It's time to restart the blog. The posts will usually be about great products I've found that have made life easier since having the twins. Also, some musing about having two babies, three dogs, one husband and a time consuming job.
I bet the posts will be short! Who has time for this?!?! ;)
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Guardian angels
Yes, I'm superstitious. I can't help it. I knock on wood, pick up pennies, avoid sidewalk cracks, wince when a black cat crosses my path and I believe in the guardian angels that protect me.
I went to The University of the South, a small liberal arts university in Sewanee, TN. It's a place steeped in tradition. One of the traditions is to touch the ceiling in your car as you leave The Domain, "a place so beautiful angels dwell within its the gates". On doing so, your guardian angel leaps off the gates onto your car roof and protects you when you're outside of The Domain.
I was in Sewanee a few weeks ago. I know, as all Sewanee students do, that your angel rests when you're on campus and is on duty when you leave. I was happy to return after 10 years so he/she could rest. And, I wanted my husband who had never been there to pick one up, too. He's not superstitious so I planned on how to get him to grab an angel without knowing. :) It worked! But, I digress. As I dropped off and picked up my angel over the weekend, it got me thinking about the protection I was provided. How would I know that this angel was doing it's job? Then, we flew home and I kind of forgot about it. I had new "Protected by a Sewanee Angel" stickers in hand, but didn't put them on the cars.
Yesterday, I was in a serious car accident. Out of nowhere, the car started skidding out of control and spun around. I was with a co-worker on the way to visit a customer. We were 180 miles from home and 2 miles from their door. We were on the Interstate crossing from Washington into Oregon. It's a four-lane highway. It's a bridge. It's really high over the Columbia River. It was rush hour. We were in the fast lane, or the one next to it. I don't recall. But, as I said above, suddenly we were spinning. For a split second we were looking at oncoming traffic. We hit something (the center median), we spun. Did it happen in that order? I don't know. I didn't have any control and I noticed that the check engine light was on. We eventually stopped moving. I slammed the car in gear and moved into the nice, wide hazard lane.
By some miracle:
Even though I know I'm lucky and I can't stop thinking about how lucky and how great a job that angel did, I also can't stop thinking about the following:
I went to The University of the South, a small liberal arts university in Sewanee, TN. It's a place steeped in tradition. One of the traditions is to touch the ceiling in your car as you leave The Domain, "a place so beautiful angels dwell within its the gates". On doing so, your guardian angel leaps off the gates onto your car roof and protects you when you're outside of The Domain.
I was in Sewanee a few weeks ago. I know, as all Sewanee students do, that your angel rests when you're on campus and is on duty when you leave. I was happy to return after 10 years so he/she could rest. And, I wanted my husband who had never been there to pick one up, too. He's not superstitious so I planned on how to get him to grab an angel without knowing. :) It worked! But, I digress. As I dropped off and picked up my angel over the weekend, it got me thinking about the protection I was provided. How would I know that this angel was doing it's job? Then, we flew home and I kind of forgot about it. I had new "Protected by a Sewanee Angel" stickers in hand, but didn't put them on the cars.
Yesterday, I was in a serious car accident. Out of nowhere, the car started skidding out of control and spun around. I was with a co-worker on the way to visit a customer. We were 180 miles from home and 2 miles from their door. We were on the Interstate crossing from Washington into Oregon. It's a four-lane highway. It's a bridge. It's really high over the Columbia River. It was rush hour. We were in the fast lane, or the one next to it. I don't recall. But, as I said above, suddenly we were spinning. For a split second we were looking at oncoming traffic. We hit something (the center median), we spun. Did it happen in that order? I don't know. I didn't have any control and I noticed that the check engine light was on. We eventually stopped moving. I slammed the car in gear and moved into the nice, wide hazard lane.
By some miracle:
- We didn't hit anyone else.
- We are uninjured, save some aches and pains from being jostled and from hitting the median.
- We didn't end up in the river.
Even though I know I'm lucky and I can't stop thinking about how lucky and how great a job that angel did, I also can't stop thinking about the following:
- What happened!?!? Ice? I don't think so. It was raining. Were we hit? No idea. Weird fluid on the road? Whatever it was, I didn't see it and neither did my passenger.
