Soap Bubbles Blog

Christmas is a'comin'!

2006-12-06T12:08:00.000-05:00

Looking out the window of my office and seeing a snow covered world (albeit one that probably won't last just yet), is really driving home the fact that Christmas is only about 2 1/2 weeks away! Does anyone else find that a bit crazy?

So if you're looking for some lovely gifts, I'd like to draw your attention to my website and order page. Please browse around, finish off your Christmas shopping in the comfort of your own home, and await a sweet smelling box of natural goodies to arrive at your door, ready for gift giving.

Gift baskets are great for the people you love (pick one of ours our email us to design one of your own), and soap and bath bombs make great stocking stuffers.

If you're in Canada, you've still got plenty of time to receive your order (I ship express post--two days guaranteed), but of course, the sooner the better. (If you're in the states...if you get your order in ASAP it should arrive on time, but if you wait more than a day or two, you might just be out of luck.)

Happy holidays to everyone!

Aimee

Tags: Christmas, holidays, gifts, Shopping

Its been awhile...

2006-08-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

Because I've been very busy.

I've vended at three shows in the past three weeks, and in between I've been scrambling around, unpacking, sorting, organizing, making stuff, labelling and repacking, among other things.

I'm totally behind on my books, my soap stock is running low, I'm clean out of some of my bath bombs....

But now I have four weeks till the next show. Three glorious weekends free. Then I vend at Cabbagetown (my last outdoor show of the year), and then I have about two months before the Christmas shows start.

I've been going back and forth about whether or not I should go to market these three weekends home, and I'll tell ya, the jury is still out. Part of me would love to have a few Saturdays all to myself, no show, no market, nothing. But another part of me really loves going to market. So far, I have definitely decided that I will not be attending this Saturdays market. Instead, Ahren and I will leave early to Gravenhurt, to go to a cottage for three nights with his parents. I'm very happy about that decision. We'll see what happens the other two weekends.

So I've just been to Hillside, Kempenfest and the Celtic Roots Festival, in that order. We just got home from the celtic fest, and I have to say that its been my favourite show all year. Its a wonderful festival, and if you ever get a chance to go, do. Its totally worth it. If I don't get in as a vendor next year, we will definitely be going as patrons.

A celtic fest booth shot:

I forgot to bring the camera to the other two shows, but it was basically the same. I'm liking it.

Now that I'm home for awhile, I'll be playing catch up with all the other things to do, both business and otherwise.

This morning, I made these:

Comfrey, plantain and calendula oils, set in the sun for six weeks, to eventually be made into body balms. (The comfrey and plantain were grown and harvested by us.)

On the right is one jar out of three that I strained and bottled this morning--beautiful st. john's wort flower oil. Ahren harvested the flowers for me from plants growing wild at the black shire. The flowers have to be used fresh, so as soon as he got home, I packed them in jars and poured extra virgin olive oil over them. About a month or so later, they are finished, having turned a gorgeous red colour. Definitely my favourite oil to make, because it is just so beautiful.

I'm going to spend the rest of the day painting the trim in our new office, so we can move up there and start our living room reno (we need to get the wood stove in before winter).

Enjoy this beautiful summer--its going to be gone before we know it!

Aimee

Mariposa Folk Fest

2006-07-11T12:30:00.000-04:00

Its Tuesday, around lunch, and I am into day two of recovery from the Mariposa Folk Fest, where I vended this weekend. Yesterday was intensive personal recovery, spent knitting, reading, and doing some very low key hanging out on the porch with neighbours. (I also got a little gardening done, too.)

Today is theoretically the day where I recover the house from disaster. You know, clean the kitchen, the bathroom, my room, and do a few little work things (like writing a blog entry, and sending off a show application). A good portion of the day is also spent knitting, reading and relaxing.

Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, I should be working again. It is the "ease myself back into work after an exhausting but good weekend" plan. So far today, though, I've not done much cleaning or other house recovery, and its not seeming to appealing. So we'll see....

So the weekend was really good. Good sales, good people, and I loved my booth display. Here it is for you to see:

With the lovely Ahren, manning the booth. Notice the lack of walls, due to the extremely lovely weather we had.

I'm really happy with the display; I feel like I've finally found it.

I also got some very beautiful stuff from some of the other artisans (a necklace, some decorative glass things, a painting), and bought some new cds, including a cd each of Sunparlour Players and Chakidor, whom I say do a workshop together that was absolutely amazing--seriously some of the best live music I've ever seen.

So a good weekend, all in all. My next show is the Hillside Festival, July 28-30. Its my fave fest, and I'm looking forward to it.

Hope everyones well, and enjoying the summer.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs

Finally Finished (almost).

2006-06-28T13:26:00.000-04:00

Yay! I'm so excited. The website pages are finally finished (well, almost. Ignore the wholesale page. It will be finished soon. If you're interested in carrying Sacred Circle Herbs products in your store, please contact us).

Okay, theres still some other work to do, text that needs to be written and whatnot, and of course, I'll really probably never be done. (Because changes will be ever present.) But this last batch of changes is done. Yay!

In case you've forgot, last Friday the computer yet again kicked my arse, but thanks to Sandy, I got back on track, and here I am, in my new, happy site stage. Lots of new photos, a workshops page that lists all the upcoming workshops (starting in October--there are no workshops in the summer), and new backgrounds for the pages. I am finally happy with the site. (It has been a long journey to come to that point.)

Now I'm going to go get off the computer and start trimming and labeling the endless stacks of soap.

Aimee

Oh yes, I just realised that I have yet to credit it on the site, but all the product photos were taken by the lovely and talented Karolina Kuras. If you need photos, I highly recommend her. (And you should check out her site. Her portfolio is beautiful.)

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

Photos are up...mostly.

2006-06-23T15:08:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm excited and pleased to say that I have spent the whole day in front of this computer, and have managed to get almost all the new photos up on the site, not to mention doing a whole bunch of other stuff (like changing the background, which I'm really excited about).

However, the excitement is somewhat dampened by the fact that, three pages from being finished, I tried to publish a page and the program told me: "Not enough disk space on the server. Please contact your administrator". What the hell does that mean? Does anyone know? (Randy, I'm thinking of you.)

Then it proceded to make it impossible to edit any page that I clicked on, so I can't even work on drafts. Once again, the computer has kicked my arse.

In other news, I think this computer might be again succumbing to a virus. Our computer just crashed (because of viruses) in February, after a long life of five years (and we bought it used). This is a brand new computer, already showing signs of illness. And of course, I'm loathe to take it to the shop, because it costs money (which is always in short supply around here), and its a bit of a pain. I know this is the wrong attitude to have, and hopefully the computer will actually get to the hospital before it dies. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So the computer successes are balanced with the myriad computer failures. I think, perhaps, that its time for me to get off for the day.

Have a good weekend.

Aimee

Georgetown Ho!

2006-06-20T16:37:00.000-04:00

I spent this past Friday and Saturday (two very long days), at the Georgetown Village Festival. I won't say much, except sales were fine, and I was right beside my friend Naomi, which enabled a new booth design:

As you can see, we didn't put up our centre walls, so we had one big booth space, and we got to talk, hang out, and watch each others stuff if one of us had to go to the bathroom or get food or just get out of the booth.

We also both did corner boothes, since there was no one on either side of us. This was new for me, but I loved it:

I really enjoyed the openess of the booth, as well as the added display space.

Other than that, the fest was a bit of a bomb. Really hot, bad music (sorry, don't mean to be critical, but you'd say the same thing if you heard "The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah", or "Dem Bones", or "Superman....Super duper man....Hes a trouper man....super dupper man" over and over and over for two days straight.

So while I'm happy with the sales (although they weren't as good as I'd hoped they'd be), it was a bit soul crushing, and I'm glad its over.

Now I have two weekends free (although I will be back at the Guelph Farmers Market) before my next show, the Mariposa Folk Festival. I'm excited (both for the fest and the time off).

Aimee

Photos have arrived!

2006-06-14T00:03:00.000-04:00

Yay! My new products photos, taken by the lovely and talented Karolina Kuras, have now arrived!

They will slowly be making there way onto the website (slowly because it takes me forever using the web editing program I use and its also show season, meaning less time in front of the computer and more in the kitchen). They have already arrived on the mum and baby page.

Busy times ahead. I can feel it.

Aimee

The Beaches Arts and Crafts Show

2006-06-12T11:24:00.000-04:00

So I spent this past weekend in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto, at the Beaches Arts and Crafts Show, and I'm feeling pretty happy with the results.

The sales weren't great, but they weren't bad, either. And there was a whole lot of learning going on. It was my first outdoor show of the year, and my first time trying out my new booth display:

Which I really liked at the time (although I have a myriad of ideas for improving it), but now that I'm looking at the picture, it doesn't look so hot. Trust me, it did look better in person. But this weekend, at the Georgetown Village Festival, it will have numerous improvements made. More colour and more abundance (and better signage for some of the products) are some of the toppers on the list.

This show really was quite a wonderful learning experience, and I came out of it with lots of ideas, so just for that it was great, and the sales really were okay. So I'm feeling pretty darn positive right now.

I also got to spend the weekend with my godmother (who also happens to be my dads first cousin, which makes her my...what? Second cousin? First cousin once removed? Whatever). And it was really fun. I've never really spent much time with her, so it was so nice to have the chance, and she's wonderful. Hopefully I'll get to stay with her again when I'm vending at other shows in Toronto. It was really a treat.

So all in all, it was a very successful weekend. I'm two for two! What a good way to start off the show season. Hopefully this is just the beginning of many good shows to come!

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

Sweet Success

2006-06-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

Did the DUDE on Friday and Saturday this week, and it was great! Great music, great people, great sales.

Its so nice to start the show season off with a positive experience. Hopefully this is only the beginning of many good shows to come.

This weekend: the Beaches (scroll down to last post for info on when and where). Wish me luck.

Aimee

Shows

2006-05-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

Here it is, finally, and almost complete:

my shows (or, "where to find me this summer").

The DUDE
Friday June 2 5 pm--11 pm
Saturday June 3 10 am--6 pm
The Walper Terrace Hotel
Queen St. South (beside main entrance)
Downtown Kitchener

The Beaches Arts and Crafts Show
Saturday & Sunday June 10 & 11 10 am--6 pm
Kew Gardens Park
Lee & Queen St. E. Toronto

* Georgetown Village Festival
Friday June 16 10 am--9 pm
Saturday June 17 8 am--6 pm
Main St. from Church St. to James St.
downtown Georgetown

Mariposa Folk Festival
July 7, 8, 9
Tudhope Park
Orillia, ON

Hillside Festival
July 22-24
Guelph Lake Conservation Area
Guelph, ON

Kempenfest
August 5, 6 & 7
Kempenfelt Bay
Barrie, ON

Celtic Roots Festival
August 11, 12 & 13
Lion's Harbour Park
168 West St.
Goderich, ON

Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Festival
Sept. 9-11
Riverdale Park West
Toronto, ON

Fair November
November 17-20
University Centre, University of Guelph
Guelph, ON

* conditional upon acceptance by the jury

There may still be a few that find their way in there, but as of now, this is how it stands.

On weekends that I'm away at a show, I will not be at the Guelph Farmers Market (just in case you're looking). But if you're looking for products, you can check The Pantry at With the Grain Bakery in Guelph (corner of London and Woolwich), or give me a call or email and we can set something up. And of course, if you can make it out to any of the shows, it would be wonderful to see you.

In other news, now that I'm getting into crazy busy summer show mode, the blog posts seem to be getting a little...sporadic (not that they were the most regular in the world or anything, but you know what I mean). I'm going to do my best to keep posting at least once a week, but we shall see what we shall see.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

Hard at Work

2006-05-23T17:44:00.000-04:00

Yes indeed, after a freezing cold weekend off, I am back at it, secure in the knowledge that even though my first show is now less than two weeks away, I am okay (as long as I work long and hard till then).

So today, even though it was the first warm, sunny day after too many cold, rainy days, I stayed inside (mostly) and worked away.

First, I painted some display pieces for my new booth.

I'm not sure why I do this to myself. Three years of shows, three new booth designs. Guess I'll just keep trying till I get it right.

Then I got on the labeling train, and labeled the two hundred lip balms that I made last week.

I make all the labels myself. Printed on my computer, put through this neat little hand cranked machine called a xyron (that laminates one side and puts adhesive on the other), and then cut with these little scrapbooking cutter things, its a bit of a process, but the only way that I can have professional looking labels that I can actually afford.

