Cherry Blossom Festival - In Full Bloom

Yesterday we spent the day walking around D.C. looking at all the beautiful cherry blossoms!

Looking across the Potomac at the Jefferson Memorial.

SO many people........

Cherry Blossoms, on the Potomac.

Friday Features - Julia Belle Vintage

Julie Belle Vintage - "I find inspiration in all things vintage."

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
My shop is all about using old items to make something new and wearable! I've been a member of etsy for a long time, but didn't start selling until August 07. One day I just decided to go for it!

What motivated you to open your shop?
I was wearing a lot of my own jewelry, and getting tons of compliments. I finally decided to take a shot and see if others would feel the same way about it. I'm so happy I did!

How did you select your name?
Julia Belle Vintage is named after my daughter, Julia Belle! My username is actually myhools, which I never would have used if I knew I'd be a seller one day! We call our daughter Jules, which somehow turned to hools. So myhools is actually my daughter.

What makes your shop unique?
I like to think that I use vintage, everyday materials in a new and interesting way.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
Yes, you can find my work at a sweet antique/resale shop in Ridgefield, IL called To Market, To Market.

How long have you been making your craft?
A few years now. I love it!

Is it your full-time job?
No, etsy is just part-time. I work full time at a publishing company during the day.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I definitely have trouble doing this well! Somehow I manage...just don't judge my housekeeping skills at the moment.

What is your favorite material.
Antique book pages, postage stamps, any old paper!

What inspires you?
Books and old photos, mostly. I just love finding an old item that I can turn into something new. I love thinking about the life it had before it came into my possession.

Click HERE to visit Julie Belle Vintage

Tuesday Tips - Benefits of Exfoliation

Our skin naturally sheds the top layer of skin on a regular bases.
This can result in a build up dry flakes which can leave your skin looking dull. This dry flaky skin mixed with your body's own natural oils can cause clogged pores which blocks moisturizers from penetrating into your skin. This makes it impossible to achieve the smooth beautiful skin we all desire; instead you're left with dry dehydrated skin. One simple addition to your morning routine can turn all this around, exfoliation.

Benefits of exfoliation include:

* Improve the texture of your skin, making it more vibrant.
* Help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
* Reveal healthier-looking skin below.
* Remove pore-clogging dirt and skin cells shed by your body.
* Help prevent acne outbreaks by keeping skin healthy.
* Allow moisturizers to penetrate your skin more deeply.
* Helps maintain your tan when you exfoliate before applying sunscreen.

Espresso Italiano Body Scrub

AND THE WINNER IS......

The winner of our FREE soap giveaway contest is

1st place winner is Petits Bijoux


The winners of the the free samples are:

Vanessa Cavaco

New England Quilter

Inki Handmade

Last Chance!!!

Don't forget to enter in our drawing for a free exfoliating bar! See post below for details!! Winners will be drawn Monday morning!!

Friday Feature - Two Bees In A Pod

Two Bees In A Pod

"I make cards that you can't go in the store and pick up. The quality, love, and hard-work put into my cards is unbelievable."

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started.
Well my shop name is Two Bees In A Pod, because it is a mother-daughter run operation. I couldnt do it without my mom! Even though i am the one that is dealing with everything, she helps me with every order. You can also see that she knits, and i have her scarves on my website. She only sold one though, we started etsy at the wrong time apparently, end of January and missed the christmas rush!

What motivated you to open your shop?
I made christmas cards this year for my whole family, and then got motivated by all the great things people said about them, i was like its time to get on ETSY.

How did you select your name?
My mom and I were brainstorming one day about what our name should be...and she said "two peas in a pod" and i thought she said "two BEES in a pod"..and the name stuck.

What makes your shop unique?
I make cards that you can't go in the store and pick up. The quality, love, and hard-work put into my cards is unbelievable. You can buy a great handmade card for the same price, even cheaper at my store. What else is better than that?!

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
No i currently don't, i am trying to get myself into some craft shows this summer though!

How long have you been making your craft?
Only since the end of November... so not long at all, but i have been scrap-booking forever!

Is it your full-time job?
No, but I wish it was! I am currently still in school for my Elementary Education degree. So all the money goes toward student loans that i have building up! :]

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
You mean how do i balance: work, school, your shop , and home. Its insane! I am a busy person, but at the end of the day it all falls into place.

What is your favorite material.
PAPER! :] I LOVE THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS. I go crazy!!

What inspires you?
Of course nature does, but i also love looking at all different kinds of magazines, the pictures and colors really inspire me, and i can go home and immediately know what i want to create!

Click here to check out Two Bees in A Pod's Shop

Don't Forget to Enter My Contest!

Make sure you check out my "Dual Action" post and leave a comment for your chance to win one of the featured soaps! See the post below for details.