- Why did the car totally lose it? Where was the ABS?
- How could we be so lucky?
- How many times did we spin around?
- Two windows broke and my laptop bag and purse flew out the side/back. I found my purse and it's contents behind the car in the hazard lane. Kudos to the HTC Trophy for surviving with only minor scratches. The laptop bag was under the front driver's side bumper. Really? How did that happen? And, how lucky that those things weren't in traffic.
- What is up with safety glass? I got a shard in my finger. I thought it was shard-less? And, where is the glass from the windows? It's gone, there's only a small amount is in the car.
- How did the glasses I was wearing end up in the back seat?
- How lucky were we that the airbags didn't go off (painful, smelly)? Conversely, why didn't they go off? Surely we were going fast enough (15 mph) when we hit the wall. And, the side of the car is smashed. Side airbags?
Buzz (as named by the previous owners), 1999-2011.
Despite the trauma and the drama, there were some funny moments. Like, when we smelled burning (smelled like matches), Mario says, "Let's get out." We rush to open the doors, I get out and see the flares. Heh. And, sitting in the tow truck forever looking into the river talking about how there aren't sharks in the Mediterranean (overfishing, I just checked). Also, wondering why it takes so long to attach a car to a tow truck? Seriously took 20-30 min. And, ambulances don't carry tweezers. I don't know what's in the back of those things, but they seem large enough to have some tweezers.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Helping those in need - the final tally!
Thanks to everyone who has made a purchase from Pepo Park this year. After the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild put out the call to help Clean the World after the earthquake in Haiti, I decided to donate a bar of soap for every $15 spent by you, my awesome customers. If you made a qualifying purchase between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2010 either on my Web site, at a craft fair or directly through me, you had an impact!
The final total??? 49 bars!
And, I decided to match that! New total??? 115 bars*!!
Thanks, everyone! Keep your eyes on this blog, the Web site or Facebook page for future events, offers, etc.
*Sending bars & scraps. Total weight = 115 bars.
The final total??? 49 bars!
And, I decided to match that! New total??? 115 bars*!!
Thanks, everyone! Keep your eyes on this blog, the Web site or Facebook page for future events, offers, etc.
*Sending bars & scraps. Total weight = 115 bars.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Help those in need to get soapy!
Friends and fans! Just one day left in our quest to get tons of soap to Clean the World. Last time I reported on the count, we were at 31 bars. Today, we're at 48!! So, get your order in. For every $15 you spend by midnight tomorrow PST, we'll send a bar to Clean the World! And, thanks to everyone who's placed orders so far this year. Click here to be taken to the Pepo Park store.
Ginger spice is on sale for $5!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Soaper gets sweet! Part 2...
Many years ago on a visit to Paris, I discovered the French macaron cookie made by the Laduree Patisserie in the Printemps department store. Love at first sight and love at first bite. Every time I go to Paris, I stop in for more and I've always wanted to make them.
On the road to making them, I met Erin Pikor. Once I found out that she makes macaron soap, I knew we'd be friends! I have one of her lemon créme soaps. I can't bring myself to use it. It smells like a lovely lemon cake. It arrived wrapped in beautiful flocked paper.
Pretty!!
Next, on the road to making them, Trader Joe's started importing frozen macarons from France. So good, nice price, low effort! I don't have a picture of those, we ate them all and I've had to ban myself from buying more.
Finally, on the road to macarons, I met Joyce. Joyce studied pastry at the Cordon Bleu. Joyce said she'd teach me, and she did. Joyce is awesome!
Sifted ingredients:
Chocolate ganache:
Mixing in egg whites for the chocolate hazelnut cookies:
Piping out the almond cookies:
Purple egg whites:
Passionfruit buttercream (I brought the canned passionfruit back from Australia):
The cookies have a perfect foot:
We await our filling:
Filled:
Pretty macarons:
Almond cookie with orange buttercream filling:
We made 3 kinds of cookies: Almond, chocolate hazelnut, hazelnut dyed purple.
We made 4 kinds of fillings: Chocolate ganache, passionfruit buttercream, orange buttercream, Nutella.
All of them were delicious and they didn't last long. :) I can't wait to make more!
Thanks for the fun time, Joyce!
