It’s not Valentine’s Day without those cheeky, chalky conversation hearts. With pastel colors and slang phrases like “Luv U,” they’re a holiday staple. But not all of your sweethearts have a sweet tooth for the candy.
Now, one Etsy seller has given customers one more way to enjoy them—as goats’ milk bubble bath bars. Shaped like conversation hearts, these sudsy soaps can include customized colors and messages for each of your Valentines.
“They are replicas of that favorite heart-shaped candy that you remember from childhood that will delight youngsters and oldsters alike—complete with hand-painted sayings! They smell sweet and fruity and create an unforgettable bath time experience,” seller Rita Crain told the Daily Dot in an email.
At The Crainery, Crain creates each soap or bubble bar as a collaborative effort with her goats. In 2010, Crain and her husband bought a home in Ramona, California, which came to be known as Sunset View Farm. After her husband developed a taste for goat’s milk, the couple began raising their herd of five—Tori, Sunny, Sara Ann, Swirly and Molly.
“The Alpines, Swirly and Molly, give us plenty of milk so we have had fun experimenting with cheese, yogurt and soap,” she wrote on her profile page.
Her goats produced so much milk, in fact, that Crain had more than she could use herself. A Hewlett Packard designer by day, she began indulging a hobby of soap-making by night and weekend. She opened her Etsy shop in September 2011.
“I was making cold-process goat’s milk soap for its moisturizing properties. But I made so much I needed a way to share it and so The Crainery was born on Etsy,” she said.
Crain designed the conversation hearts bubble bars with a particular Valentine in mind, her niece, Jane, who lives far away in Illinois.
“She just turned 6 and bath time is still a big event for her. So I’ve been creating Bubble Bars and Bath Bombs for her so she can have fun and know that I’m thinking of her,” said Crain. “My sister loves it because she knows the ingredients are safe and natural. My niece feels loved and important when she calls me and sends me letters to request new items; she’s my number one tester.”
This Valentine’s Day, Crain plans to spend her time enjoying the same products her customers are buying as well as sending a special tester box to Jane.
“I’m sending her a large box of the Conversation Hearts Bubble Bars with special messages from me to her for Valentine’s Day,” she said. “Don’t tell her, it’s a surprise!”
