Soaping fun

I was planning this great post about soaping.  I made some "end of the line" soap using all the rest of my oils.  When it's ready, it will probably be the most awesome soap I have made to date because it has cocoa butter and Shea butter and all that good stuff.  

Here are my empty buckets...

My lye pitcher in the sink cooling down after I measured the lye and water.

Safety first.  My snazzy goggles and gloves...

I use only the best equipment.  This is my fancy soap mold-- a cardboard box lined with freezer paper.

Here are the oils, all melted and cooling.

I used what was left of the Cucumbers and Melon fragrance.  It wasn't enough, so the soap doesn't really have a good scent.

So, here is where I was planning to show you all the mixing and the whipping (with a stick blender) and what it looks like at trace... Except that I got so involved in making the soap that I forgot to take pictures of the actual process.

Here is the burn mark on my counter from Mazie deciding to do iron beads unsupervised.  It's a good thing I live in a piece of crap trailer, or I would be really mad about this.

And, here is the soap in the mold.  After it's poured into the mold, it needs to be covered and insulated.  I just wrap it in a clean towel.  After 24 hours, it is cool and ready to cut.  The bars cure for two weeks afterward before they are ready to use. 

And, sadly, I still haven't mailed the soap that I'm sending out.  This week has just gotten away from me, and I haven't been into the post office.  I am planning to mail them today.  Sorry for the delay.

Next post.... my new love.... Vintage Inspired Jewelry.  Oh, I can't wait to show you all the stuff I've been making.  And, I have three pieces to GIVE AWAY!!!

Come back soon!

New Friends

There is just one thing that Josie really wanted.  I have been looking for free kittens for awhile now, and this week someone in our ward called and offered me two!  We are loving our new little friends.  The kids are having fun, and Josie is absolutely in heaven!

Apologies

Just as I committed to blogging regularly again, I have to sign off for a few days.  I won't have Internet access for a few days, but I will blog again Monday.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  Oh, and I will mail packages on Monday, too.  Sorry I can't get them out sooner.

Thanks for Coming!!!

I am so grateful to all of you who have come back to my blog after my long blogging hiatus.  So, I just went and bought three padded envelopes to send soap to the three who left comments, and lo and behold, Vic came back and left another comment.  Okay, so yours might be later, but I am sending soap out to all four of you to say thank you. 

More on soaping to come....

Today feels like the beginning of summer-- no, not because it is the first of June, but because I finally got the package from Lands End that had all of the kids new swim stuff in it.  Can we just say, "Happy Campers!"  I love it that their stuff always fits, while I am forever returning.  As I type they are out running through the sprinklers in new trunks and tankinis and new water shoes.  (Josie doesn't know that her swimming suit is a hand-me-down, and it's so dang cute, I don't think she would care.)  And, this summer I actually bought myself a new swimming suit, too.  Mine was looking ragged.   

After much debate, I finally broke down and bought this cutie from Lime Ricki. 

But, I didn't want my fanny hangin' out, so I bought the boy shorts instead of the little bottoms.

It came last week, and I really like it.  I'm looking forward to wearing it next weekend at the Big Twig pool with the kiddos.