Sooo Sleepy...zzzzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzzzzzzzz

Well, another week behind me and I can hardly hold my eyes open to write this. Good day at market! Sold some shampoo bars, some lye soap, lip balms and jewelry, jewelry jewelry! My alter ego Gigi better get busy! The hillbilly chili cookoff is next Saturday and there needs to be LOTS of jewelry. I think it goes by seasons and trends. 3 weeks ago the jewelry sat on the displays and I couldn't keep enough soap made up. Now, with just the slightest hint of fall in the air, I am selling jewelry and not much soap! it's something you really can't predict.

On another note, Hooch the boxer has been banished from my daughters house! :( I am sad. He was such a spoiled rotten baby and I miss him...I know he loves it in the backyard but I was so happy to think about him sleeping in the house. i don't blame them at all though and he has a nice big doggy house. I miss you Hoochster! Here he is in all his puppy glory. I gave custody to my daughter and her husband because they adore him and he has so much more space there.

What a dog! Ok kids! I'm off to bed, where I can sleep until I wake up..no alram in the A.M. Hooray!

I need a clone!

Well, it's Thursday night, I've already gone to one farmer's market this week and I still have 2 to go. I have to say tho, it is starting to slow down, and sales are not quite what they were either

:( oh well.....probably just as well because I have some shows and some classes that I am teaching, all coming up in the next few weeks. I'm getting really excited about the hot soap class. The other two are jewelry and polymer clay beads and buttons. The buttons will be fun and exciting but Im a little concerned because I'm teaching quilters and I haven't quilted for years. I'm sure they can teach me something while I'm there! And this is why I need a clone because in addition to the shows and classes, I'm trying to prepare my house for company. My mom and AuntB are going to attend the soap class in October. I need to finish up some painting that somehow never got done from when we moved in here a year ago. I'm also hopeing to refurb my garden and get some of the summer stuff out of there. Out with the old, in the with new. Hoping to get some nice fall onions and lettuce. We'll see. The weather has been extremely strange here, cool nights and lots of rain.

Not much going on in the way of soap this week. How about a soap recipe?

Pumpkin Spice Bars

12 ounces canola oil

8 ounces olive oil

6 ounces coconut oil

3 ounces castor oil

10 ounces rainwater

4.5 ounces lye

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

cinnnamon leaf essential oil

cinnamon, 3/4 tsp

cloves, 1/2 tsp

Warm oils, add to crock pot. Turn crock pot to high. Carefully add lye to rainwater, stir to dissolve. Stir rainwater/lye mixture into oils. Stick blend to trace. At trace add pumpkin. Turn crockpot to low or warm. Watch soap, stir down as needed, cook for approximately 45 minutes. When soap looks like translucent apple sauce, it's done. To test, take small amount on spoon, let cool, rub between fingers. If it's smooth, you can taste it for Zap. When you know it's done, carefully stir in cinnamon, cloves, and essential oil. Spoon into mold, let cool.

Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and is very good for your skin. Happy Soaping!

Yard Sales and other crap I hate...

I just got off the phone with my amazingly smart and beautiful daughter and mom to Tanner and I think somewhere in the conversation I agreed to go to her house and help her have a ...OMG!! A YARD SALE!! What was I thinking? I hate yard sales, I hate having them and I always end up closing them early and throwing everything away. I'm so ashamed to admit that last part, since I am an advocate of recycling but come on...you can admit it. Sometimes we all slip a little. And when you have those last boxes of junk sitting in your living room for days or even weeks!!! that stuff has got to go. Worse yet is when the boxes sitting in your living room for days or weeks are full of stuff you need to keep but don't have anywhere to put. We are a small family of three people living in a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a storage shed and I still have a storage rental unit across town. WOW! That is some serious stuff.

ON another note...I am going to get out my soap box for just a short speech about other things I hate.

1.People who drive when they shouldn't, for whatever reason. We live in a smallish (20,000+) community that is predominently retirees. Most of them should not drive, some of them shouldn't even drive a buggy in walmart and I have seriously been ran over with the cart in walmart at least twice. And they are not even nice about it!

