Dot & Lil

discovering real satsumas

2012-01-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

I am currently on my first trip to California! First thing I did? Eat a Satsuma! I had never had one before, and it was on my list of must try California experiences because it is one of the all-time best-selling Dot & Lil scents!

So how was it? Great! They are delicious (and look gorgeous too.) Fresh, tangy, slightly perfumed and quite sweet. And pretty true to the Dot & Lil Satsuma scent (or the other way around, I suppose!) I will definitely be missing them when I get back home.

Other scent or bath & body based things I'm doing in Cali? Several trips to Sephora, perfume sampling, smelling Jasmine from people's yards at night when I walk around, loving the smell of the ocean, and a trip to FIDM's perfume museum. Traveling for inspiration! I will come back with many a new product idea.

Dot & Lil's Satsuma scent is available as a soap, a body butter and a bath truffle. Or ask us about a custom perfume oil!

st. valentines special editions have arrived

2012-01-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

On this bright cold January day, we are pleased to debut out St. Valentines special edition soaps to keep you warm! Chocolate hearts with vintage 'For My Valentine' labels, and double-sized Rose soap gift bars.They are listed in the Dot & Lil etsy shop here, and in our web store here.

What do you think?Nice enough for your love? (Or yourself?)

we have a new blog

2012-01-17T14:52:00.000-08:00

Dot & Lil now has a brand new french language blog! The content won't always be the same, so feel free to keep following us here, too!We just wanted to spread the Dot & Lil love around, language-wise. Next: we take over the world! Kidding. (Sort of.)

dotetlil.blogspot.com

chocolate & roses giveaway WINNER!

2012-01-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm a bit late! Contest was supposed to end at 5pm, and here I am strolling in at 6:15pm...

But, a winner is a winner no matter what time it is! So drum roll please, the Chocolate & Roses giveaway winner is 'Anonymous' commenter nomoreschoolwootwoot@gmail.com, who chose Rice Flower as their favourite Dot & Lil scent! That's one of my very favourites too.

Thanks for all your entries, it's always lovely to hear what scents you guys prefer, especially now as I'm working on the Spring & Summer 2012 lineup! Satsuma came out ahead of anything else in your entries...I'm not surprised, you guys never fail to make it clear how much you love that scent!

For those of you who didn't win, but would like to try the limited edition Valentine's Day Chocolate and Rose scented Dot & Lil products anyway, the listings will be going up on www.dotandlil.com and in our etsy shop next week. Stay tuned! They're pretty special.

chocolate & roses v-day giveaway

2012-01-09T12:38:00.001-08:00

It might seem like a long way off to you, but over here at Dot & Lil, we are in full planning mode for Valentine's Day! We haven't had a contest in a good long while, and seeing as you guys have been good, I thought it was time!

Up for grabs: a Chocolate & Roses gift set, with special limited edition Dot & Lil Chocolate scented bath & body goodies just for Valentine's Day, plus a selection of our popular Rose scented products. Pretty great prize! And we'll wrap it up all pretty, too, as always.

Comment on this post and tell me what Dot & Lil scent is your favourite, and I'll do a random draw from all the answers on Friday, January 13th! (Nothing like a little good luck soap contest to turn a Friday the 13th around!)

Make sure to leave your twitter handle, a traceable ID, or email address somewhere in your comment, so that I can track you down!

Get commenting!

if dot & lil was an animal...

2012-01-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

In a strange twist of trying to inspire myself today, while brainstorming design ideas for a new product line, I came upon the odd question of what animal would represent Dot & Lil, if we had one. This led me to much time wasting searching through lovely vintage images, of course. One of my favorite pastimes. All the images in this post are from The Graphics Fairy, a great blog for any kind of project needing vintage imagery, or just to poke about about on oohing and aahing.

So, what is Dot & Lil? A winged horse, mythical and majestic? An elephant, larger than life and with a great memory? My final choice has got to be that Dot & Lil is best represented by a rabbit. Small but energetic, and very prolific and productive! The new line I'm working on I have yet to pick an animal for, but I always loved deer imagery. What about you, or your project?

a year in the life of my small business: our YouTube premiere!

2012-01-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, and thank you to all the people who had parts both small and large in the life of Dot & Lil this year! Please let us know what you think of our YouTube début!

black metal press for dot & lil

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Astoundingly, and to my own dismay, I never got around to blogging about the the ever so lovely gift tags Dot & Lil was giving away at shows and with orders over the holidays. They were designed and printed on letterpress by Black Metal Press here in Montreal as a collaboration, something that I hope will become a longstanding holiday tradition at Dot & Lil! The little letterpress gift tags perfectly accompany a Dot & Lil gift, in my opinion, and as we are big supporters of handmade, it just seemed logical to us, as well as pretty! We hung them on the Dot & Lil Christmas tree, too.

If you got one of these, we hope you gave it to someone special! Spread the handmade love.

the details: another post about resolutions

2012-01-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

I accomplished things in 2011. Little things. Big things. Things others find silly, and things they don't. I also missed a few goals I'd set. I never did sign up for Spanish, for example. But, I did quit my day job. I notice that the few goals that didn't get done are the ones for which I lacked the details. The ones that didn't get planned out down to what happened where with whom.

Last year in early February, I wrote this post about people letting their resolutions slip--and how really, I thought we should all have yearly goals instead of New Year's resolutions. This year, as I hear people talk again about how they know all their resolutions will slip, or how they won't make any, I feel the same way I did last year. I feel that the main reason people give up on their resolutions is that they have habituated themselves to giving up. And that the main nub of the issue is that people make resolutions rather than set goals.

But, I have something to add this year. Not giving up is about more than stubborn, white-knuckle pig headedness (which I do a lot of as well!) It is about the details. It is also about simply beginning. The difference between a resolution and an actual completable goal, in my opinion, is knowing exactly how one gets done while the other is a vague idea that you would like to do something differently.

So, on that note, why don't we all sit down this week and figure out, month by month, day by day, what we need to do in 2012 to get what we want and need going on in our lives?

Napoleon Hill said "A goal is a dream with a deadline." Larry Elder said "A goal without a plan is just a wish." And that pretty well sums up what I'm trying to say. So, let's save the wishing for stars, and your next birthday cake, and get to work on enthusiastically planning how we can get to where we want to be.

Come on, the planning is the fun part!

pick a tea cup, any tea cup...part 2!

2011-12-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Back at the end of April, I wrote this post, which listed the tea cups available for the Tea Party gift set. Well, I'm happy to say that all those cups, and many more, have found happy homes since then! Here are the new cups for the Dot & Lil The Tea Party gift set. Pick a tea cup, any tea cup!

These super special sets come with one flower soap and a vintage fine bone English bone china tea cup & saucer. The whole thing is packaged in a lovely white box and decked out with polka dotted ribbon. You can buy the sets here. Mention which cup # you'd like during checkout!

cup 1:

cup 2: SOLD

cup 3:

cup 4:

cup 5:

cup 6:

cup 7:

cup 8:

cup 9:

cup 10:

cup 11:

cup 12:

cup 13:

You can buy the Tea Party soap gift sets here in either Lilac scent or Green Tea & Linden Flower.

like a fresh blank page

2011-12-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a very crazy year. New clients, new shows, new approaches. I quit my job to work on Dot & Lil full time. I moved Dot & Lil out of my house and into a separate studio. All in all, the biggest year ever for my little company. And right now in the midst of crazy holiday rush, with new challenges and new projects, I am at once terrified and overjoyed. It's that thrilling feeling, that I seem to be living in almost permanently now, that to me defines what it means to start a business or project of your own, and really live it. I have said it before and I'll say it agian, if I'm scared then I must be doing something right! But I've never had to repeat that to myself so many times, trying to reassure my worried heart, than these last few months.

This crazy season isn't over yet. And while it's always crazy, this year has been the craziest. Because it's not just that I'm doing MORE. It's that the things I'm doing are so new, and so unknown to me. I'm sure I'll look back in a year or two and smile. I'm sure it'll seem quaint, if Dot & Lil grows the way I'd like it to, how worried I am right now. We can only hope that is the case! In the meantime, send a good thought out for me and my little business, would you? And I'd like to send a good thought out to all the people who have helped me along the way this year.

Just a few more weeks! and then, the excitement of a whole new year, whole new challenges, and more big scary things to dream and worry about. Like a fresh blank page!

Puces Pop this weekend

2011-12-08T08:57:00.001-08:00

For those of you looking for holiday gifts, or a crafty weekend activity, come by Puces Pop this weekend and check out some of Montreal's best handmade goods and makers. Dot & Lil will have all our gift sets and holidays scents in stock, of course, but our standard stuff too! And personally, I plan on doing some more holiday shopping (or swapping!) of my own.

Broundoor, Instant Crimson, and a very very special item from Red Sofa are all on my Puces Pop shopping agenda. The Red Sofa purchase will require a post all its own, and I'm almost bubbling over with excitement just THINKING about it!

I give almost no traditional store bought gifts anymore, seeing as I find myself at so many indie shows and craft fairs. Plus, I love supporting people like me, who are doing something they love!

What handmade vendors are you planning on supporting or checking out this season?

Puces POP Craft & DIY Fair
Saturday & Sunday December 10th & 11th
11am-6pm
St-Enfant Jesus Church (5035 St-Dominique)

Old Skool Winter Fair

Saturday & Sunday December 10th & 11th

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

St-Michael's Church

105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

where we'll be this holiday season!

2011-11-30T07:45:00.001-08:00

An updated handy little list of where you can find Dot & Lil this holiday season! And make sure to spread the word around, as you'll be helping Montreal's small businesses, artisans, and craftspeople, while supporting an independant, handmade holiday season!

shows & events

Y.E.S. Art Expo
Thursday December 1st 7-9pm
Friday December 2nd 10am-4pm
Marché Bonsecours, de la Commune Hall
350 St-Paul St. East, Old Port of Montreal

Smart Design Mart
Friday December 2nd 5-9pm
Saturday December 3rd 11am-6pm
Sunday December 4th 12-5pm

Puces Pop-Up Boutique & Opening Party
Wednesday November 30th-Sunday December 4th
11am-8pm daily
opening party: Wednesday November 30th, 5pm-9pm (free admission, wine, snacks & DJ)
5143 Boulevard St-Laurent (Studio OFF InterArts)

Old Skool Winter Fair

Saturday & Sunday December 3rd & 4th

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

St-Michael's Church

105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

Puces POP Craft & DIY Fair
Saturday & Sunday December 10th & 11th
11am-6pm
St-Enfant Jesus Church (5035 St-Dominique)

Old Skool Winter Fair

Saturday & Sunday December 10th & 11th

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

St-Michael's Church

105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

Cease Art Collective's Holiday Flea Market
Saturday & Sunday December 17th & 18th
10am-6pm
Fresh Paint Gallery (180 St Catherine East)

new space, new times

2011-11-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

It seems like everything has changed in such a short time! Tomorrow will be my first work and production day from my new Dot & Lil studio. And that changes just about everything! For the first time in the almost 4 years that I have worked on this business with all that I have, it will be separate from my home and, really, separate from me. I have worked so hard and there have been so many different kinds of challenges and struggles and successes and failures to get to this point.

I am as excited as a kid on Christmas to be able to work properly and professionally in a designated space for the first time ever! But also? I'm a little bit sad to be losing a stage in my business where anything was possible and it was all new to me and creative. Not that I'm exactly old and jaded now! And certainly the creative possibilities are just beginning. But there are some goodbyes in all these new things, too. I loved building my business to this point, and I'm terrified but excited for the challenges, successses and failures that I'll face while working from my new studio, too.