This year, I thought I'd check in with some print shops and try to find out if I could actually get pro labels made. A far off dream, that. For each different label, it would cost me $650. I have twelve soap labels and about twenty others. The soap ones are pretty easy to do myself, so forget them. So that leaves the twenty others. Which would cost me $13,000. Yeah. Not happening anytime soon, thats for sure.

So I struggle on with my xyron, which is really not all that bad, as long as I don't let the amount of stuff to be labeled build and build and build until I spend the whole day cutting and labeling and end up with a hand that more closely resembles a claw.

Its also a drag when the xyron does this:

but luckily it doesn't happen all that often.

Last but not least, I put together a shelf to store my trimmed and labeled soap.

Pretty proud of this one, considering the last time I did this, I ended up yelling and cursing and whatnot until Ahren came downstairs to help me. This ones almost done, just waiting for Ahren to come home and help me set it square (he's way better at that then I am. My square tends to be a little, well, not square.)

Now I'm waiting for the man himself to get home, so I can go out in the car and drain Food Basics of the rest of their pomace olive oil (for soap), and run a few other work related errands.

I love productive days.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, lip balm, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Back in the Kitchen

2006-05-18T13:23:00.000-04:00

With the realization that my first show is in three weeks (umm, actually, that would now be two weeks), I've done the only thing possible in such situations: I've made a lovely list (I love lists) with things I need to make in order of importance, and have started making them. (So far I have yet to make the list of other stuff that needs to be done, like working on my booth display, since I've decide to change it yet again).

So I've spent the past two days in the kitchen (much to the detriment of my knitting). On Tuesday, I spent the day making over 200 tins of lip balm. Then I went out and taught a workshop on natural body care for moms and babies. The lip balm went well, the workshop, not so much. There were only two people in the workshop (there were supposed to be three, which still isn't very much, but its a bit better), and only one of the people there was there because she was pregnant. The other woman has sensitive skin, and simply wanted to make some gentle products for herself. Which is totally fine, except I had planned the workshop to focus on moms and babies, and when that information doesn't apply to half your class, its a bit strange.

As well, more people means more time. When theres only two people, we just whip right through everything. So we ended a little (a lot) early.

Oh well, what can you do? One thing I've learned, though: I definitely won't be running workshops anymore unless they have a least four people in them. Five or six is ideal, more gets a bit crazy, but is still doable.

Yesterday I made soap. Ever since I started making soap with a hand held blender, instead of just stirring and stirring, it has been amazing. Where once it took 30-40 minutes of stirring until I reached trace, now it takes five minutes at the most. I've been able to shave one hour off my soapmaking time (I make two batches a day). Enough time left over to take myself out for lunch (which was incredibly disappointing, but we won't talk about that).

Today I'm catching up on desk work, as well as (hopefully) labelling the 200 or so lip balms currently all over my desk, as well as getting some soap trimmed and labeled. Does that seem unrealistic to anybody else, considering its already 1:30 and I've really just started working?

Wish me luck.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, lip balm, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

High Gear

2006-05-12T14:02:00.000-04:00

Well, thats it. My days of relaxed (sometimes, dare I say it, bordering on lazy) work days are over. I am now officially kicking it into high gear.

We got back from Rondeau on Wednesday afternoon, and both Ahren and I hit the ground running. I ran out 3 hours after we got home to teach a soapmaking workshop, and Ahren ran out almost immediately to cultivate his fields before all the rain started.

And basically, we won't be stopping anytime soon.

Spring is fully hear, and with it comes the realization that my first show is only 3 weeks away. Whoa. How did that happen?

For Ahren, it means that crops have to get in the ground, stat. Especially since Environment Canada is calling for a ridiculously hot and dry summer. Those little seeds need all the help they can get, which means getting them in the ground now while its still cool and wet.

This season, of shows and growing, is shaping up to be the busiest one yet, since Ahren and I both started our businesses.

I'm almost looking forward to January.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

The Dude

2006-05-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

Above is a poster for my first show of the year, the DUDE. Its a fun show, not a craft show, but more of a party, or so I hear. This DUDE is in Kitchener (there are also DUDEs in Toronto), so if you're in the area June 2 and/or 3, come on out and say hello.

Another little note: I'm going away this week to Rondeau Provincial Park, a beautiful place about three hours from here, I believe in a southwesterly direction. Anyways, its on Lake Erie, and its a Carolinian forest and its a major bird migration pass through place. So I'm going with my partner and our good friend Anne, to spend a week doing botany (yes, in my world you can do botany), birding, biking, drinking (of course!), and remembering our good friend (and Anne's husband) Henry, who died of brain cancer on Christmas day, 2005.

So this is probably the last you'll hear from me till sometime in the latter half of next week.

Have a good one.

Aimee

Handmade Soap

2006-04-28T11:09:00.000-04:00

Here is another beautiful photo, again courtesy of the lovely and talented Karolina.

This one shows a stack o' soap. Karolina really had fun with that there soap. At one point during the photo shoot I went out to get us some munchies, and left her to photograph the soap. When I got back she was still photographing the soap, and having a hard time stopping. This resulted in a multitude of beautiful soap photos that I'm supposed to choose between. How do you choose between these things? I think I just want to get copies and copies of them all and wallpaper my house with them.

Check out my soap page for more info, and how to order.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog

Bedtime Bath Bombs

2006-04-27T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is one of the beautiful new photos that will soon grace my site and other Sacred Circle Herbs' propaganda. Ain't it purty?

Featured is a Bedtime Bath Bomb, it all its lusciousness. These babies have cocoa butter in them to soothe and soften your skin. They are scented with a blend of lavender, frankincense and clary sage essential oils (all soothing and relaxing for the nervous system) and have organic lavender buds in them.

Picture yourself, stressed out after a day of work or kids or whatever, taking some time for yourself in a nice hot bath, scented with beautiful essential oils, with lavender buds floating around you.... Perhaps it might be time to buy one or three and treat yourself. I think you deserve it.

Aimee

P.S. This photo and all the others soon to come were taken by the lovely and talented Karolina Kuras. If you're in the Guelph area and need some beautiful photos taken, whether they be wedding, portraits or products, I highly recommend her.

Tags: bath bombs, handmade soap, soapmaking, natural body care, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Rejection

2006-04-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I have to admit it. I'm feeling a little bummed. I just heard back from Summerfolk, a festival that I've vended at for the past two years, and this year I didn't get in. Bugger.

Its a lesson, though. I'm sure it is. Don't become too overconfident, don't rely on one thing, or one way of making money (shows).... But its still bumming me out. What can I say. Give me a day or two, and hopefully that'll be gone. And theres always next year....

So instead, I'm thinking of trying the Ottawa Folk Festival instead. Miraculousy, there deadline for applying isn't until May 15, which is wacky, but very convenient for me. But its far away (6 hours, as opposed to Summerfolks 2). Theres no camping provided (which means I'd have to pay for accomadation). Among other issues that make it not as perfect and great as Summerfolk was, although I'm sure its a great festival. It also happens to be the exact same weekend as Summerfolk, which is the reason I hadn't already applied for it. But I was already thinking about it before the Summerfolk rejection.

So I'm not sure. I've put out an email to a friend who's been doing shows for years, who does that show. She did tell me that, at least as of 2004, there was no soap person there. So thats always promising.

Oh well. I guess we shall see what we shall see. Right now I've got some thinking to do (not to mention a bit of ego dusting).

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soapmaking, bath bombs, Hillside Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival

Mushrooms

2006-04-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

I spent the past two days out at Four Fold Farm, inoculating mushroom logs with my partner Ahren and our friend Simon. They are part of Blackshire Gardens, one of Ahren's businesses (this one involving agriculture and permaculture, among other things. The other is a carpentry business. He's so talented).

We were inoculating the logs with shitake mushroom spores. Still to come--oyster mushroom spores. We had some logs around the house last year, with oyster mushrooms growing on them. You have not tasted heaven (at least in my world) until you've picked fresh oyster mushrooms off of logs leaning up against your house and eaten them, fried in olive oil, all by themselves. Delicious would be an understatement.

Anyways, thought I'd share some photos of the days.

This is me and Simon, stuffing spawn into holes drilled into the logs. In the background are logs that Ahren inoculated last year. There were already some cute little shitakes poking out of some of them.

Heres Simon and I again. He's still stuffing spawn, but I'm painting the ends of the logs with beeswax. We also painted over all the holes, and any other gashes. That keeps the moisture in and other fungi and whatnot out.

This is Ahren and Simon.

And this is my lovely partner Ahren, having a good time, proud of his efforts. And I'm very proud off him.

Have a great weekend.

Aimee

handmade soap, handmade soap, bath bombs

Tax Time

2006-04-18T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hooray! I can't quite believe it, but not only are our taxes done, but we're getting a refund! A nice one, too. Apparently, it pays to not make too much money. I meant to take a photo of all my tax stuff spread out on the picnic table, but apparently my brain was so fried that I forgot. So fried, indeed, that I'm packing it in for the rest of the day, except to do a bit of banking and unmold some soap. Otherwise, I'm sitting in the sun with friends, knitting, and going for a bike ride to buy some more sock wool.

These are my first pair of finished socks. I've got lots of singles around, but this is the first pair.

Aimee

Oils in the Sun

2006-04-14T16:55:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of herbal oils infusing in the sun, out in my back garden. I just taught a workshop on Tuesday last about making herbal oils and balms, some of the first things I ever made. (In fact, lip balm was the very first thing I ever made. In a cabin. With no electricity. On a woodstove. On Salt Spring Island. In a forest. Very idylic.)

I'm teaching another workshop not tomorrow but the next Saturday. This one is for free (or rather, I'm doing it for free) as part of a fundraiser for St. Joe's hospital in Guelph.

The workshops have been going really well for me. I enjoy teaching them, everyone (so far) has enjoyed doing them, and its bringing in much needed cash at a time of year when there's generally none to be had.

Just last night, on my way to a party that I never went to, I met up with Karen, one of the organizers of the Hillside Festival. She told me that my name had come up at a Hillside meeting, as a possible workshop presenter. I'm already vending there, but they need more enviro workshops. Feels pretty nice to be thought of, without even soliciting said thoughts.

Have a good weekend. Its supposed to be a beautiful one, at least here in Guelph.

Aimee

Tags: soapmaking, handmade soap, bath bombs, Hillside Festival, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Winter

2006-04-12T16:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo of me and neighbour Tessa from a skating trip in March.

And this is my partner Ahren from the same trip.

Hard to believe that just a little over a month ago we were skating on Guelph Lake.

And in case you're wondering why the blog looks a little wonky--I was trying to make some changes to the template myself, and apparently I wasn't very successful. Hopefully it will be put back to rights soon, by someone who actually knows what they're doing.

Aimee

Tags: soapmaking, handmade soap, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

The Women's Herbal Conference

2006-04-11T12:38:00.000-04:00

Above is a photo of the Women's Herbal Conference, that happens every year in August. It's in southern New Hamphshire and is an amazing event. Just imagine, 500 women, gathered together to enjoy the outdoors and learn from amazing herbal teachers. Its wonderful. And I want to go! I went in 2004, and while the conference was amazing, the travelling to and from was a disaster. I took the bus, and it got me there late, I had to leave early, I thought I wasn't even going to make it, we got stopped at the border for 2 hours, the trips were overnight, 18 hours long, and I couldn't sleep.... Just a terrible experience overall.

The plane is much too expensive, but what would be really great is to drive. Its only a 10 hour drive from here, and gas would probably be $200 altogether. So if we had even 2 people driving, it would be cheaper than even the bus (not to mention way nicer).

So, whaddaya say? Is there anyone out there who lives in the Guelph/Toronto area who wants to go?

Let me know.

Aimee

P.S. As I was writing this, someone from the Hillside Festival phoned to let me know that I'd been accepted as a vendor! Yea!

Tags: Women's Herbal Conference, soapmaking, handmade soap, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph, Hillside Festival

Rain Day

2006-04-07T17:16:00.000-04:00

In honour of the beautiful spring weather (meaning pretty mild and raining, which is weather I can really get into), and the fact that I've had cramps all day, my soapmaking plans got set aside in favour of a more relaxed day with Ahren, who also changed his plans because of the rain. (He had been planning on going out to a friends farm and rat proofing a chicken coop. Not something you want to do on even the best of days, but on a wet day, definitely not. Imagine being wet and getting cold and being surrounded by chicken shit.)

So we went for a walk this morning, and then I helped him with some computer stuff, and other than that I've been a total slacker. I love deciding when and what I want to be doing at any given time. Yea for starting your own business!

