Breezy

Busy week. Lots of odds and ends to finish up today. I can't believe it's not a full moon. I swear I slipped through a black hole and it was an alternate universe at the market yesterday. Very weird day. I still don't get it.

This is my first weekend off in a month -- sandwiched between another three huge weekends coming up. I have no idea what to do. I'm waivering between nothing at all and a bunch of fun summer activities. Except it's supposed to be HOT.

So I'll take it easy, go with the flow, try to stay cool, and do anything but think about soap for the next two days.

My gigantic moonflower plant is producing so many flowers this year. A huge, beautiful bloom opened up last night, and in this heat, it will only last until noon today, I guess. But I've got three more ready to open tonight. It's so amazing -- I'll try to post a picture if I can catch it. But I've got plans to sip drinks and watch girls do theatre this evening. Maybe I can catch it early tomorrow morning while there is a little more light.

And by the way, the new fall soaps are really, really good. I've got the Asian Pear next to me as I type and it's so pretty and fresh. The Moroccan Fig is better than ever -- the figgy portion is a slight variation and so ripe and luscious. There's a Gingersnap with a nice earthy bite, and some kind of Pumpkin Something, which is more cinnamon and vanilla than pumpkin at the moment. I'm waiting to see how it develops before hatching up a name. Jack O'Lantern? Pumpkin Moon? Or something altogether different if the pumpkin-y portion doesn't come out. Cinnamon Stick? Anyway, it's too darn hot today to think about crackling fall leaves, and bobbing for apples, witches and goblins and fireplaces.

I've got patio parties, fruity drinks, suntan lotion, and sizzling grills to attend to.

The wheels on the bus . . .

go round and round . . .

I know that everyone has a running commentary of thoughts that go through their head all day, but does anyone else have "conversations?" Not the kind where you supply all the character's parts and talk back and forth, but more like the thoughts play out as if you are explaining something to someone else. Maybe I'm a weirdo, or maybe that's how everyone thinks. I don't know. I've never asked anyone.

All I know is that lately, when I've got a little thinking time while stirring soap or doing mindless tasks, my thoughts have turned into blog entries. Instead of just turning things over or random things flitting by, my brain is forming explanations, stories, paragraphs -- actual blog entries. It's weird. Or maybe just different than before. I remember when I was much younger, like teen years, I was having a thinking phase that was similar to this. Everything I was sorting out in my head seemed to sound like a conversation I was having with someone else. An imagined boyfriend or best pal who wasn't there. At the time it seemed imperative to "practice" my opinions and feelings in my head so that when the time came to articulate my "self," I would be ready.

It doesn't feel like that right now. I'm not practicing anything. I don't even know where the train of thought is coming from or going, but the words and thoughts are flowing through my head in complete phrases and paragraphs that are fully formed as if in blog entry form that must be immediately pounded out on the keyboard for the next posting. Completely random sharing over . . .


What I intended to write about today was reinventing the wheel. It feels a little bit like I'm constantly reinventing the wheel here at my little business. Actually, I haven't reinvented much, or changed much, in a very long time. It's been mostly little tweaking, or shades of the same thing, but basically doing the same thing over and over. Just copying, cutting, pasting, and doing what worked in the past.

And for the last year or so, I've been drawn to actually changing the way I think and do business. The blog has been great for that. Because I can think out loud, and once it's typed out, it kind of sticks. Before, I was just mulling things over and over, back and forth, not making any real headway, just mud-wrestling around in indecision. It feels like there has been a turning point. And the transition is actually happening. I want to re-invent the actual mission statement and premise of what I'm doing. Not turn it upside down, but move forward a chunk and do things slightly differently, and better, and with more forethought, planning and intention -- rather than seat-of-the-pants and last minute because it's deadline and I wasted so much time I actually have to do something this very minute or it won't happen. The latter was my modus operandi all too often. And you know what? You're not always thrilled and satisfied with the outcome when you just wing it, or make do.

Is this going anywhere? It's all so random, eh. Well, suffice to say, I have come to some important conclusions as to where I want to make some changes. To the regular Joe, it may not be that noticeable. But to me, it's monumental. And it's going to take some steps to get there. I can't do it all this week or this month, requiring planning and small action steps, and carefully working out the details before I just announce it in a newsletter, having just made it the day before (er, not that I actually did that, or will admit to it.)

No worries, no major upheavals, just diligently making things better around here, a little at a time, with focus and attention on all the little things.

Sloppy Joe

Earlier this year I had been having trouble with some of my soap batches. It seemed that even though I was doing everything exactly the same, using the exact same ingredients, from the same suppliers, etc., the batches were often coming out white and streaky instead of the usual translucent, glistening perfection I was used to. It wasn't bad soap, just ugly. I was actually tearing my hair out and having to work overtime, trying to re-make batches that I thought I wouldn't be able to sell.

I insulated them a little more, which seemed to help. So I kind of chalked it up to a cold kitchen, the planets out of alignment, a bit of bad something or other that would be eventually used up . . . and trudged on. As spring warmed up and turned to summer, the batches seemed to be coming out just fine again. And then I realized that I had been getting a little sloppy with the measuring. I do that in cooking too -- I don't use recipes, and just measure stuff by eye and hand, substitute ingredients if I don't have something on hand, and toss it all together. Soap making was the same. I had a basic recipe that I took a year to work on -- adjusting little by little. I had finally gotten to one where I had removed just a smidgen of the water ingredient, because the bars seemed to get harder and cure more quickly. I still had a portion of oils that didn't saponify, so I was perking along thinking that I had a "super-fatted" bar, the cure time was quick, and life was grand. That was all great for the last eight or more years, until the rough patch this past winter.

I'm not sure in what order, or how it happened, or timing or anything like that . . . but within the last month or so I started upping the water again and getting a little more careful with the lye measuring. The bars were perfection in appearance, the soap was rich and thick and glossy, the colors vivid and translucent for a cold-process soap. I was thrilled. Problem solved.

And then I was discussing soap making techniques with some other soapmakers from New Mexico, and they talked about their "super-fatted" bars. They insisted the term could only be used when adding nutrient oils to the batch at trace, and not just because there was a higher oil content in the recipe. When I got home I looked it up. And we're both right. Super-fatting means a certain portion of oils that are unsaponified in the recipe, leaving a teeny trace bit of oil in the bar that acts as a moisturizer when using the soap. Mine are the actual base oils, and that was by design. Theirs are all kinds of extra oils, like avocado and shea butter. Last night I was reading up on all the nutrient oils and had decided that I need to try a few batches to see what they felt like, and if it was noticeably different, depending on which oil was used. I want to try shea butter, avocado oil and jojoba oil -- each of them being the top of the pops for absorbing into human skin, adding vitamins, and their rich feel.

Of course, I don't have any of those in the house right now. So it entails a supply order (which I don't need to do right now) or a run to Zenith Supplies (which I also don't want to spend the time road-tripping up north to do). So today it's all a good idea, but will have to wait a few days.

Tomorrow is the Tacoma Farmer's Market and it's Kid's Day. All kinds of fun, activities and music performances for the kiddies by Dance Theatre Northwest. Just in case the kids are getting bored of summer right about now and need something new to do.

I will NOT be at the Tacoma Market the following two weeks (7/27 and 8/3) because with both the 3-day Bellevue and Anacortes arts shows on the weekend, it's just not enough time to prepare for what are the biggest shows of summer for me. Plus I've got a birthday in there, and want to at least have a few hours off to eat cake. I'll be at the market for the remaining weeks in August and then I am done. The market officially goes through Sept to mid Oct, but I am off doing the Puyallup Fair in Sept and starting fall craft shows, and can't be in both places. Plus the market shrinks to a skeleton crew as kids go back to school, and it's not profitable enough to warrant the drive down there, for me anyway. I've updated the calendar on the web site, and will always keep that current -- up to the minute. So stay tuned.

Lavender Redux

I almost hesitate to post again about lavender for fear of becoming "that lavender girl." As popular as lavender is, arguably the number one most recognizable scent, plant and fragrance for the whole "smelly" world, there are still a lot of people who are a bit confused by it all.

In doing a little more aromatherapy research yesterday, part of my ongoing project to develop more essential oil blends into my work, I found some interesting things from a scientific standpoint regarding lavender's uses. Psychology Today has two new articles about the scientific studies and results that validate what has been claimed for centuries about this plant. In The Smell of Relief lavender aromatherapy has been proven to not only soothe the senses, but aid in pain management, having sedative effects comparable to drugs like Valium.

And in Soothe Your Senses with Lavender, the physiological effects of soothing, calming, mood altering, and relaxing have found to be exactly what aromatherapists have stated.