2. Another thing I hate is judgemental people. You know who you are!!!...Why can't we all just get along?

3.Christmas. Ok. This one is hard. I actually think I have more of a love/hate relationship with Christmas. I think Christmas would be so cool if we could recognize it for what it really is and not how much money we spend on each other. I hate that!! I would love to see my family and friends, give everyone something nice that I made or wanted to share with them and not just hand out presents only ot hear them all complain about what you got them. The video games, the dvd's, perfume,aftershave....etc.etc. Make a homemade christmas! I encourage it~!

Hmm..I told you it would be short. If you count yard sales, that's only 4 things I hate today...gonna be a good day!:)

Cinnamon Apple Soap...hmmm

Wow, does it smell good! Only trouble is, it's waaay too soft. I tried a new mix of oils and I think I'm going to have to rebatch. On the good side, the lemon verbena shaving soap came out awesome! It smells so good and lather's nice and slippery, good for shaving. I put it in these cute little pudding cups. That is also another passion of mine, recycling. I love to take things that I would normally throw out and repurpose them. Plus, they're really cute. I'm going to order some shaving brushes and tie them to the package with some nice ribbon. I also have plans for the little sunny d bottles that Tree takes in her lunch. Sample of laundry soap??? I think it will hold about 3 loads worth. I always sanitize and reseal everything with shrinkwrap so I know it's safe.

I also made lime and sage and peppermint shampoo bars. A good productive day!

I wanted to post pictures of the cars I painted on my grandson's wall. We went for a few days last week and I have to say that he is the cutest thing ever! Muscle cars in his bedroom...I think a crib set and curtains are next...maybe a few more cars on his walls.

Laundry Soap and fresh Basil Pizza!

Well, yesterday didn't go as planned so....no apple cinnamon soap yet. But here is a pic of my honey soap to look at. We had company for lunch and then I had lots of laundry. Speaking of laundry, I also make my own laundry soap. When I make hot process soap in my crock pot, I take the scrapings, add borax, essential oils(for good smell!) and melt it in 6 cups of water. This makes a nice, clear, yummy smelling gel that I then add another 6 cups of water to. I keep it in my old, commercial laundry bottles. I suppose it's kinda silly to get excited about that, but at the price of laundry detergents (and the skin sensitivity to them), I feel like I'm doing something really good for my family. I occasionally put a little bit of fragrance oil in them, I particularly like sunflower because it mixes well with the herbal fragrances that are already in the soap scrapings. Nice and clean smelling. That was the only complaint that Tree (partner)and Caleb(son) had, didn't smell like tide! lol Now it smells even better.

We also had an awesome homemade pizza for dinner, I made it using fresh herbs from the garden and I even put some fresh tomatoes on my part. MMM!good. I only had a small little container garden for herbs this year but I am the only one that really likes them so it wasn't too bad but I have BIG plans for my herb garden next spring! I made Tree some fresh pesto sauce in our magic bullet and she swears it tastes like dirt and weeds....what is wrong with these people!?!:) Caleb feels the same way and they just look at me like I'm nutty when I start heading out the door with scissors and basket in hand.....OH well, I'm off to make that soap now...really!

Home Sweet Homemade Soap

ok...it's corny, I know but....I love homemade Soap! In fact, I love all things homemade and as I was washing dishes this afternoon (by hand, of course!) it occurred to me that I am truly a do it yourselfer. That is just my mindset, if I see something new or something that I want, my first thought is "I wonder if I can make that??" So, that is how my soap making story began....Fresh out of the shower and covered in itchy welts from my commercial shampoo, I decided I was sick and tired of breaking out everyday. I sat down at the computer and started reading recipes. Then I put myself in the car and drove to the library where I checked out two books. One was all about hot process, crock pot soap, complete with recipes and the other one was about all the different techniques of soap, from soapcrafting with melt and pour to cold process to hot soap. I read them both at least twice from cover to cover and I was hooked. And then I realized the benefits of homemade soap were really what they said...no more itcy dry skin. You can see my soap at www.9thstreet.etsy.com and also at www.9thstreet.ecrater.com I am definately hooked on making it and using it, my favorites are the shampoo bars. My hair loves them and no more welts! I am as passionate about telling people about it as I am making it and using it....try it! Tomorrow I am making cinnamon apple bars and I'm going to try a new shaving soap recipe, with white clay . I'll let you know how it turns out!