Stay tuned for pictures!

men's holiday gift guide: the husband or boyfriend gift

2011-10-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

The boyfriend or husband gift...always such a challenge! Men are notoriously hard to buy for or even create for. As mentioned here, Dot & Lil is on a mission this year--a mission to solve the man-gift problem! This is the first of our men's holiday gift guides.

I am a big believer in giving handmade.Whether that's your hands or someone else's will depend on what hidden talents you have, and how much time is available! And I'm not a huge fan of most classic man gifts.Here's a selection of man-gifts that range from the extraordinary to the hilarious. And ssshhhh, don't show my boyfriend!

For the non-leafs hockey fan, and for a very reasonable price, I like this Leafs Suck shirt by buttonmachine.

For print lovers, paper lovers or business guys, I really like the idea of giving customized paper goods or stationary, like these personalized ones from LettermintPress. (25/10/2011: new development! Michelle from Lettermint wants to offer my readers 10% off! You can use code "dotlil10" between now and 11/30/11 on any of the men's or women's customized stationery or holiday cards. Thank you, Michelle!)

For great men's gifts in general, check out oopsmark by local Montrealer Jesse Herbert. For $29 his bike wine rack makes an awesome and exceptional gift. The leather bracelets that double as smart phone holders are, well...smart! The USB leather cuffs in his shop are pretty unique, too!

If your boyfriend or husband is into music, I think this sterling silver initialed guitar pick from TheTaffyBox is a truly unique and outstanding gift. It comes in a leather case, to boot. I mean that's pretty special!

If your boyfriend or husband likes taking care of himself and his skin, or you'd like him to stop looking like he lives in the woods, there's the Dot & Lil shaving kit and shaving soaps. Available in mint, or unscented for the sensitive ones.

For a jewelery gift, I love this sterling silver ring for $59 and this oxidized silver one for $40 from TheSlyFox. Just make sure it doesn't seem like you're proposing...unless you are!

And for a cute added touch to finish off the whole thing, I'm in love with this funny card or this one from shopsaplingpress.

Happy man-gifting!

And, more Dot & Lil gift guides are on the way.

man-gifts & our holiday gift guides

2011-10-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

While shopping for a small mini-anniversary gift for my boyfriend last week, it became clear to me, as it does every time I have to buy man-gifts, that men are IMPOSSIBLE TO SHOP FOR. Really. I mean, it's terrible. I consider myself a pretty good gift-giver in general. But men are just extremely difficult, for the most part, unless you have a lot of money to spend.

This man gift predicament has led me to decide that I'm going to beef up the availability and promotion of man-worthy Dot & Lil offerings for the holidays. So. Are you male? Wanna help me brainstorm? Have a not-totally-off-the-wall idea for a personal care product that I can gear towards men? I'd love to hear it! Rules: I will not make anything with gravel as an exfoliant (have you read my funny post exfoliation, or pain?). I just won't. It should be affordable. It doesn't have to be classic. I want some funny or silly or unsual stuff!

I will also be creating a whole series of gift giving guides starting next week and going until the end of december. The guides will highlight great Dot & Lil gift ideas, as well as the great gifts I'll be seeing from other vendors at all my fall and winter shows. I'll also be on the hunt on Etsy and ArtFire, for those of you who love to holiday shop online, like me.

Let's solve this man-gift problem. Dot & Lil is on a mission to help you give men great gifts! No more socks, ties, gift certificates or last minute pharmacy gifts. Boyfriends, uncles, fathers and sons rejoice! Let's do the 2011 holiday season right!

image in this post by winnond via freedigitalimages.net

where we'll be

2011-10-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

A handy little list of what shows and events Dot & Lil will be participating in this fall and winter! Lots of other great handmade, handcrafted, local artisans too. I know where I'll do MY holiday shopping!

Boite de Noël annual holiday sale
Thursday October 13th 6-9 p.m
Friday October 14th 10 a.m. to 9 p.m
Saturday October 15th 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday October 16th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Royal St Lawrence Yacht Club
1350 Lakeshore Drive, Dorval, Québec

Baie d'Urfé Craft Show
Saturday & Sunday October 15th & 16th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Baie d'Urfé Curling Club, Red Barn & Coop area
63 Churchill, Baie d'Urfé

Old Skool Halloween Carnival
Saturday & Sunday October 22nd & 23rd
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St-Michael's Church
105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

Handmade Harvest Holiday Sale
Friday November 4th 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday November 5th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Almonte Old Town Hall,
14 Bridge Street, Almonte, Ontario

Westmount Artisans Festival
Saturday & Sunday November 12th & 13th
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Victoria Hall
4626 rue Sherbrooke O., Westmount, QC

Art Etc. Montreal West
Friday November 18th 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday November 19th 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Montreal West Town Hall
50 Westminster South, Montreal West

Dollard Center for the Arts Craft Fair & Sale
Saturday & Sunday November 19th & 20th
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dollard Civic Center
12001 de Salaberry, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC

Old Skool Winter Fair
Saturday & Sunday December 3rd & 4th
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St-Michael's Church
105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

Old Skool Winter Fair
Saturday & Sunday December 10th & 11th
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St-Michael's Church
105 St-Viateur O., Montreal, QC

Also keep your eyes peeled for us to update this page as we hear back from Puces Pop, Souk @ SAT, Smart Design Mart and a few other fairs for which we expect vendor calls soon.

not yet thanksgiving, but full of thanks

2011-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

It isn't quite thanksgiving yet, but I'm overflowing with thankfulness these days! Last night, I hosted a small gathering to thank the Dot & Lil helpers who helped me get a big order out the door in the past few weeks. I couldn't, absolutely couldn't, have done it without them. It was a lovely evening.

I made bow pasta with ricotta, spinach, pine nuts and chorizo sausage that was loosely inspired by this pinterest pin. The pasta had lemon zest, spinach, chorizo sausage, ricotta cheese, fresh garden parsley and basil, garlic and pine nuts as well as some chopped home-grown tomatos. It was so delicious, I will definitely be making it again! I also made a fall soup that was very popular and pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for dessert.

I wanted all the helpers to be able to choose a few Dot & Lil goodies to take home, and the images in this post is them selecting (and enthusiastically grabbing for!) their choice of Dot & Lil products.

My small business could not run without the support of people who not only love me, but have, sometimes for reasons that even I can't divine, chosen to support and believe in my business past the point of reason. I am so, so blessed to have people around me who have faith in my ability to overcome whatever new challenges my business can throw at me. Without them, Dot & Lil could never even begin to become the empire I want it to be one day!

Thank you. Just, thank you.

perle launch and custom soaps

2011-09-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

Dot & Lil has been doing more custom orders these days, and I love doing them! Our most recent was a bunch of soaps for Perle, Montreal's new erotica magazine. I saw an advance copy, and I love it! Very well done, very classy and especially great design work too. The magazine launches this Tuesday at Jukebox, starting at 6pm. The $10 admission (or $15 at the door) gets you an issue of the magazine and two drinks. More info at www.perlemag.com

I hope they like their Perle Rosemary & Lavender soaps! If you'd like Dot & Lil to create a custom product, label or design for your event or project, please get in touch at (514) 836-6073 or anne(at)dotandlil.com

Dot & Lil at the Montreal Gift Show

2011-09-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

There's been a very unusual-for-me blog hiatus for a week or so, but now I'm back! And there are lots of new things going on at Dot & Lil!

The Montreal Gift Show ended yesterday, and happily we will be announcing a bunch of new retailers that met us at the show and want to carry Dot & Lil in their locations & stores. Exciting! As their orders get shipped in the next few weeks, I will be adding them to the list of retailers on the website.

There are also a few new products for you! Shaving sets, and rescue butter for lips & nails, and the fall winter fragrances are ready!

Below are some pictures of our setup at the gift show. We had a great time, and will definitely go back for the spring show. What do you think of our booth setup? Pretty, right?

it's christmas in august

2011-08-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Dot & Lil's 2009 Holiday Soap Tree

Ah, the joys of the retail world. While you all just barely begin to think about back to school and summer ending, and the last sweet hot days of summer, I have been deeply entrenched in the holidays and winter since at least the beginning of July! While you guys were chewing on watermelon and jumping in the pool, I was making Sugar & Spice soap, wrapping things in red bows for holiday photos, and planning a December sale. While you were beaching, I was holiday packaging!

I do love this business. And I do love the holidays! But I'm not sure I love this holidays-six-months-of-the-year thing that Dot & lil requires. Oy. I need some eggnog!

stories that resonate

2011-08-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Blood Orange soap by DotandLil on Etsy

A few days ago, I posted here about my new Etsy shop. My mom, who reads my blog posts, followed the link to my shop. There, she found a new listing I had put up for Blood Orange soap. In the listing, I tell shoppers a story about how Blood Oranges remind me of my mother reminiscing about her father, my grandfather. I knew when I wrote the listing that I was writing something that really added value to that listing, because it was so very true, you know?

My mom left me a voicemail message that day, letting me know that she had been very touched by reading the listing. I had made my mom cry. She missed her dad. But she was happy I'd shared the story.

You know what? It seems to me that my business, all businesses, especially handmade ones, really and truly benefit from that kind of authenticity. Not because my story in that listing is so amazing, or life-changing, or amazingly written. Just simply because it is more true, and more authentic, than any marketing spin or silly copy I could have put in that listing. Because when you strip away all the luxurious this and moisturizing that and hyped ingredient this...I make Blood Orange soap because the smell reminds me of my mom, telling me stories about her dad, telling her stories about Italy. Period.

Hope you liked the story in the listing, because you can expect a whole lot more real stories about the simple, and sometimes silly, but very real reasons that I make the things I make. I hope they resonate with you--they certainly do with me.

a new shop! Dot & Lil on Etsy

2011-08-15T09:21:00.001-07:00

above: guest soaps by DotandLil on Etsy

Well guys, who knows why I waited so long, but after years of having my own website, trying out an ArtFire shop, etc, I have FINALLY signed up and opened a shop at the Mother of all online craft venues, Etsy!

My shops at www.dotandlil.com and www.artfire.com will still remain open. I will have to see if the ArtFire shop is here to stay--I may shut it down and concentrate on Etsy.

above: Lemon & Sage Petit Oiseau soap by DotandLil on Etsy

I have new items listed in my brand new Etsy shop, as well as the goodies you'll be used to seeing by now. And while you're over there, have a browse through some of the 800 000 other crafter's shops! It really is a remarkable venue.

Come visit Dot & Lil on Etsy.

it's hard to sell a job

2011-08-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

It has been on my mind lately that what I’m building here at Dot & Lil can be thought of in many ways. Back when I was reading E-Myth, I thought and wrote a lot about building a business as a system. I still consider that a lot, as I go about the work of building Dot & Lil. Lately though, I find myself thinking about businesses versus jobs. After Seth Godin posted about it a few weeks ago, I gave some serious thought to which one I myself had; is it a business, or is it a job?

For now anyway, it’s a job, and not a very stable one at that! The end goal is for Dot & Lil to be a business, something that can support me and others even if I am not a central cog in it. I want to build into something that could in theory be sold, whether or not I ever choose to sell it. After all, it’s tough to sell a job—most people don’t want one!

Dot & Lil is a job and not a business because it cannot run without me going to work. I am at this point a craftsperson who has many bosses. If I don’t choose to work, no work gets done. And boy do I ever understand what SethGodin means when he mentions "occasional interruptions to do the dreaded looking-for-work dance."

This year, there are some big projects underway at Dot & Lil. And my job in it? To do the scary, unnerving, keeps-me-up-at-night work that will eventually mean I have a business, and not a job!

