Window Shopping on 1000 Markets

Morning All,

I've been neglecting my 1000 Markets (or IKM as I shall refer to it going forward) shop. I still had holiday pics up! I'm trying my darndest to ensure that it and my ArtFire shop are mirror images of one another, but it's too much work! I've bitched before about listing before, and it's just a pain, but I've got to get it done! 1KM is such a beautiful marketplace. It's very clean and organized. I love how all the pics are professional-looking (you know that's such a pet peeve of mine.) One thing that I really love about 1KM is it is a juried site. You can't just join and start selling. You've got to be approved, so your offerings have got to be on point! Another thing that I love is that the site is not just one, big selling outlet. It's a bunch of markets where you can shop by genre or likeness. I love it!!!

Anyway, I've been doing some window shopping, and why did I wait so long??? I am in love with one particular market called Modern Simplicity. It is so beautiful in its simplicity. I am such a no-frills type of gal, but I do love things with an edge. One shop that I adore is called Tre Anelli Jewelry. Her work is fantastic and artistic. It's wearable metal art. Check out these gorgeous pieces. I'm saving my quarters now so I can score a few. I'll be checking in regularly now with my 1KM window shopping feature.

(Photos taken from Tre Anelli Jewelry)

Seven Somethings Art Award

I have been fortunate enough to be given this award from my dear online buddy Arnita over at Creating Naphyri. It's called the Seven Somethings Art Award and the gist of it is very simple: You list 7 things or people that you are passionate about, then bestow the award to 7 bloggers you love. This one was tough (Aint that sad??? I'm getting better though!)

7 Things I'm Passionate About:

1. My faith in God (You don't have to be a religious zealot to love and believe in the Lord)
2. My sister (She's my best friend and the only person who'd take a bullet for me.)
3. My cat (She's brought me from the depths of the deepest depression and back.)
4. Soap making (It's the crack of crafting in my opinion.)
5. Getting enough sleep (I am a straight bitch when I don't get enough rest.)
6. Laughing (If I don't have a hearty laugh at least once a day, something's terribly wrong.)
7. Paying my rent and having enough to eat (When you grow up with two drug-addicted parents, it's the little, basic things in life you hold most dear.)

7 Lovelies I'm Passing This Award To:

1. Milk and Cookeez


2. Burnt Mill Candles & Soap


3. Bullfrogs & Butterflies Baby


4. Meka Candles & Scents


5. NY Blaque


6. Skincare By Heather


7. Structured Chaos

In addition to the 7 I just named, I'm passing this award to all my followers. Although I don't comment on all your posts, I am reading-regularly and with interest. I love you all!

Another Giveaway!!!

Ya know, I'm doing my part to stimulate the economy because I'm giving away everything!!! Head over to Steals and Deals where I'm hosting yet another giveaway. I agreed to do this around Christmastime, and I completely forgot! This giveaway is a basket full of goodies all made by me of course. Read about it and enter here!

Thanks to Abby at Steals and Deals for the opportunity!

Orange Chocolate Lip Lush On Moods and Appetites

What a cool name, huh? Moods and Appetites is a beautiful and visually appealing blog dedicated to one blogger's culinary and creative adventures. No sooner than I began to tweak and fine tune my 1000 Markets shop does it begin to get a little recognition (it's still not even half-way filled yet but I'm workin' on it.) Thanks to Katrina for the feature and giving me some cool, new reads! Check me out here!

More "Green" Soap

For so long I've had it ingrained in my mind that if you want to make cold processed soap, then you've gotta use a wooden mold. BA-LO-NEY!!!! I've hid these plastic grid molds forever and thought they would not be able to withstand the rigors of lye and heat, but man was I wrong! Not only did they easily slide out, but they are also pre-scored, so all I have to do is cut and trim.

Here are a few pics of soap I made over the weekend. The pink one is Blackberry Apple and the greenish-looking one is Italian Granita Ice. I love the ashy look of this one for some reason. My tastes are becoming more and more rustic. I'm so over with trying to achieve the "perfect-looking" soap. These bars make so much lather, that I was in complete awe! Now I'm off to make some soap balls with my scraps. Talk to ya later!

ps-Don't forget to enter my I Love Cupcakes Giveaway (see sidebar on the left for details!)

