Soapaholics Anonymous

I'm not ready for Fall...

2009-08-31T15:16:00.002-04:00

Its been a cool summer here in the big mitten. That hasn't kept us away from the beach though :D We just got back from Lake Michigan at a friends beach house. It was hard to rip ourselves away...especially since our friends are missionaries in Romania and won't be back for another 2 years. =( We had a great time and made many more precious memories that all 11 of us will remember fondly. Well maybe not Tucker so much, but at least I have the pictures to prove it to him ;0)

We had a nice fire down by the shore where we roasted marshmallows and cuddled together to keep warm.
Frigid water, wind and waves couldn't keep the kids away :D
And if you come here to see soap, feast your eyes on my latest batch. Goats milk, oatmeal and honey. It will be listed in the White Bucket Project shop soon. Maybe even tonight, but I'm not holding my breath.
My computer is in the shop and I'd like to say that when it gets back I'll post much more often. I just started reading the book Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology. I'm not too far but love it already. As much as I like technology, it seems to complicate many things rather than make them easier. After reading the entire book I may be ready to throw away my computer all together....or at least spend a lot less time on it :D Oh, and the best part about the book? Inspite of many degrees the author makes a living driving a rickshaw and making soap!!

The White Bucket Project

2009-08-02T16:57:00.004-04:00

Hi all :D Its been a busy summer here and I've been working on lots of projects. My latest project is finally ready to unveil.

(Yuzu)

On May 31st I was part of something amazing. I know many, if not most of you who read this blog aren't affiliated with a church, and may not even believe in a God. I'm not going to try to proselytize or shove Jesus down your throats. I'm not that kind of girl ;0) What I am is a girl who is all about doing the right thing and bringing a piece of heaven to earth. For me the foundation of that is Jesus, for you it might be something else. I won't judge...

(Pink Clay)

So anyway, at our church on May 31st, as part of the sermon, lots of white buckets were placed around the stage. Those who had money were encouraged to give, those who had nothing were encouraged to take. I decided to go up and get money for a friend in need. As I was doing so a man I've never met walked up and put a 100 dollar bill in my hand. I don't even know what he looked like because my eyes were full of tears.

(Coconuty Comfrey)

The events of that Sunday got me to thinking. With 4 kids and a husband in school our budget is tight. Where could I come up with extra money? Selling soap of course! That's when The White Bucket Project etsy shop was born.

I only have 4 soaps listed at the moment, but there are many more to come...(including laundry soap, if I can find the time) I wish I could give everything I make, but I'll have to keep a little from each sale to replenish my supplies. You have my word though that the majority of the funds will end up in the hands of those in need.

For more details about The White Bucket Project at Mars Hill check out the Facebook page.

Please excuse my vent...

2009-07-04T15:59:00.005-04:00

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!

With our busy lives its hard to sneak in a batch of soap. When I do get to make some its rare and usually for something special. This weekend I've made 2 batches of soap. Of those 2 I've managed to make just about every mistake in the book!!! Lye heavy, ricing, separation, over heating...just to name a few.

My batch today was supposed to be a beautiful funnel soap with lots of comfrey infused olive oil and comfrey powder. Do you think that soap would work?! NO! I'm so frustrated right now I could scream...time to do some yoga I think.

I think I've managed to save the batch. Its now a hot processed blob of poop, but at least its usable. The worst part is that both batches this weekend were for a special project I'm working on that I wanted to unveil next week. It may take a little longer now that I've got soap that is so ugly.

Oh well...chalk it up to lessons learned and a heavy dose of humility. : P

Lazy days

2009-06-30T22:54:00.003-04:00

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. ~Henry James

Saturday was a perfect summer afternoon to spend at the beach. I've never been a huge fan of Michigan, but I realized this summer what a great state we have here... We're almost completely surrounded by water and have beautiful beaches. A 45 minute drive will take us to any number of beaches and sand dunes...
The best part of the beach is seeing the kids. We didn't have any toys, but it didn't matter. Water, sand and a little imagination are all that's needed.
The sun was warm, but the water was frigid! It didn't stop us though :D
We will be visiting again sometime soon!!
PS...All the pictures were taken with my new EnV phone/hand held computer ;0)

Aprons and clothes pins

2009-06-23T20:50:00.003-04:00

Its been a great summer so far. Last week we did the first round of strawberry jam and hope to do more this week. There was also a visit to my parents which included time with aunts, uncles and cousins. There's nothing like sitting outside on a warm summer night with extended family...such good memories!

While in Ohio my mom and I made an apron for me. I always have grubby hands grabbing me and am also good at making big messes on my own. It doesn't take long for my shirts to get dirty so a full size apron is a necessity.
I found the perfect fabric at my Joanne's, but didn't buy it figuring I could get it in Ohio...Wrong!! I had my tub of scraps though and found a great combination with plenty to spare. I bought the main fabric last year just because I liked it...I haven't found it since then so it was a good impulse buy. The green gingham was from pieces of a skirt I almost made in high school.
I was desperate for a clothes pin bag and went on the hunt for an easy tutorial. This is what I found. I was able to whip up this bag with leftover fabric, lining and bias tape during nap time. Not too shabby for a novice like myself :D

Summer Days

2009-05-31T21:54:00.004-04:00

Oh sweet innocence. We don't drink much pop around our house, but Tim bought the kids some Jones today. They loved it! Just like the good ole' days of glass bottles and no high fructose corn syrup. ;0)

Ahhh soap. This is the 3rd time I've made my baby soap. I love it so much. Its beautiful and luscious for the skin!! I still haven't cut it because it looks so nice.

The dress is nearly done! I started it on Monday and still haven't hemmed it. Its so easy though...its only been about 3 hours total.
Smile dear...its only 57 degrees out! ;0)

I have to force myself to hem this thing so I can start on something else. I really need a clothes pin holder and want a light apron that I don't feel guilty getting dirty.

Wow, I'm tired! Time to hit the hay =D

Green Beauty Routine

2009-05-26T13:00:00.004-04:00

I'm all about being green these days. Its so much better for everyone, and often times frugal. With 4 kids, frugal is a necessity.

When I was looking for deodorant recipes I found a few people who were using baking soda to wash their hair. Shampoo is the one thing I haven't been willing to skimp on. I've used Redken products for over 15 years due to my unruly hair. I tried using my soap at one point, but my hair resembled something like a brillo pad afro. Yuck.

The problem with my precious Redken is that its EXPENSIVE and I've developed an allergy. It gives me huge angry welts on my head. So, when I switched to my home made deodorant I also switched to baking soda shampoo. My new routine is this...
* scrub a tablespoon of baking soda in my hair and let set for a few minutes.
* rinse out soda and use a apple cider vinegar/water mixture as a final rinse.
2 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 cup water. I put mine in a spray bottle and leave in the shower.

Now instead of big bucks, I spend about $5 on my hair care products that will last months. Oh and my hair...healthier than ever!

For those who don't think I'm completely insane, baking soda has become an important staple in our house. Its one of the best cleaning tools in my all natural arsenal, and I'll also be adding it to the laundry soap I plan on making this summer. You know, when pigs fly and hell freezes over... ;0)

Stickers

2009-05-25T11:14:00.005-04:00

I'm going to sing the praises of My Two Babes again =D I've been wanting a sticker to put on my packaging. Something generic that I can slap anywhere. Kristin came up with these beauties that I can print on my own whenever I need them. So stinking cute I can hardly wait to fill some orders =D

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-25T10:49:00.007-04:00

Goody Goody Goody Goody!!! I'm so excited...I am in love with craigslist. Every day for the past 2 weeks I've been looking for a serger. I'm on a tight budget, but wasn't willing to settle for a crappy machine.

Sunday morning I was doing my usual check and there it was...an older model Viking that had been taken perfect care of for $75. My heart almost stopped. A Viking was exactly what I was looking for. You can't go wrong with a Viking.

So, here it is...my new baby!
Complete with carrying case...
More thread than I'll ever use...
And books to get me started!
I have a few dresses I've been wanting to make for Yael, but was putting them off until I could find a serger. We'll be taking a girls trip to the fabric store today =D

And that's not all. In my two week hiatus I've been hard at work with a bazillion other things including lots of infused oils.
Here's my little helper. He really loves to *cough* "help".

A tutorial...in honor of Mother's Day

2009-05-10T20:06:00.007-04:00

Friday afternoon we headed down to see my family in Ohio. We celebrated Tucker's b-day, Mother's Day and after dinner headed home so I could go shopping and get the house ready for tomorrow. Its been a busy day, so for my Mother's Day I decided to pour a glass of wine and put together that tutorial I mentioned yesterday. So, here goes...

First, grab some clean containers. These work, but I'm going to order some flat, round tins. They'll be much easier to use.

Next, grab some coconut oil. You'll need 5 tablespoons for a single batch. Don't pay attention to my pictures, I made a double batch...

Pop the oil in the microwave and melt it. While you wait, find some baking soda and a starch. Arrowroot powder or cornstarch are perfect.
Pour a 1/4 cup of baking soda and a 1/4 cup of starch into a clean bowl and mix together.
Once your coconut oil is melted, add 5 tablespoons to the soda/starch mixture.
With a whisk start mixing. It has a pasty consistency and won't be difficult. Once you're happy that its combined well, add a few drops of essential oil or fragrance oil. I haven't tried essential oils yet...my fo's smell so nice I haven't been motivated to try anything else.
Once its all mixed, pour into your containers and let cool.
Wasn't that easy? I made some for a few friends to test. I've been putting mine through the sweat test all weekend and tomorrow is my spin class. For spin I'll need to coat my entire body!

The idea behind baking soda and cornstarch is that soda deodorizes by killing germs and the starch helps to absorb wetness. I'd like to come up with a special essential oil blend for the super heavy sweaters out there. I know some people get extra stinky so eo's like tea tree, rosemary and peppermint should help. It should be really helpful for those crazy spin days =D

Etsy love and other cool things

2009-05-09T16:22:00.005-04:00

Dear Blogger, I enjoy using your blogging service. Its easy for a semi-techno savy girl like me to use. BUT, why oh why can't I write anything before my pictures any more? Is there something I should be doing differently?

Its Tuck's birthday which means time to indulge in some etsy shopping. Normally I just window shop, but for birthday's I can actually buy nifty things and support small businesses. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ;-)

I found these super cute waterproof diaper covers from rethinkcrafts. They are perfect for summer. All I need is a t-shirt for a cool summer outfit. I can hardly wait to use them!

While checking things off my to-do list last week I got bored so I whipped up a batch of deodorant. Its sooooo cool and (so far) works great!! I'm done with $10 store bought, so called "natural" deodorants.

I love it so much I'm considering adding it to my Etsy shop. Maybe I'll even post a tutorial...like when there are 4 more hours in the day =D

Bulk order to share UPDATE

2009-05-01T15:01:00.003-04:00

With all my kit orders coming in I just realized that I'm really low on lye. My local supplier is out, but she can order a 50# container for me. I don't feel comfortable having that much lye around the house, so I'd like to find some people to split it with. I will keep 25# of lye and the rest is up for grabs at $2.50 p/pound.

If anyone is interested in buying some, let me know. I'll figure shipping once I know how much you want.

*Looks like the other 25# are spoken for. Thanks to those who are pitching in =D

News Flash: I made soap!!!!

