Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

I love swaps and I accidentally stumbled upon this fabulous knitting one called Knitter's Treat Exchange. So, of course I signed up for it. Here are the answers to my questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
I LOVE Chenille yarns. Those in my knitting group would say I am addicted or obsessed to it, LOL. It is so soft and fluffy and when you rub it on your skin it feels so soft and comforting

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn? Any animal fiber yarn since it makes me itch and I am allergic

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop? Ask where the non-wool yarn is located. Then I obsess over all the gorgeous hand painted colorways that I can stare at but never touch :-(

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do? Soapmaking, painting, making chocolates, crafts with my kids

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to? Creative Knitting but I might pick up a copy of Vogue or interweave at my local bookstore if I am feeling especially needy that month

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference: Knitting/Other Craft/ Celebrity/ Gossip/ Food/ Fashion/ Home/ Garden/ Crochet (I don’t know how to crochet)

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet? I like to make things for my daughters; I just learned how to use circular needles (hooray!); learning to knit lace, hats for charities (Ships Project), slippers, washcloths for my soaps, whatever catches my fancy

8. Are you allergic to anything? Animal fiber yarn especially wool, lanolin, I don’t really use any animal based products just in case I might react to it, certain chemicals used in lotions like silicone, cats, cigarette smoke

9. What do you like to* smell of?(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of) Citrus, sweet like candy or fruit

10. What's your favourite way to relax? Knit, relax with a really good cup of coffee or herbal tea, that once in a blue moon soak in the tub

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first? Go to the Italian café.

12. What do you come out with? Get a really good cup of café con leche sit on the sidewalk with my knitting and watch the people walk by while I sit, drink and knit. Now, that would be ideal.

13. Where do you go next? Now this might be a toss up. I LOVE having a proper afternoon tea and have even taken my older daughter for an afternoon tea here where I live so, I might say the dainty tea room. However, I have a sweet spot for delicate decadent sweets so, I might say Victorian style sweetshop

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal? Since we didn’t get asked favourite colors, mine is any shade of purple (notice the purple, LOL) including lavender. I love chocolate but what woman doesn’t ;-) and I am very much looking forward to participating in this swap! (I hope who I get paired with someone who likes handmade soap......)

Deficiencies of a non Wool Knitter

I am doing one craft show this spring and it is a drop off type but you have to work one 4 hour shift. My shift was last night. I check out how my stuff was doing and it looked as if my soaps and potions were doing really well compared to the other two soap vendors Hooray!! I even got confirmation of this from the organizer of the show. Little victory dance for me.

Then I walked around to see what else was in the little shop. I also wanted to see if the little bird house, pink and purple, wind chime the Princess saw on Sunday when I set up was still there and it was so I set it aside at the cash register so I could pay for it when I left. Princess really wanted it, she was having a really good week and it wasn't too expensive.

Then I saw some beautiful bags out of the corner of my eye. I walked up to the rack and they were in various colors, shapes, and sizes. I obviously couldn't touch them. They looked so interesting. Not that I ever carry a pocketbook or anything. As I got closer I realized they were in fact felted. I have seen tons of patterns and books on felting. I have seen tons of blogs and web sites on felting but, I obviously have never felted. You can only felt, so I have been told, with wool and since I cannot knit with wool nor any animal fibers I cannot felt.

It looks so fascinating the way the materials just blend together, the way the colors intertwine but it will never happen for me. I was not meant to be a wool knitter nor a capable of felting. A shame too she was asking a minimum of $85 a bag!

Happy Anniverary Montco Sit and Knit!

My knitting group celebrated it's 2nd anniversary last night. We had quite the turnout too. I donated some sock patterns for door prizes since I don't knit socks and some roll on vanilla to the first 6 people to arrive. The group's organizer had solicited, collected and donated a few other door prized including some of my soaps and lotions that she had purchased recently. We had cake too. One member brought everyone daffodils since it was the first day of spring.

I love going to my group's meetings because I get to relax and knit for an extended period of time without a little miss interrupting. I won't be at the next meeting because of the holiday so I have to wait 4 weeks till the next one. I will have to try to squeeze knitting in some where.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary Sit and Knit! To another wonderful year of knitting together!!

Entrepreneurial Daughter

The Princess tells me this morning she has a lot of things on her wish list of things she wants to buy and she can't wait till her birthday which is in October. She needs to earn money to buy those things on her list and the money can't go into her Disney trip fund. I say Okay. She wants to know how she can earn money other than take care of Spyder her dog (who lives at grandma's house), clean her room and tidy up after Sunshine and herself. I asked, what can you do? She said, I can go into the family business. I said, Okay. This Spring I am really not doing too many craft shows but more party favors so she really doesn't have ample opportunity but I am doing a few this summer. She said, Okay. What do you want to make? I want to make some fancy glycerin soaps, she tells me. Okay, I said, like what? Well, she did make some very lovely spring soaps that are at a Craft boutique at the moment. So, I did tell her if any of those sell, she will get the money from those. She got very excited. She did make them even though her mom designed the label and wrapped them.

She told me she wants to make some peppermint-pine leaves, some candy smelling flowers and hearts, maybe some layered soaps and get some toys or bracelets to put in some soap. I though, how creative. She even told me she liked the smell of rose but I thought that was too much for her target audience of kids.

I told her when I do the shows, she has to go with me to sell her own soaps and what ever else she makes because it will be her items to sell and her money to make. She agreed and got very excited. Not sure if she knows what she got herself into. Not sure I know what I got myself into. Should be interesting.

The Truth Hurts

Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and George W. Bush went to a fitness spa for some fun. After a stimulating, healthy lunch, all three decided to visit the men's room and they found a strange-looking gent sitting at the entrance.

He said, "Welcome to the gentlemen's room. Be sure to check out our newest feature, a mirror that, if you look into it and say something truthful, you will be rewarded with your wish.

But, be warned: if you say something FALSE, you will be sucked into the mirror to live in a void of nothingness for all eternity!"

The three men quickly entered and upon finding the mirror, Bill Clinton stepped up and said, "I think I'm the most intelligent of us three," and he suddenly found the keys to a brand new Bentley in his hands.

Al Gore stepped up and said, "I think I'm the most aware of the environmental problems of us three," and in an instant, he was surrounded by a pile of money to fund his next Presidential Campaign.

Excited over the possibility of finally having a wish come true, George W. Bush looked into the mirror and said, "I think...," and was promptly sucked into the mirror.

--------------------------

My Mom forwarded this to me. Isn't she funny?

Blanket Stripe Finished

I didn't need poking or prodding. I didn't need reminding. I didn't need phone calls. I didn't need everyone asking, "So, where is it?" and the summer rolling around and MJ going back to OJ empty handed without my blanket stripe but everyone else's and the nice ladies of the Ventnor knitting group wondering why they let me win such a lovely door prize (which it is). I FINISHED my blanket stripe!!. It does have a few little pattern glitches in it since a little over half of it was knit with little miss sunshine jumping on my back saying"mommy stop your knitting, come play with me" I wanted it knit before our next Sit and Knit meeting which is this Wednesday. I finished it last night. definitely turned out wider than i would have liked but it is definitely 24 inches long. Made with a very nice Lion brand Jiffy Yarn (it was all I had on had at the knit-in we went to in Ventnor, NJ). It actually took almost the entire skein of yarn too, which surprised me. The remains went into a baggie of extra yarn for my next scrap blanket that i may eventually get around to making.

