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Be clean + do good

4 Mar

Motor City Soap is donating 50% of all Etsy sales during the month of March to Freedom House Detroit.

Freedom House is a nonprofit organization in Detroit that provides shelter, legal services and comprehensive social services to asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries. Freedom House recently received news that their HUD funding will not be renewed this year and they are raising money to keep their doors open. Due to this loss in funds, Freedom House has lowered their shelter capacity to 25-30 residents (from 40) and their goal is to raise $100,000 by April 1. In support of these efforts, Motor City Soap will donate 50% of our Etsy shop sales to Freedom House. Visit http://freedomhousedetroit.org to learn more and donate directly to their organization. #refugeeswelcome

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Holiday Market Schedule

19 Nov

etsy-holiday-banner

Shop local this holiday season and gift healthy bath and beauty products from Motor City Soap Company! Everything from our soaps and lip balms to bath soaks and sugar scrubs are inspired by nature and handcrafted in Detroit with organic oils and soothing natural ingredients.

Purchase online 🎁 or shop at an upcoming market:

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Holiday Markets at Eastern Market

Every Sunday, November 27 to December 18 | 10:00am – 4:00pm

Eastern Market District

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Noel Night Winter Art + Retail Market

Saturday, December 3 | 5:00 – 10:00pm

Woodward & Warren, Detroit 48202

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Merry Market at The Detroit Mercantile Co.

Saturday & Sunday December 10 – 11

3434 Russell St., Detroit 48207

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The Mitten Market at the Royal Oak Farmers’ Market

Saturday, December 17 | 6:00 – 11:00pm

316 E 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak 48067

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⭐️ Follow on Facebook + Twitter + Instagram for the latest products and offers!

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Spring Market Schedule

6 May

 

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Hello and happy May! It is officially market season for Motor City Soap Company and I’ve listed my upcoming events below. I’m looking forward to returning to Eastern Market’s growing Sunday Street Market and the lovely Corktown Farmers’ Market next to Detroit Institute of Bagels. This weekend I’m at the Designers’ Show House MarketPlace, which is an annual fundraiser for the Junior League of Detroit. And it’s a perfect place to find your last minute Mother’s Day gifts! I’m also traveling to Cleveland and Grand Rapids and look forward to meeting new vendors and customers.

If you are local and would like to stop by my studio to pick up a customer order, please feel free to contact me. And future soapmakers can find my summer class series here.

Wash on,

Caitlyn

Spring Market Schedule

Junior League of Detroit – Designers’ Show House MarketPlace 
Saturday, May 7th – Wednesday, May 11th (see website for daily hours)
15500 Windmill Pointe Dr, Grosse Pointe Park, MI

Cleveland Bazaar at The Hooley
Saturday, May 14th | 12 – 8pm
17407 Lorain Ave, Cleveland OH 44111

Made in MI Pop-up Marketplace
Sunday, May 22nd | 10am – 4pm
Downtown Market – 435 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Corktown Farmers’ Market
Thursday, May 26th | 4 – 7pm
Detroit Institute of Bagels – 1236 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48226

Eastern Market – Sunday Street Market
Beginning Sunday, June 5th | 10am – 4pm
Eastern Market Sheds 2 & 3 – 2934 Russell St, Detroit MI 48207

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Spring Update

16 Mar

Spring Banner Large
I’m celebrating the beginning of spring by spending time outdoors on my bike, removing plastic from windows at the soap studio (ahhhh) and planning spring crops with fellow growers for our community garden.

In addition, here are several spring-inspired updates from Motor City Soap Company:

Monthly Soap Share

Join Motor City Soap Company’s monthly soap share program and receive a regular supply of healthy, natural soaps at a discounted price! You have the option of selecting the share size that fits your household as well as USPS shipping or a local pick up. Feel free to email me with questions or special requests: caitlyn (at) motorcitysoap (dot) com

New Products on Etsy

Shop new products in my Etsy shop, including the lemony-fresh Nurse soap, lavender and peppermint sugar scrubs and my current favorite: the Soapmaker. This is a bar made with a base of sunflower oil, scented with lemongrass essential oil and sprinkled with dried calendula petals (see photo above, top left). Save $3 on your order with the coupon code SPRING until the summer solstice – that’s through June 20th!

Soapmaking Classes

Learn how to make cold process soap at one of my upcoming classes. It’s a perfect weekend activity to share with family members and friends! Participants receive hands-on instruction, a comprehensive resource guide and soap to take home. Vouchers are also available for purchase to give as gifts for birthdays, Mother’s Day or other special occasions. Email caitlyn (at) motorcitysoap (dot) com for details.

I will have my spring/summer market schedule available shortly and hope to see you in person soon!