2009-04-28T15:51:00.003-04:00

I've had a batch of oil sitting on my stove for a month!!! Sometimes I need a kick in the pants to get going. Last Thursday I noticed my etsy shop getting a lot of hits and I was getting orders and convo's. One girl told me that I'd been featured in the Etsy Mother's Day email. Woohoo and Yikes!!

In order to make soap for orders, the soap pot had to be cleaned out. The picture is from my phone so it sucks. I did an in the pot swirl with yellow, white and green. Not my best work, but its still pretty good. Its scented with Brambleberry's Pinapple Cilantro which is awesome! A great pick me up in the shower =D

I can't believe I did it!

2009-04-25T07:39:00.002-04:00

Last week I stepped way out of my comfort zone. I went to the local YMCA and got a family membership. I've never been big on health clubs...it just didn't seem worth the money. I've changed my tune.

Trying to get in enough hard core exercise to lose all my extra baby weight has been nearly impossible with 4 kids hanging around. Somebody ALWAYS needs something. When I found out the Y has free child care for 2 hours, I was immediately sold.

For the rest of the summer I will be spending every spare minute exercising. Tim and I are planning a vacation to California in August and I'd like to lose at least 25#. I have a good start so far thanks to my new home away from home =D

Mary Mary quite contrary...

2009-04-16T13:02:00.003-04:00

Remember my planting project a few weeks ago? Here are my precious plants now. The ones above are my tomatoes and eggplant.

A week later I planted about 75 cucumber plants. We're going to be dreaming cucumbers...they've all been very successful.
Amber's morning glory are growing beautifully. Since I have so many seeds, I'm thinking about giving these as mother's day gifts and planting the other seeds.

I've enjoyed starting our own seeds. Each night I water the plants before I turn off the lights. Its become my moment of zen. Smelling the dirt and tomatoe leaves is refreshing after a long day of chasing children. I can hardly wait to get them in the ground and do some serious gardening!

Life as 6

2009-04-16T12:36:00.002-04:00

When we had 4 kids I knew we were in for a lot of work. The first few months after the baby was born I would think of how much easier it would be once he turned one. Now that we're close to the big day I have to admit I was wrong. Everything is even more complicated than before.

Turning one means so many changes...one nap, mobility, messes. The baby stage was easy. I think this next year is going to be the bigger challenge.
I guess I'm explaining that because I feel guilty for not blogging more. I haven't been to my family blog in months. There aren't enough hours in the day to do the things I really need to do. Sadly blogging isn't on that list =P Don't give up on me though! I'm still here, if not as often =D

Long Overdue =)

2009-04-16T12:19:00.004-04:00

I have so much to say, but have no idea where to start. I know life in the blogosphere has been pretty quiet. Does this mean blogs are out? Has beens? Twitter and facebook are hot now, but I don't have time for them either! Oh technology, you make things easier and yet complicate them at the same time.

Instead of rambling on and on in one long post I'll do a bunch of short posts. While you wait, here is my blueberry faced baby who will be 1 in 3 WEEKS!!

Thawing out

2009-03-26T09:24:00.007-04:00

I'm happy to report we made it through our bought of sickness. It was horrible, but things have been the total opposite this week. The weather is beautiful so we've been taking walks and playing outside for as long as possible.

Yesterday the kids and I decided to get some gardening done. This is my poor, neglected landscaping. I managed to kill the bushes and did hardly anything for it last summer.

About 2 hours later everything was pulled out and cleaned up. I'm planning on putting large containers with heirloom tomatoes in the spots where the bushes were. Hopefully today I can get to the other side of the garden. Its so bad I'm surprised my neighbors haven't called the authorities ;0)
As part of our summer science class we started a few seeds too.
We started Pineapple and Bonnie Best heirloom tomatoes, some sort of heirloom eggplant that came in my shipment from Rareseeds.com, and morning glories from Amber. I still have 3 kinds of cucumbers and snap peas to start this weekend.
Last night I watched Super Size Me on hulu.com. I've been meaning to watch that movie for uh, years! Lately we've been telling our kids that McDonalds and all fast food is poison. After seeing that movie I'm not the least bit sorry. I felt even better about our gardening activities for the day. =D

Quarentined

2009-03-19T09:43:00.002-04:00

Last Friday we took the baby to the doctor and he congratulated us on being very healthy all winter. He should have kept his mouth shut.

We've had vomit flying and ear infections to fill in the gaps. Stay away from our house =D Everyone is getting back to normal today which is a big relief.

I have a batch of oils sitting on the stove waiting to be magically turned into soap. I'll let you know when the soap fairy comes =)

Some bittersweet news

2009-03-11T22:30:00.004-04:00

In January my husband found out that his job was being outsourced. 10 people, doing 3 different jobs would be laid off...except for 3 who would be hired as content specialists. Tim interviewed for one of those jobs weeks ago and FINALLY heard back today. I'm happy to report he's been offered one of the new positions. Maybe I can get some sleep tonight since that isn't hanging over my head anymore!

I have to say though, this is bittersweet. Even though Tim has a job, there are 7 people now who don't. I'm truly sorry for those 7 people...we've been in that position before and its not easy. I'm going to bed tonight at ease, but still with a heavy heart.

Joanna's having a giveaway =)

2009-03-06T16:34:00.002-05:00

Joanna of the amazing Product Body is having a giveaway. The winner gets some ultra-fab Crush On You. Hands down the best sugar scrub I have ever used. In fact, I've just about hit the bottom of my 20 oz. jar. Time to restock =)

Want to join the running? Head on over to Joanna's blog and tell her I sent you!

7 more days!!!

2009-03-06T11:03:00.003-05:00

These last 4 months have been crazy. Instead of taking a break from class, Tim used the time to prep for his current class. Then the class came and he dropped of the face of the earth. Having 4 kids at home all the time and homeschooling is nuts! Good news though...the class is done next Friday!!!!! We are all looking forward to getting back to normal. Even better, I get to make soap! Not just soap base, but soap that I can experiment with and add my own personal touch to.

So I will soon have actual soap to show you on my soaping blog =) For now, I have a video shot with my new Flip. I'm gonna miss these baby noises when their gone!

My Two Babes is having a Vintage Fresh Giveaway!

2009-03-03T09:05:00.005-05:00

Have I told you how much I love Kristin of My Two Babes? I may have mentioned her once or twice.... ;0)

Kristin is spotlighting my shop on her blog and having a $5 gift certificate giveaway. If there's something you've been dying to get, head on over and make a comment on her post for a chance to win.

I'm infusing lots of oils this week and even have a few specialty oils brewing. I'll be listing 4 oz. of Lavender Jojoba and Comfrey/Calendula Sweet Almond Oil in the next week. I can't wait to show them to you...the packaging is awesome!!

My new toy

2009-02-28T11:25:00.008-05:00

Its Saturday and once again I'm alone with the kids while Tim studies. I'm ignoring most of my normal duties and taking some time to relax. Though, that doesn't really happen much w/ 4 kids in the house.

Since our tax return came this week we decided to splurge on something I've been wanting for a while. We have never owned a video camera, but most of them are expensive and cumbersome. Tim found The Flip and I flipped =) This thing is sooooooo cool! I even got to pick my own design.

This is why its called The Flip...the usb port plugs right into your computer and you can download your videos or simply recharge the battery.
AND, its so user friendly even a 7 year old can use it....which this 7 year old did all afternoon yesterday. The kids entertained themselves for a long time making movies and then plugging it directly into the tv and watching.
Now that I have this handy little gadget I can get to work making video soap making tutorials! I'm so excited!

Well, my relaxing is over....ds1 and 2 are throwing fits so its time to get back to work = P

They're here! They're here!

2009-02-21T22:53:00.006-05:00

Kristin of My Two Babes has been at it again. These are the fabulous new labels I'll be using for my infused rice bran oils. Aren't they awesome?!

Having a slightly different label means I can tell if I'm grabbing the right oil or not. These aren't the usual paper label so I can pull them off and reposition if necessary....which is usually the case =)

Now that labels are here, be on the lookout for infused rice bran oils this week!

I'm lost without my laptop

2009-02-19T11:01:00.004-05:00

Tim's schedule has been brutal this quarter, so the kids and I headed to Ohio for the week. The wireless hasn't been working so I've been forced to use my parents computer. As a result, my computer time has been minimal. There have been lots of other things to do instead.

Knitting has become therapeutic and I'm slowly gathering tools. I have enough now that they are making a mess and becoming unruly. I asked my mom if she could make a pouch for my needles, gadgets and gizmos. I picked out this fabric. I love the tree fabric so much I want to go buy the entire bolt. I has everything I love, trees, flowers, bright colors and a modern vintage feel. The more I write about it the more I want it all =)

In spite of my spring-ish fabric and sunny days, winter is still here. I'm experimenting with some wool to make my dd some mittens. I thought it would be self striping, but its not. And I just deleted the picture. Duh.

While in town I had to check out a new local yarn shop. They had great prices and beautiful yarns. Since I can't find any self striping yarn to use for kids projects I filled my bag with these kid friendly acrylic yarns to try. These will make great gloves and socks that can be thrown in the wash and don't cost a fortune.

As much as I've enjoyed the break, I'm looking forward to getting home. When I get back to my own schedule I need to reformulate my olive oil soap base, and start cooking up more rice bran oils. Stay tuned for more nifty Vintage Fresh labels!

What's in your water?

2009-02-12T12:00:00.003-05:00

Do you think much about the water you drink? (As I take a big gulp) We've been talking about it around our house lately. We've also been talking about compassion.

My daughter's Sunday school class is raising money to buy bio-sand water filters for families in Rwanda. Our family has made the decision to save enough money ($50) to give one family clean water, but we don't have to stop there.

To help our cause I will be donating 15% of ALL purchases from my Etsy shop from now until March 7th.

Prices Slashed!

2009-02-10T08:49:00.005-05:00

I've been a bit disappointed that my infused oils weren't selling and knew I needed to change the price, but life has been so busy the past few weeks I haven't had time to think. Elizabeth and I have been chatting about it and I finally came to a price I'm happy with.

Infused olive oils are now $12.50 each. I'll be adding a listing of 2 for $23 and another listing of 3 for $30.

I had originally wanted to price a bit cheaper than the $20, but when I saw someone selling 4oz. of infused oils for $10 I thought people might think mine weren't quality. However, I'd like soapmakers to be able to use my oils...not just dream about it =)

I'm also finding that rice bran oil is very popular and I have easy access to it. I'll start making rbo infusions this week. Hopefully they can be up in the shop by next week =)

The Socks

2009-02-05T16:01:00.004-05:00

Remember that wanna be sock? Its now part of a complete set!! Tadaa =)

Once again I have stuck with a project and completed it. I have to come clean though... I gave up for a while because I didn't have anyone to help me get through the scary heel part. Amber suggested I try Ravelry. That place is addicting and oh so helpful.

Tonight Tim is letting me out of my cage so I can head over to the knitting store. My next project will be mittens. I'm going to create a 2 year old proof mitten that can only be removed by me =)

*I'd like to note that blogger has been misbehaving lately. I've been trying to post comments, but they don't often go through if I can even get to the comment page. I'm still reading though =)

Let's talk soap

2009-02-02T15:24:00.003-05:00

I must confess that my soaping blog hasn't had much soap information lately. I apologize to the faithful soapers out there who are looking for some good clean conversation. ;0)

Over the years I've done a lot of experimenting while making soap. I've used a large variety of products and will continue to do so. There are a handful of things that I love and use on a regular basis. These are a few of my favorite things....