Lavender derives its name from "lavare" which means "to wash." The Romans were aware of its antiseptic effects and used it to cleanse wounds, adding it to bath water too. It's been used for centures as a strewing herb, to freshen homes with it's fragrance, to ward off bugs and vermin, and to antiseptically clean. It's been used on people too, for the treatment of skin ailments, bug bits, wounds, and generally freshening up and smelling lovely. Its physical and emotional effects are numerous -- first aid to skincare to stress-related disorders like headaches and insomnia.

My plump, muslin lavender sachet bags are always immensely popular when I am at festivals -- people claiming to smell my booth from a block away (which is sometimes embarrassing). People have been using them as bedside items to help them sleep, tucking into drawers and closets, driving around with them in their cars to mask the funk and pet fumes, and gracing their bathroom counters for a little added charm. In addition, I have the Sweet Dreams aromatic spray, which adds a little Chamomile essential oil to the blend, also known for its calming and sedative effect. Lately, however, I have been requested time and time again to have a plain lavender aromatic spray. And I will do it this week. I need to get some new labels printed, and will have the new lavender spray ready for the Bellevue show next weekend. If that's what the people want, then so be it. I'll announce it here when it's been added to the web site too.

Lavender's many uses and powerful effectiveness has also earned it a starring role in the Healing Salve and Foot Balm too. The French Lavender soap bar? again, one of the crowd favorites. And my Lavender Lemongrass blend, for both soap and spray, always gets top honors too. It's all good.

Earlier this year I made up some small vials of the pure lavender essential oil and had them at a few shows. Frankly it's just one too many things to add to the menu at the moment, so when I got down to just a handful of them, I stopped taking them out for air. They are resting comfortably here in my office, but I am putting them up for sale on the web site at cost practically. You can't buy essential oil for this price anywhere, trust me. Lavender essential oil is steam distilled directly from the plant's flower buds. It is gentle enough to use "neat," meaning it can be placed directly on skin without irritation. Well, unless you already know that you have an allergy to lavender -- there are a few folks that are, but you would already know that because it's so prevalent in things that you couldn't have gone this far in life without already having that be abundantly clear. A drop on your fingertip can be massaged into temples for headaches. A drop can be placed on bug bites for relief. A few drops can be added to bath water, a light bulb, a tissue or hankie. A bit can be added to water in a spray bottle for ironing clothes or spritzing just about anything. It can just be a little sniffy jar for the car, to be opening in crappy traffic. You get the idea.

It's a half-ounce bottle, aromatherapy grade 40/42 pure essential oil, from lavender grown on a gigantic herb farm in Oregon, really high quality stuff, and it's sale priced at $4.00 each.

Okay, enough of the blah, blah, blah -- you can order it HERE. *removes self from lavender soap box and exits quietly*

Ice cream dreams

I feel like I've really been missing all the fun in summer lately. All work and no play for the last few weeks. So my quest this week is to enjoy a little bit of the season before it's over. I still need to spend time getting ready for the next round of shows -- Bellevue, Anacortes and Coupeville, the most intense three weeks and end of summer shebang. I'll start tomorrow.

I'm working on balance this morning. Mixing in a few personal projects with the big clean up after the long weekend. Spending a little more time in my jammies and playing around. It will all get done today. But on my own time. I refuse to look a deadline in the eye today. And there will be ice cream. Lunch in the back garden. And time with my eyes closed and feet up.

Hose

Lousy day yesterday, sorry to report. Fridays are always slow business at the West Seattle fest, but yesterday was particularly bad. Partly because of my location, partly because the new organizers were still figuring things out a bit, partly because it was much hotter than forecast and I faced into the sun for a long bit, partly because at this point I am just plain exhausted and was low energy.

I tried to get a good night's sleep and awaken fresh and ready for a brand new day. But the cat who has been so lonely and hungry for days decided that last night was payback time. Prowling the backyard looking for a fight, getting into trouble, needing midnight snacks and then getting sick this morning after her big binge. I'm dragging and feeling a little emotional and edgy, but will head back over there in a bit. Catching up on the Tour de France on tv while I drink an extra cup of coffee. I wish I was nursing a Bastille Day headache instead, and cheering madly from those little campers speckled across the countryside, chateaus and medieval monasteries dotting the landscape. A girl can dream.

West Seattle is a neighborhood fun fest. Music all day. Beer gardens and cocktail tents spilling out from all the restaurants. Kids carnival. All the merchants have opened up their back rooms and have piles of clearance items and sales tables in front of their establishments. The local businesses have little sidewalk tents to sell insurance, bank services, vinyl windows, new gutters, chiropractic offices, political groups, the brown UPS truck, school raffles . . . everything from soup to nuts. And the festival tents down the middle of the street is basically a world bazaar. You will find imported shirts, beads, sarongs, silver jewelry, rugs, bags, flags from every corner of the planet. And a few of us sidewalk artists too. The folks certainly seemed to be having a great time, catching up with neighbors and buying trinkets for the kids.

More coffee. I need more coffee.

Healing Salve Saves the Day

I heard the best testimonial ever on the Healing Salve this past weekend. One of my customers stopped by the tent, and told me that she and her mother had just recently taken a high altitude trek through the mountains of Tibet. Her Mom had tried everything, but her lips grew increasingly drier in that cold, arid environment. It got so bad, they began to crack and bleed, finally developing an infection. Nothing worked and they were all getting worried. At one point, the daughter pulled out her tin of Healing Salve for her hands. Mom saw it, grabbed it, and miffed at her for not telling her that she had the stuff, immediately planted some on her lips. In very short order, the entire condition cleared up. No more infection, no more cracking and the dryness severely diminished -- in just a few days of using it.

Now, I've always sort of daydreamed about my world treks and travels, or fancied that if I was ever chosen for "Survivor" or some such nonsense, that my one staple beauty item would be the Healing Salve. Because it is such an intense moisturizer, and the beeswax is an excellent barrier, reviving skin almost instantly. And because it has such a wide variety of herbs for all conditions -- antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, soothing and fixing almost everything. It heals cuts, scrapes, burns, bug bites, all about six times faster. It's tiny and pocket ready. Won't leak or spill. I would take it to the jungles, the mountains, the desert, the deep forests. But, it usually just goes to the grocery store with me. Or the post office. I use it constantly during shows to pretty up my dry hands and cuticles. But that's about as far as it's gone. Canada.

So this was a fantasy come true. It works! It saved someone's life.

If you're going any place exotic and remote and far, far away this summer, maybe you need to pack a little salve in your pack. You can purchase it here.

Going, going, gone

First things first -- I wanted to share the info about where I'll be this weekend, at the West Seattle Summer Fest. The Junction Festival is a free event, hosted by the West Seattle Junction Association, an organization of local merchants, and held in conjunction with the West Seattle Junction Merchants' Sidewalk Sale. The family-oriented festival, now in its 24th year, has regularly attracted more than 30,000 attendees to the three-day weekend event and continues to be one of the most popular street festivals in the region. It is a family-oriented event with community ties that are even stronger than ever. Unique arts & crafts booths, a selection of vendors representing a cross-section of cultures, two stages with on-going live entertainment, and a beer & wine garden make this a really great neighborhood event.

Dates: July 14, 15 and 16
Times: Friday and Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Where: The West Seattle Junction on California Ave SW, between SW Edmunds and North of SW Oregon Street to the Post Office; and on Alaska Street, between 42nd Ave SW and 44th Ave SW
My booth location: Booth #50, approximately between Arts West and Poggie, but facing East side of the street.

Link: West Seattle Summer Fest

Secondly, I'm going to bring all the rest of the old aluminum bottled sprays that have been on clearance since I changed the packaging back to blue glass bottles last fall. I have just a small bunch left, and will use the "sidewalk sale" theme to finally sell the last little bit of them. They are off the web site as of Friday. You can still order them until Thursday night, and I will set them aside for you -- special last chance notice to all you blog readers. And anything left over (none, fingers crossed) will go back on the web site next week.

They were regularly priced at $6.00 each, the usual retail price, but are now half off at $3.00. You can order them here.

Bonus

I'm debuting a few new soaps this week -- experimental batches using essential oils, plus a couple of freebie batches just to use up some leftover fragrance oils. I will have them at the market on Thursday, as well as the West Seattle street fair this coming weekend. Just in case anyone is interested.

I'll be trotting them around until they are gone, but they will not be up on the web site. It's just too confusing, and there aren't enough of them to do that. So if you're not planning on seeing me in the next month, just give me a call to order them, or write it in an old brochure/order form you have lying around.

