Craft:

By Arwen O'Reilly

Bathlife's handmade soaps sound good enough to eat. Kimberlee's pumpkin pie bath soap is made from scratch using the cold process method. It has almond oil, shea butter and naturally occuring glycerin, which is left in the soap to make it extra moisturizing; a layer of dried pumpkin flakes helps exfoliate (my favorite part!) and get your skin glowing. I wouldn't have thought of soap and Thanksgiving together, but what better way to get in the right mood for the holiday? Be sure to check out the Bathlife shop on Etsy, too. There are tons of different flavors (oops, did I say flavors?) of soap, and some lovely sounding lip balms, too.

Arwen: What are your thoughts about Thanksgiving?

Kimberlee: For me, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year. I like to take stock of my accomplishments as well as disappointments, plan for the future, and remember the good times I enjoyed throughout the year. Thanksgiving weekend is also my husband's and my wedding anniversary, so it's a time of celebration, too.

Last year, my husband and I were on a road trip to Portland, Ore., and had our Thanksgiving dinner at a charming little restaurant at the base of Mount Shasta. This year will be a little more traditional: an early dinner with turkey, cranberries ... all the favorites, then off to the cliffs for some hiking.

Arwen: How did you get involved in crafting?

Kimberlee: I think I was destined to be a soaper. I've been addicted to bath and body products since I was a teenager. The hours I have spent browsing shops for new and better products would add up to weeks! But I was never completely satisfied with any of those products. Endlessly searching for the best scent combined with the best moisturizing properties combined with the best ingredients, I always came up disappointed in at least one area. I was tired of all of the crazy additives and preservatives packed into bath and body products, too. So when my husband suggested that I just start making my own soaps and lotions ... well, the proverbial light bulb went off. I tried it. I was hooked. And here I am!

Arwen: What are your inspirations?

Kimberlee: I'm also addicted to the ocean. I love everything about it; the sound, the smell, the colors, the lifestyle. I'm eternally attracted to scents that take me to California's coast. The ocean inspires many of the scent combinations I use in my products and is reflected in the names I give those products. Preserving the environment inspires me as well. I keep my products as natural as possible; no foaming agents, no thickeners, no preservatives; minimal packaging. All of my products are vegetarian, with most being vegan as well.

Arwen: Any tips you want to share?

Kimberlee: A tip I would share with other crafters is to research your craft as thoroughly as possible before investing in supplies. I read just about everything I could find about making soap; the ingredients, recipes, techniques; coloring options, etc. before I started. Even now, I do a lot of research before I whip up a new product. I like to know all I can about the ingredients, their benefits to the skin, how the product will look, and how long it will last. Knowing your stuff, as they say, can dramatically increase the quality of your product.