On the road to making them, I met Erin Pikor. Once I found out that she makes macaron soap, I knew we'd be friends! I have one of her lemon créme soaps. I can't bring myself to use it. It smells like a lovely lemon cake. It arrived wrapped in beautiful flocked paper.
Next, on the road to making them, Trader Joe's started importing frozen macarons from France. So good, nice price, low effort! I don't have a picture of those, we ate them all and I've had to ban myself from buying more.
Finally, on the road to macarons, I met Joyce. Joyce studied pastry at the Cordon Bleu. Joyce said she'd teach me, and she did. Joyce is awesome!
Sifted ingredients:
Almond cookie with orange buttercream filling:
Purple hazelnut cookie with ganache filling:
We made 3 kinds of cookies: Almond, chocolate hazelnut, hazelnut dyed purple.
We made 4 kinds of fillings: Chocolate ganache, passionfruit buttercream, orange buttercream, Nutella.
All of them were delicious and they didn't last long. :) I can't wait to make more!
Thanks for the fun time, Joyce!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Soaper gets sweet! Part 1...
Soaping is a huge passion of mine because I love chemistry and I love essential oils. I also love baking which is chemistry and flavors. Other than the fact that soap isn't edible, the two hobbies are very similar because they involve precise measurements, patience, and they please your senses.
Last week, I was lucky enough to take a class in sugar artistry. It's not quite like baking but it involves precision and patience. Chef Chris Malham at Lake Washinton Technical College in Kirkland, WA was the teacher. He has many years of pastry experience and learned sugar artistry from Ewald Notter, who is widely regarded as one of the best sugar artists in the world.
In class, we learned to color sugar and to create bubble sugar, sugar ribbons, pulled sugar, and how to blow sugar. It was both fun and frustrating. Chris and my classmates were fun. But, the sugar was frustrating - it's hot, it's temperamental and when cool, it's fragile.
On day one, we learned a few techniques and made a flower. Mine is rose-like. It's in a sugar cage.
On day 2 & 3, we made clowns. Techniques used: Coloring sugar, making sugar ropes (the base is a coiled rope), blowing sugar, sugar ribbons and hiding errors with sugar. Chris made the stand of straw sugar for the clown and the elf (and, other bits and pieces).
On the final day, we cast sugar and colored it with powders, then made blown sugar elf creatures. They were inspired by Ewald Notter's snowman (see below). The cast sugar is the base, with a straw sugar stand and then, Mr. Elf.
Last week, I was lucky enough to take a class in sugar artistry. It's not quite like baking but it involves precision and patience. Chef Chris Malham at Lake Washinton Technical College in Kirkland, WA was the teacher. He has many years of pastry experience and learned sugar artistry from Ewald Notter, who is widely regarded as one of the best sugar artists in the world.
In class, we learned to color sugar and to create bubble sugar, sugar ribbons, pulled sugar, and how to blow sugar. It was both fun and frustrating. Chris and my classmates were fun. But, the sugar was frustrating - it's hot, it's temperamental and when cool, it's fragile.
On day one, we learned a few techniques and made a flower. Mine is rose-like. It's in a sugar cage.
On day 2 & 3, we made clowns. Techniques used: Coloring sugar, making sugar ropes (the base is a coiled rope), blowing sugar, sugar ribbons and hiding errors with sugar. Chris made the stand of straw sugar for the clown and the elf (and, other bits and pieces).
Note bubble sugar in the bottom right corner:
On the final day, we cast sugar and colored it with powders, then made blown sugar elf creatures. They were inspired by Ewald Notter's snowman (see below). The cast sugar is the base, with a straw sugar stand and then, Mr. Elf.
Sugar base and straw sugar:
The four day class was amazing. It was topped off by a visit from the Ewald Notter. He was at LWTC to teach a class and did a wonderful demo.
Blown sugar swan, ribbon, bubble sugar, pastillage and wonderful dessert by Andrew Logan:
Pulled sugar flower, ribbon and airbrushed pastillage base:
Snowman that inspired the blue elf:
If you have a chance to learn about making things from sugar, I recommend you take it. It was fun and I learned skills I can use to impress you when you come over for dinner. :)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Clean the world!