The new fragrances are:

1. Bergamot Rosewood: It's a light cream colored bar, scented primarily with bergamot (the essential oil that makes Earl Gray tea). So it's lightly citrusy, with a bit of rosewood, palmarosa, geranium and patchouli. The rosewood gives it a teensy rose petal floral note, the palmarosa highlights the citrus with a touch of grass, the geranium backs up the rosewood, and the patchouli (just a pinch) just anchors it all together, with a barely there earthy note. It's actually quite a light pretty scent, and all essential oils.

2. Orange Rosemary: Is a little stronger. It's also a cream colored bar, meaning no color added. The orange is nicely fragrant, and it's got a beautiful hint of rosemary herb. Also fairly light, but beautiful, and again, all essential oils.

3. Cottage Garden: Anise, Lemon and Rose are the basis of an old fashioined fragrance called "Old Lace". I'm calling it Cottage Garden because it's a very pretty floral. The rose is soft and mellow, the lemon and anise not quite recognizable as themselves, but giving the fragrance a complexity that makes you keep smelling it over and over, wondering what it actually is. No color, no texture, so it's also an ivory color. The rose portion is fragrance oil, and the others are essential oils.

4. Green Tea: This is a blend of essential and fragrance oils. It's a high-impact green tea scent, meaning it's quite strong and there is no question as to what it is. I've never smelled a green tea scent such a complete match for the real thing. Which is weird because a portion of the scent blend is an actual green tea fragrance oil, which didn't do much for me. But I added essential oils of wintergreen and vetiver, and voila, it's like a just brewed cup of strong green tea. I've added French green clay for color, so it's the same shade as a cup of just made green tea.

5. Papaya Mango: This last one is a pretty coral pink bar, with the addition of Moroccan red clay for color. It's all fragrance oils, a stew of all kinds of little bits and pieces of fruity stuff that I had left over. Mostly a mango guava blend, with grapefruit and ginger notes, coconut and lemongrass hints. But mostly it's just a tropical fruity cocktail and perfect for summer.

Merry go round

These are the cutest flower boxes I've ever seen. Behind the little neighbor building to the Star Store in Langley, someone has hung rows of flower boxes, which have strips of painted wood attached to the fronts, labelled and designed to look like shelves of books. It's the book store, of course.

Lovely weekend all the way round -- weather, setting, people I met for the first time (like Kristy's new baby, Skye) and people I haven't seen for awhile. Got some beautiful beach glass earrings, made from antique auto headlight glass, from fabulous Andie, who traded me for soap. She does beautiful work, and doesn't even bring it to shows to sell it, just makes them for friends. So I'm fortunate to have these.

And now I'm dragging my feet getting started this morning. It's the endless merry go round of unloading the car, unpacking and beginning the re-packing for another long weekend. I've got just the three days, Monday through Wednesday, to package a million bars of soap, make sprays, sachets and lip balms, paperwork, supply ordering, mail orders, phone calls etc, etc before I've got 4 straight days of selling on the street again. Thursday is the Tacoma market and Friday through Sunday is the West Seattle Festival. I guess it's good that it's a little overcast and cool today. I won't be quite so tempted to play hookie and piddle the day away doing frivolous stuff.

As much as I love the Choochokam festival, and I did quite well there this weekend, I'm really worried about the future of that show and the artists who weren't there this time, and the extinction of art shows in general. This one in particular had a really good reputation, and high-end, super creative artists would come from all over to gather in this one spot every July. This year was markedly different from last year, which had been already sliding quite a bit from a few years back. It's been changing drastically, and not for the better. It's imports, of course. Is this the future of all things? Are we doomed to just re-selling cheap imported crafts from Thirld World countries at every show? Are people really not willing to pay a little more for lovingly handcrafted creative work from local artists? Are the organizers and townsfolk more interested in the entertainment of the music, food booths and block party fun, than having an acclaimed art show in their city? Or did it just slide a little bit when nobody was looking and become a downward spiral? Who cares? What was missing was the paintings and prints, a bunch of pottery and glass artists, the folks who did the fabulous wreaths. But there are more t-shirts, sand-filled snakes, bubble wands, hair ties, sarongs and silver from Thailand, Tibetan flags, and more hair clips, plus about a third of the spaces were just plain empty. And the crowds were smaller too. Advertising? Gas prices? Or they gave up coming because the artists gave up too? I don't know any of the answers. But it scares me and was the single biggest topic of conversation.

My new friend Jim, the blacksmith who was next door to me, worries that we don't teach any of these hand crafts in school any more, and the younger generations don't even know what they are, or care. There is no shop class in school like we used to have. Or wood working, or home ec, or art, even music. How can people appreciate the craftsmanship, if they have no exposure to any of it? Maybe we are seen as freaks and losers who can't hold a job, and show up to these little summer festivals like gypsies, much like the carnie operators and balloon sculpting clowns. He laughs about this and likes to play up the image, but it's not really a joke.

There is so much more to say. It touches on every facet of our culture, operates on so many levels. I'm too tired to even take this any further. I just know that we, collectively this weekend, were scared, discouraged, confused, angry . . . and yet still very grateful to have the opportunity to be in that pretty place, doing what we love, and for the most part, ending up with a successful and profitable event. Sigh.

Choochokam rocks

Today could not have been a more perfect day to ferry over to Whidbey Island. The view from my tent is amazing -- I think I have the absolute best spot in the entire show. I'm directly across from the boy and his dog statue that looks out over the water, and watched the kids digging in the tides early that morning, kayaks skim along the shore, and boats amble back and forth all day. The sky was a magnificent blue with not a cloud to be found. The mountains were all crystal clear, their snow peaks standing above the horizon. And the temperature was perfect, with a slight breeze. The kind of summer day you dream about.

Folks from all over were visiting on summer vacation, lazing away the day at their beach houses, and stopping in for a little shopping and shimmying to the all-day bands. And I got to talk to some really cool soapmakers and share tips . . . from right there in Whidbey, to Camano Island folks, to a couple from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Fun to hear what everyone else is doing, and to know that every one of us adamantly hates the onslaught of the dreaded "melt and pour" soap and is devoted to keeping the real stuff, the authentic recipes and the make-it-from-scratch spirit alive.

We're still there all day Sunday -- 10am to 5pm. The ferry lines were a breeze. The mood? Totally and completely mellow. What summer is all about.

Lemon Sugar Scrub Sale

I've just put the rest of the Lemon Sugar Body Scrub in the sale section on the web site. It doesn't do well in the warm weather and hot sun at outdoor shows -- it seems to separate a bit. And when folks open it up to check out the scent, it leaves little trails of goo. Once I get home, it cools down and stiffens again, and has held up just fine. So I've decided to put the last little bunch of them on sale, mail order only.

It's truly great stuff. If you've never used a body scrub before, you're missing some fun in the tub. Usually it's a base of salt or sugar, mixed with oils or a soap base. You take it into the shower (no water) with you, scoop out little globs and massage into your skin, kind of scrubbing in a circular motion. When finished, turn on the water and rinse clean. Your skin will be soft, smooth, totally exfoliated and energized. It polishes and invigorates at the same time. My scrub base is the best of all worlds -- a sugar base, which doesn't sting or irritate like some salt bases can, and a soap base with moisturizers, which won't leave your shower oily or slippery but leaves you soft and hydrated. I can't stand doing the full beauty routine, and then ruining the whole experience by having to clean the bathroom when I'm finished. This beautiful product rinses completely clean, in fact the darn tub looked even cleaner when I was done, like it rinsed off some the scum that was already there. Can you beat that?

And the scent is heavenly, fresh squeezed lemonade, lightly sweetened and citrusy zingy. Lemon is a skin brightener too. It's used in all those high-falutin' potions which "brighten" age spots and skin tone, making you look younger and more radiant. I'm very much in love with lemon oil lately. I've added some to my regular body lotion too -- mostly because I am addicted to the scent, but I'm always looking for ways to turn back the clock.

Originally I added this product as a Spring Seasonal, and the regular price was $6.00. It's on sale now for $4.00 for an 8 oz jar. Great stuff. You can order it here: Special Sale Items. An amazing deal.

The weekend in Langley

Just to get you thinking about your weekend plans . . . howza 'bout a little trip up to Whidbey Island, a stop at the charming town of Langley, and a visit to the popular Choochokam art festival there?

Their blurble: "Choochokam, Langley Festival of the Arts. On Saturday and Sunday, the streets of Langley (Whidbey Island) will be filled with arts, crafts, music, poetry, dance and festivities as Choochokam returns for it's 30th year. Artists, crafts people, sumptuous food and top notch entertainment will please art lovers from around the region." Okay. Sounds hokey. But truly, Langley is a gorgeous little spot, with the sweetest little shops and restaurants, flower boxes overflowing at every step, not to mention the unbelievable views of the Sound. And when some of the finest artists gather to fill the streets, and the toe-tapping bands start playing their music? it's magic. I love this show and can't wait to ferry up there this weekend.