Also just thought I'd mention my neighbour Gareth's new book, "Weltschmerz: Attack of the Same Sex Sleeper Cells". Its a years worth of his comic strip Weltschmerz collected into a beautiful book (printed on 100% post consumer recycled waste), and its awesome. Last night was the book launch (good party), and this morning I read the book. I highly recommend it. Its only $14.95 CAD, and you can order it off his site.

Have a good weekend.

Aimee

Tags: soapmaking, handmade soap, bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Blog Guelph

Photos

2006-04-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I spent several hours in my friend Karolina's studio, watching as my babies got their photos taken. Okay, not really my babies, my products. But thats how it felt. Absolutely amazing. (And they were so well behaved.)

It is quite amazing to be part of a photo shoot. So professional. I felt like I was taking things to the next level.

It was also amazing to watch as my friend, whom I met in highschool, set up these amazing shots, and be such a pro about it. She has her own studio space, and all the paraphenalia that goes along with being a photographer, and I was totally amazed.

The past few days, I've found myself remembering myself and my friends when we were in highschool and just out. We were all so randomly creative. I was looking at this embroidered thing that I'd made for Ahren, this beautiful little piece of art, something that I only did once and would never do again. And I got to thinking about all the art we used to do, drawing and collages, mobiles, acting and on and on and on, and we don't do any of it anymore.

But now we all have this wonderful focused creativity. And we're all doing cool stuff, really well. Like Karolina with her photos, Ahren and his farming, and me and my soaps, not to mention lots of other creative folks.

I guess we've all grown up some.

Aimee

By the way, watch for those new product photos coming soon on my site.

Tags: Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, handmade soap, bath bombs, soapmaking, natural body care, Blog Guelph

Bath Bombs

2006-03-31T16:31:00.000-05:00

An army of bath bombs (made yesterday).

In other news, today I made soap. And let me tell you, it was a great day for soap. Why? Because I had a soapmaking breakthrough.

When you make soap, theres a whole lotta stirring going on. To make a long story short, I decided I was finally going to try using a stick blender to help along the stirring (I know, I know, brilliant idea, and totally not mine--I read about it on the net).

Oh my god, it was amazing. My stir time went from 30-40 minutes (yes, thats right, stirring constantly for that long), to about 5 minutes. 5 minutes! Why didn't I do this sooner?

So yes indeed, boys and girls, its been a great day here in soapland.

Have a good weekend.

Aimee

Tags: bath bombs, handmade soap, soapmaking, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

2006-03-29T15:53:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce you to some of my neighbours. On the left is Tessa, daughter of Kristal and Gareth, who all live across the street. On the right is Aurora, my goddaughter, and the daughter of Josh and Anwen, who live right next door. (Thats Anwen in the background.) Are they not two of the cutest little alien kids ever?

Heres another in case you're not convinced:

Kristal (thats her head in the top right corner) was taking the girls swimming this morning, and had just bought them both goggles, so of course they had to put them on. I was lamenting the fact that Sue wasn't there to take a picture for her blog, when I realized, aha! I have a camera, this here bit of cuteness is going on my blog!

It was a beautiful sunny morning, and I was on the porch eating breakfast before I got into the work of the day, which today was soapmaking, and then some computer work. One of the joys of working at home...I get to be around for all the fun!

Aimee

Tags: soapmaking, handmade soap bath bombs Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Sick Days

2006-03-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

So I've been a little sick the past few days. Not sick enough to warrent missing work if you're an employee somewhere, or if you're a busy entrepreneur. But if you're me, and you find yourself currently knitting obsessed, with lots of work to do but nothing thats in dire need of being done, and a little sick, it seems to be enough to warrent doing some pretty hard core slacking off for a few days.

Not that I've been totatlly idle. I'm doing a little bit of reworking to my new labels. I got out all the rest of my show applications yesterday. So thats something, eh? Plus, check out this beautiful hat:

Thats some lovely Noro goodness for ya.

Oh yes, I've already received one acceptance letter. Its for the Beaches Arts and Crafts Show in Toronto in June. Never done it before, not sure at all that I should be doing it now, but.... I'll try it. Regardless of the results, I'm going to use it as a trial ground to try out a new,lighter and easier booth display (its not easy to drive your store around with you, and do so much set up for two days of sales), and I'm going to visit with a very cool woman, who happens to live in the Beaches, and also happens to be my godmother. So not all will be lost.

Aimee

Tags: Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Lets talk about knitting...I mean, er, soap

2006-03-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, so somehow, I seem to have gone from pretty dedicated soapmaker and entrepreneur, to obsessive knitter/yarn buyer/internet pattern searcher.

Today, which should have been a soapmaking day, dawned with a sore throat and tons of deskwork to do, so I decided to put off soapmaking and spend the day at the desk.

This, of course was just a thinly veiled excuse enabling me to spend the whole day in front of the computer, reading the Yarn Harlot's archives, searching the internet for free shrug and mini sweater patterns, daydreaming about spending more of the money that I don't actually have on yarn that I don't really need (the last two $90 each yarn shop trips have given me fodder for plenty of projects), and planning how to use all the yarn that I have recently acquired.

What should I be doing? Well, I still have some show applications to get out (oh right, my livelihood.... I guess I should pay attention to that); I'm still working on the new labels (which have to be done ASAP, like tomorrow, because I'm getting the photos taken next week); the million little organizational things that I should do, I really want to do, but aren't 100% absolutely necessary and so they never get done; and of course, I really do have to get to my taxes sometime soon. (Who knows, I may even be getting a refund. God I hope I don't owe money.)

So of course, after a miniscule amount of time at my desk (although, in all fairness, I did get most of the rest of my applications completed, and will be sending them off tomorrow, and I'm still planning on doing a little bit of label stuff, and hey, I'm writing on this blog), I moved over to Ahren's desk, which happens to house the computer, and have spent several hours now in knitting related internet heaven (or hell, depending on your outlook).

So in light of that, and because its now 4 pm and yes, I do still want to try and get a bit of work done, I'm going to tear myself away from idle searching and get down to it. But I can't resist. I just have to leave you with a few knitting photos. I mean, you should know what I've been working on lately, right? Right?

This will hopefully soon be a new hat (for me!).

This is a crazy sock knit with self patterning wool (and, ahem, also for me).

And these are some great new flip top mits I knit myself from a pattern in Stich 'n Bitch Nation (slightly modified).

That yarn at the top (all beautiful cotton) is destined to become two beautiful shrugs, if I can manage it. And then theres the sweater I just bought yarn for, the wool for a wrap just burning a hole in my stash, two lone socks that desperately want their mates.... Can you understand why I'm not doing my work? I've just got to much to knit.

Aimee

Tags: obsessive knitting, knitting, the Yarn Harlot, Stich 'n Bitch, soapmaking, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Bath Bombs

2006-03-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a bath bomb? They're wonderful. You pop them in the tub (once you're sitting in it), and they fizz and bounce around the tub as they dissolve. They also soften the water (because they contain baking soda) and your skin (they're loaded with cocoa butter as well). Plus they make your bath water smell really nice (only pure essential oils, boys and girls), and leave you floating in a tub full of flower petals (no artificial colours in sight).

A very decadent bath indeed.

Interested? Check out all my bath bombs here.

Aimee

Tags: bath bombs, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Knitting

2006-03-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

Okay. I couldn't resist. Please excuse the deviation from discussing soap and body care and all that. I'm so excited, I just have to talk about knitting.

Ever since I started reading the yarn harlot, I have discovered a renewed and very passionate interest in knitting. Projects that have been on the go for ages are finding there way back into my hands and finally being *gasp* finished.

One such project was to be my first foray into felting. I decided I would make a felted bag, using a pattern from Stich 'n Bitch, only slightly modified. It was mostly done, and then.... Well, if you're a knitter, you know how it is. Sometimes finishing a project is the hardest, and thats exactly what was going on. Basically all that I had left was darning in the ends and felting, but you know how it is. Or maybe you don't. Just take my word for it.

Anyways, today, finally, I finished the bag. (Well, almost. I still have to sew on the other side of the strap, but I'm practically done.) And its awesome. Hence the decent into knitterly repartee. I'm so excited, I had to post a picture.

So here it is. Ain't it great? A bit smaller than I'd hoped, true...but it'll do just fine.

Okay. Thats all I have to say about knitting. I'm going to resist the urge to turn this into a knitting blog, and post pictures of all my projects. But we'll see. Some more just may find there way on here.

Aimee

Tags: knitting, The Yarn Harlot, Felting, Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Days Off

2006-03-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

If you've never been self employed, you may not know how hard it can be to take a day off. When you're the one in charge, there always seems to be something to do, and it can be really challenging to just set everything aside and relax.

A few months ago, I decided that I was going to take two days off a week; Sunday and Monday.

For awhile it worked great. I'd work all week, have Sunday off to spend with my partner Ahren, and then have Monday all to myself. It was lovely.

Then Christmas came, with all its insanity, and my weekend kind of got thrown out of whack. Far from things settling down after the holidays, I've actually found myself busier than ever, and my Mondays off have gone out the window.

I decided this week that I was going to take back my Monday, and take the day off. Well, that lasted all of about five minutes, till something came up and I found myself making lotion and lugging my soap shelf from the 2nd floor to the basement yesterday.

So today, I vowed, I will take the day off. I will take the whole, entire day off. As soon as I've gotten together that web order, started calendula and nasturtium seeds (to sell at market in the spring) and, of course, written a blog entry, I will take the whole rest of the entire day off.

So with that, I've got to go run and start some seeds, so I can get to that day off.

Aimee

Tags: Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

Splat

2006-03-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

Further from the skating of Tuesday, may I present the Splat photo, wherein I, skating merrily along, suddenly found myself flat on the ice. My knees are still a bit sore.

Guelph Lake
photo credit: Sue Richards

Tags: Sacred Circle Herbs, Soap Bubbles Blog, Blog Guelph

The Life and Times of a Self Employed Soaper

2006-03-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

I have recently been reflecting on my extreme luck of being self employed. That is, doing what I want and what I love, making up my own schedule, and revelling in every minute of it.

Yesterday evening, on a skating expedition with my self employed neighbour Sue (a mini replica of a similar but larger party on Sunday), as we gushed about how lucky we were to be out at the lake, she made the comment that this was one of our benefits. As in, when you work for a corporation, you get extended health insurance and dental insurance and paid vacations and the like.

Well, we don't get any of that, but what we do get is the freedom to choose how we want to spend our time. The freedom to head out of town, pretty damn spur of the moment on a Tuesday afternoon at 3 pm, and head out to the lake to skate with the end of the day and the setting sun.

What a rapturous, lovely life we've managed to choose for ourselves.

Aimee

Tags: Blog Guelph, Soap Bubbles Blog, Sacred Circle Herbs, skating

Blog Guelph

2006-03-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

Hello all.

Just wanted to let you know about a new blog linking thigamabobber called Blog Guelph.

My blog crazy neighbour Sue started it. It provides "cool blog links to clever Guelphites", as the tagline goes.

Heard about how creative and cultured Guelph is but never had occasion to visit? Well, now you can come take a virtual visit. Please check it out.

Aimee

Tags: Blog Guelph, Guelph, Sacred Circle Herbs, natural body care

Visioning

2006-03-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

I've been in business for two years now. This year will be my third.

Pretty exciting stuff.

The past two years have been full of experiments, new products.... I've always been trying to have more, new, better things to offer, trying to figure out what people want and what I like to do.

This year is going to be different. I made an executive decision that this year, instead of adding to my soap or bath bomb line (which part of me is raring to do), or coming up with entirely new lines (like a mens line), I will instead be spending this year culling my current product line of things that don't sell well (and/or aren't as enjoyable to make). I'll be striving to perfect the rest.

And all the while, I'll be visioning for the future. Just where do I want to go with this? What do I really want my business, and my life, to look like?

You have no idea how excited I am.

Aimee

Tags: Sacred Circle Herbs, bath bombs, handmade soap, Blog Guelph

New Look

2006-02-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to announce that very soon, Sacred Circle Herbs is going to have new labels with a new look! Yea!

Originally I was going to do the redesign myself, so I bought a label making program that immediately frustrated me, and was one of the things that made me decide that I was going to make the leap into the (very expensive) world of graphic design.

After repeated attempts to get in contact with the designer I wanted to use, all to no avail (I hate it when people don't return emails! Not a very good way to do business...) I decided to give my label program another try, and somehow, this past Saturday afternoon, everything clicked. Yea! (Excuse me while I dance for joy around the living room.)

