Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday.  I am just now getting back into the swing of things at Pura Vida.  We have some exciting news - our products are officially launced in Japan! I am so excited about this, since I lived in beautiful Tokyo for almost five years and my logo and many aspects of my products are very much influenced from my time abroad.  You can check out my products here:

http://betwixt.gu.shopserve.jp/puravidaspa/beauty&health.html

http://betwixt.gu.shopserve.jp/puravidaspa/sakura_lotion.htm

http://betwixt.gu.shopserve.jp/puravidaspa/mummy_balm.htm

 

Christmas season shows coming to an end...

We finally finished our last show today at Barb's (thanks you Mrs. V's preserves!).   Now it is time for me to do some Christmas shopping of my own for my friends and family - although I have to admit that at every single show I have been at, I have bought something - even if it was just for me!  Buying handmade is unique and I like to support my fellow small businesses. 

Last week at the 99 Market in Toronto, I met a lot of interesting new vendors and artists and grabbed myself a fabulous pair of earrings made of peacock feathers.  Tres cool.  I also met a guy named Brian who stopped by my table and told me about the awsomeness of brushing your teeth with soap.  Hmmmm...I was a bit skeptical.  I promised him that I would definitely give it a go since he raved about how clean his teeth felt after brushing with it.  He simply ran his toothbrush one swipe across a bar of soap and brushed his teeth!  So...I decided to try it.  I thought since my soaps are made without chemicals or detergents...it couldn't be that bad.  And, it wasn't.  I tried it this past week (not religiously, I admit, but off and on when I remembered - in my defense, habits are hard to break).  I did find that my teeth felt squeaky clean.  I just could not get past the non minty, fresh toothpastey taste that did not exist in my mouth.  Sadly, I will be going back to regular ole toothepaste Brian, but I thank you for making me try something new and giving me an idea:  I am going to try and make a minty, nice tasting soap and then re do the experiment and see if my mind changes after that.  If my experiment works out, who knows...maybe it will debut as a new Pura Vida "Brush Me Tooth Soap" product!

HUG Event Tonight

We will be at the Hip & Urban Girl's Cookies and Champagne party tonight!  Should be a fun networking event even though it has been pouring all day long!  Lets hope our soap doesn't get we! 

I finally cut the swirled soap that I made.  I am still not satisfied - I would like to make the swirls crisper (if you know what I mean).  I will keep trying...  This is a cherry blossom (sakura) soap that is headed for Japan (once labelled!).

Today's craft show and random soap thoughts

I have been making soap for a while now, doing a lot of shows every season, and I am always suprised about which of my products are hits or misses.  Today at the 17th Annual Swansea Craft Show, it seemed to be my gift bags with guest lotion and two guest soaps.  Hard Candy, as usual was a hit.  Overall, for our first time being there, it was a great day with good peeps.

I have been thinking about making swirls in my soaps lately.  I have done so before, but sometimes it just doesn't come out as pretty as other soapers.  Plus, I recently got this fantastic new mold (Willow Way soap equipment) that I think will be really conducive to making swirls as it is deep, as opposed to my long wooden molds (which I love just as much because my awsome husband has been making them for me).  I think I will give it a go with my Sakura soap - after I finish making more gift baskets.  Our next show is on November 26 at the Rose Theater in Brampton.  Pictures of swirled soap to follow...

Pura Vida Spa...ahh! and the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company

Pura Vida Spa…ahh! is now exclusively making soap for the Ontario Spring Water Sake company.  Located in downtown Toronto in the historic distillery district, the Ontario Spring Water Sake company uses traditional Japanese methods to brew sake (rice wine).  One of the by-products of sake production is sake kasu.  Sake kasu contains kojic acid and may benefit your skin by slowing the ageing process, help even out skin tone and decrease your skin's ability to form the type of melanin found in age spots and freckles. 

You can find Sake kasu soap at the Ontario Spring Water Sake company  on 55 Mill Street, building 4, in Toronto – and while you are there, have some sake! Kampai!