MY FIRST BATCH OF SOAP, ROSEMARY TOPIARIES AND A BUST...

So I really enjoyed my holiday weekend!  You?

As you know from my last couple of posts I have been anticipating making SOAP.  Homemade soap with good for your skin all natural ingredients....not like the chemical laden soaps you purchase at the store nowadays.  Anyway, I have been gathering my supplies for the past few months and I was finally able to make my first batch of soap this past week.  YAYYYY!

Looks like a yummy dessert doesn't it?

Though I was somewhat scared at first that I would screw everything up (especially when using the lye) everything happened just like the Youtube videos showed and my soap turned out great...what's more...IT WAS SO TOTALLY FUN!  I'm now addicted...for reals!!!

I made cold process MILK, HONEY & OATMEAL soap using 100% pure or organic all natural ingredients that you can get at just about any grocery store.

I used Pure olive oil, organic coconut oil, pure honey, old fashioned oats (crushed), evaporated milk, pure cocoa butter and not included in the picture, Taste of Thai unsweetened coconut milk to make a nice creamy moisturizing soap.

Because of the coconut milk, coconut oil, cocoa butter and pure honey used in the recipe, this soap smells delicious too.

I whipped everything up and poured it into my found "cheese box" mold.

I textured the top and let it set for 24 hours before unmolding it.  The waiting was the hardest part of the whole process!!

I then cut it into bars and lined them up like soldiers in the bathroom closet to cure for 4-6 weeks (cold process soap must cure...kind of like fine wine).

At first I was worried that my recipe with just 19 oz. of oils was not large enough to fill my mold right but everything turned out perfect and I got 7 nice size bars out of it.  I CAN'T WAIT to try it out!

In other news I FINALLY found a bust!

I've been looking for one of these for at least 3 years now.  Every shop I have been in has signs attached to theirs that read "NFS"....Not For Sale.  That is because they use them for the same reason that I wanted one....for display...of course if you know me, mine will be used for decor too...hehehe.

Anyway, they've had this one at the shop next to the office for over a year now but it also was "NFS".  Drats!!   The shop was closed for the winter and when they reopened here recently I went in looking for some more heat sealable teabags...I will tell you about those some other time...and I noticed my beloved bust now had a price tag on it...$25.00....SOLD!!!  I snatched it up so fast it's head fell off...

Just kidding, it never had a head but it did have a few minor flaws (that were there all along)...a tear in the linen at the top of the neck and no cap...but I figured I could remedy that.

I used a piece of lace that I picked up at a thrift store a long time ago to cover the tear in the fabric and a wooden canister lid I found at a local flea market for free as a cap.

Now she's good as new.

Lastly, I took a little time over the weekend to start a few Rosemary topiaries.

I took cuttings from a larger plant I bought a month or so ago and dipped them in honey water as a rooting hormone.  I braided three sprigs together for each topiary, planted and then staked them using a skewer and twine so they are stable and grow straight.

I really hope these take root and do well.  I have been wanting some of these for a long time.

Aren't they CUTE!!!  Please pray my black thumb doesn't kill 'em and they get big, lush and bushy!!  Hahaha.


Well that's it.   How was your weekend?  Do anything fun?  DO TELL!!!

Ciao,