1. My log molds. 7 1/2 years ago my husband bought me 2 log molds that are sturdy and make a perfect sized bar. I love them and will never part with them!

2. Rice Bran Oil. I love using olive oil, but it isn't always affordable. I heard that rbo soaps just like olive oil without being slimy. I haven't been disappointed and now use it in all my batches.

3. Honey. I always have local honey on hand and can't keep myself from adding it to soap. I don't have to tell you how wonderful it is for the skin...its popularity speaks for itself.

4. Quality fragrances. I've used cheap fragrance oils before. They're cheap for a reason. My favorite suppliers include: Bramble Berry, Magestic Mountain Sage, Sweet Cakes and Snow Drift Farms.

5. Fresh Coffee Grounds. I love a good scrubby soap and coffee makes for a great bar. I recently made a hot process batch with coffee grounds and chocolate fragrance oil. Since the coffee was added after the cooking stage it still has all its scent. It smells like a huge cuppa mocha java. What a way to start the morning!

I have a few more favorites, but I'll save them for another time. Feel free to share some of your favorites too =)

Blech

2009-01-29T19:28:00.002-05:00

I didn't mean to disappear after comfort week, but so much has been happening. Last Friday night I found out some troublesome news and felt very deflated all weekend.

I'd like to write more but my laptop is broken and the other computers are in the cold basement. I think the Abominable Snowman lives in my storage area...its that cold. Should I go on?....the baby has his first cold and now I'm fighting it too. I'm not as down as I sound. I'm just pulled in too many directions this week to do much.

Hopefully Tim can fix the computer tonight, but its doubtful. I think he'll be gone pretty late studying. For now, I must go check on the rowdy bunch upstairs who sound like they'll be coming through the floor any second now =)

Comfort Week Day 5: Image

2009-01-23T21:37:00.002-05:00

I've searched all week for the perfect picture. I still can't find it, but this one will do...

This is from my husband's last trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. The picture I really wanted is the dock at the base camp where we lived for 2 summers...lets just pretend for now.

I volunteered with a wilderness facilitating/outfitting group the summer after I graduated from college. My husband volunteered the same summer. We'd been friends for a few years and over the summer our friendship blossomed.

I sat on that dock and fell in love. I will never forget the night I knew for sure that I was going to marry Tim. There wasn't a cloud in sight. The stars were so bright they were reflected in the pristine lake. I can still hear the loons...

Since that time we've shared many great trips in Algonquin. Its not just beautiful, its full of memories....comforting memories.

Thanks to Sherrie for hosting comfort week! Go here to see what the other participants had to say.

We have a winner!!

2009-01-23T15:13:00.004-05:00

I decided to try something new this time. I hopped on over to random.org and punched in my numbers. My biggest accomplishment was learning how to take a screen shot. I can't believe its taken me this long to learn, lol!

Congrats to Teresa from Life, Homesteading and Everything Else!! Let me know what you prefer...a bottle of oil, or a batch of soap. Either way I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Thanks to everyone who came and commented. It was a pleasure to have you all stop by and say such kind words =)

Comfort Week Day 4: Routine

2009-01-22T20:20:00.004-05:00

These days I need little comforting routines to help keep my sanity. For those of you who know nothing about me, I'm a stay at home mom of 4 kids... 6 yrs, 5 yrs, 2 yrs and 8 months. I also home school and have a husband who is working on a master's degree. while working lots of overtime. Yes, I do need a straight jacket and rubber room.

I wasn't sure which to post. I love doing yoga and highly suggest yogatoday.com for all the other hermits out there. That's one of those things that can be easily interrupted though.

The best way for me to get a few minutes of peace each day is to have tea. Tim and I are both addicted to tea. When he's done with school we want to start making our own blends...(do I see I future etsy shop in our future? ;0) Anyway, a cup of tea with my favorite almond fingers is a little peace of heaven in my crazy life.

*Update: I fixed the yoga link =)

Comfort Week Day 3: Place

2009-01-21T21:35:00.003-05:00

Today's comfort is the most comfortable place. That is a no brainer for me. Like Dorothy says "There's no place like home!"

I love home even when it looks like this:
All but 2 or 3 pieces of furniture in our house are hand me downs, or were purchased used. Sometimes I feel like we live in a used furniture store. But when a little boy decides to use a marker on the sofa cushions or doesn't make it to the bathroom in time it isn't such a big deal.

For more on comfort week go here = )

Oops. Almost forgot =)

2009-01-20T21:01:00.003-05:00

Here are the others who are blogging about their favorite comforts. Yesterday's recipes were awesome!

Comfort Week Day 2: Home

2009-01-20T16:29:00.004-05:00

Today's comfort is the most comfortable place in our home. It was a toss up...I could have posted a few, but I settled on one.

This old blue chair.

Its older that I am! Until a few months ago it was my parents. My mom got tired of saying "I'm waiting until the grand kids are older before I get new furniture." I kept having kids which prolonged her updated living room.

Its not just the chair. Its the room. My living room is where we live. All 6 of us. Last week I watched as Tim sat on the floor with the baby in his lap while the other 3 ran around them like wild Indians. It made my heart swell with emotion. Love. Laughter. Joy. Wonder. Amazement. Comfort.

A gift from My Two Babes!!

2009-01-19T22:47:00.003-05:00

I mentioned My Two Babes Etsy shop in my giveaway post. I LOVE everything she's designed for me. I gave her a few half baked ideas and she exceeded my wildest expectations. Since everyone has had so many wonderful things to say about her labels, she's offering a $1 refund for all my friends! All you have to do is write VintageFreshSoap in the notes section and she'll refund you a dollar. There are lots of goodies to see in her shop so go check it out =)

Comfort Week: Food day

2009-01-19T20:35:00.002-05:00

Welcome to comfort week! Sherrie at Frenchy's Finds is hosting a week full of comforting things. Today is all about food.

First of all, I apologize for the sub-par photo. My husband was starting to eat and there was a table full of adults giving curious glances. Not a lot of time to pose =)

One of my favorite comfort foods didn't become a favorite until after I got married. I had a craving for beef stew one day and called up my mom. She gave me a recipe that had been handed down from one of my grandmother's good friends. Ironically, I hated this meal growing up. However I've made it so many times I don't use a recipe anymore and can alter it to whatever I have on hand.

Start with a nice size chuck roast...about 1-2# depending on how meaty you want it. Brown the roast in a skillet briefly and place in a crock pot. Pour an envelope of onion soup mix on top. Next grab your veggies. Yesterday I used onions, green beans, potatoes, carrots and peas. (I like to stick with fresh veggies as much as possible.) I've also used celery, sweet potatoes, corn and broccoli.

Now here is where I can't be much help. When it comes to adding the veggies I don't use exact amounts...I just fill it to the top. Here's what I used yesterday (roughly)

5 small red potatoes, cut
3-4 carrots, cut
1/2# green beans, cut
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup peas

Once the veggies are in add:
1 tablespoon Tapioca pearls
1 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cups of water

Mix everything up a bit and turn on your crock pot. I put mine in at 9 am, turned it on high and it was ready to eat by 2 pm. If I'd turned it on low it would have been perfect for 5 pm dinner. Not only is this comforting, its EASY which puts it at the top of my list!

There are others participating this week... Check here.
Don't forget about the giveaway, and thanks for telling your friends = )

So many things to catch up on...including a giveaway!

2009-01-17T22:50:00.005-05:00

**Times up everyone, see the winner here. Thanks so much for all the kind words =)

Well everyone, after a week of hard work my infused oils are finally listed! I've been taking every spare minute to infuse, type listings, take pictures, etc. Tim's class has been CRAZY meaning he's gone studying. If he isn't gone studying, he's working late. I can't believe how much I've accomplished while playing single mom.

I'm not in love with the bottles, but I got them for a steal from my supplier. I DO love the labels though! I found My Two Babes through the shop local option on Etsy. She's done an amazing job of designing all of my graphics.
I'm so excited to offer the infused oils. I hope they become popular among the bath and body crowd. For those who don't make body products I added a special option. For a little more $$ instead of sending a bottle of oil, I'll use the oil to make a batch of soap.

Because I love these oils so much I'm having a special giveaway. I'm offering one 16 oz. bottle of calendula and comfrey infused olive oil. For those of you who aren't soap makers I will use the oil to make a batch of soap and send it your way. So, the winner will be able to chose between the oil and soap...

For a chance to enter twice, post about the giveaway on your blog and then come back and leave another comment.

Whew...I'm tired and Tim's asking for his laptop back... I'll be back Monday to participate in Sherrie's Comfort Week!

Herbal photo shoot

2009-01-12T22:18:00.003-05:00

Since starting to list soap bases and kits on Etsy I've been thinking about what else I could carry to make Vintage Fresh Soap a one stop handmilling shop. My latest project: infused oils.

Today I bought a huge bottle of olive oil, received my herbs and bottles from Melissa (my local supplier) and tonight was a photo shoot. Tomorrow I'll start infusing oils! Does anyone else get as geeked about that as I do? Probably not...I'm a little weird like that = )
Calendula and comfrey are first on the list. I have a box full of herbs so I won't run out of things to do.

There are only a few listings on Etsy for infused oils. They come in 4 oz. bottles and I'm going to start with 16 oz. I figure there might be soapmakers out there who don't want to spend the time infusing oils. Soap isn't the only way to use them either...lotions, balms, anything you need oils for. I'm using all food grade supplies so if you really wanted to, you could even cook with them = )

Beating the winter blahs

2009-01-10T21:43:00.003-05:00

As a teenager I used to like snow and winter up to Christmas and then I was ready to be done. What good is snow anyway?! I've since then changed my tune. I love being outside in the winter. Its so beautiful! All you need is a way to keep warm.
Tim and I decided to go cross country skiing at a nearby golf course this afternoon. They have great rental fees and beautiful woodsy areas. I could spend all day in this! We're in the market for used equipment and even have skis for the kids. I can't wait to get us all out there together.

There are even a few hills to race down. Tim was loving that.

I have an enormous blister on each heel and my body is exhausted, but I can hardly wait to get out there again!

What kind of mold do you use?

2009-01-08T16:02:00.005-05:00

I often get questions about good molds to use for rebatching. I thought I'd post some pictures of a few...

I found this one at Target. Its a 9x9 silicone pan. Silicone is a soapmakers dream come true! No lining required, just pop that soap right out. For $9.95, its worth every penny. You may want to set it inside of a similarly sized box for stability. Especially if you have to move it.
I bought this mold from Bramble Berry. It makes a perfectly size bar and has scoring lines so you don't have to guess where to cut.

I found this one at Target last year in the $1 bins. The bars are a little messy on top, but can be trimmed. It too is silicone, so slides out easily.

I found this old hardware box at an estate sale. Lined with a little wax paper, it makes for a great mold. I used it this week to make hot process soap.

Door hangers...

Did I mention I made soap?! I had to make soap for a kit on Tuesday so I whipped up a batch of Cafe Mocha soap. Lots of coffee grounds and chocolate fragrance. YUM!

I've been adding a few things to my shop. I'm working on something else that I think will be a hit. Hopefully I'll have them listed next week.

Help! How on earth do I do this?!

2009-01-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

I'm all ready to list some new things to my Etsy shop but I haven't the slightest idea HOW. I will be selling upgrades to my regular soap base by offering olive oils infused with things like comfrey, calendula, marshmallow root, carrots...etc. The idea is that someone buys a kit or soap base and then purchases the upgrade. I'm having a terrible time trying to word it in my listing though.

