My Other Sister

Jennifer

I couldn't leave her out. Two weeks ago my oldest sister visited and I posted pics. Thought I should post a photo of my other older sister, Jen, who lives in Rochester, New York. It really is too bad we live so far away from each other.

Blood Like Syrup

I've gotten into making more and more soap and I thought last night as I was whipping up a nice hefty batch of soap how important it would be for me to commit to making one loaf of soap per day until Thanksgiving. It makes sense. Cold process soap making takes T-I-M-E and if you want to plan for Christmas sales on Etsy or your shop or load up for personal gift giving, you'd better start thinking about things in October while you are picking out your pumpkins.

So my "I'm-going-to-make-a-loaf-of-soap-a-day" pep talk I had with myself last night must have been influenced by some caffeine I had early early that morning because tonight I think my body is under an invisible fat man having a rest on top of me. I think my body must be fighting a cold because I've been on the verge of being narcoleptic for the past 2-3 days, my blood feels a little like syrup, my throat hurts a little bit - but luckily only when I swallow a few hundred times an hour.

I do have to say that my sickness luck in Florida has been pretty strange. When I lived in NY, I got sick every other month with a bad cold or cough. Since I've moved here five years ago, I have been sick four times (or was it three?). I just don't get sick! Weird right? Now if I have jinxed myself by saying it "out loud" I will be very upset should I get sick now.

No soap loaves today. I am just TOO TIRED. I'll try to soap again tomorrow and we'll see how that goes.

I have a few upcoming reviews for you folks soon. I haven't done one in a while. I have been doing a lot of sharing soap porn and talking about me and my soaps. I continue to read every comment and love all the feedback from you. Thanks for being a part of it all here with me!

More tomorrow!

Soap and Such

Macon (my oldest sister)

Me (top), Desmond (my son), Macon (my sister in green)

Last weekend, my sister, Macon visited for the weekend. She lives in Charlotte and it was sad to see her go. I think my son was in a deep sad place for a good 12-18 hours. "Can't she visit for a year next time, Mama?"

Macon is a good auntie. We love you, Macon, Bacon!

.............On a soapy note:

I made soap tonight but I hate when a soap sets up too fast and it can't get decorated in time. Frustrating. I am also not sure how I feel about the scent I created. It is a combo of rhubarb and yuzu and I can not tell if it will chill out a little or stay zingy. The rhubarb is a bit sweet for me. I am more of a tart and fresh person, not a sweet and sticky lady myself, although some Product Body scents go that way (Due to popular demand and I must roll with my peeps, y'know;)). Ah, well, we'll see the reveal tomorrow and I'll keep you updated on the scent and where it takes us. No fancy colors this time. Very basic with sparkles on top. Green ones for the holidays!

Loaves Of Soap + Cut Jasmine

Here are the loaves of soap I made recently and last night I cut the six pounder in half to reveal its inner beauty. I had a lot of fun making it because I have been wanting to glop color on top of a poured batch to make a design and I finally had the chance. I had to work very quickly because the jasmine fragrance speeds up trace and I had a feeling set up would be fast. I experienced fast set-up with the sexy laundry day loaf (center), which had the fastest set up time I have experienced yet. It went from creamy to custard in three seconds flat. Thus, the adornments..... because the top was a weird consistency. The right loaf is a hot process graham cracker loaf which smells DELISH but looks quite boring in comparison to the others. Poor thing...beige and plain. If you like the smell of jasmine, you'd love what I'm smelling right now. My office smells like a garden!

The Costumes

Halloween was different this year for me. Nina went trick-or-treating with her friend, Marin, around the neighborhood without adults (big step for THIS mom.) Desmond went with his buddies while Brad hung back a few feet to give them some space. I stayed home and gave out the candy which was great because I got to see all of the costumes and ask everyone who they were dressed as. I hadn't ever given out candy on Halloween before. I was always on the other end, either as a child begging for the loot or ringing doorbells with my kids reminding them to say thank you.

Nina was a dead girl this year (on the right)

Desmond was a military man with his Star Wars boys

Now we are in November which is rapidly whizzing by (yikes!) and Thanksgiving is approaching. All of a sudden, I feel like I am wearing stupid girlie flats on a downward sloped ice ramp where I can't stop even if I had to. Do you know what I mean? Is that just age? Aging? OY!

Jasmine Peaks

This is a six pound loaf I made for Brocante Boutique in Wimberley Texas (love them!)
It is scented with a soft Jasmine. I poured the pink on top, so I am thinking there is pink in the center - and of course, it's topped with the pink frosting. It reminds me of cake. I will be cutting this in half in a couple of days and ill post the center then if it's interesting looking.

Soap Dishes That Make A Statement

Nice dishes to think about for displaying all of those great soaps you will be buying or selling for the upcoming holiday season. I would be proud to have any one of these dishes in my home with any number of gorgeous soaps I have resting so comfortably on top.


soap dish made with recycled orange record album by RetiredRecords on Etsy

bottle soap dishes by the squashed bottle company
(I have seen these "melted" down bottles at lots of craft fairs. I never have bought one, but they are very cool and the clear ones look very nice with a wrapped soap bar)

handcrafted soap dishes from Idaho by treeworks

handmade stoneware by albaverde handmade soap

bamboo soap dish made in Brazil and available at nest

What's your favorite dish that you use for your daily soap??

Obama Rama

I had to. What else could I do on this day? Feature the cold process method?

Hope on a Rope - Barack Obama Soap by dugshop




Of course, the very popular hand sculpted soap bust of Obama .....and




Obama Mt. Rushmore Candle by windyscreations

I must say, I am really relieved the whole politics thing is over. I have been amped up and stressed out because of the constant political chatter throughout my daily routine. In the news, the T.V., papers, discussions, small talk, white noise, dreams.... I was ready for the end of it and I am now officially in need of a few days off that I can't take, but I might just pour myself a glass of wine and remember that breaathing is allowed now.

Oh yeah.

In The Slope

Growing up in Brooklyn was great. Growing up in Park Slope, Brooklyn was awesome. Beautiful old brownstone buildings, wood floors, tall, tall ceilings, tin ceilings, radiators, sycamore lined trees, Prospect Park... Tonight I found these cool soap rolls at Soap In The Slope and it turns out it's a company that makes handmade soap in Park Slope.

I must get my hands on some of them. They make other cool soaps too, not just the rolls that remind me of sushi. Go check 'em out!

Women Who Know Their Place

My Mother-In-Law sent this to me. :)

WOMEN WHO KNOW THEIR PLACE .......A point of view.

Barbara Walters, of Television's 20/20, did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan, several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands.

She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. From Ms . Walters' vantage point, despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to walk even further back behind their husbands, and are happy to maintain the old custom.

Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, 'Why do you now seem happy with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?'

The woman looked Miss Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation said, 'Land Mines.'

Moral of the story is (no matter what language you speak and where you go):

BEHIND EVERY MAN, THERE'S A SMART WOMAN