Sleepy Sunday Morning Tea...
Enjoyed "Grandparent's Day" Friday with my Granddaughters at their school...crafts and games and milk and cookies...a pleasant way to spend a Friday! Was really pleased at the turnout as grandparent's trickled in to completely fill the elementary school cafeteria and Hannah's crooked grin as she introduced both her "Nana" and I, to her little friends.
(...kinda like...Old Folks Show and Tell...)
In the middle of my not-quite-Spring cleaning...because...face it...who wants to spend the first warm Spring Days cleaning the house? Cue the :
I'd Rather Be Gardening
tee shirt. Not long now, though! Hoping that Monday is as warm as they say and planning to clear the winter clutter from the garden beds and prune my roses.
Already seeing the tiny tips of bulbs emerging with the promise of Spring color...and the flat thin blades of my irises...the resurrection after their winter nap. Planning additional roses from David Austin's this year...and an arbor of Concords for jelly! Have a firmer grasp on vertical gardening and container gardening this year with a season under my belt, too.
Embarked on a new twist on soap-making Saturday trying a goat's-milk base for the first time. Those who remember my lye soap-making nearly 30 years ago (also in an apartment...I should probably STILL be apologizing to the neighbors for the smell...) will appreciate this. Working with chocolate oil, vanilla, and rum...poured my first batch yesterday of Goat's Milk Soap. Easy to use. Takes color well...uniform...no streaking. No additional smell to it...even the French- Milled I created a few seasons ago was distinctly "soapy".
Not these.
The chocolate mixed with a bit of rum extract gave a "rum-ball" scent that smelled exactly like...well rum-balls. The chocolate oil made a very nice Chocolate Milk smelling bar when powdered milk was added to the base...and the vanilla is heavenly. Going to scrape vanilla beans in the next batch for the flecked look and natural vanilla scent.Accepts add-ins without clumping or settling. They lather well and are good for your skin.
Poured in re-purposed Greek yogurt cups.
And working on various scent combinations:
I haven't tried the glycerin yet. Maybe next. Saw a cute idea using cold process glycerin base...a sandwich bag...blue tint...and a few artificial (plastic) goldfish and a twist tie. A soap-gift for the "Grands" for the bath. Looked like it was fresh from the County Fair!
This week's book a new release from Simon and Schuster...Pamela Ribon's:
You Take It From Here. A long look at Forever Friendships...and the sacrifices we are willing (and sometimes unwilling) to make for them.
Excellent read.
Great summer book!
Enjoy the long weekend...and remember...Do Everything!
affects the setting process...no grape-
fruit pink after all...)