Now, one to another project. Another hat in the round perhaps (boy do I love that new skill)

I could still pass High School, Thankfully

My brain, from being a SAHM, playing with kids all day, from not going to the work place and having what "the other side" might call a "real" job has yet to turn to mush. I still have it, LOL. I took a very simplistic quiz but still pass with flying colors. Yeah Me! I can still get A's in High School

You Passed High School with an A

You have the brains of a high school graduate... at least!

Could You Pass High School?

Snow in March?

You bet! Little Miss Sunshine (note the green coat, sorry, hand-me-down snow pants) had to go outside in it and decided to attempt to clean it up. She did fail miserably but at least she attempted. It is more than I can say for her father. I really can't fault her for wanting to go outside. I had told her father that if it looked really bad out, then to get a hotel room near work and just stay near there or he has a friend that lives close to work (about 5 minutes from work) crash on her couch instead of attempting to make it home. We live half an hour from where he works on a good, no traffic day. In a bad day or snow filled day it can get pretty bad. Plus we live off of 2 hills. He could not get his 20 plus year old heap of junk of a car in our driveway. So, I went out to help him attempt #1 to get it in but, of course, I was useless. So, smart man that he is, drove it further down the hill and tried to go around where he got even more stuck. Now he insisted I get both girls dressed in their snow gear, drag their little fannies outside so that we could help push his car to gosh knows where in attempt #2 and 3. By the time I found all their gear, got them shoved into all of it, I guess he realized how ridiculous all that sounded. He left his car at the bottom of the hill on our street and was back in the house. Princess was all to eager to take everything off but Little Miss Sunshine was like you shoved me in this stuff now I am getting good use out of it. So outside She and I went. Hubby left the shovel outside from when he tried to dig the snow from under his car so she picked it up and tried to shovel the walkway. It was so cute. She got extra treats last night for being a real trooper.

BTW, those white dots in the picture are snow and ice still falling. Not my poor picture taking which is usually the case.

Green Day

Little Miss Sunshine's favorite color is green, in fact, her favorite shade is lime green. We got a note home from her preschool that they would be celebrating St. Patrick's Day in her class at preschool today and to please wear green. You don't have to twist her arm twice to wear green. Off she went to school wearing her green dress, black leggings, lime green socks, and green sparkle shoes.

I had to speak to the director for the school for some reason or another and she told me that Miss Sunshine was in all her glory with all the green and loving life. In fact she is calling it Shammrock green now and painted up a bunch of them for everyone.

A shame we aren't really Irish but someone told me we are all a little Irish on St. Patrick's day. So, I guess little Miss Sunshine can enjoy her green day and enjoy it.

New Knitting Mentor!

Yesterday as I was designing and printing labels for all my goodies for this weekend there was a lot of downtime as it takes a while for the labels to come out of the printer I did some web surfing. I discovered a new book called "No Sheep For You" The name itself intrigued me. Hmm, no sheep, did this mean what I thought it meant? No wool? Or was it a play on words? I have read most of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee 's books and although I find her very funny and I can relate to some of what she writes, she does push woolie items on people all the time and doesn't understand anyone not obsessed with wool and with me being allergic to wool and other animal fibers I cringe at this prospect.

So here I am reading this title "No Sheep For You" by Interweave Press and find myself having to find out what this book is about.

"Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo, and Other Delights by Amy R. Singer

In a world where sheep-based knitting is the norm, do you feel left out? ......This how-to guide will teach you all about non-wool yarns, focusing on plant fibers including cotton, linen, hemp, soy, bamboo, Tencel, rayon, the new synthetics and more, plus the most delicious non-wool of all: silk. Learn why each fiber behaves the way it does, how to make it do what you want it to do, and when it’s time to try something else instead. This wild world of fibers is accompanied by 22 classic and wearable patterns for socks, scarves, hats, shawls, sweaters, vests, and bags—all created with fibers that never had four legs.

An entire chapter is devoted to tips and tricks that save time and money. Learn the inside scoop that will enable you to get the look of wool in your knitting while using the fibers you prefer. ....Take your knitting to the next level with No Sheep for You. " http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/No_Sheep/about.asp

WOW I need to buy this book. It is on order. I need to meet Amy Singer. She is coming to my neck of the woods in August. I have found a knitting author/expert I can look up to that knits with my kind of fiber (although I don't use silk because that comes from the tushies from bugs)

Mmmm Shea Butter

I made Shea Butter tins today. Bulgarian lavender and unscented in 2 oz tins and labeled them. That is pretty much all I really need to say if you have ever used Shea butter before. If you haven't, you really should. It is so soft and so smooth and feels so good on your skin. It is great on your face, lips, arms, elbows, belly and legs. Just about every where.

Shea butter has literally been used for over a thousand years. It can be used "as is" or for the protection and care of skin cracked and dehydrated by the elements. Shea is extremely moisturizing and gentle to the skin. It is obtained from the seed of the Karite Tree (Butyrospermum Parkii) common to West Africa so don't let anyone ever tell you it is from the States.

Me personally, I love it when I finish a container because I get to stick my hands into the remains of a container, like I did today. My hands were so soft all day. I was a happy camper.

Back to Reality

I have a week long craft show where the drop off is this weekend so, back to reality for me. If you'd like to see my soap goodies and want something to do starting Tuesday a sampling of my soap goodies and other tidbits will be at the Spring Craft Boutique from March 20 - 25 weekdays 10-9; Saturday and Sunday 10-5 at 181 Park Avenue, Chalfont, PA

Little Miss Sunshine helped me make some Dead Sea Bath Salts and some Hawaiian and Sea Kelp Bath Soak today. She loved mushing the sealed bags to blend the mixtures and kept smelling the peppermint and Rosemary oils and saying, "Mommy, that is so delicious!"

I decided to go with just some of my Goat's Milk Lotion since it has been very dry and it is my most moisturizing lotion (and I do so love the scent)

I made and put on some of my Aunt Harriet's Madagascar Vanilla on my lips. It is soooo smooth and yummy. I just love those little roll on bottles. they are so cute and smooth on the lips. How do people not just love these things?

We have a couple more things on our to do list, like make some cute toy soaps that are seasonal. Perhaps flowers, or bunnies, little ducks or something like that. Of course last but not least labels, labels, labels

What a Great Weekend!

First I have to say, what a great weekend away! I can't wait till next years weekend! Even though I only got to stay from friday afternoon till after dinner on Saturday, it was very relaxing, I got a ton of knitting in, went to my first "knit-in" won a terrific door prize, went yarn shopping and was in terrific company of some great knitting friends.

I learned how to knit in the round with circular needles and finishing off with double pointed needles, neither of which I had never done before. I made a very cute yellow hat which I originally intended for me but you know that never happens. As soon as I got home ans showed it to the princesses she decided it was for her even though it is not her color and appropriated itI combined about three different patterns and changed the yarn to make it because I can't just make a pattern straight from a sheet. Then it wouldn't be me now would it?

I made a promise to finish a blanket 24 inch stripe for the knit-in but then I think I want to try another seamless hat.

Away for the Weekend

I am going away for the weekend (well coming back Saturday night (without the hubby or the girls)! The picture roughly shows the view from the street where the house the knitting club rented (I got it off google) A winter escape to the beach.

I will be away with no responsibilities, no place I need to be, no worries. At least for about 30 hours. Probably not enough time but, it will have to do.

I took one project I have been dying to try. Something using circular needles where I will have to join them which I have never done. I also took a bunch of simple mindless projects that I should do to have for quick gifts and to widdle down my stash and that don't make me think too much. Those will be great for relaxation.

I will definitely miss the girls but I need the break.

Babies!!!