Dates: July 8 & 9, 2006
Times: Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
Soapworks Studio Booth Location: Across from the Star Market, right next to the Village Pizzeria, at the little scenic overlook to the water. Same spot as last year.

Just in case you need a virtual tour -- here is my exact spot! If you move your mouse, it pans around in a circle, showing you the whole downtown street, and the amazing view I see from the back of my tent. Village Pizza is the pink building. And I'll be set up along the red curb space just in front of the pick-up truck in front of that little park space with the statue of the guy and his dog looking out across the water. Best view ever.

Here's the official site: Choochokam (Note: the web site seems to be down yesterday and today, but I know this is the correct link because I just checked it last week to find my booth location and it was functional and up to date. So I'm putting in the link now, and hoping it's back online soon, or try again later.)

And just in case you need to plan ahead, the Washington State Ferry schedule can be found here: Ferry Schedule.

The Big Show

We went to the Lake Union fireworks show last night, like we do every year. They are the best, by far. At our favorite spot, pressed up against the railing at the very end of the pier near Chandler's Restaurant, we watch the boats jocky for position as the sun sets behind Queen Anne hill, the pinks and purples in the sky, mirrored in the waves. Glorious evening. A lightening storm in a single brightly lit cloud was flashing and shooting jagged bolts over to the east, it's own fireworks show, and keeping us occupied as we waited.

I'm working on my camera skills still. But decided to try out the "fireworks" option on my camera, just to see what I could get. Obviously, they didn't come out that great. But the special effects are kind of interesting. I suppose if one were truly serious, they would have brought a tripod, or at least set the camera on the railing instead of just holding it in the air while jostling about in a crowd.

So impressive this year. New colors, like peachy oranges, citrusy yellow greens, brilliant turquoise blues. And an unbelievable set of petal pink and lime greens. And new effects -- like the red planets below, some fuzzy dandelion thingies, little purple rockets that shot up and drifted down timelessly for what seemed like minutes, looking exactly purple coneflowers or echinacea blooms that turn into parachutes. Hard to describe. Smiley faces, red hearts, big yellow, blue and green block shapes. I don't know how they keep coming up with these amazing shapes. But it's one of my favorite things in the world -- to watch the sky explode with shapes, color, loud booms, fizzling sparks, dramatic kabooms of light and sound. I don't really need the lousy photos to remember it all, but it's fun to have a few of these silly string shots to remind me of some of my faves.



So onward this week. This coming weekend is Choochokam in Langley, and with the market again tomorrow, it's going to be an intense couple of days making lip balms, packaging soap bars, and getting ready. Off to the races . . .

Miss Independence

Today I am taking the day off to celebrate my freedoms.

Not really the patriotic type, but I can appreciate the vision of our forefathers, and the huge sacrifices made by so many throughout history to protect our freedom in this country. I often think about what it would be like to have been born in another country, and there are very few places other than here that I would have been able to achieve the lifestyle I currently enjoy, all on my own, as a single woman carving out her own little business and surviving on the profits. So for that, I am deeply grateful.

What's your favorite?

I get asked this question almost every single day that I am out selling the soaps - in reference, of course, to which scent or bar of soap I personally like best. I still haven't come up with a good answer for that one. Even after all this time. Every. single. time. I stammer out a response along the lines of well, I'm using this one right now, but erm that one's good too, and uh this one is really popular . . . um, ahem.

Because it's a toughie. I mean, I can't say, "I like all of them" because it's just too cheesy. And it wouldn't be true anyway. As much as I hate to admit it, there are a few that I don't really care for all that much and have never taken in the shower with me more than once or twice for testing purposes. But I won't say which ones, heh.

Scent is such a personal thing. What one person loves, another hates. And it doesn't say anything about their personality or character - it just is what it is. That's why over time I have made so many different kinds, and not all of them are about me. And it's also why I like to do the seasonals. It's fun for me to try new things, but also to see what kinds of scents are more popular and with whom.

And to be really frank, the ones that I truly have a little crush on (and it changes a lot) are usually the ones that nobody else likes, and when I've said it aloud in the past, the earnest, happy customer picks up that bar with eagerness, and then squinches up their nose, looks uncomfortable and mumbles out a "ah, ok" and it's an awkward moment as they decide if I'm joking them or just plain weird. Then I tried the method of just picking out one of the best sellers of the moment and pretending, but that felt dumb to me too. And again, it's always a crapshoot, whether they will agree with you or not.

I think what folks really want is a good recommendation, not that they really care what I'm sudsing with. So I've been trying to ask what kinds of scents they prefer, or texture . . . and kind of point out a couple that might suit them, without getting into the whole mess about me. I need to work on a better line to use. One that's kind of ambivalent, but doesn't sound like I'm evading the question, and then turns it into something useful for them.

But anyway, if anyone truly cares, I really, really, really like the Candied Ginger. And as per usual, it's clearly not popular with anyone else. And every version I've ever done of the Orange Blossom. Love it. But that one sells quite nicely. I almost always have a bar of Beach House in my shower in the summer. And the whole lot of top 5 selling soaps of all time that are always on the menu? I am just plain tired of after 10 years, so they don't make it into my soap dish any more. But you didn't hear that from me.

The Glam Life

I wonder what other glam gals are doing on this Friday night -- a stunning, sultry evening, the kick-off to a long summer holiday weekend? I'm betting it isn't puttering down the highway, headed home at 10pm, slouched in the seat with her pants unbuttoned.

I have a lovely, open, shady and breezy corner spot at the Art a la Carte show, part of Taste of Tacoma. The fragrant waftings of the lavender sachets in the summer afternoon sun luring in all comers. These same lovely sachets, however, were not the big hit I had hoped. By the way, sachets are not "Sat-Chetts" (rhymes with Nurse Ratchett), but rather 'Sa-Shay' -- it's French. And they are used to scent drawers and closets, etc. They are not torture devices for small children, but you would never know it, from all the choking and gagging kiddies who stopped by to inhale, roll their eyes, howl, etc. I was starting to think I should pack them up and give it a break, but I actually sold a small number of them. So I'll play tomorrow by ear.

Anyway it was a pleasant day. So many activities too -- a kid's carnival with rides, several stages with really great music, radio station booths, free give-aways, and the food. So much food. Barbeque, jambalaya, jerk chicken, sushi, Thai noodles, melting cheesy Mexican, Greek gyros, burgers, dogs, grilled salmon caesars, curly fries, elephant ears, strawberry shortcake, cotton candy . . . how does one decide? And where's the Pepcid booth?

Can't keep my eyes open for another minute, and I've got a bit of work to do in the morning before I head out again. Glam girl/soap diva/lavender-wielding witchie poo, OUT.

Tacoma, for days

Here's where I make my big announcements about where I'll be all weekend. Tacoma!

Thursday is the Tacoma Farmer's Market -- 10am to 3pm. Cherries and berries are in peak season right now. Who can pass up those summer fruits? I'll be there with bells on.

Tacoma's Art a la Carte is the art festival set up alongside the Taste of Tacoma food bonanza in Pt Defiance Park for the next three days. Everyone likes to eat! Especially when it's paired with a gorgeous park setting, a huge assortment of food booths to choose from, a sweet little art festival, live music and entertainment, kid's stuff, ooh la la the free samples - the works! Hours are Fri and Sat 11am to 9pm, and Sun 11am to 8pm.

The weather was so perfect yesterday - a bit cooler than that heat blast we had over the past weekend, and more comfortable for everyone. And it's supposed to hang on all the way through the 4th, what luck! Gorgeous, sunny blue skies and temperatures in the upper 70's? Is this heaven?

Bircher Muesli

While we were on vacation last week, I had the good fortune to try Bircher Muesli at a fabulous breakfast buffet. How on Earth could I have gone this long on the planet without knowing about this stuff?

Here's how Wikipedia explains it: "Muesli was invented in 1900 by Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital. The term is a Swiss German diminutive of the German noun "Mus", a cooking term for a semi-liquid made from raw or cooked fruit that lacks an exact English equivalent, but that is related to mush, paste, compote or the French purée." Apparently the term muesli now seems to be a generic term for all kinds of dry and cooked cereals. But the original recipe is the national breakfast of Switzerland, and a quick Google search looks like it is mainstay in Australia and all over Europe. How could I have missed this?