What about you? Is your project a business, or a job?

image in this post by michelle meiklejohn via freedigitalphotos.net

flower geek status

2011-08-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Flowers and plants are so connected to what I do, and to Dot & Lil. From the botanicals, plants and flowers distilled into essential oils to scent many of our products, to the botanicals that are added to our bath salts and soaps, Dot & Lil is deeply intertwined with flowers from beginning to end. I definitely embrace this—me and flowers, we get along! I emphasize their relevance in my business by having flower seed planting schedules on my business cards; by posting pictures of whatever gorgeous flowers are in bloom around me; by choosing scents for our products that are true to nature.

My parents are avid gardeners (that's their rose bush below, and cut roses from it). and I have always had plants and flowers and green around me. I’m not really a gardener myself, at least not at the moment, but I know more flower and plant names than your average city dweller. My nature guide father made sure I knew all about bugs, too. I take great satisfaction in knowing these things!

And for me, the really special part about plants and flowers? The scents, of course! Roses. Lilacs. Lillies. Freshly cut grass. Rosemary. Lily of the valley. More roses. Oh, the roses. I never used to be a fan, but for the past 2 years it seems I just can’t get enough of lovely roses, their scent, their flowers, anything about them! I just celebrated this by curating a collection on ArtFire of beautiful handmade Rose things by vaious crafters. Summer is for Roses!

I am pretty generally obsessed with smells, all kind of smells. But flowers? They’re just magical somehow, aren’t they? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, somewhere inside, still think of fairies and magic when confronted with flowers, especially delicate ones.

So, I’m a flower geek, it’s pretty official. How about you? What’s your favourite flower, your favourite scent? And I am alone on the fairy thing, or do you secretly think that too?

new pictures of pretty scented things!

2011-07-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few new pictures of Dot & Lil goodies. I actually took and edited these myself, which is new for me, so let me know what you think!

Lilac scented 'The Tea Party' soap set with fine bone English china cup & saucer

Rice Flower 'Lend a Hand' soap (all profits are donated to the Dot & Lil Kiva Team)

Unscented shaving soap set, now with new badger hair brushes!

Rosemary & Lavender soap

shower lotion bars & shower scrub bars

perfume oils

Satsuma bath truffles

Let me know what you think of the new images! I'll be getting these up on the website's product listings in the next little while.

the soap circus, the soap opera

2011-07-19T07:05:00.000-07:00

Above: Freshly cut bars of Honeysuckle soap.

I haven't been around quite as much lately, on twitter or the blog. Have you missed me? I'm right in the middle of a great big production run that will take us all the way to the holidays, basically. What that means is that there's so much soap around here, we could drown an elephant in bubbles. No, really! There's at least 600 bars hanging out waiting to be wrapped, another 100 waiting to be unmolded and cut, and at least 600 bars of soap to be made in the next week!

Above: Loaves of Honeysuckle soap waiting to be unmolded.

And then, then there's everything else! Several hundred jars of milk bath and bath salts. More bath truffles than there are chocolate truffles in a chocolate shop! Perfume bottles stacked as high as the eye can see! It's like a bath and body circus in here, and I'm still trying to figure out whether I'm the ringmaster, or the clown.

So if you need me over the next few weeks, you better shout loudly, so I can hear you over the soap! The scents chat amongst themselves, you know. Sugar & Spice always has nice things to say about Sweet Clementine, but Coriander & Lemongrass definitely thinks he's better than those two--they're just limited editions, after all! And don't even get Rose started, she'll talk your ear off about how forceful and over the top she thinks Rosemary & Lavender is! It's a veritable soap opera around here!

last of our sale! hurry!

2011-07-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Our killer sale ends tomorrow! Until midnight on July 15th, everything in our online ArtFire shop is 25% off! That's a pretty great deal, and we hardly ever have sales around here so take advantage!

Go browse through handmade soaps, perfumes, gift sets and milk bath, all for a discounted price with reasonable shipping! The shop can be found here.

image in this post from Simon Howden via freedigitalimages

help us help people?

2011-07-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

If you have $25 to spare, and let's be honest here you probably do when it really comes down to it, please head over to the Dot & Lil Kiva team and loan an entrepreneur somewhere in the world some money to give them a leg up. How little will you miss it, how much will they appreciate it.

Lend a hand, please!

pretty summer nails

2011-07-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty bad at taking time for myself sometimes. And so, this summer I'm forcing myself to devote time to keeping my nails polished and my fingers and toes in great shape. It's a silly little thing but you know what? I love it. Pretty summer nails! what have you been doing to make yourself feel summery?

ingredient profile: shea butter

2011-07-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

I've been using Dot & Lil body butter on my already summer-weary feet (I'm a flip-flop addict--not always the best thing for skin and nails.) It's working like a charm, but that's not just because I'm a creative genius who dreamed up a killer formula (well...that too!) Mainly, it's because all the Dot & Lil body butters are shea butter based. I'm not even exaggerating much when I say shea butter is basically a miraculous ingredient!

Basically, shea butter is skincare gold: ultra-rich and moisturizing, stable, a great barrier for the skin and a great carrier for other ingredients. And unlike gold, it does grow on trees! Or rather, shea nuts, Butyrospernum paradoxum, do. The shea fruit is edible, but mainly it's wanted for it's nut, or pit, which contains 45% to 60% oil. (Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 3(1): 22-25, 2011) Much the same process is used for mango, except that we do very much like the fruit from mangos! Dot & Lil uses mango butter in several products, too.

Studies (for example here) have shown that shea has anti-inflammatory activity. And here is a study from the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology that even suggests that shea butter may be more effective than conventional treatments for nasal congestion! There's also some promising evidence that shea might be a favorable factor in heart health when ingested (like this study here.) It's shea butter's anti-oxidant a-tocopherol content that is likely responsible for it's many purported uses reducing free radicals (African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development)

Shea butter moisturizes as well as it does because it creates a moisture barrier, sealing in all your skin's natural moisture. The same qualities make it a great choice for winter climates as well--it creates a barrier that protects your skin from wind and cold. Personally, shea is too rich for the skin on my face. But for everywhere else, it's amazing!

Overall, it's basically like having a skincare army. Go forth and moisturize!

Dot & Lil profile on Let It Unravel

2011-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

You guys should all head over to Let It Unravel, a blog all about handmade goodness. Todays' post is a profile of...well, me! And Dot & Lil. It can be found here.

Also, Let It Unravel is hosting a Dot & Lil giveaway for their Love Your Body series. So if you wanna win some bath truffles, go check it out! It's pretty easy to enter.

There's a big announcement coming from Dot & Lil tomorrow, too (hint: it's a big sale), in our newsletter, which you should sign up for here. We only send out one, or very rarely, two newsletters a month.

Have a great holiday weekend guys!

kiva: help Dot & Lil lend a hand

2011-06-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I launched a project here at Dot & Lil that I've been thinking about for a long time. I've known for a while now that I want to increase the ways in which my small business contributes. In fact, I want trying and contributing and helping to be tied right into the business model. And so I'm excited to launch what I hope becomes a permanent and successful project at Dot & Lil: the Dot & Lil Kiva team!

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Anyone can join the Dot & Lil Kiva Team (please do!) and make a loan to an entrepreneur anywhere in the world, of their choosing. When loans are repaid, I will roll them over and fund new entrepreneurs!

And the way this will be built in to Dot & Lil? Each season, one limted edition soap will be chosen as our Dot & Lil Kiva Team Soap, and all the profits from it's sale will go to the Dot & Lil Kiva team. For summer (July 1st to September 30th ), I have picked the popular Rice Flower soap, now renamed limited edition Lend a Hand Rice Flower soap. %100 of the profits from this soap now go to Kiva! Or, rather, to worthy entrepreneurs worldwide.

So go check out the Dot & Lil Kiva Team page and make a loan, or if you'd rather, go buy some Rice Flower Lend a Hand soap! Either way, doing the right thing has never smelled so good!

the fuel awards: youth entrepreneurship

2011-06-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Until July 31st, you can vote for me once a day in the FuEl Awards, a contest that celebrates Canada's future entrepreneurial leaders. It's easy to vote and easy to comment, and I would be grateful! Even though you guys have shown awesome support so far and there are some great comments that made me feel all shy and melty, there are a few people KICKING MY BUTT so far in this competition! So PLEASE go vote! Later this month I'll be running a give-away for voters, too. It'll be sorta like your mom bribing you with candy, but it'll be soap for votes. Sounds good? As if you needed to be bribed! But what can I say, I like to spoil you.

Let's show these people what good soap and truth in skin care are worth, ok?

new gift sets

2011-06-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

New gift sets went up on the website yesterday. Now, you can satisfy that scent addiction to one particular Dot & Lil scent by buying the set. Like my addiction to Rose everything, much to my boyfriend's dismay (he's a Rose hater...scandalous I know.) Also listed is a really cool new shaving set with a shaving brush, container and shaving soap.

I also added new pictures for a few sets, including the Petit Oiseau soaps. Take a look at what's new! More new pictures and new scent sets coming later this week.

Lemon & Sage scented Petit Oiseau soap

Mint shaving set

Lavender set

Grapefruit set

Honeysuckle scented Petit Oiseau soap

What do you think of the new sets, and of Dot & Lil's new photo-style?

minty minty mint for summer

2011-06-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

As a devoted flip-flop and sandal wearer, I wear almost nothing else for shoes from May until September. And what that means is that come bedtime, I have some dirty little feet! You know it's true for you too! So, my summer bedtime ritual always involves a foot-washing along with a face-washing, as funny as that sounds. And this summer, I've added a little twist that I thought I'd share.

For most of the year, I use Dot & Lil Unscented shaving soap to wash of my makeup each night. As a side note, before making my own products, I was a devoted face wash user. I hated using soap on my face. But you know what I've found? Handmade soap is a whole different animal. It doesn't make me itchy and scractchy and tight-skinned like washing my face with commercial soap always did. I haven't bought face wash in years, now! I find the shaving bars gentle, and they take of makeup really well. So what's my summer twist? I switched to the Dot & Lil Peppermint shaving bar. I would've thought it would be weird for washing off makeup-peppermint near the eyes? But it's amazing! So refreshing and pleasant and just the right amount of subtle fresh peppermint tingle. Just make sure you do rinse properly near the eyes!

At the same time as I'm washing off my makeup, I wash my feet using the Peppermint shaving soap as well. And wow! After a long hot summer day on my feet, is the Peppermint ever refreshing! I don't always have time to do a Peppermint foot soak, but using the soap every night has become part of my bedtime ritual that I really look forward to! I take the opportunity to go over my feet with a pumice stone at the same time, to keep them soft and nice.

What are your refreshing summer beauty or skin rituals?

Dot & Lil shaving soaps are available here, and Dot & Lil foot soaks are available here.

junk science

2011-06-17T17:45:00.001-07:00

If you've read much of anything on this blog, you know that I talk a lot about truth in skin care and avoiding fear-mongering about "evil" ingredients, especially when the sources leave something to be desired. Well, around this time last year a book came out and my friends and family, seeing that it was claiming to be about the same things, kept referring me to it. So, I took a look! I was excited! I had high hopes! I thought someone other than me wanted to talk about this! Sadly, no. Sadly, what I found when I picked up "No More Dirty Looks" by Siobhan O'connor and Alexandra Spunt (Da Capo Lifelong Books 2010) was an endless stream of attacks on ingredients without any sort of reputable scientific data to back it up, and claims of knowledge about toxicology and toxins that were so WRONG that they made my blood boil. Sadly, this sensationalistic book took off. And people still suggest I should read it, which I understand as it seems like something that's right up my alley.

Then today, I came across this article in the Financial Post for Junk Science Week, by a man I have always admired for telling it like it is when it comes to science, Joseph Schwarcz, director of McGill's Office for Science and Society right here in Montreal. Turns out, Ms. O'Connor and Ms. Spunt consulted him when writing the book. And as he explains in the article I linked to above, he was hesitant to have people who knew nothing about chemistry writing a book about...chemistry! He explains that the claims they make are false and NOT based in science, or chemistry. Or anything but sensationalism, really!