I am so excited!!! A very good friend of mine just emailed me to tell me she is expecting!! I am so happy for her. She is a little bit older and waited a little bit for her prince charming so I am so happy that they are expecting a little prince or princess so soon. Also gives me the opportunity to live vicariously through another friend

This makes two of my close friends who are pregnant this year. For someone who wanted a very larger family for so long, I am okay with just living vicariously through others. I look at my Princess and my little Sunshine and am very happy with what I have. They both give me great joy (and heartache) every day. I love watching them both grow up and watching them both develop into young ladies. I am not sure I could go through the whole baby thing all over again.

Anyway, I am very happy for both my friends who are having babies. One will get to experience having a third child and one will get to experience having her first and all that comes with it. I can be there for both. For the one having her third I can be there to watch the older two, help her out when she needs a helping hand and be an adult she can speak with when she needs one. To the one who is having her first I can be there for her when she has questions, concerns and just be there when she needs to talk to someone but not give too much advice because, she does need to enjoy her first experience as well.

I need to go an look at all those baby patterns I flip past. Little baby patterns are so much easier to knit and I now have a few reasons to make them :-)

Things I would like to knit when I find the time

I definitely have the yarn in my stash, the patterns in my library, I just need to find the time to knit them and the patience to sit. oh and getting little miss sunshine to not try to pull out my needles or unravel my yarn. Please do not tell me I have to wait till she is in school full days or off to college (eek!) As soon as she seems to see me pull out the yarn, she has to attack me or it. Poor me. Poor yarn!



Baby Poncho

I know a few people having babies this year. I can either get them store bought gifts, make baby blankets, I have one or three made already, or make cute ponchos out of different yarn than shown here but you can get the idea.



The Good Guest Dress

The Princess saw this in one of my new pattern books and fell in love with it. She selected a yarn for it from one of my splurges and keeps asking when am I making it for her. I distracted her with a sweater in the meantime since this is slightly a bit more complex than I am used to knitting and will take longer than I am used to as well. She did pick a yearn that I won't need to strip like this but will have the same shaping at least. Maybe she will get lucky and have it for 1st grade.



I have had the yarn for something like this shawl for my Mom for almost a year now. I am still not 100% set on a pattern yet. I did finally get the yarn wound into balls but, I am not crazy over any pattern for lace. Then once I knit it, will I be willing to hand something I painstakingly knitted over to my Mother? I am pretty sure I will be able to since it is my Mother of course, the woman who raised me, puts up with all my complaining, pains, cries with me, and all my joys and happiness. She deserves it of course. I guess that is why I can't settle on anything. Nothing would be perfect enough for her.

Now to find the time

How Rare Is Your Personality? and Could You Pass 8th Grade Spanish?

I have taken the full Myers Brigg and this short quiz came close but not quite....

Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP)

Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Had to take another one....

You Passed 8th Grade Spanish

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct! There is a shocker

Could You Pass 8th Grade Spanish?

Moonlight Madness

I went last night with a good friend of mine who scrapbooks to AC Moore's Moonlight Madness sale. It is a great concept. The leave the store open late on a Sunday night and put everything on 25% off sale but everything is only on sale between 6 - 9 PM.

I needed some needles for 2 projects I intend to do this year so I went. Notice I said this year instead of this month, this season, this week. I am beginning to learn my limitations. Anyway, the needles rarely ever go on sale so I figure a 25% off is better than nothing. I was very good. I only bought the 2 different needles I needed for the two projects I am pretty sure I am doing. Since I am finishing a sweater for princess, I need to make something for sunshine so one set is for her. The other is for a at least one throw, perhaps two.

Then I was very good. Since princess is crafty and she asked for a few things and had been sick I bought her a couple of pens for her scrapbooking and some floam. That is it. No yarn. No craft projects for the girls. No extra goodies I didn't need. I did look to see if that had Lion brands new organic cotton that I have been eyeing up but, they didn't. It might have been my one exception. they didn't have it, I didn't buy anything to replace it. There were women there with carts of yarn. Some with Homespun which comes in the most lovely shades of colorways and huge skeins and I HATE to knit with it. I almost said something but, I didn't. Some people might like it. It is very inexpensive. Just like some knitters don't like to knit with fun fur and I happen to think it is, well, fun and comes out looking very fluffy. There are others who can't stand it.

Well, at least I got my wooden circular needles on sale. I finally did one project using circulars so hopefully I won't shy away from them this time. Besides, I got them on sale at an AC Moore moonlight madness sale. What could be better?

Quick Scarf Give Away

I needed a quick gift to give away so I knited this scarf up. Some knitters are afraid of the fancy/fun furs. I love them. they tend to knit up very fast on bigger needles and look like they took a long time and that it was complicated but it really isn't. The owner loves her gift and i was happy to make it for her.

It's Time to Make The Lotion

One of my favorite shows is coming up very soon, in fact, how did it get to be March already?!!? I like it because it is several days long, I do not have to be there every day and the customers have great taste (they buy my goodies, LOL). I start making soap for the show as soon as the holiday rush is over. With soap, it is better to have it sit longer. The longer it "airs" or cures, the better it is. Like a fine wine one of my soap mentors once told me, a soap has a best if you wait age and a good handmade soap is better if you wait at least 4 - 6 weeks before using it.

Lotion, on the other hand, is better made fresh and used fresh. Therefore, I wait till very close to the show to make it because I want it to be as fresh as possible. I guess it is time.

I LOVE making lotion. Measuring out all the ingredients, the feel of the Shea butter and olive oil, watching what happens when you mix the oils and water phases together and amazed every time when it turns white and then deciding what scents to use for the season. It is kind of like a kid in a candy store. I stand in my "work room" smelling all the bottles, making little samples up, mixing and matching. At least I now stick with the same lotion recipe but every once in a while you might catch a lotion special on my web site.

I think this year feels a tropical year. Perhaps I will go back to coconut, mango coconut and my more tropical scents. Then again, I did get some nice fruity scents. Oh the decisions. i guess you will just have to wait and see.

Where to Find the Time?

I seriously do not know where I am to find the time. I was so happy a few years ago when I found my old knitting needles in my Mom's house when I was cleaning out my old drawers. I was even happier when I discovered I remembered how to knit. A few quick searches and I could cast on, purl and bind off. I was set. I'd knit when the kids were sleeping or playing. I'd knit on the weekends or I even found a wonderful group that meets every other week around the corner practically and my MIL said she'd watch the girls for me. Not a problem. The girls didn't touch my knitting. All was fine and dandy for several months.

Then little miss lump of clay turned into crazy monkey jumping around everywhere, touching everything and OH THE HORROR pulling my needles off the yarn and UNRAVELLING my yarn. Not only was it driving me nuts but also some of my knitting buddies as well. Okay, so, I can only knit when she isn't around. Okay fine. She does settle down every so often and she is in preschool now. There is a huge however. I also have to do tons of other things when she isn't home or when she has these calm spells. Oh and don't suggest when she sleeps because little miss sunshine hardly ever sleeps. Even at night. She checks up on me. I think to make sure I am not knitting or something.

This is why sometimes it takes me forever to knit something. Where do I find the time? I am knitting a lace scarf (see previous posting) and it is probably at the same point it was before because I can barely get through one 4 row repeat when she finds me and I have to stop.

I can research all the yarn, patterns and books I want but to do the actual knitting is a little tricky. Perhaps next year I will have her in school longer. Just kidding.

What City Do You Belong In?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

I have never actually been to Rome, although, I have always wanted to go there for a visit. Actually, the only place I have ever been to in Europe, per se, is England. How sad is that? I never did the backpack though Europe when I was in college. I could never persuade my friends to go and I was to afraid to go myself. Perhaps I won't be too "uncool" or too poor to take my girls when they are older or that they would want to go. Princess already told me she wants to go to Israel (How great is that?!?!)