Basically it's a cold porridge-like pudding of oat, fruit and yogurt. So creamy, so fresh, so full of healthy stuff. I can't get enough. Here's the recipe I used:

1 cup rolled oats
½ cup milk, apple juice, or freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup yoghurt
½ Granny Smith apple, grated
1/8 cup currants
1/8 cup slivered almonds
a sprinkling of ground nutmeg
a sprinkling of ground cinnamon

seasonal fruits to serve

Method:

Combine the rolled oats, apple juice, yoghurt, apple, currants, almonds, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir together. Chill overnight (or for at least two hours).

To serve, stir in the fresh fruit of choice.

Yesterday I added fresh raspberries. Today it was chopped banana and strawberries. You can use plain, vanilla or flavored yogurt, and add almost anything. There are so many variations I want to try: banana walnut with a dash of maple syrup, lemon yogurt with coconut, or tropical mango papaya and pineapple, blueberries almonds and dash of almond flavoring, fresh ripe peaches!, craisins and pecans, fig and hazelnut, pear and macademia nuts. I am going to try flax meal for more health benefits -- just a tablespoon. It's endless, all the combinations that can be cooked up! So good and so good for you

Pretty Feet Secrets and NEW STUFF!

A little lesson on how to keep feet in tip top shape for summer sandal weather:

It's three steps -- soak, scrape and smother. First you will need something to soak your feet in. I use a plastic dish tub, but any basin that's big enough to fit your feet into and cover the tops. Even the ol' bathtub is ok, it just takes more water. Fill with warm water and add roughly a 1/2 cup of salts. Bath salts are fine, dead sea salts are the best ever, Epsom salts are super cheap at any drug store and work great. The salts dissolve dead skin and soften everything up.

The next step is the elbow grease. While still soaking, start working the heels, toe callouses, and rough bits with some sort of abrasive tool. Pumice is great. I also have one of those wands that looks like an emery board used for manicures, but it's larger for feet -- has one side with a fine sander, one course side. Sand off all the areas that have toughened up. There is also a Microplane gadget that looks like a mini-grater, which works on real problem spots. Anyway, the point is to scrape, sand and rub out the dry skin bits that have built up, and get back to the healthy soft skin. Keep working away at it, until you feel like you've removed at least a few layers. And if it begins to feel tender, stop immediately.

Finally, dry off. Dump the junk. And slather up with the Foot Balm. It's great to do this at night, moisturize deeply, put on a pair of cotton socks and let it marinate overnight. But it's ok to just put on the sock and leave for an hour or so until it's all absorbed in. I guarantee your feet will be smooth, soft like a baby's toosh, and ready for their close-up. If you did this process once a week, you could become a foot model.

So here's the deal. I've finally gotten in my shipment of brushes and accessories. I have wanted to add a few things to the site that co-habitate nicely with my own products. And a handy little Foot Tool was at the top of my list. This one has two sides, which is really cool. The one side has a natural bristle brush, which I use just to clean off the daily dirt when meandering around barefoot or in flip flops all day. It's just a nice little brush for going the extra step with a bar of soap and lathers like a champ. The other side is the pumice tool. It's pretty, made with natural wood, an easy to hold handle, and a string to hang dry. Perfect all the way 'round.



I've just added a bunch of new items to the site today. I'm still making a couple of updates this morning, so if it doesn't come up immediately, try again in a few minutes. I'm re-loading a few pictures and fixing a few typos. But I couldn't wait to blog about the whole thing!

What I have is a collection of natural wood handled items, really pretty, very affordable, and indispensable for my beauty routine. A back/body brush with a long handle that detaches -- the head has a little hand strap and works like a charm for massaging the cellulite off thighs. A sweet little oval nail brush, that has an extra line of natural bristles that make quick work of removing the dirt from my hands and under my fingernails after gardening. I HATE to wear gloves, but usually I'm just out sipping coffee, perusing my kingdom and find a tall weed that had gone unnoticed. Next thing you know, it's half an hour later, I've covered myself in dirt and weeds, and my hands are a mess, the gloves never crossed my mind. So this little brush sits in the kitchen windowsill and saves me from looking like Farmer Brown.

I also now have a soap dish. Yes. Hooray. Finally. A soap dish. People have asked for a dish for so long. Mostly because my bars are square, and often don't fit into the little traditional soap dishes. This one is a very attractive natural wood, has grooves which channel the water away from the soap, and allow the bar to dry between uses for maximum longevity. Obviously, if a soap sits in a little dish of water day in and day out, it will begin to get mushy and deteriorate faster. There isn't a soap in the world that doesn't. I happen to think my bars last longer than most -- and a good twice as long as a commercial bar. But it will still melt a bit when sitting in a wet environment all the time. So this little number will keep it high and dry, while looking quite nice next to your sink or bathtub. And I suppose I don't have to mention it, but it's the absolute perfect size my one of my bars.

And finally, I have added a cotton boucle soap sack. This is not something I use daily, but I've tried it all week, and it's kind of neat. I know there are plenty of folks who use the nylon puffs or washcloths or any assortment of accessories with their bar of soap. The idea is the same -- it creates huge extra lather and has a nubby, soft texture to exfoliate or give a little extra rub to the soft side of a bar of soap. These little sacks are super soft when dry, nice little nubbly when wet, hold a bar of my soap like they were made for each other, and has a nice little drawstring tie that will hang to dry. It's perfect for adding the last little slivers of soap too. When they get just a little too small to hang onto, just drop them in the sack and you won't waste a thing.

Here's where you can find the whole assortment of new goods. I'm really excited to see if these work out!

All The New Stuff

Whooof!

Yesterday was a marathon of hours in the car, trying to get home from the Canadian Rockies all in one day. And now the house has exploded. How did all this stuff fit in one car? Plus the mountain of mail, newspapers, messages and packages that arrived this week, all piled up and demanding attention too. The kitty was on a hunger strike, protesting the decision to leave her behind, so now she's trailing every footstep, howling and eating her weight in crunchies.

The driving distances were so much longer than we had been given. But the scenery was stupendous. Four black bear sightings, one grizzly sighting, herds of elk, mountain goats, tons of deer with little fuzzy knobs on their heads, more glaciers and turquoise lakes than I can even remember. I will try to keep the silence, peaceful serenity and grandeur of it all in my head while I attend to all the every day business that is stacked up around here.

I've got quite a day ahead of catching up, laundry, orders to be rushed off, and the like. But it's ok. I think for one more day at least, I can still revel in the vast hugeness of life outside of this tiny desk, in this mini office, in a tiny little house, in the small world I inhabit. And not get stressed out about what I might have missed.

Keep cool! Enjoy this little blast of summer!

Road Trip!

A GINORMOUS thank you to all the fabulous peeps who hunted and wandered around this past weekend to find my little tent at the invisible end of the road in "No Man's Land" to buy soap. I swear I have the most wonderful customers on the planet. Special shoutout to Jeanette who brought me a gift out of the blue. She's been following her muse with her new oil painting hobby, and one recent day received the newsletter and decided that she simply must do a painting of the little Arts & Crafts floral design logo that I use, and then decided that I needed to have it. It's beautiful, and so touching, and the highlight of my weekend - I've been crowing about it to everyone who walked in and saw it adorning the picket fence shelf that holds my sprays. Terribly sweet and thoughtful.

And to the lovely gals who somehow picked the exact moment when the two directors of the show happened to stop by the booth and check out the newbie -- all the while raving and howling about how wonderful the soap is, how they found me by the notes on the web site, insisting that it's the best soap on the planet and the only thing they use . . . Oh. My. God. You could not have picked a more perfect moment, or been more serendipitous. They both left the booth shaking their heads in wonder and amazement, and I can't help but think they might be just a little bit more impressed with me after that exchange. It's been a slow and frustrating weekend for sales, and the bottom line for all of us is how much I sell, and how much I pay them in commission. But a few well placed compliments at just the right moment may be just what the doctor ordered.

And my two new best friends, the Port-O-Let gals? Fate brought us together. I've loved every second of our kibbitzing and sharing of the arteest life and plain old wimmin stuff. I can't wait til we meet up again at the next show and can gossip about everything that's happened in between. Good luck with your shows next weekend while I'm off galivanting! I'll bring my own Charmin for our next appearance!