Please, please, PLEASE go read the article here. And be aware that there is a huge amount of fear-mongering out there! It makes me very happy that people like Joseph Schwarcz are with me on my mission of spreading truth in skin care and battling misinformation!

a preview of the Dot & Lil ingredient glossary: a glamorous look at emulsifying wax!

2011-06-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Although it keeps getting drowned by more immediate-need projects like orders or shows, I have been working on a Dot & Lil ingredient glossary for a few months now, and I'd love to share some of it with you! The plan is for this to be a resource, that I make available online for free, that explains in a fun but detailed and researched way what ingredients we use at Dot & Lil. Below is a first draft of an entry I have been working on for emulsifying wax. The post title calls it glamorous, but it may be just a little short of that! But I do try and make it light. It's a great example because it tackles the issue of PEG ingredients and the safety of polysorbates. Not an easy issue to discuss without boring you to tears! Let me know how I do.

________

name in INCI (as listed on our ingredient list): emulsifying wax NF

commonly known as: emulsifying wax , e-wax or Polawax

found in Dot & Lil’s: shower scrub bars, shower lotion bars

why it’s there: To emulsify oil with water. In the case of the Dot & Lil shower bars, this means that the lovely oils wash away cleanly after moisturizing, not leaving your skin or your shower too oily. Dot & Lil doesn’t make an emulsion-based liquid lotion, but if we did this is the ingredient that would stop the oil and water from separating! For those of you who like food analogies, it does what an egg does when you make homemade mayo!

The ingredient name is often followed by the initials “NF”, indicating that it conforms to the specifications of the National Formulary. Emulsifying wax is created when a vegetable wax is treated with polysorbates to cause it to make oil and water bind together into a smooth emulsion. The ingredients for Emulsifying Wax NF are: Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, PEG-150 Stearate, and Steareth-20.

a few words about Polysorbates and ethoxylated/ PEG ingredients:

Polysorbates are the detergent that the vegetable waxes are coated with in order to get them to bind oil and water into an emulsion. Polysorbates are made by binding a sugar (in this case sorbitol) with oleic acid from olive oil, and then ethoxylated (treated with polyethylene oxide) to make it water dispersible. Ethoxylation is also called "PEGylation" because poly(ethylene oxide) is also known as poly(ethylene glycol), abbreviated as PEG.

Some people do not feel that PEGs (polyethylene glycolated substances) or ethoxylated ingredients (treated with polyethylene oxide) are safe. The reason for this is that they believe that during the treatment with polyethylene glycol, the ingredient can become contaminated with 1,4-dioxane. And 1,4 dioxane is, in fact, very dangerous. It should be noted that no one adds 1,4 dioxane to products—it is a trace contaminant. Because 1,4 dioxane is a carcinogen and we don’t want it near us in high concentrations, the question becomes—are there really traces of it that can be harmful in PEGylated ingredients? The answer is that responsible ingredient suppliers are going to be able to provide proof that their PEGs have undergone vacuum-stripping to remove it during manufacturing. Which is absolutely the standard manufacturing process. They will be able to provide their own testing results per lot to show that there isn’t anything to be worried about. For each batch of polysorbate 20, for example, you would be able to check what the 1,4 dioxane levels were.

Dot & Lil is very conscious of concerns regarding emulsifying wax and polysorbates and 1,4 dioxane contamination, and is planning on becoming fully transparent on this issue. We will soon make test results available to our clients. HOWEVER, it should be stated that there is no evidence showing that ANY products on the market have unsafe levels of 1,4 dioxane due to ethoxylated ingredients.There is also no evidence that any 1,4 dioxane that might end up in a product could penetrate the skin or be harmful, as 1,4 dioxane evaporates easily.

trusted sources for additional reading and research:

1. “Much-maligned ingredients: Ethoxylated ingredients & 1,4 dioxane” on the Point of Interest blog.

2. “More Carcinogens in Cosmetics?” on The Beauty Brains: Real Scientists Answer Your Beauty Questions blog.

3. “PEGylated Proteins: Evaluation of Their Safety in the Absence of Definitive Metabolism Studies” from ASPET’s Drug Metabolism & Disposition via Stanford University’s High Wire Journal.

4. “Two Final Reports on the Safety Assessment of Fossil and Synthetic Waxes” via the International Journal of Toxicology

5. “Addendum to the final report on the safety assessment of PEGs Lanolin to include PEG-5, -10, -24, -25, -35, -55, -100, and -150 Lanolin; PEG-5, -10, - 20, -24, -30, and -70 hydrogenated Lanolin; PEG-75 Lanolin Oil; and PEG - 75 Lanolin Wax” in the International Journal of Toxicology via The National Library of Medicine’s TOXNET.

________

A little heavy to read, I know. But the long and short of it is there's no reason to be scared of ethoxylated ingredients. I'll have a bone to pick (a scientific bone) with anyone who says otherwise. I think what it comes down to is that people Google "PEG ingredients", see 1,4 dioxane, and get scared. I can understand that. But in this case? There's smoke but no fire. And google can't always provide the truth in it's first 3 search results! Especially when it comes to skin care.

So, how did I do? Do you understand a little more about emulsifying wax and polysorbates now?

have you ever used a Dot & Lil shaving bar?

2011-06-06T12:10:00.001-07:00

**Comment on this post or on the post on our Facebook wall about the same thing and we will randonly select a commenter to receive a free shaving bar.**

Have you ever used a Dot & Lil shaving bar? They're getting more and more devoted users, so I thought I'd highlight them for those of you who haven't used them before.

Dot & Lil shaving bars are available in Peppermint and Unscented. I originally launched them with mainly men in mind, but it turns out women love them just as much! They can be used in three ways; by lathering them directly on your skin, by lathering in your hands, or with a shaving brush. For shaving legs, lathering directly on the skin creates great creamy, rich lather.

What makes shaving bars better for shaving than a regular soap? Luxurious kaolin clay adds the slip that a razor needs to glide over your skin without creating irritation. Also, vitamin e and extra coconut oil provide anti-oxidants and moisture to make sure it's not drying.

Some key benefits:

-extremely ecologically responsible
Dot & Lil shaving bars are wrapped in biodegradable cellophane (as are all Dot & Lil soaps, by the way), which saves you from using a can, bottle or jar that will be thrown in a landfill, as happens with many mainstream shaving products.

-long-lasting
A male client who shaves daily has reported back that his shaving bar lasted about 10 months, or 300 shaves. Now that is some value!

-travel
Because they aren't liquid, you can pop Dot & Lil shaving bars into your carry-on. I recently paid upwards of $100 in baggage fees to check two bags when traveling to Puerto Rico. Believe me, I'll know better next time!

-great for sensitive skin
The simple, straightforward ingredients and mild soap formula mean that Dot & Lil shaving bars are often great for even those with extreme sensitivities. In fact, the Unscented shaving soap is what we always recommend to our sensitivity-prone clients as an all-over body soap. I also use the Unscented bars as a facial bar to remove my makeup each day.

Dot & Lil shaving bars are available here. They're versatile, economical, ecologically responsible and great for your skin--that's a pretty amazing bar of soap, if you ask me!

spring POP! tomorrow and sunday

2011-06-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

Spring Puces Pop
A few hundred of Montreal's best handmade and indie vendors.
Plus, yummy tacos on sale from Grumman '78.
Saturday and Sunday June 4th & 5th, 2011
11am to 6pm
Église St-Enfant-Jésus
5039 St Dominique, corner St-Joseph
Montreal, QC
www.popmontreal.com/puces

Dot & Lil has new gift sets, old favorites and a great big smile for you. Come by our table at Puces! Have a great weekend guys.

details, schedules, and then the joy of making

2011-06-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

There are many parts of running this business that I love and, let's be honest, many that I hate, too. But when days fill up with schedules, and meetings, and details and thinking about the future, it is easy to forget the part I love the most. After a few hours or days of the managing and details and more it is always a pleasant surprise, sort of like coming home again, when I get back to the work of making and creating products!

Today, I'm making Grapefruit & Bergamot scrub bars and Lavender & Shea body butter. What are you up to? What part of your day makes you feel like you're doing exactly what you should be? Chase that feeling!

sweet pea scented soap with minted nails

2011-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

When unmolding some Sweet Pea soap today, always a spring favorite, I couldn't help but notice that it perfectly matches the nail polish I'm wearing, that I blogged about yesterday. I love the soap, and I'm loving the polish!

Revlon 'Minted' polish with Dot & Lil Sweet Pea soap.

tips for the perfect manicure

2011-05-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

I am completely and utterly obsessed with nails this season, along with a billion other people, and the number of beauty blogs sending new posts about nail colors, mani-pedi tips and etc to my inbox is just making the situation more intense!

Dot & Lil has a few products that can make a huge difference for nails! And at the bottom of this post, check out the manicure I gave myself yesterday with Revlon 'Minted'. I also swear by Sally Hansen 'Hard as Nails' for my production-ruined, always-splitting nails.

Foot Soak
It's called foot soak, but you can go ahead and use it to soak your hands, too. Before a manicure or pedicure, soak your hands and feet for a few moments in warm water with Dot & Lil's Tea Tree & Rosemary foot soak. This will soften up your cuticles like a dream, making them easy to push back, and make nails easy to trim. It's also really refreshing on summer feet, and makes all mani-pedi tasks after it go so much smoother.

Body Butter
If you're like me, then your cuticles are often a mess. Not only that, but the dryness, hangnails and more around my nails can sometimes make me feel like I shouldn't have bothered with polish! Recently, to solve this problem, I've been applying Dot & Lil's Satsuma & Shea body butter to my cuticles and feet every night before going to bed. I can't tell you how much of a difference this has made, and it's only been a few days! Shea butter--powerful stuff! You'd think I would have thought of this sooner, considering I'm the one who formulated the product! But it's use as an outstanding cuticle balm somehow escaped me until now. I spend a minute rubbing it into my cuticles, and then apply all over my feet--I'm a big flip-flop wearer, so summer is extra-tough on my heels and feet.

And here, below, is my Revlon 'Minted' mani. I also picked up L'Oreal 'Yellow Seahorse' and Revlon 'Peach Petal'. I love getting excited about summer colors!

eating your lipstick: some common sense!

2011-05-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

I want to share a little brick of information to add to our path of truthful skincare information, a step on the quest to less nonsense! Everyone should head over to beautygeeks and read the no-nonsense post about the ridiculous claim that a woman eats four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. We all know I love to debunk a good myth! And really, a common-sense approach to a false statistic is so rare that it makes me stand up and listen!

Like it on facebook, retweet it, blog it, get it out there. Come on, people, I want a veritable swoop of support for truthful info, when most web hits will go to false information! Speak out for truthful information in skincare. Go read about eating your lipstick!

Image in this post via beautygeeks.

stretch, reach, get scared

2011-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Let's be clear one one thing: I am terrified. I have recently made some very big decisions about my life and my business, and I think there are a few more big ones on the way, too. And as much as I would love, absolutely love, to sit here and tell you that it's great, and I'm sure it'll work out, and I know that I did the right thing...the truth is I have no idea. For so long, I thought big decisions were a matter of pros and cons, lists and reason, a slow decision come to carefully after much deliberation. What has become clear to me in the past few years, as Dot & Lil grows and I do too, is that the truth is little less perfect and a lot more messy. There's a little more hopeful blind jumping to a well-led life and a growing business than I had previously imagined. A lot more informed guessing than thoughtfully listed pros and cons, it turns out.