Dual Action Bars - For the Girl on the Go

We all know exfoliating helps maintain smoother, healthier, younger looking skin. The problem is we don't always have the extra time in the morning to do this, so I've been working on a dual action bar that cleanses and exfoilates. In addition to being a time savor, they are cleaner and easier to use then traditional scrub. Traditional scrubs are great, and I still recommend you try to use them once a week, but the dual action bar gives you another quicker easier option and is gentle enough to use everyday. Here are a few scents I've been working on with more coming soon!

Delizioso Soap 6.5 oz

Orange Spice

This 6.5 oz bar has the sweet citrus scent of orange, complimented perfectly with high notes of cinnamon and clove and warm earthy undertones of ginger and nutmeg. This is a dual action bar with sweet brown sugar to help exfoliate away dry skin while the rich creamy lather cleanses the skin leaving you feeling silky smooth.

Buy Delizioso Now

Mattino Soap - 6.5oz

Oatmeal, Almond, and Honey

This 6.5 oz bar of shea butter soap is full of soothing ground oatmeal as well as walnut husk to gently exfoliate your skin. The honey adds extra vitamins, minerals and emollient properties to keep your skin feeling hydrated all day long. This is all brought together by the sweet scent of almond essential oil.

Buy Mattino Now

Conforto Soap 6oz

Vanilla and Brown Sugar

We all know exfoliating helps maintain smoother, healthier, younger looking skin, but we dont always have the time. So this 2 in 1 bar is perfect for the girl on the go. This is a gentle exfoliating soap bar, so you can exfoliate while you cleanse. This super soft bar has warm fragrance of vanilla and sweet brown sugar that is comforting and soothing.

Buy Conforto Now

Cappuccino Soap 6.5oz

Espresso and Vanilla

This 6.5oz cappuccino bar will give you a morning boost, and help you start your day off feeling energized. The bottom layer is coffee scented and full of ground espresso beans and brown sugar to help scrub away your dry flaky skin without the oily residue. It will leave your skin feeling fresh and clean. The top "frothy" layer has a subtle vanilla scent and a rich creamy lather.

Buy Cappuccino Now

Now it's time for a FREE Giveway! Any person who leaves a relevant comment to this post from today Wednesday March 19 - Sunday March 23, will be entered in a drawing to win one of the soaps featured above. Each relevant comment will receive one entry in the contest, the winner will receive their choice of Cappuccino, Mattino, Conforto, or Delizioso. Names will be electronically chosen at random. A second and third place winner will also be chosen to receive a free sample. So get posting and check back Monday March 24th for a list of the winners!

Tuesday Tips - The Perfect Manicure

Material you'll need to get started:

• nail clippers
• nail file
• shallow bowl for soaking
• cuticle pusher
• cuticle nippers
• cuticle cream or oil
• lotion

Follow these simple steps for a perfect manicure.

First start out by clipping and filing your nails. It is important to file your nails before your soak because wet nails can become softer and tare more easily. Never seesaw file your nails as this can cause peeling and split. After you have achieved your desired length and shape fill your soaking bowl with warm water and antibacterial soap, for extra dry cuticle add a few drops of oil to your water. Soak your hand for approximately 5 minutes. Next gently push back your cuticle. If you wish your can put a cuticle remover/softener on prior to pushing them back, you can then use a nail brush dipped in water or rinse and towel dry your fingers before moving to the next step. After pushing back your cuticles you may cut any loose dead skin, take care not to clip live cuticle as this can cause infection (this step is completely optional). You can now buff your nails with a 2 way or 3 way nail buffer, this helps smooth out ridges and provides a great shine, which unlike polish will not chip and can last for weeks. Next massage cuticle oil or cream into your cuticles this step is important to do every day as it helps prevent hang nails and cracked cuticle. Finally you should apply lotion to your hands and arms. If you are apply polish place a small amount of nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol to a lint free nail wipe or paper towel and remove to oil from each nail. This step is very important because polish will not stick to an oily nail. Apply a base coat two coats of color and a top coat. Follow this procedure 2 times a week for healthy beautiful nails and hands.

Check out this great manicure box by Sparetime Crafts, this box comes in many colors and patterns, with custom orders available.

Artist Spot Light - TheGoofyTooth and Lotus Tree Designs

I've been scouring through Etsy looking for artists for my "Friday Features" section that I will be starting this week. In this process, I have found some great items from Etsy sellers with five sales or less and have decided to create another way to showcase them by starting the Artist Spot Light. I will post a few items from different artists randomly, so keep checking back. Who knows - the next Artist Spot Light could be on you!

TheGoofyTooth

TheGoofyTooth shop, based out of Fort Worth, Texas opened it's Etsy doors on March 12, 2008. They sell tooth-shaped pillows with a convenient pocket in the front for your children to store their teeth in. This way the tooth fairy can find the teeth fast and she knows where to put the cash.

The tooth-shaped pillow comes in a variety of patterns and colors. They are also accepting custom orders with these available patterns. Fabric List 1 and Fabric List 2.


