Wednesday, August 17, 2011

One of the really interesting things about soapmaking is that you never quite know what you will end up with. Remember this batch from yesterday? 

Here's what it looks like today.

I have a ton of stuff to do today.  I got my maple cigar bands last night so I will be finishing up the Maple Syrup Festival packaging.  I want to make some more nightlights today - we sold out of all we had last spring.  I want to do some more cleaning in the dungeon, and I need to start getting our inventory ready for the fall shows.  I am anxious to see how the new look of our soap goes over.  The slices cost a little more than the bars, but they are bigger so the price really is the same for the amount of soap.  The tricky thing is that our batches are smaller now and since I've switched over to cold process, the cure time is longer.  I may switch to cold process/oven process for the loaves just to keep them at a good level in the inventory.

UPDATE:
Our Harvest Home candle has been featured in an Artfire collection. WhooHoo
 

Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Hyacinth, Dominican Missionary (1185-1257)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 20:1-16a.

The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off. (And) he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner,
saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
(Or) am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."