Today a shipment of soap arrived, and even though Stephen had already put all of it away, I couldn't resist bringing the bars back out to the dining room for a photo shoot.
There were many different types, including Agrumes (a citrus blend of grapefruit, citron, orange), Coconut Milk, Mint Leaf, Olive Oil, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Vanilla Bean and Verbena.
They looked great in alternating patterns.
I built a skyscraper of soap, but it was too precarious to be very pleasing.
I thought they might look even better arranged on the parquet floors. Elektra -- who you can see in the upper right-hand corner -- was already bored, however, and could not be bothered to help in any way. Some ppl complain that cats are not 'productive' and incapable of work, but I think that this is actually one of their best traits, and one I wish I could better emulate. I've reached a point in my life where time is starting to accelerate, and so I often feel anxious if I'm not doing something 'mngful'; then too is the need to compensate for spending s00 much time at 'work,' which is perhaps the cruelest invention of the modern world. I wondered if I would be happy working at a soap manufacturer and suspected that the answer is 'probably not'; I'm just not sure I have the right disposition to ever really 'bond' with a corporate entity. You could probably accuse me of possessing a certain immaturity in this regard, and I'm the first to admit that you would not be wrong.
As much as I enjoy the understated elegance of the Pre-de-Provence design, I think it could be improved by dispensing with the trademark sign under the tail of the bird, which kind of looks like a 'turd in the sky'; I don't know enough about trademark law to say whether it's really necessary, but I do know that the copyright sign -- to which it's obviously related -- is effectively meaningless, because copyright attaches to your work regardless of whether you have a stupid little 'c' or not.
I consoled myself with the idea that -- as with soap -- all trademarks and copyrights will eventually fade away, along with the corporations that own them, and wash down the drain of history.
Well, at least you'll both be clean... My daughter has this thing about not wanting to use any product on her body that is made from anything that we eat, so many of these soaps would not please her. But packaging-wise, they are truly gorgeous. In a later post, you must let us know which flavors you prefer....
Posted by: James van Maanen | 07/25/2009 at 10:27 PM
"I'm just not sure I have the right disposition to ever really 'bond' with a corporate entity. You could probably accuse me of possessing a certain immaturity in this regard, and I'm the first to admit that you would not be wrong."
Is that like not having a 'certain degree of maturity' because you don't have children and haven't followed traditional family models? When I look around, at both families and corporations, I remain unconvinced that they are constructive, let alone authentic, models of "responsibility" and "maturity."
....
C'est vachement beaucoup de savon, n'est-ce pas?
Posted by: cfl | 07/26/2009 at 01:25 AM
Hey C -- by 'immaturity' I meant an unwillingness (or perhaps reluctance) to 'grow up' and take responsibility for myself; I completely agree that there's nothing about corporations/families that makes them inherently more mature (or constructive/authentic) than the alternative!
Posted by: Matthew Gallaway | 07/26/2009 at 10:12 AM