Wash on,

Caitlyn

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Holiday Market Schedule

12 Nov

Motor City Soap Company is excited to release our 2015 holiday market schedule. We will begin selling our handmade, vegan soaps and natural body care products at local markets throughout Metro Detroit beginning on Small Business Saturday:

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2 0 1 5  H O L I D A Y  M A R K E T  S C H E D U L E

Shop Detroit BUILD Bazaar | Saturday, 11/28, 11am – 6pm

One Campus Martius, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit

West Park Winter Social | Saturday, 11/28, 4 – 10pm

Kercheval Ave. between Maryland + Wayburn, Grosse Pointe Park

Sunday Street Market – Holiday Markets | 11/29, 12/6 & 12/13,  10am – 4pm

Eastern Market, Shed 3, Detroit

Noel Night at the Scarab Club | Saturday, 12/5,  4 – 11:30pm

217 Farnsworth, Detroit

Merry Market | Saturday, 12/12, 9am – 7pm & Sunday, 12/13, 10am – 6pm

The Detroit Mercantile Co., 3434 Russell St., Detroit

Southwest Holiday Fest Build Bazaar | Saturday, 12/12, 3 – 9pm

555 W. Vernor Hwy, Detroit

The Rust Belt Market | Friday – Sunday 12/18 – 20

22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale

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P R O D U C T  M E N U  +  E T S Y  S H O P

Download our complete product menu or visit our Etsy shop to have your gifts shipped right to your doorstep!

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Monthly Soap Shares Available

26 Mar

Motor City Soap Company offers a monthly soap share that delivers handmade, natural soaps right to your doorstep.

Monthly soap share image

How It Works

Purchase your share in one payment and receive a regular supply of soap and member-only benefits:

>>> Four bars each month or every other at a bulk rate 

>>> The Collective Newsletter

>>> 10% off addition purchases

>>> USPS delivery or free local pick-up

Purchase a Share

Learn more and join here! For questions or to request a local pick-up, email caitlyn (at) motorcitysoap (dot) com or call 313-757-2129.

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Motor City Soap Raising Funds for First Hire

29 Jan

Caitlyn at Motor City Soap is raising funds through Kiva Zip to help fund her first hire. This is Motor City Soap’s second Kiva Zip campaign. In 2013 the company received a $2,000 loan to purchase carrier and essential oils in bulk to increase soap production. After paying back this loan in full last month, Caitlyn was offered the opportunity to pursue a second loan and continue growing:

Business has more than doubled since my last loan. I sold at Eastern Market’s Sunday Street Market throughout the summer, which increased my exposure to new customers and connected me to other like-minded businesses. I also wrapped up an incredibly successful holiday season last month and look forward to using this momentum as a springboard into 2015.

This second loan for $5,000 will help finance Motor City Soap’s first employee, who will work in production and sales starting this spring. An employee will help double Motor City Soap’s production and increase retail presence at local markets in and around the City of Detroit. Click here to read the full story and lend as little as $5.

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Holiday Market Schedule

28 Nov

Holiday Gift IdeasHappy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Motor City Soap is making your holiday shopping easy this year with healthy, handmade body care products for everyone on your list. Browse our product page and Etsy shop for available stock or contact us directly to place a custom order.

You can also find Motor City Soap at the following Detroit holiday markets:

Saturday, November 29 – Shop Detroit BUILD Bazaar @ D:Hive Welcome Center

Sunday, November 30 – Sunday Street Market @ Eastern Market

Friday, December 5 – Market Day @ Live Coal Gallery

Saturday, December 6 – Noel Night @ Yoga Shelter Midtown Detroit 

Sunday, December 7 – Sunday Street Market @ Eastern Market Shed 3

Friday, December 12 – Market Day @ Live Coal Gallery

Friday, December 12 – Holiday Merriment & Makers Market @ Ponyride

Saturday + Sunday, December 13 + 14 – Merry Market @ Detroit Mercantile Company

Sunday, December 14 – Sunday Street Market @ Eastern Market

Motor City Soap is American Made

7 Sep

Motor City Soap Company recently entered Martha Stewart’s American Made competition! This American Made contest recognizes the “ingenuity and excellence in the fields of craft, design, food and style” with a grand prize of $10,000 and a chance to have lunch with Martha Stewart herself in New York City!

How It Works: Judges will select 800 finalists from the pool of nominees until September 8th. Then another 200 wild-card finalists will be selected based on the nominees’ social shares via their American Made profiles. Of the 1,000 finalists, the judges will select 9 American Made Award Winners and the audience will choose one Audience Choice Award Winner.

View Motor City Soap’s nomination here and share on Twitter and Facebook to help Motor City Soap Company advance to a finalist spot.

Thanks for your support!

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Motor City Soap Company Approved for Kiva Zip Fundraising

21 Dec

Last month Motor City Soap Company applied to Kiva Zip as a potential borrower through their micro lending program. I am excited to announce that as of yesterday evening, the application was approved, and my business is now accepting person-to-person loans!

The purpose of this loan is to purchase enough carrier oils (olive, sunflower, coconut and palm) and essential oils to increase my soapmaking production in 2014. I currently produce between two and three batches per month and I plan to double production next year to meet the increasing demand for my soaps. My customer base (customers like you!) grows weekly and I am beginning to seek retail outlets with wholesale opportunities so I will need to build an inventory to sustain these sales.

Click here to learn more about the lending process and consider becoming a lender today!

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