Have you ever seen anything like that on Etsy? I'm sure I can't be the first. What are your suggestions?

Progress Report and Socks!

2009-01-03T11:55:00.003-05:00

It figures that when I put my mind to do something, circumstances arise that make it difficult. Case in point: Monday night I went to bed nice and early. As I was dropping off to sleep I hear crying. I went into #3's bedroom to find that he'd stripped down to nothing before he fell asleep and had just soaked EVERYTHING. So much for getting to bed early. I changed the bed, changed the boy and drifted off to sleep much later than expected.

6:30 came a little sooner than I wanted, but I still got up and did my routine. I heard 3# at the end of my yoga session and decided to finish up. BAD idea. This is what I found when I walked in his room:

I already had a pile of sheets to do so whats one more?! In spite of obstacles this has been a good week of exercise. Hopefully I don't have too many mornings like that!

I've been obsessing about socks lately. I've wanted to learn how to knit them and knew I'd need special instruction. Tuesday night Tim let me out of my cage and I went to City Knitting...an awesome little knitting store. One of the ladies got me started on a basic sock pattern using the Magic Loop technique instead of double pointed needles. I toyed with learning dpn first, but when I saw the size 0 needles I quickly changed my mind.

The yarn is self striping with blues and greens. I LOVE it = )

Look at those tiny little stitches. I may go blind, but at least I'll have cool socks ;0)

Rebatching: A tutorial

2008-12-29T15:30:00.004-05:00

Since I've shifted my etsy focus to rebatching kits, its high time I posted a tutorial. The biggest challenge of rebatching is knowing when the soap is ready for additives. Hopefully this will make the process much easier.

Before you get started have your mold and additives ready. I like to use a small box lined with parchment paper as a mold.

If you order one of my soap making kits, your soap will look something like this when you get it (minus the roses). That is roughly 2 pounds of soap base which will make 8-4 oz. bars of soap. The size of the bar depends on the mold you use.

When you're ready to make your soap start by grating it into an oven or microwave safe dish, or a crock pot. It will seem like a lot of soap before its melted together.

After grating pour in 1/4 cup of liquid per 2# of soap. I usually use milk. Let it sit for 2 hours to soak up the liquid, stirring every 30 minutes.

Once your soap is shredded, cover and put into a warm oven (170 is good) or turn your crock pot on low. If you chose to microwave you will do short bursts of 30 seconds to 1 minute. Microwaves vary so you have to play it by ear. Oven and crock pot methods will need stirring every 15 minutes.

This is my soap after 15 minutes in the oven. The top layer hasn't melted yet, so I'll stir and pop in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes.

Eventually your soap will look like this. Its easy to stir and there are no lumps of unmelted soap. It will look like translucent mashed potatoes. Before you take the soap out the oven for the last time, premelt any oils or butters you plan on adding to the soap.

Here's a better look. My soap is always thick because I don't use lots of liquid. If you wanted it to be runnier you could add another 1/4 cup of liquid. When your soap looks like this its ready for additives. Some of my favorites include honey, oatmeal, cocoa butter, essential or fragrance oils. If you buy a kit additives are included.

When you add your extras stir well to incorporate, but don't stir too hard or you'll get frothy or bubbly soap. Here is a 2# batch in the mold. I borrowed a small puzzle box from my kids.

My blogging buddy Amber makes beautiful handmilled soaps.... Mine never look as good as hers do so I took some pictures of hers = )

The first time is always a little scary, but once you get the hang of it you can soap in your sleep!

New Years

2008-12-29T15:11:00.003-05:00

I've had a wonderful and much needed break from my normal routines, which included blogging. Now that Christmas is over its time to get ready for the new year.

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions. I'm finding I don't do well with cold turkey changes and despite my need for structure the same thing doesn't work for me all the time. I need change or I get bored.

This year I have a large goal in mind though. I've had my 4th and final baby so its time to permanently lose those lingering baby pounds. Over the past 8 months I've been in survival mode...usually skipping morning workouts to get in those precious 9 hours of sleep. Rather than making unmanageable goals I'm working on changing habits. Getting to bed early, waking up early enough to exercise, saying "no" to things that will keep me from accomplishing my ultimate goal, etc. etc.

Changing a habit is hard work, but a resolution I intend to keep this year. I'm guessing that my new habits will affect more than just my weight loss goals. I'll let you know how things work out = )

I'm working on a rebatching tutorial. I'll most likely post tomorrow, but if it gets done before that I'll post early.

Those Great House Women

2008-12-16T20:59:00.003-05:00

Have you seen the I Spy bags on Etsy? There are quite a few shops selling them, but my favorite is Those Great House Women. They've gone beyond the geometric bags and have created beautifully detailed and well made bags.

Take me to your leader...
I couldn't resist these little chicks. There's one hiding in my drawer waiting to be wrapped.

And for you cupcake lovers... I toyed with getting this one and decided not to. Now I'm kicking myself. I'm tempted to go back and get it = )

I bought one of these for all the kids on my list. When I opened the package I was instantly mesmerized and had to force myself to put them away. If you're ever looking for a great gift that will keep kids (and adults) entertained these are big winners!

Am I the only one?

2008-12-15T20:50:00.002-05:00

I've temporarily lost my soaping mojo. Normally I would be cooking up some nifty holiday soaps for friends and family but I can't bring myself to do it. I've been planning a hot process coffee soap but as evening rolls around I get everyone tucked in bed and then hop in bed myself.

I've lost my mojo period. I haven't been blogging, making Christmas cookies, wrapping presents... Its not that I don't want to do any of these things. With 4 youngins' and a baby in the bunch it just isn't going to happen this year.

I'm not disappointed or frustrated. Instead I'm enjoying the Christmas season with the kids. If the cost of having 4 means I can't be Martha Stewart this year I can handle it. Its a small price to pay, and one that won't last forever. I'll be sorry these days are over soon...might as well enjoy them while I have the chance!

Anyone else out there taking a little soaping break?

49 out of 100 isn't so bad.

2008-12-13T16:00:00.003-05:00

I've seen this posted a few times. The things I've done are bold.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. No, but I stood at her feet once...
18. Grown my own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied *satisfaction has little to do with money in my opinion*
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain Even got engaged in the rain = )
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (the tiny bone on the end of my pinky toe...twice!)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

Hmmm, looks like I need to do more traveling!

BabyLegs tutorial!

2008-12-06T18:27:00.008-05:00

I've been fascinated with BabyLegs lately. They are perfect for kids in diapers, potty training, girls who go through tights in a blink of an eye, and fashionable mom's (which I am not). Prices run from $8 to $22 a pair and are a little pricey for this mom. I've been combing etsy and found great prices, but still too much for all the pairs I'd like to give for Christmas.

So as usual I say to myself "I could make those!" So I did and now I'm going to show you how too because its just that easy...

I went to Target last night and grabbed a few packages of women's knee socks. They have lots of styles and colors to chose from. I'm going to work with these two:
With a pair of scissors or rotary cutter cut the sock in two just above the heel.

Cut a straight line, don't follow the curve of the sock. If you have acrylic socks they will roll.

Now cut a straight line just under the heal and then again at the toes. You want that little piece to be rectangular.

I did it to my stripped sock too...You don't have to do both, I'm going to mix and match in a minute.

Now discard the small pieces from the heal and toes. The solid pink sock is a little boring so I'm going to spice things up a bit. When you make your own you can switch it up anyway you want...

Take one of those small pieces and fold it in half so the wrong sides are together. The wrong side is the side that would be against your skin if you were wearing the socks. Its usually lighter in color.

Once folded it will look the like cuff on a sweatshirt sleeve. If you're working with acrylic you'll have to fiddle with it a bit to get it to match up. It doesn't have to be perfect though...

When your happy with the cuff, put it around the bottom part of the sock that you cut before. You want all three cut sides right on top of each other.

Again, it might be curly, but you get the idea...

Next you'll want to pin the pieces together so they're easier to sew. I started at the folds of the sock since they marked the halves. I lined them up and then pinned half way between those.

Pinning took the most time because my fabric was rolling. I wonder if cotton would do the same thing?

After pinning the quarters I pinned between each of those.

Now its time to pull out your machine. Here's mine. Isn't it cute?! Just when I decided to do more sewing my machine died a painful death. Amber found out and sent me an extra one she'd been given. Can you believe that?!!! I'm so grateful for her generosity... And like an idiot I just deleted the picture. = P

Anyway...put your pinned pieces on the machine. I put the cut ends to the far end of the foot which will be about 1/4 inch seem.

Then sew, sew, sew...

When you're all done take the pins out...it will look like this:

All you have to do now is fold down the cuff and you have yourself a pair of homemade babylegs! And it only took 10 minutes! That was so easy it won't be hard to make a pair for all the kids (big and small) on my Christmas list! There are lots of blue, green and black socks to be found so I can even make some for the boys.

No babies in the house? No problem...these work great as sleeves too!

I've been tagged!

2008-12-01T13:34:00.004-05:00

I was tagged by Amber for the Real Deal. I'll show you a nice picture and then you can see what's really going on at my house = )

Here's a nice picture with some of my recent swap soaps...

Caution! The next photo is rated R for its extremly graphic and disturbing content!

Here it is...the kitchen I woke up to on Monday morning. It took almost the entire alphabet to label and I didn't even label everything!

A...there are a few of these. All dirty dishes left from last night.

B...Cereal box still left on the counter.

C...Half a bottle of wine. Note: If you've been aching to try Smoking Loon save your loonies and toonies (Canadian coins).

D...Baby's leftover mashed bananas.

E...Family Fun magazine waiting to be read.

F...Pile of junk mail waiting to be shredded.

G...Recyclables waiting to go to the garage.

H...Banana peels.

I...Fiestaware pitures waiting to be filled and returned to their proper places.

J...Spray bottle with eco germ killer.

K...Iron waiting to take the wrinkles out of hubby's work shirts.

L...Grapefruit I meant to eat for breakfast...now an afternoon snack.

M...Hubby's left over tea.

O...Scrapbooking paper I used as a back drop for my lotion pictures.

P...If I have to tell you what that is please email me...we need to chat.

Q...back to the microwave. Forgot about the mouse. Not en "eek" mouse, just a computer mouse.

R...Paper towels from lotion making adventure.

S...Soaps.

T...Towel that never made it to the drawer.

Is anyone still there? Has my mess scared you all away? I really want to tag some other people, but if I don't post this now it will be a few more days before I get around to it... So, lets see it everybody. What are we missing from your photos? Let's see the real deal = )

I'm done

2008-11-30T15:42:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving is over and I'm done ignoring my blog. I think... = )

I worked up the courage (and time) and made my first batch of lotion yesterday. I tweaked Anne Marie's recipe using what I had on hand. I don't have any stearic acid so I called Bramble Berry and they were more than helpful. Beeswax can be used instead so I gave it a whirl using my less than stellar beeswax. Here's the final product.

Usually my first try at anything is an absolute failure. I did my homework this time and am happy to say the lotion didn't end up in the trash. It could still use some tweaking though. My horrible beeswax is almost impossible to cut, shred or break up in any way. As a result my lotion is really stiff and waxy. The dark chocolate fo is no match for it either. Once this batch runs out I'll be doing some more testing to come up with my own perfect lotion.

