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Join the General Strike: January 30, 2026

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✊ paintboxsoapworks.com will be closed tomorrow, Friday January 30th ✊
I've spent some time this afternoon considering what a shutdown for the general strike would look like from here, and what impact it would have; I'm not a huge corporation, I don't have an employer to pressure, my work doesn't actively fund ICE.
But my payment processors indirectly do. Stripe & PayPal execs have made significant contributions to the GOP, as have UPS & FedEx, who deliver nearly all of my supplies.
Shutting my website for a day is not going to make any Republican donor quake in their boots, but it's a clear statement that I can make to you, my customers & followers, that I'm willing to take a day without income to make a point, and to focus my energies on the good fight.
If you are at all able, please join the national shutdown tomorrow. Join your local protest. If you are not able, please take five minutes to call your representatives and make your voice heard.
Dismantle ICE. Hold DHS accountable. Stand with Minnesota, Maine, Chicago, Los Angeles. Stand with my city of York, PA, which has ICE agents on the streets today. My friends are scared. I am scared. But together, we are strong ✊

Indian Summer, Sleepy Lagoon, & Listening When Folks Say "Hey..."

Alright, my little windfall peaches, let's talk about Indian Summer. I mentioned during the Weenie launch madness that this would be the last year I will be offering that PBSW OG blend, & here's the skinny:On a practical level, I am at the bottom of the bottle of my favorite, long-discontinued blackberry single note, & [...]

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The Black Hound of Holiday Madness

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! While the turkey is defrosting & the pies are being planned, let's talk about what's undoubtedly on a lot of people's minds this week: Black Friday!The long & the short of it is this:No, there will be no gobsmackingly huge Black Friday discounts, sales, or coupon codes at PBSW. There never are.If [...]

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The Table is Always There: Real Talk with Lucy Bellwood

One of the absolute best perks of MakerLife(tm) is getting to meet other amazing Makers, & one of my favorite is the incandescent Lucy Bellwood, adventure cartoonist, part time Muppet, & overall spectacular human being. Lucy & I sat down for a real & rambling chat a few weeks ago about Benedictine labor, code switching, from-not-of syndrome, [...]

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From the PBSW Archives: 20K Gold, or How I Sold a Truly Ridiculous Amount of Soap on Etsy, or The Part Where She Bangs on the Table A Lot

Originally published July 25, 2015: Well, kids, here it is, the day I hit 20 THOUSAND sales in my Etsy shop! What. The. HECK. When I opened my shop 5 1/2 years ago, I never expected to sell more than a few bars of soap, let alone quit my day job & build an empire. But, thanks to some major [...]

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From the PBSW Archives: Hanging out with How I Pinch a Penny!

Originally published September 23, 2014:My friend Sarah, the tireless force of nature behind How I Pinch a Penny, invited me to her couch to talk all things Etsy, self employment, micro business and more! Check out two smart women talking shop & working the jazz hands!

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From the PBSW Archives: Selling out without selling out

Originally published September 3, 2014:So hey, I just wanted to publicly thank everyone for what is amounting to a a batshit INSANE opening week to the 2014 Weenie season. Seriously, that’s a whole lot of soap, & I am incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm & support!I also wanted to apologize for the speed at which [...]

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From the PBSW Archives: A word on FDA regulations, or Why I Can’t Cure Your Pentapox…

Originally published June 14, 2012:Buckle in, kids, this post’s a heavy one…Some of you may remember my venting a bit on Twitter a few weeks ago about trying to help a fellow seller navigate the waters of FDA regulations. Ultimately, it was wasted effort – the seller in question decided to ignore my advice – [...]

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From the PBSW Archives: We got Green!

Originally published April 27, 2012:The weather gods were more than kind last weekend, making this year’s Go Green in the City festival a bright, sunny success! This was my first public festival, and I owe a ton of thanks to my tireless friends & family who helped me set up & stay calm… Matt & [...]

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