Greening Up Bit by Bit

I see some green!

It doesn't take much to get me excited except when I am anxious for winter to finish melting away and discover a small patch of green slowly making its appearance. 

I have been itching all winter to go sit on the bench under the pergola we built last summer and this afternoon I trudged my way through the snow to enjoy a moment of tranquility when I discovered a small patch of green grass poking its way around the snow melting away. 

The driveway and yard is rapidly turning into a lake and mud bog.  For the first time this winter I had to lug out my boots so I can get in and out of the car without ending up with water logged feet and/or shoes being sucked off my feet by the mud.

Lilac soap cut into bars

I was so thrilled with the results of the soap I made last weekend and wanted to share how the Lilac soap turned out.   The swirls look like whispers of purple in the base of the bar and the piping adds a fancy touch befitting of the delicate lilac fragrance.  I can't wait until it warms up enough for my lilac bush to bloom.  Until then, I will be enjoying the fragrance of this soap as it finishes curing. 

Hailley and Christina saying "cheese and macaroni"

Last Sunday my oldest Grand Girlie turned four.  Seems like just yesterday that she was born, the time has flown by so quickly.  We took a road trip to celebrate the occasion, and went from needing jackets to no jackets back to needing jackets in the time we were there.  We played in the snow and mud, blew bubbles, dumped some bubble water on accident (actually a lot), and took a nice walk on the muddy back roads.  One thing for certain, I was glad I wasn't the one having to wash the multiple jackets, boots, and clothes the girls got covered in mud. 

Shimmering and Glittery Lilac Soap

Swirled Lilac soap base

The sun is shining today (yeah!!!!) and the air warming up (yippee!!).  We're getting closer to my kind of weather, come on summer!  But first, we have to get through all of the snow melt down and mud before everything dries out again.  I envision a lake of water and mud ruts in the driveway very soon, particularly with the weather predictions for the next several days.  You haven't experienced excitement until you've made it through mud season in Vermont.  It is that time of year I am so glad we live in town and on a paved road.  Dirt roads during mud season definitely tests the limits on your vehicles and nerves, to say the least. 

Hubby hit the snowy trails first thing this morning to get one last ride in and out from our yard for the year.  Any further riding for this year most likely will require trailering to other areas where the snow is a bit more plentiful in supply. 

Soap piped on top

I wanted to play around in the Soap Room this morning and practice some swirling and piping techniques.  Since Lilac is one of my favorite flowers of spring, and it feels like a nice springy kinda day, it seemed appropriate to soap in Lilac first.  I took photos of the swirled base first, then waited for the rest of the soap batter to thicken up more before I tackled the piping technique. 

Waiting ever so patiently (or maybe not LOL) for the soap to thicken up further, I decided to try a two toned piping.  Had I waited a bit longer, the two colors would have been more pronounced.  Only a few of the twirls came out white and purple, but overall I was still extremely pleased with the end result.  A sprinkle of some iridescent glitter and now we wait to see how everything looks once it finishes hardening up and I can release it from the mold. 



Today's Soapy Creations

I was inspired and went on to create two more batches of soap before cleaning up and tackling other projects that need my attention around the house. 

Lilacs ~ My favorite flower of Spring

I have always dreamed of having lilacs growing outside my bedroom window. When we moved into our house, the first thing I bought was a lilac bush and I planted it between my bedroom and bathroom window. Each spring I look forward to the smell of lilac wafting through the windows. I also love to take photos of the lilacs when they are starting to bud out and as they come into full bloom.

In anxious anticipation of spring, Lilac products are making their way into our shop.


Lilac Soap


Lilac Shower Gel

Look for more Lilac products to make their way to our shop in the near future.