Its just days before Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T13:17:00.003-05:00

And what am I doing? Laying in bed with a heating pad.

When I picked Josh up this morning everything in my neck froze and became horribly painful all at once. So instead of cleaning for family and preping for a fantastic meal I'm here in my bed.

I've been ignoring my blog...

2008-11-19T13:16:00.002-05:00

With a weekend trip looming and family descending on us for Thanksgiving I've been too busy to do much blogging. This will be the first time I've hosted out of town family for the holidays and I'm finally understanding what my mom's gone through all these years. I've learned how to relax quite a bit over the years, but my type A control freak nature still likes to rear its ugly head ;0)

My sister wanted soap to give as gifts this year so last night I made two logs for her. One is an oatmeal and honey w/ apple jack & peel fo. The other is a peppermint w/white and pink clay swirls. It didn't gel at all, but seems to have set up well anyway. We'll see what happens when I cut it. Since it didn't gel the clay is a nice color of pink instead of the brick red it usually becomes. I don't have any pics right now, so I'll wait until we cut it...

The Curious Menace is being his usual mischievous self. He does occasionally slow down though.

After ripping everything out of my closet first though = ) Feel free to laugh when you see his craziness. I realized a while ago that the only way to live through his madness was to develop a really good sense of humor.

I was going to make lotion this afternoon

2008-11-11T15:47:00.003-05:00

I decided to give lotion making a try this afternoon. I found an easy tutorial on The Soap Queen's blog and had collected all my ingredients.

Then this happened:

This is why I shouldn't let him go in the basement by himself.
I got downstairs with the vacuum and he'd found something else to dump all over the floor. Some days I just don't get anything accomplished.

I'll be back in a few days with the lotion...I'd like to do it tonight when my husband gets home, but he has to be out all night studying. If you don't hear from me again its because my 2 year old has driven me to the mental hospital ;0) At least I could get some peace and quiet there...

Done and up!

2008-11-10T16:34:00.003-05:00

Its time to feed the babe, but I thought I'd get in a quick post. Remember that garland I made, what seems like years ago? Well, I made another one that is similar and just finished posting it on Etsy.

If it doesn't sell I won't be too crushed because I don't have time to make another fall one...its time to make some for Christmas!

6 months

2008-11-08T21:00:00.003-05:00

6 months ago yesterday I was laying on a table being sliced open for my 4th and final c-section. If I could wave a magic wand and have a brand new uterus I'd do it all over again. And again. And again.

Good things sprouting up all over

2008-11-06T15:09:00.004-05:00

I've mentioned a few times how much I'm enjoying the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. One thing that has impressed me is how devoid of nutrition our food is. Even our "fresh" fruits and veggies are picked long before they are ripe and have been genetically modified to withstand long shipping times.

When we lived in Israel nearly all of our food was picked within a days drive and often right outside our door. I have never felt as healthy as I did that year. Foods grown in good soil, picked at their peak and delivered right away gave us the nutrition our bodies needed. Now that the growing season is coming to an end I've been trying to figure out how to supplement my families fresh produce. I will have to buy from the local market, but I'd like something really fresh. Enter sprouting...

This week I went to my local health food store and bought the Sprout Garden. I've made sprouts before but needed something that was dummy proof and large enough for our family. Here they are after one day...

Lentil sprouts. I'll stick them in the sun tomorrow to develop some chlorophyll. Once they're done I'll set them out for the kids to snack on whenever the urge strikes.

Broccoli sprouts that are cancer fighting and packed with nutrients. Unfortunately they were looking fuzzy this morning so I had to throw them out. Good old alfalfa sprouts. They are more than twice as big today.
A kitchen sprouter isn't really necessary. I've used an extra large mason jar and cheese cloth, but haven't been getting the volume I need for 6 of us. Seeds are cheaper than an entire package of sprouts found in the grocery store. And for all of those people out there who think I'm supermom...its takes almost no time each day. The best part is if I,the grim reaper of houseplants can do it...anybody can = )

Hard at work!

2008-11-05T08:55:00.003-05:00

If you stopped by my Etsy shop recently you realized that I haven't done much with it. With school starting I haven't time to create new soaps to sell. More than just making soap is getting good pictures and taking time to list. Each step is time consuming, especially if you're a type A perfectionista like myself.

Kits and soap bases have been far more successful than I had imagined so I'm going to focus on that for now. I have some great ideas I'll be rolling out this month. For now I'm focusing on stock photos. I spent the last 2 days taking photos, rebatching for a tutorial and doing product testing with additives and fragrances.

From the top moving clockwise I added spirulina for a nice green color, calendula petals, comfrey root powder, pink clay and finally bamboo powder. I didn't do a very good job of mixing, but got a general idea of how everything would turn out. The spirulina has a nice green color...I know it fades in cp so we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. I LOVE the pink clay soap. It has a nice pink color instead of the brick red it turns in cp. It was so pretty I couldn't wait to use it = )

In the next few days I hope to test lavender buds, beet root powder, marshmallow root powder and whatever else I can find to toss in. I'll also be infusing my base oils with various herbs. There is so much to do, but I'm hoping to have my improved shop ready to go before Thanksgiving.

Multitasking

2008-11-02T21:44:00.004-05:00

Hmmm, what a week. Lets see if I can sum it up with some pictures...that are once again out of order = P

Here's some of the soap I made with my dad. I think he got a little bored with the process, but he'll get some nice simple bars of soap. There's such a nice feeling knowing exactly what goes into your products. I think Nemo agrees = )

I mentioned awhile back that I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. At first I thought I'd fly through it, but I've been taking it slow so I can digest everything and work to make some changes around here. This week I gave cheese making a try. Yep, that icky stuff there became a pound of homemade mozzarella. Seriously, EASY!!! I was done in less than an hour and my gallon of milk was a lot cheaper than a pound of cheese. Easy to use kits are available here.

Cheese wasn't the only thing I made... I have loads of applesauce and pear jam that I canned. This is the first time I was able to do major canning. I had high hopes for this summer, but I must have been smoking something = ) Canning for 6 is a great idea if you can find the time!

Of course we did our trick-or-treating on Friday. We had friends over and spent the mild evening strolling around the block asking for candy. Here's my little cowgirl...

My dragon and my pirate. Such cuties = )

I hadn't been clear that Friday was MY birthday. I think I'm old enough to forget about birthdays = ) It was such a busy day and week. Maybe next year I'll figure out how to make the day a little easier...doubt it ;0)

Happy Birthday

2008-10-31T12:43:00.003-04:00

Has it really been 5 days since I posted?! Its been a BUSY week and today is going to be the busiest.

I started working on another leaf garland that will be posted in my Etsy shop soon (hopefully in the next few days). I only have time to make one, so first come first serve. I'm making plans for some nice Christmas garlands next.

At the moment I'm up to eyeballs in apples and pears. My parents came for a birthday visit so now I can get some canning done. I have 7 qts. of applesauce and 7 pints of pear jam canned. Next on the list is apple/pear sauce and apple/cranberry sauce. Applesauce is SOOOOOO easy to can I may get another bushel of apples at the market tomorrow. Feeding 6 people is lots of work, but having a can of this or that to grab off the shelf is the ultimate time and money saver.

I have plenty of soap I'd like to make. My dad told me this morning that he's really interested in learning how to make soap. Wait, what was that?! He wants to make soap! So, tomorrow morning before they leave I'm going to give him a crash course in soapmaking. I think I'll do a small olive oil batch and send it home with him.

Okay, I've had far too long of a break. There's lots more applesauce to make and then dinner and trick-or-treating to get ready for. And I just remembered we have to carve pumpkins. I'll try to be back Sunday with plenty of pictures.

A finished project and a giveaway

2008-10-27T21:44:00.006-04:00

Hmm, my pictures are all messed up again, so pardon my scatterbrained post. As if I need an excuse ;0)

My leaves are all made and I turned them into a fall garland. Here is the whole thing...
And here is an unrelated picture showing our booty from the rainy farmer's market on Saturday. I bought 2 bushels of apples for sauce and a peck of pears to add to the mix. The two will also make great baby food. We couldn't leave without pumpkins, so the kids picked out two beautiful specimens. Bread, cranberries, lamb cutlets, eggs and various veggies were also on the list...all for $60 and not a penny to spare.

Here's my garland trying to blend in to the tree...it couldn't hide for long. I don't think it would want to stay outside anyway since we've been getting snow. I have mixed feelings about that.

It looks much better hanging over my dinning room window. I think that will be its home for a while. I enjoyed making this so much that I'm tempted to make another and offer it in my Etsy shop. Either that, or get started on some Christmas garlands so I have them in time.

As I was catching up on my blog reading I found this giveaway on Coming Up for Air, thanks to Teresa. Another great idea in the quest for simple/green living!

What's up with blogger?

2008-10-23T21:56:00.003-04:00

That wasn't going to be the title of my post until I looked at my pictures. They are completely out of order. How did that happen?! Oh well, I guess I'll have to write a little different than I was planning = )

I found an easy craft that has been keeping me busy. I have a renewed obsession with felt. These leaves are part of a cute little something I'm putting together. It should be finished within the next week so I'll come back with final pics later...
I put together a custom soaping kit for a girl that's going to make Christmas presents. I enjoy finding out what a person wants/needs and then figuring out the perfect combination. This base is my Plain Jane recipe that will be split into two batches. One will have oatmeal and a sensitive skin essential oil blend. The other will have pink clay and a calming essential oil blend.

One of the best parts about crafting is seeing what other people come up with. I learn so much from other people and it fuels my own creativity. I'm excited to be a part of the process for others.

Hubby went canoeing last Sunday to try to catch some of the fall colors. He complained that the trees were either green or empty, but then I found this. Not too bad for a guy who used to hate cameras = )

And, finally my swap goodies. Have I mentioned how much I love swapping? The last swap was my very first, AND the first time I had used someone else's handmade soap...with exception to the one soap I had been given that started me on the crazy soap train. Does that make any sense? I'm exhausted so I'm not even going to read over it again.
Anywho, here they are in all their swirly goodness. I'd post who they are from and what they are but its late and I need to feed the babe. The babe who decided tonight that it was high time he rolled over. Before you know it he'll be runnung around the house with the rest of them.

Etsy love

2008-10-21T11:45:00.004-04:00

I seem to have found my Etsy niche and I'm so excited! As much as I love to dream up lots of beautiful and wonderful soaps, its just not practical while I'm homeschooling. I can't find the time to make all the amazing soaps floating around in my brain, but I still want to create and make soap.

Enter soap bases and kits. I thought about selling soap bases before I knew anyone else did. Since there wasn't a large presence selling bases I decided to give it a go. Next came the soap kits.The kits are only limited by my imagination. I can use infused oils, essential oil blends, fragrance oil blends, countless skin loving herbs and superfatting oils. Whatever I want to dream up I can turn into a kit.

The thing I love most about this is the opportunity to introduce people to the wonderful world of soapmaking. Not everyone has the ability to keep lye around the house, or even the desire. My bases and kits don't take away the creative process, and allow people to have personally hand made soaps. I LOVE making soap and enjoy introducing others to the craft. Imagine how different the commercial soap industry would be if more people made and used handmade soap! In my own little way I'm becoming part of that...all from my little kitchen.

Spread the word, handmade soap rocks! = )

Laundry is my kryptonite

2008-10-16T14:16:00.003-04:00

I love learning about housekeeping in the past. The one thing that confuses me is how my great grandmother got all her work done without today's modern conveniences.