Score This Soap!

Happy Saturday (any Saturday I'm not "working" is a happy Saturday)!

I so look forward to doing this weekly feature. I just love cyber shopping, and this week's score comes from a shop I only discovered minutes ago called Blushie. I am so smitten with that name!

Anyway, I've been suffering from my semi-annual, pizza-faced breakout extravaganza, and I've been on the hunt for an all-natural solution to my dilemma. Blushie makes this amazing looking soap with activated charcoal. I've always wanted to use it in my own soaps, but I am not ready to venture out that far yet. Activated charcoal is supposed to be really good for oily skin. It draws out the gunk and yuck that's deeply embedded in your pores.

This soap is not only full of good stuff, it's pretty cool-looking too. I love the black and white swirls. It would go great with my Mrs. Zebra soap from Epically Epic! Now go score!

Ooh You Naughty Soap-Come To Mama!!!

I've been a little frisky lately with my blog posts, but I've gotta keep reeling you in somehow:-D!

The other day I vaguely hinted about a small soap disaster I had, and here is the end result. Let me preface this by saying I am so done trying to achieve the perfect swirl or color. I've wasted so much time and supplies trying to get it right, that I'm just going to let my soaps be. It's what's on the inside that counts right? Let me introduce you to Rhubarb Al Fresco. I bought this scent blindly from Brambleberry because I just love the word rhubarb. Of course I didn't read the notes in the soap description. I just wanted the fragrance. Anyway, my intention was to "swirl" this soap in various shades of pink and red, but of course it didn't go down that way. No sooner than I added the FO at a light trace did that sucker seize on me (Disclaimer: The Brambleberry description clearly states that this scent superheats, but this bad boy was smokin'!) It was practically solid, so I was moving with the quickness! My whole swirl intention was shot to hell, so I poured the colored soap into the seized soap and tried to salvage some semblance of a swirl.

Well this is the final result. Not bad, huh? I kinda dig the funky, pale pink topper. And, the scent? O-M-G! It is dying, no begging to be showered with-only 4 more weeks til cured! Oh, and it's my first palm-free batch. Yay!!!

I'm A Cool Find!

Nothing is more rewarding than someone who finds worth in what you do (okay, I'll take a million dollars, tax free, but let's get real here)! I've been talking about I Heart Handmade forever, and I was fortunate enough to be a "cool find." Okay, I personally wasn't (although I think I'm pretty cool), but my Rhapsody In Fruit was. I love the smell of apples and limes together for some reason, and this is my homage to applimes or do you prefer limepples (yeah, I made that up just now!)

I Love Cupcakes Giveaway

Okay, it's time for another giveaway! Why? Cuz I want to, and this time, I need your help. I'm giving away one of each of my shea butter cupcake soaps. That's one Buttercream Cupcake Soap, one Carrot Cupcake Soap, and one Chocolate Cupcake Soap. They'll be packaged up all pretty, so you can keep one for yourself, give one to your best gal, give one as a gift, or be greedy like me, and keep them all for yourself (I'm bad, I know!) All ya have to do, is leave a comment about your favorite cupcake flavor (doesn't have to be one of mine). Hype my giveaway on your blog and link back to me, and you'll earn an extra entry!

The contest will run from now until April 15th (have you done your taxes yet?). The winner will be selected using that random number picker thing-y again. Good Luck, and I've just given you something to blog about:-D

My Balls Are Beloved...LMAO!!!!

First it was my boobs. Now it's my balls! I, too have soap with balls. If you are a reader of soap-related blogs, then you know there's a young man who has a blog called Soap With Balls. I stole it from him-okay I'm borrowing it from him just for this post. My Soap Balls were featured on a great new blog I'm now following called Structured Chaos. If that aint the story of my life.... I also happened to fill a custom order for Soap Balls this week also. I love these little boogers. I have to make more of them now. I think they're too cute!

