Spring has Sprung

Enjoying the day with my hubby, relaxing after some Tai Chi, and having a vanilla coffee. I feel so good today that I just want to accomplish a million things before the aches & pains come back again! It's rough when you have so many things you want to do, but can't on any given day. With fibromyalgia you just never know how you're going to feel. Today I could make coffee and lift the pot without grimacing, so that's a good thing! We're going out for a nice walk in the springtime air- it got warm again today and it's making us feel frisky and energized.

Last night was so much fun- we all decided to put some color in our hair (temporary punky kind). Hubby has the nice straight silky Native American hair so I had to bleach the strands first and then we did a few dark blue streaks. He likes it. Son wanted so green but we didn't have any so we bleached his tips and did some blue, he rinsed early and it's more of a teal. Mine of course with hair that's blonde and will suck up any color willingly now has beautiful turquoise streaks. They will be fun and go well with my new spring turquoise skirts and tops.

I decided this is MY color this summer. It makes me feel pretty and feminine, and somehow brighter if you know what I mean.

One of my devious plans is to do some fantasy makeup and put on my fairy wings and take pics for my website so I can be the Green Fairy. Tee hee, now that will be a fun project! :)

I just finished splitting a bunch of Madagascar Vanilla Pods to make REAL vanilla extract. They will have to basically marinate in the alcohol for a couple of months before it's ready but once done it is absolutely the most AMAZING vanilla. I also add a bit of Agave syrup to sweeten, as it has a low glycemic impact. Wonderful stuff. This variety of vanilla pod is sweeter than some varieties and a little more perfumy and I'd like to achieve a deeper, richer flavor. If anybody else out there makes their own, please comment with your favorite types of vanilla pods please. If anyone needs a few of these vanilla pods, I do have quite a bit, so email me privately. My price is FAR less than the dried up pods you can find in the grocery stores (if you can find them) and the quality is a lot higher. These are nice and plump and bendy, not dried up. And if you have a different kind of vanilla, I'd be willing to trade with you.

Working on two custom orders, but ones that I need to restock anyway. Celtic Riverdance for men and Love's Mystic Spell. When we get home from our walk, I hope to begin a few more soaps that customers are wanting; after that I will continue work on my website.

Ode to Jasmine

Green Jasmine Jewel in a bath most delightful, her petals unfurl in the wee evening hours into a wisp of ethereal aroma.
There is something mysterious and sensual about the soft persistence of jasmine. You catch a mere whisper outdoors on the night air and you almost want to chase it down, to breathe it in more deeply. That's the feeling I wanted to evoke with my Jasmine Jewel Soap. I initially wanted to make a soft green bar with wisps of white blossom swirls, but I went with yellow and green this time around and used my whisk to make 'blossoms' on the tops of the bars. Things may change on a whim, and I may do it differently next time. The creative process is the fun part of being a soapmaker.

New Spring Soaps

Well I'm happy to say there are at least four of the new Spring Floral Soaps cured and I'm making more every couple of days. Ready to go are Jasmine Jewel, Lovely Lilac, Hummingbird Hibiscus, and Ume Blossom. Although these aren't classified as "all botanical" they each contain beneficial extracts and special ingredients. Lilac, Jasmine and Ume Blossom (Asian Plum Blosom) all have added Silk Protein; Hibiscus is formulated with Hibiscus-infused oils, and contains real Hibiscus Botanical Extract, and dried Hibiscus Petals.




More fun new soaps will be ready for sale in a week or two! Whipped Cream Soaps with assorted fruits embedded- don't have the new pics ready yet but to the left is a pic from a year or two ago when I was making the Berry Delicious Whipped Soaps. This time there will be more kinds- Peaches & Cream, Apple a la Mode, Strawberries & Cream, and Blackberry Vanilla. I might get around to making a few Banana Splits too, just for giggles.

Still hoping to have my website ready but I just can't devote as much time to it as I'd like and there are many more things I want to do with it before I consider it "ready". I'll post a few choices on the temporary page within the next day or so. My Roll In The Clover Soap with RedClover extract and Goatsmilk will be one of the first up.