This summer my dryer wasn't venting properly so I used it as little as possible. My mom still hangs her laundry so it isn't new to me. Trying to keep up with it all is. Once I realized my dryer is an energy hog I started to feel guilty using it. I was able to maintain hanging laundry until school started. I knew I needed to figure out a better way or I would soon be buried alive.
While in New York I talked to my aunts about their clothes growing up. Each of the 4 kids had 3 outfits: Sunday best, school clothes, and after school clothes. Despite not having much my aunt told me that their mom kept them clean. As I was sitting there listening I could almost hear the light bulb clicking on in my head. Not only did they have fewer clothes than we do today, they wore the same outfit multiple times before it was washed. Now I know how my great grandmother was able to do laundry without losing her mind.
This week I started my new laundry regime. Most clothes have been worn twice unless they were too dirty or didn't pass the sniff test. Sunday I put a basket in the hall and JUST put those clothes in the washer TODAY! I have done sheets a few times because of bed wetters, and a load of diapers, but those don't require the time that a full load of clothes does. On any given day I'd tell you I hate laundry, but I think it was due to the volume. I can honestly say that we've cut our laundry in half this week.

Now, its a little different for me because I home school and don't send my kids out into public every day. Most kids will not want to wear their clothes 2 days in a row. I guess clean clothes could be hung back in the closet and saved for later in the week though.

This little change in our daily behavior has yielded fantastic results. I'm amazed by how much more time I've had this week. Its hard to believe, but I'm excited about laundry! I think my great grandmothers would be proud = )

*P.S. By only using my dryer 1/3 of the time we've saved up to $30 p/month on our electric bill.

A.D.D.

2008-10-14T16:52:00.004-04:00

When it comes to crafts I have A.D.D. Part of it is my do-it-yourself nature. I can't tell you how many times growing up I heard my mom say "I can make that." Usually followed by "I can make that better." I just rolled my eyes and swore I'd never be like that. Now I'm the queen of "I can do that." = ) Its gotten worse since I haven't been able to make soap for a while. I'm searching for a simple, quick creative outlet.

I found these on Etsy a while back. I love buttons and have a huge bail jar full of them. I don't think I could make something this cute though...

Maybe I'll just put these KreatedbyKelly lovelies on my Christmas list = )

Winds of change

2008-10-11T22:26:00.005-04:00

Have you ever come to the point in your life where you see yourself shifting? As we mature something seemingly insignificant or even colossal can set us on a new path. This past year has been that way for me.

We find ourselves with a new mindset these days. While we have a smaller budget than most we are blessed with much. Instead of working to get ahead to accumulate more stuff, we want to live frugally so that we can share with those who have little. Giving instead of getting, putting others first, making do with what we have and taking care of this beautiful creation we call home are becoming priorities we're embracing as a family.

While in New York I talked to my aunts about growing up during the depression. There were 6 of them in a 4 room railroad flat in Brooklyn. Times may have been tough, but they have happy memories that we love to hear. Today there are countless experts telling us we need more and more stuff to raise happy, well adjusted children. I disagree.

This week I realized that my stuff owns me. I can't keep up with my family because we have too much stuff that needs to be taken care of. That will change this winter. I'm going to go through every nook and cranny weeding out the things we don't need or use. We'll also be rethinking everything that comes into our home.

This started out as a soap blog, (which it will remain) but soaping has had to take a back seat lately. To help fill in the gaps I'll be sharing my journey into simple living. I hope you all enjoy the ride and contribute your pearls of wisdom = )

Now, to keep this from being a really boring post ;0) I'll share some pictures from my weekend on Long Island...

New York City cont.

2008-10-08T16:18:00.002-04:00

Any Project Runway fans out there? I'm a huge fan...mostly of the first and second seasons. I'm not as fond of the people they've picked the past 3 seasons. Everyone is very talented though and each week its inspiring to see their creativity.

I should mention that I'm not a huge fan of Hollywood. I don't hate it, but the Hollywood royalty is not something I've ever been interested in. Lately it seems as if their lifestyles are incredibly pampered and the occasional story circulates about how rude and arrogant they are in real life. As Tim's uncle says "They act like their *poop* doesn't stink like everyone esle's."

Therefore, I was completely surprised by my reaction when we were leaving The Met and spotted Austin Scarlett from season 1 of Project Runway. I nearly came unglued and scared Mandi to death = ) I've never been one to get all crazy over celebrities, but I've been a huge fan of Austin's work...and the guy was hilarious to watch. Its kind of funny to see a reality star in person. Seeing them on tv you've come to know who they really are, not a character they play. He was just a few steps in front of us so I made sure I wasn't interrupting him and told him what a huge fan I was. I'm sure I came across as a huge dork since I'm prone to dorkiness, but I'm glad I took the chance. After all you only live once right?!

So much to catch up on!

2008-10-07T16:19:00.004-04:00

I don't even know where to start! Maybe an explanation would be good = )

My grandfather (Charlie) was born and raised in Brooklyn in a railroad flat...aka cold water flat. The youngest of 4 he had an older brother, George, and sisters Loretta and Violet. Aunt Loretta remained single all her life and spent lots of time with various members of the family through the years. It only seemed fitting that we should all attend her 90th birthday party.

Sunday my cousin, and great friend Mandi and I decided to spend some time in the city. I found a bunch of goodies...

A man was selling prints of his artwork and I couldn't leave without buying some. I didn't have enough for a large print, so I bought 3 small ones. Now I have to figure out which room to grace with their presence = )

Since I'm trying to get back to the basics with cooking and learn how to make good use of everything I thought this book would be perfect. I have family who came through Ellis Island and a favorite recipe that's been passed down through the years.
I couldn't be in NYC without stopping at Patagonia. We love their clothes and usually buy online, but I had to go see everything for myself. I walked away with something for my hubby and this wonderful bag. Click the picture if you want to get one for yourself...
There is so much more to share so I'll be back during the week to dish.

The Big Apple

2008-10-04T10:13:00.003-04:00

So here I am in New York trying not to embarrass myself. I stepped into Starbucks this morning doing my Michigan thing and realized when the barista started talking to me that this isn't Michigan. I had a little chat with myself at that point. "Don't embarrass yourself, Heidi...try not to stick out like an obvious tourist. These people can eat you alive." Well, not really on that last part = )

For now I'm headed down to the shore to snap some pictures of Long Island Sound and hit a thrift store along the way. I wonder what kind of treasures I'll find! I'll be back with pictures if I can find something for my cf card!

A little more about me...

2008-10-01T21:35:00.004-04:00

Joanna from The Soap Bar shared some things about herself a few days ago. I thought it was pretty cool and was going to do the same and then I was tagged by my friend Ness.

So here goes:

*I'm terrified of flying...this could be a problem because I'm flying to New York City on Friday.
*I'd love to homestead...that includes raising our own meat. My husband agrees with me which is a step in the right direction. I think we'll wait until we can actually sell our house, and until the kids are old enough to do some real work.
*When I was in 5th grade I was old enough for band. I wanted to play the flute because it was delicate and cool. My only choice was to play my dad's old clarinet which I grudgingly taught myself to do. I was in band all the way through 11th grade.
*While in band my biggest rival was always 1st chair clarinet. I challenged her numerous times but never won. Once the director couldn't decide between the 2 of us so he drew straws and she still won. Don't you think he could have let me have it just ONCE?! After all, its not like she hadn't had a chance.
*I'm not bitter ;0)
*I'm a neat freak...probably not a little known fact
*I've decided that with everything that's on my plate I don't just need to have priorities, I need to act on those priorities. Sometimes my house is a mess until cleaning day because its not worth getting an ulcer over.
*My family is at the top of my priority list.
*I get really bad stage fright. The one play I was in during college made me realize that I like the behind the scene's creative work much better.
*I went to a small Bible college and wanted to be a pastor's wife...I'm glad I'm not.
*When I was in high school one of my best friends and I ALWAYS wore Avon frosted lip gloss. I always had one handy so I could reapply at any given moment.
*I was a dork in high school. A big one. I wasn't much better in college.
*I lived in Scranton, Pa which makes me love The Office even more. My cousin lived there too and we are equally obsessed.
*My favorite memory of all time happened my freshman year of college. A bunch of friends and I went on a haunted hayride. I can honestly say that I don't remember when I've laughed harder. I may have at some point, but this memory is burned in my brain. It still makes me laugh to think about it = )
*After going to the haunted hayride we went to the abandoned state hospital to wander around. My friend Joe and I never left the car but not because there was any hanky panky going on. It was on a dead end road and the caretaker's house had lights on...in the basement. Its what horror movies are made of. Everyone else saw a light go on in the "abandoned" building and didn't waste any time running back to the cars.
*My family and I follow the blood type diet...we're a mixture of types a and o so meal planning can be interesting.
*I like to laugh.
*My kids make me laugh every day.
*Last night my son was talking to me in his sleep and I made him repeat his gibberish nonsense because it was so funny.
*I'm tempted to divulge my most embarrassing moment.
*My junior year of college a bunch of friends and I decided to have a end of the year cookout. I made my favorite potatoe salad but the green onions I used where incredibly strong. I stifled many a toot that night. When I was waiting for my ride to be ready to leave I feel asleep on the couch. To my utter and extreme horror I woke myself up with an enormous fart while said ride was in a corner reading the paper. I pretended I was still asleep and laid there for a few more minutes before I pretended to wake up. The guy who was my ride is now my brother in law. I'm pretty sure he doesn't read this blog...whew!

I should probably tag a few people, but I know it isn't always appreciated. If you're interested in sharing some fun things about yourself let me know so I can check it out = )

Ivy C. where are you?

2008-09-29T07:35:00.003-04:00

Do you guys remember the little drawing I had last week? My lovely daughter picked Ivy C. as the winner...but I haven't heard anything back. I don't have anyway to contact you Ivy and I'd love for you to claim your prize! I'm sure you'd like it too or you wouldn't have entered...

Drop me a note at vintagefreshsoap (at) gmail dot com for your winnings. If I don't hear back in a week I'll have to redraw. I want to make sure you have plenty of opportunities to claim your prize though...

Built like a tank

2008-09-28T22:21:00.002-04:00

I've wanted an antique sewing machine since the first time I saw one. I don't know what it is, but I love them. I found this one on craigslist for exactly what I had to spend.

These things were built to last! It came with all the original parts including the different feet and bobbins.

Right now its in the entryway, but will soon move to the living room. It will make a nice table for a lamp and a perfect sewing table.

A skillet and a story

2008-09-28T21:59:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth from Gracefruit asked for people to share about our favorite, most used piece of cookware. These aren't pretty, but they never leave my stove top.

When I got married, my sister passed a few things on to me that she wasn't using. A large set of cast iron cookware was part of the stash.
These 2 skillets are the ones I use the most. They came from a little old lady that sat behind us in church every Sunday. Mrs. Kromer was one of the sweetest little old ladies you could ever hope to meet. She was born in Oklahoma before it was a state and started teaching school at the age of 17 in a one room school house, Little House on the Prairie style. I think she's still living...if she is, she's close to 100 and dementia has completely taken over.

Mrs. Kromer's cast ironware came to me perfectly seasoned and I treat it with care. I also have a med. sized round skillet; square skillet; and dutch oven w/glass lid. Sometimes I drool over Calphalon, but this stuff has been around longer than I have so I'll keep it around...maybe hand it down to my kids someday = )

Soap Apron!

