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Today I viewed a tutorial on making soap bags. I liked the versions I've seen, but did not think it would work for me. I tried it and don't think it's bad at all. In fact, it's a keeper.
http://youtu.be/ScIDUlZHxkg Musk Pod I just read this article from Discovery Magazine, 5 Icky Animal Odors That Are Prized By Perfumers | DiscoverMagazine.com and continue to be amazed and intrigued about fragrance. Perfumery and it's origins make sense to me even though it is now taboo and controversial. This is why I am glad today we have choices of plant essences and skin-safe synthetics. But, I'm not talking only about perfume, I'm talking literally about the "aura" surrounding us daily. Our sense of smell affects us in a primal way our other senses do not. The sense of smell can tell history and make us nostalgic. It can spark us to be more energetic and responsive. Fragrance can lull us to rest and rest well. It can offend and protect. But, what I enjoy most about fragrance is it's ability to please and to attract. This all is primal to our existence and essential. I have always had a keen nose, therefore, I'm quite sensitive to smells. I understand why some who are like myself can be hypersensitive to what they smell. Everyone's olfactory experience is unique to themselves, and no two people will have the same internal, chemical response to fragrance. It's all chemistry, and chemistry is amazing. As you read this article I think you too will intrigued by the common sense of aroma, how chemically we are attracted to primordial beginnings. I hope you find this article as interesting as I have. http://vwrustiquedesign.blogspot.com/2014/11/5-icky-animal-odors-that-are-prized-by.html
Today, I’m in the soap kitchen restocking Lemon-Lavender & Rosemary. Pics soon to come. I’ve got 10 pounds/2 batches to do. Time for a master batch and a few batches of vegetable oil soaps. Restocked New Leather and Chocolate Kush the other day. Changed up a few things by tweaking the fragrance and the look a bit. Anyway, they always develop differently true to the nature of being hand made. They came out gorgeous though. (4 photos)
Today is also my brother Ronald's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RON!!! I adore Hibiscus flowers! Remembering my childhood as I sometimes played alone I'd pick these beautiful flowers from the thick and colorful shrubbery that grew in the yard of my home.
I remember inhaling the subtle sweetness, while adoring the full, luscious petals. I didn't know then they were edible and now to my surprise in my child's mind my curiosity never convinced me to take a taste. Now that I know the treasure this beauty holds and am still the more fascinated. To me Hibiscus is like a voluptuous woman. While in bloom she is a sexy edible flower! Today, I wear her as adornment, in my hair, behind my ear and she always makes me feel as beautiful as she is. I also drink in its benefits as a fragrant and healthful tea. But, I also appreciate using Hibiscus for the properties it lends to soap making. Here are some things to consider about the lovely Hibiscus flower. The Hibiscus been called “the Natural Botox plant.” It can be used for many products and industries including bath and body products, foods and beverages, and many medicinal and treatment purposes. In oils and lip balm recipes, Hibiscus is used to obtain a natural red pigment color... http://www.naturesgardencandles.com/item/00hibcla/hibiscus-class/1.html Room Temperature soap making saved my life! Really, my personality doesn't work with taking temps. When I first made soaps I hot processed and wasn't concerned about temps, except for adding fragrance not to flash it off. I swore by HP, but I knew cold process was coming. I could see it on the horizon. I still didn't want to deal with those dang temps. Anyway, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I master batch my go-to recipe to have all the oils ready and available. I make my lye solution a few hours in advance - if I'm in a hurry, I put it in the fridge - prep other ingredients in advance, so all I need to do is measure my oils from the batch and go. Soap is made fast when the pep is done and I don't have to worry if the oils and lye solution are at the appropriate temps. I don't think I'll CP soap any other way again. Happy soaping makes for Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious soap! Eh?
Check out this post from Faerie Made. http://www.blog.faeriemadesoaps.com/?p=737 Congratulations to me! I just got permission to use this gorgeous graphic from Zach Minard, a wonderfully talented artist from Portland Oregon. He's been so kind in allowing me to use this work to advertise my New Leather-Old School ( PBR ). That's a mouth full. He knows that I'm getting started and was very generous with his help. I give thanks. Big-up, @Zach Minard! Watching PBR (http://pbr.com/en/bfts/results.aspx). Google-ing PBR. Now I need to soap PBR (New Leather-Old School). No longer the Old School American brew as we once knew. Now foreign owned, but will remain an American icon all the same.