The Romance thing, that is a whole other story, Definitely a true romantic. Why else would I love to look at Impressionism, love classical Ballet, Audrey Hepburn Movies and to listen to Tchaikovsky's music?

''Kung Hei Fat Choy!''

Happy Chinese New Year! This year is the year of the Boar. My husband and I, through my father, have the honor of being invited to at least one Chinese New year's banquet a year. We went last night.

We arrived about a half an hour late (which is okay since even though it was called for 7 the meal didn't actually start till 9) to the sound of fire crackers and two dancing dragons on the sidewalk. If you have never seen this, you have to at least once. We get up to the banquet hall where it is being held, ushered to our table as honored guests (my dad has been an attorney for the Chinese community for over 30 years) and we are sitting at a table with numerous other honored guests. One in particular was very interesting to me, a candidate for mayor of the city! He was a very personable fellow, did the political thing, very pleasant. I was even told he is the favorite candidate so since I met him, I hope he wins. We don't live in the city, so I wouldn't get to vote for him.

Then there was another Dragon dance, a Lion dance, young ladies dances, women from the organization dancing and singing. I snapped some pictures with my phone. Perhaps I. got a good one and can upload it later. Then the food and more food and more food. All told, 13 courses. Fish, meat, soup, rice, noodles, all with a purpose and mean to bring luck, prosperity and long life. Not your typical meal, not your typical selections. All unique, all delicious. Well, what I could eat of it since I don't usually eat most of it. Okay from what my parents and husband told me

The Chinese have a rich culture and history that has existed longer than any other and it is an honor to be allowed to be a small little part of it every year.

(Philadelphia's Chinatown)

Labels

The thing most soapers hate to do most. Make and put on labels. Not sure which they hate more. Cleaning out the soap pot after they have made soap or labels.

I actually do not mind making labels. After working so many years for all intensive purposes an advertising agency (bossy lady called it a marketing consulting and wanted it to be a strategic marketing firm but lets face facts here, with the type of work we really were doing and with boss lady's real experience we pretty much were doing marketing communications work. No shame in that just call an apple and apple KWIM?) I like to figure out what my soap or lotion labels are going to look like. I can get creative with their layout, what font, what picture, etc. Last year I redesigned the whole look and feel and I like them a lot better now. Sometimes I come up with a new product just so I can create a new label. Or even a new swap item. It is actually easier to come up with a new swap item than a new product for my line because then I don't really have to worry about adding it to my line and if there are any leftovers, I can give them away. (unless you are a customer reading this and would like to try my onesy twosy new inventions, let me know *wink*)

The part I don't like is cutting them and putting them on the product. Like my web site and my labels say, it is handmade and the labels are no exception. I cut them by hand. Yes, I can get a gizmo to do it for me but what would be the fun in that? Yes, I could have my labels professionally done but, I could also have my soaps professionally made. Hey wait, they are! Personally, I like the kitchiness that each label is slightly different in shape and size, just like the soaps and that each one isn't a perfect shape. If my customer wanted that, I guess they wouldn't want handmade. There are handmade soapers out there that strive for that and more power to them. That does bring me back to having to do it by hand and the fact that I can't cut a straight line. I am getting better at it.

I guess you have to have one thing that isn't your favorite and being that I have to label a lot of soap in the coming days it was top of mind today. I just have to jump in with both feet and go to it.

The Credit Card Bill

My husband usually just pays the credit card bill without a glance at it. Occasionally he does look at it though. Pays probably double or triple to minimum. Sometimes pays off the whole thing, depends where we are financially that month. January and February are usually a bit tougher since we just came through the holiday month and the sale months. Ah the sale months. Since I have been back to knitting those are the toughest months. even tougher than the kids birthday months or even the holiday months. January is a tough month on the pocketbook.

All those flashy signs for the after holiday sales. Most of the time I don't even have to my tush out of my seat from in front of my computer. All my favorite online stores send me emails about all my favorite yarns that are going on sale. this past January was no exception. well, there was one. one of my favorite types of yarn was being discontinued. OH NO. THE HORROR. When that happens to a knitted it is terrible. You need to run out and buy it all up even if you have no idea what you are going to make out of it all. Well, I really could not go and do that but, I could go and buy some to make several projects with it. it is an extremely think chenille so event though this brand was not going to make it someone else will or does. I think. I hope. What if they don't. Wait, I am sure they do. (Shake it off) Then there was this GORGEOUS cotton yarn in hand dyed colorways that the new colorways were much darker. I prefer the older ones so I had to buy all my favorites. A bag of each. But it was discounted so it was okay. Oh did I forget to mention that once the sale was over they have a sister company that sold the leftovers on Ebay even cheaper? So when I decide oh wait I should have bought that I could now on ebay but, I was fighting over it with other people. I got it for even less than sale price though. I can get a good bargain.

During one of my yarn splurges is when my husband decides to look at the bill. "Who is Knit Picks?" yarn company. "Who is Handpaint Heaven?" yarn company. "Who is Trash and Treasure?" yarn company. "Who is Yarn Xpress?" yarn company. I was waiting for the explosion. and waiting and waiting. he made a face and moved on. Perhaps he has finally realized there is nothing he can do about my addiction or he realized if he can have his with his computer gadgets, I can have mine.

The Case of the Disappearing Swap

I used to do a ton of soap swaps. This is where you send to a host/hostess a set number of items and s/he separates them out and sends you back a variety of goodies from various participates so you can try different people's goodies. It could be soap, lotion, bath salts or what have you. Sometimes there is a theme like it has to represent your state or for spring or something that is new to you. Sometimes it gets very creative like you have to use only vanilla, use herbs or base it on a classic novel.

I used to do swaps maybe two or three a month. I couldn't pass one up. I loved getting a box in the mail. Opening it up and seeing what goodies I would get. I loved the themed ones more than the general ones and especially ones that would include a recipe booklet. If one would get posted on a group I would have to sign up for it. My husband thought I was crazy. We had so much stuff pouring in, I was giving stuff away to my MIL, Mom, sister and good friends. As you can imagine, it got to be way too much. I went cold turkey last fall. It was very difficult. My two best soaping buddies couldn't believe it.

Well, after an almost 6 month hiatus, I was ready to get back into swapping but, slowly. I signed up for two swaps. One small and one not so small. For the not so small one, it has a very nice theme, for a terrific group of soapers and I will get a booklet. For the other group, also a very terrific group of soapers. This was a more general swap, a private swap among friends. I had wanted to send something special but it seems to have disappeared in my house. If you could see my house (and have been reading my blog) you could understand. They will get a very nice swap contribution but not the one I originally intended.

I belong to a group that just does swaps. I went and signed up for more swaps. I guess they are back and not disappearing anymore.

The Best Teacher is Coming Back

I couldn't think of what to post about today and the Princess suggested I write about how she is very excited that her teacher is coming back from maternity leave. She has had a substitute teacher since mid-November but I think she will be very happy when her regular teacher comes back. The princess likes Mrs. (that is what princess wanted me to call her regular teacher on my blog ala her favorite book we read together) more because she is sweet, listens and is a good teacher for her. Princess learns a lot from Mrs. more so than the substitute. Mrs. is more in tune with how sensitive princess is whereas substitute is just that a long term sub and although I am sure she I a caring person you could tell she wasn't too invested in these kids. The Princess will be much happier and her creative thinking, I hope, will come back in full force. She really hasn't want to do much in the way of crafts and has gotten too laid back in her way of creative "writing" so to speak. I have missed Mrs. too and will be very glad she is back too.

