I really want to get this! There is now a fragrance oil duplicate so I can make products in this but I have not tried it yet. I have a few fellow etailer friends who are waiting on it. I am hoping it will be product worthy. Of course, I will have add a little something to make mine smell even better. :b

Have a good weekend and I will post again as time permits!

Colleen :o)

Hello all! I realize this information is long over due and I am sorry. I want to first let you know that I apologize for the extraordinarily (even for me) long wait. I know it is ridiculous and many of you have told me so! :o) I had a large BOGO sale and then the Candy Box which put me dreadfully behind. The orders I received for the BOGO alone should have made me pause...but no, I had to go and do the Candy Box because I thought it would be fun. I am not sure what I was thinking at that point because it was so NOT fun! LOL...I then needed to take an exam for my Master's degree and find a job in my field. This all took more time than I thought it would.

I am now working at North County Solutions for Change. You can view the website here. I love what I do very much. I just started within the last 3 weeks so it has taken a lot of my time and energy which resulted in a further delay of your orders. I am sorry for this. Many have asked for refunds and I have processed quite a few. Many products are already scented and ready to go and need to be shipped. I am hoping to get these finished over the weekend of the March 15. I want you all to know I am doing the best I can to get the rest of them done. I have not answered all the emails I received due to lack of time or a definitive answer about exactly when each and every order would be shipped. Please forgive me!
With all this said, I have given a lot of thought to the future of The Body Dessert Shop and how I will manage this business. I have thought of closing because I certainly can't have people angry at me all the time for my lack of customer service and slow turn around times. I have thought about making premade products and a custom product order option with a 3-4 week turnaround time. I am not sure what I will be doing at this time. I will keep you updated. Please keep in mind that these are not excuses but an explanation as to why your orders were delayed. Many customers told me they just wanted to know what was going on and so I thought I would update this blog and let you know.
If you want a refund I can certainly do this IF the products you ordered are not scented and ready to go already, which is the case for about 30 or so orders. This orders take time to process to get ready to ship. Please contact me and I will do my best to let you know the status of your order if I have not already. I will be home tomorrow afternoon from about 1-5. I work most Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Please contact me at thebodydessertshop@yahoo.com so I can check my email from work.
Thank you very much for your understanding and patience. I do appreciate all of you and your business!

Colleen :o)

Happy Valentine's Day from The Body Dessert Shop!

Business News

Valentine's Day is getting close and I am fast at work on The Candy Boxes! They will start going out very soon. Customers that have previous orders will have their Candy Boxes tucked inside their older orders. Thanks for your orders and patience.

I just wanted to address the turnaround time. I know..it has gotten very long. There are few a reasons...really! First, I have many customers who place multiple orders. When that happens I try and put all orders in one box to save the customer on shipping. This delays orders tremendously for that customer and others who are waiting for smaller orders. Secondly, I did not anticipate the amount of orders I recieved, Candy Boxes aside. I had one order that has over 100 products in it and that can take days to make.

All of my products are made to order except for tarts which are premade ahead of time. With that said, there are occasional fragrance oil mishaps (spills or running out of them) and supply problems that can plague any busy etailer. I have been in business since 2004 and my business has grown the most this past year and I can barely keep up! It is time to get some serious about getting some real help for my business. The Body Dessert Shop is having growing pains. :) Please take the poll on our front page of the website and help us figure out how best to serve you!

I posted this in my September newsletter and the information in it is worth repeating:

"When placing your order if you add on to your existing order or make a change in a scent or product this will delay your order considerably. Also once your order is placed there are no cancellations. If you place multiple orders during the same month I will try and save you on shipping by combining your orders. If your original order was packed and ready to go out, I will then need to repack it with the new items, sometimes in a Flat Rate Box and it has to be re-weighed etc. This can be very time consuming and it can get complicated as well. I don't mind doing this as long as you know your order will be delayed. I will no longer ship to Canada. It has become cost and time prohibitive for me. "

New Policy

What I plan to do for now is this. All orders that have been placed will be shipped as is. I will not combine orders unless it is requested and I will not combine more than 2 orders at a time. If you do request your orders be combined please know that your order will now be delayed. If you don't mind the delay I don't mind shipping them together to save you money. Fair enough? :)

I have 2 new perfumes to launch when I get caught up. Absolutely Vanilla with..yes you guessed it..it has vanilla absolute in it! Also Absolutely Chocolate with cocoa absolute will be available. The absolute in both formulas offer deep long lasting richness you cannot get with conventional fragrance oils. You will love them both. More information on both vanilla and cocoa absolute will be coming in either the next blog entry or in an upcoming newsletter.