Chocolate Cupcake Sugar Bubbles

OMG-I'm gonna have to get my stomach pumped because I can see myself eating a scoop of this. I should have made this one a long time ago. I whipped the soap to a nice peak, colored half of it brown, added brown sugar, and scented it in chocolate cupcake. Then I scented the other half in buttercream frosting and piped it on top of the chocolate cupcake. I topped it with a few chocolate CP soap sprinkles and put a glycerin soap cherry in the middle. I need a cupcake right about now. It too is for sale in my shop.

I'll tell ya'll about my latest soap disaster tomorrow....

Ambrosia Soap

Every time I hear the word "ambrosia," two things come to mind: The song How Much I Feel (from the 70's band Ambrosia,) and that slop of a dessert that I see at all the buffets. I apologize for that last quip if I offended any ambrosia lovers. Okay, I'ma say it: It looks like vomit. BUT.... it has a certain appeal to it. I'll never understand what that appeal is, but it beckoned me to create a soap in its honor. When I I looked up the word ambrosia, I was shocked to find that it's considered the food of the (Greek and Roman) gods. Traditional ambrosia is made with pineapple, maraschino cherries, oranges, coconut, whipped cream, sour cream, and sometimes marshmallows. They lost me at the sour cream and marshmallows. Everything else I could do. My version makes a tasty bath treat: It's a shea butter soap base (natural, of course) with chunks of scented cold processed soap in the middle. The main scent is Orchard-smells just like a fruit salad. I cut these really big. I wanted the soap to scream "Hello! I'm Ambrosia. Let's shower, shall we?" That's how much I feel.......It's for sale now.

Going Green with Palm-Free Soap

(Pic courtesy of Whitebox)

About a month ago, I made a conscious decision to begin making palm-free soaps. That means no palm oil or no palm kernel oil. Why is that you may ask? Well, I've been really re-evaluating how I can personally make a contribution to going and staying green. It's been a personal struggle for me because I've never been conscious of my wasteful habits before now. I recently read that the deforestation of peatlands and rainforests to make room for palm oil plantations have contributed to environmental degradation and significant greenhouse gas emissions. In plain speak, the plantation of palm oil is messing with the Earth's atmosphere and temperature. You may think to yourself that this is so petty, why even go there, but I feel passionately about making a difference in some small way. With that being said, I've been looking for substitute palm oil recipes.

Palm oil's main benefit is to soothe and moisturize dry skin. It's solid at room temperature and contributes to the bar's hardness. Palm kernel oil's benefit is also to make the bar of soap hard, but it also produces big, fluffy bubbles. Coconut and palm kernel oil has very similar properties so that's one substitute right there. Palm oil is one of the "Big 3" of soap making along with coconut and olive oils. The rule of thumb for the "perfect bar" of soap is to condition, lather, and be hard. The harder your bar, the longer the soap will last (coupled with proper drainage after each use.) Since I've started making soap, I've been preconditioned (through my various readings) to believe that palm oil is a must for making soap. To that I say "Bullsh*t!!! I found a couple of really good recipes courtesy of Gracefruit that do not use or require palm oil to satisfy the Big 3. One of my main substitutions is going to be cocoa butter. I can't get enough of it!

Just a heads up that I won't have many posts this week because I'm going to be on a soaping rampage. I haven't made soap in over a month, and I finally ordered some supplies from Columbus Foods that are arriving today! I plan to make at least 5 batches of soap by Friday. Of course I'll post pics next week. Until then....

New Listings

I love, love, love chocolate, and I have been dying to make more chocolate-inspired soaps, but I couldn't quite figure out what to make or how to do it. I've been blog-hopping and I came across the most fantastic-looking mint chocolate soap, and I was inspired. But I wanted to do something different, but what??? I racked my brain and I racked my brain, and voila-shredded chocolate soap! I've created three fusions for a new collection I call For The Love of Chocolate! I present: Chocolatacoconuta, Peppermintal Chocolate, and Cocoberry. I'm so proud of myself. I've finally found a way to incorporate cold processed and melt and pour soap together and not botch it up!

Score This Soap!