Since then, everything has been (basically) smooth sailing, and I'm actually almost done redesigning all my labels. And I have a logo! Yea! And instead of costing me several hundred dollars (and possibly more), it cost me $30 (for the program), lots of creative hours figuring out how to make the program work for me, a few days for the labels, and lots of patience. But I did it! Yea!

Stay tuned for photos of the new look coming soon.

Aimee

Tags: label design, new look, labels, Sacred Circle Herbs

Soap Without Lye

2006-02-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, someone at the farmers market asked me, "Does your soap have lye in it?" and obviously didn't approve of my affirmative answer. She also didn't seem to believe me when I tried to explain that soap making is a chemical reaction, and some sort of caustic base (lye) is needed to saponify the fat molecules into soap.

From the Miller Soap Page:

Soap without LYE?

Do you have a recipe for soap that does not use lye?

You generally cannot make bar soap at home without lye. Lye is not your enemy... it's a fallacy to think you can make soap without it (or some other caustic base substance to turn the fat molecules into soap compounds). Correctly made and cured homemade soap is milder than anything you can buy... even those fancy clear glycerin bars. Don't let the lye thing put you off. I think some of the marketers out there who claim their soap has no lye have confused the public. They are being misleading when stating that. It just means they didn't use lye in their portion of the manufacture... but in the beginning, it was used to saponify the fats. Notice on the soap labels that word, "saponify" ... or "sodium tallowate"... "sodium cocoate", etc.? That means tallow or coconut oil that have been made into soap with the use of sodium hydroxide (lye)... that's the sodium part.

So there you go. Lye is your friend. Don't be afraid of it, or of soap that contains it.... Its gotta be there.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, soap making, sodium hydroxide (lye)

Aging Gracefully

2006-02-26T17:41:00.000-05:00

I just read an interview with Dr. Andrew Weil about aging, and our societies fear of it, prominintely displayed in the many anti-aging lotions and potions, not to mention surgeries and pharmaceuticals, on the market. I've personally felt sometimes that I should perhaps be making some sort of anti-aging creams or whatnot for the older women who ask me about them.

But whats wrong with aging? In Dr. Weil's words:

"In America, aging is still seen as a calamity, something we'll do anything to avoid," Weil said.

"It's time to change our perception of age. Aging is a universal natural process. If you set yourself up in opposition to it, you're bound for a battle against nature. You're not going to win that fight."

What a refreshing point of view. Instead of buying into all the anti-aging junk on the market, why not excercise, eat well and live well, enjoy life, and accept the graceful slow dance into old age?

Aimee

Tags: Dr. Andrew Weil, anti-aging, aging gracefully

My booth display

2006-02-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

Well, February's almost over, March is coming on quick, and that means that its time for me to start applying to shows. So, in that vein, (and because I love this photo blogging feature that I've just recently had explained to me) I thought I'd post a picture of my booth, so you can see the setup, (a setup vastly different from my first year of business, and something that I'm exceedingly proud of).

I'll keep you posted as to the shows I've been accepted to, as soon as I find them out myself.

Aimee

Tags: booth display, craft shows, photo blogging

Back and Better than Ever

2006-02-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

After a short jaunt in New York City (which is why I haven't blogged this past week), I am now back to work. Well, not quite. Sort of.

I'm doing a little today, a little tomorrow (yea farmers market!), nothing on Sunday, and then I'll be fully back at it on Monday.

As for the better than ever, well, okay, I just liked the sound of that for the title.

Before I left for New York, I was sad (yes, sad), to leave my work (one of the reasons I know I'm doing the right thing for myself--I love doing it). Plus, I'm not really a city gal. I generally lean towards camping, or at the most, cottaging, as my form of vacation.

However, a good friend of mine wanted to take me to New York, and how could I refuse? And let me tell you, it was amazing. Just one of many highlights, breakdancing in the subway (I wasn't the one doing the breakdancing, I was one of the spectators).

I brought along pen and notebook, thinking that I would spend lots of time brainstorming and visioning for my business. Did pen ever touch paper? Not a chance, unless you count filling out customs declaration forms.

So know I'm going to get ready for the market tomorrow, and then go out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, and keep pretending I'm on vacation. And perhaps I'll be back and better than ever on Monday.

Aimee

Tags: New York City, breakdancing, Sacred Circle Herbs

Makin' Glitter

2006-02-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

I spent my day today making soap, and since my partner happened to be home, I got him to take some photos of me, so I could post them. Unfortunately, our computer recently crashed, and we still haven't got our photo editing software up, and all the photos he took need to be flipped rightside up. So, instead of making everyone crane their necks, I thought I'd put up some photos of me experimenting with glitter gel, a product I now make (and sell for $4.50 for a very cute 15 ml jar). Its one of those things that hasn't yet made it onto my website, but fear not--very soon, the next few weeks (?) perhaps, it will. Until then, content yourselves with the process, and if you would like to order some, just email me.

This is me mixing everything together.

And here I am testing the glitter out on myself. Notice the look of absolute concentration.

And here I am pouring it into some ridiculous containers that I didn't end up using.

The finished glitter. Okay, not finished as in bottled (or jarred) or whatever, but finished as in all mixed together. Look at all the pretty sparkles! Very nice evening accessory. Also great for galavanting like a faerie at a folk festival. In fact, thats what I called it. Faerie Glitter

Aimee

Tags: glitter, making glitter gel, Sacred Circle Herbs, soap making

2006-02-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the soaps I make, all ready for trimming. Shown in the photo, from left to right, are: Sweet Ginger, Lavender and Bay, Wild Indigo, Bedtime, and Patchouli.

All, of course, scented with only pure essential oils (never synthetic fragrance oils), and coloured with plants, clays and spices.

Right now I'm making soap as fast as I can (not fast enough) for the coming year, and soon all my 12 soaps will be in stock again.

And then, perhaps, a few new kinds too?

Perhaps.

Aimee

Tags: handmade soap, Sacred Circle Herbs

Working on the Web

2006-02-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

Today, my business mentor, Sue came over to help me think through some big business decisions.

One of them was, "should I or should I not spend a whole bunch of money that I don't have on a brand new website?"

Answer--No.

Instead, I will valiently attempt to update, pretty up, user friendlify, optimize, link up, and more the current site I have, and see where that leads me.

So expect to see some new things happening both on this blog and on my site in the next few weeks.

Good luck to me!

Aimee

Web Work

2006-01-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Today has been quite a successful day of desk work. I labeled a buch of balms that have been waiting for labels since before Christmas. I unpacked and put away an order, critical for soap making, which is to begin again tomorrow. I made a to do list (never underestimate the importance of the to do list). And I also got some web work done.

I am planing on updating and changing my website in the weeks to come, but I haven't really seemed to be able to get past the point of thinking distractedly about doing this. Finally, today, I wrote it down on paper (on my to do list): website. And then some ides. And then, miracle of miracles, I emailed a web designer.

For some reason, that step has been a little harder than I thought it would be. The main reason, I think, is because I've decided I'm going to contact and possibly hire a company in Toronto to do my site changes. Toronto, not Guelph.

So first of all, part of me feels bad, outsourcing this work to someone out of town, instead of supporting one of the local web people in Guelph, two of whom I've already worked with. My reason? I met someone who had there website done by this company (mouth media), and not only is her site gorgeous, it actually works for her, something mine is failing to do. So I checked out their website and portfolio and was very impressed. So I emailed them, and we'll see what happens from there.

The other reason it took me awhile to finally contact them about my site needs? Believe it or not, I'm shy. And the thought of emailing and working with someone that I don't know, well, I have to say, it freaked me out a bit. I'm someone who enjoys my comfort zones, apparently.

So I'm not going to feel bad about going to a Toronto company anymore, because not only do they seem great, but they're forcing me out of my comfort zone. How perfect is that?

Anyways, I also did a bunch of other work on the site today (still to be completed), aided by some good cds, the CBC, and a few beers. Nothing dramatically different, just changing some fonts and colours and stuff, easy but slow with my ancient computer (even though we theorectically just got high speed, the computer just keeps puttering on like its on DSL Basic).

So it was a good day, all in all, mared only by one thing. I work at home, and my partner has just started taking a business course (the same one I took, that enabled me to quite my baking job and start this business) and he was home today. Not for very long, but it was enough to remind me that I hate when hes home and I'm trying to work. I guess I'm going to have to get over that one soon.

But I'll expound on that one another time.

Workshops

2006-01-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

Hello all.

I am running a number of workshops in the next couple of months, and I thought I'd let y'all know about them. So here they are:

HAND MILLED SOAP
In this workshop, we will make hand milled soap and learn about it’s benefits. We will go through the whole process from grating and melting the soap base, adding pure essential and speciality oils and herbs, then pouring it into decorative molds. You can bring your own molds or use ours. Each participant will take home 800g of soap. Only the highest quality ingredients and pure essential oils will be used.
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 7-9:30 p.m., 1 Night
$47
(Okay, so this one is tonight, meaning its probably too late to sign up for it. But I will be running it again in the spring and fall if you're interested.)

BATH ESSENTIALS
Spend your winter evenings in a luxurious warm bath using products you have made yourself. Learn about using herbs and making your bath more relaxing. Every participant will take home two jars of bath salts, one scrub, one tub tea and a recipe sheet. Only the highest quality ingredients and pure essential oils will be used.
*We’ll be using almond oil so beware if you have nut allergies.
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7-9:30 p.m., 1 Night
$45

HERBAL OILS AND BALMS
This course will teach you the process of combining the appropriate herbs and oils to make soothing, healing oils and balms. Everyone will take home an all purpose healing herbal oil, six lip balms and recipes. Only the highest quality ingredients and pure essential oils will be used. Supply list will be mailed with receipt.
*We’ll be using almond oil so beware if you have nut allergies.
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7-9:30 p.m., 1 Night
$43

NATURAL BODY CARE FOR MOMS AND BABIES
Are you or any of your friends or family expecting? In this workshop you will learn about natural body care for expectant mothers and new babies. We’ll talk about the safety of herbs and essential oils during pregnancy and for infants and make safe natural products for both mom and baby. Each participant will take home a belly balm (for pregnant bellies), a bum balm (for new babies), and a jar of baby powder.
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7-9:30 p.m., 1 Night
$45

COLD PROCESS SOAP MAKING
Learn how to make personalized soap from scratch. We will go through the whole process of making soap from oil, water and lye. Choose and discuss different oils to use and ways to scent and colour. Return the next night to remove the soap from the mold and talk about ways to cure, trim and decorate. Every participant will make 750g of soap.
Wednesday, Mar. 8, 7-9:30 p.m., &
Thursday, Mar. 9, 7-8 p.m., 2 Nights
$50

KITCHEN REMEDIES
Learn about simple herbal remedies that you can make and use in your home to treat minor health problems. We will discuss some common, gentle and effective herbs to keep in the house and how to turn those herbs into kitchen remedies. We’ll discuss teas, tinctures, oils and more. Every participant will leave with a jar of herb tea, the beginnings of a tincture, a bottle of herbal oil and some immune stimulating bath salts.
Tuesday, Mar. 21, 7-9:30 p.m., 1 Night
$47

All workshops are at J.F. Ross C.V.I. in Guelph, room 302.
All workshop fees include a supply fee, which varies depending on the course.
Call Continuing Ed at 836-7280 to register (and if possible, do so early, because if there isn’t enough interest, the courses won’t run).

So there you have it. I will be running more courses in April/May, and then again in the fall, so stay tuned. A workshop page is forthcoming on my website, so soon you'll just be able to go there to find out whats coming up.

And by the by, these workshops are really fun (and I'm not just saying that). All the workshops I ran last year were really well recieved: the participants had a great time, and got to take home products they had made to boot! If you're interested in natural body care and want a night out, this is a good way to go.

Hope to see you there!

Warm, Soapy Weather

2006-01-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

So its January 20 today. At this time of year here in southern Ontario, I'm used to minus 20, lots of snow, and lots of sun. You know, those beautiful, cold, clear winter days where the snow glitters and the snot freezes in your nose.

This it not, it seems, going to be the way it goes this year.

Since just a bit before Christmas we have had, fairly consistently, fairly warm, grey weather. Not what I'm used to. But the worst part of it is, I'm trying to work during it! And what I really want to be doing is playing outside! To make matters even worse, not only is it warm now, but the sun has started to come out of its hibernation. So now we have warm, sunny weather! Today its apparently 11 degrees out. I mean, come on. How can someone be expected to stay inside and work on a beautiful and unusual day like today?