So. I am scared. But in this particular case, I believe it's a good kind of scared. A healthy kind of terror, if you will. I take it to mean that I'm growing. As a business person, as a person in general, as a person who is trying very hard to lead a life that I love. Just as surely as outgrowing my clothes as a kid meant that I was growing, feeling like I'm out of my comfort zone with Dot & Lil is a sure sign that my business is growing.

After all, if I keep doing what I've always done, I'll keep getting what I've always gotten, correct? And this little soapmaker is ready for big things.

I'm off to worry in my bed, about all the big, scary, exciting things I can't wait to do! Goodnight!

special treat--montreal Mother's Day delivery!

2011-05-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Don't have a plan for a Mother's Day gift? It's only a few days away. As a treat to all my lovely Montreal customers who may have forgotten to have something shipped from our website in time for Mother's Day, I will personally be making deliveries on the island of Montreal for Dot & Lil orders of $40 and up.

If you call or email me before 1 pm on Saturday, May 7th, I can deliver Dot & Lil to your door! With ribbon, tissue, gift boxes, gift bags and bows in full effect. Choose your selection at www.dotandlil.com and then call me at (514) 836-6073 or email at anne@dotandlil.com to place your order.

If you'd rather see & smell the selection when picking your gift, you can also come visit our booth from 10 am - 2 pm on Saturday at Féria école Querbes , an outdoor event in Outremont.

Just a little Mother's Day gift from me to you. Because Mammas? They deserve nice things!

come see us this saturday!

2011-05-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

This coming Saturday Dot & Lil will be taking part in Querbes school's annual Féria, with local artisans, great food vendors and a penny drive, many of which benefit the school. I've been told this is a much anticipated event not only for the school but for the Outremont community in general! Sounds like fun. Dot & Lil will have a table outside (or inside in case of rain) and let's hope for some sunshiny weather!

And also, it's a great chance for any of you out there who might want to pick up a Dot & Lil gift for Mother's Day (which is the day after the show--yup, Mother's Day is Sunday May 8th, don't forget it!) You can take a look at the new Dot & Lil gift sets here, we'll have these in stock at the show. Or, put together a gift for Mom (or YOU!) from our other lovely products and we'll gift wrap it for you in our recycled boxes or upcycled linen bags made from vintage table linens, with a pretty polka-dot bow!

Féria de l'école alternative nouvelle Querbes
Saturday, May 7th, 2011
10 am to 2 pm
in the schoolyard, or inside in case of rain
215, Avenue Bloomfield, Outremont

See you there! Seems like a great excursion for a May Saturday afternoon!

chocolate soaper hero

2011-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Remember the first edition of the SoaperHERO series that was, well, pretty awesome? Once a month, we ask people to design a SoaperHERO bath & body product. @LittleAnimation drew us a SoaperHERO mascot, using her mad skills to turn a Dot & Lil Oatmeal & Honey soap into a cape-wearing, ab-covered soaperHERO! This month she's done it AGAIN, creating the Chocolate Truffle SoaperHero out of a bar of Dot & Lil Chocolate soap. This amazing soaperHERO is the queen of sweet-smelling clean, who has the power of CHOCOLATE (sure to beat up any willpower!) See her up at the top of this post? Isn't she AWESOME? Go visit her in @LittleAnimation's post, Chocolate Soaper Hero.

This month we have NEW participants in the SoaperHERO series. First, @WhyIsDaddyCryin, funny guy behind the Why Is Daddy Crying Blog. You really need to go watch the animated film that @LittleAnimation made about him! Our second contributor is @missrogue, the courageous, beautiful, amazing Tara Hunt, brains, beauty and driving force behind Buyosphere. You need to watch her TedxConcordia talk 'The Unclear Path' which had me nodding and agreeing from my seat when she gave it. Let's see what these two have to say to our SoaperHERO questions.

Dot & Lil: What's your favorite handmade bath & body product of all time? If you could design one superhero handcrafted bath and body product, realistic or not, what would it be?

@missrogue: I have a tough time using most handmade products because I have SO many allergies when it comes to my skin. However, I found that any handmade soap that is unscented and made with an Olive Oil base works amazing for me. I hate to admit it, but I usually buy commercial products. My favorite face soap is Soy Face Cleanser by Fresh. I'm also a big fan of Kiehl's and Origins products.

A real superhero product would cure my rosacea and give me a youthful, even (non-red) skintone all over. It would smell of honey and oats. A couple of sessions with this product would mean I could throw away my entire makeup drawer. No more coverup, powders or foundations. I'd have glowing, moist, happy skin. I also love the effects of coconut oil. A superhero line of coconut oil based products would be amazing. Heck, I'd do a whole oil line: coconut, olive, avocado, almond, macadamia nut, etc.

@WhyIsDaddyCryin: A few months ago I was trying to be all hilarious and stuff on Twitter when I mentioned the fact my skin was cracking and dry, I mean you could put a hot dog between some of the cracks in my hands. So, I got a little gift in the mail from my bud at Dot & Lil....Bergamot & Shea body butter. Now, I'm not a big lotion putter oner kinda guy. The only time I use lotion is when....well, you know. But when I put this body butter stuff on my skin is was like the sun burst out from the sky! Everything became clearer, the sounds of birds chirping became crisper, and my skin felt like Rapunzel's hair was lightly sliding across it. I've been hooked ever since. I will go to my grave saying Dot & Lil's Bergamot & Shea body butter saved my marriage.

The super hero product I'd create would be Rapunzbutter, known world wide as the body butter squirting ninja zombie killing sex goddess. She would smell like a vat of roses doused in stripper body lotion. Her curves would cause grown men to visit the confessional booth on an hourly basis and her long flowing hair would make even Jennifer Aniston shave her head bald and go into a deep depression. Rapunzbutter would circle the world saving lives, rescuing puppies, helping old ladies cross the street. In short, Rapunzbutter would be the new black.

There you have it guys. Youthful, glowing skin, Rapunzbutter, and no more makeup. Another couple of great SoaperHERO wishes! Let's see if @LittleAnimation's Chocolate Truffle SoaperHero can take care of a few of these, huh?

pick a tea cup, any tea cup!

2011-04-26T13:15:00.001-07:00

'The Tea Party' gift sets listed on www.dotandlil.com are now available in two scents, Lilac and Green Tea & Linden. These super special sets come with one flower soap made in our new dahlia-shaped mold, and a vintage English bone china tea cup & saucer set. The whole thing is packaged in a paper-lined box and decked out with polka dotted ribbon, making it potentially the best Mother's Day gift EVER. You have only a few days left to have these shipped if you want them in time for Mother's Day on May 8th! The sets can be found here and come with one of the tea cups pictured below. You can pick your cup, but be warned they might go fast! A few sets are already pre-sold for Mother's Day. The first three orders will get a silver tea spoon included in their set! List your tea cup choice in the comments section when placing your web order.

Also, big news! We are very pleased to now offer web orders shipping to the United States from www.dotandlil.com a flat shipping rate of $10 on ANY order. And as always Canadian orders get free shipping with $40 orders.

cup 1: SOLD

cup 2: SOLD

cup 3: SOLD

cup 4: SOLD

cup 5: SOLD

cup 6: SOLD

cup 7: SOLD

cup 8: SOLD

cup 9: SOLD

cup 10: SOLD

You can also email me at anne@dotandlil.com with any questions about the specific cups. The full listing for the soap gift sets and tea cups is found here.

gift sets are here

2011-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Gift sets are here just in time for Mother's Day! Mother's Day is May 8th this year, which gives you just enough time to order one of these lovelies and have it shipped. I know, you had forgotten. Aren't I just a dear for making sure everyone loves their mama this year? You can find Dot & Lil gift sets here. As always, orders of $40 and more get free shipping within Canada. If you would like something shipped to the U.S., please contact us at anne@dotandlil.com for flat rate shipping options not available from our shopping cart. We'll be adding a few more gift sets this week, including a Green Tea & Linden scent of The Tea Party gift set.

Honeysuckle scented Petit Oiseau soap
$12.00

Spring & Summer Limited Edition soap set with Sweet Pea, Lilac, Violet and Rice Flower soaps.
$25.00

The Tea Party Lilac scented soap gift set with vintage fine bone china cup & saucer.
$40.00

Lemon & Sage scented Petit Oiseau soap
$12.00

small business BIG IMPACT challenge

2011-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

Please vote for Dot & Lil in Scotiabanks's Small Business BIG Impact Challenge. You can find our profile page here with images, and a few words on how Dot & Lil tries to have a BIG impact! Please vote (you can vote once an hour!) and also, please, leave a comment that lets Scotiabank know how you feel about Dot & Lil's products, philosophy, and impact on the community!

We have until the end of April to show Scotiabank how Dot & Lil has an impact. And please do comment--the votes aren't the only thing that counts, the judges take it all into account!

THANK YOU!

a little piece of the puzzle

2011-04-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, I ran a contest for a Dot & Lil Grapefruit & Bergamot soap and a Grapefruit perfume. The only thing you had to do to enter was comment on the blog post and tell me how you felt about skincare, safety and synthetic and natural ingredients. The contest was lots of fun, and I was happy to send off the soap and perfume to the lucky winner. But what really turned out to be wonderful about the contest was the little grains of need and truth that I saw between the lines in the comments left. You know what stood out to me as an underlying theme across all the comments? That people wanted to know more about the ingredients they were using on their bodies, but they were overwhelmed by the vastness of the subject and had no idea where to start. It seems you all feel guilty about not knowing what you're using, and all wish you could find an easy way to learn more!

I totally understand the overwhelm. I remember when I first started making bath and body products and looking into ingredients, the panic I felt about using the right things and learning what was safe and what wasn't. It just seemed like there was so much out there that wasn't true, and so much material to sift through, that I would never get to the bottom of knowing what choices to make.

I have been thinking about this non-stop all week, and I just wanted to put it out there that I am committed, extremely committed, to helping anyone I can to sort through all this. I've said it before, but now more than ever it is clear to me that Dot & Lil should stand for truth in skincare, and try as hard as possible to make information about what we use on our bodies fun, easy and accessible, with no scare-mongering and no guilt! I'm going to really get to work on a video project I've been planning and dreaming about forever, to make the science and facts behind skincare fun to watch.

The comments on that blog post (which you can see here) ended up being just one more little piece in the puzzle, a little insight into what I want Dot & Lil to be like, the need I want it to fill.

I want to make the world smell great. And also? I want to make it a better place.

images in this post via Idea Go and Ambro at freedigitalphotos.net

contest WINNER! Grapefruit perfume and soap giveaway

2011-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, contest closed! In case you somehow managed to miss my incessant tweeting and facebooking about it, since Thursday I've had a contest running. You can see the original contest post with all the great entry comments on skin care and natural and synthetic ingredients here. Thanks for all your wonderful comments! I really loved hearing about the skin care industry from the outside. Things are never perceived by you guys how I think they will be! And now I have a whole bunch of future blog topics, because I know the things you'd like to learn about and see!

Amazing. So, enough blathering. Who WON, right? The Grapefruit & Bergamot handmade soap and Grapefruit perfume oil spray go to Twitter's @aurelieletizia from www.lilibrunette.com! Email me your shipping address at anne@dotandlil.com please, and I'll pop it in the mail!

You know what stood out to me as an overall theme in the comments? That you guys all wanted to know more about what you were using, and wanted to know that it was safe, but that the subject was too complicated and you were much too busy to be able to pay attention as much as you'd like. I'd love to help you with that! I hope you come to see Dot & Lil as a good, truthful, but FUN source for information about skin care.