As you know, there was a terrible earthquake in Haiti on January 12. People from all over the world have rallied to help the people of that nation. A charity called Clean the World started taking donations specifically to be diverted to the people of Haiti. Clean The World's mission is to recycle soap, shampoo, and lotion discarded by hotels and to distribute the recycled products worldwide to people who cannot afford these essential items.
The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has partnered with Clean The World (CTW) and so I decided to send donations to CTW and to help you do so, too. For every $15 you spend (before shipping & taxes), I'll donate a bar of soap to CTW on your behalf. Then, I'll match it. So, for every $15 you spend, 2 bars will go to someone in need.
The first box is ready to go. Thirteen pounds of soap! Thanks, everyone who's purchased so far this year. I plan on doing this through the end of March, 2010. So, get some great Pepo Park products for you and help someone in need!
The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has partnered with Clean The World (CTW) and so I decided to send donations to CTW and to help you do so, too. For every $15 you spend (before shipping & taxes), I'll donate a bar of soap to CTW on your behalf. Then, I'll match it. So, for every $15 you spend, 2 bars will go to someone in need.
The first box is ready to go. Thirteen pounds of soap! Thanks, everyone who's purchased so far this year. I plan on doing this through the end of March, 2010. So, get some great Pepo Park products for you and help someone in need!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Back on the blog...
Well, the blog has been ignored for a while. But, that doesn't mean Pepo Park has been at rest.
After the hectic holiday craft fair season, I took several naps. We had a fabulous holiday sales season and even sold out of beer soap at Black Raven Brewing (restocked now...).
Once the naps were over, it was time for state sales tax. Not fun, but it forced me to get things in order.
Then, stock taking, beer soap making, organizing the "factory" and quite a few Internet sales.
I also bought some new equipment and will unveil it here soon so that you can ooooh and aaaah. :)
Today was the first fair of 2010. It was a really fun one in downtown Kirkland at the Lake St. Bar & Grill. Hosted by I Heart Indie Crafts, it was the first of many for Seattle's Eastside. The turn out was good, the quality of the crafts was good and the mimosas we're cheap!
All-natural, hand crafted salve, lip balm, and bath salts:
Through the end of March, we're donating one bar of soap for every $15 you spend on Pepo Park products. So, place your order today on our site. The donated soap will be sent to Clean the World, a charity that "gets soap to people who really need it". Sounds like a good cause to us! At this time, a majority of the donations are going to Haiti.
Buyers learn about our sudsy offer:
We have plenty of fun stuff coming up, including the annual Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference.
You can read all about it here!
After the hectic holiday craft fair season, I took several naps. We had a fabulous holiday sales season and even sold out of beer soap at Black Raven Brewing (restocked now...).
Once the naps were over, it was time for state sales tax. Not fun, but it forced me to get things in order.
Then, stock taking, beer soap making, organizing the "factory" and quite a few Internet sales.
I also bought some new equipment and will unveil it here soon so that you can ooooh and aaaah. :)
Today was the first fair of 2010. It was a really fun one in downtown Kirkland at the Lake St. Bar & Grill. Hosted by I Heart Indie Crafts, it was the first of many for Seattle's Eastside. The turn out was good, the quality of the crafts was good and the mimosas we're cheap!
All-natural, hand crafted salve, lip balm, and bath salts:
Soaps await new owners:
Through the end of March, we're donating one bar of soap for every $15 you spend on Pepo Park products. So, place your order today on our site. The donated soap will be sent to Clean the World, a charity that "gets soap to people who really need it". Sounds like a good cause to us! At this time, a majority of the donations are going to Haiti.
Buyers learn about our sudsy offer:
We have plenty of fun stuff coming up, including the annual Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference.
You can read all about it here!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Holiday update
It's been a while. Here's what's been happening with Pepo Park.
We're in 2 stores in Kirkland (Herban Wellness and uBRDO) and 1 brewery (Black Raven Brewing). At uBRDO and Black Raven, we're selling custom products: Lips Extreme lip balm and beer-inspired soaps, respectively.
We've been in 6 shows so far, with 2 to go. They've all been great.
There were 2 trunk/house shows, the first Holiday EtsyRAIN show, Shoreline Holiday Show, Phinney Ridge Winter Fair and the Kirkland Holiday show.