Last year at this time of year, I made all the soap I could, which wasn't much, and then spent the majority of January, February and March bored and frustrated. I didn't want to buy more ingredients, because I had basically no money coming in, and I wanted to limit the amount of time that I was carrying debt. And without some sort of regular creativity in the business (read: making stuff), I had a really hard time sustaining the desk work. So basically, I was bored.

So this year, I decided, to hell with debt (and to hell with micromanaging!), I'm making the years worth of soap in the winter, to keep me busy, active and engaged. And what happens? The snow melts, the temperature goes up, and I have more "creative" desk work than I know what to do with, and suddenly I find myself busier than ever.

But really, I'm not complaining. I'm actually very happy. I feel like my business is actually starting to bear fruit, and that is a very exciting place to be.

And you know what? Even though its warm out, its pretty fun here in the kitchen.

Pesticides in our Food

2006-01-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

We just received the latest issue of The Canadian Organic Grower. I came across a small article about a study done on children, comparing pesticide levels in their urine when they were eating conventionally grown food versus organic.

The scientists tested the urine of elementary school children for 15 days. For 10 days, the kids ate conventional food, for 5 they ate organic. During those 5 days, the toxins malathion and chlorpyrifos in the children's urine disappeared completely. These chemicals are two of the most commonly found pesticides on non-organic foods, and are associated with nerve damage in children. As soon as conventional foods were reintroduced to their diet, pesticide levels increased five-fold.

The study concludes, "An organic diet provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposure to organophosphorus pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production."

Pretty amazing stuff. For more info, read the whole article.

Perhaps its time to introduce some organic food into your diet?

Soap Has Started

2006-01-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

Well, today was my first day of soapmaking in the New Year. And its a little overdue, as I'm currently out of some of my many varieties of soap after the Christmas crazyness.

But oh well. I needed some time off, and here I am now, gearing up for at least 16 soap making days to come in the coming weeks, which will hopefully keep me busy and happy in the grey cold days of winter.

Also, as I've mentioned before, I want to do some website updating, new photos, new labels, etc., etc., etc. Its funny, last year at this time, I was bored and depressed, couldn't muster the energy to do anything business oriented, and now this year, I am full of ideas and energy and can't wait to get going. And let me tell you, its a way nicer place to be.

The only work problem I'm having right now is that its crazy warm out lately (today it was 8 degrees celsius, and the sun actually shone a bit!), and I want to be outside! Usually, at this time of year it is -20, although generally much sunnier, which would be a nice change from all this dreadful grey we're having (which I do like, but one can only handle so much). So the spring like weather is really drawing me outside, and I'm having to fight with myself to stay in and work. But one could have worse problems, I know, and I'm not complaining. In fact, I'd have to say that in general right now, I'm really happy, and its a really nice place to be.

Happy winter.

Wretched Computers

2006-01-04T13:03:00.000-05:00

I have spent several hours over the past few days trying not to bang my head against the wall while sitting in front of my computer. The reason? A new label making program I got. But let me start from the beginning.

My partner, in all his infinite wisdom, suggested that I really needed a new label design. Now, I have to admit, he is right. My current labels were designed by yours truly on wordperfect. Then they're printed on my home printer, put through a handy dandy little handcranked scrapbooking machine called a xyron (to laminate one side and put adhesive on the other) cut with more scrapbooking tools, and applied. Labour intensive, not exactly extraordinary, but functional, neat and clear. They did the job.

Label redesign was not really even on my radar until he suggested it. Now, however, I can't get it out of my mind. And he really is right--I do need something better and more professional. So of course, being the do it yourselfer that I am, I thought I would go and by some simple label making software and do it myself. "Hey," I thought, "this will be fun."

Well, not exactly. It was fun until I realized that I can't do what I need to do--I can't format the right sizes, I can't save to PDF (even though it says I can!--I hate computers!). So now I'm back to square one.

Now, I know, I know. You're saying, "Hel-lo! Go to a graphic designer and get a professional to do it". After all, time is money, and there would probably be a lot less headaches and a way better end result if I go that route. Problem? At this point, I have way more time than money. But don't worry, I'm coming around. In the long run, hiring a graphic designer will probably end up saving me money, not least because if I continue trying to do it myself I'm going to end up hurling the computer at the wall.

Moral of this entrepreneurial tale? Don't waste your time doing things that you're just not qualified to do. Spend your time doing the things you're good at and like to do, and hire someone else to do what you're not cabable of. It will almost always make sense in the long run.

Now, that being said, does anyone know a good graphic designer?

Sweet Relief

2005-12-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

Ahhh...Christmas is over.

Its been quite the crazy season for me, both with my business and in my personal life, and I have to say, I'm so excited that Christmas has come and gone. All told, it was pretty good. I feel like I can take a bit of a breath financially, which is great. Bills have been paid, a bit of money socked away... And even through all the hard personal stuff thats been going on in my life, lots of positives have shone through.

But I'm glad that Christmas is over. I've spent my week relaxing a connecting with a lot of wonderful people, and I've just decided that I'm not going to "work" (the farmers market) tomorrow morning, which is a huge treat (not to say I don't love vending there, because I really do. What I don't love is the 6 am wakeup. I'm not a morning person). So that means there more time to spend with the people I love this weekend as well.

Maybe in a few more weeks I'll get back to some serious work. But for now, I'm going to enjoy one of the benefits of being self-employed.

Spring is Coming...?

2005-12-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, so its not. I know that. But that doesn't stop me from wishing. And of course, even though the solstice just happened a few days ago, and winter has just started, it feels like spring out. Example: yesterday, I was able to bike somewhere, and there was a wind blowing that felt more spring than winter. And today (and apparently tomorrow as well), its supposed to be plus 3 out. For this time of year, and compared to the weather we have been having, it feels like summer.

But I know, I know, its not spring, its not even close to spring. I have a lot of time to wait. But to whet my appetitite even further, the seed catalogues have started arriving, enabling me to daydream and plan spring and summer gardening adventures.

My partner has started a permaculture project at a farm near us, and part of it involves growing medicinal herbs. We've talked a lot about somehow merging our efforts, and I think this year we are closer than ever to making that happen. So in reading the seed catalogues, I get to dream large scale, about planting a few acres of herbs, and expanding my (our) business to involve the sale of herb plants and dried herbs. Its so exciting! Just thinking about working in the field with the sun warming my back, digging in the soil and planting herbs, a pond nearby for lunchtime swims... its enough to put a smile on my face on a grey winter day.

Of course, I must clarify. All of this being said, I have to tell you, I really do love winter. I love the silence, the snow, getting outside for walks and skates, watching the days slowly grow longer.... But who can resist a little spring daydreaming? Apparently, this year, not me. But I've got a long way to go.

Happy solstice.

Bath Recipes

2005-12-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I though I would offer a few easy recipes for some fun bath products that would make great Christmas gifts.

Bath Salts

1 Cup coarse sea salt
1 Cup epsom salts
1 Cup baking soda
6 drops essential oil per 1/4 cup of mixture
*optional* 1/2 cup or so dry herbs (or until it looks right)

In a mixing bowl, combine the salts and baking soda and mix until uniform.

Add in your essential oil or blend. For this recipe, you will require 72 drops. Mix until distributed.

If you desire, add in 1/2 cup or so of herbs and mix.

Fill jars, lid, label, and give away! Use 1/4 - 1/2 cup per bath.

Some good oils to use: lavender, rosewood, patchouli, clary sage, sweet orange, lemon balm, peppermint, etc.

Some good herbs: ground peppermint leaves, lavender, rose petals, calendula, chamomile, etc.

500 ml mason jars make great containers for bath salts. If you want to use a tin, make sure that the tin is lined with a plastic bag. Make a nice label, tie ribbon or raffia around the neck of the bottle, and you've got a great gift. (If you double this recipe, you will end up with about 3 jars of salts.)

Sugar Scrub

Sugar scrubs are great exfoliators, sloughing away dead skin and improving circulation.

1 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup almond, grapeseed or apricot kernal oil (of all of these, grapeseed has the shortest shelf life, so keep that in mind when choosing oils)
1/2 tsp. vitamin E oil
10-14 drops essential oil or blend

Combine first two ingredients in a bowl and stir until blended. You may need to add a little more oil.

Add last two ingredients and mix until well blended. Bottle, label, and give away.

See the bath salt recipe above for some good essential oil suggestions.

A mason jar would work well for a sugar scrub container as well. To use, stand in the tub, take a bit on your fingers and scrub your whole body, working from your extremities towards your heart. You can do this before or after a shower, and you can be wet or dry. Afterwards, shower off, or sink into a warm bath, and let the salts soften the water and your skin.

And don't be afraid to experiment and make these recipes your own!

I hope everyone has a good holiday season!

2005-12-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I decided to make the leap into accepting credit cards. I figured it would make me look more professional, maybe get me some sales that I wouldn't have gotten, and just generally make me feel a bit more like a real business. Of course, I decided to do this right before Fair November, my biggest and most stressful show of the year, and of course I wanted to have it for Fair November. And of course, it usually takes two weeks to get a merchant account, and of course I wanted to shop around, so one of my weeks was spent figuring out which company to go with. That was a wretched week. It felt like I spent the whole week talking to machines, with the odd person thrown in.

Finally, I decided who I wanted to go with, and then I basically had a week to get the whole thing up and running. Very stressful indeed, and not a process I have any desire to repeat any time soon.

Well, today I got my first bill (because of course, we merchants have to pay a percentage of our credit sales for the privilege of being able to make them). When I saw the envelope, I didn't think much of it. But I should have known. I should have known that it couldn't be easy. Instead of the bill and the charges I was expecting, I got a $180 bill, almost $70 higher than it should be. Start up fees where they were to be waived, percentages higher than they should be... did I mention that I've spent a good amount of time banging my head against the wall over this whole thing. Its almost more trouble than its worth, almost.

Thankfully, after phoning and emailing, I actually got a person, and a very nice and understanding person at that. So hopefully all will be well.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The Forest

2005-12-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

Its been a beautiful sunny day out today, and even though I had a full day of work planned, I decided to take advantage of the sun and the fact that my partner was home as well and go out for a walk. We walked on a trail that I haven't walked in a long time. At some point in the walk, I began to think about the fact that I haven't really taken the time to be out in nature in what feels like a long time. The cold weather and busy Christmas season make it all too easy to stay inside. It reminded me how very important it is for me to take the time to be in nature. Maybe the lack of forest time is the reason I've been so stressed out lately....

Christmas is almost upon us, and all my shows for the year are now done. I still have market every Saturday, and a special Thursday Christmas market, but other than that, its all over for another year. The home show that I organize every year with some friends was on Sunday, and it was amazing. It ran from 11-4 pm, and there was always someone there. The first hour was especially crazy! But it was lots and lots of fun, and very successful, which is always really nice. I feel like I'm able to take a few deep breaths on the financial side of things right now.

So now I'm working on stocking up on the things I've run out of, and my thoughts are already turning towards the winter months after Christmas, and different projects that I'll be working on. I'm offering seven workshops through continuing ed, so that will definitely keep me busy. I'd also like to work on my website--I'd love to do a complete overhaul, but we'll have to see what lies within the realm of affordability. And I really would like to do some label work, and get new soap molds, and a soap shelf....

Don't forget to make time for the forest.

Christmas is Coming

2005-11-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

Well, we're halfway through November, and I can barely believe that Fair November starts this coming Thursday. Its the biggest show I do all year, and I'm working like crazy to get ready. It runs from Thursday November 17 to Sunday November 20, 10-9pm Thursday and Friday, 10-6pm on Saturday, 11-5pm on Sunday. Its a great show, with beautiful pottery, fibre art, metal work, wood work, and of course natural body care products, along with many other things. Its at the University of Guelph, in the University Centre. If you're around, I highly recommend checking it out. Admission is free, and the people who do fruit kabobs dipped in chocolate are worth the trip alone.

Another event that you might want to consider coming out to is the In the Spirit Gift and Craft Sale. Its a show that a good friend of mine have been having in our homes for two years now. This will be the third annual, and it should be a great afternoon for all. There will be beautiful wire and bead jewellery (by a woman named Michelle Miller, and let me tell you, if you haven't seen her jewellery, you are in for a treat), funky crochet and knit stuff (and I'm talking hand dyed, hand spun, wonderful stuff), Breast of Canada calendars, beeswax candles, fibre art, meditation cushions, handpainted silk scarves, beautiful photos, and me, with handmade natural body care. Its happening Sunday December 4, from 11-4pm, at 207 Liverpool St. in Guelph. For directions or inquiries, send me an email or give me a call.