One teeny postscript - for the woman I talked with Sunday morning (who can't possibly know who I am, or about this blog, or ever read this). She stopped by early yesterday morning with her dog, trying to reach the bench behind my tent which is dedicated to her husband who died just last year. She was bringing a bouquet of flowers freshly cut from their garden -- pink roses, orange lilies, purple delphinium, a green branch, all scrunched up in foil. I think she mumbled that she brings some every week, but it was hard to make out. It was Father's Day, and she was trying to control a full-out weeping, just a choking, wobbly, voice, some stopping for tears, a request to place the flowers on the bench for her since she couldn't reach behind the walls of our tents. While I was clamboring over to move them into place, I had a hard time taking in the moment myself, reading the most heartfelt inscription on the metal bench that I never noticed while sitting there the previous afternoon reading People magazine and munching chips. I asked her if she wanted to come around behind the table and place them herself, or say a few words or take a moment. But she quickly stammered "no" and disappeared quickly. I really wish I could have offered something more, or shared the grief somehow, said something, hugged you, but you left so quickly that by the time I turned around and tried to squeeze my bum out from behind the table I couldn't even see where you had gone. I'm sure your husband was a wonderful man, and obviously very much loved and sorely missed. I thought about him all day, and so did all the other folks who saw the flowers and asked about them. They were still fresh and pretty when I packed up and left last night.


And now . . . ta dah . . .

I'm hitting the road! I've closed the shop, published a bright red news alert on the web site, changed the phone message and left the building.

We are taking the laptop, but probably won't have much, if any, wireless since we're planning on quite a bit of wilderness and nature time. And while in town, nobody takes their computer to the spa, now do they? So if the opportunity strikes, I may check in. But no promises. See ya Monday the 26th!

Saturday at the Show

It's been pretty slow and disappointing for a bunch of us, but I met some very lovely artists and have had quite a nice time getting to know them. Maybe spending much more time chatting than any of us would have liked, but pleasant nonetheless. And studying the clouds over the Edmonds skies - constantly moving, marching ever onward, first dark and threatening and then light, fluffy and luminous, always changing, always blowing.

I've caught up on my magazine reading. Made lots of lists for what to pack for our trip on Monday. Contemplated the universe. And enjoyed the live music in the evenings at the Wine Bistro behind me. Enjoyable. But not profitable. Oh well. Who cares. I'm headed off for some R&R in just another couple sleeps. I can't be bothered.

A glass of wine. Hauling out the suitcase. Laundry tumbling in the other room. The anticipatory searching for travel bits and pieces that need to be gathered from drawers and corners where they were shoveled upon arrival home after the last journey. Jotting out kitty care instructions. Loading up the snacks.

Tomorrow evening will be a whirlwind of tearing down the tent, loading up the car, unloading the mess . . . completing the weekend's sale - the moments for calmly organizing myself lost forever. So this evening, with the hour or so I have left with a little gas in the tank, I'm wrapping up as much as I can. - the anticipation almost as important as the actual trip itself. The very act of finishing tasks, completing details, preparing for time away, and making an actual space that CANNOT be interrupted by daily trivialities, but is focused only on enjoyment and relaxation is paramount to mental health. Or so it seems right now.

Color Week - Red Friday

Last day of color week. I took these pictures earlier this week, because I knew I would be running like mad this morning, heading over to set up the 3-day show in Edmonds. I have a little teeny library room which we've painted a deep red. I found this gorgeous Chinese red throw which I use as a tablecloth in there. Each January I like to decorate the house and celebrate Chinese New Year's - probably because I'm so sad that all the holidays are over so quickly and just want to keep going. I found these little plates at Uwajimaya, the fantabulous Asian supermarket here, and like to pull them out for special occasions.

I'm also very fond of bright, red, cheerful poppies. I've had a variety of poppies in the garden over the years. Like the year I sowed seed for the little orange ones that grow by the highway, and had a bumper crop which took over everything. And the smaller little pink ones with the delicate crooked necks. My neighbor used to have a front yard just full of those huge big ones (like here) which have almost all died out now and I miss them. So I planted a great big salmon pink one last year and it must have about 30 blooms on it at the moment, all battered around by the rain and drooping floozily over the supports I've McGyvered around it. Next year I want to add a few more to that corner - these bright red ones and a pale cotton candy pink one.

Thursday Must Be Blue

I actually really like blue, quite a bit. But you would never know it from the inside of my house. I noticed for the very first time that I have almost no blue decorative items. Yet I am always drawn to blue things -- all kinds of blues. From dark navy, to translucent teal and turquoise, pretty cornflower, and all the robin's eggs and retro-stylish powder blue. Weird. I wonder what that means?

Anyway, I had to go outside to the garden to find some blue stuff, where I have a little line-up of metal lanterns on the potting bench. This one is the rustiest and most charming. And the row of garden gloves which are hanging out just waiting for their next day's work.



An update on the Bellevue show - the news just keeps getting better! The other day I was so excited that I found out they are using a photo of my soap as one of a select few artists to represent their show on the web site. On a high, I called Barbara Larson, who is coordinating the show, to just check in and explain my distress for not remembering to request my favorite spot under the tree. She understood perfectly and put my name on the wait list in case somebody cancelled or otherwise wanted to move. And I thanked her for showcasing my products with the photo on the web site, mentioning that it's kind of an old photo and that I had better ones. They are doing some updating in a couple of weeks again, and adding the full artist list with links to their web sites. And she was so kind, allowing me to send in the new one which will be replaced when they re-do the site. Again, great news. But the best part? Yesterday morning she emailed that I had called at the exact right time, because another artist cancelled who was assigned a booth just two tents over from my favorite spot and she has moved me into the new space. Can it get any better? It's all working out perfectly! So I will once again be located in front of California Pizza Kitchen, on the flat street, right where I wanted to be. Hip hip hooray!

Edmonds Art Festival

Wednesday is Black and Grey day for Color Week. I had fun choosing textural things today. The top one is a beautiful scarf which I have draped over a table. I love how the light flickers over it differently during the day, picking up bits and pieces of the pattern and reflecting silver and grey.

The bottom photo is a close-up of a a corner of the frame that holds an antique piece of sheet music, framed on my wall. Is this cheating - to have silver instead of grey? Phloooie.




This coming weekend is the Edmonds Arts Festival. They describe it this way: For three June days, over Father’s Day weekend, the charming waterfront town of Edmonds will be the site of one of the Northwest’s premier arts festivals. This year art-lovers will immerse themselves in a rich array of visual and performing arts. Great food and special activities for children round out this annual event.

I have not participated in this particular show before -- it's my first year, a newbie. They have a large field area for fine arts folks, and then crafters (meaning me, and foodstuffs, sewing/stitchery, candles, and the like) are placed in a separate area. It's called the Plaza Area and we are scattered around near the Wine Bar and Bistro and the Kids Creative Corner. I'm in the center of the little row of 3 booths just at the entrance to the Wine Bar, in case anyone is thirsty.

This show is loved by many, brings in flocks of art-loving festival goers, and showcases some of the very best artists in the Pacific Northwest. So I am honored that they actually called me personally to join them this year. And am very much looking forward to plunking myself in the middle of a whole new experience.

Tuesday = Brown

Brown is my favorite color. I have so many gorgeous brown items in my house that it was really hard to choose what to photograph for today. I took a gazillion (technical term) pictures of all kinds of things -- a chocolate silk and velvet pillow with an exotic peacock feather pattern in turquoise blue, the rusted metal tree sculpture with ornaments of brown and pink beads that stands tall in my bedroom, my new beaded wedgie shoes (so hawt), lots of tins, boxes and decorative beauties, and finally settled on these two. This photo is a teeny charm that sits on my desk to remind me of my two beautiful little sisters (no, that's not actually them in the charm photo, hee). They are both fabulous wimmins and I am lucky to have them so close by.

Ruh Roh! In my glee to join the cool kids in this little online project, I neglected to fully comprehend the rules of Color Week. Natch. I guess there is supposed to be only one photo per day. Well, I got overexcited and posted a whole bunch of white stuff yesterday. And in browsing everybody else's beautiful work last night, it was really fun to see different themes people picked out too -- like texture, or favorite things in their lives, or only stuff that's important to them. I have to make a confession, I took all my photos for the week yesterday morning. I contemplated waiting to do it each day as the mood struck and stretching it out all week. But then was so caught up in the moment that I wanted to just keep going. I didn't really have a theme in mind, but of course I was drawn to the really pretty stuff in my house that I love. So without even knowing it, I guess I already had a theme similar to some of the ones others are doing. Well, sort of. And I've never been good at rules. So there will probably be two pictures each day. Hopefully I don't get kicked out of the clubhouse :)

A couple of super dooper cool things happened to me yesterday. A friend called to ask about the Bellevue 6th Street art fair that I am doing at the end of July, just to ask some questions about it. I responded a little apprehensively because it's a gigantic booth fee, and this year the layout has changed a bit. I forgot to ask for my most lovely spot in front of the pizza parlor under a huge beautiful tree -- which makes me so sad because I LOVED that spot the last two years and it's always the hottest weekend on record, out on the blazing pavement, and I'm cool as a cuke in that shade all afternoon. But there are construction projects to boot, so half the show has been moved to a stupid parking lot. I know it's unavoidable, and it might even work out fine (even though it's a stupid SLOPED parking lot and everyone will be leaning to one side with crooks in their necks). And yes, of course, I'm in that darned parking lot. So I've been kind of fretting about my prospects as we get closer to the date. After we hung up, I felt worse. Just because I wasn't gung-ho -- for me or for her -- and that's not really what I wanted to project. So as I was working this afternoon, I was trying to make a mental list of what I like about this show, and get excited for how really big and important it is for me to be there and do my best.

