More Concoctions from My Soap kitchen

I loved playing with mud when I was  a kid.  We lived on a dirt road and I knew all the best spots on the road to find the different types of mud.  Armed with a bucket and a spoon, I would scavenge along the road, gathering mud and stones and then set to work making my mud creations.  Well, those days of mud pie are over but that doesn't mean I haven't found another way to play with mud.

Introducing Mud Pie soap made with Dead Sea mud.  The scent is a nice unisex blend of clove, bergamot and patchouli essential oils.

The fun with mud didn't stop there though.  I decided to give myself a Dead Sea mud masque with a special essential oil blend of tea tree oil, lavender and frankincense.  Oh, it smells so good.  I often will open the jar just to have a sniff.  It's an instant little aromatherapy lift.

Soap making has been happening at a fairly good pace here lately as I prepare for several craft shows during the holiday season.    I have designed two holiday soaps but I will share those with you next week.  Squeezed in between all the soap making, I have developed two facial oils.  Over the years, I have used countless facial moisturizers, only to be disappointed with the results or lack thereof.  Not surprisingly, I also wasn't fond of the long list of ingredients all those moisturizers contained.  I have seen facial oils at high end boutiques but they are ridiculously expensive.  Recently i began thinking, "Why can't I make my own facial oil?".  So after a little bit of research, I have and I love them.

I use a combination of golden jojoba, rosehip and evening primrose oils that are absorbed almost instantly into the skin, leaving it soft.  The essential oils in each facial oil are also specifically chosen for their skin-loving properties.  The daytime oil contains lavender, frankincense and ylang ylang.  The night-time oil is a blend of lavender and orange.  I also love using the glass dropper to dispense the oil.  It's just kind of fun, you know.  Or maybe that's just me.

All my new concoctions can be found here in my Etsy shop.

One Annoyed Feminist

I have proudly been a feminist since I first heard the term in my early teens.  That's almost three decades.  I don't have a t-shirt.  It's not how I introduce myself: "Hi, I'm Tara and I am a feminist."  But if someone asks me, I answer in the affirmative.  It just made sense to me that all people, regardless of gender, should be treated equally.  That is pretty much it.  There have been times when I have taken some flack for it until I explain the definition of a feminist.  That person often then reluctantly admits to being a feminist too.  How could one not want us to all be treated equally, all to have the same freedom to choose  the life we want?

This morning, on our way to the hardware store, I was listening to a discussion on the radio about the glass ceiling.  A woman (I could find her name but I can't be bothered) was arguing that those women who choose motherhood, either full-time or part-time with part-time including those women who choose to work fewer hours in order to spend more time with their family, are detrimental to women finding equality in the workplace.  Apparently, choosing motherhood over ambitiously pursuing a career is the easy choice.  Huh, easy choice.  Who knew?  Also, apparently, there is a reason why nannies are paid $15/hour while a lawyer is paid several hundred dollars an hour.  Essentially, motherhood can be outsourced and is a leisurely occupation.  Again, who knew?  (This woman obviously hasn't looked at my kitchen sink but I digress.  Us folks of the leisurely sort tend to digress.  See, it's because of all this free time.)   Finally, those who choose to live life in such a way that makes them happy are simply being complacent, that true fulfillment comes from challenging oneself even if it is "painful" (her word, not mine).  Now that I think about it, parenting really hasn't been that challenging and I hear that the teen years are a breeze.  What about all these years when I have simply wanted my children to be happy?  I should have been trying to force them down a path in life that was not of their own calling.  Or maybe that only pertains to girls and women.

Anyways, I shook my fist at the radio --  I really did.  I learned that move from the boys.  It's not the most mature reaction but it sure does feel good -- and continued with my day.  I am now going to step down from the soap box and go eat a bon bon.  I mean, clean some dishes.   And yes, I am still a feminist, just a slightly more annoyed one at the moment.

Wordless Wednesday

Ushering In

The past weekend was a perfect Thanksgiving weekend -- warm, sunny days for the entire weekend.  Perfect for visiting the apple orchard, exploring an Iroquois village, hiking around a lake, playing in a sandy pit and simply enjoying the moment.  It was the perfect weekend for ushering in a new season.  Even though fall officially began several weeks ago, it seemed that summer waited until this weekend to say a final farewell.

It was such a beautiful weekend that I felt the desire to decorate our home for the season, something I don't normally do.  Not for any particular reason.  Well, okay, maybe it's because I am a little lazy.  Whatever the reason, this year I wanted to bring a little of the autumn indoors.  So while Keegan gathered leaves, I melted beeswax.  Then we dipped and ta dah!  We have ourselves a fall banner.

I think there may be a little more seasonal decorating in my future.  Any ideas?

Better Late than Never

It was my sister's birthday August 1.  She will receive her gift this weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

I know it is over two months late but this year I really wanted to knit her something.  To be truthful, I had meant to knit her something for Christmas last year but that didn't happen.  I am not a terribly fast knitter so here it is October.  Besides, wouldn't you rather receive a hand knit scarf in October?  I though so.

I am a little concerned that she won't like the scarf.  She and I have such different tastes.  If that is the case, I just may have a new scarf for the fall and I will have the opportunity to knit a new pattern.

Should I admit how long it took me to figure out how to take my picture in this scarf using a mirror outside? Several minutes.  I couldn't see how to take the picture without the camera being in the picture.  Then suddenly, I saw the light.  It wasn't as difficult as it had seemed a few minutes ago.

For those of you interested, the pattern is Guernsey Wrap by Jared Flood.

Next Time

I am feeling a little out of the loop.  It has been a while since I have been present in this space and have visited those of others.  I guess I have been kind of missing in action.  I have been wanting to return to this space but now that I have found the time, I'm not sure what to say.  Now I feel like I am blabbering.  maybe I'll just show you what has been consuming much of my spare time lately.

 
I have been preparing for the holiday craft show season.  My first show was on Saturday, October 1.  The above photo is a little peek at my set-up.  I like to do a mock set-up beforehand to make sure I have everything I need.  Good thing I did because I forgot to bring my camera with me to the show.  It wasn't a local show and the early rise made me a little fuzzy headed but I did enjoy the road trip.  

While preparing for last weekend's show, I also landed my first wholesale gig.  (Gig?  I can't think of the correct word at the moment but I love having the excuse to use the word "gig".  Makes me sound kind of cool, right?)    So every spare moment last week was spent making soap . . .

and soap . . .

and a little more soap.

I promise to have something more interesting to say or show next time.  Promise.