2008-09-25T22:28:00.004-04:00

I love fabric. I could waste hours in the fabric store looking at the beautiful prints and seeing what patterns would compliment each other. I had some time to browse while at my parents last week and a few yards managed to find their way into my bag. I don't know how it happened I swear. They were stowaways, so I had no choice but to use them.

I've been needing a soaping apron that was long enough to protect more of my legs. JoAnn's has decorator fabric that's a little heavier than regular cotten in some stunning prints. I was looking for a reason to buy them (on sale!) and visions of a soaping apron popped in my head.

My 6 year old daughter took this picture!

I put this to use right away when we got home. Its great for making soap and pretty much any other daily activity. Its covers so much that my clothes are staying clean despite the grubby little hands that are always grabbing me. Its only one sided, but I'm considering getting more of the polkadots and making it reversible. I like it so much I may even make one or two for my etsy shop...when I get a sewing machine that doesn't act like a tempermental 2 year old (more on that later).

And the winner is.....

2008-09-25T16:21:00.004-04:00

Drum roll please!

Let's have a closer look...
Congratulations Ivy C. who had this to say:

"reuse, recycle!probably our biggest contributions are that we use cloth diapers, wipes and grocery bags. we also like to shop/donate at thrift stores and use freecycle as well. plastic bags (on rare occasions that we get them) are reused for wet swimsuits or diapers, or reused many times for whatever needs to be toted. every little green contribution helps!!"

Thanks to everyone for sharing your RRR ideas! Everything from cloth diapering to biodiesel (my favorite!) to composting to personal water bottles to etc. etc. etc. = ) If you are looking for new ideas to be frugal and/or green check out the comments and see for yourself!

Ivy C. to claim your c.d. kit pop me an email at vintagfreshsoap (at) gmail dot com with your size preference and mailing address. Everyone else, feel free to check out Breezy Babies Etsy shop for affordable bamboo fitted diapers...you won't be sorry!

Not interested in cloth diapers? Check back for another giveaway in the not too distant future = )

Don't forget!!

2008-09-24T19:18:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow (Thursday Sept. 25th) at noon is the deadline for entering the Breezy Babies Green Giveaway. Go here if you're interested! I'll be selecting the winner at random so check back tomorrow night...

Extreme Makeover

2008-09-24T06:32:00.003-04:00

I know you've been waiting on pins and needles for my extreme makeover pictures...ok, not really but here they are anyway.

Not much to look at are they! We went on the reveal day and couldn't even see their street we were so far away. That roof you see mostly hidden by the trees is their new house.

At one point an suv limo drove by. I told my mom we knew it was the cast if we heard lots of screaming. About 2 minutes later the crowd near the house went nuts.

The kids wanted to take a picture too, so here's Jesse's:

And this is Yael's:

Once I saw their pictures and eye view of the whole operation we decided it was time to go. How boring to stand and look at every one's back all morning! A few days later I rode by on my bike. I wish I'd brought my camera along, but its too big and clunky. The house really is beautiful and looks like its been there for years. If you go here you can see pictures from the week.

While we were in Ohio my mom and I turned her kitchen into a sweat shop. I'll try to get pictures of everything we made. On a whim I bought material for a soaping apron...no more ruined pants!

It smells like Thanksgiving at my house = )

2008-09-20T07:58:00.002-04:00

Now that we're home and getting back to normal I'm ready to pump out some new soaps.

Yesterday I made a batch that smells like almond cookies. YUM! Almond is one of my all time favorite scents and this blend is fantastic.

I'm not so sure I like that chunks on top, but I like to add something for visual interest... We'll see how it turns out when its cut.
I only got one picture of this before my battery died. It smells like my pumpkin bread and I almost licked the spoon a few times when I was swirling the top = ) I used pureed pumpkin for color. The specks are ground pumpkin flakes and coffee grounds... Its going to be hard to keep myself from cutting this too soon.
All these fall soaps have my house smelling like Thanksgiving day. I can't wait to pull out more holiday scents and dream up some fat free goodies = )

Green Giveaway!

2008-09-17T22:41:00.006-04:00

***Times up everybody! Thanks for your wonderful responses. I'll be posting some of them when I announce the winner tonight!

I've been promising a giveaway for too long! Here it is and like I said, its NOT soap = )
After raving about Breezy Babies wonderful fitted bamboo diapers I thought a diaper would be perfect for my first Green Giveaway. Included in this giveaway will be a Breezy Babies diaper, pins and 6 beautiful, soft, flannel wipes made by yours truly!

I know many of my readers don't have kids in diapers anymore, but this would also make a great gift. If you have ever considered trying cloth diapers, this is a great way to start. All you need is a simple cover (I use nylon pants) and you have a wonderful alternative to disposable diapers. Even substituting 1 diaper every other day will make a difference in your budget and the amount of trash you dispose of each week.

Sooooo, here are the rules. Give me your favorite way to reduce*reuse*recycle in the comments section. If you'd like a chance to enter again, mention my green giveaway on your blog and then email me at vintagefreshsoap(at)gmail.com to let me know. I will pick the winner next Thursday the 25th. The winner will need to email me to let me know what size diaper you want.

September 19-29 has been declared the Etsy Real Diaper week by the Etsy cloth diaper team so Breezy Babies is having some special sales. If cloth diapering is something you've wanted to try, now is a great time to buy! Be sure to stop by and see her goodies = )

Productivity

2008-09-14T21:56:00.003-04:00

We're here in Ohio and I've had a chance to do some sewing. I like to save pattern sewing until we get here because I can never make sense of the directions. I decided it was time to learn how to use the serger too.

My friend fell in love with my flannel baby wipes and asked me to make some for her. I've been looking for an excuse to make something with this fabric and got 2 dozen wipes out of 1 yard.

I need a little more practice with the serger, but its been fun to play.
My mom found this great enamel basin in her attic. Another one to add to the stash!
This picture isn't so hot...its a corduroy skirt that I made for Yael. It was easy to make so I'm sure I'll make another one. It has a cute ruffle on the bottom that didn't show up in the pictures. I love this fabric too = )
Its been pouring buckets since we got here. I wanted to visit the Extreme Makeover site during the build, but there wasn't much break in the rain until this morning. Once everyone was ready my mom and I loaded up the kids and headed over. All we were able to see was the top of the roof of the house. It was 10:30 in the morning, but we couldn't even get to their cul-de-sac.

I don't have anything to transfer pictures from my camera so I'll have to wait until I get home. Even though we didn't see much it was great to see all the action and the excitement of everyone around. I expected to find some rude people in the bunch, but there were good vibes all around. Thank you Extreme Makeover = )

Newsflash

2008-09-11T14:07:00.002-04:00

We interupt the wallowing in self pity for exciting news... Extreme Makeover Home Edition is redoing a home w/in walking distance of my aunt's house!!!! She's doesn't live far from my parents so my sister and I will be visiting the site tomorrow!!! I love EMHE and what they do for diserving families, so this will be a special treat.

Click on the picture for the EMHE website and info about the family.

Putting off the inevitable

2008-09-11T08:07:00.002-04:00

I'm a procrastinator. If there is something to do that I'm not looking forward to I delay as long as possible. The more dreaded the task, the longer I wait.

I've been procrastinating all week. We are leaving for Ohio today and there has been so much to do. School work, house cleaning, packing everything we need for a week... All the extra work has meant extra exhaustion, which means emotions and no motivation are added to the mix.

As if it couldn't get worse, we have to say good-bye to Tim for the week. I'm glad he gets to go hang out with his best friend, but it will be a lonely, difficult week without him. To make matters worse, I've been trying to wrap my head around the death of a family friend who passed at the ripe old age of 41 on Saturday. I thought going to the viewing last night would help, but I was wrong. I'm still in a state of disbelief.

So here I sit, putting everything off until the last minute. Wallowing in my sadness and feeling guilty for getting to this point.

I'm sorry this post is so depressing. I can't wrap it up with a pretty bow at the end because as much as I'd like to sit, I need to get my butt up and do some work. I'll be back when I have something nice to share...

School Daze

2008-09-04T15:43:00.003-04:00

Tuesday was the first day of school around here. It was 92 degrees...the hottest of the summer!!! I'd be surprised if its even 72 out today. I'm sitting here with my tea and almond fingers enjoying the crisp air coming in the windows.

Yesterday was our first day of school...finally! I'd been worrying about it for too long = ) The kids were so excited and we were able to get a lot accomplished.

My second swap soap turned out better than I had originally thought. I made 2 batches...one with titanium dioxide and the other with bentonite blue clay beads. I thought the clay would turn the batch completely blue. They didn't and kept sinking to the bottom. Once both batches were ready I layered and swirled. They look a lot better than they did at first!

This batch is scented w/peppermint eo and smells wonderful. I have a thing for peppermint = )
I was hoping to have a "green giveaway" a few days ago, but as usual my first attempt to make something from my head failed. Hopefully when I'm at my parents next week I can find the right fabric and make something fun. If not, I have another great idea floating around in my head that doesn't require sewing...at least not on my part = )

Breezy Babies

2008-08-28T15:42:00.005-04:00

Now that I've joined the wonderful world of Etsy I'm hooked. Our budget doesn't allow for lots of Etsy purchases, but I want to spread the word about the shops I've liked so far.

One of my new favorites is Breezy Babies. In my search for a good quality fitted bamboo diaper I happened upon this shop. I have not been disappointed. In fact, I just ordered 2 more diapers today.

Bamboo diapers are good for so many reasons. Bamboo is a renewable resource, anti-bacterial, doesn't get stinky, and is incredibly absorbent. Absorbency is important for me because my boys are both heavy wetters.

When I received these diapers my very first test was the overnighter. I usually use my BumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers because I can stuff the heck out of them. I wasn't sure how these would work because they are so trim in comparison. In the morning I had a full night of wetting and the morning poo. The Breezy Babies passed with flying colors. No leaking and it cleaned up beautifully.

An added bonus to the bamboo diapers is how nicely it dries. Many diapers can become crunchy and sandpapery when line dried. The bamboo diaper dries to its original softness. I can use them straight off the line.

Bamboo diapers are an investment. This morning I checked the Diaperswappers FSOT forum looking for nice, used bamboo fitteds. The cheapest I found was $22. USED! I was able to buy 2 brand new Breezy Babies diapers for less than $30 including shipping. Considering the prices on Diaperswappers, if I take good care of my diapers I'll get at least half of that back.

So, if you use cloth diapers, or are considering it, Breezy Babies has great product, prices and service!

Where do I start?

2008-08-27T15:53:00.006-04:00

I can't believe I've waited so long to blog. I feel like I'm ignoring all my friends. I'm always busy so I can't use that excuse.

Today has been one of those days. I can't get anything done, mostly because I have an independent 2 year old who tends to make messes. Like this one...

And this one...
I've also been in the middle of an incredible book. Read this book! Your visit to the grocery store will never be the same. I could only find it on the express shelf, so I have to finish it by Saturday. Its hard to put down, so no troubles there = )

I stopped by the fabric store a few days ago and found exactly what I was looking for in the remnant bin. Woohoo! Stay tuned for the final product and a give away!
After reading all of the posts about a fall swap on The Soapmaker's Corner I couldn't resist any longer. This is one of my swirl soaps. The dark soap is made from comfrey root infused olive oil and powdered comfrey root. It smells amazing and I'm so happy with the results. My next batch will have colored bentonite clay.