Okay, soap is calling me, needing to be trimmed and labled for the weekend ahead.

Green blessings!

Back Again

2005-10-25T12:47:00.000-04:00

Well here I am, after an incredibly long absence. It was a busy summer, and now I'm starting to really feel the push for Christmas. Things are about to get crazy! However, I've just gotten a much faster version of the internet, so its much easier to get on and write posts, so hopefully it will be happening more often now.

Anyways....

Yesterday, I was in lip balm hell. Theres no other way to say it. I spent 12 hours making over 800 lip balms (for a distibution/private labeling kind of deal). It was nightmarish, let me tell you. Not because of the lip balm persay; that was great as always. But the tins. Those damn tins. These are the same tins I've been using for a few years now, and never have I had a problem. But suddenly, yesterday, they wouldn't open. And once they were open and filled, they wouldn't close. Needless to say, it was an extremely frustrating day. 12 hours and no breaks later, I was finally done, and my partner and I were finally able to make and eat dinner--at 11:30 at night. Oh well. They're done, and I have to admit, I'm proud of myself. From my humble beginnings with this craft 5 years ago, making 12 lip balms on a wood stove, to yesterday, full production of hundreds of lip balm. I've definitely come a long way.

Enjoy the fall.

busy weeks ahead

2005-06-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

My first show is in 2 1/2 weeks, and I have so much to do. Somehow the summer show season has crept up on me without me even realizing it, and, as I'm a pretty accomplished procrastinator, I still have lots and lots of stuff to do. That, in combination with the fact that I don't seem to be very good at posting regular blog entries anyways, means that this is probably the last blog entry I will write for awhile. There may be some infrequent posts during the summer, but my website is really going to take a backseat while I focus on some other areas of my business. But of course, I'm always here, regularly checking emails, so if you have any questions or want to order something, don't hesitate.

Have a wonderful summer.

Things are gearing up...

2005-05-25T12:16:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how its happened, but somehow we're basically already into the last week of May, and I'm just realizing how much stuff I have to do. I'm coming into show season right now, with my first show happening in four weeks, and I've got to do a lot of preparing.

I'm basically completely changing my booth set-up, so right now Ahren is spending a bit of time building some things for me and I've got to start doing some painting and curtain making. But I also have to do an inventory and see where I am with products and start making a whole bunch of stuff (and soap for lots of shows in the future; it needs lots of time to cure) and labeling and on and on and on....

Today I'm doing a bit of inventory and ordering, as well as just trying to get things in order for the next couple of weeks; you know, see where I am with things and all that.

On another note, the sun is now shining and perhaps this is finally the start of the nice weather? I don't think I can handle another cool summer like the one we had last year.

Bloody Gardening

2005-05-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

So I've been really getting into a gardening frenzy lately. Our whole front lawn, boulevard and a section of the back yard has been tarped and woodchipped (to kill the grass so we can garden it next spring), I've been cutting things down and woodchipping existing gardens to keep down the weeds, putting in a few plants that I happen to have lying around, and I've been digging up a little spot so I can have a tiny veg garden.

Now, I'm not really into vegetable growing personally. We have a share in a CSA (a program through an organic farm, where we pay a fee at the beginning of the growing season and then pick up a big share of fresh organic vegetables once a week), so growing my own generally leads to much too much excess. However, theres two things I love: snap peas and cherry tomatoes, and I love to have them in the garden so I can snack on them when I'm outside relaxing.

Hence, the veg garden. However, it seems like I picked the worst possible place in the yard to do this. I finally got the sod dug up today, and then proceeded to start loosening the soil in the hopes that I could plant my peas today. Well, a broken shovel handle and bent fork later, I had to come inside and get away from that hellish garden before I broke the fork, too. For reasons beyond my imagination, there are big pieces of concrete about six inches under the soil. Lots of them. I only got through a little less than half the garden before I was ready to scream.

On another note, a mourning dove couple made a nest on a ledge above our front door. We could watch them out there, adding to there nest and sitting on the egg, and yes, there was one. When I came in from my gardening misadventures, though, I noticed that the nest and egg were gone, although the mourning dove was still there. The nest had seemed to be falling off the edge earlier, and while I was outside, it feel right off, the egg along with it. Poor little things. Imagine, putting all that energy into something, only to have it fall apart in front of you. Actually, thats kind of the way I feel about my garden. Oh well...

another show acceptance

2005-05-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to Rondeau Provincial Park, which is on Lake Erie. We went with some good friends and had an absolutely wonderful time. If you ever have a chance to go there, I highly recommend it; sandy beaches, carolinian forests, great biking and birding...definitely a worthwile place to visit.

Upon arriving home on Tuesday night, I saw a big envelope in my mailbox. It was from Fair November, a show here in Guelph. And they wanted to let me know that I got in! Last year, it was the show I did the best in, so I'm very happy to have gotten in again, even though its also the most expensive show.

If you're interested, its happening November 17, 18, 19 and 20. Its a great show, with about 80 high quality artisans showing. Theres tons of beautiful pottery, beeswax candles, clothing, woolens, jewellery and more. Anyways, I know its a bit early for anyone else to be thinking about November, so I'll post this info on my website, along with all the other shows I'm going to be at, soon.

On another note, it seems like we're finally getting the beautiful sunny weather that everyone alsways hopes for. I hope everyone is enjoying it.

A weekend away

2005-05-06T00:12:00.000-04:00

Finally, it seems like the beautiful weather has come back, at least for now, and spring is here! Of course, the overcast and rain and cool weather is also very spring, but its not quite as nice to hang out outside in.

I'm very excited for the nice weather this weekend, because I'm going away. Along with Ahren and two other good friends, we'll be spending the weekend in Rondeau Provincial Park, biking and birding. And its supposed to be beautiful!

This morning I was out pumping up the tires on my bike (because its so damn beautiful and I just don't want to be inside) and I ended up banging my hand on the wheel and tearing some skin off, which got me thinking about comfrey ointment, which is something I've been wanting to make for awhile.

Comfrey is an amazing wound healer. Its lating name is Symphytum officianle, and it has also been called knitbone, among other things, because of its amazing ability to help mend bones and heal wounds. It is high in allantoin, which increases cell proliferation and accounts for its rapid healing powers.

There is some controversy surrounding comfrey, mostly surrounding the internal use of it, but I don't feel like getting into that today. Maybe another time. For now, suffice it to say, it is fine to use externally, but if you are concerned, don't use it if you are pregnant or nursing or for babies under the age of one (these people have an increased sensitivity to pyrolizidine alkaloids, which is where the controversy exists). I wouldn't hesitate to use comfrey in any of those situations, at least externally, but we must all make our own choices and take responsibility for our actions, so do your own research. Also, feel free to email me and ask me more about it.

Anyways, when I cut my hand today, I was thinking about comfrey ointment, which I've never made (I do include comfrey in some of my balms, but I've never made one with just comfrey). Apparently, you have to make sure that the cut you put it on is totally clean, because it can cause your skin to heal so fast that it can trap dirt underneath the new skin. Pretty amazing stuff. So I was thinking that I've gotta make some of this stuff, and first I'd need to make and oil. Now, generally I make solar infused oils, but over the winter, the few times I had to make oils I made them in a double boiler, because its faster, and there also wasn't tons of sun (but mostly because its way faster and I needed the oils ASAP). So, when thinking about this comfrey oil, I was thinking of making it on the stove, and then I thought, wait a second. Its beautiful and sunny and warm outside...the perfect time for making solar oils. So thats what I'm going to do, and I thought I'd share how to make solar oils with you.

Its very simple. All you need is a mason jar, herbs, and your oil of choice. For medicinal oils, I like extra virgin olive oil, because its a very healing oil in its own right. For more cosmetic oils and/or massage balms, I like sweet almond oil, because its lighter, absorbs easily into your skin, and has a fairly long shelf life (about six months to a year if stored properly, the same as olive oil). You can use other oils, like grapeseed or apricot kernal, but they either have a shorter shelf life (grapeseed) or are more expensive (apricot kernal).

You can also use whatever herbs you want. A great healing combo is calendula, st. john's wort and comfrey. Calendula on its own is great, too. Chickweed, marshmallow root, rosemary, chamomile, hops and peppermint are all great as well. Do some research and experiment! One key thing is, always know why you're putting certain herbs into a formula. So get a herbal and research the herbs you're interested in using. Are you using chamomile because its relaxing, marshmallow root because its emollient, peppermint because its refreshing? You should be able to explain why each herb is in your formula. I recommend using dry herbs in herbal oils. If you use fresh herbs, the extra water in the herbs can cause bacteria to grow in the oil and make it go off. If you want to use fresh herbs, wilt them first: put them in the shade outside on a hot day for an afternoon (as long as its not raining) and let some of the water evaporate out of them.

So how you make a solar infused oil goes like this. Take your mason jar and fill it with herb. Fill it pretty full, so theres only about two or three inches of space above it. Then pour in enough oil to completely cover the herb and fill that two or three inches of space. Then cap and put in the sun. You can either put it outside in direct sunlight or leave it on a sunny windowsill. If you have it outside, make sure that your lid is on tight; if it rains, you don't want any water getting into your jar. Leave it in the sun for four to six weeks. If you want to put some extra energy and magic in it, you can shake it every day, which is also just good to get some movement in the herb and oil. After the times up, strain it well through muslin, bottle and label. You can either use it as an oil or make it into a balm, following the same steps as the lip balm recipe I gave a few days ago. One important thing to keep in mind: make sure that your jar is just big enough to fit everything. You don't want a bunch of air space in the jar to degrade the oil. If you only have enough to fill a 500 ml jar, use that. Don't put it all in a 1L jar.

You might think that the oils would go rancid sitting in the sun for all that time, but for some reason they don't. Once your oil is strained and bottled, store it in a cool, dark place. A fridge is great but not necessary, and if your oil is olive oil based, a fridge will solidify it. Now, I know these instructions aren't very scientific. This is the traditional, folkloric way of making oils, and I'm nothing if not a folkloric herbalist. Relax, and enjoy what you're making. If you really want a more scientific way of making oils, there are books out there that can help you. But I can't.

Happy creating!

show update

2005-05-04T17:16:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm feeling slightly bummed at the moment. Right now is the time of year where craftspeople start hearing back from shows that they've applied to vend at. Now, last year was my first year doing big shows. I initially applied to six, got in to three, and then applied to a bunch more. The second batch of shows were sort of sketchy. All ended up being bad; I either just broke even, or lost money. The only shows I reapplied to this year from the ones I did last year were the initial three. I also applied for four others, that came recommended from other craftspeople. So far I've found out about five of them. I got into four, and the reason I'm bummed is because I just found out about the fifth a few minutes ago, and I was really hoping to get in. Its a celtic festival, and its free to vend! This is highly unusual and amazing, and I thought it'd be great, which I'm sure it is, for those who get in. Oh well, maybe next year.

But in case anyones wondering, heres the shows I do know about so far:

The Hillside Festival in Guelph, Summerfolk in Owen Sound, Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Festival in Toronto and the Fairy Lake Artisans Festival in Newmarket.

I should be finding out about the other two soon; I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck...

lip balm recipe

2005-05-02T18:31:00.000-04:00

I wanted to pass on the first lip balm recipe I every made. Lip balm is really easy to make, and once you know how to make lip balm, you have the basic principles of other salves and balms as well.

1 cup apricot oil
1/4 cup beeswax
1 tsp honey
essential oil

Combine the oil and beeswax in a pot on the stove on low heat, until the wax is melted. When its ready, take a spoonful or two of the mixture, put it in a small bowl and put it in the fridge. Once its hardened, check the consistency. If its too hard, add more oil to the mix, if its too soft, add more wax. I find lots of salves and balms on the market to be quite soft, and I personally like things a bit harder. But make it how you like it. If you're going to put it in a push up container, it will need to be harder.

Once you've got the consistency, add the honey and oil, and again test it for smell. Every oil is different; for this much mix, I would add between 1-2 tsp essential oil. Make sure you start small and test! And don't add more honey; it can separate out.

Pour it into small containers and let cool. This recipe makes a lot of balm, so you might want to cut it down. When I first started making lip balm, I used 15 ml amber glass jars from the pharmacy, so you might want to try there for containers.

You can add and embellish to your hearts desire. My lip balm is different now, but it has the same basic principles. You can use different oils and butters, and of course the different essential oils will make very different balms. Peppermint is a classic, and orange and grapefruit are great too. I no longer use honey, as I find it separates out easily, but it worked the first time I made it, so feel free to try it. Just make sure you don't use more than the recipe calls for.

