Wordless Wednesday - June 17, 2015

What I've Been Up To

With another school year wrapped up I'm anxious to start my summer respite with some much needed soaping therapy!  The soap room is a disaster and the molds are screaming to be put to work once again.  Not to mention the poor neglected soap cutter that hasn't been properly broke in yet.

In April I took a trip to "not so sunny" San Diego with School Nutrition Association.  Perhaps it was a good thing the sun was hiding for most of my time there as I was at a conference and it would have been torture to be stuck inside.  It was still cold, heavy coat wearing weather, and snowy at home.  At least I got to break out the sandals, ditch the winter coat for a few days, and dip my toes into the Pacific Ocean while I was there.

My Sophie

As the past winter was a long one, and never seemed to want to ever go away, I spent a lot of time huddled under a blanket that I was crocheting as part of a Crochet Along project ~ Sophie's Universe ~ written by Dedri Uys.  Sophie became my best friend, and I would anxiously await the release of the next rows each Sunday from January through May.  This project started out as a blanket for our bed, the finished project needs very little added to fit our queen size bed.  However, it was mutually decided that this Sophie will be the perfect gift for some special friends of ours getting married this summer. Not to mention, I have several more Sophie's in progress.  :)

Ah, but I've been twitching to break out some new fragrance oils that have been waiting for me and restock some soaps that are...um...out of stock!  Now that summer respite from the day job is upon me, let the fun begin!

Wordless Wednesday

Done with winter, tired of freezing, looking forward to spring!

Hello, Spring... Where Are You Hiding?

Citrus Spring Spa Washcloth

 It's about this time of year that I start to feel cabin fever.  I know we're on the downward side of winter, given the number of frost heaves starting to make their appearance.  I am also eagerly anticipating another trip to Washington DC at the end of this month, and closely monitoring the extended forecast projections.  I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to enjoy some warmer weather minus the snow for a few days, at least.  Mother Nature just needs to remember to take her meds and behave!  LOL

For those who are clueless about frost heaves, in Vermont there is a lot of slate and ledge which moves and shifts as the ground begins to warm.  We can't see the ground warming up now that the sun is getting closer and shining longer on our portion of the world, because we are still buried under piles of snow.  Not like the folks in Boston, but we still have our fair share to contend with.  Anyway, as the ground warms, and with all the shifting and moving underground, roads quickly turn into a roller coaster.  Roads that are paved tend to buckle which then the game of dodge the potholes begins.  Roads that aren't paved turn into mud holes, thus explains the fifth season in the Northeast ~ Mud Season.

Today is a very cold and blustery winter day with dangerous wind chills.  My husband is off snowmobiling (crazy man) and attending the annual winter cookout (totally crazy man) for the snowmobile club he is a member of.  Not to mention, I'm quite happy to stay tucked indoors where it is toasty warm.

To pass the time, I'm buried under blankets on the couch armed with a crochet hook and a ball of yarn in spring like colors.  As I stitch away, the colorful ball of yarn is magically transformed into a useful item ~ A Citrus Spring Spa Washcloth, to be exact.  Made with 100% cotton yarn, a renewable resource, makes this an Eco Friendly option.  Colors may fade and shrink slightly on the first wash, but the cloth gets softer and more absorbent the longer you use it.  These spa washcloths quickly become a favorite to use for washing.

My Newest Love

Isabella found her thumb!

My husband mentioned the other day that I need to update my "Grandma Times 2" picture on the right side of my blog since we've had the addition of two step grandgirlies last summer and a new grandgirlie in November.  Next time we have them all together we'll be sure to get a photo of all 5 grandgirlies together so I can update my photo.

Isabella...ah, what a cutie.  She has red hair, which I'm happy about.  I had high hopes that one of my children would end up with red hair like their father, but looks like it skipped a generation.  She had the strong genetics of being gifted with red hair due to the fact that the grandfathers on both sides were blessed with red hair.

Now three months old, she's discovered her thumb, much to her mother's dismay.  (LOL)  She's also trying to mimic what we do.  If we stick our tongue out, she does.  If we make a noise, she attempts to do the same.  Very much aware of her surroundings, and extremely easy to startle.  There has been many a moment of laughter over her ear piercing screams of fright over much of nothing.  We're starting to experience the attempts to giggle, as she's found my squeaky voice since Friday night to be amusing.  I look like Grammy but I don't sound like Grammy and so she grins, squiggles and squirms around as the beginnings of a laugh start to emerge.

It's amazing how quickly one small human being can win over ones heart.

Time For a Change

Spotted Cow Soaps

I've been toying with the notion to build my own web store for well over a year now, and it has finally come to the point where I felt it needed to be done.

I have my own personal reasons as to why Etsy is no longer a good fit for my business, but I won't turn this into a bowl of sour grapes.  What I will mention is that the biggest reason for the change is economics.   It is cheaper for me to purchase a monthly hosting fee elsewhere than to continue with things as they have been. The last several months I have spent more on  listing fees and per transaction fees per sale than it would have cost me to pay hosting fees for a website of my own.  Please realize this is not including the transaction fees imposed to accept through Paypal or Etsy's Direct Check Out, which is understandable and expected.  

This is actually good news for me, because this means sales have been steady and growing.  During  the transition period current listings with Etsy will remain until they sell or run out.  All new listings, products, etc. will be listed in our new storefront.  I've still got a lot of work to do but this is a start to turning the page and starting a new chapter.  

Lovely Soy Candle for Valentine's Day

Razz Nilla Soy Candle

So I've been a slacker in blog land once again (sigh).  I've been happily enjoying the newest grand girlie, and boy is she a real charmer already!  :)

On a creative note, the Holiday season depleted a lot of stock and supplies so time to plan and restock. Most recently I have been creating and testing soy candles to add to our product line this year.  A fun adventure, indeed.

I discovered a wonderful soy wax that resists bloom unlike most soy wax on the market.  The consistency of this wax is creamy, and offers a great scent throw both cold and hot.  Combined with a cotton wick, I'm deeply pleased with the eco friendly burn and overall end result of the candles.

The Razz Nilla Soy Candle shown above is now available in our online shop, just in time for Valentine's Day.