It's Saturday, and I almost forgot to do a score this weekend. I'm obsessed with swirling now, so I've been searching high and low for a swirled soap to feature. This week's score comes from Sweet Sally's Soaps (I seem to pick all the tongue twisters, don't I?) and is aptly titled Mint Swirl. First of all, I'm jealous because her soap is a beautiful shade of blue and secondly, her swirls are perfection in my humble opinion. I really have to step my game up now! Head on over to Art Fire and score this soap!

I Was Featured On I Heart Handmade

What better way to end a horrible visit to the tax man than finding your shop featured on a lovely site? A few posts back, I told ya'll about the I Heart Handmade Spring virtual craft show. Well, I'm one of the participants, and I was featured today in their regular "Get To Know.." where they spotlight one of the vendors. I really love this site. It exposes you to some great artisans, and it's a wonderful way to expose your shop to some new people. I can't tell you how many new viewers of my shop I've received as a result-and yes, I've gotten some sales from it too!

Check it out and maybe you'll consider participating in their next craft show!

More Markdowns!!!

Okay, I didn't do an artisan spotlight this weekend. I'm preparing to meet with my "tax person" tomorrow, so my mind is on getting my sh*t together. Why, oh, why, did I wait til the last minute? I do this every freaking year! Anyway, I've marked down more soaps. They're $2.00 each. I wanna get rid of them to make room for new STUFF!!!

Getting Down With The Swirl!

(Pic taken from Burnt Mill Candles & Soaps)

That's a little play on words because this phrase actually means different things to different people. I'm using this term to mean swirling soap colors. One of my biggest challenges as a soap maker has been how to achieve all those beautiful swirls that you see in many of your favorite cold processed soaps. I briefly mentioned this a few posts back when I talked about Saponifier mag's Best Swirl Contest. I also mentioned that they were offering a book dedicated to the various swirl techniques: cold and hot processed swirling, swirling in the pot, swirling with multiple colors, even m&p swirling! I had to have this book! It was available in 3 formats: booklet form, cd form, and a PDF download. You know which one I got right? The instamatic PDF download baby!!!

I tore into this book, and guess who was one of the guest "swirlers"? Misty from Burnt Mill Candles & Soaps! Misty, you didn't tell me you're a published star!!! I always wondered how you made your soaps look so beautiful, and now I do. It's going to take some practice, but I'm going to give it a try. I'll post pics soon!

Rhymes With______________________

When I chose this week's theme, the deeply hidden and greatly suppressed motherly instinct in me peeked just a bit. For those of you who don't really know me, I don't have a motherly bone in my body. I've never yearned or desired to be a mom. I like other people's kids though. If the good Lord wanted me to have children, there were plenty of opportunities (trust me on that one.) Anyway, this week's rhymes with word is cooties. Ewww, you've got cooties! Did you ever tell any of your friends that when you were young? Okay, I digress, but enjoy this week's selection all courtesy of some great Art Fire Artisans:

Busy Hands Boutique

CDR Creations

Frouge Art

Hand Knit Hugs

Krafty Lady Kreations

Lil Baby Tangs

MEH Designs

Mon Peetit Violon

Precious Patterns

Springtime

Sylver

Val Made

Get "Green" Hair With Everyday Household Products

It's been around for ages, and it's probably in your kitchen cupboard. Apple Cider Vinegar is the bomb! It's chemical-free and it's cheap, and it makes the most excellent hair rinse! If it weren't for ACV, I wouldn't be able to achieve all these hairstyles that require some not-so-chemical-free hair products. I admittedly use a lot of product in my hair to achieve certain styles. I offset that buy cleansing my hair with all-natural, sulfate-free cleansers and conditioners. I absolutely love Dr. Bronner's liquid Castile soap. You know the one with all that writing all over the bottle. I use Dr. Bronner's to wash my hair, my undies, and to clean my toilet-yes, clean the twa-let! It will admittedly take some getting used to after the first couple of uses.

You may notice that your hair feels a little straw-y or hard, but your hair is in "shock" and will quickly adapt to it. I use the ACV full-strength, about a cup's worth after I shampoo to detangle and get all the residual product out. I leave it in for about 5 minutes (placing a plastic cap over my hair.) This is the last step after I shampoo and condition. Yeah, it smells like vinegar, but once your rinse your hair, the smell will dissipate. Or you can cut it with a little honey or diluted lemon juice and water. It keeps the frizz at bay, and your hair will be soft and silky. Give it a try!