The EtsyRAIN show led to Pepo Park being carried in a 3rd store! Black Door Studio is carrying dog soap and salve. You can read all about it, and see a lovely photo, here.
What's left:
Dec. 11 - Christmas Brewtique, 5 pm, Naked City Taphouse
Dec. 19 - Holiday Sale on Queen Anne, 10-2
Check out the Pepo Park site for maps, etc.
If you can't make it to a show, you can order online. I can get stuff to you by Christmas if you order by Dec. 16.
Thanks to everyone for your support so far this holiday season. It's been a great one!
We're in 2 stores in Kirkland (Herban Wellness and uBRDO) and 1 brewery (Black Raven Brewing). At uBRDO and Black Raven, we're selling custom products: Lips Extreme lip balm and beer-inspired soaps, respectively.
We've been in 6 shows so far, with 2 to go. They've all been great.
There were 2 trunk/house shows, the first Holiday EtsyRAIN show, Shoreline Holiday Show, Phinney Ridge Winter Fair and the Kirkland Holiday show.
The EtsyRAIN show led to Pepo Park being carried in a 3rd store! Black Door Studio is carrying dog soap and salve. You can read all about it, and see a lovely photo, here.
What's left:
Dec. 11 - Christmas Brewtique, 5 pm, Naked City Taphouse
Dec. 19 - Holiday Sale on Queen Anne, 10-2
Check out the Pepo Park site for maps, etc.
If you can't make it to a show, you can order online. I can get stuff to you by Christmas if you order by Dec. 16.
Thanks to everyone for your support so far this holiday season. It's been a great one!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Three weeks down...
Three weeks down. In that time, I've made over 14 batches of soap. That is a lot of soap and storage is becoming an issue. :) But, the house smells so good!
Still to do to prep for the holiday sales:
While I manufacture products, Defined By Eye is working on our new Web site. It's a vast improvement over the current site - really attractive design. It should launch in early December. Stay in the know and get special offers by becoming our fan on Facebook.
Still to do to prep for the holiday sales:
- make lip balm
- make bath salts
- make bath bombs
- make salve
- package and label all of it
While I manufacture products, Defined By Eye is working on our new Web site. It's a vast improvement over the current site - really attractive design. It should launch in early December. Stay in the know and get special offers by becoming our fan on Facebook.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Taste it!
People often smell my soap and say, "It smells good enough to eat." Others see it from a distance and wonder if it's cheese. I say, "Smells better, tastes worse." But, I've never tasted my own soap. I'm just going on my childhood experience(s) of having my mouth washed out with soap when I say it tastes worse.
This week, I was presented with a bar of my soap that had a wet film on it. There are many reasons this could happen and my mind jumped to the worst: Failed batch! Leaking essential oil! Leaking lye!!! Poison!!!!!
If I'd been calm, I would have rememberd that the rest of the batch is fine so this must have been a storage issue. But, I could easily test to see if it was essential oil. Just wipe off the wet film and smell it. It didn't smell. Phew. But, did that mean it was lye?!?!?!
In soapmaking, there is a thing called "the zap test". It is used to test if your soap is lye heavy or leaking lye. You touch your tongue to the soap and if you get a "zap" it's lye and that's bad. Ew. I had never tried this. I have never licked a battery, why would I voluntarily lick soap? But, on this day, I had to figure out what was going on, so I licked the film that was on my hand. Ew. Very soap. No lye. The film was plain water from the air, regular old condensation. The soap was being stored in a cold place and it's been raining a lot.
Phew! And, ew!!! Pass the gum!
This week, I was presented with a bar of my soap that had a wet film on it. There are many reasons this could happen and my mind jumped to the worst: Failed batch! Leaking essential oil! Leaking lye!!! Poison!!!!!
If I'd been calm, I would have rememberd that the rest of the batch is fine so this must have been a storage issue. But, I could easily test to see if it was essential oil. Just wipe off the wet film and smell it. It didn't smell. Phew. But, did that mean it was lye?!?!?!
In soapmaking, there is a thing called "the zap test". It is used to test if your soap is lye heavy or leaking lye. You touch your tongue to the soap and if you get a "zap" it's lye and that's bad. Ew. I had never tried this. I have never licked a battery, why would I voluntarily lick soap? But, on this day, I had to figure out what was going on, so I licked the film that was on my hand. Ew. Very soap. No lye. The film was plain water from the air, regular old condensation. The soap was being stored in a cold place and it's been raining a lot.
