Hotel soap, guest soap, handmade soap and more!

Soap I got when staying at a hotel in Napoli (Naples, IT)

I've always loved those cute little soaps you get when you stay in a hotel or a bed and breakfast.  I even collect them as my souvenir when I travel.  I've been making my own handmade soap for 12 years now, but still love all other soaps and toiletries.  I have several other blogs featuring my soap and other peoples soap, for instance I have a Handmade Lavender Soap blog that shows off handmade lavender soap from all around the world.  I also have 2 similar ones dedicated to Coconut Milk Soap and Handmade Rose Soap.  If you stop by those blogs you will see some of the soaps I love.  Today I wanted to show you a little of my travel soap collection.

Here are some of the soaps I've collected over the years.

Soap from Hotel Alba in Firenze (Florence,IT)


One from Hotel Saint-Honore in Paris


This one is from Agli Artista Hotel in Venezia (Venice, IT)


and one of my favorite experiences the night train from Venezia (Venice, IT) to Amsterdam.  I love this little logo they have on the soap.

I have a whole collection from many different places throughout the USA, Europe and the Caribbean.  I hope to make it to Asia this year to start a collection from there.  I've always just thought they were so adorable and such a great souvenir since most of them have the Hotel address and phone number on them some where.  It's also a great thing to bring home to kids as the soaps seem so exotic when they are from a foreign land.  I love to use them to show kids about other languages and cultures.  Since they are small, they are an easy thing to bring back and they look like little chocolates to kids which intrigues them.  Just make sure that they aren't so young that they try to eat them ;-) 

I'm curious what things my readers collect when traveling?  Would love to hear some of your stories.

If you are reading this in a reader or on facebook you can see the original blog post at Handcrafted Soap Blog

Technorati Tags: travel, guest, soap, handmade, handcrafted, italy, florence, paris, milan, naples, rose, lavender, coconut milk, deshawn marie, souvenir, soaps, hotel

DeShawnMarie.com

Simply Sunday Etsy Finds

My Simply Sunday Etsy Finds

For the Love of Paris

I've been to Paris several times, but in the summer of 2007 I had the opportunity to stay there for a little over a month. The time I spent there was magical. I stayed with a host family in a lovely apartment in the 16th arrondissement. This is the view off the balcony of the apartment I stayed at.


I wish I had practiced my french more and learned more while I was there, but a guy I had dated from there ended up meeting up with me and I spent my whole summer in love instead ;-) I guess that is really what Paris is all about anyway LOL.

I took many pictures of the fabulous bread in Paris. I am fascinated by their bread artisans!! Here is a photo I really liked.


The thing that really strikes me about Paris is everything seems to be an art. The French take such pride in how they do things. It is a true town of perfectionism! The pastries are gorgeous, the cheese delicious, the wine superb and the food magnificent. If it isn't good they won't serve it.

Here is a picture of some wonderful french cheese.


Here are some cakes and pies I took a quick shot of.


I love the fact that you can sit in a cafe all day, people watch and slowly sip a cafe au lait or some wine and they don't chase you out or get upset that you've been there for 4 hours. Everything is in it's own time. There's always time for one more glass of good wine.

Here I am making sure none of the wine goes to waste :)


I took many photos in Paris and collected lots of herbs at the markets there for the soap. When I'm feeling a little dull I just take my photos out and the life pumps right back into me as if I were there and my creative juices start flowing again.

My rolled soaps were inspired by pastries. I get some of the kookiest ideas some times LOL. OH PARIS I WILL BE BACK!!

Thanks for letting me share this with you, I hope you enjoyed the photos. Be sure to continue signing up for the contest for the free bar of soap on the post below this one.

If you are reading this in a reader, on a facebook note or some where other than my blog then go to DeShawn Marie Handcrafted Soap to sign up for the contest.

In a Dreamy State of Mind.

Today I can't seem to keep my mind here in the apartment. Maybe it's the cold weather that is making me dream of far away places. Every time I start to cut soap, package it, etc. I find myself drifting to memories of a trip I took a little over a year ago. Alot of the herbs, flowers, etc. that I stand here making soaps with today were gathered from that trip. So I thought I would share a few photos and memories from that trip. Next time you have one of my soaps in your hands you can think ahhh I have lemons from Italy in here or Lavender from France in here. I spent 4 months gathering inspiration and ingredients in France, Switzerland and Italy to create my new soaps that I recently designed.

Sometimes it is just something simple that inspires me. Like this picture I took of a dandelion in a park outside of Paris.



Even my breakfast can inspire me to think of something new. Like this plate of pastries and croissants in Paris.



Hiking in the Italian and Swiss Alps was an unbelievable experience and I found much inspiration there. Here is a photo in which I am standing in Switzerland looking into Italy.


Although this flower is not a rose or a lilac it is what inspired me to make my Lilac Rose soap.

If you look at the Lilac Rose soap which is pictured below I'm sure you can see how that flower inspired me to create it.



These delicate little purple flowers inspired me to create my Lavender Rosemary soap which has delicate purple flowers on it.



Here is a photo of my Lavender Rosemary soap so you can see how those little flowers gave me the visual of this soap.



I thought I'd share this little photo journal of how I come up with ideas, inspiration and the moments it happens. Next entry I'll explain how I think of the ingredients to get the look in the soap I want to create. Well back to soap making...hopefully I can get my mind to stay here now :)