Useless Information

School for me is now done! I graduate in May (with honors, yay me, don't ask me how I did this!) with a Master's Degree in Psychology with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy. I never thought I would get this far in my education. My Mom is coming out in May to see me graduate and then we are going to Disneyland! I am looking forward to this fun trip. I will be closed the week prior to my commencement which will be May 18th. I cannot wait to throw my hat in the air!

New things I have tried.. Got this on Ebay. Love it! It is nice at bedtime and the scent lasts. I also got this and I do not like it at all! Yuck!!! It is horid..but maybe it is just me. :o)

What I am reading..no more text books, I can tell you that!

I just finshed the Other Boleyn Girl (awesome read and now it's a movie) and I am now reading Blond Ambition by Rita Cosby...about the life and death of Anna Nicole Smith. It is very fascinating how these people lived. Howard K. Stern is a real winner. What a parasite. :b

Please let me know if you have questions and concerns about your order. You can reach me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net

Until next time!

Colleen :o)

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)

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season! This is a picture of my kids before the Christmas choir at their school! It was on my birthday and that was the best present for me to see them sing. This picture was also our annual Christmas photo. They are growing up so fast. It is hard to believe they will be 7 in April. :)

It seems like I lost a week since I have been back from vacation. I usually decorate the house during Thanksgiving weekend but I was driving home from my visit with my mother. I had tons for laundry to do, a school paper to write, clean and decorate the house and open the website! I have since pulled out all my hair trying to get everything done. LOL! I don't look so good bald but hey..
We had a great vacation. We drove and the kids did well in the car and the weather was dry and mild the whole way. We stopped at the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City. It is beautiful! If you are ever driving through Salt Lake I recommend stopping to see it. There are 16 acres of grounds to explore. Here is a link:http://www.go-utah.com/Temple-Square/. We stayed in Provo Utah the first night and it is so beautiful there as well. Link: http://www.go-utah.com/activityLink.cfm?activity_id=453065338. I love Utah. I will be going to see the arches next, maybe in the summer.
We mostly hung out in Montana with family. I showed my Mom how to make soap. We always do some sort of crafty thing when we are together. it was a great trip except for the drive home where we sat in traffic in the way home from Las Vegas. It was a nightmare. Note to self: Leave earlier next time or stay later..."sigh".

Business News
We are having a sale! I know! I never have sales! This would never be possible without my new helper Jessica. Jessica is the best. She fills jars, does labeling, shreds paper, packs boxes and she doubles as a babysitter! So if there are any mistakes in your orders please talk to her not me! LOL..I am just kidding..I check the orders but if there are any mistakes it is probably me as usual. OK... the details of the sale: BUY ONE GET ONE FREE SALE! We will also have free shipping on orders over $40! This sale will last 4 HOURS ONLY on December 26th! The products that qualify for the sale are the Light Goats Milk & Shea Lotion and the 2 oz Body Dessert Mist. Dessert Perfumes 30 ml. and 15 ml. will be $2.00 off the regular prices. New scents for this sale are: Golden Butterscotch Pudding, African Vanilla, Frosted Carrot Cake, Half and Half, Caramel Candies, Angel Cream, Candymallow, Chocolate Delight, New Years Baby, Lucy & Pilars Exact Friction of the Stars, Sunset by Escada Type and Heiress by Paris Hilton Type. I will have more scents to follow for this sale. Please check the website.

Useless information

I read on MUA about a Vanilla lotion by Ecco Bella. Those of you who know me, know I am all about the vanilla! I bought some through Drugtore.com. I love it. It is kind of sticky like the reviews say but it is worth it for the scent alone. It is devine. The sweet and heavy scents lasts most of the day which is a miracle for lotion.
Here is a link:http://www.villagegreenmarket.com/html/ecb50015.html
It is worth every penny. It may be too heavy for summer but for now it is just right.