Phew! And, ew!!! Pass the gum!
I made chocolate soap once. It was really nice soap - very rich, made with cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate. It looked like a brownie. Didn't taste like one, just ask my friend's son. :)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
6 weeks!
Wow! Six weeks since my last post.
Six weeks can be a long time or a short time.
It's been a long time since my last post. But, it's only a short time until I'm in the middle of the holiday selling season!
The past six weeks:
Pepo Park finished up the summer season at the Juanita Farmer's Market on Oct. 9. It was a great summer. It only sort of rained once! Absolutely incredible. Thanks to everyone who made it down to Juanita Beach Park this year.
Pepo Park soap is now available in downtown Kirkland at Herban Wellness!
And, our Black Raven Brewing IPA soap was sold at the Enumclaw Oktoberfest by Sweet As Can Bee Honey. We really appreciate them taking our soap down to Enumclaw for us.
The upcoming six weeks:
Soaping and concocting in preparation for the 5 (!!!!) sales I'll be at this holiday season. In addition, we'll have orders from friends, our Etsy site, the Web site. I made a big list of everything that needs to be made and a schedule for getting it done. As always, Shawn is a big help. And, my mom - she's coming from Costa Rica to help with the sales.
Will you be visiting one of the shows? Is there an all-natural product you're interested in seeing us make? Or, a scent combo that you'd like to see? Leave a comment and let us know.
Six weeks can be a long time or a short time.
It's been a long time since my last post. But, it's only a short time until I'm in the middle of the holiday selling season!
The past six weeks:
Pepo Park finished up the summer season at the Juanita Farmer's Market on Oct. 9. It was a great summer. It only sort of rained once! Absolutely incredible. Thanks to everyone who made it down to Juanita Beach Park this year.
Pepo Park soap is now available in downtown Kirkland at Herban Wellness!
And, our Black Raven Brewing IPA soap was sold at the Enumclaw Oktoberfest by Sweet As Can Bee Honey. We really appreciate them taking our soap down to Enumclaw for us.
The upcoming six weeks:
Soaping and concocting in preparation for the 5 (!!!!) sales I'll be at this holiday season. In addition, we'll have orders from friends, our Etsy site, the Web site. I made a big list of everything that needs to be made and a schedule for getting it done. As always, Shawn is a big help. And, my mom - she's coming from Costa Rica to help with the sales.
Will you be visiting one of the shows? Is there an all-natural product you're interested in seeing us make? Or, a scent combo that you'd like to see? Leave a comment and let us know.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Fun time in Ballard!
Tonight, I drove over the lake on a weekday (something I try to avoid) to meet up with an fellow Team EtsyRain member, Kristen. Kristen is a potter and she's going to be making soap dishes for me.
The only thing is, neither of us is a soap dish designer. I had one that I'd found that I liked some things about, so we took it from there and came up with 5 prototypes that use various methods for keeping the soap dry and drained. It was really nice to play with some clay.
After the dishes dry, Kristen will do the first firing. Then, she'll glaze them and fire again. The prototype dishes will be ready for usability testing in mid-Sept.
Let me know what you'd like to see in your ideal soap dish. Or, what you don't like about your current soap dish.
The only thing is, neither of us is a soap dish designer. I had one that I'd found that I liked some things about, so we took it from there and came up with 5 prototypes that use various methods for keeping the soap dry and drained. It was really nice to play with some clay.
After the dishes dry, Kristen will do the first firing. Then, she'll glaze them and fire again. The prototype dishes will be ready for usability testing in mid-Sept.
Let me know what you'd like to see in your ideal soap dish. Or, what you don't like about your current soap dish.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The right tool for the job
I always want to kick myself after I buy the right tool for the job after struggling with the wrong tool. I was reminded of this tonight.
In soapmaking, you can use almost anything for a mold and almost any pot (not aluminum or tin) or spoon. You need a scale. None of those items needs to be fancy.
