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The other day when my 1 year old, Lucy, also known at times (within the comfort of our own home of course) as "Lucifer" or the "Screamin' Demon", was again screaming loudly about something, my 3 year old, Claire, turned to me and said "Mom, can't we just get a new baby that's not so loud". Claire seems to have an innate sense timing and turned a quite frustrating situation into a humorous one.
There are many times that I look to them both and hope that they learn as much from me as I'm learning from them. They see the world so simply and everything boils down to a few simple concepts like playing, eating, sleeping and on most occasions sharing and being nice to others. And they have inspired me to strive to be a better, more polite, less "bossy" person as I do realize that they will do as I do, not as I say.
Their books also simplify life into very basic concepts. One that we've recently read, The Three Questions by Jon Muth, sums up at the end with "Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one that you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in this world."
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
To Color or not to Color?
No, I'm not talking about my coloring my hair, although I probably should be....I always thought I would never color my hair and be proud to be gray or white but that must have been back in the day when I thought 30 was old.
I've been weighing the idea of coloring my soaps. I never have, I would want to stick with natural colors and those options are somewhat limited. It's also an extra material/ingredient that would cost money and would require me to raise my prices a little. But, I have seen some beautiful, colored soaps, so beautiful that they are artistic. They inspire me to want to color and swirl and learn a new process. In the end, I realized that what's been lacking for me lately while working in my basement workshop that I fondly refer to as the "gopher hole", is fun and creativeness in my work.
So, I've come to a compromise with myself - not so hard to do when it's with just yourself I guess - and will work on a separate artistic line that will incorporate some coloring and swirling, maybe some different shaping or layers. I've decided if they're not big sellers then that's ok, sometimes you just have to have play in your work. In all of my free time of course, LOL!
On a different note, the LARAC show in Glens Falls, NY was this past weekend and I want to thank everyone that came out to visit and shop. It was quite hot and humid (as LARAC always seems to be) and it was nice to see everyone.
I've been weighing the idea of coloring my soaps. I never have, I would want to stick with natural colors and those options are somewhat limited. It's also an extra material/ingredient that would cost money and would require me to raise my prices a little. But, I have seen some beautiful, colored soaps, so beautiful that they are artistic. They inspire me to want to color and swirl and learn a new process. In the end, I realized that what's been lacking for me lately while working in my basement workshop that I fondly refer to as the "gopher hole", is fun and creativeness in my work.
So, I've come to a compromise with myself - not so hard to do when it's with just yourself I guess - and will work on a separate artistic line that will incorporate some coloring and swirling, maybe some different shaping or layers. I've decided if they're not big sellers then that's ok, sometimes you just have to have play in your work. In all of my free time of course, LOL!
On a different note, the LARAC show in Glens Falls, NY was this past weekend and I want to thank everyone that came out to visit and shop. It was quite hot and humid (as LARAC always seems to be) and it was nice to see everyone.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Burn outs
Well, the day finally arrived that I knew someday would, I blew up my trusty old cooktop that I make soap on. It didn't really blow up, there was more like a large spark, thick clouds of dark smoke and me sprinting faster than I ever knew I could to unplug it from the wall outlet. That was followed by my husband calling downstairs "what's burning down there?"
This incident was proceeded by my burning out my stick blender while trying to bring a stubborn batch of liquid soap to trace. That ironically happened while I was thinking that I should probably have a backup stick blender as stirring a batch of liquid soap by hand can be an all day venture and leave one with Popeye level biceps. It seems that I was just having a bad day.
So I packed my three year old and one year old off to shop for new appliances. Any of you that have or have had small children know that shopping with two impatient children does not usually make for a fun day. But we made it fun by stopping at Joann's Fabrics and shopping for some fun supplies to create for our big "Fancy Nancy" party next week at the local library. My three year old has talked about nothing else for the last two weeks and she and I will be decked out in all of our pink frilliness, tiaras, wands and tutus for this fancy tea party sponsored by the Fletcher Memorial Children's Library. Of course, we'll be bringing Summit Soapworks' party favors, our new "Strawberry Smoothie" lip balm. Should be a great time and I'm looking forward to sharing the day with my oldest daughter even though the frilliness part is a huge stretch for me who is certainly not a girlie-girl.
In the end, I have a temporary burner until I can shop without my girls for an electric cooktop and am back to making soap!
This incident was proceeded by my burning out my stick blender while trying to bring a stubborn batch of liquid soap to trace. That ironically happened while I was thinking that I should probably have a backup stick blender as stirring a batch of liquid soap by hand can be an all day venture and leave one with Popeye level biceps. It seems that I was just having a bad day.
So I packed my three year old and one year old off to shop for new appliances. Any of you that have or have had small children know that shopping with two impatient children does not usually make for a fun day. But we made it fun by stopping at Joann's Fabrics and shopping for some fun supplies to create for our big "Fancy Nancy" party next week at the local library. My three year old has talked about nothing else for the last two weeks and she and I will be decked out in all of our pink frilliness, tiaras, wands and tutus for this fancy tea party sponsored by the Fletcher Memorial Children's Library. Of course, we'll be bringing Summit Soapworks' party favors, our new "Strawberry Smoothie" lip balm. Should be a great time and I'm looking forward to sharing the day with my oldest daughter even though the frilliness part is a huge stretch for me who is certainly not a girlie-girl.
In the end, I have a temporary burner until I can shop without my girls for an electric cooktop and am back to making soap!
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