Freeman Anti Aging Lifitng Treatment Mask:
Ooh yummy! I bought this after a recommendation for masks from Allure magazine. The only problem was I could not find it in any of the stores I looked so I ended up buying it at Drugstiore.com. I love this and so far no irritation. The only thing I didn't like was how cold the mask was when you put it on your face..yuck. I put it in the microwave for just a couple of seconds. My face was smooth like I had a peel and rosy cheeked too. :o) Here is a link:http://www.freemanbeauty.com/portal/store/store.asp?nProductID=14884

I bought my second small jar of La Mer..OK I admit..I am an idiot. I really think it makes a difference in my skin.I love it because if my face is irritated in any way at all this gets rid of it. A tiny jar lasts forever. Maybe someday I will splurge for a larger jar. My Mom likes it too. I tried to use a smidge of hers (that I bought her) while I was visiting and she stole it from me and ran! Hmmmph..thanks Mom. :)
That is all I have time for tonight. I've got to get to bed. I think I am getting a cold..bleah...right in time for Christmas.
I did take the kids to see Happy Feet today and boy was it cute! I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading
Until next time!
Colleen

Brief Business News
Happy November everyone! We are finally open. We have new Body Dessert Mists this month. I have had many requests for a spray without alcohol. I have been using the Double Vanilla Buttercream for a couple of days and it is wonderful! I could drink it! I even sprayed a bit on the dog..he did not like it at all! He ran away at top speed to avoid it. Don't you just love it when they do that? He is a riot. LOL! I will be closed from November 15th thru the 27th for a vacation. I am going to Montana to visit my Mom. We are driving. I know...2 kids in the car...lovely! ARE WE THERE YET? OY! We will be stopping at Sundance where the film festival is held each year and visiting the Great Salt Lake. It will take us a day and half to get there. I will not be available by email because I will not have access to a computer. My Mom's computer is broken. That might not be a bad thing! I can't wait to get there. I am hoping it will not be too cold. When I re-open I will have holiday gift sets available. I have not figured out what I want to include in the sets yet but it will be good. :) I apologize for re-opening for such a short while but I will make it up to you when I get back. I was swamped with orders and it took me awhile to get them all done. I have invoiced almost everyone for shipping. I have maybe three orders left to complete. Check out our Ebay store to get the best price on our newest fragrances. We have the Dessert Mini Perfumes on sale. Hope you love them as much as I do. I have some great designer duplicates this month. Be looking in January for a clearance fragrance sale.
Until next time :) Colleen

Happy October! I love fall, cooler weather, pumpkin patches and my little kids! :)

We are closed for a short spell! We are swamped with orders at this point. I want to get caught up before I take anymore orders. The Goats milk lotion was out of stock but arrived today so I will have it again when I open. I will send a notice when I get ready to re-open. By customer request! I will have new body mists! For those of you who are bothered by alcohol and for those of you who have had bakery or foody fragrances turn on your skin because of the alcohol, these babies are for you! I WILL have a small sale featuring these mists at a introductory price. Thanks for your orders and patience. If you have questions about your orders please email me at thebodydessertshop@cox.net

Until next time!
Colleen ;)

Sunday, September 24th, 2006

Happy Sunday and Happy Fall! It is starting to cool down here a bit. I am so glad for that. We went to the beach on Friday night to visit some relatives that came from out of town and all the tourists were GONE! It was a beautiful night and we got to watch the sunset. Heaven!

Brief Business News
I am ordering supplies for the October release of the heavier creams, butter and scrubs. I also just ordered a new computer. Finally! It is expected on or before October 16th. Shortly after it arrives I will be closing the site for a brief time to begin the arduous task of transferring all the data from one computer to the next. I expect it will take some time. It may go smoothly. I am pretty computer savvy so here is hoping it will go as planned and I will be up and running in no time. Yeah right...;b

Useless info and some links

Take a look at this! I only wear brown eye shadow and I am going to ask Santa for this at Christmas! The colors are spectacular to say the least. I hardly ever splurge on eye shadow and I wear much of the same stuff most of the time. This looks like it would worth the splurge.
Link: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?cm_re=C8330*Grid*P162519&id=P162519&categoryId=C8330&shouldPaginate=true