But, you might really benefit from a tool to open those 5 gallon buckets. I rejoiced for days when I got mine a few years ago. Long gone is the feeling that I might lose my fingernails entirely as I tried to pry the lid off my base oils. This site has a lot of them. I picked mine up at the local Cash & Carry (Smart & Final for some of you).
My latest "OMG!! Why didn't I get this before!?!? I should just kill myself for being an idiot and not buying this earlier but I won't because I love it!!!!" purchase is the For Crafts Sake QuickCut Soap Cutter. What an incredible time and frustration saver. Not to mention, nice even width bars!!
In soapmaking, you can use almost anything for a mold and almost any pot (not aluminum or tin) or spoon. You need a scale. None of those items needs to be fancy.
But, you might really benefit from a tool to open those 5 gallon buckets. I rejoiced for days when I got mine a few years ago. Long gone is the feeling that I might lose my fingernails entirely as I tried to pry the lid off my base oils. This site has a lot of them. I picked mine up at the local Cash & Carry (Smart & Final for some of you).
My latest "OMG!! Why didn't I get this before!?!? I should just kill myself for being an idiot and not buying this earlier but I won't because I love it!!!!" purchase is the For Crafts Sake QuickCut Soap Cutter. What an incredible time and frustration saver. Not to mention, nice even width bars!!
(photo from For Crafts Sake)
I love my soap cutter. I love my pail opener. I love my DishDrawer and my Tivo.
The soap cutter allowed me to cut 180 bars in 20-25% of the time it used to take giving me more time to watch the TiVo. :)
What is your favorite "right" tool? Talk about it in the Comments section.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Saponifier Magazine supplier survey
Take it today! If you've already taken it, take it again because they had to reset it.
http://saponifier.2009-awards.sgizmo.com
The survey closes on August 27, so get your opinions heard before then.
http://saponifier.2009-awards.sgizmo.com
The survey closes on August 27, so get your opinions heard before then.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Lil' Soap t-shirt is back in print!
At the HMSG conference in May, my Lil' Soap t-shirt from Threadless was a big hit. Unfortunately, it was out of print.
However, I just got word that they've reprinted it! So, get yours now before it's too late.
However, I just got word that they've reprinted it! So, get yours now before it's too late.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Supporting local causes
I really like to support "local". To this end, and for our health, we're trying to eat food that is grown locally and even bought a deep freeze to make this easier to do year 'round. I'll be freezing our fav summer foods over the next few weeks, especially berries!!
Other local things we're supporting:
The Kirkland Canine Festival
Please stop by the Pepo Park / Anandi's Laboratory booth & say "Hi". We'll have treats for the pups and for the peeps.
And, a cause not local to me, but perhaps local to you or to your interests.
The Crosby Mint Farm in St. Johns, Michigan is the oldest mint farm in the US. They're facing foreclosure in 23 days and are trying to sell drams of peppermint and spearmint to raise funds.
I'm a lover of essential oil so their predicament struck a chord with me. Check out their site and if you like what they have to say, buy a dram or 2 of their essential oil.
I know, you want to know how I helped the farm. I got 2 candles, some mint eo (the kit of 7 drams so that I can share the goodness) and some toffee. I can already smell the deliciousness in my mind's eye.
I hope to see you at the Juanita Farmer's Market or at the Kirkland Canine Festival! :)
Other local things we're supporting:
The Kirkland Canine Festival
Please stop by the Pepo Park / Anandi's Laboratory booth & say "Hi". We'll have treats for the pups and for the peeps.
And, a cause not local to me, but perhaps local to you or to your interests.
The Crosby Mint Farm in St. Johns, Michigan is the oldest mint farm in the US. They're facing foreclosure in 23 days and are trying to sell drams of peppermint and spearmint to raise funds.
I'm a lover of essential oil so their predicament struck a chord with me. Check out their site and if you like what they have to say, buy a dram or 2 of their essential oil.
I know, you want to know how I helped the farm. I got 2 candles, some mint eo (the kit of 7 drams so that I can share the goodness) and some toffee. I can already smell the deliciousness in my mind's eye.
I hope to see you at the Juanita Farmer's Market or at the Kirkland Canine Festival! :)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild Conference sneak peak
In May, I attended the Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild Conference in Palm Springs, CA.
Next year, the conference will be held April 30-May 2 in Denver, CO.
