I am not in the camp of buying pretty soap only to have it set out and have it collect dust for years. Life is too short and as a result, luxe soaps have long been my little indulgences. So I just have to share this amazing soap that my son’s teacher from last year gave me. While we were working on our annual neighborhoods issue earlier this year, I was picking his brain about Vashon Island, where he lives part time (Vashon made our list of best neighborhoods this year for being a recession proof ‘hood).

To show his passion for Vashon, as they say (or do they say that? They should.), he gave me these wonderful-smelling soaps from Rainy Day Garden, a soap producer on Vashon Island. I can see why he loves these soaps. Check out the beautiful marbling in the purple and ivory Lavendar Goat Milk bar from the bath bar line ($4.80 each or three for $13.50) for and the chunky, yet elegant (if that is possible) perfectly sage green rosemary mint Garden Scrub soap ($10 each) that has a nail brush built in. Set atop a chic bamboo soap dish, would be gorgeous in my kitchen (and excellent for cleaning out the cruddy little fingernails of 7 and 4 year olds).

In an email exchange with the owner and soapmaker, Sherri Mask, she says, “it’s great for cleaning the fingernails after gardening, but have also found it to be great for lots of things (like scrubbing feet after a summer’s worth of sandal wearing). Also, once the soap is gone, the brush makes a great soap dish.”

Hmmm… there is a certain 7-year-old in my house who has been wearing his odorific keens all too frequently this summer who could use a good foot scrubbing with this soap.

I haven’t had a chance to get to the Vashon Farmer’s Market (Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through December 12 and  Wednesdays 2 to 6 p.m. through October 14–and other details here) but I love that everything sold at the Farmer’s market is made by a Vashon producer. Talk about buying local.

Supporting your local businesses is something we get pretty excited about in our September Savvy Shopping issue. Pick up a copy on newsstands soon!