Hello my name is....and I have a knit addiction I think

I already have a soaping addiction which my friends and husband are well aware of since the stuff is all over my house. My husband has come to terms with it already, I think. Now, however, i think I have a new addiction, knitting. I am reading one of The Yarn Harlot's books and I am only on the chapter where she is talking about your stash but I can sort of see what road I am head towards. I have already posted that my stash is small but, I rationalize my yarn purchases more and more. I am the worlds slowest knitter for various reasons (I am pretty slow, the girls take up a lot of my time, Sunshine likes to pull out my knitting needles, I have my other addiction soap making, etc) but I keep telling myself I will eventually get to this or that yarn. OR I will look for patterns, books or talk to other knitters about patterns books for yarn that I have to eventual knit but still have not knit.

Last night at my Sit N Knit group, I was referred to yet another wonderful book by a wonderful knitter for my yarn for lace, which I have been holding onto for months. Of course, when I got home I went online bought that book and a few others so that book wouldn't be lonely in the box to my house.

I don't think I could only buy yarn for the project I am going to be working on, meaning pick the project first then the yarn. I know there are knitters out there int he universe that do that. I see the yarn, have to have the yarn, and then I will think of a project for it late. perhaps much later. So of the yarn I have might even be years later and I don't even have that much, in my opinion, yet.

I am creating a soaping room in my parents' basement. I am now beginning to wonder if I buy some of those huge plastic tubs, think I could get away with storing some yarn and knitting books there too? JUST KIDDING!!

Lovely Lace

I have always been afraid of lace patterns but, I have finally jump in the deep end and started a lace scarf with some inexpensive yarn just in case I mess it up. So far it doesn't look half bad. It is a pretty simple pattern that I got off of Knitter's Review ( http://www.knittersreview.com/ ) in their section The Essentials of Knitted Lace. Of Course I couldn't use the recommended yarn but took my yarn and went one needle size up. here is a picture of it so far.

The Blanket that Needs an Owner

I finished my second blanket. To me, this is a great acomplishment since I have no delay of gratification and do not like projects that take forever. This could be the reason I like a lot of those chunky and bulky yarns and like those really big needles because things knit up very fast on them. I also get bored with a project very easily. Okay, granted, a good portion of this project was completed by my knitting group's organizer but still, I finished it nonetheless.


I originally intended to give the blanket to my sister for her birthday, which is in May but, now, I am not so sure about that either. You know when you first have something in mind then you finish the project and you aren't so sure the piece matches the future potential owner? This is such the case with this blanket. Sunshine swears it is her blanket and even attempted to take it to bed with her last night. The Princess thought it would make a very nice gift for a very good friend of ours who is having a baby in a couple of months but, we know she is having a girl and it is her third. I think she has enough baby blankets besides, it is too big for that. I am sure we will find the right owner for this blanket. it will not go without an owner.

I do have several scarves and a baby vest that sit without owners. scarves always sit without owners in my home because they are quick in between projects, will make a quick gift at some point and are easy to store. In fact just this week I pulled a very nice fluffy green scarf and put it in a gift bag and gave it to my husband to give it to someone that he needed a gift for. I can't even remember when I knitted the thing. The baby vest, well, it took me so long to knit the darn thing, the baby out grew it and I really wasn't that friendly with the mother any more by the time I was finished with it either. I will find a baby for it eventually. It is kind of boyish so I have to wait till someone I know has a boy baby.

So, back to the blanket. I need to think about it a bit. I hav a few options. It definitely is too big for a baby but would fit a twin bed. My cousin's daughter's birthday is coming up. (I have no nieces, only nephews, so I have to stretch a bit to get to a girl other than my own) or perhaps one of my daughter's closests friends. Although I tend to knit them little purses or fluffy scarves. They think those are kind of trendy. Not to fear, it will find a happy home with a perfect owner.

President's Day

Today is President's Day and you would think that there would be programs to remind us about how wonderful the past presidents were that founded this great country of ours, the struggles of George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, even a little bit about each of our past presidents on a TV show. No such luck. President's Day has become as commercial as every other holiday and is all about the sales. That is all you hear about, read about or see is about the sales. Why even bother having the day off from school? The kids would learn more about the holiday if they were actually in school they being at home. I know, I just wrote blasphemy taking a day off away from the kids and the teachers and the government workers. Seriously, though, are we really commemorating anything other than President's Day sales?

Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy the extra day with the Princess and Little Miss Sunshine. We are planning a day of sleeping in (we did that already and cuddled in my bed), crafts, perhaps a trip to Michael's or AC Moore or even Rainbow Crafts, an indoor picnic on the floor and a movie of whomever screams the loudest choice. It is always special to have an extra day that isn't a Saturday or Sunday. I just wish they didn't try to attach some holiday to it where they take the meaning away from it and turn it into a shopping extravaganza.

What American accent do you have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Northeast
The Midland
The Inland North
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

I saw this on someone else's blog and just had to do it tonight. Isn't it funny how it came out so true?

Foam Stickers

When my Princess was much younger, say 18 months - 2 years old, and wanted to do crafts and I just did not have the energy to put everything out and clean everything up my saving grace were these foam stickers. they had these great kits for door hangers, tiaras or every bookmarks. Simple little put together kits that where one, two, there and you were done. As she got older, we still kept buying these kits because it was what we were used to and they were so simple, put together and clean. The key word to me was clean. I am not the most neat and organized person so any thing that I could pick up easily for a child craft was for me.

As the princess got more verbal, she wanted to be able to still do the foam stickers (we NEVER bought the ones that need to be glued because to me that was a mess) but she wanted to buy these HUGE tubs of them. I hemmed and hawed but finally caved. it was more cost effective and we could make more than one at a time. We bought a tub of girlie shapes, one of letters and one of flowers and a few frames, a few doorhangers and something else I can't remember.

Well, princess got home, got all excited and dumped EVERYTHING ALL OVER THE FLOOR! There were little foam pieces every where!! She was so excited and got right to work. I was trying to smile but inside panicking. How in the work am I going to clean this all up?! She was having a blast. Making something for pop-pop, Ita, grandma, all her Aunts, even her cousins. Anyone she could think of. Even the fish. heck she even made a collage of foam pieces to hang on the kitchen art way exhibit. I just wanted everything picked up before little Mary Sunshine woke from her nap. Thankfully, Sunshine was a good napper (at the time) but we we heard her start to stir, we rushed around to try to get everything up off the floor as quickly as possible. Princess was not too happy about that but, she would not have been to happy if Sunshine ruined her precious crafts either. Sunshine has had the tendency to ruin very precious crafts in the past.

We learned from that little foam sticker day. We never dump everything out at once anymore. Especially since Sunshine likes to pick everything up and peel the backs off all the stickers and stick them to herself. Also because it is way to hard to pick everything up and we don't want Mom to panic. Also because the Princess has become more of a neat freak than Mom and very protective of her crafts. Sunshine doesn't nap anymore although we all wish she did.

World of Warcraft

My husband started playing this game a long time ago. I actually can't even remember when he began. It seems like a lifetime and one obsession ago. Now it is as if it is all he does. he schedules his life around that game. He comes home from work. turns on his computer and even eats dinner in front of that game. He does get home well after dinner time (around 8-8:30) so I can't begrudge him for not sitting down at the dinner table with me and the girls. If I asked him what are we doing this weekend can we do this or that, he used to say, well we were going to do this raid or that thing in the game and I don't want to miss it. Can you take the girls yourself? GRRRR. IT IS JUST A GAME!!!! OR is it an obsession?

He has asked me a bazillion times to create my own account and my own character so I could play the game with him. He has met several couples who play the game together and even one that held their wedding ceremony in the virtual world. That is just way too weird for me. He speaks to people who literally live all over the world who seem to be on the computer all times of the day. Don't these people have lives?