Then I get an email. She had gone to their web site to get the map, and lo and behold -- a picture of MY SOAP is the header to the whole web site. Can you believe it? I had no idea. I think it's a sign from the universe. And I expect to have one hell of a weekend out there in the hot pavement selling my little cakes of suds-ibles. Maybe I'll wear one high heeled shoe and one flat one to counteract the slope.

Look at me now!

Gosh, I hope after all that hoopla, my photo actually comes up. It looks like they have a group of about 12 artist's photos that cycle through if you click through to other pages. But each time I tried, mine came up first. It's there, I swear. I sent it to a few folks who said mine was NOT the first to come up (argh) but that they saw it after hitting refresh a few times. So later in the day, I tried on my computer again, and my own photo was number one every time. So at least the message is loud and clear to ME. And a few other folks will catch wind of my photo too, if they visit more than one page, ha.

Ok, number two super cool thing. I don't do much wholesale - but I love to do business with A Lot Of Flowers in the Fairhaven district of Bellingham. The two gals (sisters too!), Penny and Kellie, are the greatest. Kellie called today with an order - a rush order - for all kinds of stuff, but a load of Sandalwood soap. Seems there was a couple who came in the shop and needed the Sandalwood soap. Bought all 6 bars they had left and chastised them for not having more. So they pre-ordered another bunch to arrive specifically for them, saying it's the best Sandalwood soap on Earth, or something to that effect. I'm packing up a big bunch headed north to those sweet folks. And to think that I was just beginning to have inklings that the old tried and true Sandalwood was maybe a little too tired and boring. Maybe jazzing it up with tangerine or something. And the very moment I begin to harbor those thoughts . . . the phone rings. This is such a wild and wonderful ride, isn't it?

White Monday

It's Color Week!

I had no idea such a thing existed until I checked in with a couple of my favorite crafty bloggers this morning, and saw all the lovely white photos. So I'm IN! I’m going to be posting photographs of a different colour every day this week

Color Week was created by Stephanie at little birds and Arc and Mav at port2port. Anyone can join in, and the photos can be of anything at all. The schedule for the rest of the week is:

Monday - White
Tuesday - Brown
Wednesday - Black/Grey
Thursday - Blue
Friday - Red

I was hoping for a little practice in taking photos, and this is the perfect project for that -- just setting up the displays, creating a little still life vignette and working on my lighting and editing. It's still pretty new and amateur for me. But it was great fun this morning to see the pretty white pictures on the other blogs and run around the house looking for white stuff. I had no idea how much white was just staring me in the face. Kind of looking at my home with completely new eyes and seeing things differently -- new perspective is always good. So that sealed the deal for me. I will definitely do this every day this week, and try to come up with some cooler stuff now that I know about it and have time to look around better. These little white goodies were spur of the moment -- without my first cup of coffee even. Not that I'm making any excuses . . . I just hope that I can come up with some more really pretty pictures as the week goes on.

Thanks for the great idea!

Motoring

Well the yellow pillowcase covers for the front porch chair was roundly boo'ed by my roomie. "Ewww, other people's sheets." So off they go.

However I did think the most colorful sheet did quite a nice job at the market the other day. So that part is staying. And the sewing project will probably not happen this week. I'm looking ahead to next week, and realizing that I have too many other things to do to get ready, and not enough time for extra projects. With the Tacoma Market on Thursday and Edmonds Arts Festival on Friday through Sunday, I've got to make the next few days very productive and meaningful. Did I mention that I am going on vacation the following week? I am. For a whole week. I think that's a first.

Since I started this business 10 years ago, I always close up shop for the week between Christmas and New Year's. Take the whole week off and just do holiday stuff. But throughout the rest of the year, if I take any time off at all, it's just a few days, like a long weekend. I don't think I've ever taken a whole Monday through the following Sunday type thingie. So very exciting. And it's a road trip to boot. After tearing down Sunday night at Edmonds, I'm going to have rush through the unpacking and financial stuff quickly, because we leave Monday morning. So I need to squeeze in some vacation preparation stuff this week too.

I'm using this weekend as a concentrated working weekend. Getting vast amounts of all of it done. Plus we're doing an early Father's Day tomorrow too, since that will get lost in the shuffle next week. I've got sprays to label, rounds of salve and foot balm to get finished. I finished up placing all my orders for extra supplies yesterday so they would arrive in time. I've got piles of sachets to stuff in the evening with a little tv. Nose to the grindstone, it's crunch time.

Because when we get back . . . the first week is another scorcher -- Tacoma Market day plus another 3 day Friday-through-Sunday hoopla at the Taste of Tacoma's art fair at Pt Defiance Park. So I don't want to cut it too close and make myself crazy the moment I return either. I want to be ahead of the game and ready for it all now. It's quite a song and dance I've set up for myself. But the prospect is actually kind of exciting and challenging too. I'm actually kind of enjoying the push and motivation. This rather daunting summer show schedule may be the bump in sales that I really need to get out of the hole that's been dragging me around the ankles for the last few years with the bad economy. Big dreams.

Soundtrack to the weekend: banging, pounding, and Mexican radio from the neighbor's new roof construction project, mingled with the howling kitty in the basement. Fun times. Off I go.

Nifty Thrift

In my morning run of errands all over the place, I wanted to run into the Goodwill to look for cool floral sheets. I had an idea that I wanted to make new table coverings for my summer tent display by using fresh and funky floral sheets. I have to admit, this all came about after a trip a few weeks back to the fabric store. Crikey -- fabric is so expensive. And I don't sew. At all -- well, maybe I did a few straight line projects back in Home Ec class in middle school. But lately, nothing. So the whole project of sewing table coverings that actually fit my tables rather than drape across and droop into the street puddles is rather daunting anyway. But I didn't want to spend a small fortune on this either. Especially with the high risk factor that I could really screw it up and need to try again. So why not hit the thrift store and pick up something colorful and fun for cheap. If it doesn't work out, no biggie.

I imagined a plain top and flounces or horizontal stripes of several assorted patterns. But who knows what will come out. I haven't measured anything. This is completely seat-of-the-pants. But a quick trip down the linen aisle and I found a couple of coordinating -- not matching! -- yellow pattern pillow cases. I have desperately wanted to stuff my chair cushions for the little chair on the front porch into a pillow case because the current set is dirty and the stripes are tired. Aha! This will be the perfect solution! Got them home and they really are cute, but too narrow. By about an inch. The darn cushions were all scrunched up wouldn't lay flat. So I just had to lay them over the top. Sort of dumb, but still cute from the street, I guess. At least it won't make my jammie bottoms dirty when I sit there with the coffee and paper in the morning, watching the neighbors go to work (or let their dogs poop on the drive strip out front, right at the level of my car door).

Anyway, then I found these three sheets which look rather charming together. They are not even the same size, of that I am sure. So it could all be a wild goose chase. I'm taking them to Tacoma this morning to see what they look like draped over the table in the sunshine. If they are too transparent, too flimsy or too . . . too, then I'll find something else to do. It's worth a shot. Before I start dusting off Mom's old sewing machine and sweating over the bobbin thing-a-ma-bob, I want to see what they look like outside, and with all my other display pieces. It could be a circus of too much everything also. Hey, come to my soap circus! No, it's not the hallucinogenic drugs, darling, it's just my floral sheet explosion.

And I was quite taken by the lovely brown tree branches in this sheet too -- which I'm hoping to use for a table covering for the fall. Sort of simple and zen, sort of retro. And I'm really big into trees. So of course it had to come home with me too. But really, it was all so cheap, cheap, cheap, who can resist?

Ruby Grapefruit

The delectable aroma of grapefruit has a pronounced impact on the senses and emotions. In aromatherapy applications, grapefruit is refreshing, cheering, euphoria-inducing and energizing. Grapefruit's sweet and familiar aroma can evoke warm feelings that melt sour dispositions. Grapefruit is a "releasing" oil -- so personalities that tend to harbor resentment or keep emotions bottled up can benefit from inhaling this oil.