Thanks so much everyone! That was fun, let's do it again sometime.

tell me how you really feel; skincare and safety

2011-03-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I spend a lot of time thinking about skincare ingredients, obviously. Researching, reading, learning, using and purchasing skincare ingredients and raw materials is the central cog around which all other activities at Dot & Lil turn. I, of course, have very strong opinions about this. But lately, I've been wondering....how does the public, and more specifically my customers and community, really feel about the major issues in skincare? I'm willing to bribe you in free soap and yummy perfume to find out!! (see contest details at the end of this post)

Do you think natural ingredients are safer than synthetic?
Do you think the skincare industry needs more regulation? Less?
What about trust--who do you trust to tell you what's really going on with ingredients...where do you get your information?

For me, skincare information and safety in ingredients both natural and synthetic are huge, and I think about them all the time. But for most people, there's only so much time available in your busy life to spend thinking about these things. I'd love to know where you stand, anyone! No judgments, no scare tactics. I'd just really like to know what everyone else thinks of this crazy industry I spend so much time and energy on! On Monday (April 4th), I'll draw a name from all those who comment, and the lucky winner will get a free bar of Dot & Lil's very popular Grapefruit & Bergamot soap, pictured at the top of this post, and a bottle of our Grapefruit perfume which you can see here.

So, tell me how you really feel!

heads up

2011-03-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

Just a little heads up. Some Dot & Lil prices will be going up, starting the 1st of April. And it won't, sorry to tell you, be April Fool's Day related! So, grab some goodies at the old prices before they're gone! Supplies and raw materials costs have skyrocketed, much like food prices in your grocery store lately, so though I love to give you guys a bargain wherever I can I had to make some changes.

Watch www.dotandlil.com for new prices, new photos and new products starting at the beginning of April. So for the moment..it's kind of like everything is on sale?

Have a happy Monday!

perfume & nostalgia; the story of my life through scents

2011-03-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Lily of the valley reminds me of my Mom. Vanilla will always, always remind me of my friend Eliza. The Body Shop scents all pretty generally remind me of the country house where we spent summers when I was a kid, or my sister. Yes, The Body Shop's Dewberry fragrance is like my teenaged sister in a bottle. Do they still make that? The other smell that snaps me back to idolatry of my older sister is green apple scented Vidal Sassoon hairspray--classy of me, I know.

Smells are the world, to me. I am only now realizing, as an adult who's career is very scent focused, how very much fragrances have been central to me. To most people, I think, but for me they can verge on obsession.

At 5, a little girl in my kindergarten class gave me a bottle of perfume for my birthday, with a big plastic unicorn head for a top. At 13, my friend Nathalie and I used to stand in the aisle of the local pharmacy, unabashedly huffing Calgon's Hawaian Ginger body spray and gushing about it like only 13 year old girls can. I wanted a bottle of it so much that when I finally got one, I rationed it for fear it would run out.Also at 13, my cousin gave me strawberry perfume oil after I babysat. I'll never forget that smell, because one of the first boys I ever liked claimed that because of that magical perfume, I even tasted like strawberries when he kissed me.

And then, at 16, true love. Yeah, yeah, there was a boy. But the important part of the story is that he bought me Davidoff Cool Waters. And I thought it was the most elegant thing I had ever smelled.As I got a little older, in a certain way, the intensity of my experience with fragrances faded. Maybe because I stopped letting them take over, maybe I had less imagination. But then...then the real first chapter of my fragrance story began, when we started Dot & Lil.

The first time I looked at a supplier website, with it's alphabetical listings of available cosmetic fragrance oils and essential oils, I knew I was in trouble. Because I wanted to try them all. Four years later and I can assure you, I'm still working my way through the options available out there, and I have quite the scent collection to prove it! It's like a candy store, for me, and I frequently have to hold myself back from sniffing too many, smelling too much, trying them all. Having a fragrance order on it's way to me is the sweetest anticipation. Just ask my Dad--he's seen me rip into the boxes as soon as I get into the car!

I've been known to shove a bottle of fragrance oil under my boyfriend's nose as he walks through the door, demanding "Do you get a slight green undertone to this? No? What about a touch of honey?" The fact that this is actually part of my job, that all this smelling and sniffing and blending is work? It makes me giggle, it's so good.

I look forward to a lifetime of scents and smells, not only perfumes and soaps and Dot & Lil, but cooking, and flowers, and the smells of the people I love. And now, because of Dot & lil, I get to share it all!

update on sustainability at Dot & Lil

2011-03-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

In 2009 I wrote two blog posts on sustainability at Dot & Lil, this one and this one. In 2010, I followed it up with this post about our glass jars and tough choices, and this post about carbon offsets. As my business has evolved some things have become more sustainable, others less. And certainly new challenges have emerged! It is most certainly time for an update on sustainability at Dot & Lil!

A lot of things have remained the same:

We still use biodegradable bags made in Canada to hand out purchases at events and craft shows. This winter we alsmost switched suppliers for these, until I realized the bags, although still biodegradable, were made in China. Made in Canada always wins around here! I stuck with my previous supplier.

Nancy Marrelli (my lovely mama!) is still busy at her sewing machine making the cloth bags we wrap gifts in from upcycled vintage fabric and table linens.

Our packaging is still almost entirely glass and paper. All of our packaging is recyclable.

We still try and source our materials from Montreal first, then Quebec, Canada as a whole, and the U.S. as a last resort to cut down on shipping and reduce carbon.

We still ship most orders out using re-used shipping materials, usually using the boxes we receive supplies in and the packing peanuts etc that we have on hand. I have never purchased packing materials except occasionally one of the small boxes or bubble mailers from Canada Post (my supplies boxes are big--small orders needed a solution!)

Dot & Lil products don't contain animal fats. All the products are, in fact, vegan with the exception of the lip balms and glosses, which contain beeswax, and the milk bath, which contains whole milk powder.

But some things have changed, will change soon or didn't turn out as expected:

Try as I might, I cannot buy all my supplies directly from manufacturers as was part of my original mission. I wanted this so as to be able to cut out the huge amounts of carbon released when shipping supplies to and from a manufacturer and a middle man and me. But at the size I currently run Dot & Lil, it is just not possible in many cases, as some manufacturers will not even entertain the possibility of doing business with me at what is to them piddly volumes. I still do it whenever possible, as it's a great way to get the best prices, too. And it certainly is always on my mind as the best option as I grow and scale up.

I will in the next year be adding liquid soap and hand & body wash to the product line. These will necessitate PET bottles, as glass is unsafe for the shower. The more research I do on PET, the more convinced I am of it's relatively horror-free environmental impact. To be honest, I suspect it's greener than glass, though the public perception says the reverse. And to be VERY honest, adding liquid soap to the line is in no way green, because you know what's WAY greener than PET or glass? Bar soap, which requires neither. Just think of the global impact our communal switching to packaged liquid washes and soap products has had over the past decade? Huge.

All the soap is now wrapped in cellophane, which is entirely biodegradable and also allows you to see the bar of lovely soap you're purchasing!

Some of my supplies are now purchased from the U.S., mainly through co-op buys with other bath and body makers. This is mainly because I have discovered Montreal to be completely void of reasonable bulk pricing on such things as refined shea butter, which I go through rather quickly around here! As soon as I am able to find better pricing more locally, I'll be right back to buying in Quebec!

My beeswax and lavender are both purchased from local growers and producers. I'd love to do blog features on these eventually!

In the post from February 2010 where I discuss carbon offsets, I refer everyone to the David Suzuki Foundation for more information. Well, if you follow my blog at all you'll know that they are no longer my favourite people! You can read more about why that is with my post 'How David Suzuki broke my Heart'.

Overall, I am still trying and striving for a sustainable business. And yes, still struggling. As I've repeated many times, it's often a very gray decision when it comes to sustainability, it's often not clear what the right choices are! I'd love any feedback or insights into how you feel about sutainability in general and at Dot & Lil, and any ideas!

Images in this post are by nuttakit via www.freedigitalphotos.net.

superhero series--now edited with SoaperHero drawing!

2011-03-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Once a month I'm going to be asking people who use handcrafted bath and body products to design their own, superhero handcrafted product. They will answer two questions and their answers just might inspire a Dot & Lil product, tell a funny story or, who knows, change the world. This month we have @LittleAnimation from The Animated Woman and @MathieuPipe. And as of today and thanks to the incredible drawing talents of @LittleAnimation, we have our superhero series mascot, The SoaperHero! Just look at his Oatmeal-ey, Soap-ey goodness and how handsome he looks in that cape! Now for the questions.

1.What's your favorite handcrafted bath and body product of all time? Not necessarily Dot & Lil--anything! Why was it so great? Specific products are good here, but if the answer is "That squishy blue bar of something, from 3 years ago, from that shop that closed, that smelled like sweet stuff." then that'll do too!

@LittleAnimation : Fave bath product of all time has to be the oatmeal and honey soap from Dot & Lil. It's simple and subtle, sweet and elegant. It lathers perfectly and feels gentle on my skin. I love it. (She loves it so much that she drew it as a SoaperHero! Now that's love, folks.)

@MathieuPipe : Personal favorite is Le Petit Marseillais bar soap, ideally honeysuckle scented. I like the vintage feel of it, the softnes on the skin and the lasting fragrance of it.
2. If you could design one superhero handcrafted bath and body product, realistic or not, what would it be? What would it smell like, feel like, look like? What would it do? Come on, anything!(Well....world peace aside...)

@LittleAnimation: My soapy superhero would be...the bar of soap that didn't leave traces on the sink! Woo hoo!

@MathieuPipe : I was going for world peace but since you're being such a party pooper* and calling all the shots we'll have it your way... On that note a superhero-shaped bath product for me would be somewhere between a zoot-suiter and The Shadow, too slick to be caught anywhere, and of course honeysuckle scented because nothing smells better.

*I've decided to remove the world peace constraint for next month's edition of this series, BUT only if people are willing to explain HOW their superhero bath and body product will achieve this. I am NOT a party pooper! Ha.

Thanks guys!

puces pop treasures

2011-03-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

I always like to feature my favorite items and artisans when I attend a show, and this past weekend at Puces Pop will be no exception! You can also take a look back in time to see past features of other crafters, artists and artisans I've done here, here and here.

For $34 including postage, I bought a covetable custom name print for Dot & Lil from @BessCallard at English Muffin Shop. Apparently it's ready and has already been put in the mail to me! I'm excited. It should look something like this or the picture below, but in pink and brown and saying Dot & Lil. My friend @genia4real also bought something from English Muffin shop, this map of Canada in pink.

I also spent a minute at Puces Pop peeking at the goodies at the F.Ève table. The patterns and bags are amazing. My favorites? Some of the colorful change purses and clutches below.

Also really liked the Jonie bag, inspired by a halter top and perfect for summer. You can follow F.Ève on twitter as @feve and check out her website at www.f-eve.com.

Right next to my table was Tyson Bodnarchuk, with his Monster-rama alphabet monsters. You can check out his Etsy shop to see the whole Monster-bet and the other monster-related goodness he has going on over there, too.

I spent yet another show coveting the rings made by Joanna Szkiela at Red Sofa. I am a little obsessed with her organic-looking budding sterling silver twig rings and this weekend I tried one on yet again. I love the ones with the stones with all my heart, but just the twigs are beautiful as well. My birthday is coming. Hint hint hint. The rings can be found here.

Lastly, I bought this fantastic clutch from chronic favorite of mine Instant Crimson. I know exactly which dress it's being paired with come spring, too!

Great vendors. Such inspiring people I work alongside, in this frozen city of ours!

puces pop this weekend--new march edition!

2011-03-01T18:52:00.001-08:00

This coming Saturday and Sunday is the new March edition of the famous Puces Pop. Vendors have been announced here so go check to see if your favorites will be there. The Dot & Lil table will have exciting new stuff as always, and yummy homemade lavender shortbread cookies to munch on while your browse.

What am I looking forward to, other than standing behind the Dot & Lil table talking to all my lovely people? For one, the same yummy tacos that were served at the Holiday Puces Pop will be served again--that's a highlight for me! The crab ones were deeeelicious.