Tools Of The Trade: Scent Blending

(This doesn't even scratch the surface!)

If you're a scent junkie like me, you probably have dozens upon dozens of bottles of scents laying around. Many of mine are 1 oz bottles of something I wanted to try but never really cared for. Others are my staples-basic, one-note fragrances that I can use alone or blend with other scents to create something delicious. I think every soap and candle maker should have these basics in their scent collection-especially if you're a food scent lover, er, junkie like myself:

Vanilla (that goes without saying)

Chocolate

Strawberry

Coconut

Peach

Blueberry

Cherry

Pineapple

Apple

Orange

Lime

Cinnamon

Coffee

Brown Sugar

Peppermint

All of the above-mentioned can be mixed and matched to create your own unique blends or you can use them to make some old favorites like so:

• Blueberry+French Vanilla=Blueberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry+French Vanilla=Strawberry Cheesecake
• Apple+Cinnamon=Apple Cinnamon (duh!!!)
• Strawberry+Peppermint=Candy Cane
• Orange+Peach=Fuzzy Navel
• Chocolate+Strawberry=Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Lime+Vanilla=Key Lime Pie
• Pineapple+Coconut=Pina Colada
• Peach+Vanilla=Peaches N Cream

The possibilities are endless. Throw a gingerbread FO into the mix, and you've got instant pie fragrances. If you've got a favorite scent blend, I'd love to hear from you. Share the wealth!

Some New Stuff Revealed

I was inspired by all the delicious-looking soap cakes I've seenlately, so I decided to make my own version. It's Strawberry Cheesecake Soap, and it's a no-frills soap. It's just an all-natural, sulfate-free soap base. The look of the soap itself commands all the attention. It smells so dang good that I'm craving cheesecake now. I even packaged them in those little plastic clamshell containers. I read a comment about my soaps the other day that they look "too good to use." Well, if that doesn't defeat the purpose, I don't know what does! I was kind of afraid of that though. Don't fret, I've got enough ugly soap to go around too:-D

Kreativ Blogger Award

I'd like to publicly thank Lenox Knits for bestowing the Kreativ Blogger Award upon me. Nothing is as gratifying as the love of your cat (or pet) and someone who truly admires and appreciates what you do! The rules of this award is to pass it on to 6 or 7 bloggers whom you think is deserving of this award. I'd like to give this award to these very deserving ladies (If you already have it, oh well, you're getting it again:-D)

• Milk and Cookeez


• Meka Candles and Scents


• NYBlaque


• Ozark Scents


• Skin Care by Heather


• The Copper Cauldron Soaps


• Pegasus Handmade Soaps


• I Can Make That

Okay, that's 8-sue me already!

Check Me Out On Autonomous Artisans!

I admit it: I had no idea what the word autonomous meant until I was forced to look it up. Autonomous means (according to Webster's) self-governing. Yeah, that pretty much sums up my philosophy. I am the master of my own destiny. I run this! Okay, anyway, I'm featured on the wonderful blog Autonomous Artisans, as Artisan of the Week and I thoroughly enjoyed answering these questions. Thanks to Captain Skulduggery (OMG, that tickles me just typing it) for the wonderful opportunity. I can't stop laughing now...Captain Skulduggery!!!

The Cat That Eats Cheetos

Before you call Peta on me, I just had to share this pic of Pepper licking all the cheese off my beloved Cheetos. She loves 'em, but I think Doritos are her fave. I love this cat so much. We've been together for 11 years this month. I adopted her from the DC Animal Shelter after I broke up with my boyfriend and my mother died.

(Damn cat! I have to literally put her in a choke hold to pose for a pic with me.)

Pepper comforts me when I'm sad, pisses me off when she pukes on my carpet, but most of all, she gives me unconditional love. You can't ask for more from any living thing! Get a pet. You'll feel better, and you'll live longer!

Bitch Post #5: Use Spell Check People!!!