Well, since he can't get me to play this game, he has gotten our girls to play and even got them, finally, their own account. I am not so sure how I feel about an almost 4 year old and 6 year old playing a game that is live over the Internet where the get approached by other people to chat. Our 6 year old is curious and wants to make friends although we tell her not to talk to strangers and just send stuff to dad and only chat with people if Mom or dad is around so we can monitor. The 4 year old, well, she just likes running her character around and turning her into a ghost. She used to like killing her fathers characters off but that cost her father too much stuff and made him angry. I guess that is what got him to get them their own account.

The game does, to my dismay, help in some of their creativity when they create new characters. They get to design them, give characteristics, hair, style and even a name. Then they get to choose a path that they take. I do wish they would spend less time playing this game but at least it is something they can chat with their father about.

It's Everywhere!!

When I first started making bath and body products out of my home, it was all neat and organized and contained in a small little shelf in a closet in the hallway. As it grew to more and more products it just started taking over. It was in the front hall, the den, the living room, the dining room, the girls bedrooms and even om the rare occasion my bedroom. There were boxes and boxes of bottles, lids, jars, sprayers, bags. All different sizes, shapes and colors. Soap dishes, bath poufs and other packaging materials and that was just what the end product went into.

When you make a product, rather than offer a service, you need raw materials. It is oh so much cheaper to buy the raw materials in bulk than it is to buy small quantities. You have to store this stuff some where, right? There are the drums of coconut oil, palm oil, shea butter and various liquid oils. Huge containers that a 3 year old just loves to climb on top of. Then I have the dried herbs in HUGE bags as well as the waxes and other wonderful ingredients that go into soaps and lotions. Let's not forget the dozens of bottles of essential oils, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, lemon, lime, grapefruit and so on. The fragrance oils of coconut, vanilla, mango, pomegranate, Margarita, Jasmine and more. The 2, 4, 8 and 16 ounce bottles all having to find a happy home somewhere in my home. The variety, the scents. There are oh so many of them and I just have to try them when i read their descriptions from my vendors.

Then there are the raw materials you just want to try. There was the coffee butter I just had to try. Then it arrived but who wanted to smell like coffee all the time? It went into a soap that I swapped with some other soap makers. There was the Godiva Fragrance Oils for that special Valentine's Day Gift Set. It all eventual sold by Christmas that year. I guess everyone would rather eat chocolate than smell like it. Oh, there was the bowel from Pampered Chef that goes in the freezer to make my Whipped Body Butters. It works wonders but who ever has a freezer empty enough to be able to get the bowel in the freezer to use it?

Then I go to the huge trade show in New York City and see all these wonderful items great ideas and I just want to try them and incorporate them into my product line somehow. Then of course I finally track down the distributor of the bottle I am looking for that I just have to use and they want me to buy how many of those bottles? 100,000 of them?!?!? What are you crazy!?!?! Think my wholesale bottle company would decide to carry them? Maybe, but it might be a few years down the road so, I need to think of some other bottle in the meantime. Oh, wait, I think I found something that looks almost the same but I have to buy 300 of them at once. I can swing that. It comes in the bottle, lid and cap. They are perfect!! It has the same exact functionality I was looking for and they are on sale!! I can't bet the price! Sure, they fit oh so nicely right in my dining room. So what if I haven't been able to have dinner on the very nice table my parents bought for us when we moved in here 7 years ago.

I am supposed to move everything to my parents nice empty basement. I actually have most of my finished products there now anyway although I would not recommend going there to browse. Perhaps I will have more time this summer to actually do it. Everything is store in nice boxes so, it is feasible. I will have a lot more work space and space for all my pots, mixing bowels and perhaps I might even invest in a better blender for soap making or even a fancier standing mixer for whipped butters. My good friend has one of those and I am so jealous. Perhaps then I can reclaim my dining room.

Chamomile and Calendula

When I was first reading and learning about the herb Calendula, I was reading it the way I read most herbs for the first time, reading them the way I read most foreign words, as phonetically as posible and that is most likely with using Spanish sounds. That could possibly be because my first language was Spanish or it could be because I was always a terrible reader and speller even though I do love to read. Who in their right mind would think there was a "g" or "j" sound in there? As my oldest daughter's kindy teacher is always saying, "English is a funny language" Then again, Calendula isn't English, Pot Marigold, as it is also know as, is orinially from Egypt. I have never actually seen the flower before it is dried but, I have seen pictures. Once the petals are dried, the petals are infused in oil or made out of a tea and are great for mature skin but also skin sores, inflamations, diaper rash and sunburn. I guess that is why calendula is always found in natural ointments for babies tushies.

Chamomile, on the other hand, is an herb most have heard about often. You've probably had a cup of Chamomile tea or two in your life. It is soothing and relaxing. There are lots of types of Chamomile, Egyptian, Roman, German, Hungarian. You can grow it in the states very readily, well, not too readily in Pennsylvania (or perhaps it is just me that does not really have a green thumb). It is a type of ragweed, so some people might be allergic to it so be careful if you have those type of allergies.

To me, when I first take a huge whiff of a freshly aquired bag of the dried herb it actually smells a bit like apples. (not the tea bags you get at the store They have been sitting on the shelf for too long but will do in a pinch if necessary for a project). Chamomile has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties and it works well against inflammation, muscle spasms, irritated skin, eczema, and psoriasis. Camomile infused oils are also found in alot of ointments.

I actually use a lot of both Chamomile and Calendula oils and teas in my soaps, lotions and salves. I love both herbs for their healing properties and they have done wonders for my eczema let alone my girls tushies when they were younger. What made me think of these herbs and to write about them? The cold, actually. Although you might not be able to find Calendula, you can definitely find Chamomile in your local supermarket although it goes back to thefact that you don't know how long it has been sitting on the shelf, it will work in a pinch. I know that after I have been outside for extended periods of time in this cold clearing the ice or my hands get overly dried and cracked because of this heat, I love rubbing some Chamomile infused oil on them.

Need:
Olive or Sunflower Oil
Dried Chamomile (if you are using tea, make sure it is JUST chamomile tea and leave it in the tea bags)
Mason jar

Place several tea bags at the bottom of jar
put enough oil to cover bags
Put jar on shelf in a cabinent for two - four weeks, shake every two days
After two - four weeks remove bags and the oil is ready to use

You can use other herbs in this process as well and the fresher DRIED the better (DO NOT use fresh herbs they will mold.

Obviously, this will be oily but will help in a pinch.

Scrapbooking

I am so not into this craft. I just do not get it. I don't want to belittle someone else's craft but, I am so not into scrapbooking. Oh I could definitely see how I could personally get into to it. All that paper, stickers, lettering, phrasing, quotes, tools, albums, so many goodies to choose from. It can all be so overwhelming, so fascinating, so creative. You walk into a craft store, browse all those aisles after aisle. Wondrous items that I haven't a clue as to what they are for. I have even bought a few of the doohickeys for soap making packaging, well, for swap packaging to make it more interesting. I can definitely see how it can keep you busy for hours.

My oldest daughter takes after me in that she is the crafty one. She has been into a ton of crafts already in her oh so short life of 6 years. She has done tons of finger paintings, door hangers, bead brackets, those loom potholders, a hook rug that is some where in this house unfinished, tons of painted wooden items like jewelry boxes and picture frames and treasure boxes. She has made glycerin soaps and lotions with me. Has tried her hand at lip balms and measured out oils for me for cold process soaps. However her latest craze craft is something I just cannot get into. You guessed it, scrapbooking.