Other than that, I want to to pick up some organic baby clothing from Ginko Organic for the sweetness that is my baby cousin. I bought her a onesie from there for christmas and it's been great! All organic cotton and made entirely by hand here in Montreal, seams, snaps and all, unlike many of the baby clothes I see around that are billed as handmade here, but really just embellished here!

I've also had my eye on a Jen Glasgow dress (the Ophelia, center of top row) since Marché Casse-Noisette before the holidays and maaaaaay just have to take one more look!

So, come by Puces Pop and see Montreal design and crafting at it's best!

NEW March edition of the famous Puces Pop
March 5th & 6th, 2011
11am to 6pm
Église St-Enfant-Jésus
5039 St Dominique, corner St-Joseph
Montreal, QC
www.popmontreal.com/puces

a little film about a topic close to my heart

2011-02-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

A short movie about entrepreneurship. Anyone who knows me or follows me knows this is my passion, a topic close to my heart! Apparently, entrepreneurs are classified as being happier than any other type of worker. That’s me! Great little film by Dan McComb and Ben Medina. You can read about the film here.

nails that make you go ooooooouuuhhhhh

2011-02-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

I was floating along on Twitter today talking to some people as always and having a great time, when I saw a tweet from @PrettyProject. The girl behind the tweets at @PrettyProject is Marie-Hélène Roy, a friend of mine who had somehow managed to change her twitter handle and start a gorgeous tumblr without my noticing. When I followed the link on her twitter profile to Pretty Project I found a whole new world of nail art, pretty things I never would have imagined. Here's a few, but make sure to head over Pretty Project to see more--addictive!

Suddenly, my own nails seem in need of some attention and care! I see a new hobby forming...

big goals and constant self-development

2011-02-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

The more I try and grow my business, the more I realize that to do so involves work on myself, constant self-development. The more I work on myself, the more successful my business will be. Part of the reason I want to build a soap EMPIRE? I know that to run a business of the size I dream about requires me to constantly strive to be better and to honestly look at all the ways I can improve and be stronger, tougher, nicer, smarter, kinder.

A blog post by Seth Godin has got me loving him even more than I did before. Regular readers will remember my previous mentions of him in posts (for example here and here and here and here...I like him, huh?!) His post today is titled "Make Big Plans", and it is completely in keeping with my current focus. The line that really sticks with me from his short but great post is "Is there any doubt that making big plans increases the chances that something great will happen?" In other words, what's the point of not making them, other than fear?

I have no need to think small things and no wish to dream small dreams. I plan on doing big things for my small business this week! And you? What are you going to do to help yourself dream big and expand your vision of what you are able to accomplish? I want to hear all about it!

Image in this post by Rawich at www.freedigitalphotos.net.

goals for the year: don't fall for your own tricks

2011-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Picture above by Kenneth Cratty at www.freedigitalphotos.net.

I heard a lot of people talking throughout January about their resolutions. I heard a lot of other people talk about how they though resolutions were silly...why pretend you were going to change and make a usually brief stab at something, just to then forget about it again until next New Year?

I never make "resolutions". But I do set goals. What's the difference? There is absolutely nothing brief or fleeting about the stab I take at these. I print out a medley of pictures as a visual reminder for my walls. I make a mini-card version, and carry it in my wallet and purses. (When I go looking for lip balm or change, I remember that I wanted to sign up for Spanish!)

Is it that I just stick to these goals more than most? There's something to that--I am one very stubborn girl. I also, for reasons I have yet to figure out, seem to have a need to prove something to the world. I have spent a few years systematically attacking things in my life that scare me--from quitting smoking to building my business to learning to run and tackling my first half-marathon race. I did all these things because I am stubborn. I did all these things because I feel the need to show the world, and more importantly myself, that I can. I don't think for a minute that others can't do what I did--I haven't done anything all that crazy or remarkable. But I think a big part of why I manage to accomplish a fair amount of the things on my goal list every year, while others don't, boils down to one very simple thing:

I don't let myself be tricked into thinking it's ok to give up.

When it comes right down to it, you put those things on that list because they are what you want. Now I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying it's logical--if you want it, you will pay the price for it. Want to lose 10 pounds? The price is dragging yourself to the gym. Want a bigger business? The price is pushing yourself way out of your comfort zone to keep new clients coming in. Want a happier relationship? The price is time and energy and being honest with yourself. So, do people just decide after a month or two that it's not worth paying the price? Actually, I believe the main problem is that people are just used to letting themselves off the hook. People are used to mediocrity, and we all encourage each other in it because it makes us feel better to know we're not alone. But I'm here to tell you--that's crap. Because here is the thing: no one is accountable for what you have in your life, except you. It's not anyone else's fault, or problem. If you want something, anything (money, time, happiness, fitness...) you're going to have to take it. You're going to have to pay the price.

So, as February moves along and many people are choosing to let themselves forget their "resolutions", you have only one resolution to make. Resolve to be hard on yourself about building the life that you want. Resolve to set goals, not vague ideas of what you would rather have. Resolve to never give up on your own happiness. Because there's just you that needs it, and in the end there's just you that cares.

back to the making

2011-02-07T08:00:00.001-08:00

Photo above by Arvind Balaraman from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Over the holidays and after them, the focus here at Dot & Lil ends up, inevitably, on the selling and talking and sales and meetings and planning and goals and dreaming. This weekend, I got back to the making, and it felt great! Not only that but I got to make new things, and get my creative streak running by coming up with a few new designs for old favorites. That doesn't happen too often, but it's one of my very favorite parts!

And so, here are the results of my production weekend, which if you follow @DotandLil on twitter you may have caught already because I tweeted pictures as I made everything!

Here's the new design for Dot & Lil's classic Rose soap, which used to be just a solid pink bar and was the most basic-looking of all our soap designs until now. I might still make a few small changes, this was only the test batch for the new design, but this is the basic idea. Sorry for the phone pics! We'll get our always stellar Élise Hogberg in to take some better pictures soon.

You can buy Dot & Lil's new Rose soap design here. (The website picture still displays the old bar.)

And here are some loaves of Dot & Lil violet soap. I've added hand-carved soap flowers to the top of the loaf, so that when cut each bar gets one! As if I'm not busy enough without hand-carving soap flowers? But as mentionned in my last post here, I will be discontinuing Violet it in the next few months. When the stock I made yesterday runs out, I won't be making more. So if you love it, or have yet to try it, grab some here. Not all the bars have flowers as I still have some previous stock left, so if you're ordering it just for that, make a note in the comments section in the website shopping cart.

And here are some loaves of Grapefruit & Bergamot soap before being cut into bars. I love seeing these in sunshine! They're just too pretty with light shining through them.

It was a productive weekend. And I have more to make today! I'll be taking more pictures as I work, so be sure to follow @DotandLil on twitter to see me as I go! I love many parts of my business. But it's when I get back to the making, and get back to creating new things, that I get a true taste of why I started this crazy journey to build a soap empire in the first place!

Enjoy.

think about spring

2011-01-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

this photo byArvind Balaraman at www.freedigitalphotos.net

I don't know about you, but winter is starting to get to me! The slush, cold and gray are starting to make cracks in my usually happy, positive attitude. I know it's because of what I do, but fragrances are a big part of how I get through this! I have been daydreaming about spring scents. Here's the smells and fragrance ideas swirling around in my head this past week. some old, some new.

Take a second to let me know what sounds amazing, and what I'm missing! You just might see your favorites 'spring' up at Dot & Lil if you do.

Lilac soap, a spring limited edition soap from last year that I'll be bringing back this spring. I really love this fragrance. Everyone who smells it mentions how dead-on it is. It's funny, I love the smell of lilacs in bloom but always hated it as a perfume--always too powdery and fake. But this one smells like you stuck your face in a tree--that works for me!

Sweet Pea soap, another spring limited edition from last year that was very, very popular and will be back for spring 2011. I have one bar of this that I saved myself from last year and just opened it yesterday. I can't wait for my next shower!

Violet also always makes me think of spring. It's such a soft, delicate, classic scent. And guys? I have some bad news. Once I get through the current stock of this scent, it'll be gone! I have plans to discontinue it in the next few months. So if you love it, or have yet to try it, grab some here

And some new spring and summer scent ideas I've been considering, just to get you through these hard winter days:

Rice Flower & Shea
Linden Green Tea
Cucumber Lettuce
Orange Blossom

What are the spring and summer scents you'd love to see at Dot & Lil?

ingredient profile: ultramarines, oxides and micas

2011-01-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of a new series of posts I'll be doing that explain the ingredients I use at Dot & Lil and why I choose to use them. Watch out for a series of video blog posts coming in 2011 on this subject, too.

Today I wanted to talk about the colorants I use in Dot & Lil products.

ingredient: ultramarines, oxides and micas
name in INCI as listed on our ingredient list: oxide, mica, ultramarine
commonly known as: mineral-based colorants, pigments
found in Dot & Lil's: soap
why it's there: to give the soap various colors and create patterns, like in our Honeysuckle soap pictured below.
usage rate: less than %5 of any formulation

Dot & Lil soaps are colored using oxides, micas and ultramarines. So, what are these? They are mineral based colorants that are designated as safe for body care applications. They are also used in a wide variety of industries from glass manufacturing to electricity and paper. I chatted with a potter over the holidays who uses them to color her ceramics. They are among many cosmetic ingredients that are lab-recreated or lab-altered from their original existence in nature. Iron oxides, for example, are natural--but they naturally contain so many toxins that it is safer to mine iron salts instead, and convert those into iron oxides in a lab. And micas, which we use to color most of our soaps, are natural but are often processed somewhat in a lab to make them safe and free of contaminants. Lab environments are, of course, controlled, predictable environments while nature is anything but!

Some people choose to think of oxides, ultramarines and micas as natural. Others, because of the lab-altering or lab-recreating, feel that these are no longer natural materials and should be categorized as synthetic. One thing that becomes clear the more you research skin care and ingredients is that everyone defines natural differently! In this case, the lab processing is what makes this ingredient extremely safe and purer than it could be in it's original state in nature.

So, what are the alternatives as colorants and why did I choose to work with mineral colorants? There are two main alternatives.

Coloring only with herbs, flowers and organic materials such as annatto powder, cocoa powder and indigo. I choose not to go this route as I appreciate the wide range and selection of aesthetic options provided to me by the mineral colorant palette. Herb-obtained colors are often lovely, but they are also less consistently achievable, and do frequently fade out of the final product. Indigo and chlorophyll can provide some beautiful soap colors but they won't remain permanently. The palette offered by natural colorants is quite earthen and while that's a beautiful look, it's not Dot & Lil's! Some of my soaps are colored with these, though. The Chocolate soap and the Sugar & Spice soap are colored with cocoa, for example.

The other option is synthetic dyes, usually FD & C colorants (Food, Drug & Cosmetic). These are the same dyes used in foods. Besides any health concerns some people may have about synthetic colorants used in food or cosmetics, these colorants "bleed" in soap and so are not great for the swirly and layered patterns I love so much! In my honeysuckle soap, for example, the color layers would bleed into each other. There are also D & C colorants, which are much the same but are not approved for use in food.

Are there health concerns surrounding the use of micas, ultramarines and oxides? The only issue here is occupational hazards involving long-term inhalation of small particles. I wear a mask whenever dealing with micas, oxides and any other small particles (like mixing the dry ingredients for Dot & Lil milk bath).