I'm so disgusted, I'm about to explode!!! I was on Art Fire (when am I not on Art Fire?) reading the forums when I constantly came across threads with blatant misspellings. Maybe they weren't so blatant to the authors, but this just burns me up! Grown-ass people who can't spell or take the time to proof their thoughts before hitting the send button need to not even bother writing. The sad thing is there's a built-in spell-checker in the box! I won't even talk about listings with multiple misspellings. I will immediately leave your shop. I'll give grammatical errors a pass because I'm guilty of them myself sometimes. But I do make a point to read my stuff before listing or posting. If you ever find a misspelling in one of my product listings, please let me know!!!

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox. My blood pressure has already gone down 10 points just by posting this. Have a good Saturday (what's left of it anyway!)

Score This Soap!

I'm so happy to report that not only do I tell you to go score some soap, I actually scored some soap last week-The Mrs. Zebra soap from Epically Epic Soap. I cannot wait til it arrives! This soap score is starting to make me feel like an addict looking for a hit. I love scouring the pages of Art Fire looking for just the right soap to feature. So, what exactly do I look for? I look for originality which can be further broken down to include color, texture, shape, and ingredients. I also look for soap makers who have few or no sales. Consider it my PIF (pay it forward.) So, with all that in mind, this week's score comes from Desert Soap Stone. Isn't this a gorgeous soap? It reminds me of the desert and reading the story behind the soap makes it even more inviting.

Enough blabbering, check out Desert Soap Stone, and go score!

I Heart Handmade Spring

I feel like it's Groundhog Day. Didn't we have a Friday the 13th last month? I don't even remember that day, but anyway, it's gonna be a great day just for the simple fact that it's Friday and it's the opening day of I Heart Handmade Spring! What is it? Click the link and find out! Just kidding (I do want you to click the link and find out though!) What it is is an online craft market featuring moi and many other talented artisans. The show runs from March 13th (that would be today) thru April 5th.

This is another reason why I love Project Wonderful. American Craft Guide and I Heart Handmade advertised on this very blog. I do actually visit my sponsors. I've discovered some wonderful shops by doing so. Take a peak and maybe you'll find a few surprises along the way!

Art Fire Artisan Spotlight: Cherrybones

It's Friday, so ya know what that means....It's time for the artisan spotlight of the week, and guess what? It's not a jeweler! No offense to all my jewelry artisans-I love ya'll. I found this week's artisan, Cherrybones from the front page of Art Fire. She had me at cherry and bones! When I clicked on her shop, I fell in love. Read her interview, then check out her shop!

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Seattle with my husband and a small handful of silly animals. We recently bought our first house and it is teeny tiny but we love it and its pretty easy to keep clean. I love to paint and draw but I also do some other crafts like Jewelry and making things like bookmarks. I also really love to find random things to paint on like little figurines from the thrift store or trinket boxes.

2. How did you discover your artistry?
Well my dad is an artist and so I have been into art my whole life, its just something I grew up with.

3. Do you craft full time or do you have another full time profession?
Right now I am doing my art full time but I may have to get a job again in the near future depending on how things go you know. Who knows a month from now I could be washing dishes part time while doing my art. Lets see my most recent jobs I have had to take have been dishwasher at a restaurant, truck team at a local department store, grocery clerk, fiberglass boat detailer and background check verification person for people applying for jobs in the airline industry.

4. What brought you to Artfire?
My friend Carrie Hawks / Tigerpixie opened up a shop and recommended it to me.

5. What are some of your favorite materials or supplies to use?
Acrylic paint is my very favorite and I love to paint on smooth cradled gessobord panels but they are kind of pricey so I don't use them very often.

6. If you could learn to do any other craft or artistry, what would it be?
Sewing, I never really learned how. I do a little hand sewing and have an antique singer that I use sometimes but I am just not a sew-er. My best friend is an excellent seamstress and I'm jealous cause shes always making herself cool clothes.

