Travel Tuesday- The Catskills

This week's Travel Tuesday is another one on my list of places to see- The Catskills in upstate New York.

And, as you can see by the picture, fall is *the* time to visit. Festivals, Arts & Crafts fairs, Oktoberfests, pumpkin patches, and of course, glorious fall color! And I've done my homework- Visit the Catskills, The Catskill Guide, etc... I've even got the Catskill Region Waterfall Guide- a great resource to finding all the beautiful waterfalls in the area. Sigh... someday soon!

Cranberry Orange Olive Oil Soap- Just for Me!

Things are dry around here, even when we're not in the middle of a drought. My skin is no exception, especially as we move into the cooler months.


So I made this little guy just for me, in anticipation of the change in seasons. I started with our olive oil soap and added EXTRA olive oil (I mean a lot!) and scented it with cranberry and orange fragrances. Because it's got so much oil, it doesn't lather much, but oooo, my skin feels so soft when I step out of the shower!

For a Friend

A friend of mine had made a special blend of essential oils for herself, but was having some trouble with the carrier oil. The oil she was using was too, well, oily, and it was kind of making a mess. So I took her essential oils formula and made two products for her.





The first is a basic hand and body cream, made with jojoba oil & shea butter. The second is a product I've been making for myself for a while, called Body Dressing. It separates in the bottle into the water and the oils (like a vinagrette, hence the name 'Body Dressing'), and you shake it up before spritzing onto your skin. It's very light and cooling, and I love to use it especially during the summer months just out of the shower when I want a little moisturization without a heavy or sticky feel.

Travel Tuesday- Duke Gardens, North Carolina

While we do get some fall foliage here in Texas, it's usually not as dramatic as some other parts of the country, and it's much later in the season, too. But the weather has turned cooler (mid 80's all this week (luxury!) instead of over 100 like we had for most of July & August) and I find myself pining for autumn leaves.

So this week's Wish-I-Was-Here is from a trip we took several years ago in the fall to Raleigh-Durham, NC. While we were there, we visited the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, a memorial garden on the Duke University Campus.

With over five miles of paths and walkways through native plants, rose gardens, fountains, and towering trees, it's easy to while away a whole day here. Because we visited in the fall, a lot of the flower beds were dormant, but the autumn colors were fantastic.

Whenever I think of fall, I always think of this beautiful, peaceful place.

Hey Punkin!

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice soaps now available on Etsy!

Made with shea butter, sparkly mica, and Pumpkin Spice with Biscotti fragrance. I am ready for fall!

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Bean Street Market makes its home in the Texas Hill Country, and we love it here! So to show off some of our Texas Pride, we proudly present our Heart of Texas Soaps!

These little soaps have a Texas sized heart right smack dab in the middle of the Lone Star State. And since Tex-Mex is one of our specialties here, we scented them with a Pineapple Peach Cilantro Salsa fragrance.

You can get yours here on Etsy!

Starry Starry Soap

We're gearing up for the holidays! These soaps are embedded with shimmery, sparkly, soapy stars, just the thing for holiday parties and celebrations.

Travel Tuesday- Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is a very interesting little town, tucked away among these red rock formations. The scenery is breathtaking, the red rock set off by the bright blue desert sky.

We drove through Sedona earlier this year and stopped for a few hours- ate at a little deli and shopped a bit before heading on our way. A great way to spend an afternoon!

Shout Out- The Fresh Picked Blog & The Handmade Movement

I found a neat blog the other day- Fresh Picked!

Fresh Picked finds great handmade and vintage products all over the web. Their shop directory features sellers with less than 300 sales, giving new sellers a little boost to get going!

They are also members of the Etsy S.N.E.A.K. Attack team over at The Handmade Movement. They describe the Sneak Attack like this:

"It's a way to support independant artisans who are trying to sell their wares
online. Three days a week at an appointed time, an Etsy shop with few
or no sales is announced. As many people as possible then buy items from
that shop, resulting in a frenzy of surprise business to the unsuspecting
shop!"

Pretty cool, huh? It's also fun to read the Sneak Reports from the shops who have been "attacked" on their blog. They've got an attack planned for Monday, so check it out!

Pomegranate Autumn Leaves Soap

Our newest soap for fall!



These 1-2 ounce soaps are brightly colored in sparkling micas, and scented with a fantastic Pomegranate scent.



They make wonderful guest soaps, and several in a pretty bag would be the perfect hostess gift.

Travel Tuesday- Big Sur

With all the wildfire news, California has been on my mind. My heart & prayers go out to the people who have lost everything, and the firefighters who risk their lives.

This Travel Tuesday takes me to Big Sur- one of my favorite places on earth! This picture in particular captures my imagination...

We took this photo on a trip out there about 3 years ago. Look closely at the little clearing on this cliff. It's difficult to see, but there is a bench set out there, overlooking the water. I don't know who put it there, or who is lucky enough to sit there and watch the sun set every evening, but I must admit, I envy them! What a beautiful place!