Lotus Tree Designs

Lotus Tree Designs started on Etsy on December 31, 2007. These featured earrings are dark blue freshwater pearls, dark blue metallic Swarovski crystals, and black glass drops. All twisted together with plated silver wire. These are 100% handmade and each piece is one of a kind.

They are also offering a free gift with a purchase to the first five sales. So go check them out!


Now lets take some time to support our fellow Etsians and take a look at these shops. If you would like to be considered for the next Artist Spot Light, please send me an email or convo me through Etsy.

Try This Simple Bath Soak Recipe at Home

Here is a quick and simple recipe for a basic unscented bath soak you can try at home. This can be made with ingredients found right in your kitchen, and customized to fit your personal preferences.
Simply mix:

2 parts salt ( sea salt, epsom salt, or a combination of both)
1 part baking soda

Mix together well, and pour under warm running water, swish around to dissolve.
This can be stored in a zip lock bag for later use. (dry ingredients only)
It's that easy.

Mix in additives to customize this simple recipe to fit your needs. For a moisturizing bath, add a tbs of base oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or even olive oil to the bath water (be careful tub will be slippery). You may also add any combination of essential oils, or dried flowers and herbs that you like. For dry skin you can mix in some ground oatmeal which is soothing to all types of skin. You may also float thinly sliced pieces of orange or lemon in the tub for an uplifting citrus soak. Another option would be to add whole dried milk (powdered milk) which has skin softening lipids and is good for all types of skin. You can make this as simple or be as creative as you like, the sky is the limit. Have fun, relax, and enjoy!

Coming Soon to Bonghi Natura

Cinnamon Lip Scrub is a new product I've been working on for weeks, I am proud to say I have finally found a formula that I love. The last step I'm working on is the perfect packaging to go with it. This scrub helps prevent cracking, and eliminate dry flaky skin on your lips. Here's a sneak peak, look for Cinnamon Lip Scrub coming soon to http://bonghinatura.etsy.com

New and Exciting Upcoming Features

I have some very exciting things in the works for Bonghi Natura "The Blog". Here are a few things you can look forward to in the up coming weeks. In addition to the release of new products, I will be writing some special weekly posts, as well as random promotions. Some of the posts I'll be starting next week will be Tuesday Tips. These posts will feature beauty tips and articles from myself and others in the industry. Another fun thing I will be starting is Friday Features where I will show off another artist's work. I'm looking forward to showcasing some very talented artist, as well as expose you to some great new products. I will also be posting random promotions and give aways, so make sure you keep a look out. You wont want to miss this!

What's in our name?

I've had many people ask me what does Bonghi Natura mean, or how did I come up with it. Well here's your chance to find out! It was my husband who actually came up with name. Bonghi is a family name, this was the last name of my husband's great-grandfather, who immigrated to America from Italy in 1911. Bonghi was changed on the immigration records for what we can only assume was a misunderstanding, or an attempt to sound more "American". This name signifies the beginning of a new generation in America, and it's because of it's roots that we were inspired to give our products that "Old World" Italian flair. Natura simply means nature. So there you have it, a little history on how we came to be called Bonghi Natura.

Our Focus & Improved Branding

We want to be different from the majority of bath and body sellers, but yet still appeal to the masses. We feel our new branding and products achieve this goal by offering our customers an old world Italian inspired feel, yet keeping the luxurious and classic spa quality feel at the same time. I'm working on creating a line of products that are fun, versatile, and affordable. Here are a couple new products:

Romanza Sapone
Nutmeg and Ylang Ylang with a hint of cinnamon and clove

This 4.5oz goat milk soap contains a sweet intoxicating aroma of nutmeg & ylang ylang, with a hint of warm, exotic cinnamon and clove. Indulge your self in the luxurious moisture of goat milk soap and the romantic aroma of nutmeg and ylang ylang.

Buy Romanza Sapone


Rustico Sapone
Sandalwood & Black Pepper

This 4oz massage bar of soap has a combination of sandalwood fragrance oil and black pepper essential oil that provide a deep, woody and masculine scent. The shea butter provides a creamy lather that helps moisturize and purify the rough skin of a man.

Buy Rustico Sapone


More Posts and items coming soon!

Dual Action Line: Soap/Scrub Combos for the girl on the go!

Getting Started!

After working in day spas since 2004 as a nail tech and waxing specialist, I decided to start Bonghi Natura in September 2007 after becoming pregnant with my daughter. I decided that developing my own line of spa products would be the perfect way to stay in the industry that I love and be home with my daughter. I've been working on new products for a few months, and I am steadily working on getting them listed. I'm also working on selling my initial inventory so I can make room for new ones. In addition to working on the new products I've given my whole shop a face lift, new labels, new logo, and new packaging. I also hope to have my new website up and running very soon. I currently sell my products at http://bonghinatura.etsy.com so come by and check it out - I'd love to hear any feedback you have.