She loves it. She asked for one of those little kits you see at Michael's for her birthday and couldn't get enough of it and asked for me for another. A good friend of mine, who is really into it, recommended one of these real little kits for her. It was pink with some very cute stickers and paper. I printed out some wallet size pictures for her from the computer and she got to work and she was done her little book very quickly and wanted more and more. I take her to Michael's or AC Moore and she is in Heaven. She now has an entire assortment of this stuff that I don't quite get in a box that she just loves to decorate her pictures with.

Today, since we had no school thanks to the snow and ice, was such a day that she spread everything all over my bedroom floor and wanted me to do it with her. I tried, I really did. After about half an hour I made all kinds of excuses of things I needed to do and left her alone in my room and went and did other things. When I finally got back to her she had completely a few pages and was ready to move on to something else, thankfully.

If this isn't one of her crafty phases, I either better get used to this, find her some friends of her own or mine to scrapbook with or persuade her that Mom can keep her company but I, am just not into it.

Snow

Well, it is snowing here today so everyone is freaking out. Before there was even a coating on the sidewalks they were already canceling after school activities so my after school job was cancelled. The girls are home safe and sound. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Everything is supposed to freeze over but, I never trust the weather man. He never really knows what he is talking about. Does he? Perhaps we will get a chance to play in some snow tomorrow or perhaps not.

At least today I got to finish a sleeve on the first sweater I am making for my oldest daughter. I have made some garments for babies for friends and donations but never for my own kids. This is the first one. The front and backs are done also and pinned together. Now just one more sleeve, sew it together and we are done. If we have a snow day and the girls are kept busy, I might get lucky. Maybe I can persuade the oldest to scrapbook tomorrow. Right now she is telling me she is bored and since out of three computers only this one is working properly, I am going to have to make this short and give in to her since she is being a very good big sister today. At least we are all warm and cozy inside.

Why Soap making?

So why did I begin soap making? It is a question I get asked often believe it or not. It isn't a hobby you just pick up or, for most, born into or handed down from generation to generation like knitting. (speaking of which, my grandmother did teach me how to knit, but I guess that is another posting)

When I was very young, younger than my soon to be four year old, I'd venture to say even a baby, my Mom noticed that I would get rashes very often. She took me to the pediatrician who was a very famous doctor in our area at the time and proclaimed that I had eczema amongst other dermatitis type rashes and that he wanted to patch test me on all types of soaps, lotions and other topical ointments which he then proceeded to do. Turns out I was allergic to them ALL. I became one of those people who would say, I am allergic to soap and lotion. I of course, did not know any better at the time.

Over the course of the next several years I was covered literally from head to toe in some rash or another prescribed some cream, soap, shampoo, ointment, steroid cream, experimental whatever, even my uncle, the doctor, from Colombia got in on the act trying to give me some kind of relief from the itching and the scratching. I was constantly switching and changing what I used so my body wouldn't get to used to it and fight it off, which usually happened anyway. Thankfully, amazingly, I never got one of those rashes on my face.

I bought those very expensive soaps with cocoa butter or Shea butter, unscented of course, natural soaps in the natural stores with no fillers or junk added to them. I bought large varieties and if i found one that I could tolerate, I'd buy them in the case load and rotate them so that I could keep using them (I still rotate soaps, btw)

As for lotions, I could never really used them. Some pure Shea butter, which was hard to find. Some unscented stuff and some stuff i am ashamed to mentioned I used so I am blocking it out of my memory.

So, about a year after having my oldest, a friend at the time says to me lets make holiday gifts this year. I thought, well she is crafty, why not. Then she says, lets make those cookie mix jars, some homemade apple sauce, some cranberry sauce, candles and...... handmade glycerin soap. Soap?!?!? Can you make soap? I guess you can because we did and it was a hit. I got a ton of request for more soap, not much else that was in the gift baskets. which surprised me. I didn't think the Supplies we bought at Michael's were really that good so off to the Internet I went. Being the good researcher I am I found a whole lot more. Before I knew it I was making body butters, bath salts, lip balms, and really good glycerin soaps I could actually use. I even started learning how to make lotions I could use for the first time in my life. I discovered what it really was in soaps and lotions I was actually allergic to and what I could actual use on my skin. It was like it was my birthday come early.

Those first few months back in 2001-2002 when I just started this adventure I had some interesting credit card bills and tons of experiments, online conversations, classes, lessons and read a tons of information. If I was going to do this and make my own, I wanted to do it right. I make sure I speak to my raw materials manufacturers, preservatives manufacturers, packaging distributors and keep up to date with the FDA regulations. I actually still keep up to date on materials, labeling and packaging.

It is actually my sister's fault that I originally started selling my products. She took some of my body butter to work with her way back when and all the ladies who work with her wanted some. Coconut Body Butter, the first products I ever sold to non-family members. I don't even make it anymore. Perhaps I should reconsider. Anyway, from there I just started making more and more items and my little soap business was built. It is definitely a little addiction and something I can pass down to my girls and to their children.

My Yarn

Everyday I look over at the corner of my bedroom at the bags and bags and one huge container (that my Mom bought me) of yarn that I have. Avid knitters would call it my yarn stash. Avid knitters would actually laugh at my pitiful little stash because it actually fits to one side of my bedroom and doesn't spill into every corner of my house. No, every corner of my house is filled with something else, soap supplies. I don't think yarn and essential oils mix very well. That is a story for another post though.

I am very allergic to wool, well really any animal fiber. It makes me itch, then the itch turns to a rash and then sometimes hives. When i was younger my Mom tried to put on me sweaters with even the smallest amounts of wool because they do make for the warmest of sweaters and she'd put a thick turtle neck underneath and I would STILL get a rash. Wool just wasn't for me. Later in life I realized it wasn't just the wool either. I couldn't use products with the lanolin either. That is for another post too.

So this baby stash I have. Non of it is wool either. I have some very nice cottons. Although I have been looking at the new organic Cotton my Lion Brand. Boy, does that look nice. i have some nice cottons from Cherry Tree Hill. They had a VERY nice sale around New Year's this year so I bought some Rainbow ribbon in various shades and some Plush. Plush, oh don't get me started on Chenille. I LOVE chenilles. I have no clue what I am going to make with them but , I love buying them. My first chenille was Lion Brand's and I made my Mom a hat and scarf matching set. It was very pretty and she still wears them. then I discovered Blue Heron Yarns. Very nice and pricey. I slowly started buying it but never using it. I think I have like 5 or 6 hanks of it that my friend Aileen graciously wound for me (this is before I went and bought myself my own swift and winder). It is very lovely shades of purple and blues. Now I have the Plush. I bought some in neutrals and then in blues and greens because my youngest daughter loves the color green.

I tell myself that chenille takes up a lot of space because it is so big and bulky as does one of my other favorites, Jiffy thick and Quick. What a terrible name for a yarn but it knits up very quickly and since I have no delay of gratification, it I great for me.

I have this gorgeous lace weight yarn that I forget what the fiber is, not wool of course, to make a shawl. I have no idea what I was thinking because that would take forever to make. One of these days it will happen. I probably need to wait till my youngest is not so hands on, full of energy, gets into everything anymore. I can't tell you how many times I have had to start projects over again becasue of her

I have a ton of Sugar and Cream cotton to make wash clothes to go with the soaps I make. Some fun fur for those last minute gifts my husband tends to spring on me, tons of onesy twosy pink yarns that my oldest picks out because it is her favorite color and if she happens to go to the store with me we end up buying one or two because I have to make her something that never actually gets made.

