Many moons ago the very thought of finding soap in my Christmas stocking used to give me horrors. Back then it seemed as though I had Aunties, maiden and otherwise, eager to press soap into my grubby little hands. Ladies who seemed to believe that I too would consider a twin pack of Brer Rabbit shaped violet scented  soap to be the ideal gift for a little girl with a head full of books and roller skates. Back then I grinned my fake thank you’s and went to stick pins in little Auntie shaped voodoo’s in outrage at their sheer thoughtlessness. Today I would do anything to have my little gang of old ladies Aunties back so I could poke their tissue wrapped paper parcels full of pretty scented soap, treasure their identifying scrawl and let myself be fed broken biscuits while I curled up in a ball and listened to them reminisce about all their wartime Liverpool yesterdays. But those days, like those lovely Aunts are gone. There is rarely soap in my stocking now, nor a one pound coin sello-taped to my birthday card these days, and as I have taken lessons in gratitude and covering up my disappointment since then,  and hopefully developed a modicum of refined taste,  I would cherish a box full of carved soap or the Caramac Easter eggs my dear little Auntie Louie sent us every Easter of my childhood . You see now I’m no longer nine years old,I know that it is the thought that counts and though artistically carved soap is not quite the thing for the dirty little mitt’s of mud splattered children due to it’s propensity to stash said dirt in it’s pretty crevices thereafter, artisans like the gifted lady at Satin and Birch are making it utterly desirable for rather lily-fingered lovelies like the all grown-up version of me… I mean really, did you ever see the gorgeous likes of these soapy tokens? Wouldn’t they look just darling resting on a pretty vintage saucer in the guest bathroom?  Are they or are they not destined to be the most scrumptious of Christmas gifts or the perfect way to ring the seasonal changes in the bathroom? Who wouldn’t want the most delicate of angel wings gracing their soap dish? Oh how time change’s us…
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
The Blurb… “MOTHERHOOD takes place in a single day that pushes to the tipping point Eliza’s fundamental fear she’s lost herself. Starting at dawn, her to-do list is daunting: prepare for and throw her daughter’s 6th birthday party, mind her toddler son, battle…
Never, ever, never rest on your laurels. Never say I am taking time off to drink home-made lemonade and fall in love with Monty Don. Don’t spend too much time floating in a bath of rosemary salt or slip into bed before…
In the olden days when ladies were ladies and ladettes didn’t exist, great store was set by the need for women of a certain class to be "accomplished", not just in manners, etiquette and deportment, but in all manner of arts, crafts…
An odd day. My lane completely closed off for road re-surfacing and the clatter of lorries and chatter of workmen my music for the day. And here I am. Sliced watermelon on the desk and the cat, squashed into a shoe box…
“What is the hardest thing in the world to do? Not in the least what most people might suppose it is, yet if we are brought up sharp we all discover what our greatest difficulty is. It is doing the next thing,…
It is, I believe, ritual rather than housekeeping that has been the mainstay of BrocanteHome,because much as I consider some of the lowlier joys of homemaking to be a necessary evil, it is my personal and familial rituals that I hold most…
8 Comments
I'm thinking now of aunts and soap in which my special aunt had plenty of and probably still does in one colorful stack in an apothecary jar on the back of the toilet. I always lifted the lid and smelled of it hoping she would say, "do you want to pick out one and take it home?" but instead I dropped a very pricey antique vase in the bathroom and it shattered on the tile and my uncle (if he were here) would to this day shake his head in sadness and remind me what a SPECIAL piece it was before I distracted him by reminding him what one of my brothers or nephews had broken sending him into grief over another piece and getting the monkey off my back. Did you have time for that drawn out memory Alison???
Me too, Alison, me too!!! And, the soaps and bath salts I was given, I never used! I was afraid to use them or something–they were too pretty… Now, I use all of my pretty stuff–china, crystal, and pretty soaps! 😉
But then being the good Brocante housekeeper that I know you are you wouldn't dream of saving them for best now would you?? P.S: the free letterheads on your site are divine!
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
I'm thinking now of aunts and soap in which my special aunt had plenty of and probably still does in one colorful stack in an apothecary jar on the back of the toilet. I always lifted the lid and smelled of it hoping she would say, "do you want to pick out one and take it home?" but instead I dropped a very pricey antique vase in the bathroom and it shattered on the tile and my uncle (if he were here) would to this day shake his head in sadness and remind me what a SPECIAL piece it was before I distracted him by reminding him what one of my brothers or nephews had broken sending him into grief over another piece and getting the monkey off my back.
Did you have time for that drawn out memory Alison???
Oh I always have time for lovely memories like that Phyllis!
Me too, Alison, me too!!! And, the soaps and bath salts I was given, I never used! I was afraid to use them or something–they were too pretty… Now, I use all of my pretty stuff–china, crystal, and pretty soaps! 😉
Those are beautiful soaps – such a pity they don't ship to the UK
Isn't it always the way Shayne??
Life is cruel!
Ohhh my stars, those soaps are spellbinding! I would have trouble deciding to acutally use them.
But then being the good Brocante housekeeper that I know you are you wouldn't dream of saving them for best now would you??
P.S: the free letterheads on your site are divine!