I always buy this for fall. Our family loves it, especially my husband! You can even smell the icing. The scent does not linger but that is OK with me because while I love dessert smells I am not sure I want to smell like an iced cinnamon bun all day. Link:http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12899&categoryId=3866
If you have not tried these 3 in 1's you should give this one a try. Nothing is better on a cold morning than showering with one of these babies! :)

Oh and one more...I bought this at Target and it is really good! It is very moisturizing and doesn't have a heavy cocoa butter scent to clash with your scented products. Plus, a bonus! It makes your skin shine. Love this! :)
Link: http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=157893&catid=10401&brand=2169&trx=BS-2169&trxp1=CPFP%2D10367&trxp2=0&trxp3=157893&btrx=BS-2169

Please let me know your scent ideas for fall! I have had a couple of customers email me already. Thanks for your suggestions.

Until next time!
Colleen ;)

Thursday September 21st, 2006

Here is a picture of my scouts. Both started Brownies and Tiger Scouts this week. It is more expensive than when I was a kid. They really like it so far. Plus they look so darn cute in their uniforms! Also, my daughter lost another tooth this week. They are growing up way too fast! :) Can I freeze them just like this?

The new scents were released on the first of September via the newsletter. Here they are in case you missed them: Banana Buttercream Frosting, Marshmallow Musk, Shortbread Cookies, Buttercrunch, Sugared Pumpkin (bestseller from last year) Blackberries, Nutmeg & Vanilla, Brown Sugar & Vanilla Cream, Oatmeal Cookies, Apples n' Peaches, Vanilla Bread Pudding, Coconut Nutmeg, Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Cake & Pumpkin Crunch. Also in the Luxe Dessert Collection we are featuring Blackberry Coffee Cake. To die for I tell you! LOL! :) I am fast at work on October Scents! A preview! Sugared Cocoa Bean Noel, Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, Sugared Pumpkin Noel, Pink Divinity, (2 types) Crunchy Caramel Walnut and Black Raspberry Vanilla Cake to name a few! If you have some scent ideas for fall let me know! Old favorites or new creations, I am happy to hear what they are so drop me a line at the email below.

NEW product news

I will be releasing the Dessert Milk Baths soon. Also The Body Dessert Shop has ventured into the cold process soap arena! They will be called Dessert Bars. It is great fun and I am making a really big mess. I have ruined countless batches due to one problem or the next so it will be awhile until I really know what I am doing and can perfect the scents I want to do. The bars I made that came out really good are Pink Grapefruit and Chocolate Mocha. If you would like a small sample in your box I have plenty. Just let me know. :)
Email me at thebodydesserthshop@cox.net

Useless Information

At the beginning of September, I did not have any air-conditioning for a week. It was in the high 90's here with humidity and my kids, husband, dog & hamsters were all dying of heat. Me? I was ready to stick a fork in my own eye because I have been very sensitive to the heat ever since the kids were born.

So....I had been to the mall WAY more than usual to cool off and take major advantage of the free air conditioning. I found some great stuff and even bought a few things. I stopped in Yankee Candle to sample the fall fragrances first off. They have the cutest tart burners I have ever seen for Halloween this year. Of course they are not on the Yankee website yet so I cannot provide a link. I did buy three tarts! Weee....big purchase! I got Vanilla Cupcake, which is really good!
Link:http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/product_detail.jsp?oid=3404665
I was surprised to say the least. With Anna from Panhandle Potions as my tart connection I am way overstocked with her great stuff but still..Sorry Anna, I strayed into Yankee territory..forgive? ;) Next I got Sugar Cane & Vanilla, which was also nice, but very light. Link:http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/product_detail.jsp?oid=3404653
Last I got Tricky which is the orange candy corn type smell. It does smell like really buttery candy corn. Love this one too.
Link:http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/product_detail.jsp?oid=3404653

Next stop was Nordstrom for perfume. I sampled Vera Wang Princess & Kenzo Amour. I really liked the Princess. The bottle was beautiful and so was the fragrance. The duplicate I have is pretty close. Next I tried Kenzo Amour. It has a steamed rice note...I could actually smell it too! It was really nice! Perfect for everyday.
Here is a link:http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2908498?cm_ven=froogle&cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=fragrance:women:perfume&cm_ite=kenzoamour_eau_de_parfum_(nordstrom_exclusive):112259