7. Do you have a blog, website or other craft venue that you sell on?
Oh yes, here are a few:
Cherrybones.com
Etsy
Zazzle
Ebay
Livejournal
Facebook

8. What’s your overall impression of Artfire and would you recommend it to fellow artisans?
Well I have only been on Artfire for about a week but so far it looks pretty cool. It seems like they are really trying to help artisans out. I am looking forward to seeing how it goes there as the community grows. So far so good, I would recommend it for sure!

9. Now, for the fun!!!
a. Coffee or tea?
 Coffee, I drink lots of tea though to.
b. Cat or dog?
 Well I have both and a bird but I guess I would have to say Dog because she likes to go hang out with me and go for walks and stuff unlike those ungrateful cats of mine...
c. NY or LA?
 Probably LA since it would be warmer, Ive never been to either though.
d. Paper or plastic?
 I dislike this question...mainly because it always reminds me that I forgot my reusable bags at home.
e. Fame or fortune?
 Fortune, you cant keep the house warm with fame.

( P.S. I love that pic of you that you use in your bitch posts, it cracks me up =D)

Wow!!! I love this gal! You can't keep a house warm with fame! And she likes the pic I use in my bitch posts! I'm lovin' it! Thank you Alex for such an entertaining read. I appreciate your candor. It's so refreshing!

Just Rambling About Stuff That I'm Up To....

Where in the heck has the year gone already??? I think in accounting terms, and the 1st quarter is almost over! I don't remember January, and February is fading fast! I remember at the beginning of the year, I told myself, oh, "You've got time to start planning your spring line."Well, folks, Spring is here-in another week! Shoot, I was supposed to have started my workout plan by now and lost at least 10 pounds (okay, I'll take the 4 I've lost. It's a start.) Anyway, where am I going with all this? I don't know! I'm just rambling.....

I did order some new fragrances. I'm working on some new scrubs. I've pretty much abandoned the lotion notion. BUT-I am working on a "multi-purpose" cream. I hope to debut it in a few weeks. I'm also working on a new lip balm formulation-one that is creamier. While I like the one that I make now, I want to try something a little softer and maybe play with a touch of color (on the lips-not just the product.) Let's see, what else? Oh, I'm also tweaking my perfume solids. I've got some new scents that I'm coming out with, and I'm trying an actual base this time. It's all natural with no crazy 20-letter, 6-syllable unpronounceable words. Well, that's enough rambling for now. I'll keep you all posted, and thanks for following!

Rhymes With______________________

Happy Hump Day! Only two more days til the weekend (I don’t know why I’m on countdown mode cuz I have to go back to the dentist on Saturday.)

This week’s feature rhymes with cake, fake, lake, and make. Check out how uniquely creative everyone’s interpretation of the rhyming word is. I’m not going to give you the rhyming word anymore. I think once you see what the items are, it’s pretty obvious. Thanks to the following artists (who can be found on Art Fire) for being so gifted and talented:

• Boysenberry Lane
• Customized Just For You
• Emily Balivet
• Hair Ties Galore N More
• Knot By Gran'ma
• Ninja Jenn
• Rag Trader
• Raven Glass
• Saplanet Originals
• These Loving Hands
• Wildwood
• Zaja Natural

New Listings

I am so absent-minded sometimes. Isn't one of the purposes of having a blog is to promote yourself? I've listed a few new items in the last week:Fortune Cookie Soaps

Wake That Ass Up! Soap (No, this is not a typo)

Love Spell (VS Type) Perfume Solid

Chai Tea Soap

TSS Is All Over The Place!

On Saturday I made a conscious decision to temporarily close my Etsy shop. I've been debating for the longest time about whether or not to close it permanently. I'm speaking from the heart here when I say I feel so "disenfranchised" there. There are tens of thousands of shops there, and I get so lost in the mix, that I feel that I just have to take a break and re-evaluate whether it's worth the effort anymore. What's funny is, just as I do this, I make a Treasury. Thanks Audrey's Country Crafts for including my Buttercream Cupcake Soap in your treasury.





On to other news, my new friend Heather of Heather's Paints and Prettys featured me on her blog today. Heather is also a licensed esthetician and offers great skincare advice on her blog Skincare by Heather. I can't wait til she answers my skincare question!

Raspberry Vanilla-Part Deux!