“Pabst Blue Ribbon is the quintessential American brand – it represents individualism, egalitarianism and freedom of expression – all the things that make this country great,” Kashper said in a statement. “The opportunity to work with the company’s treasure trove of iconic brands, some of which I started my career selling, is a dream come true.” Enjoy your Sunday! Correction: Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer remains American an "Old School" icon and is now back to it's roots in Milwaukee. http://www.ibtimes.com/iconic-american-beer-pabst-blue-ribbon-jumps-ship-russia-1692064#.VChlu7UidUE.google_plusone_share
As we wind down from summer and prepare for the coming fall season, not only am I ready to get warm and cozy. I am looking forward to experience the season change and the positive effects that cooler weather has on me. It's time to shed some skin and get rid of the toxins from stress and bad habits accumulated while having summer fun.
Me personally, I over indulged and can't wait to get started with a cleansing bath to soak and relax getting those pores clean and muscles lose. Rejuvenation is on its way! If only it will cool off! It's been much too hot in southern California to take hot baths. I'm looking at 89.4° inside today. I'm hoping we'll get a much cooler fall season or soon I will have to move to a better climate. ;-) Really though, I-am-not-kidding! There are wonderful things you can add to your detox bath, from the ordinary to the most exotic, additions like Epsom salt and baking soda or essential oils and seaweed. In the meantime, while I wait for cooler weather I will be working on some soaking recipes to marinate in. Here are some bath recipes you can use wherever you are to sit back and enjoy a certain calm you can't get any other way. Bon bain chaud! I'm sitting here working; printing, photos, writing, updating website and social media (pain in the butt), general planning and fine tuning. I need to get as much synchronized to make neat work of things. Chaos comes too easily. Also need to brainstorm how to lessen my costs...I will have to compromise much of what I planned to get V. W. Rustique Design off and running. No harm in crawling, however slow that crawl may be, before I can walk as an LLC. Take even more baby steps, so I can get myself open for business.
In the meantime, the fragrance of Vetiver and Egyptian Musk from New Leather is wafting through the room and smells heavenly. Fragrance is such and important part of my life and I'm uplifted when I get a whiff of something great. Sometimes fragrance is just the brake I need to relax from daily stress. Here in Cali' there's an abundance of fruit, in particular, avocados and bananas. Hmm, sounds like the beginning of a glorious soap. What a great combination! This is going to boost conditioning like crazy and make this soap super luxurious. I've added to the batch some coconut milk in addition to my eggnog base (Don't trip, never enough milk and dairy for me...) and silk of course, for a bomb lather! This is a vegetarian friendly soap fragranced with patchouli, lemongrass and sandalwood. I've topped it off with a Santa Fe blend Red Rooibos tea for some pretty. It's quite splendid, so I shall call it Splendor! Hello, my beauty!
I love the smell of licorice. I also love carrots complimented with anise.Today in the soap kitchen I finished cutting and stamping a new soap called Carrot-Hibiscus Flower. It combines two of my favorite things. I am in love!
This gorgeous soap is my tallow-based recipe, loaded with goodies like milk, eggs and honey to further provide the conditioning skin needs to stay vital after your bath or shower. Carrot juice, Black Walnut hull and Hibiscus flower are its natural colorants. It has been fragranced with anise, vanilla, vetiver and oakmoss. I hope you will love this soap as much as I do. Turmeric-Calendula Bastile Soap. I love my tallow-based soaps very much, but sometimes it’s good to switch between formulas and offer something else just as appealing. This is not for vegans though…It contains milk, eggs and honey combined with a vegetable oil base (olive, caster, coconut). It remains unscented and is a perfect facial soap, but you'll want it for your entire body. This is also a good soap for babies. Calendula has been added for its amazing ability to soothe the skin and lends great color. If you're persnickety this one's for you!
Turmeric is knowing for its amazing ability to reduce acne and even scaring. People with oily skin and acne scars can expect to see benefit from using turmeric on a regular basis.Turmeric is also a great anti-oxidant that helps fend off free-radicals, which age your skin prematurely.Turmeric will help normalize uneven skin tone. Many people say that they were able to stop wearing foundation after using turmeric on their skin. http://skincare.about.com/od/spa/a/Turmeric-For-Skin.htm A new soap is coming to our line. Carrot-Hibiscus Flower. Yes, it is the bomb! Right now it's hot and "jellin'." I'll cut it later on sometime this afternoon. Until then check it out!
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AuthorVirtuous Woman
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