Wednesday, December 28, 2011

First of all, Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter, Nina!   Love you, Neener Beaner!!
Spent yesterday feeling pretty darn yucky.  It's frustrating because I had great plans to catch up on some things.  But that's okay.  I'm better today.  Not 100%, but at least I can get some things done.

In the spirit of always thinking a season ahead, I made some Valentine soap scented with rose/geranium.  Some are heartshaped and some are slices.  Haven't taken a pic of them yet. 

I also made some tealights for our Etsy shop and for the website.
Here are the Valentine Tealights

 And these are the spring and summer tealights.  They are so much fun to make.  AND Melisa found a ton of tealights at a very good price!!

Well, back to work for me.  Have a great day everyone!!

 

Word of the day:
The Holy Innocents, martyrs - Feast
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2:13-18.

When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.
He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.
Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:
A voice was heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.

Making Honey, Oats,and Milk Cold Process Goat Milk Soap

I am still queasy about seeing myself on video, but in the interest of showing the soapmaking process, I put aside my misgivings.

Thursday of the Twenty-first week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Louis, King of France (1215-1270)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 24:42-51.

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.
Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.
Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.
But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,'
and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards,
the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

First of all, I want to wish a very happy birthday to Kelli!!
It is humid and warm again. It was nice to have a couple of days' relief from the heat, though.

I made soap today. I've been wanting to do a series of family heritage type soaps. The one I did today is called. "I Remember Mama" It's scented with rose geranium. When I smell roses I always think of my mother. Her favorite flowers were actually gladioli, but she used to use gycerine and rosewater on her hands.

Here is a pic of them in the molds. I wanted the peach color to be more rose, but now I think I like this better. I found some rosebuds to put on top.

 Tonight is quilting night!!! Woo hoo!!

Update:  I finally got around to making a YouTube video.  It's been almost 2 months!  Where has the summer gone?



I also made two batches of laundry soap today.  Here is the recipe I use:
1 cup grated lard and lye soap  (guess you know what kind I use.)
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1/2 cup washing soda
1 old laundry detergent bucket with lid (should hold at least 2 1/2 gallons.)
I measure out 2 gallons of water ahead of time in milk jugs that I've saved.  I pour about a quart of water in a stock pot (which I reserve just for making soap) and add the shredded soap.  I heat that until the soap shreds are melted.  Then I add the other ingredients and stir till dissolved. I pour that into the old detergent bucket and stir.  I then add the rest of the water - stir and set aside to gel.   You can just scoop it out of the bucket if you want, but I like to pour mine into old clean milk jugs so I can just pour it into the washer.  I use 1/2 cup for most loads and 1 cup for greasy farm clothes.  In the picture is part of the first batch I made. You can see that the jug on the right has emulsified.  Wish I knew how I did that.  The other 2 will need to be shaken each time I use the soap.  The fourth jug went home with Howard so Colleen can try it.  This soap is low sudsing so it works in those new front load washers. For fabric softener I add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the bleach dispenser in my washer.  You could also use one of those Downy dispensers.

 I don't always use the liquid soap.  Sometimes I just throw some soap shreds (about 1/4 cup loosely packed) in the washer and add a tablespoon each of baking soda, borax, and washing soda.  


Word of the day:
Thursday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : Sts. Nazarius and Celsus, Martyrs (1st century), St. Victor, Pope and Martyr († 198)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:47-53.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Do you understand all these things? They answered, "Yes."
And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old."
When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Yesterday was a beautiful summer day. No excessive heat or humidity. We could really use a rain. Some of the corn isn't looking very good.

I made some Bubble Cuppies the other day. I think they are really cute. Madison will be testing one for me soon. They are small bath fizzies with soap on top.  I got the idea when I saw the little plastic bath tub that Kelli uses for Madison.  These weigh about an ounce and these are scented with Vanilla.  I'm running low on one of the ingredients and when that comes, I will make more.

I logged on this morning to find another post from one of my new favorite bloggers.  It's almost like Kismet that I discovered her as I was beginning to develop some soaps honoring departed family members.  This talented lady not only makes vintage soap reflecting her Appalachian Heritage, but she is an excellent writer.  If you are a lover of stories from our country's past or if you just love handmade soap, you really ought to check out her blog Appalachian Soap and Heritage.  Her latest post is about lye soap and makes very interesting reading!

My friend Deb from Springvale Soap also posted a video link on Facebook about the benefits of goat milk soap.  Good stuff - but then, we knew that, didn't we, Deb? 



Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Seventeenth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St Pantaleon, Martyr († c. 303)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13:44-46.

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

Monday, July 18, 2011

I worked in the basement for quite a while yesterday. I love packaging items and I lost track of time. When I came upstairs I thought it looked like it was going to storm because it was dark. And then I looked at the clock. It was after 9:00!!
I packaged up the Chai Tea and the Christmas Tree soaps and candles.

Word of the day:
Monday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Frederick, Bishop and Martyr († 838)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:38-42.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.

Friday, June 17, 2011

I made a batch of Chai Tea candles yesterday and a batch of Chai Tea soap today. My cupcakes turned out a little lopsided, except for one of them.  I hope the swirl turns out.  I used cocoa as the darker color and some unscented batter with titanium dioxide in it.  I WILL not cut it until Sunday.  I WILL not cut it until Sunday.

I listed some new items on Artfire.  This soap is called Wash Day.  It smells to me like Mondays when I was a kid and the clothes dried on the line in the warm sunshine.  It has a a "clean cotton" kind of scent to it.

I just paid for our ad in the upcoming issue of Country Sampler so the girls and I need to get on the stick and start working on the Christmas stockings!!

These are some face cloths I have been making.  I hate to just sit and do nothing so when I'm riding in the car on a long trip or chatting at the table over coffee, I stitch these up.

Word of the day:
Friday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Herve, Abbot, (6th century)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 6:19-23.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I made a batch of Cider Mill soap yesterday. I think with the higher percentage of goat milk, I am going to have to force myself to wait an extra day to unmold it. I also need to remember to get the loaf mold into the refrigerator as soon as it's poured. Yesterday's batch heated up - not too bad, but I could see a little difference in the top. Also, when I cut the loaf I could really smell the ammonia. When the liquid is all water, I think it evaporates faster. The thicker goat milk needs more time. The soap looks fine, but it was very soft when I unmolded it today.

Word of the day:
Tuesday of the Eleventh week in Ordinary Time
Saint(s) of the day : St. Elisha, Prophet (9th century BC)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5:43-48.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Made soap today. Whew! This one was a challenge.  After I filled the molds, I waited for the rest of the batter to set up. Half an hour later I was still waiting for it to set up.  I tried piping the cupcakes.  It deflated on me so I scraped it all off of the cupcakes - scooped it back into the piping bag and tried again.  What a mess.  But after I unmold everything, I think it will look fine except for one anemic cupcake.  I did this batch in Berry Pickin' because I am out of it.

I think I'm done making soap for a few days.  I'm out of goat's milk and today's session really tired me out.  LOL!  Of course, tomorrow I will unmold it - it will be gorgeous - and I'll want to make soap again.


Word of the day:
Wednesday of the Fifth week of Easter
Saint(s) of the day : St Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church (673-735), St Gregory VII, Pope (c. 1013-1085)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15:1-8.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.