Guest Soap

Guest soap. What exactly is a guest soap? Well, it must be a soap that a guest will use. Or maybe it is a soap that a guest has brought along with them. Or it is a "new" or "guest" soap that hasn't been in the soapdish before. Or - it is a smaller than average soap that will last just about as long as the guest's stay in the guest room. If that is the case, then sometimes the guest soap is a great big giant sized bar of utility soap. Other times, it can be a small, delicate round or bar that easily slips into a guest bath soapdish.

When selecting a particular soap to fill the need for a guest bath it is fun to let a little whimsy play into the game. Something to make that special guest smile when she sees it and uses it is a good thing to hunt. And then of course there are the stand-by choices that are the perfect size, not too much perfume or scent, a good "hand" to them, and that get the job done.

Next time you go looking for a guest soap, remember that these are some of the things that make your guest's Everyday Special!

A rose is a rose, unless it's a............

Soap Dish or a soapdish. No matter how you spell it, it's still ...

A Soapdish! What? Well, exactly. What is a soapdish anyway? We all have them hanging around somewhere. If not on our bath countertops, then at least in the "powder room" as the little ole ladies call them. Anyone in the retail sector that sells such things knows that really good ones are often few and far between. In the past, we have been known to just go digging around and picking up things that should be soap dishes even if they aren't. The only hard thing about that is convincing a customer/potential owner of said dish that, YES, you can use it for soap. Here are some bona fide, made especially to be, officially manufactured as and labelled as soapdishes examples of the real deal.

Notice the drain holes in these examples of soap dishes made in France. That is another question that often goes unanswered - should a soap dish have these holes and why? If you vote no, then you get a soapdish full of watery scum after a few handwashings. If you vote yes, then you have a puddle of scum draining onto your countertop or sink. So, I am thinking it doesn't make much matter - you have to de-scum something either way!

In our "powder rooms" and guest baths we are often inclined to use a little more whimsy than in our own where everything gets lots and lots of hard use. In the guest bath are most likely those charming little things called Guest Soaps. That opens up another entire discussion which we will revisit later. But for now, let's just assume ( I know........) that you have a few of those cute things hanging around that you need to put somewhere. A "holding box" is sometimes as critical as the actual soapdish itself. A guest needs to be able to find the soap first, then think where to put it after using it. So here are some examples of neat ways to store them so that they can also add to the decor.

If you are in any way adventurous, this is where the fun comes into play. Walk around your house and pick up the cute little things that you love that maybe have been pushed to the back of the cabinets. Things that you love that have lost all the rest of their family, have been gifts received but never found their "right" home, or things that you just want to be able to use somewhere for something. Below are some of the ways we have come up with to solve the soapdish problem when we could find nothing that had any charm or saving grace that was a real soapdish.

I am sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that you can find endless possibilities hiding on your own cabinet shelves. Go on, have some fun........after all, it's only a soapdish!!

It's Only Soap

It's only soap and you probably don't think about it too often. Except, perhaps, when the soap dish is empty. Then the fun begins. Exactly what does that bar of soap do for you, anyway. You look at it everytime you stand by the sink. Why not look at something with some pizazz, some sparkle, some humor, and some beauty. Let's pick some soap with a really wondrous texture and feel to it. Let's chose one for its great color. Let that special fragrance take you back to the fields of France or Italy. Or to the beach and its clear, crisp scent. Or maybe, for a little smile or two, let's pretend and chose an egg shape to drop carefully into a nest shaped dish to cradle it on the counter. Have some fun with that soap!