Washing Off Winter

All pictures from kalastyle.com

Winter is making a swift retreat (huzzah!), but it leaves hibernation grunginess in its wake. As we step blinking into the sunlight, our sense of self-care reasserts itself. Now is the time for hair cuts, freshly painted nails, and revamped beauty regimens. I say regimen, but for Pickwickians, daily rejuvenation processes are pretty straightforward. This is mainly thanks to the Kala soap products that we carry in the shop and all take advantage of. 

For the Shower:

$7 at Pickwick's Mercantile

This Seaweed Soap smells beautiful and is packed with active marine algae that moisturizes, protects, and delivers nutrients straight to your skin. A very gentle soap, it's perfect for sensitive skin and the soft oceanic scent is a nice precursor for summer. And yes, I'm already planning for summer. Who can blame me?

$7 at Pickwick's Mercantile

This soap flies out of the store and if you've ever used it, you know why. This bar is packed with natural sea salts and it exfoliates gently. This is the absolute worst part of the year for dry skin and, unfortunately, it is also the time when it is most important to get rid of those irritating fish scales for the sake of shortened hemlines and sleeves.The Sea Salt Soap is perfect for bathing, but is also a great alternative to thick creams for a clean, close shave!

$8 at Pickwick's Mercantile

Is there a choosy gentleman in the house? He may prefer what we call "Sexy Man Soap" and Kala refers to as "Cedar Wood Soap". Bearing a classic odor, cedar wood oil has actually been used since ancient times for the way it clarifies body and soul. This also makes it a great choice for yogis and runners- almost time for sun salutations in Prescott Park!

We all know our faces need a little bit of extra lovin', so once you jump out of the shower, arm yourself with-

Face Soaps:

$6 at Pickwick's Mercantile

The greatest testament to this soap's success is the fact that every woman in Pickwick's uses it religiously. We swear by it, as do our many customer converts and their friends. I had a woman come in this past weekend who purchased six bars at once. Belgian Egg White soaps are no new revelation- the basic formulas have been around for generations. Where egg-whites are well known for clarifying the skin, chamomile gently conditions and moisturizes. Use everyday or a few times a week as a mask, and notice a huge difference!

If you are prone to dry skin, as I am, I recommend alternating between the Belgian Egg White Soap and the Sunflower Facial Soap. The blend of sunflower and evening primrose oil softens and cleanses as effectively as the Egg White, without irritating oversensitive skin.

These soaps zip out of the shop with increasing speed as more and more people discover them, so come in before they're all gone! Smell and feel amazing as the spring blossoms all around!

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Can't come in for yourself? 

 Send me an e-mail at thistlejones@gmail.com

and we will make sure your goodies come to your doorstep!

Happy November!

Just to let our instagram/twitter followers know, I'll be doing a little project for the month of November based on a sweet book that we sell in the shop:

Leah Dietrich's mother told her to write thank you notes to the every-day things in life as an exercise in gratitude. And that is just what she does. This book is filled with dozens of sweet thank you notes that will remind you of just how sweet it is to be alive and kicking in this wonderful world. Better yet, it may inspire you to take up your own "thx" project, which is just what I'll be doing for the month of November. From now until Thanksgiving, I will be posting a different thank-you note on the instagram (@pickwickstyle) every day. At the end, I'll be tossing them together into a little collage to keep around for grouchy days.

Would you like to add to this project? Feel free to send me your own little note by e-mail! I'll be sure it gets put up on the instagram and, ultimately, here.

thistlejones@gmail.com

                       
Dear Words from thxthxthx on Vimeo.

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Pancakes for the Soul

The kitchen is a sacred space in our house and it falls under the delicious rule of my mother. The incredible creations that she brings to life there have long enchanted house-guests and the spoiled tummies of family members, alike. Needless to say, stepping into her culinary shoes can be intimidating, but for her birthday, that is exactly what the gentleman and I did. 

Fowler's Mill Buttermilk Pancake Mix - $6.50
Noble Handcrafted Maple Syrup - $4
Acorn Cookie Cutter - $2.50

I ransacked Pickwick's for some fun things to bring to the table, and found everything I needed short of the griddle. While my mother certainly appreciated the little acorn touch to the pancakes, I really picked it up because several pairs of little hands have recently been added to the eaters in the household. It wasn't Mickey Mouse pancakes, but they were all old enough to recognize the shapes and it made the size of the pancakes perfectly kid-sized. As for maple syrups, the adults all voted for the bourbon barrel-aged option, while the kids got vanilla-chamomile.

Action shot!

No lumps allowed

Chris D'Amore, the multi-talented,
took pictures AND flipped pancakes.

After a spirited debate over the benefits of using egg-whites over yolks, the goodness of the buttermilk mix covered a multitude of our inexperienced cooking sins. I stood way back for the flipping process, but there were few casualties of war.

The many shades of success

Baby pancakes!

One of Mr Jones' favorite maxims: "Waste not"

Chris enjoys the fruits (and nuts) of his labors.

So many choices? Banana or pancake? Banana or pancake?

The final verdict was four out of four smiles from the itty-bitties and one glowing one of approval from my mother. The entire acorn-shaped morning was one that I will always remember. In the rush and bustle of life, there is nothing that can measure up to the healing power of taking a minute to make some pancakes and sit down and enjoy them with the people you love.