Etailer orders
I just ordered from Callisto Bath and Body. They are formerly Moonbeam Bath Company. I am all for some good scents and they have some great ones! I got Buttercloud Creams in Marshmallow, Vanilla Bean Luxe and Sienna. The Buttercloud is this richly textured cream similar to those Yoplait Yogurt whips. If you have had them you know what I am talking about about. This cream is heavier and denser. I love it. I really like the Vanilla Bean Luxe fragrance and now I am kicking myself for not ordering a larger size. Oh well...I guess I will have to place ANOTHER order. The packaging is exquisite and I got a sample of Orange Patchouli soap and a Sheer Moisture lotion in Blackberry Violetta. Both are lovely. I am not a fan of patchouli but it works great with orange. It was very fresh smelling! The Vanilla Bean Luxe has a caramel pumpkin vanilla pudding smell! It is indeed edible and a definite re-order. The Sienna is for a friend but I was able to sneak a sniff. It was awesome as well. I smell amber and a deep musk with a touch of brown sugar. Yummy for fall. The Marshmallow Buttercloud is like smelling a toasted marshmallow on the inside. The texture of the cream only enhances this. I wanted to stick my spoon in the dense cream and dig in. I will be wearing this daily. I spoke to the owner briefly before ordering and she was wonderful about selling to another etailer. I love ordering just like anyone else. I love having packages come to my door that someone made just for me. I encourage you to order from Callisto Bath and Body if you have not already. Link: http://www.callistobathandbody.com/index.php

Starring...! Fragrances was another etailer website I just could not resist. After much perusal on their site I ordered the Starlet. I also wanted Tropical Mocha & Ashley's personal recommendation was Femme Fatale. There is always time for another order! It is described as vanilla cake, cream filling with buttercream frosting. It is indeed all that and more! It is an awesome cake fragrance if I do say so myself. The bottle of perfume arrived in just 2 days after ordering and had a tiny gemstone tucked inside! I got a diamond! LOL...Just kidding.. :b Bet that woke you up huh? I think my gemstone is a tiger-eye but it is hard to tell until I can take it out of the bottle. I love the labels! They are a rendition of a filmstrip wrapped around the bottle. Just darling! Ummm Ashley? Where are all the fragrances from the Beverly Hills Bake Sale Collection? Are you saving the best for last? See...if it were me, I would have done those first!!! :o) Give Starring...! Fragrance a try. They are a must have. Here is a link:http://www.starringfragrances.com/store/Default.asp

Just for laughs! Or not, depending who you are...

Your air conditioner goes out during the holiday weekend and you have to act like a bum and hang out at the mall, with all the other bums.

You are riding in your car minding your own business and then some idiot comes out of nowhere and cuts you off and then flips you off? I am guessing this happens a lot on California freeways.

Your kid asks you if you had blankets to cover yourself with when you were little to which you defensively reply, "WHAT did you think I covered myself with"? To which he innocently replies, "Animal Skins"? WHAT? LOL! I am now an old cavewoman.

Your other kid asks why your stomach is puffy and you promptly blame her and her brother because before you had twins (with a combined birth weight of 15.7 pounds) you had a normal fairly decent body!

And finally, the best thing of all to wrap up an otherwise uneventful Labor Day weekend, your wonderful dog runs out the dog door with your underwear in his mouth waving it like a big white banner for all the neighbors to see. God Bless America!

Until next time!
Colleen ;o)

Princess Type by Vera Wang is here! :)

It just came in the mail. It is lovely! I will try not to hog it all for myself. I will now be completing these orders. :)

Until next time!

Colleen ;)

Happy Monday!

Hello everyone! Hope you had a good weekend. I had a couple of emails regarding the Perfume Club. I believe most of the information was in a May newsletter but it has been awhile so I will review it again. For every 6 perfumes you buy you get one free. They must be all the same size. For example, if you order 6 1 oz. Dessert Perfumes you get one 1 oz. for free. You MUST write in the Paypal comment section Perfume Club and what fragrance you want. I don't keep track but I do check to see if you have paid for 6 perfumes previously. If you have any further questions just send me an email at thebodydessertshop@cox.net :)

The Princess Type perfume will be here in about 5 days. It has been shippped today from my supplier. Once I receive this I will process the orders I have been holding with this perfume.

Until next time!

Colleen ;)