Have fun!

Spritzer Recipe

2005-04-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

So one of the things that I've been wanting to do is share recipes. With that in mind, heres the first one.

This is a recipe for spritzers. They're really easy to make, and very fun to use. They can be used as a body spray, or you can use them to scent rooms, linens, your car, and anywhere else you can think of!

1/2 tsp. vodka
12-24 drops essential oil or blend
distilled water
50 ml spray bottle

All you have to do is put your oils and vodka (which acts as a preservative) in the bottle and then fill with distilled water. A small funnel can help this process immensely. Also, be sure not to fill the bottle too full, because if you do, it will overflow when you put the spray cap on and you'll lose oil. The amount of essential oil you use will partly depend on the oil (for instance, I usually use about 18 drops of mint, as its a strong oil, whereas with orange, you'd probably want to use 24). In a 50 ml bottle, 12 drops is a 2% dilution and 24 drops is a 4% dilution. You can do greater dilutions, especially if you just want to use the spritzer as a room spray.

Two of my fave spritzer oils are mint, which is great for hot summer days, and patchouli. Lavender and lemon together in equal amounts smell great. Have fun, and experiment! A good aromatherapy book can help you with blends; when I find one, I'll let you know. If you know of one, please let me know. I'm still searching.

A good source for essential oils, carrier oils, bottles and jars is New Directions Aromatics. They have a $10 small order charge on all orders under $100, though, but trust me, its not hard to spend $100 there. They also have locations in Canada, the U.S., Australia, and I'm pretty sure they have one in the UK as well, so they're pretty accessible. You could also try Cranberry Lane in B.C., or Jeans Greens in New York. They're great; they have pretty much any herb you could want, all available in small quantities, lots of do it yourself stuff, and fun products as well.

Theres lots of other supply houses around, and they're pretty easy to find on the internet.

Good luck with your spritzers! Have fun experimenting.

Peak Oil

2005-04-28T16:35:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday night I saw a movie called "The End of Suburbia". It was about peak oil and how, among other things, suburbia and that way of thinking is completely unsustainable and will very soon be impossible. It was a good movie, but pretty depressing, and it made me think that I could end up being one of those people who stand on a street corner ringing a bell and babbling that the end of the world is near.

I could also feel a part of myself resisting what the movie was saying. I guess there is a part of me that is in denial, even though I know that peak oil is a reality.

For those of you who don't know, peak oil refers to the peak of oil production in the world, after which point it becomes harder to get the oil thats left, because its deeper and needs to be refined more, and also because theres less and less of it.

Oil is a non renewable resource. It is only a matter of time before we run out. And most people, environmentalists, academics and scientists alike, realize that it is not a matter of if peak oil will happen, but rather, when.

Of course, this is totally frightening. Our entire society and economy (basically) depends on oil. Conventional food production, with its petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides, relies heavily on oil, as do most peoples' jobs. Even pens are made with plastic, a petroleum product. (What will we write with? And don't say computers, because they're plastic, too....)

And alternative fuels are really not an alternative. It takes more energy to produce ethanol (a corn based fuel), than you get out of it. Hydrogen fuel cells take water and electricity to make. And again, you end up using more energy to produce than what you get out of it. At our current rate of use, wind, solar and water will never produce enough energy, no matter how many wind turbines we have.

So whats the answer? Well, you better start dreaming and planning for a radically different way of life, and while you're at it, why don't you start living it? Reduce is the first R, and if we could reduce the amount of oil we use, that would at least be a start. But we need to stop driving, and create walkable communities. And surburbia will never be a walkable community (and I'm talking walking to work, walking to shop, etc., not just going out for a walk). So we have to change the suburbia that already exists, and stop creating more.

And theres lots more stuff that you can do. Try and see "The End of Suburbia" if you can; it will be sure to frighten, inspire and motivate. And while we're at it, here in Canada, we may soon be facing a federal election. Why not cast your vote for the Green Party (who happen to be the people who hosted the showing of "The End of Suburbia" in Guelph) and make your vote count. You could also check out the magazine Carbusters for some inspiring, anti-car rhetoric.

We have to reinvision and reinvent our society. Good luck....

snow?!

2005-04-25T15:19:00.000-04:00

Yes, unfortunately, much to my chagrin, it snowed here in Guelph this past weekend. My dad told me it was going to happen, but when I checked the weather network they didn't say a word about snow (wow, imagine, the weather prediction was wrong. Big surprise there). Its also been unseasonally cold here. But the cold and rain are making everything very green, and its actually quite beautiful out.

I also just realized that this is the last week of April. I mean, I knew that, but I don't think I consciously realized it. So suddenly, I've realized that my first show is coming up the third week of June and I still need to do tons of work on my booth (I'm changing the look of it), and mothers day is coming up and I need to work on some stuff from that, and on and on and on. The great thing is, I have a lot of energy and am super motivated to work on this stuff, but theres just so much....Why couldn't I have had some of this energy in January and February, when I wasn't so busy and could have done a lot more. Oh well. Running this business is a constant learning process, and really, I'm loving every minute of it.

But thats all for now, 'cause today is my day off, and I'm going to go enjoy it.

scams scams everywhere

2005-04-24T22:59:00.000-04:00

I just got the most completely ridiculous email. It basically said that there was some random international lottery, and I had somehow not only been entered but won US $1.5 million! Give me a break. Who the hell is going to believe that? And of course, when I googled it, it came back SCAM, SCAM, SCAM.

Which reminded me of some other spam scams I've been getting. They all revolve around some rich person in Nigeria or South Africa or somewhere needing to transfer money...and thats about as far as I get into the email before I DELETE. Of course, they all just want your bank account and/or credit card info, or you have to pay some ridiculous up front processing fee. I mean, who are these people?

I actually fell for an internet scam once. It was quite recently, just a few months ago, when I was feeling pretty desperate financially. I was searching on the net for something completely unrelated (prince albert, and no, I wasn't searching to research a history project and I think I just won't get into the reason right now) and one of the google ads that came up said something along the lines of "get paid for your opinion". So I clicked on it, and discovered this site with some of the best website sales writing I've ever read, and got completely hooked, lined and sinkered in about 15 minutes and was handing over $45, which may not seem like a lot, but when you're living as close to broke as I am, thats pretty much food for the week.

Basically, this site was all about how there are all these companies out there who are doing market research and focus groups, and they pay cold hard cash if you'll be so kind as to take part. What the site doesn't say is that it requires a lot of time, energy and work to register with all the different market research firms (which is what you're paying for; access to a database of firms) and they're probably not going to use you anyway.

Now, this is a real thing. Market research does go on, and it is possible to get paid for it. But its not at all as easy as the site that I stumbled upon made it out to be. The reason I fell for the scam? Because I was desperate. Well, because I was desperate and the writing was pretty convincing. But I knew deep down that it was a scam, and that if I thought about it for any length of time I wouldn't do it, and thats why I pounced on it so quickly. Confused? Well, thats what these scams do. And even though we know they're scams, they play on our fears and desperation and get us to buy into them. They manipulate our emotions. And they completely suck ass.

So be warned. There are lots of jerks out there, trying to make a dishonest living off the insecurities of others. Remember, if its too good to be true, it probably is.

(Oh, and just a note. Another thing on this market research site that I got scammed off of was a little note that said, "This is not a scam. If it was, the bank that processes our credit card payments would have stopped long ago," and they named the bank, which for the life of me I can't remember. So after trying to work with the database for a day or two and realizing that it was basically impossible, I searched on the net and found the bank, contacted them and told them it was basically a cleverly disguised scam and asked for my money back, which I got, minus $5, which I assume went for some sort of processing fee. Who knows? Maybe its all part of the scam. But anyways, losing $5 is way better than losing $45, so the story had a happy ending.)

You've Gotta Read This Guy

2005-04-23T16:50:00.000-04:00

A little while ago, a friend of mine emailed me an article written by one of her fave columnists, and he has quickly become one of mine. His name is Mark Morford, and he writes for the SF Gate, and he is great! Hes sarcastic and funny and contrary and a left wing and just completely goddamned funny and totally worth reading.

The first article of his I read was about dildos and how they are outlawed in a handful of states. I mean, what the hell is that all about? So as you can imagine (or maybe you can't, but after reading the article you'll be able to), I immediately fell in love with this guys passion and run on sentences. But I didn't do anything about it until my friend sent me yet another article, this time on the subject of the new pope. After reading that one, I realized that I needed to be getting this guys articles every Wednesday and Friday delivered right to my inbox. So I subscribed a few days ago and now I know that at least two days a week when I go to check my email in the desperate hope that there'll be something in there and I'll know someone cares, well, someone does.

my dubious love affair with a weekly news magazine

2005-04-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I love Macleans. You know, the Canadian newsweekly? I think I got onto it through Ahrens' boss. He has a subscription and (sometimes) remembers to pass them on to me.

I'm not sure why I love it. I guess because its really my only connection to whats going on in Canada and the world. I don't watch tv, I don't read papers. Sometimes I listen to CBC and hear the news every (f***ing) half hour, but mostly, I get my news from Macleans.

But theres gotta be more than that. Well, Macleans definitely isn't right wing, and I think its farther left than centre, but its definitely not a hardcore, left wing magazine. I think thats part of why I like it, too. I have to say it, and you can all witness my confession...I would rather read something like Macleans, that to me has the sort of left wing kind of view that seems more based in reality, than some of the hardcore, underground, activist lefty stuff out there. Not that that stuff is bad, and not that Macleans is all good. They definitely print some wretched, stupid stuff. But I really enjoy reading something that a lot of the rest of Canada is reading. It helps me figure out what everyone else is thinking.

The fact that there articles are chock full of sarcasm doesn't hurt, either. I happen to love a good sarcatic rant.

Macleans has a column called "Over To You" that anyone can submit to. Thats another thing I love about it. In this column, everyday sort of people write in and rant about...whatever. One recent column I wrote was by a 26 year old native guy whos name is Wabgueshing (I'm sure I spelled that wrong; my apologies). And the column was all about his name. I read one by a mother who had only one child, and how everyone thought she should have more, and how it was cruel to the child to only have one (because they'd be an only child) but how she only wanted one child (hooray for people who consciously make decisions about childrearing! We need more of them). Anyways, my love affair with the mag has now morphed into the goal of being publlished in its pages. We'll see how that one goes. I'll keep you updated.

So I really recommend that you check it out. Something wonderful I just discovered was that my local library (I love libraries!) has a subscription, and you can take out all but the current issue. I'm sure other libraries have this same feature, so support your local library and read Macleans! And a little more of an aside, if you like sarcastic political musings, I recommend Paul Wells column on the back page of Macleans. Hes a new fave of mine. And I just discovered that he has a
weblog, so if you're in need of a quick fix, check it out.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about another of my new favourite columnists.

Happy Friday night.

2005-04-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

These past few days have been pretty emotional for me. There are some major things going on in my personal life, and everything sort of came to a head yesterday. Without going into lots of detail out of respect for the privacy of those who this involves, I'll just say that yesterday something happened involving someone very close to me, and while I thought it was the right thing at the time, I'm now beset by second thoughts and second guessing.

Not that what happened was even my fault. I told the truth, and expressed my worries, out of regard for this persons safety. But the end result leaves me sad and wondering if I should have lied, or simply not told the whole truth. And it makes me wonder about the institutionalization of care in our culture.

So what happened is, the person who I was talking about a few days ago, who is dealing with depression, was admitted to a mental hospital yesterday for an assesment, as it was thought that this person was at a possible risk of doing themselves harm. And while at the time I was scared and worried and thought that this was best, I'm now wondering if those of us around this person are just lazy. You know, the going got tough, and we got outta there. Because even though this hospital is not a bad place, in fact, it seems pretty good, as good as this kind of place can be, no one wants to be in a hospital, no matter what kind. We all just want to be safe at home.

So now I'm left second guessing. Did we do the right thing?

The interesting thing is, this person actually seemed better today. So maybe everything is going to work out as it should. Of course it will. Deep down, I know that everything happens for a reason, and there is a lesson in this, for all of us who are affected by it. But the reality is, I still feel sad.

But for now, I'll just say goodnight and so much good energy to this beautiful person, and don't worry, everything will work out fine, and you'll be out in no time...and please don't forget, I love you.

2005-04-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

Today was a very hard day. And I think that thats all I can say right now.

Bye.