I developed a bad habit this summer of staying up way too late. Getting on a better schedule has left me tired and cranky now and then. I can't stay cranky for long when I see things like this... I melt like butter = )

I'm still here!

2008-08-18T14:44:00.004-04:00

With summer winding down I've not been interested in spending much time at the computer. The days are beautiful and there is still plenty of canning to do. Come this fall I'm sure I'll do a bit more blogging.

My husband went to his brother's for poker night on Friday, so after helping the kids catch fireflies and getting everyone in bed I pulled out the soaping supplies. I put the soap to bed at 11 and then had plenty of cleaning up to do.

Elizabeth's Gracefruit blog has had some beautiful soaps like this and this and I wanted to give it a try myself. I started out with a thin trace, but moved a little too slow. I still like how it turned out though. I couldn't leave well enough alone though and had to try a small swirl along one of sides. Its not so bad I guess.

The fancy shmancy tool I used to get my swirl. Guess I should order Chinese so I can get a few chopsticks.

Deliriously Busy

2008-08-12T15:28:00.003-04:00

I feel like its summer vacation for blogging. Everyone is so busy with late summer activities and getting ready for school that blogging is at the bottom of the list. It is for me at least.

I finally took pictures of my new soap which has turned out quite nice. I took these shots a few nights ago so I had to use the flash. I'm looking forward to getting my macro-studio. It will make such a difference.

I had mentioned before that I used more dead sea mud than is usually suggested. I like to push the limits sometimes = ) I think it was weeping because I superfatted a little more than usual.

I was reading a soaping book last night and looking at the type of soap each oil makes. One of these days I'm going to make small batches of soap with single oils to see how each oil behaves on its own.

Its canning time so I've been spending time each week putting up food for the winter. Its been so cool this summer much of the produce is taking a long time to ripen. I think I'll be busy in the kitchen all September. Not so busy I don't have time for some great fall soaps = )

I'm ordering this

2008-08-10T22:53:00.003-04:00

I've found that one of the hardest things about having an etsy shop is getting good photos. First, the problem was my horrible camera. Now, its my photo studio. At the moment, I lay a sheet on the rocker during nap time to take advantage of the natural light pouring through our picture window. If I want to take pictures at any other time I have to use a flash which translates into crappy photos.So, I found this reasonably priced portable studio that I can set up on my dining room table day or night. I'm looking forward to using this and finally having professional quality shots for my shop.

More frustration...and some brilliance too

2008-08-08T21:27:00.003-04:00

I was hoping to post pictures of the wonderful Dead Sea Mud soap I made last night. I just unmolded my soap and its a little weird. It leaked oils and is still pretty soft, almost slimy. I added about 1/3 cup of mud to 3# of oils. I wonder if I added too much, but it really didn't seem like it. I guess its going to sit for a while.

Since I can't post pictures, I'll do what I should have done a week ago! Carrie~Gigi of Mud Puddle Girl, and Under the Willow gave me a Brilliant Weblog award. Wasn't that nice of her! Its kind of like being tagged, so I should be passing this award on to some other people. But since I waited so long, all my other soap blogging buddies were given the award too.

I will say instead, that I love reading all your blogs...even more than just the ones I have listed in my links. I can't seem to keep up with that = ) My soap making has improved considerably since reading all the soap blogs out there. Thanks for all the information, and the inspiration!

Frustrating

2008-08-05T21:37:00.002-04:00

When I decided to start selling things on Etsy I figured I could also sell some of my canned goods. I'm not out to make a living on it, but it would help pay for what we're eating. I decided to take a look at Michigan laws and regulations regarding the sale of processed foods to make sure I'm in compliance.

I'm not in compliance...I'll never be in compliance because the laws in Michigan are so absurdly stringent. If I were to make my food available for sale I would have to do many things including:
* Find a kitchen to rent because no prepared foods that are for sale can be made in the home.
* Have the kitchen I use inspected and licensed, even if its already licensed by the owners.
* Get the proper license (there are more than one)
* Blah
* Blah
* Blah

There are some states out there that waive requirements for people making less than a certain amount of money (like $5,000). I'm making this stuff for my family first and foremost, so my standards are already high. To pile on requirements only makes getting started burdensome and at this point for me, impossible.

This is so deflating. Let this be a lesson to us all, big government may say its for the people, but the little guy always gets screwed in the end.

Pounding it out

2008-08-04T23:22:00.003-04:00

Now that I had my relaxing, slow week its time to get some work done. I've been wanting to make a batch of soap using some dead sea mud I recently bought. With school only weeks away I'm not making soap until my lesson plans are done. I'm a terrible procrastinator, but this isn't something I want hanging over my head. My eyes hurt and my head is pounding, but aside from physically writing each days plans I am just about done. Whew! I can heave a huge sigh of relief.

My next project I HAVE to get done tomorrow. Our csa farmer dropped off my blackberries today so I will be making as many batches of blackberry jam as possible. If I have a really successful batch I may be able to list some jars in my etsy shop. I'm crossing my fingers = )

As much as I love our csa produce, its just not enough. With food prices being what they are I'm making plans to dig up a large section of backyard to garden next summer. Eventually I'd like to can enough homegrown produce to last us through the winter. Yet another thing I have to plan ahead for.

Well, sorry that post was so boring. I'll get back to making and posting about soap once the more important things are taken care of. Good night = )

The Winner

2008-08-03T19:31:00.002-04:00

Well, I thought I had a few posts in there that would stump even my sister, but she knows me too well = )

I would have posted a while ago, but I was looking for a CD with pictures to go with one of my true facts. I still can't find it, so I'm just gonna post.

1. I went bungee jumping at an amusement park because they were offering it for free for an hour as a promo. It was worth every penny = )

2. I don't currently have a tattoo but Tim and I have been talking about getting matching tats to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Now we need to agree on what to get = )

3. My college major was counseling. While preparing to move to Philly for grad school I fell in love...see #2.

4. All hail Agatha Christie.

5. I've never done a triathlon, but its on my list of things to do before I die.

6. I LOVE the Office. My cousin and I are going to have an Office marathon if we can ever find ourselves in the same place for a few days at once. It helps that we both lived in Scranton.

7. I've never seen an episode of Desperate Housewives though I often feel like one = )

8. I'm the oldest, but it was just me and my sis growing up. I think I was as much work as 5 kids, so maybe that's why my parents stopped...

9. When the weather is nice I'm laying in bed dreaming about how nice it would be to wake up early and do yoga on the back deck. Maybe when I'm getting more sleep at night I really will wake up to do it.

10. Our kibbutz in Israel was primarily an ostrich, date and banana farm. I even have pictures of me inoculating them, but I can't find them right now. I'll post as soon as I find em'.

11. Sushi...YUM!

12. I have never even ridden a motorcycle that someone else was driving. I wish I could. I've always wanted too, but I'm just too big of a chicken.

So there it is...truth vs. fiction. My sister wins the pound of funky soap. I have enough left that I'm sure I can have another drawing when I get bored = )

Taking it slow

2008-07-31T20:39:00.003-04:00

I decided this was going to be a slow week. No stressing about the house. Not blogging unless I really wanted to. No new soap. Just relaxing and enjoying the end of July with my family.

Then I got an order for one of my kits (woohoo!!!), but I can make that soap with my eyes closed, so it didn't make much of a difference. Its been such a relaxing week, I may do it again next week. Or at least one more week before school starts. Canning season is quickly approaching, and so is school....ahhh! ;-) But I won't think about that right now.

Here's the funky rebatch soap. Those are huge bars. It almost feels like it could crumble in your hands, but doesn't...weird. It smells like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Yum!

I'm so in love with my new Rebel. My pictures are impressive compared to all the others I've ever taken. I'm so glad we decided to get this camera.

Dumpster Diving

2008-07-31T13:57:00.003-04:00

I had a mountain of recyclables that have been piling up in my garage since way before Tuck was born. The kids and I FINALLY managed to take some of it to the recycle center this morning.

Turns out it was perfect timing. An older man had just dropped in a bunch of these block shaped diaper wipe containers they had used as toys. I'm all about reduce*reuse*recycle so I grabbed as many as I could reach.

I should have saved these for a week and wrapped them up for Josh's birthday. He loves them.

Little Miss Sunshine likes storing her crayons and toys in them.
And an extra bonus! One still had a toy inside =) Wipe boxes make great soap molds. I line them with parchment paper and with minimal effort they come out. The lids mean no messing with a cover. Now that we use cloth wipes I don't have any extra containers laying around. I'm so excited about this I may go back and get the rest of those boxes =)

I've been tagged again & GIVEAWAY!!

2008-07-30T12:20:00.005-04:00

I'm running out of random things to say about myself so I'm going to change this up a bit. I'm going to do it Amber's way. I'll be listing 12 things: 6 true and 6 false. You guys get to guess!

First of all here are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you
2) Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading)
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below) *or, like me you can do 6 true and 6 false*
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them (This is only a game)
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up

All right, here goes...

1) I've been bungee jumping and would love to do it again.

2) I have a tattoo...but its hidden

3) I was going to be a family counselor, but decided to get married and have kids instead.

4) I love British mysteries...novels, movies, tv shows

5) I did triathalons before I had kids

6) The Office is my favorite tv show

7) Desperate Housewives is my favorite tv show

8) I'm the oldest of 6 kids

9) When the weather is nice I like to wake up early and do yoga on my back deck.

10) I used to work on an Ostrich farm

11) I love Sushi

12) Before I was married I had a motorcycle

Whew! That was not easy...

Since this is "just a game" as the rules state, I'm going to switch it up a little more. Instead of taging 6 new people I'm going to offer a little prize. If anyone can correctly guess the true and false answers, I will send you a pound of my funky rebatch soap. It smells lovely, works like a charm, but looks like crap. The first person to guess correctly within this next week wins = )

Camera love

2008-07-26T22:08:00.005-04:00

I love my new camera...and learning how to use it.

This is my not so excellent soap. I rebatched it and am still not happy. I'll have pics later.

Now for something a little more pleasant... These are taken at one of our favorite parks. We went out for our anniversary and did some walking, picture taking, and enjoying the quiet with each other.

My favorite picture = )

10 years

2008-07-25T22:31:00.003-04:00

10 years ago today was a perfect July day. It wasn't too hot or humid. The sun was out and a few lazy clouds floated by.

10 years ago I became a Mrs. to the perfect Mr. for me. He's still my extreme opposite and very best friend.

That's back when I had a waistline.... And got to sleep all night long =)

Ugh

2008-07-24T04:59:00.003-04:00

Its 5 a.m. and Tuck and I have been up for an hour. Doesn't look like we'll be getting to sleep anytime soon.

I cut my beautiful OM&H bars last night and was horrified. I added a tablespoon of sugar because I heard it helps lather. Probably an overkill with the honey, but I like to live on the wild side. I know, that's not very wild...anyway. As I cut I found dark pockets of sugary lye all through the soap. WAHHHH!

I'm going to try rebatching with extra oils to see if I can melt the leftover sugar and get the lye to saponify.

I'm so disappointed...this was a beautiful batch and smells heavenly. Oh well, things like that happen...its all part of the learning process.

The odd thing is that the stars I made before pouring the oatmeal have the same honey and sugar but don't show any trace of being lye heavy. I already used one, maybe I should try a few more...