If you have any questions, please ask!

a sad day: goodbye, lily of the valley

2011-01-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

I am very sad to say that Dot & Lil's Lily of the Valley product line is being discontinued. It has always been a best-seller, right from the beginning, and was one of the scents in the original Dot & Lil product line. I'm sad to see it go! Just know that I wish it wasn't so! The supplier that carries this fragrance oil has stopped carrying it, and no matter how many samples I get from other suppliers, they all seem to be awful and none measure up to the lovely one I had before! Lily of the Valley is so hard to get right! It so often is fake smelling or overly sweet.

I'll keep trying to track down a good one but in the meantime, you Lily of the Valley lovers will have to try something new! If you haven't tried Dot & Lil's Honeysuckle product line, that's a lovely one too! Here are some pictures of Dot & Lil's Lily of the Valley stuff from present and past. Time to say goodbye!

Now discontinued: Lily of the Valley body butter, perfume and soap.

Head over to www.dotandlil.com to pick a new favorite!

Dot & Lil is looking for ambitious people

2011-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

I'm working hard to make Dot & Lil grow and thrive in 2011, and I'm looking for some help. I'm looking for ambitious people who want to find new retailers, boutiques, spas and bed and breakfasts to carry Dot & Lil products.

Have you tried Dot & Lil products and loved them? Do you read the blog and find it interesting? Here's your chance to give us a hand.

Send all the ambitious, personable people you know to check out our posting on craigslist or head on over yourself.

Thank you!

lotion bars & scrub bars: my new addiction

2011-01-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

In the fall, I released two new products at Dot & Lil. Shower lotion bars, and shower scrub bars. In the holiday season craziness, they never got blogged about or put up on the website. Until now!

Ok so I know I'm the one that makes them, but you guys really have to check these out! I am totally biased, of course. But I have made, used, researched, explored and seen a lot of different bath and body products over the years, both my own and those of others. And these? These are AWESOME. Especially the satsuma lotion bars. Goodness, I am totally addicted to them. Luckily, I have wholesale quantities of them, in my house. How awesome is THAT? I finally listed them on the website yesterday. You can find the scrub bars in oatmeal & honey or grapefruit & bergamot by clicking here and shower lotion bars in satsuma or rosemary & lavender on the website here. Each scent is wrapped in a different color of foil--I'll have to work on getting some better pictures of these.

Both of these products are formulated as solid bars to keep them anhydrous, which means that they don't contain any water. This means I don't need to use a preservative. To read about why Dot & Lil makes only anhydrous products and learn about safe cosmetics preservation, read this past post .

Both the scrub bars and the lotion bars are made with super rich mango butter, avocado oil and luxurious cocoa butter. And the scrub bars have ground apricot kernels and sugar to exfoliate while all those rich butters and oils moisturize. I love the in-shower experience, I love the scents, I love how much time they save me from not having to put lotion on after my shower (time-stressed small business owner here!) and I love the way my skin feels after I use them.

Ok, I think I'm done patting myself on the back for today! Just make sure to keep them somewhere dry and not too warm--cocoa butter can get melty!

what's coming

2010-12-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

What's coming for Dot & Lil in 2011? As I sit down and plan it I can't help but feel like I have so, so far to go. But it makes me realize how far I've come! In 2010 I added 9 retailers. I attended over 30 shows (no wonder I needed a rest this week!). I formulated and launched 2 new products and 5 new scents. I participated in my longest show ever. I redesigned my labels and changed my print quality. I officially launched my web store at www.dotandlil.com. And so much more behind-the-scenes work on how my business runs and functions, from accounting systems to inventory control to making production faster and easier.

I am proud of what I have done. And I'm excited and a little bit scared as I set goals and make plans for 2011. I want to add at least 20 retailers. I want to travel to the One of a Kind show in Toronto. I want to triple my website sales. I want to add liquid soap to my product line. And so, so many more things both little and big.

There are some things on my list for 2011 that scare me. There are some that present challenges that I have no idea how to rise to at the moment. I know it will all happen or not happen based on my own perseverance, belief and determination. My sister once told me, while I struggled through a period of massive change in my life, that I was more resourceful than I thought I was. Of course, she was right; I am quite resourceful! This year, I have decided to trust that I will pull through all challenges. I will find ways around all these things that I can't see ways around.

Happy new year, and don't forget to challenge yourself to make what you want happen in your life!

fast asleep in their beds

2010-12-21T23:19:00.000-08:00

Any last minute requests or comments, everybody? Because I am one tired soap empire builder, and I'm about ready to take a mini-break for a few days and rest! Then again, it seems every time I try to relax, I start to...work! I can't help it. Dot & Lil is just that wonderful!

Happy holidays everybody and start thinking big things (bigger than that) and huge dreams for what you will do in 2011. The only thing stopping you from being where and what you want to be is you! Keep doing what you've always done and you'll keep getting what you've always gotten. So I don't know about you, but I plan on making big changes!

Thank you for a whirlwind of a holiday season!

i want to teach, not preach

2010-12-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking more and more these days about how I want Dot & Lil to represent truth in skin care, education in the personal care industry, really teach consumers about what they are using. If you know me well or have gotten to talking to me at a craft fair, you'll know how passionate I am about understanding what we use on our bodies. I was reminded today by this blog post by Seth Godin (who I've talked about before on this blog here and here and here...yeah ok so I like Seth Godin!) that people do not want complicated answers, even when the question really does require one. Simple answers will always be received better. And that is exactly the case with a lot of the questions I get about skin care.

When someone asks me off-hand "Does this have parabens?" they aren't usually looking for twenty minute long soliloquies about (get ready for the complex answer) how parabens are preservatives that are used to prevent microbial and bacterial growth in water-containing formulas and that as such I do not use them as I have chosen to have an entirely anhydrous product line (deep breath in after longest sentence ever and I could keep going but your eyes would glaze over!) What they really want is "yes" or "no". They especially don't want to hear the second part of that paraben speech of mine in which I get into how although much maligned by the media and groups like the EWG, I have yet to see any scientific peer-reviewed study that points to the fact that parabens are anything but safe and effective. I do understand that people process too much information about too many things in our society to be able to really devote the time to process that above info and make a decision.

As Seth Godin points out, I will have better luck on my quest to educate people about these things if I can break the complicated answer into simple steps. Either that, or find a die-hard group of people that are willing to listen to the complex and true answer. I hope to do both. In the next year, I want to put together a really simple, non-complex, friendly looking glossary of all the ingredients I use, that explains what they are and why I use them. I even want to include ingredients that I don't choose to use--and why. It will all be true, and also bite-sized. I want it to be digestible. And happy. And not like sitting in science class.

And for those of you that DO want the complex and also true answers? Well, we all know I'll still love to give those!

fundraisers...did you know?

2010-12-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Dot & Lil was available as a fundraising item? I provide you with product descriptions and order forms and you go and sell your little heart out. Then I fill the order and we both get paid! I'm right in the middle of my first real fundraising order process, and it's gone really smoothly and been a win win for both me and the fundraisers, I believe! It's with F.A.C.E. school (which I attended for 12 years myself, from kindergarten to grade 11!) and is an initiative to send some grade 11 students to Costa Rica, where they are involved in helping a community and its school.

From what I can see, Dot & Lil items are a great way to avoid the ubiquitous chocolate bar sales in favor of something green, handcrafted, local and high quality! Then again, I'm a little biased. If you're fundraising this winter, let me know!

And if you see some trendy artsy kids running around selling soap? Yeah, that would be my fault!

this weekend

2010-12-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Well guys it's officially December, let the holiday magic and chaos begin! This weekend we'll be showing in two locations. It is, sadly, the last weekend of the fabulous Nutcracker Market, so this is your last chance to check out our sweet little booth in the Palais des Congrès. The other event is Smart Design Mart, which I'm excited to show at for the first time this year! You can read about both shows and a few more in La Presse herein Eve Dumas' article 'Tous aux marchés' which I was happy to see because it includes 3 events that I'm in, and Dot & Lil is mentionned as an "exposant chouchou' or favorite for Puces Pop on December 18th & 19th!

Until December 5th
Nutcracker Market (Marché Casse-Noisette)
presented by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
Thursday and Friday 11 am to 8 pm
Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm
Palais des Congrès de Montréal
1001 place Jean-Riopelle/Place d'Armes Metro

3rd, 4th and 5th of December
Smart Design Mart
vernissage Friday 6 pm to 9 pm
Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 6 pm
160 St-Viateur E. # 200
www.smartdesignmart.com

See you there! I'll bring the soap, you bring the holiday cheer.

where we'll be

2010-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for ways to buy Dot & Lil items as holiday gifts, this post is for you. You can find us at any of these shows in the upcoming month. If they're far from you or you don't think you'll be able to make it, try checking out our retailers (listed below the events) or ordering from our website www.dotandlil.com (with free shipping on canadian orders.) It's also sometimes possible for me to drop off an order within Montreal, so drop me an email! anne@dotandlil.com

There's nothing better than a handcrafted holiday!

Holiday Shows

November 25^th to December 5^th
Nutcracker Market

by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 11am-7pm

Thursday & Friday11am-8pm

Saturday & Sunday 11am-5pm
Palais des Congrès de Montréal

1001, place Jean-Riopelle / Place-d’Armes métro

3^rd , 4^th & 5^th of December

Smart Design Mart

Friday 6pm-9pm

saturday & sunday 11am-6pm

160 St-Viateur Est #200

www.smartdesignmart.com

10^th , 11^th & 12^th of December

Parachute sale at OFF InterArts

friday 5pm-7pm

saturday & sunday 11am-7pm

5145 boulevard St-Laurent

11^t^h & 12^t^h of December

Old Skool Craft Show

Saturday & Sunday 11am-6pm

St-Michael’s Church

105 st-Viateur O. (corner St-Urbain)

18^th & 19^th of December

Puces Pop

saturday & sunday 11am-6pm

Église St-Enfant-Jésus

5039 St-Dominique

(corner St-Joseph near St-Laurent)

18^th & 19^th of December

Quinn Farm Christmas Show

Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm

Quinn farm

2495 boul. Perrot,

N.D.de L’Ile Perrot, Québec

Our Retailers

Dans Ta Bulle

Mont Royal E.

Montreal QC. H2T 1P7
514- 842- 3019

Coop La maison Verte

5785 Sherbrooke West

Montreal QC.

514-489-8000

Aliments Naturels À Votre Santé

5126 Sherbrooke West

Montreal QC.

514-482-8233

Galerie Boutique Zone Orange

410 Saint-Pierre

Montreal QC.

514-510 5809

www.galeriezoneorange.com

contact@galeriezoneorange.com

General 54

54 St-Viateur O.

Montreal QC.

514-271-2129

general54.blogspot.com

Mood Corps et Accessoires

1144 rue Bélanger E. (coin Christophe-Colomb)

Montreal QC.

Boutique ONZE

4151 Boulevard St-Laurent,

& 1853 rue St-Catherine O.,

& 4146 rue St-Denis

Montreal QC.

514-844-2662
www.boutiqueonze.ca

Headquarters Galerie + Boutique
1649 Amherst
514-678-2923
www.HQgalerieboutique.com

pretty little guest soaps

2010-11-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

One of the popular Dot & Lil purchases this season has been our new guest soaps. We are only offering them for the holidays, and only at shows and craft fairs, not through our retailers or website! We sell three of them tied with a pretty satin ribbon for $9.00, and you get to pick your scents from the available selection! They make great stocking stuffers, hostess gifts or holiday presents. They're also just a great way for you to sample several Dot & Lil scents before buying a larger bar of the scent you decide you love!

You can find a list of our upcoming shows here if you'd like to come visit us and check out the guest soaps and all the other goodies.

video beauty

2010-11-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this gorgeous little video put together by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens that introduces the Nutcracker Market, which Dot & Lil is showing at every day until Sunday, December 5th at the Palais des Congrès.

**For those of you receiving this post in your email inbox, please note that the video is the wrong width in the version you have!