Another pretty cool effect that's just been found - it’s been proven in a recent study of smells conducted by the Smell and Taste Institute in Chicago that the scent of grapefruit makes women appear from six to ten years younger to men. "How old do you think she is?” Bob whispered to Ted after they walked away from the receptionist. “That’s easy. She’s 35,” Ted replied confidently. Bob chuckled, “She’s 42 . . . and my sister.”

The study was conducted by Institute director Alan Hirsch. He smeared several middle-aged woman with broccoli, banana, spearmint leaves, and lavender but none of those scents made a difference to the men.

But the scent of grapefruit changed men's perceptions. Hirsch said that when male volunteers were asked to write down how old the woman with grapefruit odor was, the age was considerably less than reality.

Needless to say, I'll be spritzing myself liberally with the new Ruby Grapefruit Spray for important occassions (*wink*).

I carved out a bit of time yesterday to do some brainstorming while I was in my zen-like state of packaging the soap bars. Once my hands get into the rhythm of tying the ribbons and slapping on the labels, my brain goes into idea mode. And I had been wanting to make some decisions about a few things to add for this summer's show bonanza, and which directions to start for the fall. I can't say I made huge progress, but there was some movement in the right direction, anyway. As soon as I can spill the beans and post photos, I'll let you in on it. Hopefully sometime next week, in time for the Edmonds Art Festival. Today is a bazillion errands day, so I've got to head out quickly.

The Secret

"...and then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was greater than the risk it took to bloom."
anaiis nin


An overwhelming amount of inspiration has arrived at my doorstep today. I shuffled down to the computer this morning and haphazardly clicked on a few of my old haunts. One of them contained a link to a movie which I couldn't take the time to watch right away. But I've snuck in bits and pieces throughout the day and it's so full of aha! moments and eye-opening ideas that I'm reeling a bit tonight. Literally abandoning my ol' lists this afternoon and searching and researching more. It's like peeking through a small hole in a gigantic hedge and getting a glimpse of the most Eden-like garden.

I'm not quite ready to talk about it, but generally it's about the universal law of attraction, which is not a new concept, or new to me either. But it just struck me differently and more powerfully today. Maybe because I'm ready to pop things open, shake it all up and move past this "stuck" place I've been inching past lately. So now the "real" work begins.

Here's Anahata's post about The Secret, with a link to watch the film on Google Video. It's an hour and a half long, takes a few minutes to upload, but definitely worth every second. The actual site where you can buy the dvd of the independently made film is here -- www.thesecret.tv.

Lists

A sleepless night and a day of lists.

Headache, lousy cramps, hot and uncomfortable, I was tossing and turning for hours. And the cat couldn't sleep either. She wanted snacks at midnight. She wanted to go out and watch the pouring rain from the porch at 2:30. She wanted to daintily slurp water from the bathroom sink faucet at 4 am. I was up every hour in between taking aspirin, getting another glass of water, opening the window, shuffling around. But mostly flopping and twisting in the sheets, wheels spinning about how much extra work I have ahead of me this year and fretting that I either can't get it done, or that actually getting it done will kill me.

This morning, I'm just tired. It will all work out fine, it always does. I'm busily working on lists in order to get organized, focus and stay on track. And hack away at some more things I wanted to get done this weekend.

Yes, I'm one of those neurotic list makers. I would make lists of which lists to make. Can't function without them. Invariably I leave the grocery one at home when I go to the store, and then I only come home with half of what I actually needed. I'm not sure what any of this says about me. Don't tell me. It's probably a sure sign of crazy and I don't want to know. It just helps me function. And doing this whole business myself, with so many aspects to keep track of at once, if I didn't write it down and keep copious notes in my calendars, all kinds of things would fall through through the continent-sized gaps in my short term memory.

Ok, then. I've crossed this blog item off my list. What's next?

flip FLOP

Yesterday afternoon, after just getting back from the Post Office (big end-of-the-week load: it's done, yippee!) -- I'm shlumping in the door and the phone starts ringing. Groaning and fretting about how I'm a mess, we meet for pizza in less than half an hour, the cat needs dinner, what can I possibly wear, everything's in the laundry, and yikes the floor is so dirty in here I can hardly walk on it, and why didn't I get that done today . . . . but I grab the phone and yes, it's a customer.

"I know your hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and it's Friday at 5 minutes to 5 and I simply cannot live without more of your Baby Love soap", she cried. How can you not love that? Actually, the Baby Love was (or maybe still is?) one of the ones I was considering phasing out or changing up. But she needs it. And in fact, two other people ordered it specifically this week. And somebody else gave it a rave review in Tacoma on Thursday. So is this the universe telling me to keep it? Probably. But I'm a little slow on the uptake maybe. Anyway, I'm still percolating what I want to do. Every little comment helps, and I'll try to accommodate everyone who simply. cannot. live. without something. :)

So the pizza last night was every bit as good as anticipated. And the movie (Da Vinci Code) was just as bad as they said it was. Maybe worse. Sure, Ron Howard made a mess of it -- those silly flashbacks. But Tom Hanks, well, stank. He just wasn't the right guy for that role. I happen to think he's not a good actor. He has about 3 facial expressions that he uses for everything. The hurt puppy, the confused hurt puppy ("why did you kick me?") and the far-off vacant stare that we are supposed to believe is some kind of deep thinking but usually is my cue to mentally start a grocery list or inspect the shoes of someone across the aisle -- just generally nod off. But we enjoyed the night out anyway. And Columbia City was really hopping last night. Every little store front had live music and kewl folks spilling out onto the sidewalks. Restaurants, bars, even art galleries were all swinging last night! I'll have to make a date to go back there soon.

Soggy Day

Pretty lousy day yesterday to sit outside and try to sell little bars of suds-making thingies. Thank heavens I brought my big tent. I usually just bring my little striped umbrella, but I knew the forecast was scary, so I took precautions. And of course, the moment lunch hour arrived and people got ready to head out for lunch, the skies opened up and it began raining -- light at first, heading into downright rain, and settling into a steady downpour, right through packing up and inching up the highway home. I hauled out the tent which had been steadily dripping down my neck and car seats the whole way home, dumping whatever water was left trapped inside right down the front of my shirt. And headed inside, leaving the entire rest of the mess in the car to be dealt with once it stopped pouring -- which is what it had developed into by the time I got home. Huge rivers of water racing over the roof, down the downspouts, through my yard. So I gave up, donned my flannel jammie pants, had an early dinner with the kitty and watched lousy tv.

This morning I am cleaning it all up. And then back into the regular groove -- making soap, filling orders, hitting the post office with whatever I can before the weekend.

Tonight a bunch of us are going to see The Da Vinci Code film. I know -- it's lousy. Everyone on earth has said it's awful. And I'm not a fan of Tom Hanks, and I didn't even like the book all that well. The theory was interesting, but the writing was crappy and took quite a bit of effort to slog through. So I'm not expecting much. But I guess it must be done, sigh. At least I can look forward to the fabulous pizza we're hoping to score first at Tutta Bella in Columbia City.

Update: The new test batches I made using essential oil blends didn't turn out as stupendously as I had hoped. Even though I used a higher concentration of scenting ingredients than usual, every one of them is sort of faint and puny. One was anise, lemon and rose -- a variation of a fragrance called "Old Lace" -- which is pleasant and not too "rose-y", but just fresh and floral. You don't even notice the anise, as there is no overt licorice scent, just a little twist that you can't quite pinpoint. The next one was Orange Rosemary. I used 5-fold orange essential oil, which is five times the distillation of orange stuff, and it looks a little more orange than usual, but didn't come out as nicely as I would have wanted. Orange is notoriously volative, and one of the reasons people have so much trouble capturing that freshness in the soap. But even the pungent rosemary isn't quite hitting it's mark. And finally, there was a complicated blend of bergamot, palmarosa, fennel, and rosewood. Which so darn light you can't tell what it is. But there is a whiff of rosey something.

What I'm really hoping for, is that these develop. I'm not sure if I explained this before, but the fragrance actually changes quite a bit during the curing process. And most of the time, it's hard to predict. With fragrance oils, it's easier. What comes out the first day or two is how it usually ends up. Sometimes they fade quickly a few months after curing, but the scent itself doesn't mutate. With essential oils, there is often a few weeks in the middle of curing where the scent disappears altogether, and then comes back as it all settles out and becomes something quite lovely. Anyway, with these new essential oil blends, the following morning, I couldn't smell a single thing. Which could have just been me. But after a day or two, I had a couple of sniff testers try, and they were able to detect the scent, though faint. And now that it's been almost a week and they are out of the molds, it's a bit stronger. So it's still a test in progress.