Communities

2005-04-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend I was reminded of two things: how lovely it is to live in community, and how shitty it is to live in community.

Over a year and a half ago, Ahren and I decided to buy a house with two good friends of ours, Josh and Anwen. The house is a duplex, so we each get our own half, but its all on one title. Its been really wonderful for all of us; we all share one car, we take turns making dinner for each other once a week and Ahren and I get to spend lots of time with Josh and Anwen's daughter Aurora, who also happens to be our goddaughter.

One of the best things about this living arrangment is where we live. Our house is on a quiet street in downtown Guelph. It also happens to be right across the street from Anwen's parents house, which used to be Ahren's parents house, and which he lived in until he was 11 and the house was sold to Anwen's family. Add to that Sue, our wonderful next door neighbour, and Gareth, Kristal and their soon to be 3 year old daugther Tessa (who happens to be a great playmate for Aurora) and you have the makings of one of the best neighbourhoods I've ever experienced. Plus theres a few other characters around as well who make this a great place to live. We've had potlucks, parties, and informal hangouts on the lawn after a day of gardening. It's wonderful.

However, all is not perfect in the land of Liverpool. We also have a few neighbours who are not quite as happy with us as our friends are. Yesterday, Josh and Anwen got a talking to from one of them, regarding the horrid state of our property, and how this used to be such a beautiful house, and now look at it.

Okay, deep breath here required on my part. Maybe Ahren is a bit of a pack rat, and theres some unsightly stuff in the (gigantic) driveway (which we intend to tear up and garden, anyway). But its a lot better than it was, and whats left really doesn't amount to much (as long as you can overlook the huge pile of woodchips in the driveway). And speaking of woodchips, I have a feeling that what really sent this neighbour over the edge was the fact that Ahren and I spent our Sunday tarping the boulevard and covering it in woodchips. This person doesn't happen to like how it looks, and is hoping we're going to keep at least some grass! (Um, sorry, that would be no...unless you count native grasses.)

And saying that this used to be a beautiful house...? Sorry, but theres no way in hell you could see that. This house was and still remains ugly. It used to be red brick, then stucco, but now it is white siding gone gray with time and some very ugly angel stone on the front. As for the outside, sure, maybe it used to be attractive, if you like big driveways, sprayed lawns, tiny border gardens and pressure treated wood. However, we like, well, none of those things. And of course, we don't just plan to tarp the whole property and leave it like that for good. Tarping is just a way to kill the grass so we can garden it up. And we covered the tarps with chips because we thought they'd be a whole lot nicer to look at than plastic.

Anyways, I was fuming when I heard that this neighbour had pounced on Josh and Anwen, with Aurora in tow, and proceeded to chastise them in a very rude manner. However, Josh was very diplomatic, and later in the afternoon he and Anwen went over to talk to this person again, explain what we were doing, and try to meet halfway. Definitely the right thing to do.

And what did I do? I started to cover the rest of the front lawn with tarps and woodchips. Happy gardening!

Good weekend

2005-04-17T10:15:00.000-04:00

I love the weekend. First of all, theres market. For someone like me, who works on there own at home, its really nice in a lot of ways to have to get up and be somewhere once a week. Its also really nice to have a sales outlet, because at this time of year, its pretty much my only one, and god knows I have to eat! So market is great.

Its a very social time as well. If you've never been to a farmers market, I highly recommend them. There is so much fun stuff there; lots of locally grown food, and beautiful crafts made by local artisans. The Guelph market is especially good. Its right downtown, and is a big part of the downtown community. Accordingly, you get to see a lot of friendly faces, eat good foor...its wonderful!

But, as a craft vendor, market is a crapshoot. Sometimes its really good....and sometimes its not. At this point at least, its little more than grocery money. I'm sure Christmas will be good, and as I build up a clientele there sales will improve, but it can definitely be a bit dicey, not to mention disheartening, when you're trying to make a go of something and its not working quite as you hoped it would.

So yesterday was absolutely amazing. It was a beautiful Saturday, and people were out and apparently into spending money, because I had my best day ever, by far! It was great; I'm actually going to be able to put some money in the bank!

The other reason why market is great is because once its over, my weekend begins. Up until a couple of weeks ago I basically worked all the time, and when I wasn't working I would feel guilty that I wasn't working. But recently, I found myself asking, who is making me feel guilty? Who is making me feel that I have to work all the time? Part of the reason I want to have my own business is because I want to have a more relaxed schedule; I don't want to work the Monday-Friday, 9-5 job, or any variation thereof, and I definitely don't want to be working seven days straight. So why do I feel like I have to?

Its very easy to do that when you work for yourself out of your home. It can be hard to have boundries. So a few weeks ago, I decided that I would take Sunday and Monday off. It was pretty much happening anyways, but I just felt guilty about it. I always took Sunday off, but I felt like I should work Monday, and I even sometimes felt like I should work on Saturday after market, which is hilarious because even though market is a blast, its also such an energy output that by the end I actually have trouble talking, because I've been doing it so much!

So now, when market is over, I come home and start my weekend. And what a lovely weekend it is. Yesterday involved sitting on my porch, eating, drinking beer, reading, doing yoga on the lawn, hanging out with neighbours (have I ever mentioned that I live in an absolutely wonderful neighbourhood?). At night we went out for dinner with Ahren's family.

Today is going to be a gardening day. We are on a mission to remove grass and put in gardens. And then later tonight Ahren and I will make dinner, and watch a movie, and just generally relax. I love the weekend.

Thank god its friday

2005-04-15T14:08:00.000-04:00

It has been one long week.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm currently dealing with a person with depression. On top of that, I a friend of mine was hit by a car on Tuesday and only escaped death because she was wearing a helmet. Seriously.

My friend was biking down the street around 7 and was going through an intersection. A man, who had the setting sun right in his eys, turned right in front of her. She ran into the car and hit one of the hardest parts with her head, and dented it. She was unconcious for several hours and her face is badly beat up; lots of stiches and bruises. I saw her last night and was totally shocked. I hadn't realized how bad it was until I saw her. A cop told her that if she hadn't been wearing her helmet, she would be dead. So WHERE YOUR HELMETS if you bike.

On top of that, my friends family's barn burnt down.

Thank god its the weekend.

2005-04-14T13:42:00.000-04:00

Today I want to write a bit about depression.

I don't know if anyone out there has ever had to deal with someone who is clinically depressed, but I'm here to tell you that it is a hard, stressful, emotionally draining thing to do.

Someone in my life who's very close to me is suffering from this disease right now. For the past four days in a row, I've been at her house, trying to help her and her partner out.

It's hard for me, but I know it's even harder for her partner. He is her caregiver, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I spend a few mornings with her and I'm feeling like a wreck myself, so I can't even imagine what he's feeling.

She is agitated, anxious, afraid. She can't eat, she can't sleep. She has started talking about hurting herself.... This is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with. Its hard to explain the extent of the problem to someone who has never been in a similar situation. Serious depression isn't just being 'down'. You can't talk someone out of it. There is pretty much nothing you can say to make them feel better. There is a chemical imbalance in the brain (at least in this case), and before that is dealt with, nothing else will work.

So this woman is taking meds, and as sceptical as I am regarding pharmaceuticals, I'm thankful that shes taking them. I went with her and her partner today to see the doctor, and he seemed like a genuinely nice, caring man, and I'm sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. And thats what is so unfortunate about our society, I suppose. You get sick, you go to the doctor. They work with the knowledge they have and believe, and try to help you. The only problem there is that they are heavily influenced by Big Pharma. But I've got to tell you, it is hard to refuse these things. It is already so draining just to deal with this person, let alone try to research and implement dietary changes and natural products that can help. And I think that when you're faced with something so serious, you just fall back on what you were brought up on; namely, that the doctor will make you better (at least in this case).

But regardless of what avenue of treatment you seek, if you are depressed or know someone who is, seek treatment. Depression is a highly treatable disease, but only about 1/3 of all people who suffer from it seek help. Don't wait. And if you are a caregive for someone who is depressed, remember to try not to get frustrated or angry, and to take time for yourself. Because you have to keep yourself healthy, too.

If anyone else has any other suggestions, please send them in. We need all the help we can get.

2005-04-13T20:36:00.000-04:00

Today was my dance day.

I took dance from when I was five until I was twenty. Over the years I took ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, pointe, acro and modern. Modern was the dance form I discovered the latest, and its also become my favourite.

My first modern teacher was Janet Johnson, a woman who lived in Guelph. She was absolutely incredible, and she has always been my favourite modern teacher, and really my favourite teacher of any kind.

Well, its been a few years, but shes finally started teaching again. So now, for the next several weeks, I get to take class with her every Wednesday night. Tonight was the second night of an eight week session, and it is absolutely incredible to feel my body move that way again.

On another note, the soap I made yesterday turned out just fine, thank the soap gods and goddesses, and I'm so excited for it. Both batchs are purple (thanks to a plant called ratanjot). One is straight purple and the other is white with a purple swirl. The swirled one is a beautiful woody smell, and the other is lavender bay, which is absolutely incredible. I'm not sure what I'm going to call them...

Tomorrow is another soap day. I'm making two unscented bars: oatmeal and honey, and a cocoa and calendula soap for babies. I'm so excited! Of course, that means that I have to now unmold yesterdays soap, as I only have two molds, and strain the calendula oil I made today...well, maybe I'll get up early and do that tomorrow. Right now, a shower and dinner sounds just about right.

One long day...

2005-04-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

Wow. Its been quite the day.

It was supposed to be a nice, relaxed soap day. Hah. What should have been a normal work day turned into something else all together, and here it is, 9:20 and I haven't even eaten dinner today.

Instead of starting out the day at 10 or so as planned, I found myself dealing with some family stuff that has come up recently, and I didn't get home until close to 2. Well, I was determined to still make my two batchs of soap as planned, so after lunch, a talk with my good friend and neighbour Anwen and a quick clean up, I dove into my soap making.

Making a batch of soap takes me about 2-2 1/2 hours, depending on a myriad of variables. And it can take even longer. So you can do the math...I didn't start until after three, and didn't finish until 8:30. I'm working with a slightly different soap recipe now, and the last time I made it, it was a dream...quick to put together, quick to get to the right temperature, and quick to trace (this probably doesn't make sense if you've never made soap, and I promise to explain soapmaking in detail at some point). However, today the first two steps were still quick, but the soap took a long time to trace, which is basically the point at which you can add your essential oils and whatnot and pour it into the molds. One batch I stirred for 45 minutes, and the other for and hour. And you better believe that I've got a sore neck now. And to top it off, I'm not even sure if they're going to work out. They were tracing very minimally, but I just couldn't stir anymore. But I won't know until tomorrow....I'll let you know how they turn out.

Immediately after the soap was tucked away in the molds and the kitchen was clean, I got on the dinner train, which is ready now and just waiting for me to dig in, after which, if I'm still hungry, I'm going to dig into the peach crisp that I also threw together with peaches frozen from last summer, because after a day this long....

More tomorrow...

Lovely Spring

2005-04-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. So this is my very own, brand new blog, so I can rant at length about whatever I feel like...

So it seems like spring is finally here. Yesterday, my partner Ahren and I went on a 3 1/2 hour canoe ride from Rockwood to Guelph...it was so very very lovely. We generally do this canoe (or a version of it, usually only from Eden Mills to Guelph)every spring, when the water is high and you can actually canoe the whole way, as opposed to dragging the canoe half the time. Its so beautiful out there, the blue of the sky, the white, streaky clouds, the horizon filled with trees, and so what if you can still hear the occasional car and you see tons of other people out enjoying the day as well? Its much better than spending an unseasonally warm day stuck in the city.

The only problem is, both of us are sick of using commercial sunscreens, even the natural brands, because they are still full of parabens and hormone disruptors. So both of us, but me especially, ended up burned, and last night my forearms were so hot and red and painful so I sliced open two aloe vera leaves and slathered their gel all over my arms.

I've just recently gotten some titanium dioxide and soon I will be making my very own sunblock, so I can feel good about what I'm putting on my skin. And while I'm thinking of it, and after sun lotion would be a good thing to develop, as well.

So far I've only heard from two of the shows I applied to, the Hillside Festival in Guelph and Summerfolk in Owen Sound. I got into both. They're both great fun, but I especially recommend Hillside. This year its July 22, 23 and 24, and its always great fun.

Anyways, today is supposed to be my day off, and the house is just screaming to be swept and the sweater that I'm knittig to be finished, so I'm going to take off for now, and I'll talk to you all tomorrow.