Here's a preview of what you can expect.
I'm still blown away by the great stuff I learned and how nice everyone was. In a year where you're counting every penny, I was glad that I spent a few going to the conference.
Next year, the conference will be held April 30-May 2 in Denver, CO.
Here's a preview of what you can expect.
I'm still blown away by the great stuff I learned and how nice everyone was. In a year where you're counting every penny, I was glad that I spent a few going to the conference.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Get local!
On July 3, I was at the Juanita Friday Night Market selling my soapy wares.
It was a great day to be at the market. The sun was out, it was hot.
It really felt like summer. And, great summer foods were plentiful.
Dog days. Dogs enjoy cool water that flows from QuilBay Oyster's coolers.
It was very hard for me to be next to that delicious ice cream and I gave in early. After I tasted the flavors I hadn't tried yet, I chose cherry with choc chip.
I was visited by several friends. Neighbor Lynne who gave me a 1/2 pint of raspberries, Personal Trainer Evelyn and "Long Haired" Jen (I know a lot of people named Jen so they each have a nickname). Jen kept me company for most of the market and helped me pack up. She earned a free bar of ginger spice soap and a 1/2 flat of raspberries from Hayton Farms. I took another 1/2 flat home. Delicious!Berries from Hayton Farms:
Fruits and squash from Family Pepper:
And, don't forget the crafts. Soap (of course!), jewelry, carved stones, Bottlecrap, glass, clothing and the kids' booths.
Other plentiful items: Cherries, apricots, squash, beans, peas, lettuce, flowers and more.
A gorgeous bouquet designed by Moua Gardens just for Independence Day.
Fruits and squash from Family Pepper:
And, don't forget the crafts. Soap (of course!), jewelry, carved stones, Bottlecrap, glass, clothing and the kids' booths.Bottlecrap:
The market is weekly through October. Come visit!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Pepo Park visits Australia
I've been off line for a few weeks. Shawn and I went on a long overdue vacation to Australia. We haven't been on a real vacation for a while and I haven't been to Australia for 25 years. So, overdue in a few ways.
Anyway, on to the most important topic: Soap!!
I was very pleased to meet two soap makers. Kary of Blossoms In Cream and Shirley of A Slice of Soap.
Kary makes beautiful cold process cake & cupcake soaps as well as regular bar soaps. They all smell great and the cake & cupcake soaps are beautiful. She sells at the Windsor Craft Market on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month. I bought a cupcake (mouthwatering lime), a slice (looks like a latte but smells like Peru balsam), and 3 regular bars. Kary uses essential oils to scent her soaps like I do. For information, contact Kary at blossoms.cream (at) bigpond.com.
The cupcake and slice I bought:
Kary's display of cake and cupcake soaps:
Shirley from A Slice of Soap makes beautiful dessert soaps out of melt and pour. My personal favorite was her licorice allsort, despite my strong dislike for the real food. :) They are beautiful and colorful. Shirley has a store in Cremorne and also sells at The Rocks Weekend Market.
Anyway, on to the most important topic: Soap!!
I was very pleased to meet two soap makers. Kary of Blossoms In Cream and Shirley of A Slice of Soap.
Kary makes beautiful cold process cake & cupcake soaps as well as regular bar soaps. They all smell great and the cake & cupcake soaps are beautiful. She sells at the Windsor Craft Market on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month. I bought a cupcake (mouthwatering lime), a slice (looks like a latte but smells like Peru balsam), and 3 regular bars. Kary uses essential oils to scent her soaps like I do. For information, contact Kary at blossoms.cream (at) bigpond.com.
The cupcake and slice I bought:
Kary's display of cake and cupcake soaps:
Shirley from A Slice of Soap makes beautiful dessert soaps out of melt and pour. My personal favorite was her licorice allsort, despite my strong dislike for the real food. :) They are beautiful and colorful. Shirley has a store in Cremorne and also sells at The Rocks Weekend Market.Cake. Admit it, you'd like to eat that!
Chocky cupcakes:
Licorice allsorts:
I don't know what you call these, but if you could eat them, I would. Note the layered hearts on the left.
I can taste the strawberries!
Pie, jello & cupcakes:
It was a great trip. And, as you can see, great soap!
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