I did use up a lot of my oddball yarn on an blanket (that is the picture I have added here) for my Mother's birthday this past January. Four strands together of different yarns on size 50 needles. Went very quickly. I need to make another on of those

Energy and Computers

Wow, has it been over a year since I posted to this blog? I guess it really has. As I look at my soon to be four year old run from a kitchen chair to the couch, across the couch back to the chair, I can see why I can never find the time to do the thing I'd love to do in a day. She can definitely suck the energy right out of you just by watching her. I really and truly have no clue where she gets it all from especially since she doesn't ever sleep. Her bed time might be 8:30 or 9 but that does exactly mean she goes to sleep at that time. Nor does it mean she falls asleep much before 11 some nights. Then on occasion she wakes up in the middle of the sleep cycle to curl up on the floor next to me with her pillow and her blanket. Mind you I have hardwood floors in my bedroom.

She is done with the chair/couch hopping and is now running the length of the playroom and running up and down the stairs to the kitchen repeatedly with some switching to running in circles in the living room. It is too cold to go outside (I am guessing it is definitely below 20 degrees today) so she has decided to run her mini marathon inside the house today. I should get on her exercise program.

I have a good friend who's husband does an Iron Man every year or so and tells me that my little one gives him a run for his money in the energy department. I told him he could take her to train with this summer but he thought perhaps she would tire him out, LOL. When both families go to the playground during the warmer months my friend's husband is always amazed at how she NEVER slows down.

Then again, he has never seen her at the computer. The computer is the only thing my soon to be 4 year old will slow down for. She is already a wiz kid at that. Actually both my girls are very good at the computer already. even before either of them could speak, they could work a mouse. Now if I could only answer the bazillion dollar question, "how do I get them to share a computer?"

100 + things about me. A work in progress:

100 + things about me a work in progress:

1. I was born and raised in West Philadelphia
2. I have two of the most AMAZING little girls in the world
3. I am allowed to brag about them since I am their mother but I won’t unless you ask
4. I have one older brother and one younger sister both are married
5. My brother has three boys.
6. I am half Hispanic on my Mother’s side
7. That makes me first generation American which I think is SO cool!
8. I spend my summers in Cali, Colombia as a child
9. Those are some of my happiest memories at my Abuelita and Abuelitos home
10. My first language was Spanish
11. I can understand some Italian, French, Portuguese and a little Yiddish
12. I also speak Hebrew
13. I teach Hebrew school
14. My Hebrew name is Tzeral
15. My Middle name is Miriam
16. I am named after my Maternal Great Grandmother (My Mom’s Father’s Mother, did you follow that?)
17. I have been to Panama, Israel, England, Canada and Mexico as well
18. I have driven from Maine to Florida by car
19. I have also been to Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana Colorado and a variety of other states
20. I have been to the Grand Canyon 2 times
21. I can’t wait to take my girls to see it
22. My favorite place in the world is actually Disney World
23. I would go to Disney every year if I could afford it
24. My husband and I went on the Disney Cruise for our honeymoon during its inaugural season
25. I collect Goofy memorabilia
26. Now, thanks to my Little Miss Sunshine I have started to collect Tinkerbell too
27. I have only ever lived on the East Coast of the United States
28. I have only been to California once
29. I have been keeping kosher “style” since I was 16
30. except for the 4 years I was a vegetarian
31. I am highly allergic to wool, mohair, cashmere and most other animal fibers
32. and cats and some types of dogs
33. I was also told I am allergic to soap when I was a baby
34. I guess that is the reason I decided to do some research and make my own soap when I realized that such a thing existed
35. I realized I am not really allergic to soap but unfortunately did realized all the body ingredients I really am allergic to
36. I won’t list them here because the list is too long.
37. I hate to do housework
38. I’d rather go buy new underwear than run a load of wash
39. I have been wearing glasses since I am 6
40. I wore braces from 5th to 8th grades
41. I had them on for my Bat Mitzvah
42. The photographer did his magic and “zapped’ them out of my formal portrait and that is before computers
43. I am ambidextrous and use my right hand to write and cut with scissors but my left to open and lift
44. I use both hands to knit, a cross between English and Continental
45. I went to Jewish Day schools from preschool through 12th grade
46. When I went to look at colleges, my school was one of the only ones the college recruiter had actually heard of before
47. Made the other kids in the room extremely jealous
48. Made me extremely proud
49. I went to college on Long Island
50. It is the only time I lived away from Pennsylvania for an extended period of time
51. Except when I spend 6 months in Israel in 11th grade
52. I have a Bachelors in International Business
53. I also have an MBA in Marketing Management and Market Research
54. I didn’t knit all through college even though I knew how to and although hind sight is 20/20 I wish I had
55. My favorite color is lavender
56. Growing up it was actually bright yellow for the sun
57. I used to love to play with Barbies
58. I saved them all and now my daughters play with them.
59. I even saved my Barbie Dream House
60. I didn’t read any of the Harry Potter books till book 6 came out
61. I thought I’d wait till my oldest was ready to read them together but who was I kidding
62. I used to play the flute
63. I danced ballet from the time I was 4 till I was 12
64. I was accepted into the Pennsylvania School of Ballet
65. My dad vetoed it
66. I took up Art instead
67. I was accepted into an Advanced art program the same year
68. Dad was okay with that
69. I have a Great Aunt who had a painting hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art
70. She also studied at the Barnes Foundation when they ran a program
71. I came within one day of meeting Marc Chagall but he died the day before
72. I still went to his exhibit the next day it was a memorial service instead
73. I wanted to be an eye doctor for the longest time. Till I dissected the frog in 7th grade. Then I had no clue what I wanted to do
74. I still have no clue
75. The job I had between college and grad school was working for a non-profit and kids.
76. I loved that job and wished I could work for that place again but I think they are a little threatened by the fact that I have a MBA now. Bummer.
77. Spring is my favorite season even though I cannot tolerate fresh cut grass, weeds or the scent of freshly growing things
78. I love the smell of the ocean but hate sand
79. I love the heat but not the humidity
80. I hate to get lost, in fact I have an unhealthy fear of it and therefore I am very good about directions and am very good about reading a map
81. I also have a fear of heights and am claustrophobic
82. I am very good in groups and can have a conversation with almost anyone
83. I can come up with a speech on the fly. Give a presentation on almost no notice and teach a class on a subject that I know something about if asked with a few minutes notice.
84. My sister and a few of my closest friends hate this about me because they need weeks of preparation time but it came in handy in college.
85. I love listening to Tchaikovsky, Vivialdi, Billy Joel, U2, Eminem, TLC, lets just I have an eclectic taste in music
86. I have been suffering from migraines since I am 16
87. I HATE them
88. I also suffer from IBS and eczema
89. I had a miscarriage between the Princess and Miss Sunshine and still cry every February 9th the day the baby was due
90. However, if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have Miss Sunshine
91. My favorite food dish is a Colombia soup called Sancocho
92. I love Sushi and could eat it almost every day
93. I love wine and right now I am partial to Shiraz or Syrah
94. My birthday is in October
95. I don’t really like celebrating my birthday
96. Although I love my birthstone, Opals
97. I took a gemology class in college with some friends for the fun of it
98. I always remember faces but I never remember names or where I remember the person from. I usually have to ask “where do I know you from?”
99. I miss watching “Star Trek”, “Charmed”, “Buffy”, “Angel” and I used to watch “Little House” too
100. I have meet Eli Weisel, Arlen Spector, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres, Ed Rendell, Paula Abdul, and Charro but not at the same time or the same place
101. I love making new friends and have loved meeting all the new people through the knitting swaps and blogs. I especially love it when people leave me comments on my blog (shameless plug for comments, LOL)