Why We Still Make Everything by Hand

We’re approaching 30 years of Bittersweet.

This April marks 29 years since my soft-spoken mom named my little business. At the time, I had no idea how deeply that name would come to mean so much. A few short years later, after she passed, Bittersweet carried a meaning I could have never imagined.

She was a steady force in those early days — full of creativity, wisdom, and quiet strength. Truly irreplaceable. I’ve never known anyone else who carried the kind of thoughtful insight she so naturally gave. So much of what Bittersweet is today was shaped by her encouragement in those beginning chapters.

I often think about how she would feel knowing this small business has weathered so many hurdles and disappointments — and still perseveres. Chapter after chapter has unfolded. Some seasons stretched me. Some refined me. All of them grew me.

The beautiful part is that my passion hasn’t faded. If anything, it has deepened. Each new product introduction, each seasonal shift that brings fresh ideas into the studio — they still spark something in me. That quiet excitement hasn’t left.

This little business has witnessed daily change. I’ve learned not to fear it, but to appreciate it — because change, over time, shapes us. We’ve celebrated milestones. We’ve faced challenges head-on. And through both, there has been gratitude and a sense of accomplishment that only comes from learning as you go.

I’m reminded often that this craft — soap making and skincare design — fits so naturally into who I am. It feels chosen. Guided. Designed with purpose. Walking in faith doesn’t promise ease, because it certainly hasn’t been easy. But it does produce something steady — a deep knowing that you’re trusting in what you’re called to do.

Bittersweet has always been more than a name.

It’s been the story.

— Jill